cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I in Catabolism That Is Induced by Negative Energy Balance

Both GH and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) have been shown to promote anabolism in human volunteers that are made catabolic by caloric restriction. We have used caloric restriction as a model of
KL and KS as shell-model eigenstates☆

Abstract The reaction formalism of Feshbach and MacDonald is used to rederive the results of the Wigner-Weisskopf treatment for the neutral K -meson system. The derivation of the Bell-Steinberger sum rule is particularly transparent in this approach.
Learning-Embedded Disassembly Petri Net for Process Planning

The growing concerns for material resources, energy conservation and landfill capacity have put much pressure on manufacturers, charging them with the responsibility for their outdated products. However, obstacles arise when introducing product/material recovery in the economic landscape due to much uncertainty inherent in the process (e.g., prevailing condition of reclaimed products and the level of human intervention). This paper presents a rigorous model that accounts for such system dynamics in disassembly process planning (DPP), a critical stage to the efficiency of product/material recovery. In particular, this model with the learning capability will be able to: (1) mathematically represent the operational planning of disassembly in the light of uncertainty (i.e., the quality of reclaimed products and the impact of human intervention); (2) accumulate and exploit "knowledge" of system performance via the observation of the process behavior; and (3) dynamically derive a cost-effective disassembly plan.
Finite-horizon equipment replacement analysis

The optimal solution to the infinite-horizon equipment replacement problem with stationary costs is to continually replace an asset at its economic life. The economic life is the age that minimizes the Equivalent Annual Cost (EAC), which includes purchase, operating and maintenance costs less salvage values. We explore the question of whether this is a good policy for the finite-horizon problem, which occurs when companies only require an asset for a specified length of time, usually to fulfill a specific contract. We identify cases, according to capital costs, operating costs, and the interest rate, when this policy is good and when it deviates significantly from optimal. Furthermore, we provide a bound on the minimum number of times that an asset is retained at its economic life over a finite horizon. This is facilitated through a new dynamic-programming formulation to the problem based on the integer-knapsack problem with nonlinear costs. The bound can be derived from any feasible solution, although we...
Development, implementation, and evaluation of a medical Spanish curriculum for an emergency medicine residency program

Abstract A 45-hour medical Spanish curriculum for an emergency medicine residency program was implemented in response to a need for “functionally bilingual” physicians in our practice setting, and to reduce reliance on translation assistance from nursing and clerical personnel. Course goals were to achieve a vocabulary level of 5,000–10,000 words for participants, and to achieve sufficient language capabilities for basic information exchange, obtaining uncomplicated medical histories, conducting unassisted physical examinations, and giving patient discharge instructions. Feedback obtained from post course interviews and instructor assessment indicated that the curriculum employed resulted in the attainment of the above goals for fully participating physicians.
YIELD, PROXIMATE COMPOSITION AND MINERAL ELEMENT CONTENT OF THREE CULTIVARS OF RAW AND ROASTED PEANUTS

Yield of kernels, proximate composition (moisture, crude fiber, fat, protein and ash), and content of nine mineral elements–Ca, Mg, P, Na, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn-are reported for three cultivars of peanuts, raw and roasted. Roasting resulted in higher concentrations of all nutrients measured in the peanuts except moisture and sodium, whose contents decreased. Although statistically significant differences in nutrient content were noted among cultivars, these differences were of little practical importance. Data on retentions of proximate components and mineral elements with roasting of peanuts indicate that except for moisture and sodium (which were low) and ash (which was high), retentions were close to 100%.
Somatic cell culture of rice cultivars with different grain types: Somaclonal variation in some grain and quality characters

Variations in some grain and quality characters in progenies of regenerated rice plants were studied. Grain length and weight decreased significantly, yet gel consistency increased. Variations in these quantitative characters of all cultivars studied were consistent, showing the tendencies of the variations. Grain protein contents of the somaclones were higher in one cultivar. Variability of most traits was increased by combining low-dosage radiation and tissue culture.
Gnomonia leptostyla: growth, sporulation, and heterothallism.

Optimal growth of Gnomonia leptostyla occurred at 22 C and at pH 5.4, and sporulation at 26 C and at pH 6.8 on oatmeal agar. Light reduced vegetative growth, but promoted production of conidia and ...
Developing oligodendroglia express mRNA for insulin‐like growth factor‐I, a regulator of oligodendrocyte development

