cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protocol for evaluating the role of a gene in protecting mouse retinal ganglion cells.

Summary The degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) leads to irreversible vision loss in a variety of pathological states. Here, we describe a protocol to evaluate the role of a gene in protecting mouse RGCs when they sustain injuries from excitotoxicity or axonal damage. This protocol includes the procedures for gene transfer through AAV intravitreal injection, induction of RGC injuries by NMDA-induced excitotoxicity or optic nerve crush, and retina immunohistochemistry to assess RGC survival. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Guo et al. (2021) .
Effects of whole cottonseed, cottonseed oil or animal fat on digestibility of wheat straw diets by steers.

Two completely random digestion trials were conducted, each with 12 beef steers (325 kg initial weight), to measure changes in digestibilities of fat and of forage components when fat was added to diets containing 62 to 76% wheat straw. Trial 1 diets contained either no added fat or 6.3% added fat from whole cottonseed (30% of the diet), cottonseed oil or animal fat; diets were formulated to contain equal levels of cottonseed hulls and cottonseed meal. Trial 2 diets contained 0, 2, 4 or 8% added animal fat. In all forms and at all levels, added fat increased apparent digestibility of dietary lipid (P less than .05). However, estimated true digestibility of lipid decreased (from 94 to 71%) as added fat was increased from 0 to 8% (P less than .05). Up to 6.3% added fat increased digestible energy (DE) content of the diet. Fat additions of 2 and 4% increased daily DE intake (P less than .05) and did not depress digestibility of diet components (P greater than .05). Fat additions of 6.3% or greater, either as free fats or as whole cottonseed, reduced (P less than .05) mean acid detergent fiber digestibility from 40 to 28%. In addition to depressing fiber digestibility, 8% added fat reduced (P less than .05) digestibilities of dry matter (from 54 to 47%), organic matter (60 to 52%) and gross energy (60 to 51%). Oil fed as whole cottonseed caused digestibility depressions similar to free fat addition at the same level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Chapter 1 - Environmental Engineering

This chapter provides an overview of environmental engineering, which draws knowledge, skill, and professionalism for the greater good. Water supply and wastewater drainage were designed by civil engineers to control environmental pollution and protect public health. As cities grew, the demand for water increased dramatically and the first system for urban drainage in America was constructed in Boston. The most economical means of waste disposal was to pump these out at regular intervals and cart the waste to a disposal site outside the town. Wastewater treatment consisted of screening for the removal of the large floatables to protect sewage pumps. Screens had to be cleaned manually, and the wastes were buried or incinerated. Today, the concerns of public health encompass not only water but all aspects of civilized life, including food, air, toxic materials, noise, and other environmental insults. Some ecosystems are fragile, easily damaged, and slow to recover, whereas, some are resistant to change and are able to withstand even serious perturbations, and others are resilient and able to recover from perturbation if given the chance. The growing national environmental ethic, coupled with a general lack of scientific understanding, is at the root of public response to reports of “ecodisasters” like major oil spills or releases of toxic or radioactive materials. Designing a water treatment facility to provide clean drinking water to a community can serve society and become a personally satisfying undertaking to the environmental engineer. Environmental engineering has a proud history and a bright future.
Studies on the Enzymatic Conversion of 5α-Cholesta-8, 14-dien-3β-ol to Cholesterol

Abstract [3α-3H]-Cholesta-8,14-dien-3β-ol has been prepared by chemical synthesis and incubated with rat liver homogenate preparations. Under aerobic conditions, the incorporation of label into cholesterol and cholest-7-en-3β-ol was shown. Under anaerobic conditions, labeled cholest-8-en-3β-ol, cholest-8(14)-en-3β-ol, and cholest-7-en-3β-ol were formed.
Utilities, Psychological Values, and the Training of Decision Makers

M. Allais and the ‘American School’ have formulated two alternative hypotheses for the decision-making under uncertainty. Although Allais concentrates on the case when the consequences are money-amounts, his hypothesis can be applied to more general sets of consequences, as used in the ‘American’ discussion. In both hypotheses, subjective probabilities can be revealed by similar observational methods, but Allais’ ‘psychological values’ and the ‘Bernoullian utilities’ are, in general, not identical concepts. In particular, Allais’ maximand depends, not only on the mean but also on the dispersion of ‘psychological values’ — an assumption that Allais considers necessary to explain attitudes towards the variance of money amounts.
25-Hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD3). I. Treatment for parturient paresis.

