cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency of new-onset pathologic compulsive gambling or hypersexuality after drug treatment of idiopathic Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of new-onset compulsive gambling or hypersexuality among regional patients with Parkinson disease (PD), ascertaining the relationship of these behaviors to PD drug use. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients from 7 rural southeastern Minnesota counties who had at least 1 neurology appointment for PD between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2006. The main outcome measure was compulsive gambling or hypersexuality developing after parkinsonism onset, including the temporal relationship to PD drug use. RESULTS Of 267 patients with PD who met the study inclusion criteria, new-onset gambling or hypersexuality was documented in 7 (2.6%). All were among the 66 patients (10.6%) taking a dopamine agonist. Moreover, all 7 (18.4%) were among 38 patients taking therapeutic doses (defined as ≥2 mg of pramipexole or 6 mg of ropinirole daily). Behaviors were clearly pathologic and disabling in 5: 7.6% of all patients taking an agonist and 13.2% of those taking therapeutic doses. Of the 5 patients, 2 had extensive treatment for what was considered a primary psychiatric problem before the agonist connection was recognized. CONCLUSION Among the study patients with PD, new-onset compulsive gambling or hypersexuality was documented in 7 (18.4%) of 38 patients taking therapeutic doses of dopamine agonists but was not found among untreated patients, those taking subtherapeutic agonist doses, or those taking carbidopa/levodopa alone. Behaviors abated with discontinuation of agonist therapy or dose reduction. Because this is a retrospective study, cases may have been missed, and hence this study may reflect an underestimation of the true frequency. Physicians who care for patients taking these drugs should recognize the drug's potential to induce pathologic syndromes that sometimes masquerade as primary psychiatric disease.
A theoretical study on bubble growth in constant and time-dependent pressure fields

Abstract Bubble growth in constant and time-dependent pressure fields has been formulated taking into account not only the effects of surface tension, inertia of the liquid, heat conduction in the liquid, but also the effects of nonequilibrium at the liquid-vapor interface, and the varying density of the vapor bubble. Whereas the Rayleigh and the asymptotic heat conduction solutions are well known, and the nonequilibrium parameter has been more recently introduced, no overall solution for the conditions stated has been available heretofore. Solutions are illustrated for specific examples of growing bubbles in water and in sodium for a constant pressure field, and for nitrogen in a decreasing pressure field. Comparisons of the solutions with experimental data available for water and nitrogen support the analytical approach utilized.
Increased Erythrocyte Calcium in Alcoholism

Abstract: The intraerythrocyte calcium concentration in blood samples of 42 hospitalized alcoholic subjects was initially elevated but declined over a period of several weeks toward normal values. The abnormally high values, which appear to be a direct consequence of prior alcohol ingestion, may explain previous reports of lowered erythrocyte potassium in chronic alcoholics, since there is a specific calcium-gated potassium channel in erythrocyte membranes.
Gas evolution during oil shale pyrolysis. 2. Kinetic and stoichiometric analysis

Nonisothermal rate measurements for the evolution of H2, CH4, C2 hydrocarbons and C3 hydrocarbons during the pyrolysis of Colorado oil shale have been analysed using the recent kinetic theory of Antony and Howard AIChE J. 1976, 22, 625. This analysis yields a simple set of rate expressions, which can be used for modelling kerogen pyrolysis under typical retort heating conditions. A stoichiometric representation of kerogen pyrolysis is also developed. These results are then used to derive a simple mechanistic picture of oil shale pyrolysis between 25 and 900 °C.
Membrane‐aerated microbioreactor for high‐throughput bioprocessing

A microbioreactor with a volume of microliters is fabricated out of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and glass. Aeration of microbial cultures is through a gas-permeable PDMS membrane. Sensors are integrated for on-line measurement of optical density (OD), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH. All three parameter measurements are based on optical methods. Optical density is monitored via transmittance measurements through the well of the microbioreactor while dissolved oxygen and pH are measured using fluorescence lifetime-based sensors incorporated into the body of the microbioreactor. Bacterial fermentations carried out in the microbioreactor under well-defined conditions are compared to results obtained in a 500-mL bench-scale bioreactor. It is shown that the behavior of the bacteria in the microbioreactor is similar to that in the larger bioreactor. This similarity includes growth kinetics, dissolved oxygen profile within the vessel over time, pH profile over time, final number of cells, and cell morphology. Results from off-line analysis of the medium to examine organic acid production and substrate utilization are presented. By changing the gaseous environmental conditions, it is demonstrated that oxygen levels within the microbioreactor can be manipulated. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the sensitivity and reproducibility of the microbioreactor system are such that statistically significant differences in the time evolution of the OD, DO, and pH can be used to distinguish between different physiological states. Finally, modeling of the transient oxygen transfer within the microbioreactor based on observed and predicted growth kinetics is used to quantitatively characterize oxygen depletion in the system.
FAMILIAL HEGEMONY: Gender and Production Politics on Hong Kong's Electronics Shopfloor

