cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The vacuum arc plasma source and its applications

Summary form only given. A vacuum arc is a gas discharge that maintains itself by providing the conductive medium between cathode and anode through evaporation of material from either one of the electrodes. The rather rapid material evaporation process occurs in microscopic spots on the electrode surface. The spot's existence is highly dynamic and determined by the interaction between the surface near solid-state region of the electrode and the generated plasma in front of it. The material leaves the electrode region fully ionized and expands into the vacuum chamber with energies in the range of several tens of electron volts. This expanding plasma can be utilized e.g. for surface treatments by exposing a substrate to it. The phenomenon of the vacuum arc has been researched for more than a hundred years and the vacuum arc has meanwhile become a state-of-the-art plasma source for thin film deposition and plasma surface treatment applications. The paper gives an overview of the vacuum arc phenomenon and discusses basic discharge parameters for typical materials. Practical implementations of dc and pulsed discharges are introduced and compared with respect to current and future applications.
Rectification by charging: Contact-induced current asymmetry in molecular conductors

We outline the qualitatively different physics behind charging-induced current asymmetries in molecular conductors operating in the weakly interacting self-consistent field (SCF) and the strongly interacting Coulomb blockade (CB) regimes. The SCF conductance asymmetry originates in the asymmetric shifts of the closed-shell molecular conducting levels, driven by unequal mean-field potentials for positive and negative biases. A very different current asymmetry arises for CB due to the unequal number of open-shell excitation channels at opposite bias voltages. The CB regime, dominated by single charge effects, typically requires a computationally demanding many-electron or Fock-space description to do justice to its complex excitation spectrum. However, our analysis of molecular CB measurements reveals that many novel signatures can be explained using a simpler orthodox model that involves an incoherent sum of Fock-space excitations and hence treats the molecule as a metallic dot. This also reduces the complexity of the Fock-space description by including charge configurations alone, somewhat underscoring the richness of its electronic structure while retaining the essential single charge nature of the transport process. The inclusion of electronic structure with well-resolved Fock space excitations is, however, crucial in some notable examples.
Performance Information Use in Local Government: Monitoring Relationships with Emergency Medical Services Agencies

ABSTRACTEvaluating service effectiveness and ensuring accountability of third-party public service providers is important in collaborative relationships. Emergency medical services (EMS), a function in many cases provided by community-based organizations with long-standing relationships, constitutes one such case. This article examines the central concern of performance information use by municipal officials as they engage in monitoring and decision-making regarding relationships with third-party EMS agencies. Findings indicate that information availability, length of the relationship, ease of negotiations, and municipal size all influence performance information use, suggesting that the palpable nature of these relationships and the comprehensiveness of the agreements are key in shaping attitudes about performance information use.
Anisotropy of heterogeneity scale lengths in the lower mantle from PKIKP precursors

SUMMARY The anisotropy of heterogeneity scale lengths in the lower mantle is investigated by modelling its eVect on the high-frequency precursors of PKIKP scattered by the heterogeneities. Although models having either an isotropic or an anisotropic distribution of scale lengths can fit the observed coda shapes of short-period precursors, the frequency content of broad-band PKIKP precursors favours a dominantly isotropic distribution of scale lengths. Precursor coda shapes are consistent with 1 per cent fluctuations in P velocity in the wavenumber band 0.05‐0.5 km’1 extending to 1000 km above the core‐mantle boundary, and with a D region open to circulation throughout the lower mantle. The level of excitation of PKIKP precursors observed in the frequency band 0.02‐2 Hz requires a power spectrum of heterogeneity that is nearly white or slowly increasing with wavenumber. Anisotropy of scale lengths may exist in a D layer having larger horizontal than vertical scale lengths and produce little or no detectable eVects on PKIKP precursors for P-velocity perturbations as high as 3 per cent when averaged over a vertical scale of several kilometres, and much higher when averaged over scales of hundreds of metres or less.
Wideband microwave amplifier with two antiparallel high-efficiency-diode pairs

A K-shaped antiparallel microstrip amplifier having four high-efficiency avalanche diodes has provided 400 W at 1.01 GHz with 8.8 dB power gain and 1.23% bandwidth. A novel fishbone-shaped tuning plate has worked not only to widen the bandwidth to 10%, but also, together with stagger-tuned antiparallel pairs, to increase the gain bandwidth from 94.8 MHz to 447 MHz.
In VivoTrapping of Nitric Oxide in the Brain of Neonatal Rats Treated with the HIV-1 Envelope Protein gp 120: Protective Effects of α-Phenyl-tert-butylnitrone☆

