cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perfusion of the Isolated Brain

Customarily, studies of brain metabolism and physiology have employed both in vitro methods utilizing simplified systems containing cerebral tissue, cells, or organelles and in vivo techniques employing the intact animal. Although a considerable amount of useful information has been obtained from studies with these in vivo and in vitro systems, a number of difficulties are inherent in such preparations. For example, the usual membrane barriers are disrupted during preparation of most in vitro systems; consequently, some enzymes are placed in an atypical milieu which may contain abnormal concentrations of activators, inhibitors, or substrates. Furthermore, the anoxia encountered during preparation of brain slices, homogenates, and the various cells and organelles introduces another serious disadvantage, since similar periods of anoxia are known to produce adverse effects and irreversible changes in the higher centers of the brain. Thus, one is confronted with the overwhelming task of correcting the data obtained from the in vitro system for artifacts induced by the preparation and relating the results to metabolism in the intact organ. These problems could be avoided entirely by the use of in vivo preparations were it not for physiological and metabolic interference from other tissues and the difficulty in controlling blood flow and composition.
Praktisches Vorgehen beim vestibulären Gutachten und bei der Beurteilung der Arbeitsfähigkeit von Schwindelpatienten

Fur die Begutachtung von Schwindelpatienten wurden Tabellen erstellt (Stoll, Feldmann). Trotzdem ermoglicht die Vielschichtigkeit des Schwindelsymptoms dem Gutachter ein hohes Mas an personlicher Entscheidungsfreiheit. Dies hat Vor-und Nachteile. Es kommen leider krasse Unter-und Uberbewertungen vor. Auch sind z. B. Begriffe neu geschaffen worden, die weder vom neurologischen noch HNO-arztlichen Fachgebiet akzeptiert sind, wie z. B. Hirnstammtaumeligkeit (Claussen). ES werden Minderungen der Erwerbsfahigkeit in astronomischer Hohe fur Gleichgewichtserkrankungen zuerkannt, gleichzeitig aber so einfache Untersuchungen wie Romberg-Test und Unterberger-Tretversuch nicht durchgefuhrt oder deren gutes Ergebnis verworfen. Ein krasses Beispiel ist eine MdE von 80% fur eine angeblich schwere, posttraumatische Gleichgewichtsstorung eines jungen Mannes, der aber gleichzeitig den Einbeinstand muhelos bewaltigen konnte.
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) brain abscess in a well appearing premature infant

Brain abscesses in infants are extremely rare and occur as an uncommon complication of bacterial meningitis or sepsis. This case is of a 29 week male premature infant with a diagnosis of a brain abscess at 63 days of life secondary to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) which evolved after a fairly unremarkable neonatal intensive care unit course. Cultures of the cerebrospinal fluid and blood yielded no growth. He was found to be colonized with methicillin- resistant staphylococcus aureus on routine surveillance cultures after transfer from an outside hospital. The infant required a temporary external ventricular drain for hydrocephalus and compression of the brainstem secondary to the mass effect. He is currently developing favorably at 14 months after undergoing prolonged treatment with Vancomycin and Rifampin.
The influence of composition, annealing treatment, and texture on the fracture toughness of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn plate at cryogenic temperatures

The plane strain fracture toughness K sub Ic and conventional tensile properties of two commercially produced one-inch thick Ti-5Al-2.5Sn plates were determined at cryogenic temperatures. One plate was extra-low interstitial (ELI) grade, the other normal interstitial. Portions of each plate were mill annealed at 1088 K (1500 F) followed by either air cooling or furnace cooling. The tensile properties, flow curves, and K sub Ic of these plates were determined at 295 K (room temperature), 77 K (liquid nitrogen temperature), and 20 K (liquid hydrogen temperature).
A Prototype Flight-Deck Airflow Hazard Visualization System

Airflow hazards such as turbulence, vortices, or low-level wind shear can pose a threat to landing aircraft and are especially dangerous to helicopters. Because pilots usually cannot see airflow, they may be unaware of the extent of the hazard. We have developed a prototype airflow hazard visual display for use in helicopter cockpits to alleviate this problem. We report on the results of a preliminary usability study of our airflow hazard visualization system in helicopter-shipboard operations.
Ontogenetic development of somatosensory thalamus: II. Electrogenesis

