cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimation of systemic blood flow by the indicator-dilution technic in the presence of central shunts☆

Abstract The effect of a central systemic to pulmonary shunt on indicator-dilution measurement of cardiac output was examined experimentally in dogs and analytically with a mathematical model. Simultaneous dye-dilution curves were obtained by sampling pulmonary and femoral arterial blood through paired Waters cuvette densitometers and recording systems. Indocyanine green dye was injected as a bolus in the vicinity of the right atrium. Blood flow was calculated by the usual Stewart-Hamilton approach. Twenty pairs of indicator-dilution curves were obtained from 4 control dogs. Flow measured from the femoral artery sampling site (QFA) averaged 93 per cent of that obtained from the pulmonary artery (QPA). Systemic to pulmonary artery shunts were created in 6 dogs. Shunt flow, estimated by a modification of the Fick method, ranged from 2.0 to 3.4 L./min. Twenty-seven pairs of indicator-dilution curves were obtained from this group. QFA averaged 92 per cent of QPA. Hence, the shunt had no effect on the measurement of systemic blood flow. A simple compartmental model of the circulation was constructed and computer solution of the differential equations automatically plotted. Integration of the simulated dye-concentration curve gave the area from which flow could be calculated. The presence of a central shunt changed the shape but not the area under the curve. The calculated flow in either case, therefore, is the true systemic flow.
Water-Based Environmentally Preferred Friction Reducer in Ultrahigh-TDS Produced Water for Slickwater Fracturing in Shale Reservoirs

Currently inverse-emulsion polymers are the most popular friction reducers used in fresh water slickwater fracturing in shale reservoirs. The fluid volumes in fracturing treatments have increased substantially, while water supply has become more of a public concern. Rather than paying to treat and dispose of produced and flowback water, operators would like to reuse it in subsequent stimulation treatments. Produced water, especially from shale plays such as Marcellus and Bakken, is known for its high total dissolved solids (TDS) and high divalent cation content. This poses extreme challenges for current friction reducers because cations hinder the inversion of friction reducers and cause loss of efficiency of friction reduction to below 30%. Treating produced water to the quality suitable for conventional fracturing fluids is time-consuming and often costprohibitive. A salt-tolerant, water-based friction reducer was developed to address the challenges of high-TDS produced water. It was tested in a friction loop in a wide variety of produced water types from Bakken, Marcellus, Permian basin and other shale plays at different temperatures and was found to be highly effective. In a produced water sample with TDS over 300,000 ppm and total hardness as CaCO3 (TH) over 90,000 ppm as representative water, the new polymer hydrates within 10 seconds and gives a friction reduction profile similar to that of current inverse-emulsion friction reducers in fresh water. The fluid is compatible with other common stimulation additives such as scale inhibitors, biocides, clay stabilizers, surfactants, and breakers. The new friction reducer was also field tested in New Mexico using produced water with higher than 250,000 ppm TDS and 50,000 ppm total hardness as CaCO3, and head-to-head comparison with a conventional friction reducer under field conditions showed significant performance improvement in terms of pumping at much higher rates while maintaining much lower surface treating pressure. This paper will discuss the evolution of the technology and show friction reduction performance in various high-TDS water samples under lab conditions. Successful field test and comparison against conventional friction reducers are presented. The new friction reducer provides the oilfield industry a cost-effective solution of reducing produced water disposal and fresh water demands, thereby ultimately improving environmental impact of well operations.
Primordial prevention: the path from Victoria to Catalonia.

Abstract Primordial prevention seeks to prevent future disease by influencing its social determinants. Henry Blackburn's writings are prime portrayals of social factors causing premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). His classic paper, Diet and Mass Hyperlipidemia , identified changes needed in professional attitudes, medical economics, food production, food labeling, and food advertising. The 1982 WHO report, Coronary Heart Disease (Blackburn, rapporteur), introduced the term “primordial prevention,” starting a cycle of initiatives, all with considerable influence worldwide. He participated in the now widely disseminated Victoria Declaration on Heart Health (1992), which contained 64 policy recommendations, many focussing on broad social forces that influence modern CVD epidemics. The path he initiated led to the Catalonia Declaration: Investing in Heart Health (1996), which echoed many of his pleas for resources necessary to influence CVD rates. Some roots of CVD's recent decline in many countries are thus clearly attibutable to Blackburn's prescient wisdom and visionary scholarship.
SERT II - Durability of the hollow cathode and future applications of hollow cathodes

