cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of heavy meteorite bombardment on the early evolution — The emergence of the three Domains of life

A characteristic of many molecular phylogenies is that the three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, Eucarya) are clearly separated from each other. The analyses of ancient duplicated genes suggest that the last common ancestor of all presently known life forms already had been a sophisticated cellular prokaryote. These findings are in conflict with theories that have been proposed to explain the absence of deep branching lineages. In this paper we propose an alternative scenario, namely, a large meteorite impact that wiped out almost all life forms present on the early Earth. Following this nearly complete frustation of life on Earth, two surviving extreme thermophilic species gave rise to the now existing major groups of living organisms, the Bacteria and Archaea. [The latter also contributed the major portion to the nucleo-cytoplasmic component of the Eucarya]. An exact calibration of the molecular record with regard to time is not yet possible. The emergence of Eucarya in fossil and molecular records suggests that the proposed late impact should have occurred before 2100 million years before present (BP). If the 3500 million year old microfossils [Schopf, J. W. 1993: Science 260: 640-646] are interpreted as representatives of present day existing groups of bacteria (i.e., as cyanobacteria), then the impact is dated to around 3700 million years BP. The analysis of molecular sequences suggests that the separation between the Eucarya and the two prokaryotic domains is less deep then the separation between Bacteria and Archaea. The fundamental cell biological differences between Archaea and Eucarya were obtained over a comparatively short evolutionary distance (as measured in number of substitution events in biological macromolecules). Our interpretation of the molecular record suggests that life emerged early in Earth's history even before the time of the heavy bombardment was over. Early life forms already had colonized extreme habitats which allowed at least two prokaryotic species to survive a late nearly ocean boiling impact. The distribution of ecotypes on the rooted universal tree of life should not be interpreted as evidence that life originated in extremely hot environments.
Mortality versus morbidity in the demographic transition

Abstract The link between the mortality and epidemiological transitions is used to identify the effect of the former on the fertility transition: a mortality transition that is not accompanied by improving morbidity causes slower demographic and economic change. In a model where children may die from infectious disease, childhood health affects human capital and noninfectious-disease-related adult mortality. When child mortality falls from lower prevalence, as it did in western Europe, labor productivity improves, fertility falls and the economy prospers. When it falls mainly from better cures, as it has in sub-Saharan Africa, survivors are less healthy and there is little economic growth. The model can quantitatively explain sub-Saharan Africa׳s experience. More generally it shows that the commonly used indicator, life expectancy at birth, is a poor predictor of population health and economic growth unless morbidity falls with mortality.
The Batten Disease Palmitoyl Protein Thioesterase 1 Gene Regulates Neural Specification and Axon Connectivity during Drosophila Embryonic Development

Palmitoyl Protein Thioesterase 1 (PPT1) is an essential lysosomal protein in the mammalian nervous system whereby defects result in a fatal pediatric disease called Infantile Neuronal Ceroids Lipofuscinosis (INCL). Flies bearing mutations in the Drosophila ortholog Ppt1 exhibit phenotypes similar to the human disease: accumulation of autofluorescence deposits and shortened adult lifespan. Since INCL patients die as young children, early developmental neural defects due to the loss of PPT1 are postulated but have yet to be elucidated. Here we show that Drosophila Ppt1 is required during embryonic neural development. Ppt1 embryos display numerous neural defects ranging from abnormal cell fate specification in a number of identified precursor lineages in the CNS, missing and disorganized neurons, faulty motoneuronal axon trajectory, and discontinuous, misaligned, and incorrect midline crossings of the longitudinal axon bundles of the ventral nerve cord. Defects in the PNS include a decreased number of sensory neurons, disorganized chordotonal neural clusters, and abnormally shaped neurons with aberrant dendritic projections. These results indicate that Ppt1 is essential for proper neuronal cell fates and organization; and to establish the local environment for proper axon guidance and fasciculation. Ppt1 function is well conserved from humans to flies; thus the INCL pathologies may be due, in part, to the accumulation of various embryonic neural defects similar to that of Drosophila. These findings may be relevant for understanding the developmental origin of neural deficiencies in INCL.
SURVIVAL OF A HOMOLOGOUS PARATHYROID IMPLANT IN AN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED PATIENT

Abstract A patient who had undergone subtotal Summary parathyroidectomy while on chronic haemodialysis became severely hypocalcaemic after receiving a well-functioning cadaveric renal graft. After a homologous parathyroid implant, there was a biochemical improvement in the patient, and at biopsy 6 months later the parathyroid graft was histologically normal. 21 months after the implant, serum calcium and phosphorus remain normal without calcium supplementation.
In vitro interstitial laser (805 nm) photocoagulation (ILP): comparison of fiber tips

We sought to study the effect of fiber tip modification on the size and shape of lesions created by the interstitial application of a 805 nm diode laser. In order to clarify conflicting results of other authors, we performed a large number of burns in order to obtain definitive statistically significant data. The plastic cladding and jacket were removed from the distal 5 mm of a hard polymer clad fused silica fiber of 600 micrometers . Three tip modifications were compared: a bare cut tip with and without precharring and a conical diffused tip. Continuous wave laser radiation was applied over a 1.0 to 2.5 watt range at 0.5 watt increments for a duration of 5, 10, and 15 minutes in vitro using fresh pig liver. The liver burns were thinly cut in cross-sections, and photographed. The sizes of the resultant cavity and lesion were measured and analyzed for statistical significance.
United States trials of adjuvant therapy.

