cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrast administration in pediatric cardiac catheterization: dose and adverse events.

BACKGROUND: In pediatrics, contrast-related AE such as allergic reactions, seizures, and nephropathy have been reported to occur after cardiac catheterization, but their incidence remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: We sought to report adverse event (AE) rates attributed to contrast administration in a pediatric cardiac catheterization lab and identify characteristics related to higher doses. METHODS: A single institution prospective cardiac catheterization AE database identified AE in children <18 years old exposed to contrast. All AE were reviewed and classified by relationship to contrast. Medical records for the 50 cases who received highest contrast doses were retrospectively reviewed for AE. Patient and procedural characteristics were compared in the top quartile of contrast dose versus remaining cases. RESULTS: Over 3 years, 2,321 consecutive cases required median 3.9 cm(3)/kg [IQR: 2.0, 6.0] of contrast. Patients receiving high dose contrast (top quartile) were more likely to be 2 h (67% vs. 28%), all P < 0.001. Only 2 of 2,321 cases (0.09%, 95% CI 0.01-0.31%) had AE possibly related to contrast. These events were an acute neurological change and transient nephropathy. In 50 cases receiving the most contrast, no AE were attributed to contrast. CONCLUSION: A large volume pediatric cardiac catheterization lab administered >or= 6 cm(3)/kg of contrast in a quarter of cases; however, AE related to contrast exposure were exceedingly rare.
The efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for the management of chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the management of chronic pain. METHODS: Randomized, controlled trials of SSRIs in the management of chronic pain were identified by searching MEDLINE from 1966 to 1997 and by contacting the manufacturers of SSRIs available in the United States. MAIN RESULTS: Nineteen studies were identified, including 10 on the treatment of headache, 3 on diabetic neuropathy, 3 on fibromyalgia, and 3 on mixed-chronic pain. SSRIs were consistently helpful for mixed-chronic pain. Results were conflicting for migraine headache, tension headache, diabetic neuropathy, and fibromyalgia. CONCLUSIONS: SSRIs appear to be beneficial for mixed-chronic pain. It is unclear, from the available evidence, whether SSRIs are beneficial for migraine headaches, tension headaches, diabetic neuropathy, or fibromyalgia. For those patients it may be reasonable to reserve SSRIs for those who fail to respond to other medications or who are intolerant of their side effects. KEY WORDS: chronic pain, management of; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Influence of mineral precipitation and dissolution on hydrologic properties of porous media in static and dynamic systems

A critical component in determining the suitability of disposing glassified, low activity waste is the identification of key mineral assemblages affecting the porosity and permeability of both the glass and near- and far-field materials. In this study, two different classes of geochemical models are used to identify mineral precipitation and dissolution potentials for an immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) disposal facility in Hanford, Washington. The first is a static geochemical model that does not consider the effects of transport. The second model is dynamic, and combines geochemical reactions with hydrogeological processes such as advection, diffusion and dispersion. This reactive transport model also includes an innovative application of a depositional film model for determining changes in permeability due to mineral precipitation and dissolution reactions. Although both models describe solid-aqueous phase reactions kinetically, the two models identify two different sets of mineral assemblages affecting the porosity and permeability of the media. These markedly different results are due to transport considerations, the most significant of which are the spatial variability in aqueous concentrations, and advection and diffusion of dissolved glass constituents into the backfill materials. This work shows that for the prediction of geochemical behavior of engineered systems, such as the ILAW disposal facility, the traditional reaction path modeling approach is not sufficient for an accurate assessment of the precipitation of key mineral assemblages and their effect on the geochemical and hydraulic behavior of the waste glass. Reactive transport modeling improves this assessment significantly. The static model is useful in identifying potential minerals to be included in the reactive transport simulations. The dynamic model, however, ultimately determines the key mineral assemblages affecting both the geochemical behavior and the hydraulic properties of the waste glass in the presence of a flowing aqueous phase.
Starch Gel Electrophoresis of Products of Action of Crystalline Rennin on Casein and Its Components

Abstract The primary and secondary phases of rennin action on whole casein and κ -casein were investigated by high resolution starch gel electrophoresis. κ -Casein was the only component of whole casein attacked during 50min of enzyme action, resulting in one major and two minor components with faster mobilities than whole α s -casein and two minor components with slower mobilities than κ -casein. Thirty and six-tenths per cent and 48.4% of the κ -casein were solubilized at pH 4.60 after 60 and 120min of rennin action at pH 6.80 and 36C. The balance of the κ -casein aggregated. The para- κ -caseins resulting from 60 and 130min of rennin action showed an electrophoretic composition similar to that reported by others (3, 10). The 12% trichloroacetic acid insoluble product recovered from κ -casein after 30min of rennin action showed a complex electrophoretic pattern composed of at least 14 components. No specific electrophoretic changes accompanied the coagulum characterizing the secondary phase of rennin action on whole casein.
Stylized vector art from 3D models with region support

