cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
intrathecal morphine attenuates acute opioid tolerance secondary to remifentanil infusions during spinal surgery in adolescents

INTRODUCTION: The unique pharmacokinetic properties of remifentanil with a context-sensitive half-life unaffected by length of infusion contribute to its frequent use during anesthetic management during posterior spinal fusion in children and adolescents. However, its intraoperative administration can lead to increased postoperative analgesic requirements, which is postulated to be the result of acute opioid tolerance with enhancement of spinal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor function. Although strategies to prevent or reduce tolerance have included the coadministration of longer acting opioids or ketamine, the majority of these studies have demonstrated little to no benefit. The current study retrospectively evaluates the efficacy of intrathecal morphine (ITM) in preventing hyperalgesia following a remifentanil infusion. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 54 patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion with segmental spinal instrumentation, to evaluate the effects of ITM on hyperalgesia from remifentanil. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they did or did not receive remifentanil during the surgery: no remifentanil (control group) (n=27) and remifentanil (study group) (n=27). Data included demographics, remifentanil dose and duration, Wong-Baker visual analog scale postoperative pain scores, and postoperative intravenous morphine consumption in the first 48 postoperative hours. RESULTS: The demographics of the two study groups were similar. There were no differences in the Wong-Baker visual analog scale pain scores in the postanesthesia care unit and on postoperative days 1 and 3. Pain scores were higher in the remifentanil group on postoperative day 2 (2.9 vs 3.8). Postoperative morphine requirements were similar between the two groups (0.029 vs 0.017 mg/kg/48 h for the control group and the study group, respectively). CONCLUSION: In patients receiving preincisional ITM during spinal surgery, intraoperative remifentanil does not increase postoperative analgesic requirements.
The Transfer of Failure-Detection Skills between Monitoring and Controlling Dynamic Systems

Eighteen subjects either controlled or monitored the system dynamics of a two-dimensional pursuit display. Detection of changes in system dynamics was faster and more accurate when subjects controlled them when they monitored. The skill acquired by controlling transferred positively to the monitoring mode, producing enhanced detection performance. There was no transfer from the monitoring mode to the controlling mode. Monitors of automatic systems who have had prior manual experience rely upon different perceptual cues in making their detection response than do those who have had no experience. The training implications of these findings are discussed.
Long-lived Isotopic Tracers in Oceanography, Paleoceanography, and Ice-sheet Dynamics

This chapter focuses on the basis for using authigenic neodymium, lead, and hafnium isotopes in oceanography and paleoceanography. In particular, it reviews in detail the currently available data on neodymium isotopes in the oceans in order to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses as an oceanographic tracer and a proxy to investigate paleocirculation. Neodymium isotope ratios are highlighted because lead isotopes in the present day oceans are contaminated by anthropogenic input, and dissolved hafnium thus far has not been measured. This chapter only gives a cursory summary of the results of studies on Fe–Mn crusts. This chapter also summarizes the application of strontium, neodymium, and lead isotopes for tracing the sources of continental detritus brought to the oceans by icebergs and implications for the history of the North Atlantic ice sheets.
Crystalline l-Asparaginase from Escherichia coli B I. PURIFICATION AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Abstract Purification of l-asparaginase from Escherichia coli B is described. The enzyme is crystallized from a partially purified preparation in the presence of cations and aqueous alcohol. Effective crystallization requires a minimum of 4 g atoms of cation to each mole of protein. The crystalline l-asparaginase is homogeneous by disc gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation and has a sedimentation coefficient (s020,w) of 7.6 S and a molecular weight (by sedimentation equilibrium) of 133,000 ± 5,000. On gel electrophoresis, the crystalline enzyme migrates similarly to the enzyme present in cell-free extracts. The affinity constants for l-asparagine and l-glutamine are 1.15 x 10-5 and 6.25 x 10-3 m, respectively. The amino acid composition indicates a minimum molecular weight of 33,300. The crystalline enzyme has an E1%278 of 7.1 and a specific activity of 300 ± 15 I.U. per mg, corrected for moisture. The isoelectric point, determined by cellulose acetate electrophoresis, is 5.2. No carbohydrate or phospholipid was detected in the enzyme. The purification procedure provides an over-all yield of about 25% from cell cake to crystals, and is adaptable to large scale isolation of the enzyme.
Scaling of fluctuations in a trapped binary condensate

We demonstrate that measurements of number fluctuations within finite cells provide a direct means to study susceptibility scaling in a trapped two-component Bose-Einstein condensate. This system supports a second-order phase transition between miscible (cospatial) and immiscible (symmetry-broken) states that is driven by a diverging susceptibility to magnetic fluctuations. As the transition is approached from the miscible side the magnetic susceptibility is found to depend strongly on the geometry and orientation of the observation cell. However, a scaling exponent consistent with that for the homogenous gas ($\ensuremath{\gamma}=1$) can be recovered, for all cells considered, as long as the fit excludes the region in the immediate vicinity of the critical point. As the transition is approached from the immiscible side, the magnetic fluctuations exhibit a nontrivial scaling exponent $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\simeq}1.30$. Interestingly, on both sides of the transition, we find it best to extract the exponents using an observation cell that encompasses half of the trapped system. This implies that relatively low-resolution in situ imaging will be sufficient for the investigation of these exponents. We also investigate the gap energy and find exponents $\ensuremath{\nu}z=0.505$ on the miscible side and, unexpectedly, $\ensuremath{\nu}z=0.60$(3) for the immiscible phase.
Evaluating the use of social media to conduct clinical performance reviews of advanced practice nursing students

