cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevention and Management of Gout

Gout is a common disease with a worldwide distribution. The major risk factor for the development of gout is sustained asymptomatic hyperuricaemia. Although pharmacological therapy of asymptomatic hyperuricaemia is not recommended, primary prevention of gout can be achieved through lifestyle changes including weight loss, restricting protein and calorie intake, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding the use of diuretics in the treatment of hypertension, and avoiding occupational exposure to lead. The arthritis of gout can be readily managed with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); systemic steroids or corticotrophin (adrenocorticotrophic hormone; ACTH) should be used in patients with contraindications to NSAIDs, or who are intolerant of them. Because of potential toxicity, colchicine should not be used to treat acute gout, but should be used in low dosage (0.6 to 1.2 mg/day) for prophylaxis of recurrent attacks of gout. The other cornerstone of prevention of recurrent gouty attacks is control of hyperuricaemia, which can be effectively accomplished with antihyperuricaemic therapy. The choice of agents, either uricosuric drugs or xanthine oxidase inhibitors, is based on the level of urinary uric acid excretion, renal function, age of patient, history of renal calculi and presence of tophi. Treatment and prevention of gout are exceedingly effective and patients can usually be managed by their primary care physician.
PARENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND PHENYLKETONURIA

Recent advances in molecular genetic research have prenatal diagnosis and carrier detection for phenylketonuria (PKU) and for cystic fibrosis (CF). All of the ently followed in our PKU and CF Clinics were surveyed to test the hypothesis that parents' willingness to use prenatal diagnosis correlates with their perception of burden of disease (i.e. risk of long-term handicap and/or mortality). A questionnaire was mailed to 66 families of children with CF and 37 families of children with PKU. Knowledge about the disease and about clinical genetics in general were examined. Socioeconomic status, level of education, and religious affiliation were ascertained to determine if these were significant predictors of parental responses. The responses from each individual were subjected to multi-variant analysis. In addition, qualitative data were examined utilizing content analysis. The response rates were 56% for CF and 59% for PKU. The overwhelming majority of parents of children with PKU ranked their children as being mildly ill or not ill at all. None indicated that they would use prenatal diagnosis. By contrast, 37% of parents of children with CF ranked their children as being moderately ill; 19% of parents of children with CF indicated that they would consider using prenatal diagnosis within the next five years. Many of the parents were still unsure about how the test would alter their plans. The study supports the notion that perception of burden of disease is a major determinant of parental attitudes toward prenatal diagnosis.
Deflection and Convergence in Color Kinescopes

This paper discusses the magnetic deflection of a number of closely spaced convergent electron beams as used in the three-gun shadow-mask color kinescope, or in the one-gun shadow-mask tube. The entirely different deflection problem of a line-screen color tube, which uses a raster of precisely straight lines, is also considered, but in less detail. The shadow-mask color kinescope requires the beams to strike the same spot on the raster, regardless of which part of the deflecting field region is being traversed. A uniform magnetic deflecting field yields only approximately the desired result since large deflection angles and a plane screen complicate the problem. An experimental arrangement, for yoke design-timming, utilized a single-beam black-and-white or color kinescope with the electron-optics of the one-gun shadow-mask color tube. A rotating magnetic field near the gun produced a conical scan. The rotating beam was next passed through a convergence lens. With adjustable dc currents through the yoke, it was possible to study the convergence at each beam position as a closed pattern on the phosphor screen; a small spot was desired at all deflection positions. Test yokes were built with distributed winding sections, each shunted by a variable resistance to adjust its contributions to the deflecting field. The dc in the coil of the convergence lens was varied as a function of the radial deflection angle to yield best convergence over the entire raster. Adjustable magnetic "compensating tabs" at the forward end of the yoke aided in achieving a final best result.
Bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria produce a variety of antagonistic factors that include metabolic end products, antibiotic-like substances and bactericidal proteins, termed bacteriocins. The range of inhibitory activity by bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria can be either narrow, inhibiting only those strains that are closely related to the producer organism, or wide, inhibiting a diverse group of Gram-positive microorganisms. The following review will discuss biochemical and genetic aspects of bacteriocins that have been identified and characterized from lactic acid bacteria.
Neural melanocortin receptors in obesity and related metabolic disorders

Obesity is a global health issue, as it is associated with increased risk of developing chronic conditions associated with disorders of metabolism such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A better understanding of how excessive fat accumulation develops and causes diseases of the metabolic syndrome is urgently needed. The hypothalamic melanocortin system is an important point of convergence connecting signals of metabolic status with the neural circuitry that governs appetite and the autonomic and neuroendocrine system controling metabolism. This system has a critical role in the defense of body weight and maintenance of homeostasis. Two neural melanocortin receptors, melanocortin 3 and 4 receptors (MC3R and MC4R), play crucial roles in the regulation of energy balance. Mutations in the MC4R gene are the most common cause of monogenic obesity in humans, and a large literature indicates a role in regulating both energy intake through the control of satiety and energy expenditure. In contrast, MC3Rs have a more subtle role in energy homeostasis. Results from our lab indicate an important role for MC3Rs in synchronizing rhythms in foraging behavior with caloric cues and maintaining metabolic homeostasis during periods of nutrient scarcity. However, while deletion of the Mc3r gene in mice alters nutrient partitioning to favor accumulation of fat mass no obvious role for MC3R haploinsufficiency in human obesity has been reported. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Modulation of Adipose Tissue in Health and Disease.
Prior Learning, Presentation Order, and Prerequisite Practice in Problem Solving

