cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gauge theory of gravity

We develop an O(5) gauge theory in which the O(5) symmetry is spontaneously broken to O(4) with a scale on the order of the Planck mass. The ten components of the O(5) gauge field are identified as the four vierbeins and six connections of Euclidean general relativity. In the strong-coupling limit the effective action is dominated by a dimension-five operator induced by the anomalous fermion triangle loop which turns out to be the usual Hilbert action. The metric is not a dynamical field in this model and its equation of constraint is just the usual metric-vierbein relation. We suggest SU(9) \ensuremath{\supset} SU(5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}O(5) as the simplest group for a totally unified theory.
Extended Residence of Young-of-the-Year Lake Trout in Shallow Water

Abstract Young-of-the-year lake trout Salvelinus namaycush remained at depths of 2–8 m in Presque Isle Harbor, Lake Superior from May through July. This extended residence in shallow depths contrasts with an immediate migration to deeper water reported by others. The young lake trout attained average total lengths of 45 mm before they left shallow water. Movement to deeper water was judged to be associated with water temperatures greater than 15 C and a preference for deep water 12 weeks after hatching.
Mathematical modeling of myoglobin facilitated transport of oxygen in devices containing myoglobin-expressing cells.

Abstract Low pO2 is perhaps the most significant factor in artificial pancreas failure. In these environments, not only is the beta cell production of insulin reduced, but the cell death rate is also significantly higher. Mathematical models are developed to test the feasibility of facilitated oxygen transport in enhancing O2 flux to genetically engineered cells in a bioartificial device such as a pancreas. For this device, it is proposed that beta cells be genetically engineered to express myoglobin throughout the cell. In addition, the significance of including myoglobin throughout the alginate matrix present to provide immuno-protection for the transplanted cells is considered. The mathematical analysis predicts that myoglobin facilitated oxygen transport has the potential of increasing the oxygen concentration at the centre of a cluster of cells (islet) with an effective radius of 100 μm by 50%. These theoretical models for myoglobin facilitated oxygen transport with homogeneous Michaelis–Menten consumption also indicate that including myoglobin in the alginate gel would beneficially improve the flux of oxygen to the transplanted cells.
Interpersonal Relations in Peasant Society: The Peasant's View

The nature of interpersonal relations in peasant society has been a subject of considerable dispute in anthropology. There are those who find peasant society to be:… a relatively homogeneous, isolated, smoothly functioning and well-integrated society made up of a contented and well adjusted people.
Formalism for the systematic solution of the low-energy pion-trinucleon scattering problem

We present a systematic representation of the low-energy pion-trinucleon scattering problem derived from a reduction of the exact four-body formulation which is due to Haberzettl and Sandhas. This method removes many of the difficulties usually associated with the assignment of the parametric energy of pion-nucleon scattering in the pion-trinucleon center of mass which occur in the traditional optical potential approach based on multiple-scattering theories. In the present formulation both the pion-nucleon and nucleon-nucleon interactions provide the dynamical input and the quasideuteron mechanism appears naturally as a low-order approximation in our approach.
Comparison of the lattice-dynamics and cell-model approximations with Monte-Carlo thermodynamic properties☆

Abstract Results from Monte-Carlo computer experiments for energy, pressure, specific heat, Gruneisen γ, and elastic constants are compared with approximate lattice dynamics and cell-model predictions. Comparisons are made for both the Lennard-Jones 6–12 and the exponential-six pair potentials. The elastic constants predicted by lattice dynamics agree best with the Monte-Carlo results. For the other thermodynamic properties the cell model gives more accurate estimates. The effects of increasing the number of particles and of making the calculations according to quantum mechanics instead of classical mechanics are both studied.
Reinventing government and reformulating public administration

The National Performance Review is the most recent of a succession of major public sector reform initiatives. The conceptual base of the Review draws from Osborne and Gaebler and competitive market models of administration. This article discusses the relevance of the base and models, given the current responsibilities of the national government. An alternative concept, governing capacity, is proposed as the appropriate theoretical focus for the study of public administration.
Simulation of Harvest Strategies for a Fluctuating Population of Lake Whitefish

Abstract A simulation model was developed to evaluate the performances of two harvest management strategies, constant effort and constant quota, in relation to the magnitude and variability of annual yield for a population of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in northern Lake Michigan. The model consisted of an age-structured, dynamic pool model incorporating a stock-recruitment function subject to environmental variability. Trap-net and gill-net selectivity functions specified the fishing mortality rates operating on each cohort. A constant effort policy produced relatively larger sustainable yields than a constant quota policy. However, the constant quota policy ont-performed the effort policy in terms of reducing the variability in annual yield. The model incorporates the effects of different potential fishing efforts that might be expended in pursuit of the quota. A high risk of population collapse was associated with quota management if a large quota was combined with a high potential fishing e...
A multivariate meta-analysis of student misbehavior and teacher burnout

Abstract A multivariate meta-analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between student misbehavior and the three dimensions of teacher burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment). A total of 21 independent samples were included in the analysis, which provided a total of 63 effect sizes. Our results indicated that students’ misbehavior related significantly with the three dimension of teacher burnout. The largest effect was between students’ misbehavior and teacher emotional exhaustion, followed by depersonalization, and then personal accomplishment. Moderator analyses revealed that grade level, teacher age, country, percentage of female teachers, and year of publication each explained some variability among the effects. Practical recommendations and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Chromatin: a ubiquitin crowbar opens chromatin.

