cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reaction of tetracarbonyl(π-allyl)manganese with carbon nucleophiles☆

Nucleophilic attack on tetracarbonyl(π-allyl)manganese takes place at the terminus of the π-system, generating allylated products in 44–95% yield after oxidation. Stabilized nucleophiles (pKa 12–20) give mainly bis allylation whereas nonstabilized nucleophiles (pKa 25–35) give mono allylation.
Insulin-stimulated Hydrogen Peroxide Reversibly Inhibits Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase 1B in Vivo and Enhances the Early Insulin Action Cascade

The insulin signaling pathway is activated by tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and key post-receptor substrate proteins and balanced by the action of specific protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases). PTPase activity, in turn, is highly regulated in vivo by oxidation/reduction reactions involving the cysteine thiol moiety required for catalysis. Here we show that insulin stimulation generates a burst of intracellular H2O2 in insulin-sensitive hepatoma and adipose cells that is associated with reversible oxidative inhibition of up to 62% of overall cellular PTPase activity, as measured by a novel method using strictly anaerobic conditions. The specific activity of immunoprecipitated PTP1B, a PTPase homolog implicated in the regulation of insulin signaling, was also strongly inhibited by up to 88% following insulin stimulation. Catalase pretreatment abolished the insulin-stimulated production of H2O2 as well as the inhibition of cellular PTPases, including PTP1B, and was associated with reduced insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of its receptor and highM r insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. These data provide compelling new evidence for a redox signal that enhances the early insulin-stimulated cascade of tyrosine phosphorylation by oxidative inactivation of PTP1B and possibly other tyrosine phosphatases.
The time interval in the intention–behaviour relationship: Meta-analysis.

Intention-behaviour models specify as a boundary condition that the intention-behaviour relationship should be measured over a short period of delay. However, a measure of intention that exists just prior to performance of the behaviour has limited feasibility and practical utility. Using meta-analysis, the present study explores the relationship between time and the intention-behaviour (I-B) correlation in Fishbein and Ajzen's intention-behaviour models. Self-reported behaviours, how intention is measured, and type of behaviour are explored as moderators to this relationship. The average I-B correlation coefficient remains strong over a prediction interval of as long as 15 years. The I-B correlation is significantly influenced by the use of self-report measures of behaviour over time and type of behaviour; however, it is not influenced by how intention is measured.
A STUDY OF MESOAMERICAN OBSIDIAN SOURCES USING ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

An extensive study of Mesoamerican obsidian source samples from 37 sites has been begun to better differentiate and define the trace element content at known Mesoamerican obsidian quarries, with particular emphasis on those in Mexico. This paper reports on the first results in that study as well as studies of sample contamination by grinding and results for the new National Bureau of Standards No. 278 Obsidian SRM.
Library media program implementation and student achievement

This study examines possible factors related to school library programs that correlate with student academic achievement. Analyzing library programs as a system, the investigator adapted the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) principles for library media programs in conjunction with standardized tests. For the population examined (60 southern California schools), the measure that correlated most closely with library program principles was standardized reading scores. Specifically, the degree to which information access/delivery principles were implemented correlates significantly with student reading scores. The study results identified key indicators within the library program that impact student academic achievement: access to high-quality library facilities and resources, and collaborative planning with professional library staff.
Transition from imitation to creation

Technology Importation and Creative Adaptation It is commonly accepted that the most important strategies for industrialization and economic development of developing countries lie in the development of industrial technology, and that the desirable approach for such development must be sought in the efficient importation and utilization of advanced technologies [ 11. Generally, the linkage between the acquisition of new technologies and their innovation can be divided into two categories: first is innovation “from within” through indigenous RD the other is innovation “from outside” through technology transfer. Most countries in Europe and the United States belong to the former, while Japan represents the latter. Japan introduced substantial amounts of technologies from outside, which were enlarged in harmony with indigenous technology development. Thus, the imported technologies can be regarded as a complimentary means for the indigenous technology development [2]. As a case in point, Japan demonstrated the Japanese model of “innovative technology transfer” by placing emphasis on the iron and steel, petrochemical and electronics industries. Japan accomplished enormous economic development in a short period of time by carrying out the successive stages of: from importation and utilization of advanced technologies on a large scale, to demand creation, to investment for expansion of facility, to reduction of manufacturing costs and reinforcement of international competitive power, to export increasement and improvement of balance of payments. In short, the Japanese model represents a strategy of bold importation, digestion and creative adaptation of advanced technologies [ 31. Most of the developing countries which are stepping up their industrialization plans have no accumulated technologies to speak of, yet their demand keeps increasing. What is worse is that they are under many constraints with respect to natural resources, time and manpower, which are required for technology development. Under such circumstances, developing countries, first of all, must select certain industrial sectors according to their development priorities. Next, they should identify the present needs and future prospectives, concentrate on acquisition and utilization of technologies and knowledge which have already been established by advanced countries, and then enhance their own capability for innovation through digestion and absorption of advanced technologies acquired from abroad.
Dressing Wounds: Considerations on Trauma Theory and Life Writing in Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth

This paper aims at analyzing how the trauma inflicted by the First World War is described by Vera Brittain in her autobiographical novel Testament of Youth (1933). The author, who shares many features in common with Virginia Woolf – regarding witnessing and writing about trauma – also lost her loved ones to the War: her fiance, Roland Leighton, her brother, Edward Brittain, and her friend, Victor Richardson. For Vera Brittain and some of her contemporaries, nursing became a woman‟s experience of taking part in the male-dominated realm of the First War. From treating wounds to listening to injured soldiers‟ talks, First War nurses grasped the geographies of men‟s bodies and minds, something regarded as “improper” by most parents whose daughters were born between the late Victorian and early Edwardian ages. Nursing was the closest a woman could get to the battleground in those days; in Brittain‟s case, for instance, the only safe way to see Roland again. V.A.D. nursing also allowed many women to evolve from tactile experience to the subjective activity of writing about the War, and Brittain‟s Testament of Youth may be regarded as one of its best examples. What may account for the title Testament of Youth is the thought Brittain kept that writing about the distress she and her contemporaries felt due to war would probably have an impact on coming generations. She leaves a “testament” of a terrible incident that would more likely recede; yet, she acknowledges that, whatever may happen, it would never surpass the impact that the First War had on her generation of young women, who were deprived of the innocence of their youth.
Analysis of Invertebrate Neuropeptides by RP-HPLC

Abstract The application of reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography to the analysis of four synthetic invertebrate neuropeptides is described. Proctolin (Arg-Try-Leu-Pro-Thr), locust adipokinetic hormone (p-Glu-Leu-Asn-Phe-Thr-Pro-Asn-Trp-Gly-Thr-NH2), crustacean erythrophore concentrating hormone (p-Glu-Leu-Asn-Phe-Ser-Pro-Gly-Trp-NH2) and mulluscan cardioexcitatory neuropeptide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2) were analyzed on several different reverse phase columns by means of gradient elution with 0.01M KH2 PO4, 0.1% H3PO4, 0.25N triethylammonium phosphate (TEAP), pH 2.20, or 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) versus acetonitrile. Column effluents were monitored at both 254 and 195 nm except in the case of TFA where 254 and 210 nm were monitored. At the lower wavelength computerized background correction was sometimes necessary to correct excessive baseline drift during the course of the gradient run. Best results were obtained on the Supelcosil LC-18DB column with a concave gradient of 90° 40%B over 1...
A ubiquitous splice variant and a common polymorphism affect heterologous expression of recombinant human SCN5A heart sodium channels.

Amino acid sequence variations in SCN5A are known to affect function of wild-type channels and also those with coexisting mutations; therefore, it is important to know the exact sequence and function of channels most commonly present in human myocardium. SCN5A was analyzed in control panels of human alleles, demonstrating that the existing clones (hH1, hH1a, hH1b) each contained a rare variant and thus none represented the common sequence. Confirming prior work, the H558R polymorphism was present in ≈30% of subjects. Quantitative mRNA analysis from human hearts showed that a shorter 2015 amino acid splice variant lacking glutamine at position 1077 (Q1077del) made up 65% of the transcript in every heart examined. Age, sex, race, or structural heart disease did not affect this proportion of Q1077del. Estimated population frequencies for the four common variants were 25% SCN5A, 10% [H558R], 45% [Q1077del], and 20% [H558R;Q1077del], where the reference sequence SCN5A is GenBank [AC137587][1]. When expressed in HEK-293 cells, these common variants had a more positive mid-point of the voltage dependence of inactivation than the standard clone hH1. Also, channels containing Q1077 expressed smaller currents. When H558R was present with Q1077 ([H558R]), current expression was profoundly reduced despite normal trafficking to the cell surface. Thus, four variant sequences for SCN5A are commonly present in human myocardium and they exhibit functional differences among themselves and with the previous standard clone. These results have implications for the choice of background sequence for experiments with heterologous expression systems, and possibly implications for electrophysiological function in vivo. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GEN&access_num=AC137587&atom=%2Fcircresaha%2F93%2F9%2F821.atom
Characterization of the tet(M) determinant of Tn916: evidence for regulation by transcription attenuation.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of the tetracycline resistance determinant tet(M), located on conjugative transposon Tn916 of Enterococcus faecalis, was determined and found to encode a 72,486-dalton protein exhibiting a high degree of homology with other tet(M) determinants. A short open reading frame corresponding to a 28-amino-acid peptide and containing a number of inverted repeat sequences was noted immediately upstream of tet(M), suggesting that regulation might occur by a mechanism involving transcriptional attenuation. Transcription analyses found this to indeed be the case, showing that the expression of tet(M) resulted from an extension of a small transcript representing the upstream leader region into the resistance determinant. Exposure of cells to tetracycline resulted in a significant increase in the amount of tet(M) transcription; this increase could be explained on the basis of increased transcriptional read-through from the upstream transcript. A model suggesting how transcriptional attenuation might operate in this system is presented.
A qualitative study of factors affecting pregnancy weight gain in African American women.

