cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical defense in the eggs and embryos of antarctic sea stars (Echinodermata)

Fifteen species of reproductively mature echinoderms (11 sea stars, 3 sea urchins, 1 sea cucumber) were collected from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, during austral spring and summer of 1985 and 1986; eggs and embryos were obtained, and were tested for ichthyonoxicity using the common marine killifishFundulus grandis as a model predator. Chemical deterrents occurred in the large, yolky eggs of the pelagic lecithotrophic sea starPerknaster fuscus and the planktotrophic sea starPorania antarctica. Brooded embryos of the sea starsDiplasterias brucei andNotasterias armata were also noxious. Significant ichthyonoxicity was not detected in the remaining 7 species of sea stars, 3 sea urchins, and 1 sea cucumber. Chemical deterrents were generally effective at concentrations below a single egg or embryo per agar test-pellet. Although chemicals found in these eggs and embryos are noxious to an allopatric fish, they may not be noxious to sympatric fish.
High-risk osteoporosis clinic (HiROC): improving osteoporosis and postfracture care with an organized, programmatic approach.

A programmatic outpatient high-risk osteoporosis clinic (outpatient HiROC) and inpatient fracture liaison service (inpatient HiROC) is described. Results document that this population is more effectively treated and followed up in this specialty pathway than with primary care follow-up. We describe a programmatic approach to outpatient care of high-risk osteoporosis patients (outpatient HiROC). We similarly describe an inpatient fracture liaison service (inpatient HiROC), which integrates into the existing outpatient HiROC pathway. The development of outpatient HiROC and inpatient HiROC is described. Outpatient visits (July 29, 2008 to October 27, 2011) are included with a 200 patients random sample calculation. Inpatient consultation visits between November 18, 2008 and October 27, 2011 are included. Between July 29, 2008 and December 31, 2011, 1917 outpatient consults were seen. Of the 200 patient samples, 87 % were female, mean age of 69.8 years, previous fractures occurred in 34 % patients, and glucocorticoid users constituted 10.6 %. Eighty-six percent of this group was high risk, where drug therapy is indicated, and such treatment was started in 89 %. A total of 1041 inpatient fracture consults were seen during the evaluable period; 14.7 % of this population died before the 6-month follow-up. Females comprised 77.6 %, mean age was 76.1 years, and 58.2 % of fractures were hip fragility, 11.6 % vertebral, and 1.7 % midshaft and 1.6 % subtrochanteric. Patients seen in our outpatient HiROC pathway were significantly more likely to be treated than those followed up by one of our primary care doctors (80.6 versus 32.2 %, P < 0.0001). Mean vitamin D levels at baseline (27.0 ng/mL) improved to 34.6 ng/mL at 6-month follow-up (P < 0.0001). Our outpatient and inpatient HiROC model is efficient and effective in risk stratifying and treating patients at high risk for fractures.
Identification of quinol thioethers in bone marrow of hydroquinone/phenol-treated rats and mice and their potential role in benzene-mediated hematotoxicity

Metabolism of benzene is required to produce the classical hematological disorders associated with its exposure. After coadministration of hydroquinone (0.9 mmol/kg, ip) and phenol (1.1 mmol/kg, ip) to male Sprague-Dawley rats and DBA/2 mice, 2-(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone was identified in the bone marrow of both species. 2,5-Bis(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone, 2,6-bis(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone, and 2,3,5-tris(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone were also observed in the bone marrow of rats but were detected only sporadically in mice. Both species produced 2-(cystein-S-ylglycinyl)hydroquinone, 2-(cystein-S-yl)hydroquinone, and 2-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)hydroquinone, indicating the presence of a functional mercapturic acid pathway in bone marrow. The ability of bone marrow to acetylate 2-(cystein-S-yl)hydroquinone and deacetylate 2-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)hydroquinone was confirmed in vitro. Total quinol thioether concentrations were higher in, and eliminated more slowly from, the bone marrow of mice. Intravenous injection of 100 micromol/kg 2-(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone to rats gave rise to substantially lower bone marrow C(max) and AUC values compared to values found following coadministration of hydroquinone/phenol, suggesting that the major fraction of the GSH conjugates present in bone marrow are formed in situ. Finally, the erythrotoxicity of several of these conjugates was determined in rats using the erythrocyte 59Fe incorporation assay. Administration of 2,3,5-tris(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone (17 micromol/kg, iv), 2,6-bis(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone (50 micromol/kg, iv), and benzene (11 mmol/kg, sc) significantly decreased 59Fe incorporation into reticulocytes to 45 +/- 6%, 28 +/- 3%, and 20 +/- 9% of control values, respectively. Although the doses of 2,3,5-tris(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone and 2,6-bis(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone represented only 0.2% and 0.4% of the dose of benzene, both conjugates reduced 59Fe incorporation to the same degree as benzene. 2-(Glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone had no effect at the dose tested (200 micromol/kg, iv). In summary, these data suggest that hydroquinone-glutathione conjugates are erythrotoxic and may contribute to benzene-mediated hematotoxicity.
Proton transport through membranes induced by weak acids: A study of two substituted benzimidazoles

