cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steroid Therapy as Treatment for Idiopathic Fibrosis of the Retroperitoneum and Mediastinum

Multifocal idiopathic fibrosis of both mediastinum and retroperitoneum is rare in childhood.1,2 We describe a patient who presented with biopsyproven mediastinal and retroperitoneal fibrosis associated with progressive pulmonary fibrosis, cardiomyopathy, and bilateral ureteropyelocaliectasis; the patient responded to intravenous pulse and oral steroid therapy with relief of his uretenal obstruction and an improvement in pulmonary and cardiac function. Although surgical ureterolysis is generally the management of choice for ureteral obstruction caused by retroperitioneal fibrosis,3,4 steroid pulse therapy and a regimen of oral prednisone may provide an alternative modality of themapy.5-7 CASE REPORT This 12-year-old black boy was seen in the emergency room with a chief complaint of shortness of breath.
Gravitational waves from global phase transitions

Abstract It is shown that causality implies that any global symmetry breaking transition in the early universe should produce, at the horizon, an approximate scale invariant spectrum of gravitational waves - even in the absence of inflation. This can result in, among other effects, a quadrupole anistropy in the cosmic microwave background today. Comparing this with existing upper limits can place a rigid upper limit on the scale of symmetry breaking assoaiated with various scenarios for the formation of large scale structure. The preliminary estimates presented here suggest this limit should be less than 1017 GeV.
Insulin Injections in Relation to Meals in the Hospital Medicine Ward: Comparison of 2 Protocols

Objective: To investigate whether changing the prandial regular insulin to rapid-acting insulin analogue in hospital medicine wards improves the timing of insulin delivery in relation to meals and ...
Chemoreception: Identifying Friends and Foes

The vomeronasal organ detects chemical cues that trigger sexual, aggressive and defensive behaviors. An in situ hybridization analysis has identified the specificities of nearly a hundred VNO receptors and elucidated the logic by which they encode these cues.
1.5-5 Years of uninterrupted cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II chemotherapy for metastatic cervical cancer

In an attempt to prolong remission duration in patients with metastatic cervical cancer to cis-platinum based chemotherapy, patients were treated on an every other month basis after a minimum of 1 year of cis-platinum based chemotherapy. To date, five patients have received 5, 4.5, 2.3, 2.3, and 1.5 years, respectively, of uninterrupted cis-platinum based chemotherapy. All remain in complete remission after receiving a total dose of cis-platinum of 2523 mg (1530 mg/m2), 2.408 mg (1655 mg/m2), 1496 mg (880 mg/m2), 1325 mg (970 mg/m2), and 1640 mg (950 mg/m2), respectively. The only apparent toxicity has been asymptomatic hypomagnesemia. In contrast, three other patients in complete remission on cis-platinum based chemotherapy voluntarily discontinued such therapy and have subsequently developed uncontrolled recurrent cervical cancer. It is concluded that patients in complete remission from cis-platinum chemotherapy for metastatic cervical cancer can receive long-term cis-platinum based chemotherapy and that such therapy appears to be without significant toxicity.
Emerging multi-disciplinary theoretical perspectives in team cognition: an overview

Over the past 20 years, team cognition has emerged as an important driver of team performance. A growing body of research illustrates that what team members hold in ‘their heads’ matters in team fu...
Preparative Chromatography Technique in the Removal of Isostructural Genotoxic Impurity in Rizatriptan: Use of Physicochemical Descriptors of Solute and Adsorbent†

The development of preparative negative hydrophobic interaction chromatographic technique based on molecular structural descriptors and physicochemical descriptors e.g. the dissociation constant (pKa), partition coefficient (logP), and distribution coefficient (logD) for removal of a structurally related genotoxic dimer impurity from rizatriptan bulk drug is presented.
Sustainable Design Through Flexible Product Evolution

Sustainable design defined broadly is the problem of designing environmentally benign products so that the environment can be maintained with minimal negative effects from the product throughout the product’s entire lifecycle. This research investigates how sustainable design can be achieved at the conceptual design stage. Although sustainability encompasses a vast number of issues ranging from energy efficient solutions, design for disassembly, recycling, proper material selection, and improved manufacturing choices, the research focus of this work is on the particular issue of product evolution as it relates to the flexibility of a product or concept. Product evolution, often powered by new technology, erases the market competitiveness of concepts over time and impacts flexibility on the design effort side. Specifically, how does the designer develop concepts that can at least partially be reused and adapted to the next product generation with minimal effort? One answer is to design flexible concepts that can incur unknown future changes with maximum concept reuse. Flexibility in this context implies the property of a concept, physical solution, component, or product, to be robust and tolerant to generally unavoidable evolutionary changes. The challenge is to know how to configure a product to satisfy this requirement. As part of this research, we perform empirical studies of product evolution to determine evolutionary trends. Product evolution is measured in the broad terms of product performance over time. The goal is to predict when a product should evolve by either 1) moving from the lower plateau of an S-curve to the higher plateau or 2) jumping to a new S-curve being prepared to do so in a sustainable manner. That is, the objective is to allow companies to be able to reuse components or platforms (including reconditioning and recycling), tooling as well as design and manufacturing staff. The key toward this goal is an understanding how products evolve and what conditions coincide with product change. The approach is to investigate the types of changes (evolutions) that lead to flexible (sustainable) designs. The results of this research can be used for a prescriptive approach in developing a sustainable design method that relies on this newly acquired knowledge of product evolution.© 2004 ASME
Principles and Concepts of Computed Tomography