African Americans and overweight or obese women are at increased risk for excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum weight retention. Interventions are needed to promote healthy GWG in this population; however, research on exercise and nutritional barriers during pregnancy in African American women is limited. The objective of this qualitative study is to better inform intervention messages by eliciting information on perceptions of appropriate weight gain, barriers to and enablers of exercise and healthy eating, and other influences on healthy weight gain during pregnancy in overweight or obese African American women. In-depth interviews were conducted with 33 overweight or obese African American women in Columbia, South Carolina. Women were recruited in early to mid-pregnancy (8–23 weeks gestation, n = 10), mid to late pregnancy (24–36 weeks, n = 15), and early postpartum (6–12 weeks postpartum, n = 8). Interview questions and data analysis were informed using a social ecological framework. Over 50 % of women thought they should gain weight in excess of the range recommended by the Institute of Medicine. Participants were motivated to exercise for personal health benefits; however they also cited many barriers to exercise, including safety concerns for the fetus. Awareness of the maternal and fetal benefits of healthy eating was high. Commonly cited barriers to healthy eating include cravings and availability of unhealthy foods. The majority of women were motivated to engage in healthy behaviors during pregnancy. However, the interviews also uncovered a number of misconceptions and barriers that can serve as future intervention messages and strategies.
Photooxidation of particulate organic matter, carbon/oxygen stoichiometry, and related photoreactions

Abstract We investigated photoredox transformations of oxygen, carbon, peroxides, and iron that accompany “photodissolution” of suspended marine particulate organic carbon (POC), a sunlight-induced process that transfers POC to the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool. During 18- to 24-hour photodissolution experiments with POC of varying composition, about 0.28 mol of O2 was consumed per mole POC photodissolved. Mean dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) production was 6% of initial POC in suspended river delta sediments and 1% in algal membrane detritus. The mean O2 loss:DIC production ratio was − 1.3:1 in sediment suspensions, which slightly exceeds the typical range reported for DOC. The O2 loss:DIC production ratio was − 7.7:1 in suspensions of algal detritus, which implies significant oxygen incorporation into (oxygenation of) organic matter. Irradiated sediment suspensions rapidly achieved low, steady-state peroxide concentrations but rose more slowly with algal detritus. Elevated iron concentrations in the 0.7–8.0 μm particle size fraction after 24 h of irradiation are consistent with photoredox cycling of metals and/or with physical disintegration of organic-mineral aggregates driven by organic matter dissolution. These oxidation and oxygenation results differ from analogous reactions previously found for marine DOC, and estimates of DIC production in particle-rich environments will require incorporation of POC-specific information.
Rooting of Berberis and Ligustrum cuttings from stock plants grown at selected light intensities

Abstract Plants of Berberis thunbergii DC., B. thunbergii DC, ‘Atropurpurea’, Ligustrum obtusifolium Seibold and Zucc. var. regelianum (Koehne) Rehd., and L. × vicaryi Beckett were grown at 37, 53, 70 and 100% full sunlight to determine rootability of cuttings. Rooting hormone levels of 0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.8% IBA in talc were applied to the cuttings, and % rooting, root length, and fresh and dry weights were recorded. Optimum rooting of cuttings of Berberis resulted when stock plants were grown at 70% light, with 37% light being the next most successful. Optimum rooting of cuttings of Ligustrum obtusifolium var. regelianum resulted when stock plants were grown at 37% light. Rooting of Ligustrum × vicaryi did not respond to light intensity. An interaction between rooting-hormone and light intensity was noted for root length of Ligustrum species.
Reaching Across the Dividing Line: Building a Collective Vision for Peace in Cyprus

Although the conflict on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus has resisted for decades attempts by third parties to negotiate a political solution, and in spite of communication barriers that until recently made contact between ordinary citizens extremely difficult, a number of initiatives have brought together groups of citizens who have formed interpersonal alliances across the buffer zone that divides the island. This article focuses on one of these citizen groups that met over a nine-month period, examining in detail the phase of the group’s work in which participants created a ‘collective vision statement’ to guide their peacebuilding efforts. The group encountered many difficulties, ranging from internal dissent to outside pressures, but it was able to work through them by employing a structured methodology for dialogue that gave voice to individual contributions and promoted a consensus that reflected the variety of needs and opinions within the group. The vision statement created by the grou...
Fear and Loathing on Reality Television: An Analysis of “America's Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries”*