Insulin-like growth factors IGF-I and IGF-II are potent inducers of oligodendrocyte development. Because IGF-I is produced, in some cases, by the same cells that respond to it (autocrine/paracrine action), we examined the possibility that IGF-I is expressed by developing oligodendroglial cells. We employed a sensitive method, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), to detect IGF-I mRNA in purified populations of oligodendroglial cells isolated from rat brain during the period of oligodendrocyte development. Cells were purified by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), using antibodies to the cell surface antigenic markers O4 and galactocerebroside (GC). RNA was isolated from the sorted cells, reverse-transcribed, and PCR-amplified, using a strategy that recognizes IGF-I mRNA but not DNA. The amplified band was identified as IGF-I by size, hybridization to an IGF-I-specific antisense probe, and restriction analysis. IGF-I mRNA was detected in O4-positive/GC-negative oligodendrocyte precursors and, more weakly, in GC-positive oligodendrocytes. IGF-I mRNA could be detected reproducibly in RNA extracted from 100-cell samples of O4-positive cells, making it unlikely that the mRNA was derived from contaminants in the FACS-sorted cell populations. We conclude that IGF-I is expressed by developing oligodendroglia. Autocrine expression of IGF-I by developing oligodendroglial cells suggests that oligodendrocyte development is, in part, autoregulatory.
Quantum Calculation of the Recombination Rate Constant of H + CO → HCO

The rate constant for the recombination reaction H + CO + M → HCO + M is obtained at four temperatures as a function of the collision frequency using a theory recently proposed by Miller [Miller, W. H. J. Phys. Chem. 1995, 99, 12387]. This theory combines the flux−flux correlation function with the classical strong collision assumption to obtain the recombination rate constant as a function of the collision frequency. The expression for the rate constant is evaluated in a basis of complex L2 eigenfunctions of a complex Hamiltonian, given by the real Hamiltonian for the nonrotating HCO system (J = 0), plus an absorbing potential in the asymptotic potential. The J-shifting approximation is used to obtain the rate constant for non-zero J. The flux−flux correlation function is evaluated at several dividing surfaces, which define the boundary of the complex, and only a fairly minor dependence on this surface is found at low temperatures, but a more substantial dependence is found at high T. The results are com...
Study of Thallium, Lead, and Bismuth Nuclei Produced in the Bombardment of Gold with 380-Mev Protons

Gold was bombarded by the 380-Mev proton beam of the Nevis Cyclotron in a study of secondary reactions. Secondary reactions produce nuclei with charges greater than that of a target nucleus by means of an intermediate fragment emitted from one target nucleus and absorbed in a second. The increase in atomic number permits isolation of the effect by chemical separation. Thallium, lead, and bismuth fractions were separated from irradiated gold bars and carefully purified. The radioactive decay of these samples was followed with a NaI(Tl) crystal scintillation counter. Nuclei produced by secondary reactions were detected for all three elements, the yields decreasing rapidly with increasing atomic number. From the secondary reaction yields of thallium and lead isotopes, it has been possible to calculate the upper portion of the energy distribution of the respective intermediate alpha and lithium fragments. This provides a comprehensive picture of a secondary reaction and demonstrates (1) that the yield of secondary particles is a rapidly increasing function of the bombardment energy for a given target nucleus, (2) that the energy distribution of the secondary fragment possesses an appreciable high-energy' tail, and (3) that secondary reactions can be treated in terms of conventional nuclear reaction theory. (auth)
General relativity exactly described in terms of Newton's laws within curved geometries

Many years ago Milne and McCrea showed in their well-known paper that the Hubble expansion occurring in general relativity could be exactly described by the use of Newtonian mechanics. It will be shown that a similar method can be extended to, and used within, curved geometries when Newton's second law is expressed within a four-dimensional curved spacetime. The second law will be shown to yield an equation that is exactly identical to the geodesic equation of motion of general relativity. This in itself yields no new information concerning relativity since the equation is mathematically identical to the relativistic equation. However, when the time in the second law is defined to have a constant direction as effectively occurs in Newtonian mechanics, and no longer acts as a fourth dimension as exists in relativity theory, it separates into a vector equation in a curved three-dimensional space and an additional second scalar equation that describes conservation of energy. It is shown that the curved Newtonian equations of motion define the metric coefficients which occur in the Schwarzschild solution and that they also define its equations of motion. Also, because the curved Newtonian equations developed here use masses as gravitational sources, as occurs in Newtonian mechanics, they make it possible to derive the solution for other kinds of mass distributions and are used here to find the metric equation for a thin mass-rod and the equation of motion for a mass particle orbiting it in its relativistic gravitational field.
The role of protein synthesis in prefission morphogenesis of Paramecium aurelia.

