cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Duration of the Q-T interval during the anoxemia test.

Abstract 1.1. The Levy anoxemia test has been studied in forty normal men and ninety-five male patients with reference to alterations in the duration of electrical systole, as measured by the corrected Q-T interval (Q-T c ). 2.2. Initial Q-T c durations were significantly higher in patients with angina pectoris as a group than in controls, confirming previous studies.The maximal increase in Q-T c during the anoxemia test in patients with true angina pectoris was compared with the maximal increase in Q-T c in normal subjects and patients with chest pain of noncardiac origin. The prolongation of Q-T c was much greater in the patients with angina, the mean values showing highly significant differences. However, the wide range of response among the subjects and the patients precludes the use of this measurement alone to distinguish between normal and abnormal. 3.4. When the maximal increase in Q-T c during the anoxemia test is plotted against the control (initial) Q-T c value for all subjects and patients, it is found that an oblique line may be drawn which separates nearly all of the patients with true angina pectoris from nearly all of those without it. The equation representing this line of separation is: 0.480 sec. = (initial Q-T c ) + 2.6 (maximal increase in Q-T c ). For simplicity in clinical application it can be stated that 0.480 is the "upper limit of normal" for men of a value computed by adding 2.6 times the maximal increase of Q-T c during anoxia to the initial Q-T c duration. The value so determined is termed the "Q-T Anoxemia Index". 4.5. Of two observed "false-positive" Levy anoxemia tests, one case in which hyperventilation was causative also demonstrated an abnormal Q-T c response. The other, in whom the RS-T, T-wave abnormalities are considered a residuum of recent pericarditis, showed a normal "Q-T Anoxemia Index". 5.6. These observations suggest that the alteration of Q-T c duration during the course of the anoxemia test may be an additional aid in distinguishing a normal from an abnormal response since 89.5 per cent of patients considered to have true angina pectoris exhibited positive tests by the Q-T Anoxemia Index criterion, in contrast to only 55.2 per cent positive by the Levy criteria, while the incidence of false positives was not significantly increased.
Effects of electrical stimulation to the soft palate on snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

Abstract Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder and has been associated with social and physical problems. Many treatments of OSA have been proposed with various levels of success. Seven patients with histories of snoring and OSA participated in this pilot study to evaluate the effects of electrical stimulation to the soft palate. Each patient slept with a palatal appliance that delivered a weak electrical stimulus to the soft palate on activation. A 3 miliampere stimulus in the range of 9 to 10 volts was found to be effective in terminating snoring without causing patient arousal. The effects of the stimulus on OSA were variable. The results of this study indicated that electrical stimulation of the soft palate may be effective as a treatment for snoring and OSA and warrants further investigation.
Mate separation and emotional attachment in romantic love relationships: does absence make the heart grow fonder?

The study tested the comparative consensual validity of each member of a pair of contradictory common sensical expressions concerning intimate relationships. In a survey of 720 single young adults (360 males, 360 females), roughly 70% of the males and 72% of the females endorsed “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” as a truer statement than “Out of sight, out of mind.” Theoretical and methodological implications for the study of interpersonal attraction are discussed.
Physical adsorption in cryogenic engineering

Abstract This article is a selective review of the literature on physical adsorption that is pertinent to cryogenic engineering. Included are tabulations of references to experimental adsorption isotherms on high surface area adsorbents, both for pure materials and mixtures, and brief discussions of the more important techniques for correlating and predicting adsorption isotherms. Adsorption kinetics, heat and mass transfer in packed beds, and adsorbent bed reactivation techniques are also discussed.
MIXED SCRIPT AND LITERACY IN KOREA

Abstract. Today, Chinese characters (hanca) and Chinese-based Korean vocabulary (hancae or Sino-Korean) are either embraced or rejected as part of Korean identity. For more than a millennium, Koreans internalized Chinese belles lettres, making Chinese high culture a guiding light for gentlemen. Many Koreans today resent attitudes of satay ('serve the great') or mohwa ('adulate China'). However, others find this cynical self-image distorted or misguided. While the debate about mixed writing continues, the language will take its natural course. Since the "hankul only" policy was adopted in both Koreas, the need for continued use of Chinese has been felt, and policies have fluctuated. Nevertheless, Chinese � slowly coming to be seen as heavy, unclear, and perfunctory � is being abandoned. Hankul is there to stay, although it must keep "reforming" to trace language change. In today's global age, most South Koreans are no longer obsessed with independence. Mixed script with English or other European languages and logography in cyber writing may denote a contemporary educated people, despite strident voices from purists. Such mixed script constitutes an interesting new development in the Korean writing tradition. Whatever may evolve in both spoken and written Korean will be an important manifestation of national identity.
Improving comprehension online: effects of deep vocabulary instruction with bilingual and monolingual fifth graders

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of an Internet-delivered universally designed depth of vocabulary intervention that targeted both English-speaking and Spanish–English-speaking students. Two hundred forty students, 49% of whom were Spanish–English bilinguals, participated in the 16-week intervention. Intervention students read eight multimedia texts with embedded instruction on 40 words and reading strategy support. Students could access all texts and activities in Spanish and English. In comparison to a control group, there were significant intervention effects on a standardized measure of vocabulary knowledge, but effects were non-significant for comprehension. Similarly, significant effects on researcher-developed measures of vocabulary depth were detected, but not for a researcher-developed measure of breadth.
TV Literacy and Academic-Artistic Giftedness: Understanding Time Leaps and Time Lags.

