cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linear pharmacokinetic equations allowing direct calculation of many needed pharmacokinetic parameters from the coefficients and exponents of polyexponential equations which have been fitted to the data.

It is shown that if the numerical values of the coefficients and exponents of the polyexponential equation describing the whole blood (plasma or serum) concentration after administration of a drug by bolus intravenous injection, or during or after termination of a constantrate intravenous infusion, are known, then many needed pharmacokinetic parameters may be obtained directly. Parameters readily calculated by simple arithmetic are as follows: plasma or serum clearance, Clp; volume of plasma compartment, Vp; volume of distribution at steady state, Vdss; V{darea} or Vβ, extrapolated volume of distribution, Vdexr; half-life of elimination, t1/2; amount metabolized and/or excreted to time t, (Ae); amount in the body at time t, Ab; amount in the plasma (reference) compartment at time t, Ap; and amount in other compartments at time t, Ao. Simulations have shown that the equations yield the correct answers for an n-compartment mammillary model with central compartment elimination only, when rate constants, dose, and a value of Vp have been assigned. Since whole blood (plasma or serum) concentrationtime data always lead to ambiguities as to which specific model is involved, the equations are most appropriate.
A Matter of Fairness: The Equity of Urban General Assistance

General assistance is the “safety net” of the welfare system, γet, most general assistance programs reflect the goals of cost containment more clearly than the goal of equity. Data from a 1982 survey of general assistance programs provide the basis for a causal analysis. The substantial variation across states seems based on willingness to provide services, rather than need. State welfare commitment is the most influential explanation on general assistance coverage, although per capita income, percent metropolitan, political culture, and percent unemployment also have some effect. Perhaps centralization at the federal level will provide equitable coverage; however, the current political environment makes such an outcome unlikely without major changes in public opinion.
Computers and the kinesiology of gait.

Abstract Three methods of acquiring kinesiological information are presented, each utilizing various types of peripheral computational equipment. A simple economic stroboscopic flash photographic method, movie photography and the use of a flying spot scanner, and finally, a videotaping technique are discussed. The methods are contrasted and various results acquired are presented. Numerous display possibilities are alluded to and the use of angle-angle diagrams is emphasized for total hip-replacement patients.
Anomaly Constraints and New U(1) Gauge Bosons

Just as the hypercharge assignments in the standard model follow from anomaly freedom, so there are anomaly constraints on any possible extra U(1) charges. We show that one can always distinguish these from the constraints from grand unification. We discuss various predictions when the standard model is unified but the new U(1) is not, when all the groups are unified, and when none of them are. New low-energy U(1) groups imply new low-energy fermions. We show how information about new Z bosons can tell us about such fermions.
Abduction and identity in family interaction: Ventriloquizing as indirectness

Abstract With a view toward developing a more inclusive understanding of indirectness in interaction, I return to Bateson's notion of abduction (a mental process by which meaning is created by analogy) and three related theoretical frameworks: Friedrich's polytropy, Becker's prior text, and Bakhtin's dialogicality—all theories of intertextuality. In order to show how these concepts help us understand the workings of indirectness in interaction I consider examples of family interaction in which one family member speaks in the voice of another, a phenomenon I call ventriloquizing. Ventriloquizing creates meaning by abduction, as speakers borrow others’ identities and thereby temporarily assign to themselves characteristics associated with those whose voices they borrow. Abduction can therefore be understood as a type of indirectness—one that is pervasive in interaction.
Early Diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (Nec) By Estimating Gastrointestinal (Gi) Absorption of Iohexol (Ioh) With Ct Scan Counts Of Urine Samples 17

Approximately 4000 newborns (NB) per year develop NEC in USA and 30-50% of them die. Clinical, radiological and laboratory findings of advanced NEC are well known, but signs in early disease are less specific and sensitive, making early diagnosis of this condition elusive. Therefore, many NB are diagnosed late, with serious consequences. Many others are treated unnecessarily for long periods of time because of “suspected” but never proven NEC. Iphexol (Omnipaque®), an iodine containing an inert substance poorly absorbed by normal Gl, is highly absorbed in an animal model with ischemic bowel disease. NEC alters absorptive characteristics of the Gl tract in NB but no studies with IOH have been performed. Differences in systemic Gl absorption of IOH may be of value in NB with clinical suspicion of NEC to differentiate those who really have NEC from those who do not. The purpose of this controlled, blind study was to determine if CT scan counts of IOH concentration in urine samples may be a useful test to diagnose NEC early. NB with feeding intolerance and early clinical suspicion of NEC were eligible for the study (Group I). NB who needed a Gl contrast study for other reasons (GE reflux, Gl obstruction, etc.) and never had suspicion of NEC acted as controls(Group II). Exclusion criteria were: definitive evidence of NEC, presence of shock and renal failure. IOH (diluted to 225 mOsm) was given into the stomach at a dose of 8ml/kg when NEC was suspected. Urine was collected for 12 hs in different alliquots. Urine samples were scanned by CT (lmatron Cine Ct Scanner). All X-ray and clinical data were collected prospectively. For infants in Group I, final diagnosis of NEC (“1-NEC”) or of NO NEC(“1-NO NEC”) was established by classic clinical and X-ray criteria. NB were managed by teams unaware of CT counts. The M.D. performing the CT counts was blind to group assignment, X-ray findings and final diagnosis. We report preliminary results for 20 NB, 14 in group 1 (6 in subgroup “1-NEC and 8 in “1-no NEC”) and 6 in group II. No side effects were found. In subgroup “1-NEC” urine CT counts were 71(±12): all infants had a count >50. In subgroup “1-NO NEC” CT counts were 16(±6) and all had counts<30. In group II the counts were 13(±7); all <30. No false positives or negatives have been found so far. If the findings of this pilot study persist, this test may become of great clinical value for early diagnosis of NEC, due to the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values found to date.
Intrinsic dynamics of DNA-polymer complexes: A mechanism for DNA release