Abstract Electrodes were implanted into the brains of newborn kittens to study chronically the ontogenesis of unit spike and slow-wave phenomena in the somatosensory thalamus and adjacent structures. In general, the upper brain stem and midline (nonspecific) thalamus showed evidences of functional maturation appreciably sooner than the more laterally lying sensory nuclei. State-dependent changes in single-unit behavior began to develop relatively early (fourth postnatal day) and occasional, scattered spike bursts could be seen by the tenth to 14th day, especially during slow wave sleep. However, this scattered, low-density burst pattern, with total absence of synchrony across leads from the same electrode cluster, at a time when runs of thalamic slow waves or spindles are already very obvious, casts considerable doubt on any obligatory relationship between these two phenomena. Alternative functional models for the production of thalamic wave trains are considered.
Colonial Existence, Home and Nationalism in the Narratives of British Cameroons’ Exiles in the United States

AbstractThis article explores the personal meanings and public expressions of colonial existence, home and nationalism among exiles of British Cameroons from the standpoints of 11 biographies of British Southern Cameroons’ first-generation exiles living in the United States. Examining their narratives reveals why the exiles actively resist a public categorisation as being Cameroonians. This article provides a new type of research regarding British Cameroons’ exiles and their vision of the restoration of the statehood of British Cameroons, a former United Nations trust territory deserving its separate sovereignty and independence in accordance with the UN Trusteeship Agreement (1946) and UN Resolution 1514 of 1960 on the independence of colonial people. Significant about this study of the narratives of British Cameroons’ exiles is its focus on biography for portraying particular facets of nationalist resistance, including questions relating to the processes that surround the right to define the community o...
Useful Books: Community Libraries in Antebellum North Carolina

While little has been published on libraries and print culture in the antebellum South, citizens were aware of the need to accumulate and disseminate knowledge in the form of books and magazines. North Carolina was not renowned for its schools or literary culture but it did witness over thirty attempts to establish community libraries between the American Revolution and the Civil War. This paper examines this library movement in its historical and cultural context as a reflection of the importance of print culture and voluntary associations within American civil society. By surveying a wide range of often-neglected primary and secondary literature, this article stands as a model for further research. Law to establish the Allemance [sic] Library Society, Guilford County: "For the purpose of procuring and establishing a circulating Library of Useful Books..." Laws of the State of North Carolina... 1.
Computational problems in three and four dimensional boundary layer theory

As can be seen from the results presented in this paper, three-dimensional and time-dependent boundary layer flows can be calculated in a reasonable amount of time with the current generation of computers. However, serious individual problems with the initial conditions and uniqueness of the numerical methods still exist, and of course there is the ever-present problem of very few time-dependent and three-dimensional inviscid flow solutions.
Are Information Attributes Priced

Easley and O'Hara 2004 (EO) and Lambert, Leuz, and Verrecchia 2006 (LLV) model the links between information attributes and cost of capital. We explore how differences in the authors' interpretations of their models and their assumptions lead to different predictions, and we examine the relation between cost of equity capital and the information attributes posited by EO. We find that cost of equity capital is increasing in composition, and decreasing in precision and dissemination as predicted by EO. Our results suggest that managers might realize cost of equity capital benefits by providing greater public disclosure, taking actions to encourage greater dissemination of information, and selecting accounting and disclosure practices that increase the precision of their information set.
The Need for Basic Rights: A Critique of Nozick's Entitlement Theory