Although nurse leaders have argued for years that faculty clinical observations of students should be direct, the feasibility of this in online nursing programs is a challenge. As such, one would expect that the development of technology-based methods which permit direct evaluation of students in real time from a distance should be well underway. If so, little has been done to investigate the impact of methods utilizing social media strategies to evaluate clinical work of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse students. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate advanced practice nursing student and clinical preceptor perceptions of the feasibility and benefit of a real time student clinical performance review utilizing social media strategies which incorporated live audio and video feed. The quantitative data supports the use of synchronous evaluation and lends support to the need and viability for a real-time evaluation of students which is perceived as beneficial and feasible to preceptor, student, and faculty.
Ill-Posed Problems in Thermoelasticity Theory

In crystals, it is not unusual to observe the phenomena of twinning or trilling. The nonlinear theories of elasticity and thermoelasticity seem to be capable of describing some special types of twinning, for example. To be discussed is some of the elementary theory which has evolved. Such theory suggests some rather deep mathematical problems which need attention.
Enhanced healing of skin wounds in dogs with systemically and locally administered drugs

Eine neue Methode wurde entwickelt, um die Wundheilung (Zugfestigkeit) nach Verabreichung von Medikamenten objektiv beurteilen zu konnen. Als Kriterium wird die Kraft bestimmt, die notwendig ist, um eine Wunde nach Entfernung der Nahte wieder aufzureissen.
Correcting surveys for non-response and measurement error using auxiliary information

Abstract Surveys often yield estimates that are suspected to be biased, because of either non-response bias and/or measurement error. Numerous methods exist for eliminating non-response bias (e.g., re-weighting the data, individual-level models of selection, or deriving bounds on the true population parameter). But in many settings these methods may not be tractable or helpful, and usually ignore measurement error. I propose a method for dealing with both non-response bias and measurement error simultaneously, when using surveys to estimate rates or proportions. The method exploits `auxiliary information' from analogous surveys, where it is possible to derive the relative amount of non-response bias and measurement error. I demonstrate the method in the case of voter turnout, where a reasonably large body of vote validation studies supply auxiliary information, allowing the components of bias in survey estimates of turnout rates to be isolated. Averaging over the auxiliary information provides bounds on the quantity of interest, yielding an estimate corrected for both non-response bias and measurement error.
Reconsidering Information Literacy in the 21st Century: The Redesign of an Information Literacy Class:

The response to the countless forms of information delivery and creation has been the catalyst for the development of the new literacies that are being researched and implemented into teaching by educators around the world. This article will examine information literacy courses being taught at colleges and universities and how the courses implemented 21st century literacies into the curriculum, specifically transliteracy and metaliteracy. The article will discuss how a 3-credit information literacy course was redesigned to include the concepts behind transliteracy and metaliteracy. Furthermore, the article will discuss why the Constructivist approach in the classroom seems the best approach for information literacy instruction and how Connectivism could be a possible approach to teaching information literacy going forward. Finally, the article will question whether the current information literacy standards endorsed by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) are appropriate for today's wo...
Sites of ‘glocal’ representations and artistic resistance: the Neapolitan urban imaginary in Antonio Capuano's Sacred Silence

AbstractThis essay frames the cultural and social aspects of Antonio Capuano's film, Sacred Silence (1996) in the tradition of neorealism and of cinema as a representation of reality and, furthermore, analyzes them by drawing also on Walter Benjamin's work on the city of Naples and on the theme of the flâneur.
Solubilization of alkyldihydroxyacetone-P synthase from Ehrlich ascites cell microsomal membranes☆

Abstract The enzyme, alkyldihydroxyacetone-P synthase, has been solubilized and partially purified from microsomal preparations of Ehrlich ascites cells after treatment with Triton X-100 and phospholipase C, followed by chromatography on Sepharose 4B. When the Triton X-100 was removed after solubilization the enzyme was still active but eluted in the void volume of the Sepharose 4B column, whereas in the presence of detergent it eluted much later as a single peak of activity, indicating that the solubilized enzyme tends to aggregate unless detergent is present. The lower molecular weight form of alkyldihydroxyacetone-P synthase (in detergent) had an estimated molecular mass of 250,000–300,000 daltons.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (Pseudotumor Cerebri): Recognition, Treatment, and Ongoing Management