The transfer of genetic material into cells using nonviral vectors offers unique potential for therapeutics; however, the efficacy of delivery depends upon a poorly understood, multistep pathway, limiting the prospects for successful gene delivery. Mechanistic insight into DNA association and release has been hampered by a lack of atomic resolution structural and dynamic information for DNA–polymer complexes (polyplexes). Here, we report a dendrimer-based polyplex system containing poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG) arms that is suitable for atomic-level characterization by solution NMR spectroscopy. NMR chemical shift, line width, and proton transverse relaxation rate measurements reveal that free and dendrimer-bound polyplex DNA exchange rapidly relative to the NMR time scale (<millisecond). The dendrimers retain a high degree of mobility in the polyplex, whereas the DNA shows restrained mobility, suggesting that the polyplex is a highly dynamic complex with a rapidly exchanging dendrimer atmosphere around a mo...
A qualitative analysis of physician humanism: women's experiences with hyperemesis gravidarum.

A Qualitative Analysis of Physician Humanism: Women's Experiences with Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Multilayer Cost Effective Design of an Integrated Stripline Narrowband Filter for Wireless Applications

A stripline interdigital narrowband bandpass filter has been designed, fabricated, and tested. This filter has the advantages of minimal space utilization, low cost, excellent transfer characteristics, and ease of integration into a multilayer board scheme. Both numerical and electromagnetic wave simulation tools were used to perform the design and analysis, followed by fabrication and testing.
A “New Class” in China's Treaty Ports: The Rise of the Comprador-Merchants

Professor Yen-p'ing Hao analyzes the economic, social, political, and intellectual roles of a Chinese mercantile class which served as a link between China and the West.
Precolumn Deproteinization Method of Human Plasma Using a Hydroxyapatite Cartridge for High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Amino Acid Analysis

Determination of amino acids in human plasma was performed by postcolumn ninhydrin derivatization liquid chromatography using a hydroxyapatite cartridge for precolumn deproteinization. This method was suitable for the determination of amino acids in human plasma. The proposed method was simple, rapid (deproteinization time: within 1min) and reproducible (relative standard deviation: ca. 0.4 to 5.4% (n=3)). Average recovery of 22 amino acids was over 80%. It took about 2h to elute the amino acids in human plasma on the chromatogram completely. Protein-binding tryptophan was also determined by the proposed method.
Synthesis of 10(S)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid: A Novel Cytochrome P-450 Metabolite of Arachidonic Acid

10(S)-(−)-hydroxyeicosa-5(Z),8(Z),11(Z),14(Z)-tetraenoic acid methyl ester (2) was synthesized in eight steps starting from enantiomerically pure (R)-glyceraldehyde acetonide. The 10(R)-(+)-enantio...
Middle School Students' Conceptual Learning from the Implementation of a New NSF Supported Curriculum: Interactions in Physical Science

A new National Science Foundation supported curriculum, Interactions in Physical Science™, was evaluated on students’ conceptual change in the twelve concept areas of the national physical science content standard (B) for grades 5–8. Eighth grade students (N=66) were evaluated pre and post on a 31-item multiple-choice test of conceptual understanding developed by the Harvard -Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Significant student gains (p<. 05, t-test, two-tailed) occurred in all concept areas in the category of properties and changes in properties of matter; for the force concept areas in the category motions and forces; and for the heat transfer and light interactions areas in the category of transfer of energy. Two of the six concept areas in the category of transfer of energy, chemical and nuclear reactions and the sun as a major source of energy, were not addressed in this study. Significant learning gains as item percent correct were typically close to 20%, though effect sizes were small to medium in magnitude (d = 0.3–0.6). Implications of the study for conceptual change curriculum and teaching are discussed.
In-situ measurements of three-dimensional displacement fields in shear crack growth using phase-shifted speckle interferometry

