cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chromatographic analysis of selected tetracyclines from dosage forms and bulk drug substance using polymeric columns with acidic mobile phases

Abstract The LC analysis of selected tetracyclines from dosage forms and bulk drug substance using polymeric columns has been studied. Mobile phases containing acetonitrile−0.02 M sodium perchlorate (pH 2.0) were used. The tetracyclines were detected by their absorbance at 280 nm. The columns included: a polystyrene—divinylbenzene (PS—DVB) column and a polymethacrylate column with octadecyl ligands (PM-C18). Performance of the two columns was compared and applicability of the described methods for compendial use has been evaluated. The tetracyclines investigated include: minocycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, demeclocycline, chlortetracycline, methacycline, doxycycline and meclocycline.
Perfectionism and library anxiety among graduate students

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between three dimensions of perfectionism and five dimensions of library anxiety among graduate students. Students who maintain a perceived need to live up to the standards and expectations prescribed by other individuals tend to have higher levels of library anxiety.
Oxygen reduction at an anodically activated platinum rotating disk electrode

The reduction of oxygen in neutral saline solution and in seawater was studied using the rotating disk electrode (RDE). The objective was to test the applicability of the RDE as a primary reference standard for the measurement of oxygen concentrations below 0.1 ppm in seawater. Limited success was achieved with an activated platinum electrode. A gold electrode was less effective. If one postulates that the 2-electron reduction of oxygen at an activated RDE is rapid, it appears that little or no 4-electron reduction occurs and that the subsequent 2-electron reduction or catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is relatively slow. The anodic activation procedure developed appears to impart a transient catalytic activity to the electrode surface for the peroxide reaction(s).
10.3 White Enhancement for Color Sequential DLP

Single-panel optical architectures are a unique capability of Digital Light Processing (DLP™) projection system that is possible because of the fast on-off transition time of the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD™). A method is described that includes a clear or white segment to the color modulation that significantly improves the optical efficiency of this architecture resulting in both improved brightness and contrast of the projected image. Brightness improvements of 25% and more are possible over 1st generation DLP systems.
Feasibility Study of Unconventional Cooling of Electronic Components by Vibrating Plates at Close Proximity

ABSTRACT In this study, an unconventional approach to electronic cooling is described, and its feasibility is investigated. This approach makes use of the transverse oscillations of a short plate placed in close proximity to the electronic component to provide for focused and localized cooling. This method can be applied for intermediate cooling rates, above those of natural convection, in order to extend the no-fan regime. To estimate the cooling potential, a numerical simulation of the temperature field in a channel formed by an oscillating surface and a fixed constant heat flux surface is performed. The results show that transverse oscillations have the potential for significant cooling enhancement compared to pure natural convection. The cooling effect is found to increase with the oscillation amplitude and channel length to mean width ratio and, to a lesser extent, with the oscillation frequency.
Effects of intravenous and intra-arterial procaine and lidocaine on neuromuscular transmission in man.

SUMMARY 1 The effects of procaine and lidocaine on neuromuscular transmission were determined in man. 2 These agents when injected intravenously did not decrease the twitch response. However, if a partial neuromuscular block was produced by succinyl-choline or d-tubocurarine, the block was increased by procaine or lidocaine. 3 A neuromuscular blocking action of procaine and lidocaine could be demonstrated following intra-arterial injection. 4 A decrease in respiration or apnea could be produced by doses of procaine and lidocaine which did not depress neuromuscular transmission. 5 It was suggested that although local anesthetic agents may affect the motor nerve terminal, the release of ACh, and skeletal muscle directly, at present the neuromuscular blocking activity of local anesthetics appears to be attributable mainly to their acetylcholine inhibiting action at the motor end plate.
Acid/Base Properties of Fumed Silica Fillers Used in Silicone Elastomers

Abstract Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy (PAS) were used to investigate the effects of thermal history and silane treatment on the surface energetics of various fumed silica fillers. The specific interaction parameter, Isp, was a factor of 2.3 (THF probe) lower for a silane treated fumed silica (Degussa R972) relative to an untreated filler (Degussa A200), thus confirming the deactivating effects of silane treatment. Heat treatment of raw fumed silica (Cabot HS-5) at 150°C and 650°C decreased Isp (THF probe) from 15.3 kJ/mol to 10.5 kJ/mol. This decrease was attributed to the loss of bound water and surface silanols. The dispersive interactions increased with heat treatment as a result of the formation of higher electron density sites such as strained Si-O-Si bonds. Silazane-treated fillers were prepared using heat treated and hydrated feedstocks. Isp values were a factor of 2-30 lower, depending upon the probe, for silazane-treated fillers made from heat treated f...
An evaluation of NBD-phospholipids as substrates for the measurement of phospholipase and lipase activities

