cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peripartum pelvic floor disorder clinics inform obstetric provider practices

The objective of this study is to evaluate obstetric providers’ knowledge and practice patterns since the establishment of a peripartum pelvic floor disorder clinic. This is a prospective, cross-sectional survey study of obstetric providers at an academic tertiary care health system. A 22-question survey was designed to collect provider demographic data, indications for and barriers to referrals, provider satisfaction, and impact of the clinic’s existence on peripartum pelvic floor dysfunction diagnosis and management. Eligibility criteria included obstetrics and gynecology trainees, attending physicians, certified nurse midwives, and advanced practice providers. There were 86 survey responses yielding a response rate of 72.1%. The majority of respondents were staff obstetricians (57.0%) or trainees (26.7%). Most commonly reported referral indications were third- and fourth-degree lacerations (94.9%), complex lacerations (70.5%), wound breakdown (57.7%), and urinary retention (53.8%). Regarding satisfaction with the peripartum pelvic floor disorder clinic, of referring providers, 77 (98.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that evaluations were useful for patients and 78 (100%) agreed or strongly agreed that evaluations were useful for themselves. Seventy-six (97.4%) respondents reported that they were very satisfied with the peripartum pelvic floor disorder clinic overall. The majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the clinic increased their awareness of both obstetric anal sphincter injuries and their impact on maternal health (84.6%). The introduction of a peripartum pelvic floor disorder clinic results in high obstetric provider satisfaction and positively impacts patient care through increased provider knowledge and awareness on the management of obstetric anal sphincter injuries.
root_s_hat_min: a global inclusive variable for determining the mass scale of new physics in events with missing energy at hadron colliders

We propose a new global and fully inclusive variable 1/2min for determining the mass scale of new particles in events with missing energy at hadron colliders. We define 1/2min as the minimum center-of-mass parton level energy consistent with the measured values of the total calorimeter energy E and the total visible momentum . We prove that for an arbitrary event, 1/2min is simply given by the formula is the total mass of all invisible particles produced in the event. We use t production and several supersymmetry examples to argue that the peak in the 1/2min distribution is correlated with the mass threshold of the parent particles originally produced in the event. This conjecture allows an estimate of the heavy superpartner mass scale (as a function of the LSP mass) in a completely general and model-independent way, and without the need for any exclusive event reconstruction. In our SUSY examples of several multijet plus missing energy signals, the accuracy of the mass measurement based on 1/2min is typically at the percent level, and never worse than 10%. After including the effects of initial state radiation and multiple parton interactions, the precision gets worse, but for heavy SUSY mass spectra remains ~ 10%.
Ligand binding to a humanized anti-cocaine mAb measured by dye absorption spectroscopy.

Here we demonstrate that the antigen binding function of a humanized anti-cocaine mAb (h2E2) can be directly and easily determined using simple and inexpensive absorption spectroscopy and dyes commonly used for differential scanning fluorimetry, such as DASPMI and SYPRO Orange. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are commonly formulated in buffers which can interfere with necessary functional assays, containing additives and excipients such as mild detergents. Using the undiluted therapeutic product h2E2 mAb in its formulation buffer containing 0.01% polysorbate 80, the number of antigen/cocaine binding sites can be determined by the increase in absorbance (for DASPMI dye) or by the decrease in absorbance maximum wavelength (for SYPRO Orange dye), confirming proper function of the therapeutic mAb product. This ligand-induced visible dye absorption change can also be used to qualitatively evaluate the relative affinities of various metabolites of cocaine. These results are confirmed and extended by binding data obtained in the same formulation buffer using intrinsic tyrosine and tryptophan fluorescence quenching by cocaine, as well as by differential scanning fluorimetry. Interestingly, the binding of the cocaine metabolite norcocaine was demonstrated to be differentially affected by the pH 6 formulation buffer used for this mAb, presumably due to the differential ionizability of the demethylated norcocaine tropane ring nitrogen. This simple, direct, and inexpensive technique should prove useful for evaluation of other small molecule binding mAbs directly in their formulation buffers containing detergent, allowing rapid functional assessment of the produced therapeutic proteins.
Tapeworms

Tapeworms are among the oldest afflictions of humans. They continue, even today, to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality, worldwide. Taenia saginata and Taenia solium infections are still common in many developing countries. Diphyllobothrium latum infections, are decreasing, but this tapeworm, transmitted to humans through the eating of raw salmon, can cause severe anemia. Hymenolepis and Dipylidium infections may occur to children. Hydatid disease is a common cause of morbidity, especially among immigrant groups from endemic areas of the Mediterranean; the liver is the most common site of a hydatid cyst. Although surgery has been the mainstay of therapy, drug therapy and percutaneous aspiration have been used more frequently in recent years. praziquantel and albendazole are the two most useful drugs against various tapeworm infections.
Qualitative Evaluation of the Africa Malaria Task Force Symposia Effectiveness on African Partner Nations' Malaria Vector Management Capacity.