Abstract AIDS dementia complex is a neurological syndrome characterized by cognitive deficits and motor and behavioral dysfunction. The HIV-I envelope glycoprotein gp 120 has been implicated in the development of ATDS dementia. This protein has been shown to be neurotoxic and to cause learning impairment and retardation of the development of complex motor behavior in rat neonates. Nitric oxide has been implicated in gp 120-induced neurotoxicity. In the present study, we report for the first time in vivo evidence for the formation of nitric oxide in the CNS as a result of multiple subcutaneous injections of gp 120 to neonatal rats. Nitric oxide was trapped in the brain of neonatal rats by N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate-Fe and the nitric oxide content measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The nitrone-based spin trap α-phenyl- tert -butylnitrone at 50 mg/kg was found to prevent gp 120-mediated nitric oxide formation and to also protect against gp 120-induced behavioral impairment.
Daily Periodicity of Susceptibility of Mice to Pneumococcal Infection

REPORTS of a 24 h rhythm in the susceptibility of mice to a toxic dose of ethanol1, to audiogenic stimuli2, and to E. coli endotoxin3 suggest that circadian changes in physiological state contribute substantially to the susceptibility of a host to these fixed insults. We now report a daily rhythmicity in the susceptibility of mice to pneumococcal infection.
Experimental pulpal pathosis and its sequelae in albino rats

Abstract A histologic report has been presented, and histopathologic changes in the albino rat have been noted from 1 to 142 days. Certain stages of the inflammatory response have been demonstrated in epithelium, connective tissue, and bone. An attempt has been made to explain one method by which root fragments and other dentinal debris are attacked, destroyed, or exfoliated from the alveolus. Although there were differences in the time interval due, we believe, to the difference in the species of experimental animal under investigation, we are of the opinion that the same general processes occurred as those seen in other animals and possibly in man. The opinion is offered that the albino rat may be used satisfactorily in further research involving the pulp and periapical tissues.
The Fluorescent Response of NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl), CsI(Na) and CaF2(Eu) to X-Rays and Low Energy Gamma Rays

The fluorescent response functions of NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl), CsI(Na) and CaF2(Eu) have been determined with thin crystals over the energy range from 3.3 keV to 840 keV. A pronounced nonlinear dependence on photon energy has been observed in this region for all four types of crystals investigated. Qualitatively the response functions for NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl) and CsI(Na) are similar down to a photon energy of about 20 keV, but major differences are observed at lower energies. The response function of CaF2(Eu) is very different from the response functions for the other three crystals over the entire energy range examined. Both K-shell and L-shell absorption edge discontinuities are evident in the fluorescent response curves for Na(Tl) and CsI(Tl). Only K-shell absorption edge discontinuities could be observed in the response curves for CsI(Na) and CaF2(Eu). A nonlinear fluorescent dependence on electron energy is indicated for all four types of crystals. Discontinuities in the spectral resolution function are observed in NaI(Tl) at energies corresponding to both the K-shell and L-shell absorption edges of iodine. A shift toward longer wavelengths in the light spectrum emitted by NaI(Tl) in response to excitation by X-rays with energies below about 10 keV may also be indicated by photomultiplier-dependent differences observed only at the lowest energies.
Tail profile: a more accurate system for analyzing DNA damage using the Comet assay.

Abstract The Comet assay (single cell gel electrophoresis assay) measures DNA strand breaks in individual cells. In the assay cells are embedded in agarose, lysed, and electrophoresed under low voltage, allowing migration of damaged DNA. The DNA is stained and subsequently viewed with an epifluorescent microscope. If DNA damage has occurred the electrophoresed DNA fragments appear as a diffuse tail behind the nucleus known as a “comet”. Many computer-aided analysis systems are currently in use to quantify the amount of DNA damage that is represented by a comet image. Here, we present a novel method of analysis known as “tail profile”. This method of analysis provides several advantages over currently employed methods, which rely primarily on the “tail moment” method of analysis. We compared the amount of DNA damage reported from both the tail profile and tail moment methods of analysis and observed a 26% (P
Rational function approximations in the numerical solution of Cauchy-type singular integral equations

Cauchy-type singular integral equations of the second kind with constant coefficients are solved via rational and polynomial approximations. Rational functions, similar to that of polynomials, have the property that for r(t) rational and for many of the weight functions w(t) encountered in practice, R(x) ≡ ∫-11w(t)r(t)t − x dt is also rational. Hence, approximations by rational functions is feasible. Rational function approximations in the solution of the dominant equation results in a linear algebraic system which possesses block-diagonal structure. It is further shown that the determinant of the coefficient matrix is bounded below away from zero and stability is ensured under fairly non-restrictive conditions. For the complete Cauchy-type singular integral equation, i.e. the equation with both the principal and regular parts, gaussian quadrature in conjunction with the rational function method is synthesized in the construction of a “hybrid” scheme. Error estimates and convergence are established. A variety of problems from Aerodynamics and Fracture Mechanics are solved and presented as a basis of comparison to polynomial-based schemes.
Remembering familiar people: the posterior cingulate cortex and autobiographical memory retrieval.

