cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro damage to rat lens by lumazine and xanthine oxidase: prevention by superoxide dismutase.

Intact rat lenses incubated with lumazine and xanthine oxidase are physiologically damaged as evidenced by a decrease in the net accumulation of rubidium ions against a concentration gradient. Superoxide dismutase protected the tissue against this damage. These experiments, therefore, demonstrate the susceptibility of the lens tissue to O2−− injury under ambient and nonphotochemical conditions, suggesting a possible implication of this radical in the tissue in vivo and eventual cataract formation. The lumazine/xanthine oxidase system which is known to cause oxygen reduction predominantly by the monovalent route, producing superoxide, appears quite suitable to evaluate the toxicity of O2−− to the tissues in vitro.
Bending Magnets for the CBA Beam Transport Line

The beam transport line from the AGS to CBA requires 68 large bending magnets, consisting of pure dipoles and two types of combined function gradient magnets. All three types were designed with the magnetic field calculation program POISSON, using the same exterior dimensions and coil package. The design goal of ± 1% momentum acceptance for the transport line required a wide horizontal aperture, with a much smaller vertical aperture for economy. Two prototypes of one gradient magnet were built, and a facility constructed to measure them and the later production magnets. Measurements were done using both a long coil and a point coil (Rawson-Lush gaussmeter). Preliminary results show ?B/B < 0.2 × 10-3, ?G/G < 0.3 × 10-2, and ?B2/B < 0.3 × 10-4cm-2 over the beam aperture. Due to end effects, the actual gradient differs from the design gradient by 1%, which has been compensated for in the beam line design.
The Gravitational Field of a Disk

The gravitational potential of a disk is given, as is the gravitational field at a point in space. It is pointed out that formulas for a ring can be obtained as the difference between the results presented here for two different values of the disk radius. Results are obtained in terms of elliptic integrals and it is shown how these functions can be computed efficiently. Formulas necessary for the computation of partial derivatives are also presented.
Detection of fatigue in structural steels by magnetic property measurements

The magnetic properties of ferromagnetic materials are sensitive to the mechanical and microstructural condition of the material. Fatigue can affect the magnetic properties due to microstructural changes, primarily dislocation production. Magnetic hysteresis measurements have been used to monitor the changes in the parameters due to low cycle fatigue, with the overall objective of developing a new tool to enhance the present NDE techniques for detecting failure. The magnetic measurements were performed using the Magnescope, a portable magnetic inspection system. Materials for fatiguing included plain low carbon steel and samples of quenched and tempered AISI 4340. The coercivity and remanence of the low carbon steel samples increased during the early stages of fatigue, reflecting strain hardening. As cycling progressed, the magnetic parameters leveled off and dropped sharply shortly before failure. The coercivity and remanence of the 4340 samples decreased during the initial stages of cycling, reflecting fatigue softening. The parameters plateaued, then decreased shortly before failure. The amount of change in the magnetic parameters was found to depend on the strain amplitude of the cycling.
Strike-induced chemosensory searching in rattlesnakes: A rodent specialist ( Crotalus viridis ) differs from a lizard specialist ( Crotalus pricei )

Prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) exhibited a sustained high rate of tongue flicking after a predatory strike whether or not rodent odors were present in the poststrike environment. For the lizard specialist, C. pricei, strike-induced chemosensory searching was maintained at a high level only when chemical cues were available following the strike.
The gravimetric determination of cadmium with the sodium salt of 1-phenyl-tetrazoline-5-thione

Summary The use of the sodium salt of 1-phenyl-tetrazoline-5-thione provides a good method for the quantitative determination of cadmium, yielding a crystalline precipitate which is easily filtered and brought to constant weight. The precision of the determination is fair and the accuracy is generally withing 0.2 mg. The main limitation of the reagent is that it is not specific in its action and it might be necessary to effect a prior separation since cadmium is often found to be alloyed with lead and zinc.
Hydromagnetic energy balance equations for the solar atmosphere

Following the pattern established in meteorology, a system of energy balance equations for the solar atmosphere is presented. Since both hydromagnetic and thermodynamic processes are considered, the system includes kinetic, potential, thermal and magnetic forms of energy. Ionization energy is indirectly included in the treatment. The spatial distribution of the energy forms and the processes transforming them are separated into zonal means and departures from such means in order to depict turbulent eddy effects. Where available data concerning solar processes are used in order to appraise certain of the terms which arise.
Development of TGF-|[beta]| signalling inhibitors for cancer therapy

The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily of ligands has a pivotal role in the regulation of a wide variety of physiological processes from development to pathogenesis. Since the discovery of the prototypic member, TGF-beta, almost 20 years ago, there have been tremendous advances in our understanding of the complex biology of this superfamily. Deregulation of TGF-beta has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, including cancer and fibrosis. Here we present the rationale for evaluating TGF-beta signalling inhibitors as cancer therapeutics, the structures of small-molecule inhibitors that are in development and the targeted drug discovery model that is being applied to their development.
Tissue response to in situ polymerization of a new two-solution bone cement: evaluation in a sheep model.