INTRODUCTION Creating health alliances to build meaningful networks is critical to combating regional and global burdens of disease. These alliances work by uniting support for elimination efforts through cooperative engagement at the national and international levels. The reduction in malaria-related morbidity and mortality in Africa since 2001 is in part because of investments of international organizations and governments in national level malaria control and prevention-related programs and research. Investment in malaria reduction networks has contributed to this success by strengthening support to overcome the conditions that restrict or prevent change through local laboratory and epidemiological capacity building, thereby resulting in a decrease in burden of disease, increase in economic prosperity, and improvements in stability worldwide.The reformation of local military efforts to combat disease through incorporation into health security alliance networks by the provision of training and financial support is key to reinforcing this success at the national level. One such example of this is the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) established and partner nation (PN) led Africa Malaria Task Force (AMTF) program. USAFRICOM's mission for AMTF as a health security alliance was to develop sustainable African-led malaria diagnostic, vector surveillance and control capabilities, and to increase collaborations among AMTF military PNs by enabling national and international-level network capacity. MATERIALS AND METHODS The overall objective of this evaluation of the AMTF program was to assess the implementation effectiveness of two AMTF supported symposia in improving the individual, organizational, and institutional diagnostic capacity of the Ghanaian, Ivorian, and Senegalese armed forces. The specific aims of this process evaluation were to identify procedural, contextual, and capacity-related factors that influence the effect of the symposia events on laboratory capabilities at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels through a two-phased formative evaluation approach utilizing qualitative methodologies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that the AMTF program symposia positively encouraged malaria prevention and control efforts in all three countries included in the evaluation. Conclusions suggest that learning about the different types of malaria prevention and control efforts underway in other countries helped to contextualize the burden of malaria-related morbidity and mortality not only within their respective countries, but also across the African continent. Participation in the AMTF Symposia and Key Leader Events helped military leadership clarify the purpose and intention of their military objectives related to systemic malaria prevention and control while purposefully contributing to national land international-level malaria reduction capacity.
Modeling of Ion-Exchange Chromatography

Ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) is one of the most popular LC separation methods. It has a higher loading capacity compared with RP-LC. Although RP-LC typically has high resolution, IEC is more compatible with proteins because the strong solvents in RP-LC can denature proteins, which is undesirable for preparative- and large-scale LC. Analytical RP-HPLC does not suffer when proteins are denatured since effluent is not fractionated any way. Thus, due to its high resolution and better reproducibility, RP-HPLC is widely used in analytical applications. SEC is good for protein stability, but its loading capacity is only a small fraction of its column volume. To elute proteins from an ion-exchange column, a gradient of salt and/or pH is required because proteins have a wide range of retentivity.
Industrial Applications of Microchannel Process Technology in the United States

An overview is provided of the industrial applications of microchannel process technology in the United States. Major application areas include thermal processing, fuel processing, chemicals production, multi-phase systems, biological and medical applications, and supporting catalyst development. Significant industrial activities are detailed in each application area, and future directions are discussed.
The building blocks of a smart sensor for distributed control networks

This paper discusses, via a specific smart sensor design, the building of a smart sensor, from the sensing element to the communications network on which it communicates. Special emphasis is placed on the "smart" features and communications capability (commands and types of data that may be requested) that are available with the addition of the embedded-controller.
Thinking Outside the (Search) Box

Search is the main entry point for an ever-increasing range of information, services, communications and entertainment. During the last decade, there have been tremendous advances in the scale of search systems and the diversity of available resources. Yet the methods used to represent searchers' information needs have changed very little. Search interfaces today look much the same as they did a decade ago. Searchers type a few words into a search box, and the search engine returns a long list of results. When the results fail to satisfy the searcher's information needs, they try again and again with little support from the search engine. In this talk I describe several efforts to improve easy and effectiveness of search by: modeling searchers' interests and activities over time, representing non-content attributes of information such as time or genre, and developing interaction techniques that enable searchers to articulate their information needs more effectively.
Title Assurance and Incentives for Efficient Land Use

This paper develops an economic analysis of a general class of land title systems, focusing specifically on incentives for efficient exchange and investment in land. The analysis abstracts from certain institutional features of actual title systems, and is therefore largely normative in nature. Nevertheless, the results are relevant for a complete evaluation of alternative systems, especially for countries where land development (or redevelopment) is a primary objective. The results suggest that in most cases, land registration is preferred to the recording system on exchange and investment grounds, holding other factors constant.
Synthesis and Properties of Semiconducting and Metallic Derivatives of Polyacetylene, (Ch)x

