cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential Danger of Pre‐Pump Clamping on Negative Pressure‐Associated Gaseous Microemboli Generation During Extracorporeal Life Support—An In Vitro Study

The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between revolution speed of a conventional centrifugal pump and negative pressure at the inlet of the pump by clamping the tubing upstream of the pump, and to verify whether negative pressure leads to gaseous microemboli (GME) production in a simulated adult extracorporeal life support (ECLS) system. The experimental circuit, including a Maquet Rotaflow centrifugal pump and a Medos Hilite 7000 LT polymethyl-pentene membrane oxygenator, was primed with packed red blood cells (hematocrit 35%). Negative pressure was created in the circuit by clamping the tubing upstream of the pump for 10 s, and then releasing the clamp. An emboli detection and classification quantifier was used to record GME volume and count at pre-oxygenator and post-oxygenator sites, and pressure and flow rate data were collected using a custom-based data acquisition system. All trials were conducted at 36°C at revolution speeds of 2000-4000 rpm (500 rpm increment). The flow rates were 1092.5-4708.4 mL/min at the revolution speeds of 2000-4000 rpm. Higher revolution speed generated higher negative pressure at the pre-pump site when clamping the tubing upstream of the pump (-108.3 ± 0.1 to -462.0 ± 0.5 mm Hg at 2000-4000 rpm). Moreover, higher negative pressure was associated with a larger number and volume of GME at pre-oxygenator site after de-clamp (GME count 10,573 ± 271 at pre-oxygenator site at 4000 rpm). The results showed that there was a potential danger of delivering GME to the patient when clamping pre-pump tubing during ECLS using a centrifugal pump. Our results warrant further clinical studies to investigate this phenomenon.
The ROP vesicle release factor is required in adult Drosophila glia for normal circadian behavior

We previously showed that endocytosis and/or vesicle recycling mechanisms are essential in adult Drosophila glial cells for the neuronal control of circadian locomotor activity. In this study, our goal was to identify specific glial vesicle trafficking, recycling, or release factors that are required for rhythmic behavior. From a glia-specific, RNAi-based genetic screen, we identified eight glial factors that are required for normally robust circadian rhythms in either a light-dark cycle or in constant dark conditions. In particular, we show that conditional knockdown of the ROP vesicle release factor in adult glial cells results in arrhythmic behavior. Immunostaining for ROP reveals reduced protein in glial cell processes and an accumulation of the Par Domain Protein 1e (PDP1e) clock output protein in the small lateral clock neurons. These results suggest that glia modulate rhythmic circadian behavior by secretion of factors that act on clock neurons to regulate a clock output factor.
The Land Market in Russia in 2011

This paper deals with a wide scope of problems related to the land reform in the Russian Federation.
Beckett and Québec: "Je me souviens"?

The article analyses the interpretations of Beckett's Waiting for Godot through the work of two Quebecois artists: Andre Brassard's mises en scene and Dominic Champagne's play La Repetition, inspired by Godot. Against the universalism of Beckett's oeuvre, Brassard and Champagne have manipulated the play to demonstrate the specificities of their culture. While Brassard's latest mise en scene returns to the Quebecois theatrical traditions of vaudeville, Champagne's original play is the result of a linguistic and cultural exploration of Quebec. L'article analyse les interpretations de deux artistes quebecois de la piece En Attendant Godot de Beckett. L'etude vise plus particulierement les deux mises en scene d'Andre Brassard et une creation originale de Dominic Champagne, La Repetition, qui s'inspire de la piece de Beckett. A priori, l'universalisme beckettien attire les artistes, mais leur Godot devient rapidement un forum sur la specificite quebecoise. Alors que la derniere mise en scene de Brassard retourne aux traditions theâtrales quebecoises du vaudeville, la piece de Champagne resulte d'une exploration linguistique et culturelle du Quebec.
Consequences of Biotechnology Policy for Competitiveness and Trade of Southern U.S. Agriculture

The effect of policy decisions on the competitiveness of genetically modified (GM) crops was examined. The United States has been an early innovator in the development and use of biotechnology crops and has expanded its export market share of the three major GM crops: soybeans, cotton, and corn. Cotton, soybeans, and corn are all grown in the southern states, but these states have an apparent comparative advantage only in the production of cotton, which may be strengthened with the adoption of genetically modified cotton. The influence of biotechnology on the competitiveness of soybeans and corn for the southern states through the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is not clear but is probably negligible.
Improved Treatment Results in High-Risk Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients After Intensification With High-Dose Cytarabine and Mitoxantrone: Results of Study Acute Myeloid Leukemia–Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster 93