Monoubiquitylation of histone H2B is found to disrupt condensation of chemically defined chromatin fibers. A novel fluorescence-based assay is used in concert with analytical ultracentrifugation to uncover the synergistic roles of histone acetylation and ubiquitylation on chromatin dynamics.
Experimental average-case performance evaluation of online algorithms for routing and wavelength assignment and throughput maximization in WDM optical networks

We investigate the problem of online routing and wavelength assignment and the related throughput maximization problem in wavelength division multiplexing optical networks. It is pointed out that these problems are highly inapproximable, that is, the competitive ratio of any algorithm is at least a polynomial. We evaluate the average-case performance of several online algorithms, which have no knowledge of future arriving connection requests when processing the current connection request. Our experimental results on a wide range of optical networks demonstrate that the average-case performance of these algorithms are very close to optimal.
Experiments in decision-making under risk and uncertainty: thinking outside the box

This paper surveys a selection of recent research results which use laboratory methods to contribute to our understanding of risk and uncertainty in environments which are of particular interest to managerial decision-making. The first set of experimental results addresses issues related to insuring against risky outcomes and the roles of the degree of risk and the complexity of risk. Laboratory results related to models of job search are then reviewed, followed by applications of laboratory methods to evaluating models of investment decisions. Finally, issues related to markets for inputs (petroleum, water, electricity) are presented. The necessarily interactive role of theory development, laboratory experimentation and field observation is discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Periodic solutions of x'' + f( x, t) = 0 via the Poincaré-Birkhoff theorem

Consider an ordinary differential equation x” +f(~, t) = 0 where f is periodic in t, and has the same sign as x. One may expect that if f grows faster than linearly near 1 x 1 = co, then there necessarily exist rapidly oscillating periodic solutions of arbitrarily large amplitude. We show that this is so. The existence of such periodic solutions for a wide class of functions f (x, t) has been shown by Nehari using an approach based upon the calculus of variations. Our proof is quite different and involves only some qualitative results and an application of the PoincarC-Birkhoff twist theorem. In this paper the function f (x, t) is assumed to satisfy the following conditions :
caste, colonialism, and the speech of the colonized: entextualization and disciplinary control in India

In India, as elsewhere, colonial domination comprised both coercive force and attempts to control the flow of discourse about the colonized society and about its relation to the colonizing power.2 In this article I will show that between 1870 and 1918 such attempts at discursive control-evidenced especially in land revenue documents, census reports, official glossaries, manuals for the Indian Army, and reference works on caste compiled for the use of colonial officers-included the systematic appropriation of the speech of the colonized in the form of oral folklore, especially proverbial speech, to construct a discourse about the supposedly consensual nature of caste ideology, and to create the illusion that the disciplinary control of specific castes and of the Indian population as a whole was carried out with the consent of the colonized.3 The mastery of language and the quotation of what was deemed "authentic" native speech were seen to confer authority on particular forms of colonial discourse and colonial discipline as they took shape in the late 19th century. As the forms of discipline changed so too In the wake of rebellion and other crises of colonial rule in mid- 19th-century India, particular varieties of oral folklore began to appear in land settlement reports, official glossaries and grammars, census reports, and reference works on caste compiled for the use of colonial officers. The heterogeneity of "tradition" and Indian speech, as well as their situated pragmatic character, were erased in these documents. Such entextualizations of the speech of the colonized, especially proverbial speech, figured in the construction of a monologic discourse about caste and caste identities, in the naturalization of revolt and other forms of noncompliance, and in the creation of the illusion that disciplinary control was carried out with the consent of the colonized. [colonialism, entextualization, linguistic ideology, caste, folklore, India]
Effect of metabolic inhibitors on thrombin-induced membrane potential changes in washed human platelets.

