cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Twenty Years of the Few-Body Problem

As this series of conferences approaches its 20th birthday, it is appropriate to try to assess what has happened during this time period. In doing so, on the one hand we must use, as documentation, the many detailed results, discussions, theories, and data that have been presented to these conferences, but on the other hand the questions we want to ask are broad ones, those we do not have time to ask while we are engulfed in the technical complexities of particular projects. This will be the aim of this talk.
Maintaining interface equilibrium conditions in compressible multiphase flows using interface capturing

An accurate treatment of material interfaces in compressible multiphase flows poses important challenges for high-resolution numerical methods. Although high-order interface-capturing schemes have been used to accurately simulate gas/liquid interfaces with the Euler equations, these methods can result in temperature spikes at material discontinuities. While this phenomenon is not problematic for Euler simulations, it gives rise to numerical errors when heat conduction is included. In this work, we identify the source of these errors and propose a methodology to prevent their occurrence for various models used to represent gas/liquid interfaces in compressible flows based on a "single-fluid" formulation, in which interfaces are represented by discontinuities in the material properties. Our focus lies in materials (gases and liquids primarily, but also solids) that can be described by a stiffened equation of state, though our approach is generalizable to other equations. We show that numerical approaches that prevent pressure oscillations at interfaces may generate temperature errors, which affect the energy (and pressure) through the heat conduction term. We demonstrate that the material properties entering the equation of state must be computed according to suitable transport equations in conservative or non-conservative forms; the pressure and temperature must be calculated based on the appropriate properties. To verify the analysis and compute problems with gas/liquid interfaces of relevance, we develop a three-dimensional, high-order accurate, solution-adaptive finite difference framework. In particular, we show that temperatures and pressures may be significantly overestimated in calculations of shock-induced bubble collapse in water if temperature errors are not prevented.
NEUROSECRETION IN THE HIBERNATING BAT; THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE HYPOTHALAMO-HYPOPHYSEAL SYSTEM.

The morphology of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract of 35 hibernating bats (Myotis lucifugus lucifugus) was studied in chrome-alum-hematoxylin-phloxine-stained serial coronal and sagittal sections. Vinyl acetate and wax-plate reconstructions also aided in describing the two neurosecretory hypothalamic nuclei of this system. The most prominently defined nucleus, the supraoptic, consisted of a smaller portion rostral to the optic tract that was tenuously connected to a larger caudal portion. The probability that some of the posteriorly located cells of the caudal portion represent other hypothalamic nuclei is discussed. The shape and location of the paraventricular nucleus was more difficult to determine. Although the neurosecretory cells of this nucleus were similar in their irregular or eliptical shape to those of the supraoptic nucleus, the majority of the paraventricular cells were smaller and had less of an affinity for the chrome-alum-hematoxylin stain. The majority of CHP-positive axons originating in the supraoptic nucleus converged toward the median eminence and terminated in the pars nervosa. Most of the axons from the paraventricular nucleus coursed laterally toward the supraoptic nucleus where they followed the pathway described from this nucleus. The localization of CHP-positive material in the neurohypophysis is presented. Comparisons were made between the morphology of this system in the hibernating bat and that of other species of mammals reported in the literature.
Tissue Culture and Related Approaches for Grain Quality Improvement

The importance of grain quality traits for agricultural production and the attention they receive in plant breeding programs have been thoroughly discussed in chapter 7. In this chapter, discussion will focus on the application of tissue culture and related in vitro methods for improvement of grain quality traits. These approaches are relatively recent and have not been tested for many crops. There should be little doubt, however, that tissue culture procedures will occupy an important complementary, and sometimes supplementary, role with conventional breeding programs for grain quality improvement. Tissue culture and other in vitro procedures will expand the types of variation that can be selected and possibly will be more efficient than and will replace some selection procedures currently used in breeding programs. In any case, new germplasm produced by in vitro procedures must face the same scrutiny and extensive agronomic evaluations used for improved genotypes in breeding programs. Testing and the incorporation of new traits into improved breeding lines for agricultural production purposes will continue to depend on plant breeding procedures and the expertise of plant breeders.
The Electronic effects of point defects in Cu(InxGa1−x)Se2

