cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of infliximab for extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are associated with extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) in approximately 40% of patients. Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor-α, is effective for induction and maintenance of remission of CD and UC. The role of infliximab for EIMs related to IBD has been less studied, but it is likely as effective. The EIMs may run a course that parallels IBD activity or may present separately. The EIMs that parallel intestinal inflammation (eg, peripheral arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema nodosum, and episcleritis) generally respond to infliximab. Therefore, treating patients with IBD who have one of these EIMs will more often than not improve the EIM. The EIMs that run a separate course from IBD are more difficult to treat. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), uveitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) have variable responses to IBD medications. Infliximab is efficacious for uveitis and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of AS. The efficacy of infliximab for PSC is unknown. The dosing schedule of infliximab for IBD patients with EIMs should be induction doses with 5 mg/kg at 0, 2, and 6 weeks followed by every 8 weeks. Whether long-term infliximab therapy is necessary to maintain remission of EIMs, as in the case of IBD, has not been established.
Chemical Stability of Porous Silicon Surfaces Electrochemically Modified with Functional Alkyl Species

The chemical stability of electrochemically alkylated porous silicon is studied. The hydride-terminated surface of p-type or p++-type porous silicon is stabilized by electrochemical reduction of or...
Achieving a uniform interface for binary tree implementations

One of the basic principles taught in a data structures course is that an application program should be independent of the implementation of any particular data structure it uses. This policy breaks down when binary trees are introduced, because the interfaces for the various representations of binary trees are not uniform. In particular, implementing a binary tree by using an implicit array generally requires the array itself to be passed as a parameter to any function that manipulates the tree. In this paper we present an approach for defining the implicit array representation of a binary tree. Our definition makes the underlying array transparent to the user. This allows us to describe a uniform interface for a binary tree module that can be used by an application program regardless of the particular implementation of the tree.
A General Family of Pseudo Two-step Runge-Kutta Methods

The aim of this paper is to design a new family of numerical methods of arbitrarily high order for systems of first-order differential equations which are to be termed pseudo two-step Runge-Kutta methods. By using collocation techniques, we can obtain an arbitrarily high-order stable pseudo two-step Runge-Kutta method with any desired number of implicit stages in retaining the two-step nature. In very first investigations, the pseudo two-step Runge-Kutta methods are shown to be promising numerical integration methods.
Menopausal and bone risk assessments in postmenopausal women

The National Osteoporosis Foundation expects an increased prevalence of low bone mass and osteoporosis to 61 million cases by 2020. Nearly 50% of C aucasian postmenopausal women have osteopenia or osteoporosis, with a lifetime risk of an osteoporotic fracture of 40%. As bone loss is clinically silent until a fracture occurs, identifying risk factors and measuring bone density are currently the best available methods for determining a woman’s probability of developing osteoporosis. A careful history and physical should assess for potential secondary causes of low bone density and help to guide further evaluations and treatments. Hormonal therapy, best when initiated within the first few years of perimenopause, can decrease the risk of osteoporotic fractures by approx 50% while treating common menopausal symptoms. Recent studies questioning the risks of hormonal therapy mandate an individualized assessment of the potential risk-benefit ratio.
Why More of the Aged with Auditory Deficits Do Not Wear Hearing Aids

: The information in this article regarding aural rehabilitation was obtained directly and indirectly from aged persons with impaired hearing, from their families, and from nurses and assistants in several nursing homes and extended care facilities. Although many elderly persons with auditory deficits have had successful experiences with hearing aids, many others have not. The possible reasons are discussed, as are ways of overcoming prevalent negative attitudes by study of the psychosocial aspects and the careful assessment of individual patients by qualified personnel.
Indexing biomedical documents: From thesaural to knowledge-based retrieval systems

This position paper advocates interactive knowledge-based indexing of the National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) MEDLINE database. Initially, it establishes that in the current setting concept indexing is needed and cannot be fully automated. Compatibility between conventional and knowledge-based indexing is then highlighted, followed by discussion of indexing as a cognitive process. The section on knowledge-based indexing systems describes how NLM's MedIndEx prototype addresses problems in conventional indexing, and includes the contention that constructing a knowledge base adapted from a conventional classified thesaurus and indexing scheme is not as daunting as it may seem. Extension of the indexing prototype to an intelligent search assistant illustrates use of the same knowledge base to integrate indexing and retrieval applications. The paper concludes with selections from the Milstead report on the state of the art of subject analysis for large multidisciplinary bibliographic databases, followed by suggested future directions for knowledge-based indexing.
Fermentation of xylose to glycerol by Rhizopus javanicus

