cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tobramycin kinetics in newborn infants

TOBRAMYCIN is commonly used in newborn infants with suspected or proved sepsis or meningitis. Little is known, however, about tobramycin pharmacokinetics in these patients. Kaplan et al? reported serum concentrations and elimination half-life of tobramyein in premature infants after intramuscular administration. Total body clearance and apparent volume of distribution of tobramycin have not been reported. We characterize tobramycin pharmacokinetics after intravenous administration in newborn infants during the first week of postnatal life.
A New Rank Test Against Ordered Alternatives in K‐Sample Problems

The distribution-free test against ordered alternatives proposed by Jonckheere (1954) is based on the Kendall's rank correlation coefficient τ. A new rank test is proposed and illustrated with a numerical example. The proposed test is based on Spearman's σ and has similar functional structure as the Kruskal-Wallis test. A useful by-product is a test for departure from a trend.
Reduction of the Peak Interference to Carrier Ratio of OFDM Signals

In this paper, we provide a geometric interpretation of the Peak Interference to Carrier Ratio (PICR) of OFDM signals. Based on this interpretation, we propose a simple approach to reduce the sensitivity of OFMA system to carrier frequency offset (CFO). The main idea is to choose a well understood code and to rotate each coordinate of the code by a fixed phase shift such that the maximum inter-carrier interference (ICI) taken over all sub-carriers is minimized. This approach enjoys the twin benefits of interference reduction and error correction and is easy to implement in practice. Simulation results show that a reduction of 7 dB can freely be obtained.
Coherent-light-shadow spot of a crack under mode I loading: theory and experiment

The coherent-light-shadow field formed by crack-tip deformation under Mode 1 loading is studied theoretically and experimentally. First-order approximation of geometrical optics and higher order expansions are examined in the theoretical development. The wave-optical analysis shows that the interference fringe spacing around the caustic is approximately proportional toKsu−2/15 for the near-tip singular field, and, that the peak amplitude of the light-intensity distribution around the caustic is proportional toK 4/15. The effects of diffraction on the measurement of the caustic diameter are examinediin detail. The analysis and accompanying experiments show that the diffraction effect alone could lead toK estimation errors of ±20 percent or more, if the edge of the shadow spot or it the peak-intensity point is used to determine the caustic diameter. An alternate measure of caustic diameter is therefore suggested for practical use. Effects of the size of the nominal initial curve and crack-tip bluntness onK measurements are included. Finally, possible applications of the coherent-light-shadow spot in fracture mechanics are outlined.
An Unusual Bluegreen Alga Symbiotic with Two New Species of Ulosa (Porifera: Hymeniacidonidae) from Carrie Bow Cay, Belize*

. Two new species of the sponge genus Ulosa were found living in symbiosis with a chroococcacean cyanophyte (cyanobacterium) in shallow Caribbean coral reefs off Belize (Central America). Ulosa funicularis is a stringy green sponge (styles: 157 × 2.5 μm, mean dimensions); U. arenosa is a thickly encrusting, shaggy, brownish-greenish mottled species with sandy ectosome (styles: 175 × 3.6 μm). The endosymbiotic algae make up 50% of the cellular sponge tissue. The algal cells are light green, spherical, 5–9 μm in diameter, and divide by median constriction. Electron microscopy shows that cell walls are fully developed but that thylakoids are unusual for their inflated sacs, which are in communication with the nucleoplasmic regions. Although the pigment composition is typical for the Cyanophyta, the phycobiliproteins occur in considerably
Solubilization and photoaffinity labeling of renal membrane cyclic AMP receptors.

Abstract Renal cortical plasma membranes were solubilized with sodium deoxycholate. The membrane-bound cyclic AMP receptors retained biologic activity in the detergent-dispersed state exhibiting the properties of high affinity for cyclic AMP, saturability and specificity. Half-maximal binding of cyclic [3H]-AMP to these receptors was found to occur at 0.06 μM and 1.5 pmol of cyclic [3H]AMP was bound per mg membrane protein at saturation (0.5 μM cyclic [3H]AMP). Sodium deoxycholate-solubilized membrane proteins were chromatographed on Biogel A-5m. Cyclic [3H]AMP receptors eluted in the internal volume at positions equivalent to molecular sizes of 50 000 and 20 000 daltons and in the void volume at molecular size greater than 450 000. After photoaffinity labeling the renal membrane receptors with cyclic [3H]AMP, we found peaks of tritium radioactivity which eluted at similar molecular size positions on this Biogel A-5m column. Further treatment of photoaffinity labeled membranes with sodium dodecyl sulfate, mercaptoethanol and urea, followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, showed bands of tritium-labeled receptor protein with relative mobilities corresponding to molecular sizes of 26 000 and 21 000 daltons. This study shows that porcine renal cortical membranes contain at least two molecular species of cyclic AMP receptors which may be asssociated with regulation of the membrane-bound cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.
Perinatal Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure Disrupts Social and Open Field Behavior in Adult Male Rats