Abstract An overview of data accumulated on defects in CIGS is presented. From this the following conclusions are drawn. (1) The primary defects, which accommodate changes in film composition in group III rich p-type CIGS, are normally found in large superclusters on (001) planes. This is due to electrostatic interactions of the individual defect cluster dipoles. Such superclustering explains why the defects are electrically inactive, why the hole mobility does not depend upon defect concentration or composition, and why the hole concentration in CIGS depends so little on composition. One form of these superclusters may explain the CuPt ordering observed in some cases. (2) As group III rich CIGS becomes n-type (the Fermi energy rises above midgap), either by the effect of electric fields in the material or continuing addition of group III elements beyond a critical level (which depends upon Ga content and process conditions), the clusters partially or fully decompose, pinning the Fermi energy at the In Cu 2+ defect level. This is why sufficiently group III rich material remains only weakly n-type over a wide composition range. It may also mean that the Fermi energy is pinned at this level near the surface of some devices. (3) Na acts to improve CIGS devices at grain boundaries. This may be by increasing atomic mobility there, by electrical passivation of the grain boundaries, through increasing grain size, or through some other effect. (4) Oxygen has no beneficial effect on devices through its interaction with the CIGS either within the grains or at grain boundaries.
Carbon and phosphorus linkages in Daphnia growth are determined by growth rate, not species or diet

Summary Ecological stoichiometry provides a framework for understanding how fitness relates to acquisition and use of elements. This framework predicts a trade-off between the ability to grow quickly under good food conditions and to minimize growth depression on low-phosphorus (P) diets. These traits should both be related in some way to organism P content, a commonly used proxy of P demand. Previous tests using Daphnia species did not consistently support this prediction, whereas comparisons made across genera or higher taxonomic groups did. One explanation could be that body P content measured at one point in time is a poor indicator of P demand for growth over an interval. We measured the rate of both mass and phosphorus gain of seven Daphnia species under contrasting food conditions, including low- and high-P algal diets. Similar to other studies, we found no significant relationship between body P content and maximum growth rate or sensitivity to P limitation. On the other hand, Carbon (C) and P specific growth rates were linearly related (R2 = 0·83) to all treatments and species with a positive intercept and slope less than one. This relationship indicates that rapid growth does require high-P accrual as predicted by the growth rate hypothesis. These results reveal a fundamental and unexpected relationship between growth and P demand that transcends species and diets. C and P coupling in growth represents an alternative measure of P demand that confirms theoretical predictions concerning maximum growth rate, sensitivity to P limitation and P demand as well as revealing unpredicted linkages between P demand and the degree of stoichiometric homeostasis. The straight line coupling of C and P in growth represents a new framework for understanding C and P linkages that does not assume strict homeostasis, but does allow generalization across species and diets.
Ultrastructural comparison of smooth muscle from ovarian follicle and oviduct of the golden hamster.

Ultrastructural characteristics of smooth muscle taken from ovarian follicles and oviducts of hamsters are compared. Differences between the two muscle types are more quantitative than qualitative, thus confirming that follicular muscle is a true smooth muscle with no unique characteristics. While both muscle types contain 50–80 A filaments, β-glycogen deposits, and organelles characteristically found in smooth muscle, the oviductal cells have substantially more sacs, tubular structures, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. Another difference concerns the cellular junctions; the oviductal cells exhibit nexuses, whereas the follicular cells show desmosomelike junctions. Based on ultrastructural differences, follicular smooth muscle seems to be a relatively toneless muscle suited for short, infrequent contractions, whereas oviductal smooth muscle is probably involved in more active tonic contractions.
Spatial inhomogeneity in pollutant concentrations, and their implications for air quality model evaluation

Abstract The Southern California Air Quality Study database provides a valuable resource with which to test urban-scale photochemical models and to achieve a better understanding of the atmospheric dynamics of pollutant formation. The CIT model was evaluated using the SCAQS database according to traditional model performance guidelines. A first application, reported previously, focused on model enhancement and application of the model to the 27–29 August 1987 episode. This study evaluates the CIT model using the 24–25 June SCAQS episode, providing further evaluation of the model. Results show that the CIT airshed model can follow the diurnal variations of reactive species and the transport for relatively unreactive species. The normalized gross error for ozone was 31 % in June compared to 38% in August. However, to fully judge model performance in proper perspective, a question arises: “How well do the measurements reflect the air quality surrounding the monitoring station, not just in that location?” This is an important but seldom quantitatively considered factor, not only in model evaluation but in the study of health effects as well. Analyses indicate that individual concentration measurements only approximately represent the true volume-averaged concentrations within a computational grid cell and that significant spatial variations exist. Thus any evaluation of models using these data sets should take these local variations into consideration. A series of tests found that the local inhomogeneities had a normalized gross error in the range of 25–45% depending on the pollutant. In this context, the performance of the CIT model is consistent with known modeling limitations such as emissions inventories and sub-grid scale variation of observations.
Distribution and speciation of metals in annual rings of black willow.