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH, pseudotumor cerebri) is a syndrome of elevated intracranial pressure of unknown cause that occurs predominantly in obese women of childbearing age. It is a diagnosis of exclusion and, therefore, other causes of increased intracranial pressure must be sought with history, imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid examination before the diagnosis can be made. IIH produces symptoms and signs of increased intracranial pressure, including papilledema. If untreated, papilledema can cause progressive irreversible visual loss and optic atrophy. The treatment approach depends on the severity and time course of symptoms and visual loss, as determined by formal visual field testing. The main goals of treatment are alleviation of symptoms, including headache, and preservation of vision. All overweight IIH patients should be encouraged to enter a weight-management program with a goal of 5–10 % weight loss, along with a low-salt diet. When there is mild visual loss, medical treatment with acetazolamide should be initiated. Other medical treatments can be added or substituted when acetazolamide is insufficient as monotherapy or poorly tolerated. When visual loss is more severe or rapidly progressive, surgical interventions, such as optic nerve sheath fenestration or cerebrospinal fluid shunting, may be required to prevent further irreversible visual loss. The choice of intervention depends on the relative severity of symptoms and visual loss, as well as local expertise. At present, the role of transverse venous sinus stenting remains unclear. Although there are no evidence-based data to guide therapy, there is an ongoing randomized double-blind placebo-controlled treatment trial, investigating diet and acetazolamide therapy for IIH.
Sensitivity of radiographic evaluation of radio-ulnar incongruence in the dog in vitro.

Objective— To determine the sensitivity and specificity of radiographic evaluation of radio-ulnar incongruence in canine elbow joints in vitro. Study design— Radiographic evaluation of induced radio-ulnar incongruence in canine cadaveric forelimbs by radiologists blinded to study design. Sample population— Six cadaveric canine left forelimbs. Methods— Extended lateral, 90° flexed lateral, and cranio-caudal projections were taken of the elbow joint of six cadaveric canine forelimbs. A four-pin, type I external skeletal fixator (ESF) with a linear motor side bar was attached to the medial aspect of the radius, and a 2-cm segment of bone was removed from the mid-diaphysis. A 3.5-mm cortical bone screw placed from the medial to lateral styloid processes prevented relative movement between the distal radius and ulna during radial shortening. The ESF was used to progressively shorten the radius in increments of 0.5 mm to a total of 4 mm. The three radiographic projections were repeated after each incremental change of length. After the study, each elbow joint was disarticulated to confirm the presence of a step defect. The original radiographs and three copies were randomized and then evaluated by four radiologists blinded to the study design. Radiologists were asked to evaluate whether the joint was normal or abnormal and if there was evidence of radio-ulnar incongruence. The ability of each radiologist to correctly identify congruent elbows (specificity) and incongruent elbows (sensitivity) was calculated. Results— The median specificity was 86% using the lateral projection and 82% using the cranio-caudal projection. The median sensitivities using the lateral and cranio-caudal radiographic projections were 78% and 79%, respectively. The degree of radial shortening required for individual radiologists to achieve a sensitivity of 90% ranged from 1.5 mm to greater than 4 mm. Clinical relevance— Standard radiographic evaluation for radio-ulnar incongruence in the dog may be associated with relatively poor sensitivity and specificity. Invasive surgical procedures and screening programs that rely on radiographic diagnosis of radio-ulnar incongruence should be discouraged until a more reliable method of diagnosis of this type of elbow joint incongruence is available.
Machine vision techniques for measuring the canopy of tomato seedling

The canopy area of tomato seedlings is an important indicator of their quality. A machine vision system was designed for automated measurement. In a well-controlled lighting environment, it is feasible to use constant threshold values as a first step in partitioning images of tomato seedlings into the meaningful parts: canopy, root-growth medium, and a background. The selection of threshold values, however, should be based on an analysis of a training set of similar tomato seedling plugs. An image processing procedure was developed and evaluated to segment seedling canopy from background and root-growth medium parts of the seedling images. The segmentation process adopted an adaptive thresholding technique, the Otsu method, and extended it for an efficient multimode operation. The multimode segmentation operation accurately and quickly identified the canopy portion of tomato seedlings.
Generalized Eck peak in inhomogeneous Josephson junctions

Abstract In inhomogeneous Josephson junctions the Eck peak characterizing the current-voltage characteristics is predicted to be replaced by a rather different yet prominent feature whose location and shape strongly depend on the strength of the applied magnetic field and the spatial correlations of the associated distorted Abrikosov flux lattice.
A hypothesis concerning the structural relationship between memory and emotion

Limbic and temporal lobe structures have long been implicated as the anatomic substratum for emotion. Recent investigations have localized the processing of short term memory to a virtually identical anatomical locus. It would seem logical that the same structures subserve both functions if one assumes that the strength of the memory trace is dependent on the emotional value of the information for the organism. Under this hypothesis, the hippocampus emotionally weights sensory data as a preliminary to incorporation of such material into long term memory. It is not necessary, nor is it likely, that long term memory reside within the temporal lobe. Previous associations stored in remote memory can be accessed by the temporal lobe and these may serve to modulate the weighting of the present stimulus. Some of the functions of the temporal lobe can be modeled by a simple electronic filter; the addition of a single feedback loop to this system can account for other properties inherent in the hypothesis. The anatomical connections of the system would permit it to be an early and efficient repressor, in the pyschodynamic sense.
Identification of bilinear systems using relay feedback