PURPOSE: To improve outcome in high-risk patients, high-dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone (HAM) was introduced into the treatment of children with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in study AML-BFM 93. Patients were randomized to HAM as either the second or third therapy block, for the purpose of evaluation of efficacy and toxicity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 471 children with de novo AML were entered onto the trial; 161 were at standard risk and 310 were at high risk. After the randomized induction (daunorubicin v idarubicin), further therapy, with the exception of HAM, was identical in the two risk groups and also comparable to that in study Acute Myeloid Leukemia–Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (AML-BFM) 87. RESULTS: Overall, 387 (82%) of 471 patients achieved complete remission, and 5-year survival, event-free survival (EFS), and disease-free survival rates were 60%, 51%, and 62%, respectively. Idarubicin induction resulted in a significantly better blast cell reduction in the bone marrow on day 15. Esti...
Does your instruction rate 5 stars

Over the years the author has had the opportunity to evaluate hundreds of instructional products. An amazing number of these are surprisingly ineffective and some do not teach at all. Like a book, too much instruction is judged by its cover; the glitz, glitter, or game-like interaction that too often is irrelevant to the effectiveness of the instruction. This workshop looks beneath the production quality of the instructional product to the instructional strategies involved, those aspects of the instruction that are hard to observe on the surface, but that determine whether or not the product will really teach. In this presentation you will learn to rate an instructional product on those characteristics that effect its ability to teach rather than those attributes that contribute only to its market appeal. The presentation introduces and illustrates a rating system to determine the instructional effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal of an instructional product. It describes and illustrates what is required for five star instruction.
Twisted supersymmetries in lattice \mathcal{N} = 4 super Yang-Mills theory

Recently it has been shown how a topologically twisted version of $ \mathcal{N} $ = 4 super Yang-Mills may be discretized in such a way as to preserve one scalar supersymmetry at nonzero lattice spacing. The remaining fifteen supersymmetries are broken by terms of $ \mathcal{O} $ (a) where a is the lattice spacing. One would like to know whether these remaining supersymmetries are regained in the continuum limit a → 0 and, if not, how much tuning of the couplings in the lattice action is required. In this paper we derive the form of these additional twisted supersymmetries by combining a set of discrete R-symmetries of the continuum theory with the action of the scalar supersymmetry. We then argue that restoration of rotational symmetry in the continuum limit of the lattice theory likely implies restoration of R-symmetry and hence should lead to an automatic enhancement to the full $ \mathcal{N} $ =4supersymmetrywithout further fine-tuning.
Electron-dense chains and clusters in platelets from patients with storage pool-deficiency disorders.

Summary. Human platelets are known to contain inherently electron-opaque dense bodies, the storage sites for adenine nucleotides and serotonin, which can be identified under the electron microscope without fixation or staining. Recently we have reported that platelets also contain chains and clusters that are also opaque when examined by the whole-mount technique. The possibility that the newly described structures might be stages in the development of dense bodies requires consideration. The present study examined platelets from patients with Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome, Chediak–Higashi syndrome and platelet storage pool disease, whose cells are markedly deficient or lack dense bodies. Platelets from these individuals contained the same frequency of chains and clusters as found in platelets from normal controls. Thus, chains and clusters do not appear related to formation of dense bodies.
Reduction with Aluminum Alkoxides

Verley and Meerwein and Schmidt discovered independently that an aldehyde can be reduced to the primary alcohol by treatment with aluminum ethoxide in the presence of ethanol. The reduction of the aldehyde occurs at the expense of an equivalent amount of ethanol which is oxdized to acetaldehyde. The reaction is reversible, but the equilibrium can be shifted to the point of complete reduction by removal of the acetaldehyde with a stream of hydrogen or nitrogen. This has the additional advantage of preventing side reactions such as aldol condensation between the original aldehdye and acetaldehyde. This method of reduction with aluminum chloride was found applicable to several aldehydes, but to only a few ketones of special types. This mild and specific method of reducing carbonyl compounds became know as the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction Lund later studied the scope and limitations of the reaction. Keywords: reduction; aluminum alkoxides; Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction; aluminum isopropoxide; carbonyl groups; limitations; side reactions; keto esters; hydroxy ketones; alpha-bromoketones
On the Solution of Elastohybrid Lubrication Problems

A numerical method is presented for the solution of Elastohybrid bearing problems, i.e., problems in which the elastic deformations of the bearing components influence the performance of a hybrid bearing. The effective coupling of the equations of the fluid film, the oil supply circuit, and the elastic bearing structure is discussed. The elastic bearing structures are represented by a compliance matrix obtained from a large scale finite element computer code. The effect of cavitation is included in the analysis and an application to partial journal bearing is presented. Presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 9–12, 1977
Aging and human heat tolerance