We report here a kinetic study of the mechanism by which the weak acid TTFB (4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-2-trifluoromethylbenzimidazole) transports protons across phospholipid bilayer membranes. A previous kinetic study of the homologous dichloro compound, DTFB, revealed that the rate limiting step for proton translocation was the back diffusion of the neutral, HA, form of the weak acid; we conclude here that this is also the rate limiting step for proton translocation with TTFB. At high concentrations of either DTFB or TTFB the charged permeant species is an HA 2 − complex. The kinetic analysis and independent measurements reveal that the permeability of the membrane to HA and adsorption coefficients of A− and HA are an order of magnitude higher for TTFB than for DTFB. When either DTFB or TTFB was present in a solution where the pH was less than the pK of the weak acid, an unusual relaxation in the current was noted on application of a voltage step. The amplitude of the relaxation decreased as the voltage was increased. This relaxation is possibly due to a reorientation of the benzimidazole molecules at the membrane-solution interface. We also report experiments performed with DTFB on mitochondria. It was possible to reconcile these results with the bilayer data and, therefore, with the chemiosmotic hypothesis by postulating that the dielectric constant of the mitochondrial membrane is greater than that of a bilayer formed with decane as a solvent. To demonstrate the effect of dielectric constant on permeability, we replaced decane by 1-chlorodecane. This increased the capacitance of the artificial bilayer by a factor of two and the permeability of the bilayer to the A− form of DTFB by two orders of magnitude.
Phase-jump instability in the bidirectional ring laser with backscattering

The third-order equations of motion for a bidirectional, inhomogeneously broadened ring laser at line center with backscattering are solved exactly when the additive noise terms are negligible. The resulting solution for the relative phase of the two propagating modes may exhibit steady-state or transient oscillations. For certain initial conditions, the solution is not unique and is unstable. This gives rise to deterministic phase jumps in both the transient and steady-state behavior. A series of phase jumps occurs if the system repeatedly crosses its unstable boundary. These series may be random or periodic if the system is driven by a stochastic or deterministic source, respectively. In all cases, the jumps are multiples of {pi} radians in magnitude. The solution for the intensities provides a means to determine the pump parameter and backscattering coefficients for the laser through intensity measurements, provided the effects of spontaneous emission are negligible. The results are compared with numerical solutions of the original Langevin equations and with experiments.
Image-space modal bases for plausible manipulation of objects in video

We present algorithms for extracting an image-space representation of object structure from video and using it to synthesize physically plausible animations of objects responding to new, previously unseen forces. Our representation of structure is derived from an image-space analysis of modal object deformation: projections of an object's resonant modes are recovered from the temporal spectra of optical flow in a video, and used as a basis for the image-space simulation of object dynamics. We describe how to extract this basis from video, and show that it can be used to create physically-plausible animations of objects without any knowledge of scene geometry or material properties.
Regional Vasomotor Tone in Normotensive and Hypertensive Dogs

A new method for estimating vasomotor tone in a local circulation by means of the asystolic arterial pressure gradient was applied to the renal, femoral, brachial, and mesenteric vascular beds of normal dogs and of dogs made hypertensive by various technics. The splanchnic circulation apparently contributes the greatest proportion of the increase of resistance in anesthetized hypertensive animals. The correlation of vasomotor tone with diastolic pressure was good only in the mesenteric area. Some differences in these four areas were found between renal and neurogenic hypertension.
metabolites. 3. Total synthesis of (±) - funebral, a rotationally restricted pyrrole alkaloid, using a novel Paal-Knorr reaction

Abstract The total synthesis of (±) - funebral 5 , a sterically crowded, rotationally restricted pyrrole alkaloid, has been achieved by means of a new variation of the Paal-Knorr synthesis, employing titanium isopropoxide.
Activity and lifetime of urease immobilized using layer-by-layer nano self-assembly on silicon microchannels

Urease has been immobilized and layered onto the walls of manufactured silicon microchannels. Enzyme immobilization was performed using layer-by-layer nano self-assembly. Alternating layers of oppositely charged poly-electrolytes, with enzyme layers “encased” between them, were deposited onto the walls of the silicon microchannels. The polycations used were polyethylenimine (PEI), polydiallyldimethylammonium (PDDA), and polyallylamine (PAH). The polyanions used were polystyrenesulf onate (PSS) and polyvinylsulfate (PVS). The activity of the immobilized enzyme was tested by pumping a 1 g/L urea solution through the microchannels at various flow rates. Effluent concentration was measured using an ultraviolet/visible spectrometer by monitoring the absorbance of a pH sensitive dye. The architecture of PEI/PSS/PEI/urease/PEI with single and multiple layers of enzyme demonstrated superior performance over the PDDA and PAH architectures. The precursor layer of PEI/PSS demonstrably improved the performance of the reactor. Conversion rates of 70% were achieved at a residence time of 26 s, on d 1 of operation, and >50% at 51 s, on d 15 with a six-layer PEI/urease architecture.
Research on conducted energy devices

