cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential involvement of the basolateral amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex in the formation of sensory-specific associations in conditioned flavor preference and magazine approach paradigms.

Four experiments examined the roles of the basolateral amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex in the formation of sensory-specific associations in conditioned flavor preference and conditioned magazine approach paradigms using US devaluation and selective Pavlovian-instrumental transfer procedures in Long Evans rats. Experiment 1 found that pre-training amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex lesions had no detectable effect on the formation or flexible use of sensory-specific flavor-nutrient associations in a US devaluation task, where flavor cues were paired either simultaneously or sequentially with nutrient rewards in water-deprived subjects. In Experiment 2, pre-training amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex lesions both attenuated outcome-specific Pavlovian-instrumental transfer. Experiment 3 indicated that amygdala lesions have no effect on the formation of sensory-specific flavor-nutrient associations in a US devaluation task in food-deprived subjects. Finally, Experiment 4 demonstrated that the outcomes used in Experiment 3 were sufficiently motivationally significant to support conditioned flavor preference. These findings suggest that although both orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala lesions attenuate the acquisition of sensory-specific associations in magazine approach conditioning, neither lesion reduces the ability to appropriately respond to a flavor cue that was paired with a devalued outcome.
Hematologic and Serum Biochemical and Electrolyte Values in Clinically Normal Domestically Bred Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) According to Age, Sex, and Gravidity

Age, sex, and gravidity significantly affect blood values in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). The objective of the study reported here was to provide clinicians and researchers with complete blood values for clinically normal, domestically reared rhesus monkeys of Indian origin and of different age, sex, and gravidity. Values were obtained from 527 healthy, domestically bred and reared rhesus monkeys at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson's Department of Veterinary Sciences, Bastrop, Texas. Because standardized reference values are vital when dealing with the healthcare of a breeding population of rhesus monkeys, it is imperative to have a comprehensive set of reference serum biochemical and hematologic values based on sex, age, and gravidity to determine the overall health status of an individual monkey or a colony used for breeding or research. Establishing reference values allows accurate interpretation of biochemical and hematologic values for normal, subclinical, or clinically ill animals.
Man/robot Interactive And Cooperative System For The Cognitively Disabled

Assistance and training of cognitively disabled, such as stroke patients, can be improved by using of a robotic aid. This paper describes a man/robot interactive and cooperative system, composed of a cognitively disabled patient, a sensor-integrated exoskeletal device, an expert system, and a real time graphic system. The system operates under hierarchical intelligent control, composed of a high-level (symbolic) controller and a low-level (numeric) controller. The skills of a therapist, including both the conscious level of expertise and the unconscious level of reflex control, are implemented in the system, interacting with the patient under the constraints of safe and comfortable int,eraction.
A 95-nm Spacing in Drosophila Polytene Chromatin

Abstract: It has long been debated whether the 30-nm fiber of chromatin is packed in an orderly array. The fiber may be condensed by supercoiling, producing structures of varying diameter. Alternatively, technical problems may have prevented the detection of higher-order structures. We developed a strategy to distinguish between these two possibilities. One potential obstacle to studying the order of packing was the effect of fixatives, dehydrating agents, heat, and embedding polymers on the native structure of chromatin prepared for viewing by electron microscopy. The known tendency of proteins to be degraded by osmium tetroxide and subsequently to be extracted in the conventional protocols for embedding might be particularly damaging. To avoid such denaturants and ensure the retention of proteins in chromatin, the embedding resin HACH was employed. Drosophila mimica polytene chromosomes were thin sectioned, stained with uranyl acetate, and viewed in the transmission electron microscope. Images were digitized and subjected to computerized image processing. Raw data files, containing boundary coordinates of all closed figures in the image, were edited to retain only those regions of interest (ROIs) that exhibited dimensions similar to those of 30-nm fibers in projection views. Euclidean distances between the centroids of such structures were calculated to obtain linear intercepts between recognizable 30-nm fibers. According to stereology theory, the dimensions of a lamellar structure can be determined from the volume distribution function of such intercepts. Therefore, intercept values were pooled for final data files from five processed images of chromatin. The resulting frequency histogram, showing the number of observations at different intercept values, had a sigmoidal inflection that was diagnostic of a major, new spacing at 95 nm. The 95-nm minimum was sandwiched between maxima in the 85 to 90 nm interval and throughout the range 105 to 120 nm. The results suggest that established stereological theory will be a useful tool for investigating the intractable problem of higher-order chromatin structure.
Effects of CO2 and nutrient availability on mineral weathering in controlled tree growth experiments