Collectively, the literature on heat tolerance suggests that middle-aged (45- to 64-year-old) men and women are more work-heat-intolerant and suffer more physiological strain during heat acclimation than younger individuals. However, it is unclear whether the age differences in work-heat intolerance and physiological strain during heat acclimation are related to age per se or associated with other factors such as certain disease states, decreased physical activity, or lowered aerobic fitness. In contrast, the work-heat tolerance and physiological responses during heat acclimation of habitually active or aerobically trained middle-aged men are the same as or better than younger individuals. The reviewed studies emphasize the importance of aerobic fitness and pertinent morphological factors, such as body fat, body weight, and surface area in maintaining work-heat tolerance with aging. Recent studies suggest that middle-aged and older men and women may be more susceptible to greater heat strain at physiologically significant levels of dehydration than those younger. However, additional research appears necessary to support this hypothesis. When the effects of chronic debilitating diseases in the elderly (64 years old and older) are minimized, their heat tolerance and thermoregulatory responses are comparable to those of younger individuals. In fact, healthy and well acclimated elderly men and women appear to perform as well as younger individuals during desert walks in dry heat. This review discusses experimental observations from previously published studies concerning aging and heat tolerance or the physiological heat strain during heat acclimation at rest or during work; and it suggests future research efforts needed to understand this topic better.
Examination of the oxidative degradation of polyacrylonitrile using infrared spectroscopy

The oxidative thermal degradation of polyacrylonitrile has been examined using infrared spectroscopy. It was found that the generally accepted mechanism for the thermal degradation of polyacrylonitrile in air, which involves direct interaction of neighboring nitrile groups, and alternate proposals, involving azomethine crosslinks through reaction of the nitrile group and a neighboring tertiary hydrogen atom, do not satisfactorily represent an initial degradation scheme accounting for the observed infrared spectral changes. Rather, it must be concluded that these reactions take place after the initial degradation, to produce highly complex pyridinoid systems, and are not observable under the experimental conditions employed here. By detailed interpretation of the spectral changes using, in part, a difference spectral examination technique, an alternate route for the oxidative degradation involving the introduction of double bonds in the polymer chain could be formulated. This reaction can best be visualized as occurring via the attack of molecular oxygen at the activated tertiary carbon–hydrogen bond adjacent to the electron-withdrawing nitrile group. The nitrile group was shown to remain unreacted during the course of the initial oxidation. After the introduction of the double bond, a number of secondary degradative reactions, of which the previously proposed routes of degradation are representative, take place; these include degradation reactions of the nitrile groups to form acid and amide groups. It was observed that the accumulation of oxygenated intermediates on the surface of the polymer film is a rapid reaction and that the initial degradation process is controlled by the concentration of these species.
PHOTOMETRIC OBSERVATIONS OF 125 ASTEROIDS

Abstract We present observations of 125 asteroids taken by traditional photoelectric photometry as well as with CCD imaging systems, from 1985 to the end of 1993, just 2 months before the untimely death of the first author. From these observations, we derive rotation periods for 82 asteroids. Of these, 72 are for asteroids with no previously reported rotation period, and one is a significant revision of a period previously reported. We report V magnitudes for almost all of the objects and five-color observations (a subset of the eight-color asteroid system) for 35 of the asteroids. Most of the objects observed are small main-belt asteroids or near-Earth asteroids; thus this data set is a substantial addition to the known rotation periods and amplitudes of variations of those classes of asteroids.
IVC Filters: Challenges and Future Directions

Since their introduction in 1973, inferior vena cava filters have evolved concurrent with advancing technology, and, therefore, their use has expanded due to broader indications for insertion. This paper focuses on the challenges and future directions of this trend, including a closer look at complications, retrieval rates, and cost-effectiveness.
Comparison of nitrate uptake kinetic parameters across maize inbred lines

Abstract Eighty‐five maize lines were evaluated in a primary screen for differences in uptake rate at 1 mM KNO3; 15 were statistically separable into either “high”; or “low”; populations. Kinetic parameters were determined by iterative, least‐squares regression using a model combining both a saturable and a linear component. Using the inbred B73 as an arbitrary standard, it was determined that the saturable component had a Km of 224 μM and a Vmax of 0.107 μmolNO3/mg root dry weight/hr. The ,linear component had a first order rate constant of 6.1 × 10‐2 μmol NO3/mg root dry weight‐hr/mM. These values compared favorably with other published determinations of nitrate uptake kinetic parameters for saturable systems. No other constants have been reported for a linear component of nitrate uptake in higher plants. Only Vmax was shown to vary across the 15 genotypes for which kinetic parameters were determined. There was a non‐significant correlation between calculated Vmax and uptake rate at 1 mM in the primary ...
A self-consistent approach to dynamic effective properties of a composite reinforced by distributed spherical particles

A self-consistent approach to dynamic effective properties of a composite reinforced by randomly distributed spherical inclusions is studied. The coherent plane waves propagating through the particle-reinforced composite are of attenuation nature. It implies that there is an analogy between the particle-reinforced composite and the effective medium with complex-valued elastic constants from the viewpoints of wave propagation. A composite sphere consisting of the inclusion, the matrix and the interphase between them is assumed embedded in the effective medium. The effective wavenumbers of the coherent plane waves propagating through the particle-reinforced composite are obtained by the dynamic self-consistent conditions which require that the forward scattering amplitudes of such a composite sphere embedded in the effective medium are equal to zero. The dynamic effective properties (effective phase velocity, effective attenuation and effective elastic constants) obtained by the present dynamic self-consistent approach for SiC-Al composites are compared numerically with that obtained by the effective field approach at various volume concentrations. It is found that there is a good agreement between the two approaches at a relatively low frequency and low volume concentration but the numerical results deviate from each other at a relatively high frequency and high volume concentration.
Determinants of quality of life in patients with refractory focal epilepsy who were not eligible for surgery or who rejected surgery.