Drawing on Burawoy's framework of “factory regimes” and concepts of power and practice from Foucault and de Certeau, this article depicts a production regime of “familial hegemony” found in a Hong Kong electronics factory. It suggests that the social construction of gender has to be inserted into a theory of production politics if the specific forms and processes of this hegemonic regime are to be explained. In this particular case, ethnographic data capture how an everyday culture of familialism, built around notions of gender norms and behavior, is actively constructed by management and workers to serve their respective interests on the shopfloor.
Observation of quantum jumps in a single atom

We detect the radiatively driven electric quadrupole transition to the metastable $^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}$ state in a single, laser-cooled Hg II ion by monitoring the abrupt cessation of the fluorescence signal from the laser-excited $^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ first resonance line. When the ion "jumps" back from the metastable $D$ state to the ground $S$ state, the $S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}P$ resonance fluorescence signal immediately returns. The statistical properties of the quantum jumps are investigated; for example, photon antibunching in the emission from the $D$ state is observed with 100% efficiency.
The first pillared three-dimensional structure constructed by carboxylate ligands bridging heterometallic trilayers

Reaction of an aqueous solution of Na2bpdc (H2bpdc = biphenyldicarboxylic acid) with an organic solution of Co(NO3)2via a diffusion route leads to a pillared three-dimensional structure in which the heterometallic sodium(I)–cobalt(II) trilayers are connected by carboxylate groups of the pillared ligand bpdc2−.
Structural Changes in Hair Follicles and Sebaceous Glands of Hairless Mice Following Exposure to Sulfur Mustard

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a bifunctional alkylating agent causing skin inflammation, edema and blistering. A hallmark of SM-induced toxicity is follicular and interfollicular epithelial damage. In the present studies we determined if SM-induced structural alterations in hair follicles and sebaceous glands were correlated with cell damage, inflammation and wound healing. The dorsal skin of hairless mice was treated with saturated SM vapor. One to seven days later, epithelial cell karyolysis within the hair root sheath, infundibulum and isthmus was apparent, along with reduced numbers of sebocytes. Increased numbers of utriculi, some with connections to the skin surface, and engorged dermal cysts were also evident. This was associated with marked changes in expression of markers of DNA damage (phospho-H2A.X), apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3), and wound healing (FGFR2 and galectin-3) throughout pilosebaceous units. Conversely, fatty acid synthase and galectin-3 were down-regulated in sebocytes after SM. Decreased numbers of hair follicles and increased numbers of inflammatory cells surrounding the utriculi and follicular cysts were noted within the wound 3-7 days post-SM exposure. Expression of phospho-H2A.X, cleaved caspase-3, FGFR2 and galectin-3 was decreased in dysplastic follicular epidermis. Fourteen days after SM, engorged follicular cysts which expressed galectin-3 were noted within hyperplastic epidermis. Galectin-3 was also expressed in basal keratinocytes and in the first few layers of suprabasal keratinocytes in neoepidermis formed during wound healing indicating that this lectin is important in the early stages of keratinocyte differentiation. These data indicate that hair follicles and sebaceous glands are targets for SM in the skin.
Jacopo De' Barbari's Apollo and Dürer's Early Male Proportion Figures

Duer himse1f connected his early studies in proportion with the names of Jacopo de' Barbari, the North Italian engraver, and the Roman writer, Vitruvius, whose famous work on architecture1 contains a passage about the proportions of a well-formed human figure.2 The nature of these connections and their relation to the effect of Gothic methods on Durer's early constructed figures is one of the much discussed Durer problems.3 The chief aim of this essay is to call attention to a constructed figure by Barbari, the Apollo of the engraving B. 16, K. 14, its connections with Durer, and, further, its debt to Leonardo da Vinci.
Calculation of resolution for a windowless charge coupled device (CCD)-Digicon

A new version of an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) system, which is based on the incorporation of a CsI mesh photocathode and a thinned backside-illuminated CCD into a Space Telescope design Digicon tube, is being developed for future use in space-based observations in the Extreme Ultraviolet waveband. In this paper, a report is presented of the results of computer simulations involving the effects of the non-uniform electrostatic field near the mesh photocathode on imaging properties (especially, the spread function and modulation transfer function) of the detector system. The results are of importance in the design of the front end of the tube and the selection of optimum tube operating conditions. The overall resolution characteristics of the tube, including the effects of the mesh, the electron optics of the region between the mesh photocathode and the CCD target, and the structure of the CCD itself, are estimated.
A MODULUS OF RUPTURE CHART FOR CYLINDRICAL TEST PIECES

A three-variable alignment chart is presented which has been found useful for the solution of the modulus of rupture equation for cylindrical test pieces. The chart is easily prepared and its use eliminates routine calculations. Factors affecting the accuracy are mentioned.
A Method to Improve Platform Leveraging in a Market Segmentation Grid for an Existing Product Line

