cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Burning Plasma Experiment vacuum vessel design update

The Burning Plasma Experiment (BPX) machine is an experimental device that is intended to demonstrate plasma self-heating and the production of significant amounts of fusion power. The BPX vacuum vessel provides the high vacuum environment required for plasma operation and forms the primary containment structure for tritium. The authors describe the major features of the vacuum vessel assembly, an R&D program that has been completed, and additional R&D programs that are planned. Areas of concern, such as weld distortion, nondestructive evaluation techniques, holding tolerances under shop conditions, performance of remote welding/cutting equipment, and performance of noncircular seals, will be addressed in the R&D programs. >
Extraction of Cs+ and Sr2+ from HNO3 Solution Using Macrocyclic Polyethers

Abstract A series of crown compounds has been studied in connection with the development of a solvent extraction process for removing Cs+ and Srs2+ from acidic high activity nuclear waste. Crown compounds were investigated because of their ability to form organic soluble complexes with the alkali metals and the alkaline earth metals. The solvent (tributyl phosphate and kerosene) was chosen because of its compatibility with the Purex process currently used at the Savannah River Plant for plutonium and uranium purification. The crown compounds were found not to be sufficiently strong complexing agents to extract these metals from an aqueous phase with an inorganic anion such as nitrate or chloride. However, the use of large organic soluble anions which also functioned as liquid ion exchangers made it possible to extract Cs+ from 3 M HNO3 while leaving Sr2+ and La3+ behind. The use of .02 M bis-(4,4′(5′)-[q-hydroxyheptyl]-benzo)-18-crown-6 in 0.076 M (5 vol-%) didodecylnaphthalene sulfonic acid (DNS)-27 vol-...
Body fat distribution in white and black women: different patterns of intraabdominal and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue utilization with weight loss

Background: Intraabdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) is the body fat depot most strongly related to disease risk. Weight reduction is advocated for overweight people to reduce total body fat and IAAT, although little is known about the effect of weight loss on abdominal fat distribution in different races. Objective: We compared the effects of diet-induced weight loss on changes in abdominal fat distribution in white and black women. Design: We studied 23 white and 23 black women, similar in age and body composition, in the overweight state [mean body mass index (BMI; in kg/m 2 ): 28.8] and the normal-weight state (mean BMI: 24.0) and 38 never-overweight control women (mean BMI: 23.4). We measured total body fat by using a 4-compartment model, trunk fat by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and cross-sectional areas of IAAT (at the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae) and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SAAT) by using computed tomography. Results: Weight loss was similar in white and black women (13.1 and 12.6 kg, respectively), as were losses of total fat, trunk fat, and waist circumference. However, white women lost more IAAT (P < 0.001) and less SAAT (P < 0.03) than did black women. Fat patterns regressed toward those of their respective control groups. Changes in waist circumference correlated with changes in IAAT in white women (r = 0.54, P < 0.05) but not in black women (r = 0.19, NS). Conclusions: Despite comparable decreases in total and trunk fat, white women lost more IAAT and less SAAT than did black women. Waist circumference was not a suitable surrogate marker for tracking changes in the visceral fat compartment in black women.
Accuracy and resolution bounds for adaptive sensor array processing

Accuracy and resolution bounds for adaptive sensor array processing problems are derived using Cramer-Rao analysis. These bounds are used to establish a fundamental limit on the resolution achievable by a given aperture. The resolution bounds of a uniform linear array (ULA) and two separated and collinear ULAs are derived. These resolution bounds are compared to those achieved in a simulation and previously published bounds for specific superresolution algorithms. The potential improvement in resolution obtained by separating two ULAs each with a fixed aperture B wavelengths by M wavelengths (assumed large) is shown to be approximately /spl radic/(M/B).
Jews and Judaism in the Middle Ages – By Theodore L. Steinberg

This book is a labor of love. Writing as an accomplished scholar of medieval English literature and an avowed amateur Jewish historian, the author introduces ancient Judaism and then presents medie...
Repeat cesarean section and primary elective cesarean section: recently trained obstetrician-gynecologist practice patterns and opinions.

Objective This study was undertaken to determine opinions of obstetrician-gynecologists regarding vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) section and elective cesarean section. Study design A questionnaire was administered to obstetrician-gynecologists attending 2 review courses. Results Of 500 obstetrician-gynecologists, 304 completed the survey for a response rate of 61%. Most (92%) counseled VBAC candidates differently, and 84% quoted differential VBAC completion rates on the basis of the indication for prior cesarean section. Uterine rupture was virtually always discussed (99%). Pelvic floor risks were infrequently discussed with urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence discussed by less than one third of obstetricians (30%, 28%, and 25%, respectively). Fifty-nine percent of physicians would perform a primary elective cesarean section, and 67% would perform a primary elective cesarean section specifically to prevent pelvic floor disorders. Conclusion Two thirds of recent graduates are willing to perform an elective cesarean section to prevent pelvic floor injury. Most offer VBAC; however, less than a third include risk of pelvic floor injury in their informed consent discussions.
Design and Integration of Fluoropolymers for Photonics

Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) polymers exhibit a superior combination of optical and structural properties including: low transmission loss, unprecedented processability, tailorable refractive index and thermoptic coefficients compared to other fluoropolymers. An overview of PFCB synthesis, fabrication, properties, and commercial opportunities will be presented.
ADSORPTION OF CERTIFIED DYES BY STARCH.