From early newspapers to contemporary television drama, the media demonstrate a continuing fascination with crime. Two recent television programs, “America's Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries,” claim to offer a different treatment of crime in that these programs dramatize “real” crimes and encourage the television audience to assist in locating fugitives. Content analysis of the programs reveals that depictions of crime are consistent with television crime drama, and that these dramatizations resemble urban legends in which crime symbolizes the uncertainties of modern life. The programs convey an unpredictable world filled with unsafe people and places. This sense of modern danger justifies the programs' solicitation of audience participation through surveillance.
A rapid method to monitor fungicide sensitivity in the pecan scab pathogen, Fusicladium effusum

Abstract Commercial production of pecans in the southeastern U.S. relies on fungicide applications to control scab, caused by Fusicladium effusum. Under intense disease pressure, 10–15 applications may be made per season and the potential development of fungicide resistance is a major concern. A rapid method was developed to determine sensitivity of the pathogen to protectant chemicals based on conidia germination, and to fungicides active on post-appressorial pathogen stages based on micro-colony growth. This method uses conidia transferred directly from lesions to fungicide-amended media. Using this method, sensitivity profiles were determined for isolates from three non-treated orchards with little or no fungicide use histories and from 33 commercial orchards in 2008 with a history of fungicide use. Compared to the non-treated orchards, significant reductions in in vitro sensitivity were detected in 20 orchards to fentin hydroxide, in 4 orchards to dodine, in 6 orchards to thiophanate-methyl and in 20 orchards to propiconazole. The novel methodology will be useful for monitoring fungicide sensitivity of F. effusum populations and evaluating resistance management programs in commercial pecan orchards.
Latin American Studies: Literary, Cultural, and Comparative Theory

In "Latin American Studies: Literary, Cultural, and Comparative Theory," Roman de la Campa explores the post-1989 era of Latin American literary studies, particularly the way in which theoretical production has responded to the collapse of left-wing state projects and the growing influence of market forces in academia. De la Campa suggests that in this context it becomes even more important to study the different ways in which national and regional imaginaries continue to shape Latin American literary studies in both Latin America and the United States. He asks whether we are witnessing the onset of new paradigms better able to comprehend or articulate the field in its ever-increasing complexity or a turn toward projects that are both more hermetic in their regional or national scope of application, as well as more immanent in their capacity to absorb difference in the abstract. De la Campa contends that the shifting grounds for Latin American postmodernism are particularly illustrative of how the post-1989 era converges on Latin American literary studies. As an example, he surveys the postcolonial turn, particularly as it pertains to two differing readings of testimonio, one largely articulated in the United States through the work of John Beverley and subaltern post-symbolic aesthetics, the other in Chile through the work of Nelly Richard's cultural critique of the dictatorship and post-dictatorship. According to de la Campa the current state of Latin American literary and cultural studies calls for a new comparativism willing to recognize a growing field of contradictory differences among nations, regions, and scholars. Roman de la Campa, "Latin American Studies: Literary, Cultural, and Comparative Theory" page 2 of 9 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 4.2 (2002):
Comparative Impact on Prostanoid Biosynthesis of Celecoxib and the Novel Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug CG100649

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) elevate cardiovascular risk by disrupting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-dependent biosynthesis of prostacyclin (PGI2). CG100649 is a novel NSAID proposed to inhibit both COX-2 and carbonic anhydrase (CA)-I/-II. We compared its impact on prostanoid biosynthesis with that of celecoxib, an NSAID purposefully designed to selectively inhibit COX-2. In a controlled, double-blind randomized trial, single oral doses of 2 or 8 mg CG100649, 200 mg celecoxib, or placebo were well tolerated by healthy volunteers (n = 23). Both CG100649 and celecoxib had the effect of depressing urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1α (PGI-M); the effect of CG100649 was dose-dependent and more sustained (up to 240 h after the dose) than that of celecoxib. Neither CG100649 nor celecoxib significantly inhibited COX-1-dependent prostanoid formation. CA inhibition was not detected after administration of CG100649, despite its partitioning asymmetrically into erythrocytes. CG100649 and celecoxib are both relatively selective inhibitors of COX-2, but they differ in duration of action. Whether they have similar impact on cardiovascular events remains to be determined. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2012); 91 6, 986–993. doi:10.1038/clpt.2012.3
Plasma fluidized bed imaging and possible strong coupling effects

A plasma fluidized bed was constructed to study the physics of fluidized plasmas. The plasma fluidized bed is a unique system involving contact of hydrodynamically suspended micron-sized (and larger) particles with the current-carrying portion of a plasma. These particles become negatively charged and, under certain conditions, could possibly form a strongly coupled fluidized plasma. Using laser light scattering measurements, we have imaged particles and calculated a coupling parameter showing what could be strongly coupled effects superimposed on the hydrodynamic behavior of the fluidized bed systems. This system may provide an ideal means to experimentally explore the properties and dynamics of strongly coupled plasmas subjected to hydrodynamic shear forces.
Enhancement of membrane transport by spatial nonuniformity