This investigation reinforces the conceptualization of television viewing as a learned activity by highlighting the interrelatedness of children's linguistic, cognitive, and perceptual skills for accurate comprehension of television's most basic narrative device—temporal sequencing. It also explores the impact of highly divergent skills and abilities by sampling children school‐labeled as academically gifted and artistically gifted. Findings reveal that children with exceptional information processing and/or visual representation capabilities, even at the young age of six, are capable of a higher level of comprehension of basic and modified ("time leaps,” “flashback") modes of temporal sequencing when compared to children without those capabilities. It was also found that televiewing experience facilitated comprehension, although heavy consumption by children who do not possess the prerequisite visual literacy was ineffective.
CD43 gene expression is mediated by a nuclear factor which binds pyrimidine-rich single-stranded DNA

CD43 is a leukocyte-specific surface molecule which plays an important role both in adhesion and signal transduction. We have identified a site spanning nucleotides +18 to +39 within the human CD43 gene promoter which in vitro is hypersensitive to cleavage by nuclease S1. Repeats of this region are sufficient to activate expression of a heterologous promoter in CD43-positive cell lines. Two nuclear factors, PyRo1 and PyRo2, interact with the hypersensitive site. PyRo1 is a single-stranded DNA-binding protein which binds the pyrimidine-rich sense strand. Mutation analysis demonstrates that the motif TCCCCT is critical for PyRo1 interaction. Replacement of this motif with the sequence CATATA abolishes PyRo1 binding and reduces expression of the CD43 promoter by 35% in Jurkat T lymphocytic cells and by 52% in the pre-erythroid/pre-megakaryocytic cell line K562. However, this same replacement failed to affect expression in U937 monocytic cells or in CEM T lymphocytic cells. PyRo1, therefore, exhibits cell-specific differences in its functional activity. Further analysis demonstrated that PyRo1 not only interacts with the CD43 gene promoter but also motifs present within the promoters of the CD11a, CD11b, CD11c and CD11d genes. These genes encode the α subunits of the β2 integrin family of leukocyte adhesion receptors. Deletion of the PyRo1 binding site within the CD11c gene reduced promoter activity in T lymphocytic cells by 47%. However, consistent with our analysis of the CD43 gene, the effect of this same deletion within U937 monocytic cells was less severe. That PyRo1 binds preferentially to single-stranded DNA and sequences within the CD43 and CD11 gene promoters suggests that expression of these genes is influenced by DNA secondary structure.
The Internal and External Communication Patterns of University Libraries in Northeast Brazil.

The two basic questions of this research article are to examine: (a) the internal communication patterns in regard to the library and the campus community and (b) the external communication patterns between the university library and other libraries in the Brazilian Northeast with an emphasis upon co-operative programs and networking activities. The survey method was utilized in this research project. Interviews and questionnaires were employed in obtaining information from library directors, professors, and undergraduate students. Among the conclusions of this study were that gaps seem to exist in the information flow from the library to patrons. University libraries, therefore, seem isolated from their community of users. External communication patterns have been formulated by a few libraries in the area but they differ widely in the range of their development. Most cooperative and networking ventures are focused upon national and international relationships; whereas, few programs function for the specilic purpose of creating a regional information infrastructure.
‘The Body Evidencing the Crime’: Rape on Trial in Colonial India, 1860–1947

The history of rape on trial in colonial India sheds new light on the colonial civilising mission and the claims made by white men about saving brown women from brown men. Through an analysis of almost a century of case law this article concludes that the modernisation of law and the development of a new medico-legal understanding of rape introduced evidentiary standards that placed a heavy burden on Indian women seeking judicial remedy in colonial courts. The fear imported from Britain of false charges combined with colonial views about Indian culture to make native female complainants doubly dubious. The colonial jurisprudence has survived to devastating effect in postcolonial India and Pakistan in ways that are explored and explained by the author.
Numerical study of laminar and turbulent flows inside a turnaround duct with and without guide vanes