An essay on the results of research regarding conducted energy devices (CED) such as oleoresin capsicum (OC) and TASER is presented. It offers media accounts on CED incidents that are fatal and others which are nonfatal and examines the identification of potential correlates of deaths caused CED exposure. The author reviews research on the use of CED and suggests another study methodology on the risk of death with the use of CED.
Pilot Study of the Effect of Religious Symbols on Brain Function: Association With Measures of Religiosity

Religious symbols are used throughout the world to evoke specific meaning in adherents. However, it is unclear if the impact of symbols is based upon their meaning or the inherent effect of the visual symbols on the brain. There has never been a study that has assessed the impact of religious symbols, of both positive and negative emotional content, on the brain. In addition, it would also be important to correlate the neurophysiological effect of various religious symbols to specific measures of a person’s perspective on religion. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging to study 20 healthy subjects from different religious backgrounds, we found that neural activation in the primary visual cortex was significantly suppressed in response to religious negative symbols compared with neutral and nonreligious negative symbols. No such deactivation was observed for religious positive symbols. Subjects’ scores on the Quest scale, an index of religious and spiritual orientation and belief, correlated significantly with activity in the primary visual cortex for negative symbols, but not for positive symbols. In addition, scores on the Beliefs About God Assessment Form (BAGAF), that measures the adaptability of a person’s religious beliefs, correlated significantly with activity in the amygdala and insula when observing religious symbols. These findings suggest an early stage visual mecha
SemNews: a semantic news framework

SemNews is a semantic news service that monitors different RSS news feeds and provides structured representations of themeaning of news. As new content appears, SemNews extracts the summary from the RSS description and processes it using OntoSem, which is a sophisticated text understanding system.
Electron Transport in Halophilic Bacteria: Involvement of a Menaquinone in the Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Oxidative Pathway

The reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidative pathway of a halophilic bacterium was found to contain a light-sensitive (360 nm) compound, menaquinone-8, which serves as a cofactor in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide + -linked pathway.
An Ethical Analysis of Mandatory Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Personnel: Implementing Fairly and Balancing Benefits and Burdens

Health care institutions have paid increasing attention to preventing nosocomial transmission of influenza through vaccination of health care personnel. While multifaceted voluntary interventions have increased vaccination rates, proponents of mandatory programs contend the rates remain unacceptably low. Conventional bioethical analyses of mandatory programs are inadequate; they fail to account for the obligations of nonprofessional personnel or to justify the weights assigned to different ethical principles. Using an ethics framework for public health permits a fuller analysis. The framework's focus on fairness accentuates the potential differences between the risk of transmitting infection and employment status, and the need to equitably evaluate exemptions. The framework's emphasis on balancing benefits and burdens highlights the need to justify a specific goal and questions the need to exclude all nonmedical exemptions. While mandatory vaccination programs are justifiable, greater attention should be paid to their implementation.
A meta-analysis of topiramate's effects for individuals with alcohol use disorders.

Background Influenced by several trials and reviews highlighting positive outcomes, topiramate is increasingly prescribed as a treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The only previously published meta-analysis of topiramate for AUDs was limited by a sample of only 3 randomized, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs).
Adaptive array transient sidelobe levels and remedies

The transient sidelobe level of a sidelobe canceler (SLC) is a function of the external noise environment, the number of adaptive auxiliary antennas, the adaptive algorithm used, auxiliary antenna gain margins, and the number of samples used to calculate the adaptive weights. An analytical result for the adaptive sidelobe level is formulated for the case when the adaptive algorithm is the open-loop, sampled matrix inversion (SMI) algorithm. The result is independent of whether concurrent or nonconcurrent data processing is used in the SMI algorithm's implementation. It is shown that the transient sidelobe level is eigenvalue dependent and increases proportionally to the gain margin of the auxiliary antenna elements with respect to the quiescent main antenna sidelobe level. Techniques that reduce this transient sidelobe level are discussed, and it is theoretically shown that injection independent noise into the auxiliary channels significantly reduces the transient sidelobe level. It is demonstrated that using this same technique reduces the SMI noise power residue settling time. >
Advancing the income inequality - health hypothesis

The notion that income inequality exerts an influence on health status (over and above the long-known effects of individual or household income) has received a great deal of attention in social epidemiology, medical sociology and economics in the past 20 years. And although a clear consensus on the hypothesis is yet to emerge, a new wave of empirical studies has strengthened the case for seeing income inequality as a social determinant of health. This article examines the current trajectory of the income inequality – health literature, and explores two issues that will be critical to its development in the coming years: (1) the need to re-examine the epistemological grounding of this research area, with a corresponding shift towards blurring the division between positivism and critical realism, and (2) the value of re-considering the geo-political ‘frame’ of studies in this field, with a move towards a truly global analysis of the health effects of income inequality.
Fear of falling in subacute hemiplegic stroke patients: associating factors and correlations with quality of life.