A three illumination beam, phase-shifted interferometry system is used to measure 3D surface deformation fields to study the mechanics of cracks loaded in shear. The interferometer, which is mounted to the actuator of a servohydraulic loading machine, is augmented with a piezoelectric phase shifter to obtain a sequance of differential phase maps over small load increments. This avoids problems with speckle decorrelation and provides more detailed information about the phenomena of interest. The displacement fields were accumulated relative to the unloaded state by sampling at appropriate locations in the incremental fields to optimize spatial resolution and compensate for large rigid body motions. Features of the effect of fracture surface interference on a shear-loaded crack inferred from the displacement fields are described.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Aircraft maintenance and inventory control using the reorder point system

This paper includes the results of a sample survey of the reorder point system (ROP) in airline operator (hereafter AO) and maintenance service (MS) organizations. The presentation provides, at an executive level, an overview of the use of the traditional ROP system by companies to control their spare parts inventory. The survey shows that many companies, unsatisfied with their existing system, were looking for alternative concepts along the lines of the material requirements planning system (MRP).
Recent advances in organic spin-valve devices

Abstract Organic Spintronics has been considered to be the physics and applications of spin polarized electron injection, transport, manipulation and detection in organic diodes by the application of an external magnetic field. The prototype device is the organic spin-valve (OSV), which is based on an organic semiconductor spacer placed in between two ferromagnetic electrodes having different coercive fields, of which magnetoresistance changes with the applied field. Immense progress has been achieved in the past few years in fabricating, studying and understanding the underlying physics of these devices. We highlight the most significant advance in OSV research at the University of Utah, including the magnetoresistance response temperature and bias voltage dependencies; and show significant room temperature operation using LSMO/C60/Co structure. We also report positive OSV-related magnetoresistance at low temperature, which was achieved using LSMO/polymer/Co OSV structure, where the polymer is a poly[phenylene-vinylene] derivative.
Screening for head and neck cancer in liver transplant candidates: a review of 11 years of experience at the University of Pittsburgh.

Objectives/Hypothesis: At our institution, any liver transplant candidate with a recent history of smoking combined with daily use of alcohol prior to a 6-month sobriety period warrants formal evaluation by otolaryngology. Given the significant resource consumption and lack of evidence in support of this strategy, we sought to determine the effectiveness of these guidelines in detecting head and neck cancer. Study Design: Retrospective review of clinical database and patient billing records. Methods: Under an institutional review board-approved protocol, a search was performed for patients seen at our institution's otolaryngology office from 1999 to 2010. This patient list was cross-matched with the patients evaluated for transplant at the University of Pittsburgh Starzl Transplantation Institute during the same timeframe. A search for the diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNC) among these patients was carried out through both a National Cancer Institute-affiliated clinical research registry and ICD-9 codes from billing records. Otolaryngology attending physicians were also asked to recall detection of HNC upon screening of this patient population. Results: Of 581 patient evaluations performed by the otolaryngologist for HNC screening prior to liver transplantation from 1999 to 2009, one (0.17% of evaluations) case of HNC was detected. Conclusions: Given the consumption of resources required for this screening strategy and the limited yield, it appears that current screening guidelines are ineffective and need to be reconsidered.
Deep Venous Thrombosis and Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis

"Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a significant risk for all surgical patients, despite validated guidelines. Development of VTE remains a high risk in hospitalized surgical patients, leading to complications in up to 30%. The stratification of patient risk factors and subsequent utilization of a validated prophylaxis and treatment regimen is, therefore, of utmost importance. Familiarity with the current guidelines and recommendations ultimately results in decreased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. This article discusses the risk factors for developing VTE and management strategies based on the currently available guidelines."
Green's function for Laplace's equation in a circular ring with radiation type boundary conditions

Es wird die Greensche Funktion der Laplaceschen Gleichung fur einen Kreisring hergeleitet, wobei Randbedingungen vom Strahlungstyp angenommen sind. In demjenigen Spezialfall, in dem die Randbedingungen das Verschwinden der Greenschen Funktion verlangen, wird gezeigt, dass die gefundene Darstellung der Greenschen Funktion ubereinstimmt mit der Formel, wie sie im Buch vonHilbert-Courant unter Verwendung von Thetafunktionen hergeleitet ist.
A Phosphate-binding Histidine of Binuclear Metallophosphodiesterase Enzymes Is a Determinant of 2′,3′-Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase Activity