Abstract Eleven cows were given .5 to 2.0mg 25-hydroxycholecalciferol intravenously when first observed down with parturient paresis. Six of the 11 cows recovered in 13h (range, 3 to 24h) post-treatment. Two of the five cows which did not recover within 24h after treatment were not hypocalcemic. One had obturator nerve paralysis while the other died from acute pulmonary emphysema. Two of the three hypocalcemic nonrecovery cows developed complications. At the time of treatment, serum calcium and phosphorus were highest in the fast recovery (recovery In a field study of 125 dairy cows, attempts to reduce the relapse rate by giving 1.0mg 25-hydroxycholecalciferol immediately before administration of calcium borogluconate were unsuccessful. Relapse rate was nearly equal between gr.;ups, 22.0% with calcium alone and 22.8% with calcium plus 25-hydroxycholecalciferol.
Kantian Cosmopolitanism beyond ‘Perpetual Peace’: Commercium, Critique, and the Cosmopolitan Problematic

: Most contemporary attempts to draw inspiration from Kant's cosmopolitan project focus exclusively on the prescriptive recommendations he makes in his article, ‘On Perpetual Peace’. In this essay, I argue that there is more to his cosmopolitan point of view than his normative agenda. Kant has a unique and interesting way of problematizing the way individuals and peoples relate to one another on the stage of world history, based on a notion that human beings who share the earth in common ‘originally’ constitute a ‘commercium’ of thoroughgoing interaction. By unpacking this concept of ‘commercium’, we can uncover in Kant a more critical perspective on world history that sets up the cosmopolitan as a specific kind of historical-political challenge. I will show that we can distinguish this level of problematization from the prescriptive level at which Kant formulates his familiar recommendations in ‘Perpetual Peace’. I will further show how his particular way of framing the cosmopolitan problematic can be expanded and expatiated upon to develop a more critical, reflexive, and open-ended conception of cosmopolitan thinking.
Constitutive Production and Release of a Lymphokine with Macrophage-activating Factor Activity Distinct from γ-Interferon by a Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus-positive Cell Line

Culture supernatant fluids from the human T-cell leukemia virus-positive cell line C10/MJ-2 were found to contain a soluble factor with macrophage-activating factor (MAF) activity. The MAF activity of this culture supernatant fluid was stable at 100° for 2 min and was unaffected by treatment with human anti-γ-interferon (IFN-γ) monoclonal antibody. Both treatments neutralized >97% IFN-γ activity from the supernatant fluid as measured by virus neutralization. Furthermore, this MAF activity was not due to contamination with endotoxins since the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay was negative (<0.125 ng/ml) and preincubation of the C10/MJ-2 supernatant fluid with polymyxin B did not diminish its activating potential. By contrast, human IFN-γ rendered human monocytes tumoricidal only when combined with Salmonella typhosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a minimum dose of 0.2 ng/ml. The concentrations of both LPS and IFN-γ were crucial to achieve activation since IFN-γ at doses <10 units/ml did not activate human monocytes even when combined with maximal doses of LPS (0.5 ng/ml). Finally, when human IFN-γ admixed with LPS was preincubated with polymyxin B, its activating potential was completely abrogated. Collectively, these data suggest that the human T-cell line C10/MJ-2 constitutively produces a diffusable product distinct from IFN-γ which activates human monocytes to lyse tumor cells. Thus, this cell line could provide a good source of a unique human MAF for future purification procedures.
Nanograin Composite Model Studies of Nanocrystalline Gadolinia‐Doped Ceria

Nanocrystalline gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) specimens with grain sizes ranging from 10 to 100 nm were studied by AC-impedance spectroscopy over the temperature range of ∼150°― ∼300°C, and were analyzed by the nanograin composite model (n-GCM), which is capable of extracting local properties (grain-core conductivity, grain-boundary conductivity, grain-boundary dielectric constant) and also grain-boundary width. The grain-core dielectric constant, a necessary input parameter for the n-GCM procedure, was measured separately on a microcrystalline GDC specimen sintered from identical powders. In spite of modest increases in grain-boundary conductivity at the nanoscale, the total conductivity exhibited a monotonic decrease with decreasing grain size. This behavior was attributed to the large increase in the number of grain-boundary barriers at the nanoscale, which overwhelms the slight increase in grain-boundary conductivity. An unusual "up-and-down" behavior was observed in grain-boundary conductivity versus grain size, which was accounted for by a similar trend in the preexponential factor versus grain size. Effective grain-boundary widths, also determined by the n-GCM, exhibited a similar "up-and-down" behavior, which probably reflects the differences in thermal history from specimen-to-specimen.
Different gradients for neurotransmitter metabolites and protein in horse cerebrospinal fluid.

The serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of seven clinically normal horses were evaluated with reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection. Comparisons of the neurotransmitter metabolite concentrations were made on CSF collected simultaneously from the atlanto-occipital and lumbosacral regions. There were significantly higher amounts of 5-HIAA and HVA in atlanto-occipital CSF than in lumbosacral CSF. Mean 5-HIAA concentrations in atlanto-occipital and lumbosacral CSF were 206.1±37.0 nmol/L and 68.5±12.6 nmol/L, respectively. The mean HVA concentration in atlanto-occipital CSF was 254.4±50.4 nmol/L. No HVA was detected in lumbosacral CSF. In contrast, significantly greater protein concentrations were present in lumbosacral CSF than in atlanto-occipital CSF. Lumbosacral and atlanto-occipital CSF contained 32.1±3.7 mg protein/dl and 25.0±1.3 mg protein/dl, respectively. Thus, between the atlanto-occipital and lumbosacral space of the horses, a rostrocaudal gradient existed for neurotransmitter metabolites and a caudorostral gradient existed for protein.
Evaluation and management of high risk and premalignant lesions of the breast