Because most of the existing assays of phospholipase activity are quite laborious, the use of 1-acyl-2-[6-(7-nitro-1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]caproyl labeled phospholipids (NBD phospholipids) was investigated to determine whether they could be used as substrates in the routine assay of various phospholipases and lipases. NBD-labeled analogues of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidic acid were evaluated. There was about a 50-fold increase in fluorescence upon hydrolysis of the NBD hexanoic acid from the NBD phospholipid, confirming an earlier report. This change in fluorescence was constant over the normal physiological pH range (pH 5–9). Detergents and bovine serum albumin interfered with the assay in a concentration dependent manner. An increase in fluorescence and a concomitant increase in NBD hexanoic acid was detected with the two phospholipase A2 enzymes. Although a change in fluorescence was detected with a phospholipase C, careful evaluation revealed that the rate of increase in fluorescence was not proportional to the rate of production of diacylglycerol product. Neither of the two phospholipase D enzymes which were tested were able to cause an increase in fluorescence when incubated with NBD phospholipids. A small increase in fluorescence was detected with each of the four lipases. Of the five NBD lipids tested, the highest rates of hydrolysis were consistently obtained with NBD-phosphatidylglycerol followed by NBD-phosphatidylcholine.
Transition metal complexes of primary and secondary phosphines, part I. Reactions between palladium(II) halides and some primary and secondary phosphines

Reactions between PdCl2 or [PdCI4]2−, in nonpolar solvents and phosphines R2PH or RPH2 (R = cyclohexyl, 2-cyanoethyl) yield new complexes ofcis- L2PdCl2 type, which were characterized by their spectral properties. In polar solvents these complexes react further to give bridged µ-phosphido complexes. Analogous bromides can be prepared by adding LiBr to the reaction mixtures.
Effect of Body Position on Renal Parenchyma Perfusion as Measured by Nuclear Scintigraphy

OBJECTIVES To compare differential renal perfusion in various body positions in healthy volunteers, to help postulate factors responsible for recurrent unilateral stone formation. METHODS Ten volunteers with normal renal function and no history of urinary disease were evaluated with diuretic renography using mercaptoacetyl-triglycine. Scintigraphy was performed 1 week apart in each of three typical sleep positions (supine, left lateral decubitus, right lateral decubitus), and renal perfusion was measured. RESULTS Symmetric renal perfusion was noted in all volunteers in the supine position. Subjects positioned in the left lateral decubitus position had a mean renal perfusion of 61.3% in the dependent (left) kidney, compared with 38.7% in the nondependent (right) kidney (P <0.05). In the right lateral decubitus position, the mean renal perfusion in the right kidney was 63.3%, whereas that in the left kidney measured 36.7% (P <0.05). Renal perfusion in the dependent kidney was increased when compared with the same kidney in the supine position in both the left and right kidneys. CONCLUSIONS Body position had a significant effect on renal perfusion as measured by nuclear renal scintigraphy. If altered renal blood flow contributes to urinary calculogenesis, these data suggest that the urinary and vascular milieu in the decubitus position may contribute to risk factors for stone formation.
Effect of filler on the mechanical behaviour of elastomers. Relationships between the small strain modulus and the type and concentration of filler

Abstract The relationship between the small strain modulus and the type and concentration of filler is discussed. It is shown that it is possible to represent the modulus-concentration relationship satisfactorily using two empirical equations each of which contain only one parameter; this parameter is determined by the efficiency of packing of the particles. One equation is applicable to nonporous fillers such as glass beads, while the other equation is applicable to porous particles such as the high structure carbon blacks.
Mechanism of the Cubic‐to‐Tetragonal Phase Transition in Zirconia and Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia by Molecular‐Dynamics Simulation

We present a new interatomic potential capable of describing the cubic and tetragonal phases of zirconia. From an analysis of molecular-dynamics simulations of the structural fluctuations in the cubic phase close to the transition temperature, we show that the cubic-to-tetragonal transition is displacive. In addition, the discontinuous change in volume and the latent heat at the transition demonstrate clearly that the transition is first order. The model correctly predicts that doping with yttria tends to stabilize the cubic phase at lower temperatures. A description of the first-order nature of dopant-driven transitions is given.
Chemotaxis of mature and immature blood cells in tissue cultures.