The final CT image is actually made of a grid of tiny squares called pixels. The scale of grays assigned to each pixel represents the attenuation of x-rays by the structures in the tomographic slice. Manipulation of the gray scale allows optimal visualization of all the tissues within the slice. This control over the gray scale and the absence of structure superimposition are the advantages of CT over conventional x-ray techniques. The steps used to acquire the final CT image are collection of data from the patient (recording of transmitted x-ray intensities from many angles), computer processing of data (mathematical calculation of attenuation of each structure in the tomographic slice), image display (assigning of appropriate gray scale to CT image to evaluate all structures), and data storage (recording series of tomographic images on x-ray film and archiving image data for later review). Common image artifacts that must be identified and interpreted as such include aliasing, ring artifacts, beam hardening effect, metal, motion, partial volume averaging, and streaking from out-of-field objects.
From underground cult to public policy for citizens: democratizing an open source artifact at a policy level in South Korea

Purpose – This study aims to explore the feasible use of free and open source software (FOSS) at a policy level in South Korea, which is reacting against being locked into only one technology company, Microsoft.Design/methodology/approach – Based on participatory democratic theory, this paper suggests that the normative role of the state is as a public mediator in the development of an information technology (IT) infrastructure, encouraging greater freedom of choice and the establishment of an electronic environment – such as the community‐based use of software technology – for citizens to use easily and freely.Findings – South Korean policymakers have explored FOSS as a kind of a political metaphor: at the international level, FOSS offers a rare opportunity to free the country from its technological dependence on transnational software vendors. At the national level, it is an engine for technological innovation and for market competition. However, the market or business paradigm has dominated most discus...
Luteinizing hormone and progesterone concentrations in serum of heifers administered a short half-life prostaglandin (PGF2α) or long half-life prostaglandin analogue (fenprostalene) on days six or eleven of the estrous cycle☆

Two trials were conducted to measure the progesterone (P4) decline and luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in serum subsequent to administration of a short half-life (short t12) prostaglandin (PGF2α) or a long half-life (long t12) prostaglandin analogue (fenprostalene) on Days 6 or 11 of the estrous cycle. Twenty-five crossbred Shorthorn and five Hereford heifers with a mean weight of 331.4 ± 29.8 kg were used in both trials. The heifers were randomly allotted to receive either a short t12 or long t12 prostaglandin treatment on Day 6 or 11 of the estrous cycle. A crossover design for the main effect, treatment (type of prostaglandin), was conducted. Heifers that received PGF2α in Trial I were given fenprostalene in Trial II and vice versa. Stage of the estrous cycle (day) was the same for each heifer in both trials. Stage of estrous cycle was standardized to either Day 6 or 11 by administering Syncro-Mate B (SMB). Blood was collected every hour for 80 h post injection to quantify LH and P4 concentrations. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the short t12 or long t12 for either P4 or LH profiles. In addition, no differences were detected between stages of the estrous cycle for the timing of the preovulatory surge of LH after prostaglandin administration.
A novel site of action of a high affinity A1 adenosine receptor antagonist.

XAC, a high affinity antagonist of the A1 adenosine receptor, enhances adenylate cyclase activity by 1.3–2 fold with an EC50 of ∼ 47 nM in adipocyte membranes pretreated with adenosine deaminase to eliminate adenosine and in the presence of total phosphodiesterase inhibition by 100 μM papaverine. This effect of XAC is observed only at concentrations of GTP sufficient to activate Gi (∼ 5 × 10−6 M GTP) and is not evident in the absence or presence of lower GTP concentrations. ADP ribosylation of Gi by pertussis toxin treatment also abolishes this stimulatory action of XAC. Furthermore, in the presence of GTP activation of inhibitory prostaglandin E1 receptors diminishes the stimulatory effect of XAC on adenylate cyclase. In addition, XAC interferes with GTP-mediated inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in a noncompetitive manner. Finally, XAC is only a weak inhibitor of the low Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, producing ∼ 40% inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity at a concentration of 100 μM. These data suggest that XAC increases adenylate cyclase activity in absence of endogenous adenosine by inhibiting tonic Gi activity in a reversible manner.
Liver-specific Deletion of the NADPH-Cytochrome P450 Reductase Gene: IMPACT ON PLASMA CHOLESTEROL HOMEOSTASIS AND THE FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF MICROSOMAL CYTOCHROME P450 AND HEME OXYGENASE *