(1966). Prior Learning, Presentation Order, and Prerequisite Practice in Problem Solving. The Journal of Experimental Education: Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 12-18.
The Old Institutionalism and the New

When scholars of the United States talk about "the state as a conceptual variable," or "bringing the state back in," it is not always clear what is being prescribed, or even what the object of study is. To some extent, this dissonance is the result of three separate arguments, in each of which it is important to define what the state is and does, but each of which has a separate trajectory and historiography Some writers argue over whether the early Republic even had a state, and if so, whether it was relatively strong or weak. The idea of an original "night watchman state," fondly beloved of modern libertarians, was also assumed by Progressive historians such as Charles Beard and New Dealers such as Arthur Schlesinger, who needed it as a foil. It was only with the post-1970s crisis of liberalism that historians started to suggest that the New Deal had been less new than advertised, and that perhaps "states" were not always administrative behemoths. Stephen Skowronek's concept of a nineteenth-century "state of courts and parties" has been widely influential. Theda Skocpol has argued that the origins of twentiethcentury social welfare lay in the military and mothers' pension systems extant before 1920. And recent work on the nineteenth century has tried to establish the point at which the American state became a state. Richard Bensel's Yankee Leviathan made a strong case for the Civil War as a watershed; Laura Jensen's Patriots, Settlers, and the Origins of American Social Policy pushed the boundary back much further in time.1
An analytical model for dispersion of biological particles emitted from area sources: Inclusion of dispersion in the crosswind direction

Abstract An analytical model for dispersion of biological particles such as spores and pollens released from finite area sources into the atmospheric boundary layer is proposed. The model is applicable to rectangular fields aligned with the mean wind and accounts for effects of turbulent dispersion in the vertical and crosswind direction, as well as depletion of airborne material due to dry deposition. Predictions for the mean particle concentration above the area source and ground deposition downwind from it are derived and validated against detailed numerical simulations of pollen dispersal using large eddy simulation. Effects of particle settling velocity and area source size and geometry on dispersal patterns are investigated. Results show that along the centerline above the source, effects of crosswind dispersion are negligible (except for very narrow area sources). Ground deposition fluxes downwind from the source are strongly affected by crosswind dispersion. Similarly to area sources infinitely long in the crosswind direction, deposition fluxes far from rectangular sources display a power-law decay with distance. The power-law exponent is larger than the one for infinitely wide fields and depends on the relative importance of gravitational settling and turbulent dispersion in the vertical and crosswind directions, but does not depend on source geometry. However, the distance from the source at which the power-law decay is first observed does depend on source geometry.
Relevant shape contour snippet extraction with metadata supported hidden Markov models

In most existing works on shape contour matching, the shape contours are considered and matched in whole. When searching for contour snippets, however, techniques that match whole contours are not directly applicable. In particular, a relevant snippet can be anywhere on a shape contour; moreover, the relevance of shape snippet is a function of not only the shape of the snippet itself, but also of its neighborhood on the contour. In this paper, we propose an HMM based solution to shape snippet extraction. Relying on a general-purpose symbolic representation (such as SAX), we first convert the shape contour onto a representation suitable for snippet marking and extraction processes. We then show that, given a set of samples, we can train an HMM capable of detecting relevant snippets in new shape images. Next, we show that the HMM performance can be boosted significantly if the similarities between the symbolic representations are used to create new sibling training sequences from the input sequences. The experiment results show that just adding one additional sibling per input training sequence can improve the diversity of the training set sufficiently to boost the overlaps between actual and detected snippets much. While a naive application of this metadata driven training technique can increase the training costs significantly, we show that a novel metadata-driven HMM (mHMM) scheme can significantly improve the HMM-base snippet detection performance with negligible costs.
Patterns of deception in intersexual and intrasexual mating strategies

Abstract The act frequency approach (Buss 1988) was used to develop a taxonomy of deceptive mating acts and tactics and to investigate hypothesized sex differences in the use of these acts and tactics. The results indicate that males show differences in the types of deceptive acts and tactics used in intersexual versus intrasexual contexts. Intrasexually, males more frequently engage in deceptive acts and tactics related to the exaggeration of superiority and exaggeration of sexual promiscuity, intensity, and popularity. More frequent deceptive intersexual acts and tactics for males include feigned commitment, feigned sincerity, and feigned resource acquisition ability. Females more frequently engage in deceptive acts and tactics related to appearance alteration in both intersexual and intrasexual contexts. It was also found that males use deceptive intrasexual acts and tactics more frequently than females. These findings suggest that the dimensions of deception characteristic of male reproductive strategies are congruent with female mate selection criteria and the dimensions of deception characteristic of female reproductive strategies are congruent with male mate selection criteria. Results are interpreted in terms of current evolutionary psychological approaches to the understanding of sex differences in human mating strategies and the role of deception in intepersonal interaction.
The paleoecology of a coal-ball deposit from the middle Pennsylvanian of Iowa dominated by cordaitalean gymnosperms