The purpose of this study is to examine in detail incompressible laminar and turbulent flows inside a turnaround duct with and without guide vanes and to investigate the effects of vanes on the flow characteristics. To perform this study, an implicit finite difference code cast in general curvilinear coordinates is further developed. The code is based on the method of pseudo-compressibility and utilize ADI or implicit approximate factorization algorithm to achieve computational efficiency. Method of segmental sweeping is developed to overcome the multiple-zone problem due to imposition of guide vanes. In the present study, several test cases have been computed. These test cases include laminar and turbulent flows inside a turnaround duct without and with two or three guide vanes. The study reveals that: (1) there exists large recirculation zones inside the duct if no vanes are present; (2) properly shaped and positional guide vanes are effective in eliminating flow separation; and (3) laminar and turbulent flows have similar flow features. But turbulent flow has less total pressure drop.
Male coercion and the costs of promiscuous mating for female chimpanzees

For reasons that are not yet clear, male aggression against females occurs frequently among primates with promiscuous mating systems. Here, we test the sexual coercion hypothesis that male aggression functions to constrain female mate choice. We use 10 years of behavioural and endocrine data from a community of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) to show that sexual coercion is the probable primary function of male aggression against females. Specifically, we show that male aggression is targeted towards the most fecund females, is associated with high male mating success and is costly for the victims. Such aggression can be viewed as a counter-strategy to female attempts at paternity confusion, and a cost of multi-male mating.
Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contamination in Surficial Sediments of Northeastern Lake Michigan

Abstract The results of this study indicate that the polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in northeastern Lake Michigan surficial sediments is relatively low. Concentration ranges from 1.6 to 6.7 μg/L PCB (Aroclor 1254) were found. The concentration of PCBs in these sediment samples was also found to be highly correlated with % organic carbon (r=0.93) and the % silt-clay fraction (r=0.98). The % organic carbon and % silt-clay fraction were also highly correlated (r=0.93).
Turbulence in the cylindrical slab

The cylindrical slab was the first and simplest model of intrinsically unstable microturbulence. The Helimak is an experimental realization of this model. Although finite, it is sufficiently large to escape boundary effects, with dimensionless parameters similar to those of a tokamak edge or scrape off layer. The essential drive is interchange-like, a pressure gradient with unfavorable magnetic curvature, leading to a non-linearly saturated state of large-amplitude turbulence, Δnrms/n ∼ 0.5. The nonlinear processes governing this saturation are unique, unlike any of those posited for the much weaker turbulence typical of confined plasma, e.g., in a tokamak. Neither linear stability theory, quasi-linear theory, zonal flows, nor flow shear stabilization is consistent with the observations. The mechanisms determining the non-linearly saturated state constitute an important challenge to our understanding of strongly nonlinear systems.
Sickle cell anemia: time for personalized prescription of hydroxyurea? Focus on “Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B transporters modulate hydroxyurea pharmacokinetics”

sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited red blood disorder characterized by inevitable acute and chronic complications of vaso-occlusion and hemolysis in adults and children. SCA affects millions of people worldwide including 100,000 Americans. The only known preventive therapy for complications of
NAM: A Network Adaptable Middleware to Enhance Response Time of Web Services

Web Services is an emerging software technology that is based on the concept of software and data as a service. Binary and XML are two popular encoding/decoding mechanisms for network messages. A Web Service may employ a loss-less compression technique (e.g., Zip, XMill, etc.) in order to reduce message size prior to its transmission across the network, minimizing its transmission time. This saving might be outweighed by the overhead of compressing the output of a Web Service at a server and decompressing it at a client. The primary contribution of this paper is NAM, a middleware that strikes a compromise between these two factors in order to enhance response time. NAM decides when to compress data, based on the available client and server processor speeds and network characteristics. When compared with todayâ€™s common practice to transmit the output of a Web Service uncompressed always, our experimental results show NAM either provides similar or significantly improved response times (at times, more than 90% improvement) with Internet connections that offer bandwidths ranging from 80 to 100 Mbps.
Dielectric Behavior of the Coolant for a Gas Insulated HVDC Thyristor Valve

The objective of this paper is to report on studies made on a fullscale model of the coolant system for a gas insulated, fluorocarbon liquid cooled HVDC thyristor valve. Confidence in the selection of the coolant system and its associated dielectric containment structure stemmed from the parametric study of the coolant, and the more than adequate dielectric strength of the coolant even when it was in the cavitated state. An explanation is proposed on the apparent anomoly of the exceptional dielectric strength of the system, even when bubble nucleation is induced by the injection of a dielectrically weak (nitrogen) gas into the flowing coolant.
A graph model for dynamic waveband switching in WDM mesh networks

The problem of waveband switching (WBS) in a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) mesh network with dynamic traffic requests is investigated. To solve the WBS problem in a homogeneous dynamic WBS network, where every node is a multigranular optical crossconnect (MG-OXC), we construct an auxiliary graph. Based on the auxiliary graph, we develop two heuristic on-line WBS algorithms with different grouping policies, namely the wavelength-first WBS algorithm based on the auxiliary graph (WFAUG) and the waveband-first WBS algorithm based on the auxiliary graph (BFAUG). Our results show that the WFAUG algorithm outperforms the BFAUG algorithm.
Shipping and Trade in Ramesside Egypt