Specific, combined histologic and cytologic patterns of atypical epithelial hyperplasia (AH) in the breast indicate a medically relevant risk of breast cancer development in 5% to 10% of women with otherwise benign biopsies. This risk is four to five times that of similar women without such lesions, that is, women of the same age and at risk for the same period of time. These relative risks are not stable and fall 10 to 15 years after detection, more closely approximating the risks of women of comparable age. Proliferative disease without atypia, no matter how extensive or complex, predicts only a slight elevation of risk, which approaches double that of the reference population. There is a strong interaction of AH with family history of breast cancer in at least a first degree relative. This risk doubles the risk of AH alone and is approximately 20% at 10 to 15 years after biopsy, particularly for women in their forties and early fifties. These considerations are of less clinical importance in women over age 60. Low replacement doses of conjugated estrogen after the menopause do not further elevate risk beyond that identified by histologic patterns. Non-comedo ductal carcinoma in situ may be considered a true precursor lesion; however, it differs significantly in many ways from the more advanced lesion recognized as the comedo type of ductal carcinoma in situ. Small examples of noncomedo ductal carcinoma in situ can eventuate in invasive carcinoma after 6 to 10 years. They may be treated by wide local excision without radiation, with no recurrence up to 8 to 10 years in all likelihood. Ductal carcinoma in situ lesions can be extensive within the breast, and this conservative posture should be reserved for smaller lesions.
Thermodynamic Analysis of the Effect of D2O on Mitotic Spindles in Developing Sea Urchin Eggs

D2O increases the volume of the mitotic spindle and its bire-fringence. This effect is completely reversible and repeatable within an optimum range of temperature and D2O concentration. We made a thermodynamic analysis of the D2O effect on the first mitotic spindle in dividing sea urchin eggs at metaphase because of the possibility of a dynamic equilibrium existing between cytoplasmic tubulin molecules and the oriented microtubules in the spindle.D2O has been thought to promote hydrophobic interactions between tubulin molecules. Thermodynamic factors such as changes in enthalpy or in entropy should, therefore, be increased by an application of D2O. No significant changes in the thermodynamic factors, however, were found in our experiments. Our data indicate that D20 increases the available pool of polymerizable tubulin molecules in the cell. This is evidence that a pool of unpolymerizable tubulin molecules is present in the dividing eukaryotic cell.
Boundary layer growth on two spheres

An asymptotic solution of the unsteady Navier-Stokes' equations is derived for the problem of the mutual hydrodynamic interaction between two solid spheres immersed in a viscous fluid moving at infinity in a direction parallel to their line of centers. It is assumed that the Reynolds and Strouhal numbers are much larger than one but small enough for the flow to remain stable. The influence of (i) the separation distance between the two bodies, (ii) the ratio of their radii, (iii) the Reynolds number and (iv) the acceleration parameter of the flow on the formation and the initial stage of development of the two boundary layers around the two spheres are investigated. The movement of the detachment points and hydrodynamic forces experienced by the two bodies are calculated. Some typical relations and findings are shown graphically.
Assessment of Rape-Supportive Attitudes and Beliefs in College Men Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Rape Attitudes and Beliefs Scale

Discussed is the development and psychometric analysis of a measure of rape-supportive attitudes and beliefs called the Rape Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (RABS), intended for the use with college men. Items were developed from a literature review of "rape myths" that were correlated to some measure of sexual aggression. An exploratory factor analysis using only male participants revealed five factors: a) justifications for sexual aggression based on women's behavior, b) belief that women should hold more responsibility for sexual assault, peer c) pressure/need for sexual status and misreading women's sexual intent, d) acceptance of the use of alcohol and coercive tactics to acquire sexual compliance, and e) dislike for the feminine and acceptance of traditional gender roles. Initial reliability and validity studies were favorable for the RABS, including evidence that these factors were positively related to measures of sexual aggression. Each factor demonstrated differential power to predict sexual aggression, with justifications being the most powerful. Implications for counseling and education are discussed.
Impact of safety warnings on drug utilization: marketplace life span of cisapride and troglitazone.