[1] We sought to determine the effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 on mineral weathering reactions in midlatitude carbonate-bearing forest soils of differing nutrient availability. Increased plant growth and soil respiration under elevated atmospheric CO2 suggest increased rates of carbon cycling, which may affect mineral weathering. A randomized complete block experiment was conducted, where aspen and maple saplings were grown in open top chambers under two levels of atmospheric CO2 and soil N. Soil solution chemistry and soil gas PCO2 profiles beneath aspen were collected from planting (1997) to harvest (1999). Carbonate mineral weathering products (Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3−) dominated solutions, which were saturated with respect to calcite. Soil PCO2 values at 25 cm depth were 41% higher in high N soils, but CO2 treatment was not significant. An ANOVA model tested treatment effects on spring 1998 solution chemistry. CO2 treatment had a significant effect on DIC, which was 12% higher in elevated than ambient CO2 chambers. Little effect of CO2 treatment was observed in low N soils. In high N soils, solutions had higher concentrations of carbonate weathering products (DIC, 15%; HCO3−, 27%; Ca2+, 3%, not significant; Mg2+, 5%, not significant). Soil N availability had a significant, positive, effect on mean concentrations of Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, NO3−, SO42−, and DOC. The soil N treatment difference in solutes may result from differences in PCO2 and, additionally, NO3− from organic matter decomposition. Our results suggest that increased carbonate weathering may occur under increased atmospheric CO2 and in fertile soils.
The Neurodegenerative Mitochondriopathies

Mitochondria are physically or functionally altered in many neurodegenerative diseases. This is the case for very rare neurodegenerative disorders as well as extremely common age-related ones such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In some disorders very specific patterns of altered mitochondrial function or systemic mitochondrial dysfunction are demonstrable. Some disorders arise from mitochondrial DNA mutation, some from nuclear gene mutation, and for some the etiology is not definitively known. This review classifies neurodegenerative diseases using mitochondrial dysfunction as a unifying feature, and in doing so defines a group of disorders called the neurodegenerative mitochondriopathies. It discusses what mitochondrial abnormalities have been identified in various neurodegenerative diseases, what is currently known about the mitochondria-neurodegeneration nexus, and speculates on the significance of mitochondrial function in some disorders not classically thought of as mitochondriopathies.
Synchrotron white-beam topographic studies of 2H–SiC crystals

Abstract Synchrotron white beam X-ray topography (SWBXT) has been used to characterize 2H–silicon carbide crystals grown by the chemical reduction of methyltrichlorosilane at 1400°C. The crystals studied had the form of tapered needles around 1 mm long with hexagonal cross-sections 0.4 mm in diameter. SWBXT images recorded from two different crystals showed their excellent quality, as evidenced by the presence of Pendellosung fringes. Topographs recorded with various diffraction vectors revealed no evidence of the axial screw dislocations reported in 2H–SiC by Setaka and Ejiri, based on their observations of spiral growth steps. Neither were there any dislocations with Burgers vectors lying in the crystals’ basal planes. The absence of axial screw dislocations indicates that the growth was not screw dislocation assisted, but occurred by diffusion-controlled growth; and some other influence such as thermodynamics, initial nucleation, and/or impurity assisted growth, was responsible for the isolation of the 2H polytype.
The moore idempotents of a matrix

Abstract Let R be a commutative ring with 1 and with an involution -, and let MR be the category of finite matrices over R with the involution (aij) → (a ij ) ∗ =( a ji ) . If A is in MR, then there exists a unique list (e0, …, es) of pairwise orthogonal symmetric idempotents of R that are characterized by several properties involving the rank and squared volume of the eiA. In particular, A has a Moore-Penrose inverse in MR iff esA=0.
Infrared intensity and the co-metal bond

Abstract It is argued that the frequency and intensity of the CO stretching modes in metal carbonyls can be explained without the usual σ donation and π back donation
Is History and Philosophy of Science Withering on the Vine

Nearly thirty years after the first stirrings of the Kuhnian revolution, history and philosophy of science continues to galvanize methodological discussions in all corners of the academy except its own. Evidence for this domestic stagnation appears in Warren Schmaus's thoughtful review of Social Epistemology in which Schmaus takes for granted that history of science is the ultimate court of appeal for disputes between philosophers and sociologists. As against this, this essay argues that such disputes may be better treated by experimental psychology. Humanistic methods typically (though not always) blind the historian to cognitive biases and limitations that make it difficult for philosophers and sociologists to mobilize historical research for settling their differences. It is also observed that the failure of philosophers to incorporate the methods and findings of experiemental psychology is symptomatic of an artificially restrictive understanding of the normative dimension of their enterprise.
Calculated potential surfaces for the reactions: O+N2→NO+N and N+O2→NO+O

Complete active space SCF/contracted CI calculations using large Gaussian basis sets are presented for selected portions of the potential surfaces for reactions in the Zeldovich mechanism for the conversion of N2 to NO. The N + O2 reaction is exoergic by 32 kcal/mol and is computed to have an early barrier of 10.2 kcal/mol for the 2A-prime surface and 18.0 kcal/mol for the 4A-prime surface. The O + N2 reaction is endoergic by 75 kcal/mol. The 3A-double prime surface is calculated to have a late barrier of 0.5 kcal/mol, while the 3A-prime surface has a late barrier of 14.4 kcal/mol relative to NO + N. These results are significant for determining the physical and chemical conditions which aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicles will encounter while transferring between high and low altitude earth orbits.
Evolutionary biology: Life imperfectly imitates life.