We describe a rendering system that converts a 3D meshed model into the stylized 2D filled-region vector-art commonly found in clip-art libraries. To properly define filled regions, we analyze and combine accurate but jagged face-normal contours with smooth but inaccurate interpolated vertex normal contours, and construct a new smooth shadow contour that properly surrounds the actual jagged shadow contour. We decompose region definition into geometric and topological components, using machine precision for geometry processing and raster-precision to accelerate topological queries. We extend programmable stylization to simplify, smooth and stylize filled regions. The result renders 10K-face meshes into custom clip-art in seconds.
Silicate polymerization during the hydration of alite

Abstract The influence of admixtures and curing temperature on silicate polymerization during the hydration of alite was studied. Trimethylsilyl derivatives were separated by gel permeation chromatography. The major species identified in the hydrated pastes were dimer, linear pantamer, and linear octamer; at later ages, particularly at higher temperature, higher polymers are formed. A polymerization scheme is proposed. The effect of admixtures on silicate polymerization exactly parallels their effects on hydration.
Object-Based Segmentation And Color Recognition In Multispectral Images

It is difficult to segment an image according to object, for the geometry of lighting and viewing of three-dimensional objects incurs spatial inhomogeneities (highlights, shading, and cast shadows) in the image. However, the bands of a multispectral image can be used to do the segmentation. We start by assuming that the image field for a uniformly colored object is the sum of a small number of terms, each term being the product of a spatial and a spectral part. The physics of the spatial part is intricate, but the spatial part can be factored out to produce several space-invariant fields of numbers within reflectance boundaries. For an image field either from two light sources on a matte surface or from a single light source on a dielectric surface with highlights, the space-invariant quantities characterizing the object are the components of a particular unit vector in color space. The possibility is discussed of an algorithm for estimating the relative spectral reflectance of an object based on its space-invariant image fields.
An insulin-like growth factor-binding protein in the baboon (Papio anubis) endometrium: synthesis, immunocytochemical localization, and hormonal regulation.

The major secretory product of the baboon and human decidua during pregnancy is an insulin-like growth factor- binding protein (IGF-BP). This study was designed to determine the site and regulation of synthesis of this protein in the nonpregnant baboon based on our previous findings that this molecule is biochemically and immunologically similar in the two species during pregnancy. Endometrial tissue was obtained from cycling baboons and steroid-treated ovariectomized animals. Portions of the tissue were fixed for immunocytochemical analysis, cultured in the presence or absence of cyclohexamide and actinomycin-D, or snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for RNA isolation. Immunostaining using monoclonal antibodies to IGFBP indicated that the protein was localized predominantly in the epithelium of the deep glands and was most intense during the late luteal stage of the cycle. Immunoreactive product was also present in tissue from estrogen-primed progesterone-treated ovariectomized animals. However, the staining ...
Causes and confusions in African history : debate

ABSTRACT What follows is a short note on James Fenske's article, The Causal History of Africa: A Response to Hopkins (Economic History of Developing Regions, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2010). The intention is to prevent what I regard as a wholly unnecessary bifurcation of effort in a field that, more than many others, needs its few practitioners at least to agree on the broad framework within which disagreement can then take place.
Acrylamide electrophoresis and binding ability of hepatic ribosomal protein from normal and from diabetic rats.

. Liver ribosomes were isolated from normal and diabetic rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced either by the administration of alloxan or by injection of anti-insulin serum. Treatment of rat liver ribosomes with ammonium chloride leads to a detachment of proteins which have an inhibitory effect on the binding of polyuridylic acid (poly U) to ribosomes. However, there is evidence that these proteins do bind to poly U and that there is less binding of proteins derived from diabetic liver ribosomes than of proteins derived from normal animals. The separation of these detachable proteins by means of a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals a quantitative increase of one single protein. The appearance of this increase is independent of the mode of induction of diabetes (alloxan, anti-insulin serum) and is abolished by the administration of insulin. This finding added to the evidence of a reduction of ribosomal aggregation in diabetes mellitus could lead one to suggest the hypothesis that this detachable ribosomal protein has a repressive function with regard to the binding of messenger RNA to the ribosome.
Experimental Evaluation of an Internally Passively Pressurized Circulation Control Propeller

The purpose of circulation control for fixed wing aircrafts is to increase the lifting force when large lifting forces and/or slow speeds are required, such as at takeoff and landing. Wing flaps and slats are used on almost all fixed-wing aircraft. While effective in increasing lift, they do so with penalty of increasing drag, weight, and control complexity. The goal of this research was to find an alternative way of pumping pressurized air to the trailing edge slot on a UAV propeller. This design called for rerouting stagnation pressure from the frontal propeller area through the inside of the propeller blades to ejection slots on the trailing edge. This allows for the forward velocity of the aircraft to drive the pressurization of the circulation control plenum passively, without additional hardware. For this study, a Clark-Y airfoil section propeller with an overall diameter of 0.609 meters was designed and tested. The comparison of the augmented to unaugmented propeller showed a 5.12 percent increase in efficiency, which is shown to act over the entire range of flight envelopes of the aircraft and is shown to be particularly beneficial at advance ratios above 0.30, normal operating conditions of propeller-driven UAVs.
THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF BRAIN, KIDNEYS AND HEART OF WHITE RATS IN EXPERIMENTAL HYPOTHYROIDISM

