cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute baclofen diminishes resting baseline blood flow to limbic structures: a perfusion fMRI study.

Abstract Background Preclinical and clinical evidence show that the GABA B agonist, baclofen is a promising treatment for addictive disorders; however, until recently its mechanism of action in the human brain was unknown. In previous work we utilized a laboratory model that included a medication versus placebo regimen to examine baclofen's actions on brain circuitry. Perfusion fMRI [measure of cerebral blood flow (CBF)] data acquired ‘at rest’ before and on the last day of the 21-day medication regimen showed that baclofen diminished CBF bilaterally in the VS, insula and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). In the present study, we hypothesized that a single dose of baclofen would have effects similar to repeated dosing. Methods To test our hypothesis, in a crossover design, CBF data were acquired using pseudo continuous arterial spin labeled ( p CASL) perfusion fMRI. Subjects were either un-medicated or were administered a 20 mg dose of baclofen approximately 110 min prior to scanning. Results Acute baclofen diminished mOFC, amygdala, and ventral anterior insula CBF without causing sedation (family-wise error corrected at p = 0.001). Conclusions Results demonstrate that similar to repeated dosing, an acute dose of baclofen blunts the ‘limbic’ substrate that is hyper-responsive to drugs and drug cues. Smokers often manage their craving and can remain abstinent for extended periods after quitting, however the risk of eventual relapse approaches 90%. Given that chronic medication may not be a practical solution to the long-term risk of relapse, acute baclofen may be useful on an ‘as-needed’ basis to block craving during ‘at risk’ situations.
Serum Protein Variability in Geographically‐Defined Bluegill(Lepomis macrochirus) Populations

Abstract Blood serum proteins of mature bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, collected from two stations in each of two east-central Minnesota lakes were analyzed by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. Transferrin and prealbumin proteins were found to be polymorphic. The transferrin polymorphism occurred only in Forest Lake fish and was extremely rare. Analogy with other fish species suggests that the bluegill transferrin system is controlled by two codominant alleles, one of which may be lethal in the homozygous state. Three prealbumin phenotypes consisting of single or double bands were observed at all stations. Phenotypic distribution did not conform to the expected Hardy-Weinberg proportion for a system of two codominant alleles at three of four stations and was independent of factors of size, age, season, and method of capture at all stations. Phenotype varied significantly with sex at one Forest Lake station. Distribution of prealbumin phenotypes in female bluegills displayed a significan...
Teratology studies on food colourings. Part II. Embryotoxicity of R salt and metabolites of amaranth (FD & C red no. 2) in rats

Abstract Two metabolites (sodium naphthionate and the R-amino salt) and one intermediate (R salt) of the red dye, amaranth (FD & C Red No. 2), were tested for their effects on rat reproductive processes and progeny development. Dose levels of 15, 30, 100 or 200 mg/kg/day were administered by stomach tube to Osborne-Mendel females during days 0–19 of pregnancy. No adverse clinical signs were observed in any dams, and no adverse effects on implantation were observed after treatment with any compound. A significant increase in the number of litters with multiple resorptions followed treatment with R salt at the 100 and 200 mg/kg dose levels and with sodium naphthionate at 200 mg/kg. The number of offspring with skeletal, sternebral or soft-tissue abnormalities was not dose-related with any of the compounds. Sodium naphthionate at the 100 mg/kg dose level produced a significant increase in the percentage of foetuses with sternebral abnormalities, but did not affect the incidence of soft-tissue abnormalities at any dose level. R-amino salt at 200 mg/kg significantly increased the incidence of litters with one or more foetuses bearing skeletal abnormalities, but did not increase sternebral or soft-tissue abnormalities. The R salt did not affect skeletal, sternebral or soft-tissue development.
Sentential and Acoustic Factors in the Recognition of Open- and Closed-Class Words ☆

Abstract Closed-class words are highly frequent yet relatively difficult to perceive; although this ought to impair communication, we communicate easily under normal conditions. Modular and interactive architectures offer differing explanations of this paradox, with different assumptions about how the acoustic and grammatical properties of those words are combined. The interaction of these factors was investigated by having subjects listen for and repeat open- and closed-class homophones (spoken by a male) that were spliced into three female-voice sentences: (a) the same sentence, (b) a neutral sentence, and (c) the “swapped” sentence (e.g., open-target in a closed-class context). Results show that: (a) under neutral conditions, it is harder to identify closed- than open-class tokens; but (b) they differ little in their original contexts; (c) open-class tokens are very easy to identify in a closed-class context; (d) recognizability of closed-class tokens in the swapped context was generally poor; and (e) these interactions are influenced by sentence prosody but not by target length. It is argued that these results indicate a relatively early interaction between perceptual and contextual processing.
Dreams, Bricks, and Bodies: Mapping ‘Neglected Spatialities’ in African Cape Town:

This paper deploys several propositions from Amin and Thrift's recent theoretical work to map emerging geographies of the postapartheid city. Using Cape Town as a case study, the focus is on urban planning and informal sector retailing. After a discussion of the informal food sector, three parameters of urban space that are often apprehended separately are held together: an imagined geography of planning for the efficient and postapartheid city (‘dreams’); a material geography of marketplaces for the developmental transformation of informal retailing (‘bricks’); and a socioeconomic geography of what local officials call “pre-entrepreneurs” (‘bodies’). The author argues that these three geographical features of the postapartheid city are of an emerging and mutually dependent piece; that is to say, they are cocreating each other across scales and domains of reality. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the broader implications for understanding the prospects of the postapartheid city.
52 Longitudinal Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 18 Months and 5 Years in Infants Born <32 Weeks of GA

Background: Children born preterm have a high prevalence of neurologic and developmental disabilities in the first two years of live. Their predictibility for developmental problems at 5 years of age is unclear. Aims: 1)to assess the neurological and developmental outcome at 18 months and 5 years of age in a regionally defined cohort of preterm infants born less than 32 weeks GA. 2)To investigate the effects of prematurity and growth impairment on later motor and cognitive development. Methods: Perinatal data were collected retrospectively on a cohort from January 1996 through December 1996. Growth, neurological examination and development were evaluated at 18 months and 5 years of age. Psychomotor development at corrected age 18 months was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (MDI/PDI). At 5 years, cognitive function was assessed with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Results: Of 54 surviving children, 45 (83%) underwent neurological and developmental assessment by age 18 months. The rates of CP, minor neurological impairment, hearing impairment, visual impairment were 7%, 20%, 7%, 2% respectively. The mean MDI and PDI scores were 94.5±24.2 and 87.8±21.2 respectively. The neonatal factors significantly associated with neurodevelopmental disability at 18 months of age were BPD (p<0.01) and neonatal infection (p<0.05). Severe cranial ultrasounds abnormalities (PVL, IVH grade 3/4) were present only in one infant. Children with MDI<85 had significantly smaller had circumference at birth and still at 18 months of corrected age (both p<0.05). At 5 years of age, the followed 38 children born in 1996 (70% of survivors), scored within the normal range on all subscales of the K-ABC, but children with BW < 1000g exhibited lower general cognitive ability (MCP: 82.1±12.9,vs 95.2±14.8, p=0.05) and scored significantly below the norm in the sequential processing scale (SP: 82.4±6.1,vs 97.9±12.9, p<0.01). Neonatal factors like a smaller head circumference at birth, a higher incidence of neonatal infection and poor post-natal growth correlated negatively with cognitive development (p<0.01, p<0.05, p<0.05 respectively). Children with MCP<85 had already significantly lower MDI scores at 18 months than children who scored within the normal limits (83±20.9 vs 102±19.5, p<0.05) Conclusion: This study provides outcome data for a geographically defined cohort. BPD and neonatal infection were associated with neurodevelopmental disability at 18 months of age. Poor postnatal growth and delayed development at the age of 18 months were predictive of cognitive impairment at 5 years of age.
Receptor modeling and aerosol transport

Abstract While receptor modeling techniques have been repeatedly shown to be useful in quantifying the sources of urban aerosols, the estimation of contributions from distant pollution transport has proved more difficult. In this paper, the applicability of usual receptor modeling assumptions to transported aerosol modeling is assessed, and past attempts at apportioning transported aerosols summarized. It is shown that Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) and multivariate receptor oriented models (e.g. Principal Component Analysis) each have their own strengths and shortcomings when addressing aerosols which have undergone significant transport. In particular, multivariate methods are preferable when doubt exists as to the identity and nature of sources influencing a monitoring site, while CMB models are most appropriate when all important sources and their downwind characteristics are known. As a result, it is concluded that these two approaches might best be used sequentially, with multivariate methods preceding CMB in transported aerosol assessments. In part because of this, available qualitative and quantitative receptor modeling literature indicate that multivariate model applications have been better able to discern and quantify these as yet ill-defined transported aerosol contributions, to date. In general, these results support the assessment that the Midwest sulfur dioxide source region is a major source of Eastern U.S. sulfates and fine particulate matter. Recommendations for future improvements in the treatment of transported aerosols by receptor models are also presented.
Structure, bonding and reactions within protonated acetone–methanol cluster ions

Abstract We have studied the structure and reactivity of the acetone–methanol cluster series {(C 3 H 6 O) m (CH 3 OH) n }H + as a function of cluster size. Conventional mass spectra are mainly dominated by the three series of protonated acetone–methanol cluster ions, (C 3 H 6 O) m = 1–3 (CH 3 OH) n H + . In the CID spectra of the (C 3 H 6 O) 1 (CH 3 OH) n H + series, we observed two different reaction channels: the loss of CH 3 OH and the loss of C 3 H 6 O. The former dominates regardless of the cluster size. For the (C 3 H 6 O) 2 (CH 3 OH) n H + series, the CID result reveals a change in the preferred reaction pathway as a function of cluster size. For the (C 3 H 6 O) 3 (CH 3 OH) n H + series, the loss of C 3 H 6 O dominates.
A perceptually motivated estimator for speech enhancement