Binuclear metallophosphoesterases are an enzyme superfamily defined by a shared fold and a conserved active site. Although many family members have been characterized biochemically or structurally, the physiological substrates are rarely known, and the features that determine monoesterase versus diesterase activity are obscure. In the case of the dual phosphomonoesterase/diesterase enzyme CthPnkp, a phosphate-binding histidine was implicated as a determinant of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity. Here we tested this model by comparing the catalytic repertoires of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv0805, which has this histidine in its active site (His98), and Escherichia coli YfcE, which has a cysteine at the equivalent position (Cys74). We find that Rv0805 has a previously unappreciated 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase function. Indeed, Rv0805 was 150-fold more active in hydrolyzing 2′,3′-cAMP than 3′,5′-cAMP. Changing His98 to alanine or asparagine suppressed the 2′,3′-cAMP phosphodiesterase activity of Rv0805 without adversely affecting hydrolysis of bis-p-nitrophenyl phosphate. Further evidence for a defining role of the histidine derives from our ability to convert the inactive YfcE protein to a vigorous and specific 2′,3′-cNMP phosphodiesterase by introducing histidine in lieu of Cys74. YfcE-C74H cleaved the P-O2′ bond of 2′,3′-cAMP to yield 3′-AMP as the sole product. Rv0805, on the other hand, hydrolyzed either P-O2′ or P-O3′ to yield a mixture of 3′-AMP and 2′-AMP products, with a bias toward 3′-AMP. These reaction outcomes contrast with that of CthPnkp, which cleaves the P-O3′ bond of 2′,3′-cAMP to generate 2′-AMP exclusively. It appears that enzymic features other than the phosphate-binding histidine can influence the orientation of the cyclic nucleotide and thereby dictate the choice of the leaving group.
Fighting Everything German in Texas, 1917–1919

(1994). Fighting Everything German in Texas, 1917–1919. The Historian: Vol. 56, No. 4, pp. 655-670.
A reassessment of collagen half‐life in rat periodontal tissues: Application of the pool‐expansion approach

Pool expansion - a method for measuring in vivo collagen production that involves injection of excess unlabeled proline along with [3H]proline - was used to calculate the values for collagen half-life in rat: incisor and molar periodontal ligament, molar gingiva and palatal mucosa. Collagen in most periodontal tissues (except for incisor gingiva) turns over more rapidly than skin collagen. The results reaffirm the concept that collagen in most periodontal tissues turns over with unusual rapidity.
Heritability of dark pulse triggering of paradoxical sleep in rats

Abstract A previous study showed that albino Lewis (L) rats could be triggered into paradoxical sleep (PS) by dark pulse stimulation, i.e., turning off cage lights, whereas brown Norway (BN) rats showed no evidence of PS triggering by dark pulses (2). The transmission of the PS triggering behavior was studied in L × [L × BN]F 1 hybrid backcross (BC) animals. Albino BC rats increased PS% during 5-minute dark pulses to three times the average PS% for the preceding 5 minutes of lights-on. In contrast, no significant PS triggering was observed in pigmented BC rats. These data support the hypothesis that PS triggering by dark pulse stimulation is related to albinism in these rat strains. The absence of a connection between PS triggering and total daily amounts of PS suggests independent genetic transmission of these two parameters.
A procedure for the extraction and estimation of rubratoxin B from corn.

Abstract Ingestion by farm animals of food contaminated by toxigenic fungi has been shown to be responsible for a number of epizootes. Species of Penicillia and Aspergilli have been identified as the dominant flora of some mould-contaminated animal feeds responsible for outbreaks of disease among farm animals. In the absence of any detection or assay procedure for rubratoxin B, a hepatotoxin elaborated by Penicillium rubrum, it was only possible to infer the presence of this mycotoxin in agricultural commodities from the isolation of the mould. In a simple method developed for the detection of rubratoxin B in corn, the toxin was extracted with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extract was concentrated and aliquots were applied to silica-gel thin-layer plates, which were developed in unlined tanks with ascending methanol-chloroform-glacial acetic acid-water (20:80:1:1, by vol.). With this developing system and the spotting of samples under nitrogen, the low-RF ‘artefact’ observed in earlier work was eliminated. The chromatography plates were heated at 200 °C for 10 min, and a distinctive fluorescent derivative of rubratoxin B (RF= 0·6) was then observed under long-wave ultraviolet light. Under the conditions used, the lower limit of detection for rubratoxin was 0·5 μg.
Cathode Ray Polarography of Riboflavin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, and Niacinamide Content of Pharmaceutical Preparations

A polarographic method for the determination of riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, and niacinamide in multivitamin preparations was evaluated. Distinct polarographic waves of the three vitamins from single extracts were obtained after adjusting the pH to 5.7-6.0. Polarographic results were compared with official chemical analyses. Results indicate that the polarographic method has potential for rapidly screening the vitamin content of multivitamin preparations.
The Mediation Effect of Outdoor Recreation Participation on Environmental Attitude-Behavior Correspondence

Outdoor recreation participation has increased over the past decades and is projected for further growth. Given the increase, it is important to assess recreationists’ environmental values, activity style, general, and site-specific attitudes and behaviors to promote environmental stewardship, and to develop effective strategies in natural resource management and public policy. This study explored recreationists’ environmental attitude-behavior relationship and the impact of outdoor recreation activity orientation (as a mediator variable) on attitude-behavior correspondence. Overall, attitudes exhibited stronger direct relationships with behaviors, when compared to the effect of participation on behaviors. The influence of activity participation on attitude-behavior correspondence was not significantly demonstrative. The association between participation in outdoor recreation and environmentalism is complex, and there is a need for additional research to better understand the relationship.
SU‐E‐T‐195: Determination of Standard TG‐51 Calibration Factors for Matched Therapy Beams Over a Three Year Period

