cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of inner retinal structure in the aged RCS rat.

In retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), photoreceptors degenerate while inner retinal layers are relatively spared. In these cases, it is thought that, if given a signal, the “healthy” inner retina would be capable of processing visual information in a somewhat normal fashion. Several laboratories are testing treatments designed to replace lost photoreceptors by transplanting healthy retinal tissue (Woch et al., 2001; Coffey et al., 2002) or implanting a light sensitive prosthetic device (Chow et al., 2001; Zrenner et al., 1999) into the subretinal space. These strategies will work only if the inner retina is intact and functional. Recent evidence in humans as well as rodent models of RP shows that, especially at later stages of disease progression, the inner retina begins to exhibit changes (Stone et al., 1992; Strettoi et al., 2002). Determining the nature of these changes is critical to understanding the disease process as well as developing treatments.
Bodily Inscriptions as Signs in Medieval Christian Piety and Aztec Rituals

A structuralist-semiotic approach promotes understanding of the meanings of ritualistic bodily inscriptions. Two conspicuous examples of bodily inscriptions are the marks on Jesus’s body as understood in medieval piety, and the mangled and flayed bodies of Aztec ceremonial practice. Throughout, a bodily inscription is any alteration, such as piercings or circumcisions or marks of punishment, that has one or more meanings. Foucault’s analysis of power brings out points of both similarity and difference between the Christian and Aztec examples. Thereby one gains a deeper grasp of these bodily inscriptions. One also sees that these inscriptions, far from being solely aesthetic or mutilative, function as strategies within a system of power relations. Anyone who sees the comparison of Christian and Aztec practices to be a strained or unpromising enterprise should bear in mind Richard Trexler’s work on New World sexuality and practices as perceived and criticized by the Spanish, and Eva Hunt’s enduring contribution to the understanding of a Mesoamerican deity and its cosmological and cultural dimensions.
The Disproportionality of HIV Transmission Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men (BMSM): Recommendations for an Effective Prevention Model

The Black community shoulders the heaviest HIV/AIDS burden of any racial or ethnic group in the United States, with Black men who have sex with men being the most impacted subpopulation (CDC, 2011). Health determinants (i.e., behavior, social environment, physical environment, and healthcare) of Black men who have sex with men are examined for consideration in the creation of innovative HIV prevention programs specific to the community. The only two intervention strategies targeting this population approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 3MV and d-up:Defend Yourself programs, are scrutinized, and the theoretical underpinnings of these evidence-based programs (i.e., social cognitive theory, diffusion of innovations) will be examined in order to recommend strategies for future interventions to reach greater numbers within the community.
Scaling reinforcement learning techniques via modularity

Publisher Summary Complex tasks can often be decomposed into subgoals or chunks that can be solved individually. This chapter describes how reinforcement learning techniques can take advantage of this. By decomposing a reinforcement learning architecture into modules, where each module learns to solve a subgoal of the task, both structural and temporal credit transfer can be improved. The chapter also presents a variation of Q-learning that allows the modular architecture to reduce the effects of perceptual aliasing on reward estimation. Q-learning defines a mechanism for propagating estimates of expected utility backwards to the previous actions that resulted in this utility. However, it does not define a mechanism that allows the system to generalize, that is, to allow experience gained for one state to transfer to similar states. This is a serious problem because in naive representations the number of possible states often grows exponentially with the number of bits to be represented. Several approaches have been invented to deal with this scaling problem. White head and Ballard have used indexical representations to avoid having to estimate a Q-value for each distinct world state and each action's possible variable binding. For more complicated tasks that involve generating sequences of actions, a robot's state vector might be devoted mostly to representing internal state, and only a small fraction used to represent perceptual data. In such situations, state vectors that seem very similar may represent very different situations and should not share estimates.
Abstract 608: Uric Acid Potentially Interacts With Parathyroid Hormone To Promote Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction In Mice Fed A Western Diet