The effect of cycloheximide on formation of contractile vesicles, development of buccal anlage, and fission in Paramecium aurelia was examined. Paramecium exhibits remarkably strong resistance to this inhibitor of protein synthesis. With continuous exposure to lower concentrations (0.14 to 0.94 mg/ml), the daily fission rate is reduced in proportion to the concentration of cycloheximide and is maintained at a constant level. Exposure to higher concentrations (1.83 mg/ml) starting at various specific times in the interfission cycle reveals transition and stabilization points for each morphogenetic event; exposure prior to the transition point completely blocks development of a given event, but after the stabilization point exposure does not affect morphogenesis, and between these points blockage may or may not take place. The formation of the contractile vesicles is a morphogenetic process distinct from other events related to cell division. It occurs earlier than oral morphogenesis and fission and occurs in a step-wise fashion with the anterior vesicle appearing first and then the posterior one. For fission and buccal development the transition and stabilization points are very similar to those found previously for actinomycin D treatments, suggesting that translation follows immediately on transcription. Resorption of new vesicles was observed; buccal anlage were never resorbed.
Chemistry of fog waters in California's Central Valley: 1. In situ photoformation of hydroxyl radical and singlet molecular oxygen

Abstract The aqueous-phase photoformation of hydroxyl radical ( ⋅ OH ) and singlet molecular oxygen (O2(1Δg) or 1 O ∗ 2 ) was characterized in winter fog waters collected in Davis, California. All of the samples studied formed ⋅ OH and 1 O ∗ 2 upon illumination with simulated sunlight. Nitrite photolysis was a major source of ⋅ OH in these samples, accounting for 47–100% of ⋅ OH photoformation. Compared to calculated rates of gas-to-drop partitioning, in situ photoformation was a significant source of ⋅ OH to all but the smallest fog drops, and was the dominant source of aqueous-phase 1 O ∗ 2 . Measured lifetimes of ⋅ OH in the fog drops ranged from 0.38 to 1.5 μs. These values are significantly shorter than those predicted based on known drop constituents, indicating that uncharacterized compounds – likely organic – are significant sinks for ⋅ OH in fog waters. Based on measured steady-state concentrations, both ⋅ OH and 1 O ∗ 2 are likely to play significant roles in the transformations of trace species in fog drops. Hydroxyl radical appears to be a relatively significant sink for refractory compounds and a minor sink for reactive trace species. Conversely, 1 O ∗ 2 will be a minor sink for refractory compounds but a significant sink for certain electron-rich reactive trace species.
Use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of Entamoeba histolytica antigen in faecal samples

A promising new ELISA method developed by Root et al. to diagnose amoebiasis by the detection of Entamoeba histolytica coproantigen was tested in Mexico City and was reported to be more than twice as sensitive as microscopy. In this study the same procedure was compared to microscopy for paired specimens from 107 patients in San Francisco. Microscopy was more than twice as sensitive as ELISA: of 12 specimens positive by microscopy only 5 were also positive by ELISA. The ELISA did not detect a single specimen not detected by microscopy. Over-all, there was a 93% agreement between the two tests: 5% were positive and 89% negative by both tests. Possible reasons for the differences in the San Francisco and Mexican City findings are discussed.
Opportunistic amoebae: challenges in prophylaxis and treatment.

This review focuses on free-living amoebae, widely distributed in soil and water, causing opportunistic and non-opportunistic infections in humans: Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri, and Sappinia diploidea. Diseases include primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (N. fowleri), granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, cutaneous and nasopharyngeal infections (Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, S. diploidea), and amoebic keratitis (Acanthamoeba spp). Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia, and Naegleria have been repeatedly isolated; S. diploidea has been reported only once, from a brain infection. Antimicrobial therapy for these infections is generally empirical and patient recovery often problematic. N. fowleri is highly sensitive to the antifungal agent amphotericin B, but delay in diagnosis and the fulminant nature of the disease result in few survivors. Encephalitis and other infections caused by Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia have been treated, more or less successfully, with antimicrobial combinations including sterol-targeting azoles (clotrimazole, miconazole, ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole), pentamidine isethionate, 5-fluorocytosine, and sulfadiazine. The use of drug combinations addresses resistance patterns that may exist or develop during treatment, ensuring that at least one of the drugs may be effective against the amoebae. Favorable drug interactions (additive or synergistic) are another potential benefit. In vitro drug testing of clinical isolates points up strain and species differences in sensitivity, so that no single drug can be assumed effective against all amoebae. Another complication is risk of activation of dormant cysts that form in situ in Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia infections, and which can lead to patient relapse following apparently effective treatment. This is particularly true in Acanthamoeba keratitis, a non-opportunistic infection of the cornea, which responds well to treatment with chlorhexidine gluconate and polyhexamethylene biguanide, in combination with propamidine isothionate (Brolene), hexamidine (Desomodine), or neomycin. Acanthamoeba spp. may also be carriers of endosymbiotic bacteria (Legionella and Legionella-like pathogens) and have been implicated in outbreaks of pneumonias in debilitated hosts. As with other infectious diseases, recovery is dependent not only on antimicrobial therapy, but also on patient's immune status, infective dose and virulence of the ameba strain, and on how early the disease is diagnosed and drug therapy initiated.
Use of a Dedicated Server to Perform Coronal and Sagittal Reformations in Trauma Examinations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of implementing an automated process for generating coronal and sagittal reformatted images on radiologist workflow. When performing trauma-related CT examinations of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine at our institution, technologists manually generate coronal and sagittal reconstructions at the scanner console and send these images to a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) for interpretation by radiologists and clinical viewing. Although certain PACS, thin-client three-dimensional systems, and CT scanners are capable of automatically generating reconstructed or reformatted images, the systems at our institution do not support this functionality. We have recently integrated a dedicated server that is capable of automatically generating multiplanar reformatted (MPR) images from source thin-section axial images and sending these images to PACS without requiring technologist input. This dedicated server was used to generate coronal and sagittal MPRs for trauma-related spine studies in parallel with technologist-generated coronal and sagittal reconstructions. When comparing the two methods, using the dedicated server to automatically generate reformations resulted in substantial time savings for the radiologist compared to technologist-generated reconstructions. Additionally, a survey of interpreting radiologists indicated that a significant majority preferred to view the automatically generated MPRs on PACS compared to the thin-client system, considered the image quality to be good or excellent, and believed that viewing MPRs increased diagnostic accuracy and confidence. It is expected that this automated process will significantly improve radiologist workflow with respect to image interpretation time and report turnaround time.
Affiliative preferences, self-change, and adolescent condom use.