Polyacetylene, (CH)x is the simplest organic polymer. Through chemical doping, the electrical conductivity of films of (CH)x can be varied over twelve orders of magnitude with properties ranging from insulator (σ 103 ohn-1cm-1). Both donors and acceptors can be used with these flexible free-standing polycrystalline polymer films (thickness 10–5 cm to 0.5 cm) to yield n-type or p-type material. In this review we summarize some of the more important chemical and physical properties of (CH)x and its doped derivatives.
Genomic Rearrangement and Disease LARaLINK 2.0: Datamining for Clinical Cytogenetics

A growing pool of genomic data is being archived to online public databases. These have the potential to impact both the diagnosis of genetically linked diseases as well as to aid in defining their genesis. The current in-silico tools for cytogenetic analysis have generally been targeted to the academic and industrial communities for use in research into the origins of disease. In comparison, few tools have been developed to integrate the multiple online resources for the clinical setting. We have addressed this deficit through a web-delivered application, LARaLINK 2.0: Loci Analysis for Rearrangements Link version 2.0 http://LARaLINK.bioinformatics.wayne.edu:8080/unigene controlled hierarchical vocabulary for mining cDNA and microarray expression data. This tool now provides researchers and clinicians with the means to effectively use cytogenetic data to rapidly assess disease association. The investigator is delivered a defined set of candidate disease genes together with the supporting evidence for their expression and disrupted phenotypes.
800-b/s voice encoding algorithm

The authors present an 800-b/s voice encoding algorithm which is an extension of the 2400-b/s LPC (linear predictive coder). In essence, the 800-b/s voice algorithm is a 2400-b/s LPC with modified parameter encoders. Speech intelligibility of the 800-b/s voice encoding algorithm measured by the diagnostic rhyme test is 91.5 for three male speakers evaluated by impartial listeners not associated with the present R&D effort. This score compares favorably with the 2400-b/s LPC of a few years ago. The factors that most contributed to the high intelligibility are choice of a 20-ms frame, vector quantization of amplitude parameters, and matrix quantization of LSP coefficients, both over two consecutive frames. >
Panel-flutter analysis of a thermal protection-shield concept for the space shuttle.

Analysis of the panel flutter characteristics of a candidate thermal protection system (TPS) for the space shuttle, using piston theory aerodynamics and Lagrange equations. The results show the TPS candidate panel array to be deep in the 'no-flutter' region during launch and, therefore, safe from panel flutter.
Effects of acute maternal hypoxia and hyperoxia on the blood flow to the pregnant uterus.

Abstract Electromagnetic flow probes were implanted around the uterine arteries and a polyvinyl catheter inserted into the maternal femoral artery of 6 pregnant ewes between 90 and 100 days of gestation. The effects of acute maternal inhalation of 15 and 100 per cent O 2 on arterial pressure, uterine blood flow, and hemoglobin flow were then studied in the awake, unanesthetized animal. During hypoxia there was a decrease of uterine blood flow (−2.4 per cent ±1) and an increase of hemoglobin concentration (+6.4 per cent ±1) and uterine hemoglobin flow (+3.7 per cent ±1.2). During hyperoxia there was a decrease of arterial pressure (−5.0 per cent ±0.8), hemoglobin concentration (−7.0 per cent ±1.4), and uterine hemoglobin flow (−8.0 per cent ±1.3). Although such changes are in the direction which is favorable to fetal homeostasis, their magnitude is much less than required to maintain constant the O 2 pressure in the uterine and umbilical veins.
Entrepreneurship in the Establishment of the American Clock Industry

Although the aggregate growth rate of the American economy was relatively slow between the Revolution and 1840, certain sectors did expand at a rapid rate, and from these sectors originated some of the factors responsible for the later dynamic growth of the whole system. One such sector involved the making of clocks. Never large by any measure, the clock industry was, nevertheless, a leader in the introduction of the system of interchangeable parts production and in the mass marketing of a “luxury” consumer good. The purpose of this article is to outline and to analyze the transformation of this activity from a craft to an industry and, in particular, to indicate the factors which influenced Eli Terry, the main entrepreneur of the transformation.
Backscattering albedo contrast in OCT using plasmon-resonant gold nanorods

Gold nanorods ~14 × 44nm exhibit a surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) peaked near 800nm which is dominated by absorption, not scattering. Because biological tissues in the near-infrared wavelength regime are predominantly scattering (high albedo), the addition of trace amounts of nanorods can be detected by their lowering of the albedo. Albedo is a preferred measurement parameter because it is insensitive to inhomogeneities in the density of scatterers. For optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging applications, a related parameter called the backscattering albedo, equal to the ratio of the backscattering coefficient to the total extinction, is introduced for detecting gold nanorods. Here we use this parameter to investigate gold nanorods as contrast agents for optical coherence tomography (OCT). Measurements in 2% intralipid tissue phantoms reveal a sensitivity to ~30ppm nanorods when the density of the intralipid is randomized by 0.4% (or a fraction of 0.2). This has application toward molecular imaging using targeted nanorods within densely scattering, inhomogeneous tissues.
Non-modal growth of perturbations in density-driven convection in porous media