Abstract Spatial nonuniformity in membranes can lead to enhanced flux. We show that this phenomenon exists in systems which obey nonlinear transport laws. Examples include carrier-mediated transport, electrically facilitated transport and Fickian diffusion in systems with concentration-dependent diffusion coefficients. The latter exists if binding of the transported species to the membrane matrix occurs. This may contribute to the enhanced current efficiency in perfluorinated membranes of the Nafion type.
Have family income mobility patterns changed

We examine the mobility of individuals in the United States based on equivalent family income-that is, total income of all family members adjusted for family size according to the equivalence scale implicit in the U.S. poverty line. Our analysis, which tracks movements across quintiles, centers on four questions: How much movement is there across the family income distribution? How has this mobility changed over time? To what extent are the movements attributable to factors related to changes in family composition versus events in the labor markets? In light of major socioeconomic changes occurring in the quarter-century under study, have the determinants of mobility changed over time? Our findings indicate that mobility rates in the 1980s differed little from those in the 1970s. However, individuals in families headed by a young person or a person without a college education were less likely to experience upward mobility in the 1980s than in the 1970s.
Late Potential Parameter and Noise Level Variability Caused by Bandpass Versus High‐Pass Filtering and Type of Signal Averaging Equipment Used

Late potentials detected by signal averaged electrocardiography are predictive of ventricular arrhythmia induction and sudden cardiac death. Prior studies have used a variety of equipment and filtering parameters. The correlation between data from two commercially available signal averaging units and the effects of bandpass as opposed to high-pass filtering were studied in 18 hospitalized patients. The addition of a low-pass filter at 250 Hz to high-pass filtering at 40 Hz caused no significant change in any time domain variable (total duration of the filtered QRS, root mean square voltage of the last 40 msec of the filtered QRS, and duration of low-amplitude potentials < 40 μV). However, the data was significantly different (P < 0.01) when studies from the two machines were compared. We conclude that bandpass filtering does not affect time domain late potential variables in a clinically relevant fashion compared to high-pass filtering alone. Significant data differences exist between the two different pieces of equipment. Therefore, caution should be exercised in extrapolating data obtained from each of the different machines.
Pure rotational CARS studies of thermal energy release and ignition in nanosecond repetitively pulsed hydrogen-air plasmas

Pure rotational CARS thermometry, complemented by UV emission measurements and ICCD imaging, is used to study kinetics of low temperature plasma assisted fuel oxidation and ignition in a repetitive nanosecond pulse discharge in hydrogen-air mixtures, with number of pulses in a 40 kHz burst varying from a few to a few hundred. Time-resolved OH emission, coupled with gated ICCD images of the plasma and the flame, demonstrate that volumetric ignition of H2–air mixtures occurs in a spatially uniform plasma. The results are shown to agree well with predictions of a new hydrogen-air plasma chemistry model, which incorporates non-equilibrium plasma processes, H2–air chemistry, non-empirical scaling of nanosecond pulse energy coupled to the plasma, and quasi-one-dimensional conduction heat transfer. In particular, the results demonstrate that the heating rate in low temperature hydrogen-air plasmas is much faster than in air plasmas, primarily due to energy release from exothermic reactions of fuel with O and H atoms generated in the plasma. Kinetic sensitivity analysis is used to identify dominant plasma and chemical processes of hydrogen oxidation, demonstrating that additional heat release in these reactions is a key factor in ignition kinetics. Kinetic modeling calculations demonstrate that removal of the radical generation processes by the nanosecond pulsed plasma from the model completely blocks subsequent exothermic chemical reactions, thus making ignition impossible.
Coronary Artery Pattern and Outcome of Arterial Switch Operation for Transposition of the Great Arteries A Meta-Analysis

A successful outcome of an arterial switch operation (ASO) for dextro-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) depends in large part on the transfer of the coronary arteries to the neoaorta without distortion or narrowing. However, the origins and distribution of the coronary arteries are quite variable in D-TGA; therefore, the entire experience with ASO at the Children's Hospital in Boston was reviewed. From 1983 through November 1989, 314 patients underwent surgery for D-TGA with the intent to perform an ASO. An ASO was actually performed in 290 patients, and 20 patients died, with 12 deaths (4.2%) clearly related to problems with the coronary arteries (CA deaths). The ASO was aborted to a Senning operation in 24 patients (7.6%), primarily due to coronary anatomy. Eight coronary patterns were identified and related to the outcome of the ASO. In 182 patients with the "usual" coronary pattern for D-TGA (i.e., anterior descending and circumflex arteries from the left sinus and right coronary artery from the right sinus), five CA deaths occurred, and two patients had Senning operations. Sixty-seven patients had right coronary and circumflex arteries from the right sinus and anterior descending arteries from the left sinus. Three CA deaths occurred, and one patient had a Senning operation. Single right coronary artery was found in 14; 12 had ASOs with three CA deaths (25%); and two had Senning operations. One late death was due to diffuse narrowing of the single right coronary artery. Single left coronary artery occurred in 11 patients, and seven had ASO with no early but one late "sudden" death, whereas four had Senning operations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A reverse-phase HPLC assay for measuring the interaction of polyene macrolide antifungal agents with sterols.