Research in recent years has shown that many commonly used short time spectral amplitude estimators for speech enhancement (SE), such as Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) estimator, are not optimal since they do not pay attention to the perceptual effects of different components in the estimated speech. Based on this, some SE algorithms have been proposed using non-symmetric cost functions. In particular, an algorithm has been introduced based on a modification of Itakura-Saito (MIS) measure to preserve weak speech segments. Although this proposed method shows improvement in terms of preservation of low power segments of the speech, it provides less background noise attenuation compared to MMSE method. In this paper, we propose a modified algorithm and compare its performance with the MIS and MMSE methods. Experimental results show that the proposed method performs better than the other two methods as it attenuates the background noise and preserves the low power segments of the speech very well.
Non-seasonal breeding pattterns in stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides)

This paper summarizes published reports of breeding patterns across the genusMacaca. Patterns range from strictly seasonal to non-seasonal. Data on sexual behavior and birth patterns are presented which confirm previous reports of non-seasonality forMacaca arctoides. In a captive colony, 63 births were recorded, and individuals were born during every month of the year. Heterosexual mounting activity was recorded over a two-year period and occurred during every month of that period. It is clear thatM. arctoides does not exhibit the seasonal cyclicity observed in some other macaque species.
GdDTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the aqueous flow in the rabbit eye.

Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid complex (GdDTPA) as the contrast agent was used to image the aqueous chamber of the eye. This method, in addition to providing spatial information, permits quantitative study of the aqueous flow. GdDTPA solution was applied either topically or intravenously, entering the anterior chamber via different pathways. The wash-in and wash-out of GdDTPA follow a two-compartment model which enables determination of the aqueous flow rate by multiplying the aqueous chamber volume by the wash-out rate constant. Rabbit eyes showed a flow rate of 1.5−2 μ1/min which was retarded by the systemic administration of acetazolamide ( Diamox ). © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Contributions of mass spectrometry to peptide and protein structure.

With the advent of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology which allows a wide range of manipulation of genes and their expression in cell lines other than the natural ones, many aspects of protein structure have become more important than ever. In addition to the determination of the amino acid sequence questions relating to homogeneity, the nature of post-translational modifications, the verification of the structure of a protein produced by a synthetically modified gene or the detection of a natural mutant are all questions that are more and more frequently asked and with the demand for more detail. Mass spectrometry has emerged as an important contributor to this field, particularly since the advent of fast atom bombardment (FAB) ionization, which makes it possible to ionize directly large polar molecules such as peptides and small proteins. As such, FAB mass spectrometry provides mainly molecular weight information which, in itself, often sufficies to answer certain questions, particularly because the mass of many peptides can be determined directly from a single mass spectrum of a mixture. However, in order to obtain detailed structural information, such as the amino acid sequence, fragmentation has to be induced by collision processes and the product ions separated, preferably in the second mass spectrometer of a tandem system. This approach is particularly suited for the determination of the sequence of N-blocked peptides and the nature of the blocking group; the type and location of modified (i.e. phosphorylated, sulfated, glycosylated) amino acids; detection or verification of amino acid replacements; confirmation of the structure of synthetic peptides; and last but not least, the determination of the primary structure of proteins.
Permeability of Luminal Surface of Intestinal Mucosal Cells

A method has been devised to measure the permeability characteristics of the intestinal mucosal cells in the rat. The method makes use of an electrical recording balance to register changes in weight when the mucosal face of a small strip of intestine is exposed to anisotonic solutions. The permeability coefficient of the luminal surface of intestinal mucosal cells to water is measured as 0.15 cm4/OSM, sec. and reasons are adduced to suggest that the true value might be higher than this. The equivalent pore radius of the luminal face of the tissue, measured in experiments in which lipid-insoluble non-electrolytes have been used according to the method of Goldstein and Solomon, appears to be 4.0 A.
Structure of the human Papillomavirus E7 oncoprotein and its mechanism for inactivation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor.

The E7 oncoprotein from human Papillomavirus (HPV) mediates cell transformation in part by binding to the human pRb tumor suppressor protein and E2F transcription factors, resulting in the dissociation of pRb from E2F transcription factors and the premature cell progression into the S-phase of the cell cycle. This activity is mediated by the LXCXE motif and the CR3 zinc binding domain of the E7 protein. In this study we report the x-ray crystal structure of the CR3 region of HPV E7 and a structure-based mutational analysis to investigate its mode of pRb and E2F binding and E2F displacement from pRb. The structure reveals a novel zinc-bound E7-CR3 obligate homodimer that contains two surface patches of sequence conservation. Mutation of residues within these patches reveals that one patch is required for pRb binding, whereas the other is required for E2F binding. We also show that both E7-mediated interactions are required to disrupt pRb·E2F complexes. Based on these studies we present a mechanistic model for how E7 displaces E2F from pRb. Because the CR3 region of HPV E7 has no detectable homology to other human proteins, the structure-function studies presented here provide an avenue for developing small molecule compounds that inhibit HPV-E7-mediated cell transformation.
Prosthetic Tubes in Carcinoma of the Esophagus, a Definite Place