1 Kerslake, W. R., Byers, D. C., and Staggs, J. F., "SERT II Experimental Thruster System," AIAA Paper 67-700, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1967; also "SERT II: Mission and Experiments," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 7, No. 1, Jan. 1970, pp. 4-6. 2 Kerrisk, D. J. and Kaufman, H. R., "Electric Propulsion Systems for Primary Spacecraft Propulsion," AIAA Paper 67-424, Washington, D. C., 1967. 3 Bechtel, R. T., "Discharge Chamber Optimization of the SERT II Thruster," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 5, No. 7, July 1968, pp. 795-800. 4 Bechtel, R. T., Csiky, G. A., and Byers, D. C., "Performance of a 15-Centimeter Diameter, Hollow-Cathode Kaufman Thruster," AIAA Paper 68-88, New York, 1968. 5 Sohl, G., Speiser, R. C., and Wolters, J. A., "Life Testing of Electron-Bombardment Cesium Ion Engines," AIAA Paper 66233, San Diego, Calif., 1966. 6 Sellen, J. M. and Kemp, R. F., "Research on Ion Beam Diagnostics," TRW-4381-6017-RO-000, NASA CR-54692, 1966, TRW Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif. 7 Rawlin, V. K. and Pawlik, E. V., "A Mercury PlasmaBridge Neutralizer," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 5, No. 7, 1968, pp. 814-820. 8 Masek, T. D. and Pawlik, E. V., "Thrust System Technology for Solar Electric Propulsion," AIAA Paper 68-541, Cleveland, Ohio, 1968. 9 Trump, G. E., "Flow Meter and Prototype Mercury Feed System Development," EOS-6969-Summary, NASA CR-54713, 1967, Electro-Optical System Inc., Pasadena Calif. 10 Rawlin, V. K. and Kerslake, W. R., "Durability of the SERT II Hollow Cathode and Future Applications at Higher Mission Levels," AIAA Paper 69-304, Williamsburg, Va., 1969; also "SERT II: Durability of the Hollow Cathode and Future Applications of Hollow Cathodes," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 7, No. 1, Jan. 1970, pp. 14-20. 11 Kemp, R. F. and Hall, D. F., "Ion Beam Diagnostics and Neutralization," TRW-06188-6011-ROOO, NASA CR-72343, 1967, TRW Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif. 12 Bechtel, R. T., "Performance and Control of a 30-Centimeter Diameter Low Impulse Kaufman Thruster," AIAA Paper 69-238, Williamsburg, Va., 1969; also Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 7, No. 1, Jan. 1970, pp. 21-25. 13 Byers, D. C., "An Experimental Investigation of a HighVoltage Electron-Bombardment Ion Thruster," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 116, No. 1, Jan. 1969, pp. 9-17. 14 Reader, P. D., "Investigation of a 10-Centimeter-Diameter Electron-Bombardment Ion Rocket," TN D-1163, 1962, NASA. 15 Ward, J. W. and King, H. J., "Mercury Hollow Cathode Plasma Neutralizers," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 5, No. 10, Oct. 1968, pp. 1161-1164.
Attenuation of a convulsive syndrome in the rat by lateral hypothalamic stimulation.

Abstract Modification of a behaviorally suppressive syndrome produced by cholinergic activation of the amygdala was compared under automatically delivered electrical stimulation in rats which had previously been implanted with a bipolar electrode in the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) and preselected for high or low self-stimulation rates. Carbachol was applied bilaterally to the amygdaloid complex to precipitate a convulsive syndrome. Concurrently, brain stimulation pulses were applied unilaterally to the medial forebrain bundle at the lateral hypothalamic level at predetermined current intensities and frequency in two program combinations: ON-OFF-ON and OFF-ON-OFF. The rats were assigned scores on 5 measures of the carbachol-induced syndrome, as well as on a locomotion measure. An irritability test was also administered 6 times during the test hour. The frequency of clonic seizures was found to be significantly lower for all self-stimulators, especially those in the ON-OFF-ON order of ICS. Greater locomotor activity was found for experimental self-stimulators. Non-self-stimulators were most characterized by muscular hypertonus and seizure activity, and were indistinguishable from the carbachol-only controls on the locomotion measure. Other aspects of the syndrome appeared to be unaffected. The results are discussed in relation to the concept of a behavioral facilitative-suppressive model, and a possible neuroanatomical substrate consisting of mutually-antagonistic noradrenergic and cholinergic systems.
Effect of light and aeration on fruiting of Lentinula edodes

Adequate light and aeration are essential for the fruiting of Lentinula edodes (syn. Lentinus edodes ). The stimulatory wavelengths were dependent on the composition of the growth medium. Red wavelengths (620–680 nm) stimulated and blue wavelengths (400–500 nm) inhibited fruiting on low calcium ( 130 p.p.m.). Addition of oak bark extract to the medium permitted otherwise suboptimal light intensities to stimulate fruiting. Cultures were receptive to light stimulation during vegetative growth and showed memory of the exposure, fruiting later in the dark. Exposure, especially to blue light, elicited pigmentation of primordia. Only pigmented primordia were capable of expansion. Inadequate aeration (probably resulting in CO 2 accumulation) near the time of fruiting resulted in failure of the primordia to expand. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.
On the relationship between discounting and complicated behavior in dynamic optimization models