Purpose: To describe the social comparisons as measured by affiliative preferences of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White adolescents who are either contemplating initiating or maintaining effective condom use and to examine whether these preferences vary with stage of change for condom use and behavioral self-esteem. Design: School-based survey of 180 sexually-active 12th grade students at two public high schools in northern New Mexico. Methods: Participants anonymously completed structured questionnaires in the classroom. Findings: With few exceptions respondents preferred to affiliate with others who were similar demographically. Stage of change had a significant main effect on adolescents affiliative preferences related to condom use. Contemplators wanted to be with peers who used condoms more than they did (upward affiliations) while those in the preparation and maintenance stages wanted to affiliate with those who used condoms essentially the same amount as they did (lateral affiliations). Stage of change also had a significant interaction with behavioral self-esteem in predicting preferred affiliations related to condom use. Among participants in the preparation stage those with low self-esteem wanted to affiliate with peers who used condoms less than they did (downward affiliations) while those with moderate self-esteem preferred affiliations that were slightly upward. Conclusions: Social comparison theory was a useful theoretical framework for examining preventive health behaviors. Adolescents preferences for affiliation with peers varied according to stage of change and behavioral self-esteem. Implications regarding the use of targeted interventions for each stage of change are discussed. (authors)
Electrical Capacitance Tomography − A Perspective

This article describes the recent progress in research and development on electrical capacitance tomography (ECT). Specifically, the article highlights several aspects of ECT including the electrical capacitance volume tomography (ECVT), 3D sensor design, 3D neural network multicriterion image reconstruction technique (3D-NN-MOIRT), multimodal imaging based on ECT and ECVT sensors, static-charge effects and the scheme of their elimination in the ECT image reconstruction, and multiphase flow imaging applications. The multimodal capability that enables permittivity and conductivity imaging to be simultaneously conducted is illustrated. The simulation and experimental results are presented to provide quantitative and/or qualitative assessment of the significance of various ECT techniques. The employment of ECVT in conjunction with using electrical capacitance based imaging sensors is shown to represent a favorable tool for industrial multiphase flow imaging.
Mask error factor: causes and implications for process latitude

In this paper, a broader understanding of the so-called MEF will be described. MEF is defined as the ratio of the measured CD range on the wafer and the expected CD range due to the reticle. As a result, the MEF plays a very important role in the final CD range as observed on the wafer. It will be shown that the MEF can be controlled by NA, illuminator settings, process conditions and resist type. Since the optimum conditions for Depth of Focus (DOF) will usually be found at different settings than the optimum for MEF, DOF has to be balanced with MEF in order to achieve a minimized CD uniformity over a required focus range. We will show experimental result for different illumination settings. Results for contact holes, isolated lines and dense lines and spaces will be presented. Smaller resolutions, especially line widths below the exposure wavelength, will yield a higher MEF. In turn, decreasing reticle CD's yield reticles where CD uniformity is judged to have worse reticle quality. This stresses the importance of understanding and being able to control the MEF.
Astrophysical gamma-ray production by inverse Compton interactions of relativistic electrons. II. Constraints on compton emission models for NGC 4151, NP 0532, and PSR 0833--45 from gamma-ray data

An inverse Compton origin of the ..gamma..-ray emission of point sources reveals itself by a continuous steepening of the differential ..gamma..-ray spectrum with increasing energy due to higher order effects in the Klein-Nishina cross section. It is shown that the observed breaks in the ..gamma..-ray spectra of the Vela pulsar PSR 0833--45, the Crab pulsar NP 0532, and the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 can be explained quite naturally by this effect. The implied constraints on the mean energy of the target photon gases allow us to discuss the place of origin of the observed ..gamma..-rays.
Turbulent solid-liquid flow through the nozzle of premixed abrasive water jet cutting systems