The chemotactic behavior of the cells of bone marrow, lymph node, and buffy coat has been studied in tissue culture. Heat-attenuated S. aureus was found to be a consistent and convenient chemotactic agent. Mature granulocytes showed chemotaxis to this agent, whereas bone marrow stem cells did not show chemotaxis. In this respect they behaved like lymphocytes of peripheral blood or of lymphatic tissue, which also do not exhibit chemotactic behavior. The chemotactic, locomotory and morphologic similarities between the lymphocyte and the stem cell of the bone marrow are discussed in relation to the developmental potencies of these cells. Chemotactic behavior of the granulocytes appears to develop between the myelocyte and the metamyelocyte stages. It is possible that the granulocytes have differences in chemotactic ability in vivo also, which could be a factor in the selective migration of the mature granulocytes from their extravascular sites of formation into the peripheral blood. Cells of the erythrocyte series did not show chemotaxis.
Molecular effect on equilibrium charge-state distributions

The paper describes an experiment consisting of the acceleration of N(+) and N2(+) ions to energies between 0.25 and 1.75 MeV and their injection through a thin carbon foil, whereupon they were charge-state analyzed with an electrostatic analyzer. A foil-covered electrically suppressed Faraday cup, connected to a stepping motor, moved in the plane of the dispersed beams. The Faraday cup current, which was proportional to the number of incident ions, was sent to a current digitizer and computer programmed as a multiscaler. The energy-dependent charge-state fractions, the mean charge and the distribution width were calculated. It was shown that for incident atoms, the charge state distribution appeared to be spread over more charge states, while for the incident molecules, there was a greater fraction of charge states near the mean charge.
Barriers to Success? The Role of Statewide Education Governance Structures in P-20 Council Collaboration.

Collaboration between K-12 and higher education sectors has not been as productive as participants and policy leaders would like – especially in an era of emphasis on college readiness and completion, which requires such collaboration. Various mechanisms have been used to foster collaboration including state P-20 (early learning through higher education) councils, however these have not always produced the results participants desire and research on why this is so is limited. This study utilizes state education governance and inter-organizational relations literatures to hypothesize that structural barriers to collaboration prevent P-20 councils from reaching their potential. This comparative case study of three state P-20 councils finds that state education governance structures may erect barriers to collaboration. However, this research also shows that P-20 councils, if thoughtfully structured, can help ameliorate these barriers.
A quantitative explanation of governance in an online peer-production community

In this paper, we examine how user ratings of content produced for an online community are taken into account by administrators when they decide whether to delete content. Incorporating about 10 years of server data from the online peer-production community Everything2, we looked at how specific features of voting predicted deletion of posts. We found that not all types of voting are the same: negative voting of users was the strongest factor explaining deletion of a Write-up. Receiving a positive vote from a member with higher status decreases the chances of deletion, while receiving a positive vote from a user with neutral status has a very little effect on the deletion of content.
Autostereoscopic and haptic visualization for space exploration and mission design

We have developed a multi-modal virtual environment set-up by fusing visual and haptic images through the use of a new autostereoscopic display and a force-feedback haptic device. Most of the earlier visualization systems that integrate stereo displays and haptic devices have utilized polarized or shutter glasses for stereo vision (see, for example, Veldkamp et al., 1998, Chen et al., 1998, and Brederson et al., 2000). In this paper, we discuss the development stages and components of our set-up that allows a user to touch, feel, and manipulate virtual objects through a haptic device while seeing them in stereo without using any special eyewear. We also discuss the transformations involved in mapping the absolute coordinates of virtual objects into visual and haptic workspaces and the synchronization of cursor movements in these workspaces. Future applications of this work will include a) multi-modal visualization of planetary data and b) planning of space mission operations in virtual environments.
Subpixel Alignment of MRI Data Under Cartesian and Log-Polar Sampling

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows numerous Fourier domain sampling schemes such as Cartesian and non-Cartesian trajectories (e.g. Polar, circular, and spherical). On the other hand, it provides directly the Fourier spectrum of the field of view (FOV) in the corresponding sampling scheme. Motivated by these characteristic features of MRI, we have developed a new scheme for direct Fourier domain registration of MRI data based on the phase difference matrix. We derive the exact relationship between the continuous and the discrete Fourier phase-difference for Cartesian or polar sampling schemes, and demonstrate that in each case the discrete phase difference is a 2D sawtooth signal. Subpixel alignment under rotation, translation and scale variation is then established simply by counting the number of cycles of the sawtooth signal. The problem is formulated as an over-determined system of equations, and is solved by imposing a regularity constraint, using the method of generalized cross validation (GCV)
Prescribed spatial prepositions influence how we think about time

Prepositions combine with nouns flexibly when describing concrete locative relations (e.g. at/on/in the school) but are rigidly prescribed when paired with abstract concepts (e.g. at risk; on Wednesday; in trouble). In the former case they do linguistic work based on their discrete semantic qualities, and in the latter they appear to serve a primarily grammatical function. We used the abstract concept of time as a test case to see if specific grammatically prescribed prepositions retain semantic content. Using ambiguous questions designed to interrogate one's meaningful representation of temporal relations, we found that the semantics of prescribed prepositions modulate how we think about time. Although prescribed preposition use is unlikely to be based on a core representational organization shared between space and time, results demonstrate that the semantics of particular locative prepositions do constrain how we think about paired temporal concepts.
An analysis of an integrated approach to cross-cultural training