Objective To determine the associating factors of fear of falling (FOF) and the correlations between FOF and quality of life (QOL) on subacute stroke patients in Korea. Method Fifty hemiplegic subacute stroke patients in our clinic were recruited. We directly asked patients with their fear of falling and interviewed them with the Korean version of falls efficacy scale-international (KFES-I). We divided the participants into two groups; with FOF and without FOF. We compared these groups with the strength of hemiplegic hip abductor, knee extensor, ankle plantar flexor, functional ambulation category (FAC) scale, stroke specific quality of life (SSQOL), and hospital anxiety depression scale (HADS). Results Thirty-four participants were enrolled, and more than half of the patients with subacute stroke had FOF. We compared the patients with and without FOF. According to the results, FOF was associated with the strength of hemiplegic hip abductor, knee extensor and ankle plantar flexor, FAC, total SSQOL, and domains (energy, mobility, self care, upper extremity function) of SSQOL (p<0.05). FOF was also associated with the anxiety score of HADS (p<0.05). KFES-I had a significant negative correlation with the strength of hemiplegic hip abductor, knee extensor and ankle plantar flexor, FAC, total SSQOL, and domains (energy, mobility, self care, upper extremity function) of SSQOL (p<0.01). Conclusion The FOF was associated with not only QOL but also with the physical and psychological factors, and in particular, anxiety. Therefore, further concerns about FOF in subacute stroke patients might be required.
A comparative study of specification models for autonomic access control of digital rights

One of the goals of Digital Rights Management Systems is the provision of a flexible access rights management system to specify and enforce digital rights. Policy-based access control is an important feature of flexible access management systems as it facilitates changes in access control with minimum or no changes to the system it protects. Two prominent policy based access specification models (and languages) are the Policy Core Information Model (PCIM) and the eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML). In this paper we analyze and compare the two specification models for their suitability in building access rights for Digital Rights Management Systems.
Approximations to directivity for linear, planar, and volumetric apertures and arrays

Even after decades of sonar design, approximations to the directivity factor (DF) or index of an array, are often used inappropriately. Many of the approximations commonly used provide accurate directivity approximations for only the simplest of array geometries. As the array's size, shape, weighting, and complexity increase, there is a renewed need for better directivity approximations. Directivity is defined as the ratio of the output signal-to-noise (SNR) of an array to the input SNR at an omnidirectional element in a spherically isotropic noise field. Calculation of directivity is obtained by integrating the magnitude-squared response of the array over all angles of incidence. In spherical coordinates, these arrival angles are denoted by an azimuthal angle /spl theta/ and a polar angle /spl phi/. Hence, calculation of the directivity requires a two-fold integration over the angular space defined by the azimuthal and polar angles. For complex, large-size arrays consisting of thousands of array elements, directivity calculations using numerical integration procedures can be time consuming, even on state-of-the-art computing systems. This report provides a number of accurate formulas for estimating the directivity of linear, planar, and volumetric apertures and arrays, which are allowed to have arbitrary shading coefficients, steering angles, and directional array element responses.
Diet pills and the cataract outbreak of 1935: reflections on the evolution of consumer protection legislation

An outbreak of cataracts in 1935 caused by dinitrophenol (DNP), the active ingredient of popular diet pills, highlighted the inability of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent harmful drugs from entering the marketplace. Just two years earlier, the FDA used horrific images of ocular surface injury caused by cosmetics at the World's Fair in Chicago to garner public support for legislative reform. The FDA had to walk a fine line between a public awareness campaign and lobbying Congress while lawmakers debated the need for consumer protection. The cataract outbreak of 1935 was conspicuous in the medical literature during the height of New Deal legislation, but questions persist as to how much it affected passage of the proposed Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (of 1938). The legislation languished in committee for years. The cataract outbreak probably had little impact on the eventual outcome, but medical opinion concerning the safety of DNP may have contributed to the voluntary withdrawal of the diet drug from the market. We review the DNP cataract outbreak and examine it in context of the challenges facing regulatory reform at that time.
Analysis of permalloy circuits for bubble domain propagation

The magnetostatic field distribution associated with Permalloy circuits for bubble domain propagation is analyzed by the Fourier series method. The analysis is three-dimensional in geometry with two-dimensional variation in magnetization vector. It is found that both the normal component magnetostatic field and its average value are linearly proportional to the in-plane field, unless the magnetization is saturated. The fields decay exponentially from the surface of Permalloy circuits and are highly nonuniformly distributed along the circuits, resulting in nonlinear bubble speed. The calculated results are in good agreement with field measurements obtained from a scale-up model.
The cardiac vulnerable period and reentrant arrhythmias: targets of anti- and proarrhythmic processes.