Abstract The aim of the study was to assess the determinants of quality of life (QOL) in adult patients with refractory focal epilepsy who were not eligible for surgery or who rejected surgery after presurgical evaluation. The QOLIE-31, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and PESOS questionnaire were mailed in 2009 to all adult patients who had been evaluated for suitability for epilepsy surgery between 2001 and 2007 in the Bethel Epilepsy Center and had been deemed not eligible for surgery or had decided against surgery. Questionnaires were sent by post to 359 patients: 172 (47.9%) replied, and of these, 125 patients were eligible for this study. The remaining 47 patients were excluded mainly because they did not fulfill the criteria of refractory epilepsy. Out of the included 125 patients, 106 were considered to be poor surgical candidates for medical reasons, and 19 had decided against surgery. The mean follow-up was 4.1 ± 2.1 years. In the past 6 months, 13.9% of the patients were seizure free, 12 of them (9.6%) were seizure free for one year, 10.7% had 1–2 seizures, 11.5% had 3–5 seizures, 27.0% had one or more seizures a month, 23.0% had one or more seizures a week, and 13.9% had one or more seizures a day. Patient-perceived changes in their seizures since presurgical evaluation were rated by 15.6% of the patients as ‘improved significantly’, by 28.7% as ‘improved’, by 46.7% as ‘no change’, by 6.6% as ‘deteriorated’ and by 2.5% as ‘significantly deteriorated’. Quality of life in patients with refractory epilepsy was much lower compared to operated patients from our center. Multivariate analysis of QOL showed that depression and anxiety are strong predictors but not exclusively. Furthermore, tolerability and efficacy of AEDs are significant predictors of most QOLIE-31 subscales. Employment, seizure frequency, patient-perceived change in their seizures, number of AEDs and the degree of comorbidity appeared as predictors for some aspects of QOL as well. When excluding anxiety and depression, the most important predictors of QOL were tolerability of AEDs and employment. For other aspects of QOL, efficacy of AEDs, gender, number of AEDs, degree of comorbidity and a certificate of disability were additional predictors. The results of the multivariate analysis did not essentially change when seizure-free patients were excluded. Conclusion: Quality of life in non-operated patients with refractory epilepsy is significantly lower than in operated patients from the same center. Besides depression and anxiety, patient-rated tolerability and efficacy of AEDs, seizure frequency and employment are the main determinants of QOL.
Dynamic palmitoylation of neuromodulin (GAP-43) in cultured rat cerebellar neurons and mouse N1E-115 cells

We conducted pulse-chase and metabolic labeling experiments to determine directly whether palmitoylation of neuromodulin in neurons is dynamic, and if acylation is regulated. The rates of turnover of neuromodulin protein and associated palmitoyl groups were quantified using cultured cerebellar granule neurons and the neuronal cell line N1E-115. The half-life of [3H]palmitate bound to neuromodulin was approximately 5 h, whereas the half-life of the [35S]methionine-labeled neuromodulin was greater than 50 h. Metabolic and pulse-chase labeling experiments were carried out in the presence of various activators of cellular signaling pathways. Our data indicate that dynamic acylation and deacylation of neuromodulin in neurons are constitutive and are not regulated by G protein activation or other signals that control growth cone dynamics.
Total temperature thermocouple probe based on recovery temperature of circular cylinder

A total temperature probe based on the recovery temperature of a circular cylinder is described which combines the advantages of both hot wire and shielded thermocouple probe. It is mechanically very simple and durable and may be used in low and high speed flow, from continuum to the free molecule regime and is suitable for wake and boundary layer investigations with large total temperature gradients. As an example of the use of the probe, measurements of total temperature in the hypersonic near wake of a cold cylinder (77°K) are discussed.
Effects of Na-coupled alanine transport on intracellular K activities and the K conductance of the basolateral membranes of Necturus small intestine.

Intracellular electrical potentials and K activity, (K) c , were determined simultaneously inNecturus small intestine before and after the addition of alanine to the mucosal solution. As noted previously (Gunter-Smith, Grasset & Schultz, 1982), the addition of alanine to the mucosal solution resulted in a prompt depolarization of the electrical potential difference across the apical membrane (ψmc) and a decrease in the slope resistance of that barrier (r m). This initial response was followed by a slower repolarization of ψmc associated with a decrease in the slope resistance of the basolateral membrane (r s) so that when the steady state was achieved (r m/r s) did not differ significantly from control values in the absence of alanine. In the absence of alanine, ψmc averaged −32 mV and(K) c averaged 67mm. When a steady state was achieved in the presence of alanine these values averaged −24 mV and 50mm, respectively. The steady-stateelectrochemical potential differences for K across the basolateral membrane in the absence and presence of alamine did not differ significantly. Inasmuch as the rate of transcellular active Na transport or “pump activity” was increased two-to threefold in the presence of alanine, it follows that,if active Na extrusion across the basolateral membrane is coupled to active K uptake across that barrier with a fixed stoichiometry then, the decrease inr s must be due to an increase in the conductance of the basolateral membrane to K that parallels the increase in “pump activity”. This “homocellular” regulatory mechanism serves to (i) prevent an increase in (K) c due to an increase in pump activity; and (ii) repolarize ψmc and thus restore the electrical driving force for the rheogenic Na-coupled entry processes.
Long run equilibrium: convergence within an urban and rural regional economy