AbstractA computational fluid dynamics analysis has been conducted for the steady state, turbulent, solid-liquid flow through nozzles used in premixed abrasive water jet cutting systems. The development of a theoretical approach to the evaluation of turbulent flow and particle dynamic properties in the nozzles is attractive because of the difficulties associated with direct measurements in nozzles of high flow speed and small dimension. Axisymmetric simulations have been performed with the commercial code FIDAP, using the standard k-∊ turbulence model. One-way coupling was considered in the simulations, which means that the effect of the presence of the dispersed solid phase on the dynamics of the liquid phase was neglected. The velocities and trajectories of solid particles were predicted. The effects of nozzle geometry on particle dynamic properties were studied. The predictions have been compared with available experimental and theoretical results published by other investigators. This modelling techni...
Current Loops Fitted to Geomagnetic Model Spherical Harmonic Coefficients

One hundred-sixty circular current loops with radial axes were fitted by least squares to the 899 spherical harmonic coefficients of a 29th degree model. In the first case, the parameters that were fitted for each loop were the normalized magnetic moment, the distance from the center of the Earth to the current element, the colatitude and E. longitude of the loop axis, and one-half of the central apex angle of the loop. For this case, two of the loops converged near the inner-core outer-core boundary. They accounted for most of the dipolar field. Twenty of the loops, all with much smaller magnetic moments than the two deep loops, converged in the distance range of 0.42 to 0.67 Earth's radius from the center of the Earth. The other 138 loops, after many iterations, were located at distances between 0.81 and 1.0 Earth's radius from the center of the Earth. The loops with radial distances between 0.21 and 0.67 Earth's radius from the center of the Earth are referred to as “core” loops and those at distances greater than 0.81 Earth's radius as “crustal” loops. The spherical harmonic coefficients from these 160 loops, when subtraced from the 899 coefficients of the original model, left a root-mean-square residual of only 0.2nT. A second case was tried which constrained the 138 “crustal” loops to be at 0.996 Earth's radius (25.5km depth). In this case, the root-mean-square residual of the spherical harmonic coefficients from the original model was 0.9nT.
Heat shock protein 70‐binding protein 1 is highly expressed in high‐grade gliomas, interacts with multiple heat shock protein 70 family members, and specifically binds brain tumor cell surfaces

Chaperone proteins and heat shock proteins (HSP) are essential components of cellular protein folding systems under normal conditions; their expression and activities are upregulated during stress. Chronically stressed tumors frequently exhibit high chaperone protein levels, exploiting their anti-apoptotic mechanisms and general proteome homeostasis amidst a background of genetic instability. Co-chaperones interact with chaperones as malleable regulatory components of protein folding activity and may represent a conduit for modification of chaperone activity to the detriment of the tumor. We have initially characterized one such co-chaperone, heat shock protein 70-binding protein (HspBP) 1 from human brain tumors, their xenografts grown in immune-compromised mice, and in syngeneic murine models in immune-competent mice. Immunohistochemical analyses show HspBP1 overexpression (with unusual subcellular localizations) in patient brain tumors relative to normal brain tissue. This holds true for the xenograft and syngeneic murine tumor models. In biochemical affinity chromatography assays, HspBP1 interacts with members of the HSP70 family from brain tumor lysates and from surface-derived samples, including HSP70, glucose regulated protein (GRP)75, GRP78, and HSP110. From normal brain lysates, only heat shock cognate (HSC)70, GRP75, and HSP110 bind to HspBP1. FACS analyses indicate that HspBP1 binds to brain tumor cell surfaces, possibly via HSP70 family members, and internalizes into cells. This has implications for HspBP1 biology as well as its utility as a tumor-targeting agent. Our results suggest that HspBP1 may play a role in tumor (dys)regulation of chaperone proteins, and that HspBP1 may have extracellular roles with therapeutic implications.
Parameters Affecting the Quantitative Performance of Cold On-Column and Splitless Injection Systems Used in Capillary Gas Chromatography

Evaluation de sept parametres pour optimiser l'injection sans pertes utilisant l'influence du solvant (solvant, temperature d'entree, debit, temps de vanne, volume injecte, efficacite et longueur de l'aiguille) et de cinq parametres pour la technique d'injection froide dans la colonne (solvant, temperature de colonne, debit, vitesse d'injection, et volume injecte)
Neuropsychiatric pharmacogenetics: Moving toward a comprehensive understanding of predicting risks and response