After expressing the response of a bilinear dynamical system in terms of a Volterra series, the filtering properties of the system are characterized in the frequency domain. The zero harmonic component of the output of a closed-loop system comprised of the bilinear system and a static relay non-linear element is approximated using basic second-order Volterra kernels. This allows estimation of bilinear system parameters based upon measurements of the average value of the closed-loop system output.
Coital Frequency, Delayed Fertilization, and Outcome of Pregnancy

GERMAN has hypothesized a relationship between frequency of coitus and the occurrence of delayed fertilization leading to various defects in the foetus1. We present here further necessary specifications for his theory, with some data relevant to the truth of the theory.
Molecular cloning of a steroid-regulated 108K heat shock protein gene from hen oviduct.

Abstract The natural gene for a steroid inducible 108K heat shock protein has been isolated from a lambda genomic library prepared from hen oviduct tissue. Genomic DNA blots indicate that it exists as a single copy gene in the chick oviduct haploid genome. The 9.9 kilobase gene codes for a messenger RNA of 2733bp (21) and is split into 18 exons as established by sequence comparison of cDNA and genomic clones. The 3' end of the gene contains a repetitive element which shares homology with the CR1 family of repeats. The first exon contains both the untranslated leader and coding regions of the gene. The promoter region is rich in G + C residues (70%) and the dinucleotide CG. This 5' flanking segment contains bases similar both in sequence and location to the Goldberg-Hogness TATA homology and consensus sequence CCAAT. A consensus sequence located upstream of steroid hormone responsive chicken genes is found at -267 and on a reverse orientation at -593. The structure of this gene is of interest since the presence of introns in heat shock genes is rare in any species examined to date. Furthermore, this gene lacks the previously described heat shock promoter consensus sequence (C-GAA-TTC-G) present in other species.
Functional interactions between arginine-133 and aspartate-88 in the human reduced folate carrier: evidence for a charge-pair association

The human reduced folate carrier (hRFC) is an integral membrane protein that mediates cellular uptake of reduced folates and antifolates. hRFC contains several highly conserved charged residues predicted to lie in the transmembrane domains (TMDs). To explore the possible roles of the conserved arginine-133, located in TMD 4, in hRFC structure and function, this residue was systematically mutagenized to histidine, leucine, lysine and glutamate. When transfected into transport-impaired K562 cells, the mutant hRFC constructs were expressed at high levels; however, only lysine-133 hRFC was able to transport methotrexate and (6S)-5-formyl tetrahydrofolate. Substitution of aspartate-453 (in hRFC TMD 12) by valine largely preserved transport activity for both substrates. Although mutagenesis of aspartate-88 (in TMD 2) to leucine completely abolished transport activity in transfected cells, substitution with a glutamate preserved low levels ( approximately 12%) of transport. To assess the possibility that arginine-133 and aspartate-88 may form a charge-pair to stabilize hRFC tertiary structure, both charges were neutralized (by substituting leucine and valine, respectively) in the same construct. In contrast to the singly mutated hRFCs, the double mutant exhibited high levels of transport with both methotrexate and 5-formyl tetrahydrofolate. These results strongly suggest that arginine-133 and aspartate-88 form a charge-pair and that TMD 4 lies next to TMD 2 in the hRFC tertiary structure.
Evaluation of esophageal function in patients with central chest pain.

. Esophageal motor function tests were performed in 160 patients presenting with central chest pain clinically resembling myocardial ischemia. Motor abnormalities consisting of high amplitude, long duration peristaltic waves, diffuse spasm, or simultaneous contractions were found in 63 of those patients Direct correlation of the motor patterns with chest pain was possible in fourteen patients; another fourteen patients had reproduction of their pain with intraluminal acid. Clinical criteria could not differentiate those with esophageal pain from others. Esophageal function test can help in the diagnosis of central chest pain, but they have low sensitivity.
Inelastic neutron scattering from a martensitically transforming indium-thallium alloy

Abstract The phonon dispersion curves for an In 24 at % Tl alloy have been measured by inelastic neutron scattering and an acceptable fit to the experimental data has been obtained using Born-von Karman interactions extended to fourth nearest neighbours. In addition a model pseudopotential which also provides a reasonable fit to the data is described. The failure to observe phonon softening for the [ζ ζ 0] [ζ ζ 0] branch either in this crystal or in the temperature dependence of selected [ζ ζ 0] [ζ ζ 0] phonons in an In 27 at % Tl crystal is discussed in relation to current understanding of the structural transformation in these alloys.
Pemphigus vulgaris and drug reactions.