Purpose – To test the economic theory that economies with greater stability and diversity are also economies that are more insulated from economic shocks.Design/methodology/approach – Uses persistence profiles derived from the cointegrated systems of two regional economies within the state of Oregon; the urban Portland Metropolitan Area (PMA) and the rural Southwest (SW) region.Findings – The results of the above process illustrate that the more stable and diverse PMA responds with a smaller frequency and returns to equilibrium more quickly than the SW.Research limitations/implications – This paper only provides one set of observations, which is insufficient to prove the theory, but does enable a more extensive time series approach than that has been done previously. Also regional economies typically become more diversified over time, so the level of diversity can only be measured in relative terms not absolute.Practical implications – The paper reveals the benefits a diversified a diversified economy has...
Experimental validation of a versatile system of CT dosimetry using a conventional ion chamber : Beyond CTDI100

This article is an experimental demonstration and authentication of a new method of computed tomography dosimetry [R. L. Dixon, Med. Phys. 30, 1272-1280 (2003)], which utilizes a short, conventional ion chamber rather than a pencil chamber, and which is more versatile than the latter. The value of CTDI100 correctly predicts the accumulated dose only for a total scan length L equal to 100 mm and underestimates the limiting equilibrium dose approached for longer, clinically relevant body scan lengths [R. L. Dixon, Med. Phys. 30, 1272-1280 (2003); K. D. Nakonechny, B. G. Fallone, and S. Rathee, Med. Phys. 32, 98-109 (2005); S. Mori, M. Endo, K. Nishizawa, T. Tsunoo, T. Aoyama, H. Fujiwara, and K. Murase, Med. Phys. 32, 1061-1069 (2005); R. L. Dixon, M. T. Munley, and E. Bayram, Med. Phys. 32, 3712-3728 (2005); R. L. Dixon, Med. Phys. 33, 3973-3976 (2006)]. Dixon [Med. Phys. 30, 1272-1280 (2003)] originally proposed an alternative using a short ion chamber and a helical scan acquisition to collect the same integral for any scan length L (and not limited 100 mm). The primary purpose of this work is to demonstrate experimentally the implementation, robustness, and versatility of this small ion chamber method in measuring the accumulated dose in the body phantom for any desired scan length L (up to the available phantom length) including the limiting equilibrium dose (symbolically CTDIinfinity), and validation of the method against the pencil chamber methodology. Additionally, a simple and robust method for independently verifying the active length of a pencil chamber is described. The results of measurements made in a 400 mm long, 32 cm diameter polymethylmethacrylate body phantom using a small Farmer-type ion chamber and two pencil chambers of lengths l=100 and 150 mm confirm that the two methodologies provide the same dose values at the corresponding scan lengths L=l. The measured equilibrium doses obtained for GE MDCT scanners at 120 kVp are CTDIinfinity = 1.75 CTDI100 on the central axis and 1.22 CTDI100 on the peripheral axes, illustrating a nontrivial shortfall of CTDI100 in that regard and in good agreement with comparable data [S. Mori, M. Endo, K. Nishizawa, T. Tsunoo, T. Aoyama, H. Fujiwara, and K. Murase, Med. Phys. 32, 1061-1069 (2005); J. M. Boone, Med. Phys. 34, 1364-1371 (2007)].
Daily and hourly temporal association between Δ4-androstenedione - induced preterm myometrial contractions and maternal plasma estradiol and oxytocin concentrations in the 0.8 gestation rhesus monkey☆☆☆★★★