Abstract This paper explores the relationship between discounting and complicated behavior in dynamic optimization models. An inverse relationship between the discount factor of a dynamic optimization model and the topological entropy of the corresponding optimal policy function is established. For an aggregative model, this generalizes a result obtained by Montrucchio and Sorger. The generalization makes it possible to apply directly the results developed by Block, Guckenheimer, Misiurewicz and Young on the computation of the topological entropy of dynamical systems to obtain upper bounds on the discount factor necessary for the occurrence of topological chaos in aggregative dynamic optimization models.
Low-Frequency Magnetic Noise in Micron-Scale Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

We have observed low-frequency noise due to quasiequilibrium thermal magnetization fluctuations in micron-scale magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). This strongly field-dependent magnetic noise occurs within the magnetic hysteresis loops, either as $1/f$ or Lorentzian (random telegraph) noise. We attribute it to the thermally excited hopping of magnetic domain walls between pinning sites. Our results show that magnetic stability is a crucial factor in reducing the low-frequency noise in small MTJs.
Multiresidue Analytical Procedure for Insecticides Used by Organic Farmers

A multiresidue procedure for the insecticides used by organic farmers has been developed. Rotenone, cevadine, and veratridine (the major components of sabadilla), pyrethrin I and pyrethrin II (the major components of pyrethrum), and ryanodine and dehydroryanodine (the major components of ryania) can be separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and detected and quantified by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI/MS) in the selected ion monitoring mode. Piperonyl butoxide, a material sometimes used together with rotenone or pyrethrum to enhance toxicity, can also be detected and quantified by this procedure. The analytes are extracted with acetonitrile/water and are cleaned up with a C18 solid-phase extraction cartridge. Rotenone, piperonyl butoxide, and the two major sabadilla components could be detected (signal-to-noise ratio = 10) in lettuce, cucumber, and cabbage at 1−6 ppb. Pyrethrin I and the ryania components could be detected between 10 and 171 ppb in the...
Ovarian follicular dynamics in heifers: test of two-wave hypothesis by ultrasonically monitoring individual follicles.

The two-wave hypothesis for follicular development during the bovine estrous cycle was tested by ultrasonically monitoring individual follicles in 10 heifers during an interovulatory interval. A dominant follicle was defined as one that reached a diameter of at least 11 mm. Subordinate follicles were defined as those that appeared to originate from the same follicular pool as a dominant follicle. A dominant follicle and its cohorts were defined as a wave. Two waves during an interovulatory interval were identified in 9 of 10 heifers. The first wave was first identified, retrospectively, on a mean of Day 0.2 +/- 0.1 (ovulation = Day 0) and gave origin to a dominant anovulatory follicle and a mean of 1.4 +/- 0.3 identified subordinates. The dominant follicle reached maximum diameter (mean, 15.8 +/- 0.8 mm) on an average of Day 7 and then decreased (P less than .04) by Day 11. The subordinate follicles increased in diameter for a few days and then regressed. The second wave was first identified on a mean of Day 10.0 +/- 0.4 and gave origin to the ovulatory follicle and a mean of 0.9 +/- 0.3 subordinates. One of the 10 heifers had 3 waves of follicular activity characterized by an anovulatory wave emerging on Day 0, another anovulatory wave emerging on Day 10, and an ovulatory wave emerging on Day 16. Results strongly supported the two-wave hypothesis but also indicated that a minority of interovulatory intervals in this heifer population may have 3 waves of follicular activity.
Comparative neurotoxicity of tubulin-binding drugs: Inhibition of goldfish optic nerve regeneration

Intraperitoneal or intraocular (io) injection of tubulin-binding drugs in goldfish, Carassius auratus L., inhibited axonal regeneration or restoration of functional synapses in optic axons following optic nerve crush, One eye was used to detect effects on regeneration and the other was kept intact to detect effects on maintenance of established optic circuits. Regeneration was assessed by measuring the time to reappearance of a visually evoked branchial suppression response. Three drugs, vincristine, vinblastine, and podophyllotoxin, administered semiweekly by ip injection, each inhibited regeneration at doses that did not impair maintenance of response. Similar results were previously reported for ip colchicine. Vincristine was several times more potent than podophyllotoxin or colchicine and 25 times more potent than vinblastine. Picropodophyllotoxin, an isomer of podophyllotoxin which has low affinity for tubulin, did not inhibit regeneration. The io experiments showed that maintenance of vision was reversibly inhibited by a single injection of 0.05 μg/g of colchicine but unaffected by 0.01 μg/g, and that administration of the lower dose immediately following optic nerve crush inhibited regeneration. Intraocular lumicolchicine, a colchicine photoisomer which has low affinity for tubulin, did not inhibit maintenance or regeneration. In contrast, an io dose of vincristine sufficient to inhibit visual recovery also blocked maintenance of vision. Thus regeneration and maintenance effects could not be dissociated for io vincristine suggesting its mechanism of action on retinal cells is different. A conditioning lesion was shown to decrease the time to reappearance of the visually evoked branchial response following optic nerve crush, which indicates that it is a sensitive index of the rate of axonal outgrowth to the optic tectum.
Contrasting tectonic styles in the northern Grenville province: Implications for the dynamics of orogenic fronts