THE MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL changes which follow the removal of the thyroid glands have been well studied both in man and in animal experiments. But severe though the mental and nervous changes are following thyroid abla-tion in man, the histopathologic changes are indefinite and do not explain at all the progressive dementia in cretinism and myxedema (1). Pighini (2) and later Parhon and Werner (3) tried to find the chemical changes of the brain which might be correlated with the functional changes. Pighini analyzed the different lipid fractions in two pup-pies and two adult dogs which survived atotal ablation of both thyroids and parathy roids for 50 days. He found a mild decrease of3 and 2‰ respectively in the amount of total lipoids. Parhon and Werner investigated the phosphorus content of thyroidec-tomised dogs which survived from 2 to 14 days.
A context-aware framework supporting complex ubiquitous scenarios with Augmented Reality enabled

In this paper, we propose a context-aware system framework characteristic of two novel features. First, this framework is capable of modeling highly complex usage scenarios as a finite state machine while having transitions controlled by context information. And, this framework is designed with Augmented Reality capability as an integral component in its overall architecture to enable augmented interaction in context-aware applications. We believe this framework can be used ubiquitously in Context Aware Computing (CAC). As an example, a prototype has been developed for the application scenario of a manufacturing factory. We will also present the implementation details of this prototype.
Automatic design of optical thin-film systems—merit function and numerical optimization method

A combination of analytical synthesis methods and automatic numerical design is currently used for the synthesis of optical thin-film systems. The validity of this combination strongly depends not only on the optimization technique chosen but also on the construction of the merit function used in the automatic design. The present paper introduces a statistical testing method by which global extrema of a merit function can be found with a certain probability. Some examples of the construction of the merit function based on analytical synthesis are given.
Inertial and surfactant effects on the steady droplet flow in cylindrical channels

The flow of neutrally buoyant droplets in circular channels at finite Reynolds numbers (0.1 ≤ Re ≤ 400) and moderate capillary numbers (0.005 ≤ Ca ≤ 0.1) is studied numerically using a front tracking method. The drops are either clean or contain surfactants which are modeled to behave according to the Langmuir equation of state. The numerical results agree well with previous studies in the Stokes flow regime for small, undeformed drops, as well as very large drops. Increasing the Reynolds number causes a non-monotonic trend in both the relative velocity of the drop and the extra pressure loss required to maintain a constant flow rate. The trends are attributed to changes in drop shape caused by increasing inertial effects. For moderate-sized drops with radii 0.5 to 0.9 times the tube radius, the velocity first decreases and then increases with Reynolds number. For larger drops with radii 1.2 to 1.5 times the tube radius, the effect of inertia is to further elongate the drop and a non-monotonic trend in velocity is not observed. At large Reynolds numbers, stable, oscillatory flows with shape changes confined to the rear of the drop are observed. For long viscous drops, the film thickness increases monotonically with the Reynolds number for all capillary and Reynolds numbers studied. In the presence of inertia, surfactant-laden drops show a maximum in the drop velocity (and a minimum in extra pressure loss) at an intermediate Biot number. In general, at large Reynolds numbers, the effects of surfactants tend to diminish as compared to previous Stokes flow simulations.
Circumspect Exploration of Multidimensional Imbedded Shocks

N evaluations of transonic, steady, twodimensional, inviscid flows have been attempted so far along two lines: 1) Assuming that the flow is rotational, and applying relaxation methods, and 2) using the nonlinear equations of motion for unsteady, rotational flows and working out a time-dependent evolution from an assumed initial flow towards an asymptotical steady state. The latter approach, while serving to produce steady state results, also provides a means of acquiring a better understanding of unsteady flows. Before attempting any numerical evaluation of complicated unsteady problems, however, it is necessary to become familiar with a number of basic flow patterns and their time evolutions, and to construct and validate numerical techniques that are consistent with their physical nature. In this context, the present paper examines certain phenomena related to the time-dependent evolution of imbedded shocks in transonic flows.
Kinetics of Solute-Enhanced Diffusion in Dilute Face-Centered-Cubic Alloys

A theory of the effect of solutes on solvent self-diffusion in dilute fcc alloys is given, based on the model of nearest-neighbor interactions between solute impurities and vacancies. The parameters of the theory are the four vacancy-jump frequencies in the neighborhood of an impurity and the vacancy-jump frequency in the pure crystal. No assumptions are made about the relative magnitudes of these frequencies. This distinguishes the present theory from previous theories based on the same model. The theory is used to deduce for each of nine dilute Ag-based alloys sets of jump-frequency ratios (and corresponding impurity correlation factors) that are consistent with measured values of the solute enhancement coefficient and of the impurity diffusion coefficient. The desirability of isotope-effect measurements to determine the impurity correlation factors is emphasized.
TELEROBOTICS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE: SAFE RAISED PAVEMENT-MARKER APPLICATION