The adsorption of five anionic certified dyes, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 1, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and Ext. D&C Red No. 15, by rice starch, wheat starch, and three varieties of cornstarch, was measured. Adsorption was found to fit the Langmuir equation in all cases. The extent of adsorption by the various cornstarches is related to the ratio of amylopectin to amylose, an increase in adsorption occurring with an increase in the amylopectin content. No dye adsorption was observed when potato starch was used. This is believed to be because of the presence of phosphate ester groups not present in the other starches.
HEMOPOIETIC RESPONSES OF THE CAT TO TOTAL BODY IRRADIATION FOLLOWED BY CHEMOTHERAPY

Cats with lymphosarcoma are affected with rapidly progressive, fatal neoplasia of hemopoietic tissues. The very aggressive nature of this type of neoplasia requires intense therapy, which in most instances is only palliative. A combination of total body irradiation and cytotoxic chemotherapy in four normal cats was followed by similar patterns of leukopenia and throm-bocytopenia in all cats. The radiation protocol and the complications of the transient throm-bocytopenia and leukopenia are discussed and compared with reports of similar efforts in human medicine. The responses from these normal cats were quite similar to those seen in humans undergoing similar therapy. The cat may be considered as a possible model for further radiotherapy research.
The Extreme-Ultraviolet Emission in the Coma Cluster of Galaxies and the Underlying Source of this Radiation

Observations with the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) have shown the Coma Cluster to be a source of EUV emission in excess of that produced by X-ray gas in the cluster. We have reexamined the EUVE data on this cluster in an attempt to obtain clues as to the origin of this emission. We find two important new results. First, the ratio between the azimuthally averaged EUV excess emission and the ROSAT hard X-ray flux is constant as a function of distance from the cluster center outward. Second, a correlation analysis between the EUV excess emission and the X-ray emission shows that on a detailed level the EUV excess is spatially closely related to the X-ray emission. These findings contradict previous suggestions as to the underlying source of the diffuse EUV emission in Coma and provide important information in regard to the true source of this emission. We propose a new explanation for the source of this emission: inverse Compton scattering of microwave background photons by secondary electrons and positrons. We explore this possibility in some detail and show that it is consistent with all of the available observational evidence. The parent cosmic-ray protons may have been produced by any of a number of sources, including supernovae, active galaxies, galactic winds, and cluster formation shocks, but we believe that the most likely source is cluster formation shocks. If the EUV emission in the Coma Cluster is, in fact, the result of secondary electrons, this may be the only direct evidence for secondary electrons in the intracluster medium of a cluster of galaxies, since recent work suggests that secondary electrons may not be the cause of radio halos.
A Celtic Framework for Knots and Links

We describe a variant of a method used by modern graphic artists to design what are traditionally called Celtic knots, which are part of a larger family of designs called “mirror curves.” It is easily proved that every such design specifies an alternating projection of a link. We use medial graphs and graph minors to prove, conversely, that every alternating projection of a link is topologically equivalent to some Celtic link, specifiable by this method. We view Celtic representations of knots as a framework for organizing the study of knots, rather like knot mosaics or braid representations. The formalism of Celtic design suggests some new geometric invariants of links and some new recursively specifiable sequences of links. It also leads us to explore new variations of problems regarding such sequences, including calculating formulae for infinite sequences of knot polynomials. This involves a confluence of ideas from knot theory, topological graph theory, and the theory of orthogonal graph drawings.
Environment of ore deposition in the Creede mining district, San Juan Mountains, Colorado; Part V, Epithermal mineralization from fluid mixing in the OH Vein