Information on the spatial distribution and speciation of metals in nonhyperaccumulator plants is lacking. This study used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) compositional imaging to investigate the spatial distribution of Ni, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Fe in annual rings of black willow (Salix nigra L.) collected from a metal-contaminated area, and used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate Ni and Mn speciation in regions of the annual rings with elevated Ni concentrations. Annual rings were recollected in early 2003 from an individual known to be enriched with Ni from previous studies. Compositional imaging showed Ni and associated co-contaminants conservatively located in an annual ring. When compared with a corresponding photomicrograph, SXRF compositional images showed that metals were sharply constrained by the boundaries of the annual ring, indicating a sudden onset and cessation of uptake, and a lack of post-growth mobility of the metals. There was a particularly strong correlation between Ni and Mn in the metal-enriched annual ring (r = 0.8822), which suggested similar transport and binding behavior of these elements. X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed Ni and Mn to be present in the 2+ oxidation state. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) fingerprinting of localized, highly Ni-enriched regions within the lumen of willow xylem vessels found similarities with Ni-pectic acid complexes, Ni-histidine, and NiSO 4 .
Ionically conductive glasses based on SiS2

The synthesis methods and chemical properties of SiS2-based, Li+-conducting glasses are reviewed. These glasses are extremely sensitive to water and must be handled in highly efficient glove boxes. Structural information obtained from DSC, FT-IR, and solid state NMR is discussed. Electrochemical properties, especially conductivity, and stability towards lithium metal are reviewed as well as the use of ionically conductive glasses in battery applications.
The microflora recovered from the outer‐surfaces of the Frialit‐2 implanto‐prosthetic connector

The aim of the present investigation was to examine the outer-surface microbiota of the prosthetic connector of Frialit-2 implants, and to compare the microbial findings with the peri-implant parameters 2 years after functional loading. In 16 implant-treated patients (55.8 +/- 9.5 years) the outer-surface micro-organisms of the prosthetic connectors were determined in 32 Frialit-2 implants. The functional loading time of the prosthetic suprastructures was 24.1 +/- 13.8 months on average. After removal of the implant-supported restoration, microbial samples were obtained from the outer-surfaces of the Frialit-2 prosthetic connector. The microbial plaque samples were specified on CDC-blood agar as percentages of the total cultivable flora. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans was semiquantitively determined on TSBV-agar in CFU/ml. The microbial plaque samples were dominated by Actinomyces israelii (68.8%), Eubacterium lentum (56.3%) and Veillonella parvula (43.8%) with proportions ranking between 3.9% (V. parvula) and 11.1% (A. israelii). The most frequently detected gram-negative microorganisms were Fusobacterium nucleatum (87.5%), Porphyromonas gingivalis (81.3%), and Peptostreptococcus micros (68.8%) with enhanced proportions for P. gingivalis (11.4%) and P. micros (11.4%). No statistical significant correlation could be established between the microbiota present on the outer-surfaces of the F2-connector and the peri-implant parameters examined. The outer-surface microflora recovered from the implanto-prosthetic-connector of Frialit-2 implants reveals a colonization with gram-positive bacteria and potentially harmful gram-negative micro-organisms that were frequently detected, but present at low levels. After 2 years of restorative loading, the outer-surface microbial colonization is compatible with peri-implant soft tissue health.
Optical properties of fractal nanocomposites

Optical prossesses in nanostructured fractal composites are shown to be strongly enhanced. The enhancement occurs because of a localization of dipolar eigenmodes in subwavelength areas.
Fast angiography using selective inversion recovery.

We have developed an enhancement of selective inversion recovery that allows us to obtain high-resolution angiograms in reduced Scan time. By applying several read pulses following each tagging inversion pulse, we can obtain several phase encodes in each cardiac cycle, thereby reducing the total scan time required for a complete image. Using this technique, high-resolution angiograms can be obtained in as little as 15 s. Because the phase encodes are collected in short bursts separated by long pauses, care must be taken to maintain uniform signal weighting across phase-encoding views and avoid ghosting. We use an increasing flip-angle sequence to equalize signal level weighting across the readouts. The phase encodes are collected in a special order to minimize ghosting. A postprocessing technique is used to further reduce signal nonuniformity between phase encodes. This fast angiography technique can significantly reduce artifacts due to patient motion during scanning and is especially useful for imaging vasculature in regions of the body where respiratory motion is a problem. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.
Defining the boundary in a positioning task