This paper describes a method for improving commonality in a highly customized low volume product line whose members were originally developed one-at-a-time to meet specific customer requirements. Rather than focusing on redesign of the entire product line, which can often be cost prohibitive, the method is part of a strategy to redesign a limited set of component parts that have the highest potential for cost savings. The method involves a four-step process: (1) determine an optimal component solution for each member artifact of an existing market segment grid, (2) test the feasibility of using each optimal component as a platform for the other artifacts, (3) formulate an optimization problem around the feasibility statistics whose solution is a product platform portfolio, and (4) solve the optimization problem for the minimum number of platforms that can adequately span the existing market segment grid. The proposed method is applied to an example involving the redesign of actuator mounting yokes for an existing set of valves that are used in nuclear power plants. The method shows promise for determining a product platform mix that maximizes commonality yet meets performance requirements.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A comparison of regional somatostatin and neuropeptide Y distribution in rat striatum and brain

Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) and neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPYLI) were detected using specific radioimmunoassays in extracts from rat brain. Since we have previously found a topographic distribution of SLI in rat striatum the distribution of NPYLI was examined in the same regions. NPYLI showed an identical distribution to SLI in rat striatum and levels were significantly correlated (r = 0.93, P < 0.01). Concentrations of both neuropeptides were consistently highest in ventromedial striatum and nucleus accumbens while they were lowest in dorsolateral striatum. These findings provide further evidence of neurochemical heterogeneity in the striatum. Concentrations of NPYLI and SLI were also significantly correlated in cerebral cortex (r = 0.99, P < 0.01). concentrations of NPYLI were generally higher than SLI and showed a similar predilection for limbic system nuclei. The present findings support the concept that somatostatin and neuropeptide Y may be co-localized in both striatal and cortical neurons.
MO‐D‐BRB‐03: Investigation of the Reproducibility of Probability Distribution function (PDF) of Tumor Motion in Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)

Purpose: To investigate the reproducibility of probability distribution function (PDF) of lungtumor motion using cine‐MV images from lungSBRTtreatments. Findings of the study will provide valuable information for probability‐based treatment planning. Methods: Ten lungcancer patients who underwent SBRTtreatment were included in this study. All treatment plans were created using 3D‐conformal technique with 8 to 11 beams and wedges. Cine‐MV images were acquired during treatment for each beam at a rate of 1 frame/sec. Tumor motion tracking was achieved using an cross‐correlation algorithm. Tumor motion trajectories were extracted for all beams in all fractions of all patients. Inaccurate tracking results (based on visual inspection) were removed from further study. Only 3 beams with the best tracking results from each fraction were used to calculate the tumor motion PDF, which is defined as the probability of finding the tumor at different positions. For each patient the tumor motion PDF was generated for each fraction (PDFn) using the 3 selected beams and a mean PDF (PDFm) was generated as the mean of all fractional PDFs. Inter‐fractional PDF reproducibility (Rn) was calculated by comparing PDFn to PDFm. Mean tumor motion range (Dm) was determined for each patient and correlated to the mean PDF reproducibility (Rm). Results: Inter‐fractional PDF reproducibility of lungtumor motion ranged from 0.750 to 0.986 among all patients. Mean PDF reproducibility of the patient (Rm) ranged from 0.840 to 0.954, with an average of 0.89± 0.05. Mean PDF reproducibility decreased exponentially as a function of the mean tumor motion range: Rm=0.15exp(−0.45Dm)+0.85. Conclusions: Tumor motion PDF for lungSBRT patients can be determined using cine‐MV images. PDF reproducibility varied between patients and decreased exponentially as tumor motion range increased.
NMR Characterization of Partially Deuterated γ-Glycine

Abstract Mobility in γ-glycine can be measured by proton relaxation or line-shape analysis of wide-line 2 H spectra of deuterium-substituted γ-glycine. The temperature dependence of the wide-line 2 H spectra indicates an activation energy of 33±2 kJ/mol, in agreement with the activation energy extracted from proton spin–lattice relaxation times. The proton spin–lattice relaxation time of the protons in partially deuterated γ-glycine is 78 s, much longer than the 4-s T 1 of the undeuterated material. The comparison demonstrates how effectively the amine protons act as a relaxation sink.
Differences in time to onset of smoking and nicotine dependence by race/ethnicity in a Midwestern sample of adolescents and young adults from a high risk family study.

Objective The objective of this study was to determine whether race/ethnicity was associated with time to smoking initiation and time from first cigarette to onset of DSM-IV nicotine dependence (ND) after adjusting for familial and individual psychosocial risk factors.
Assessment of dry weight by monitoring changes in blood volume during hemodialysis using Crit-Line