: A retrospective study of patients with pemphigus vulgaris, drug eruptions, psoriasis, and normal controls was undertaken in an attempt to determine whether a significant difference in drug exposure and/or drug allergy existed between the various groups. A statistically significant difference in drug exposure was found between pemphigus vulgaris and drug eruption patients, as compared with psoriatics and normal patients. Representative case reports and some possible mechanisms for the induction or exacerbation of pemphigus patients is described and discussed.
Dynamic modeling, design and simulation of a PEM fuel cell/ultra-capacitor hybrid system for vehicular applications

Fuel cell (FC) technologies are expected to become a viable solution for vehicular applications because they use alternative fuel converters and are environmentally friendly. However, a stand alone FC system may not be sufficient to satisfy the load demands, especially during cold start, peak demand periods or transient events, for vehicular applications. In addition, the FC system is not capable of being reversed for regenerative energy. An ultra-capacitor (UC) bank can supply a large burst of power but cannot store much energy. By operating the FC and UC in parallel, both steady state and peak power demands can be satisfied. Use of a FC/UC hybrid model provides a potential solution for better energy efficiency while reducing the cost of FC power technology. This paper describes a new modeling and design methodology for FC/UC hybrid vehicular power systems. A feasible design and a dynamic model have been presented for the proposed technique. Simulation results are presented, using the MATLAB®, Simulink® and SimPowerSystems® environments, based on the mathematical and electrical models of the proposed system.
Integration of contractile forces during tissue invagination

Contractile forces generated by the actomyosin cytoskeleton within individual cells collectively generate tissue-level force during epithelial morphogenesis. During Drosophila mesoderm invagination, pulsed actomyosin meshwork contractions and a ratchet-like stabilization of cell shape drive apical constriction. Here, we investigate how contractile forces are integrated across the tissue. Reducing adherens junction (AJ) levels or ablating actomyosin meshworks causes tissue-wide epithelial tears, which release tension that is predominantly oriented along the anterior–posterior (a-p) embryonic axis. Epithelial tears allow cells normally elongated along the a-p axis to constrict isotropically, which suggests that apical constriction generates anisotropic epithelial tension that feeds back to control cell shape. Epithelial tension requires the transcription factor Twist, which stabilizes apical myosin II, promoting the formation of a supracellular actomyosin meshwork in which radial actomyosin fibers are joined end-to-end at spot AJs. Thus, pulsed actomyosin contractions require a supracellular, tensile meshwork to transmit cellular forces to the tissue level during morphogenesis.
Hole Mobility in Organic Molecular Crystals

Adoption of a simple crystal counter technique has made possible a study of carrier mobilities in organic molecular crystals. The results give a mean value of 0.48 cm2/V·sec for the mobility of holes in anthracene in the low‐field region. The data indicate that study of pulse rise times at high electric field strengths will provide information on charge‐carrier scattering mechanisms in these materials.
Hysteresis and discontinuity in the indentation load-displacement behavior of silicon

Observation de deux caracteristiques: une forte discontinuite dans le deplacement lors du dechargement lorsque les charges sont elevees, et un fort hysteresis charge-deplacement lorsque les charges sont faibles. L'hysteresis est coherent avec l'hypothese du deplacement de volume du a une transformation de phase. La discontinuite du deplacement hors charge semble due a la formation de fissures laterales
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Subchondral Bone and Soft Tissues in Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has to be considered a whole joint disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows superior assessment of all joint tissues that may be involved in OA, such as the subchondral bone, synovium, ligaments, and periarticular soft tissues. Reliable MRI-based scoring systems are available to assess and quantify these structures and associated pathology. Cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluation has enabled practitioners to understand their relevance in explaining pain and structural progression.
Development and Validation of the Guide for Effective Nutrition Interventions and Education (GENIE): A Tool for Assessing the Quality of Proposed Nutrition Education Programs.

Abstract Objective To develop and validate the Guide for Effective Nutrition Interventions and Education (GENIE), a checklist of research-based quality indicators for nutrition education programs. Design A prospective test of criterion validity and inter-rater reliability of a new tool comparing expert assessments and trained reviewer GENIE scores of the same nutrition education proposals. Participants Ten nutrition education experts; 13 volunteer reviewers. Variables Measured GENIE's face, content, and criterion validity and inter-rater reliability compared using expert assessments and reviewer objective and subjective scores. Analysis Reviewer scores compared using Spearman correlation. Inter-rater reliability tested using intra-class correlation (ICC), Cronbach alpha, and ANOVA. Criterion validity tested using independent t test and point bi-serial correlation to compare reviewer with expert scores. Results Correlation found between total objective and total subjective scores. Agreement found between reviewers across proposals and categories considering subjective scores ( F = 7.21, P F = 7.88, P r = .564, P = .06) between expert and reviewer proposal scoring groups (high, medium, and low). Conclusions and Implications Results support the validity and reliability of GENIE as a tool for nutrition education practitioners, researchers, and program funding agencies to accurately assess the quality of a variety of nutrition program plans.
Histamine plays a major role for drinking elicited by spontaneous eating in rats.