Abstract Paleoecological investigations of a cordaitalean-dominated coal-ball deposit from Urbandale, Iowa, of Middle Pennsylvanian age, suggests that cordaitaleans were the first peat-forming community preserved within coal balls from this deposit. Associations dominated by Psaronius tree-ferns and medullosan seed-ferns colonized the Urbandale swamp after the cordaitaleans. Lycopods, preserved only as stigmarian rootlets, were the last association to colonize the swamp. In Urbandale coal balls, stigmarian rootlets penetrate the debris of all other groups, and these rootlets are frequently surrounded by a calcite matrix of lighter color than occurs throughout the rest of the coal ball. These factors, along with the absence of lycopod aerial debris, suggest that lycopods may have colonized the swamp surface after peat accumulation ceased. The ratio of shoot debris to root debris within Urbandale coal-ball peats suggests that most of this deposit formed in a freshwater swamp. However, coal-ball peats with extremely low shoot-root ratios (no shoots to 0.1) also occur in the Urbandale deposit. These are dominated by cordaitalean roots and may have formed in saltwater swamps. Additional evidence for saltwater cordaitaleans comes from the distribution of pyrite around cordaitalean rootlets. Within the Urbandale deposit, only cordaitalean rootlets have pyrite rims without internal pyrite, a distribution which suggests that some cordaitaleans remained alive in salt water. This distribution of pyrite does not appear to occur around rootlets in coal balls from the freshwater Herrin Coal of Illinois. The shoot-root ratio of all cordaitalean debris in the Urbandale deposit is 0.64, a ratio indicative of a freshwater group. However this value conflates the individual shoot-root ratios of four types of cordaitaleans, each of which produced a different type of ovule ( Mitrospermum leanum, M. florinii, Nucellangium glabrum , or Cardiocarpus spinatus ). The shoot-root ratio of cordaitalean debris in coal balls containing the foliage assigned to Cordaites-Mitrospermum (Cordaites crassus) as the only cordaitalean foliage, is 1.8, and suggests that these plants inhabited freshwater swamps. The shoot-root ratio of cordaitalean debris in coal balls containing the foliage assigned to Cordaites-Cardiocarpus spinatus (Cordaites principalis) as the only cordaitalean foliage is 0.15, and suggests that these plants inhabited saltwater environments within the Urbandale swamp. Cordaites-Cardiocarpus spinatus probably had a broad ecological amplitude similar to some recent tropical mangroves that can flourish in freshwater and saltwater swamps.
Autoradiographic localization of β-adrenoceptors in rat kidney

The beta-adrenoceptor antagonist radioligand [125I]cyanopindolol (CYP) has been used to localize beta-adrenoceptors in rat kidney sections. [125I]CYP bound with high affinity to sites in rat kidney sections having the recognition characteristics of beta-adrenoceptors. Autoradiographic studies combined with histochemical techniques demonstrated that the beta-adrenoceptors were primarily located on renal glomeruli, distal and cortical collecting tubules rather than on proximal tubules or vascular elements.
Theoretical Unimolecular Kinetics for CH4 + M ⇄ CH3 + H + M in Eight Baths, M = He, Ne, Ar, Kr, H2, N2, CO, and CH4

Ensembles of classical trajectories are used to study collisional energy transfer in highly vibrationally excited CH4 for eight bath gases. Several simplifying assumptions for the CH4 + M interaction potential energy surface are tested against full dimensional direct dynamics trajectory calculations for M = He, Ne, and H2. The calculated energy transfer averages are confirmed to be sensitive to the shape of the repulsive wall of the intermolecular potential, with an exponential repulsive wall required for quantitative predictions. For the diatomic baths, the usual “separable pairwise” approximation for the interaction potential is unable to describe the orientation dependence of the interaction potential accurately, and the ambiguity in the resulting parametrizations contributes an additional uncertainty to the predicted energy transfer averages of 20–40%. On the other hand, the energy transfer averages are shown to be insensitive to the level of theory used to describe the intramolecular CH4 potential, w...
THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC LOCALIZATION OF CHOLINESTERASE ACTIVITY IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF AN INSECT, PERIPLANET A AMERICANAL.