Purpose: Analyze the calibration data, beam data and RPC dosimeter checks of x‐ray and electron beam data at the University of Rochester Medical Center over a three year period. The goal is to assess the accuracy and precision of patient dosedelivery at the four radiation therapy sites in the system. Methods: The University of Rochester Medical Center operates a total of six dual‐energy Varian accelerators which have had their beam characteristics matched. Dose output is determined using four Exradin model A12 ion chambers. The values of the dosecalibration factors defined by the Task Group 51 report are determined annually, where they exhibit small variations year‐to‐year and machine‐to‐machine. These variations are anticipated to be due predominately to measurement uncertainties. A study was initiated to extract useable standard values, as a means of improving our overall calibrationuncertainty. We report on the measurements of the TG‐51 factors and an appropriate standard set of values determined from that data, for photon beams of 6 and 16 MV and for electron beams of 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 MeV. Independent calibration measurements using the Radiological Physics Center's services are correlated with our analysis to shed light on how using a standard set of chamber factor values affects overall calibrationuncertainty. Results: The TG‐51 parameters vary typically by less than 0.5%. The x‐ray and electron beam characteristics vary by an average of 0.5% and the RPC dosimeter results averages are less than 2%. Conclusion: As a member of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, the University of Rochester data undergoes rigorous quality assurance through annual internal and external audits. Using standard values for TG‐51 factors, the dosedelivery is accurate to between 1.5 to 2%, excluding uncertainties in the treatment planning systems.
Organizational Crises and the Disturbance of Relational Systems

Various bodies of literature attest to how crises significantly damage the way people relate with one another—damage that lasts long past the cessation of those crises. Such relational disturbances are problematic in terms of crisis management theory. If crises are understood to be operationally resolved yet the relational systems that underlie organizations remain disturbed, the crises may not truly be resolved, with implications for ongoing dysfunctional patterns of behavior, organizational vulnerabilities, and longer-term performance problems. The purpose of this article is to conceptualize organizational crises in terms of relational disturbance and crisis management as the repair of such disturbances. We introduce a framework for analyzing the relational health of organizational systems, drawing on family systems theory to help define the dimensions of relational systems. We describe and illustrate the disturbances of relational systems in the context of crises and develop a framework for their repai...
Loss of Adhesion of Cord‐Rubber Composites in Aircraft Tires

Abstract The degradation of adhesive strength between plies in aircraft tires was studied as a function of aging temperature, time, and environment. Adhesive strength degraded much faster than the cord tensile strength under the aging conditions used. Adhesive strength degraded faster in air than in nitrogen during the long‐term aging. A 50% loss in adhesive strength is suggested as a reasonable critical value in determining tire life.
Interaction forces between colloids and protein-coated surfaces measured using an atomic force microscope.

Bacterial surfaces contain proteins, polysaccharides, and other biopolymers that can affect their adhesion to another surface. To better understand the role of proteins in bacterial adhesion, the interactions between two different model colloids (glass beads and carboxylated latex microspheres) and four proteins covalently bonded to glass surfaces were examined using colloid probes and an atomic force microscope (AFM). Adhesion forces between an uncoated glass colloid probe and protein-coated surfaces, measured in retraction force curves, decreased in the order poly-d-lysine > lysozyme > protein A > BSA. This ordering was consistent with the relative calculated charges of the proteins at neutral pH and the ζ-potentials measured for glass beads and latex microspheres coated with these proteins. When the glass bead was coated with a protein (BSA), overall adhesion forces between the protein-coated colloid and the protein-coated surfaces were reduced, and the adhesion force for each protein decreased in the ...
Certain multipliers of univalent harmonic functions

Abstract Inequalities involving multipliers using the sequences { c n } and { d n } of positive real numbers are introduced for complex-valued harmonic univalent functions. By specializing { c n } and { d n } , we determine representation theorems, distortion bounds, convolutions, convex combinations, and neighbourhoods for such functions. The theorems presented, in many cases, confirm or generalize various well-known results for corresponding classes of harmonic functions.
Alternate structures for public power systems

The basic structure of interacting public utility systems is addressed in the paper. Several alternative structures dealing with networking and shared resources recently have been proposed. These structures are considered by using a system dynamics model to explore system behavior under various options. Various types of utilities, demand sources, and power types may be addressed using the model.
The effect of repeated torque and salivary contamination on the preload of slotted gold implant prosthetic screws