Abstract Previous experiments have shown that overshoot rate in a linear positioning task is determined by the distance of the target from the boundary of the task in the direction of movement. Present experiments have served to specify distance more precisely as being relative rather than absolute, and as proximal rather than distal, and to show that the position of the boundary depends on the movements demanded by the task and not the visual and proprioceptive limits of the display. The operational boundary may be regarded as a cognitive construct by reference to which subjects locate targets.
Biotic constraints on the invasion of diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) in North American grasslands

Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.) are among the most invasive of non-indigenous plant species that have colonized western North America over the last century. We conducted a 4-year experiment in a reconstructed grassland to test hypotheses related to the ability of grasslands to resist the invasion of diffuse knapweed (C. diffusa). We experimentally invaded C. diffusa and three native species into areas where we manipulated soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability and removed extant grasses to reduce competition. We evaluated the growth response of these species to these resources and competitive manipulations. Of the native species that were experimentally added, only one species, Ratibida pinnata (prairie coneflower), established in any numbers. Establishment values in intact vegetation were low for both species, but establishment by C. diffusa (0.02%) clearly outperformed that of R. pinnata (0.001%). Under reduced grass competition, establishment was enhanced, but the values for C. diffusa (0.68%) were not statistically different from those of R. pinnata (0.57%). Neither species performed better under higher soil nutrients in the presence of competing grasses. In plots with both species, biomass of the two planted species was positively correlated, but the biomass of both species was negatively correlated with non-added weedy species. Subsequent harvests of C. diffusa indicated that establishment was enhanced in treatments with higher soil nutrients but that the biomass of these plants could only be enhanced when plant competition was also reduced. These results indicate that C. diffusa can establish in intact grasslands at rates higher than natives, but opportunism rather than competitive ability best describes the invasiveness of C. diffusa. Thus, the mechanisms contributing to the establishment of this knapweed species are different from factors identified as contributing to the dominance of this invader.
Partial methylation of quercetin: Direct synthesis of tamarixetin, ombuin and ayanin

Methylalion of the penlahydroxy flavone, quercetin, was observed to proceed in distinct stages. From the reaction mixture (methyl sulfale/potassium carbonate/acetone), the isolation of three major intermediates, a mono-, a di- and a trimethyl ether and their identification as the naturally occurring ethers: tamarixelin, ombuin and ayanin is described.
Changing Preschool Enrolments in Post-Socialist Central Asia: Causes and Implications

Preschool can contribute importantly to human capital development, especially among poor children. In socialist countries, preschool enrolment rates have declined since transition. We examine changed preschool enrolment in Kyrgyzstan. We evaluate demand- and supply-side explanations for changing enrolments, and use household survey data to develop a simple, logit model of preschool attendance. We find that access plays the most important role in attendance, despite an apparent excess capacity in preschools at the national level. However, economic and cultural factors also have a significant impact on household decisions to send a child to preschool.
Functional significance of Glu-77 and Tyr-137 within the active site of isoaspartyl dipeptidase.

Abstract Isoaspartyl dipeptidase (IAD) is a binuclear metalloenzyme and a member of the amidohydrolase superfamily. This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of β-aspartyl dipeptides. The pH-rate profiles for the hydrolysis of β-Asp-Leu indicates that catalysis is dependent on the ionization of two groups; one that ionizes at a pH ∼6 and the other ∼9. The group that must be ionized for catalysis is directly dependent on the identity of the metal ion bound to the active site. This result is consistent with the ionization of the hydroxide that bridges the two divalent cations. In addition to the residues that interact directly with the divalent cations there are two other residues that are highly conserved and found within the active site: Glu-77 and Tyr-137. Mutation of Tyr-137 to phenylalanine reduced the rate of catalysis by three orders of magnitude. The three dimensional X-ray structure of the Y137F mutant did not show any significant conformation changes relative to the three dimensional structure of the wild-type enzyme. The positioning of the side-chain phenolic group of Tyr-137 in the active site of IAD is consistent with the stabilization of the tetrahedral adduct concomitant with nucleophilic attack by the hydroxide that bridges the two divalent cations. Mutation of Glu-77 resulted in the reduction of catalytic activity by five orders of magnitude. The three dimensional structure of the E77Q mutant did not show any significant conformational changes in the mutant relative to the three dimensional structure of the wild-type enzyme. The positioning of the side-chain carboxylate of Glu-77 is consistent with the formation of an ion pair interaction with the free α-amino group of the substrate.
SU-E-T-834: Comparison of Rapidarc, IMRT and 3D Conformal Planning for Treatment of Chestwall, and Regional Nodes