Apart from commerce carried on at the local level between villages, the redistribution system of the Egyptian economy, in a physical sense, operated by shipping along the Nile and ancillary canals. For this reason, a study of the documents concerned with shipping and trade is essential to a study of the commercial operations of the large institutions, their relationship to one another and whatever private enterprise may have existed apart from these institutions. On this last point, it should perhaps be kept in mind from the start that because any small scale private enterprise is less likely than the bureaucracies of the large institutions to have left direct documentary evidence on papyrus, we should expect to find a bias towards the official bureaucracies there. On the other hand, evidence on ostraca is likely to be biased towards transactions on a smaller scale. In general, the main sources on which we have to rely are records kept by temple and state institutions. These may include documents dealing with the transport of grain, ship's logs recording daily transactions and movements of personnel and goods, accounts of transactions between institutions and other entities, administrative
The Excretion of Sodium Pregnanediol Glucuronidate in the Urine Following the Oral Administration of Anhydro-Hydroxy-Progesterone and Progesterone to Patients with Secondary Amenorrhea1

THE DISCOVERY by Venning, Henry and Browne (1937-a) that sodium pregnanediol glucuronidate appears in the urine during the normal menstrual cycle in highest amounts at the time when the corpus luteum is known to be flourishing indirectly indicates that pregnanediol is the excreted form of progesterone. Its presence in the urine in large amounts during pregnancy (Odell and Marrian, 1936; Venning, Henry and Browne, 1937-b; Wilson and Randall, 1938; Backman, Leekley and Hirshman, 1940; Hain, 1940; Smith and Smith, 1940; and, Astwood and Jones, 1941), even when both ovaries have been removed (Jones and Weil, 1938; Young, 1941), also suggests that the placenta, or possibly the fetus, produces progesterone during pregnancy. These observations, coupled with the fact that progesterone can be made from pregnanediol (Butenandt and Schmidt, 1934), support the contention that the presence of pregnanediol in the urine indicates the production somewhere in the body of progesterone.
The Effects of Radiative Cooling in a Cloud-Topped Mixed Layer

Abstract The sensitivity of models of cloud-topped mixed layers to various specifications of the radiative cooling rate near the cloud top is investigated. It is found that for the “dry cloud” case an assumed distributed cooling rate leads to a shallower mixed layer and more positive surface turbulent heat flux than does a discontinuous radiative flux model.
α-Endosulfine, a positional and functional candidate gene for type 2 diabetes: molecular screening, association studies, and role in reduced insulin secretion

Abstract Impaired glucose stimulated insulin secretion is a prominent, early defect in type 2 diabetes. Insulin secretion is coupled to glucose metabolism by effects of the intracellular ATP/ADP ratio on the multimeric β-cell potassium channel. The sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1 or ABCC8), the regulatory subunit of that channel, binds sulfonylurea agents and thus closes the channel and stimulates exocytosis of insulin-containing granules. α-Endosulfine (ENSA), has been proposed as the endogenous ligand for SUR1. We mapped ENSA in silico to chromosome 1q21 near a confirmed type 2 diabetes susceptibility locus, and derived the genomic structure of four exons and three introns. We identified four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and one insertion deletion polymorphism among 16 Caucasian and 16 African-American diabetic individuals. Only one SNP was common to both ethnic groups, and no SNP altered the coding sequence. No variant was associated with type 2 diabetes in Caucasian or African-American studies, but a single SNP in intron 3 (SNP 17) was associated with a reduced disposition index (insulin sensitivity × acute insulin response to glucose) in interaction with family membership in 126 members of 26 Caucasian families. Individuals homozygous for the rare allele showed a 70% reduction in insulin secretion (disposition index) relative to all other genotypes. Our data do not suggest that ENSA could explain the linkage of T2DM to this region, but ENSA SNP 17 may have an important role in reducing the ability of the β-cell to compensate for reduced insulin sensitivity, which in turn would increase the susceptibility to T2DM.
Acoustic response from adherent targeted contrast agents

In ultrasonic molecular imaging, encapsulated micron-sized gas bubbles are tethered to a blood vessel wall by targeting ligands. A challenging problem is to detect the echoes from adherent microbubbles and distinguish them from echoes from nonadherent agents and tissue. Echoes from adherent contrast agents are observed to include a high amplitude at the fundamental frequency, and significantly different spectral shape compared with free agents (p<0.0003). Mechanisms for the observed acoustical difference and potential techniques to utilize these differences for molecular imaging are proposed.
Impact of Correlation of Asset Value and Interest Rates upon Duration and Convexity of Risky Debt

Abstract Early analysis of duration ignored default risk. Of course, many debt instruments have at least some potential for default. Recent analyses have partially filled this void. In our more complete model, we consider that the default potential of debt issued by many firms is at least partially dependent upon interest rates. The lower the credit quality of the debt, the more important this relation becomes. We explore the duration and convexity of both senior and junior debt. We find that the relation of asset values to interest rates affects both duration and convexity of debt. Additionally, the effect of this relationship on convexity is significantly affected by the shape of the term structure.
Transforming graphical interfaces into auditory interfaces for blind users