Hyperuricemia is frequently observed in obese people and rising obesity rates parallel increased consumption of a high-fat/high-fructose western diet (WD). Epidemiologic and clinical data suggest that serum uric acid (UA) is positively associated with serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and may be linked with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and LV diastolic dysfunction. Accordingly, we hypothesized that allopurinol, a potent xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor, would prevent development of LV diastolic dysfunction, independent of blood pressure, by reducing the levels of UA and PTH. Four week-old C57BL6/J male mice were fed a WD and water with 125mg/L allopurinol. After 16 weeks, we assessed levels of UA, XO activity, PTH, as well as diastolic function by cardiac MRI and cardiac ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Body weight and fat composition were obtained along with HOMA -IR testing for insulin resistance. Allopurinol has been show to exert no effect on blood pressure. High resolution cardiac MRI revealed diastolic dysfunction with WD feeding that was prevented by allopurinol (LV diastolic relaxation time 35.3 ms for WD, 25.4 ms for CD and 27.7 ms for WD+ allopurinol, p value <0.01; Initial filling rate 0. 28 μl/ms for WD, 0.43 μl/ms for CD and 0.42 μl/ms for WD+ allopurinol, p value <0.05). Body weight, fat mass, and HOMA-IR were increased by WD feeding but not significantly improved by allopurinol. However, allopurinol markedly decreased the WD-induced increase in heart weight associated with activation of translational S6 kinase. TEM examination of myocardial ultrastructure revealed that WD induced remodeling changes with large mitochondria with disordered cristae and increased lysosomes. The ultrastructural changes were improved with treatment by allopurinol. Furthermore, allopurinol significantly inhibited both of plasma and urine UA levels and cardiac XO activity caused by WD. Interestingly , WD increased PTH levels which were decreased in parallel with reductions in uric acid with allopurinol. These findings support the notion that increased plasma levels of UA, in concert with elevated PTH, may play a key role in LV hypertrophy and associated LV diastolic dysfunction that result from consuming a WD high in fructose and fat.
Correlation of haemagglutination activity with trypsin-like protease activity of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium associated with various forms of periodontal disease. Several characteristics of P. gingivalis are thought to contribute to its pathogenicity; these include haemagglutination and trypsin-like protease activity. Previous studies suggest an association between haemagglutination and trypsin-like protease activity of P. gingivalis. To investigate this, two complementary quantitative experimental approaches were taken. Five independent mutants of P. gingivalis deficient in trypsin-like protease activity were shown to exhibit reduced haemagglutination activity. In addition, enhancers (cysteine and dithiothreitol) and inhibitors (N-ethylmaleimide, N-p-tosyl-L-lysine-chloromethyl ketone, and phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride) of trypsin-like protease activity were shown, respectively, to significantly enhance and inhibit haemagglutination activity of washed, wild-type P. gingivalis cells (p less than 0.05, paired t-test). Statistical analysis indicated a strong correlation between haemagglutination and trypsin-like protease activity (r = 0.85, p less than 0.001, Spearman rank correlation). The effect of the protease enhancers and inhibitors on haemagglutination activity was specific for P. gingivalis, as they did not significantly change the haemagglutination activity of Fusobacterium nucleatum. These results suggest that the proteolytic site of the trypsin-like protease participates in haemagglutination activity of P. gingivalis.
THE EFFECTS OF NONEQUILIBRIUM HEAT, MASS AND MOMENTUM TRANSFER ON TWO-PHASE SOUND SPEED

Abstract A model has been developed which yields the speed and attenuation of acoustic waves as a function ol frequency in two-phase, one-component media. Nonequilibrium interphase heat, mass, and momentum transfer have been included and are found to be important. At low frequencies, the wave speed approaches the equilibrium value calculated by √( ∂p ∂p ) s . The wave speed in the high frequency limit is characterized by no heat. Mass. or momentum transfer between the liquid and vapor phases. The attenuation is large at high frequencies. A comparison of the theory with experiment shows that the leading edges of large amplitude pressure waves travel at the high frequency limit of the sound speed.
Depression in patients with pancreatic carcinoma: Diagnostic and treatment issues

BACKGROUND Cancer of the pancreas is a highly malignant illness with a very poor prognosis. Unfortunately, there has been little in the way of improvement in prognosis over the past 20 years. It is feared by patients because of its reputation as a deadly and often painful disease. Given these realities, it is not surprising that depression and cancer of the pancreas often occur co-morbidly. Depression and anxiety occur more frequently in patients with cancer of the pancreas than they do in patients with other forms of cancer. The etiology of depression in patients with cancer of the pancreas may be traced to more than the disease's poor prognosis, the pain it causes, or existential issues related to death and dying. METHODS Clinical and research data on the connection between depression and cancer of the pancreas were reviewed. RESULTS In many instances, symptoms of depression and anxiety may even precede knowledge of the diagnosis; one of several observations that have raised speculation that mood and anxiety syndromes are related to disruption in one of the physiologic functions of the pancreas (i.e., secretion of hormones, neurotransmitters, digestive enzymes, or bicarbonate). CONCLUSIONS Whatever its etiology, the identification and treatment of depression associated with cancer of the pancreas is an important way in which oncologists and mental health professionals can collaborate to enhance quality of life in this unfortunate population of patients. Diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorders as they applied to patients with cancer of the pancreas were reviewed, and psychologic and pharmacologic treatment strategies to deal with these issues were outlined. Cancer 1996;78:615-26.
Leachability study of modified synroc-B waste form: Effect of gamma irradiation

Abstract The effects of gamma irradiation on the chemical stability and particularly the leaching behavior of Modified SYNROC-B ceramic waste form for high level radioactive waste immobilization are presented. Experimentally obtained leach rates for uranium, iron and cerium from γ-irradiated and unirradiated SYNROC-B are given. The results of the study are discussed. A decrease in pH is found with γ-irradiation due to radiolytic nitric acid generation. Higher initial leach rates with a more pronounced subsequent drop in the case of iron and cerium was observed with γ-irradiation than without irradiation. The effect of a TiO2 film and uranium leach rate behavior are also discussed.
AN ELECTROCHEMICAL KETAL SYNTHESIS FROM 2-CARBOXY-2-ALLYL-TETRAHYDROPYRANS