A two-solution bone cement (2-SC) was evaluated in a non-load bearing sheep model that simulated insertion of a cemented total joint replacement. A commercial powder–liquid bone cement formulation (Palacos® R) was used as the control. The systemic response to the two cements was determined by monitoring changes in arterial blood pressure (ABP) and serum concentrations of methyl methacrylate monomer at intervals after insertion of the cement. The short-term tissue response to the two cements was assessed by quantifying histomorphometric parameters of new bone formation at 2, 4, and 12 weeks postsurgery. Intraoperatively, injection and pressurization of bone cement were well tolerated, with no significant changes in ABP in either group and no detectable circulating monomer in any animal. Several interesting trends were identified in the histomorphometry data. In the trabecular specimens, new bone formation immediately adjacent to the cement mantle was apparently suppressed in the first 2 weeks postsurgery, increased dramatically at 4 weeks, and then returned to baseline values by 12 weeks. This pattern was seen with both Palacos® and 2-SC. In the cortical specimens, new bone formation was reduced on the endosteal surface when compared with the periosteal surface, with this effect being more noticeable at 2 and 4 weeks than at 12 weeks. There were no significant histopathological findings in either the bone or the draining lymph nodes. These data indicate that the biological response to 2-SC is substantially equivalent to that of Palacos® R. Additional testing in a functional, load-bearing animal model is now recommended to more fully characterize the long-term biological response to 2-SC and to determine the mechanical performance of this new cement in vivo. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2006
Comparison of central effects of 6-aminodopamine and 6-hydroxydopamine on catecholamine levels.

Abstract 6-Aminodopamine given intracisternally to immature (7 day old) rats depletes whole brain NE to about the same extent as equivalent doses of 6-hydroxydopamine. However, it barely, if at all, depletes brain DA. These results were obtained at 6–8 months of age via biochemical analyses. The results suggest that 6-aminodopamine may be a far more specific lesioning agent for NE neurons in CNS.
MicroPET/CT Imaging of [18F]-FEPPA in the Nonhuman Primate: A Potential Biomarker of Pathogenic Processes Associated with Anesthetic-Induced Neurotoxicity

Background. The inhalation anesthetics nitrous oxide (N2O) and isoflurane (ISO) are used in surgical procedures for human infants. Injury to the central nervous system is often accompanied by localization of activated microglia or astrocytosis at the site of injury. The tracer that targets to the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), [18F]N-2-(2-fluoroethoxy)benzyl)-N-(4-phenoxypyridin-3-yl)acetamide ([18F]-FEPPA), has been reported as a sensitive biomarker for the detection of neuronal damage/inflammation. Methods. On postnatal day (PND) 5 or 6 rhesus monkey neonates were exposed to a mixture of N2O/oxygen and ISO for 8 hours and control monkeys were exposed to room air. MicroPET/CT images with [18F]-FEPPA were obtained for each monkey 1 day, one week, three weeks, and 6 months after the anesthetic exposure. Results. The radiotracer quickly distributed into the brains of both treated and control monkeys on all scan days. One day after anesthetic exposure, the uptake of [18F]-FEPPA was significantly increased in the temporal lobe. One week after exposure, the uptake of [18F]-FEPPA in the frontal lobe of treated animals was significantly greater than that in controls. Conclusions. These findings suggest that microPET imaging is capable of dynamic detection of inhaled anesthetic-induced brain damage in different brain regions of the nonhuman primate.
Exergoeconomic analysis and evaluation of energy-conversion plants—I. A new general methodology

Abstract A new approach to the combination of exergetic and economic analysis (exergoeconomic analysis) for the investigation of energy-conversion processes is presented. This approach allows the monetary evaluation of costs caused by irreversibilities (exergy losses), as well as comparisons between these costs and the investment and operating costs for each component of a plant. The present analysis permits identification and evaluation of inefficiencies in an energy-conversion plant and of opportunities for improvement.
A Survey of the Population Genetic Variation in the Human Kinome

Protein kinases are key regulators of various biological processes, such as control of cell growth, metabolism, differentiation and apoptosis. Therefore, protein kinases have been an important class of targets for anticancer drugs. Health-related disparities such as differential drug response have been observed between human populations. A survey of the human kinases and their ligand genes for those containing population-specific genetic variants could provide new insights into the mechanisms of these health disparities and suggest novel targets for ethnicity-specific personalized medicine. Using the International HapMap Project genotypic data on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the protein kinase complement of the human genome (kinome) and some experimentally verified ligand genes were scanned for the existence of population-specific SNPs (eSNPs). In general, protein kinases were found to contain a much higher proportion of eSNPs than the whole genome background, indicating a stronger pressure for adaptation in individual populations. In contrast, the proportion of ligand genes containing eSNPs was not different from that of the whole genome background. Although with some important limitations, our results suggest that human kinases are more likely to be under recent positive selection than ligands. Our findings suggest that the health-related disparities associated with kinase signaling pathways are more likely to be driven by the genetic variation in the kinase genes than their cognate ligands. Illustrating the role of molecular evolution in the genetic variation of the human kinome could provide a promising route to understand the ethnic differences in cancer and facilitate the realization of ethnicity-based individualized medicine.
Coarse-graining the dynamics of a driven interface in the presence of mobile impurities: effective description via diffusion maps.