Although graphical interfaces have provided a host of advantages to the majority of computer users, they have created a significant barrier to blind computer users. To meet the needs of these users, a methodology for transforming graphical interfaces into nonvisual interfaces has been developed. In this design, the salient components of graphical interfaces are transformed into auditory interfaces. Based on a hierarchical model of the graphical interface, the auditory interface utilizes auditory icons to convey interface objects. Users navigate the interface by traversing its hierarchical structure. This design results in a usable interface that meets the needs of blind users and provides many of the benefits of graphical interfaces.
Combining Sequence Stratigraphy With 3-D Seismic Imaging In Low-accommodation Basins

Pennsylvania-age rocks in several areas of the Midcontinent of the United States were deposited in low-accommodation basinal settings, that is, in basinal areas where only modest verticle reliefs could accept the sediment influx. Many thin Pennsylvanian sequences in these low-accommodation environments exhibit severe lateral heterogeneity because they have been extensively reworked by repeated transgressions and regressions of a fluctuating sea. Consequently, the distinctive geometries of relic depositional features (such as meandering channels) tend to be distorted or even totally destroyed, as compared with how such geometries appear in high-accommodation basins where depositional topography, once buried, is rarely exposed to destructive processes. Our objectives are to show examples of 3-D seismic images of several depositional topographies in a moderate- to low-accommodation basin and to explain how these thin sequences can be identified in well control and interpreted in 3-D seismic data volumes.
Cell dynamics with a novel phase referenced low-coherence interferometer with sub-wavelength and sub-hertz sensitivity

We report the use of a highly sensitive phase based motion measurement technique to study the correlation of cellular metabolic rate with cellular motions. The technique is based on a modified Michelson interferometer with a composite laser beam of 1550 nm low coherence light and 775 nm CW light. In this system, motional artifacts from vibrations in the interferometer are completely eliminated. We demonstrate that the system is sensitive to motions as small as 3.6 nm and velocities as small as 1 nm/s. Using the system, we show that the cellular motions are strongly dependent on the ambient temperature. We observe that the dependency does not conform to Brownian motion predictions but instead appears to correlate with the optical ambient temperature that the cells have evolved to operate in.
As though they meant her no harm, María Enríquez remade the friends who abandoned her – their intentions, their possibilities, their worlds – inviting them (perhaps, it is true) to dance1

By using the range of tones, cadences, emotional ointments women often have possessed, this article focuses on a woman who claimed she was physically abused. It travels with her subtle emotionality, following her glances, her artistry as she summoned help, and finding it nowhere but within, remade the world with striking tenderness and grace.
Characterization of low virulent strains of highly pathogenic A/Hong Kong/156/97 (H5N1) virus in mice after passage in embryonated hens' eggs.

Avian influenza A H5N1 viruses were isolated from humans for the first time in Hong Kong in 1997. The virulence of A/Hong Kong/156/97 (HK156) strain in mice was found to change significantly depending on the passage history of the virus. Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell-grown parental virus and three of its clones derived from mouse brain showed high pathogenicity in mice after intranasal or intracerebral infection. In contrast, the egg-derived parental virus HK156-E3 and its cloned viruses were markedly less pathogenic in mice. It appeared that differences in pathogenicity among viruses derived from MDCK cells and eggs were due to their ability or inability to disseminate from the lungs to the brain. Sequence analysis of the entire protein coding regions of all eight RNA genome segments revealed a total of six conserved amino acid differences in the HA1 domain (residue 211) of the HA protein, as well as the PB1 (residues 456 and 712), PA (residue 631), NP (residue 127), and NS1 (residue 101) proteins that correlated with observed changes in virulence and neurovirulence of HK156 virus in mice. Thus it was evident that the passaging of HK156 in embryonated eggs led to the adaptation and selection of variants demonstrating markedly decreased pathogenicity and neurovirulence in mice that appeared to be attributable to specific amino acid changes in the HA and internal proteins.
Nationwide assessment of potential output from wind-powered generators

A method for computing the actual expected power for a wind-powered generator from a given observed speed distribution is described and applied to estimate the potential output for different locations in the continental U.S. A contour map of generator capacity factor values (fraction of the rated output realizable) is obtained for wind-powered generator systems with a cut-in speed of 3.6 m/sec and a rated speed of 8.0 m/sec, and for a unit with hypothetical values for the 1 MW class (cut-in speed, 6.7 m/sec; rated speed, 13.4 m/sec). Results indicate that in the central U.S. and in certain areas of the New England coast at a height of 61 m, over 60% of the rated output power could be obtained on an annual average. In these areas capacity factors of over 20% could be obtained with the 1MW system.
Bacterial Infection of Fly Ovaries Reduces Egg Production and Induces Local Hemocyte Activation

Morbidity, the state of being diseased, is an important aspect of pathogenesis that has gone relatively unstudied in fruit flies. Our interest is in characterizing how bacterial pathogenesis affects various physiologies of the fly. We chose to examine the fly ovary because we found bacterial infection had a striking effect on fly reproduction. We observed decreased egg laying after bacterial infection that correlated with increased bacterial virulence. We also found that bacteria colonized the ovary in a previously undescribed manner; bacteria were found in the posterior of the ovary, adjacent to the lateral oviduct. This local infection in the ovary resulted in melanization and activation of the cellular immune response at the site of infection.
Age-related changes in pituitary responsiveness to LHRH in the female rat.