Beginning in 1958, the first clinical trial of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project compared a brief postoperative course of low dose triethylenethiophosphoramide (TSPA) with no adjuvant therapy or placebo in 826 patients who underwent radical mastectomy for breast cancer. After 5 years, one subset of patients made up of premenopausal women with 4 or more positive axillary lymph nodes had a significantly higher survival rate and longer disease free interval following TSPA therapy than after placebo therapy. After 10 years, these significant differences in survival and incidence of treatment failure between the TSPA-treated patients and the controls persisted. In 1972, the NSABP initiated a trial comparing prolonged postoperative chemotherapy with 1-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM) with placebo in patients with positive nodes who had undergone radical mastectomy. By 1975 it appeared that premenopausal women who received L-PAM had a significantly lower incidence of treatment failure than those who received placebo. L-PAM therapy produced little alteration in the well-being of the patients. Between February 1975 and March 1976, 700 patients were entered into NSABP Protocol #7 which compares 2 regimens of prolonged postoperative chemotherapy, L-PAM alone and L-PAM plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). In June 1976, NSABP Protocol #8 was initiated to compare another 2 regimens of prolonged postoperative chemotherapy, L-PAM plus 5-FU and L-PAM plus 5-FU plus methotrexate. It is too early to evaluate the results of these studies. It seems likely that the many trials of adjuvant chemotherapy being conducted throughout the world will provide significant improvement in the curability of breast cancer, provided these trials are carefully planned and thoroughly executed.
Institutional relationships and technology commercialization: Limitations of market based policy

Abstract U.S. technology commercialization policies have focused on efforts to correct “market failures”. Policy subsidizing innovation and antitrust policy both seek to increase market efficiency and thus attain welfare gains. One problem is that these policies make conflicting assumptions about individual economic behavior. This leads to inconsistent policy. A second problem is that non-market relationships, such as those embodied in industry standard-setting bodies, professional and trade associations, and inter-institutional cooperation also influence the process of technology commercialization. A comparison of U.S. and Japanese institutional responses to the commercial potential of high definition television suggests that (1) the market approach to this technology has led to conflicting policy prescriptions in the U.S., and (2) Japanese policymakers have been more effective than their American counterparts in facilitating non-market relationships. Implications for U.S. policy are discussed.
Quality improvement in gastroenterology: a US perspective.

Gastroenterologists in the US have been working to answer the call to demonstrate quality in medical practice. Much has been accomplished to lay the groundwork for measuring the quality of clinical performance; however, more remains to be done to improve the quality of health care and to respond to the requirements for reporting quality.
The 41-kDa Protein of Human Herpesvirus 6 Specifically Binds to Viral DNA Polymerase and Greatly Increases DNA Synthesis

Abstract We previously isolated a 41-kDa early antigen of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), which exhibited nuclear localization and DNA-binding activity (Agulnick et al., 1993). In this study, we observed that a 110-kDa protein was coimmunoprecipitated with p41 from HHV-6-infected cells by an anti-p41 antibody. This 110-kDa protein was identified as the HHV-6 DNA polymerase (Pol-6) by an antibody raised against the N terminus of Pol-6. Reciprocal immunoprecipitation and Western blot analyses confirmed that p41 complexes with Pol-6 in HHV-6-infected cells. In addition, both p41 and Pol-6 were expressed in vitro and shown to form a specific complex. An in vitro DNA synthesis assay using primed M13 single-stranded DNA template demonstrated that p41 not only increased the DNA synthesis activity of Pol-6 but also allowed Pol-6 to synthesize DNA products corresponding to full-length M13 template (7249 nucleotides). By contrast, Pol-6 alone could only synthesize DNA of in vitro by their herpes simplex virus 1 homologues. Moreover, as revealed by mutational analysis, both the N and C termini of Pol-6 contribute to its binding to p41. In the case of p41, the N terminus is required for increasing DNA synthesis but not binding to Pol-6, whereas the C terminus is totally dispensable.
Immunity to Trichinella spiralis muscle infection