Abstract 2-Substituted tetrahydropyranyl-2-carboxylates have been converted to mixed ketals by electrochemical oxidative decarboxylation.
The design, construction, and operation of a physical simulator for evaluating geophysical electrical techniques

A laboratory facility has been constructed for studying DC and very low frequency geophysical methods. This facility will be used to evaluate geophysical electrical methods that have the potential to spacially map fossil energy recovery processes and delineate reservoir heterogeneities. The physical simulator, an electrolytic tank slightly more than one meter in diameter, was built with a unique treatment of individual elements, where each element is electrically isolated from adjacent elements. Design calculations and operational data validate that by minimizing boundary effects, this approach results in a threefold increase in the model size that can be used in the tank. This approach will also permit scale model layering studies, a phenomenon which has often frustrated field application of DC electrical methods. The facility is being used to validate inversion models for surface DC methods and to study alternative geometries involving either downhole current injection or potential measurement. 8 refs., 5 figs.
Testosterone and behavior in normal young children

Abstract Testosterone affects the behavior of adults, but little is known about how it might affect the behavior of children. The few available studies of children have focused on aggression, hyperactivity and other behavior disorders. The present study involved 37 normal children, 15 boys and 22 girls. Of these, 25 were prepubertal, age 3–8, and 12 were at the early stages of puberty, age 9–12. The children provided saliva samples for testosterone assay and their parents rated them on moodiness, attachment, sociability, hyperactivity/distractiblity and adaptability. Overall, testosterone was associated with high moodiness and low attachment. Testosterone was also associated with low sociability, but only in the prepubertal group. It appears that testosterone is related to independent and unsociable behavior in very young children and that this relation is moderated by the approach and onset of adolescence. Additional research is needed on causal relations between testosterone and behavior in children and on how early childhood testosterone levels might contribute to later adult behavior.
Sputtered molybdenum bilayer back contact for copper indium diselenide-based polycrystalline thin-film solar cells

Abstract A method is described for fabricating low-resistivity molybdenum films on soda-lime glass substrates with good adhesion. Films are sputtered onto substrates nominally held at room temperature in a cryo-pumped d.c. magnetron system in a partial pressure of argon. 1-μm-thick films sputtered at low argon pressure were found to have low resistivity (10–15 μΩ cm), were under compressive stress, and suffered from poor adhesion. Films sputtered with high argon pressure had high resistivity (50–250 μΩ cm), were under tensile stress, but adhered well to the glass. By varying argon pressure during deposition, 1-μm-thick molybdenum bilayers have been fabricated with both low resistivity (12–14 μΩ cm) and good adhesion. These films are being used as back contacts for the National Renewable Energy Laboratoy's state-of-the-art polycrystalline copper indium gallium diselenide solar cells with good results.
Definitive method certification of clinical analytes in lyophilized human serum: NIST standard reference material (SRM) 909b

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed several Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) based on human serum. NIST SRM 909b, Human Serum, is a lyophilized human serum material with concentrations for seven organic and six inorganic analytes at two levels certified solely by definitive methods (DMs). This material provides the vehicle by which high precision, high accuracy measurements made with DMs at NIST can be transferred through the measurement hierarchy to other laboratories. Isotope dilution gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-IDMS) methods were applied to measure cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, urea, uric acid, triglycerides, and total glycerides. Thermal ionization isotope dilution mass spectrometry (TI-IDMS) was used for determination of lithium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and chloride. In addition, chloride was determined by coulometry, providing a comparison between two DMs. Sodium, which lacks a stable isotope that would permit isotope dilution mass spectrometric (IDMS) measurement, was determined by gravimetry. SRM 909b includes certified values for total glycerides and triglycerides, which were not certified in the previous lot of this material (SRM 909a). Improvement in uniformity of vial fill weight in the production of SRM 909b resulted in smaller certified uncertainties over previous freeze-dried serum SRMs. Uncertainties at the 99% level of confidence for relative expanded uncertainty (%) for certification of the organic analytes on a mmol/L/g basis ranged from 0.44% for urea (level II) to 5.04% for glucose (level II). (In-house studies have shown glucose to be a relatively unstable analyte in similar lyophilized serum materials, degrading at about 1% per year.) Relative expanded uncertainties (99% C.I.) for certification of inorganic analytes on a mmol/L/g basis ranged from 0.25% for chloride (level I) to 0.49% for magnesium (level II).
Rate constants for some reactions of free radicals with haloacetates in aqueous solution