Abstract Statement of Problem. Screw loosening and/or fracture is common and has been attributed to many factors, including improper torque and preload. Purpose. This study evaluated the effect of repeated preload torque and salivary contamination on the preload of the slotted gold implant prosthetic screw. Material and Methods. Fifteen slotted gold prosthetic screws were tested in an unused stack of components consisting of an implant, an abutment cylinder, and a screw and gold cylinder. A custom load frame and load cell and associated electronics were used. The component stack was lubricated with human saliva. Each screw was tightened to 10 Ncm with a hand-held torque wrench fitted with strain gauge electronics and then removed 10 times. Preload values at the first (Group 1X), fifth (Group 5X), and tenth (Group 10X) repetition were measured. Repeated-measures 1-way analysis of variance ( P Results. The mean preload value increased from Group 1X (184.3 N ± 28.9) to Group 5X (202.5 N ± 27.7) to Group 10X (220.2 N ± 29.0). The differences among these groups were significant ( P =.004). Conclusion. Within the limitations of this study, higher preload was achieved after the repeated use of a saliva-lubricated gold prosthetic retaining screw. (J Prosthet Dent 2002;88:183-191.)
Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials with non-prescription medications for the treatment of obesity.

GREENWAY, FRANK, DAVID HEBER, WILLIAM RAUM, AND SILVIA MORALES. Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials with non-prescription medications for the treatment of obesity. Obes Res. Objective: Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and benzocaine are non-prescription medications approved for treating obesity. The dose of PPA for weight loss is 75 mg/day. PPA has the same chemical similarity to pseudoephedrine that amphetamine has to methamphetamine. Because benzocaine causes weight loss by altering taste and PPA by central appetite suppression, they may induce additional weight loss when combined. These studies explore the safety and efficacy of low-dose PPA, pseudoephedrine, and PPA with benzocaine in causing weight loss. Research Methods and Procedures: Study 1 compared PPA 12. 5 mg tid with 25 mg tid and placebo in a 6-week trial in 108 obese subjects. Study 2 compared pseudoephedrine 120 mg/day and a placebo in a 12-week trial with 72 obese subjects. Study 3 compared 4 groups of 20 obese subjects using PPA 75 mg/day, benzocaine gum 96 mg/day, PPA with benzocaine gum, and a placebo over 12 weeks. Results: Both doses of PPA gave twice the weight loss of placebo, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Pseudoephedrine was no different than placebo in inducing weight loss. The PPA with benzocaine group had more adverse events than the benzocaine group (p = 0. 03), the placebo group (p = 0. 03), or the PPA group (p = 0. 09) without additional weight loss. Discussion: We conclude that further studies with low-dose PPA for weight loss are indicated, that pseudoephedrine is not effective for weight loss, and that adding benzocaine to phenylpropanolamine increases adverse effects without increasing weight loss.
Kinetics of fast (RIM) urethane polymerization

The kinetics of the dibutyltin dilaurate catalyzed bulk polymerization of 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) with poly-ϵ-caprolactone were studied by infared spectroscopy and adiabatic temperature rise. The overall reaction order was found to change from 3/2 to 2 with increasing temperature. At temperatures above 80°C, the order with respect to catalyst was found to decrease with concentration from 1 to 1/2. The results were consistent with a Michaelis Menten type kinetic scheme.
Patient-identified needs for hormone replacement therapy counseling: a qualitative study.

Many women in a managed care organization who accepted a prescription for hormone replacement therapy identified counseling needs that are not included in widely used hormone replacement therapy gu...
Contours of equal perceived amplitude and equal perceived frequency for electrocutaneous stimuli.

Previous measurements of equal-sensation contours for electrocutaneous stimuli consisting of repeated bursts of biphasic pulses have shown that stimulus frequency has little effect on perceived amplitude, and that stimulus amplitude has no effect on perceived frequency. These earlier contours, however, were measured over a very restricted range of amplitude and frequency or for a single perceived amplitude or perceived frequency. Contours of equal perceived amplitude and equal perceived frequency were measured in the present study for stimuli covering most of the useable range of amplitudes and frequencies: 3–12 dB SL and 4–64 Hz. Eight naive subjects generated contours of equal perceived amplitude at four reference amplitudes via Bekesy tracking, and 8 additional subjects generated contours of equal perceived frequency at three reference frequencies. The contours of equal perceived amplitude declined slightly but significantly with increases in stimulus frequency, consistent with previous results. The shape of the contours was also slightly dependent on the amplitude of the reference stimulus. Contours of equal perceived frequency were unaffected by stimulus amplitude on the average, but the contour shape did vary modestly, though erratically, with reference frequency.
Fermi-liquid properties of nuclear matter in a relativistic mean-field theory

The Fermi-liquid properties of the model nuclear system described by a relativistic quantum field theory are examined in terms of a relativistic extension of Landau's Fermi-liquid theory. The relativistic Landau parameters are derived microscopically from the ground state energy in the mean-field approximation, and are used to describe the thermodynamic properties of the system, such as the compressibility, the symmetry energy and the hydrodynamic sound velocities. We reproduce the previous results at nuclear saturation density (n0 = 0.19 fm−3) and extrapolate to all density regions. It is shown that the system exhibits instability against the long wavelength density fluctuations in the low density region (nB <0.70 n0) and becomes stable at and above the nuclear saturation density due to the relativistic reduction of the attractive scalar meson component in the quasiparticle interaction. In the extreme high-density region, we reproduce the correct causal results for sound velocities. The existence of collisionless zero-sound oscillation is also examined.
Progression of Retinal Nerve Fiber Myelination in Childhood