Study Objective. To evaluate the impact of safety alerts on the volume of cisapride and troglitazone usage. Design. Retrospective database analysis. Setting. University research center. Material. Idaho Medicaid claims data from January 1994–July 2000. Measurements and Main Results. Monthly counts of total and new prescriptions filled for cisapride and troglitazone were analyzed graphically over time as a function of all prescriptions. New prescriptions were defined as those filled by patients who had not received the drug within the previous year. A binomial comparison of the 5 months before and after each safety alert was conducted by Poisson distribution. Overall and new cisapride usage increased after the first alert, which occurred in February 1995 (p<0.05). After the second alert, in September 1995, growth in new prescriptions ended but total prescriptions continued to grow (p<0.05). After the third alert, in June 1998, growth in total use ended and the number of new prescriptions declined (p<0.05). The final two alerts (June 1999 and January 2000) were met with significant declines (p<0.05 for both). Troglitazone was the subject of two alerts in October and December 1997. After these, overall usage increased (p<0.05), whereas the number of new prescriptions decreased (p<0.05). The third alert, in July 1998, caused no change as total prescription use continued to grow (p<0.05), whereas the number of new prescriptions decreased (p<0.05). A fourth alert, in June 1999, resulted in a decrease of overall usage and new prescriptions (p<0.05 for both). Conclusion. Numerous safety alerts were required for each drug before drug usage declined. The decline in overall use was slower than the decline in new prescriptions, possibly indicating a need for increased assessment of refilled prescriptions after the release of new safety data.
Effect of the antithyroid drug propylthiouracil on the sodium balance of rats.

Rats treated chronically with either propylthiouracil or thiouracil show a negative sodium balance, lose weight and eventually die if given a diet deficient in sodium. When the diet is deficient in both sodium and potassium, goitrogen-treated rats lose more sodium and less potassium than untreated controls, with resultant high urinary Na/K ratios. The high urinary Na/K ratio is typical of animals with adrenocortical deficiency. Indeed, goitrogen-treated rats, given a choice between water and NaCl solution to drink, manifest a spontaneous appetite for NaCl solutions which is similar in character to that seen in adrenalectomized rats. The possibilities exist that these drugs interfere with: (a) renal production of renin, which is now known to stimulate adrenal secretion of aldosterone; (b) adrenal cortical secretion of aldosterone; and (c) utilization of aldosterone by the kidney tubule. The present experiments do not indicate which one of the above, if any, is responsible for the increased sodium loss of g...
Reactive desorption electrospray ionization for selective detection of the hydrolysis products of phosphonate esters.

Reactive desorption electrospray ionization (reactive DESI) is demonstrated to be a rapid and sensitive method for the direct detection of alkyl methylphosphonic acids, the hydrolysis products and metabolites of the chemical warfare (CW) agents VX (S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl-O-ethyl methylphosphonothiolate) and GB (sarin, isopropylmethyl phosphonofluoridate). Rapid and sensitive detection of these compounds is readily achieved by performing DESI from a solid surface; detection specificity is enhanced by implementation of a heterogeneous ion/molecule reaction using boric acid in the spray solvent. The reagent ion H2BO3− generated in the spray readily reacts with condensed-phase alkyl MPA to form anionic adducts. The specificity of this chemical reaction, together with the characteristic fragmentation patterns of the reaction products, supplies a highly discriminatory detection method for methylphosphonic acid (MPA), ethylphosphonic acid (EMPA) and isopropyl methylphosphonic acid (IMPA) in complex matrices. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of bupropion on nicotine self-administration in rats

The mechanisms underlying the therapeutic efficacy of bupropion as a smoking cessation agent are unknown. Bupropion inhibits monoamine uptake as well as neuronal nicotinic receptor (nAChR) function. The present study compared effects of bupropion on nicotine self-administration to those of other stimulant drugs (methamphetamine and apomorphine) that lack nAChR activity in order to determine its mechanism of action. To determine the specificity of bupropion-induced changes in nicotine self-administration, the ability of bupropion to alter sucrose-maintained responding or amphetamine self-administration was determined. In nicotine and amphetamine self-administration and sucrose-maintained responding experiments, rats responded for nicotine (0.01 or 0.02 mg/kg per infusion, IV), amphetamine (0.2 mg/kg per infusion, IV) and sucrose pellets (45 mg), respectively, on a fixed ratio 5 schedule. Once responding stabilized, rats were pretreated 15 min before the session with bupropion (1–78 mg/kg) or vehicle. The ability of methamphetamine (0.3–3 mg/kg) or apomorphine (0.01–0.2 mg/kg) to alter responding for nicotine (0.02 mg/kg per infusion, IV) was determined. Bupropion produced a biphasic dose-response pattern at both nicotine infusion doses, increasing infusions at low bupropion doses and decreasing infusions at high bupropion doses. Methamphetamine produced a similar biphasic pattern, whereas apomorphine only decreased nicotine infusions at high doses. Bupropion dose-dependently decreased responding for sucrose and amphetamine. These results suggest that high bupropion doses decrease responding nonspecifically; whereas low bupropion doses selectively increase responding for nicotine. The increase in nicotine self-administration is likely due to inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine transporters, combined with inhibition of nAChRs.
Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy changes of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5,-hexatriene in membranes from Bacillus megaterium spores