The kinetics of the acqueous-phase reactions of the free radicals ·OH, ·Cl, and SO· with the halogenated acetates, CH2FCOO−, CHF2COO−, CF3COO−, and with CH2ClCOO−, CHCl2COO−, CCl3COO− were investigated. Generally, the reactivity decreases with increasing halogen substitution and is in the order k(·OH) > k(SO·) > k(·Cl), but there is no general relation between the effect on reactivity of chlorine and fluorine substitution. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The waterpipe: An emerging global risk for cancer

Tobacco smoking continues to be the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Each year more than 5 million smokers die prematurely because of their habit wreaking havoc on the welfare of families and communities worldwide. While cigarettes remain the main tobacco killer worldwide, for many youth tobacco use and addiction is maintained by means other than cigarettes. In particular, over the past decade, waterpipe smoking (a.k.a. hookah, shisha, narghile) has become increasingly popular among youth in the Middle East, and is rapidly spreading globally. Available evidence suggests that waterpipe smoking is associated with many of the known risks of tobacco smoking, particularly cancer. Despite these worrisome signs, policies and interventions to address this emerging public health problem have been lagging behind. In this short review I discuss briefly the evidence generated mostly in the past decade about the global spread of waterpipe smoking and its cancer risk potential.
Selective cytotoxicity of curcumin loaded twin-base linker rosette nanotubes towards osteosarcoma than healthy osteoblasts

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer that arises from mesenchymal cells and exhibits malignant osteoblastic differentiation. Curcumin has been reported to have a selective anti-cancer effect on osteosarcoma cells [1] . However, its bioavailability is limited by low solubility in water and instability in an alkaline solution [2] . Twin-base linker rosette nanotubes (TBL) could self-assemble in an aqueous solution by forming 36 hydrogen bonds [3] . With its surface functionalized by hydrophilic peptides and a hollow hydrophobic channel, TBL could be a potential drug carrier that enhances solubility of a hydrophobic drug. In this study, a TBL-curcumin complex was formed in deionized water, and characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The cytotoxicity of a TBL-curcumin complex was also tested and compared with pure curcumin dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The results showed that the diameter of the TBL nanotube increased in some sections after the drug loading process, and the cytotoxicity of the TBL-curcumin complex was also selective to osteosarcoma cells but lower than that of pure curcumin.
Exchange rate, fiscal and agricultural policies in Africa: Does adjustment hurt the poor?

Abstract Trade, exchange rate, fiscal, and agricultural sector policy reforms are the pillars of structural adjustment programs in Africa. Results indicate that trade and exchange rate reforms are associated with a large decline in economic rents and a shift in relative prices that favor the rural and urban poor. Fiscal reforms have not brought about draconian belt-tightening measures, although the incidence of public spending, particularly in the social sectors and in terms of public sector employment, remains far from progressive. Reduction of export crop taxation contributes to higher incomes for the poor, and domestic food crop liberalization has not led to increases in purchase prices of staple commodities for most low-income households.
Teleprocessing in Scientific Information Exchange: The NSF Role in Innovative Research

The essence of technology transfer is the effective passing of information, which requires that the receiving party accept new-to-him information in organized form. This is no small requirement in a period of exponentially increasing volumes of scientific observations and their technical applications. Traditional methods of scientific and technical communications will not be adequate to assure timely and discriminating dissemination of this information, and the National Science Foundation has established a program to support research in novel methods. Special emphasis is placed on use of audio and video telecommunications, computers and automatic means of recording, storing, disseminating and retrieving information. The author will cite specific examples of projects for which grants have been made and will describe the directions in which the NSF hopes to stimulate research and development.
Extraction of woolgrease with supercritical carbon dioxide

Supercritical carbon dioxide was used to extract unrefined woolgrease. The resulting product had no color and little odor, resembling high-grade commercial lanolin. The amounts of woolgrease extracted for fixed volumes of supercritical fluid solvent were measured at 60, 70 and 80°C and at pressures from 200–520 bar. In this study, the highest recoveries were obtained at 80°C and pressures in excess of 380 bar. Analysis of the extracts by capillary supercritical-fluid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography indicated that the composition of the extract changed with extraction time. The earliest fractions were enriched in cholesterol and contained relatively small amounts of species with higher molecular weight. The results suggest that supercritical fluid extraction may be used to obtain an enriched cholesterol fraction from wool-grease.
Mechanism of calcification of porcine bioprosthetic aortic valve cusps: Role of T-lymphocytes

Abstract Calcification of glutaraldehyde-preserved porcine aortic valve bioprosthetic cusps limits their success as cardiac valve substitutes. Subcutaneous implants of porcine bioprostheses in rats and rabbits have provided a convenient experimental tool to study this calcification process. Previous clinical research has suggested that the host's immune response to the porcine xenograft tissue may contribute to the calcific degeneration. To investigate the possible contribution of the immune response, porcine bioprosthetic cusps implanted subcutaneously in congenially athymic (nude) BALBc mice and normal controls were analyzed biochemically and histologically after retrieval at 21 days. Calcification was comparable in implants retrieved from athymic (calcium 95.5 ± 24.5 μg/mg) and normal mice (calcium 102.3 ± 4.66 μg/mg). Explants from nude mice demonstrated fewer adherent cells than those from normal animals, but the morphologic characteristics of the calcification were the same in both groups, with dystrophic mineralization of the spongiosa predominating. Thus, normal T-lymphocyte function is not necessary for porcine bioprosthetic calcification, and immunologic processes do not contribute to this process.
Worst-case structural analysis