Developing effective descriptions of the microscopic dynamics of many physical phenomena can both dramatically enhance their computational exploration and lead to a more fundamental understanding of the underlying physics. Previously, an effective description of a driven interface in the presence of mobile impurities, based on an Ising variant model and a single empirical coarse variable, was partially successful [M. Haataja et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 160603 (2004)]; yet it underlined the necessity of selecting additional coarse variables in certain parameter regimes. In this paper we use a data mining approach to help identify the coarse variables required. We discuss the implementation of this diffusion map approach, the selection of a similarity measure between system snapshots required in the approach, and the correspondence between empirically selected and automatically detected coarse variables. We conclude by illustrating the use of the diffusion map variables in assisting the atomistic simulations and we discuss the translation of information between fine and coarse descriptions using lifting and restriction operators.
Review: CFD Applications in the Automotive Industry

A general review of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) applications in the automotive industry is presented. CFD has come a long way in influencing the design of automotive components due to continuing advances in computer hardware and software as well as advances in the numerical techniques to solve the equations of fluid flow. The automotive industry's interest in CFD applications stems from its ability to improve automotive design and to reduce product cost and cycle time. We are able to utilize CFD more and more in day-to-day automotive design, and we can expect better conditions for CFD applications in the coming years. CFD applications in the automotive industry are as numerous as are the codes available for the purpose. Applications range from system level (e.g., exterior aerodynamics) to component level (e.g., disk brake cooling). The physics involved cover a wide range of flow regimes (i.e., incompressible, compressible, laminar, turbulent, unsteady, steady, subsonic and transonic flows). Most of the applications fall in the incompressible range and most are turbulent flows. Although most of the flows encountered are unsteady in nature, a majority of them can be approximated as steady cases. The challenge today is to be able to simulate accurately some very complex thermo-fluids phenomena, and to be able to get CFD results fast, in order to effectively apply them in the dynamic design environment of frequent design changes. The key is to utilize CFD in the early design phases so that design changes and fix-ups later are minimized. Proper use of CFD early, helps to significantly reduce prototyping needs and consequently, reduce cost and cycle time.
Acquisition of a multidrug-resistant phenotype with a proteasome inhibitor in multiple myeloma

Acquisition of a multidrug-resistant phenotype with a proteasome inhibitor in multiple myeloma
Protein Phosphatase 1α Mediates Ceramide-induced ERM Protein Dephosphorylation: A NOVEL MECHANISM INDEPENDENT OF PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL 4, 5-BIPHOSPHATE (PIP2) AND MYOSIN/ERM PHOSPHATASE*

ERM (ezrin, radixin, and moesin) proteins are cytoskeletal interacting proteins that bind cortical actin, the plasma membrane, and membrane proteins, which are found in specialized plasma membrane structures such as microvilli and filopodia. ERM proteins are regulated by phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-biphosphate (PIP2) and by phosphorylation of a C-terminal threonine, and its inactivation involves PIP2 hydrolysis and/or myosin phosphatase (MP). Recently, we demonstrated that ERM proteins are also subject to counter regulation by the bioactive sphingolipids ceramide and sphingosine 1-phosphate. Plasma membrane ceramide induces ERM dephosphorylation whereas sphingosine 1-phosphate induces their phosphorylation. In this work, we pursue the mechanisms by which ceramide regulates dephosphorylation. We found that this dephosphorylation was independent of hydrolysis and localization of PIP2 and MP. However, the results show that ERM dephosphorylation was blocked by treatment with protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) pharmacological inhibitors and specifically by siRNA to PP1α, whereas okadaic acid, a PP2A inhibitor, failed. Moreover, a catalytic inactive mutant of PP1α acted as dominant negative of the endogenous PP1α. Additional results showed that the ceramide mechanism of PP1α activation is largely independent of PIP2 hydrolysis and MP. Taken together, these results demonstrate a novel, acute mechanism of ERM regulation dependent on PP1α and plasma membrane ceramide.
A protease from Legionella pneumophila with cytotoxic and dermal ulcerative activity

Culture supernatants of Legionella pneumophila, Philadelphia 1, were found to have proteolytic activity, as well as a nondialyzable, heat-labile cytotoxin for Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and a factor which caused hemorrhagic dermal ulceration when injected intradermally into mice. A protease was purified from culture supernates by filtration on Sephacryl S-200 followed by chromatography on DEAE cellulose. Proteolytic activity had a pH optimum of 5.5, and migrated as two bands in PAGE, with molecular weights of 42 and 31 kDa. CHO cell cytotoxic, dermal ulcerative, and proteolytic activities copurified. The results are consistent with the same protein being responsible for these activities.
Marathoners or couch potatoes: what is the role of exercise in the management of heart failure?