In the context of geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers, much interest has been focused on the process of density-driven convection resulting from dissolution of CO2 in brine in the underlying medium. Recent investigations have studied the time and length scales characteristic of the onset of convection based on the framework of linear stability theory. It is well known that the non-autonomous nature of the resulting matrix does not allow a normal mode analysis and previous researchers have either used a quasi-static approximation or solved the initial-value problem with arbitrary initial conditions. In this manuscript, we describe and use the recently developed non-modal stability theory to compute maximum amplifications possible, optimized over all possible initial perturbations. Non-modal stability theory also provides us with the structure of the most-amplified (or optimal) perturbations. We also present the details of three-dimensional spectral calculations of the governing equations. The results of the amplifications predicted by non-modal theory compare well to those obtained from the spectral calculations.
SU‐GG‐I‐148: Self‐Sorted Four‐Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Feasibility Study

Purpose: Considerable imaging dose to health tissue of patient from 4D‐CT is often a concern. This study is to develop a four‐dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4D‐MRI) technique based on retrospective sorting strategy that uses body volume as respiratory surrogate. Method and Materials: Respiratory signals are determined by body volume changes at each slice location. Respiratory phases were subsequently calculated for each image and used in 4D‐MRI retrospective sorting. The technique was tested on motion phantom (in a sinusoidal motion pattern: amplitude 2.0cm, period 5 seconds) and on three healthy volunteers. Phantom images were acquired on 1.5T GEMRscanner using fast imaging employed steady state acquisition (FIESTA) sequence and human images were acquired on 1.5T Siemens MRscanner using similar sequence (True‐FISP) with the following imaging parameters (TR/TE, 3.7ms/1.21ms; Matrix, 256×166; FOV, (300–350)×(227–300)mm; flip angle, 52°; slice thickness, 5mm). Frame rate was around 2.5frames/second. All image sets were acquired in axial planes with multiple slices to cover entire interested volume. Each slice was imaged for slightly more than one breathing cycle. A single sagittal cine‐MRI was also acquired on phantom to serve as a reference for motion evolution. Results: Sinusoidal motion of phantom was clearly seen in all three planes with minimal artifacts. Sagittal images from 4D‐MRI matched with those from sagittal cine‐MRI (mean difference in amplitude: −0.3±0.5mm). In volunteers' study, internal organ motion of the lungs,liver, and/or kidneys were clearly revealed in 4D‐MRI. Image artifacts were more noticeable than in phantom study, presumably due to subjects' breathing irregularity. Conclusions: These preliminary results on phantom and healthy volunteers demonstrated the feasibility 4D‐MRI using body volume as the respiratory surrogate. This technique has the potential to evaluate tumor motion in most body sites without any radiation dose.
Purification and some properties of a protein factor required for light-dependent transhydrogenase in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides.

The light-dependent transhydrogenase system of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides can be resolved into a soluble fraction and a chromatophore membrane fraction. The soluble fraction was fractionated with ammonium sulfate, 3 m urea, DE-52 cellulose chromatography, and acrylamide gel electrophoresis and yielded a single protein factor which stimulated light-dependent transhydrogenase activity when added to chromatophores devoid of such activity. It has a molecular weight of approximately 4000–7000, and has a high content of glycine, alanine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid. The N-terminus amino acid is tryptophan. The factor is heat sensitive and rapidly loses activity upon storage at 4 °C, but is stable at this temperature for about 120 hr if stored in buffer containing 15 μm DTT. It contains sulfhydryl groups that may be essential for activity.
CARBOHYDRATE UTILIZATION and GROWTH KINETICS IN the PRODUCTION of YOGURT FROM SOYMILK. PART II: EXPERIMENTAL and PARAMETER ESTIMATION RESULTS1

Typical yogurt bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, have been studied for their ability to utilize stachyose and other sugars in soymilk. Subculturing of the inocula on nonfat dry milk powder (NFDM) yielded bacteria that displayed oligosaccharide formation during fermentation of soymilk. However, storage of stock cultures on soymilk for 168 h or longer resulted in stachyose hydrolysis during fermentation. Values of the maximum specific growth rate for mixed cultures of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus grown on soymilk at 44°C were estimated using the covariate adjustment method which allows biomass, substrate, and product data to be employed, simultaneously. Point estimates were 0.341, 0.296, and 0.478 h−1 for soymilk fermentation by inocula subcultured on 11% NFDM, for inocula stored in soymilk for greater than 168 h, and for inocula prepared as a mixed culture, respectively. the available electron balance (A.E.B.) was employed to check the consistency of the data using biomass, substrate and product measurements.
Measurements of albedo and earth radiation from oso-1