In western Labrador, tectonic elements of the parautochthonous belt of the northern Grenville orogen include a regional, mid-crustal, thin-skinned, metamorphic fold-thrust belt structurally overlain by a thick-skinned thrust sheet with a high-pressure metamorphic signature. In central Ontario, the parautochthonous belt is composed of a major reverse-sense shear zone, along which deep crustal rocks have been uplifted and exhumed. Tectonic models for both areas involve crustal shortening by delamination in the lower crust and tectonically driven exhumation up a crustal-scale ramp. The fold-thrust belt northwest of the ramp in Labrador is a result of the development of critical topography in the thrust wedge at the top of the ramp and the accretion of thrust slices to the base of the wedge during its propagation onto the foreland. The fold-thrust belt is absent in Ontario because syntectonic erosion of the thrust wedge prevented the development of critical topography.
Political instability and illegal immigration

Economic theory suggests that transnational migration results from the push-pull effect of wage differentials between host and source countries. In this paper, we argue that political instability exacerbates the migration flow, with greater instability leading to relatively larger flows. We conclude then that an optimal solution to the illegal immigration problem requires proper coordination of immigration and foreign policies by the host country. A narrow preoccupation with tougher immigration laws is wasteful and may be marginally effective.
Repeated subacute ozone exposure of inbred mice: airway inflammation and ventilation.

The present study was designed to assess the effects of repeated subacute ozone (O3) exposure on pulmonary inflammation and ventilation in two inbred strains of mice differentially susceptible to a single O3 exposure. Susceptible C57BL/6J (B6) and resistant C3H/HeJ (C3) mice were exposed to 0.3 ppm O3 for 48 and 72 h and, after 14 days recovery, both strains were reexposed. Airway inflammation and lung injury were assessed by counting inflammatory cells and measuring total protein content and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) returns. Minute ventilation [V˙E, the product of breathing frequency (f), and tidal volume (VT)] was measured prior to and immediately following each exposure. After the initial exposure, B6 mice developed greater O3-induced increases in total protein, inflammatory cell influx, and LDH activity compared to C3 mice. In normal air, V˙E was also significantly elevated in B6, but not C3, mice after O3. The hypercapnic t of B6 and hypercapnic VT of C3 mi...
Electronic interactions in metal complexed photoconducting polymers: a ZINDO study

Abstract Semi-empirical (INDO/s) calculations have been conducted on molecular fragments with zero to three phenylenevinylene (PV) units attached to 4 and 4 ′ positions of a 2,2 ′ -bipyridine (bpy) group, with and without chelated metal ions, mimicking metal-free and metal-chelated photoconducting polymers 1 and 2 [Chen et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 104 (2000) 1950]. The calculations suggest that: (1) a global lowering of the molecular orbital energy levels due to metal-chelation is responsible for the observed red-shift in the lowest energy transitions; and (2) metal chelation attenuates π -electron delocalization. The relevance of these effects to photoluminescence of metal-chelated polymers is also discussed.
CO2-induced c-fos expression in the CNS catecholaminergic neurons

In these studies we examined c-fos expression in catecholaminergic neurons following exposure of unanesthetized rats to hypercapnic stress. Breathing a gas mixture with elevated CO2 (15% CO2, 21% O2 and 64% N2, or 15% CO2 balance O2) for 60 min, induced activation of the c-fos gene in widespread regions of the CNS, as indicated by the expression of Fos-like immunoreactive protein (Fos). Similar results were obtained in carotid body denervated animals. Colocalization studies of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and Fos protein revealed that in the brainstem, 73 to 85% of noradrenaline-containing cells expressed Fos immunoreactivity. Double-labeled neurons were found in the ventrolateral medullary reticular formation (A1 noradrenaline cells), in the dorsal aspect of medulla oblongata (A2 noradrenaline cells), in the ventrolateral pons (A5 noradrenaline cells), and in the locus coeruleus (A6 noradrenaline cells). However, over 90% of TH-immunoreactive neurons in the mesencephalon and diencephalon (dopaminergic cells) did not express Fos-like immunoreactivity in response to CO2. These results indicate that the brainstem noradrenaline-containing neurons are part of the neuronal networks that react to hypercapnic exposure.
Employment Implications of Improved Labour Productivity in the Australian Iron and Steel Industry

The long-run employment and our put effects of increased productivity in Australian iron und steel industry are investigated. This work suggests that employment in the iron and steel industry will expand und there will be shifts in the occupational composition of employment. These results ure preserved in u sensitivity analysis in which different trade scenarios are assumed und variations in indutry input-output shares und other key parameters are made.
Toward zero-emission data centers through direct reuse of thermal energy