Application of raised pavement markers is a simple but dangerous operation. In a common scenario, an operator sits in a specially designed bay of a slowly traveling truck and manually applies bitumen with a hand-controlled dispenser and places a marker on the bitumen while traffic is passing only a few feet away. A telerobotic raised pavement-marker applicator that uses the capabilities of advanced technologies to automate the tasks of selection of markers, placement of markers, and dispensing of bitumen is described. Most importantly, the operator is moved from the truck bay into the passenger side seat and observes and controls the entire process with a video interface system. A PC-based microcomputer provided the platform that allowed efficient integration of the pneumatic and hydraulic actuators necessary to place markers remotely.
STUDIES ON THE DISSOLUTION RATE OF SPARINGLY SOLUBLE CALCIUM CITRATE IN WATER

The mass transfer coefficient of calcium citrate-water system was determined by the conductivity measurement. The range of the measured coefficient is 2.65 × 10−6m/s ± 35% at 25.5°C, independent of particle size and rpm under a full solid suspension condition. The prediction of the effects of particle size and agitation on the coefficient based on the classic mass trafer theories is also discussed.
Patient's reaction to chairside oral surgical teaching.

T HERE have been few attempts to evalute the patient’s reaction to chairsidc oral surgical teaching, even though chairside instruction is a well-established method in the teaching of dental students and graduate oral surgc~ry students. Much has been written and said about the patient-dentist rclat,ionship. Man)textbooks, articles and essays have pointed out, the importance of tact and good chairside manners, but all of these have been primarily appeals for a sympathetic consideration of the patient and hare not been based on studies dcmonstrnting the off&s that chairside teaching may have upon the patient.
Programmable DSPs: a brief overview

A brief history of digital signal processors (DSPs), which may become the key to the integration of telecommunications and computation, is presented. A tabular summary of models to date is provided. The recent emergence of DSP cores is discussed. >
Discounting of delayed hypothetical money and food: effects of amount.

Delay discounting research determines how the value of an outcome is affected by delay to its receipt. Research so far shows that consumable outcomes are discounted more steeply by delay than money. Prior studies, however, have used large amounts of the outcomes (e.g. $100 worth) that would not typically be consumed in one bout, unlike the corresponding amount of money (e.g. $100). This experiment examined whether small amounts of food would be discounted more steeply than money, as occurs with larger amounts. One hundred and two adults indicated their preferences in a series of choices for two hypothetical outcome types: immediate versus delayed food and immediate versus delayed money. Participants made choices involving either relatively small maximum amounts of food ($10 worth) and money ($10) or for relatively large maximum amounts of food ($100 worth) and money ($100). In the within-subject comparisons, food was discounted more steeply by delay than money for both groups. In the between-subject comparisons, different amounts of the commodities were affected similarly by delay. Overall, these results suggest that steeper discounting of consumable outcomes than money is a fairly robust phenomenon, occurring with relatively small amounts of outcomes as well as with larger amounts.
On reducing the Heun equation to the hypergeometric equation

Abstract The reductions of the Heun equation to the hypergeometric equation by polynomial transformations of its independent variable are enumerated and classified. Heun-to-hypergeometric reductions are similar to classical hypergeometric identities, but the conditions for the existence of a reduction involve features of the Heun equation that the hypergeometric equation does not possess; namely, its cross-ratio and accessory parameters. The reductions include quadratic and cubic transformations, which may be performed only if the singular points of the Heun equation form a harmonic or an equianharmonic quadruple, respectively; and several higher-degree transformations. This result corrects and extends a theorem in a previous paper, which found only the quadratic transformations. (SIAM J. Math. Anal. 10 (3) (1979) 655).
Devonian Reefs Exposed Along Central Cantabric Coast, Northern Spain: ABSTRACT

In sea cliffs along the central zone of the Cantabric coast, near Cabo de Penas, Asturias, the Peran Member of the Candas Limestone (Middle and Upper Devonian) appears in two stratigraphic sections situated near the towns of Peran and Luanco respectively. Faunal assemblages consist of alternations of compact biostromes with units of diversely populated marls. These interbedded deposits reveal that different organisms and morphologies End_Page 675------------------------------ have specific roles in one or more of the following phases of reef development: (stage 1) mud trapping; (stage 2) substrate stabilization; and (stage 3) reef building. Important parameters that probably influenced this succession were intensity and periodicity of sedimentation, energy as a function of depth, light availability, and substrate characteristics. Ideal succession of stages is better developed in the eastern Peran section. Detrital matrix of these reefs is generally grain-supported, whereas interreefal deposits consist of fossiliferous marls. Organic banks of the western Luanco section contain a muddy matrix, and true reef development (stage 3) is rarely attained. Interbank deposits include gray bioturbated mud which contains tentaculitids, trilobites, and clearly transported elements. These observations suggest that the Peran section was formed under very shallow-water conditions on the shelf edge, facing deeper waters toward the west. This shelf edge thins eastward toward a major topographic high in the present-day vicinity of the Picos de Europa. Such a paleogeographic picture is decidedly reversed to that of the now famous evonian reefs of Belgium and Germany. End_of_Article - Last_Page 676------------
Computerized therapy registry: the Mayo Clinic experience.