Detailed fluid inclusion studies on coarse-grained sphalerite from the OH vein, Creede, Colorado, have shown that the abrupt color changes between growth zones correspond to abrupt changes in the nature of the ore fluids. Within each growth zone, however, the composition of the fluids remained constant. The base of a distinctive orange-brown growth zone marks a sharp increase in both temperature and salinity relative to the preceding yellow-white zone. The orange-brown growth zone can be correlated along much of the vein and is believed to represent a time-stratigraphic interval. Along the vein, temperatures and salinities of fluid inclusions within this interval show a systematic decrease from about 285 degrees C and 11.5 wt percent NaCl equiv near the base of the vein to about 250 degrees C and 8 wt percent NaC1 equiv, respectively, near the top of the vein. The iron concentration of this sphalerite growth zone shows a similar pattern, decreasing from about 2.8 to 1.2 mole percent FeS.When plotted on an enthalpy-salinity diagram, the fluid inclusion data define a spatial trend indicating the progressive mixing of deeply circulating hydrothermal brines with overlying, dilute ground waters. The hydrothermal brines entered the OH vein from below at a temperature, salinity, and density of approximately 285 degrees C, 11.5 wt percent NaCl equiv, and 860 kg/m 3 , respectively, whereas the overlying ground waters appear to have been preheated to roughly 150 degrees C and had an assumed salinity of 0 wt percent and a density of 920 kg/m 3 . The greater density of the heated ground water promoted mixing with the hydrothermal brine within the open fractures, eausing sphalerite deposition. Although there were also episodes of boiling during vein mineralization, boiling appears unimportant for this sphalerite. Isotopic evidence and geochemical modeling studies also indicate that mixing was the depositional mechanism for sphalerite.An important aspect of the mixing hydrology of the Creede system involves an aquitard overlying the OH vein. This low permeability zone restricted the flow of ground water into the vein from above and forced the upwelling hydrothermal fluids to flow laterally along the vein. The mixing environment thus occurred along the interface between a deeply circulating hydrothermal convection cell and a topographically driven shallow ground-water system.
Visual Field Defects in Patients with Insulin-dependent and Noninsulin-dependent Diabetes

Automated perimetry (Humphrey 30-2) was used to quantitate visual field sensitivity in diabetic patients with either little or no retinopathy (n = 38) or mild background diabetic retinopathy (n = 19) and in visually normal controls (n = 40). Foveal thresholds were unaffected in the diabetic patients but significant reductions in visual field sensitivity, measured by both the mean deviation and the pattern standard deviation indices of visual field sensitivity, were observed in the diabetic patients. Subgroup analyses showed that this sensitivity reduction primarily occurred in noninsulin-dependent diabetic patients. Among the diabetic patients, 26.3% of the visual fields were flagged as "probably abnormal." This percentage was greatest among the noninsulin-dependent patients with mild background diabetic retinopathy (72.3%). The sensitivity reductions observed in the noninsulin-dependent patients with mild background diabetic retinopathy tended to be localized in the superior quadrants and correlated with the extent of retinal vascular compromise evident from vitreous fluorophotometry (r = 0.603). These findings imply that in diabetic patients visual field defects (1) often can be detected in patients with at most moderate retinopathy, (2) occur more frequently in noninsulin-dependent patients than in insulin-dependent patients, and (3) may result from subclinical microangiopathy.
LIGATION OF INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL CD1D INDUCES BIOACTIVE IL-10 : CRITICAL ROLE OF THE CYTOPLASMIC TAIL IN AUTOCRINE SIGNALING

The intestinal epithelium is anatomically positioned to serve as the critical interface between the lumen and the mucosal immune system. In addition to MHC class I and II antigens, intestinal epithelia constitutively express the nonclassical MHC molecule CD1d, a transmembrane molecule with a short cytoplasmic tail expressed as a β2-microglobulin-associated 48-kDa glycoprotein and novel β2-microglobulin-independent 37-kDa nonglycosylated protein on intestinal epithelia. At present, it is not known whether extracellular ligands can signal intestinal epithelial CD1d. To define signaling of CD1d cytoplasmic tail, retrovirus-mediated gene transfer was used to generate stable cell lines expressing wild-type CD1d or a chimeric molecule (extracellular CD1d and cytoplasmic CD1a), and surface CD1d was triggered by antibody crosslinking. Although wild-type CD1d was readily activated (tyrosine phosphorylation), no demonstrable signal was evident in cell lines expressing the chimeric molecule. Subsequent studies revealed that anti-CD1d crosslinking specifically induces epithelial IL-10 mRNA and protein and is blocked by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein. Further studies addressing epithelial-derived IL-10 revealed that anti-CD1d crosslinking attenuates IFN-γ signaling and that such attenuation is reversed by addition of functionally inhibitory IL-10 antibodies. These results define signaling through surface CD1d, and, importantly, they demonstrate that this pathway may serve to dampen epithelial proinflammatory signals.
Recursion Relations and Fixed Points for Ferromagnets with Long-Range Interactions

Recent calculations on ferromagnets with $n$-component spins and with long-range forces (the interaction between spin decays as $\frac{1}{{r}^{d+\ensuremath{\sigma}}}$, where $d$ is the dimensionality of the system and $\ensuremath{\sigma}g0$) have given exponents which are apparently discontinuous at $\ensuremath{\sigma}=2$, i.e., when the transition to short-range interactions is made. By solving Wilson's exact recursion relations to order ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}(\ensuremath{\epsilon}=2\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{-}d)$ we show that the exponents $\ensuremath{\eta}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$, and $\ensuremath{\phi}$ are continuous functions of $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ and that there exists a region of long-range potentials defined by $2g\ensuremath{\sigma}g2\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\mathrm{SR}}$ where the exponents assume their short-range values.
Brachial plexus palsy after intramedullary fixation of a clavicular fracture. A report of three cases.