The distribution of esterase activity in the last abdominal ganglion, the connectives and the cereal nerves of the cockroach Periplaneta americana has been investigated cytochemically. Activity of an unspecific eserine-insensitive esterase (or esterases) has been found in glial elements in these regions of the nerve cord. In addition, sites of cholinesterase (eserine-sensitive) activity have been found in association with (a) the glial sheaths of the axons in the cereal nerves and connectives, (b) the glial folds encapsulating the neuron perikarya in the ganglion, and (c) in localized areas along the membranes of axon branches within the neuropile, often flanked by focal clusters of synaptic vesicles. These results are discussed with particular reference to the previously reported insensitivity of the insect nerve cord to applied acetylcholine, and to the probable existence of a cholinergic synaptic mechanism in the central nervous system of this insect.
Novel complex MAD phasing and RNase H structural insights using selenium oligonucleotides

The crystal structures of protein–nucleic acid complexes are commonly determined using selenium-derivatized proteins via MAD or SAD phasing. Here, the first protein–nucleic acid complex structure determined using selenium-derivatized nucleic acids is reported. The RNase H–RNA/DNA complex is used as an example to demonstrate the proof of principle. The high-resolution crystal structure indicates that this selenium replacement results in a local subtle unwinding of the RNA/DNA substrate duplex, thereby shifting the RNA scissile phosphate closer to the transition state of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. It was also observed that the scissile phosphate forms a hydrogen bond to the water nucleophile and helps to position the water molecule in the structure. Consistently, it was discovered that the substitution of a single O atom by a Se atom in a guide DNA sequence can largely accelerate RNase H catalysis. These structural and catalytic studies shed new light on the guide-dependent RNA cleavage.
Maternal smoking during pregnancy, environmental tobacco smoke exposure and childhood lung function

Background—Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during childhood and in utero exposure to maternal smoking are associated with adverse eVects on lung growth and development. Methods—A study was undertaken of the associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy, exposure to ETS, and pulmonary function in 3357 school children residing in 12 Southern California communities. Current and past exposure to household ETS and exposure to maternal smoking in utero were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire completed by parents of 4th, 7th, and 10th grade students in 1993. Standard linear regression techniques were used to estimate the eVects of in utero and ETS exposure on lung function, adjusting for age, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, height, weight, asthma, personal smoking, and selected household characteristics. Results—In utero exposure to maternal smoking was associated with reduced peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (‐3.0%, 95% CI ‐4.4 to ‐1.4), mean mid expiratory flow (MMEF) (‐4.6%, 95% CI ‐7.0 to ‐2.3), and forced expiratory flow (FEF75) (‐6.2%,95% CI ‐9.1 to ‐3.1), but not forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Adjusting for household ETS exposure did not substantially change these estimates. The reductions in flows associated with in utero exposure did not significantly vary with sex, race, grade, income, parental education, or personal smoking. Exposure to two or more current household smokers was associated with reduced MMEF (‐4.1%, 95% CI ‐7.6 to ‐0.4) and FEF75 (‐4.4%, 95% CI ‐9.0 to 0.4). Current or past maternal smoking was associated with reductions in PEFR and MMEF; however, after adjustment for in utero exposure, deficits in MMEF and FEF75 associated with all measurements of ETS were substantially reduced and were not statistically significant. Conclusions—In utero exposure to maternal smoking is independently associated with decreased lung function in children of school age, especially for small airway flows. (Thorax 2000;55:271‐276)
Influence of non-dipole field on determination of Plio-Pleistocene true polar wander

Some studies of global paleomagnetic data have found an offset of the magnetic pole during the Plio-Pleistocene which has been interpreted as indicating a period of rapid True Polar Wander, with a rate of movement comparable to the present-day rate of polar motion deduced from astronomical observations. We show that much of the polar offset determined from the paleomagnetic data may be due to deviations in pole position caused by persistent non-dipole zonal components of the geomagnetic field. A correction of paleomagnetic poles for the long-term non-dipole field reduces the polar offset and thus suggests a s lower or shorter episode of True Polar Wander over the past 5 million years.
Descent Group Composition and Population Pressure in a Fringe Enga Clan, Papua New Guinea

Genealogical data, land clearance patterns, and garden inheritance histories from a patrilineal clan in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea are used to reconstruct population size and agrarian resources for the descent group over a period of 170 years. The resulting analysis reveals a strong relationship between fluctuations in population pressure on agrarian resources and changes in the composition of social groups that in turn accelerates change, then regulates it. Two quantitative relationships show that numbers of outsiders incorporated into the group and their kinship distance both covary closely with pressure on land as measured by an occupational density index.
Dysfunction of the Ubiquitin Proteasome and Ubiquitin-Like Systems in Schizophrenia