Patients with chronic heart failure have diminished exercise capacity as a major aspect of their clinical syndrome, regardless of the cause of their left ventricular contractile dysfunction. The mechanisms for the reduction in exercise capacity are multifactorial and include central cardiac, peripheral vascular, respiratory, and skeletal muscle maladaptations that accompany the pathophysiology of heart failure. Increased sympathetic nervous system activity and elevations in circulating neurohormones and cytokines also influence the cardio-vascular and metabolic responses to exercise in these patients. Despite the improvements in clinical outcomes with β-blockers and resynchronization therapy in heart failure patients, their exercise capacity remains substantially reduced when compared with normal age-matched patients. Exercise training has the potential to reverse or improve most of the abnormal physiologic responses to exercise in these patients, and it may serve as adjunctive therapy to standard medical care of these patients. In addition, a body of evidence is being accumulated that suggests that exercise training itself has important secondary prevention benefit in these patients. This review identifies the potential mechanisms whereby exercise training may improve exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure and presents the current information regarding clinical outcomes of this therapy.
Optimization of force constants with an Urey-Bradley force field avoiding normal mode crossings.

Abstract We present a method that simplifies the refinement of force constants in normal mode calculations and makes the results more reliable. The method avoids normal mode crossings by constraining the force constants during refinement. It was tested with pyrrole, imidazole, benzene, pyridine, pyrimidine, aniline and adenine using a Urey–Bradley force field. The global error of the frequency fit for these molecules was 0.61%. The method reproduced with fewer parameters the accuracy of similar calculations of the single ring aromatic compounds. It improved the accuracy and isotopic shifts of previous empirical calculations of adenine by 40%. The CC and CN stretchings differed by less than 7% from the values of force constant-bond length empirical relations.
Termination of sustained ventricular tachycardia by external noninvasive pacing

Abstract Cardiac pacing has proven useful in the termination of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT). In this study, the effectiveness of external noninvasive temporary pacing was compared with traditional endocardial burst ventricular pacing for the termination of sustained and hemodynamically stable VT. In 14 patients, 16 VT morphologies induced by programmed right ventricular extrastimulation were reproducibly terminated by endocardial burst pacing (3 to 9 complexes). VT cycle lengths averaged 392 ± 97 ms (standard deviation) and ranged from 300 to 690 ms. The endocardial burst pacing cycle length used to terminate VT averaged 298 ± 93 ms (range 220 to 600 ms). External burst pacing terminated 14 of 16 VT morphologies (88%). The pacing cycle length used to terminate these 14 VTs averaged 282 ± 44 ms. The number of ventricular captures ranged from 5 to 20 beats. Failure to terminate 2 VT morphologies probably represented a failure of the device to capture the ventricle. Acceleration of VT occurred in 1 patient with burst external noninvasive pacing. These observations suggest that external burst pacing may be an effective means of terminating sustained VT in some patients.
Safety and efficacy of high-dose adeno-associated virus 9 encoding sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ adenosine triphosphatase delivered by molecular cardiac surgery with recirculating delivery in ovine ischemic cardiomyopathy

Objective Therapeutic safety and efficacy are the basic prerequisites for clinical gene therapy. We investigated the effect of high-dose molecular cardiac surgery with recirculating delivery (MCARD)-mediated adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)/sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA2a) gene delivery on clinical parameters, oxidative stress, humoral and cellular immune responses, and cardiac remodeling. Methods Ischemic cardiomyopathy was generated in a sheep model. The sheep were assigned to 1 of 2 groups: control (n = 10) and study (MCARD, n = 6). The control group underwent no intervention and the study group received 10 14 genome copies of AAV9/SERCA2a 4 weeks after infarction. Results Our ischemic model produced reliable infarcts leading to heart failure. The baseline ejection fraction in the MCARD group was 57.6% ± 1.6% versus 61.2% ± 1.9% in the control group ( P > .05). At 12 weeks after infarction, the MCARD group had superior left ventricular function compared with the control group: stroke volume index, 46.6 ± 1.8 versus 35.8 ± 2.5 mL/m 2 ( P P P Conclusions Cardiac overexpression of the SERCA2a gene by way of MCARD is a safe therapeutic intervention. It significantly improves left ventricular function, decreases markers of oxidative stress, abrogates myocyte hypertrophy, arrests remodeling, and does not induce a T-cell–mediated immune response.
A POSSIBLE OPTICAL PHONON DECAY OF LOW-LYING ELECTRONIC CRYSTAL-FIELD STATES OF TmPO4 CRYSTAL