Pharmacogenetic research in the area of neuropsychiatric illnesses is rapidly evolving. Due to the complexity of the human brain, it is not surprising that our knowledge about the interaction between genetics and the treatment of these illnesses is very small. The Human Genome Project (HGP) has identified > 30,000 genes; several thousand of which have been found to occur in the brain or serve a role that enhances the brain’s function. Much of the research in the post-HGP era is being driven by a desire to use genetics to predict which patients deviate from the norm in terms of drug response or side effects. By identifying these people, we will be able to direct clinical practice such that therapies for these disorders can be individualized. With this in mind, the following review is intended to cover a broad understanding of CNS pharmacogenetics with the goal of summarizing available literature on promising candidate gene targets, which may eventually help us predict clinical outcomes in patients taking m...
Alpha-emitting radioisotopes for switchable neutron generators

Abstract Traditionally, radioisotopic neutron generators mix an alpha-emitting radioisotope with beryllium. The disadvantage of such an alpha–Be source is that they emit neutrons at a steady rate even when stored. These conventional generators are extremely awkward to use in many applications because of the neutron shielding required to prevent exposure to personnel and sensitive electronics. Recently, at our laboratory and others, the possibility of using switchable radioactive neutron sources has been investigated. These sources rely on a mechanical operation to separate the alpha-emitting radioisotope from the Be target, thus allowing the source to be switched on and off. The utility of these new switchable sources is critically dependent on the selection of the alpha-emitting radioisotope. In this paper we discuss issues that determine the desirability of an alpha-emitting source for a switchable neutron generator, and select alpha emitters that are best suited for use in this application.
Differential actions of GNRH and rat hypothalamic extracts in release of hypophysial FSH and LH in vitro

Abstract A study was made of the separate patterns of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release from isolated rat pituitary tissue evoked by synthetic gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or female hypothalamic extracts (HE), respectively, in a continuous perifusion system. Under defined conditions, gonadotropin release from hemipituitaries was relatively stable and reproducible. Absolute levels of LH and FSH release evoked by HE in terms of their GnRH content were always greater than those following exposure to synthetic GnRH at varying doses. Synthetic GnRH released more FSH than LH. In contrast, the HE released slightly higher levels of LH than FSH. The data suggest that the female rat hypothalamus contains substances other than GnRH, capable of releasing both LH and FSH. It is possible that such unidentified components can modify the hypophysial action of GnRH, resulting in particular circumstances in a differential release of LH and FSH.
WATER MARKETING AND WATER RIGHTS TRANSFERS IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS∗

Water marketing, which involves the purchase or transfer of water supplies or rights between a willing buyer and seller, represents on strategy for redistributing water resources among competing users. Most frequently, municipalities purchase agricultural water rights to augment their existing supply and help meet projected water demand. In Texas, the most active water market is in the lower Rio Grande Valley where the cities of Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen have acquired surface water rights for converting water from agricultural to municipal and industrial uses. The existence of the Rio Grande Watermaster simplifies the procedure for transferring surface water rights, helps address problems such as the maintenance of instream flow and protection of senior water rights holders, and serves as an administrative model for water resource management.
Growth factor involvement in the multihormonal regulation of MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth in soft agar.

The hormone dependency of the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, while extensively tested in liquid culture, has not been previously evaluated under conditions of anchorage-independent growth in serum-free media. Using the soft agar clonogenic assay, we demonstrate that physiologically relevant concentrations of estradiol (E2), progesterone (Pg), and prolactin (PRL) similarly stimulated MCF-7 cell colony formation in the absence of serum. Addition of an anti-insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) antibody inhibited E2- and Pg-stimulated growth, while PRL action was not affected. Similar results were obtained with an anti-IGF-I receptor antibody, except that its inhibitory effect on Pg-induced colony formation was modest and not statistically significant. Administration of either an anti-transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) antibody or an anti-epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor antibody similarly inhibited E2-stimulated MCF-7 cell growth in soft agar, while neither antibody influenced Pg or PRL effects. Addition of TGF-β1, -β2, -β3 similarly suppressed MCF-7 cell colony formation in a dose dependent manner to a degree comparable to that observed with 4-OH-tamoxifen (4-OH-T). Furthermore, the growth inhibitory effect of 4-OH-T was completely reversed by an anti-TGF-β antibody. We conclude that IGFs and TGF-α are important mediators of E2-stimulated MCF-7 cell growth in soft agar. IGFs may also be playing a role in Pg action, while neither growth factor is involved in PRL-stimulated colony formation. Finally, TGF-β appears to be an important mediator of antiestrogen-induced inhibition of tumor growth.
A Prescription for Cultural Competence in Medical Education

Cultural competence programs have proliferated in U.S. medical schools in response to increasing national diversity, as well as mandates from accrediting bodies. Although such training programs share common goals of improving physician-patient communication and reducing health disparities, they often differ in their content, emphasis, setting, and duration. Moreover, training in cross-cultural medicine may be absent from students' clinical rotations, when it might be most relevant and memorable. In this article, the authors recommend a number of elements to strengthen cultural competency education in medical schools. This “prescription for cultural competence” is intended to promote an active and integrated approach to multicultural issues throughout medical school training.
Electrophysiological Insertion Properties in the Gerbil Using a Flexible Array