Glycerol production from xylose fermentation using Rhizopus javanicus (ATCC 22581) has been investigated in shake flasks. The medium composition (xylose concentration, nitrogen sources), aeration rate, and temperature have been found to affect the accumulation and yield of glycerol. Some of these effects are explained in terms of the critical parameters, osmotic pressure, and dissolved oxygen levels in the medium. Relatively high glycerol yields and concentrations have been obtained at high sugar concentration with high level of aeration at room temperature. The addition of polyethylene glycol or sulfite can improve the yield and accumulation of glycerol.
A numerical scheme for calculating stresses and strain rates in glaciers

The stress and strain-rate fields in a glacier or other type of rock with known rheological properties can be calculated by using a numerical solution technique. Calculations are based on force-balance equations and the constitutive relation for polar ice, and do not involve any mathematical approximations. The geometry is prescribed. Basal velocities also are prescribed, either by specifying their values or by relying on a sliding relation. All other quantities are determined numerically.
Metabolism of norethynodrel, a 19-nor progestin: Subcellular localization of enzyme activity

Abstract The subcellular localization of enzymes involved in the metabolism of norethynodrel (17 α-ethynyl-17 β-hydroxy-estr-5(10)-en-3-one) to the 3α and 3β diols (17 α-ethynyl-3α (or 3 β)-17 β-dihydroxy-estr-5(10)-ene) and 17 α-ethinyl estradiol has been investigated. Distribution of enzyme activity was evaluated using marker enzymes known to be associated with a particular subcellular fraction, and electron microscopy. The results indicated that: 1. The highest relative specific activity for the formation of the diols was associated with the cytosol fraction which also contained the highest total activity. 2. The highest relative specific activity for the formation of ethinyl estradiol was associated with an intermediate fraction, designated as “heavy” microsomal fraction, although the mitochondrial, heavy microsomal and 105,000 g microsomal fractions contained essentially equal amounts of the total activity.
STUDIES ON THE BIOLOGIC RELATIONSHIP OF ENDOTOXIN AND OTHER TOXIC PROTEINS : II. ENHANCEMENT OF SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SNAKE VENOM BY ENDOTOXIN

1. Injections of sublethal quantities of Agkistrodon piscivorus venom into endotoxin-treated rabbits produces a consistent early death. 2. The endotoxin-induced hypersusceptibility state (EIHS) to venom is produced by intravenous, intradermal, and intraperitoneal administration of endotoxin. The latency and duration of the EIHS vary with the route of administration. 3. EIHS is induced by as little as 1 gamma of endotoxin administered intravenously. Although the degree of susceptibility was no greater with a 100 gamma dose than with 1 gamma, 1 mg of endotoxin made the rabbits susceptible to smaller venom doses. 4. EIHS was demonstrated with intravenous, intradermal and intraperitoneal injection of Agkistrodon piscivorus venom. Endotoxin-pretreated animals were not as susceptible to venom given intramuscularly. 5. Normal rabbits are very resistant to venom given intradermally and intraperitoneally. 6. Enhanced susceptibility to intravenous endotoxin was demonstrated in animals pretreated with sublethal doses of moccasin venom. It differed from EIHS in its short duration and its outcome: a late, slowly progressive death. 7. EIHS was demonstrated with other venoms: Crotalus adamanteus and Vipera russellii , and in a modified form (resulting in late death) with Notechis scutatus . Endotoxin pretreatment had no effect on susceptibility to Naja flava, Bungarus candidus , or Crotalus durissus terrificus venoms. 8. Major hypotheses regarding the nature of endotoxin-induced alterations in non-specific resistance were considered in relation to EIHS to venom.
Self-Control: Effects of Training and Presentation Delays of Competing Responses on Tolerance of Noxious Stimulation

This study investigated the effects of several controlling response parameters on tolerance of noxious stimulation in the cold pressor test. The duration of the delay between subjects' initiating responses and the appearance of external cues for a controlling response (landscape slides), and prior training in producing the appearance of the distractors were varied. 90 female college students were assigned to 6 groups in a factorial design. Results indicated that short temporal delay, during the cold pressor test, between subjects' initiating response and appearance of a slide was more effective than long temporal delay in facilitating tolerance. Prior training had no significant effects. Questionnaire data showed a relationship between short delays, positive thoughts, and longer tolerance. Results were discussed in relation to several different self-control paradigms.
1574 MULTICENTER STUDY OF SERUM ERYTHROPOIETIN AND PTH LEVELS IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