Abstract Various approaches have been used in training people to effectively function in a foreign culture. This paper reviews six approaches that are currently being used in cross-cultural training. The approaches reviewed are: (1) the intellectual approach, (2) the area simulation approach, (3) the self-awareness approach, (4) the culture awareness approach, (5) the behavioral approach, and (6) the interaction approach. The advantages of using an “integrated” approach to cross-cultural training is discussed and research is presented which supports the effectiveness of this approach. The results offer preliminary evidence that an integrated approach to training can improve participants' attitudinal satisfaction with their stay in another culture. Finally, the paper offers suggestions for the future direction of cross-cultural training.
Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome

omy of conceptualizing the unconscious as irrational and antisocial and the conscious mind as rational and socially constructive. They point out that Piaget could find no distinction between conscious and unconscious symbolic thought and that the well-known problem solving during sleep indicates the capacity of the unconscious for rational thought. While the authors note that some unconscious thoughts are more difficult to uncover than others, no explanation is given for this phenomenon. The authors describe the difficulties of formulating adequate definitions of personality for research purposes and, of the search for trait stability (where "state-trait" delineations are made), problems that are well known to students of child development. The final chapter of the book on "poorness-of-fit" and psychopathology is disappointing. The description of the various functions of the brain relative to behavior demand further clarification and organization. Unlike previous chapters, too much is covered in too little space and the background data needed to understand the global statements of the authors is lacking. In a sense it seemed the authors had run out of steam. In summary, despite its shortcomings, The Dynamics of Psychological Development should be on the "must" reading list of any professional whose area of expertise involves child development.
Nitroureas II. Synthesis of Bicyclic Mono‐ and Dinitrourea Compounds

We report the synthesis and characterization of several bicyclic mono- and dinitrourea compounds as energetic materials and discuss their use as precursors to other energetic compounds. The new nitrolyzing reagent, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid anhydride/20% N2O5/nitric acid, will also be described.
Engineered M13 Bacteriophage Nanocarriers for Intracellular Delivery of Exogenous Proteins to Human Prostate Cancer Cells

The size, well-defined structure, and relatively high folding energies of most proteins allow them to recognize disease-relevant receptors that present a challenge to small molecule reagents. While multiple challenges must be overcome in order to fully exploit the use of protein reagents in basic research and medicine, perhaps the greatest challenge is their intracellular delivery to a particular diseased cell. Here, we describe the genetic and enzymatic manipulation of prostate cancer cell-penetrating M13 bacteriophage to generate nanocarriers for the intracellular delivery of functional exogenous proteins to a human prostate cancer cell line.
Serum-free culture of human hemopoietic progenitors in attenuated culture media

To elucidate the precise mechanisms of molecular and cellular regulation of hemopoiesis, it is necessary to develop a chemically defined culture assay for purified hemopoietic progenitors. To approach this long-term goal, we attempted to develop a serum-free culture system for enriched human progenitors that permits expression of all hemopoietic lineages and stages of development. Preliminary studies indicated that alpha-medium was superior to Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium (IMDM) and that culture under low (5%) oxygen condition was better than an ambient level of oxygen. We developed an attenuated (modified quarter-strength) alpha-medium and compared the colony-supporting ability of the three media by plating 1,000 bone marrow null cells per dish in the presence of a combination of recombinant human colony-stimulating factors (CSFs). The numbers of colonies supported in alpha-medium and attenuated alpha-medium were approximately 70% of those in serum-containing cultures. IMDM failed to support colony formation. While, in general, the colony sizes were smaller in the serum-free cultures than in the serum-containing cultures, a variety of types of single lineage and multilineage colonies were seen in serum-free culture. A linear relationship between cell number and colony formation was seen in 100-2,000 cells per dish. Serum-free cultures of enriched human progenitors should be an important tool for analysis of the mechanisms of recombinant CSFs.
Accumulation of recessive lethal mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mlh1 mismatch repair mutants is not associated with gross chromosomal rearrangements.