Abstract Platelet stimulation by thrombin or other agonists is influenced by the metabolic status of the platelet, i.e., by the available supply of metabolic ATP. We have shown earlier that such stimulation by thrombin is accompanied by a dose-dependent depolarization of the platelet transmembrane potential and by a decrease in the transmembrane pH gradient. We have now studied the effect of metabolic inhibitors on the membrane potential changes as assessed with the fluorescent cation 3, 3′-dipropylthiodicarbocyanine. Preincubation of platelets with either 2-deoxy-D-glucose or antimycin A leads to a partial depolarization of the resting platelet's membrane. These pre-incubated platelets then exhibit a decreased membrane potential change upon α-thrombin stimulation. It is known that the platelet continuously replenishes its glycogen. The availability of such energy stores may be responsible for the restoration of approximately 20% of the thrombin response which we have observed after 3 hours of incubation with antimycin A. The intracellular glycogen does not appear to play a major role in the early platelet response to thrombin which is unimpaired 30 minutes after the completion of gel-filtration, the time at which the intracellular glycogen levels are at their lowest. These studies indicate that the thrombin-induced platelet membrane potential change, like other steps in platelet activation, depends upon maintenance of continuous metabolic function.
Anthraquinone Losses During Alkaline Pulping

Abstract Extensive loss of anthraquinone (AQ) or the active catalyst anthrahydroquinone (AHQ) from the AQ –- AHQ catalytic cycle has been explained in part by side reactions leading to the reaction product anthrone (anthracen-9-one), followed by subsequent formation of adducts with lignin quinone methides. Degradation of an adduct between anthrone and the quinone methide of guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether, under soda pulping conditions, resulted in a complex mixture of products. The mixture included 3-guaiacylbenzanthrone, bianthronyl, bianthrone, guaiacol, AQ, trans-coniferyl alcohol, trans-coniferylaldehyde, cis- and trans-1-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)ethene, vanillin, and 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol. C-13 NMR studies of lignins isolated from soda/AQ spent liquors indicated the presence of residual anthrone adducts and a significant content of chemically attached AQ.
Group formation in the captive greater bushbaby (Galago crassicaudatus crassicaudatus)

Abstract One male and three female bushbabies were released into a room and observed for 30 days. Consistent relationships, but no straight-line hierarchy, were formed. Grooming and marking were the most frequent activities. Females fought over proximity to the male even though none was in oestrus. One female initiated over 90 per cent of agonistic encounters. When she was removed for 9 days the remaining animals continued their friendly relations; and when she was returned she briefly reasserted dominance over the other two females.
Enhancement of bleomycin-mediated DNA damage by epidermal microsomal enzymes

Abstract The role of epidermal microsomal enzymes in catalyzing bleomycin-mediated chain breakage in calf-thymus DNA and in DNA isolated from neonatal rat epidermis was studied. Aerobic incubation of bleomycin with epidermal microsomes, epidermal or calf-thymus DNA and NADPH caused substantial chain breakage of the DNA which was dependent upon concentrations of drug, microsomal protein and NADPH. The reactive oxygen scavenger superoxide dismutase, the metal chelator EDTA, and cytochrome c each inhibited the enzyme-mediated chain breakage reaction. Scavengers of hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals, including catalase and benzoate and inhibitors of microsomal cytochrome P -450-dependent monooxygenases such as 1-benzylimidazole, metyrapone and α-naphthoflavone, had no inhibitory effects on bleomycin-mediated DNA chain breakage. In contrast, ascorbic acid significantly enhanced DNA damage by bleomycin. These studies indicate that mammalian epidermis possesses membrane-bound enzyme activity capable of enhancing bleomycin-mediated chain breakage of DNA and that oxidation/reduction of adventitious iron and generation of reactive oxygen participate in the reaction. These responses in the epidermis could directly relate to the mechanism of action of intralesional injections of bleomycin which are used quite effectively in the management of recalcitrant human warts. Either epidermal or wart virus DNA or both could be targets for this pharmacologic effect of the drug which is augmented by epidermal microsomal enzymes.
Prenatal alcohol exposure and sustained attention in the preschool years

The effects of fetal alcohol exposure on sustained attention in the preschool years were investigated in a sample of socioeconomically disadvantaged urban children. The 245 children examined were the 4-year 10-month-old follow-up cohort of a prospective study begun while their mothers were pregnant. Sustained attention was assessed by an automated, computer-administered vigilance task. Indices of fetal alcohol exposure included three measures of maternal drinking and two early indicators of fetal alcohol damage. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression techniques, both with and without adjustment for covariates. None of the analyses supported the hypothesis that fetal alcohol exposure adversely affects sustained attention performance in preschool children. We infer that, if there is an effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on vigilance task performance, that effect is small.
Texture and chemical composition of soils from shrimp ponds near Choluteca, Honduras

Analyses of bottom soils from three recently-established (newer) and three older ponds on each of two, semi-intensive shrimp farms near Choluteca, Honduras, revealed that the 0 to 2.5 cm layer had greater concentrations of most variables than deeper layers. Concentrations of total carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese, and zinc were greater in older than in newer ponds on one or the other of the farms. After 8–11 y of continuous production, total carbon concentrations varied over pond bottoms, and concentrations usually were greatest (1.5–2.5%) in inlet sections. Nitrogen concentrations were about 20% those of carbon and changes in nitrogen concentration closely followed those of carbon. Precipitation of iron pyrite (FeS2) in anaerobic soil layers was the apparent cause of sulphur accumulation in older ponds. Phosphorus accumulated in older ponds on the farm where heavy doses of fertilizer were applied. Soils of both older and newer ponds on both farms had large accumulations of major cations, a large portion of which were water-soluble salts. There was no evidence of development of adverse soil quality in older ponds.
Vocal Sound Pressure Level and Self-Perception of Speech and Voice in Men and Women With Idiopathic Parkinson Disease