Although the Libertarian Party has gained traction as the third biggest political party in the United States, the philosophical grounding of the party, which is exemplified by Robert Nozick’s entitlement theory is inherently flawed. Libertarianism’s emphasis on a free market leads to gross inequalities since it has no regard for sacred rights other than one’s right to freedom from interference from the government beyond what is essential for societal functioning. I argue that Nozick’s entitlement theory leads to indirect injustice and is therefore an unfitting philosophical theory, which means that the Libertarian Party’s platform is flawed.
Evaluation of Osteopontin as Biomarker for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Objective: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a deadly disease with an overall 5-year patient survival of less than 5%. This dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer is largely due to the advanced stage of the disease at presentation. If pancreatic cancer could be diagnosed more readily and accurately using serum markers, patient survival could theoretically be improved by enabling more patients to avail of surgical resection. One candidate tumor marker recently identified by global gene expression analysis of pancreatic cancer is the secreted glycophosphoprotein osteopontin (OPN). In this study, we evaluate OPN as a serum marker of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: In situ hybridization for OPN was performed on a pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissue microarray. Serum OPN levels were determined in preoperative sera from 50 patients with pancreatic cancer and 22 healthy control individuals by competitive ELISA. Results: In situ hybridization for OPN performed on a tissue microarray revealed strong OPN mRNA signal in tumor-infiltrating macrophages in 8 of 14 pancreatic adenocarcinomas. In contrast, OPN expression was not seen in the pancreatic cancer cells themselves, nor was it seen in normal pancreatic tissue or in the macrophages distant from the infiltrating cancer. Serum OPN levels, as measured by ELISA, were elevated in the sera of 50 patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared to 22 healthy control individuals (mean ± SD for OPN was 482 ± 170 ng/ml and 204 ± 65 ng/ml, respectively; P < 0.001). Using a cutoff level of 2 SD above the mean for healthy individuals, elevated OPN had sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 97% for pancreatic cancer. In contrast, only 62% of these patients with resectable pancreatic cancer had elevated CA19-9. Conclusion: Serum OPN may have utility as a diagnostic marker in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Pathogenesis and biomechanics of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is defined as a scoliosis that starts after the age of ten and has no clear underlying disease as a reason for its development. There is, however, a disparity between the growth of the vertebral bodies anteriorly and that of the posterior elements. The vertebral bodies grow faster than the posterior elements, resulting primarily in a lordosis. The diminished dorsal growth impedes the ventrally located vertebral bodies from increasing in height, forcing them to become distorted, i.e., rotate, in order to create space for themselves. This produces a rotational lordosis. The idea of looking at it in this way dates back to Somerville in 1952. Many recent studies have confirmed this idea and have shown that the spinal canal is shorter than the anterior ligament of the vertebral bodies. In a mathematical model of the spine it was demonstrated that—although the vertebral column in humans is still predominantly loaded in an axial direction—certain segments of the human spine (especially the backward inclined segments) are subject to dorsally directed shear loads as well. In addition to the antero-posterior difference in growth, there is also a deformation of the vertebral bodies itself in 3-D. This is probably secondary and not primary effects, but this question is still under discussion. For the treatment of scoliosis, the biomechanical principles of axial and transverse forces are used. The combination of axial and transverse loads is most beneficial for all curves. The axial forces provide most of the corrective bending moment when deformity is severe, while the transverse loads take over the correcting function when deformity is mild. The deformity angle of 53° is the break-even point for the axial and transverse loads. In more severe curves transverse forces become less and less efficient, while axial forces rapidly gain more and more effect.
Heart rate variability arterial hypertension in young heart‐transplanted recipients: Association progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy?

Hypertension and reduced HRV are frequent in heart-transplanted recipients. We studied 26 young recipients to investigate the relationship between BP and HRV during simultaneous 24-h monitoring. Presence of CAV was considered. All HRV measures were significantly lower than normal values. Significant correlations were found between mean daytime systolic BP and the rMSSD (p = 0.04), and mean daytime DBP and SDANN for all 5-min segments (p = 0.03) and between rMSSD and mean nighttime DBP (p = 0.03). Four patients were hypertensive during daytime, seven had a reduced nocturnal fall and two had a nocturnal rise in BP. Eight patients showed severe CAV grade (grade IV) on the Stanford scale, 13 moderate (grade III) and five mild (grade I-II). After a follow-up time of 30 months, four of the 13 patients (30%) with CAV grade III showed an increase to grade IV and all showed abnormalities of both HRV and ABPM patterns. The relationship between HRV abnormalities and arterial hypertension and CAV should be further explored.
Rotations and Vibrations in Deformed Nuclei

A general survey of phenomenological, collective-model theories, especially those based upon the hydrodynamic model of rotations and vibrations of a deformed liquid drop, is presented. Details of models of even-even, odd-odd and odd-$A$ nuclei are given as well as a discussion of electromagnetic moments and transitions in these models. The influence the vibrating and rotating nuclear surface has on alpha and beta decay of deformed nuclei is outlined. The discussion is extended to collective model calculations of the photonuclear process from which information can be obtained on the shape of nuclei in their ground states. Comparison of theory with the results of some recent experiments is given where this has been considered useful.
Accelerating Load on a Rotating Rayleigh Beam

The response of a rotating Rayleigh beam subjected to an axially accelerated distributed surface line load is studied. Clamped-clamped, clamped-pinned, and clamped-free support conditions and four types of load velocity profiles are treated. Galerkin's method is used to suppress spatial dependence in the equations of motion
Influence of dislocation-solute interactions on the mechanical properties of zirconium-doped NiAl

Atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM) has been used to characterize NiAl microalloyed with molybdenum and zirconium. Field ion images and atom probe analyses revealed segregation of zirconium to dislocation strain fields and ribbon-like morphological features that are probably related to dislocations. These results provide direct experimental evidence in support of the suggestion that the tremendous increase in the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTI) in zirconium-doped NiAl is due to pinning of dislocations by zirconium atoms. Atom probe analyses also revealed segregation of zirconium to grain boundaries. This result is consistent with the change from an intergranular fracture mode in undoped NiAl to a mixture of intergranular and transgranular fracture mode in zirconium-doped NiAl. The NiAl matrix was severely depleted of the solutes molybdenum and zirconium. Small Mo-rich precipitates, detected in the matrix and grain boundaries, are likely to contribute to the significant increase in the room-temperature yield stress of microalloyed NiAl through a precipitation hardening mechanism.
Plato's Socrates: One Among Many, but Preeminent