Nine patients with carcinoma of the esophagus treated by prosthetic tubes are reviewed. The ease of this surgery, simplicity of care and the improvement in the quality of life postoperatively is contrasted to that of patients who have other treatment. The indications for prosthetic tubes are presented.
Helical Tomotherapy-Based STAT RT: Dosimetric Evaluation for Clinical Implementation of a Rapid Radiation Palliation Program

Helical tomotherapy-based STAT radiation therapy (RT) uses an efficient software algorithm for rapid intensity-modulated treatment planning, enabling conformal radiation treatment plans to be generated on megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) scans for CT simulation, treatment planning, and treatment delivery in one session. We compared helical tomotherapy-based STAT RT dosimetry with standard linac-based 3D conformal plans and standard helical tomotherapy-based intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dosimetry for palliative treatments of whole brain, a central obstructive lung mass, multilevel spine disease, and a hip metastasis. Specifically, we compared the conformality, homogeneity, and dose with regional organs at risk (OARs) for each plan as an initial step in the clinical implementation of a STAT RT rapid radiation palliation program. Hypothetical planning target volumes (PTVs) were contoured on an anthropomorphic phantom in the lung, spine, brain, and hip. Treatment plans were created using three planning techniques: 3D conformal on Pinnacle³, helical tomotherapy, and helical tomotherapy-based STAT RT. Plan homogeneity, conformality, and dose to OARs were analyzed and compared. STAT RT and tomotherapy improved conformality indices for spine and lung plans (CI spine = 1.21, 1.17; CI lung = 1.20, 1.07, respectively) in comparison with standard palliative anteroposterior/posteroanterior (AP/PA) treatment plans (CI spine = 7.01, CI lung = 7.30), with better sparing of heart, esophagus, and spinal cord. For palliative whole-brain radiotherapy, STAT RT and tomotherapy reduced maximum and mean doses to the orbits and lens (maximum/mean lens dose: STAT RT = 2.94/2.65 Gy, tomotherapy = 3.13/2.80 Gy, Lateral opposed fields = 7.02/3.65 Gy), with an increased dose to the scalp (mean scalp dose: STAT RT = 16.19 Gy, tomotherapy = 15.61 Gy, lateral opposed fields = 14.01 Gy). For bony metastatic hip lesions, conformality with both tomotherapy techniques (CI = 1.01 each) is superior to AP/PA treatments (CI = 1.21), as expected. Helical tomotherapy-based STAT RT treatment planning provides clinically acceptable dosimetry, with conformality and homogeneity that is superior to standard linac-based 3D conformal planning and is only slightly inferior to standard helical tomotherapy IMRT dosimetry. STAT RT facilitates rapid treatment planning and delivery for palliative radiation of patients with metastatic disease, with relative sparing of adjacent OARs compared with standard 3D conformal plans.
Locally constant dyadic derivatives

We show that in order for a Walsh series to be locally constant it is necessary for certain blocks of that series to sum to zero. As a consequence, we show that a functionf with a somewhat sparse Walsh—Fourier series is necessarily a Walsh polynomial if its strong dyadic derivative is constant on an interval. In particular, if a Rademacher seriesR is strongly dyadically differentiable and if that derivative is constant on any open subset of [0, 1], thenR is a Rademacher polynomial.
Simplified Productivity Equations for Horizontal Wells Producing at Constant Rate and Constant Pressure

This paper presents a simple model to calculate the productivity of horizontal wells producing at constant flowing bottomhole pressure, p wf , or constant rate from bounded reservoirs. We propose new, easy-to-use correlations to calculate the shape factor and partial penetration skin for both cases. The shape factor is calculated using an analytical solution of a fully penetrating well; and the partial penetration skin is calculated using a numerical solution. The correlations are developed using nonlinear regression (with R 2 of 99%) of more than 800 numerical simulation runs for different reservoir aspect ratios, well locations and well penetration ratios. The productivity of wells producing at constant p wf can be quite different from that of wells producing at constant rate. The models proposed in this paper are only approximate. In many cases they proved to be more accurate than other methods currently available in the industry. However, errors could be generated when the proposed models are used outside the range of applicability of the correlations.
Theoretical studies of (CuC2H4)+ and (CuC2H4)0: application of CuCl on polystyrene☆

Abstract Ab initio restricted Hartee-Fock self-consistent field molecular orbital calculations have been carried out on (Cu 2 H 4 ) + and (CuC 2 H 4 0 . (CuC 2 H 4 ) + has a calculated binding energy of 1.31 eV, versus 0.05 eV for (CuC 2 H 4 ) 0 . The primary bonding interaction is σ-bonding (ligand to metal charge donation); π-backbonding is negligible. Ultraviolet absorption and emission studies carried out on solutions of CuCl and polystyrene in tetrahydrofuran indicate the existence of a Cu + -polystyrene charge transfer complex for which (CuC 2 H 4 ) + is a good theoretical first approximation.
Factors associated with determinants of sexual functioning in midlife women.