We examined mismatch repair (MMR)-defective diploid strains of budding yeast grown for ∼160 generations to determine whether decreases in spore viability due to the uncovering of recessive lethal mutations correlated with an increase in gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs). No GCRs were detected despite dramatic decreases in spore viability, suggesting that frameshift and/or other unrepaired DNA replication lesions play a greater role than chromosomal instability in decreasing viability in MMR-defective strains.
Teaching Writing in Required Undergraduate Engineering Courses: A Materials Course Example

In order to prepare engineering graduates with the communication skills required on the job, a communications center was established within the Engineering College. One of the main goals of the Center has been to develop writing skills. To achieve this goal one group of courses in Materials Science incorporates a major research paper. Significant feedback, both from the instructor and the University Writing Center is provided to the students while the paper is in preparation.
Regulation of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Bacillus subtilis by Activation of a Conserved Site-Specific Protease

The mobile genetic element ICEBs1 is an integrative and conjugative element (a conjugative transposon) found in Bacillus subtilis. The RecA-dependent SOS response and the RapI-PhrI cell sensory system activate ICEBs1 gene expression by stimulating cleavage of ImmR, the ICEBs1 immunity repressor, by the protease ImmA. We found that increasing the amount of wild-type ImmA in vivo caused partial derepression of ICEBs1 gene expression. However, during RapI-mediated derepression of ICEBs1 gene expression, ImmA levels did not detectably increase, indicating that RapI likely activates the protease ImmA by increasing its specific activity. We also isolated and characterized mutations in immA (immA(h)) that cause partial derepression of ICEBs1 gene expression in the absence of inducing signals. We obtained two types of immA(h) mutations: one type caused increased amounts of the mutant proteins in vivo but no detectable effect on specific activity in vitro; the other type had no detectable effect on the amount of the mutant protein in vivo but caused increased specific activity of the protein (as measured in vitro). Together, these findings indicate that derepression of ICEBs1 gene expression is likely caused by an increase in the specific activity of ImmA. Homologs of ImmA and ImmR are found in many mobile genetic elements, so the mechanisms that regulate ImmA-mediated cleavage of ImmR may be widely conserved.
Coordinated Traffic of Grb2 and Ras during Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Endocytosis Visualized in Living Cells

Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) triggers multiple signaling pathways and rapid endocytosis of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)–receptor complexes. To directly visualize the compartmentalization of molecules involved in the major signaling cascade, activation of Ras GTPase, we constructed fusions of Grb2, Shc, H-Ras, and K-Ras with enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) or yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), and used live-cell fluorescence imaging microscopy combined with the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique. Stimulation of cells by EGF resulted in the accumulation of large pools of Grb2-CFP and YFP-Shc in endosomes, where these two adaptor proteins formed a complex with EGFR. H-Ras and K-Ras fusion proteins were found at the plasma membrane, particularly in ruffles and lamellipodia, and also in endosomes independently of GTP/GDP loading and EGF stimulation. The relative amount of endosomal H-Ras was higher than that of K-Ras, whereas K-Ras predominated at the plasma membrane. On application of EGF, Grb2, and Ras converge in the same endosomes through the fusion of endosomes containing either Grb2 or Ras or through the joint internalization of two proteins from the plasma membrane. To examine the localization of the GTP-bound form of Ras, we used a FRET assay that exploits the specific interaction of GTP-bound CFP-Ras with the YFP-fused Ras binding domain of c-Raf. FRET microscopy revealed that GTP-bound Ras is located at the plasma membrane, mainly in ruffles and at the cell edges, as well as in endosomes containing EGFR. These data point to the potential for endosomes to serve as sites of generation for persistent signaling through Ras.
Diffraction studies of the high pressure phases of GaAs and GaP

High pressure structural phase transitions of GaAs and GaP have been studied by energy dispersive X-ray diffraction with the radiation from the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source. GaAs began to transform at 172 + or - 7 kbar to an orthorhombic structure possibly belonging to space group Fmmm. GaP transformed to a tetragonal beta-Sn type phase at 215 + or - 8 kbar. Although pressure transmitting media were used to minimize shear stresses in the specimens, the high pressure diffraction results were interpreted as showing evidence for planar defects in the specimens.
Analysis and verification of an analog VLSI incremental outer-product learning system

An architecture is described for the microelectronic implementation of arbitrary outer-product learning rules in analog floating-gate CMOS matrix-vector multiplier networks. The weights are stored permanently on floating gates and are updated under uniform UV illumination with a general incremental analog four-quadrant outer-product learning scheme, performed locally on-chip by a single transistor per matrix element on average. From the mechanism of floating gate relaxation under UV radiation, the authors derive the learning parameters and their dependence on the illumination level and circuit parameters. It is shown that the weight increments consists of two parts: one term contains the outer product of two externally applied learning vectors; the other part represents a uniform weight decay, with time constant originating from the floating gate relaxation. The authors address the implementation of supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms with emphasis on the delta rule. Experimental results from a simple implementation of the delta rule on an 8*7 linear network are included. >
PVT properties of linear and dendritic polymers