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the temporal relationship between Δ 4 -androstenedione-induced preterm switching of myometrial activity patterns from contractures to contractions and maternal plasma estradiol and oxytocin concentrations in the 0.8 gestation rhesus monkey. STUDY DESIGN: Eight rhesus monkeys (132 to 136 days' gestation) were instrumented under halothane with femoral artery and vein catheters and uterine electromyogram electrodes. At 138 to 142 days' gestation baseline maternal femoral artery blood samples for estradiol and oxytocin measurement were taken at 30-minute intervals for 7 hours, starting 2 hours before the onset of darkness. The day after baseline sampling a continuous intravenous Δ 4 -androstenedione infusion (0.3 mg · kg -1 · hr -1 in 10% intralipid at 0.25 ml · hr -1 ) was started in four monkeys, while four monkeys were infused intravenously with intralipid alone. The sampling regimen was then repeated at 1 and 3 days after the start of the Δ 4 -androstenedione or intralipid infusion. Contractions were counted and estradiol and oxytocin were measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Androstenedione promoted a premature nocturnal increase in myometrial contractions in conjunction with an increase in maternal plasma concentrations of estradiol and oxytocin, which were of similar magnitude to those measured in spontaneous term labor. The increase in maternal estradiol preceded the increase in maternal oxytocin levels and myometrial contractions. The onset of the increase in maternal plasma oxytocin was closely associated with the appearance of myometrial contractions after Δ 4 -androstenedione treatment. In contrast, no sustained premature contractions or changes in estradiol and oxytocin occurred in intralipid-treated monkeys. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in the 0.8 gestation rhesus monkey (1) the increase in maternal plasma estradiol precedes the increase in maternal plasma oxytocin after Δ 4 -androstenedione treatment and (2) Δ 4 -androstenedione-induced preterm myometrial contractions are closely associated in time with physiologic increases in maternal plasma oxytocin concentrations. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1996;174:1050-5.)
Urinary prostaglandin E2 and dopamine responses to water loading in young and elderly humans

Background: Human aging is associated with a number of unexplained changes in renal function, including a diminished capacity to excrete water and sodium loads and an increased susceptibility to acute renal failure. PGE2 and dopamine are intrarenal autocrine factors important in diuresis, natriuresis and also serve to protect against ischemic renal injury. Responses of these autocoids to provocative maneuvers such as water loading have not previously been studied in the elderly. Methods: Five healthy young (25±1 yrs) and five healthy elderly (70±1 yrs) women underwent a 20 ml/kg oral water load in the Clinical Research Center. Results: Urinary PGE2 and dopamine excretion were lower in the elderly. Urinary PGE2 and dopamine rose significantly during water diuresis only in the young subjects but remained essentially unchanged in the elderly (p<0.05, ANOVA). Minimum urine osmolality was lower in young than old (61±3 vs 83±9 mOsm/L, p<0.05). Old had less brisk diuresis and a greater decline in serum sodium than young (p<0.05, ANOVA). Conclusion: The defect in PGE2 and dopamine excretion in the elderly demonstrated here during water diuresis may have more general implications, relating to the susceptibility of the aged to hyponatremia and acute renal failure.
Mississippi-grown Cannabis sativa L. IV: Effects of gibberellic acid and indoleacetic acid

Four-week-old Cannabis sativa L. plants were treated with 1 ml. of gibberellic acid or indoleacetic acid at concentrations up to 250 p.p.m. The treatment was repeated at weekly intervals for 3 weeks. These plants were harvested 1 week after the last treatment. Gibberellic acid caused a significant increase in height and a decrease in the weight of leaves and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol content Indoleacetic acid produced no significant changes.
NTIS: Potential roles and government information policy frameworks

Abstract Despite major technological and document capture advances in the 1990s, the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) became a privatization target again in 1995 as part of Republican efforts to dismantle its parent agency, the Department of Commerce. After examining NTIS's current operational status and its user profile, this article explores six future role options for the agency. Finally, NTIS's “fit” with four competing information policy models is examined. NTIS has become an innovative, entrepreneurial agency with the potential to assume an expanded role in government and scientific/technical information dissemination, but it is still politically and financially vulnerable in the current Washington climate.
A modified Peng-Robinson equation of state

Abstract Vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) in mixtures containing polar/highly polar asymmetric molecules is not well represented by simple cubic equations of state. Many attempts have been made to overcome this deficiency by proposing new mixing rules for these equations. This paper reviews and validates some of the recently proposed mixing rules for the Peng-Robinson equation of state. VLE data for more than 200 binary systems form the basis for the study. It also verifies multicomponent behavior by calculating ternary VLE using regressed binary interaction parameters and then comparing the results to experimental data already reported. The paper also develops a new two-parameter, temperature-dependent equation. The new model accurately predicts pure component major pressure and shows excellent extrapolation characteristics when used for calculating equilibrium in mixtures that contain one or more supercritical components. Finally, the paper provides a compilation of m and n factors for the Peng-Robinson equation of state for more than 100 compounds.
Treatment of diarrhea with combined aureomycin and triple sulfonamides (aureomagma).

Summary The results of employing a combination of Aureomycin and triple sulfonamides—sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine (Aureomagma)—are reported in the treatment of diarrhea of infancy and childhood. Diarrhea was due to infections with Sh. paradysenteriae or of unknown etiology. The combination has been evaluated according to the following criteria: (1) reversal of positive stool cultures, (2) influence upon the duration and severity of diarrhea, (3) requirement for extended parenteral fluid therapy, (4) reduction of fever, (5) length of hospitalization, (6) blood sulfonamide levels, and (7) undesirable side effects. In all respects, this combination was observed to be superior to a variety of chemotherapeutic and antibiotic agents when the remainder of the treatment was similar.
Effects of N6-methyladenosine on the synthesis of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase in cultured explants of rat adrenal medulla.