Trichinella spiralis larvae establish chronic infections in skeletal muscles of immunocompetent hosts. Muscle infection is crucial to transmission and survival of the parasite in nature. Chronic infections by this highly immunogenic parasite are associated with modulation or escape from potentially destructive immune responses. This review summarizes our current knowledge of immunity to muscle infection with T. spiralis.
Aberrant δPKC activation in the spinal cord of Wobbler mouse: a model of motor neuron disease

Protein kinase C (PKC) was suggested to play a role in the pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Activation of PKC delta (δPKC) modulates mitochondrially induced apoptosis. The goal of the present study was to define whether δPKC activation occurs in Wobbler mouse spinal cord (a model of motor neuron disease). The level of δPKC in the soluble fraction was significantly decreased in the spinal cord of Wobbler mice, which was associated with a significant increase in δPKC cleavage. Since caspase-3 is known to cleave δPKC, we determined caspase-3 activation in the Wobbler mice spinal cord, immunohistochemically. The results demonstrated intense immunoreactivity for activated caspase-3 in corticospinal tract motor neurons of Wobbler mice spinal cord. We hypothesize from these results that caspase-3 activation cleaves δPKC, which in turn promotes an aberrant signal transduction pathway in the Wobbler spinal cord.
Assessing consequences of substance use: psychometric properties of the inventory of drug use consequences.

Negative consequences are an important component of the substance use change process, yet no standardized measure exists to assess consequences of use. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Inventory of Drug Use Consequences, a self-report measure assessing drinking and drug use consequences. Participants (N = 252) were assessed at entry into outpatient substance abuse treatment. Items loaded strongly on 1 factor, and internal consistency of the total scale was high. Fifteen items with the highest correlations with the total scale were chosen to represent the construct. The shortened measure exhibited good internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and detected change over time and may be the measure of substance use consequences that is lacking in the field.
Exposure Models for the Prior Distribution in Bayesian Decision Analysis for Occupational Hygiene Decision Making

This study introduces two semi-quantitative methods, Structured Subjective Assessment (SSA) and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Essentials, in conjunction with two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations for determining prior probabilities. Prior distribution using expert judgment was included for comparison. Practical applications of the proposed methods were demonstrated using personal exposure measurements of isoamyl acetate in an electronics manufacturing facility and of isopropanol in a printing shop. Applicability of these methods in real workplaces was discussed based on the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Although these methods could not be completely independent of expert judgments, this study demonstrated a methodological improvement in the estimation of the prior distribution for the Bayesian decision analysis tool. The proposed methods provide a logical basis for the decision process by considering determinants of worker exposure. [Supplementary materials are availab...
Monte Carlo studies of sputtering

Abstract A computer program has been developed to simulate the sputtering process using the Monte Carlo method and the binary collision approximation. This program is a result of the generalization of the TRIM computer program such that the target atom trajectories are followed in addition to those of the incident particles. This program, which includes electronic energy loss, uses an analytic formula which is based on realistic interatomic potentials for determining particle scattering angles and the energy transfer to target atoms. A model of the sputtering process has been developed for physically defining the surface and bulk binding energies necessary for calculations. A number of sputtering yield calculations have been performed for H, D, T, and 4He ions incident on C, Ni, Mo, and Au targets for energies less than 10 keV. The validity of the Monte Carlo model is demonstrated by the good agreement between the calculated results and the most recent experiments.
Phonatory control in adults with cerebral palsy and severe dysarthria

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users with severe dysarthria may benefit greatly from using residual vocalizations to enhance communication efficiency and naturalness. Many individuals use their residual vocal control to gain attention, express emotions, and convey intentions to familiar care givers. This research was designed to test the hypothesis that speakers signal such information through the control of phonatory features such as pitch and duration, despite severe degradation of segmental speech sounds. The study examined whether eight speakers with severe dysarthria caused by cerebral palsy could control the pitch and duration of sustained vowel productions at three distinct levels. The results indicated that all speakers were able to consistently control sustained production of the vowel /a/ at three durations (short, medium, and long). Speakers were more variable, however, in their ability to control pitches (low, medium, and high). Seven of the eight speakers were able to produc...
Crystallization of Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O glasses in oxygen

A detailed study of the crystallization process for compositions near Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2Oy was undertaken using differential thermal analysis (DTA), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Glasses prepared by a splat-quench technique were free of secondary phases in most cases. A two-step crystallization process in oxygen was observed in which partial crystallization of the glass occurs initially with the nucleation of “2201” and Cu2O, and is completed with the formation of SrO, CaO, and Bi2Sr3−xCaxOy. No specific thermal event could be associated with the formation of the “2212” phase. Rather, formation occurs via conversion of 2201 into 2212. This was a kinetically limited process at temperatures below 800 °C as other phases were found to evolve in addition to the 2212 phase during extended anneals. In contrast, a nearly full conversion to the 2212 phase occurred after only 1 min of annealing at 800 °C and above. However, changes in resistivity data, secondary phases, and the measured 2212 composition upon extended anneals at 865 °C showed that considerably longer heat treatments were necessary for the sample to reach its equilibrium state.
Nucleus-vacuole junctions in yeast: anatomy of a membrane contact site