We have tested hot water data center cooling by directly reusing the generated thermal energy in neighborhood heating systems. First, we introduce high-performance liquid cooling devices with minimal thermal resistance in order to cool a computer system board. This cooling is performed with water at a temperature as high as 608C, thereby eliminating the chillers and their electrical power consumption, and enabling direct reuse of the heat. We collect 85% of the board heat using microscale liquid coolers for CPUs (central processing units), interfaces, and dc (direct current) converters. With our concept, data centers can be cooled in all climate zones throughout the year without a pre-cooled heat carrier. Second, we analyze how the supply of heat and financial payback from customers reduce the total cost of ownership. With 5,000 district heating systems satisfying 9.7% of the thermal demand of Europe, ample opportunities exist for data centers to become heat providers, thereby reducing the associated carbon dioxide emission. Finally, we show how our concept can be developed within 5 years into a zero-emission data center and that such investments are economically viable and ecologically beneficial given increasing energy prices. With such data centers, the IT (information technology) industry can assume a key role in greatly reducing carbon dioxide emissions and global warming by replacing energy-intensive processes with more efficient, digitally assisted processes.
“We Don’t Have Bullying, But We Have Drama”: Understandings of Bullying and Related Constructs Within the Social Milieu of a U.S. High School

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ and staff members’ understandings of bullying and related social constructs within a U.S. high school. Students (N = 84) participated in interviews and focus groups; students (N = 797) and staff members (N = 77) completed surveys. The qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, and the findings were used to inform the development of survey items, which were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. Findings from both components of the study were merged during interpretation. Results suggest that the school’s social environment reflects a complicated milieu in which it is difficult to apply a research definition of bullying to problematic student social interactions. A theoretical model of how conflict, drama, aggression, and bullying are related is proposed.
Prostaglandins in human duodenal secretions

Prostaglandins E1, E2 and F2 alpha were measured in duodenal secretions from two healthy, fasting male subjects. Secretions were collected by duodenal intubation prior to, and following, stimulation by secretin and cholecystokinin. Prostaglandins were measured with a radioimmunoassay technique. The ranges of concentrations found were PGE1: 2.4-110 ng/ml, PGE2: 0.004-1.51 ng/ml, and PGG2 alpha: 0.44-14.6 ng/ml.
Gradient plasticity theory with a variable length scale parameter

The definition and magnitude of the intrinsic length scale are keys to the development of the gradient plasticity theory that incorporates size effects. However, a fixed value of the material length-scale is not always realistic and different problems could require different values. Moreover, a linear coupling between the local and nonlocal terms in the gradient plasticity theory is not always realistic and that different problems could require different couplings. This work addresses the proper modifications required for the full utility of the current gradient plasticity theories in solving the size effect problem. It is shown that the current gradient plasticity theories do not give sound interpretations of the size effects in micro-bending and micro-torsion tests if a definite and fixed length scale parameter is used. A generalized gradient plasticity model with a non-fixed length scale parameter is proposed based on dislocation mechanics. This model assesses the sensitivity of predictions to the way in which the local and nonlocal parts are coupled (or to the way in which the statically stored and geometrically necessary dislocations are coupled). In addition a physically-based relation for the length scale parameter as a function of the course of deformation and the material microstructural features is proposed. The proposed model gives good predictions of the size effect in micro-bending tests of thin films and micro-torsion tests of thin wires.
Autosomal dominant polycystic disease with associated arachnoid cysts and subdural cystic hygroma requiring shunting.

Autosomal dominant polycystic disease with associated arachnoid cysts and subdural cystic hygroma requiring shunting
Population density, urban centrality, and agricultural intensification in Jordan

This paper explores the relationship between population growth, agricultural production, and urban development. Ongoing debate in the literature regarding the relationship between population and economic development is restricted by the limited availability of time series data and the difficulty of evaluating causality using cross-sectional data. This analysis uses the special case of Jordan with its massive refugee flows to evaluate the influence of a sudden and exogenous change in population in urban areas on the intensification of agricultural production. Spearman Rank Order correlations are calculated from time series data to show that the districts which experienced the most rapid population growth and increases in population density also exhibited the largest increases in agricultural intensity. Cross-sectional analysis in which measures of agricultural intensification were predicted by population density and urbanization factors reveals a significant interaction between density and urban centrality, where ‘centrality’ is an indicator of the accessibility of urban goods to rural communities. The results suggest that population density has a strongly positive effect on agricultural intensity in areas with few urban goods and services available, whereas the influence of population density on agricultural intensity is substantially reduced in areas with a greater diversity of urban goods and services.
Defusing a foreign policy crisis: Myth and victimage in Reagan's 1983 Lebanon/Grenada address

This paper investigates the operation of myth and victimage in President Reagan's efforts to remove ambiguity and displace guilt associated with his actions in Lebanon and Grenada. The analysis reveals how Reagan's speech of October 27, 1983 redefined the situation so that guilt for the Beirut bombing and Grenada invasion was shifted to the Soviet Union and American foreign involvement was reaffirmed as both desirable and inevitable. Attention is focused on Reagan's use of three levels of opposing clusters to index myths of progress, freedom, mission, and national self‐interest, thereby generating a positive rationale for U.S. involvement in Lebanon and Grenada while establishing a motive to blame the savage Soviet antagonist for opposing civilized ideals.
Synapse Formation by Hippocampal Neurons from Agrin-Deficient Mice