Aims: To evaluate our animal model of hearing preservation cochlear implantation and our ability to detect intracochlear trauma using a flexible electrode carrier in the gerbil. Background: Hearing preservation during cochlear implantation has become progressively more important. Specifically, non-traumatic electrode insertions might help to facilitate preservation and subsequent electric acoustic stimulation (EAS or Hybrid stimulation). However, the mechanisms of hearing loss during cochlear implantation remain unknown. In an effort to improve our understanding and the outcomes of hearing preservation during cochlear implantation, we have developed an animal model. This model allows us to record early auditory parameters during electrode insertions and thus correlate electrophysiological and mechanical findings. Previously, we demonstrated our ability to detect cochlear trauma using a rigid electrode. However, human surgery features flexible electrodes and in an effort to simulate this, we have developed a flexible array suitable for implantation in the gerbil.
The specific binding of transferrin to the murine fibroblast cell lines AKR-2B and its malignant counterpart AKR-MCA may be related to the transformed state.

Abstract The specific binding of radiolabelled transferrin to AKR-2B and AKR-MCA murine fibroblasts was studied. The binding of radioligand to both cell lines was specific, being displaced by excess of unlabelled transferrin but not myoglobin, or lactoperoxidase. Under equilibrium conditions the transformed line AKR-MCA bound significantly more radioactive transferrin (22.5 ± 3.5 fmol/μg DNA) than the parental line AKR-2B (14.5 ± 1.5 fmol/μg DNA). The differences in the amount of ligand bound was due to altered receptor numbers. Treatment of AKR-MCA and AKR-2B cells with DMF eliminated the difference in transferrin binding capacities. The maximum decrease in specific ligand binding to AKR-MCA cells brought about by the polar solvent was observed after 48 h. These data suggest an association between transferrin binding and the transformed state of AKR-2B fibroblasts.
Facebook: Friend or Faux?

The author orients readers to the basic features of Facebook and its various uses in the teen world. She then describes her own experience with it, reviewing her use and that of her peers, to consider its social and psychological effects. She discusses the benefits of the varied and rich communication possible through Facebook, including certain advantages with which some adults are unfamiliar. She notes that the site encourages voyeurism and narcissism, but believes that social media is not often their primary cause. Overall, she concludes that the problems with Facebook are reflective of broader, long-standing problems with social values that lead to alienation, and that this alienation does not outweigh its benefits.
Next billion cameras

What will a camera look like 10 years from now? How should we change the camera to improve mobile photography? How will a billion networked and portable cameras change the social culture? How can we use bio-inspired processing to decompose sensed values into perceptually critical elements? How will online photo collections transform visual social computing?Capture and analysis of visual information plays an important role in photography, art, medical imaging, tele-presence, worker safety, scene understanding, and robotics. But current computational approaches analyze images from single cameras that have only limited abilities. Cameras of the future will exploit unusual optics, novel illumination, and emerging sensors. A significant enhancement in the next billion cameras to support scene analysis and mechanisms for superior metadata tagging for effective sharing will bring about a revolution in visual communication. This course explores the trends and issues associated with that revolution.
First report of Armillaria gallica causing armillaria root rot in daylily in South Carolina.

Daylily (Hemerocallis sp.) plants declined in a homeowner's backyard in Walhalla, SC in June 2004. The backyard in northwestern South Carolina contained multiple, hardwood tree stumps, was surrounded by mature hardwood trees, and contained a dogwood tree showing symptoms of Armillaria root rot. Daylily plants were stunted and necrosis of leaves began at the leaf tips. A cross section through the crown of the wilting plants revealed necrotic areas with the presence of white mycelial fans. Rhizomorphs were found in the direct vicinity of the daylily root system, on the roots of the dogwood, and throughout surrounding soil. Diseased daylily crowns, rhizomorphs, and dogwood bark containing mycelial fans were collected. Small sections of white mycelial fans from daylily crowns and the dogwood sample were transferred to benomyl dichloran streptomycin (BDS) selective medium. Rhizomorph pieces were surface sterilized in a 0.6% sodium hypochlorite solution for 10 min and rinsed with sterile water before being tran...
How mindfulness changed my sleep: focus groups with chronic insomnia patients