D isplaced comminuted fractures of the clavicle are associated with an approximately 5% to 10% prevalence of nonunion1-5, and malunion (particularly when associated with >2 cm of shortening) can affect shoulder function1,6-9. While nonoperative treatment of clavicular fractures leads to excellent shoulder function in the vast majority of patients5, some patients with potentially problematic displaced and comminuted fractures now request operative treatment. Intramedullary fixation of the fractured clavicle is recognized as a well-established method of treatment10-14. The present report describes the cases of three patients in whom a brachial plexus palsy developed after intramedullary fixation of a displaced clavicular fracture; to our knowledge, this complication has not been described previously. The patients were informed that data concerning their cases would be submitted for publication. ### Patients T wo surgeons managed twenty patients with intramedullary rod fixation for the treatment of a clavicular fracture over a three-year period. Three of these patients had development of a brachial plexus palsy. All three patients had a normal preoperative neurological examination. The first patient (Case 1) was a sixty-nine-year-old healthy female homemaker who fell while descending stairs and sustained a mid-diaphyseal oblique fracture of the left (nondominant) clavicle that was completely displaced. Radiographs made four weeks after the injury showed no signs of healing. The patient was very unhappy with the pain and crepitation associated with motion at the fracture site, and she requested operative fixation. The second patient (Case 2) was a thirty-six-year-old man who fell and sustained a mid-diaphyseal oblique fracture of the left (nondominant) clavicle that was completely displaced. Radiographs made four weeks after the injury showed no signs of healing (Fig. 1-A). The patient was unhappy with the deformity of the shoulder, and he requested operative …
AN ESTIMATE OF THE PRICE EFFECTS OF RESTRICTIONS ON DRUG PRICE ADVERTISING

This paper examines the relationship between restrictions on price advertising in the retail market for prescription drugs and the retail price of prescription drugs. Utilizing data on state retail advertising restrictions and data from a national survey of pharmacies, the study estimates the effect of advertising restrictions on the retail price of prescription drugs, and the cost to consumers resulting from these restrictions.
Fluorescence and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Studies of the Effect of the Polymerization Concentration on the Properties of an Amino Acid-Based Polymeric Surfactant

Chiral polymeric surfactants, also known as micelle polymers, have been developed over the past decade for use as chiral selectors in the analytical separation of enantiomers. In this study, fluorescence spectroscopy and pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR) were used to determine how the concentration at which the micelles were polymerized affects their size and structure. Ten different polymerization concentrations of sodium N-undecanoyl-L-valinate (L-SUV) were investigated, ranging from slightly below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) to 50 times greater than the cmc. Analysis of fluorescence probe data indicates that significant changes in the micropolarity and microviscosity of the polymer occurred as a function of the polymerization concentration. Pulsed field gradient NMR and fluorescence quenching were also used to investigate the changes in the size of the polymers as a result of the polymerization concentration. In addition, PFG-NMR revealed information concerning the polydispersity of the ...
Racemization of isoleucine in fossil molluscs from Indian middens and interglacial terraces in southern California

The amino acid racemization dating technique is applied to the West Coast mollusc Chione from interglacial terrace deposits and Indian midden sites. The racemization kinetics of isoleucine were studied in Total hydrolysates and in the non-dialyzable Protein fraction from Chione shell. The reliability of the isoleucine dates was evaluated by (1) comparison with ages determined by radiocarbon and uranium disequilibrium dating, (2) species effects, and (3) reproducibility. Isoleucine dates for the interglacial terrace shell were found to be more reliable than the midden shell dates. A radiocarbon analysis of amino acids extracted from Del Mar midden shell was performed in order to resolve the discrepancies between the racemization ages and the 14 C dates on shell carbonate.
Short Note: On 1D diffusion problems with a gradient-dependent diffusion coefficient

0021-9991/$ see front matter 2008 Elsevier Inc doi:10.1016/j.jcp.2008.06.032 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 609 243 2635; fa E-mail address: jardin@pppl.gov (S.C. Jardin). In solving the 1D (flux surface averaged) transport equations for the temperatures, magnetic fields, and densities in the ‘‘evolving equilibrium” description of a tokamak [1], one increasingly encounters highly nonlinear thermal conductivity and diffusivity functions, such as GLF23 [2], that have a strong and non-analytic dependence on the temperature gradients. These arise from a subsidiary microstability based calculation in which the growth rates and hence transport coefficients are sensitive functions of these gradients [3]. When these nonlinear functions are interfaced with an existing transport framework that uses a standard implicit time advancement algorithm such as Crank-Nicolson or backward Euler [4], large non-physical oscillations can develop and, as a result, non-convergent solutions can occur. Here we describe a relatively simple modification to these implicit algorithms that cures this difficulty. To illustrate the method, we start with a simple diffusion equation in cylindrical polar coordinates:
p97/DAP5 is a ribosome-associated factor that facilitates protein synthesis and cell proliferation by modulating the synthesis of cell cycle proteins