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug among women of reproductive age, but little is known about the consequences of using marijuana during pregnancy. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC), one of the active chemicals in marijuana, has been shown to cross the placental barrier easily. In this study, pregnant Long Evans rats were assigned to one of three treatment groups (Delta9-THC-exposed, vehicle control, and non-treated control) on day 1 of gestation. Drug exposure consisted of 2 mg/kg of natural Delta9-THC, administered twice daily by subcutaneous (s.c.) injection, from gestational day 1 through 22. Pups continued to receive drug exposure via s.c. injection from postnatal day 2 through 10. Male rats from each group were tested starting on postnatal day 90 in a battery of tests which included open field activity, active social interaction, and the forced swim test. There were no significant differences in weight gained by dams or weight of offspring when compared to controls. Delta9-THC-exposed rats showed decreased time in the inner part of the open field and an increase in investigation time in the test of social interaction compared to both control groups. There were no differences among groups in the forced swim test. Perinatal Delta9-THC exposure may result in increased susceptibility to anxious behavior and alter social functioning in adult offspring.
Qualitative Research in Education: The Origins, Debates, and Politics of Creating Knowledge

This article presents an overview and discussion of qualitative research in education by analyzing the roles of researchers, the history of the field, its use in policymaking, and its future influence on educational reform. The article begins by describing the unique position that qualitative educational researchers have in higher education, as they often attempt to serve both academic and policymaking audiences. The article then moves to discuss the ascent of qualitative methods in the social sciences and educational research. The article concludes by attempting to work through a number of pressing concerns that qualitative researchers may face in upcoming decades; specifically, the final section presents possible strategies to improve the relevance and impact of qualitative researchers’ work on reframing educational policy at local, state, and federal levels to meet the demands of equality and social justice.
Script training and automaticity in two individuals with aphasia

Background: Automatic production of spoken language is compromised in many individuals with aphasia whose speech is consistently effortful. Linguistic-based and functional treatments for aphasia both may help to return some automaticity to language production. However, neither approach specifically targets automaticity of speech production for individual with aphasia.Aims: A treatment protocol was developed to facilitate the automatic spoken production of trained scripts in specific functional contexts by individuals with aphasia. The purpose of this study was to measure its treatment outcomes.Methods & Procedures: Two individuals with non-fluent aphasia participated. A multiple baseline design across behaviours examined the acquisition of personally relevant short scripts. Script production was probed at the initiation and termination of treatment, and during weekly treatment sessions. Scripts were transcribed and analysed according to several measures of accuracy and fluency.Outcomes & Results: All scri...
Technologizing change: rhetoric of software implementation at a university campus

This paper reports on a study of new software implementation at a university. Seven emails distributed by a central Office of Information Technology were examined for semantic (content) meaning and syntactic (grammatical) function. Semantic findings show a high degree of topical shift. Syntactic findings show a high number of clauses and complements. The analysis also shows how determiners were used to construct "new" information as "given" (presupposition). The paper argues that discursive stability was created by technologizing the rhetoric of implementation. The study concludes by suggesting that a heavy reliance on dependent clauses, along with other features, may be indicative of technologized discourse.
Arthroscopic techniques for wrist arthritis (radial styloidectomy and proximal pole hamate excisions).

46% of the total articulating surface. It is spoon-shaped and leads to the more volar radial styloid. The radial styloid is an important attachment for several ligaments that support the wrist in dorsiflexion and ulnar deviation. The lunate facet is cup shaped, articulates with the lunate, and is subject to little shear force. The lunate facet makes up approximately 43% of the total articulating surface. The triangular fibrocartilage complex [TFCC] makes up the remaining 11% of the proximal articular surface of the wrist [2,3]. The ligament anatomy of the wrist is complex, and for the purposes of this discussion, only the radially-based ligaments are discussed. The volar ligaments that derive their origin from the radial styloid include the radioscaphocapitate (RSC), radioscapholunate (RSL), and long radiolunate (LRL) ligaments. Dorsally, the radiolunotriquetral (RLT), also known as the dorsal radiocarpal (DRC) ligament also originates from the radial styloid (Figs. 1–3) [4,5]. These ligaments function to provide a sling for the scaphoid, prevent ulnar translocation of the carpus, and provide stabilization to the carpus.
Nonuniqueness of second-order fluids under steady radial flow in annuli

Abstract We consider the axisymmetric plane radial and angular steady flow of incompressible second-order fluids within the region bounded by two fixed porous coaxial cylinders. The radial component of the velocity field has the same structure as that in the Navier-Stokes theory, and the angular velocity profile is shown to satisfy a second order ordinary differential equation. While the solution of this differential equation subject to homogeneous boundary conditions is zero for the Navier-Stokes theory, we discuss conditions under which it has eigenvalues and eigenfunctions in the present theory. Thus, with the aid of three theorems concerning the character of these eigenvalues and eigenfunctions we conclude, roughly, that for annuli with ‘large enough’ ratio of outer to inner radii and for ‘sufficiently large’ radial volumetric flow rates, the velocity field in the annulus can also possess a non-trivial steady component in the azimuthal direction without affecting a change in the boundary conditions. Elementary examples of the phenomenon are constructed for both radial flow directed toward and away from the axis of an annulus.
MetaLab: supporting social grounding and group task management in CSCL environments through social translucence

Computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments promote and enhance the ability of learners to participate in knowledge building communities through synchronous and asynchronous collaborative communication and interaction. The MetaLab project seeks to address the support for social grounding, the establishment of shared understanding, and mutual regulation, the task of constructing and monitoring group roles, responsibilities, and progress, in CSCL environments. The current prototype of the MetaLab will also be described.
Principle of Operation of NAVSTAR and System Characteristics

the navstar/global positioning system (gps) will provide extremely accurate three–dimensional position and velocity information to users anywhere in the world. The position determinations are based on the measurement of the transit time of RF signals from four satellites of a total constellation of 24. Accuracies on the order of 10 meters may be anticipated. This paper discusses the basic technique by which the system operates, the navigation signal, the measurement of the transit time, error sources, accuracies, and other characteristics of the system.
Can there be one-way causal conditionship?

I defend my attempt to explain causal priority by means of one-way causal conditionship by answering an argument by J. A. Cover about Charles' law. Then I attempt to say what makes a philosophical analysis a counterfactual analysis, so I can understand Cover's claim that my account is “at its base a counterfactual one”. Finally I examine Cover's discussion of my contention that “necessary for in the circumstances” is nontransitive.
A transient ballistic–diffusive heat conduction model for heat pulse propagation in nonmetallic crystals

Abstract A hybrid phonon gas model was developed to describe heat pulse propagation in dielectric crystals. In this model, heat energy is described as a mixture of longitudinal and transverse phonon gases. The novel aspects of this model include: (1) the distinction between longitudinal and transverse phonon excitations is taken into account; (2) transitions between ballistic and second sound transport, ballistic and diffusive transport, and second sound and diffusive transport are successfully captured. For the first time, benchmark cases of heat-pulse experiments in NaF at low temperatures in ballistic, ballistic–diffusive, and diffusive regions have been completely reconstructed in numerical simulations, which demonstrate the validity of the new model. It was elucidated how heat pulses are transmitted by longitudinal, ballistic transverse and dispersive transverse phonons at low temperatures. The numerical results not only yield new insight in physics of transient ballistic–diffusive heat conduction with effects from different phonon scattering processes, but also provide numerical tools to study similar transient ballistic–diffusive heat conduction in nanoelectronics and modern optoelectronics.
GO system: design and implementation of an output generator

This paper concerns a conceptual model for a general purpose output generator and its implementation. The Generated Output (GO) System is based on two major criteria: (1) user oriented and (2) easy maintenance. Its goal is to produce tailored output in an unambiguous, camera-ready form. Basically, the system is comprised of a derived file, a descriptor file and an interface module which integrates the two files according to externally supplied specifications. Derived data are usually numeric results such as percentages, totals, subtotals, etc. Descriptors are defined as alphanumeric labels whose function is to clearly identify derived data. Classification of different types of calculated and label files are discussed with accompanying examples and illustrations.
Effect of oxic state on nonpolar organic contaminant distribution, mobility, and bioavailability in estuarine sediments

Dissolved and particle-associated natural organic matter plays an important role in nonpolar organic chemical distribution, mobility, and bioavailability in sediment environments. We investigated the influence of oxic state on the association of a model hydrophobic organic chemical (HOC), 2,2',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TeCB), with dissolved and particle-associated organic matter in estuarine sediments. Site-specific distribution data were used to model the effect of oxic state on diffusive flux of TeCB across the sediment-water interface. Additional experiments examined the role of oxic state in TeCB bioavailability to a deposit-feeding epibenthic echinoderm. Aeration of estuarine sediment pore waters induced a negligible change to greater than an order of magnitude decrease in the dissolved organic carbon (DOC)-water distribution coefficient, K p w d o c , in all but one system examined. Correspondingly, oxidation of sediment solids effected a negligible to 0.5 log unit decrease in the particle associated organic carbon-water distribution coefficient, KΖ. These results indicate that aeration of anoxic estuarine sediments induced by dredging, bioturbation, or storm events may result in release of HOCs from particle-associated and dissolved organic matter, increasing the concentration of the truly dissolved compound. Model simulations indicated that oxygenation of anoxic sediments would result in a 34-100% increase in TeCB diffusive flux. Pore water dissolved organic matter (DOM) facilitated TeCB transport across the sediment-water interface and increased diffusive flux by up to a factor of 1.7. A sensitivity analysis indicated that facilitation of diffusive transport by DOM would be significant in the systems under investigation when log K p w d o c exceeded approximately 5.7. Therefore, disturbing anoxic sediments can mobilize HOCs. In bioaccumulation assays using sea urchins, TeCB bioavailability temporarily increased after anoxic sediments were disturbed and aerated, but long-term bioavailability remained unaltered when sediment reduction potential returned to the level of the unaerated control.
Thermal analysis of poly(phenylene sulfide). II: Non-isothermal crystallization