Assessment of dry weight by monitoring changes in blood volume during hemodialysis using Crit-Line. Background Routine assessment of dry weight in chronic hemodialysis patients relies primarily on clinical evaluation of patient fluid status. We evaluated whether measurement of postdialytic vascular refill could assist in the assessment of dry weight. Methods Twenty-eight chronic, stable hemodialysis patients were studied during routine treatment sessions using constant dialysate temperature and dialysate sodium concentration, and relative changes in blood volume were monitored using Crit-Line III monitors throughout this study. The study was divided into three phases. Phase 1 studies evaluated the time-dependence of vascular compartment refill after completion of hemodialysis. Phase 2 studies evaluated the relationships in patient subgroups between intradialytic changes in blood volume and the presence of postdialytic vascular compartment refill during that last 10 minutes of hemodialysis after stopping ultrafiltration. Phase 3 studies evaluated the extent of dry weight changes following the application of a protocol for blood volume reduction, postdialytic vascular compartment refill, and correlation with clinical evidence of intradialytic hypovolemia and/or postdialytic fatigue. Phase 3 included anywhere from three to five treatments. Results Phase 1 studies demonstrated that despite interpatient variability in the magnitude of postdialytic vascular compartment refill, when significant refill was evident, it always continued for at least 30 minutes. However, the majority of refill took place within 10 minutes postdialysis. Phase 2 studies identified 3 groups of patients: those who exhibited intradialytic reductions in blood volume but not postdialytic vascular compartment refill (group 1), those who exhibited intradialytic reductions in blood volume and postdialytic vascular compartment refill (group 2), and those whose blood volume did not change substantially during hemodialysis treatment (group 3). In phase 3 studies, use of an ultrafiltration protocol for blood volume reduction and monitoring of postdialytic vascular compartment refill combined with clinical assessment of hypovolemia and postdialytic fatigue demonstrated that patients often had a clinical dry weight assessment which was too low or too high. In all 28 patients studied, dry weight was either increased or decreased following use of this protocol. Conclusion Determination of the extent of both intradialytic decreases in blood volume and postdialytic vascular compartment refill, combined with clinical assessment of intradialytic hypovolemia and postdialytic fatigue, can help assess patient dry weight and optimize volume status while reducing dialysis associated morbidity. The number of hospital admissions due to fluid overload may be reduced.
Susceptibility to dental caries and the salivary proline-rich proteins.

Early childhood caries affects 28% of children aged 2–6 in the US and is not decreasing. There is a well-recognized need to identify susceptible children at birth. Caries-free adults neutralize bacterial acids in dental biofilms better than adults with severe caries. Saliva contains acidic and basic proline-rich proteins (PRPs) which attach to oral streptococci. The PRPs are encoded within a small region of chromosome 12. An acidic PRP allele (Db) protects Caucasian children from caries but is more common in African Americans. Some basic PRP allelic phenotypes have a three-fold greater frequency in caries-free adults than in those with severe caries. Early childhood caries may associate with an absence of certain basic PRP alleles which bind oral streptococci, neutralize biofilm acids, and are in linkage disequilibrium with Db in Caucasians. The encoding of basic PRP alleles is updated and a new technology for genotyping them is described.
Experimental study of relative level populations in beam-foil excited Ar7+ and Kr7+

Abstract The relative level populations in beam-foil excited sodium-like argon (Ar VIII) and copper-like krypton (Kr VIII) have been studied at 2 MeV projectile energy. In Ar VIII, the 3p and the 3d terms are strongly excited. The level population decreases rapidly with increasing value of the principal quantum number n , reaches a minimum for levels with n =5 or 6, but increases then and reaches a strong maximum for levels with n ≅11. Also the Kr VIII data show a population maximum for levels with n =11. The strong 3p and 3rd level excitations in Ar VIII are explained as selective inner-shell processes which can be understood in the molecular-orbital electron-promotion picture. The preferential population of high-lying Rydberg states is explained as resulting from a near-resonance electron transfer from the valence band of the carbon foil to the projectile. This process takes place when the projectile leaves the back of the foil.
Aging Blunts the Effect of Nitric Oxide on Myocardial O2 Consumption.

penicillamine (SNAP, 10 -4 M, a nitric oxide donor) was applied to the left ventricle. Coronary blood flow (microspheres) and O2 extraction (microspectrophotometry) were used to determine subepicardial (EPI) and subendocardial (ENDO) O2 consumption. Wall thickening was determined ultrasonically. Cyclic GMP and guanylyl cyclase activity were determined. RESULTS. Myocardial O2 extraction, flow, O2 consumption and wall thickening were comparable in young and old hearts. The EPI and ENDO O2 consumption of the SNAP treated young hearts decreased significantly (>25%) compared to vehicle, Fig. 1 (left). However, SNAP had no significant effects on the O2 consumption of old hearts. SNAP also decreased the % wall thickening in the young (18.0±1.7 to 13.4±1.6%), but not old hearts (14.5±0.9 to 11.4%). The basal cyclic GMP levels in the old hearts were greater (~70%) than those in young hearts, Fig. 1 (right). SNAP increased cyclic GMP in EPI and ENDO of young, but not old, hearts. Guanylyl cyclase activity was assessed in both the young and old hearts at baseline and after increasing concentrations of sodium nitroprusside. Guanylyl cyclase activity was elevated in the old rabbit hearts with 0.5 mM nitroprusside (131±12 vs. 80±12 pmol/min/mg protein).
Non-cardinal color perception across the retina: easy for orange, hard for burgundy and sky blue