Chronic insomnia is a major public health problem affecting approximately 10% of adults. Use of meditation and yoga to develop mindful awareness (‘mindfulness training’) may be an effective approach to treat chronic insomnia, with sleep outcomes comparable to nightly use of prescription sedatives, but more durable and with minimal or no side effects. The purpose of this study was to understand mindfulness training as experienced by patients with chronic insomnia, and suggest procedures that may be useful in optimizing sleep benefits. Adults (N = 18) who completed an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program as part of a randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate MBSR as a treatment for chronic insomnia were invited to participate in post-trial focus groups. Two groups were held. Participants (n = 9) described how their sleep routine, thoughts and emotions were affected by MBSR and about utility (or not) of various mindfulness techniques. Groups were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Four themes were identified: the impact of mindfulness on sleep and motivation to adopt a healthy sleep lifestyle; benefits of mindfulness on aspects of life beyond sleep; challenges and successes in adopting mindfulness-based practices; and the importance of group sharing and support. Participants said they were not sleeping more, but sleeping better, waking more refreshed, feeling less distressed about insomnia, and better able to cope when it occurred. Some participants experienced the course as a call to action, and for them, practicing meditation and following sleep hygiene guidelines became priorities. Motivation to sustain behavioral changes was reinforced by feeling physically better and more emotionally stable, and seeing others in the MBSR class improve. The body scan was identified as an effective tool to enable falling asleep faster. Participants described needing to continue practicing mindfulness to maintain benefits. First-person accounts are consistent with published trial results of positive impacts of MBSR on sleep measured by sleep diary, actigraphy, and self-report sleep scales. Findings indicate that mindfulness training in a group format, combined with sleep hygiene education, is important for effective application of MBSR as a treatment for chronic insomnia.
The electronic disability record: purpose, parameters, and model use case.

The active engagement of consumers is an important factor in achieving widespread success of health information systems. The disability community represents a major segment of the healthcare arena, with more than 50 million Americans experiencing some form of disability. In keeping with the “consumer-driven” approach to e-health systems, this paper considers the distinctive aspects of electronic and personal health record use by this segment of society. Drawing upon the information shared during two national policy forums on this topic, the authors present the concept of Electronic Disability Records (EDR). The authors outline the purpose and parameters of such records, with specific attention to its ability to organize health and financial data in a manner that can be used to expedite the disability determination process. In doing so, the authors discuss its interaction with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Personal Health Records (PHR). The authors then draw upon these general parameters to outline a model use case for disability determination and discuss related implications for disability health management. The paper further reports on the subsequent considerations of these and related deliberations by the American Health Information Community (AHIC).
Evolution of a Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus Strain In Vivo: Multiple Changes in the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of a Single Lineage of Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus under the Impact of Antibiotics Administered for Chemotherapy

A number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates were recovered over a period of several weeks from blood samples and from the heart valve of a patient who underwent extensive vancomycin chemotherapy for persistent S. aureus bacteremia. Consecutive isolates showed gradually decreasing growth rates during in vitro cultivation and increasing vancomycin MICs, from an MIC of 1 μg/ml for the initial isolate to an MIC of 8 μg/ml for the final MRSA isolates, which also became tolerant to vancomycin. Major changes were observed in the oxacillin resistance phenotype of several of the isolates—apparently related to in vivo exposure to imipenem, which was also used during a period of chemotherapy. Both the gradually increasing vancomycin MICs and the changes in oxacillin resistance could be reproduced by appropriate exposure of the initial MRSA isolate to antibiotics in vitro. All isolates had the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern, spaA type, and multilocus sequence type (MLST), which was identified as a single-locus variant of ST5, the MLST characteristic of previously characterized MRSA isolates with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin in the United States and Japan.
Limiting Private Data Exposure in Online Transactions: A User-Based Online Privacy Assurance Model

Privacy conscious online shoppers find themselves forced to disseminate and share private data with new entities when engaging in online transactions. This paper provides a solution that limits private data exposure to entities that already have it. First, we provide a high-level classification of current privacy assurance practices. We identify three categories that are based on who is responsible for the protection of private data access and usage. Next, we present a detailed classification based on the degree of user anonymity and the degree of transaction traceability a privacy assurance model provides. Finally, we propose a new online shopping model that limits private data sharing to the user’s bank, which we argue does not constitute a new exposure of the user’s data.
Self-Assembled Monolayers of Synthetic Hemoproteins on Silanized Quartz

To better understand the relation between structure and function of complex natural heme proteins, we have designed and synthesized de novo simplified versions called maquettes. Furthermore, we have assembled organized monolayers of these heme protein maquettes onto silanized quartz to more define their structural and functional properties and to take the first step in constructing robust devices that exploit biological chemistry. First, two di-α-helical peptides, α2, were designed and synthesized to self-assemble into a four-helix bundle [α2]2. The assembly has a well-developed hydrophobic interior and coordinates iron protoporphyrin IX (heme) by bis-histidine ligation. The chemisorption of these synthetic hemoproteins onto silanized quartz was achieved by reacting disulfide bridges in the loop region of each α2 with thiols immobilized at the surface. Self-assembled monolayers of synthetic hemoproteins were characterized by UV/vis spectroscopy. UV absorption of the tryptophan reveals the presence of pept...