Most functional imaging studies of memory retrieval investigate memory for standardized laboratory stimuli. However, naturally acquired autobiographical memories differ from memories of standardized stimuli in important ways. Neuroimaging studies of natural memories may reveal distinctive patterns of brain activation and may have particular value in assessing clinical disorders of memory. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain activation during successful retrieval of autobiographical memories elicited by name-cued recall of family members and friends. The caudal part of the left posterior cingulate cortex was the most strongly activated region and was significantly activated in all eight subjects studied. Most subjects also showed significant activation of the left anterior orbitomedial, anterior middle frontal, precuneus, cuneus, and posterior inferior parietal cortices, and the right posterior cingulate and motor cortices.Our findings are consistent with prior studies showing posterior cingulate cortex activation during autobiographical memory retrieval. This region is also consistently activated during retrieval of standardized memory stimuli when experimental designs emphasizing successful retrieval are employed. Our results support the hypothesis that the posterior cingulate cortex plays an important role in successful memory retrieval. The posterior cingulate cortex has strong reciprocal connections with entorhinal and parahippocampal cortices. Studies of early Alzheimer's disease, temporal lobectomy, and hypoxic amnesia show that hypometabolism of the posterior cingulate cortex is an early and prominent indicator of pathology in these patients. Our findings suggest that autobiographical memory retrieval tasks could be used to probe the functional status of the posterior cingulate cortex in patients with early Alzheimer's disease or at risk for that condition.
Thermally assisted high efficiency ductile machining of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite: A numerical study

Abstract This study investigates the role of thermal assistance and tool geometry on ductile regime machining of a nanocrystalline (nano-HAP) bioceramic using numerical simulation. AdvantEdge FEM Version 5.9 is used to conduct the simulation of orthogonal machining of the nano-HAP material. Thermal boundary conditions are specified to approximate laser preheating of the work material. The effects of operating conditions (preheat temperature, rake angle, and edge radius) on critical depth of cut, cutting force, and thrust force are investigated. Based on the pressure-based criterion for ductile regime machining (DRM), the dependence of critical depth of cut on preheating temperature is examined. It is found that for different combinations of rake angle and edge radius, the critical depth of cut increases as thermal boundary temperature increases. In addition, it is concluded that using higher thermal boundary temperature for smaller negative or 0° rake angle, we can achieve the comparable critical depth of cut obtained by using a higher negative rake angle, which usually generates higher thrust force and consequently deteriorates the dimensional accuracy of finished parts.
Do young children think of television images as pictures or real objects

Three studies investigated whether 3‐ and 4‐year‐olds interpret television images as mere pictorial representations of objects or as real, physically‐present objects. Four‐year‐olds gave clear evidence of making the former interpretation whereas 3‐year‐olds seemed to make the latter one. However, the data suggest that the younger children's errors reflect a failure to differentiate conceptually between television images and their referent objects rather than a conviction that real objects populate television sets.
Expression of Immunomodulatory Neutrophil-activating Protein of Helicobacter pylori Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Oncolytic Measles Virus

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (NAP) is a major virulence factor and powerful inducer of inflammatory reaction and Th1-polarized immune response. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of measles virus (MV) strains engineered to express secretory NAP forms against metastatic breast cancer. Recombinant viruses encoding secretory NAP forms (MV-lambda-NAP and MV-s-NAP) efficiently infect and destroy breast cancer cells by cell-to-cell viral spread and large syncytia formation independently of hormone receptor status. Intrapleural administration of MV-s-NAP doubled the median survival in a pleural effusion xenograft model: 65 days as compared to 29 days in the control group (P < 0.0001). This therapeutic effect correlated with a brisk Th1 type cytokine response in vivo. Secretory NAP was expressed at high levels by infected tumor cells and increased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-12/23 cytokine concentrations were detected in the pleural effusion. In an aggressive model of lung metastatic breast cancer, MV-lambda-NAP and MV-s-NAP also significantly improved survival of the treated animals (P < 0.05) as compared to the control MV strain. These data suggest that potent immunomodulators of bacterial origin, such as H. pylori NAP, can enhance the antitumor effect of oncolytic viruses and support the feasibility and potential of a combined viroimmunotherapy approach.
Being Young and Black: What Are Their Effects on Juvenile Justice Decision Making?

This study examined the extent to which race and age individually and jointly determined juvenile justice case outcomes at intake and judicial disposition among males in one county juvenile court in the state of Iowa. Using an interpretation of the symbolic threat thesis and the emphasis on stereotyping as the theoretical framework, we discovered that being Black and older increased a youth's chances of receiving an intake court referral and decreased the odds of participation in intake diversion. Age did not condition intake decision making for African Americans but was discovered to temper case outcomes for Whites. Although individual relationships were found, there was no evidence of joint race-age effects in decision making at judicial disposition.
Diagnostic Interpretation of Extended pH Monitoring: Is There a Single Best Method?