Establishing a computerized tumor registry involves careful consideration of a number of factors. Included in this consideration are the cost of both software and hardware, the type and selection of data needed, and the ongoing cost of the program. A representative listing of the data to be collected for the radiotherapytumor registry is included.
A matrix computation for the Cohen—Macaulay type of s-lines in affine (n + 1)-space

Let L1,…, Ls denote s-distinct lines in Akn + 1 passing through the origin (O). In this paper, we compute a matrix formula for the Cohen—Macaulay type, t(L1,…, Ls), of the local ring of ∪i = 1s Li at (O). Our formula is as follows: t(L1,....,Ls)=∑j=rs−1y(j)+fk(G(s−1))−n+s−22 Here we assume s ⩾ 2, and the coordinates in Akn + 1 have been so chosen that the leading entries in the direction numbers P1,…, Ps(ϵ Pkn) of L1,…, Ls are all ones. G(s − 1) is a matrix and the γ(j)'s are constants which depend only on the direction numbers P1,…, Ps of the lines. The number r is the minimal degree of a nonzero form passing through P1,…, Ps. When L1,…, Ls are in generic s-position our formula simplifies to t(L1,....,Ls)=y(r)+s−r+n−11 .We give examples which show that for a fixed n and s, the Cohen—Macaulay type of s-lines in generic s-position in Akn + 1 is not constant.
Functions of the category of combinatorial geometries and strong maps

Abstract The motivation of this study was to prove the following conjecture by Rota: Given a pregeometry G ( r, s ) and an integer k ⩾ 1, the geometrization of the function kr is a functor of the category of finite pregeometries and strong maps into itself. In addition to a proof of this fact, properties of other classes of functors based on expansions and geometrizations are presented in this paper.
Initial exposure to 30 kV/m or 60 kV/m 60 Hz electric fields produces temporary cessation of operant behavior of nonhuman primates

In two separate experiments, we examined the effects of a 60 Hz electric field (EF) on performance of an operant schedule consisting of two signaled components: fixed-ratio (FR30) and differential reinforcement of low-rate (DRL20). In each experiment, 12 naive baboons (Papio cynocephalus) were assigned randomly to either an EF-exposed experimental group or a sham-exposed control group. A homogeneous vertical EF of 30 kV/m was used in one experiment; 60 kV/m was used in the other. The experimental design for both experiments included 6 week preexposure, exposure, and postexposure periods. The planned analyses indicated no evidence of statistically significant (P < .05) effects of EF exposure. However, exploratory analyses comparing performance during the last week of preexposure and the first week of exposure revealed statistically significant acute effects (work stoppage): The mean response rates of the EF-exposed groups were greatly reduced on day 1 of exposure but were normal by the end of day 2 of EF exposure. We hypothesize that introduction of a highly unusual stimulus, the EF, temporarily interfered with normal operant behavior to produce a primary work stoppage. Supplementary cross-over experiments added at the end of each main experiment indicated that work stoppage occurred again when formerly EF-exposed subjects served as sham-exposed controls, while other subjects received their first EF exposure. Presumably, reoccurrence of other stimuli correlated with initial exposure to the EF became sufficient to subsequently cause secondary work stoppage in the absence of direct EF exposure. The primary and secondary work-stoppage effects were reproducible.
Evidence of Sex Discrimination: In Similar Populations, Men Are Paid Better Than Women

Abstract. Nationally women earn only 60 percent of the salary income earned by men. Numerous uncontrolled factors, however, might cause such sex-related differences in salary. In this study, certain factors usually uncontrolled are controlled with the choice of sample populations and by using multidimensional contingency table analysis. The samples consisted of male graduates of University of Hawaii College of Business (n = 311) and female graduates of that college (n = 94). In this comparison, women earned 81 percent of the salary earned by men, although, by the usual measures their backgrounds were similar. Factors of ethnicity, type of job taken, participation rate, and college major did not explain the salary differences between men and women. From this it is inferred that the difference arises from sex discrimination.
THE EFFECT OF SELECTED DIETARY LIPIDS, CARBOHYDRATES AND PROTEINS ON THE GROWTH, SURVIVAL AND BODY COMPOSITION OF Penaeusduorarum1