p97 (also referred to as DAP5, NAT1 or eIF4G2) has been proposed to act as a repressor of protein synthesis. However, we found that p97 is abundantly expressed in proliferating cells and p97 is recruited to ribosomes following growth factor stimulation. We also report that p97 binds eIF2β through its C-terminal domain and localizes to ribosome through its N-terminal MIF4G domain. When overexpressed, p97 increases reporter luciferase activity. In contrast, overexpression of the C-terminal two-thirds of eukaryotic initiation factor 4GI (eIF4GI), a region that shares significant homology with p97, or the N-terminal MIF4G domain of p97 markedly inhibits reporter activity, the rate of global translation and cell proliferation. Conversely, downregulation of p97 levels by RNA interference also decreases the rate of global translation and inhibits cell proliferation. This coincides with an increase in p27/Kip1 protein levels and a marked decrease in CDK2 kinase activity. Taken together, our results demonstrate that p97 is functionally different from the closely related C-terminal two-thirds of eIF4GI and it can positively promote protein synthesis and cell proliferation.
The synthesis of some 4‐carbobenzoxy‐3‐alkoxy benzamidine hydrochlorides and other amidines

This paper deals with the preparation of some 4‐carbobenzoxy‐3‐alkoxy benzamidines, N‐benzyl p‐N‐n‐alkylamidine benzamides and benzyl p‐N‐n‐butyl amidine thiobenzoate. It is hoped that these compounds can be screened for their anesthetic activities in order that they may be correlated with the marked anesthetic activities of some previously described esters of p‐carboxybenzamidine.
DIFS: a distributed index for features in sensor networks

Sensor networks pose new challenges in the collection and distribution of data. Much attention has been focused on standing queries that use in-network aggregation of time series data to return data statistics in a communication-efficient manner. In this work, rather than consider searches over time series data, we consider searches over semantically rich high-level events, and present the design, analysis, and numerical simulations of a spatially distributed index that provides for efficient index construction and range searches. The scheme provides load balanced communication over index nodes by using the governing property that the wider the spatial extent known to an index node, the more constrained is the value range covered by that node.
Temperature preference and reproductive fitness of the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus exposed to constant and fluctuating temperatures

Austrofundulus limnaeus thrive in ephemeral ponds that may experience temperatures spanning a range of over 20°C on a daily basis. We hypothesized that A. limnaeus may have mechanisms, either behavioral or physiological, that allow them to support successful reproduction in this environment. To evaluate this hypothesis, we exposed male and female adult A. limnaeus to constant 26°C and cycling 21–37°C acclimation regimes in the laboratory and then determined their temperature preference and reproductive fitness. Temperature preference was determined using a thermal gradient. We demonstrated that A. limnaeus is capable of accurate behavioral thermoregulation, has a final thermal preferendum near 26°C, and exhibits a daily cycle of temperature preference. Exposure to a cycling temperature regime has an acute effect on thermal preference that differs between the sexes. Reproductive capability was negatively affected by the cyclic temperature exposure. These findings suggest that thermal partitioning between males and females may be a natural part of the ecology of A. limnaeus. In addition, it appears that behavioral thermoregulation, or partitioning of reproductive events to the cool parts of the thermoperiod, are likely to be critical to support successful reproduction in natural populations of A. limnaeus.
Green Peach Aphid: Orchard Weeds are Host to Fundatrix

Malva neglecta Wallr. and Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl, common weed species growing in the orchard at the same time that eggs of the green peach aphid (GPA), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), are hatching on peach trees and on prunings on the floor of the orchard, supported development and reproduction of hatching fundatrices (stem mothers) in Mar. and Apr. Also, sticky traps hung from peach trees caught large numbers of aphids falling to the ground. Thus, fundatrices of the GPA that fall onto weeds or develop there are the early progenitors of the population buildup on weeds, not the fundatrigeniae (progeny of stem mother) as believed earlier.
Origin of Stability in Branched Alkanes

The potential origins of stability in branched alkanes are investigated, paying close attention to two recent hypotheses: geminal steric repulsion and protobranching. All alkane isomers through C(6)H(14) along with heptane and octane were investigated at the MPW1B95/6-311++G(d,p) level. Their geminal steric repulsion, total steric repulsion, and orbital interactions were evaluated by using natural bond orbital analysis. All measures of steric repulsion fail to explain the stability of branched alkanes. The extra stability of branched alkanes and protobranching, in general, is tied to stabilizing geminal sigma-->sigma* delocalization, particularly of the type that involves adjacent C-C bonds and, thus, preferentially stabilizes branched alkanes. This picture is corroborated by valence bond calculations that attribute the effect to additional ionic structures (e.g., CH(3) (+) :CH(2) :CH(3) (-) and CH(3):(-) CH(2): CH(3) (+) for propane) that are not possible without protobranching.
Induction of c-fos immunostaining in the rat brain after the systemic administration of nicotine