We present in this paper an optical phonon decay mechanism to explain the disappearance of two electronic lines at 248 cm−1 (Γ1) and 254 cm−1 (Γ4) in experimental electronic Raman scattering spectrum of TmPO4 crystal. The phonon model of primitive cell is described in detail. The derivation and calculation of electrical-phonon coupling crystal-field Hamiltonian and the calculation of coupling matrix elements between the initial and final electron-phonon states are outlined and demonstrated. The various channels of this decay are discussed and estimated.
Remote sensing techniques in the analysis of change detection

Abstract A review of remote sensing techniques in change detection studies is presented. Due to the nature of imagery examined, most change detection studies have involved the use of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Multispectral Scanner (MSS), SPOT data, and aerial photography. Change detection techniques have included transparency compositing, image differencing, classification, band ratioing, and principal components analysis. This paper will focus on a review of the utility of these methods for various resource applications.
Taxicab rate war: counterpart of international conflict

Business rivalry has been likened unto war even in its ordinary aspects.l This similarity is accentuated when firms become engaged in price warfare (1). It is interesting that price wars possess many of the elements of armed conflict-"enemy" moves in the form of price reductions which may be interpreted as unfriendly by a competitor; ultimata followed perhaps by countermoves by firms which are adversely affected: the use of strategems to mislead the "enemy"; additional hostile activity in the form of further reductions or threatened
Eocene Stratigraphy and Paleontology of Orocopia Mountains, Southeastern California: ABSTRACT

Marine Eocene strata underlie about 26 square miles in the northeastern Orocopia Mountains, Riverside County. The newly discovered section, which totals about 4,800 feet in thickness, lies in a structural trough within basement rocks and is overlain unconformably by about 5,000 feet of undated non-marine clastic and volcanic rocks. The Eocene beds consist of interbedded siltstone, sandstone, and breccia with some sandy limestone and conglomerate. On the east, at the base of the section, large granitic boulders up to 30 feet in diameter lie along the unconformity with granite. These give way upward to thick lenses of coarse granitic breccia with interbeds of buff siltstone and arkosic sandstone. The upper part of the section on the east consists of massive buff siltstone with sandstone and boulder beds. On the west the section consists largely of interbedded siltstone and sandstone with conspicuous isolated boulders of granite. Mollusks and Foraminifera, including orbitoids, occur at many localities throughout the section. Some of the characteristic forms are: Turritella andersoni cf. lawsoni Dickerson, Turritella uvasana cf. applini Hanna, Clavilithes sp., Marginulina mexicana (Cushman) var., Pseudophragmina (Proporocyclina) psila (Woodring) and Pseudophragmina (Proporocyclina) clarki (Cushman). This fauna indicates middle Eocene age, and the strata are possibly correlative with similar rocks of the Coast Ranges. End_of_Article - Last_Page 219------------
Thermostable feruloyl esterase for the bioproduction of ferulic acid from triticale bran

A putative α/β hydrolase fold-encoding gene (locus tag TTE1809) from the genome of Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a possible source of thermostable feruloyl esterase (FAE) for the production of antioxidant phenolic acids from biomass. Designated as TtFAE, the 33-kDa protein was purified to apparent homogeneity. The lipase-like sequence characteristics of TtFAE and its substrate specificity towards methyl ferulate, methyl sinapate, and methyl p-coumarate classify it as a new member of the type A FAEs. At 75°C, the enzyme retained at least 95% of its original activity for over 80 min; at 80°C, its half-life was found to be 50 min, rendering TtFAE a highly thermostable protein. Under different hydrolytic conditions, ferulic acid (FA) was shown to be released from feruloylated oligosaccharides prepared from triticale bran. An estimated recovery of 68 mg FA/100 g triticale bran was demonstrated by a 30% release of the total FA from triticale bran within a 5-h incubation period. Both the oxygen radical absorbing capacity values of the feruloylated oligosaccharides and free FA were also determined. Overall, this work introduces a new bacterial member to the growing family of plant cell wall degrading FAEs that at present is largely of fungal origin, and it benchmarks the bioproduction of FA from triticale bran.
Credibility and determinism in a game of persuasion

Abstract This paper studies a game of persuasion. A speaker attempts to persuade a listener to take an action by presenting evidence. Glazer and Rubinstein (2006) showed that when the listener's decision is binary, neither randomization nor commitment have any value for the listener, and commented that the binary nature of the decision was important for the commitment result. In this paper, I show that concavity is the critical assumption for both results: no value to commitment and no value to randomization. Specifically, the key assumption is that the listener's utility function is a concave transformation of the speaker's utility function. This assumption holds vacuously in the binary model. The result that concavity implies credibility allows us to dispense with the assumption that the listener's decision is binary and significantly broadens the scope of the model.
Aspect and the semantics-pragmatics interface: The case of already

Abstract This study portrays the English adverb already as a pragmatically ambiguous marker of temporal priority. The adverb codes the existence of a state of affairs at a reference time, prior to a reference interval containing a like type. This reference interval is unlinked to any reference time, and hence lexically underspecified. Such underspecification allows for varying contextually evoked interpretations; already has a variety of uses in context. Instances of these uses, and of the discourse contexts from which they are adduced, are discussed. Already is held to represent a contextual operator, i.e., an aspectual construct whose description requires reference to both semantic and discourse-pragmatic structure.
Skin cancer screening and prevention in the primary care setting: national ambulatory medical care survey 1997.