Abstract Agrin, a proteoglycan secreted by motoneurons, is a critical organizer of synaptic differentiation at skeletal neuromuscular junctions. Agrin is widely expressed in the nervous system so other functions seem likely, but none have been demonstrated. To test roles for agrin in interneuronal synapse formation, we studied hippocampi from mutant mice that completely lack the z+splice form of agrin essential for neuromuscular differentiation and also exhibit severely (∼90%) reduced levels of all agrin isoforms (M. Gautamet al.,1996,Cell85, 525–535). The brains of neonatal homozygous agrin mutants were often smaller than those of heterozygous and wild-type littermates, but were morphologically and histologically indistinguishable. In particular, antibodies to pre- and postsynaptic components of glutamatergic synapses were similarly coaggregated at synaptic sites in both mutants and controls. Because mutants die at birth due to neuromuscular defects, we cultured neurons to assess later stages of synaptic maturation. In primary cultures, the agrin-deficient neurons formed MAP2-positive dendrites and tau-1-positive axons. Synaptic vesicle proteins, AMPA- and NMDA-type glutamate receptors, GABAAreceptors, and the putative synapse-organizing proteins PSD-95, GKAP, and gephyrin formed numerous clusters at synaptic sites. Quantitatively, the number of SV2-labeled contacts per neuron at day 5 and the number of PSD-95 clusters per dendrite length at day 18 in culture showed no significant differences between genotypes. Furthermore, exogenous z+agrin was unable to induce ectopic accumulation of components of central glutamatergic or GABAergic synapses as it does for neuromuscular cholinergic synapses. These results indicate that the z+forms of agrin are dispensable for glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic differentiation in the central nervous system.
X-ray crystal structure of dichloropicric acid

Dichloropicric acid is orthorhombic, space groupP212121; at 24°a=5.672(3),b=8.044(3),c=22.491(7) A,D x=1.929(2) g-cm−3,V=1026(1) A3,Z=4. The phenolic OH group is intramolecularly hydrogen bonded to one of theortho nitro groups with an O...O distance of 2.524(5) A. As a consequence, this nitro group is twisted out of the plane of the benzene ring by only 20.1° in spite of crowding by the adjacent chlorine atom which is only 2.764(3) A from the O atom in the nitro group. The two non-hydrogen bonded nitro groups have twist angles of 73.9 and 84.1°. There is no evidence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding with any adjacent dichloropicric acid molecule.
Thrombogenic influence of biomaterials in patients with the Omni series heart valve: pyrolytic carbon versus titanium.

An opportunity to assess the thromboembolic rates caused by the construction materials on valve replacements is possible with the Omni series of mechanical heart valves. The Omnicarbon and Omniscience valves are identical in form but differ in that the Omnicarbon valve is constructed entirely of pyrolytic carbon, whereas the Omniscience valve uses titanium for its housing, the rest of its structure being pyrolytic carbon. The literature was reviewed and a comparison in similar groups of patients was made between these two model valves for their thromboembolic rates in the mitral and aortic positions. A total of 569 aortic Omnicarbon valves (4,146 patient years [pt yrs.]) had a thromboembolic events (T/E rate) of 0.5% compared with 1.7% for 468 aortic Omniscience (1,552 pt yrs); p < 0.0001. A total of 298 mitral Omnicarbon valves (3,333 pt yrs) had a TIE rate of 1.6% compared with 2.6% for 716 mitral Omniscience valves (2,134 pt yrs), p < 0.001. There was no difference in the anticoagulation management between the two model valves although the Omniscience valve required higher prothrombin or International Normalized Rate maintenance levels, which resulted in higher bleeding rates among patients with Omniscience valves.
Sturge-Weber Syndrome

We try to see the babies prior to the onset of symptoms so that their parents can receive anticipatory guidance regarding seizures and how to recognize and respond to them and so that proper referrals to ophthalmology can be made. If there is any concern on history, exam, or EEG then we obtain a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast. If presymptomatic diagnosis of brain involvement is made then treatment with low-dose aspirin is offered and if the brain involvement is extensively bilateral then an anticonvulsant such as levetiracetam is offered as well. Seizures are treated aggressively with a goal of obtaining and maintaining complete seizure suppression as much as possible often with a combination of low-dose aspirin and two anticonvulsants such as levetiracetam and oxcarbazepine. For many patients, this will provide adequate control of their seizures and stroke-like episodes. If the patient fails medical management and seizures are regular and accompanied by plateaued development, significant hemiparesis and visual field deficit and the patient is unilaterally involved and a surgical candidate then surgical management is urged. When the seizures are less regular, little or no hemiparesis or visual field deficit exist, and development is reasonable then this decision is more difficult. For bilaterally involved patients surgery is usually not a good option unless seizures are very severe and mostly coming from one side. Other therapeutic options include the ketogenic/Atkins diet and vagal nerve stimulator although in our experience these usually do not result in cessation of seizures. Endocrine problems occur with increased frequency and must be treated when they are present. The recent discovery of the somatic mutation causing Sturge-Weber syndrome holds promise for new treatment options in the future.
Blocking and detection chemistries affect antibody performance on reverse phase protein arrays