The aim of this article is to examine the limits of applicability of the Simha-Somcynsky (S-S) equation of state (EOS) by comparing the pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) data and the derivatives (compressibility, κ, and thermal expansion coefficient, α) of anionic linear polystyrene (PS) with poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers (PBED). Fitting the PVT of PBED data to the S-S EOS was similarly satisfactory as that of PS and the computed Lennard-Jones (L-J) interaction parameters showed similar errors of ca. 1%. Next, the experimental derivatives, α and κ of PS and PBED were compared with these functions computed from the S-S EOS—good agreement was obtained for α at ambient pressure, P, indicating validity of the S-S theory at least up to the first derivative. While the predicted κ = κ(P) dependence for PS and a linear PBED homologue was correct, for dendrimers the compressibility was higher at low pressure and it was lower at high P than theory predicts. Also the extracted values of the L-J repulsion volume, v*, between a segment pair was smaller than expected. The specific architecture of dendrimer molecules is responsible for this behavior, since their 3D configuration is significantly different from the S-S model with uniform segmental density and oxygen bonds in the main and side chains add flexibility. © 2009 NRC Canada. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 322–332, 2010
Adjuvant external beam and intraoperative radiation therapy in rectal cancer.

AbstractThe use of radical surgery has maximized local control, sphincter preservation, and overall survival in patients with rectal cancer. Despite the advances in surgical techniques, local recurrence still remains a problem. Following potentially curative surgery, the incidence of local recurrence inpatients with stages B2,C disease varies from 15% to 65%. There are four major approaches in which radiation therapy (RT) has been used in the adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer. These include postoperative RT ± chemotherapy, preoperative RT ± chemotherapy, both pre-and postoperative RT (sandwich technique), and intraoperative RT in conjunction with preoperative external beam RT. In patients with resectable rectal cancer, adjuvant RT has been shown to decrease the incidence of local recurrence and, in some series, may influence survival rates. In patients with locally advanced, unresectable, or recurrent rectal cancer, the use of preoperative radiation therapy, attempted surgical resection, and intraoperat...
A signature based approach to regularity extraction

Regularity extraction is an important step in the design flow of datapath-dominated circuits. This paper outlines a new method that automatically extracts regular structures from the netlist. The method is general enough to handle two types of designs: designs with structured cluster information for a portion of the datapath components that are identified at the HDL level; and designs with no such structured cluster information. The method analyzes the circuit connectivity and uses signature based approaches to recognize regularity.
Statistical analysis of eigenspace-based source location estimates

A simple and rigorous statistical analysis of location estimates obtained from eigenspace spatial-spectrum based algorithms is presented. Concise and accurate variance expressions of location estimates for MUSIC, MIN-NORM, and FINE are derived. These expressions are valid over a wide range extending down into the resolution threshold region. It is shown that these expressions, though asymptotical, can be accurately applied to limited number of snapshot cases. Bias of location estimates is also briefly discussed. Based on the statistical analysis, a comparison among MUSIC, MIN-NORM, and FINE is made. Variance advantage of FINE over MIN-NORM, and the comparable variance between FINE and MUSIC are analytically proven. >
NESTING OF THE PURPLE-THROATED CARIB HUMMINGBIRD

SUMMARY We present data on certain parts of the nesting biology of the Purple-throated Carib Humming- bird Eulampis jugularis on the island of Dominica, British West Indies. We watched two nests with eggs and young and a single nest under construction. Incubation was in short periods averaging about six minutes. Females at both nests with eggs continued adding material to the nest until the end of incubation. We suggest that this common practice among hummingbirds may insure that a limited amount of energy at the time of initial nest-building and egg-production is optimally apportioned between the two activities. Brooding ceased in one nest when the young were about 13 days old. Feeding rates stayed relatively constant at one to two per hour throughout the nearly complete nestling period in one nest. Average time per feeding declined, apparently as the female-young interaction became more efficient with maturation of the young. Nesting females foraged on both insects and nectar. We could not be sure what they were feeding the young. Defence of the nest varied with the position of the female and the type of intruder. The aggressive behaviour associated with defence varied according to the size and type of intruder. We concluded that for the one nest of Eulampis for which we had the most complete data, had there been three young, the female would have been unable to provide sufficient food to nourish them. However, the universal clutch size of two and nearly universal promiscuity in humming- birds is strong evidence that factors other than the ability of adults to feed more than two young are important in determining clutch size.
Effects of dispersion and interfacial modification on the macroscale properties of TiO2 polymer–matrix nanocomposites

This paper quantifies how the quality of dispersion and the quality of the interfacial interaction between TiO2 nanoparticles and host polymer independently affect benchmark properties such as glass transition temperature (Tg), elastic modulus and loss modulus. By examining these composites with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we demonstrate changes in properties depending on the adhesive/wetting or repulsive/dewetting interactions the nanoparticles have with the bulk polymer. We further quantify the dispersion of TiO2 nanoparticles in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrices by a digital–optical method and correlate those values to the degree of Tg depression compared to neat PMMA. Samples with the same weight percent of nanoparticles but better dispersion show larger shifts in Tg.
Massive levothyroxine overdose: high anxiety--low toxicity.