This study compared vocal sound pressure level (SPL) and self-perception of speech and voice in men and women with idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) and in healthy men and women. Thirty subjects wi...
Confirmation of Domoic Acid in Seafood Using Reverse Phase Liquid Chromatography With Ninhydrin Post-Column Deriv Atization

Abstract A confirmatory and quantitative technique is developed for domoic acid (DA) in seafood samples which is based on methanol-water extraction, separation by reverse phase liquid chromatography, a ninhydrin post-column derivatization of the acid, and UV detection at 402 nm. Tissue samples containing as low as 0.3 μg DA/g analyzed by a direct method using 242 nm can be confirmed by this technique. The linear range is excellent (1 ng to 4 μg) with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.994. Spike recovery of DA was 93% at a tissue concentration of 10 μg DA/g. The method was applied successfully to mussels, crabs, oysters, razor clams, and anchovies.
Establishment of Human Malignant Melanoma Clonal Cell Lines that secrete Ectopic Adrenocorticotropin

THE study of factors regulating the secretion of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) by non-pituitary tumours in patients with the “ectopic ACTH syndrome”1 is complicated by many factors, not the least of which is the presence of the normal pituitary gland, which also secretes ACTH. Furthermore, although ectopic ACTH resembles pituitary ACTH in a variety of test systems2, proof of identity requires complete chemical characterization and only rarely are tumours found to contain as much as 1 mg of ectopic ACTH3. For these reasons, availability of continuous clonal tumour cell lines that maintain their functional capacity for biosynthesis of ectopic ACTH in tissue culture would represent a major advantage for studying the factors regulating the synthesis and secretion of ectopic ACTH, as well as determining the precise structure of the ectopic hormone.
The disposition of naphthalene and its metabolites in the brain of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri).

Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were exposed to orally administered (/sup 3/H)naphthalene. Another group received naphthyl glucuronic acid and naphthyl sulfate via iv injection. Brain, liver, and blood were assayed for the parent compound and/or total metabolites. Individual naphthalene derivatives were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (hplc) using either radiometric or on-line fluorimetric detection systems. Naphthalene concentrations in brain (8.2 pmol/mg dry wt at 16 hr after feeding) approximated those found at the same time in liver (7.4 pmol/mg dry wt). A nonconjugated naphthalene derivative, 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene, also accumulated in brain (0.041 pmol/mg dry wt after 16 hr), although to a lesser degree than in liver (0.10 pmol/mg dry wt after 16 hr). Conjugated naphthalene derivatives, 1-naphthyl sulfate and 1-naphthyl glucuronic acid, although present in liver and blood, were largely excluded from the brain. Low naphthalene hydroxylase activity (<2.0 pmol product formed/mg protein/min) indicated that the trout brain has a minimal ability to oxidize aromatic hydrocarbons. These findings suggest that the brain of adult trout is substantially different from other tissues (e.g., liver and blood) with respect to the disposition of naphthalene and its metabolites.
Femoroaxillary Bypass for Cerebral Ischemia A Case Report

The case of a 69-year-old woman with a complicated history of intrathoracic aortic arch and arch vessel reconstruction is reported. She presented with occlusion of multiple arch vessels and symptoms of cerebral ischemia. A remote femoral inflow route was used for revascularization of the arch vessels owing to the hostile nature of the arch reoperative field.
The pathology of encephalic arteriovenous malformations treated by prior embolotherapy.

A pathologic study was undertaken of seven encephalic arteriovenous malformations, including five resected from one to seven days after balloon embolization, one resected 10 days after embolization with polyvinyl alcohol foam (PVA), and a large mesencephalic AVM in a patient who died eight weeks after a series of embolization procedures with PVA and silicone spheres. AVM's resected 6–7 days following balloon embolization showed focal mural and adventitial inflammatory infiltrates and parenchymal (i.e. non-vascular) necrosis of a large portion of one AVM. The AVM examined 7 days post-balloon embolization showed an intraluminal thrombus containing refractile particles surrounded by foreign body giant cells (FBGC's). The AVM removed 10 days after PVA embolotherapy showed mural and perivascular necrosis with infiltration by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The single autopsy case showed FBGC's surrounding residual PVA, refractile particles deep within vascular walls, and marked mural thickening of AVM channel walls, changes that may represent a response to previous angionecrosis and inflammation at the time of embolization. These findings, the pathogenesis of which is discussed in detail, may help to explain some of the rare complications of iatrogenic embolotherapy with these materials, as well as providing evidence for the basis of their efficacy.
Tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids: Uptake and release by adrenergic nerves in vivo