Because sudden cardiac death is usually preceded by a reentrant arrhythmia, the precipitating arrhythmia must be multicellular in origin. Therefore clinicians seeking to reduce the incidence of reentrant arrhythmias in their patients with antiarrhythmic drugs that alter propagation may reasonably question the applicability of drug classification schemes (e.g. Sicilian Gambit) that are based on measurements in single cells. This raises a major question: are measures of a drug's anti- and proarrhythmic potential in single cells predictive of its anti- and proarrhythmic properties in tissue? The problem is as follows. From single cell measurements, one expects Class I drugs to reduce excitability, thereby attenuating the occurrence of PVCs. Similarly, one expects Class III drugs to prolong refractoriness and reduce the occurrence of PVCs. We have found in simple models of cardiac tissue that sodium channel blockade (the target of Class I drugs) extends the vulnerable period of a propagating excitation wave, whereas potassium channel blockade (the target of Class III drugs) destabilizes the reentrant path in a manner that amplifies the likelihood of polymorphic tachyarrhythmias. Using analytical, numerical, and experimental studies, we determined that sodium channel blockade was proarrhythmic. In fact, we found that any intervention that slowed conduction was proarrhythmic because slowed conduction increases the vulnerable period and reduces the spatial requirements for sustained reentry. We also found that when obstacles were placed in the path of a propagating wave, reentry occurred when the conduction velocity was less than a critical value. Once reentry was established, we observed that the ECG displayed monomorphic QRS complexes when the reentrant path did not vary from cycle to cycle. Moreover, when the reentry path did vary from cycle to cycle, the ECG displayed polymorphic QRS complexes. The cycle-to-cycle variation in QRS morphology was caused by the spatial variability of the reentry path. The variability of reentry paths (and hence the degree of polymorphic variation in QRS complexes) was amplified by Class III agents. The results presented here show that multicellular proarrhythmic effects are derived from the same mechanisms that exhibit antiarrhythmic properties in single cells.
SLIDER: Simulation of Layout-Injected Defects for Electrical Responses

Logic-level simulation has been the de facto method for simulating defect/faulty behavior for various testing tasks since it offers a good tradeoff between accuracy and speed. Unfortunately, by abstracting defect behavior to the logic level (i.e., a fault model), it also discards important information that inevitably results in inaccuracies. This paper describes a fast and accurate defect simulation framework called SLIDER (simulation of layout-injected defects for electrical responses). SLIDER uses well-developed mixed-signal simulation technology that is conventionally used for design verification. There are three innovative aspects that distinguish SLIDER from prior work in this area: 1) accuracy resulting from defect injection taking place at the layout level; 2) speedup resulting from careful and automatic partitioning of the circuit into maximal digital and minimal analog domains for mixed-signal simulation; and 3) complete automation that includes defect generation, defect injection, design partitioning, netlist extraction, mixed-signal simulation, and test-data extraction. The virtual failure data created by SLIDER is useful in a variety of settings that include diagnosis resolution improvement, defect localization, fault model evaluation, and evaluation of yield/test learning techniques that are based on failure data analysis.
Observation-Time-Dependent Biases and Departures for Daily Minimum and Maximum Air Temperatures.

Abstract Non-calendar-day observations of 24-h minimum and maximum air temperatures can be considerably different from calendar-day or midnight observations. This paper examines the influence of time-of-observation on 24-h temperature observations. Diurnal minimum and maximum temperatures measured at common observation times (0700 and 1700 LST) are compared with minimum and maximum temperatures measured at midnight. The principal methods make use of hourly temperature observations, sampled over 24-h moving windows, to approximate once-daily observations. Surprisingly, non-calendar-day observations are similar to calendar-day observations on a majority of days. When differences do occur, however, they can be large and of either sign. Differences between 1700 LST observations and midnight observations are typically smaller than those arising from 0700 LST observations. Daily differences can be grouped by temperature extrema recorded on the incorrect day (a bookkeeping problem) or temperature extrema recorde...
Puffing topography and nicotine intake of electronic cigarette users.