The non-isothermal crystallization of Fortron poly(phenylene sulfide), PPS, was examined to better understand its behavior during injection molding. The nonisothermal Avrami formalism was applied to this system, but this method was found to be questionable because of the sometimes severe curvature that appears in the plots of the transformed data. A method of ranking crystallization rates at low cooling rates by plotting the peak in the crystallization exotherm versus the cube root of cooling rate has been considered and shown to have limitations at the higher cooling rates of interest. The growth rate expression developed by J. D. Hoffman for polymer crystallization of chain folded lamella in three dimensions has been used to simulate crystallization exotherms. It was found that this could only fit the data at low cooling rates. At high cooling rates it was necessary to use a growth rate expression developed by Calvert and Ulhmann for polymer crystallization without chain folding. When this is used to describe a two dimensional growth geometry, close agreement in the positions of high cooling rate exotherms could be obtained. The implication is that a change in crystallization mechanism is possible as the conditions go from low to high cooling rates.
Alteration of the upper oceanic crust, DSDP site 417: mineralogy and chemistry

Basalts from DSDP Site 417 (109 Ma) exhibit the effects of several stages of alteration reflecting the evolution of seawater-derived solution compositions and control by the structure and permeability of the crust. Characteristic secondary mineral assemblages occur in often superimposed alteration zones within individual basalt fragments. By combining bulk rock and single phase chemical analyses with detailed mineralogic and petrographic studies, chemical changes have been determined for most of the alteration stages identified in the basalts. 1) Minor amounts of saponite, chlorite, and pyrite formed locally in coarse grained portions of massive units, possibly at high temperatures during initial cooling of the basalts. No chemical changes could be determined for this stage. 2) Possible mixing of cooled hydrothermal fluids with seawater resulted in the formation of celadonite-nontronite and Fe-hydroxide-rich black halos around cracks and pillow rims. Gains of K, Rb, H2O, increase of Fe3+/FeT, and possibly some losses of Ca and Mg occurred during this stage. 3a) Extensive circulation of oxygenated seawater resulted in the formation of various smectites, K-feldspar, and Fe-hydroxides in brown and light grey alteration zones around formerly exposed surfaces. K, Rb, H2O, and occasionally P were added to the rocks, Fe3+/FeT increased, and Ca, Mg, Si and occasionally Al and Na were lost. 3b) Anoxic alteration occurred during reaction of basalt with seawater at low water-rock ratios, or with seawater that had previously reacted with basalt. Saponite-rich dark grey alteration zones formed which exhibit very little chemical change: generally only slight increases in Fe3+/FeT and H2O occurred. 4) Zeolites and calcite formed from seawater-derived fluids modified by previous reactions with basalt. Chemical changes involved increases of Ca, Na, H2O, and CO2 in the rocks. 5) A late stage of anoxic conditions resulted in the formation of minor amounts of Mn-calcites and secondary sulfides in previously oxidized rocks. No chemical changes were determined for this stage.
Defending waste, fraud, and abuse.

Medicine may be a noble profession, but its members do not always act nobly. In Maryland, a cardiologist was convicted for “documenting” coronary artery disease that did not exist, inserting stents into vessels that did not need them, and submitting fraudulent medical bills for that effort [15]. In New York, an orthopaedic surgeon was sentenced to 8 years in prison for using his medical practice as a disability mill [16].
Ultrastructure of lateral line organs in aneurogenic amphibian larvae (Ambystoma).

An ultrastructural study was performed to determine the ability of presumptive lateral line tissue in A. maculatum embryos to migrate and differentiate in the absence of all sensory innervation. In experimental animals, all presumptive neural tissue was surgically removed at Harrison's stage 24, leaving only the posterior portion of the post-auditory placode. At later stages, completely differentiated aneural lateral line organs were found in the midbody region of the larvae. These were morphologically similar to those of control larvae. No signs of atrophy or degeneration of the neurqmasts were seen even after several weeks of nerve-free conditions.
FTIR studies of low temperature sulfuric acid aerosols

Sub-micrometer sized sulfuric acid H2SO4 particles were generated using a constant output atomizer source. The particles were then exposed to water vapor before being injected into a low temperature cell. Multipass transmission Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to determine the phase and composition of the aerosols as a function of time for periods of up to five hours. Binary H2SO4H2O aerosols with compositions from 35 to 95 wt % H2SO4 remained liquid for over 3 hours at room temperatures ranging from 189-240 K. These results suggest that it is very difficut to freeze SSAs via homogeneous nucleation. Attempts to form aerosols more dilute than 35 wt % H2SO4 resulted in ice formation.
Selection of Optimum Gravel Aggregate Size to Resist Permanent Deformation in Hot-Mix Asphalt