Abstract Mice or rats were depleted of endogenous norepinephrine by treatment with reserpine or α-methyl-p-tyrosine methyl ester. Subsequently, two tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, namely 6,7-dihydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline (a dopamine derivative) and 4,6,7-trihydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline (a norepinephrine derivative) were injected i.v. and their presence in the mouse iris was studied by fluorescence microscopy. Both alkaloids were taken up and accumulated by the reserpinized adrenergic nerve plexus. Uptake was blocked by desmethylimipramine. In rats pretreated with α-methyl-p-tyrosine, stimulation of the preganglionic fibers to the superior cervical ganglion caused depletion of 6,7-dihydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline that had been previously taken up into nerve terminals in the iris. Stimulated release of this alkaloid resulted in contraction of the iris, retraction of the upper eyelid and protrusion of the eyeball. These combined results showed that the catecholamine-derived tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids possess the properties of false adrenergic neurotransmitters. Of additional interest, desmethylimipramine alone, without stimulation of the sympathetic trunk, evoked near maximal eyelid retraction in rats loaded with 6,7-dihydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline. If formed in vivo from circulating acetaldehyde or formaldehyde (during ingestion of ethanol or methanol, respectively), catecholamine-derived tetrahydroisoquinolines could play a role in altering adrenergic function.
Opposing regulation of cell proliferation by retinoic acid and the serotonin2B receptor in the mouse frontonasal mass.

Development of the frontonasal mass (FNM), branchial arches, heart, and limbs depends on neural crest-mediated epithelial–mesenchymal (E–M) interactions. Teratogenesis by retinoic acid (RA) or blockade of serotonergic (5-HT) signaling by the pan-5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ritanserin, perturbs development of these embryonic structures. In both cases, resulting phenotypes include forebrain and olfactory placode anomalies, malformations of the face, eye and lens, as well as posterior neural tube and cardiac defects. Similar sites of malformations, together with the presence of RA response elements in the 5-HT2B receptor promoter, have led to the suggestion that a negative regulatory relationship may exist between RA and 5-HT2-mediated 5-HT signaling at sites of E–M interaction (Choi et al. 1997); however, another possibility is that RA and 5-HT act independently as opposing signals to regulate development of common embryonic targets. Together with recent evidence for opposite effects on chondrogenic differentiation in hindlimb micromass cultures (Bhasin et al. 2003a), results of the present study raise the possibility that these pathways may act as opposing signals for common targets in the mouse embryo. The RA receptors, co-factors and metabolic enzymes, and 5-HT2B receptors were found to be are coordinately expressed at sites of E–M interaction, including the FNM, in the embryonic day (E)10.5 mouse. Cell proliferation experiments using [3H]thymidine incorporation demonstrated that RA or activation of 5-HT2B receptors caused opposite effects in FNM explants, namely stimulation or inhibition of cell proliferation, respectively, 5-HT2B receptor activation did not appreciably alter patterning in FNM explants. While RA has been shown to regulate lateral patterning in the FNM (LaMantia et al. 2000), 5-HT2B receptor activation did not alter patterning in FNM explants. Quantification of 5-HT2B receptor transcripts by real-time PCR provided no evidence of negative regulation of 5-HT2B receptor expression by RA in FNM explants, although preliminary studies using in situ hybridization had suggested that this was a possibility in both explants and RA teratogenized embryos. Future studies using quantitative PCR may still show this to be the case in teratogenized embryos. Together with the finding of coordinate expression of 5-HT2B receptors and RA signaling molecules, results of the present study suggest that RA, and 5-HT mediated by 5-HT2B receptors, may act as opposing signals to regulate cell proliferation during craniofacial development in the mouse embryo.
Single-Laser, Single-Beam Pump/Probe Thermal Lens Spectroscopy:

A unique design for a thermal lens photometer based on a single-laser/single-beam configuration is presented. The system is compatible with lock-in detection and uses a pair of acousto-optic modulators to temporally separate the pump and probe events. A minimum measurable absorbance of 6 × 10−6 cm−1 is reported. Limitations to the use of acoustooptic modulation at high absorbances are discussed.
The moderating role of rejection sensitivity in the relationship between emotional maltreatment and borderline symptoms

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is theorized to develop from a combination of dispositional and environmental risk factors. Among these risk factors, both childhood emotional neglect and abuse (ENA) and rejection sensitivity (RS) have been independently associated with BPD symptomatology. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the interaction between these variables as they relate to BPD symptoms. In the current study, greater ENA and RS were independently associated with more BPD symptoms in a sample of undergraduate students (n=133). In addition, there was an interaction such that RS was more strongly correlated with BPD symptoms at moderate and low levels of ENA. Our findings suggest dispositional and environmental factors combine to instantiate BPD symptoms and thus suggest RS and ENA merit investigation in clinical samples.
Infective endocarditis in drug addicts. Experiences with medical and surgical treatment.