Myelination of the visual pathway has been demonstrated to occur by as early as 32 weeks of gestation and continues for several years into early childhood. In most cases, the process of myelination does not extend beyond the lamina cribrosa. We studied a boy with progressive myelination that extended beyond the lamina cribrosa to the retinal nerve fibers. Ocular examination at 15 months of age disclosed myelinated optic nerve fibers of the right eye. We repeated examination every two to six months and found progression of the extent and density of the myelinated nerve fibers. Despite the marked myelination, the patient did not experience a decrease in visual acuity.
Understanding the interactions of cellulose with ionic liquids: a molecular dynamics study.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have recently been demonstrated to be highly effective solvents for the dissolution of cellulose and lignocellulosic biomass. To date, there is no definitive rationale for selecting ionic liquids that are capable of dissolving these biopolymers. In this work, an all-atom force field for the IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C2mim][OAc] was developed and the behavior of cellulose in this IL was examined using molecular dynamics simulations of a series of (1−4) linked β-d-glucose oligomers with a degree of polymerization n = 5, 6, 10, and 20. Molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out on cellulose oligomers in two common solvents, water and methanol, which are known to precipitate cellulose from IL solutions, to determine the extent and energetics of the interactions between these solvents and the cellulosic oligomers. Thermodynamic properties, such as density and solubility, as well as the two-body solute−solvent interaction energy terms, were calculated. The structural ...
Effects of chlordiazepoxide on single-unit activity in the septal region of the freely moving rat: aversive vs. non-aversive contexts

Evidence suggests that stimuli that have the property of inhibiting fear in a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm increase cellular activity in the lateral septum, a result consistent with the idea that the lateral septum is actively involved in the inhibition of fear. The experiments reported here were designed to determine if an anxiolytic drug with fear-inhibiting properties would also increase neuronal activity in the lateral septum in a manner that might relate to its mechanism of action as an anxiolytic. An experiment was performed to compare the effects of the benzodiazepine anxiolytic chlordiazepoxide (CDP) upon single-unit activity in the septal region of the rat brain during Pavlovian aversive conditioning with the effects of CDP in a non-aversive context. During Pavlovian conditioning there was a decrease in unit activity in the more lateral regions of the septum, the dorsolateral and ventrolateral nuclei, when a stimulus signaling footshock (CS+) was presented. This conditioned suppression of unit activity was blocked by an intraperitoneal injection of CDP. Additionally, CDP increased baseline unit activity in these regions in the absence of conditioned stimuli. In the more medial regions of the septum, the intermediate lateral septum, we observed few consistent changes either to the conditioned stimuli or to the drug. In a non-aversive context CDP had either no effect at low to moderate doses, or a suppressant effect at a higher dose. The results support a fear-relief hypothesis of lateral septal functioning and suggest the lateral septum as a possible site for the anxiolytic action of benzodiazepines.
EVIDENCE OF POSTERUPTION RECONNECTION ASSOCIATED WITH CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS IN THE SOLAR WIND

Using a coupled 2.5-dimensional, time-dependent MHD model of the solar corona and inner heliosphere, we have simulated the eruption and evolution of a coronal mass ejection containing a flux rope all the way from the Sun to 1 AU. Although idealized, we find that the simulation reproduces many generic features of magnetic clouds. In this paper we report on a new, intriguing aspect of these comparisons. Specifically, the results suggest that jetted outflow, driven by posteruptive reconnection underneath the flux rope, occurs and may remain intact out to 1 AU and beyond. We present an example of a magnetic cloud with precisely these signatures and show that the velocity perturbations are consistent with reconnection outflow. We suggest that other velocity and/or density enhancements observed trailing magnetic clouds may be signatures of such reconnection and, in some cases, may not be associated with prominence material, as has previously been suggested.
Tracheomalacia secondary to obstructive sleep apnea

Tracheomalacia (TM) is abnormal flaccidity of the trachea caused by inadequate cartilaginous support by the C-shaped tracheal rings. This defect generally results in various degrees of dynamic narrowing of the airway lumen. TM usually presents with expiratory stridor, wheeze, and respiratory obstruction. TM is usually associated with tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal atresia or with other thoracic lesions of vascular rings and tumors. We report a well-documented case of a 20-month-old boy who presented to our institution with a severe history of obstructive sleep apnea and adenotonsillar hypertrophy. On direct laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy, severe TM was noted. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy was performed, and by the 37th postoperative day, the TM had completely resolved. We review the literature, discuss the differential diagnosis and clinical evaluation, and propose a new pathophysiological mechanism by which obstructive sleep apnea causes TM.
A sparsified vector potential equivalent circuit model for massively coupled interconnects