Abstract A quick and simple affinity chromatography method for gauging the interaction of polyene antifungal agents with sterols has been developed. The required affinity columns are prepared from a standard C-18 reversephase HPLC column by injecting a measured quantity of sterol under conditions where it is completely retained. After the assay, the sterol is eluted with a less polar solvent and the column reused. By comparing the elution volume of a polyene injected onto the sterol-free column ( V e ) with that of the polyene injected onto the sterol-doped column ( V ), an association constant ( K a ) for the polyene-sterol complex was determined. Association constants of different amphotericin B-sterol and pimaricin-sterol complexes were determined and correlated with the polyene's ability to induce membrane permeability and its antifungal properties. This procedure provides a new tool for screening polyene macrolides for antifungal therapy.
Aliphatic polyesters as models for relaxation processes in crystalline polymers: 2. Dielectric relaxation in copolymers of adipic acid with 1,6 and 2,5-hexanediols

Abstract Linear aliphatic polyesters are interesting model systems for studying relaxation processes in crystalline polymers because they show both γ and β relaxations in a prominent way whereas in many highly crystalline linear polymers (LPE, POM etc.) the β process is suppressed and, unlike branched polyethylene which also has a prominent β process, the polyesters have no chemical structural complications due to branches. To study the hypothesis that variations in the appearance of the β (glass-rubber) relaxation are due to varying degrees of immobilization of long-range segmental motion in the amorphous fraction by the presence of the crystal phase measurements are made of dielectric relaxation in a series of the title copolymers that span the crystallinity range of zero (homopolymer with 2,5-hexanediol) to ≈60% (homopolymer with 1,6-hexanediol). The data are analysed in terms of the effect of degree of crystallinity on both kinetic parameters (activation energies and relaxation width) and equilibrium parameters (dipole correlation factor deduced from relaxation strength). In the latter case special care is taken to properly assess composite mixture effects on the relaxation strength. The shape of the β process is extremely sensitive to the degree of crystallinity, broadening greatly with the onset of the presence of crystallinity and increasing in broadness with increasing degree of crystallinity. Although less sensitive than the width, the β relaxation dipole correlation factor depends on crystallinity also, the availability of chain configurations within the amorphous fraction being noticeably reduced in the crystalline specimens. The γ process kinetic parameters are relatively insensitive to the presence of the crystal phase, a behaviour consistent with a localized motion mechanism. The γ relaxation strength correlates with the process having an amorphous phase origin if it is assumed that the 2,5 diol units contribute less to relaxation strength than the 1,6 diol units; a result also consistent with the localized motion concept.
The world looks small when you only look through a telescope: The need for a broad and developmental study of reasoning

If the target article represents the summary findings of the field, reasoning research is deeply flawed. The vision is too narrow and seems to fall into biological determinism. Humans use reasoning in effective ways apparently not studied by researchers, such as reasoning for action. Moreover, as the brain develops through adulthood and from experience so do reasoning capabilities.
Single-interval learning by simile within a simulated hebbian neural network

Abstract This paper describes simulations that illustrate how nerve cells can build more complex concepts by transferring and combining the attributes of other concepts in response to stimulus patterns corresponding to similes. The hypothesis described is startling because information transfer is completed within one step or time interval, even when the concepts involved are situated at different levels of separate concept hierarchies and more than one attribute value must be transferred. Such a rapid mechanism for constructing concepts is considered to be a key component of a more general “single-interval” model of concept manipulation that enables complete sentences to be organized during the time required for neural discharge to move directly across a multilayered network. The single-interval model for learning by simile is contrasted with P. H. Winston's explanation, which involves as many as 12 steps. For the proposed mechanism to be successful in one time interval, knowledge must apparently be encoded in strengthened and weakened connections that correspond to “semantic interference patterns”.
Filtered Rayleigh scattering measurements using a MHz rate pulse-burst laser system

We present measurements of the spectral characteristics of a MHz rate, Nd:YAG pulse-burst laser system, with particular emphasis on data relevant to spectrally filtered scattering diagnostics which employ molecular iodine vapor filters. The time-averaged laser spectral profile is found to correspond quite well to that predicted from the Fourier transform of the observed temporal profile. The measured maximum extinction value of 5 x 10 exp -5 for the second harmonic output is in good agreement with modeling predictions, based on a 10 cm path length iodine cell under typical operating conditions. Filtered images of time sequences of supersonic flow over a 14-deg wedge are also presented. The images clearly illustrate the unsteadiness of the oblique shock wave and the correlation of its dynamic behavior with large-scale turbulent boundary layer structure. (Author)
Population-based screening for hemochromatosis using phenotypic and DNA testing among employees of health maintenance organizations in Springfield, Missouri ☆