Direct digital manufacturing is a set of rapidly evolving technologies that provide easy ways to manufacture highly customized and unique products. The development pipeline for such products is radically different from the conventional manufacturing pipeline: 3D geometric models are designed by users often with little or no manufacturing experience, and sent directly to the printer. Structural analysis on the user side with conventional tools is often unfeasible as it requires specialized training and software. Trial-and-error, the most common approach, is time-consuming and expensive.We present a method that would identify structural problems in objects designed for 3D printing based on geometry and material properties only, without specific assumptions on loads and manual load setup. We solve a constrained optimization problem to determine the "worst" load distribution for a shape that will cause high local stress or large deformations. While in its general form this optimization has a prohibitively high computational cost, we demonstrate that an approximate method makes it possible to solve the problem rapidly for a broad range of printed models. We validate our method both computationally and experimentally and demonstrate that it has good predictive power for a number of diverse 3D printed shapes.
COLACIUM LIBELLAE SP. NOV. (EUGLENOPHYCEAE), A PHOTOSYNTHETIC INHABITANT OF THE LARVAL DAMSELFLY RECTUM1

SUMMARY Colacium libellae sp. nov., in the non-flagellated palmella stage and lacking stalks, lines the cuticle of the rectum of damselfly larvae, forming a conspicuous green plug. In culture this species forms highly-branched colonies of stalked cells. The cells tire often elongated to twice the size of most motile cells (40–50 × 6–10 μm), with parallel sides and rounded apices. These features are distinctive when comparisons are made among clones of related species in soil-water-pea medium. C. libellae established itself in the rectum of previously Colacium-free larvae of the damsel fly Anomalagrion hastatum whereas a clone of C. vesiculosum and C. mucronatum did not.
Conceptualizing and advancing research networking systems

Science in general, and biomedical research in particular, is becoming more collaborative. As a result, collaboration with the right individuals, teams, and institutions is increasingly crucial for scientific progress. We propose Research Networking Systems (RNS) as a new type of system designed to help scientists identify and choose collaborators, and suggest a corresponding research agenda. The research agenda covers four areas: foundations, presentation, architecture, and evaluation. Foundations includes project-, institution- and discipline-specific motivational factors; the role of social networks; and impression formation based on information beyond expertise and interests. Presentation addresses representing expertise in a comprehensive and up-to-date manner; the role of controlled vocabularies and folksonomies; the tension between seekers' need for comprehensive information and potential collaborators' desire to control how they are seen by others; and the need to support serendipitous discovery of collaborative opportunities. Architecture considers aggregation and synthesis of information from multiple sources, social system interoperability, and integration with the user's primary work context. Lastly, evaluation focuses on assessment of collaboration decisions, measurement of user-specific costs and benefits, and how the large-scale impact of RNS could be evaluated with longitudinal and naturalistic methods. We hope that this article stimulates the human-computer interaction, computer-supported cooperative work, and related communities to pursue a broad and comprehensive agenda for developing research networking systems.
Research on Antarctic Coastal Ecosystem Rates (RACER): an interdisciplinary field experiment

Abstract The Research on Antarctic Coastal Ecosystem Rates (RACER) program of 1986-87 was designed to examine physical and biological processes that give rise to high biological productivity in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula. In a 25,000 km2 sampling area at the western end of Bransfield Strait and during the period from mid-December 1986 to late March 1987, four 2-week cruises were made over a 69-station grid encompassing the coastal shelf, the continental shelf break, numerous island shelves, the Bellingshausen Sea-Weddell Sea confluence, and a portion of Drake Passage. Studies were focused on the upper ocean (0–200 m) and included detailed measurements of hydrography, ocean optics, vertical flux, and the distribution, abundance and productivity of bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton and krill. This paper describes the program logistics and presents the results of a carbon flux model, based on empirical observations, for the nearshore pelagic marine ecosystem.
Power Electronics Handbook, Third Edition (Rashid, M.H.; 2011) [Book News]

This new book, coauthored by Remus Teodorescu from Aalborg University, Denmark, Marco Liserre from the Politecnica di Bari, Italy, and Pedro Rodriguez from the Universitat Politecnica di Catalu nya (UPC-BarcelonaTech), Spain, presents problems related to power electronic grid interface for wind and photovoltaic (PV)-generated electrical energy. The book's concept originated during biannual industrial/Ph.D. courses organized in Aalborg University, Institute of Energy Technology. These courses started in 2005 and lasted until the end of 2010 and were attended by more than 250 Ph.D. students and industrial participants.
Differential Effects of Mitotic Poisons on Spindles and Chromosomes in Dividing Newt Lung Epithelia