Our aims were to compare the specificity and sensitivity of the reflux index (RI), Euler and Byrne score (EBS), and area under the curve (AUC) at pH < 4.0 in infants 1 year old for identifying pathologic gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and to identify new cutoffs on formula feedings. We undertook a prospective investigation of extended pH monitoring (EPM) in 117 infants with symptoms of GER. Infants were categorized as having pathologic reflux by three measures: RI ≥ 5%, EBS ≥ 50, or AUC pH < 4.0 or ≤ 21.3, as determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Using the RI as a criterion, 27 infants (23%) had pathologic reflux. When EBS and AUC were used, 65 (56%), and 67 (57%) respectively, were classified as having pathologic reflux. The specificities of RI, EBS, and AUC were 97.8, 100.0, and 100.0%, respectively, and the sensitivities were 93.0, 91.5, and 94.4, respectively. A new cutoff value for RI of 2.1% was determined using ROC curve analysis to improve the specificity and sensitivity of RI to the above values. The number of infants with pathologic GER is likely to be significantly less using the traditional RI alone on formula feedings, however, the revised RI cutoff value and AUC analysis by computerized pH tracings can enhance the accuracy on formula feedings.
Collisional Transfer Contributions in the Quantum Theory of Transport Coefficients

Transport coefficients for gases investigated for addition of collision transfer contributions to phase-space transformation functions
The Effect of Emergency Department Expansion on Emergency Department Overcrowding

Objectives: To examine the effects of emergency department (ED) expansion on ambulance diversion at an urban, academic Level 1 trauma center. Methods: This was a pre-post study performed using administrative data from the ED and hospital electronic information systems. On April 19, 2005, the adult ED expanded from 28 to 53 licensed beds. Data from a five-month pre-expansion period (November 1, 2004, to March 1, 2005) and a five-month postexpansion period (June 1, 2005, to October 31, 2005) were included for this analysis. ED and waiting room statistics as well as diversion status were obtained. Total ED length of stay (LOS) was defined as the time from patient registration to the time leaving the ED. Admission hold LOS was defined as the time from the inpatient bed request to the time leaving the ED for admitted patients. Mean differences (95% confidence interval [CI]) in total time spent on ambulance diversion per month, diversion episodes per month, and duration per diversion episode were calculated. An accelerated failure time model was performed to test if ED expansion was associated with a reduction in ambulance diversion while adjusting for potential confounders. Results: From pre-expansion to postexpansion, daily patient volume increased but ED occupancy decreased. There was no significant change in the time spent on ambulance diversion per month (mean difference, 10.9 hours; 95% CI =−74.0 to 95.8), ambulance diversion episodes per month (two episodes per month; 95% CI =−4.2 to 8.2), and duration of ambulance diversion per episode (0.3 hours; 95% CI =−4.0 to 3.5). Mean (±SD) total LOS increased from 4.6 (±1.9) to 5.6 (±2.3) hours, and mean (±SD) admission hold LOS also increased from 3.0 (±0.2) to 4.1 (±0.2) hours. The proportion of patients who left without being seen was 3.5% and 2.7% (p = 0.06) in the pre-expansion and postexpansion periods, respectively. In the accelerated failure time model, ED expansion did not affect the time to the next ambulance diversion episode. Conclusions: An increase in ED bed capacity did not affect ambulance diversion. Instead, total and admission hold LOS increased. As a result, ED expansion appears to be an insufficient solution to improve diversion without addressing other bottlenecks in the hospital.
The interaction of albumin and concanavalin A with normal and sickle human erythrocytes.

Abstract The interaction of human albumin and concanavalin A with normal and sickle human red blood cells previously washed in phosphate buffer at pH = 7.4 was studied by titration calorimetry. The amount of albumin bound to normal cells was (6.8 ± 2.2) × 105 molecules/cell. An equilibrium constant of 5 × 1010 and an enthalpy change of −(280 ± 90) kcal/mol albumin was determined for albumin interaction with normal cells. The amount of albumin bound to sickle cells was (12.4 ± 1.0) × 105 molecules/cell and the enthalpy change for albumin interaction with sickle cells was −(390 ± 140) kcal/mol. Normal cells bound (5.7 ± 2.4) × 105 concanavalin A molecules/cell with an enthalpy change of −(840 ± 200) kcal/mol concanavalin. All experiments were conducted at 25°C.
Comparison of Node-Centered and Cell-Centered Unstructured Finite-Volume Discretizations: Inviscid Fluxes