Serum LH changes in response to LHreleasing hormone (LHRH) injection were measured in young (4–6-month-old) proestrous, estrous and second-day-diestrous rats and in aged (23–30-monthold) constant estrous and irregular pseudopregnant (prolonged diestrus) female Long-Evans rats. Serum LH was measured by radioimmunoassay in serial blood samples taken before and at 15, 30 and 60 min after injection of 0, 5, 50 or 500 ng of LHRH. Serum LH also was assayed in similar groups of rats acutely pretreated with either 20 μg of estradiol benzoate (EB) or 5 mg of progesterone. Aged rats showed a smaller increase in serum LH following LHRH injection than the young groups. Within the young groups, the magnitude of response was greater in proestrous and estrous rats than in the diestrous animals. Pretreatment with EB resulted in increased serum LH after LHRH injection in young estrous and diestrous rats and in aged constant estrous rats, but did not alter serum LH levels in the aged pseudopregnant rats. Although the incre...
Complexation of carboxylic acids and anions by alpha and beta cyclodextrins

A pH potentiometric method is used to measure complex formation constants of aqueous alpha- and/or beta-cyclodextrin with several carboxylic acids and carboxylate anions: butyric acid/butyrate; valeric acid/valerate; hexanoic acid/hexanoate; octanoic acid/octanoate; decanoic acid/decanoate; cyclohexanecarboxylic acid/cyclohexanecarboxylate and benzoic acid/benzoate. Standard enthalpies and entropies of complex formation are calculated from the temperature dependencies of the equilibrium constants. These thermodynamic parameters of the alpha-cyclodextrin complexes largely conform to a correlation based on complexes with other substrate species previously reported. Both standard enthalpies and entropies of formation of beta-cyclodextrin complexes are found to be more positive than the corresponding complexes of alpha-cyclodextrin with the same substrates. These observations lead to insights into the bonding mechanism of cyclodextrin complexation.
Seizures: Emergency Neuroimaging

The various findings observed on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations in patients with seizures reflect the variety of different causes that give rise to this common neurologic symptom. In the emergency setting, CT is most valuable in its ability to accurately identify acute abnormalities that require emergent medical or surgical treatment. MR imaging, by contrast, is usually reserved for patients with recurrent or refractory seizures. The accurate interpretation of either modality requires familiarity with how seizures are classified clinically, the most common presenting features of different causes for seizures, the relevant neuroanatomy, and the imaging manifestations of both common and uncommon causes of seizures and epilepsy. Of particular practical importance to the radiologist is the ability to recognize (1) the most common findings in patients with recurrent seizures and (2) potentially reversible causes for seizures that require prompt intervention to avoid or minimize permanent brain injury. This article surveys a variety of different causes for seizures and epilepsy, focusing on specific clinical features that can help to refine differential diagnosis, and on imaging findings characteristic of different disorders.
P-Glycoprotein on astrocyte foot processes of unfixed isolated human brain capillaries.

Sites of immunoreactive P-glycoprotein associated with human brain microvasculature were identified by labeling of unfixed isolated human brain capillaries, allowing visualization of the three-dimensional capillary structure by confocal microscopy. Capillaries isolated from human autopsy brain were dual-labeled with the MRK16 mouse monoclonal antibody (against human P-glycoprotein) and rabbit polyclonal antisera against the human brain microvascular glucose transporter (GLUT1), or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) on astrocyte foot processes. MRK16 and GLUT1 dual-labeling showed no signal overlap, identical to the staining pattern observed for dual-labeling with anti-GFAP and anti-GLUT1 antibodies: both GFAP and MRK16 labeling were discrete, discontinuous, and not co-localized with continuous GLUT1 labeling of capillary endothelium. In contrast, complete overlap of MRK16 and GFAP labeling demonstrated P-glycoprotein localization on astrocyte foot process remnants at the abluminal face of the brain microvasculature.
Regional variations in near surface shear wave velocity in the Greater Memphis area