Cardinal color performance (reddish, greenish, bluish, yellowish, black, and white) has been shown to decline in peripheral viewing. What about non-cardinal color performance (e.g., orange, burgundy, and sky blue)? In visual search, performance on non-cardinal colors matched that of the cardinal colors in the (L−M)/(S−(L+M)) (isoluminant) color plane (Experiment 1, n=10, to 30°; Experiment 2, n=3, to 50°). However, performance in the (L−M)/(L+M) and (S−(L+M))/(L+M) color planes was worse for non-cardinal colors, at all eccentricities, even in the fovea. The implications that these results have for the existence of non-cardinal mechanisms in each color plane are discussed.
Raman scattering as a probe of planetary atmospheres

The observable effects of Raman scattering on the spectra of the giant planets may provide new information on the composition and structure of these atmospheres. Satellite observations have already shown the influence of Raman scattering on the UV continuum albedo. A cross correlation technique is presented for detecting rotational and vibrational transitions of the Raman active gases in the atmosphere. This technique has been applied to ground-based visible spectra of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Extension of this method into the UV would improve the detectability of the Raman lines because the ratio of Raman to Rayleigh cross section increases with decreasing wavelength. The technology currently exists to efficiently obtain high-signal-to-noise ratio UV spectra through the use of silicon diode array detectors. Application of the cross-correlation technique to UV spectra obtained from space vehicles would give a new important probe of the structure and composition of planetary atmospheres by enabling the use of the UV spectra of a planet to observe what would normally be an infrared molecular transition.
Chemical composition of sporangiophore walls of Mucor rouxii.

Abstract Sporangiophore walls of the fungus Mucor rouxii were prepared essentially free from extraneous cell wall material and cytoplasmic debris. In the electron microscope a microfibrillar texture was clearly discerned on the inner surface whereas the outer surface exhibited a granular appearance. Sporangiophore walls are mainly composed of polysaccharides with smaller amounts of lipid and protein. Four distinct polysaccharides were recognized: an acid-soluble polymer of D -glucosamine (chitosan), an alkali-soluble hereropolymer of D -glucuronic acid, fucose, mannose and galactose (mucoran), and two insoluble polymers, one of N-acetylglucosamine (chitin) and the other of D -glucuronic acid (mucoric acid). Sporangiophore walls resemble in qualitative composition the hyphal walls from which ther arise but differ a appreciably in quantitative composition.
Status and optical performance of the corrective optics space telescope axial replacement (COSTAR)

The Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) is designed to restore the high image quality, lost to a primary mirror manufacturing defect, that was originally expected from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Though its rapid development is both a technical and programmatic challenge, COSTAR is nearing completion at Ball Aerospace and is scheduled for deployment during the first HST servicing shuttle mission late this year. This paper describes the extensive optical testing that has been planned to assure the high quality imaging performance of the COSTAR-corrected HST. Independent, redundant tests at both component and system levels are employed to verify that design tolerances are sufficient and manufacturing tolerances are achieved. We report the results of the critical tests which have been completed to date and their implications for the on-orbit performance.
Green Spots are Predictors of High Callus Growth Rates and Shoot Formation in Normal and in Salt Stressed Tissue Cultures of Oat (Avena sativa L.)

Summary A general method for rapidly producing callus from the roots of germinating oat seedlings is discussed. Shoot regeneration occurs through the 38th week of culture. The occurrence of green spots in secondary callus is positively correlated with shoot regeneration although only regeneration decreases with time. Callus with green spots grows more rapidly and produces many more new green spots than plain callus. Continued green spot and shoot production requires auxin. A period of high temperature (30°C) is necessary for the establishment of regenerated plants in greenhouse or growth chamber conditions. Several hundred such plants have been produced. Cool temperatures (20°C) are required for seed set. The selection of callus tolerant to as much as 0.15 m NaCl is discussed.
2-p-Toluidinyl-6-Naphthalene Sulfonate: Relation of Structure to Fluorescence Properties in Different Media

Hydrated and anhydrous crystals of 2-p-toluidinyl-6-naphthalene sulfonate exhibit fluorescence spectra similar to those obtained for 2-p-toluidinyl-6-naphthalene sulfonate in water and in organic solvents, respectively. The molecular structure of anhydrous 2-p-toluidinyl-6-naphthalene sulfonate suggests extended electron resonance over the whole molecule and this is one of the causes of the spectral differences.
Solvent-stimulated surface rearrangement of polyurethanes

Abstract Polyurethane surfaces undergo rearrangements when the environment they are exposed to is changed from air to water. These rearrangements were investigated by wetting angle and ESCA measurements. The wetting angle measurements indicate that the polar component of the surface free energy of polyurethane increases in time, and angular-dependent ESCA experiments show that this is due to the increase in the surface density of the more polar hard segments [HMDI] of the polyurethane. The rearrangements affect the structure of the polymer to a depth of more than 90 A from the surface. It is shown here that the rearrangement in water can be stimulated by preimmersing the polymer for a short time in a suitable organic solvent, since this increases the mobility of the molecular chains near the surface.
Comparative flexural behavior of four fiber reinforced cementitious composites