Siliceous river gravels form a significant fraction of the different types of aggregates used in the construction of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements. Even after gravel particles are crushed into smaller-size fractions, a significant proportion of the larger-size fractions retain their original shape and surface texture. As a result, HMA with a larger nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) has a higher percentage of rounded and low-angularity particles, which might make it more susceptible to rutting. Using a smaller NMAS may decrease the percentage of rounded and angular aggregates in the mix, but potentially at the expense of loss in shear strength of the mix. This study evaluated the effect of increasing aggregate angularity by decreasing NMAS on the rutting potential of HMA mixes containing siliceous gravels. Nine mix designs composed of three different NMASs and siliceous aggregates from three different sources were included in this study. The percentage of rounded and angular aggregates in each mix was quantified using image analysis and crushed-face count. The rutting potential of HMA mixes was assessed on the basis of Hamburg, dynamic modulus, flow time, and flow number tests. Results verify that a decrease in NMAS results in a decrease in the percentage of rounded and angular aggregates. However, rutting performance improves initially with a decrease in NMAS but then decreases; this indicates an optimum size that maximizes the rut resistance of HMA with siliceous aggregates. Results from this study are especially useful in selecting an optimum aggregate size for HMA mixes in locations where river gravels are the main source of locally available aggregates.
The Association of Menopause and Physical Functioning in Women at Midlife

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the characteristics of menstrual bleeding and the menopausal transition are associated with physical functioning in women age 40 to 55, after considering ethnicity, ability to pay for basics, body size, and age. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Seven geographically dispersed community samples in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: The 14,427 respondents were Caucasians (46.9%), African Americans (28.7%), Chinese (4.0%), Japanese (5.3%), and Hispanics (12.6%) from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Cross-sectional Study, a study of the menopausal transition, including surgical menopause. MEASUREMENTS: The dependent variable was a three-category variable based on the physical functioning scale of the Medical Outcomes Study. Explanatory variables included menstrual and menopausal status. RESULTS: Eighty percent (80.8%) of women reported no limitation in physical functioning, whereas 10% of women had some limitation, and 9.2% of women indicated having substantial limitation. Women with substantial limitation in physical functioning had double the prevalence odds ratio (POR = 2.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.64–2.49) of having surgical menopause and 76% greater odds (POR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.38–2.24)) of using hormones, compared with women with no limitation. Compared with those without limitation, women with substantial limitation in physical functioning had 56% greater odds (POR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.23–1.97)) of being naturally postmenopausal and a 41% greater odds (POR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.17–1.70) of being perimenopausal, relative to being premenopausal and after adjusting for other variables. CONCLUSION: Even at the relatively early age of 40 to 55, approximately 20% of women self-reported limitation in physical functioning. Surgical menopause and the use of hormones were more frequently observed in women with some and substantial physical limitation than in women with no limitation, even after adjusting for economic status, age, body mass index, and race/ethnicity.
Improved protocol for isolation of Campylobacter spp. from retail broiler meat and use of pulsed field gel electrophoresis for the typing of isolates

To improve the detection of Campylobacter spp. in retail broiler meat, a reference method (R subsamples) based on the enrichment of 25 g of meat in Bolton broth at 42°C under microaerobiosis was compared with an alternative method (A subsamples) consisting in the rinsing of meat samples for 30s in buffered peptone water with antimicrobials with incubation at 42°C under aerobiosis. One piece of meat (breasts, tenderloins and thighs) was rinse in experiment 1 (A1) and two pieces in experiment 2 (A2). Campylobacter spp. were isolated on agar plates and identified by PCR. Retail samples in Alabama had less prevalence (P ≤ 0.05) than samples in the state of Washington. The percentage of positive was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in A than in R subsamples and rinsing two pieces of meat yielded the highest percentage of positive subsamples. R subsamples showed variations in the prevalence by product. However, A subsamples had similar prevalence of positives among products compare to the result from reference method. More Campylobacter coli isolates were collected in A2 subsamples. Pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used as subtyping method to study the genome similarity among the isolates from all methods. A larger diversity of isolates were detected by PFGE in A2 subsamples. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis suggested that the initial bacterial populations of the meat samples impact the final bacterial profile after enrichment. Rinsing broiler meats was less time consuming, required less sample preparation and was more sensitive than the reference method for the isolation of naturally occurring Campylobacter spp. This new method could help with epidemiological and intervention studies to control Campylobacter spp.
Do Owners Take Better Care of Their Housing Than Renters

According to conventional wisdom, homeowners take better care of their housing than do renters, as a result of the rental externality. We argue that two forms of homeowner externality ootentially create similar incentives for owners to undermaintain their housing. The first is due to the inability of prospective buyers to fully observe past seller maintenance, and the second is a result of the limited liability of borrowers in the event of mortgage default. Empirical analysis verifies the existence of the mortgage externality, but we find no evidence for the resale externality.
Reactions of purified tissue phosphohexose isomerases with liver phosphohexose isomerase antiserum.