NV junctions (nucleus-vacuole junctions) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are MCSs (membrane contact sites) formed through specific interactions between Vac8p on the vacuole membrane and Nvj1p in the outer nuclear membrane, which is continuous with the perinuclear ER (endoplasmic reticulum). NV junctions mediate a unique autophagic process that degrades portions of the yeast nucleus through a process called 'piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus' (PMN). Our studies suggest that the lipid composition of NV junctions plays an important role in the biogenesis of PMN structures. NV junctions represent a unique model system for studying the biology of ER MCSs, as well as the molecular mechanism of selective microautophagy.
Species-specificity of acrosome reaction and primary gamete binding in echinoids.

Summary The gametes of four echinoids were combined in four homologous and elevent heterologous crosses in which cross-fertilization did not occur. Acrosomal reaction, primary gamete binding, gamete membrane fusion, and sperm entry were observed in each of the homologous gamete combinations. In 9 of the 11 heterologous crosses, although sperm underwent a normal acrosomal reaction, primary gamete binding and gamete membrane fusion were never observed. These data support the previous suggestion that cross-fertilization is prevented by failure of heterologous sperm to undergo primary gamete binding to the vitelline envelope of ova.
MAXIMUM POSSIBLE ERROR IN GUTTMAN SCALES

This article suggests corrected formulas for the amount of possible error in a Guttman scale of dichotomous items. The effect of the formulas on the evaluation of Guttman scales is shown by comparing coefficients reported in previously published articles with coefficients recomputed according to the new formulas. The author is a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Social Science Research Council fellow.
Unemployment and the formation of duty-free zones

Abstract A number of authors have suggested that the formation of a duty-free zone may reduce the welfare of the host country. Their analyses assumed full employment. For a country suffering unwemployment of the Harris-Todaro type, we show that the value of national output at world prices increases with the formation of a duty-free zone which involves the reduction of tariffs on intermediate imports into the zone.
cognatic descent groups in upper‐class Lima (Peru)

Anthropologists and sociologists have generally assumed that descent is irrelevant as an organizing principle in modern societies. But case studies of two wealthy and powerful Lima families find that they are organized cognatically and function as corporate groups. Data on comparable Peruvian families and suggestive evidence from the United States lead to the conclusion that corporate descent groups may be a systematic feature of the top social strata of even the most technologically advanced societies. [corporate groups, cognatic descent, kinship, Peru, social class, inheritance]
An anomalous bond angle in (116)H2. Theoretical evidence for supervalent hybridization

The electronic structure and geometry of the superheavy group VI molecule (116)H(2) are examined and compared to those of the lighter group analogues H(2)O-PoH(2). The spin-orbit interaction is found to lengthen the (116)-H bond and more importantly lead to a modest but significant H-(116)-H bond angle increase. It is suggested that the latter is the result of a rehybridization of the valence 7p orbitals with a "supervalent" 8s orbital of element 116.
Hybrid adaptive ascent flight control for a flexible launch vehicle

For the purpose of improving trajectory tracking performance of a launch vehicle under adverse flight conditions, this article describes the development of a hybrid adaptive ascent flight control architecture. The hybrid adaptive control approach augments linear feedback signals with contributions from both direct and indirect adaptive control elements. In addition, signal filters are incorporated into the feedback loop to prevent harmful interaction between the flight control system and structural bending modes. The performance of the hybrid adaptive flight controller is compared to that of a typical gain-scheduled linear feedback controller in a high-fidelity Ares I ascent simulator obtained from the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Results from simulations which consider nominal flight conditions show that the hybrid adaptive controller is able to maintain a tracking error magnitude that is comparable to or lower than its classical proportional–integral–derivative (PID) counterpart for the vast major...
Epstein-Barr virus infection is associated with endothelial Bcl-2 expression in transplant liver allografts.

Introduction. In liver transplant recipients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disease, we reported a low rate of acute rejection after stopping or markedly lowering immunosuppression. This observation led to the hypothesis that EBV, as a means of viral persistence, induces expression of antiapoptotic factors and these factors, in turn, confer protection to the transplanted organ. Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic factor induced by EBV in various host cells, is not normally expressed in the liver. We questioned whether bcl-2 is expressed in the transplanted liver and whether its expression is modified by EBV. Materials and Methods. Retrospective liver biopsy specimen from liver transplant patients diagnosed with EBV (n=12) were examined for the presence of bcl-2 by immunohistochemistry and compared with EBV (-) transplant (n=15), and nontransplant (n=13) livers. Results. The most significant finding was the presence of endothelial bcl-2 expression in the majority of EBV (+) transplant samples examined (67%) and its relative absence in the other two groups (P<0.005). There was also bcl-2 expression in the hepatocytes and lymphocytes of the majority of transplant liver samples, irrespective of EBV status. Discussion. We have identified a strong association between EBV infection and endothelial bcl-2 expression in transplant livers. We also found that transplantation, in itself, was associated with bcl-2 expression in the hepatocytes and lymphocytes of liver allografts.
A New Geochemical Classification of Sedimentary Environments