A mouse model with liver-specific deletion of the NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (Cpr) gene (designated Alb-Cre/Cprlox mice) was generated and characterized in this study. Hepatic microsomal CPR expression was significantly reduced at 3 weeks and was barely detectable at 2 months of age in the Alb-Cre+/–/Cprlox+/+ (homozygous) mice, with corresponding decreases in liver microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) and heme oxygenase (HO) activities, in pentobarbital clearance, and in total plasma cholesterol level. Nevertheless, the homozygous mice are fertile and are normal in gross appearance and growth rate. However, at 2 months, although not at 3 weeks, the homozygotes had significant increases in liver weight, accompanied by hepatic lipidosis and other pathologic changes. Intriguingly, total microsomal CYP content was increased in the homozygotes about 2-fold at 3 weeks and about 3-fold at 2 months of age; at 2 months, there were varying degrees of induction in protein (1–5-fold) and mRNA expression (0–67-fold) for all CYPs examined. There was also an induction of HO-1 protein (nearly 9-fold) but no induction of HO-2. These data indicate the absence of significant alternative redox partners for liver microsomal CYP and HO, provide in vivo evidence for the significance of hepatic CPR-dependent enzymes in cholesterol homeostasis and systemic drug clearance, and reveal novel regulatory pathways of CYP expression associated with altered cellular homeostasis. The Alb-Cre/Cprlox mouse represents a unique model for studying the in vivo function of hepatic HO and microsomal CYP-dependent pathways in the biotransformation of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds.
Pressure algometry for the detection of induced back pain in horses: a preliminary study

Summary Reasons for performing study: Pressure algometry (PA) is a potential modality for objectively measuring mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) in horses. Its ability to differentiate musculoskeletal pain sites from nonpain sites is unknown and must be assessed prior to its clinical application. Objectives: To assess the ability of PA to detect induced musculoskeletal pain. Methods: Twenty clinically normal mature horses (2 groups of 10 horses, over 2 years) were used to measure MNTs before and after implantation and removal of 2 fixation half-pins in the dorsal spinous processes of 2 adjacent vertebrae. To assess hyperalgesia, MNTs near the surgical sites were pooled and compared to surrounding landmarks. MNTs were also compared on 2 consecutive days immediately after surgical implantation. To assess longer-term adaptation or sensitisation, changes from the beginning to the end of the study were evaluated. Results: The precise surgical sites could be recognised due to substantial and localised decreases in the MNTs compared with surrounding landmarks. At most sites distant to the surgical sites, the distribution of the median percentage change in MNTs was centred around 0 (suggesting unbiased repeatability). MNTs compared from the beginning to the end of this study did not demonstrate obvious adaptation or sensitisation. Conclusions and potential relevance: PA provides a quantitative and repeatable method for assessing the presence of musculoskeletal pain. Further studies are needed to evaluate PA clinically for assessing musculoskeletal injuries and pain management strategies in horses.
Scientific Considerations for Generic Synthetic Salmon Calcitonin Nasal Spray Products

Under the Abbreviated New Drug Application pathway, a proposed generic salmon calcitonin nasal spray is required to demonstrate pharmaceutical equivalence and bioequivalence to the brand-name counterpart or the reference listed drug. This review discusses two important aspects of pharmaceutical equivalence for this synthetic peptide nasal spray product. The first aspect is drug substance sameness, in which a proposed generic salmon calcitonin product is required to demonstrate that it contains the same active ingredient as that in the brand-name counterpart. The second aspect is comparability in product- and process-related factors that may influence immunogenicity (i.e., peptide-related impurities, aggregates, formulation, and leachates from the container/closure system). The comparability of these factors helps to ensure the product safety, particularly with respect to immunogenicity. This review also highlights the key features of in vitro and/or in vivo studies for establishing bioequivalence for a solution nasal spray containing a systemically acting salmon calcitonin.
Imaging of transient magnetization gratings in nmr. analogies with laser-induced gratings and applications to diffusion and flow

Abstract Pulsed field gradient NMR (PFGNMR) experiments for the measurement of diffusion and flow are described in terms of magnetization gratings. These gratings are analogous to the transient refractive index gratings in optical holographic relaxation experiments, and the analogy between spin echoes and diffraction spots is discussed. One-dimensional NMR imaging of a sample containing a magnetization grating permits the absolute calibration of both magnetic field gradients that were used to create and to read the grating. This method, which is well known in imaging applications, is also useful in PFGNMR diffusion studies. Calibration and diffusion measurements are presented as illustrations. The application of the imaging sequences to the measurement of flow rates is discussed, and a two-dimensional version of the experiment is suggested.
Film Studies in Musicology: Disciplinarity vs.Interdisciplinarity