Abstract The steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene incorporated into isolated Bacillus megaterium spore membranes was measured. Compounds capable of triggering spore germination in vivo caused an increase in the anisotropy of diphenylhexatriene. These increases in anisotropy of diphenylhexatriene in spore membranes are likely to represent at least a portion of the trigger mechanism for spore germination based on the following observations. First, there was an exceptional positive correlation between compounds that both triggered germination in vivo and caused changes in anisotropy in vitro. Second. the capacity of membranes to respond to germinants by increases in anisotropy was unique to membranes from spores but disappeared after germination. Third, alteration of spores chemically or genetically to block the in vivo triggering of germination by l -proline also blocked the in vitro anisotropy change with l -proline but not d -glucose. Finally, there was no correlation between the transport activities of specific compounds and the ability of these compounds to either trigger germination or alter the anisotropy of diphenylhexatriene in the membranes. Although we do not known the nature of the molecular interactions giving rise to the anisotropy changes, we hypothesize that they are due to changes in protein conformation that alter protein-protein and/or protein-lipid interactions. Such modifications of membrane structures could account for the rapid release of small molecular weight compounds such as K + and Ca 2+ early in germination.
Effective beam parameters and the turbulent beam waist for convergent Gaussian beams

Expressions are developed for the location and the size of the beam waist for a convergent Gaussian beam in statistically homogeneous and isotropic atmospheric turbulence. Subsidiary expressions are presented that lead to the maximum distance from the transmitter at which the beam waist can be located under given optical turbulence conditions and the optimal initial radius of curvature required for placing the beam waist at a desired location. The free-space beam radius W of a Gaussian beam satisfies the relationship ∂W/∂z = - W/R, where z represents the path length and R is the phase-front radius of curvature at z. By enforcing this relation on the effective beam spot size in turbulence W(e), we can define an effective radius of curvature R(e). In addition to specifying the beam waist, R(e) leads to a pair of effective beam parameters θ(e) and Λ(e) that provide a natural extension to the complex amplitude plane. Within this context, general propagation characteristics may be described, including the coherence properties of a Gaussian beam in both weak and strong optical turbulence.
Design of gene circuits: lessons from bacteria

Researchers are now building synthetic circuits for controlling gene expression and considering practical applications for engineered gene circuits. What can we learn from nature about design principles for gene circuits? A large body of experimental data is now available to test some important theoretical predictions about how gene circuits could be organized, but the data also raise some intriguing new questions.
Nicotine increases dopamine transporter function in rat striatum through a trafficking-independent mechanism.

In previous in vivo voltammetry studies, acute nicotine administration increased striatal dopamine clearance. The current study aimed to determine whether nicotine also increases [ 3 H]dopamine uptake across the time course of the previous voltammetry studies and whether dopamine transporter trafficking to the cell surface mediates the nicotine-induced augmentation of dopamine clearance in striatum. Rats were administered nicotine (0.32 mg/kg, s.c.); striatal synaptosomes were obtained 5, 10, 40 or 60 min later. Nicotine increased (25%) the Vmax of [ 3 H]dopamine uptake at 10 and 40 min. To determine whether the increase in Vmax was due to an increase in dopamine transporter density, [ 3 H]GBR 12935 (1-(2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine dihydrochloride) binding was performed using rat striatal membranes; no differences were found between nicotine and saline control groups at 5, 10 or 40 min post-injection, indicating that nicotine did not increase striatal dopamine transporter density; however, [ 3 H]GBR 12935 binding assays determine both cell surface and intracellular dopamine transporter. Changes in cellular dopamine transporter localization in striatum were determined using biotinylation and subfractionation approaches; no differences between nicotine and saline control groups were observed at 10 and 40 min post-injection. These results suggest that the nicotine-induced increase in dopamine uptake and clearance in striatum may occur via a trafficking-independent mechanism.
Anterior Instability Should Be Treated Arthroscopically—Opposes

There have been numerous advances in the "art" of arthroscopic procedures involving the shoulder in the last decade. Yet, despite these many advances, few if any arthroscopic procedures can match the long-term outcomes of the same procedure when performed using well tested open techniques. This is particularly true when studying and reviewing the outcomes of arthroscopic instability repairs. In the high-demand athlete, open repairs are thought to provide superior outcomes when subjected to the forces and demands of any contact sport. If that is indeed true, why should one compromise these same results in any other individual or athlete? A detailed and exhaustive meta-analysis of both arthroscopic and open instability repairs suggests that open repairs are more predictable and superior in their outcomes compared with their arthroscopic counterparts. Recurrence of the instability pattern is less common with open repairs, duration of stability is improved, and patient satisfaction remains higher compared with arthroscopic repair techniques. Furthermore, the only advantage to arthroscopic repair is a smaller incision and perhaps less pain in the first few days. Return to activity remains the same regardless of the technique of repair. Long-term results in contact athletes are superior and more durable in the open repair.
Analysis of metoprolol enantiomers in human serum by liquid chromatography on a cellulose-based chiral stationary phase.