Earth reflected solar energy /albedo/ and Earth radiation determined by emissivity sensors on first Orbiting Solar Observatory
Composition of Bovine Muscle Lipids at Various Carcass Locations

SUMMARY— Bovine intramuscular lipids extracted from the semitendinosus, triceps brachii and longissimus dorsi muscles were fractionated into phospholipids and neutral fats by silicic acid column chromatography. In spite of the wide range in total fat content at each location, phospholipids were present in all three muscles at a level of approximately 500 mg per 100 g of muscle tissue. This result, coupled with the lower total fat content of the semitendinosus as compared to the other two muscles, indicated a significantly higher percentage of phospholipid material in the total fat from the semitendinosus as compared to the triceps brachii or longissimus dorsi. The fatty acids were identified in both lipid fractions using retention time data obtained on both a polar and a non-polar column. The identity of the unsaturated fatty acids was confirmed when their peaks did not appear on the chromatographs obtained from brominated samples. There was significantly more C14:0 in the longissimus dorsi neutral fat fractions than in the semitendinosus neutral fat fractions. In the phospholipids, there was significantly more C16:0 and significantly less C18:0 in the longissimus dorsi as compared to either the semitendinosus or triceps brachii. Although the two lipid fractions of the longissimus dorsi contained slightly higher percentages of total saturated fatty acids than the corresponding fractions in the other two muscles, the effects were not significant.
Wide graded potential wells: growth, electrical properties and theoretical results

Remotely doped parabolic quantum wells have been grown by MBE using a digital alloy approach to vary the Al content in the AlGai.As system. The monitoring of the beam fluxes as well as the measured subband separations confirm the precision of our growth technique. Using a front gate electrode we can depopulate the electrical subbands. Thus we can determine experimentally the subband separations showing close agreement with the results of our self-consistent calculations.
Supraclinoid internal carotid artery–inferior petrosal sinus arteriovenous fistula after high-voltage electrical burn injury

High-voltage electrical burns can cause immediate and long-term neurological and cerebrovascular injuries. The authors present a 21-year-old man who developed an intracranial arteriovenous fistula secondary to high-voltage electrical injury. CT angiography demonstrated a left supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA)–inferior petrosal sinus (IPS) fistula. A subsequent angiogram revealed an irregularity of the cavernous and supraclinoid ICA with stenosis involving the supraclinoid segment and a fistulous connection between the ICA and IPS distal to the ophthalmic take-off and proximal to the anterior choroidal artery. The patient underwent a decompressive hemicraniectomy and clip-wrapping of his ICA pseudoaneurysm with successful obliteration of the fistulous connection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an intracranial arteriovenous fistula secondary to an electrical burn injury.
Latino Rehearsals: Racialization and the Politics of Citizenship between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Chicago

Este ensayo explora las posibilidades y los obstaculos para que surja un sentido mutuo de identidad "latina", o latinidad, entre dos de los grupos latinoamericanos de mayor presencia numerica e historica en los Estados Unidos. Basado en investigaciones etnograficas en Chicago, una de las pocas ciudades donde los mexicanos y puertorriquenos han residido por decadas, este estudio analiza las relaciones socio-politicas entre puertorriquenos y migrantes mexicanos y entre cada grupo y el estado-nacion estadounidense. La investigacion cuestiona la funcion de la ciudadanfa estadounidense como institution que produce desigualdad social y subordination racial dentro del marco del nacionalismo como formacion racial en los Estados Unidos
Teaching Data Use and School Leadership.

This case study uses evidence collected for accreditation and programme improvement at a small university Master's and certification programme in Educational Leadership Development to describe efforts to help leadership candidates use data during the programme's final internship experience. Programme features supporting the growth of candidates' instructional leadership skills are discussed as are the challenges faculty encountered supporting leadership candidates' efforts to use data to lead change projects. Suggestions for evaluating programmes' ability to teach evidence-based leadership practice are offered at the paper's conclusion.
Introducing Teaching Cases with Face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated Discussion: Two Multi-Classroom Quasi-Experiments

Two studies were conducted in multisection introductory child and adolescent development classes to determine effects of introducing abbreviated teaching case studies that were then discussed either in face-to-face or online formats. Students receiving teaching case studies in either format in both classes showed improved ability to critically analyze probe and final cases compared to control participants. Both case study groups in the child development class also showed increased application of psychological concepts in analyzing new cases. No differences in course knowledge were expected as a function of condition and none were found. Hypothesized case-related increases in efficacy for teaching also were not observed. Results were interpreted as supporting a case analysis approach in educational psychology classes and use of online methods for presentation and discussion of abbreviated cases.
Structural basis for high-affinity volatile anesthetic binding in a natural 4-helix bundle protein.