The vector potential equivalent circuit (VPEC) model was introduced for accurately modeling inductive interconnects, and the main computation complexity is inverting the full inductance matrix. In this paper, we develop two sparse approximated inversions to extract the sparsified VPEC model without full inductance matrix inversion. One is a heuristic windowing, and the other is the Schur's windowing, based on the generalized Schur's interpolation algorithm. Both methods have faster extraction time and higher accuracy compared to the existing truncation-based sparsification, and the Schur's windowing achieves the best accuracy. Furthermore, the resultant windowed VPEC circuits can be directly simulated in SPICE with orders of magnitude speedup and less than 3% error compared to the full PEEC model.
COGNITION AND COMMISSUROTOMY

THE evaluation of cognitive functioning in patients with sectioned forebrain commissures has previously been confined largely to descriptions of the breakdown in the interhemispheric transfer of information. While early reports have emphasized the apparent lack of intellectual impairment and personality disruption following commissurotomy (Gazzaniga, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970) it has recently been suggested that such patients may suffer a lasting and severe memory deficit subsequent to operation (Zaidel and Sperry, 1974). These authors report that short-term memory deficits were found in 8 patients with complete section of the forebrain commissures and 2 patients with partial sections. The deficits were evaluated by comparing the patients' scores on standardized memory tests with published scores on normal and epileptic control subjects. While the poor performance of these patients is striking, the conclusion that the corpus callosum plays an important selective role in mnestic function may be premature, given the absence of pre-operative control data. In the present report, we describe the extensive evaluation of cognition in a recent callosotomy case. It should be noted that this is the first recorded split-brain case where pre-operative testing of this kind was carried out. Thus, in addition to re-examining the memory issue using standardized tests, we were interested in obtaining a more complete assessment of cognitive functioning by using several special experimental tests that allow for a greater fractionation of the memory process, as well as a complex hypothesis testing task. With these latter tests, we hoped to identify the functional locus in the memory process that might underlie the earlier reported memory deficit, as well as extend the evaluation of cognition following commissurotomy.
On "motor control exercise for chronic low back pain..." Costa LOP, Maher CG, Latimer J, et al. Phys Ther. 2009;89:1275-1286.

In reading this article,1 I questioned whether the small responses seen in the treatment group were universal, or whether there were some patients who …
Intervention in a family of Boolean networks

Motivation: Intervention in a gene regulatory network is used to avoid undesirable states, such as those associated with a disease. Several types of intervention have been studied in the framework of a probabilistic Boolean network (PBN), which is a collection of Boolean networks in which the gene state vector transitions according to the rules of one of the constituent networks and where network choice is governed by a selection distribution. The theory of automatic control has been applied to find optimal strategies for manipulating external control variables that affect the transition probabilities to desirably affect dynamic evolution over a finite time horizon. In this paper we treat a case in which we lack the governing probability structure for Boolean network selection, so we simply have a family of Boolean networks, but where these networks possess a common attractor structure. This corresponds to the situation in which network construction is treated as an ill-posed inverse problem in which there are many Boolean networks created from the data under the constraint that they all possess attractor structures matching the data states, which are assumed to arise from sampling the steady state of the real biological network. Results: Given a family of Boolean networks possessing a common attractor structure composed of singleton attractors, a control algorithm is derived by minimizing a composite finite-horizon cost function that is a weighted average over all the individual networks, the idea being that we desire a control policy that on average suits the networks because these are viewed as equivalent relative to the data. The weighting for each network at any time point is taken to be proportional to the instantaneous estimated probability of that network being the underlying network governing the state transition. The results are applied to a family of Boolean networks derived from gene-expression data collected in a study of metastatic melanoma, the intent being to devise a control strategy that reduces the WNT5A gene's action in affecting biological regulation. Availability: The software is available on request. Contact: edward@ee.tamu.edu Supplementary information: The supplementary Information is available at http://ee.tamu.edu/~edward/tree
Density normalization of susceptibility for compressible artificial material measurements

An approach to accurate permittivity measurements of compressible materials has been presented. The method uses both the measured, uncompressed density and the calculated, compressed density to account for the change in measured permittivity between compressed and uncompressed specimens of the same material. Normalizing susceptibility to compressed density provides data that closely agreed with actual values. Also, some of the advantages and difficulties in preparing elastomer and ceramic powder composite specimens have been discussed.
Re-evaluating Pulp Protection: Calcium Hydroxide Liners vs. Cohesive Hybridization

Alternatives to calcium hydroxide liners in reducing sensitivity after amalgam placement are considered. Certain clinical and biological studies have reported that prepared dentin and the underlying pulp must be protected with a calcium hydroxide base and liners that supposedly impart biological and structural integrity to tissues. Since the mid-1950s, dentists have relied on a number of calcium hydroxide medicaments for this goal. But recent studies imply that clinicians need to re-evaluate the generous use of certain calcium hydroxide medicaments under restorations.