Cell-centered and node-centered approaches have been compared for unstructured finite-volume discretization of inviscid fluxes. The grids range from regular grids to irregular grids, including mixed-element grids and grids with random perturbations of nodes. Accuracy, complexity, and convergence rates of defect-correction iterations are studied for eight nominally second-order accurate schemes: two node-centered schemes with weighted and unweighted least-squares (LSQ) methods for gradient reconstruction and six cell-centered schemes two node-averaging with and without clipping and four schemes that employ different stencils for LSQ gradient reconstruction. The cell-centered nearest-neighbor (CC-NN) scheme has the lowest complexity; a version of the scheme that involves smart augmentation of the LSQ stencil (CC-SA) has only marginal complexity increase. All other schemes have larger complexity; complexity of node-centered (NC) schemes are somewhat lower than complexity of cell-centered node-averaging (CC-NA) and full-augmentation (CC-FA) schemes. On highly anisotropic grids typical of those encountered in grid adaptation, discretization errors of five of the six cell-centered schemes converge with second order on all tested grids; the CC-NA scheme with clipping degrades solution accuracy to first order. The NC schemes converge with second order on regular and/or triangular grids and with first order on perturbed quadrilaterals and mixed-element grids. All schemes may produce large relative errors in gradient reconstruction on grids with perturbed nodes. Defect-correction iterations for schemes employing weighted least-square gradient reconstruction diverge on perturbed stretched grids. Overall, the CC-NN and CC-SA schemes offer the best options of the lowest complexity and secondorder discretization errors. On anisotropic grids over a curved body typical of turbulent flow simulations, the discretization errors converge with second order and are small for the CC-NN, CC-SA, and CC-FA schemes on all grids and for NC schemes on triangular grids; the discretization errors of the CC-NA scheme without clipping do not converge on irregular grids. Accurate gradient reconstruction can be achieved by introducing a local approximate mapping; without approximate mapping, only the NC scheme with weighted LSQ method provides accurate gradients. Defect correction iterations for the CC-NA scheme without clipping diverge; for the NC scheme with weighted LSQ method, the iterations either diverge or converge very slowly. The best option in curved geometries is the CC-SA scheme that offers low complexity, second-order discretization errors, and fast convergence.
Catalytic synthesis of 2,6-dimethylphenol form methanol and cyclohexanol over magnesium oxide supported chromium catalysts

Abstract A one-step synthesis of 2,6-dimethylphenol from methanol and cyclohexanol over a magnesium oxide supported chromium catalyst was investigated at atmospheric pressure. The catalyst may be applicable to KA-oil (a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone) for the formation of 2,6-dimethylphenol using methanol as a methyl group source.
Evaluating social connectedness online: the design and development of the Social Perceptions in Learning Contexts Instrument

Learners’ feelings of social connectedness may be a key factor in predicting online course success. However, students attempting to perceive and process the social context in online courses often find themselves engaging in unfamiliar, technology-mediated communication channels. While there have been several empirically based strategies published for creating and maintaining social connectedness online, presently there are no validated instruments available to evaluate the success or failure of the pedagogical methods employed. This article reports on the development and initial technical validation of the Social Perceptions in Learning Contexts Instrument (SPLCI), a research tool for measuring students’ perception of social connectedness with participants in online courses. Findings demonstrated strong validity and reliability evidence that collectively supports continued development of the SPLCI.
Ductile structural system reliability analysis using adaptive importance sampling

This paper presents a hybrid technique for efficient system reliability estimation of large ductile framed structures. The proposed procedure starts with a simple enumeration scheme, but quickly changes to an adaptive importance sampling scheme to make the process more efficient and easier to implement. The method solves the problem of including the effect of multiple failure sequences in an importance sampling scheme, for the system reliability estimation of large structures. The enumeration method is used to identify the first complete failure sequence. This failure sequence defines the initial failure domain for starting the adaptive sampling process. A weighted multi-modal sampling density is used to account for the contribution of different regions in the sampling domain to the system failure probability. As the simulation progresses, the failure domain is gradually modified to include the effect of other significant failure sequences and arrive at an accurate estimate of the system failure probability.
What to do when two oral agents fail to control type 2 diabetes--a matter of opinion or a matter of fact?

c e s t h i edical professionals, and increasingly the lay public, ave become aware of the growing epidemic of type 2 iabetes. At the same time, medical science has provided mportant new insights into the pathophysiology, natural istory, and various therapeutic interventions for this isease. Although our therapeutic response cannot be nly glucocentric, the importance of glucose control in reventing the complications of type 2 diabetes is now rmly established. Fortunately, since the mid 1990s several new oral antiyperglycemic agents have been added to our therapeutic rmamentarium in the United States. In addition to ulfonylureas, metformin arrived, followed by two alphalucosidase inhibitors. Now, two rapid-acting nonulfonylurea insulin secretagogues and two thiazoidinediones are also available. These medications offer ew opportunities for effective, customized therapy and lso provide new challenges to clinicians and medical care ystems to use them most effectively, both as monoherapy and in combination. Many preregistration trials testing the safety and effiacy of these agents have now been published, and clinical xperience continues to be an invaluable teacher. Lessons rom clinical experience can be disruptive and even hocking, as seen in the case of troglitazone, which turned ut to have rare but sometimes fatal liver toxicity, leading o its withdrawal from use (1). However, we have found hat early in the course of type 2 diabetes, the other agents vailable for use since 1995 are effective for most patients, sually with manageable side effects. The eventual, preictable inadequacy of initial oral therapy has invited exloration of the use of combination agents (2). Now that t is recognized that the glycemic effects of the different lasses of agents are additive while their side effects usully are not, combination therapy has become widely acepted (3– 4). Even before the arrival of metformin in the United tates, it was clear that there was a place for combined herapy with insulin and sulfonylureas (5). Subsequently,
Preliminary experience with an endobronchial blocker designed for young children.