The relative roles of erythropoietin (Ep) deficiency and PTH excess in the development of anemia in children with chronic renal failure (CRF) have been assessed. Serum Ep in 71 patients (PTS) was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Seven were studied in the predialysis stage, 32 on hemodialysis, 16 on CAPD and 16 on CCPD. The mean serum Ep was 38.1±3.5 mu/ml with anemia of renal disease (predialysis and dialysis PTS) compared to 19.6±1.5 mu/ml in normals. However, when compared to 30 children with anemia of non-renal origin, the elevation in Ep (range 28.7-327 mu/ml) was significantly below that expected for the degree of anemia in these renal disease PTS. We also found a direct inhibitory effect of uremic serum on both immunologic and biologic activity of Ep itself. Co-incubation of Ep (50, 100, or 200 mu/ml) with uremic serum resulted in markedly lower RIA values for these three concentrations of Ep compared to normal serum. Biologic activity as assessed in the fetal mouse liver CFU-E assay was also decreased with uremic serum. Serum PTH levels, although elevated, did not correlate with the degree of anemia. In conclusion although relative Ep deficiency plays a primary role in the anemia of CRF other factors which alter Ep itself and inhibit erythroid progenitors appear to be involved.
Community Living-Unit Size, Staff Presence, and Residents' Choice-Making

The impact of size of residence on residents' opportunities for choice was examined for Australian adults with mental retardation who lived in staff-supported community residences housing one to five residents. Significantly greater choice was exercised by individuals living in smaller settings, even when personal characteristics of individual residents were controlled statistically. Staff presence was confounded with living-unit size. Analyses including both staff presence and living-unit size revealed strong effects of staff presence, with more choice displayed in settings with longer periods when no staff members were present. Size effects were less evident once the variability associated with staff presence had been accounted for. Results suggest that both staff presence and living-unit size are important predictors of choice.
Transforming Cultural Competence into Cross-cultural Efficacy in Women's Health Education.

To prepare students to be effective practitioners in an increasingly diverse United States, medical educators must design cross-cultural curricula, including curricula in women's health. One goal of such education is cultural competence, defined as a set of skills that allow individuals to increase their understanding of cultural differences and similarities within, among, and between groups. In the context of addressing health care needs, including those of women, the author states that it is valid to define cultural groups as those whose members receive different and usually inadequate health care compared with that received by members of the majority culture. The author proposes, however, that cross-cultural efficacy is preferable to cultural competency as a goal of cross-cultural education because it implies that the caregiver is effective in interactions that involve individuals of different cultures and that neither the caregiver's nor the patient's culture offers the preferred view. She then explains why cross-cultural education needs to expand the objectives of women's health education to go beyond the traditional ones, and emphasizes that learners should be trained in the real-world situations they will face when aiding a variety of women patients. There are several challenges involved in both cross-cultural education and women's health education (e.g., resistance to learning; fear of dealing openly with issues of discrimination; lack of teaching tools, knowledge, and time). There is also a need to assess the student's acquisition of cross-cultural efficacy at each milestone in medical education and women's health education. Components of such assessment (e.g., use of various evaluation strategies) and educational objectives and methods are outlined. The author closes with an overview of what must happen to effectively integrate cross-cultural efficacy teaching into the curriculum to produce physicians who can care effectively for all their patients, including their female patients.
INAA and the provenance of shell-tempered sherds in the ancestral Caddo region

Over the last two decades, archaeologists working in the ancestral Caddo area have amassed a sizeable instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) dataset (n = 1308 sherds). We examine a subset (n = 88 sherds) of that larger dataset—shell-tempered Caddo ceramics—to examine the issue of ceramic provenance determinations from INAA in the Caddo area. Current analyses of INAA data from Caddo area shell-tempered ceramics mistakenly suggest that very distinctive shell-tempered ceramics were manufactured throughout East Texas and not traded and/or exchanged from one sub-region to another. Through the protocol of removing calcium-related geochemicals from statistical calculations of elemental values, shell-tempered sherds have lost their distinctive chemical signature. The methodological approach employed herein illustrates the potential for significant gains in exploring the provenance of Caddo ceramics using INAA, through the use of geochemicals found to correlate with the inclusion of shell temper.
The combustion of hydrocarbons and fluorosubstituted hydrocarbons with nitrogen trifluoride and nitrogen trifluoride—Oxygen mixtures

Abstract Studies have been made of the products of the reaction between n-butane and nitrogen trifluoride; n-butane, nitrogen trifluoride, and oxygen; vinylidene fluoride, and oxygen; hexafluorethane, oxygen, and hydrogen. The gases were reacted in a calorimeter bomb and the products were analysed with a mass spectrometer. Hydrogen fluoride was trapped on sodium fluoride; fluorine on mercury. The results showed: (1) that fluorine reacts preferentially with hydrogen to produce hydrogen fluorine; (2) no C F bonds are produced until there is more than enough flourine to react with hydrogen; and (3) comparison of adiabatic theoretical calculations with experimentally determined results indicates that shifting equilibrium is followed upon cooling the combustion products from the flame temperature down to about 1 700°K.
Nucleic acid in situ probing. Hybridization to human chromosomes of an alkaline phosphatase labeled centromeric probe.