Abstract The effects of combined antagonism of H, (using 1 mg/kg dexbrompheniramine IP) and H 2 (using 16 mg/kg cimetidine IP) receptors for histamine prior to (a) drinking after 2.5 mg/kg histamine SC, (b) drinking after 1-hr water deprivation, and (c) drinking during spontaneous eating were examined at 1 hr into the dark phase of a 12:12′-hr light/dark cycle for 14 Sprague-Dawley male rats. Such antagonism of histamine receptors abolished drinking elicited by exogenous histamine without affecting drinking after water deprivation. Histaminergic antagonism did not affect spontaneous eating, but it appeared to abolish drinking prior to a meal (for only those 3 rats which exhibited such drinking), delayed the latency to initiate drinking after initiating a meal, and inhibited drinking which occurred during and after eating but prior to postprandial resting (i.e., satiety for food). Because antagonism of peripheral histamine receptors inhibited food-related drinking by over 60%, these results provide indirect support for the hypothesis that the preabsorptive food-contingent vagally-mediated release of gastric mucosal histamine plays a major role in spontaneous food-related drinking in the rat.
Development of visual acuity in infant chimpanzees

To assess development of visual acuity, a preferential looking procedure was administered to 13 nursery-reared chimpanzee infants ranging in age from 1 to 52 weeks. Chimpanzees exhibited acuity levels poorer than 1 cycle/degree when tested within the first weeks after birth, which is similar to that seen in neonatal humans and monkeys. Acuity improved about tenfold to near 10 cycles/degree during the first year. The time course of chimpanzee acuity development was more similar to that of humans than of monkeys. Tests were conducted at two or three separate viewing distances (38, 76, or 152 cm) in some individuals. This was done because previous observations during neurobehavioral assessments had found optimal focal distance to be longer in chimpanzee than in human infants. The results exhibited a nonsignificant trend for acuity to be better at far (76 or 152 cm) than at near (38 cm) viewing distances. These normative data can be usefully applied to further our understanding of the biological bases of perceptual and motor development and the effects of their coordination on subsequent development of other functions in primates.
Separation of acetylsalicylic acid and salicylic acid by sephadex gel filtration

Acetylsalicylic acid and salicylic acid can be quantitatively separated by Sephadex gel filtration. A comparative study has been made by using different types of Sephadex gels.
A New Test for ALFVÉN Waves in Interplanetary Space

A method of testing for the existence of Alfven waves using only magnetic-field data is given. It is shown that cross-spectral analysis of the magnetic-field components can be a useful tool in distinguishing between Alfven waves and magnetosonic waves in interplanetary space.
Nociceptin-like immunoreactivity in autonomic nuclei of the rat spinal cord.

Abstract Immunohistochemical techniques were used to localize nociceptin-like immunoreactivity (NOCI-LI) in the rat spinal cords. NOCI-LI nerve fibers were distributed in three fairly well-defined regions: superficial layers of the dorsal horn, central canal area, and intermediolateral cell column (ILp) of lower cervical, thoracic, upper lumbar, and sacral segments of the spinal cord. A few NOCI-LI somata of small diameter were noted in the dorsal horn; NOCI-LI cell bodies were infrequently observed in the ILp or ventral horn. Concentration of NOCI-LI in nerve fibers of the superficial layers and in fibers projecting into the spinal sympathetic and parasympathetic nuclei suggests that the peptide may participate in sensory as well as autonomic functions.
Tools to help you survive your success

Do your customers go away hungry from your web site? After a long, hard look at our website 18 months ago, we realized we left our customers hungry for information, making them ask us a question before feeding them the answer. An evolution of tools led us to a healthier web site - one that offers information to our customers before they ask. Join us as we share the tools we have developed (all able to run on IIS Server, Perl 5), discuss the pros and cons of providing feeding your customers and how to keep the information active while still maintaining clarity.The code for the tools will be available on CD and for download at http://helpdesk.princeton.edu/getopm.The tools we will share areOPM - our Call Escalation and Knowledge Base toolSearch for Your Answer - an easy way to add search capability to your Knowledge BaseThe Outage FacilityHelp Desk Headlines.
Quasistatic modeling of concentric tube robots with external loads

Concentric tube robots are a subset of continuum robots constructed by combining pre-curved elastic tubes. As the tubes are rotated and translated with respect to each other, their curvatures interact elastically, enabling control of the robot's tip configuration as well as the curvature along its length. This technology is projected to be useful in many types of minimally invasive medical procedures. Because these robots are flexible by design, they deflect considerably when applying forces to the external environment. Thus, in contrast to rigid-link robots, their kinematic and static force models are coupled. This paper derives a multi-tube quasistatic model that relates tube rotations and translations together with externally applied loads to robot shape and tip configuration. The model can be applied in robot design, procedure planning as well as control. For validation, the multi-tube model is compared experimentally to a computationally-efficient single-tube approximate model.
Comparison of four different methods of evaluation on axially corrected tomograms of the condyle/fossa relationship

Abstract One hundred temporomandibular joints of 50 dry skulls were used to determine whether there was a statistically significantly difference among four different techniques that were employed to assess the condyle/fossa relationship on axially corrected tomograms. A two-way analysis of variance was performed and the results indicated that: (1) a highly significant difference in the condyle/fossa relationship existed ( p = 0.002) among the various skulls and (2) no significant difference existed between the four techniques employed to assess the condyle/ fossa relationship ( p = 1).
Diffraction of elastic waves by two coplanar and parallel rigid strips