Purpose: To investigate the application of Rapidarc as a technique to improve the dosimetric plan quality for the treatment of the chestwall and regional nodes when 3D conformal planning using the partially wide tangents (PWT) technique requires the irradiation of more than 3 cm of the ipsilateral lung and/or the heart in order to achieve coverage to the IMNs, and to compare it with IMRT. Methods: The PWT plan was done using the field in field technique. IMRT planning consisted of 6 beams at five gantry angles, chosen to minimize the entrance or exit through the contralateral structures. The arc range for the Rapidarc plan was similar to IMRT. Dose calculation was performed with the AAA algorithm in Eclipse V 8.9. Dose prescribed was 5040 cGy. Results: PTV D95 and V95 for both the Rapidarc and IMRT plans were 98% and 97% respectively. The same for 3D was lower by 4%–5% respectively. Rapidarc reduced the left lung mean dose compared to 3D and IMRT by as much as 19 Gy. The V20 Gy and V10 Gy were lower with Rapidarc by as much as 45% and 50%. The total lung mean dose was lower with Rapidarc by 8 Gy while the V20 Gy and V10 Gy reduced by 22% and 25%. Heart doses more than 25 Gy were identical with 3D and Rapidarc while IMRT gave a mean heart dose that was higher by 11 Gy. The mean dose to the contralateral organs was higher with Rapidarc by 3 Gy compared to 3D. Conclusions: For the same coverage, Rapidarc was able to better spare critical organs compared to IMRT. Compared to 3D, Rapidarc had better coverage and lower ipsilateral and total lung dose and identical volumes of heart irradiated above 25 Gy.
Adiponectin in insulin resistance: lessons from translational research

Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-secreted endogenous insulin sensitizer, which plays a key role as a mediator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma action. Adiponectin alters glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, exhibits antiinflammatory and antiatherogenic properties, and has been linked to several malignancies. Circulating concentrations of adiponectin are determined primarily by genetic factors, nutrition, exercise, and abdominal adiposity. Adiponectin concentrations are lower in subjects with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Adiponectin knockout mice manifest glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia and tend to develop malignancies especially when on high-fat diets. Animal studies have also shown beneficial effects of adiponectin in rodents in vivo. Circulating concentrations of adiponectin are lower in patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several malignancies. Studies to date provide promising results for the diagnostic and therapeutic role of adiponectin in obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity-associated malignancies.
Targeting Aberrant Glutathione Metabolism to Eradicate Human Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Cells

The development of strategies to eradicate primary human acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells is a major challenge to the leukemia research field. In particular, primitive leukemia cells, often termed leukemia stem cells, are typically refractory to many forms of therapy. To investigate improved strategies for targeting of human AML cells we compared the molecular mechanisms regulating oxidative state in primitive (CD34+) leukemic versus normal specimens. Our data indicate that CD34+ AML cells have elevated expression of multiple glutathione pathway regulatory proteins, presumably as a mechanism to compensate for increased oxidative stress in leukemic cells. Consistent with this observation, CD34+ AML cells have lower levels of reduced glutathione and increased levels of oxidized glutathione compared with normal CD34+ cells. These findings led us to hypothesize that AML cells will be hypersensitive to inhibition of glutathione metabolism. To test this premise, we identified compounds such as parthenolide (PTL) or piperlongumine that induce almost complete glutathione depletion and severe cell death in CD34+ AML cells. Importantly, these compounds only induce limited and transient glutathione depletion as well as significantly less toxicity in normal CD34+ cells. We further determined that PTL perturbs glutathione homeostasis by a multifactorial mechanism, which includes inhibiting key glutathione metabolic enzymes (GCLC and GPX1), as well as direct depletion of glutathione. These findings demonstrate that primitive leukemia cells are uniquely sensitive to agents that target aberrant glutathione metabolism, an intrinsic property of primary human AML cells.
Fourier-transform infrared imaging using a rapid-scan spectrometer