The main principles that underly the use of nucleic acid probes forin situ hybridization are summarized. These include probe design, target preparation, hybridization formats and conditions, and signal generating systems. These principles underly the specific protocol that is described, namely the use of an akaline phosphatase-labeled cloned sequence of the alphoid repeated DNA family as a centomere probe for human chromosomes.
Low Birth Weight, Preschool Education, and School Remediation.

Abstract Studies have documented a strong relationship between low birth weight status and adverse child outcomes such as poor school performance and need for special education services. Following a cohort of over 1,300 low-income and predominately African American children in the Chicago Longitudinal Study we investigated whether birth weight and family socio-economic risk measured at the time of the child’s birth predicts placement into special education classes or grade retention in elementary school. Contrary to previous research, we found that low birth weight (< 5 ½ pounds) does not predict special education placement. Rather, these children (especially boys) were more likely to be retained in grade as an alternative approach to addressing poor school performance. Family socio-economic risk at birth was a significant predictor of the need for remedial services. We also assessed whether a high-quality preschool program offered at ages 3 and 4 can reduce the negative effects of low family SES and birth weight on the need for special education and grade retention. Preschool participation in the Child-Parent Centers was found to reduce the likelihood of school remediation. The effects of preschool were greater for children from families with higher levels of socio-economic disadvantage. The beneficial effects of preschool on special education placement were also larger for boys than girls.
SU‐GG‐T‐473: The Effect of 4DCT and 3DCT Image Data Set On Dose Calculation and Optimization: Preliminary Results

Purpose: To investigate the effect of 4D CTimage reconstruction and static helical CT data set (static) on dose calculation and optimization. Method and Materials: A typical breathing cycle was programmed into the CIRS moving tissue equivalent lung phantom which contained a 2 cm diameter target. 4D CT data scans were acquired on the LightSpeed 4‐slice CT (General Electric, WI). The Maximum intensity projection (MIP), average intensity projection (AIP), minimum intensity projection (MinIP) was reconstructed. Two 3D helical scans were also acquired (1) with the phantom moving and (2) with phantom static. Treatment plans were generated on Pinnacle 7.6 to study the effect of different electron densities (pixel value) at the tumor edge predicted by the 5 image sets. The same dose constraints and gantry angles were used to generate plans. The fluence maps for each gantry angle were compared. Results: Both the MIP and the 3D static target produced similar relative intensity maps, where a more homogeneous fluence distribution was observed. The fluence ratio for the center of the target to the edge of the target is greater for the AIP. i.e greater fluence gradient. Conclusion: Planning using MIP or AIP of a 4DCT plays a role in the final dose distribution delivered to the patient. Planning using the MIP will produce a more homogenous delivered dose to the lesion regardless of tumor location, whereas the AI will deliver a higher dose to the lesion at the end of the tumor trajectory. Further investigation is needed to study the impact of the distance of target movement on the final dose distribution obtained via 4D CT.
Perspectives on the black male college student’s demise in the 1990s: Going, Going, … Gone?

Recent studies indicate that the enrollment rate of African American males in higher education is declining steadily. Articulated in this report is a descriptive summary of factors that reflect the African American male status in college. Observations on the following topics are offered: (1) the socialeconomic status of the African American male; (2) factors discouraging African American students from entering college; (3) problems African American males encountered in college; and (4) efforts utilized to retain the African American student.
Something amazing about the Peripatetic of Pallet: Abaelard's development of Boethius' account of conditional propositions

Mediaeval logicians inherited from Boethius an account of conditional propositions and the syllogisms which may be constructed using them. In the following paper it is shown that there are considerable difficulties with Boethius' account which arise from his failure to understand the nature of compound propositions and in particular to provide for their negation. Boethius suggests that there are two different conditions which may be imposed for the truth of a conditional proposition but he really gives no adequate account of how such propositions may be obtained. The true greatness of Peter Abaelard as a philosophical logician is revealed in what he is able to do with the material which he found in Boethius. It is shown that he developed a precise theory of conditionals giving an account of how true conditionals may be obtained and principles which may be used to reject others as false. Unlike Boethius Abaelard properly appreciates that conjunctions must be treated as logical units. Even he, however, falls victim to difficulties which arise when this connective is brought into contact with negation and the conditions which he lays down for the truth of a conditional.
BI‐CYCLICAL INSTRUMENT FOR ASSESSING TEXTURE PROFILE PARAMETERS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SENSORY EVALUATION OF TEXTURE

The most popular instrumental imitative test is the Texture Profile Analysis (T.P.A.). It was originated in the General Foods Laboratories (Szczesniak et al. 1963) and adapted to the Instron by Bourne (1978). T.P.A. involves a double compression test that uses flat plates attached to an Instron Universal Testing Machine (I. U. T M. ). Several instrumental parameters can be extracted from the force/deformation curve generated by the test (e.g. hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness). Recently developed in our laboratory, the Bi-cyclical Instrument for Texture Evaluation (B.I.T.E. master) uses the I.U.T.M. to generate its motion and features a set of artificial dentures as well as a tri-dimensional movement simulating a chewing motion. Five parameters were extracted from the force/deformation curve to evaluate their potential use for the prediction of four sensory attributes (i.e. e. hardness, cohesiveness, springiness and chewiness). Satisfactory univariate nonlinear models (i.e. e. Fechner and Stevens models) were found for both hardness and springiness. The use of several parameters in nonlinear models showed potential use as predictors of sensory cohesiveness and chewiness.
A technique for measurement and description of three-dimensional six degree-of-freedom motion of a body joint with an application to the human spine.