Abstract Catherine H. Zuckert has written a monumental work on Plato's corpus that offers a new framework for understanding his dialogues. Not only does she trace Plato's presentation of Socrates' development over time, but she also shows how Plato uses other philosophic interlocutors to contribute to his philosophic project. Central themes include Socrates' discovery of eros, the unity of virtue, and the place of teaching in philosophy, and the relation between intelligible ideas and sensible experience.
Correlations Between Processing Parameters, Ultrastructure, and Strength of Gel-Silica

The effect of various processing parameters during the aging of sol-gel derived silica are evaluated. Improvement in the physical properties of the wet gel-silica are shown to be well correlated to their aging temperatures and time. Changes in the pore structure also show correlations with aging process parameters.
The application of gas-cooled reactor technologies to the transmutation of nuclear waste

Abstract Nuclear waste from commercial power plants contains large quantities of plutonium, other fissionable actinides, and long-lived fission products that pose long-term safe storage problems. Along with materials from weapons decommissioning programs, they are also a proliferation concern. Based on current levels of global nuclear power generation, it is estimated that by 2015 there will be more than 250,000 tons of spent fuel worldwide. This waste will contain over 2,000 tons of plutonium. (There is also more than 100 tons of plutonium becoming available from disarmament programs.) The disposal of this nuclear waste from commercial and defense programs has become a significant environmental and political issue. Long-term uncertainties are hampering the acceptability of a geologic repository for spent fuel in the U.S. The greatest concerns are with the potential for radiation release and exposure from the waste, and the possible diversion of fissionable material. The development of high-power accelerators has brought up the possibility of a technological solution to the problem. This is the so-called accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW), in which an intense beam of protons is used to produce a large, high-energy neutron flux in a spallation target. The target is surrounded by a multiplying medium of the plutonium and actinide waste, which is destroyed by neutron fission and capture. This paper describes the application of gas-cooled technology to the ATW, which can result in the elimination of weapons-useful material in the waste in one pass, without intermediate reprocessing, along with at least an order of magnitude reduction in the amount of reactor-generated transuranic (TRU) waste. Repository heat loads and the radio-toxicity of the waste are dramatically reduced. The process provides a waste form that is highly resistant to corrosion. It is also passively safe and does not produce mixed waste. The use of gas-cooled nuclear technology also provides maximum flexibility in the transmutation approach, and can allow the use of a direct-cycle gas-turbine generator power conversion system to produce electricity with 47% efficiency. Economic analyses suggest that gas-cooled transmutation systems are economically viable and would attract private investment for deployment.
Unusual oxygen doping behavior in Hg cuprates and its pressure dependence

Self-consistent electronic structure studies show that the “extra” oxygen in the O(4) site in Hg cuprates is unlike oxygen ions in other cuprates that have been studied: it is singly charged O1−rather than being near O2−. This behavior is necesary to make a consistent interpretation of the doping behavior by oxygen in Hg cuprates. We find that the change in doping level at 9.2 GPa in HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ is far too small to account for the observed rise inTc. We comment on strain effects on the electronic structure in YBa2Cu3O7.
Underlying cardiac lesions in adults with infective endocarditis: The changing spectrum

The spectrum of recognized cardiac lesions underlying infective endocarditis has been changing as a result of the decline in incidence of rheumatic heart disease, the recognition of the entity of mitral valve prolapse, and the improvement in cardiac diagnostic techniques. Sixty-three cases of native valve endocarditis diagnosed in Memphis hospitals between 1980 and 1984 were reviewed. All diagnoses of underlying cardiac lesions were confirmed by two-dimensional echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and/or histopathologic examination of valve tissues. Major categories of underlying lesions were as follows: mitral valve prolapse, 29 percent; no underlying disease, 27 percent; degenerative lesions of the aortic or mitral valve, 21 percent; congenital heart disease, 13 percent; rheumatic heart disease, 6 percent. Thus, mitral valve prolapse and, in the elderly, degenerative lesions have displaced rheumatic and congenital heart diseases as the major conditions underlying endocarditis. Redundancy of the mitral valve leaflets was noted in 17 of 18 patients in whom endocarditis was superimposed upon mitral valve prolapse. The risk of infective endocarditis appears to be substantially increased in the subset of patients with mitral valve prolapse who exhibit valvular redundancy.
The Dynamics of International Legal Regime Formation: The Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong Revisited: A Rejoinder to Kevin Tan