Background Prior electronic cigarette (EC) topography data are based on two video analyses with limited parameters. Alternate methods for measuring topography are needed to understand EC use and nicotine intake. Objectives This study evaluated EC topography with a CReSS Pocket device and quantified nicotine intake. Methods Validation tests on pressure drop, flow rate, and volume confirmed reliable performance of the CReSS Pocket device. Twenty participants used Blu Cigs and V2 Cigs for 10 minute intervals with a 10–15 minute break between brands. Brand order was reversed and repeated within 7 days Data were analyzed to determine puff duration, puff count, volume, flow rate, peak flow, and inter-puff interval. Nicotine intake was estimated from cartomizer fluid consumption and topography data. Results Nine patterns of EC use were identified. The average puff count and inter-puff interval were 32 puffs and 17.9 seconds. All participants, except one, took more than 20 puffs/10 minutes. The averages for puff duration (2.65 seconds/puff), volume/puff (51ml/puff), total puff volume (1,579 ml), EC fluid consumption (79.6 mg), flow rate (20 ml/s), and peak flow rate (27 ml/s) were determined for 10-minute sessions. All parameters except total puff count were significantly different for Blu versus V2 EC. Total volume for Blu versus V2 was four-times higher than for conventional cigarettes. Average nicotine intake for Blu and V2 across both sessions was 1.2 ± 0.5 mg and 1.4 ± 0.7 mg, respectively, which is similar to conventional smokers. Conclusions EC puffing topography was variable among participants in the study, but often similar within an individual between brands or days. Puff duration, inter-puff interval, and puff volume varied from conventional cigarette standards. Data on total puff volume and nicotine intake are consistent with compensatory usage of EC. These data can contribute to the development of a standard protocol for laboratory testing of EC products.
Imperata cylindrica, an alien invasive grass, maintains control over nitrogen availability in an establishing pine forest

In a field experiment in Florida, USA, 15N-labeled Ammonium Sulfate was used to compare how Pinus taeda seedlings take up and use N in the presence of I. cylindrica and native vegetation using three treatments: 1) vegetation free 2) native competition, and 3) I. cylindrica competition. Imperata cylindrica competition led to smaller pine seedlings with significantly less N content in the pine foliage and roots than those in the native treatment. Competition from I. cylindrica for N contributed to the pine seedlings taking up a greater percentage of the applied fertilizer than the seedlings competing with native vegetation; however, because of their reduced growth they were less efficient in utilizing the fertilizer N. The belowground biomass of I. cylindrica on average was seven times higher than the native species. Despite its lower N concentration in foliage and roots, it retained significantly more N per hectare compared to the native vegetation. While the native species retained more N aboveground, I. cylindrica held significantly more belowground, thus invasion by this grass would lead to a shift of N pools from above to belowground. The fact that we were able to account for 81.5% of the applied fertilizer in the I. cylindrica treatment compared to 62.2% in the native treatment suggests that I. cylindrica tightly retains most of the available N on site making it a particularly good invader.
Effects of the organophosphate insecticides diazinon and parathion on bobwhite quail embryos: skeletal defects and acetylcholinesterase activity.

Bobwhite quail eggs were injected at 48 or 72 hr of incubation with various doses of the organophosphate (OP) insecticides diazinon or parathion and the embryos were examined after an additional 48 hr of incubation by both histological and cartilage-staining methods. Bobwhite embryos did not display the notochordal folding or vascular enlargement reported for OP-injected chicken embryos. Cartilage staining of embryos injected with insecticide at 72 hr of incubation and recovered at day 12 of incubation revealed severe shortening and contortion of the vertebral axis, as well as tibiotarsal, rib, and sternum defects. Parath on was more potent in causing skeletal defects than diazinon. No type I defects (micromelia, parrot beak) were detected. Radiometric acetylcholinesterase (AChE) assays of whole embryo homogenates were performed for day 6, 9, and 12 diazinon-injected and control embryos. Diazinon effected drastic reductions in AChE activity. Although the AChE and axial skeletal responses of bobwhite embryos to OP injection are similar to those reported in the literature for other species, some major differences in the bobwhite response were noted: namely, the absence of notochordal folding in the young bobwhite embryo and the absence of type I defects at day 12. These differences suggest that further studies with the bobwhite quail would be useful in clarifying the mechanisms involved in OP-induced teratogenesis.
Economic Voting for Governor and U. S. Senator: The Electoral Consequences of Federalism

Economic voting is examined in gubernatorial and senatorial elections. The findings of this study show that the assignment of functional responsibilities in a federal system determines the subject of voters' retrospective and prospective candidate and party evaluations and thus differentiates the content of vote decisions at each level of government. Voters are thought to assign the federal government a preponderant responsibility for managing the national and regional economies, and thus hold congressional and presidential incumbents more accountable than their subnational counterparts for subnational macro- and microeconomic conditions.
Rapid PublicationDiuron-resistant Poa annua is resistant to norflurazon

Abstract Poa annua control with norflurazon was different between two field trials in 1999. At the field site with suspected diuron-resistant P. annua, control was less than at the site with known diuron-susceptible P. annua. Diuron-resistant and -susceptible biotypes of P. annua were subjected to a range of norflurazon rates in the greenhouse. The diuron-resistant P. annua biotype (R/S : of 2.5) was collected in 1995 from a Lolium perenne L. seed production field near Tangent, OR. The R/S : for norflurazon in these experiments was 4.8; thus, confirming that diuron-resistant P. annua is resistant to norflurazon. Nomenclature: Diuron; norflurazon; Poa annua L. POAAN, annual bluegrass; Lolium perenne L. LOLPE, perennial ryegrass.
Comparing Male and Female Prison Releasees across Risk Factors and Postprison Recidivism