Since the turn of the 21st century the term “film musicology” has gradually come into use in Anglophone scholarship, though apparently without there being any published definition of its disciplinary scope and methodology in relationship to musicology and film studies, respectively. For example in reviewing the 2004 critical study Hollywood Theory, Non-Hollywood Practice by Annette Davison, Leslie Andersen comments that “Davison describes [her] research early on as ‘film musicology’ (p. 1) without a definition as to what this is. Is ‘film musicology’ the musicology of film or the study of film music? Davison assumes that the reader understands what this term means without documenting its origin.” A clue can be found on the dust jacket of Davison’s book that quotes praise for the book from Robynn Stilwell: “Annette Davison offers a second-generation approach to film musicology that stands in relationship to the first generation (Gorbman, Kalinak, et al) much as her subject stands to Hollywood cinema—building on, reacting against, making us think about the most basic issues with new critical facilities.” Inasmuch as neither Gorbman nor Kalinak are musicologists, but are film scholars by virtue of academic training and professional discipline, and the et alia to whom Stilwell alludes are disciplinarily anonymous, how did film musicology come to be constituted as a field of scholarly inquiry, if not by musicologists?
Graduation of Disadvantaged Students The Senior Colleges of CUNY

The SEEK program in the senior colleges of the City University of New York provides special services (e.g., stipends, counseling, tutoring) to disadvantaged students. Cohorts of entering freshmen were followed through eight, ten, and twelve semesters, graduation data for SEEK students are compared to those for students who were eligible for SEEK, but denied admission to it by random procedures, and who entered the senior colleges anyway.
Protein phosphorylation in anti-actin IgG and [(IgG)2protein A]2 complex-stimulated L cells.

Abstract Phosphorylation of cellular proteins was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by the surface binding of IgG antibodies to antigens on L cells. Most prominent among the phosphorylated cellular proteins were M r , = 115,000, 93,000, 58,000, 38,000, and 33,000 proteins. Stimulation of protein phosphorylation was maximal at 48 hr of incubation and was preceeded by maximal stimulated uridine incorporation into RNA (0–24 hr) and thymidine incorporation into DNA (24–48 hr), and followed by maximal stimulated cell proliferation occurring at 72 hr ( P 2 (PA)] 2 , M r , = 716,000, enhanced and (IgG)(PA), M r = 200,000, inhibited phosphorylation. The nature of the cell surface antigen(s) was partially clarified by the demonstration that affinity-purified antibodies to cytoskeletal proteins (principally a surface actin molecule) accounted for a significant part of the stimulation effect. Thus, perturbation of the L-cell membrane by certain molecular forms of anti-actin IgG antibody produces a transmembrane signal resulting in an orderly series of metabolic events including enhanced protein phosphorylation at 48 hr occurring just prior to enhanced cell growth.
Crystal chemistry of phase B and an anhydrous analogue: implications for water storage in the upper mantle

WATER locked in mineral phases within the Earth's mantle may be as significant for the development of life as water now found at the planet's surface. The Earth's original hydrosphere probably would not have survived a collision with a Mars-sized object, such as may have formed the Moon1. The water now on the surface could have been replenished by further impacts of smaller planetesimals; however, at least a portion could have been stored in minerals deep in the mantle being released gradually through volcanic eruptions. This mechanism requires a stable high-pressure phase able to store water under mantle conditions. Of the several hydrous phases studied in the past, the material known as phase B has the highest density and is the only known hydrous form stable at pressures corresponding to depths of 400–500 km (refs 2, 3). Although phase B has been known for over twenty years, its crystal structure and crystal chemistry have remained an unsolved problem. Here we describe the crystal structures of phase B (Mg12Si4O19(OH) 2) and a chemically and structurally similar anhydrous form, AnhB (Mg14Si5O24). These structures contain silicon in both fourfold and sixfold coordination; the silicon octahedra share all twelve edges with magnesium octahedra in a unique thirteen-cation cluster. Description of the structures of phases AnhB and B requires 18 and 40 atoms, respectively, demonstrating that high-pressure phases can have very complicated crystal structures. The multitude of octahedral sites in these phases could lead to rather complicated fractionation behaviour during solid–solid or solid–liquid transitions in the presence of other octahedrally coordinated ions such as Al, Fe, Ti and Mn.
Study on Deep Reduction and Efficient Separation of Lingyang Iron Ore

The test for deep reduction and efficient separation of Lingyang iron ore from Linjiang that cannot be separated and utilized by any conventional mineral processing technology was conducted in the Laboratory, and the research results showed that iron from Lingyang iron ore was recovered effectively. In this paper, the effect of reduction temperature, time and coal content on reduction was analyzed, and the process of deep reduction and efficient magnetic separation was investigated. Furthermore, on such optimum conditions of deep reduction as reduction temperature 1275°C, time 50min, and coal content 40%, the reduction products were separated in the flowsheets of magnetic separation after fine grinding and the iron powder products with iron grade 79.58% and recovery 62.77% were obtained.
XVII.—Descriptions and records of bees.—CXXV