Antibody specificity is critical for RP protein arrays (RPA). The effects of blocking and detection chemistries on antibody specificity were evaluated for Western blots and RPA. Blocking buffers significantly affected nonspecific banding on Western blots, with corresponding effects on arrays. Tyramide signal amplification (TSA) increased both specific and nonspecific signals on Westerns and arrays, masking the expected gradations in signal intensity. These results suggest that consistent blocking and detection conditions should be used for antibody validation and subsequent RPA experiments.
Lithium in the elderly: A review with special focus on the use of intraerythrocyte (RBC) levels in detecting serious impending neurotoxicity

The elderly are at high risk to develop neurotoxicity in the course of lithium therapy. This is especially true for patients with neurologic or cognitive impairments. This may occur even when lithium treatment is modified to include lower doses and lower target blood levels. The literature is reviewed concerning current uses of lithium in older patients. The rationale for expecting that red blood cell (RBC) lithium levels could have predictive value in the early detection of impending serious neurotoxicity is discussed. There appears to be a critical value for RBC lithium in the region of 0.6 mEq/ 1 that is ominous as a harbinger of impending toxicity. This critical concentration may be considerably lower for patients with dementia.
The impact of an AI-based design environment for simultaneous engineering on process planning

Abstract The success of simultaneous engineering, when restricted to product and process design, depends critically on the ability to enable these activities to proceed concurrently. This concurrency introduces several changes in the traditional approach to process planning. In order to realize fully the benefits of the simultaneous engineering concept, it is important to study and propose viable solutions for the changes brought forth by this concept. We present results from a case study of the impact on process planning of realizing the simultaneous engineering concept for components manufactured in small and medium lot-sizes. In particular, we describe the role of an implemented artificial intelligence (AI) based design environment in carrying out the simultaneous engineering concept in this domain. We show that the development of such an environment results in some restructuring of the process planning activity and leads to significant improvements in the productivity of the process planner. The impac...
New approach to finite-state modeling of unsteady aerodynamics

This paper presents a novel technique for formulating a high quality finite state unsteady aerodynamic model by applying Bode plot methods, used in control engineering. Indicial response functions for both fixed wing and rotary wing applications are obtained using these finite state unsteady aerodynamic models. It is shown that the rotary wing indicial response function has a fundamentally different characteristic when compared to fixed wing indicial response. The rotary wing indicial response function is oscillatory in nature while the fixed wing indicial response function is nonoscillatory. Furthermore it should be emphasized that this is the first that a rotary-wing indicial response function has been presented in the literature.
Applying a PC accelerator board for medical imaging

An AT-compatible computer was used to expand X-ray images that had been compressed and stored on optical data cards. Initially, execution time for expansion of a single X-ray image was 25 min. The requirements were for an expansion time of under 10 s and costs of under $1000 for computing hardware. This meant a computational speed increase of over 150 times was needed. Tests showed that incorporating an 80287 coprocessor would only give a speed increase of five times. The DSP32-PC-160 floating-point accelerator board was selected as a cost-effective solution to the need for more computing power. This board provided adequate processor speed, onboard memory, and data bus width; floating-point math precision; and a high-level language compiler for code development. >
Personality Questionnaires as a Source of Learning in Management Education and Training: A Comparison of the OPQ and the 16PF

A previous article compared the OPQ and 16PF in terms of content. It commented also on the dearth of papers on the use of personality questionnaires in selection, guidance and development. This article considers (i) the general issue of the use of personality questionnaires as a source of learning in management education and training, and (ii) more specifically, the comparative acceptability to testees of the OPQ and 16PF within this context. The general issue is considered in relation to: (a) the role of personality in effective managerial performance, and (b) current trends in management education and training. Data on the comparative acceptability of the OPQ and 16PF extend that on comparative content given in the first article. While the data were collected in an education/training context, they may be indicative of relative acceptability in other occupational applications.
Pair of resonant fiducial markers for localization of endovascular catheters at all catheter orientations.

Purpose To test wireless resonance circuits (RC) to be used as fiducial marker of endovascular catheters during MR-guided interventions. Current markers loose their signal enhancement for certain catheter orientations. The purpose of this study was to test a marker setup which overcomes this orientation problem. Materials and Methods The markers were constructed from a pair of two RCs. The RCs were individually tuned and the coil axes were oriented perpendicular to each other in order to decouple the two RCs. The markers were mounted on the tip of endovascular catheters and tested in vitro and in one porcine in vivo experiment. Results An intense MR signal at similar signal levels was noted at all catheter orientations. In the in vivo experiment the markers allowed for fast and reliable MR guidance of the catheters. Conclusion A pair of two individually tuned and decoupled RCs is well suited for MR guidance of endovascular catheters. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;17:620–624. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Enhancement of spatial orientation of intravascular ultrasound images with side holes in guiding catheters