AVARIETY OF thoracic surgical procedures in young children require or benefit from single-lung ventilation. Single-lung ventilation in young children is problematic because currently available equipment may be too large or cumbersome.1 Successful lung isolation can be awkward and require a makeshift apparatus. The following cases report the authors’ preliminary experience with an endobronchial blocker that has been designed for use in young children. An Arndt endobronchial blocker (Cook, Inc., Bloomington, IN) has been specifically designed for use in young children. The blocker consists of a nonlatex distal balloon mounted on a 5F catheter with a central lumen. This lumen has a proximal Luer lock connection. A wire loop passes through the lumen and extends beyond the tip of the blocker. A 2-mm fiberoptic bronchoscope (Olympus LF-P) is passed through the loop and both bronchoscope and blocker are passed through an endotracheal tube (ETT) (Fig 1). The bronchoscope is advanced to the appropriate mainstem bronchus and the blocker slid along the bronchoscope. The bronchoscope is partially withdrawn and proper location of the blocker confirmed. If placement of the blocker requires adjustment, the bronchoscope can be threaded through the wire loop or the catheter can be manipulated under direct vision without using the loop. The wire loop is then removed. With the wire loop removed, the central lumen that carried the wire loop can thereafter be used to assist lung deflation, either by spontaneous deflation or by the application of gentle suction, or for supplying positive end-expiratory pressure to the operative lung if needed. The bronchoscope and blocker can be passed together through a 4.5 mm or larger ETT. A special multiport airway adapter allows connection of the airway circuit, bronchoscope, and blocker with minimal air leaks. This coaxial arrangement allows continued ventilation through the endotracheal tube during blocker placement, particularly important in young children who will desaturate more rapidly than will adults during periods of apnea.
Irreversible electroporation (IRE) in cirrhotic liver: preliminary experience in a large animal model

Purpose To compare the efficacy of tissue ablation using IRE in cirrhotic versus normal liver parenchyma in a porcine model. Materials and Methods Eight pigs received a mixture containing iodized oil and ethanol into the hepatic artery to induce liver injury. Cirrhosis was allowed to develop over 4 weeks. Four control animals received a sham hepatic arterial injection of normal saline. CT-guided IRE lesions were created using paired electrodes (18g, 2 cm tip) and a Nanoknife generator (Angiodynamics, Fremont, CA) in cirrhotic (n=14 lesions) and normal liver (n=8 lesions) with the aid of cardiac gating. All animals were euthanized within three hours of the ablation procedure. IRE parameters and pathological data were recorded and analyzed. Immunohistochemical analysis of cleaved caspase-3 was used to assess for apoptosis. These data were compared and subject to statistical analysis using the Satterthwaite t-test. Results Cirrhosis was successfully induced in all experimental animals with histological analysis revealing a median METAVIR score of 3.38. The median calculated electrical resistance of the liver parenchyma during pulse application was greater in the cirrhotic parenchyma 113.9 ohm [95% CI: (92.2,134.7)] than normal liver 90.2 ohm [95% CI: (53.4,126.9)], but it failed to reach statistical significance (p=0.05). The mean ablation volume in the cirrhotic and normal livers at gross pathology was 17.2 cm3 [95% CI: (14.3,20)] and 11.8 cm3 [95% CI: (9.7,13.8)], respectively. Difference in ablation volumes was also not statistically significant (p=0.48). Histological analysis of ablation lesions was similar in both groups and characterized by hepatocellular dissociation often associated with hemorrhage and sinusoidal dilatation with minimal surrounding inflammation. Hepatocytes did not show any substantial evidence of apoptosis at the time of necropsy. Conclusion IRE tissue destruction appears equally effective in cirrhotic and normal liver parenchyma in a porcine model. Although, a trend toward greater electrical resistance was observed in the cirrhotic liver, it did not impact the overall volume of ablation.
The Ideal-Type: Some Conceptions and Misconceptions

MAx WEBER utilized the ideal-type in various ways. One of them was in his analysis of bureaucracy as a form of social organization. Generally, he stated that the bureaucratic type of administration is "from a purely technical point of view, capable of attaining the highest degree of efficiency and is in this sense formally the most rational known means of carrying out imperative control over human beings."' More specifically, he stated the following characteristics of the ideal-type of bureaucracy: 2 (1) It consists of a formation of offices with each office having a specified "span of control," and specified duties and responsibilities. (2) The offices are organized into a hierarchy with each lower office under the control and supervision of the next higher one. (3) Operations are governed by a system of rules and consist of the application of these rules to particular cases. (4) Each office is occupied by an official who conducts himself in a spirit of formalistic impersonality. (5) The occupancy of an office is based on technical competency, and the hierarchy is a career line for the office occupant. There are other characteristics which could be said to be a part of this configuration; but the above are at least the core characteristics of the ideal-type of bureaucracy as Weber developed it. In a recent study of complex organizations, I found a number of criticisms and modifications of Weber's concept of bureaucracy. As I studied these, however, they largely seemed to be based on misunderstandings of what an ideal-type is and how it is to be utilized. Actually, these criticisms did not contribute to the improvement of the theory of complex organizations but rather served as demonstrations of what may be a widespread confusion con1 Max Weber, "The Essentials of Bureaucratic Organization: An Ideal-Type Construction," in Reader in Bureaucracy, ed. Robert K. Merton et al. (Glencoe, Ill., 1952), p. 24. This is a reprint from Henderson's and Parsons' translation of Weber's discussion of the types of authority in Chapter 3 of Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. 2 See op. cit., pp. 18-27, and "Bureaucracy," in From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, translated and edited with an introduction by H. H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1946), pp. 196-244.
Plasma ceruloplasmin Evidence for its presence in and uptake by heart and other organs of the rat