Abstract Purified phosphohexose isomerases were prepared from tissues of dog, man, rabbit, and rat; antisera against human and dog liver isomerases were prepared in the rabbit. Inhibition of liver phosphohexose isomerase by its antiserum was uncompetitive with respect to substrate. The enzyme was completely precipitated by antiserum within 4 hr. from incubation mixtures containing 1000–12,000 units/ml., and the suspended precipitate showed substantial enzyme activity. Solution of the enzyme-antibody complex occurred at higher concentrations of enzyme. The precipitating and inhibiting interactions between liver phosphohexose isomerase antiserum and the purified isomerases from tissues of homologous and other species were explored.
A comparison of inpatient and outpatient school refusers

This study describes children and adolescents with school refusal who were hospitalized and compares them to a matched group with school refusal who were treated as outpatients in order to examine the use of hospitalization in the treatment of this symptom presentation. The results showed the inpatient group had significantly more depressive disorder, a greater number of diagnoses, more severe symptoms, were more likely to reside in single-parent homes, and were more likely to have been physically abused.
Pyrrolo(1,4)benzodiazepine Antitumor Antibiotics: Biosynthetic Studies on the Conversion of Tryptophan to the Anthranilic Acid Moieties of Sibiromycin and Tomaymycin

Biosynthetic intermediates between tryptophan and the anthranilate moieties of tomaymycin and sibiromycin have been suggested, based upon a combination of feeding experiments with either carbon-14-labeled substrates or competition experiments between radiolabeled tryptophan and unlabeled intermediates. In the case of sibiromycin and tomaymycin, substitution of the aromatic ring most likely takes place at the kynurenine stage. Feeding experiments with the anthramycin culture were inconclusive, most likely because of the cell impermeability.
Thalidomide-Induced Severe Hepatotoxicity

Thalidomide is a relatively safe and efficacious form of therapy in the treatment of advanced, refractory multiple myeloma. Hepatotoxicity is listed as an extremely rare adverse effect associated with its use. We describe a 76-year-old woman with multiple myeloma who was treated with dexamethasone and thalidomide. By week 6 of therapy, she had developed acute increases in her aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels to more than 50 times the upper limit of normal. Her liver function test results had been within the normal ranges before and immediately after the start of therapy, and the patient had no known history of underlying liver disease. A liver biopsy specimen demonstrated evidence of acute injury with chronic changes of underlying steatosis and bridging fibrosis due to previously undiagnosed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Immediately after discontinuing thalidomide, her liver function test results began trending downward. Seven days later, her AST and ALT levels had improved to 86 and 165 U/L, respectively. This case and a limited number of other reports demonstrate severe hepatotoxicity as a rare but potentially serious adverse effect of thalidomide therapy. With the expanding use of thalidomide as a therapeutic agent, clinicians must recognize severe hepatotoxicity as a potential complication. Whether patients with preexisting liver disease are at increased risk when receiving thalidomide remains to be seen.
The role of non-governmental organisations in European Public Health: 'yes we can'.

On the eve of celebrating European Public Health Association’s (EUPHA’s) 20th anniversary, it is a good moment to reflect on the use, misuse and especially underuse of non-governmental organisations (NGO) in European public health policy and planning. There are numerous NGOs in Europe, supporting, promoting and disseminating public health in Europe. Some are aimed at specific professionals, such as the European Health Management Association (EHMA, health managers) and the European Federation of Nurses (the nursing profession). Others represent certain institutions and universities, such as the Association of Schools of public health in the European Region and EuroHealthNet (representing national institutes of public health). The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) is representing the consumers, and a large number of NGOs represent specific public health issues or diseases. Without doubt, all these European NGOs have an added value in European public health. Representing public health professionals in the largest sense as well as consumers, these NGOs can assist in setting up and disseminating European public health policy. But the question remains whether this added value is used and exploited to the maximum. European institutions have significantly increased their work with NGOs in the past …
Digital near-infrared (NIR) cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and image processing

Infrared luminescence is recognized in many minerals; however, few reported examples of infrared cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging are cited in the literature. Low-light digital web cameras can be modified by removing their infrared blocking filters to allow the imaging of minerals and rocks in the near-infrared (NIR). Preliminary investigation of a limited number of minerals has shown that many display cathodoluminesce in the NIR. Of the minerals found to have NIR-CL, the feldspars are notable as they commonly reveal hidden details of growth and alteration not easily observed with polarized light microscopy (PLM) or normal visible CL. Cold-cathode devices for CL have been a standard part of petrography labs for over 30 years. With the development of SEM systems for CL work, many of these older units have fallen into disuse. With the recent availability of low-cost consumer digital cameras ranging from low-light web cameras to consumer-grade megapixel cameras, most of these older CL units may be brought back into service to provide a powerful tool for petrographic research. The ease of capture of digital imagery, combined with the open-source image-processing software ImageJ, can produce high-quality images of visible and NIR cathodoluminescence of minerals in thin sections. Benefits of consumer digital cameras include the low cost, an order of magnitude below cooled cameras, and the speed and simplicity of digital imaging over film. This paper will discuss the use of modified web cameras and consumer-grade megapixel cameras for image capture and processing of visible CL and NIR-CL images.
Outward diffusion and external oxidation of thorium in iridium alloys