Abstract A new experimental technique for the measurement of three-dimensional six degrees-of-freedom motion of a body joint and data reduction is presented. It utilizes three spheres that are rigidly attached to the moving body. Six of the nine components of three translation vectors of centers of the spheres are measured by six linear variable differential transformers (LVDT). Data is recorded in real-time by a minicomputer Equations are derived to compute the three Euler rotation angles and the three-dimensional translation vector at a given point of the rigid body. Further, this six-dimensional motion vector is transformed into six parameters that describe the instantaneous helical axis of motion of the joint. Practical considerations in developing a program to compute these helical axis parameters are presented. The technique has been successfully employed to study kinematics of the human spine segments. Examples for the L3-4 lumbar spine segment, subjected to different loads are included. This technique, although especially developed for the in vitro study of the three-dimensional flexibility measurements of the spine segments, may be advantageously utilized in other situations where small three-dimensional motion needs to be studied with high accuracy and in real-time.
On the Delay Analysis of Defective CNTFETs with Undeposited CNTs

The Carbon Nano Tube Field Effect Transistor (CNTFET) is a promising device to supersede the MOSFET at the end of the technology roadmap of CMOS. When a CNTFET is fabricated, only some of the CNTs could be deposited. As reported in an earlier paper, this significantly degrades the performance of the CNTFET. In this paper, the delay analysis of a CNTFET in the presence of undeposited CNTs (as defects) is pursued in detail. This analysis considers both the number and the position of the CNT defects and focuses on the impact on delay. A probabilistic delay analysis is also proposed by considering the manufacturing process in this emerging technology, this analysis shows that probabilistically, a substantial performance degradation in delay for a CNTFET exists also at a low number of defective CNTs and such degradation become very severe in the presence of a large number of undeposited CNTs. To reduce the delay degradation, a method based on adjusting the gate width (as applicable using lithography), is proposed. This method considerably reduces the delay degradation (from 43% to 10%).
A Pneumotropic Pasteurella of Laboratory Animals. II. Pathological and Immunological Studies with the Organism

To study the dynamics of the infection it was necessary to investigate the distribution and spread of bacteria in the host and to relate the findings to the observed pathological changes. It was then important to establish the exact method of transmission of the ordinarily latent infection in a population and to determine, if possible, the relative role of inherent and acquired resistance to the experimental disease. Finding the pasteurella highly susceptible to streptomycin action suggested use of this antibiotic for studies in chemotherapy and for experiments designed to raise a stock of mice free from the latent infection.
Genotypic variation among wild isolates of two nuclear polyhedrosis viruses isolated from Spodoptera littoralis

Abstract Diseased Spodoptera littoralis larvae were collected from 21 different regions of Israel. Nuclear polyhedrosis viruses were isolated from these larvae, and viral DNAs were compared by restriction endonuclease analysis. Two distinct virus types, represented with approximately equal frequency, were found. Several wild isolates of each virus type exhibited minor restriction pattern differences. Plaque purification of the wild isolates revealed the presence of additional genotypic variants.
Transposon-Mediated Linker Insertion Scanning Mutagenesis of the Escherichia coli McrA Endonuclease

McrA is one of three functions that restrict modified foreign DNA in Escherichia coli K-12, affecting both methylated and hydroxymethylated substrates. We present here the first systematic analysis of the functional organization of McrA by using the GPS-LS insertion scanning system. We collected in-frame insertions of five amino acids at 46 independent locations and C-terminal truncations at 20 independent locations in the McrA protein. Each mutant was assayed for in vivo restriction of both methylated and hydroxymethylated bacteriophage (M.HpaII-modified lambda and T4gt, respectively) and for induction of the E. coli SOS response in the presence of M.HpaII methylation, indicative of DNA damage. Our findings suggest the presence of an N-terminal DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal catalytic nuclease domain connected by a linker region largely tolerant of amino acid insertions. DNA damage inflicted by a functional C-terminal domain is required for restriction of phage T4gt. Disruption of the N-terminal domain abolishes restriction of both substrates. Surprisingly, truncation mutations that spare the N-terminal domain do not mediate DNA damage, as measured by SOS induction, but nevertheless partially restrict M.HpaII-modified lambda in vivo. We suggest a common explanation for this "restriction without damage" and a similar observation seen in vivo with McrB, a component of another of the modified-DNA restriction functions. Briefly, we propose that unproductive site-specific binding of the protein to a vulnerable position in the lambda genome disrupts the phage development program at an early stage. We also identified a single mutant, carrying an insertion in the N-terminal domain, which could fully restrict lambda but did not restrict T4gt at all. This mutant may have a selective impairment in substrate recognition, distinguishing methylated from hydroxymethylated substrates. The study shows that the technically easy insertion scanning method can provide a rich source of functional information when coupled with effective phenotype tests.
Does the “Negro” Still Need Separate Schools? Single-Sex Educational Settings as Critical Race Counterspaces