Abstract BACKGROUND: Hemochromatosis reportedly affects 3 to 8 persons per 1,000 and is associated with an elevated risk of morbidity and mortality. We sought to ascertain its prevalence in a community and to assess the association between phenotype and genotype. METHODS: All health maintenance organization employees were invited to participate in hemochromatosis screening using a repeated elevation of the transferrin saturation test as the case definition (≥50% in women and ≥60% in men with no other cause). Iron overload from hemochromatosis was defined as serum ferritin concentration ≥95th percentile and mobilizable iron ≥99th percentile for age and sex, or hepatic iron index ≥1.9. The HFE gene was analyzed for mutations. RESULTS: Participation among employees was 28% (1,653 of 6,000); 83% were women. The prevalence of hemochromatosis was 8 per 1,000 (13 of 1,653), and the prevalence of iron overload from hemochromatosis was 4 per 1,000 (5 of 1,653). Compared with those who had no HFE mutation, the relative risk (RR) for hemochromatosis was greatest for C282Y homozygotes (RR = 147), compound heterozygotes (RR = 19), and H63D homozygotes (RR = 9). Overall, 38% of participants had at least one HFE mutation. Screening based on an initial elevated transferrin saturation test had the best sensitivity, whereas DNA testing offered the best specificity and predictive value positive for iron overload disease. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, we found a greater than expected prevalence of hemochromatosis and demonstrated a clear association with the HFE genotype. Promotion of screening is complicated by controversies in case definition and the large number of persons who will be detected before they have clinically significant iron loading, in whom the risk of clinical disease is unknown. Larger screening studies in more diverse populations are necessary to characterize the burden of disease and to follow those at risk (based on HFE or iron status measures) to establish the natural history of hemochromatosis.
Initial experience of complete switchover to sevoflurane in 1550 children

Summary A report of our experience with a complete switchover from halothane (HAL) to sevoflurane (SF) in 1550 paediatric cases over a period of 17 months is presented. SF became the sole inhalational anaesthetic in our institution in July 1990. Induction of anaesthesia with SF was performed with the overpressure technique by administering rapid increases of concentration and assisted pulmonary ventilation with a large fresh gas flow (6 l·min−1 of nitrous oxide and 3 l·min−1 of oxygen). SF concentration was increased rapidly up to 5 or 7% in increments of 2% in every 2–3 breaths. Induction time as measured in 60 cases (3–6 years) was 50 ± 5 (mean ± SD) sec for loss of eyelash reflex and 119 ± 10 (mean ± SD) sec for loss of movement to venepuncture at 7% SF concentration. No serious complications were observed. Peak serum levels of inorganic fluoride were within a safe range (less than 30 μmol·l−1) in all 7 cases in which this was studied. The results suggest that SF is a useful anaesthetic agent in paediatric anaesthesia, particularly because of its smooth and rapid inhalation induction.
Contrasting roles of IL-2 and IL-15 in the life and death of lymphocytes: implications for immunotherapy.

IL-2 has been approved for use in the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma or with metastatic melanoma. It has also been used as a component of vaccines for cancer. However, due to its pivotal role in AICD it may lead to the death of T cells that recognize antigens expressed on the tumor cells. That is, these cells may interpret the tumor cells as self. Futhermore, the inhibition mediated by IL-2 on the survival of memory T cells directed toward the tumor is not desired. Thus, IL-15 with its inhibitory action on AICD and its stimulatory role in the persistence of memory CD8+ T cells may be superior to IL-2 in the treatment of cancer and as a component of vaccines directed toward cancer or infectious agents.In conclusion, our emerging understanding of the IL-2/IL-2R and IL-15/IL-15R systems including the definition of the actions that these cytokines share as well as those functions where their roles are distinct opens new possibilities for the development of more rational immune intervention that may be of value in the prevention of allograft rejection, in the treatment of lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma, diseases associated with the retrovirus HTLV-I, as well as T cell–mediated autoimmune disorders.Oppenhimer-Marks Brezinschek Mohamadzadeh Vita Lipsky 1998xOppenhimer-Marks, N., Brezinschek, R.I., Mohamadzadeh, M., Vita, R., and Lipsky, P.E. J. Clin. Invest. 1998; 101: 1261–1272CrossRef | PubMedSee all ReferencesOppenhimer-Marks Brezinschek Mohamadzadeh Vita Lipsky 1998
Iodine-containing aluminum-based fuels for inactivation of bioaerosols