Several protein, carbohydrate and lipid sources were incorporated into pelleted diets and evaluated for their effect on growth and survival of shrimp during a 12-week study. Percentages of growth achieved using lipid sources of beef tallow, linseed oil, menhaden oil, corn oil and no lipid supplements were 61.8, 60.0, 52.9, 0, and 46.9, respectively. Percentage survival ranged from 64.7 for animals fed a diet containing beef tallow to for those fed a diet supplemented with corn oil. Among diets in which carbohydrates were tested, percentages of growth were 60.0, 25.0, 21.2, 18.8, and 12.9 among animals fed diets containing 40% starch, 10% glucose, 10% starch, 0% starch, and 40% glucose, respectively. Percentage survival ranged from 66.7 for the 40% starch group to 21.7 for the 40% glucose group. Among the several single protein sources tested, percentages of growth were 119.4, 78.1, 58.8, 48.6 and 29.7 for animals fed diets containing soybean meal, menhaden meal, shrimp meal, casein and corn gluten meal, respectively. Shrimp fed casein had a markedly lower survival rate than animals grown on diets having other protein sources. Freeze-dried Artemia, clam and Tubifix worm added to a diet with menhaden meal as the protein source revealed that only additions of freeze-dried Artemia produced significant growth above the control (percentage growth increases were 89.5, 41.9, 23.5 and 78.1 for Artemia, clam and Tubifix worm and the menhaden meal control, respectively). Survival was not significantly affected by any of the above supplements. Analyses of whole body composition of shrimp fed all of the above mentioned diets illustrated that some diets significantly influenced lipid and protein levels but did not significantly influence cholesterol levels. Shrimp fed a diet having no supplemented lipid had a significantly lower body lipid level (4.93%) than shrimp fed either diets containing corn or linseed oil (7.82% and 8.58%, respectively). Lipid supplements did not significantly influence body composition of protein. A diet supplied with 40% glucose caused a significant reduction in body lipid level (5.78%) compared to 10% glucose (9.03%) or 10% starch (8.67%). Likewise, a 40% glucose diet resulted in a significantly lower body protein level (70.41%) compared to percentages of 75.25, 75.11 for 10% glucose and 40% starch supplemented diets, respectively. Among protein supplemented diets, differences in lipid body composition were not significant but, shrimp fed a diet containing shrimp meal had a significant increase in body protein level (77.13%) in comparison to shrimp fed either menhaden meal or casein protein supplements (74.42% and 72.69%, respectively). Shrimp grown on diets containing menhaden meal supplemented with freeze-dried natural foods did not have significant alterations in body levels of total lipid or protein.
Structure-toxicity relationship of phenolic analogs as anti-melanoma agents: An enzyme directed prodrug approach

The aim of this study was to identify a phenolic prodrug compound that is minimally metabolized by rat liver microsomes, but yet could form quinone reactive intermediates in melanoma cells as a result of its bioactivation by tyrosinase. In current work, we investigated 24 phenolic compounds for their metabolism by tyrosinase, rat liver microsomes and their toxicity towards murine B16-F0 and human SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. A linear correlation was found between toxicities of phenolic analogs towards SK-MEL-28 and B16-F0 melanoma cells, suggesting similar mechanisms of toxicity in both cell lines. 4-HEB was identified as the lead compound. 4-HEB (IC(50) 48h, 75muM) showed selective toxicity towards five melanocytic melanoma cell lines SK-MEL-28, SK-MEL-5, MeWo, B16-F0 and B16-F10, which express functional tyrosinase, compared to four non-melanoma cells lines SW-620, Saos-2, PC3 and BJ cells and two amelanotic SK-MEL-24, C32 cells, which do not express functional tyrosinase. 4-HEB caused significant intracellular GSH depletion, ROS formation, and showed significantly less toxicity to tyrosinase specific shRNA transfected SK-MEL-28 cells. Our findings suggest that presence of a phenolic group in 4-HEB is critical for its selective toxicity towards melanoma cells.
Clinical assessment of parents in child protection cases: an empirical analysis.

We investigated the content and legal relevance of clinical evaluations of parents conducted in child abuse and neglect cases. The sample consisted of 190 mental health evaluation reports, randomly selected from major providers, that had been completed on parents involved in a large, urban juvenile court system. We coded evaluations on 170 objective and qualitative characteristics in order to assess for criteria recommended in the forensic literature. We compared evaluations across groups categorized by type (e.g., psychological, psychiatric, bonding/parenting, substance abuse) and where the assessments were performed (outside or inside the court). We found numerous substantive failures to meet those criteria for forensic relevance. Evaluations of parents typically were completed in a single session, rarely included a home visit, used few if any sources of information other than the parent, often cited no previous written reports, rarely used behavioral methods, stated purposes in general rather than specific terms, emphasized weaknesses over strengths in reporting results, and often neglected to describe the parent's caregiving qualities or the child's relationship with the parent. Some relevant differences were evident across assessment groups, pointing to examples of more thorough, parenting-specific evaluation practices. We recommend ways to improve current practices in forensic parenting assessment.
Multi-Photon Laser Scanning Microscopy Using an Acoustic Optical Deflector