I appreciate Professor Tan�s willingness to assume the role of a discussant and endeavour to initiate the process of a collective exploration of the issues addressed in my article. It must be stated at the outset that I find his arguments not compelling, am disappointed that he has not approached the task more carefully and wish that he had ventured deeper into methodological and theoretical territory. However, the two-way flow of ideas for which the EJIL provides a fertile platform yields intellectual benefits even when it is uneven and incomplete. Tan�s response is marred by inaccurate assertions and questionable observations. He portrays me as a strong advocate of regime theory, an assessment that bears no relationship to reality. I have indeed written extensively on international legal regimes, primarily in the environmental and economic domains. Yet, I invariably examine the concept cautiously and tentatively. I highlight its flaws in considerable detail and employ it subject to several reservations. I believe that it is not superior, but also not inferior, to other analytical constructs relied upon by international legal theorists. I have a mild preference for rationalist (a category to which regime theory belongs) formulations over normative ones but, given the limitations of all the schools of thought in the field, I consistently advocate a multi-dimensional inquiry, incorporating different perspectives. My current EJIL article is no exception. It provides no endorsement of regime theory. Quite the contrary, it contends that institutionalism/neo-institutionalism (and, by implication, strictly speaking, regime theory) cannot account adequately for the formation of the Sino-British legal regime for Hong Kong.
A graveyard for grand theory.

We have failed as a nation to make decent medical care available to all and to control costs. Competing, entrenched interests, more focused on what they have to lose than what they stand to gain, h...
PMD4 Outcomes Research Interests of A Community Pharmacist Research Network

OBJECTIVE: This purpose of this project was to document the outcomes research interests of members of a statewide Community Pharmacist Research Network (CPR-Net). METHODS: Pharmacists electing to participate in the CPR-Net completed a survey in which they were asked to rank on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = low interest, 5 = high interest) their interest in conducting outcomes-related research projects (Pharmacy Care, Health Related Quality of Life, Pharmacoeconomics, and Product Evaluation) in 21 disease states. These projects would be conducted in their pharmacies in conjunction with four faculty members from a college of pharmacy. RESULTS: CPR-Net members ranked diabetes mellitus and hypertension as the most common disorders (93.8% each) in which they would be interested in conducting research projects. Other diseases in which a high interest level was demonstrated include asthma (85.4%), hypercholesterolemia (83.3%), and arthritis (81.2%). An intermediate level of interest was demonstrated with COPD (77%), allergic rhinitis (77%), child health issues (77%), and peptic ulcer disease (72.9%). Diseases in which a low interest level was expressed include AIDS/HIV (18.8%), epilepsy (12.5%), and thyroid disorders (12.5%). Additionally, 10.4% of pharmacists expressed low interest levels in conducting studies in patients with arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, depression, and anxiety. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists in this research network are most interested in conducting outcomes-related research projects in patients with common, expensive, chronic diseases.
Simultaneity, Convention, and Gauge Freedom

As is well known from Einstein (1905) the choice of a criterion for distant simultaneity is equivalent to stipulating one-way speeds for the transit of light. It is shown that any choice of non-standard synchrony is equivalent to a Lorentz local time boost. From this and considerations from the hole argument, it follows that there is a non-trivial sense in which distant simultaneity is conventional, at least to the extent that the “gauge freedom” arising in the hole argument is non-trivial.
Law as a tool to promote healthcare safety

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform healthcare providers and healthcare facility leadership about the statutory, administrative, criminal, and tort law implications related to preventable harms from unsafe injection practices. Design/methodology/approach – Review of legal theory and precedents. Findings – The law can address disputes over unsafe injection practices in a variety of ways. Administrative agencies may hold a provider or facility responsible for preventable harms according to specific statutory and regulatory provisions governing licensure. State courts can compensate victims of certain actions or inactions based on tort law, where a breach of a legal duty caused damages. Prosecutors and the public can turn to criminal law to punish defendants and deter future actions that result in disability or death. Research limitations/implications – The state law findings in this review are limited to legal provisions and court cases that are available on searchable databases. Due to the nat...
Specificity of sRNA for recognition of codons as studied by the ribosomal binding technique

Multiple sRNA species which are specific for individual amino acids have been purified from yeast and Escherichia coli sRNA using techniques of column chromatography or countercurrent distribution. The purified sRNA fractions, after charging with radioactive amino acid, have been tested for binding to ribosomes in the presence of the trinucleotides assigned as codons for the respective amino acids. From the stimulation of binding, it is concluded that (1) an sRNA species shows strict specificity for the recognition of the first letter of a codon; and (2) an sRNA species often can recognize multiple codons differing in the third letter. The total results, which are summarized in Table 4, appear to provide support for the postulates of the wobble hypothesis ( Crick, 1966 ).
Coping with Natural Hazards in a Conservation Context: Resource-Use Decisions of Maasai Households During Recent and Historical Droughts