Abstract Objectives The present study was conducted to assess the associations between a woman's passionate love for her partner and sexual satisfaction and demographic factors, health and life-style characteristics, menopausal status, and menopausal symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among women (40–60 years) residing in Maryland ( n = 846). χ 2 -tests were performed to evaluate the associations between each of the outcome variables (sexual satisfaction and passionate love for the partner) and predictor/independent variables. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether significant associations from χ 2 analyses remained significant after adjustment for confounders. Results Older age (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01, 1.07), higher education (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.09, 1.99), and alcohol intake (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.03, 1.95) were associated with low passion for the partner. Older age was also a significant predictor of low sexual satisfaction (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01, 1.07). Women experiencing vaginal dryness had higher odds of low passion for partner (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.21, 1.31) and low sexual satisfaction (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.14, 2.20) than women not experiencing vaginal dryness. Conclusions Older age, higher education, alcohol intake, and vaginal dryness are significantly associated with lower levels of passionate love for the partner, while older age and vaginal dryness are significantly associated with lower levels of sexual satisfaction in midlife women.
Mössbauer scattering with efficient geometry

Abstract A new Mossbauer scattering technique is described in which the X-rays following internal conversion of resonantly absorbed gamma-rays are detected. A simple forward-scattering geometry is used. This allows the scattered X-rays to be detected in a solid angle of up to 2π. For very thin scatterers, this technique is shown to be more efficient than the usual method of scattering and absorption. Corrections for thick scatterers are discussed.
Organ specificity of the sex dependent regulation of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) in rat

Abstract Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity was measured in liver, kidneys and lungs of control and gonadectomized Sprague-Dawley rats. There was a six-fold difference in hepatic AHH activity between male and female rat. Activity in male was highest, castration reduced this activity by about 50%, whereas ovariectomy had little effect on activity in female. No sex difference in lung AHH activity was discernable; on the other hand kidney AHH activity was higher in females than in males. These data suggest that, at least in the rat, sex dependent regulation of microsomal mixed function oxygenases is organ specific.
Dexamethasone Negatively Impacts Nitrogen Metabolism and Growth in Newborn Piglets † 1550

Pharmacological doses of dexamethasone (dex) are commonly used to treat very low birth weight infants during the first weeks of life. Although its beneficial pulmonary effects are well recognized, detrimental effects are seen in other tissues. Our goal was to develop a piglet model in which to study the protein catabolic effects of dex. Experiment 1: Nine female piglets(1500-2165g) were removed from the sow within 12h of birth and fitted with umbilical catheters for blood sampling and dex administration. Pigs were housed in individual cages which allowed for control of intake and quantitative urine collection. A 5 day baseline preceded the 7 day treatment period. Five pigs received dex (1mg/(kg*d)) and 4 pigs served as saline controls. Daily fasting (7h post feeding) and fed (1h post) blood samples were obtained. Dex administration resulted in 40% reductions in weight gain (72 vs. 43 g/(kg*d), p=0.0004) and snout to rump length (1.15 vs. 0.61 cm/d, p=0.015). Fasting BUN (mg/dl) was elevated within 24h after dex (2.2 vs. 4.1, p=0.002), and continued to rise (d6: 2.2 vs. 11.7, p=0.0001). Cumulative urinary N excretion (g/kg) in the dex treated pigs was 3 times greater than in controls(1.7 vs. 5.5, p=0.0001). Fasting blood glucose was not altered by dex; however, the average fed state blood glucose was ≈20% higher. In the fed state, plasma insulin was elevated and a doubling of the insulin:glucose ratio was observed (12 vs. 26 pmol:mmol, p=0.02). Experiment 2: After catheters were secured, piglets returned to the sow for the entire study. The design was modified to include 4 day baseline, treatment, and recovery periods. Female piglets (n=21) were studied. One of 4 levels of dex (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/(kg*d)) was given. A 25-75% rise in BUN from baseline was evident by 12h in all dex groups (p=0.0001). BUN rose over time in the dex pigs with no differences between the 0.25 and 0.5 groups. With removal of dex, BUN returned to baseline in 3 to 4d. The ratio of insulin:glucose doubled by 12h of dex treatment, was maintained, and returned to baseline 24h into recovery. Linear growth was affected by dose during treatment (1.2, 0.66, 0.44, 0.29 cm/d); all pigs grew at the control rate during the 4d recovery. Dex treatment altered metabolism as seen by elevations in BUN and N excretion, and disruption of glucose and insulin homeostasis. Marked reductions in weight gain and linear growth were observed. It is anticipated that dex treatment will result in increased amino acid oxidation and decreased muscle protein synthesis in the piglet model.
Risk intelligence: applying KM to information risk management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how the core knowledge management (KM) principles of business focus, accountability and operational support can be applied to information risk management to create risk intelligence.Design/methodology/approach – The paper looks at risk intelligence strategy in information governance, the fundamental KM principles – business focus, accountability and operational support.Findings – The paper finds that a risk intelligence strategy gets the most business value from information governance and information risk management. Developing risk intelligence maximizes the return on value from information risk management investments.Originality/value – The paper is of value in showing how enterprises can get started on implementing a risk intelligence strategy.
Efficient Monte-Carlo simulation of a product-form model for a cellular system with dynamic resource sharing