Some species evolve to resemble another species so as to protect themselves from predation, but this mimicry is often imprecise. An analysis of hoverflies suggests why imperfect imitation persists in the face of natural selection. See Letter p.461 Batesian mimics are potential prey species that are harmless to predators but gain protection through a resemblance to unpalatable prey species. Surprisingly, many Batesian species seem to be fairly mediocre mimics, despite presumably strong evolutionary pressure to improve the resemblance. This paper presents a morphological and phylogenetic analysis of harmless hoverfly species that mimic — with various degrees of success — stinging hymenopteran species. The authors rule out several hypotheses, such as that the imperfect mimicry is an artefact of human perception and that the imperfect mimics are actually hedging their bets by resembling several hymenopteran species at the same time. Instead, the authors find a link between imperfect mimicry and small body size, which suggests that the imperfect mimics are simply not subject to particularly intense selection.
Ganas: A Qualitative Study Examining Mexican Heritage Students' Motivation to Succeed in Higher Education.

The disparity between the educational attainment of Mexican heritage and White individuals illustrate a need for research on factors associated with the high educational attainment of some immigran...
Starting wages of women in female and male occupations: A test of the human capital explanation of occupational sex segregation

Abstract Using mature women from the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experience we test the human capital propositions that predominantly female occupations are characterized by relatively higher starting wages and lower penalties for time spent out of the labor market. An examination of average hourly wage rates by level of work experience failed to indicate the kind of statistically significant starting wage differentials that would support an explanation of occupational sex segregation based on choice. Regression results indicate that predominantly female occupations offer significantly lower starting wages and higher penalty rates relative to predominantly male occupations. We fail to observe the kind of economic incentives suggested by human capital theory that would lead women to choose to work in traditionally female occupations. The findings of this study suggest that future research should address the roles of labor market discrimination and sex role socialization in explaining occupational sex segragation.
Explaining the pre-disaster integration of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs)

This study explored the pre-disaster integration of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) within local emergency management systems through semi-structured telephone interviews with 21 CERT program coordinators. It was found that the integration of CERTs varied significantly from not integrated at all to highly integrated. This paper reports the findings related to why this variation occurred. Specifically, it was found that integration seemed to covary with the resources available to the team, the opportunity within the local emergency management system for the CERT to play a role, the team’s leadership, the formality of the team’s structure, and the acceptance of CERT within the local emergency management system.
Sugarcane Response to Month and Duration of Preharvest Flood

Abstract Extending duration of moderately used 1-day preharvest floods in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) could improve Florida sugarcane insect control, freeze protection, and soil conservation, and reduce unwanted P discharge. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of flood duration and month of flood application on theoretical recoverable sucrose (TRS), cane yield, and sucrose yield of four sugarcane cultivars. During the plant-cane and first-ratoon crop cycles, 0-, 10-, or 20-day floods were applied in November or to lysimeters planted with cultivars CP 72-2086, CP 80-1827, CP 89-2143, and CP 92-1666. Cane and sucrose yields of flooded treatments were at least as much as those of non-flooded controls. These results warrant research to quantify the profitability of preharvest flooding of sugarcane, recognizing that these 10-20 day floods had minimal impact on yields while offering potential economic returns from other agronomic and ecologic benefits.
High-contrast, high-energy, multipass amplifier

We present a multipass amplifier that operates with low gain, large mode volume, high temporal contrast (>109) and high beam quality (1.25times diffraction limit). We have implemented the design with Ti:sapphire at 10 Hz and 1 kHz
The Role of Sensation Seeking in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major health concern across the lifespan, yet much remains unknown about the possible causes and functions of this behavior. The goal of the current study was to examine the role of multiple facets of sensation seeking in NSSI among a sample of 1,648 undergraduate students (70.5 % female). It was hypothesized that individuals endorsing higher levels of sensation seeking, as measured at the trait level by assessing individual differences in Risk Seeking and Experience Seeking and with a functional assessment of sensation seeking as it relates to NSSI, specifically, would engage in more acts of NSSI and more types of NSSI, and would also be more likely to engage in specific types of NSSI. Results of negative binomial and logistic regressions provided partial support for study hypotheses. After controlling for Emotional Reactivity in all analyses, individuals higher in Risk Seeking were significantly more likely to have a history of NSSI and have engaged in more acts of NSSI. On the contrary, Experience Seeking did not significantly predict lifetime engagement in NSSI, and this facet, as well as Sensation Seeking Function significantly negatively predicted engagement in more acts of NSSI. Furthermore, only Sensation Seeking Function predicted the use of more types of NSSI methods. All three sensation seeking variables predicted the use of specific NSSI behaviors. Results suggest that risk seeking, in particular, may be most relevant to NSSI, as it consistently predicted lifetime NSSI, number of acts, and specific methods of NSSI. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Changes in Electrophoretic Patterns of Gadoid and Non‐gadoid Fish Muscle during Frozen Storage

Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamidc gel electrophoresis of fish muscle during frozen storage showed that a crosslinked protein of 280,000 daltons formed with gadoids, whereas this band did not occur with non-gadoid fish species. For cod, 20 days at -7°C are needed for the crosslink to appear, whereas for whiting only 3 days arc needed. Formaldehyde (FA) may be responsible for the crosslinking. Adding ascorbic acid to cod mince prior to freezing accelerated dimcthylamine and FA formation during frozen storage and accelerated the formation of the crosslinked protein, while leaving cod fillets on ice for 10 days prior to freezing, reduced the Instron hardness and the crosslinked protein did not appear with 50 days of frozen storage at -7°C.
Finite-state adaptive block to variable-length noiseless coding of a nonstationary information source

The author associates with a given nonstationary finite-alphabet information source a certain class of stationary processes that he terms the stationary hull of the given source. He shows that the optimum average rate at which the given source can be noiselessly coded by means of a finite-state adaptive block to variable-length coding schemes is the largest entropy rate among those processes in the stationary hull. He explains what he means by an adaptive block to variable-length coding scheme. >
In vivo suppression of delayed hypersensitivity by thiabendazole and diethylcarbamazine

Abstract Several anthelminthic agents, such as niridazole and metronidazole, have been demonstrated to have striking effects on the immune system, apparently independent of their antiparasitic activities. In the present study, we have examined the effect of thiabendazole and diethylcarbamazine on two parameters of delayed hypersensitivity, lung granuloma formation around Schistosoma mansoni eggs and delayed footpad edema in response to schistosome egg antigens. Both drugs caused significant reduction of lung granuloma size in unsensitized animals when given as daily doses for 8 days. Thiabendazole was the more potent suppressant, affecting granuloma size in unsensitized animals when given as single dose and in sensitized animals using a multiple dose regimen. Diethylcarbamazine was without effect on granuloma size in sensitized animals, but inhibited delayed foodpad swelling when given daily for 6 days. Neither drug affected granulomas induced by non-antigenic plastic beads. These data support the hypothesis that some of the clinical activities of these drugs may be mediated by interference with host response to antigenic stimuli.
Processing and modeling of conductive thermoplastic/carbon nanotube films for strain sensing

This paper reports the development of conductive, carbon nanotube (CNT)-filled, polymer composite films that can be used as strain sensors with tailored sensitivity. The films were fabricated via either melt processing or solution casting of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrices containing low concentrations of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The electrical resistivities of the films were measured in situ using laboratory-designed fixtures and data acquisition system. The measured resistivities were correlated with the applied strains to evaluate the sensitivity of the nanocomposite film sensor. The study suggests that conductive network formation, thus strain sensitivity of the conductive films, can be tailored by controlling nanotube loading, degree of nanotube dispersion, and film fabrication process. The developed sensors exhibited a broad range of sensitivity, the upper limit showing nearly an order of magnitude increase compared to conventional, resistance-type strain gages. A semi-empirical model that shows the relationship between CNT volume fraction and sensitivity is proposed.
The Use of an F-Statistic in Stepwise Regression Procedures

This is an expository paper, pointing out explicitly the pseudoness of the “F-statistic” used in stepwise procedures for determining the independent variables to be used in a linear prediction equation. Unfortunately this pseudoness prevents one from obtaining any probabilistic measure of the goodness of the final prediction equation. The use of the distribution of an order statistic is discussed as an aid to understanding the problem as well as furnishing a “better” (although still unsatisfactory) approach.
On the boundary behavior of imbeddings of metric spaces into a Euclidean space

We investigate the boundary behavior of so-called Q-homeomorphisms with respect to a measure in some metric spaces. We formulate a series of conditions for the function Q(x) and the boundary of the domain under which any Q-homeomorphism with respect to a measure admits a continuous extension to a boundary point.
On the origin of light-induced changes in the proton magnetic relaxation rate of chloroplast thylakoid membrane suspensions.