Abstract To search for evidence of altered neuronal gene expression in response to exposure to the highly addictive drug nicotine, rat brains were examined by immunocytochemistry for the fos protein after the systemic administration of nicotine. The drug was administered as an IV infusion over 1 h to chronically cannulated, freely behaving rats. At a dose of 2 mg/kg, the most dramatic nicotine-induced fos nuclear immunostaining was seen in central visual pathways, including the superficial superior colliculus and the medial terminal nu. of the accessory optic tract, in the interpeduncular nu. Notably, many regions with high levels of nicotine binding sites, including the medial habenula, thalamus, substantia nigra, and ventral tegmental area, failed to express the c- fos gene with this schedule of nicotine administration. A minimal increase in fos immunostaining was seen after a nicotine dose of 0.5 mg/kg, with a much greater response after 1 or 2 mg/kg. The response was seen as soon as 60 min after the beginning of the infusion, was maximal at 2–3 h, and declined thereafter, c- fos expression was substantially attenuated in the superficial gray layer of superior colliculus, medial terminal nucleus of the accessory optic tract, and the interpeduncular nucleus by pretreatment with the centrally acting nicotine antagonist mecamylamine, 5 mg/kg IP, but not with the peripherally acting antagonist hexamethonium, 4 mg/kg IP. These observations identify a subset of central nervous system neurons that respond to nicotine with altered expression of the immediate early gene c- fos . These neurons presumably undergo long-term changes in gene expression as a result of acute exposure to high doses of nicotine.
Journals of the Century in Library and Information Science

Apres un bref historique des revues en sciences de l'information et en bibliotheconomie ainsi qu'une analyse des methodes d'evaluation de ces revues, l'A. propose une selection des titres les plus influents du 20eme siecle. Le classement tient compte des categories suivantes : revues d'interet general ; recherche en science de l'information ; fonctions documentaires speciales ; collections specialisees ; types de bibliotheque.
Community respiratory viral infection in adult lung transplant recipients

Study objective To define the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and long-term complications of respiratory viral infections in adult lung transplant recipients. Design Retrospective review of the records of 122 adult lung transplant recipients over a 5-year period at one institution. Results Ten episodes of infection with respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza, influenza, or adenovirus were identified. All patients presented with symptoms of respiratory tract infection. Two patients died acutely and four patients subsequently had development of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB). Conclusions These data suggest community respiratory viral infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in lung transplant recipients. Further prospective studies are warranted to clarify the relationship between respiratory viral infection and OB and to define the optimal therapy for these viral infections.
A collimated, high-speed outflow from the dying star V Hydrae

Stars with masses in the range 1-8 solar masses (M(\circ)) live ordinary lives for approximately 10(9)-10(10) years, but die extraordinary deaths. First, during their death throes as asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars they eject, over 10(4)-10(5) years, half or more of their mass in slowly expanding, spherical winds, and then, in a short (a few 100-1,000 years) and poorly understood phase, they are transformed into aspherical planetary nebula. Recent studies support the idea that high-speed, jet-like flows play a crucial role in this transformation. Evidence for such outflows is indirect, however; this phase is so short that few nearby stars are likely to be caught in the act. Here we report the discovery of a newly launched, high-speed jet-like outflow in the nearby AGB star, V Hydrae. We have detected both proper motions and ongoing evolution in the jet. These results support a model in which the jet is driven by an accretion disk around an unseen, compact companion. We also find a central, dense equatorial disk-like structure which may enable and/or enhance the formation of the accretion disk.
LC–MS2 for quantifying trace amounts of pharmaceutical compounds in soil and sediment matrices

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in watersheds has recently received increased attention due to the possibility of adverse effects on humans and animals and potential development of resistance genes in bacteria. Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals can be introduced into the environment through several different pathways, depending on usage patterns, hydrology and treatment practices. However, limited information about the occurrence and the fate of pharmaceuticals in the environment is available and, as a result, efficient mitigation strategies have been difficult to define. Robust, reliable methods therefore need to be developed to measure human-origin or veterinary pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations in aqueous and solid matrices. Solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry or tandem mass spectrometry has been utilized to pre-treat, separate, and detect the residuals of pharmaceuticals in a wide range of environmental samples. This article reviews the recent development of analytical methods for quantifying pharmaceutical residues in a range of solid matrices found in the environment.
Experimental determination of damage parameters in uniaxially-loaded metal-matrix composites using the overall approach