The acute toxicity of levothyroxine ingestion is influenced by the dose ingested, the rate of conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3), and the level of medical intervention. Approximately 21 million prescriptions for thyroid products were dispensed in the United States in 1986, accounting for 1.4% of all prescriptions. This wide availability leads to frequent acute overdoses. In 1986, the American Association of Poison Control Centers Data Collection System documented 2,231 acute toxic exposures to thyroid preparations.1 Several articles have appeared in the past few years concerning the relative toxicity and treatment of a patient with an acute ingestion of levothyroxine preparations.2-7
ROLE OF VALINE AND ISOLEUCINE AS REGULATORS OF ACTINOMYCIN PEPTIDE FORMATION BY STREPTOMYCES CHRYSOMALLUS

Katz, Edward (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N. J.), Clarence R. Waldron, and Mary Lou Meloni. Role of valine and isoleucine as regulators of actinomycin peptide formation by Streptomyces chrysomallus . J. Bacteriol. 82: 600–608. 1961—d-Valine is an effective inhibitor of actinomycin synthesis by Streptomyces chrysomallus ; l-valine stimulates actinomycin production and reverses the inhibition due to the d-enantiomorph. The incorporation of l-valine into the medium results, particularly, in a marked increase in actinomycin IV formation. In studies with various isoleucine isomers it was shown that l-isoleucine enhances actinomycin VII production; the principal effect of d-alloisoleucine and, especially, d-isoleucine, is to bring about synthesis of two new actinomycins which contain N -methylisoleucine. Both l- and d-threonine were observed to have an effect similar to that obtained with l-isoleucine. An interpretation of these findings has been discussed. Images
Predicting Postconcussive Symptoms After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Children and Adolescents

The vast majority of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in children are of mild severity. A small but significant proportion of children with mild TBI experience persistent postconcussive symptoms (PCS), with negative consequences for their broader and longer-term psychosocial functioning. A key issue for clinical management is how to predict which children with mild TBI will go on to display persistent PCS. This chapter reviews the existing literature regarding the prediction of PCS following mild TBI in children and adolescents, considering both injury-related and non-injury-related factors as possible prognostic indicators. The chapter summarizes conceptual and methodological issues that arise in research on the prediction of the outcomes of mild TBI. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future research, the long-term goal of which is to develop evidence-based decision rules that facilitate the identification of children at risk for poor outcomes after mild TBI.
Epistemic Factors in Selective Exposure and Political Misperceptions on the Right and Left

Selective news media exposure and political misperceptions have potentially troubling implications for democracy. In an online survey (N = 486) conducted in the context of the 2012 U.S. presidential election, we drew on a motivated reasoning framework to examine how rational and experiential engagement and need for closure were related to selective exposure and misperceptions. Because previous research has focused on conservative media and misperceptions that serve Republican causes, we also looked at how conservative and liberal media exposure were related to Republican- and Democratic-serving misperceptions among the overall sample as well as respondents of each party. Rational engagement had positive relationships with media use and (surprisingly) selective exposure among Democrats. It also was negatively related with Republican-serving misperceptions. Experiential engagement, on the other hand, had no relationships with media use but was positively related to Republican-serving misperceptions. Need for closure was positively related to Republican-serving misperceptions, but not after control variables were added. Finally, exposure to either kind of partisan media both discouraged misperceptions that served the opposing party and promoted misperceptions that served their own party, although the extent to which it did so appeared to vary depending on the partisanship of the media and of the audience. Implications of these findings for theory and policy are discussed.
On the bicycle transformation and the filament equation: Results and conjectures

Abstract The paper concerns a simple model of bicycle kinematics: a bicycle is represented by an oriented segment of constant length in n -dimensional space that can move in such a way that the velocity of its rear end is aligned with the segment (the rear wheel is fixed on the bicycle frame). Starting with a closed trajectory of the rear end, one obtains the two respective trajectories of the front end, corresponding to the opposite directions of motion. These two curves are said to be in the bicycle correspondence. Conjecturally, this correspondence is completely integrable; we present a number of results substantiating this conjecture. In dimension three, the bicycle correspondence is the Backlund transformation for the filament equation; we discuss bi-Hamiltonian features of the bicycle correspondence and its integrals.
Effects of hypoxia on oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle in trained and untrained rats.