Abstract Site-specific and regional analyses were conducted for an area that includes southwestern Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northwestern Mississippi to establish characteristic shear wave velocity (Vs) profiles based on measured profiles compiled from several researchers. Site-specific studies were conducted at two locations near Memphis, Tennessee to determine the uncertainty and randomness in measuring Vs due to test-related factors and local variability. The result of this analysis was subsequently used as a criterion for establishing the range of variability for the characteristic Vs profiles. Measured Vs profiles were aggregated based on the age and type of geologic deposits in the Memphis area to obtain characteristic profiles. Holocene alluvial deposits were found to have a fairly uniform shear wave velocity profile in the Mississippi River floodplain. Pleistocene deposits characterized by a surficial layer of loess in the terrace regions of Mississippi and Tennessee were found to be more variable. The average shear wave velocity in the upper 30 m was calculated for each measured profile based on the recommendations of the 1997 National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) provisions to assess the susceptibility of a deposit to ground motion amplification. The lowest and highest average near-surface shear wave velocities were identified in the Mississippi River alluvium and the Pleistocene deposits, respectively. Based on the NEHRP site classes, all deposits may be classified as D (stiff soil). However, due to the thickness of soft soil deposits in the alluvial plain, these deposits may be classified as E (more than 3 m of soft clay) based on the site class description rather than the shear wave velocity. Therefore, a re-evaluation of the NEHRP site classes is proposed for the Central US to more accurately represent the actual site conditions.
Development of a rating form to evaluate grant applications to the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.

Reliance on subjective grant proposal review methods leads private philanthropies to underfund mental health programs, even when foundations have mental health focuses. This article describes a private mental health foundation’s efforts to increase the objectivity of its proposal review process by developing a reliable, valid proposal rating form. Staff from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, an administrative unit of The University of Texas at Austin, developed the items for the grant proposal rating form (GPRF). Four interns, who had educational backgrounds equivalent to the foundation’s grant-making staff, used the GPRF to independently rate 20 grant proposals previously reviewed by the foundation. Internal consistency and interrater reliability were very good. It had good face and construct validity and moderate criterion validity. The GPRF’s psychometric properties are sufficient to recommend its use in the foundation’s review process and suggest private philanthropies’grant proposal review processes can be made more objective and reliable without compromising validity.
Physical Activity May Modulate Effects of ApoE Genotype on Lipid Profile

Increased levels of physical activity may improve the lipid profile, but is this effect identical across apolipoprotein E (apoE) genotypes? A population-based cross-sectional survey conducted from 1999 to 2000 included 1708 randomly selected men and women aged 35 to 74 years. A validated physical activity questionnaire measured, for each participant, the total energy expenditure and its percentage used in high-intensity activities (%high-intensity activity), eg, brisk walking and sports. The effects of the apoEx%high-intensity activity interaction on the lipid profile were investigated by using multiple linear regression models. Among men, increased %high-intensity activity had greater protective effects in the apoE4 group regarding (1) high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P<0.001), compared with either the apoE2 (interaction P=0.05) or apoE3 (interaction P<0.03) groups, and (2) triglycerides (P<0.03), compared with the apoE3 group (interaction P=0.07). A 10% increase of %high-intensity activity by an apoE4 man would correspond with a 0.07-mmol/L increase in HDL cholesterol and a -0.15-mmol/L decrease in triglycerides. Among women, only the protective effects of physical activity on HDL cholesterol in the apoE4 group versus the apoE2 group was statistically significant. Spending a larger fraction of the total energy expenditure in high-intensity activities may counteract the atherogenic effects of the epsilon4 allele on the lipid profile.
Effects of dietary lead acetate on hepatic detoxication enzyme activity.

Lead-containing compounds usually inhibit enzymic and metabolic processes. This inhibition is presumed to be the mechanism of intoxication by these compounds. Inhibition of detoxication activities of liver microsomal enzymes could be particularly detrimental because the toxicity of many different substances would be increased. Exposure of experimental animals to lead compounds in several studies has been associated with depressed activity of hepatic microsomal enzymes, reduced levels of hepatic cytochrome P-450, reduced levels of hepatic microsomal protein, and prolonged hexobarbital sleep times. The present report contains observations that under certain experimental conditions there is stimulated hepatic meicrosomal enzyme activity in rats fed lead acetate.
Generalized spike-waves, multiple loci, and clinical course in children with EEG features of benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes

Summary: In 41 patients with EEG features of benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECCT), we noted associated generalized spike-wave discharges (GSWD) in 14.6% and multiple independent sharp wave foci in 9.8%. The presence or absence of these EEG features was not predictive of the clinical course. The high incidence of GSWD in children with BECCT suggests a possible relation in the expression of these two EEG traits.
An efficient early phase 2 procedure to screen medications for efficacy in smoking cessation

Rationale Initial screening of new medications for potential efficacy (i.e., Food and Drug Administration (FDA) early phase 2), such as in aiding smoking cessation, should be efficient in identifying which drugs do, or do not, warrant more extensive (and expensive) clinical testing.
Unemployment and marital status in Great Britain.