This article explores whether contemporary educators should consider single-sex educational settings as viable interventions in educating African American males. Using qualitative data from a 2-yea...
Social factors in facial display and communication: A reply to Chovil and others

This paper discusses the Chovil (1991) study, questioning the assumption that the notion of facial display as communication is incompatible with that of facial display as “readout” of motivational/emotional response. It is argued that (a) the Chovil paper oversimplifies the view of the competition; (b) social factors can facilitateor inhibit expression depending upon the nature of the emotion being expressed and the expressor's personal relationship with the other; and (c) social factors produce strong social emotions, so that any manipulation of “sociality” must also manipulate “emotion.”
A procedure to estimate the parent population of the size of oil and gas fields as revealed by a study of economic truncation

An estimation technique has been derived to predict the number of small fields in a geologic play or basin. Historically, many small oil and gas fields went unreported because they were not economical. This led to an underestimation of the number of undiscovered small fields. A study of the distributions of reported oil and gas fields in well-explored areas suggests that the large fields when grouped into log base 2 size classes are geometrically distributed. Further, the number of small fields reported is a function of the cost of exploration and development. Thus, the population field-size distribution is conjectured to be log geometric in form.
Parametric Coupling in a Nonlinear Electromechanical System

Parametric coupling that arises under certain conditions of excitation has been analyzed in an electrical R-L-C circuit that is coupled with a mechanical system through a nonlinear inductance. It is found that high frequency excitation of the electrical circuit can support low frequency oscillation of the mechanical system, the entire process arising through the existence of a low order instability in the coupled system. Approximate methods of analysis are used to show the existence of the instability as well as the form of subsequent motion, and their numerical results are compared with analog computer results. The behavior of the electromechanical system can be shown to be analogous to a similar coupling that can occur between lateral wall vibrations and free surface oscillations of liquid in a partially filled elastic cylinder.
Music in American Culture

IT SEEMS safe to say that anthropologists have paid virtually no attention to music in American culture. Partly this is because anthropologists traditionally have concentrated their efforts on the study of nonliterate peoples and cultures, and partly it stems from a rather general disregard of the humanistic aspects of culture which all too frequently, and unfortunately, characterizes the "study of man." Partly, too, it is in the nature of musical studies themselves, which require a double specialization for fullest resultscompetence is needed in both anthropology and music, a combination not frequently found. At the same time, the double specialization need not be a block to significant research, as a perusal of some of the articles cited here will indicate. It does not take special musical training to investigate the status of a musician in his society, the relationship of music to other aspects of culture, or the dynamics in the spread of a particular kind of music. Indeed, the research carried out by an ethnomusicologist in the field is centered about purely anthropological problems stated in terms of a particular aspect of culture. In this respect the ethnomusicologist cannot be separated from the anthropologist on any but a conceptual plane-technical analysis simply requires special skills no more abstruse than those used in studying the structure of society. It seems reasonably clear, then, that the study of music in American culture has not been neglected because of the lack of specialized skills but because of a lack of specific interest. For discussion purposes, four major musical streams may be considered here: academic music, most often discussed under the misleading term "classical"; folk music of white communities; popular music, as distinctly differentiated from jazz and including hit tunes of the day; and Negro music, which should perhaps be subdivided to distinguish jazz from other forms of musical expression. There are not many who would insist that academic music has contributed a distinctively American art form to the world. The music of Charles Ives or Aaron Copland has a distinctive touch, but in last analysis the form and the concept are European derived even though they may have been extended somewhat. The same is generally true of the folk music of white communities; this may show specific ethnic characteristics as represented by Polish people singing Polish songs, for example, or the song texts may represent specifically American situations and concepts as in songs of the Civil War or perhaps cowboy songs of the west. But again, the music itself, the idea, the cultural tradition it represents is not significantly different from the European patterns from which it derives. This further applies to American popular song in terms of musical structure, although again in text material a mode of expression perhaps typically American has emerged.
Sympathetic neurons synthesize and secrete pro-nerve growth factor protein.