This research investigates the flexural behavior of fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC) with four different types of fibers and two volume fraction contents (0.4% and 1.2%) within a nominally identical mortar matrix (56 MPa compressive strength). The four fibers are high strength steel twisted (T-), high strength steel hooked (H-), high molecular weight polyethylene spectra (SP-), and PVA-fibers. The tests were carried out according to ASTM standards. The T-fiber specimens showed best performance in almost all aspects of behavior including load carrying capacity, energy absorption capacity and multiple cracking behavior, while the PVA-fiber specimens exhibited comparatively the worst performance in all aspects of response. The only category in which SP-fiber specimens outperformed T-fiber specimens was deflection capacity, where SP-specimens exhibited the highest deflection at maximum load. By comparing the test results to data from an additional test program involving the use of a higher strength mortar (84 MPa) with both H- and T-fibers, it is shown that, again, T-fibers perform significantly better than H-fibers in a higher strength matrix. The test results from both experimental programs were used to critique the new ASTM standard [C 1609/C 1609M-05], and a few suggestions were made for improving the applicability of the standard to deflection-hardening FRCCs.
Identifying impact load in composite plates based on distributed piezoelectric sensor measurements

This paper presents a computer code, IDIMPACT, based on a proposed impact load identification method for identifying both the amount of the impact load and its location in composite plates from distributed build-in piezoelectric sensor measurements. The proposed method consists of a system model characterizing the dynamic response of composite plates and of a response comparator estimating the impact location and force history by comparing the sensor measurements with the simulated ones. To verify the computer code and the proposed method, instrumented hammer impact tests were conducted on a 36-inch-by-30-inch composite plate with distributed surface-mounted piezo-ceramic sensors. The computer code was implemented in a PC with data acquisition boards to digitize the sensor measurements. The code would automatically run and graphically display the predicted location and impact force-time history from a monitor. The code has reliably with high accuracy predicted the force and location of every impact event that was tested.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Epidemiologie - Ausbildung in Deutschland

Einleitung Mittlerweile gibt es in Deutschland mehrere Master-Studiengange fur Epidemiologie. Ungeachtet der typischen Berufsfelder lehrt die Epidemiologie fundamentale wissenschaftliche Kulturtechniken und ist oft wichtiger Bestandteil anderer gesundheitsorientierter Studiengange. Public Health funktioniert nicht ohne Epidemiologie. Die Epidemiologie-Ausbildung tut gut daran, sich in Public Health zu verankern, um nicht im Elfenbeinturm zu verschwinden.
Some theoretical implications of local optimization

This paper presents some theoretical results concerning the effectiveness of an approximate technique, known as local optimization, as applied to a wide class of problems. First, conditions are described under which the technique ensures exact solutions. Then, in regard to cases in which these conditions cannot be met in practice, a method is presented for estimating the probability that the approximate (locally optimal) solution delivered by such a technique is in fact the exact (globally optimal) solution. This probability may be viewed as a possible criterion of effectiveness in the design of neighborhoods for specific local optimization algorithms.
Difficult airway management: comparison of the Bullard laryngoscope with the video-optical intubation stylet.

Purpose: To evaluate, whether the video-optical intubation stylet (VOIS) was more successful for difficult tracheal intubation than the Bullard laryngoscope (BL). Methods: An intubation mannequin head was modified so that, using a Macintosh blade size 3, only the epiglottis was visible at direct laryngoscopy, representing a grade III laryngoscopic view. Forty anesthesiologists attempted tracheal intubation using each technique. Tracheal intubation with the Bullard laryngoscope was performed using the attached non-malleable intubating tstylet preloaded with an endotracheal tube. The video-optical intubation stylet inserted into an endotracheal tube was used with direct laryngoscopy. During conventional laryngoscopy, the video-view from the stylet tip allowed the tracheal tube to be guided behind the epiglottis into the trachea. Ten attempts with each technique were performed by each anesthesiologist in randomized order. Intubation time, and failed intubation (>60 sec / esophageal intubation) were recorded. The operators assessed the degree of difficulty of each method using a Likert-scale. Results: Mean intubation time (19.2±4.5 sec for the BL and 18.8 ± 4.6 sec for the VOIS) was almost the identical. The video-optical intubation stylet was associated with fewer failed intubations (8vs 41;P<0.005) and had a lower degree of difficulty (1.7±0.65 for the VOIS and 2.6±0.74 for the BL;P<0.0001). No correlation was found between the anesthesiologist’s experience and mean intubation time, estimated degree of difficulty or number of unsuccessful intubation. Conclusion: The video-optical intubation stylet was a more effective and simpler intubation device to facilitate difficult tracheal intubation than the Bullard laryngoscope.
Report from the Mid-Atlantic Region