OBJECTIVE: To describe skin cancer prevention and screening activities in the primary care setting and to compare these findings to other cancer screening and prevention activities. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING/PATIENTS: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 1997 data on office-based physician visits to family practitioners and internists. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data were obtained on 784 primary care visits to 109 family practitioners and 61 internists. We observed that the frequency of skin cancer prevention and screening activities in the primary care setting was much lower than other cancer screening and prevention activities. Skin examination was reported at only 15.8% of all visits (17.4% for family practitioners vs 13.6% for internists, P>.1). For other cancer screening, the frequencies were as follows: breast examination, 30.3%; Papanicolaou test, 25.3%; pelvic examination, 27.6%; and rectal examination, 17.9%. Skin cancer prevention in the form of education and counseling was reported at 2.3% of these visits (2.9% for family practitioners vs 1.5% for internists, P>.1), while education on breast self-examination, diet and nutrition, tobacco use, and exercise was 13.0%, 25.3%, 5.7%, and 17.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the proportion of primary care visits in which skin cancer screening and prevention occurs is low. Strategies to increase skin cancer prevention and screening by family practitioners and internists need to be considered.
Ambiguity aversion and the propensities for self-insurance and self-protection

Two models of ambiguity preferences that permit comparative statics analysis of greater ambiguity aversion yield definite predictions concerning propensities for self-insurance and self-protection: The levels of both activities that are optimal for an ambiguity-averse decision maker are higher in the presence of ambiguity than in its absence, and demands for both activities increase with greater ambiguity aversion. The reason is that, at levels optimal for one decision maker, an increase in either activity results in a mean-preserving contraction in the distribution of expected utility in the presence of ambiguity, which is valuable to anyone with the same risk preferences who is more ambiguity averse.
On optimal salesforce compensation in the presence of production learning effects

Abstract This paper presents a theory of multi-period salesforce compensation in which a firm experiences a production learning effect. Firm management uses the salesforce compensation plan to promote current period sales (and production) in order to lower future period production costs. The firm management (principal)-salesperson (agent) relationship is modeled as an agency relationship. The model is a two-period extension of the Basu, Lal, Srinivasan and Staelin (1985) one-period agency model of salesforce compensation. We demonstrate that (relative to the results for the one-period model) firm management should, in the first period, decrease the salary portion of the compensation plan and increase the commission rate (as a percentage of sales). Such changes in the compensation plan motivate the salesperson to increase first period sales effort. The firm is able to increase discounted two-period expected profit by considering production dynamics in this compensation plan. We discuss managerial implications of our model.
Correlation of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) with Echocardiographic and Catheterization Parameters in Pediatric Heart Recipients

Purpose Hemodynamic assessment by catheterization (CATH) remains the cornerstone of cardiac performance evaluation. However, it is expensive and invasive. At the opposite end of the spectrum is BNP followed by echocardiography (ECHO). We sought to examine the correlation of BNP with ECHO and CATH parameters. Methods and Materials Single-center, retrospective review of recipients transplanted at Results The cohort median age at transplant was 3.4 yrs (IQR 0.38-10) with 55% male and 45% cardiomyopathy. There were 225 annual datasets (3.2/patient) with a median followup of 3.4 years (IQR 2.0-6.1). The median BNP was 54 pg/mL (IQR 26-96). BNP was correlated with HCT (R=-0.29, p 2.7 (R=0.265, p >0.001). Evaluating the hemodynamic data, BNP correlated with right sided filling pressures: RAP (R=0.341, p=0.001), RVEDP (R=.344, p 100 pg/mL. Conclusions BNP as measured at annual catheterization was correlated with left and right side filling pressures and some ECHO parameters. In multivariate analysis, a BNP cutoff of >100 pg/mL was associated with RAP, vasculopathy, HCT, and possibly with LV mass. This simple test may have utility in the monitoring of cardiac performance with the caveat that a low HCT can also affect its levels.
EFFECT OF NORMAL AND ACTIVATED HUMAN MACROPHAGES ON TOXOPLASMA GONDII