Postmitotic sympathetic neuronal survival is dependent upon nerve growth factor (NGF) provided by peripheral targets, and this dependency serves as a central tenet of the neurotrophic hypothesis. In some other systems, NGF has been shown to play an autocrine role, although the pervasiveness and significance of this phenomenon within the nervous system remain unclear. We show here that rat sympathetic neurons synthesize and secrete NGF. NGF mRNA is expressed in nearly half of superior cervical ganglion sympathetic neurons at embryonic day 17, rising to over 90% in the early postnatal period, and declining in the adult. Neuronal immunoreactivity is reduced when retrograde transport is interrupted by axotomy, but persists in a subpopulation of neurons despite diminished mRNA expression, suggesting that intrinsic protein synthesis occurs. Cultured neonatal neurons express NGF mRNA, which is maintained even when they are undergoing apoptosis. To determine which NGF isoforms are secreted, we performed metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation of NGF-immunoreactive proteins synthesized by cultured NGF-dependent and -independent neurons. Conditioned medium contained high molecular weight NGF precursor proteins, which varied depending upon the state of NGF dependence. Mature NGF was undetectable by these methods. High molecular weight NGF isoforms were also detected in ganglion homogenates, and persisted at diminished levels following axotomy. We conclude that sympathetic neurons express NGF mRNA, and synthesize and secrete pro-NGF protein. These findings suggest that a potential NGF-sympathetic neuron autocrine loop may exist in this prototypic target-dependent system, but that the secreted forms of this neurotrophin apparently do not support neuronal survival.
Egg oral immunotherapy.

Purpose of reviewEgg allergy is one of the most common food allergies of childhood and no interventional therapy is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Much recent research has focused on the safety, efficacy, and mechanism of oral immunotherapy (OIT) as a disease-modifying treat
The effect of indomethacin on plasma and lung lymph angiotensin converting enzyme activity in sheep.

Abstract The effect of indomethacin (INDO), an inhibitor of prostaglandin (PG) cyclooxygenase, on pulmonary vascular permeability is unclear. We measured angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in plasma and lung lymph in order to evaluate pulmonary endothelial integrity. Eighteen sheep, anesthetized and acutely prepared for the collection lung lymph, were used in the study. Four animals (Group I) served as sham controls and were not subjected to experimental intervention. In order to minimize changes in pulmonary microvascular surface area (PMSA), left atrial blood pressure (Pla) was elevated (12–20 Torr) following the baseline period in animals in the three experimental groups. Group II (n=4) was subjected to increased Pla only in order to assess the effects of that maneuver alone on experimental parameters. Group III (n=3) received an infusion of buffered vehicle only during a four hour period of elevated Pla, and, thus served as a vehicle control for Group IV (n=7) which received INDO for the same period of increased Pla. Pulmonary blood pressures, cardiac output (CO), lung lymph flow (Ql) and the ratio of lymph to plasma protein concentration (L/P) were measured in all experiments in order to independently assess changes in lung vascular permeability. While ACE activity in plasma and lymph fell in each experimental group, average ACE experimental values were unchanged from corresponding baseline values. Increased Pla caused a characteristic increase in Ql and fall in UP in each of the experimental groups. We conclude that INDO does not alter lung fluid and protein balance by a process which involves increased pulmonary vascular permeability secondary to a loss of endothelial integrity.
Relationship between cardiac cycle length and ventricular relaxation rate in the chick embryo.

We hypothesized that during chick embryo cardiac development, cycle length decrease (heart rate increase) may be associated with developmental changes in the ventricular relaxation rate constant, tau, which can be estimated from ventricular pressure decrease by the function P(t) = P0e-t/tau, where P0 = pressure at the time of minimum time derivative of ventricular pressure and t = time. Natural logarithm conversion results in a linear relation between In P(t) and t with slope of -1/tau. We determined tau in Hamburger-Hamilton stage 17-27 (d 3-5) embryos (n = 35) at intrinsic cycle length and in stage 24 embryos (n = 5) during cardiac cycle length perturbations with the hot-cold probe technique. Regression analysis of In P(t) from the minimum dP/dt until t = 30 ms was used to estimate tau. Intrinsic cycle length decreased during development from stage 17 to 27 and tau decreased linearly as cycle length decreased (r = 0.39, p less than 0.005). Thus, during early development, both tau and cycle length decrease (relaxation rate and heart rate increase). In stage 24 embryos, cycle length perturbation yielded a nonlinear cycle length-dependent relation with tau, with a plateau at cycle lengths less than intrinsic, i.e. tau decreased with cycle length decrease to intrinsic cycle length, then tau plateaued with further cycle length decrease. These findings demonstrate that ventricular relaxation rate is both maturation and cycle length dependent. The plateau effect of the tau-cycle length relationship may be due to developmental limitations of the calcium transport system.
Factors regulating prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis in renal cortical tubular cells