Because of the relative constancy of pH in most subaqueous sediments and the general lack of measurability of Eh, these parameters are not practically useful for classifying sedimentary environments. In their place a new classification is offered which, derived from studies of modern sediments, is based on the presence or absence of dissolved oxygen and dissolved sulfide in the sediments at the time of authigenic mineral formation. Sedimentary environments are first of all divided into oxic and anoxic depending upon the presence or absence of measurable dissolved oxygen. Anoxic environments, in turn, are divided into sulfidic and non-sulfidic depending upon the presence of measurable dissolved sulfide. Anoxic-nonsulfidic environments are further divided into postoxic, or resulting from oxygen removal without sulfate reduction (weakly reducing), and methanic , or resulting from complete sulfate reduction with consequent methane formation (strongly reducing). The environments are shown to succeed one another during early diagenesis in the order: oxic, post-oxic, sulfidic, methanic. Iron and manganese minerals characteristic and stable in each environment are listed and discussed so that they may be used to distinguish the environments when studying the ancient geological record.
Drug therapy in child psychiatry: pharmacological aspects.

Summary The deviations in development of disturbed children can provide an objective guide to the severity of the initial psychopathology and the degree of change following treatment. The group of children was divided into categories of severity, the divisions being based on the deviation of psychomotor development of these children from the norm. The actions of several drugs were studied, comparing their ability to correct the critical deviations occurring in the different clinical categories. This developmental approach makes it possible to define more specific indications for using various drugs with disturbed children.
Topoisomerase II cleavage in chromatin

Abstract We have (1) examined the effect of the anti-tumor drug VM-26 on purified Drosophila topoisomerase II, and (2) used this drug to map (putative) topoisomerase II cleavage sites in chromatin. These studies indicate that VM-26 interferes with the strand breakage-rejoining catalytic cycle. VM-26 appears to stabilize the topoisomerase-II-cleavable complex and markedly enhances the formation of double-strand breaks in naked DNA. VM-26 also stimulates the formation of double-strand breaks in isolated Drosophila nuclei. Analysis of the parameters of the VM-26-stimulated cleavage reaction in nuclei strongly suggests that the double-strand scissions are generated by endogenous topoisomerase II. Finally, we have examined the distribution of (putative) cleavage sites for endogenous topoisomerase II in the chromatin of the 87A7 heat shock locus and the histone repeat unit. We have found that there are prominent VM-26-induced cleavage products from the 5′ ends of the 87A7, the two heat shock protein 70 genes, and in the intergenic spacer separating these genes. Moreover, the pattern of VM-26-induced cleavage products is altered in nuclei prepared from heat-shocked cells. In the case of the histone repeat unit, only minor VM-26-induced cleavage products are observed in nuclei (in spite of the fact that experiments on naked DNA indicate that the histone repeat contains many major cleavage sites for purified topoisomerase II). These findings suggest that the nucleoprotein organization of different DNA segments may be important in determining whether specific sites are accessible to endogenous topoisomerase II in nuclei.
User evaluation of a GUI for controlling an autonomous persistent surveillance team

In future military missions, there will be many sensor assets collecting much important information about the environment. User control over surveillance assets is important to ensure that the specific data collected is appropriate for the current mission. Unfortunately, previous work has shown that individual users cannot effectively control more than about four assets, even if the assets have significant autonomy. In the ACCAST project, we hypothesized that by including autonomous teamwork between the assets and allowing users to interact by describing what the team as a whole and specific sub-teams should do, we could dramatically scale up the number of assets an individual user could effectively control. In this paper, we present the results of an experiment where users controlled up to 30 autonomous assets performing a complex mission. The assets autonomously worked together using sophisticated teamwork and the user could tell sub-teams to execute team oriented plans which described the steps required to achieve a team objective without describing exactly which asset performed which role and without having to specify how the team should handle routine information sharing, communications and failure circumstances. The users, soldiers from Fort Benning, were surprisingly good at managing the assets and were all able to complete the complex mission with extremely low friendly and civilian casualties.
Ultramicrodetermination of cyanocobalamin in elemental diet by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with visible detection