Abstract The spin-lattice relaxation rate of solvent protons in suspensions of chloroplast thylakoid membranes undergoes a large transient depression following illumination in white light. This change appears to require the presence of chelatable paramagnetic ions; it is absent in chloroplasts exposed to 1 m m EDTA during the homogenization step of the isolation procedure, but reappears when 50 μ m MnCl2 is added to these suspensions. Conditions that inhibit light-induced R1 changes are (i) anaerobiosis, (ii) inhibition of plastocyanin function byHg+2/CN, and (iii) the presence of superoxide dismutase. These observations suggest that chemical oxidation of nonfunctional Mn (II) by superoxide ion, which is generated under aerobic conditions by autooxidizable acceptors of Photosystem I, is responsible for the phenomenon. This interpretation was confirmed by experiments involving superoxide generation in the dark, using the NADPH-driven diaphorase activity of ferredoxin-NADP-reductase with benzylviologen as an autooxidizable acceptor.
Glucose deprivation-induced metabolic oxidative stress and cancer therapy

Cancer cells (vs. normal cells) demonstrate evidence of oxidative stress, increased glycolysis, and increased pentose cycle activity. The oxidative stress in cancer cells has been hypothesized to arise from mitochondrial dysfunction leading to increased levels of hydroperoxides, and cancer cells have been proposed to compensate for this defect by increasing glucose metabolism. Glucose metabolism has also been shown to play a role in hydroperoxide detoxification via the formation of pyruvate (from glycolysis) and NADPH (from the pentose cycle). Furthermore, in cancer cells, glucose deprivation as well as treatment with 2-deoxyglucose (2 DG) has been shown to induce oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Additionally, transformed cells have been shown to be more susceptible to glucose deprivation (and 2DG-)-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress than untransformed cells. These results support the hypothesis that cancer cells have a defect in mitochondrial respiration leading to increased steady state levels of O 2 • - and H 2 O2 , and glucose metabolism is increased to compensate for this defect. The application of these findings to developing cancer therapies using 2DG combined with inhibitors of hydroperoxide metabolism to induce radio/chemosensitization is discussed, as well as the possibility that FDG-PET imaging may predict tumor responses to these therapies.
The AMPTE Charge Composition Explorer Science Data System

The CCE Science Data Center at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is a facility that supplies the computing needs of United States science investigators in their support of the AMPTE mission. This well-focused purpose has given the Science Data Center uniqueness and special characteristics in design, implementation, and operations.
Overdosing among young injection drug users in San Francisco

Heroin overdoses increased sharply in the US in the 1990s, but few studies have addressed overdose risk. We examined overdosing and injection-related risk behavior in young injection drug users (IDUs). We interviewed all consenting injectors under age 30 at needle exchanges and youth outreach sites in San Francisco. Their median age was 22, and their median number of years of injecting was 4. About 48% reported at least one overdose, with a median of two overdoses reported. Overdosing was associated with injecting "speedballs" (i.e. mixtures of heroin and cocaine), with borrowing syringes, and (with P-values of borderline statistical significance) with heroin injection and with gay or bisexual behavior. It was not associated with age, sex, years of injecting, or frequency of injecting. In multivariate analysis, only borrowing syringes and gay or bisexual behavior were independent statistically significant predictors, probably because gay and bisexual subjects were more likely to be heroin or "speedball" injectors. Most subjects (65%) reported that they had not received medical attention at time of last overdose. Risk of overdose in young injectors is acute and closely associated with HIV risk. HIV interventions should include overdose prevention. Emergency response protocols should minimize risk of arrest. Injectors and providers should be trained in overdose prevention, and developing overdose interventions should be a priority among drug educators.
The search for the hypnogenic center.

Abstract 1. 1. Electrophysiological and lesion studies have suggested that a number of specific sites in the brainstem and basal forebrain may be involved in the regulation of sleep and waking. In contrast, a study of glucose consumption as measured by the 2-deoxyglucose technique reported a generalized decrease in nonREM sleep compared to waking. The rate of protein synthesis was relatively unchanged in nonREM sleep. 2. 2. Another approach to understanding sleep regulation is to study the mechanism by which hypnotic drugs affect the nervous system. This may be done at both a molecular and neuroanatomic level. Studies with B-carbolines, inverse agonists of benzodiazepines (BZs), indicate that sleep induction by BZs is mediated by binding at the BZ recognition site of the BZ receptor complex. Binding at this site by a longacting B-carboline parallels the time course of its arousing effects. A study with an enantiomeric BZ indicates that the effects on sleep are stereospecific. It is conceivable that some inverse agonists or enantiomeric benzodiazepines might be developed tor clinical use as analeptics. 3. 3. Microinjection of a BZ into the dorsal raphe nucleus acutely increases wakefulness, while administration into the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus enhances sleep maintenance.
Design considerations for palladium electrodes as suggested by a deuteron cluster model for cold nuclear fusion