Abstract Prostaglandin synthesis by isolated rat renal cortical tubular cells was studied in vitro with a superfusion system. The cells were introduced in Teflon chambers and intermittently stimulated. The PGE 2 production was measured in the effluent. ANG II (10 −10 –10 −6 M) induced a dose-dependent increase in PGE 2 synthesis. Saralasin antagonized the response to ANG II. Hyperosmolar mannitol or NaCl and Ca 2+ -ionophore A23187 also stimulated PGE 2 synthesis. The PGE 2 response to all stimuli was blocked in Ca 2+ -free media containing EGTA. The Ca 2+ -channel blocker nifedipine (10 −10 –10 −6 M) did not significantly inhibit the PGE 2 response to ANG II, hyperosmolar mannitol or NaCl, and A23187, whereas the phospholipase-inhibitors p -bromophenacyl bromide (10 −4 M) and chloroquine (10 −4 M) inhibited the response. Thus, PGE 2 synthesis in response to these stimuli in rat renal cortical tubular cell is a Ca 2+ -dependent process, acting via phospholipases by a mechanism which does not appear to involve voltage-dependent Ca 2+ -channels.
A numerical measure of the degree of oxidation (DOX) of an organic molecule, with special attention to heteroatoms and heterocyclic compounds

The degree of oxidation (DOX) of an organic compound CnHmEp, where E is any one or more of eleven elements more electronegative than hydrogen, is defined with respect to an alkane CnH2n+2 (DOX = 0) as a reference, One can calculate DOX either from the molecular or the structural formula of the compound by the relationship DOX = DU + p, where DU is the degree of unsaturation (i.e. index of hydrogen deficiency) in the molecule. The concept is developed for E is oxygen, and is extended to other chalcogens, as well as to halogens, nitrogen, phosphorus, and arsenic. Particular examples of heterocyclic compounds are considered. It is noted that addition of a simple hydride of E to an organic compound or elimination of the hydride from CnHmEp leaves DOX unchanged.
Innovative Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma is in a transitional stage. Recent trials of multimodality therapy for this disease suggest that selected patient subgroups may benefit from extensive treatment. This report discusses new approaches to the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Two case reports are presented.
Biological and hydrogeological interactions affect the persistence of 17β‐estradiol in an agricultural watershed

17β-estradiol (E2), one of the natural estrogen compounds, is an endocrine disruptor, and low levels in natural waters can impair the reproductive health of aquatic organisms. Its presence has been reported in animal faecal wastes and some aquatic habitats, including surface waters impacted by intense animal agriculture or sewage contamination. Little is known about its transport in hydrological systems or its persistence in water supplies. We routinely sampled stream and soil water over the growing season in an instrumented 1.2-km2 agricultural watershed in central Virginia. E2 concentrations in stream water ranged from 0.01 to 0.12 ng mL−1; soil-water values ranged from 0.03 to 0.18 ng mL−1. The highest concentrations were observed early in the growing season shortly after application of composted poultry litter to the cropped fields, and values decreased both with hydrological transport distance from the cropped field and over the course of the summer. Given the known application rate, E2 must be lost from the soil solution, and we explored biodegradation as a mechanism for this loss. A bacterial consortium cultured from the poultry compost biodegraded E2 in laboratory flasks amended with solutions of 1 : 1 acetate : glucose at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 g L−1 dissolved organic carbon (DOC), spiked with 1.8 ng mL−1 E2, and incubated at different temperatures. A loss of 97–98% of the initial E2 occurred within 180 h in experiments at 22 °C and 28 °C with 1.0 or 0.1 g L−1 DOC amendments. Higher DOC concentrations and lower temperatures slowed the rates of reaction, suggesting that more readily available carbon inhibits use of the E2 by degrading micro-organisms. The rapid rates of biodegradation in the laboratory incubations are inconsistent with the persistence of E2 in the watershed. This suggests that either the rates of biodegradation are reduced compared with the laboratory experiments or that E2 probably interacts with the components of the natural environment through complexation, sorption or abiotic transformation in the ageing process that leads to diminished bioavailability.
Slow relaxation in magnetic materials

Magnetic aftereffects in magnetic materials have previously been attributed to rotation of individual domains and wall motion between domains. We have measured the relaxation of the remanent magnetization as a function of time, in several magnetic materials including random magnetic systems and single-crystal ferromagnets, from 10-5 to 104s after removing an applied field. The observed behavior is accurately described by a thermodynamic model for the relaxation of finite-sized dispersive excitations (magnons) on specific distributions of dynamically correlated domains. At low fields (H < 10 Oe) and long times (t 10 μs), aftereffects in magnetic materials are dominated by the relaxation of magnons on finite-sized domains. At higher fields, in addition to the low-energy magnon relaxation, single-crystal iron exhibits evidence for wall motion, which usually occurs on very short time-scales.