There are many ways for users to share the radio spectrum allocated to a cell in a cellular phone system. We analyze a commonly proposed scheme wh ere the cell is divided into s sectors. Each sector has exclusive access to a certain number of channels. The remaining channels reside in a “common pool” and are shared among the sectors. The smallest unit of bandwidth that can be borrowed from the common pool is a “carrier,” which consists of c channels. When viewed as a multidimensional birth-death process, the steady-state distribution of the number of active channels in each sector has a “product form,” but because the state space is large and has a nonlinear boundary, direct calculation of quantities of interest is usually impractical. Ross and Wang have developed a Monte-Carlo technique that applies to our problem. We significantly improve the efficiency of their technique when applied to our problem by including certain (nonlinear) control variates. The kinds of control variates we use can be applied to other loss systems as well. We also explore the effect of importance sampling for our system. In many cases the variance reduction achieved from the combination of importance sampling and control variates is far greater than from either method alone. For systems with blocking probabilities in the range 0.001 to 0.1, the variance of the system-blocking probability estimator can be reduced by several orders of magnitude.
Economic application of piezoelectric actuator in linear vibratory feeding

The research investigated a decoupled vibratory feeding scheme driven by a piezoelectric actuator. In the decoupled design, the action of the horizontal and vertical vibration would be separately controlled to achieve a desired track trajectory and consequently the feed of the part. A computer control method was used to develop voltage input waveforms to control these actuators to produce decoupled movements that cause parts to move forward relative to the track and overcome backsliding and other inefficient feeding motions of conventional operation. To provide a commercial result from research, the authors proposed an economic application of decoupled feeding in an industrial environment, in which a regular PZT bimorph bender is used to drive a linear vibratory feeder in micro-industry. The bimorph actuator is economic and easy to install; however, it needs to be properly controlled to obtain the desired actuation. In the present work, a simple but effective control algorithm was designed to suppress undesired responses of the bimorph actuator, i.e. the disturbance from the harmonic vibration and hysteresis effect. The control algorithm was then downloaded into an ECM for experimental operation. The vibratory feeding effect was then studied to validate the application of decoupled piezoelectric actuation.
308-nm excimer laser in psoriasis vulgaris, scalp psoriasis, and palmoplantar psoriasis.

Background The 308-nm excimer laser is a recent development in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris, palmoplantar psoriasis, and psoriasis of the scalp. The XeCl excimer emits a 308-nm wavelength beam of light that is monochromatic and coherent. These properties allow selectivity when used as phototherapy against a psoriatic lesion while sparing healthy surrounding tissue. Objective In this manuscript, we review recent updates on the efficacy of excimer and its most recent trials in psoriasis. Methods A review of the medical literature in Pubmed database was performed using the terms 'psoriasis' and '308 nm excimer laser'. All trials to date that studied the 308-nm excimer including those that compared the excimer with other modalities were included. Results Eighteen trials show positive results surrounding the efficacy of the excimer. Selectivity of the 308-nm excimer, when compared with non-selective narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy allows one to adjust the fluency to the lesion. The excimer may also stand superior to NB-UVB in its efficacy of mechanism. Conclusion Excimer is a useful and effective treatment for psoriasis that may be used as a compliment to topical medications as well as NB-UVB. However, large randomized trials with long-term follow-up are needed to further support this.
An investigation into the degree and rate of polymerization of poly(methyl methacrylate) in the ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate

Room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs), including 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [bmim+][PF6−], were investigated as replacements for volatile organic compounds in the free-radical solution polymerization of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The latter was synthesized in benzene and [bmim+][PF6−] at 70 °C via a free-radical process and the degree and rate of polymerization were compared based on the solvent used. The degree of polymerization was found to be five times higher in [bmim+][PF6−] than in benzene, while the rate of reaction was approximately four times faster in [bmim+][PF6−]. The results indicate the potential for using ILs to produce high-molecular-weight polymers and block structures based on the increased free-radical stability in ILs. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Overlaying communities and topics: an analysis on publication networks