Abstract Evidence for the presence of the plasma protein, ceruloplasmin, in heart and other tissues of the rat was sought using various techniques. With p-phenylenediamine, ceruloplasmin-like oxidase activity was detected in heart postmitochondrial and 100 000 × g supernatants in amounts far exceeding those that could be accounted for by residual blood. Much lower levels were detected in kidney, brain and liver. Oxidase activity of heart purified on DEAE-cellulose in the same way as rat plasma ceruloplasmin and behaved identically also in disc gel electrophoresis. The presence of ceruloplasmin in heart extracts was confirmed immunologically by Ouchterlony diffusion, using rabbit antibody raised against pure rat ceruloplasmin. When pure [3H]leucin-labeled ceruloplasmin was infused intravenously into a copper-deficient rat, radioactivity was concentrated in the heart and brain within 2 h; radioactive counts per g attained 11 and 3 times those of plasma in the two organs, respectively. A lesser concentration occurred in the liver. The results suggest that circulating ceruloplasmin (made by the liver) finds its way into the cells of some organs, especially the heart, a phenomenon which may be related to the function of ceruloplasmin to provide copper to the cytochrome oxidase of various tissues.
Considerações sobre o tratamento das hemorragias subaracnóideas espontâneas

O tratamento das hemorragias subaracnoideas espontâneas e estudado pormenorizadamente. Com poucas excecoes, esses casos sao devidos a rotura de um aneurisma intracraniano, situado em 72% dos casos na arteria carotida interna ou em um de seus ramos principais. A incidencia e a etiologia dos aneurismas sao discutidas. O aneurisma se deve a um imperfeito desenvolvimento das paredes vasculares, associado a uma lesao degenerativa. A sintomatologia esta ausente, na grande maioria dos casos, ate a rotura do aneurisma, quando o paciente perde a consciencia, entra em choque, com sinais de comprometimento dos nervos cranianos ou dos centros superiores. A presenca de sangue no liquido cefalorraquideo, com aumento da pressao, e achado diagnostico. O prognostico dos aneurismas e grave; 40% dos pacientes vem a falecer com a primeira hemorragia; daqueles que resistem ao primeiro acidente, 30% virao a falecer no segundo, terceiro ou quarto episodios dentro de um periodo de 10 anos. O tratamento da fase aguda e conservador, com absoluto repouso no leito. Quando as condicoes o permitam, arteriografias devem ser obtidas para demons- tracao do aneurisma. O tratamento cirurgico deve entao ser instituido, a tecnica variando de acordo com a localizacao da lesao, condicoes da circulacao colateral, possibilidade de acesso cirurgico direto, etc. O tratamento indireto deve ser associado ao direto, sempre que possivel; far-se-a, portanto, a oclusao de uma ou mais arterias no pescoco com subsequente isolamento intracraniano do aneurisma. As diferentes tecnicas cirurgicas sao discutidas. Nos casos tratados pelo metodo conservador a mortalidade e de 48% e nos casos tratados pela cirurgia, de 14%. Cinco casos de aneurismas intracranianos sao apresentados com a finalidade unica de ilustrar os problemas clinicos. Esses casos demonstram os diferentes tipos de evolucao clinica e refletem a gravidade do prognostico dos aneurismas, mostrando a necessidade de imediato e adequado tratamento.
Arthrodesis after resection of bone tumors

Advances in chemotherapy and radiographic imaging have allowed resection and limb-salvage surgery to be performed on the majority of patients with bone tumors. Extensive soft tissue resection, extra-articular resection, and social factors often contraindicate a mobile reconstruction of the involved or adjacent joint. In these cases, an arthrodesis often can maintain a functional extremity. Current soft tissue techniques and advances in orthopedic hardware have minimized complications and allowed successful outcomes for the majority of patients. This article reviews resection arthrodeses about the knee, shoulder, wrist, and ankle. The surgical technique, complications, and functional outcomes of these procedures are presented.
Biology of two-lined chestnut borer, Agrilus bilineatus, in Pennsylvania and New York.