Clean and large dividing cells of cultured lung epithelium of the Japanese newt were used to study physiological and morphological differences that exist between the metaphase and anaphase of mitosis. The response of the mitotic apparatus to pulse treatment with mitotic poisons (10μM of Colcemid or vinblastine) at room temperature was followed with polarization and phase-contrast microscopy.In general, the length and birefringence of the spindles in both metaphase and anaphase gradually decreased on the pulse application of these drugs and finally disappeared. Chromosomes in metaphase in treated cells always maintained their shape and structure for a longer time than did those of the control. Chromosomes in anaphase in treated cells tended to change their structure and formresting nuclei or karyomeres.These results support the belief that the physical properties of chromosomes are altered during the transition from metaphase to anaphase.
Differences in Psychosocial and Health Correlates of Major and Minor Depression in Medically Ill Older Adults

OBJECTIVES: To compare the differences in correlates of different levels of depression in medically ill hospitalized older adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive series of 542 patients aged 60 or older admitted to the medical inpatient services of Duke Hospital underwent a structured psychiatric evaluation administered by a psychiatrist. MEASUREMENT: A wide range of demographic, social, psychiatric, and physical health data were collected, and associations with major and minor depression were assessed. RESULTS: Compared with patients without depression, those with major depression were more likely to have a history of prior episodes of depression, higher dysfunctional attitude scores, greater overall severity of medical illness, cognitive impairment, and symptoms of pain or other somatic complaints. Specific medical diagnosis was less important a predictor of major depression than overall severity of medical illness. Compared with patients without depression, those with minor depression were more likely to report non-health-related stressors during the year before hospital admission, have a diagnosis of immune system disorder, and have greater severity of medical illness. When major and minor depression were compared directly, on the other hand, no significant differences were observed except for history of depression, and that relationship was weak and present only when the etiologic approach to diagnosis was used. CONCLUSION: During hospital admission, certain psychosocial, psychiatric, and physical health characteristics of older medical patients place them at high risk for different levels of depression. Patients with major and minor depression resemble each other more than they do patients without depression. These findings may help clinicians better understand the causes of different types of depression in this setting and lead to improved diagnosis and treatment. J Am Geriatr Soc 45:1487–1495, 1997.
What Levels of Amino Acids should a Feed Contain for the Commercial Laying Hen

Abstract Harms, R.H. 2001. What levels of amino acids should a feed contain for the commercial laying hen? J. Appl. Anim. Res., 19: 1–24. A review of the literature was made dealing with amino acid requirements for the commercial laying hen. Egg production in many early studies was very low. Therefore, the suggested requirements were too low. The National Research Council (1994) recommendations for Met, Lys, Trp, Ile and Val are adequate for hens with a daily production of 55g egg mass. An increase in their suggested requirements would be needed for a higher production of egg mass. Their requirement for Thr is too low and the requirement for Arg is too high. A requirement for Cys has been found to be only 175 mg per day for maximum egg mass. The requirements are for corn soybean meal diets. An adjustment must be made when ingredients are used in which amino acids are lower in availability.
Hydrophobicity-dependent friction and wear of spin-on zeolite thin films

The friction and wear properties of spin-on zeolite MEL thin films are investigated using nanoscratch by a conical tip indenter. A vapor-phase silylation process is used to control the hydrophobicity of the zeolite surface. A critical load indicating initiation of significant plastic deformation is observed in the hydrophilic films, but not in the hydrophobic films. Although at low normal load the two films demonstrate similar friction behavior, at higher normal load, the hydrophobic zeolite film demonstrates significantly lower friction and greater wear resistance.
Temperature dependence of coercive force and nucleating fields in Co 5 Sm

In Co 5 Sm, the coercive force of aggregates of powders or sintered magnets is much greater at 77 K than at room temperature. In single particles, the field at which an individual magnetization jump occurs increases rapidly and monotonically with decreasing T. On the other hand, the K reported for Co 5 Sm is the same at 77 K and room T, with a broad maximum between. It thus appears that the reversal process is not controlled by the properties of bulk Co 5 Sm. The observed T dependence must be ascribable to the imperfections that govern the magnetization reversal process.
Strabismus Precipitated by Monovision