Abstract A recently developed damage-plasticity model for metal matrix composites is examined using the overall approach to damage. In this approach, the damage mechanisms in the composite system are reflected through a single overall damage tensor assuming an elasto-plastic matrix with elastic fibers. It is shown how the model is applied to uniaxially loaded metal-matrix specimens. Each specimen is a symmetric laminate composed of four plies with different orientations. A numerical procedure is formulated and implemented to calculate the stresses, strains, and damage variables in these specimens. In order to test the validity of the model, a series of uniaxial test experiments are conducted for the damage characterization of the metal-matrix composite. The experiments are conducted on a titanium aluminide SiC-reinforced laminate. Laminate layups of ( 0 90 )s and (± 45)s are tested under uniaxial tension. In order to investigate and model damage evolution, each specimen is loaded to different load levels ranging from the fracture load to 70% of fracture load. Scanning electron microscopy is performed on representative cross-sections of all specimens. This information is then used to quantify damage in the composite system. Damage variables are defined based on the crack density and correlated with the theoretical model. The experimental and numerical results are then compared. Certain recommendations are finally made concerning the determination of damage parameters in metal-matrix composites.
Optimally robust extrema filters for time series data

Feature vectors encoded by using extrema are known to be immune to different types of distortions of the original time series [1]. This property enables them to be effective in a wide range of pattern matching applications for time series data [2] [3]. The process of extracting extrema is usually preceded by a filtering step to reduce noise and to bring out prominent features in a time series. The core contribution of this paper is a methodology based on eigenanalysis to optimize the filter that would lead to robust extrema being extracted from the filtered signal. In this context, robustness is understood as the ability of the extrema from a signal to remain intact in spite of distortions to the signal. The paper then demonstrates that the ‘optimally robust' extrema outperform extrema obtained from using traditional filters in a time series pattern matching (subsequence matching) task on real and simulated datasets in the presence of bias, scale factor, and outlier distortions in the query signal.
Choosing sides in the battle against gastric acid

The duodenum is the first segment of the small intestine, just distal to the gastric pylorus. This positions the epithelial lining of the duodenum directly in the path of destructive gastric acid leaving the stomach. Because pancreatic bicarbonate secretions only enter the gut lumen farther down the gastrointestinal tract, the early duodenum must defend itself, unaided, from this acidic stress. The duodenal defenses can be conveniently grouped as pre-epithelial (e.g., neutralization of acid in the lumen), epithelial (e.g., tight junctions, membrane impermeability to acid, secretion of alkali and mucus), and subepithelial (e.g., afferent and efferent neural mechanisms, blood flow). Each of these contributions to mucosal defense is potentially important to human health because acid damage is a crucial aggravating factor in formation and persistence of duodenal ulcers (1). In terms of duodenal defense, strong interest has centered on the avid bicarbonate secretion mediated by duodenal epithelial cells. This is unequivocally the first line of defense, as the bicarbonate reaching the gut lumen will act to neutralize intraluminal acid (producing CO2 and water) before it ever reaches the cells. Elegant and rigorous experiments have shown that, as a consequence of this neutralization, the spaces directly adjacent to the epithelium have close to a neutral pH (2, 3). This juxtamucosal alkaline layer also contributes to mucosal defense by directly shielding duodenal epithelial cells from luminal acid. The article by Akiba et al. in this issue of the JCI (4) is interesting and important because it raises a new possibility: that bicarbonate secretory mechanisms may have an even greater role in acid defense through their effects on intracellular pH of duodenal epithelial cells. The central observation reported by Akiba et al. is that two anion transport inhibitors (DIDS and NPPB) both block bicarbonate secretion into the lumen but that these agents have opposite effects on cellular damage in response to luminal acid (4). Most strikingly, NPPB actually reduces the damage in response to luminal acid. These results are not readily compatible with conventional models of extracellular defense, since inhibition of bicarbonate secretion will compromise both luminal neutralization of acid and the juxtamucosal alkaline layer. Despite uncertainty about the molecular specificity of the drugs, these new in vivo results clearly demonstrate a dissociation between bicarbonate secretion and cytoprotection.
Awake inspiratory airway occlusion in normal humans is followed by hyperpnea and hypocapnia.

The ventilatory response following 15 seconds of inspiratory airway occlusion at functional residual capacity (FRC) was studied in nine normal supine awake subjects. Expired minute ventilation (Ve), CO2 output (vVCO2), tidal volume (Vt), and end-tidal PCO2(PetCO2) were measured on a bbreath-by-breath basis. Alveolar PCO2 rose 5.6 mm Hg during the apnea (P<0.001). Ventilation rose 10.8 L/min on the first breath following apnea and remained elevated above control measurements for five breaths (P<0.05). The persistent hyperpnea was due to an increase in tidal volume and was associated with alveolar hypocapnia for 6 breaths or 30 sec (P<0.05) and an increase in CO2 output for 4 breaths (P<0.05). Changes in end-tidal PCO2 correlated with excess CO2 output relative to control measurements immediately prior to airway occlusion (P<0.03). After 15 sec airway occlusion at FRC, there is alveolar hypercapnia with a 2.6-fold first breath rise in ventilation. Persistent alveolar hyperventilation lasting 30 sec following airway occlusion may be due to delays in central chemoreceptor response or an afterdischarge phenomenon. This overshoot hypocapnia following airway occlusion may have some relevance to the development of central apneas following obstructive apnea episodes.
Effective kinetic modeling of multistep homogeneous reactions