Protein expression abnormalities have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, but the underlying cause of these changes is not known. We sought to investigate ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like (UBL) systems (SUMOylation, NEDD8ylation, and Ufmylation) as putative mechanisms underlying protein expression abnormalities seen in schizophrenia. For this, we performed western blot analysis of total ubiquitination, free ubiquitin, K48- and K63-linked ubiquitination, and E1 activases, E2 conjugases, and E3 ligases involved in ubiquitination and UBL post-translational modifications in postmortem brain tissue samples from persons with schizophrenia (n=13) and comparison subjects (n=13). We studied the superior temporal gyrus (STG) of subjects from the Mount Sinai Medical Center brain collection that were matched for age, tissue pH, and sex. We found an overall reduction of protein ubiquitination, free ubiquitin, K48-linked ubiquitination, and increased K63 polyubiquitination in schizophrenia. Ubiquitin E1 activase UBA (ubiquitin activating enzyme)-6 and E3 ligase Nedd (neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated)-4 were decreased in this illness, as were E3 ligases involved in Ufmylation (UFL1) and SUMOylation (protein inhibitor of activated STAT 3, PIAS3). NEDD8ylation was also dysregulated in schizophrenia, with decreased levels of the E1 activase UBA3 and the E3 ligase Rnf7. This study of ubiquitin and UBL systems in schizophrenia found abnormalities of ubiquitination, Ufmylation, SUMOylation, and NEDD8ylation in the STG in this disorder. These results suggest a novel approach to the understanding of schizophrenia pathophysiology, where a disruption in homeostatic adaptation of the cell underlies discreet changes seen at the protein level in this illness.
Mineral concentrations of plasma and liver after injection with a trace mineral complex differ among Angus and Simmental cattle

To examine the effects of cattle breed on the clearance rate of an injectable mineral product, 10 Angus and 10 Simmental steers were blocked by breed and initial BW (332 ± 33 kg) and injected with either Multimin 90 (MM) or sterilized saline (CON) at a dose of 1 mL/45 kg BW. Multimin 90 contains 15 mg Cu/ mL (as Cu disodium EDTA), 60 mg Zn/mL (as Zn diso- dium EDTA), 10 mg Mn/mL (as Mn disodium EDTA), and 5 mg Se/mL (as sodium selenite). Steers received a corn-silage-based diet, and inorganic sources of Cu, Zn, Mn, and Se were supplemented at NRC recommend- ed amounts. Jugular blood was collected immediately before injection and at 8 and 10 h post-injection and on days 1, 8, and 15 post-injection. Liver biopsies were collected 3 d before injection and on days 1, 8, and 15 post-injection. Liver and plasma mineral concentra- tion and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity data were analyzed as repeated measures. Plasma concentra- tions of Zn, Mn, and Se were greater (P = 0.01) and Cu tended to be greater (P = 0.12) post-injection in MM steers compared with the CON steers. Regardless of treatment, Simmental cattle had lower plasma concen- trations of Cu, Zn, and Se (P ≤ 0.05) when compared with Angus cattle. Erythrocyte GSH-Px activity was greater (P = 0.01) in MM steers compared with CON steers. Liver concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Se were greater (P = 0.05) in MM steers compared with CON steers post-injection. Liver Mn concentrations tended to be greater (P = 0.06) in MM steers compared with CON steers in the days post-injection. Interestingly, Simmental cattle exhibited greater (P = 0.01) liver Mn concentrations in the days after injection compared with Angus cattle (7.0 and 6.0 mg Mn/kg for Simmental and Angus cattle, respectively), regardless of treatment. It is unclear if this breed difference is biologically rel- evant; however, these data may suggest that differences in liver excretion of Mn exist between the two breeds. Overall, use of an injectable trace mineral increased liver concentrations of Cu and Se through the 15-d sam- pling period, suggesting that this injectable mineral is an adequate way to improve Cu and Se status of cattle through at least 15 d.
Amplification of 70 fs pulses in a high repetition rate XeCl pumped dye laser amplifier

Abstract An XeCl pumped dye laser amplifier is used to amplify 70 fs pulses to an output power 7 GW at repetition rates from single shot to 100 Hz. Near diffraction limited and transform limited pulses are produced. In addition, self-phase modulation in the beam focus is observed in atmospheric air by monitoring the spatial and spectral modifications of the beam at powers as low as 1 GW and peak intensities of less than 10 12 W/cm 2 .
SAPO-34 membranes for CO2/CH4 separations: Effect of Si/Al ratio

Abstract Silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) membranes with Si/Al gel ratios from 0.05 to 0.3 were synthesized by in situ crystallization onto porous, tubular stainless steel support. Pure SAPO-34 membranes were obtained when the Si/Al ratio was 0.15 or higher. The adsorbate polarizability correlated with the adsorption capacity on SAPO-34, and the amounts of gases adsorbed were in the order: CO2 > CH4 > N2 > H2. The Si/Al ratio did not affect the pore volume significantly, but it changed the CO2 and CH4 adsorption equilibrium constants. The SAPO-34 membranes effectively separated CO2 from CH4 for feed pressures up to 7 MPa. At 295 K, for a pressure drop of 138 kPa and a 50/50 feed, the CO2/CH4 selectivity was 170 for a membrane with a Si/Al gel ratio of 0.15. At 7 MPa, the CO2/CH4 selectivity was 100 and the CO2 permeance was 4 × 10−8 mol/(m2 · s · Pa) at 295 K. This membrane was also separated CO2/N2 (selectivity = 21) and H2/CH4 (selectivity = 32) mixtures at 295 K and a pressure drop of 138 kPa. Competitive adsorption and difference in diffusivities are responsible for CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 separations, whereas the H2/CH4 separation was due to diffusivity differences. For a membrane with Si/Al gel ratio of 0.1, a mixture of SAPO-34 and SAPO-5 formed, and the CO2/CH4 selectivity was lower.
Photoelectrochemical generation of hydrogen and electricity from hydrazine hydrate using BiVO4 electrodes