Abstract Grain growth in thorium doped Ir + 0.3% W alloys is greatly inhibited by thorium segregation to grain boundaries and formation of thorium rich precipitates at grain boundaries. These alloys have been observed to undergo exaggerated growth of near surface grains when annealed at 1330° C in low pressure (1.3 × 10 −3 Pa) oxygen. Experimental observations of thorium depletion at near surface grain boundaries, using Auger electron spectroscopy, are reported. Thorium oxide precipitates on external surfaces are observed using scanning electron microscopy. X-ray fluorescence analysis, and X-ray diffraction. These phenomena appear to result from the selective external oxidation of thorium at the metal surface, depleting thorium from near surface grain boundaries. The thorium depleted grain boundaries can then migrate freely, allowing growth of the near surface grains. Rough estimates of the thorium diffusivities required to explain these phenomena suggest that thorium diffuses to the free surface primarily along grain boundaries.
Granular Flow Lubrication: A Lattice-Based Cellular Automata Modeling Approach

Liquid lubricants break down at extreme temperatures and promote stiction in micro/nano-scale environments. Consequently, using flows of solid granular particles as a “dry” lubrication mechanism in sliding contacts was proposed, because of their ability to carry loads and accommodate surface velocities. Granular flows are highly complex flows that in many ways act similar to fluids, yet are difficult to predict because they are not well understood. Granular flows are composed of discrete particles which display fluid and solid lubricant behavior with time. This work describes the usefulness of employing lattice-based cellular automata (CA) as a tool for modeling granular flows in tribological contacts. The granular kinetic lubrication (GKL) continuum modeling approach has been successful at predicting trends gleaned from experiments conducted with granules in a couette shear cell. These results are used as a benchmark for determining the effectiveness of the CA modeling results. While the CA model was constructed entirely from rule-based mathematics, velocity and solid fraction results from the simulations were in good agreement with those from the GKL model benchmark results.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Anti-asialo GM1 NK cell depleting antibody does not alter the development of bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis

Despite circumstantial evidence postulating a protective role for NK cells in many fibrotic conditions, their contribution to the development of pulmonary fibrosis has yet to be tested. Lung-migrating NK cells are thought to attenuate the development of bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis (BIPF) by providing anti-fibrotic mediators and cytokines, such as IFN-γ. If true, we reasoned that depletion of NK cells during experimentally-induced fibrotic disease would lead to exacerbated fibrosis. To test this, we treated mice with NK cell-depleting antisera (anti-asialo GM1) and evaluated lung inflammation and fibrosis in the BIPF model. While NK cell infiltration into the airways was maximal at day 10 after bleomycin injection, NK cells represented a minor portion (1–3%) of the total leukocytes in BAL fluid. Anti-asialo GM1 significantly abrogated NK cell numbers over the course of the disease. Depletion of NK cells with anti-asialo GM1 before and throughout the BIPF model, or during just the fibrotic phase did not alter fibrosis development or affect the levels of any of the pro-inflammatory/pro-fibrotic cytokines measured (IL-1β, IL-17, IFN-γ, TGF-β and TNF-α). In addition, adoptively transferred NK cells, which were detectable systemically and in the airways throughout BIPF, failed to impact lung fibrosis. These findings indicate that NK cells likely do not play an essential protective role in controlling pulmonary fibrosis development.
Restoration of scanning probe microscope images

Scanning probe microscopy (SXM), which includes techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning force microscopy (SFM), is becoming popular for 3D metrology in the semiconductor industry and for high resolution 3D imaging of surfaces in Materials Science and Biology. The authors present imaging models for SXM that take into account the effect of probe geometry on topographic images produced by SXM in 'contact' and 'non-contact' modes. The authors formulate methods for restoring an SXM image to obtain the original surface. Criteria for determining certainty of restoration are developed. It is shown that the methods developed can be expressed in terms of gray scale morphological operators. The efficacy of the approach is demonstrated by applying it to synthetic and real data. >
Airway nitric oxide release is reduced after PBS inhalation in asthma

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is elevated in asthma, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recent results in subjects with asthma have reported a decrease in exhaled breath pH and amm...
Paratesticular perineurioma: initial description.