According to our hypothetical model, the essential element for the occurrence of cold nuclear fusion within palladium is the formation of deuteron clusters within the palladium electrodes. There are several factors which can affect the size, density, and rate of cluster formation. These factors are (1) the presence of diffusion barriers at all upstream palladium surfaces that are not immersed in the electrolyte, and which also are not exposed to a sufficiently large electric field to prevent deuteron diffusion from the electrode, (2) the direction and magnitude of the electric field relative to the crystalline lattice, (3) local crystalline temperature excursions that are associated with the fusion events, and (4) the various deuterium diffusion mechanisms within the crystal which are associated with thermal gradients, deuterium concentration gradients, and externally-generated potential field gradients that can enhance interstitial quantum mechanical tunneling along the direction of the associated internal electric field.
The Oral Effectiveness of Estrone Sulfate (Conjugated Estrogens-Equine) in Women

THE IMPORTANCE of assaying estrogens directly in the human female for the purpose of therapeutic standardization has been emphasized repeatedly (1,2,3). Such a procedure would eliminate to a considerable extent errors resulting from the acceptance of biologic assays of estrogens for clinical purposes. We have already assayed in the human female the synthetic estrogens, diethylstilbestrol, hexestrol (2) and octoffolin (3) when administered orally. We have now extended our work to the assay of the natural estrogen, estrone sulfate.1 For such assays we have used as the criterion of potency the subjective response of menopausal patients as described in previous reports. With this method we have employed multiple dosage levels of estrogens and have taken certain precautions aimed at eliminating a number of nonspecific factors which might influence the interpretation of results. These precautions include the omission of suggestion, the use of only those patients who have moderate or severe symptoms, the evaluat...
Benefits and barriers among volunteer teaching faculty: comparison between those who precept and those who do not in the core pediatrics clerkship.

Background: Community-based outpatient experiences are a core component of the clinical years in medical school. Central to the success of this experience is the recruitment and retention of volunteer faculty from the community. Prior studies have identified reasons why some preceptors volunteer their time however, there is a paucity of data comparing those who volunteer from those who do not. Methods: A survey was developed following a review of previous studies addressing perceptions of community-based preceptors. A non-parametric, Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare active preceptors (APs) and inactive preceptors (IPs) and all data were analyzed in SPSS 20.0. Results: There was a 28% response rate. Preceptors showed similar demographic characteristics, valued intrinsic over extrinsic benefits, and appreciated Continuing Medical Education (CME)/Maintenance of Certification (MOC) opportunities as the highest extrinsic reward. APs were more likely to also precept at the M1/M2 level and value recognition and faculty development opportunities ( p <0.05). IPs denoted time as the most significant barrier and, in comparison to APs, rated financial compensation as more important ( p <0.05). Conclusions: Community preceptors are motivated by intrinsic benefits of teaching. Efforts to recruit should initially focus on promoting awareness of teaching opportunities and offering CME/MOC opportunities. Increasing the pool of preceptors may require financial compensation. Keywords: preceptor; pediatric; community; pediatric clerkship; undergraduate medical education (Published: 3 May 2013) Citation: Med Educ Online 2013, 18 : 20733 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v18i0.20733
Teaching activities of clinical instructors during the direct client care period : a qualitative investigation

The lack of substantial research in the area of clinical teaching would suggest that this 'heart' of the nursing student's professional education has long been neglected. Employing a qualitative descriptive methodology, this study explored the teaching activities that nine clinical instructors said they implemented during the direct client care period and the teaching activities that these nine clinical instructors said they would implement in response to a specific scenario of a clinical teaching event. The unstructured interviews revealed that clinical instructors: (a) noted role modelling the greatest number of times as a teaching activity but implemented it less frequently; (b) used verbalizations in the form of telling, asking, saying, discussing or talking as the primary teaching activity in the clinical area and in response to the specific scenario; (c) do not have opportunities to see other clinical instructors teaching in the clinical area; (d) have difficulty separating teaching activities and evaluation activities; (e) are eclectic in their use of learning theories; and (f) find articulating teaching activities that they implement during the direct client care period to be a complex task.
Blockade of Vasospastic Attacks by α2-Adrenergic but Not α1-Adrenergic Antagonists in Idiopathic Raynaud’s Disease

Background Idiopathic Raynaud’s disease is characterized by cold-induced digital vasospasms, but its origin has not been established. Previous research has shown that peripheral vascular α 2 -adrenergic receptors are hypersensitive to local cooling in these patients, but the role of α 1 -adrenergic receptors is not clear. Moreover, the role of adrenergic receptors in the production of actual vasospastic symptoms has not been investigated. Methods and Results We studied 23 patients with idiopathic Raynaud’s disease who were screened using conservative criteria. They were randomly assigned to receive brachial artery infusions of an α 1 -antagonist, an α 2 -antagonist, or both while vasospastic attacks were induced by cooling in the laboratory. Each patient’s hands were photographed, and the number of attacks in the infused hand was compared with the number in the contralateral hand. The number of fingers (mean±SEM) with attacks in infused hands was yohimbine 0.3±0.3, prazosin 2.3±0.3, and both drugs 0.6±0.2. The difference between prazosin and the other two drug groups was significant ( P Conclusions These findings demonstrate that activation of α 2 -adrenergic receptors but not α 1 -adrenergic receptors is necessary for the production of vasospastic attacks in idiopathic Raynaud’s disease.
Which training methods are effective