On November 6 and 7, 1980, the Institute for Research in History sponsored an international conference in New York City on the origins of Anglo-American radicalism. It was an exhausting affair, that included sessions on a dozen pre circulated papers, keynote lectures and commentaries, and considerable discussion and debate from the floor. Among the highlights were Christopher Hill's paper, linking (if only speculatively) Daniel Defoe, piracy, English radicalism, and changing relations of labor in the seventeenth-century Carribean; Alfred Young's paper on eighteenth-century American popular culture and radicalism (with a com mentary by Pauline Maier); and two especially lively sessions on recent trends in the historiography of the English Civil War and on liberal capitalism, popular movements, and ideology in America from the Revolution through the age of Jefferson. The organizers, John and Margaret Jacob, along with the Institute are to be congratulated for having brought together so many scholars whose interests in tersect. It is hoped with publication of the papers in book form expected in the near future, they will reach the wider audience they deserve. Also on the international front, the Milan Group on the History of the Early United States has announced its formation and is eager to hear from any Ameri cans working on social and labor history from the colonial period through the early nineteenth century. The Group, begun as an informal network of scholars who attended an earlier conference in Milan on American radicalism, consists of a few Americans and several Americanists from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. It aims to deepen the heretofore tentative contacts be tween historians outside of this country and resident historians, to exchange news and notes and otherwise help make the study of early America more of an interna tional enterprise. A conference on republicanism and American society, from the Revolution to 1840, has been scheduled for next June; plans are underway to pub lish a regular news bulletin. Anyone interested in joining the group should send his or her name and address and a brief summary of past research and future projects to Loretta Valtz Manucci, v. Cappucio 3, Milan, Italy.
PROPERTIES OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA EXHIBITING SELF-LYSIS.

Spontaneous lysis leading to the production of turbid, iridescent auto-plaques (AP+) was noted in 46 out of 50 strains ofPseudomonas aeruginosa. Strain Pa-1 which is mucoid and is a non-auto-plaque former (M+AP−) on rare occasions lyses; the surviving cells are non-mucoid and always exhibited plaques on itself (M−AP+) as well as on the M+AP− culture. In addition, the non-mucoid culture gave rise to a mucoid, auto-plaque producing variant (M+AP+). Biochemical characterization of the cultures indicated no other qualitative differences, although AP+ cultures were more proteolytic, but less hemolytic than the M+AP− strain. All three cultures synthesized the bacteriocin pyocin, but were immune to both their own and each other's agents. In addition, they exhibited the same lysogenic host range when streaked against 18 other cultures ofP. aeruginosa. Treatment of the auto-plaque forming strains with non-inhibitory levels of penicillin, streptomycin, chloromycetin, or polymyxin, stimulated cultures to produce increased numbers of auto-plaques in proportion to antibiotic concentrations, while no lysis was noted with the non-autolytic strain (M+AP−). However, treatment of the three cultures with varying doses of ultra-violet did not stimulate the production of auto-plaques beyond the normal level of non-irradiated cultures, and in some cases suppressed their appearance. Filtrates obtained from the non-mucoid, auto-plaque producing culture (M−AP+) formed iridescent, turbid plaques on M+AP−, M+AP+, and M−AP+. Similar results were obtained with the M+AP+ filtrates.
Program locality analysis using reuse distance

On modern computer systems, the memory performance of an application depends on its locality. For a single execution, locality-correlated measures like average miss rate or working-set size have long been analyzed using reuse distance—the number of distinct locations accessed between consecutive accesses to a given location. This article addresses the analysis problem at the program level, where the size of data and the locality of execution may change significantly depending on the input.The article presents two techniques that predict how the locality of a program changes with its input. The first is approximate reuse-distance measurement, which is asymptotically faster than exact methods while providing a guaranteed precision. The second is statistical prediction of locality in all executions of a program based on the analysis of a few executions. The prediction process has three steps: dividing data accesses into groups, finding the access patterns in each group, and building parameterized models. The resulting prediction may be used on-line with the help of distance-based sampling. When evaluated on fifteen benchmark applications, the new techniques predicted program locality with good accuracy, even for test executions that are orders of magnitude larger than the training executions.The two techniques are among the first to enable quantitative analysis of whole-program locality in general sequential code. These findings form the basis for a unified understanding of program locality and its many facets. Concluding sections of the article present a taxonomy of related literature along five dimensions of locality and discuss the role of reuse distance in performance modeling, program optimization, cache and virtual memory management, and network traffic analysis.
Differential effects of interleukin-3 on fetal and adult erythroid cells in culture: implications for the isolation of fetal cells from maternal blood.