(1910). XVII.—Descriptions and records of bees.—XXV. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 5, No. 26, pp. 133-140.
Structured programming concepts in an introductory COBOL course

This paper concerns an effort to implement structured programming concepts in an introductory COBOL programming course in order to improve student program design and techniques. Since COBOL's native habitat is a business environment with recurring processing cycles and evolving systems requirements, COBOL, perhaps more than other languages, exhibits a glaring need for orderly structure and rigid standards to provide for readability, maintainability and modifiability. It is difficult for a student in a one-quarter course to fully appreciate the significance of having these characteristics in his own program when they are reviewed months (or years) later or in programs acquired from someone else.
A Cultural Crossroads at the "Bloody Angle": The Chinatown Tongs and the Development of New York City's Chinese American Community

In the early twentieth century in New York City, the tongs of Chinatown established themselves as one of the most resilient, and clever, organized crime enterprises in Lower Manhattan. Through spectacular violence and shrewd political dealings, they survived by adapting to, and helping to shape, the evolution of Chinese America. Groups like the Hip Sings and On Leongs, inspiring awe and fear, spiced a chaotic urban stew in which race, class, and politics bubbled into a peculiarly American amalgam. But the tongs were never mere street criminals. These sophisticated organizations represented a formative period in New York’s Chinatown and the Chinese American community. Though rooted in Chinese culture, the tong was a uniquely American response to the racist oppression and political disenfranchisement of the Chinese, who were criminalized and legally excluded under immigration codes until the 1940s. The changes that the tongs underwent, in both their public image and their economic and political activities, ...
Revisiting depressive-prone bipolar disorder: polarity of initial mood episode and disease course among bipolar I systematic treatment enhancement program for bipolar disorder participants.

Background We examined the hypothesis that a first depressive rather than manic episode in bipolar disorder might herald a subsequent course notable for greater burden of depressive symptoms. Methods We analyzed retrospective data on the polarity of first mood episode obtained from 704 bipolar I subjects entering the multicenter Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) study. Subjects with an initial manic or depressive episode and those in whom both poles occurred within the same year were compared. Results Depressive-onset bipolar disorder was more common in women and those with earlier onset of illness. Adjusting for these differences, it was significantly associated with more lifetime depressive episodes and a greater proportion of time with depression and anxiety in the year prior to study entry. Conclusions Polarity of first mood episode may be useful in distinguishing subsets of bipolar patients at risk for a more chronic course.
A Representative Volume Element for the Densification of Powders

Previous studies have shown that the traditional phenomenological models of sintering contain pores that are generally too small and too numerous to represent the microstructural evolution of alumina ceramics at temperatures below 1400°C. In this study a representative volume element was simulated by the random placement of 1000 non-overlapping spheres, which was subsequently densified by contact flattening. The resulting dimensionless microstructural pathway based on the fraction of solid-solid surface showed very good agreement with experimental results for alumina sintered at 1350°C. Increasing the width of the sphere size distribution for this simulation had little effect on the chosen dimensionless microstructural pathway.
Developmental expression of alpha 9 acetylcholine receptor mRNA in the rat cochlea and vestibular inner ear

Expression of alpha9 acetylcholine receptor (AChR) mRNA was studied by in situ hybridization in the rat adult and developing cochlea and vestibular inner ear. Alpha9 AChR mRNA was first observed in cochlear hair cells (HCs) at embryonic day 18 (E18), increased markedly after birth, stayed high until postnatal day 10 (P10), and decreased to substantially lower adult levels by P14. High levels of alpha9 AChR mRNA expression were also noted in the developing nonneuronal structures of the inner sulcus, chondrocytes, and/or osteoblasts in the cochlear capsule and interscalar laminae. Both developing and adult bone marrow cells also expressed intense alpha9 AChR mRNA. In the vestibular system, alpha9 AChR mRNA was first observed in HCs at E16 in all sensory epithelia, increased to its highest levels by P0-P4, then decreased slightly to reach adult levels by P10. The results are consistent with the alpha9 AChR subserving efferent neurotransmission to both cochlear and vestibular HCs. The observation of alpha9 AChR mRNA in cochlear HCs 2 weeks prior to functional onset in the cochlea further suggests that expression of this gene is not related to HC activity. The observation of substantial nonneuronal expression of alpha9 AChR mRNA suggests that this receptor also has functions separate from its role in neurotransmission.
Degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) in solution