The Bodenstein approximation for trace-level intermediates is used to reduce multistep reaction-kinetic networks of arbitrary topology and size to simpler forms with only pseudosingle steps between nodes and to derive explicit equations for formation or consumption rates of end members. Networks with nontrace intermediates or steps of higher orders in intermediates must be broken at the respective steps into portions to which the procedure can then be applied separately. A recipe is provided with which rate and yield-ratio equations are readily compiled for networks of arbitrary configuration and complexity. The method is illustrated with an example of a reaction of industrial interest.
A comparison of the quality of carbon black dispersions prepared by dry and wet grind processes

We have investigated the deflocculation mechanism of waterborne jet black dispersions made in the dry-grind process based on the two-roll milling. We also compared this dry-grind process with the conventional wet media grind process. As a result, we found that: (1) High jetness in the dry-grind process was found to result from complete surface coverage of the carbon black pigment with the acidic acrylic dispersant during the two-roll milling step. This complete surface coverage is achieved because the dry dispersant molecules before neutralization do not have electrostatic repulsion among them. (2) The amount of adsorption for the dry grind is three times as great as that for the wet grind. (3) The stabilization mechanism is due to steric repulsion imparted by the adsorbed dispersant molecules, and the electrostatic repulsion is an insignificant force for stabilization. (4) High temperature in the chip dissolution step lowers the jetness owing to the decrease in the solubility of the dispersant at higher temperatures.
A model for calculating the attenuation factor of a multicomponent medium

A model and procedure are presented for calculating the attenuation factor of a multicomponent medium, taking account of the size distribution of particles and pores.
Numerical study of the two-stage amplitude-controlled RF linear accelerator in the SWIFT ion implanter beamline

The Applied Materials SWIFT ion implanter is an extended range single wafer implanter. It includes a compact ion RF accelerator and offers final accelerated beam energies up to 1.7 MeV and drift beam currents up to 10 mA for a wide range of silicon dopant species. Results presented in this work illustrate the effectiveness of the fixed phase, RF amplitude only control method used in the SWIFT beamline. Details are given of a numerical model of beamline performance used to calculate optimal values of booster RF voltages for any desired beam. The effect of an RF pre-buncher on the ion beam is also modeled, and theoretical results are validated by comparison with experimental beams.
Nutritional status of non-institutionalized elderly Alabamians

Nutritional status of 58 noninstitutionalized elderly persons from rural Alabama was assessed. All sex-race groups had mean energy and nutrient (protein, calcium, iron, vitamins A, B1. B2, C and niacin) intakes greater than two-thirds RDA with the exception of folate. White females had excessive energy consumption, but black women had the highest mean body mass index and hypertension. Forty-five percent of the subjects had serum folate levels <6ng/ml, and values showed a significant correlation with dietary folate intake and hemoglobin values.
Behavior of male and female zebra finches treated with an estrogen synthesis inhibitor as nestlings

In order to test hypotheses about the organizational role of early estrogen in the sexual differentiation of behavior in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), newly hatched birds were given one of three treatments: (1) daily injection with an aromatase inhibitor (fadrozole hydrochloride) for the first week; (2) the same treatment for the first two weeks; (3) daily injection of the vehicle for one or two weeks. As adults, birds were implanted with testosterone propionate and underwent a three-phase testing procedure designed to measure singing, dancing, copulation, and preferences for male vs female partners. Males were completely unaffected by fadrozole hydrochloride treatment; they sang, danced, and mounted at control levels, and like control males they preferred female partners. Females were similarly unaffected, with one important exception: those treated with fadrozole hydrochloride during the first week preferred to be spend time near females instead of males in choice tests, unlike control females. These results suggest that a model of zebra finch sexual differentiation in which estrogen organizes male-typical behavior is unlikely to be correct. At the same time, they provide evidence that a key dimorphic feature of mate choice, preference for opposite-sex birds (sexual orientation), may result from organizational hormone actions during the early post-hatching period in this pair-bonding species.
Environmental attitudes of students enrolled In adventure programming classes

Higher education institutions are taking a front role in cultivating sustainability values in their students. It is important to be able to demonstrate when and why students develop a more environmentally conscious world-view and one place this may be happening is in outdoor recreation and education related classes. Previous studies have showed strong pro-environmental attitude among individuals who participate in outdoor recreation and education. This study looked at pro-environmental values of students enrolled in outdoor related classes.
Chromatographic dispersion corrections utilizing the generalized exponential function

Abstract Chromatographic dispersion, sometimes referred to as band broadening or zone spreading, reduces instrument resolution especially for long analysis times. Tung has described chromatographic dispersion as resulting from the convolution of a true chromatogram with a spreading function. This convolution produces an observed chromatogram which is broader than the true chromatogram. An algorithm which uses the generalized exponential function has been developed for solving Tung's dispersion equation for the true (non-dispersed) chromatogram. Mathematical constraints and data analysis methods have been developed which enable the generation of realistic dispersion-corrected chromatograms.