Two layers of enriched information are constructed for communities: a paper-to-paper network based on shared author relations and a paper-to-paper network based on shared word relations. k-means and VOSviewer, a modularity-based clustering technique, are used to identify publication clusters in the two networks. Results show that a few research topics such as webometrics, bibliometric laws, and language processing, form their own research community; while other research topics contain different research communities, which may be caused by physical distance.
Can Breast Cancer Be Prevented by Dietary and Lifestyle Changes

(1995). Can Breast Cancer Be Prevented by Dietary and Lifestyle Changes? Annals of Medicine: Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 429-430.
Esterase and protease activity of purified guinea pig basophil granules

Abstract Highly purified granules of circulating guinea pig basophilic leukocytes were extracted with 0.1% Triton X-100 to yield a mixture of esterases-proteases including caseinolytic activity. By selective inhibition both trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like serine hydrolases have been identified. Sigmoidal pH dependences for hydrolysis of p-tosyl-L-arginine-methyl ester and N-benzoyl-L-tryosine-ethyl ester were observed for both intact granules and Triton granule extracts. Preliminary studies indicate that the enzymes are not solubilized even after Triton X-100 treatment of the granules.
Protein Radicals in Myoglobin Dimerization and Myoglobin-Catalyzed Styrene Epoxidation

Abstract Two mechanisms have been identified for the H 2 O 2 -dependent epoxidation of styrenes by sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) [S. Rao, A. Wilks, and P. R. Ortiz de Montellano, J. Biol. Chem. 268, 803–908 (1993)]: (a) ferryl (Fe IV = O) oxygen transfer with retention of stereochemistry and incorporation of an oxygen from H 2 O 2 , and (b) protein peroxy radical cooxidation with loss of stereochemistry and incorporation of an oxygen from O 2 . As shown here, cis -β-methylstyrene is preferentially oxidized to the trans -epoxide when the H 2 O 2 :Mb ratio is cis -isomer as the ratio increases to and above 1. At a high (4:1) H 2 O 2 :Mb ratio, both the absolute yield and the cis:trans -epoxide ratio increase in proportion to the cis -β-methylstyrene concentration. A protein radical formed in the Mb–H 2 O 2 reaction also causes dimer and trimer formation, maximum dimer formation (∼30%) being obtained with 1 equivalent of H 2 O 2 . At low H 2 O 2 :Mb ratios, the oxidation equivalents utilized for protein oligomerization and styrene oxidation account for the available H 2 O 2 . Previous studies have shown that His-64 is important for protein-mediated olefin cooxidation and Tyr-151/Tyr-103 for Mb dimerization. The W7F, W14F, and W7F/W14F Mb mutants have now been prepared and the W14F, but not W7F, mutation shown to modestly decrease cooxidation of cis -β-methylstyrene to the trans -epoxide. Neither tryptophan mutation alters dimer formation. Dimer formation is modestly increased rather than decreased by styrene, suggesting that styrene cooxidation and dimerization do not compete. The results indicate that (a) cis -β-methylstyrene cooxidation and protein dimerization, both of which are mediated by protein radicals, are favored at low H 2 O 2 :Mb ratios, (b) as the H 2 O 2 :Mb ratio increases, the ferryl epoxidation pathway surpasses the cooxidation mechanism, (c) Trp-14 but not Trp-7 influences olefin cooxidation, and (d) different, possibly nonequilibrating, radicals mediate olefin cooxidation and protein dimerization.
Pain in peripheral neuropathy related to rate and kind of fiber degeneration

In a series of 72 patients with disease of peripheral neurons, neuropathic painfulness of the foot was found to be related to the rate and kind of nerve fiber degeneration. Patients with acute breakdown of myelinated fibers (either by wallerian or axonal degeneration) tend to have pain more often and to a greater degree than do patients with more chronic forms of nerve fiber degeneration. Neuropathic painfulness was not found to be related simply to the ratio of remaining large and small fibers after nerve fiber degeneration. These studies do not fit the expectation of the proponents of the gate theory of pain.
Improving performance of an electrical power expert system with genetic algorithms

Nickel cadmium batteries are an important source of power for aerospace applications. One such application is being developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for use with the Hubble Space Telescope. A battery testbed has been built at MSFC to aid in that development. In addition, the Nickel Cadmium Battery Expert System (NICBES) was developed by Martin Marietta Corporation to assist NASA engineers in battery management.This paper describes an extension to NICBES which will make it more effective as a battery management tool. The extension involves the incorporation of classifier system machine learning techniques into a subsystem of NICBES. The principal reason for suggesting this extension is the nature of battery management itself. There is still much which is unknown about these batteries and the factors affecting their performance [2]. Hence, battery management might be said to be as much an art as a science and relies heavily on the expertise of the battery manager. NICBES is an attempt to incorporate that battery expertise into an expert system. One difficulty, however, is that battery behavior is likely to change over time in unforseen ways. This detracts from the usefulness of the expert system. Consequently, the battery manager who is using NICBES as a tool would be required to make changes to the expert system in order to accomodate the changed parameters of battery behavior. This should be the function of the knowledge engineer, however, not the battery expert. This is an example of the familiar problem of knowledge acquisition in knowledge engineering. The solution presented here is to use machine learning techniques to help overcome the knowledge acquisition problem. The expert system then interacts at a high level with the battery manager and undertakes adaptation on itself in order to determine new rules conforming to the changed parameters of the power system.The basic principles of learning classifier systems based on genetic algorithms will be presented first. Next, a brief description of NICBES will be given, particularly the advice subsystem to which the learning component will be added. A discussion of specific techniques by which machine learning can be incorporated into this particular rule-based expert system will follow. This discussion will come under the headings of the bit-string representation of rules, the initial rule population, an evaluation function for this system, and the genetic operators. Finally, some comments will be made concerning the implementation of a user interface for a system such as this.
Acculturation, health, stress, and psychological distress among elderly Hispanics.