Metoprolol is a lipophilic, cardioselective β-adrenergic blocking agent commercially available as a racemic compound. A normal phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to directly determine individual enantiomeric concentrations of metoprolol in human serum. Separation of the enantiomers was accomplished by a cellulose-tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase. Metoprolol enantiomers were detected by means of fluorescence with excitation and emission wavelengths of 275 and 315 nm, respectively. Standard curves were linear over the concentration range 12.5–400 ng/ml for each enantiomer. Within-day coeffient of variation was <15% at all concentrations and the between-day coefficient of variation ranged from 4.1 to 11.2%. The limit of detection was determined to be 5 ng/ml for each enantiomer and the stereoselective resolution (α) of R- and S-metoprolol was 3.08. The assay was employed to determine enantiomeric serum concentrations of metoprolol in healthy male volunteers.
Expression and Novel Function of Bestrophin-2 in Goblet Cells in Mammalian Colon

Anion channels and transporters in the gastrointestinal epithelium play essential roles in fluid secretion and absorption and participate in regulating the pH and ionic composition of the gut luminal contents. Diarrheas produced by bacterial enterotoxins such as cholera and rotavirus are associated, respectively, with activation of two kinds of Cl- channels, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and Ca2+-activated Cl- channels (CaCCs). Although the roles and mechanisms of CFTR are relatively well understood, CaCCs have remained enigmatic partly because their molecular identity has remained in question. Here we have investigated the role of bestrophin-2, a candidate CaCC protein, in colon using a mouse knockout model. Best2-/- knockout mice exhibit a greatly reduced amplitude of cholinergic (Ca2+)-stimulated anion secretion, consistent with Best2's potential role as a CaCC. However, unexpectedly, Best2 is expressed in the basolateral membrane of mucin-secreting colonic goblet cells and not in the apical membrane of colonocytes as predicted if it was a CaCC. Analysis of the cholinergically-stimulated anion secretion revealed that a large fraction of the current was carried by HCO3-, was unaffected by CFTR blockers, and was carried by Best2 channels. Whole cell patch clamp analysis of isolated colonocytes revealed two kinds of Ca2+-activated Cl- channels, currents with linear I-V relationships carried by Best2 and reduced in the knockout and outwardly-rectifying currents that resemble currents carried by TMEM16A, another candidate CaCC protein that is expressed on the apical membrane of surface colonocytes and is probably involved in Cl- absorption. These results provide a new perspective on cholinergic regulation of colonic secretion and may have relevance to colitis and inflammatory bowel disease, two diseases that exhibit defective anion transport. Further, they provide new insights into the functions of the enigmatic bestrophin family of anion channels.
Effect of evaporation and mixing technique on die spacer thickness: A preliminary study

Abstract Statement of problem. Casting relief is required for proper seating of castings to allow for luting agent thickness. The application of die spacer to the die is the most common method of obtaining casting relief. Die spacer film thicknesses that are outside the ideal range of 25 to 40 μm can cause clinical problems. Thickness can be affected by the separation of die spacer constituents, which may not be reconstituted by mixing, in the bottle and by the evaporation of volatile components while the bottle is open. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of component evaporation and die spacer mixing technique on applied die spacer thickness. Material and methods. Bottles of Gold Tru-fit die spacer were left open for 0, 1, 4, 8, and 24 hours at 22°C. Spacer solutions were shaken either by hand per the manufacturer's directions or on a dental vibrator for 1 minute. One even brush stroke of spacer was applied to clean glass slides. Three die spacer films were made for each combination of time and mixing technique. Eighteen thickness measurements per sample at various sites were recorded with profilometer tracings. Statistical differences were determined with a 2-way ANOVA. Results. Handshaking provided greater die spacer thickness, which increased with the time that the bottle was open. Vibration provided lower thickness with no statistical increase with time. Conclusion. Insufficient agitation caused lower film thickness. Excessive evaporation caused higher film thickness. (J Prosthet Dent 2001;85:82-7.)
Hyperbranched Poly(ε-caprolactone)s

Novel hyperbranched poly(e-caprolactone)s have been synthesized. The versatile synthesis utilizes AB2 macromonomers and allows the thermo-physical properties of the polymers to be tailored. The e-caprolactone-based AB2 macromonomers were synthesized through living ring opening polymerization, using aluminum benzyloxide as the initiator. The aluminum benzyloxide initiated polymers were then functionalized with benzylidene-protected 2,2‘-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid and subsequently deprotected to form the α-carboxylic-ω-dihydroxy functional AB2 macromonomers. The AB2 polyesters were condensed into hyperbranched polymers through a room-temperature esterification synthesis using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium 4-toluenesulfonate (DPTS). All polymers were characterized by 1H NMR, SEC, and DSC. The degree of branching in the hyperbranched polymers was found, by 1H NMR, to be 0.37 ± 0.03, and to be independent of the macromonomer used. Significant flexibility exists in the ne...
Gaseous detonations in porous media