Abstract The problem of diffraction of normally incident longitudinal and antiplane shear waves by two parallel and coplanar rigid strips embedded in an infinite, isotropic and homogeneous elastic medium is solved. Approximate formulas are derived for the displacement field, stress tensor, far-field amplitudes and the scattering cross section when the wave lengths are large compared to the distance between the outer edges of the two strips. The limiting results for the corresponding problem of a single strip are also derived and are presented here for the first time.
Fiber-delivered mid-infrared (6-7) laser ablation of retinal tissue under perfluorodecalin

The Er:YAG laser (λ=2.94μm) is an effective tool in vitreo-retinal surgery. Pulsed mid-infrared (λ=6.45μm) radiation from the Free Electron Laser has been touted as a potentially superior cutting tool. To date, use of this laser has been limited to applications in an air environment. The goal of this study was: 1) determine feasibility of fiberoptic delivery of λ= 6.45μm using silverhalide fibers (d=700μm); 2) use infrared transparent vitreous substitute (perfluorodecalin) to allow non-contact ablation of the retina at λ= 6.45μm. Fiber damage threshold=7.8J/cm2 (0.54GW/cm2) while transmission loss=0.54dB/m, allowing supra-ablative radiant exposures to the target. FTIR measurements of perfluorodecalin at λ=6.45μm yielded μa=3 mm-1. Pump-probe imaging of ablation of a tissue-phantom through perfluorodecalin showed feasibility of non-contact ablation at λ=6.45μm. Ablation of the retinal membranes of enucleated pig eyes was carried out under perfluorodecalin (2 Hz, 1.3 J/cm2). Each eye was cut along its equator to expose the retina. Vitreous was replaced by perfluorodecalin and laser radiation was delivered to the retina via the silverhalide fiber. The eye was rotated (at 2 rpm) to create an ablation circle around the central axis of the retina. Histological analysis of the retina in a limited number of eyes shows that retina ablation using this method is feasible and can be accomplished with minimal collateral damage. Remote structures are shielded, as the radiation exposure falls below the ablation threshold owing non-negible absorption of perfluorodecalin at λ=6.45μm. This may optimize efficacy and safetly of laser-based vitreoretinal surgery.
Microplasma synthesis of metal nanoparticles for gas-phase studies of catalyzed carbon nanotube growth

Catalytic properties of metal nanoparticles toward gas-phase carbon nanotube (CNT) growth are presented. Narrow dispersions of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) nanoparticles are prepared in a direct current microplasma reactor and subsequently introduced with acetylene (C2H2) and hydrogen (H2) into a heated flow furnace to catalyze CNT growth. Aerosol size classification and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy show that CNT growth occurs on Ni particles at lower temperatures than that for similarly produced Fe nanoparticles. Activation energies of 117 and 73kJ∕mol are found for Fe and Ni catalyst particles, respectively, suggesting that CNT growth occurs by carbon surface diffusion.
The Clinton Reforms and the Administrative Ascendancy of Congress

Early in the history of the National Performance Review (NPR), observers speculated that the prescriptions it contained, if implemented, would shift authority over the bureaucracy from the legislative branch to the executive branch. This review of the actual impact of NPR on relations between these key institutional actors finds that to the contrary, NPR has served to strengthen the congressional role in administrative matters in important ways. Key to this outcome has been the recent tendency, promoted by NPR, toward the disaggregation of administrative structures and systems in the federal government.
Cumulative site-directed charge-change replacements in bacteriophage T4 lysozyme suggest that long-range electrostatic interactions contribute little to protein stability

Abstract Bacteriophage T4 lysozyme is a basic molecule with an isoelectric point above 9·0, and an excess of nine positive charges at neutral pH. It might be expected that it would be energetically costly to bring these out-of-balance charges from the extended, unfolded, form of the protein into the compact folded state. To determine the contribution of such long-range electrostatic interactions to the stability of the protein, five positively charged surface residues, Lys16, Arg119, Lys135, Lys147 and Arg154, were individually replaced with glutamic acid. Eight selected double, triple and quadruple mutants were also constructed so as to sequentially reduce the out-of-balance formal charge on the molecule from +9 to +1 units. Each of the five single variant proteins was crystallized and high-resolution X-ray analysis confirmed that each mutant structure was, in general, very similar to the wild-type. In the case of R154E, however, the Arg154 to Glu replacement caused a rearrangement in which Asp127 replaced Glu128 as the capping residue of a nearby α-helix. The thermal stabilities of all 13 variant proteins were found to be fairly similar, ranging from 0·5 kcal/mol more stable than wild-type to 1·7 kcal/mol less stable than wild-type. In the case of the five single charge-change variants, for which the structures were determined, the changes in stability can be rationalized in terms of changes in local interactions at the site of the replacement. There is no evidence that the reduction in the out-of-balance charge on the molecule increases the stability of the folded relative to the unfolded form, either at pH 2·8 or at pH 5·3. This indicates that long-range electrostatic interactions between the substituted amino acid residues and other charged groups on the surface of the molecule are weak or non-existent. Furthermore, the relative stabilities of the multiple charge replacement mutant proteins were found to be almost exactly equal to the sums of the relative stabilities of the constituentn single mutant proteins. This also clearly indicates that the electrostatic interactions between the replaced charges are negligibly small. The activities of the charge-change mutant lysozymes, as measured by the rate of hydrolysis of cell wall suspensions, are essentially equal to that of the wild-type lysozyme, but on a lysoplate assay the mutant enzymes appear to have higher activity. This observation can be rationalized by assuming that the reduction of positive charge on T4 lysozyme does not affect the rate of catalysis, but does weaken the interaction between the negatively charged substrate and the positively charged C-terminal domain of the protein.
Family members' preferences for nutrition interventions to improve nursing home residents' oral food and fluid intake.