The rate of degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to methyl methacrylate (MMA) was investigated in the liquid phase with toluene as the solvent. The degradation experiments were carried out in a tubular flow reactor at 1000 psig (6.8 MPa) and at four different temperatures (200, 225, 275, and 300 °C). The polymer concentration was varied from 1 to 4 g/L. A discrete model for the first-order rate of polymer degradation was derived and compared to the continuous kinetics approach. Both models lead to the same expression for monomer concentration increasing linearly with time. Rate constants were evaluated using the moments of the molecular weight distributions of the reacted and unreacted polymer. The rate was first order in polymer concentration, and the activation energy was 8.4 kcal/mol (34 kJ/mol). This activation energy suggests that the rate controlling step for the thermal degradation of PMMA is the depropagation process.
Darwin and Contemporary Theology

Darwin's "dangerous idea" challenges religious trust in a providential God, that is, one who influences and eternally cares for the world. Our religious ancestors had no knowledge of biological evolution, although they were certainly aware of the suffering of humans and other living beings. Evolutionary science vastly extends the story of life and life's suffering (and creativity as well) beyond those of traditional theological awareness. In what sense, then, after Darwin, might the doctrine of divine providence still be credible, if at all? Is it perhaps possible that evolutionary portraits of life may open up fresh ways of thinking about divine providence?
Dual light-cone model for the structure functions of deep inelastic scattering and annihilation

Abstract Abstracted from a dual model, we present a concrete ansatz for the light-cone spectral function F ( α , β , t ) recently discussed by Gatto and Preparata and give the correct continuation prescription from deep inelastic scattering to the annihilation region. We discuss the scaling properties of this ansatz and, in particular, show that the deep inelastic structure functions fulfill a new type of Gribov-Lipatov reciprocity relation.
Xenon and krypton isotope anomalies in the Besner Mine, Ontario, thucholite.

The isotopic compositions have been measured mass spectrometrically for xenon and krypton fractions released from a sample of thucholite from Besner Mine, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, in stepwise heating experiments. The relative abundances of the fissiogenic xenon and krypton isotopes released from the thucholite indicated that they are primarily the product of 238U spontaneous fission. A xenon fraction with an isotopic composition resembling that of the AVCC xenon was released at 400°C. In the case of krypton, the isotopic composition of a very large fraction of the total gas released at 250°C was closer to the AVCC krypton than to the atmospheric krypton. Small excesses of cosmic-ray-produced 124Xe and 126Xe appeared to be present in xenon fractions released at higher temperatures. A possible connection between the occurrence of a meteoritic rare gas component in terrestrial materials and the process of meteorite impact is discussed.
Effects of beta adrenergic receptor blockade on hemodynamic changes associated with obstructive sleep apnea

To study the effects of airway obstruction (AWO) and arousal on coronary blood flow, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), pigs were chronically instrumented with arterial catheters, Doppler flow probes on the left circumflex coronary artery, and electrodes for determination of sleep stages. A modified balloon catheter was placed in the trachea to obstruct the upper airway during sleep. Following control studies, the role of beta adrenergic receptors in hemodynamic responses to AWO was assessed by administering propranolol, a beta adrenoreceptor blocking agent. In control studies, during nonrapid eye movement sleep (NREM), MAP was 85 +/- 2 mmHg before AWO and increased by 8 +/- 2 mmHg upon arousal. Mean arterial pressure was lower during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (64 +/- 2 mmHg) and the increase upon arousal was threefold greater (22 +/- 2 mmHg). Heart rate was similar in both sleep stages (NREM 123 +/- 5 bpm; REM 125 +/- 6 bpm) and increased significantly upon arousal (NREM, 11 +/- 2 bpm; REM, 18 +/- 3 bpm increase). Coronary blood flow was similar during both stages (NREM 44 +/- 5 ml/min; REM 44 +/- 6 ml/min) and increased by 13% (NREM) and 22% (REM) during arousal. Coronary vascular resistance increased significantly by 17% during arousal from AWO during REM sleep. All changes were significant at p < 0.05. Following beta adrenergic receptor blockade studies using propranolol, baseline HR was reduced in NREM sleep and HR and coronary blood flow increases during arousal from apnea were eliminated. Adrenoreceptor blockade studies suggest that these effects were mediated by the beta adrenergic component of the sympathetic nervous system.
Spatial scales of extinction and dissipation in the near field of non-premixed turbulent jet flames

Abstract Simultaneous high-resolution Rayleigh scattering imaging and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of OH are combined to measure the dissipative scales associated with thermal mixing and the structure and scales of extinguished regions of the reaction zone. Measurements are performed throughout the near field (x/d = 5, 10, 15, 20) of two turbulent, non-premixed methane/hydrogen/nitrogen jet flames with Re = 15,200 and 22,800 (flames DLR-A and DLR-B of the TNF workshop). Locally extinguished regions are identified by discontinuities in the OH layers, and the extinction hole sizes are measured. For each flame, the probability density function of the hole sizes is very similar throughout the entire near field, with the most likely hole size being 1.9 mm in DLR-A and 1.1 mm in DLR-B. Extinction events are equally probable at all measurement locations in DLR-A. In the DLR-B flame, there is a progression from frequent extinction close to the nozzle to more continuous reaction zones further downstream. The approximate instantaneous location of the stoichiometric contour is determined using the OH-PLIF images, enabling statistical analysis of dissipative scales conditioned on rich and lean conditions. The widths of the thin, elongated structures that dominate the thermal dissipation field are measured. Statistics of this microscale are qualitatively similar in both flames, with the higher Reynolds number producing smaller scales throughout the flow field. For dissipation layers in rich regions, the layer widths increase significantly with increasing temperature, while on the lean side the layer widths decrease with increasing temperature.
Synthesis and polymerization studies ofN-cyanomethanimine monomers