Human macrophages derived from in vitro culture of peripheral blood monocytes were studied under a variety of conditions to determine their microbicidal capacity for the obligate intracellular protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. The effect of macrophages on intracellular Toxoplasma was evaluated morphologically by light and phase microscopy and by autoradiography. When macrophages from dye test (DT)-negative or DT-positive individuals were infected with Toxoplasma in the presence of normal human serum, the organisms were able to multiply intracellularly with resultant destruction of the monolayer. Once organisms were intracellular, the presence of antibody-containing serum in the medium did not alter this inability of the macrophages to kill Toxoplasma. However, when Toxoplasma were incubated in the presence of heat-inactivated DT-positive serum just before infection of the monolayers, the intracellular organisms were inhibited or killed by normal macrophages. Attempts were made to activate macrophages in vitro to kill Toxoplasma. Macrophages incubated in the presence of sensitized lymphocytes and Streptokinase-Streptodornase (SK-SD) or Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA) were found to kill Toxoplasma when compared to macrophages incubated in the presence of lymphocytes from DT-negative individuals and TLA or lymphocytes alone. Thus, in vitro induction of resistance (both specifically and nonspecifically) in human macrophages was accomplished by culturing these cells in the presence of specifically sensitized lymphocytes and antigen. These results suggest that, as in the mouse model, activated human macrophages have the ability to inhibit or kill intracellular Toxoplasma and that these cells may be important as effector cells in cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to toxoplasmosis in man.
PEELING OF CHINESE WATERCHESTNUTS

The extensive hand labor required in peeling Chinese waterchestnut corms has dicouraged their production in this country. After cutting the apical and basal ends from the corms, the peel was removed by softening in hot alkali, followed by wet brushing. The lignaceous pigmentation which stains the corms during peeling was decolorized by treatment with hydrogen peroxide. A nomograph to optimize peel softening in terms of alkali concentration, time and temperature is presented. This nomograph shows solutions to the equation 6.76 = [0.038 (°F) - (6.51/% NaOH) - (9.81/min of treatment)].
Increased filamentous actin in islets of Langerhans from fasted hamsters.

Abstract We measured pools of soluble and sedimentable actin in hamster islets using a new DNase I binding/immunoprecipitation assay. Islets from fed and fasted hamsters contained the same amount of actin when expressed per microgram of protein. In three experiments the sedimentable (filamentous) actin increased significantly in islets from fasted hamsters. Recovery determinations demonstrate that during fasting the sedimentable actin pool (F) is increased as the soluble (G) actin pool decreases. These results suggest that the microfilament system is affected by the metabolic state of hamsters and may be responsible, in part, for inhibiting insulin secretion during fasting.
Cointegration and exchange rate dynamics

Abstract We utilize systems methods of estimation which impose the unit root structure to estimate both the long-run equilibrium relationship (the cointegrating vector) and the short-run dynamics of an open economy macroeconomic model in which the exchange rate and the domestic price level are endogenously determined for the United States. The model is estimated over the flexible exchange rate period and over two sub-periods chosen by structural change tests on the exchange rate. Both rational and theories consistent expectations are utilized. The models with theories consistent expectations outperform those with rational expectations.
APPLICATION OF STOCHASTIC DIFFUSION THEORY TO THE INTERPRETATION OF THE 252Cf SOURCE- DRIVEN NOISE ANALYSIS METHOD FOR SUBCRITICALITY DETERMINATION

The 252Cf source-driven noise analysis (CSDNA) method is an experimental technique, developed by J. T. Mihalczo and his collaborators at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which makes use of noise analysis to determine the multiplication factor, k, in subcritical multiplying media. In this work, a stochastic diffusion description was used to interpret the CSDNA experiment in an infinite, homogeneous medium in order to shed light on the practicality of this experimental procedure in determining the multiplication factor. By defining such a benchmark problem, an exact solution is obtained for the suberitical multiplication factor in which the locations of the 252Cf source and neutron detectors are explicitly taken into account. The expression relating reactivity to the measured data was found to depend implicitly on k itself. Through a numerical analysis of this expression, certain limiting conditions were identified in which the expression for the reactivity became essentially independent of k, hence dem- onstrating some possibility for the viability of this technique. However, under more realistic experimental conditions, i.e. for finite systems in which diffusion theory is not applicable, the measurement of the suberitical multiplication factor from the measured data, without extensive transport calculations, becomes doubtful.
Germ-line transmission of transgenes in Xenopus laevis

Abstract Adult Xenopus laevis frogs made transgenic by restriction enzyme-mediated integration were bred to test the feasibility of establishing lines of frogs that express transgenes. All of the 19 animals raised to sexual maturity generated progeny that expressed the transgene(s). The patterns and levels of expression of green fluorescent protein transgenes driven by a viral promoter, rat promoter, and four X. laevis promoters were all unaffected by passage through the germ line. These results demonstrate the ease of establishing transgenic lines in X. laevis.
Constant and Variable Amplitude Fatigue Behavior and Modeling of an SRIM Polymer Matrix Composite

Strain-controlled fatigue behavior of smooth specimens of an SRIM polymer matrix composite under constant and variable amplitude loading was investigated, including the effects of mean stresses/strains. Significant degradation of the macroscopic stiffness was observed during cyclic loading, and SEM examination of the failed specimens revealed the degradation was due to a variety of damage mechanisms, including matrix cracking, fiber/matrix debonding, fiber fracture, and fiber buckling. Fatigue life predictions made using common strain-based models overestimated the experimental results for both constant amplitude and variable amplitude loading. An improved strain-based model for making life predictions using an effective strain amplitude was proposed which was in much closer agreement with experimental results.
Noninvasive vascular laboratory for evaluation of peripheral arterial occlusive disease: Part II--clinical applications: chronic, usually atherosclerotic, lower extremity ischemia.