Physiologic sites for inhaled anesthetics are presumed to be cavities within transmembrane 4-α-helix bundles of neurotransmitter receptors, but confirmation of binding and structural detail of such sites remains elusive. To provide such detail, we screened soluble proteins containing this structural motif, and found only one that exhibited evidence of strong anesthetic binding. Ferritin is a 24-mer of 4-α-helix bundles; both halothane and isoflurane bind with KA values of ∼105 M–1, higher than any previously reported inhaled anesthetic-protein interaction. The crystal structures of the halothane/apoferritin and isoflurane/apoferritin complexes were determined at 1.75 A resolution, revealing a common anesthetic binding pocket within an interhelical dimerization interface. The high affinity is explained by several weak polar contacts and an optimal host/guest packing relationship. Neither the acidic protons nor ether oxygen of the anesthetics contribute to the binding interaction. Compared with unliganded a...
Bio-Enhanced Repair of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Suture repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has been widely abandoned in favor of ACL reconstruction, largely because of the high rates of failure and unreliability of the outcomes after suture repair. However, there have been recent basic science studies that suggest that combining a suture repair with a biological adjunct may improve the results of suture repair of the ACL, with several studies in large animal models showing equivalent strength of an ACL treated with bio-enhanced repaired to that of an ACL graft at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. In addition, the groups treated with bio-enhanced repair had significantly less osteoarthritis when compared with the animals undergoing ACL reconstruction. These findings have led to a renewed interest in bio-enhanced primary repair as a way to make repair of the ACL a viable option for a select group of patients in the future.
An 17O NMR study on oxygen exchange in YBa2Cu3O7−x

This study evaluated the effect of reaction conditions on the extent and uniformity of {sup 17}O-labeled YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x}. It was shown by {sup 17}O NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution SIMS that statistical {sup 17}O-enrichment is achieved at high temperatures by synthesis from oxides under an {sup 17}O{sub 2} atmosphere, or by direct {sup 17}O{sub 2} exchange of preformed YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x}. Nonuniform enrichment can be achieved at low temperatures and with the use of short reaction times. An {sup 17}O{sub 2} circulator is described which proved useful for handling, purifying, and recovering the labeled oxygen.
Novel FIA amperometric biosensor system for the determination of glutamine in cell culture systems

Abstract A flow injection analysis (FIA) biosensor system has been developed for determining glutamine in insect cell and in murine hybridoma cell cultures. Glutamate oxidase and glutaminase, respectively, were covalently immobilized onto porous aminopropyl glass beads to form an immobilized enzyme column. The hydrogen peroxide produced by the enzyme reactions was detected by an amperometric electrode (platinum vs. silver/silver chloride) posied at +0.7 V . Among several anion exchange resins tested, endogenous glutamate was completely adsorbed onto acetate anion exchange resins. Such an ion exchanger also effectively adsorbed aspartic acid, uric acid, ascorbic acid, and acetaminophen. The FIA biosensor was linear up to 1 m m glutamine, with a lower detection limit of 10 μ m , and possessed good reproducibility (relative error of ± 1.2%). Each analysis could be performed in 3.5 min including sampling and washing with a corresponding throughput of 17 h −1 . The anion exchange column could be operated continuously for 12 h for 200 analyses with diluted cell culture. The immobilized enzyme column was stable for at least 500 repeated analyses without significant loss of activity. When the biosensor system was applied to glutamine measurement in insect cell and mammalian cell cultures, the results obtained compared well with those of HPLC.
Spatial organization of retinal information about the direction of image motion.

Abstract The visual stimuli that elicit neural activity differ for different retinal ganglion cells and these cells have been categorized by the visual information that they transmit. If specific visual information is conveyed exclusively or primarily by a particular set of ganglion cells, one might expect the cells to be organized spatially so that their sampling of information from the visual field is complete but not redundant. In other words, the laterally spreading dendrites of the ganglion cells should completely cover the retinal plane without gaps or significant overlap. The first evidence for this sort of arrangement, which has been called a tiling or tessellation, was for the two types of "alpha" ganglion cells in cat retina. Other reports of tiling by ganglion cells have been made subsequently. We have found evidence of a particularly rigorous tiling for the four types of ganglion cells in rabbit retina that convey information about the direction of retinal image motion (the ON-OFF direction-selective cells). Although individual cells in the four groups are morphologically indistinguishable, they are organized as four overlaid tilings, each tiling consisting of like-type cells that respond preferentially to a particular direction of retinal image motion. These observations lend support to the hypothesis that tiling is a general feature of the organization of information outflow from the retina and clearly implicate mechanisms for recognition of like-type cells and establishment of mutually acceptable territories during retinal development.
Potentiometric measurements of hydrogen and cyanide ions in buffered media.