: Explants of adrenal medullae were cultured in defined media for up to 48 h, during which time the tissue remained histologically intact. Addition of N6-methyladenosine to the medium led to a diminution in the activity of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.28) in the tissue. The enzyme activity was inversely proportional to the concentration N6-methyl-adenosine in the culture medium. The extent of loss of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, as measured by immunochemical titration, corresponded to the degree of loss in enzyme activity under the same conditions. Furthermore, the decreased amount of enzyme protein was due to a decrease in the rate of synthesis of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase. Neither adenosine nor several methylated nucleosides, including 7-methylguanosine, N2-methylguanosine, and 5-methylcytosine, had an effect on the enzyme. Two other adrenal medullary enzymes, monoamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.4) and acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), were not affected by addition of N6-methyladenosine to the medium. The results are consistent with the view that this effect of N-methyladenosine on the concentration of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase is due to an inhibition of its biosynthesis rather than to an alteration of its rate of degradation.
Liver proline oxidase activity and collagen synthesis in rats with cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride

Abstract In rats treated with CCl 4 for 7 weeks, liver proline oxidase activity was drastically reduced 24 h after the initial administration of the toxic agent and remained low throughout the treatment period. This was accompanied by a larger accumulation of added proline in the incubation medium and a lesser release of 14 CO 2 from [ 14 C]proline during incubation. Collagen synthesis by liver slices of CCl 4 -treated rats increased in proportion to proline concentration, a plateau being reached at 0.48 mM proline. The plateau did not occur within the range studied with liver slices of normal liver. Increased collagen synthesis in vitro was accompanied by increased deposition of collagen in vivo only during the first 3 weeks of CCl 4 treatment. No further increase in liver collagen content occurred thereafter. Discontinuance of CCl 4 -administration was followed by a return to normal of proline oxidase activity and in vitro collagen synthesis within 2 weeks. Nevertheless, collagen content remained elevated. The results suggest that proline oxidase activity, together with the previously shown increased formation of proline from precursor amino acids, may control the amount of proline available for collagen biosynthesis; and that the rate of degradation of collagen, perhaps by collagenase, may determine the levels of collagen remaining after discontinuance of CCl 4 -administration.
Gumma of muscle

Abstract A patient presented a tender, painful tumor in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, near the midline. On exploration the tumor was found to be a gumma of the rectus muscle. It was cured by excision and antisyphilitic treatment.
An improved fluorometric procedure for the estimation of magnesium in biological materials

Abstract An improved, highly specific method is described for the fluorometric estimation of magnesium in biological materials. Interfering substances such as phosphate ions, which depress fluorescence, and calcium ions, which enhance fluorescence, have been eliminated. This method is reliable and reproducible over a wide range of calcium and phosphate levels and is convenient for routine analyses.
Spectrum line profiles: The Voigt function

Abstract A review is presented of the mathematical properties of the Voigt Function and the recent literature pertaining to it, including the computational methods that have been employed. Computational methods, some of which have not been used before, are described which appear to make efficient and economical use of computer time and storage. A fortran IV program is included in the Appendix from which the Voigt function can be calculated to an accuracy of 1–2 digits in the sixth significant figure.
Efferent fibers to Limulus eyes synthesize and release octopamine

Octopamine synthesized in vitro from tyramine by Limulus lateral and ventral eyes was located by light microscopic and electron microscopic autoradiography in efferent fibers which innervate ventral photoreceptors and lateral eye ommatidia. Newly synthesized octopamine was released from efferent fibers in response to depolarization in high concentrations of potassium. We propose that octopamine is a neurotransmitter of efferent fibers that may modulate basic retinal processes such as photoreceptor sensitivity, photomechanical movements, and photoreceptive membrane turnover.
Fermion mass matrices with the maximal mass hierarchy and calculability, and family structure of leptons

Abstract The fermion mass matrices with the maximal mass hierarchy and calculability are derived and presented. One of them is applicable to the charged lepton sector and can produce the huge hierarchy ratio, m e /m τ ⋍ 1 3500 , from the smallest input parameter of 1 40 . The complementary aspect between the fermion mass hierarchy and the observed K-M mixing angles is considered. It is conjectured that the mass matrices for the quark sector are of the Fritzsch form, while the proposed form of mass matrix with the maximal hierarchy is valid for the charged lepton sector. Composite models for the quarks are advocated from the mass hierarchy point of view while the leptons are regarded as fundamental.
Numerical investigations of low-density nozzle flow by solving the Boltzmann equation