Abbreviations: ABI 5 ankle/brachial index, CDFI 5 color duplex flow imaging, CW 5 continuous wave, EST 5 exercise stress test, PAOD 5 peripheral arterial occlusive disease, PW 5 pulsed wave, SVR 5 systolic velocity ratio, tcPO2 5 transcutaneous oxygen tension THE noninvasive vascular laboratory has become a validated and valued diagnostic tool for evaluation of patients with chronic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) of the lower extremities. Most such patients have atherosclerosis as the cause of PAOD. Because noninvasive vascular laboratory techniques are widely available, relatively inexpensive, well-tolerated, and provide quantitative physiologic information, they are most commonly used as the first line objective modalities to confirm the diagnosis, establish the severity of ischemia, and estimate the anatomic level(s) of involvement in patients who are suspected to have PAOD based on historical symptoms and physical signs. The findings of the noninvasive laboratory, in conjunction with the clinical presentation of the patient, typically dictate the need for and type of more expensive and potentially invasive imaging studies of the arterial anatomy, as well as possible operative or percutaneous interventions. In addition, the same noninvasive quantitative features make these techniques well-suited for periodic surveillance after revascularization to define the impact of the intervention and to detect complications at a time when corrective actions can be undertaken and prior to clinical deterioration. Part I of this three-part “State of the Art Review” series dealt with hemodynamic principles of normal and disturbed blood flow, as well as the most common instruments used in the noninvasive vascular laboratory (1). Part II focuses on the techniques, interpretive guidelines, validation, and role of tests that have been devised to assess the adequacy of lower extremity vascular supply and tissue oxygenation, and to localize and characterize PAOD, if present.
Distributed teamwork: the impact of communication media on influence and decision quality

Differences in individual influence and decision quality across communication media were examined. Two competing hypotheses were contrasted. One hypothesis suggested that changes in influence across media may be due to a reduction in evaluation apprehension. If the evaluation apprehension hypothesis is correct, participants who dominate face-to-face conversations would maintain their level of influence across media conditions, while less dominating individuals would exert greater influence over less immediate types of media (telephone, computer) than face-to-face. Alternatively, changes in influence may be due to a free riding effect. If the free riding hypothesis was true, dominating members would reduce their level of influence over less immediate media, while less dominating members would maintain their level of influence across media conditions. Decision quality was predicted to depend on the effect of communication media on influence. Sixty-four introductory psychology students, grouped in pairs, performed 3 survival tasks on 3 different communication media (i.e., face-to-face, telephone, computer). The results showed that influence for dominating participants remained stable across the 3 media conditions. Less dominating participants, on the other hand, had higher levels of influence in the telephone and computer conditions than in the face-to-face condition. Influence for less dominating participants, however, did not differ between telephone and computer-mediated conditions. Furthermore, quality of decision did not differ across communication media. These findings indicate that media differences may be more complex than previous models suggest. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Plaques with high lipid burden: keeping the fat out of the fire

Two recent papers published in Heart have evaluated the utility of advanced imaging modalities for the morphological detection and evaluation of high-risk atherosclerotic plaques.1 ,2 While these studies employed differing methodologies (CT angiography (CTA), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optic angioscopy), the results are broadly concordant and of major potential clinical significance. Notably, when subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), such high-risk plaques may embolise and release a slurry of lipid-rich necrotic debris to the distal circulation, with consequent myocardial damage. In addition, it has been proposed that PCI of lipid-rich plaques (LRP) with thin fibrous caps (<65 μm; thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA)) may be associated with lipid embolisation. However, since stable angina patients do not require urgent intervention, detailed assessment of target lesions may be feasible for the recognition and assessment of LRP before elective PCI. Radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound (RF-IVUS) analysis is useful in defining the distribution, severity and composition of atherosclerotic plaques. Although RF-IVUS lacks the spatial resolution to directly measure fibrous cap thickness, it has been proposed that a necrotic core without overlying fibrous tissue (necrotic core abutting lumen) may represent TCFA. The presence …
Implantation in the ferret: epithelial penetration.

Implantation in the ferret occurs during the 24 hours between 12 and 13 days post coitus. The thinned zona pellucida is disrupted irregularly along the lateral aspects of implantation chambers. Some of the trophoblastic cells enlarge and develop into plaques of syncytium. Protoplasmic projections from these syncytial plaques intrude between adjacent uterine luminal epithelial cells to which the syncytium is adhering. Interesting ectoplasmic pads from the syncytial trophoblast indent the uterine epithelial cells prior to adhesion, and there are ectoplasmic regions where trophoblast cell membrane is closely applied to uterine cell membranes at all sites of epithelial penetration. Intrusion of trophoblast between uterine luminal epithelial cells is apparently the major mechanism of epithelial penetration in the ferret.