Abstract Potentiometric measurements of hydrogen and cyanide levels were studied in different buffered media that are used in biological experiments. The addition of 1–10 m m NaCN increased the pH (from 7.2–7.5 up to 9.5) of either bicarbonate/phosphate-buffered (artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF), sera, and whole blood) or Hepes-buffered solutions in a concentration-dependent manner. While in aerated ACSF this increase was transient (half-relaxation time τ d ) of the cyanide-induced potentiometric responses. With progressively higher NaCN concentrations in ACSF, the values of τ d did not decrease, but were constant. As predicted, however, the values of τ d were larger when solutions were covered or had higher initial pH values. These results suggest that in the solutions tested, the cyanide electrode used in the present study measured the total amount rather than the ionized portion of dissolved cyanide and that the values of τ d do not correspond to formation/escape rates of HCN.
EFFECT OF DISPERSED PHASE ON THE SLIP COEFFICIENT OF APPLE SAUCE IN A CONCENTRIC CYLINDER VISCOMETER

Slip coefficients for apple sauce in concentric cylinder viscometers were determined using concentric cylinders of different radii according to the theory of Mooney. Wall slip was relatively low for highly shear-thinning samples and for highly viscous samples; it also decreased with increase in pulp content until tunneling of the sample by the bob condition was reached. Wall slip coefficient varied with the applied torque so that any comparison of slip between samples must be made by determining the slip coefficients for the samples at the same magnitude of applied torque.
Comments on “selective radiant temperature mapping using a layered classifier”

In response to the above paper,1 I present the following comments regarding the linearization of Planck's spectral distribution equation used in converting thermal IR remote sensing data to equivalent blackbody temperatures.
Host Range of Southern Corn Billbug (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Adults and Larvae

ABSTRACTEnviron. Entomol. II: 954-957(1982) Host range of the southern corn billbug, (SCB), Sphenophorus callosus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Cur­culionidae), was tested with 14 crop and weed species by artificially infesting plants with SCB adultsand eggs; field observations were also made. Of 14 species tested, only corn, Zea mays L., and yellownutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L., allowed completion of larval development, although adults fed on awider variety ofplants. Scirpus cyperinus (L.) Kunth (Cyperaceae) was found to be a new SCB larvalhost from field observations. Overwintered SCB adults were fed sections of greenhouse-grown cornand four weed species in the laboratory. Survival was highest on corn and yellow nutsedge and loweston common larnbsquarters, Chenopodium album L. SCB were able to produce mature eggs only iffedeither corn or yellow nutsedge. Many Sphenophorus spp. weevils are economic pestsofgrass crops (Satterthwait 1932). One species, S. cal­losus (Olivier), the southern corn billbug (SCB), is animportant pest ofcorn in eastern North Carolina. Webs­ter (1912), Metcalf(1917) and Satterthwait (1931) listednine genera (24 species) ofGraminae, Cyperaceae, andJuncaceae as hosts of SCB.Because of the restricted host range of SCB and itssedentary habits, early workers (Webster 1912, Metcalf1917) suggested crop rotation as a control measure.However, since that time, the eastern North Carolinaagroecosystem has changed greatly with respect tocropand weed species. This study was conducted to providemore information on the host range ofadult and larvalSCB in the current corn-soybeanagroecosystem ofeast­ern North Carolina so that the basis for continued useofcrop rotation as a management tactic could be eval­uated.Materials and MethodsAdult and Larval Host RangeDuring field studies of SCBbiology from 1978 to1980, observations were made on SCB adult feedinghabits in over 15 commercial corn fields (principally inWashington, Tyrrell and Hyde Counties, N.C.). Plantspecies on which adults were seen feeding were in­spected later for SCB eggs and larvae.Various grasses, sedges, rushes and related plantsgrowing in drainage canals and uncultivated areas nearthe above infestations ofSCB were sampled in late Julyto August; the period of greatest abundance of SCBpupae and teneral adults (Wright 1981). Specimens col­lected were preserved in alcohol orreared to adult emer­gence. Samples ofweevil-infestedplants were identified.Studies were conducted at the Tidewater ResearchStation (TRS), Plymouth, N.C., in 1978 to 1980 to de­termine the acceptability ofvarious plants for SCB adult
SU‐FF‐I‐75: Verification of Reported DLP for Philips Brilliance CT Scanners