This study, using data from a large sample of prison releasees, examined the similarities and differences in men's and women's risk factors for recidivism involving rearrest for any crime and rearrest for a violent crime during an average 3.4-year follow-up period. Logistic regressions revealed several gender differences. Prior incarceration, time served, and specific types of prior arrest histories had differential associations with women's and men's overall and violent recidivism. Age, race, and conviction offense were gender-specific risk factors for overall recidivism, and education level and marital status were gender-specific risk factors for violent recidivism. Implications for risk assessment are discussed.
Role of soft orthosis in treating plantar fasciitis. Suggestion from the field.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory reaction that usually occurs at the insertion of the fascia on the calcaneus and is the most common cause of heel pain in runners.1 The fascia helps to support the plantar surface of the foot and can become irritated or torn if repetitive stress is applied. This syndrome, caused by overuse, usually manifests itself as pain with the first few steps in the morning, pain during running, and point tenderness over the origin of the fascia. When we see these patients, the condition is usually chronic because these athletes tried to “run through” the problem. In addition to the usual treatment modalities of whirlpool, ultrasound, deep friction massage, and stretching, we provide our patients with an easily constructed soft orthosis. The soft orthosis consists of 0.25-in* soft cast felt and 0.25-in adhesive-backed foam.…
Growth hormone-releasing activity in the hypothalamus and plasma of rats subjected to stress.

SummaryExperiments were performed in the rat to determine whether the increased secretion of growth hormone (GH) during stress involves augmentation of synthesis and/or release of hypothalamlc GH-releasing factor (GRF). Two different stimuli were used as stress: injection of formalin, which was previously shown to be ineffective in inducing GH release; and cold exposure, which evoked depletion of pituitary GH. Exposure of rats to cold (4°C) for 1 hr resulted in a significant depletion of pituitary GH, which was accompanied by disappearance of hypothalamic GRF and appearance of GRF activity in plasma. Cold exposure for 5 minutes was ineffective. Injection of 10% formalin did not induce pituitary GH depletion, or affect hypothalamic and plasma GRF activity. These results indicate that some stressful stimuli, such as cold exposure, capable of releasing GH, induce this effect via the hypothalamus; other stresses, like formalin injection, which do not release GH, exert little effect on the GH-release mechanism...
Population Genetic Differentiation of Melaphis rhois Inferred from mtDNA COI Sequences

The population genetic differentiation of the species Melaphis rhois was examined by using mtDNACOI gene sequences.The 683 bp sequences were obtained from 32 individuals of three populations,among which there are 75 variable sites,accounting for about 11.0% of the total measured nucleotide sequence.The nucleotide composition were 40.2%,15.0%,32.5%and 12.3%for T,C,A and G,respectively,with a higher A+T content(72.7%).The total of 10 haplotypes were detected from 32 COI DNA sequences,among which two haplotypes were main haplotypes.Except that one individual from Arkansas USA shared the same haplotype with other six individuals from New Jersey,USA,the other haplotypes were shared by the different individuals from the same population,respectively.The analysis of AMOVA showed that the nucleotide diversity in M.rhois populations was low,and the population genetic differentiation was very significant.The NJ/MP phylogenetic trees and TCS network suggested that the haplotypes grouped into different clusters according to the geographical distribution,and the haplotypes from the Ohio population formed a single branch and had a farther relationship with the other two populations.Combined the analysis on the genetic distance between the Ohio population and the other two populations,it was considered that the samples from the Ohio population might be a subspecies or a new species.
Advance in producing broad/ bimodal molecular weight distribution PE with single reactor

The catalysts used to produce broad/bimodal molecular weight distribution PE at home and abroad in a single reactor are introduced in this paper.They are mainly hybrid catalysts,bimetallic/ multimetallic catalysts,double supported catalysts and others.The advantages and disadvantages of the catalyst systems are reviewed.The industrial applications of such catalysts are prospected.
The surgical approach to urological complications in renal allotransplant recipients.

AbstractUrinary extravasation or ureteral obstruction occurred in 22 patients who received 30 transplants in a series of 290 renal transplants. This incidence represents 10.3 per cent of the entire transplant experience at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Baltimore City Hospitals from 1968 to the present time. Ureteroneocystostomy was used as the primary form of urinary tract reconstruction in all but 1 patient who had urinary complications. These 22 patients received 30 renal transplants: 6 from living related donors and 24 from cadaver sources. There were 15 instances of urinary extravasation and 14 instances of obstruction. All but 2 fistulas were diagnosed within 30 days of the original transplant. Obstruction occurred later, with 4 cases of ureterovesical obstruction being diagnosed 3 to 5 years after the transplant procedure. The ureterovesical junction or bladder was the site of complication in 17 of the 29 instances. Surgical management in these cases was highly individualized, with successful outco...
Penetrating Injuries of the Ureter