Multi-photon laser scanning microscopes have many advantages over single-photon systems. However, the speed and flexibility of currently available multi-photon microscopes are limited by the use of mechanical mirrors to steer pulsed radiation for fluorophore excitation. Here, we describe the multi-photon adaptation of a confocal microscope that uses an acoustic optical deflector (AOD) for beam steering. AODs are capable of very rapid scanning and, in addition, offer the flexibility of zooming, panning, and being adjustable for slow image acquisition. Because of the highly dispersive nature of AODs, pulsed radiation must be temporally compressed by introducing negative dispersion into the beam path. More critically, pulsed radiation must also be spatially compressed by introducing lateral dispersion into the beam path. This was accomplished by using two prisms in the external beam path and by introducing a third prism element subsequent to the AOD. The end result is an AOD-based multi-photon microscope that is capable of rapid imaging of physiological events as well as slow detection of weakly fluorescent biological samples.
Gustatory and tactile stimulation of the posterior tongue activate overlapping but distinctive regions within the nucleus of the solitary tract

Both the gustatory and somatosensory systems provide necessary sensory input for the initiation and control of oromotor behaviors. Behavioral studies indicate that somatosensory input from the posterior tongue (PT) is important in initiating swallowing, whereas PT taste input is particularly important in gustatory rejection reflexes. However, there have been few studies of the central representation of PT gustatory or tactile responses. In the present study, electrophysiological multi-unit recording techniques were used to map the location of PT-mediated taste and tactile responses in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) of the rat. A stimulation technique that allows taste stimuli to be introduced directly and specifically into the papillae trenches was used to optimally activate PT taste receptors located within the circumvallate (CV) and foliate (FOL) papillae. The results demonstrated that non-PT responsive sites dominated the rostral half of the rostral division of NST (rNST), while PT-responsive sites dominated the caudal half. Some PT-responsive sites extended into the caudal NST. Both gustatory and tactile stimuli were effective at 28% of PT-responsive locations (taste-tactile sites), whereas at the remaining locations, only tactile stimulation was effective (tactile-only sites). Although these two types of PT-responsive sites exhibited some anatomical overlap, their distributions were distinctive, with taste-tactile sites restricted medially and the laterally located tactile-only sites offset caudally. On the other hand, responses arising from stimulation of the CV and FOL exhibited no anatomical organization, i.e., responses to stimulation of both papillae were coexistensive. On average, of the four tastants used (0.01 M Na saccharin, 0.3 M NaCl, 0.01 M quinine hydrochloride, 0.03 M HCl), HCl was the most effective stimulus for both the CV and FOL. The present results delimit the regions of the NST that provide a substrate for the gustatory and somatosensory limbs of PT-mediated oromotor reflexes.
The kinetics of decarburization of iron melts by argon-hydrogen plasma jets.

A plasma-torch and refractory-lined furnace with a 20kg capacity were used to study the kinetics of decarburization of iron melts. Molten iron with an initial carbon content of either 1.1 or 2.6wt% was decarburized using an argon-hydrogen plasma jet. The rate of decarburization was found to be limited by mass transfer in the melt; a mass transfer coefficient of 2.76×10-3cm/s was obtained. Additionally, it was determined that the decarburization reaction occurred only in the region of plasma jet impingement.
Microwave Pulse-Power Measurements

This paper describes two techniques (crystal switch and pulsed receiver) for measuring peak power. Both systems sample the unknown RF pulse. The sample is then compared to an identical sample taken from an accurately known CW signal. A coherent detector is used to compare the levels of the two samples. Measurement can be made on pulse power levels down to ?60 dbm. Neither measurement system is affected by the rise and fall time of the unknown RF pulse. Pulse widths of 0.3 ?sec or greater can be measured with an accuracy approaching 3 per cent at 0 dbm and 5 per cent at ?60 dbm.
Permafrost Distribution in Central Canada: Applications of a Climate-Based Predictive Model

Abstract A revised permafrost index, computed from mean monthly air temperatures and snowcover data, produces an unambiguous latitudinal zonation of contemporary permafrost. Isarithmic mapping of this “surface frost number'’defines a latitudinal zonation that is in substantial agreement with a previous semi-empirical mapping of permafrost in the lowlands of central Canada. A related index, the “Stefan frost number,'’employs estimates of soil properties in an approximate engineering solution for the depths of freezing and thawing. Mapping of this index by unclassed choropleth methods provides an estimate of point-to-point variations in permafrost distribution under the assumptions of homogeneous topography and vegetation. The model successfully predicts the presence of permafrost in peatlands outside the zonal limits defined by climatic criteria alone. The frost number provides an easily computed, physically based method for predicting permafrost that lends itself to a variety of cartographic representatio...
International asset pricing with time-varying risk premia