Perineuriomas are rare benign soft tissue tumors characterized as slow growing, well differentiated and composed of perineurial cells.' Presentation is usually a painless nodule in the deep soft tissues of the trunk or extremities of middleaged women.2 Treatment consists of gross total resection and reported cases have followed a benign course. To our knowledge we report the first case of a benign perineurioma presenting as a paratesticular mass.
Chronic ethanol attenuates centrally-mediated hypotension elicited via α2-adrenergic, but not I1-imidazoline, receptor activation in female rats

Aims This study dealt with the effect of chronic ethanol administration on hemodynamic responses elicited by α2-adrenergic (α-methyldopa) or I1-imidazoline (rilmenidine) receptor activation in telemetered female rats.
An effective DFM strategy requires accurate process and IP pre-characterization

The design methodology called design for manufacturing (DFM) includes a set of techniques to modify the design of ICs in order to make them more manufacturable, i.e. to improve their functional yield, parametric yield, or reliability. Traditionally DFM in the prenanometer era consisted of different methodologies aimed at relaxing the mask layout shapes of an IC at the full chip level in order to minimize its failure probability, for example, increasing the feature spacing and width, and adding redundant contacts and vias where possible.
Synthesis of d-β-Glutamine from β-Glutamic Acid by Glutamine Synthetase

SUMMARY Glutamine synthetase from sheep brain catalyzes the synthesis of n-/3-glutamine and u-fl-glutamylhydroxamic acid from fi- glutamic acid (P-aminoglutaric acid). The optical rotations of the N-acetyl derivatives of the enzymatically synthesized prod- ucts are equal and opposite to those of the corresponding L enzyme surface, replacement of the (Y hydrogen atom of n-glutamic acid by a methyl group would be expected to interfere with its attachment to the enzyme, while similar substitution of the 01 hydrogen atom of L-glutamic acid would not. isomers, which were obtained from 3-L-acetylamino-4-carbo- ethoxylbutanoic acid. The ability of glutamine synthetase to distinguish between the carboxyl groups of ,8-glutamic acid is considered in relation to other data on specificity of this en- zyme. A tentative explanation is proposed for the findings based on spatial similarity between extended conformations of L-glutamine and n-fi-glutamine. Acknowledgments-We are indebted to Dr. Daniel Wellner for many stimulating discussions and to Dr. Vaira Wellner Miss Joyce Tenczar for the purified glutamine synthetase used in these studies. REFERENCES 1.
Treatment of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria

Chronic spontaneous urticaria is defined as persistent symptoms of urticaria for 6 weeks or more. It is associated with autoimmunity in approximately 45 percent of patients. Therapy is often difficult however the initial approach should employ high-dose non-sedating antihistamines; 4-6 tablets/day may be necessary. It has been shown that the response to 4 tablets/day exceeds 3, and exceeds 2, which exceeds 1. However the dose that corresponds to the maximal dose of first generation antihistamines (hydroxyzine, diphenhydramine) used previously, is 6/day. Yet over half the patients are refractory to antihistamines and other agents should be tried next. Whereas current guidelines (published) often add leukotriene antagonists and/or H2 receptor antogonists next, these are of little utility. Likewise drugs effective for urticarial vasculitis (colchicine, dapsone, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine) are effective in a small percentage of patients and no study suggests that the response rate of any of them exceeds the 30% placebo responses seen in most double-blind, placebo controlled studies. The drugs that are effective for antihistamine-resistant chronic spontaneous urticaria are corticosteroids, cyclosporine, and Omalizumab. Use of steroids is limited by toxicity. If used at all, a dose of no more than 10 mg/day should be employed with a weekly reduction of 1 mg. The response rates to cyclosporine and Omalizumab are each close to 75%. Cyclosporine can be used effectively if care is taken to monitor blood pressure, urine protein, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine, every 6 weeks. Omalizumab has the best profile in terms of efficacy/toxicity and, once approved by federal agencies for use in chronic spontaneous urticaria, a dramatic change in the treatment paradigm, whether associated with autoimmunity or not, is predicted. A phase 3 trial is currently in place. Refractoriness to both Omalizumab and cyclosporine is expected to be less than 5 percent of patients. Other agents, can then be tried.
Hygrothermal Aging of Polyimide Matrix Composite Laminates

Two polyimide-matrix systems (Avimid R K3B/IM7 and PETI-5/IM7) were subjected to a series of hygrothermal aging experiments at various temperatures and relative humidities. For each aging condition, we measured water absorption rate and the microcracking toughness as a function of aging time. The toughness decreased with time. The rate of decrease increased with temperature and relative humidity. All experimental results could be fit to a simple first-order kinetics analysis where the degradation rate was assumed to be proportional to the total exposure to water above a threshold water level. Below the water threshold, no degradation occurred. The kinetics analysis was used to construct a hygrothermal aging master plot that can be used to make predictions of toughness degradation due to arbitrary hygrothermal environments. The master plot can be constructed from a few experiments on specimens immersed in water and thus is a potential accelerated test method for characterizing hygrothermal stability of composite laminates.