Fetal clonogenic erythroid cells may be present in maternal blood and serve as a source of fetal DNA for prenatal genetic diagnosis. Proliferating nucleated red cells in cultures from first and second trimester fetal blood contain only fetal haemoglobin (HbF; F+A− cells), whereas nucleated red cells from adult blood contain also adult haemoglobin (HbA; F+A+ or F−A+ cells). Thus, fetal red cells can be identified and flow sorted. However, a few adult cells are also F+A−, which reduces the purity of fetal cell isolation. Culture media optimized for erythropoiesis contain interleukin-3 (IL3). We show here that IL3 strongly stimulates the growth of F+ cells (both F+A− and F+A+) in cultures from adult blood but has only a comparatively small effect on F+A− cells in cultures from fetal blood. This difference is maintained in the unified conditions of co-cultures of adult and fetal cells, so that the purity of fetal cell sorts can be increased by omitting IL3 from the culture medium. We further show that IL3 accelerates the exhaustion of the long-term division potential of adult cells, allowing fetal secondary colonies to be identified by their size following a two-stage culture scheme. Thus, the choice to omit or include IL3 in the growth medium of maternal blood cultures should depend on whether fetal nucleated red cells are to be isolated by flow sorting after one week, or by picking secondary colonies after a later secondary culture stage. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Risk, Uncertainty, and Gender Stereotypes in Healthcare Decisions

Disparities in healthcare access, treatment, and outcomes are widely prevalent for women and minorities. At the same time, healthcare choices have become increasingly intricate and correspondingly ...
The use of geographic information systems (GIS) in conducting a needs assessment of seniors in Collier County

Despite boasting a population where approximately 50% of individuals are aged 65 or older, Collier County has few services specifically targeting this population. This project utilized geographic information systems (GIS) to examine the current needs of the senior population in a defined section of Collier County, Florida. Various data points regarding the population age 65 and over were obtained using the U.S. Census Bureau’s American FactFinder tool. This data was incorporated into digital maps that included the census tracts of the selected geographic area, locations of existing programs/services, and the existing transportation network. The results of the spatial analysis were corroborated by data collected via key informant interviews and focus groups. The result of the project was the establishment of the first senior access center in Collier County. The project reinforces the use of GIS technologies for the purposes of needs assessment and siting program locations in the human services.
Effects of actinomycin D on acetate-starved and logarithmically growing Euglena gracilis

Abstract The effect of actinomycin D on both acetate-starved and normal logarithmically growing Euglena gracilis has been examined. Upon replenishment of the acetate, the starved cells resumed logarithmic growth after a lag period during which they resynthesized the RNA and protein utilized during starvation. If actinomycin D was added with the acetate, the length of the lag period was not changed, but the cells resumed growth slowly at a rate depending both on the concentration of actinomycin D and on thee duration of the preceding period of starvation. During the lag period actinomycin-treated cells resynthesized the same amount of protein and almost the same amount of RNA as the controls. After growth resumed, protein accumulated but RNA did not accumulate and DNA synthesis was not prevented. The addition of actinomycin D to logarithmically growing cells results in an inhibited rate of growth and of RNA synthesis for these Euglena. The results, which are consistent with the view that actinomycin D inhibits the synthesis of DNA-dependent RNA, suggest that the protein synthetic system loses its programming slowly during starvation.
Introduction to the Symposium: What is (the) Mishnah?

The following four papers originated in a special session of the History and Literature of Early Rabbinic Judaism Section at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, November 19, 2006, in Washington, D.C. The panelists were asked to review and constructively critique one another's recent works on the Mishnah, with an eye toward setting each within the larger corpus of recent scholarship on the Mishnah and its broader literary and historical context while addressing how each contributes to the larger question, what is (the) Mishnah?
Ultrabright photoactivatable fluorophores created by reductive caging

Sub-diffraction-limit imaging can be achieved by sequential localization of photoactivatable fluorophores, for which the image resolution depends on the number of photons detected per localization. We report a strategy for fluorophore caging that creates photoactivatable probes with high photon yields. Upon photoactivation, these probes can provide 10(4)-10(6) photons per localization and allow imaging of fixed samples with resolutions of several nanometers. This strategy can be applied to many fluorophores across the visible spectrum.
Comparison of clonal diversity in mountain and Piedmont populations of Trillium cuneatum (Melanthiaceae-Trilliaceae), a forest understory species

The balance between clonal and sexual reproduction can vary widely among plant populations, and the extent of clonality may be influenced by the combined effects of historical land use and variation in environmental conditions. We investigated patterns of clonal spread in five Trillium cuneatum populations, two in the Appalachian Mountains characterized by mesic, cooler conditions, and three at lower elevations experiencing warmer, drier conditions and greater disturbance. Using a new measure of the genet effective number and innovative orthogonal contrast methods, we quantified genet structure, contrasting clonal growth in the mountains with that in the Piedmont. Asexual propagation was more common in the Piedmont, where 25% of the sampled ramets were clonally derived, but was much less frequent in the mountains (7% clonal replicates). Hierarchical partitioning of variation in genet diversity showed that the majority (75.8%) of the variation resulted from more vegetative replication in the Piedmont. Most of the remaining variation (21.6%) was attributable to differences between urban and rural Piedmont populations, and a small, statistically nonsignificant fraction of the variation (2.6%) was due to interpopulation differences within the mountains. Higher frequency of cloning may enhance both genetic and demographic population viability in fragmented Piedmont habitats.