This study demonstrates solar driven oxidation of hydrazine hydrate and the simultaneous production of hydrogen and electricity in photoelectrochemical cells and photofuel cells, respectively, using a visible light active molybdenum doped BiVO4 photoelectrode. The developed photoelectrodes exhibited tremendous efficiency towards anodic oxidation of hydrous hydrazine with continuous and stable hydrogen evolution at the Pt cathode under benign pH and zero bias conditions. Significantly, the photofuel cell containing hydrazine hydrate fuel has generated electricity with a high open circuit potential of 0.8 V. The presence of bicarbonate ions in the electrolyte has played a significant role in enhancing the kinetics of photoelectrochemical oxidation of hydrazine and improved the hydrogen and electricity generation efficiency thus avoiding the integration of an oxidation electrocatalyst. In addition, molybdenum doped BiVO4 as a possible photoelectrochemical hydrazine sensor has been investigated and the electrode photocurrent was found to be linearly dependent on the concentration of the hydrazine hydrate in the range of 20–90 mM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9936.
Patient satisfaction and visiting the doctor: a self-regulating system.

Abstract In 1974, Aday and Anderson proposed that client satisfaction may affect utilization of physician services, and that utilization, in turn, may affect satisfaction. Since that time, a number of researchers have investigated the issue, adopting increasingly sophisticated approaches. To date, however, the statistical models used to test the hypothesized feedback have not been completely appropriate. We develop and test alternative hypotheses on the reciprocal effects of satisfaction and utilization. Using methods that allow us to specify models with feedback effects, we examine whether satisfaction with the doctor and visits to the doctor form a self-regulating or a self-amplifying system. In both, satisfaction is expected to result in more visits to the doctor, but in a self-regulating system, visits are hypothesized to lead to lower satisfaction while in the self-amplifying system, visits are hypothesized to produce greater satisfaction. We specify and test the feedback model in two data sets: one based on a cross-sectional survey of pediatric practices in New Haven, Connecticut and the other based on Gray's panel survey of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. In both cases the results indicate that satisfaction and visits form a self-regulating system.
Kansans Move into Health

Tandalayo Kidd & Carolyn Snyder, Kansans move into health, Kansas State University, July 2007.
Biomarkers for antiepileptic drug response

The identification and validation of genetic factors ('biomarkers') that reliably predict the efficacy and toxicity of specific pharmacological agents for individual patients would significantly improve the current treatment of patients with epilepsy. A pharmacogenetic biomarker classification has been proposed that identifies three biomarker types involved in drug response: 'known valid biomarkers', 'probable valid biomarkers' and 'exploratory or research biomarkers'. The only known valid antiepileptic drug biomarker is HLA-B*1502 (Stevens-Johnson syndrome in patients of specific Asian backgrounds taking carbamazepine). Probable valid antiepileptic drug biomarkers include polymorphisms in one drug transporter gene, two drug metabolizing genes, three sodium channel genes and one HLA allele. Current methodological challenges to identifying new antiepileptic medication biomarkers can only be overcome with large-scale collaborative research efforts.
Role of residency training in the development of practice models.

The pharmacist’s role in health systems continues to evolve from a product focus to a focus on the patient and the safe and effective use of medications. For many years, how best to deploy pharmacists, technicians, and technology in health-system practice to support this transition has been a
Polarization enhanced carrier transport in a p-down n-GaN/i-InGaN/p-GaN solar cell structure

Evidence of a strong electric field aiding carrier collection is observed in an n-GaN/i-InGaN/p-GaN inverted polarity solar cell structure, detected by pump-probe electroabsorption and THz spectroscopy.
Fabricating centimeter-scale high quality factor two-dimensional periodic photonic crystal slabs

We present a fabrication route for centimeter-scale two-dimensional defect-free photonic crystal slabs with quality factors bigger than 10,000 in the visible, together with a unique way to quantify their quality factors. We fabricate Si3N4 photonic crystal slabs, and perform an angle-resolved reflection measurement. This measurement data is used to retrieve the quality factors of the slabs by fitting it to a model based on temporal coupled-mode theory. The macroscopic nature of the structure and the high quality factors of their resonances could open up new opportunities for realizing efficient macroscale optoelectronic devices such as sensors, lasers, and energy harvesting systems.
Effect of ethyl alcohol on maternal and fetal acid-base balance and cardiovascular status in chronic sheep preparations.