Analyzing people’s decisions can reveal key variables that affect their behaviors. Despite the demonstrated utility of this approach, it has not been applied to livelihood decisions in the context of conservation initiatives. We used ethnographic decision modeling in combination with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to examine the herding decisions of Maasai households living near Tarangire National Park (TNP) during recent and historical droughts. The effects of the establishment of TNP on herding practices during drought were different than anticipated based on the size and reliability of several prominent resource areas that are now within the park. We found little evidence of people relying on these swamps and rivers for watering cattle during historical droughts; rather, these sites were more commonly used as grazing areas for small stock and wet-season grazing areas for cattle to avoid disease carried by calving wildebeest. Yet during the 2009 drought, many herders moved their livestock – especially cattle from outside of the study area – toward TNP in search of grazing. Our analysis of herding decisions demonstrates that resource-use decisions are complex and incorporate a variety of information beyond the size or reliability of a given resource area, including contextual factors (e.g., disease, conflict, grazing) and household factors (e.g., social capital, labor, herd size). More broadly, this research illustrates that pairing decision modeling with QCA is a structured approach to identifying these factors and understanding how opportunities, constraints, and perceptions influence how people respond to changes in resource access.
Pediatric Urology: The Impact of Prenatal Sonography on the Morbidity and Outcome of Patients With Renal Duplication Anomalies

Historically, most patients with a renal duplication anomaly associated with upper pole hydronephrosis underwent upper pole nephrectomy and partial ureterectomy. Prenatal sonography has resulted in increased recognition of these anomalies and, therefore, earlier urological referral and evaluation. We investigated whether as a result more upper pole moieties were preserved by performing alternative procedures, such as ureteroureterostomy. In addition, the impact on overall morbidity of the disease and its treatment is assessed. Since 1984, of 29 patients treated for ectopic ureter or ureterocele 13 presented initially with a diagnosis of prenatal hydronephrosis. Of these patients, 5 (38.5%) underwent a renal sparing procedure consisting of ureteroureterostomy in 4 and excision of ureterocele with common sheath ureteral reimplantation in 1. The remaining 8 patients underwent upper pole nephrectomy and partial ureterectomy for a nonfunctioning upper pole moiety. In contrast, of 16 patients who presented without having undergone prenatal sonography only 2 (12.5%) underwent a renal preserving procedure. Initial treatment in the remaining 14 patients was upper pole nephrectomy and partial ureterectomy. The average age at initial treatment in the prenatally detected group was 3 months, compared with 5 years in the other group. Only 1 of the 13 patients (8%) in the prenatally detected group had symptoms, whereas 14 of 16 in the other group (87.5%) presented with significant symptoms consisting of sepsis in 12, an abdominal mass in 1, urinary incontinence in 1, and an incidental diagnosis made during evaluation of an associated anomaly in 2. Although there is still controversy regarding the impact of prenatal detection of hydronephrosis on the preservation of renal function in patients with a single system, our results show a beneficial effect in patients with duplication anomalies. This was reflected in our ability to salvage the upper pole moieties 3 times more frequently than was previously possible with minimal morbidity. More importantly, the potential serious clinical manifestations of these duplication anomalies in later life were eliminated by virtue of early treatment.
Drivers of reforestation in human-dominated forests

Tropical forest habitat continues to decline globally, with serious negative consequences for environmental sustainability. The small mountain country of Nepal provides an excellent context in which to examine trajectories of forest-cover change. Despite having experienced large-scale forest clearing in the past, significant reforestation has taken place in recent years. The range of biophysical and ecological environments and diversity of tenure arrangements provide us with a context with sufficient variation to be able to derive insight into the impact of a range of hypothesized drivers of forest change. This article draws on a dataset of 55 forests from the middle hills and Terai plains of Nepal to examine the factors associated with forest clearing or regeneration. Results affirm the central importance of tenure regimes and local monitoring for forest regrowth. In addition, user group size per unit of forest area is an important, independent explanator of forest change. These variables also can be associated with specific practices that further influence forest change such as the management of social conflict, adoption of new technologies to reduce pressure on the forest, and involvement of users in forest maintenance activities. Such large-N, comparative studies are essential if we are to derive more complex, nuanced, yet actionable frameworks that help us to plan better policies for the management of natural resources.
High-order quadratures for the solution of scattering problems in two dimensions