SummaryHypoxia reduces the oxidative capacity of muscle mitochondria in a manner similar to that found with exercise when palmitate, pyruvate and succinate were used as substrates. This suggests that low oxygen tension found in the muscle during exercise may cause the effects observed with exercise; or, hypoxia and exercise cause similar effects because they are mediated through a common process.
Cutting to the Core of the Issue: Emerging Strategies to Reduce Prostate-Biopsy Related Infections

Over 1 million men undergo biopsy in the United States each year to evaluate for prostate cancer (S. Loeb, H. B. Carter, S. I. Berndt, W. Ricker, and E. M. Schaeffer, J Urol 186:1830-1834, 2011, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.06.057). In recent years, there has been a rise in infectious complications related to these procedures. This review aims to provide an overview of the guidelines that direct transrectal prostate biopsy, to describe associated infection, and to evaluate the published data driving the current trend toward prebiopsy screening for resistant organisms.
Development and Approach of Drilling Monitor and Control System

The developed drilling monitor and control system is mainly consisted of transducers, acquisition unit, drill floor display unit and computer unit. Drilling equipment monitor and control are implemented through data communication. Technical characteristics mainly include frequency multiplication circuit, average algorithm filter and error calibra- tion.
Nutrients central to maintaining intestinal absorptive efficiency and barrier integrity with fowl

The small intestinal mucosa acts to recover nutrients from the lumen while providing a barrier against potential hazards. Its unstirred water layer (USWL) at the lumen interface involves membrane associated mucin linearly protruding from underlying microvilli that entangles secretory mucin released from local goblet cells. Both mucin sources are dominated by repetitive O-glycosylated areas dependant on threonine, serine, glycine, and proline. Secretory mucin differs from membrane attached mucin by further employing multiple cystines that interconnect these areas into a net-like molecular sieve. All of the glycosylated areas have ionizable acidic groups credited with reducing pH from that in the lumen to create a micro environment favoring enzymes finalizing digestion while optimizing nutrient terms for absorption. Erosion of the USWL and/or abuse of the membrane due to lumen threats require continuous repair. The aforementioned amino acids are necessary in substantial amounts while vitamin B6 collaborates with vitamin A as meaningful cofactors for mucin synthesis. Marginal inadequacies of these nutrients during inordinate demand are expected to impair mucin replacement. In turn, marginal increases in feed conversion likely occur while fostering the probability of necrotic enteritis together with gizzard erosions. Abuse of the absorptive membrane is of particular concern from fatty acid hydroperoxides because of their continual presence in feed and inability of the USWL to provide protection. These hydroperoxides threaten membrane integrity by their inclusion in micelles during digestive events with fat thereby permitting transit through the USWL. Once coalesced with membrane phospholipids, structural aberrations are visualized as interfering with nutrient recovery while enabling leakage of cell contents to potentiate wet excreta. Inclusion of dietary vitamin E along with vitamin A into micelles with fatty acid hydroperoxides provides relief by quenching further peroxidation. Assuring cystine, threonine, glycine, and serine that are directly available as such together with vitamins A, E, and B6 represents one approach toward optimizing maintenance of the intestinal mucosa.
A multihole needle for the aspiration of large quantities of bone marrow.

Abstract A multihole 13 gauge needle is described which has been found to be useful in obtaining large quantities of marrow from the posterior ilium of patients whose marrow yield is low when obtained with conventional needles.
TU-D-209-03: Alignment of the Patient Graphic Model Using Fluoroscopic Images for Skin Dose Mapping

Purpose: The Dose Tracking System (DTS) was developed to provide realtime feedback of skin dose and dose rate during interventional fluoroscopic procedures. A color map on a 3D graphic of the patient represents the cumulative dose distribution on the skin. Automated image correlation algorithms are described which use the fluoroscopic procedure images to align and scale the patient graphic for more accurate dose mapping. Methods: Currently, the DTS employs manual patient graphic selection and alignment. To improve the accuracy of dose mapping and automate the software, various methods are explored to extract information about the beam location and patient morphology from the procedure images. To match patient anatomy with a reference projection image, preprocessing is first used, including edge enhancement, edge detection, and contour detection. Template matching algorithms from OpenCV are then employed to find the location of the beam. Once a match is found, the reference graphic is scaled and rotated to fit the patient, using image registration correlation functions in Matlab. The algorithm runs correlation functions for all points and maps all correlation confidences to a surface map. The highest point of correlation is used for alignment and scaling. The transformation data is saved for later model scaling. Results: Anatomic recognition is used to find matching features between model and image and image registration correlation provides for alignment and scaling at any rotation angle with less than onesecond runtime, and at noise levels in excess of 150% of those found in normal procedures. Conclusion: The algorithm provides the necessary scaling and alignment tools to improve the accuracy of dose distribution mapping on the patient graphic with the DTS. Partial support from NIH Grant R01-EB002873 and Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.
Who Is a Rebel? Typology and Rebel Groups in the Contemporary Middle East

This article provides a typology of rebel groups in the Middle East from the perspective of political science and situates them in a broader context of rebellion around the world.