Summary Thirteen chronically catheterized pregnant sheep were given intravenous infusions of 10 per cent ethyl alcohol in 5 per cent dextrose solution (15 ml/kg over two hours). Samples of blood from maternal femoral artery, uterine vein, and fetal brachiocephalic artery were drawn at hourly intervals before, during and after the infusions. Plasma was analyzed for alcohol concentration, protein concentration, haematocrit, PCO2 and pH. Maternal and fetal arterial blood pressures were monitored continuously. There were no significant differences between maternal and fetal arterial blood alcohol levels at any sampling interval nor was there any difference in elimination constants. Alcohol infusion did not produce any significant change in plasma protein concentration, haematocrit, PCO2 and pH, and mean arterial blood pressure in either mother or fetus. However, both maternal and fetal heart rate increased significantly following alcohol infusion.
Effect of Antifoaming Agents on the Micellar Stability and Foamability of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Solutions

The effect of antifoaming agents on the foamability of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions was investigated and correlated with their effect on the micellar relaxation time τ2. The slow micellar relaxation time τ2 of SDS micelles, which is directly related to micellar stability, was determined by the pressure-jump method in the presence of the antifoaming agents 2-ethylhexanol (EH), tributyl phosphate (TBP), and tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC). Pressure-jump studies show an increase in τ2 up to a critical concentration of the antifoaming agent. Further addition of antifoaming agent results in a decrease in τ2. Such behavior has been observed for all three antifoaming additives. The increase in τ2 is attributed to the stabilization of SDS micelles by the additives, which essentially minimizes the repulsion between headgroups of SDS molecules at the micellar surface or at the interface. The antifoaming efficiency of EH, TBP, and TBAC was tested by simply generating the foam by the shaking method. The ...
Late Middle Ordovician environmental change and extinction: Harbinger of the Late Ordovician or continuation of Cambrian patterns?

Positive excursions in carbon isotope compositions of carbonate (∼ 3‰) and organic carbon (∼ 4‰–6‰) from the late Middle Ordovician (middle Caradocian) of the midcontinent and the eastern United States indicate widespread increases in productivity and rates of organic carbon burial that may have drawn down atmospheric p CO 2 , precipitating global cooling, although not necessarily ice-sheet formation. These climatic changes were associated with regional orogenic uplift, a relative rise in sea level, changes in epeiric sea circulation patterns, and carbonate platform destruction that led to regional extinction of marine benthos. The combination of sea-level rise, changing ocean circulation, and extinction in the middle Caradocian is similar to the suite of environmental changes described for Cambrian biomere boundaries, suggesting shared causes for these events. In contrast, middle Caradocian environmental changes are markedly different from the environmental patterns associated with the Late Ordovician mass extinction, despite the evidence for long-term cooling from the Middle to the Late Ordovician.
Tandem Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients with Primary Refractory or Poor Risk Recurrent Hodgkin Lymphoma

Abstract Although autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) appears to offer a survival advantage over conventional therapy, only approximately 25% to 35% of patients with primary progressive or poor-risk recurrent HL can achieve durable remission after ASCT, with disease progressive after transplant accounting for most of the treatment failures. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the toxicities and efficacy of a tandem transplant approach in this subgroup of patients. Between April 1998 and March 2000, 46 patients were enrolled in the study. Eligibility criteria: primary progressive (n = 28) or recurrent HL (n = 18) with at least 1 of the following poor prognostic factors: first complete remission (CR)
Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere: A Course in Theoretical Meteorology

This book is formulated around the derivation of prognostic equations for temperature, and is designed to complement the authors' previous text, Dynamics of the Atmosphere (Cambridge, 2003). Entropy production equations are developed to aid in the treatment of flux terms in the temperature equations. A distinguishing feature of this book is a treatment of the linear theory of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. In the second half of the text, moist thermodynamic processes are introduced using fairly standard treatments, including thermodynamic diagrams, humidity variables, and moist adiabats. It is useful to compare the text by Zdunkowski and Bott with two other books that have been published in the past 5 years. Atmospheric Thermodynamics, by Bohren and Albrecht (Cambridge, 1999), is written from a physics perspective, and emphasizes a basic physical understanding of thermodynamical principles relevant to atmospheric science. Thermodynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans, by Curry and Webster (Academic, 1999), provides a physical chemistry perspective, and emphasizes applications of relevance to climate and atmospheric and oceanic chemistry.
Large-scale visual analysis

Modern high performance computers have speeds measured in teraflops and petabytes and handle data set sizes measured in terabytes and petabytes. Although these machines offer enormous potential for solving very large-scale realistic computational problems, their effectiveness will hinge upon the ability of human experts to interact with their simulation results and extract useful information. One of the greatest scientific challenges of the 21st century is to effectively understand and make use of the vast amount of information being produced. Visual data analysis will be among our most important tools in helping to understand such large-scale information. Our research at the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute at the University of Utah has focused on innovative techniques for 3D visual data analysis. In this talk, I will present state- of-the-art visualization techniques and software, applied to problems in computational science, engineering, and medicine and discuss current challenges and future opportunities.
Dual fluorochrome flow cytometric assessment of yeast viability.