Abstract Background: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images are typically viewed and recorded in an arbitrary rotational orientation. This study was performed to validate a new method for improved orientation of sonographic vascular cross-sections. Methods and Results: We have tested a simple technique for rotational indexing of IVUS in cases in which guiding catheters with side holes are used. Although guiding catheters are opaque to ultrasonography, the side holes transmit the beam and therefore can be easily identified. The orientation of the side holes, which is characteristic for each make of guiding catheter, can be used to determine the anatomically appropriate rotational orientation of the IVUS image. In this study images of four commercially available side-hole guiding catheters were viewed in vitro to confirm the visibility of the side holes and to characterize their orientation for purposes of rotational orientation of images. Feasibility tests of rotational orientation based on side holes were then performed in canine coronary arteries ( n = 3) and in six human coronary arteries. Three serial imaging runs in each clinical case yielded a mean variability in rotational orientation of 7.5 ± 1.5 degrees. Conclusion: Validation testing of the side-hole technique demonstrates the potential for consistent and anatomically appropriate orientation of intravascular ultrasound images. (Am Heart J 1998;135:1063-6.)
Quasi-Stellar Objects, Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies, and Mergers*

We test the hypothesis that QSOs are formed via strong tidal interactions or mergers, initially going through an ultraluminous infrared phase. Our approach is to look for traces of this phase in the host galaxies of QSOs. We select a sample of low-redshift bona fide QSOs that may be in a transitionary stage between ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) and QSOs. These objects, which we call transition QSOs, have an intermediate position in the far-infrared color-color diagram between the regions occupied by the two classes of objects. We carry out a systematic spectroscopic and imaging study of these objects in order to determine their interaction and star-forming histories. By modeling the spectra, we obtain ages for the recent starburst events in the host galaxies and interacting companions. We have discussed the first five objects in the sample in detail in previous publications; here we present results for the remaining four objects, and discuss the sample as a whole. We find that all nine transition QSOs are undergoing tidal interactions and that eight are major mergers. Every object also shows strong recent star-forming activity, and in at least eight cases this activity is directly related to the tidal interaction. The ages we derive for the starburst populations range from currently active star formation in some objects to poststarburst ages 300 Myr in others. There is also a clear connection between interactions, starbursts, and QSO activity. Seven of the QSOs in the sample are also ULIGs; statistical considerations show that the two phenomena are necessarily physically related in these objects. Our results imply one of two scenarios: (1) at least some ULIGs evolve to become classical QSOs, and the transition stage lasts 300 Myr; or (2) at least some QSOs are born under the same conditions as ULIGs, and their lifetime as QSOs lasts 300 Myr. We discuss other properties and trends found in the sample, and propose a model that accounts for all of them, as well as the youth of these systems.
Effects of different doses of galanthamine, a long-acting acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, on memory in mice.

The effects of galanthamine, a long-acting acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, on passive avoidance and a modified Morris swim task were studied in mice. Lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nBM) produced significant decreases in cortical choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and profound deficits on the 24-h retention of a passive avoidance response and the reversal phase of the swim task. Galanthamine, administered 4 h before testing, improved performance of the two tasks in a dose-dependent fashion. In both tasks, galanthamine produced a U-shaped dose-response curve: the optimal dose was 3.0 mg/kg, IP on passive avoidance and 2.0 mg/kg on the swim task. The improvements in performance were not due to differences in motor activity or sensitivity to electric footshock. Behavioral tolerance did not occur from repeated doses of galanthamine; in fact, prior doses of galanthamine appeared to have a priming effect on later performance. In contrast to the effects in nBM-lesioned mice, galanthamine impaired performance of control mice on both tasks. Several characteristics of galanthamine suggest that it may be effective in treating the central cholinergic deficits in Alzheimer's disease: 1) its ability to attentuate cognitive deficits in nBM-lesioned mice, 2) its relatively long half-life, and 3) its lack of tolerance effects in mice during 2 weeks of repeated dosing.
On the final value and minimum effort systems

Abstract This paper considers the synthesis of a final value system by using the theory of eigenfunctions and the gradient methods. The applicability of these two approaches is explored, and it is shown that the final value problems treated in this paper always include the minimum effort problems. The concept of “Adjoint Space Approach” to the solution of the problems will be introduced. By using this approach, a great reduction in the dimensionality of the problems can be achieved.
DOCTORS AND DEFICITS: REGULATING THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN FRANCE

This paper seeks to analyze the political factors involved in health care delivery in a modern industrial welfare state and to illustrate how the transformation of the French state has affected the policymaking environment surrounding this particular issue. Cultural traditions rooted in the nineteenth century seriously circumscribed the role of the state in de-the conditions of medical practice. Nonetheless, pressures emerging since 1945 for the provision of a wide array of social services have drawn the state into ever closer regulation of the health sector. The economic constraints of the past decade resulted in state-imposed cost-containment policies which accentuated the trend toward politicization of health care. In consequence, and despite the rear-guard defensive tactics of the medical profession, the French state has succeeded in firmly establishing its primacy in this major area of public policy.