New imine monomers containing C-aryl and N-cyano substituents were synthesized and polymerized by both radical and anionic initiation. Homopolymerization yielded low molecular weight polymers (M n < 2100). Higher yields were obtained with anionic initiation rather than radical initiation. Radical initiated copolymerization with p-methoxystyrene gave low yields of low molecular weight copolymers. Radical initiated copolymerization with methyl acrylate gave copolymers of 15,000-32,000 molecular weight in moderate yields, but with rather low incorporation of the imine monomer. The C-substituent affected the anionic and free radical reactivity similarly.
Imaging Atomic States Using Radially-Polarized Light

We have used cylindrical vector beams to probe an optically pumped warm rubidium vapor. Optical pumping produces a spatial modulation of the vector beam according to the spin state of the atoms.
Sexual harassment in communication extra‐curricular activities: Intercollegiate debate and individual events

Recent court rulings have made incidents of sexual harassment more worrisome for professors, particularly those who coach students inforensics (individual speaking events and intercollegiate debate extra‐curricular activities). Participants were 611 students and coaches from four national forensics organizations who filled out a modified version of the Sexual Experience Questionnaire to assess understanding and experiences of sexual harassment. Results indicated that sexual harassment is widespread inforensics, that women are harassed more than men, and that women in intercollegiate debate are harassed more than women in individual speaking events.
A web-based decision support system to estimate extended withdrawal intervals

All drugs approved for use in food-producing animals have a withdrawal interval to prevent residues in food of animal origin that are potentially harmful to consumers. These withdrawal times must be appropriately extended if the drug is used in an extralabel manner. This paper describes a web-based application that was developed to facilitate the calculation of extended withdrawal intervals based on information in the databases maintained by members of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) and using the Extrapolated Withdrawal Interval Estimator (EWE) algorithm. The implementation of this application was illustrated using a group of antimicrobials that are used in cattle and swine. The use of this application has been limited to staff veterinarians working for FARAD since limitations in the available pharmacokinetic data require that results are interpreted by personnel with in-depth knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of drugs in food-producing animals.
Academic achievement in Blacks and Whites: Are the developmental processes similar?

Abstract Genetic and environmental influences on academic achievement were investigated in four groups of siblings: (1) White full siblings, (2) White half-siblings, (3) Black full siblings, and (4) Black half-siblings. Our expectation was that the variances and covariances among three achievement tests would have the same structure across the four groups. This expectation was confirmed by a quantitative genetic model that imposed equal factor loadings across groups. This best fitting model had two factors: a Genetic factor representing genetic variation and a Shared Environment factor representing environmental differences among families. Reading recognition, reading comprehension, and mathematics tests all loaded on the Genetic factor, but primarily mathematics loaded on the Shared Environment factor. The quantitative genetic model was next fit to the achievement test means. Its successful fit suggested that the genetic and environmental influences involved in producing individual variation were the same as those producing the group-mean differences. In this sample, genes accounted for 66% to 74% of the observed group difference in verbal achievement and 36% of the difference in mathematics achievement. Shared environment accounted for the remainder, 34% to 26% of the difference in verbal achievement and 64% of that in mathematics achievement.
Role of locus coeruleus α1-adrenoceptors in motor activity in rats

The question of whether or not the locus coeruleus (LC) participates in the control of motor activity has been controversial due to difficulties in demonstrating permanent motor deficits after neurotoxic lesions of this nucleus or of the dorsal noradrenergic bundle (DNB). In the present experiments it was shown in rats that acute local blockade (with terazosin) or stimulation (with phenylephrine) of LC α1-adrenoceptors respectively blocked or stimulated exploratory behavior in a novel cage and the home cage. Moreover, previous lesion of the DNB by i.p. DSP4 abolished the behavioral changes to local LC α1-receptor manipulation but did not affect motor activity in the novel or home cage by itself. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the intact LC does contribute to motor activity control, exerted in part by its α1-receptors; however, the permanent loss of this nucleus is compensated for by remaining CNS motor structures. Synapse 54:164–172, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The association between blood lead levels and osteoporosis among adults--results from the third national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES III).