Abstract Recent empirical evidence that forward exchange rates are biased predictors of future spot rates can also be interpreted as evidence against the hypothesis of a constant risk premium. Consequently, reconciliation of this evidence with efficient international capital markets requires the existence of time-varying risk premia. This paper modifies Kouri's (1977) asset pricing model to allow time-varying exected returns on assets, eliminates the assumption of a risk-free real asset and derives the characteristics of the risk premia in the forward market as well as the equilibrium yield relationships among the equities and riskless nominal bonds of all countries.
Enhancement of capillary and cellular ingrowth in ePTFE implants with a proangiogenic recombinant construct derived from fibronectin

Based on our discoveries of a unique, synergistic interplay between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and specific domains of the matrix protein fibronectin (FN), we used recombinant technology to create a new protein construct derived from the cell-binding and VEGF-binding domains of FN. We wished to test the hypothesis that this prototype recombinant FN (rFN) protein would enhance cellular and capillary ingrowth in vivo into expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) implants. ePTFE disks of high porosity (60 micron internodal distance) were embedded with fibrin gel and heparin, with/without mixtures of VEGF and rFN and were implanted subcutaneously in rats. Control implants embedded with fibrin glue and heparin alone showed an average of 8.5% (±0.51% standard error mean (SEM)) cellular ingrowth. The addition of either VEGF or rFN caused a modest but significant increase in cellular ingrowth (12.7 ± 1% and 11.8 ± 0.98%, respectively, p < 0.004). However, the combination of rFN/VEGF/heparin dramatically increased cellular ingrowth (27.6 ± 1.62%, p < 0.001), compared with all other treatments. Quantification of capillary ingrowth yielded the same pattern. These results suggest that the incorporation of such biological modulators into cardiovascular implants could offer new strategies for the design of a ready-made small diameter prosthetic graft with enhanced capacity for neovascularization and endothelialization.
Adaptive data placement for wide-area sensing services

Wide-area sensing services enable users to query data collected from multitudes of widely distributed sensors. In this paper, we consider the novel distributed database workload characteristics of these services, and present IDP, an online, adaptive data placement and replication system tailored to this workload. Given a hierarchical database, IDP automatically partitions it among a set of networked hosts, and replicates portions of it. IDP makes decisions based on measurements of access locality within the database, read and write load for individual objects within the database, proximity between queriers and potential replicas, and total load on hosts participating in the database. Our evaluation of IDP under real and synthetic workloads, including flash crowds of queriers, demonstrates that in comparison with previously-studied replica placement techniques, IDP reduces average response times for user queries by up to a factor of 3 and reduces network traffic for queries, updates, and data movements by up to an order of magnitude.
Comparison of the In Vitro Activity of Several Cephalosporin Antibiotics Against Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria Resistant to Cephaloridine

The in vitro activity of each of two oral [cefatrizine (BL-S640), cephalexin] and three parenteral (cefamandole, cefazolin, cephapirin) cephalosporin antibiotics was compared with that of cephalothin against 168 clinical isolates of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria selected as resistant to 20 mug of cephaloridine per ml on the basis of agar dilution susceptibility test data. Each of the five other cephalosporins inhibited a greater percentage of gram-negative bacillary isolates than did cephalothin or cephaloridine, with minimal inhibitory concentration values ranging 2- to 50-fold lower. Significant differences between minimal inhibitory concentrations of the compounds tested were also observed in tests against strains of Streptococcus faecalis and of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Potential advantages of including more than a single cephalosporin antibiotic in the panel of antibiotics used for routine susceptibility testing, suggested by these observations, are discussed.
The Risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ('Mad Cow Disease') to Human Health

Some human cases of the transmissible neurodegenerative disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease recently seen in Great Britain are thought to have resulted from eating beef infected with the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Reasons for and against this presumption are explained, and the question of a similar situation occurring in countries other than Britain—in particular, the United States—is discussed in terms of the existence of scrapie (in sheep) or unrecognized bovine spongiform encephalopathy (in cattle), the practice of recycling nonedible sheep and cattle tissue for animal nutrition, and precautionary measures already taken or under consideration by government agencies.
Prediction of Aquatic Toxicity Mode of Action Using Linear Discriminant and Random Forest Models

The ability to determine the mode of action (MOA) for a diverse group of chemicals is a critical part of ecological risk assessment and chemical regulation. However, existing MOA assignment approaches in ecotoxicology have been limited to a relatively few MOAs, have high uncertainty, or rely on professional judgment. In this study, machine based learning algorithms (linear discriminant analysis and random forest) were used to develop models for assigning aquatic toxicity MOA. These methods were selected since they have been shown to be able to correlate diverse data sets and provide an indication of the most important descriptors. A data set of MOA assignments for 924 chemicals was developed using a combination of high confidence assignments, international consensus classifications, ASTER (ASessment Tools for the Evaluation of Risk) predictions, and weight of evidence professional judgment based an assessment of structure and literature information. The overall data set was randomly divided into a trainin...