Describes the importance of training and summarizes learning theory. Details the top ten learning methods: videotapes, lectures, one‐on‐one instruction, role plays, games/simulation, case studies, slides, computer‐based training, audiotapes and films. Discusses the factors to consider when selecting a training method or combination of methods. Emphasizes the importance of post‐training evaluation.
The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep disturbance: a systematic review.

Introduction Sleep disturbance is common and associated with compromised health status. Cognitive processes characterized by stress and worry can cause, or contribute to, sleep complaints. This study systematically evaluated the evidence that sleep can be improved by mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a formalized psychoeducational intervention that helps individuals self-manage and reframe worrisome and intrusive thoughts. Methods Articles were identified from searches of Medline, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Digital Dissertations, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Eligible for inclusion were English language clinical trials of MBSR that reported preintervention and postintervention measures of sleep quality or duration. Studies employing multicomponent interventions were excluded. Studies were reviewed independently by the first and second authors. Results Thirty-eight articles were identified for review. Seven met inclusion criteria. Lack of standardized outcome measures precluded pooling of results for quantitative data analysis. Sleep report measures varied (standardized scales, single item, sleep diaries). Four studies (all uncontrolled) found that MBSR significantly improved measures of sleep quality or duration. The remaining studies found no statistically significant difference between treatment and control conditions. Conclusions To date, controlled studies have not clearly demonstrated the positive effects of MBSR on sleep quality and duration. However, there is some evidence to suggest that increased practice of mindfulness techniques is associated with improved sleep and that MBSR participants experience a decrease in sleep-interfering cognitive processes (eg, worry). More research is needed using standardized sleep scales and methods, with particular attention to the importance of MBSR home practice.
Electrophysiological evidence of a collateral pathway from the pyramidal tract to the thalamus in the cat

Abstract Stimulation in the ventralis lateralis nucleus of the thalamus in the adult cat produces an afferent evoked potential in sensorimotor cortex and a projected volley in the pyramidal tract. The latter portion of this tract response probably represents a true cortical relay. The latency of the earliest portion of the tract response is too long to be due to current spread to internal capsule, yet not long enough to be accounted for by a cortical relay. Analysis of this phenomenon leads to the hypothesis of a collateral pyramidal tract projection to ventralis lateralis.
FT i.r. studies of polymer blends: V. Further observations on polyester-poly(vinyl chloride) blends

Abstract Fourier transform infra-red (FT i.r.) studies of binary polymer blends containing poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and the polyesters, poly(α-methyl-α-n-propyl-β-propiolactone) and poly(δ-valerolactone) are presented. In both cases there is evidence for specific chemical interactions between the components of the polymer blends, and the spectra are analogous to those previously reported for poly (ϵ-caprolactone)-PVC blends1, inferring a compatible system in the amorphous state. These spectral results are in marked contrast to those obtained for the incompatible poly(β-propiolactone)-PVC system2. It is concluded from a consideration of all the results obtained on polyester-PVC blends to date that the solubility parameter concept does not adequately predict miscibility in these systems. This agrees with the observations of Aubin and Prud'homme3. Finally, from FT i.r. studies of polyester-PVC blends in the solid state at room temperature it is concluded that the effective glass transition temperature of the amorphous compatible phase is the overriding factor in the development of crystallinity in the polyesters.
Real-time hydrogen/deuterium exchange kinetics via supercharged electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) rate constants of bovine ubiquitin in an ammonium acetate solution containing 1% of the electrospray ionization (ESI) “supercharging” reagent m-nitrobenzyl alcohol (m-NBA) were obtained using top-down, electron transfer dissociation (ETD) tandem mass spectrometry (MS). The supercharging reagent replaces the acid and temperature “quench” step in the conventional MS approach to HDX experiments by causing rapid protein denaturation to occur in the ESI droplet. The higher charge state ions that are produced with m-NBA are more unfolded, as measured by ion mobility, and result in higher fragmentation efficiency and higher sequence coverage with ETD. Single amino acid resolution was obtained for 44 of 72 exchangeable amide sites, and summed kinetic data were obtained for regions of the protein where adjacent fragment ions were not observed, resulting in an overall spatial resolution of 1.3 residues. Comparison of these results with previous values from NMR indicates that ...
Retinal artery occlusion

A 54-year-old man presented with an acute painless loss of vision. He had a three-month history of malaise, weight loss, and episodic sweating. Physical examination showed a thin, febrile man with a petechial rash over the lower legs. Cardiac auscultation revealed an apical thrill and pansystolic murmur. Dental hygiene was poor. The diagnosis, mechanisms and treatment of retinal artery occlusion associated with bacterial endocarditis are reviewed.
Combined effects of hypothalamic lesioning and light in the advancement of puberty.