Isolated tricuspid valvular endocarditis is no longer rare, and its increasing incidence has paralleled the rise in heroin addiction. In the period between December, 1969 and December, 1971, 16 episodes of bacterial endocarditis occurred in 13 individual drug abusers at the Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston. The tricuspid valve (TV) was involved in all cases. Two patients required surgery during the acute infection; one underwent total excision of the TV without replacement, and one received aortic and TV prostheses because of progressive heart failure. Antibiotic therapy was individualized and guided by tube dilution sensitivities and serum bactericidal levels. In view of the excellent response to antibiotic therapy, surgery for infected prosthetic or natural valves is presently reserved for those patients with progressive cardiac failure or infections unresponsive to medical therapy.
Inhibition of Biofilm Formation by Esomeprazole in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are common nosocomial pathogens responsible for biofilm-associated infections. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), such as esomeprazole, may have novel antimicrobial properties. The objective of this study was to assess whether esomeprazole prevents sessile bacterial growth and biofilm formation and whether it may have synergistic killing effects with standard antibiotics. The antibiofilm activity of esomeprazole at 0.25 mM was tested against two strains each of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Bacterial biofilms were prepared using a commercially available 96-peg-plate Calgary biofilm device. Sessile bacterial CFU counts and biomass were assessed during 72 hours of esomeprazole exposure. The killing activities after an additional 24 hours of vancomycin (against S. aureus) and meropenem (against P. aeruginosa) treatment with or without preexposure to esomeprazole were also assessed by CFU and biomass analyses. P. aeruginosa and S. aureus strains exposed to esomeprazole displayed decreased sessile bacterial growth and biomass (P < 0.001, each parameter). After 72 h of exposure, there was a 1-log10 decrease in the CFU/ml of esomeprazole-exposed P. aeruginosa and S. aureus strains compared to controls (P < 0.001). After 72 h of exposure, measured absorbance was 100% greater in P. aeruginosa control strains than in esomeprazole-exposed strains (P < 0.001). Increased killing and decreased biomass were observed for esomeprazole-treated bacteria compared to untreated controls exposed to conventional antibiotics (P < 0.001, each parameter). Reduced biofilm growth after 24 h was visibly apparent by light micrographs for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus isolates exposed to esomeprazole compared to untreated controls. In conclusion, esomeprazole demonstrated an antibiofilm effect against biofilm-producing S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.
Absolute partial cross sections for electron-impact ionization of SF6 from threshold to 1000 eV

Absolute partial cross sections for electron-impact ionization of SF6 are reported for electron energies from threshold to 1000 eV. The product ions are mass analysed using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and detected with a position-sensitive detector whose output demonstrates that all product ions are collected with equal efficiency irrespective of their initial kinetic energies. Data are presented for the production of SF5+, SF4+, SF3+, SF2+, (SF+ + SF42+), S+, F+, SF32+, SF22+ and SF2+ and for the total cross section, which is obtained as the sum of the partial cross sections. The overall uncertainty in the absolute cross sections for singly charged ions, except S+, is ±5%; that for S+ is ±8%. The uncertainty in the cross sections for doubly charged ions is ±12 to 15%. Data are also presented for formation of (SFn+, F+) ion pairs. Comparison is made with prior experiments and calculations.
Rabeprazole benefits patients with persistent symptoms after healing of erosive GERD

Purpose: A post hoc analysis was undertaken to assess changes in symptoms after 4 weeks of maintenance therapy in patients with persistent symptoms after healing of erosive esophagitis.
Load-Deformation Behavior of Three-Dimensional Crimped Filaments: Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Verification:

A theoretical analysis of the load-contraction behavior of a crimped filament, whose axes lie in a three-dimensional space, is presented. Three first order nonlinear si multaneous differential equa...
Zone-plate-array lithography (ZPL): a maskless fast-turn-around system for microoptic device fabrication

Ever-increasing demands of smaller feature sizes and larger throughputs have catapulted the semicondutor lithography juggernaut to develop immensely complex and expensive systems. However, it is not clear if the lithography needs for microoptic and other “botique” device fabrication are being addressed. ZPAL is a new nanolithography technique which leverages advances in micromechanics and diffractive optics technologies. We present ZPAL as the ideal system for such non-conventional lithography needs.
Efficient use of time and hardware redundancy for concurrent error detection in a 32-bit VLSI adder

The adder is intended to be used as a building block in the design of more complex circuits and systems using very large scale integration (VLSI). An efficient approach to error detection has been selected through extensive comparisons of several methods that use hardware, time, and hybrid redundancy. Simulation and analysis results are presented to illustrate the adder's timing characteristics, hardware requirements, and error-detection capabilities. One novel feature of the analysis is the introduction of error latency as a means of comparing the error-detection capabilities of several alternative approaches. >
Analysis and compensation of speech under stress and noise for environmental robustness in speech recognition