Purpose To present patients who had the onset of strabismus or the recurrence of strabismus after converting to a monovision system of seeing. Design Retrospective interventional case series. Methods Clinical records of 12 patients from the private practice of the corresponding author of this paper (Z.F.P.) were reviewed. Patients obtaining monovision via contact lenses, LASIK, and cataract surgery with posterior chamber intraocular lenses were studied if their monovision produced a new strabismus or was related to the recurrence of a previous strabismus. Results All patients were first treated by converting the monofixing near eye to distance vision and then using reading glasses for near work. Of the 12 patients, 7 regained their fusion by doing away with monovision and 5 required surgery to reestablish motor or sensory control. All of the surgery patients obtained an excellent alignment but 1 did not regain sensory fusion. Conclusion Monovision is successful for the far majority of patients who try it. However, in patients with a previous history of strabismus or those with significant phorias, caution should be used in recommending monovision, and if monovision is elected, keeping the anisometropia to small levels such as 1.25 to 1.50 diopters (D) might lessen the chance of producing strabismus post monovision. The majority of our patients developed strabismus after 2 years of monovision, telling us that while a trial of monovision with a contact lens prior to surgery may suggest that the patient could tolerate monovision, it is not a guarantee.
Approximating discrete multivariate distributions prom known moments

To approximate the joint distribution of the two-colony stepping-stone model, a finite mixture approach is proposed for constructing discrete multi-variate distributions. This approach generahzes the classic method of linear combinations of independent variables. The stepping-stone model is approximated through matching known moments. Numerical examples from entomology are given. Comparisons are made with the work by Wehrly et al (1993).
Quantitative Determination of Theophylline in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms by Differential Spectrophotometry

Theophylline was determined with good precision in tablets and capsules by differential spectrophotometry. Xanthines such as caffeine and theobromine did not interfere providing the total xanthine concentration was kept below 100 μg/ml. At a higher total xanthine concentration, nonlinearity occurred, presumably due to complex formation. This interference could be minimized by proper selection of the analytical wavelength.
Exploring Regression Structure Using Nonparametric Functional Estimation

Abstract Average derivative functionals of regression are proposed for nonparametric model selection and diagnostics. The functionals are of the integral type, which under certain conditions allows their estimation at the usual parametric rate of n –1/2. We analyze asymptotic properties of the estimators of these functionals, based on kernel regression. These estimators can then be used for assessing the validity of various restrictions imposed on the form of regression. In particular, we show how they could be used to reduce the dimensionality of the model, assess the relative importance of predictors, measure the extent of nonlinearity and nonadditivity, and, under certain conditions, help identify projection directions in projection pursuit models and decide on the number of these directions.
The impact of the new antiviral regimens on patient reported outcomes and health economics of patients with chronic hepatitis C

Abstract Hepatitis C is an important cause of chronic liver disease worldwide with an estimated 170 million people infected. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients are physically and mentally impacted by fatigue, depression and anxiety causing an impairment of health related quality of life (HRQOL), lower worker productivity and other patient reported outcomes (PROs). Although anti-HCV regimens containing first generation direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) were associated with significant side effects, the second generation DAAs, sofosbuvir (SOF) and simeprevir (SMV), are associated with fewer side effects, better tolerability and high cure rates. Despite these advantages, key stakeholders are currently trying to find ways to best integrate these new therapeutic regimens into the management of patients with chronic hepatitis C for the benefit of all. The purpose of this article is to offer insight into the other key and equally important outcomes (PRO's, HRQOL and cost) which should be considered when assessing the applicability of these new regimens for the care of patients infected with HCV. Our review provides evidence that the new treatment regimens for HCV not only have high efficacy rates but are also associated with better patient reported outcomes and cost per case of HCV cured. Additionally, compared to other medical interventions, these new regimens are cost-effective from a societal perspective.
Surgical Perspectives in Craniofacial Trauma

Knowledge of relevant anatomy and underlying mechanisms of traumatic injury is essential for understanding the radiologic findings in craniofacial trauma and their clinical importance. Craniofacial anatomy is diverse, and as a result of this anatomic diversity, physicians from numerous different specialties scrutinize similar imaging sets, looking for different pathologic abnormalities within the same anatomic regions. Radiologists familiar with the chief concerns of this anatomically diverse region can help expedite the decision-making process by keeping those concerns in mind when they report their findings. This review provides an overview of situations wherein surgical management may be indicated.
Molecular mechanisms of CD4 + T-cell anergy

Directing both innate and adaptive immune responses against foreign pathogens with correct timing, location and specificity is a fundamental objective for the immune system. Full activation of CD4+ T cells requires the binding of peptide-MHC complexes coupled with accessory signals provided by the antigen-presenting cell. However, aberrant activation of the T-cell receptor alone in mature T cells can produce a long-lived state of functional unresponsiveness, known as anergy. Recent studies probing both immune signalling pathways and the ubiquitin-proteasome system have helped to refine and elaborate current models for the molecular mechanisms underlying T-cell anergy. Controlling anergy induction and maintenance will be a key component in the future to mitigate unwanted T-cell activation that leads to autoimmune disease.
Reconstructing the historical trophic status of northwestern Pennsylvania lakes using GIS