There are many applications with pronounced energy implications where it is desirable to increase the permeability of a porous bed. Such applications include “in situ” coal gasification and shale oil retorting and enhanced oil and gas recovery. A closely related problem is that of the breakup of a frozen mass of coal which was transported in open railroad hopper cars. This study was directed to the feasibility of using a gaseous detonation to effect an increase in permeability. Towards that end, a heavy walled pipe (1.829 m long, 0.124 m I.D., and 0.168 m O.D.) was filled with solid spheres. In separate experiments, steel spheres of 19.05 mm and 38.1 mm and ceramic spheres of 38.1 mm were used. The gaseous combustible mixtures tested included hydrogen, methane, and propane all with oxygen as the oxidizer. A range of initial pressures and mixture equivalence ratios were tested. In each case the variation of wave velocity and pressure along the tube was determined. The spheres caused the detonation velocity to be lower than the theoretical Chapman-Jouguet velocity which would be expected in an open tube of that size. Increase of the initial pressure, diameter of the spheres, and equivalence ratio from lean towards stoichiometric resulted in an increase in detonation velocity. The material of the sphere had a slight effect; the steel spheres resulting in higher velocities. An approximate one-dimensional, steady flow, analytical model which included losses in the reaction zone was developed. This expression was used to calculate the critical condition wherein the detonation would no longer propagate through the porous bed, thus predicting the sphere diameter required for quenching. Finally, some experiments were conducted wherein a large container was filled with coal, mixed with snow, and allowed to freeze. Propane-oxygen was blown through the pile and then detonated. Considerable fracturing was experienced.
Output Feedback Variable Structure Adaptive Control of an Aeroelastic System

The paper presents an application of the variable structure model reference adaptive control theory to control of aeroelastic systems with structural nonlinearity. Interestingly, the design approach does not require any knowledge of the parameters of the system and the nonlinear functions, and only output feedback is used for the synthesis of the control systems. Control laws for the trajectory tracking of pitch angle and plunge displacement are derived. In the closed-loop system, the state vector asymptotically converges to the origin. Control laws are discontinuous functions of the tracking error, and modulation functions of the relays are generated on-line using bounds on uncertain functions and certain auxiliary signals. Digital simulation results are presented which show that in the closed-loop system, pitch angle and plunge displacement are smoothly regulated to zero in spite of the uncertainty and unmodeled functions in the system using only output feedback.
Selective flooding for improved quality-of-service routing

Quality-of-service (QoS) requirements for the timely delivery of real-time multimedia raise new challenges for today's networks. A key component of QoS is QoS routing which allows the selection of network routes with sufficient resources for requested QoS parameters. Most proposed techniques to compute QoS routes require dynamic update of link-state information. Given the growing size of internets, it is becoming increasingly difficult to gather up-to-date state information. We propose a new technique to compute QoS routes in a fast and efficient manner without any need for dynamic updates. Our method, known as Selective Flooding, checks the state of the links on a set of pre-computed routes from the source to the destination in parallel and based on this information computes the best route and then reserves resources. We implemented Selective Flooding on a QoS routing simulator and evaluated the performance of Selective Flooding compared to source routing for a variety of network parameters. We find Selective Flooding consistently outperforms source routing in terms of call-blocking rate and outperforms source routing in terms of network overhead for some network conditions. The contributions of this work include the design of a new QoS routing algorithm, Selective Flooding, extensive evaluation of Selective Flooding under a variety of network conditions and a working simulator for future research.
Working‐class politics in Moscow during the early NEP: Mensheviks and workers’ organisations, 1921–1922

(1987). Working‐class politics in Moscow during the early NEP: Mensheviks and workers’ organisations, 1921–1922. Soviet Studies: Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 556-574.
Do age and quality of life of patients with cancer influence quality of life of the caregiver

Abstract Objective There are significant burdens associated with providing care for loved ones with cancer. However, caregiver quality of life (QOL) is often overlooked. With the increasing number of older adults with cancer, it is important to determine whether a patient's age and QOL have any association with the caregiver's QOL. The objective of our study was to describe caregiver QOL and explore whether patient age and other psychosocial factors impact caregiver QOL. Materials and Methods Baseline information from patients with advanced cancer undergoing radiation and their caregivers, who were enrolled in a randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a structured, multidisciplinary QOL intervention, was analyzed for this study. Caregivers completed the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOLC) Scale. Both patients and caregivers completed the Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA) to measure QOL, and Profile of Mood States (POMS) to measure mood states. Results Overall, 131 patient–caregiver pairs participated in the study. At baseline, caregivers of older adults (≥65years) had higher mental ( P =0.01), emotional ( P =0.003), spiritual ( P P =0.03) LASA QOL scores. Caregivers of older adults also had higher baseline QOL (CQOLC, P =0.003) and mood (POMS, P =0.04) than caregivers of younger adults. Caregivers of patients with higher LASA QOL scores had higher overall ( P =0.02), mental ( P =0.006), physical ( P =0.02), emotional ( P =0.002), and spiritual LASA QOL scores ( P =0.047). Conclusions Caregivers of older adults with advanced cancer demonstrated better QOL and fewer mood disturbances compared to caregivers of younger patients. When patients have good QOL, caregivers also had good QOL.
Estimating Policy Effects on Spatial Market Efficiency: An Extension to the Parity Bounds Model