Abstract During the past decade, the marriage rate has declined and the divorce rate has increased in Great Britain. Becker (1981) attributes such changes to improvements in the economic status of women, in that high‐wage women gain less from marriage relative to other women. However, an empirical analysis of data from the General Household Survey 1985 in Great Britain shows that male unemployment is another important determinant of changes in marital status. High rates of male unemployment reduce the incidence of marriage and increase the likelihood of divorce.
EBV-specific T-cell therapy

Cytotoxic T-cell therapy has been used to prevent and treat Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–related posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. As reported in this issue of Blood , Haque and colleagues have extended such therapy to the wider range of
An Automated Simultaneous Measurement of Thickness and Wave Velocity by Ultrasound

The measurement of wave velocity in a sample requires an accurate determination of the sample thickness at the points of interrogation. The theory of an automated technique is presented. In its application, the thickness of the sample is first calculated by the knowledge of the wave velocity in the immersion fluid. This thickness is then used to calculate the wave velocity in the sample. The results of the application of the technique to isotropic and anisotropic materials are presented.
Impact of power factor correction and harmonic compensation by STATCOM on converter temperature

Most of the failures in IGBTs are caused by thermal fatigue. Hence, the thermal analysis of IGBTs for each particular application is an important step in determining their lifetime. In this paper, the thermal analysis of a STATCOM is presented for two different applications, power factor correction and harmonic elimination. The STATCOM model is developed in EMTP for the above mentioned functions. The analytical equations for average conduction losses in an IGBT and a diode are derived. The electrothermal model is used to estimate the temperature of the IGBT. A comparative analysis of the thermal stresses on the IGBT with various parameters such as power factor, harmonic frequency, and harmonic amplitude is presented as a basis for future reliability testing of IGBTs in FACTS applications.
Monitoring autocorrelated processes using a distribution-free tabular CUSUM chart with automated variance estimation

We formulate and evaluate distribution-free statistical process control (SPC) charts for monitoring shifts in the mean of an autocorrelated process when a training data set is used to estimate the marginal variance of the process and the variance parameter (i.e., the sum of covariances at all lags). Two alternative variance estimators are adapted for automated use in DFTC-VE, a distribution-free tabular CUSUM chart, based on the simulation-analysis methods of standardized time series and a simplified combination of autoregressive representation and non-overlapping batch means. Extensive experimentation revealed that these variance estimators did not seriously degrade DFTC-VE's performance compared with its performance using the exact values of the marginal variance and the variance parameter. Moreover, DFTC-VE's performance compared favorably with that of other competing distribution-free SPC charts. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of IIE Trans...
Dominance of Bayesian Networks and Efficient Learning of Generalized Latent Class Models

A major challenge for learning Bayesian networks is the complexity in searching the huge space of models and parameters. The computational cost is higher when the model topology is more flexible. In this paper, we propose the notion of dominance which can lead to strong pruning of the search space and significant reduction of learning complexity, and apply this notion to the generalized latent class (GLC) models, a class of Bayesian networks for clustering categorical data. GLC models can address the local dependence problem in latent class analysis by assuming a very general graph structure. However, The flexible topology of GLC leads to large increase of the learning complexity. We first propose the concept of dominance and related theoretical results which is general for all Bayesian networks. Based on dominance, we propose an efficient learning algorithm for GLC. A core technique to prune dominated models is regularization, which can eliminate dominated models, leading to significant pruning of the search space. Significant improvements on the modeling quality and time complexity on real datasets are reported.
Quantitative photoacoustic measurement of blood oxygen saturation in vivo aided by an optical contrast agent

The characteristic absorption spectrum of hemoglobin depends upon the amount of oxygen the hemoglobin carries. This property of the hemoglobin enables one to image blood oxygen saturation distribution in biological tissues by using spectroscopic photoacoustic tomography. In photoacoustic imaging, the amplitude of photoacoustic signal induced by optical absorption is proportional to light energy deposition which is the product of the optical absorption coefficient and local light fluence at the imaging target. Since the attenuation of light in biological tissues are wavelength dependent, the spectrum of local light fluence at a target tissue beneath the sample surface is different from the spectrum of the incident light fluence above the surface. An unknown spectrum of the light fluence in the sample prevents us from obtaining quantitative functional images such as oxygen saturation and hemoglobin concentration in the sample by photoacoustic tomography. We developed a new technique of using an optical contrast agent with known optical absorption spectrum to obtain the accurate spectrum of light fluence at a subsurface target tissue such as a blood vessel beneath the sample surface. The technique has been validated by obtaining an accurate absorption spectrum of a micro-flow vessel buried in strong optical scattering media including diluted whole milk and chicken breast tissue. In this work, we further explored the capability of this technique through the experiments on tissue mimicking phantoms and living animals. By using this technique we were able to obtain accurate blood oxygen saturation in vessels buried at different depths in an optical scattering medium. Also, the oxygenation levels in main arteries in rat tails have been quantified more accurately in a noninvasive manner.