AbstractWe reviewed 18 cases of penetrating ureteral injury encountered during a 10-year interval. Low velocity gunshot injuries occurred in 16 patients. All levels of the ureter were represented with near equal incidence. Stented ureteroureterostomy was the primary mode of management and had satisfactory results, with temporary urine leaks resolving spontaneously in 4 patients, responding to temporary catheter diversion in 1 and requiring reoperation in 2. Plastic stents were inferior to silicone or rubber materials. Colon and/or bowel injury was universal and was not found to justify alteration in the choice of surgical timing or technique, or to influence over-all results. Adequately drained urine poses no threat of cicatricial stenosis. Excretory urography is reliable and retrograde studies are dependable when urography is equivocal.
Effect of prepubertal body weight gain and breed on carcass composition at puberty in beef heifers.

Fourteen prepubertal Angus heifers, all of which reached puberty, and 11 Santa Gertrudis (SG) heifers, eight of which reached puberty, were divided into two treatment groups. There was no breed difference in age at puberty for those that reached puberty. Treatment 1 (T1) heifers, fed to gain .5 kg/d, tended (P < .11) to be older than Treatment 2 (T2) heifers, fed to gain 1 kg/d, at puberty. Body weight and height were greater (P < .01) in SG than in Angus heifers at puberty. Angus heifers in T2 deposited more fat over the rump during the 15 wk before puberty, whereas T1 SG heifers deposited the least amount of fat (P < .05). Heifers in T2 were heavier at puberty (P < .05), had faster growing longissimus muscle areas (P < .05), and deposited more fat over the rib (P < .01) as they approached puberty. The T2 (P < .05) and Angus (P < .05) rib sections had more dissectible subcutaneous fat than did T1 and SG rib sections. Angus heifers had higher marbling scores (P < .05), as well as higher total lipid percentages for seam fat (P < .05), longissimus muscle (P < .01), other lean tissue (P < .05), and subcutaneous fat (P < .01). Predicted total lipid content for the edible portion of the dressed carcass was higher for T2 heifers (P < .09).
Attached versus Suspended Growth Anaerobic Reactors: Response to Toxic Substances

Anaerobic methane fermentation has significant potential for treatment of industrial wastewaters. Application of the process has been limited, due in part to the belief that the process cannot tolerate chronic and transient toxicity inherent in many industrial wastewaters. Experiments with cyanide, chloroform, formaldehyde, ammonium, nickel and sulfide have shown that the methanogens have the ability to recover from and acclimate to relatively high concentrations of toxicants. The key is proper attention to solids retention time. Of the two general reactor types used in biological waste treatment, attached growth systems offer two major potential advantages over suspended growth systems for treating wastewaters containing toxicants: (1) higher inherent solids retention times at relatively low hydraulic retention times and (2) the potential for a quasi plug-flow hydraulic regime that allows rapid elution of toxicants. For transient toxicity, the ability of a plug-flow, attached growth system to rapidly elute toxicants resulted in dramatically reduced down times when compared to a complete-mix, suspended growth system. For chronic toxicity, the solids retention capability of attached growth systems allows for acclimation to occur prior to washout of active biomass. Effluent recycle to plug-flow, attached growth systems should allow for more gradual exposure to chronic toxicity, thus maximizing acclimation potential.
Characterizations of ordered operator spaces

Abstract We demonstrate new abstract characterizations for unital and non-unital operator spaces. We characterize unital operator spaces in terms of the cone of accretive operators (operators whose real part is positive). We show that matrix norms and accretive cones are induced by gauges, although inducing gauges are not unique in general. Finally, we show that completely positive completely contractive linear maps on non-unital operator spaces extend to any containing operator system if and only if the operator space is induced by a unique gauge.
A Family Tradition: Giving Meaning to Family Unity and Decreasing Illegal Immigration Through Anthropology

Ivan, a migrant from Rancho San Marcos, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, who now legally resides in the United States, attempted to reunite his family in the United States through legal channels after some time of being separated from them by the U.S.-Mexico border. In so doing, Ivan succeeded in bringing his wife and four of his five children, then ages seventeen, sixteen, thirteen, and three, to the United States. His fifth child—an unmarried twenty-one-year-old daughter—however, did not qualify for a visa under U.S. immigration law. Consequently, while the remainder of the family left Mexico and reunited in the United States, Ivan’s fifth child (“Bella”) remained behind in Mexico with her grandmother, an event that caused considerable stress for the family. Despite the hardship, because of the narrow construction of “family” in U.S. immigration law—a construct that deviates considerably from how a Mexican national would understand it—Ivan’s family was forced to live with this arrangement if its members wished to comply with U.S. law. Ivan’s story, commonly replicated in transnational households, exemplifies the unduly narrow definition of family in U.S. immigration law. As numerous scholars