Osteoporosis is a reduction in bone mass sufficient to increase the risk of fractures (Krane and Holick 1998), and is a common and serious affliction of the elderly (Chandler et al. 2000; Looker et al. 1995; Melton et al. 1992). Lead exposure may be a risk factor in the development of osteoporosis. Animal studies report that increased lead exposure is associated with a decrease in bone density (Escribano et al. 1997; Gruber et al. 1997; Puzas et al. 1999) and bone strength (Ronis et al. 2001). Additional in vitro studies report that lead exposure inhibits the function of chondrocytes (Hicks et al. 1996) and osteoblasts, the cells that manufacture bone (Klein and Wiren 1993; Puzas et al. 1999; Ronis et al. 2001). Human studies on this association are limited. In a study of children, Laraque et al. (1990) found no association between bone density and lead exposure. However, because the children were examined at a young age (range, 18–47 months), sufficient time may not have elapsed for the adverse effects on the bone to become manifest. In a cross-sectional study of 1,021 adults age 16–81 years, Alfven et al. (2002) also found no association between lead exposure and bone mineral density (BMD). However, the mean blood lead level was low among the subjects studied [3.1 μg/dL (Alfven T, personal communication)]—suggesting that the lack of an association may have been attributed to low exposure. In contrast, an epidemiologic study on whether postmenopausal bone resorption is associated with elevated blood lead levels found an inverse association between blood lead level (geometric mean blood lead level, 2.9 μg/dL among postmenopusal women) and BMD (Nash et al. 2004). In a study of former workers from a lead smelting facility, there was an inverse association between the log of the current blood lead level and spine BMD [regression coefficient −0.039; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.060 to −0.019; p < 0.0002] (Potula et al. 2006). As recently as the late 1970s, 78% of the U.S. population had blood lead levels ≥ 10 μg/dL (Mahaffey et al. 1982), the current threshold of concern defined previously by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC 1991). Bone is a repository for 90–95% of the total body burden of lead (Wedeen 1992), and harbors it for years after initial exposure (Gulson et al. 1995). Thus, a high proportion of adult Americans may currently have elevated bone lead levels. With this many who were exposed to lead when younger, and the morbidity associated with osteoporosis, it is important to investigate whether an association exists between lead exposure and osteoporosis in humans. Our objective was to conduct a secondary analysis of a national database to explore the association between lead exposure and osteoporosis in a large number of adults.
Experimental Study Investigating the Effects of Setup Conditions on Bender Element Velocity Results

An experimental program was conducted in order to establish the dominant factors that affect the interpretation of the small strain shear modulus of soils when using bender elements. Both Ticino sand and resedimented Boston blue clay (RBBC) were used to develop the characteristics of the bender element behavior and to isolate the parameters that most closely need to be monitored during the experimental procedure. After the experimental program was completed, a comparison with published results was performed as a secondary measure of reliability of the measurements. The conclusion of this investigation showed that the signals produced by the bender elements can be substantially improved if the wavelength ratio and aspect ratio are maintained in an acceptable range of greater than two and less than one, respectively. Furthermore, after conducting an extensive series of ray path analyses and varying the confining material of the specimen, it was clear that the geometry of the bender element was the cause of major discrepancies between velocity results, which was caused by the creation of not only side traveling P-waves in addition to the orthogonally propagating S-wave, but also directly traveling P-waves.
Effect of the chemical structure of aromatic polyimides on their thermal aging, relaxation behavior and mechanical properties

This article examines the effects of structural changes and thermal aging treatments on the relaxation processes and mechanical properties of three polyimides differing for their molecular structure i.e. PMDA-ODA, 6FDA-ODA, and 6FDA-6FpDA. These polyimides were obtained by thermal imidization of their polyamic acid precursors, which were synthesized from the respective dianhydrides [pyromellitic anhydride (PMDA), hexahydrofluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride (6FDA)], and diamines [4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA), 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) dianiline (6FpDA)]. After the curing process, the polyimides were thermally aged at a fixed temperature for various times Dynamic mechanical measurements performed in a multi-frequency mode, were used to determine the glass-rubber and sub-glass transitions, as well as the activation energy of the β transition. It was found that the T g decreased in the order PMDA-ODA > 6FDA-6FpDA > 6FDA-ODA as a result of an increased chain rigidity and molecular packing induced by charge transfer interactions during the thermal imidization process. The β sub-glass transition showed two relaxation processes identified as β′ and β′′. The β′ process was attributed to the local motion of the diamine constituents while the β′′ process was caused by the local motion of the dianhydride moiety. The cooperativity of these molecular motions was also assessed via the Starkweather method. The thermal aging enhanced the state of aggregation of polyimide chains and thus the T g and the sub-glass transition properties. This effect was particularly marked for the PMDA-ODA polyimide. Also the mechanical properties were significantly affected by chemical structure and aging treatments. For non-aged samples the more influenced parameter was the elongation at break, which decreased in the order PMDA-ODA > 6FDA-ODA > 6FDA-6FpDA. The aging enhanced the elastic modulus and the tensile strength and reduced the elongation at break.