We construct an iterative algorithm for the solution of forward scattering problems in two dimensions. The scheme is based on the combination of high-order quadrature formulae, fast application of integral operators in Lippmann-Schwinger equations, and the stabilized bi-conjugate gradient method (BI-CGSTAB). While the FFT-based fast application of integral operators and the BI-CGSTAB for the solution of linear systems are fairly standard, a large part of this paper is devoted to constructing a class of high-order quadrature formulae applicable to a wide range of singular functions in two and three dimensions; these are used to obtain rapidly convergent discretizations of Lippmann-Schwinger equations. The performance of the algorithm is illustrated with several numerical examples.
STRUCTURE OF RNAS REPLICATED BY THE DNA-DEPENDENT T7 RNA POLYMERASE

The DNA-dependent RNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7 efficiently and specifically replicates two structurally related RNAs, termed X and Y RNAs. Replication of both RNAs involves synthesis of complementary strands initiated with pppC and pppG. RNAs transcribed from DNA template containing the established sequences of X and Y RNAs were efficiently replicated by T7 RNA polymerase. Both RNAs possess palindromic sequences with a dual axis of symmetry, permitting formation of hairpin-, dumbbell-, or cloverleaf-type structures. The template must consist of RNA and not DNA sequence, and the terminal unpaired dinucleotides of the RNA are necessary for replication. Nucleotidyl transferase activity of E. coli adenylates the unpaired CCOH dinucleotide at the 3' end of a C strand of X RNA. This feature, as well as the length (64 nucleotides) and compact structure of X and Y RNAs, suggests that they may resemble tRNA molecules and tRNA-like structures at the 3' termini of many plant viral RNA genomes.
Effect of the timing of applications and amount of 0.01% diphacinone consumed on mortality of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi)

Abstract Diphacinone, a first-generation anticoagulant rodenticide is used extensively for control of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi). The potential for secondary poisoning hazards, has necessitated development of baiting strategies that minimize the amount of bait applied, while still providing a high level of control. Laboratory studies conducted to determine the effect of the amount of bait, number, and timing of 0.01% diphacinone bait applications on mortality rate of California ground squirrels suggest that only 2 applications with 3–5 d between applications are necessary to achieve control. This is contrary to previous beliefs that there must be no more than 48 h between feedings. Reducing the amount of bait per application by 71% had no significant effect on mortality rate.
GOES-8 and -9 data ingest and public file service at NASA-GSFC

Desktop computers have evolved to the point where they can process GOES variable-length (GVAR) data blocks at 1 Gbyte/hour, despite the complexity of the data stream and the varied demands of realtime users. Because of the lack of off-the-shelf GVAR processing packages before the launch of GOES-I in 1994, we assembled a custom open system at NASA- GSFC to automatically ingest, process and disseminate full- resolution GOES-8 and GOES-9 imagery 24 hours per day. This data service is now widely used by the internet community. The hardware-software package described here can be copied freely. Similar systems are now available from commercial vendors.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
How do adolescents view health? Implications for state health policy.

Abstract Objectives Policy-makers rarely consult adolescents during development of health policies. However, perspectives of adolescents on health can inform public health policies and programs. As part of the development of an Indiana state plan for adolescent health, we used qualitative methods to describe adolescents' "emic" views of health, and discuss implications for a state health policy for youth. Patients and Methods We conducted eight adolescent focus groups in geographically and culturally diverse regions of Indiana. Each group was audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative methods. Results Participants described health as a shared responsibility between adolescents and adults in their lives. They identified a key role for supportive adults in initiating and maintaining health behaviors. Physical, financial, and informational environments could support or hinder healthy behaviors and outcomes. Although adolescents' descriptions of physical health and risk behaviors were similar to adult formulations, they described mental health as "stress and fatigue," an interaction between the adolescent and their environment, rather than depression and anxiety which are considered to be individual pathologies. Respect for decision-making capacity, seeking adolescent input, and providing harm reduction messages were identified as particularly important. Conclusions Adolescent's perception of health can inform policies and programs, and should be sought before the development of health policies.
Disposition of gentamicin in the genital tract of cows.