A novel staining protocol is reported for the assessment of viability in yeast, specifically the biocontrol yeast, Pichia anomala. Employing both the red fluorescent membrane potential sensitive oxonol stain DiBAC4(5) (Bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid)pentamethine oxonol), a structural analog of the commonly used DiBAC4(3) (Bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid)trimethine oxonol), with one of the esterase dependent green fluorogenic probes such as CFDA-AM (5-Carboxyfluorescein diacetate, acetoxymethyl ester) or Calcein-AM (Calcein acetoxymethyl ester), a two-color flow cytometric method was developed, which yields rapid quantitative information on the vitality and vigor of yeast cell cultures. The method was validated by cell sorting and analysis of live, heat killed, and UV-treated yeast.
Role of pulmonary reflexes in ventilation and respiratory control of acutely obstructed dogs during assisted ventilation.

In order to study the effect of acute internal ventilatory loading and subsequent unloading on both ventilation and respiratory drive, we studied nine healthy dogs (18–24 kg) under a variety of conditions during constant anesthesia. Airways were obstructed by plastic beads to increase airways resistance 2–3 fold. The dogs were then put on IPPB and measurements were repeated. We then added CO2 to inspired air in order to increase PaCO2 to the same level as during spontaneous breathing after obstruction while they remained on IPPB. While dogs were on IPPB and at the same PaCO2, a bilateral cervical vagotomy was performed.
Familial enteric neuropathy with pseudoobstruction.

We report a case of autosomal dominant chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction secondary to a familial enteric neuropathy. Esophagogastrointestinal manometry studies in the index case showed decreased postprandial contractile frequency with normal amplitude of pressure activity in the stomach and small bowel. Pupillary function and autonomic reflexes were all normal, excluding an extrinsic autonomic neuropathy of the viscera. Histologic examination of the small intestine by hematoxylin and eosin stains revealed normal smooth muscles but a reduced number of neurons in the myenteric plexus without inflammatory cells or neuronal intranuclear inclusions. Histologic examination of the myenteric plexus using the sections taken along the longitudinal axis of the intestine, stained with silver by the Smith technique, disclosed decreased numbers of argyrophilic neurons and degeneration of neurons and axons; however, there was no reactive increase in the number of glial cell nuclei. The patient's mother had suffered from chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction, which did not abate following extensive small bowel resection. This is the third family reported with an autosomal dominant enteric neuropathy unassociated with evidence of extrinsic autonomic or peripheral neuropathy. Subtotal resection of the small bowel was followed by recurrence of the pseudoobstruction syndrome in both affected members of the family.
Effects of boundary conditions on the stability of slender viscous fibers

L'ecoulement unidimensionnel de fibres liquides visqueuses presente une instabilite de resonnance lorsqu'on applique une vitesse d'enroulement constante. Cette instabilite disparait lorsqu'on applique une force constante a l'enrouleur. Etude du mecanisme d'instabilite. Effet de la gravite, de la tension superficielle, de l'inertie et de la contrainte d'enroulement
Activity of calcium-sensitive phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C following nephron loss

The localization and activity of the calcium-sensitive phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) were examined following the loss of 50% of functioning nephron mass. Four hours following unilateral nephrectomy in rats, soluble (100,000 g supernatant) proteins in the contralateral kidney were increased by 11% compared to sham operated controls; the increase was 33% 144 hours following surgery. The specific activity of PKC did not change in the cytosol at any of the time periods examined and averaged 63.9 +/- 8.2 pmol.mg-1.min-1 in unilaterally nephrectomized animals four hours following surgery. Four hours following sham surgery total soluble PKC activity averaged 1667.0 +/- 278.4 pmol.kidney-1.min-1, whereas activity averaged 3067.7 +/- 415.4 pmol.kidney-1.min-1 in animals post-nephrectomy (N = 5, P less than 0.04). Similar data was seen 144 hours following surgery. To examine the PKC activity in plasma membranes of proximal tubular cells, brush border membranes were prepared from rat kidney cortex. Twenty-four hours following unilateral nephrectomy, activity averaged 193.8 +/- 14.9 pmol.mg-1.min-1, while activity in membranes isolated from sham operated animals averaged 76.6 +/- 8.0 pmol.mg-1.min-1 (N = 5, P less than 0.001). Similar data was evident 48 hours following surgery. A small increment in activity was seen in the basolateral membrane preparation 24 hours following unilateral nephrectomy but not at 48 hours. These data indicate that cellular PKC activity increases rapidly following reductions in renal mass, and there are selective increments in the brush border membrane of the proximal tubular cell. The localization of PKC to this membrane may have important consequences for adaptations following nephron loss.