From each of 46 watersheds in glaciated northwestern Pennsylvania we estimated phosphorus export (kg P/ha/yr) from weekly or twice-weekly measured stream phosphorus concentrations and measured stream discharges, and determined land covers using GIS. Simple and step-down multiple regression analyses yielded models that explained 24% of the variation in P export using land cover within whole watersheds, and 64% of the variation using land cover within 200 m riparian buffers. We used these models to predict P loading to seven lakes and found that predicted lake [P] was consistent with measured lake [P]. To estimate pre-settlement lake [P] we reapplied the P export models with the assumption that human-impacted land covers were originally forests. Predicted (hindcast) pre-settlement lake [P] indicated that six of the seven lakes were edaphically mesotrophic (10 < [P] < 20 μg/l). Lake remediation targets set on the assumption that area lakes were historically oligotrophic ([P] < 10 μg/l) will be unattainable.
A replication and extension of the Eriksen and Steffy (1964) experiment on short-term visual storage

Eriksen and Steffy (1964) were critical of short-term visual storage effects (STVS) because they were unable to find any evidence for them. In their first experiment they found instead great interference in performance over the same ISIs in which STVS is usually found. Their second experiment eliminated the interference by avoiding a bright second flash, but it still produced no evidence for STVS. Keele and Chase (1967) demonstrated that Eriksen and Steffy’s second condition failed to find STVS because the memory load was too small, and perhaps because the luminance was too low. However, the design of Eriksen and Steffy’s second experiment is not the one typically used to find STVS. Eriksen and Steffy’s first experiment was replicated here, and a second condition was added in which each S was also tested in a light adapted version. Interference was found in the former, as Eriksen and Steffy also found, but not in the latter. Little STVS was found in either of these conditions, presumably for reasons similar to those demonstrated by Keele and Chase.
Atmospheric pressure ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with fast liquid chromatography for quantitation and accurate mass measurement of five pharmaceutical drugs in human plasma.

The quantitative determination and accurate mass measurement of five tricyclic amine pharmaceutical drugs (doxepin, desipramine, imipramine, amitriptyline and trimipramine) fortified in human plasma within a per sample run time of 18 s was accomplished by atmospheric pressure ionization (API) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry using a turboIonspray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) interface coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The relatively short HPLC separation (18 s) was achieved using a short C18 column (15 x 2.1 mm i.d.) with a high aqueous mobile phase maintained at a flow-rate of 1.4 ml min(-1). An acquisition speed of 0.2 s per spectrum accommodates these fast separation conditions. This method employs a one-step liquid-liquid extraction procedure to isolate the five tricyclic amines from biological matrix components The overall extraction recovery was 75% for desipramine and >90% for the other four tricyclic amines. The lower level of quantitation was 1-2 ng ml(-1) for each compound. The calibration curve was linear from 2 to 100 ng ml(-1) for desipramine and from 1 to 50 ng ml(-1) for the other four tricyclic amines. A deuterated internal standard, imipramine-d3, was used for all five tricyclic amines. Acceptable intra- and inter-assay precision (1.0-17.7%) and accuracy (0.2-14.5%) were obtained. The linear dynamic range was extended to 200 based on a software upgrade for correcting ion current detection saturation. The accurate masses of the five tricyclic amines were determined by on-line LC/TOFMS analyses of biological extracts using two-point internal mass calibration. This was done by infusing a reference standard, Jeffamine D230, post-column into the HPLC effluent. All results showed a mass error not greater than 9 ppm for all the target compounds. These results were obtained from both synthetic mixtures when as little as 100 pg were injected or extracts of spiked human plasma samples with analytical concentration as low as 5 ng ml(-1). The factors influencing accurate mass measurements are discussed.
Characterizations involving conditional specification

Abstract Conditional specification models are reviewed. The imposition of additional constraints permits characterization of certain classical bivariate models within the conditionally specified families. Multivariate extensions are described. In addition, conditional survival models and bivariate models characterized by just one family of conditional distributions are discussed.
Removal of selected pollutants from aqueous media by hardwood mulch.

Abstract Generic hardwood mulch, usually used for landscaping, was utilized to remove several selected pollutants (heavy metals and toxic organic compounds) typically found in urban stormwater (SW) runoff. The hardwood mulch sorbed all the selected pollutants from a spiked stormwater mixture, including copper (Cu 2+ ), cadmium (Cd 2+ ), chromium (Cr 6+ ), lead (Pb 2+ ), zinc (Zn 2+ ), 1,3 dichlorobenzene (DCB), naphthalene (NP), fluoranthene (FA), butylbenzylphthalate (BBP), and benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P). Masses of the pollutants sorbed depended upon the pollutant species, contact time, and initial concentration which varied from 20 to 100%. Sorption rates of the metals, in general, were more rapid than those of the organics; however, mass removals (percent) of the organics, in contrast to those of the metals, were independent of their initial concentrations. With the exception of Cd, percentages (weight) of the metals removed declined as their initial concentrations decreased. None of the sorbed pollutants desorbed to any significant extent upon extended washing with water. It is quite feasible that in the presence of mulch the uptake of these pollutants by the aquatic species will be reduced significantly.