OBJECTIVES: To measure family members' preferences for nutrition interventions to improve the oral food and fluid intake of their relatives in a nursing home. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive. SETTING: Three skilled nursing facilities in Southern California. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred five residents from the three skilled nursing facilities and their respective family members. MEASUREMENTS: A mailed questionnaire to family members that consisted of 15 forced-choice comparisons between six nutrition interventions. An assessment of oral food and fluid intake during mealtime for 3 days (nine meals) for each participant using direct observations and estimations of percentage consumed (0% to 100%) by trained research staff. RESULTS: In order of most to least desirable, the family members preferred the following interventions to improve their relative's oral food and fluid intake: (1) improve quality of food; (2) improve quality and quantity of feeding assistance; (3) provide multiple small meals and snacks throughout the day; (4) place resident in preferred dining location; (5) provide an oral liquid nutritional supplement between meals; and (6) provide a medication to stimulate appetite. The average ± standard deviation total percentage intake for residents whose family members reported that they thought their relative had a problem with their intake was 50%± 16%. CONCLUSIONS: Family members prefer that other nutrition interventions be attempted before the use of oral supplements or pharmacological approaches. Family members perceive a need for interventions when residents consume, on average, only half of the food and fluid items provided during mealtime.
Fabricated beef product effect of handling conditions on microbiological chemical and sensory properties

Total microbial count was not adversely affected by lowering the holding temperature of fabricated beef roast from 60 o C to 54 o C or by 12 hr holding time. If a reduction in holding temperature is anticipated, then initial roast contamination and sanitation of the food facility are of critical importance. A stabilizing period of 20 min at room temperature (∼23 o C) did not decrease yield, but caused a slight lowering of sensory scores. Tenderness was more acceptable in product held at 54 o C compared to 60 o C. In general, all sensory evaluation ratings were slightly lower with increased holding time
Mosaik einer X‐Chromosomen‐Deletion bei einem ausgewachsenen Kaninchen

Inhalt Ein phanotypisch weibliches, geschlechtsreifes Kaninchen der Rasse “Hollandische Gescheckte” zeigte leichte Veranderungen des auseren und inneren Geschlechtstraktes. Uber einen Zeitraum von 6 Monaten wurden 3 Leukozytenkulturen angefertigt, 150 Metaphasen analysiert und 30 Zellen typisiert. Ein Zellmosaik mit 2 Zelltypen konnte festgestellt werden. lm abnormen Zelltyp konnte eine Deletion des grosten Teiles des langen Armes an einem X-Chromosom gefunden werden. Die untersuchten Knochenmarkszellen hatten title eine normale Chromosomenausstattung. Die Entstehung dieser Aberration wird diskutiert. Contents(Mosaic of an X-Chromosome deletion in a full-grown rabbit). This note records the findings of a phenotypically female, sexual mature dutch belted rabbit. The animal showed slight abnormal variation of the external and internal genital tract. Over a period of 6 month 3 leucocyte cultures have been prepared, 150 metaphases analyzed and 30 cells karyotyped. Two populations of lymphocytic cells were present: one normal bearing 44 chromosomes with sex chromosome complement XX and the other bearing a deletion of the long arm of one X chromosome. All investigated bone marrow cells have had a normal XX chromosome complement. The modes of origin are discussed.
Metal Concentration in Plant Tissues of Jatropha curcas L Grown in Crude Oil Contaminated Soil

This study evaluated the heavy metal concentration in plant tissues of Jatropha curcas grown in crude oil contaminated soil in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, in 2010. The soil treatments included 0.0, 2.0 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, and 10.0% w/w oil contamination. The results showed a significant buildup of heavy metals including iron, zinc, cadmium, copper, manganese, lead, chromium, and nickel in contaminated soils when compared to the uncontaminated subplots (p ≤ .05). The amounts of metals observed in this study are below tolerable limits according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Federal Environmental Protection Agency of Nigeria. A gradual accumulation and biomagnifications of these nonbiodegradable elements in plants can lead to dangerous or lethal levels with inherent health risks for humans and other organisms.