Agrilus bilineatus (Weber) is univoltine in Pennsylvania and New York. Occasionally, the life cycle in vigorous hosts requires two years for completion. A tree is attacked for 2 to 3 years in succession if gradual death occurs from the crown downward. Adults are active from early June through August, but mating and oviposition occur primarily in June and early July. Larvae are present throughout the year. Chestnut oak was consistently shown to be the most attractive of the 4 oak species studied on the basis of numbers of adults captured on caged bolts. Predation by the northern downy woodpecker, Dryobates pubesceris medianus (Swainson), and the eastern hairy woodpecker, D. villosus villosus (G.) was as high as 78% on heavily infested trees. The predaceous beetles Tenebroides corticalis (Melsheima), Phyllobaenus verticalis (Say), and Phyllobaenus sp. and the Hymenopteran larval parasites Phasgonophora sulcata (Westwood) and Cymatodera bicolor (Say) were observed for the first time as natural enemies of A. bilineatus. Six species of cerambycidae were reared from oaks previously defoliated by gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.).
Abstract 5566: Elevated CXCR4 expression is clinically correlated with advanced stage neuroblastoma: examination of its role as a possible therapeutic target

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL ABSTRACT Purpose: Recent evidence suggests that expression of CXCR4 is associated with the growth and progression of neuroblastoma. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of CXCR4 as in independent predictive biomarker and evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. Experimental Design: mRNA Expression profiling was performed on 101 diagnostic neuroblastoma primary tumor samples using Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays. CXCR4 expression was stratified by risk and stage, and statistically significant differences in mRNA levels were determined. Protein expression profiling was performed by conducting immunohistochemical analysis of CXCR4 expression in 92 neuroblastoma tumors on a tissue microarray constructed at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP); expression levels were stratified by stage and compared to determine significant correlations. To examine the role of CXCR4 in neuroblastoma progression, the selective CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 was used to observe the effect of CXCR4 inhibition on the growth of neuroblastoma cells in culture and in mice. Results: CXCR4 expression was significantly higher in stage 1 vs. ganglioneuroma tumors, as assessed at the protein level (P<0.0001), and in stage 4 tumors vs. stage 1 tumors, at both the mRNA and protein levels (P<0.01). Additionally, a comparison of CXCR4 transcriptional expression in patient tumors stratified by risk revealed greater CXCR4 expression in high-risk groups compared to low and intermediate groups (P<0.002); interestingly, CXCR4 protein expression was not associated with overall survival or progression-free survival (PFS). Treatment of neuroblastoma cells with AMD3100 inhibited growth of these cells in culture and in mouse xenografts. Conclusion: We conclude that increased levels of CXCR4 expression are associated with advanced tumor stage and a high risk population in neuroblastoma patients, demonstrating the clinical value of CXCR4 as an independent biomarker for risk classification and patient stratification; additionally, CXCR4 should be considered a novel and viable candidate for targeted therapeutic intervention in neuroblastoma patients. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5566. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5566
Methods for CT automatic exposure control protocol translation between scanner platforms.

Purpose An imaging facility with a diverse fleet of CT scanners faces considerable challenges when propagating CT protocols with consistent image quality and patient dose across scanner makes and models. Although some protocol parameters can comfortably remain constant among scanners (eg, tube voltage, gantry rotation time), the automatic exposure control (AEC) parameter, which selects the overall mA level during tube current modulation, is difficult to match among scanners, especially from different CT manufacturers. Methods Objective methods for converting tube current modulation protocols among CT scanners were developed. Three CT scanners were investigated, a GE LightSpeed 16 scanner, a GE VCT scanner, and a Siemens Definition AS+ scanner. Translation of the AEC parameters such as noise index and quality reference mAs across CT scanners was specifically investigated. A variable-diameter poly(methyl methacrylate) phantom was imaged on the 3 scanners using a range of AEC parameters for each scanner. The phantom consisted of 5 cylindrical sections with diameters of 13, 16, 20, 25, and 32 cm. The protocol translation scheme was based on matching either the volumetric CT dose index or image noise (in Hounsfield units) between two different CT scanners. A series of analytic fit functions, corresponding to different patient sizes (phantom diameters), were developed from the measured CT data. These functions relate the AEC metric of the reference scanner, the GE LightSpeed 16 in this case, to the AEC metric of a secondary scanner. Results When translating protocols between different models of CT scanners (from the GE LightSpeed 16 reference scanner to the GE VCT system), the translation functions were linear. However, a power-law function was necessary to convert the AEC functions of the GE LightSpeed 16 reference scanner to the Siemens Definition AS+ secondary scanner, because of differences in the AEC functionality designed by these two companies. Conclusions Protocol translation on the basis of quantitative metrics (volumetric CT dose index or measured image noise) is feasible. Protocol translation has a dependency on patient size, especially between the GE and Siemens systems. Translation schemes that preserve dose levels may not produce identical image quality.
Combined amylin–leptin treatment lowers blood pressure and adiposity in lean and obese rats

Combined amylin–leptin treatment lowers blood pressure and adiposity in lean and obese rats