Abstract It is well known that the introduction of acoustic background distortion and the variability resulting from environmentally induced stress causes speech recognition algorithms to fail. In this paper, several causes for recognition performance degradation are explored. It is suggested that recent studies based on a Source Generator Framework can provide a viable foundation in which to establish robust speech recognition techniques. This research encompasses three inter-related issues: (i) analysis and modeling of speech characteristics brought on by workload task stress, speaker emotion/stress or speech produced in noise (Lombard effect), (ii) adaptive signal processing methods tailored to speech enhancement and stress equalization, and (iii) formulation of new recognition algorithms which are robust in adverse environments. An overview of a statistical analysis of a Speech Under Simulated and Actual Stress (SUSAS) database is presented. This study was conducted on over 200 parameters in the domains of pitch, duration, intensity, glottal source and vocal tract spectral variations. These studies motivate the development of a speech modeling approach entitled Source Generator Framework in which to represent the dynamics of speech under stress. This framework provides an attractive means for performing feature equalization of speech under stress. In the second half of this paper, three novel approaches for signal enhancement and stress equalization are considered to address the issue of recognition under noisy stressful conditions. The first method employs (Auto:I,LSP:T) constrained iterative speech enhancement to address background noise and maximum likelihood stress equalization across formant location and bandwidth. The second method uses a feature enhancing artificial neural network which transforms the input stressed speech feature set during parameterization for keyword recognition. The final method employs morphological constrained feature enhancement to address noise and an adaptive Mel-cepstral compensation algorithm to equalize the impact of stress. Recognition performance is demonstrated for speech under a range of stress conditions, signal-to-noise ratios and background noise types.
Interview with Harold E. Varmus of PLoS

ABSTRACT This interview with Harold E. Varmus describes the development of Public Library of Science (PLoS) as a public digital library and emphasizes the value of open-access publications in advancing scientific knowledge through rapid and free dissemination of peer-reviewed content.
Mammal track assemblages from the early Tertiary of China, Peru, Europe and North America

Recent discovery of small, tridactyl vertebrate tracks in a remote region of northwestern China has expanded the data set for the interpretation of similar trackways elsewhere in the world. Previously, similar tracks reported found in Peru from the Formation des Couches Rouges, were attributed to ornithopod dinosaurs, and then used to reinterpret the age of the section as Late Cretaceous. Similarly, the Chinese trackways were, prior to this study, assigned to the very broad chronological interval Cretaceous through Oligocene. Comparison with the similar ichnofaunas in North America and Europe where the age of the tracks is well constrained to Paleogene, and where the tracks are attributed to odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls), necessitates careful analysis of the affinity and age of the Chinese and Peruvian trackways. In all regions the track assemblages are mammalian (i.e., of ungulate affinity). The Northern hemisphere tracks maybe be attributed to perissodactyls, but the South American tracks probably represent native ungulate groups such as the Notungulata and Litopterna, that show convergent foot morphology. Even at the high taxonomic level of odd toed ungulate such broad biostratigraphic (palichno-stratigraphic) correlations are useful in providing insights into the geologic and tectonic history of terrestrial successions, where the age and faunas are poorly known.
Biological Risk Factors in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Background The current study attempted to determine whether neurodevelopmental and acquired brain abnormalities are more common in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). Methods The study sample consisted of 98 subjects with a mean age of 11.5 ± 3.3 years comprising three demographically matched groups: healthy controls (HC, n = 28), subjects with bipolar disorder - Type I (PBD, n = 37), and bipolar disorder - Type I combined with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (PBD+ADHD, n = 33). Family history of PBD was determined using the Family History Screen. Additional measures were administered to assess the history on perinatal risk, development milestones, serious physical illnesses, and head injury. Results Logistic regression showed that that family history and perinatal risk factors predicted the diagnosis of PBD. PBD diagnosis was 15 times higher among those with a family history of BD. Second, for every additional perinatal risk factor such as prenatal exposure to drugs or birth complications, the risk of having a PBD diagnosis increased more than six-fold. Conclusions Having a positive familial history of BD in a first degree relative and perinatal insults may elevate the risk for developing PBD. Presence of these risk factors, especially in the context of clinical signs of affect dysregulation, should alert clinicians to screen for PBD.
The Ethics of Socially Responsible Investing

"Hit em' where it really hurts, in their pocketbook" is a phrase which has seen plenty of use in our economically driven age. These truly are times where the great battles are fought and won on an economic landscape. A favorite technique for imposing American political domination upon smaller nations like Cuba and Iraq is the economic sanction. Arguably, the U.S. won the Cold War not because of savvy political maneuvering or military intimidation, but because we had the economic capacity to bankrupt the Soviet Union. The World Trade Organization, ostensibly an economic institution, now faces protest due to its overwhelming political influence. Even American internal politics, at least according to the likes of Ralph Nader, is less a matter of democracy and more a matter of strategic spending.1 With the influence finance carries in almost every facet of modern social life, should it also play a role in our ethical considerations? Or, more appropriately, should our ethical considerations play a role in our financial institutions? These questions, or versions thereof, are the principal motivation behind the significant rise of the socially responsible investment (SRI) strategy in the current market. Put quite simply, socially responsible investing seeks to hit the corporations where it will really hurt, in their pocketbooks. Over the course of the past forty years socially minded
Straight-chain halocarbon forming fluids for TRISO fuel kernel production – Tests with yttria-stabilized zirconia microspheres