A two-dimensional finite-difference code to solve the BGK-Boltzmann equation has been developed. The solution procedure consists of three steps: (1) transforming the BGK-Boltzmann equation into two simultaneous partial differential equations by taking moments of the distribution function with respect to the molecular velocity u(sub z), with weighting factors 1 and u(sub z)(sup 2); (2) solving the transformed equations in the physical space based on the time-marching technique and the four-stage Runge-Kutta time integration, for a given discrete-ordinate. The Roe's second-order upwind difference scheme is used to discretize the convective terms and the collision terms are treated as source terms; and (3) using the newly calculated distribution functions at each point in the physical space to calculate the macroscopic flow parameters by the modified Gaussian quadrature formula. Repeating steps 2 and 3, the time-marching procedure stops when the convergent criteria is reached. A low-density nozzle flow field has been calculated by this newly developed code. The BGK Boltzmann solution and experimental data show excellent agreement. It demonstrated that numerical solutions of the BGK-Boltzmann equation are ready to be experimentally validated.
The apoptotic cell receptor CR3, but not αvβ5, is a regulator of human dendritic cell immunostimulatory function

Dendritic cells (DCs) that capture apoptotic cells (ACs) in the steady state mediate peripheral tolerance to self-antigens. ACs are recognized by an array of receptors on DCs, the redundancy of which is not completely defined. We made use of an AC surrogate system to address the individual roles of the αvβ5 and complement receptors (CRs) in the phagocytosis and induction of immunity. CR3 and CR4, while substantially less efficient than αvβ5 in internalizing ACs, initiate signals that render DCs tolerogenic. Responding T cells show impaired proliferation and IFNγ production and subsequently die by apoptosis. While tolerogenic DCs are not induced via αvβ5, coligation of CR3 and αvβ5 maintains the DC's tolerogenic profile. This immunomodulatory role, however, is countered by a significant inflammatory stimulus such as bacterial infection. Overall, our data suggest that under steady-state conditions, signaling via CRs predominates to render DCs tolerogenic.
The Language of Empowerment and Strengths in Clinical Social Work: A Constructivist Perspective

Enhancing client empowerment is a major concern of clinical social workers. Empowerment is a process and an outcome. There are numerous interventions that enhance client empowerment, and among them is focusing on client strengths. Both the strengths-based and empowerment-based approaches emphasize the importance of skillfully using language in dialoguing with clients; however, there is little specificity in either of these 2 approaches on how to operationalize this process. This article discusses specific ways to use language in working with client strengths and empowering clients. The discussion and examples are presented from the metatheoretical perspective of constructivism.
Dynamic connectivity in digital images

Abstract We show that any algorithm that maintains the connected components of a digital image must take Ω( log n log log n ) time per change to the image. The problem can be solved in O(log n) time per change using dynamic planar graph techniques. We discuss applications to computer Go and other games.
Scientific digital libraries, interoperability, and ontologies

Scientific digital libraries serve complex and evolving research communities. Justifications for the development of scientific digital libraries include the desire to preserve science data and the promises of information interconnectedness, correlative science, and system interoperability. Research [1] suggests single shared ontologies are fundamental to fulfilling these promises. We present a tool framework, a set of principles, and a real world case study where shared ontologies are used to develop and manage science information models and subsequently guide the implementation of scientific digital libraries. The tool framework, based on an ontology modeling tool as illustrated in Figure 1, was configured to develop, manage, and keep shared ontologies relevant within changing domains and to promote the interoperability, interconnectedness, and correlation desired by scientists.
Influence of Conformation and Proton-Transfer Dynamics in the Dibenzyl σ-Complex on Regioselectivity in Gattermann−Koch Formylation via Intracomplex Reaction

The Gattermann−Koch formylations of diphenyl, diphenylmethane, dibenzyl, and 1,3-diphenylpropane were studied in HF−SbF5, −TaF5, −BF3, −NbF5, and CF3SO3H−SbF5. While usual high para regioselectivity was obtained for diphenyl, diphenylmethane, and 1,3-diphenylpropane, unprecedented ortho regioselectivity was observed for dibenzyl which increased with decreasing the SbF5/dibenzyl molar ratio and with strength of Lewis acids used in HF. A sandwich-like complex for monoprotonated dibenzyl resulting in ortho regioselectivity via the intracomplex reaction was suggested; therefore, the conformations of protonated diphenylmethane, dibenzyl, and 1,3-diphenylpropane and their proton-transfer dynamics were probed by semiempirical calculation (PM3). The calculation predicted that ortho monoprotonation was slightly preferable for dibenzyl, and remarkable preference of dibenzyl over other aromatic compounds was observed in ortho−ortho intramolecular inter-ring proton transfer via a fan-shaped complex rather than a sand...
Fixation of muscle proteins with antibodies.

Abstract Treatment of myofibrils with antibodies, prepared against purified muscle proteins, increases the phase density of well-defined parts of the sarcomere. These parts become insoluble and resist extraction by strong salt solutions. The resulting patterns are different with various antibodies and characteristic to the specific antibody used. Treatment of the myofibrils with antimyosin protects the A band material from extraction. Antibody prepared against light-meromyosin fixes the lateral borders of the A band; antibody prepared against heavy-meromyosin fixes primarily the central region of the A band. Anti-actin alters the extractability of the whole sarcomere.