Abstract The ultramicrodetermination of cyanocobalamin (9 ng/g) in elemental diet containing 46 kinds of compounds, with concentrations at least 50–10 6 times higher than that of cyanocobalamin, was performed by Sep-Pak C 18 purification and concentration of cyanocobalamin followed by HPLC with detection at 550 nm. The method is simple, rapid, sensitive and reproducible. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 0-0.2 μg. The recovery of cyanocobalamin was over 95% by the standard addition method. There was good agreement between the cyanocobalamin concentrations indicated and found.
Impaired Alcohol Metabolism after Gastric Bypass Surgery: A Case-Crossover Trial

Background Severe obesity remains the leading public health crisis of the industrialized world, with bariatric surgery the only effective and enduring treatment. Poor psychological adjustment has been occasionally reported postoperatively. In addition, evidence suggests that patients can metabolize alcohol differently after gastric bypass. Study Design Preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively, 19 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients' breath alcohol content (BAC) was measured every 5 minutes after drinking 5 oz red wine to determine peak BAC and time until sober in a case-crossover design preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. Results Patients reported symptoms experienced when intoxicated and answered a questionnaire of drinking habits. The peak BAC in patients after RYGB was considerably higher at 3 months (0.059%) and 6 months (0.088%) postoperatively than matched preoperative levels (0.024%). Patients also took considerably more time to return to sober at 3 months (61 minutes) and 6 months (88 minutes) than preoperatively (49 minutes). Postoperative intoxication was associated with lower levels of diaphoresis, flushing, and hyperactivity and higher levels of dizziness, warmth, and double vision. Postoperative patients reported drinking considerably less alcohol, fewer preferred beer, and more preferred wine than before surgery. Conclusions This is the first study to match preoperative and postoperative alcohol metabolism in gastric bypass patients. Post-RYGB patients have much higher peak BAC after ingesting alcohol and require more time to become sober. Patients who drink alcohol after gastric bypass surgery should exercise caution.
Pulmonary microcirculation: differences in endothelia of subpleural and alveolar capillaries

Abstract Portions of the endothelia in the alveolar and subpleural capillary networks appose either the adjacent alveolar epithelium (thin sides) or the supportive interstitial spaces (thick sides) of the alveolar septa or the visceral pleura, respectively. In both the alveolar and subpleural capillaries, endothelial vesicle numerical densities and the amount of endothelial cell attenuation were greater on the thin sides than on the thick sides. Morphometric comparisons between the subpleural and alveolar capillaries on their respective thin sides defined greater endothelial attenuation (34% of endothelial surface compared to 14%) in the subpleural capillaries. Further, endothelial vesicle numerical densities were less in the subpleural capillaries (118/μm 3 compared to 226/μm 3 ). Vesicle diameters, on the other hand, were greater in the subpleural capillary endothelia (0.82 μm compared to 0.64 μm). The differences between subpleural and alveolar capillary endothelia on their respective thick sides were analogous to those described for the thin sides of capillaries. Endothelial attenuation and vesicle diameters on the thick sides of the subpleural capillaries exceeded those on the thick sides of the alveolar capillaries, and subpleural capillary endothelial vesicle densities were less than those of the alveolar capillary endothelia. The marked differences between the alveolar and subpleural capillary endothelia extend previous reports of differences in densities between the capillary networks and serve to further establish regional variations in the pulmonary microcirculation.
Apex height control of a two-mass hopping robot

The spring loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model is commonly used to describe the dynamics of hopping robots. Based on this model, the control of hopping robots has been widely investigated. A fundamental limitation of the model is that it fails to account for impact with the ground, and this is due to its single degree-of-freedom in the vertical direction. A more accurate representation of the hopping robot is proposed using a two mass model and inelastic impact with the ground. A control scheme is developed to converge the maximum jumping height of the robot to a desired value. The control scheme utilizes feedback linearization in continuous time and updates a control parameter in discrete time to achieve the control objective. Simulation results are presented to show the efficacy of the control scheme.
A Systematic Exposition of the Conservation Equations for Blast Waves

In order to provide a rational background for the analysis of experimental observations of blast wave phenomena, the conservation equations governing their nonsteady flow field are formulated in a general manner, without the usual restrictions imposed by an equation of state, and with proper account taken, by means of source terms, of other effects which, besides the inertial terms that conventionally dominate these equations, can affect the flow. Taking advantage of the fact that a blast wave can be generally considered as a spatially one-dimensional flow field whose nonsteady behavior can be regarded, consequently, as a function of just two independent variables, two generalized blast wave coordinates are introduced, one associated with the front of the blast wave and the other with its flow field. The conservation equations are accordingly transformed into this coordinate system, acquiring thereby a comprehensive character, in that they refer then to any frame of reference, being applicable, in particular, to problems involving either space or time profiles of the gas-dynamic parameters in the Eulerian system, or time profiles in the Lagrangian system.
Human capital, instability and foreign investment in transition economies