Purpose: Recent concerns about accumulated radiation dose and collective risk prompted a check of the software reported CT dose index (CTDIVol) and dose‐length‐product (DLP) of the Philips Brilliance CT scanners. The CTDIVol and the DLP were measured for comparison with the reported values using the high‐resolution chest protocol (commonly used for COPD). Method and Materials: A Philips Brilliance 40‐slice CT scanner was used with the high‐resolution chest protocol, which has a technique of 120 kVp and 200 mAs/slice, a detector collimation of 2×0.625 mm, a reconstructed scan thickness of 1.25 mm, and a table increment of 10 mm. Measurements were made using a cylindrical Lucite phantom 32 cm in diameter and 15 cm in length, with axial holes drilled in the center and near the surface at 90 degree intervals. The radiation dose was measured using a Keithley electrometer and a 10 cm pencil chamber. Dose measurements were made along the phantom's center axis and along its surface. Results: While the dose measurements are consistent with the reported CTDIVol, a serious error was discovered in the reported DLP. The reported value appears to be calculated as the product of the CTDIVol multiplied by the number of shots (16) and the collimation width (1.25 mm) while the correct formulation of DLP is the CTDIVol multiplied by the scan length (151 mm). This results in an underestimate of dose by a factor of 8. Conclusion: Accurate estimates of radiation risk require correct reporting of the effective dose, which is related to DLP. We have verified that the Philips 64‐slice also has the same error and it is possible that other Philips protocols with a large table increment relative to the slice width will too. A physicist should verify that the DLP reported is consistent with actual measurements.
Tooth attachment by means of a periodontium in the trigger‐fish (Balistidae)

Tooth attachment in the majority of the bony fish is by ankylosis or fibrous membrane. However, in one group of the osteichthys, the trigger-fish or balistids, tooth attachment is by means of a periodontium composed of a shallow alveolar socket, a periodontal ligament and acellular cementum. Histologically, the balistid periodontal ligament is composed of a dense fibro-cellular connective tissue possessing an abundance of typical fibrocytes, collagen fiber bundles, and oxytalan fibers. The collagen fiber bundles which resemble the principal fiber bundles of the mammalian periodontal ligament are inserted into the bone of the shallow alveolar sockets and are anchored to the teeth by means of a layer of amorphous acellular cementum that covers the radicular dentin. No cementoblasts were found in functional teeth, and epithelial rests are lacking. The mid-central zone of the balistid periodontal ligament is occupied by small blood vessels.
Developing a toolkit for panel management: improving hypertension and smoking cessation outcomes in primary care at the VA

Background As primary care practices evolve into medical homes, there is an increasing need for effective models to shift from visit-based to population-based strategies for care. However, most medical teams lack tools and training to manage panels of patients. As part of a study comparing different approaches to panel management at the Manhattan and Brooklyn campuses of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, we created a toolkit of strategies that non-clinician panel management assistants (PMAs) can use to enhance panel-wide outcomes in smoking cessation and hypertension.
The problem of the "sick" building--facts and implications: identifying and measuring indoor nonbiologic agents.

only in dealing with an IAQ episode but, more importantly, in preventing potential IAQ problems. Proactive measures that help minimize IAQ problems include ensuring that the building complies with currently recommended IAQ guidelines, maintaining and servicing the building properly, establishing avenues for IAQ complaints to promptly come to the attention of management, and minimizing chemical exposures of employees by scheduling maintenance services (pesticide applications, cleaning, and air handler cleaning) during unoccupied times.
Determination of calcium transport and phosphoprotein phosphatase activity in microsomes from respiratory and vascular smooth muscle.

Abstract 1. 1. Calcium transport into microsomal vesicles of respiratory (tracheal) smooth muscle was characterized. This calcium transport was ATP dependent and stimulated by the presence of the oxalate ion. The magnitude of transport was similar to that reported for microsomes from other types of smooth muscle. 2. 2. Bovine and rabbit, heavy and light microsomes were isolated from respiratory (tracheal) and vascualar (aortic) smooth muscle. Preincubation of these vesicles with cyclic AMP and protein kinase did not alter the transport of calcium into the vesicles. There was no evidence of phosphate incorporatio into microsomal membrane proteins. Similar results were obtained if phosphorylase b kinase replaced the combination of cyclic AMP and protein kinase during the preincubation. 3. 3. The phosphoprotein phosphatase activity of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum and smooth muscle microsomes was determined. The activity of this enzyme was found to be several-fold less in the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum than in various smooth muscle microsome preparations.
The common cardinal veins in the chick embryo: their origin and development as studied by radioautographic mapping.

The origin of the common cardinal veins (CCVs) in the chick embryo was traced by radioautographic mapping of the movements of tritiated thymidine-labeled grafts excised from head process to three somite stage embryos and transplanted to the endoderm-mesoderm layer of similarly staged recipient embryos. At the head process stage the CCV cells are migrating anteriorly and laterally from the streak in the lateral plate, posterolateral to the cells which will form the pulmonary veins and aortic arches, posterior to the cells destined for the ventricular septum, and dorsal to the liver mesoderm cells. At the 15–17 somite stage, the CCV cells are in the somatic mesoderm of the lateral mesocardium, where an anastomosis between the CCVs and heart establishes channels needed for the efficient return of blood from the various embryonic venous tributaries. This investigation suggests that during the stages studied, the cells which will form the anterior portion of each CCV are positioned anterior to the cells which will form the posterior portion of each CCV.