Abstract Inactivation of aerosolized biologically viable Bacillus atrophaeus endospores (stimulant of the B. anthracis bio-agent) in combustion products of air-acetylene flames seeded with different aluminum-based powders was investigated. A flow of bioaerosol was introduced into the environment above the flame. The mixing of the combustion products with bioaerosol particles occurred when the combustion temperatures were cooled off to approximately 170–260 °C (the cross-sectional weighted average temperature). The flame was seeded with pure Al powder as well as with composite Al·I 2 and Al·B·I 2 powders prepared by mechanical milling. The iodine content was close to 20 and 15 wt.% for Al·I 2 and Al·B·I 2 powders, respectively. The burn rate was highest for particles of pure Al and lowest for particles of Al·B·I 2 . It was also observed that in the flame, particles of Al·B·I 2 had the lowest temperature compared to other materials. Despite a lower iodine concentration, the combustion products from the flame seeded with Al·B·I 2 exhibited the highest levels of inactivation of the aerosolized spores. The flame products of Al·I 2 have also shown an effective inactivation. The inactivation levels observed for the unseeded flame and flame containing pure Al, were much lower and similar to each other; these inactivation levels were consistent with relatively weak thermal stress experienced by the bioaerosol at the relatively low temperatures of the exhaust gas. The highest level of inactivation observed for the combustion products of Al·B·I 2 composite powder is attributed to its lower burn rate and respectively more homogeneous mixing of the iodine-containing products with the exhaust gases.
Media Portrayal of Voluntary Public Reporting About Corporate Social Responsibility Performance: Does Coverage Encourage or Discourage Ethical Management?

Drawing on constructionist theory, this study examines how the media portrayed five public reporting events initiated by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), considering whether the coverage encourages or discourages companies from undertaking a reporting initiative as part of their ethical management. Media coverage was limited but generally favorable across all five events. Coverage frequently included claims made by FLA spokespersons and provided basic facts about the organization and its activities. Extensive detail about labor violations found by monitors was often included. Additional media coverage centered around themes of public reporting and transparency, an assessment of the FLA’s work, brand accountability and responsibility of corporations with regard to working conditions and labor standards, and specifics about the factory monitoring and partnering with factories and NGOs that is necessary to achieve change. Counter-claims brought question to the FLA’s efforts. Explanations about why the social condition exists were fairly limited, and thus, provided little insight into how the problems might be resolved. We discuss managerial implications regarding public reporting initiatives and media coverage, particularly regarding the countering effects of positive coverage and diminishing news stories.
I. Histopathology of Genetically Defined Endometrial Precancers

Endometrial precancers are monoclonal, benign neoplasms prone to malignant transformation. A type collection (deposited at www.endometrium.org) of confirmed precancers has been identified by their monoclonal growth and continuity of acquired genetic markers that occur between premalignant and malignant phases of tumorigenesis. Computerized morphometry of these premalignant lesions, designated endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN), has disclosed new architectural criteria and revised cytologic criteria for their diagnosis. EIN lesions originate focally and expand in size over time, in keeping with a proliferative monoclonal origin. They are characterized by closely packed glands (volume percentage stroma < 55%) with cytology that is clearly demarcated from that of the adjacent field. A minimum homogenous field of cytologically demarcated glands is required to accurately assess the architecture diagnostic of EIN, and morphometry-diagnosed lesions with a largest diameter of at least 1 to 2 mm have previously been shown to predict the relevant clinical outcome of concurrent or future endometrial adenocarcinoma. Nonphysiologic loss of the PTEN protein, a tumor suppressor gene mutated in many endometrioid adenocarcinomas, is seen in individual glands of endometrium exposed to unopposed estrogens and in packed clusters of EIN glands. The isolated PTEN-free glands in anovulatory endometria may be the earliest stage of endometrial tumorigenesis, but they are not readily distinguishable by routine histology, nor do they have a defined natural history.
When Can Mediators Build Trust

Mediation is one of the most widespread techniques for preventing conflict and promoting cooperation. I examine the conditions under which mediators can facilitate cooperation by building trust between two parties. Assuming mediators have no intrinsic commitment to honesty, they can be credible trust builders in one-round interactions only if they care about the issue at stake, have a moderate ideal point, and do not find conflict to be too costly. A mediator that is solely interested in promoting cooperation, or one that is biased toward one side, will be ineffective. A desire to preserve a reputation for honesty can overcome a limited amount of bias or issue indifference.
Spring analogy to predict the 3-D live load response of slab-on-girder bridges

Abstract In current bridge design methodology, beam line analysis and girder distribution factors are often used to compute the maximum live load demands on the girders. However, this method may not effectively predict the response of all girders under live load. Furthermore, it has been found to be conservative compared to 3-D analysis results and load tests of bridges. With the spring analogy, it is possible to closely approximate the 3-D live load response of bridges with accuracy comparable to that from a detailed finite element analysis. For a given truck position, the bending moment resisted by each girder and individual girder deflections can be computed easily. The live load demand imposed on the secondary members, such as diaphragms or cross-frames, can also be predicted using the results of the spring analogy. This analysis method can be used for any transverse truck location on the bridge, and should be useful for both the design and rating of bridges.