Abstract Current methods of TRISO fuel kernel production in the United States use a sol–gel process with trichloroethylene (TCE) as the forming fluid. After contact with radioactive materials, the spent TCE becomes a mixed hazardous waste, and high costs are associated with its recycling or disposal. Reducing or eliminating this mixed waste stream would not only benefit the environment, but would also enhance the economics of kernel production. Previous research yielded three candidates for testing as alternatives to TCE: 1-bromotetradecane, 1-chlorooctadecane, and 1-iodododecane. This study considers the production of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) kernels in silicone oil and the three chosen alternative formation fluids, with subsequent characterization of the produced kernels and used forming fluid. Kernels formed in silicone oil and bromotetradecane were comparable to those produced by previous kernel production efforts, while those produced in chlorooctadecane and iodododecane experienced gelation issues leading to poor kernel formation and geometry.
Radiation changes in endocervical cells in brush specimens.

Although the cytologic changes in cervical and vaginal squamous cells after radiation therapy were well-described decades ago, alterations in endocervical cells in response to radiation therapy have not been delineated in detail. We studied the effect of radiation therapy (usually combined linear accelerator beam and radium insertion) on endocervical cells as seen in endocervical brush specimens from 24 patients treated for cervical cancer. Of the 40 smears examined, 45 % were taken 3–6 mo after the completion of radiotherapy, 28% at 10–14 mo, and 20% at 18–34 mo. Endocervical cells appeared as single cells and in clusters and had lavender, mucin-filled cytoplasm. When present in clusters, they lacked the honeycomb appearance of normal endocervical cells. In smears taken at 3–6 mo. the majority of endocervical cells were enlarged (100% of smears) but they usually had normal nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios. Their nuclei were enlarged (100% of smears); varied in size (100%); had some coarse chromatin (67%) and large nucleoli (78%); and were multinucleated (89%). Repair cells and multinucleated histiocytes were seen in 83% and 61% of smears, respectively, Each of these cytologic findings was less apparent in follow-up smears taken more than 6 mo after the completion of radiation therapy. Awareness of these cytologic changes in endocervical cells after radiation therapy precludes the overdiagnosis of cancer in follow-up endocervical brush specimens.
>100% output differential efficiency 1.55-μm VCSELs using submonolayer superlattices digital-alloy multiple-active-regions grown by MBE on InP

High-quality InAlGaAs digital-alloy active regions using submonolayer superlattices were developed and employed in a 3-stage bipolar cascade multiple-active-region vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) design. The photoluminescence intensity and linewidth of these active regions were optimized by varying the substrate temperature and digitization period. These active regions exhibit considerable improvement over previously developed digital-alloy active regions and are comparable to analog-alloy active regions. Multiple-active-region VCSELs, grown all-epitaxially by MBE on InP, demonstrate greater than 100% output differential efficiency at 1.55-μm emission. A record high 104% output differential efficiency was achieved for a 3-stage long-wavelength VCSEL.
A review of the elements of human well-being with an emphasis on the contribution of ecosystem services.

Natural ecosystems perform fundamental life-support services upon which human civilization depends. However, many people believe that nature provides these services for free and therefore, they are of little or no value. While we do not pay for them, we pay significantly for their loss in terms of wastewater treatment facilities, moratoriums on greenhouse gases, increased illnesses, reduced soil fertility and losses in those images of nature that contribute to our basic happiness. Little is understood about the well-being benefits of the natural environment and its ecosystem services. The interwoven relationship of ecosystems and human well-being is insufficiently acknowledged in the wider philosophical, social, and economic well-being literature. In this article, we discuss an approach to examine human well-being and the interactions of its four primary elements—basic human needs, economic needs, environmental needs, and subjective well-being—and ecosystem services.
Crystal and molecular structure of dimeric bis(2,4-pentanedionato)cyclohexylaminecobalt(II)

The structure of bis(2,4-pentanedionato)cyclohexylaminecobalt(II) has been determined by a single-crystal x-ray diffraction study. The compound crystallizes as monoclinic crystals ( a =8.886(2) A, b =9.347(2) A, a =23.020(4) A, and β=109.92(4)°) of space group P2 1 /c with two dimers per unit cell (ϱ obs =1.31(2) g/cm 3 and ϱ calc =1.32 g/cm 3 ). The structure was solved from Patterson and electron density maps and refined by full matrix least-squares methods to a conventional R value of 0.057 for 1413 independent, non-zero reflections. The centrosymmetric dimer consists of two octahedra sharing an edge, the two chelate rings coordinated to one cobalt are not coplanar, and the second oxygen of each bridging 2,4-pentanedionato group is in the plane of the four-membered cobalt-oxygen ring.