A structural equations model is proposed to identify direct, indirect, and total effects of selected predictors of psychological distress in a national-area probability sample of Mexican American, Puerto Rican and Cuban elderly. Multivariate regression procedures vis-\,a-vis LISREL-7 techniques are used. The findings indicate that the modified path model explains 29% of the variance in psychological distress. Measures of acculturation have significant indirect effects on psychological distress via other intervening variables in the model. All selected measures of health and stress included in the model have significant direct effect on psychological distress. Implications of the findings for future research and public policy are discussed. jg]Key words gw]Acculturation gw]Health gw]Psychological distress gw]Stress gw]Elderly Hispanics gw]USA
The filmless radiology reading room: a survey of established picture archiving and communication system sites.

The purpose of this study was to survey radiologists experienced in soft-copy diagnosis using computer workstations about their current reading room environment, their impressions of the efficacy of their reading room design, and their recommendations based on their experience for improvement of the soft-copy reading environment. Surveys were obtained from radiologists at seven sites representing three major picture archiving and communication system (PACS) vendors throughout the world that have had extensive experience with soft-copy interpretation of radiology studies. The radiologists filled out a detailed survey, which was designed to assess their current reading room environment and to provide them with the opportunity to make suggestions about improvement of the PACS reading rooms. The survey data were entered into a database and results were correlated with multiple parameters, including experience with PACS, types of modalities interpreted on the system, and number of years of experience in radiology. The factors judged to be most important in promoting radiologist productivity were room lighting, monitor number, and monitor brightness. Almost all of the radiologists indicated that their lighting source was from overhead rather than indirect or portable light sources. Approximately half indicated they had the capability of dimming the brightness of the overhead lighting. Most radiologists indicated that they were able to adjust room temperature but that they did not have individual temperature controls at their workstations. The radiologists indicated that the most troublesome sources of noise included background noise, other radiologists, and clinicians much more than noise from computer monitors, technologists, or patients. Most radiologists did not have chairs that could recline or arm rests. Most did have wheels and the capability to swivel, both of which were judged important. The majority of chairs also had lumbar support, which was also seen to be important. Radiologists commonly adjusted room lighting and their reading chair, but rarely adjusted room temperature or monitor brightness. The median number of hours spent at the workstation before taken a “break” was 1.5. Common recommendations to improve the room layout included compartmentalization of the reading room and availability of the hospital/radiology information system at each workstation. The survey data suggest several areas of potential improvement based on radiologists’ experience. Optimization of soft-copy reading room design is likely to result in decreased fatigue and increased productivity.
Triggered enzymatic degradation of a water-soluble polymer solution using a novel inhibitor.

Controlled enzymatic degradation of solutions of guar galactomannan, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, offers a powerful tool to enhance its usage in a variety of applications. In this study, we use viscometry to investigate the use of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) as a reversible, pH-dependent inhibitor to control the degradation of guar galactomannan by Aspergillus niger β-mannanase. Viscosity measurements of pH 9 guar solutions containing 25 mM Tris show no reduction in the viscosity when treated with β-mannanase. In contrast, samples containing no Tris show significant reduction in viscosity within an hour. Samples maintained at a pH of 9 in the presence of Tris for several hours show no change in viscosity; however, reduction of the pH of the sample to 4 initiates enzymatic degradation of the guar solution resulting in a rapid reduction in solution viscosity. This reversible, pH-dependent inhibition is possibly a result of the protonation state of Tris as well as key amino acids in the a...
Charge radii of the meson and baryon octets in quenched and partially quenched chiral perturbation theory

We calculate the electric charge radii of the $\mathrm{SU}(3)$ pseudoscalar mesons and the $\mathrm{SU}(3)$ octet baryons in quenched and partially quenched chiral perturbation theory. We work in the isospin limit, up to next-to-leading order in the chiral expansion, and to leading order in the heavy baryon expansion. The results are necessary for the extrapolation of future lattice calculations of meson and baryon charge radii. We also derive expressions for the nucleon and pion charge radii in $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ flavor away from the isospin limit.