The distribution of gentamicin (G) in plasma and uterine lumen was studied following intramuscular (i.m.) and intrauterine (i.u.) treatment. A Foley catheter was inserted into one uterine horn and retained in place by inflation of the cuff. This provided a closed system for collection of uterine lumen samples and analysis of the concentration of gentamicin for 6 h following treatment. Four normal cycling and healthy cows in dioestrus were given i.m. injections of 4 mg gentamicin/kg BW and another two were given i.m. injections of 2 mg gentamicin/kg BW gentamicin. The uteri were infused with 50 ml saline containing phenolsulphonphthalein (PSP) indicator. Blood and infused solution (IS) samples were periodically collected during the 6-h period following i.m. administration. Six hours after injection, approximately 183.7 μg gentamicin and 39.4 μg gentamicin were accumulated in the uterine lumen of cows receiving 4 mg gentamicin/kg BW and 2 mg gentamicin/kg BW, respectively. The amount of gentamicin reaching the blood stream after i.m. administration of 4 mg gentamicin/kg BW was 2.89 times that reached after administration of 2 mg gentamicin/kg BW based on the area under the curve of plots of plasma concentration of gentamicin versus time. Four normal-cycling and healthy cows in dioestrus were given i.u. infusions of gentamicin (225–275 mg) diluted in 50 ml saline containing PSP indicator using a Foley catheter in a closed system. Samples from the IS and blood were collected at various intervals for 6 h after infusion. Following i.u. infusion of gentamicin, an average of 29.4% of the dose was absorbed into the bloodstream. The majority of the dose of gentamicin (70.6%) remained in the uterine lumen throughout the 6-h period.
Industrial Turbine Energy Supply Systems - An Economic Way to Save Energy

Turbines, integrated into the process plant's need for both process heat and power, can generate power (kW and/or hp) with less than half the fuel required by a separate plant generating and transmitting electric power to the industrial. In those processes where there is a source of waste heat, there may be potential for economic conversion of this heat into turbine power. Typical examples will show the parameters that influence the selection of turbine energy supply alternatives. These systems, with the operating flexibility needed to match the process plants varying requirements for kilowatts, horsepower, and process heat, can provide reliable and economic power.
Characteristics of in vitro blastogenesis of bovine thoracic duct lymphocytes stimulated with PHA and antigen.

Abstract Bovine thoracic duct lymphocytes isolated from animals sensitized to tuberculin were examined for their in vitro proliferative response to both tuberculin and phytohemagglutinin. Optimal culture times and mitogen concentrations were similar to those reported for other lymphoid cells. Optimal cell concentrations were, however, much higher than those previously reported. In addition, the use of heat-inactivated autologous serum was also necessary for maximum profliferation. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Investigating High Affinity Protein Self-Association by Fluorescence Optical Sedimentation Velocity Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation (SV) is a powerful first-principle technique for the study of protein interactions and the rigorous characterization of binding stoichiometry and affinities in free solution. With a recently introduced commercial fluorescence optical detection system (FDS) it has gained the potential for applications to be extended to high-affinity interactions. However, for most proteins the attachment of an extrinsic fluorophore is an essential prerequisite for the study by FDS-SV. Fluorescent labeling induced artifacts present one key difficulty in the study of the homo-oligomerization of proteins by FDS-SV. Using the high-affinity homo-dimerization of the glutamate receptor GluA2 amino terminal domain as a model system, we demonstrate how the choice of fluorescent label can impact both the observed binding constants as well as the derived estimates of the hydrodynamic parameters of protein species. Specifically, FAM (5,6-carboxyfluorescein) was found to create different populations of artificially high-affinity and low-affinity dimers, as indicated by both FDS-SV and the kinetics of Forster Resonance Energy Transfer observed in bench-top spectro-fluorometry. By contrast, Dylight488 labeled protein as well as protein expressed as an EGFP fusion, yielded results consistent with estimates from unlabeled protein. Our study suggests considerations for the choice of labeling strategies, and highlights experimental designs that exploit specific opportunities of FDS-SV for improving the reliability of the binding isotherm analysis of interacting systems.
Mother-infant relations and infant development in captive chimpanzees and orang-utans.

Four chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)mother—infant dyads and four orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)motherinfant dyads were studied for the first 11 months of the infants’ lives. For both species, ventroventral contact and nipple contact decreased over time at a similar rate, but total contact decreased earlier in the orangutans and was 50% lower than for the chimpanzees at the end of the study. Social play between the mothers and the infants did not differ in frequency between the species, but orangutans played above the ground and chimpanzees on the ground. Solitary play differed in form between the species and, like social play, reflected their differences in arboreal and terrestrial proclivities. In addition, the orangutans engaged in solitary play considerably more frequently than the chimpanzees during the second half-year of life. The developmental differences in mother-infant contact and solitary play of these apes are consistent with the differences in their speciestypical social organization. The data may reflect, therefore, early development of species differences in the social and relatively solitary natures of chimpanzees and orangutans, respectively.
Scheduling parallel operations in automation for minimum execution time based on pert

Abstract The use of parallel operations in automation, such as part fabrication and assembly, computation and control of industrial robots, etc., may yield a minimum production time and thereby increase productivity. However, the coupling between consecutive phases of operations results in series-parallel precedence constraints that may create unavoidable idle time intervals during the operations. To solve the problem, idle time intervals must be broken down and reduced. An algorithm that determines a minimum time-ordered schedule for the parallel operaitons is developed based on the Program Evaluation and Review Technique using the method of “variable” branch and bound.