The standard parity bounds model (PBM) is extended to allow for dynamic shifts in regime probabilities in response to changes in marketing policy. The approach allows estimation of the length of the adjustment period and a statistical test for no policy effects. The extended PBM is applied to maize and wheat markets in Ethiopia. Evidence of a dynamic adjustment path is found and grain marketing reforms are found to have improved spatial efficiency in a few markets, worsened it in a few others, but generally to have had little effect on the spatial efficiency of Ethiopian grain markets.
Advances in relativistic molecular quantum mechanics

Abstract A quantum mechanical equation H Ψ = E Ψ is composed of three components, viz., Hamiltonian H , wave function Ψ , and property E ( λ ) , each of which is confronted with fundamental issues in the relativistic regime, e.g., (1) What is the most appropriate relativistic many-body Hamiltonian? How to solve the resulting equation? (2) How does the relativistic wave function behave at the coalescence of two electrons? How to do relativistic explicit correlation? (3) How to formulate relativistic properties properly?, to name just a few. It is shown here that the charge-conjugated contraction of Fermion operators, dictated by the charge conjugation symmetry, allows for a bottom-up construction of a relativistic Hamiltonian that is in line with the principles of quantum electrodynamics (QED). Various approximate but accurate forms of the Hamiltonian can be obtained based entirely on physical arguments. In particular, the exact two-component Hamiltonians can be formulated in a general way to cast electric and magnetic fields, as well as electron self-energy and vacuum polarization, into a unified framework. While such algebraic two-component Hamiltonians are incompatible with explicit correlation, four-component relativistic explicitly correlated approaches can indeed be made fully parallel to the nonrelativistic counterparts by virtue of the ‘extended no-pair projection’ and the coalescence conditions. These findings open up new avenues for future developments of relativistic molecular quantum mechanics. In particular, ‘molecular QED’ will soon become an active and exciting field.
The role of sub-audible acoustics in urban geophysics

Summary The installation of semi-permanent or permanent acoustic monitoring systems in an urban environment requires broadband characterization of the ambient noise field. In the seismically-acoustically complex and variable urban environment, signals of interest can best be identified when they are visible and distinct from the highly-variable noise field. Since signals of interest occur in the atmosphere above urban terrains, at the interface between the atmosphere and the urban landscape, and below the urban subsurface, both seismic and acoustic parameterization of this near-surface area can aid in determining the origin, propagation, and attenuation of signals interest regardless of origin (above, at, or below the ground surface).
Surfactants for producing low interfacial tensions: II. Linear alkylbenzenesulfonates with additional alkyl substituents

The synthesis and low interfacial tension behavior of a variety of di- and trialkylbenzenesulfonates are described. The benzene ring carries one major alkyl substituent, consisting of a linear chain eight to sixteen carbon atoms long, and one or two additional methyl, ethyl, propyl, i-propyl, butyl, or t-butyl groups. The addition of these extra groups causes the low interfacial tensions to shift to higher molecular weight alkanes when compared to the parent linear alkylbenzenesulfonate. Surfactants in these structural classes can give very low interfacial tensions against those alkanes which best model the behavior of crude oils, but this is influenced by the number and type of the short alkyl substituents. These surfactant structures are more attractive from the point of view of tertiary oil recovery than linear alkylbenzenesulfonates.
Effect of lipo prostaglandin E1 in ductus-dependent congenital heart disease

Prostaglandin E1 incorporated in lipid microspheres (lipo PGE1) was administered to 42 infants with ductus-dependent congenital heart disease (CHD). At the onset of infusion, the patients were 5 hours to 141 days old (mean 19.0 days). The dose of lipo PGE1 was initially 5 ng/kg/minute. The infusion continued for 1–1008 hours (mean 213.2 hours). Lipo PGE1 was effective in 34 of the 42 patients (81.0%). In the 8 patients in whom lipo PGE1 was not effective, the ductus arteriosus had closed before initiation of infusion. In all patients but one in whom the preparation was effective (33/34), the response was observed within 12 hours after the initiation of the infusion. Only mild side effects, such as low grade apnea and fever, were observed in 7 of the 42 patients. In 8 patients who received lipo PGE1 infusion for a long period (more than 200 hours), the effect continued for more than 4 days after the termination of infusion. In the patients who received PGE1 CD, the effect disappeared less than 9 hours after discontinuation of administration. These findings indicate that lipo PGE1 was effective at a lower dose, with a low incidence of side effects and a long duration of action. Lipo PGE1 was considered to be useful and safe in patients with ductus-dependent CHD.
Motor Development and Elementary Physical Education Are Partners.

(2008). Motor Development and Elementary Physical Education Are Partners. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 79, No. 7, pp. 40-43.