Anterior-basal hypothalamic lesions were produced in alternate rat pups of a given litter at age 3–4 days; the remaining pups were sham-operated. The litters were then placed in either constant light or absolute darkness and the female young removed from the environment on the day of vaginal opening and sacrificed. Both the light-lesioned (LL) and dark-lesioned (DL) groups matured at essentially the same time and significantly earlier than the corresponding light-sham-operated (LS) and dark-sham-operated (DS) groups, the onset of maturation in the latter 2 being virtually identical. All 4 groups matured earlier than sham-operated controls reared in diurnal lighting. The results demonstrate that rostral hypothalamic lesions can produce precocious puberty regardless of lighting conditions. (Endocrinology 82: 865, 1968)
Analog sensing front-end system for harmonic signal classification

This paper presents the design of an Analog-to-Information spectral decomposition scheme suitable for parallel low-power analog and mixed-signal VLSI implementation. The novel scheme extracts sufficient information to achieve good back-end signal detection and classification performance while using less power than purely digital spectral techniques such as FFT. Simulations of a prototype system in a mixed-signal 130nm CMOS process show a feasible solution space given an on-line self-calibrating system.
Structure and function of dynactin

Abstract Dynactin is a 1·2 mDa protein complex initially isolated as an activator of cytoplasmic dynein-driven vesicle movementin vitro. Genetic studies have verified that dynactin participates in dynein-based transport events as varied as nuclear localization and axonal transport. Recent work has focused on identification of the 10 different polypeptide subunits of dynactin and elucidation of the way in which they are organized within the dynactin molecule. A picture is beginning to emerge as to how this complicated structure interacts with dynein and cytoplasmic organelles to form an assembly capable of motility.
Real Writers as Aware Readers: Writing Creatively as a Means to Develop Reading Skills

Increased attention on written response to literature has tended to eliminate other forms of student writing in literature classrooms. However, when we allow students to write fiction unrelated to a particular text, their commitment to and understanding of texts are enhanced. This can serve as a means of engaging students with reading. Eight preservice teachers volunteered to participate in a writing workshop, meeting to share their fiction and provide written and oral feedback to others in the group. Each week, participants drafted reflections about the works read for class in relation to their own work as authors. These were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Two case studies provide representative examples of how participants demonstrated behaviors associated with good readers as a direct result of their commitment to their writing. They were motivated to improve their stories, and this motivation translated into their use of effective reading strategies.
Population Density and Instream Habitat Suitability of the Endangered Cape Fear Shiner

Abstract The Cape Fear shiner Notropis mekistocholas is an endangered minnow endemic to the Cape Fear River basin of North Carolina; only five populations remain, all of which are declining. Determining the population densities and habitat requirements of the species is critical to its survival and restoration planning. We conducted population surveys (four sites) and instream microhabitat suitability analyses (six sites) on the Rocky and Deep rivers to (1) estimate the population density of Cape Fear shiners, (2) quantify the use, availability, and suitability of microhabitats, and (3) determine whether physical habitat alterations were a likely cause of local extirpations and whether instream habitat limits the occurrence and density of this species. Density ranged from 795 fish/ha to 1,393 fish/ha (4,768–7,392 fish/km) at three of the sites surveyed and was too low to be estimated at the fourth site. The fish most frequently occupied riffles and velocity breaks at moderate depths over gravel substrates...
Gamma-Irradiated Corn Starches. Alkaline Dispersions for Surface-Sizing Paper

Corn starch was depolymerized by gamma irradiation (cobalt 60, approximately 1.25 Mrads/h) to prepare reduced viscosity products for surface-sizing paper. The general effects of irradiation were determined on the extent of starch degradation, as well as dispersion variables. Low levels of irradiation, 0.02 to 0.5 Mrad, had a profound influence on granule swelling and disruption at a pasting temperature of about 90°C as determined in a recording viscometer. Product properties are affected considerably by carbonyl and carboxyl groups even when introduced at levels below 1 mmol/100 g. Carbonyl groups impart alkali sensitivity that produces significant degradation during dissolution in stoichiometric quantities of alkali. Carboxyl groups in starch paper sizes are detrimental because they act as dispersants for fines and fillers in repulped paper. Apparently dispersion in alkali is the most effective way to utilize irradiated starches as surface-sizing agents. Corn starch irradiated to 2 Mrads and dispersed in alkali improved paper properties as well as a high quality commercial product.