I argue that the West should lend money to the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (FSUEE) to prevent excessive deterioration of its human capital stock. Such loans can improve the recipient countries' welfare by allowing them to enjoy the long-run benefits of a large human capital stock without incurring the costs of maintaining these stocks through lean economic times. The West can receive a fully competitive rate of return on these loans, and future foreign investors will be able to earn high rates of return by supplying physical capital to a newly stabilized FSUEE with abundant human capital.
Rare, Structurally Homologous Self-Peptides Promote Thymocyte Positive Selection

Although it is clear that positive selection of T cells involves recognition of specific self-peptide/MHC complexes, the nature of these self-ligands and their relationship to the cognate antigen are controversial. Here we used two complementary strategies to identify naturally occurring self-peptides able to induce positive selection of T cells bearing a specific T cell receptor, OT-I. Both the bioassay- and bioinformatics-based strategies identified the same self-peptides, derived from F-actin capping protein and beta-catenin. These peptides displayed charge conservation at two key TCR contact residues. The biological activity of 43 other self-peptides and of complex peptide libraries directly correlated to the extent of conservation at TCR contact residues. These results demonstrate that selecting self-peptides are rare and can be identified by homology-based search strategies.
Determination of polymer chain length distributions by numerical inversion of z-transforms

Abstract A numerical technique is presented for evaluation of the polymer chain length distribution in polymerization reaction engineering models whose governing equations can be represented in the z -transform domain. The method is based upon an appropriate z -transform inversion relationship that has the form of an inverse discrete Fourier transform which can be efficiently evaluated by the fast Fourier transform algorithm using various existing computer software. The approach is illustrated through several example problems involving polymerization systems and comparisons are made to other alternate solution methods. One of the example problems includes a complex reaction network for polycarbonate polymerization as a novel application. It is shown that the proposed technique requires an order-of-magnitude less computer time to evaluate the polymer MWD when compared to direct numerical integration.
Correlations of cardiac function and SCL-90R in heart transplantation candidates.

Measurements of cardiac function and Symptom Checklist-90R (SCL-90R) data were retrospectively analyzed in two independent groups of cardiac transplant candidates in an effort to identify organic correlates of depressive syndromes. In the first study, no significant inverse correlations were found between depression measures and cardiac index as had been predicted. However, elevated right atrial pressure was associated with increased scores of the SCL-90R depression subscale (DEP) and global symptom index (GSI). A significant positive correlation was also found between the phobia subscale and cardiac index. In a second sample, again, cardiac index did not correlate inversely with DEP or GSI. The phobia-cardiac index correlation was replicated but the right atrial pressure correlations were not. Combining both groups, there were significant correlations between six SCL-90R subscales (including DEP and GSI) and cardiac index. All were positive correlations, refuting the initial hypothesis and suggesting pat...
Depression in Medically Ill Patients

In medically ill patients, given the many entities the phenotype of depression may represent, clinicians must be prepared to cast their diagnostic nets widely, not settling for the obvious but frequently incorrect choice of major depressive episode and throwing antidepressants at it willy nilly. Having chosen the correct diagnosis from among a broad differential of depression “look-alikes,” clinicians can draw upon a broad swath of treatment modalities including medications, psychotherapy, social supports, and spiritual interventions. Working as a psychiatrist in the medical arena requires the curiosity and analytic skills of a detective and the breadth of knowledge of a polymath adapting therapeutic tools from across the biopsychosociospiritual spectrum to the specific needs of the patient.
Stress Corrosion Cracking of Inconel Alloys and Weldments in High-Temperature Water — the Effect of Sulfuric Acid Addition

Abstract The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibilities of Alloys 600 and 690, AISI 316 NG stainless steel (SS), ASTM A508 carbon steel, and a number of compatible weld metals have been evalu...
Structural Studies of Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction: The Sources of Sequence-Specific Binding

Structural studies of DNA-binding proteins and their complexes with DNA have proceeded at an accelerating pace in recent years due to important technical advances in molecular genetics, DNA synthesis, protein crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance. The last major review on this subject by Pabo & Sauer (1984) summarized the structural and functional studies of the three sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins whose crystal structures were then known, the E. coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) (McKay & Steitz, 1981; McKay et al. 1982; Weber & Steitz, 1987), a cro repressor from phage λ (Anderson et al. 1981), and the DNA-binding proteolytic fragment of λcI repressor protein (Pabo & Lewis, 1982) Although crystallographic studies of the E. coli lac repressor protein were initiated as early as 1971 when it was the only regulatory protein available in sufficient quantities for structural studies (Steitz et al. 1974), little was established about the structural aspects of DNA-binding proteins until the structure of CAP was determined in 1980 followed shortly thereafter by the structure of λcro repressor and subsequently that of the λ repressor fragment. There are now determined at high resolution the crystal structures of seven prokaryotic gene regulatory proteins or fragments [CAP, λcro, λcI repressor fragment, 434 repressor fragment (Anderson et al. 1987), 434 cro repressor (Wolberger et al. 1988), E. coli trp repressor (Schevitz et al. 1985), E. coli met repressor (Rafferty et al. 1989)], EcoR I restriction endonuclease (McClarin et al. 1986), DNAse I (Suck & Ofner, 1986), the catalytic domain of γδ resolvase (Hatfull et al. 1989) and two sequence-independent double-stranded DNA-binding proteins [the Klenow fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase I (Ollis et al. 1985) and the E. coli Hu protein (Tanaka et al., 1984)].
Optimal clinical trial designs for immune-based therapies in persistent viral infections

There is now effective therapy for infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), but there is no cure. Consequently, antiviral drugs must be administered continuously to suppress viral replication. Recently, a large phase III international immune-based therapy trial was discontinued because it is difficult to measure clinical endpoints while antivirals are administered. Since the immune system has evolved under the selective force of microbial infections, the immune reaction is antiviral. This commentary explores the rationale of using "Diagnostic Treatment Interruptions" of antiviral therapies to determine efficacies of immune-based therapies.
Proposed Modification to the Inhalable Aerosol Convention Applicable to Realistic Workplace Wind Speeds

The current convention for sampling inhalable aerosols was based on several mannequin studies performed in wind tunnels at wind speeds between 0.5 and 4 m s(-1). In reality, as we now know, the wind speed in most modern indoor working environments is generally at or below ∼0.2 m s(-1). Inhalability studies performed in calm air aerosol chambers have shown that human aspiration efficiency at essentially zero wind speed is not consistent with the existing inhalable aerosol convention, calling into question the universal applicability of the current standard. More recently, experiments were carried out in a new hybrid wind tunnel-calm air chamber at more representative workplace wind speeds, between ∼0.1 and 0.5 m s(-1), to fill in this knowledge gap. Comparing these new data to both the existing inhalable aerosol convention and a recently proposed alternative for low wind movement suggests that, while the existing inhalable aerosol convention remains appropriate for wind speeds above ∼0.2 m s(-1), the modified version is more appropriate for the range below ∼0.2 m s(-1).
Kinetics of thermally induced phase separation in ternary polymer solutions. I. Modeling of phase separation dynamics

Simulations based on Cahn-Hilliard spinodal decomposition theory for phase separation in thermally quenched polymer/solvent/nonsolvent systems are pre- sented. Two common membrane-forming systems are studied, cellulose acetate (CA)/ acetone/water, and poly(ethersulfone) (PES)/dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)/water. The ef- fects of initial polymer and nonsolvent composition on the structure-formation dynam- ics are elucidated, and growth rates at specific points within the ternary phase diagram are quantified. Predicted pore growth rate curves exhibit a relative maximum with nonsolvent composition. For shallow quenches (lower nonsolvent content) near a phase boundary, the pore growth rate increases with increasing quench depth, whereas for deep quenches, where the composition of the polymer-rich phase approaches that of a glass, the pore growth rate decreases with increasing quench depth. With increasing initial polymer concentration, the overall rate of structure growth is lowered and the growth rate maximum shifts to higher nonsolvent compositions. This behavior appears to be a universal phenomenon in quenched polymer solutions which can undergo a glass transition, and is a result of an interplay between thermodynamic and kinetic driving forces. These results suggest a mechanism for the locking-in of the two-phase structure that occurs during nonsolvent-induced phase inversion. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1449 -1460, 1999
Development and Field Test of a Checklist for the Draw‐A‐Scientist Test

Several instruments have been developed to assess student images of scientists, but most require children to respond in writing. Since not all children can respond appropriately to written instruments. Chambers (1983) developed the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) in which children's drawings are rated according to particular characteristics present or absent in the drawings, allowing researchers to determine the images of scientists children hold. In order to improve the objectivity and interrater reliability of this means of assessment, the authors built upon Chambers' study to develop a checklist useful in assessing DAST drawings. This checklist provides drawing raters with stereotypic components identified in previous research as well as some additional ones, making the identification and recording of such components more efficient and more readily quantifiable for data analysis. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and field test of this checklist.
The Meaning of Family Routines in a Homeless Shelter

Objective This exploratory investigation sought to understand what meaning parents, living in a homeless shelter, attribute to family routines and the nature of those routines. Method In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 parents living in a homeless shelter. Thematic analysis was employed to develop descriptive codes and themes from transcribed data and field notes. Results Parents described family routines focused on three features: promoting intimacy, maintaining or developing a legacy, and connections with the community. These routines seemed to preserve family integrity while homeless and to provide hope for the family to continue into the future. Conclusions Homeless parents, in this investigation, seemed to expend a substantial amount of energy to create or maintain family routines while living in a homeless shelter. Findings suggest that occupational therapy services may help support homeless parents as they exercise their role as the organizer of family routines.