We present a major improvement to the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) imaging technique brought about by replacement of the commonly used step-scan spectrometer with a rapid-scanning spectrometer. This advancement dramatically decreases the time required for data collection without decreasing the data quality. With this new instrumental setup, an imaging data set consisting of 64×64 spectra with a 4?cm-1 spectral resolution over a 1360?cm-1 spectral range can be collected in 34 s. As a practical example, we demonstrate what we believe to be the first application of FTIR imaging to the screening of adsorbates on the elements of a combinatorial library containing different supported catalyst materials in the same reactant feed.
Some Results in the Theory Modulated Filter Banks and Modulated Wavelet Tight Frames

Abstract Perfect reconstruction (PR) FIR filter banks, obtained by modulation of a linear-phase, lowpass, prototype filter and of length 2 Mm are well known. Recently, PR modulated filter banks (MFBs) with the analysis and synthesis banks obtained from different prototypes have been reported. This paper describes a general form of modulation that includes modulations used in the literature. This modulation depends on an integer parameter, the modulation phase . The PR property is characterized for MFBs with finite and infinite impulse response filters. The MFB PR problem reduces to roughly M /2 two-channel PR problems. A natural dichotomy in the PR conditions leads us to the concepts of Type 1 and Type 2 MFBs. Unitary MFBs are characterized by the M /2 two-channel PR filter banks also being unitary (for FIR filters of length N = 2 Mm , these results are given in (Malvar, Electr Lett . 26, June 1990, 906–907; Koilpillai and Vaidyanathan, IEEE Trans. SP 40, No. 4, Apr. 1992, 770–783)). We also give a necessary and sufficient condition for a large class (including FIR) unitary MFB prototypes to have symmetric (even or odd) prototype filters, and exhibit unitary MFBs without symmetric prototypes. A parameterization of all FIR unitary MFBs is also given. An efficient design procedure for FIR unitary MFBs is developed. It turns out that MFBs can be implemented efficiently using Type III and Type IV DCTs. Compactly supported modulated wavelet tight frames are shown to exist and completely parameterized. K -regular modulated WTFs are designed numerically and analytically by solving a set of non-linear equations over the parameters. Design of optimal modulated WTFs for the representation of any given signal is described with examples, and this is used to design smooth modulated WTFs.
A Cross-National Study of Managerial Values

This study investigated cross-national differences in managerial values. A total of 567 managers from twelve nations participated in the study. Managerial values were assessed by means of Rokeach's value survey. Factor analysis of the eighteen instrumental values included in Rokeach's Value survey revealed four underlying value dimensions. The value dimension that included the instrumental values broadminded, capable and courageous was ranked as the most important value dimension by managers from all twelve nations. National differences were found on three of the four value dimensions.
Integration of immunization services with other health interventions in the developing world: what works and why? Systematic literature review

Summary objective To assess benefits, challenges and characteristics of integrating child and maternal health services with immunization programmes. methods Literature review using journal databases and grey literature. Papers meeting the inclusion criteria were rated for the quality of methodology and relevant information was systematically abstracted. results Integrated services were vitamin A supplementation, bednet distribution, deworming tablet distribution, Intermittent Preventive Therapy for infants and referrals for family planning services. Two key characteristics of success were compatibility between interventions and presence of a strong immunization service prior to integration. Overburdened staff, unequal resource allocation and logistical difficulties were mentioned as risks of integration, whereas rapid uptake of the linked intervention and less competition for resources were listed as two key benefits of integration. conclusion The theoretical strengths of integrating other health services with immunization services remain to be rigorously proved in practice. When additional interventions are carefully selected for compatibility and when they receive adequate support, coverage of these interventions may improve, provided immunization coverage is already high. Evidence for the effectiveness of integration in increasing efficiency of resource use was insufficient and most benefits and challenges were not statistically quantified. More substantive information about the costs of integrated vs. vertical programmes and full documentation of the impacts of integration on immunization services should be published.
Acceptability of computer-acquired sexual histories in adolescent girls

We investigated the acceptability and reliability of sensitive data collected via computer in adolescent patients. Subjects were 108 adolescent girls (ages 14 to 20 years), randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) interactive computer interview, (2) face-to-face interview, or (3) self-administered questionnaire. Subjects were queried about their general health and sexual behavior. Adolescents interviewed by computer were more likely than subjects in other groups to state that they enjoyed the survey ( P
Haplotype analysis of hemochromatosis: evaluation of different linkage-disequilibrium approaches and evolution of disease chromosomes.

We applied several types of linkage-disequilibrium calculations to analyze the hereditary hemochromatosis (hh) locus. Twenty-four polymorphic markers in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I region were used to haplotype hh and normal chromosomes. A total of 169 hh and 161 normal chromosomes were analyzed. Disequilibrium values were found to be high over an unusually large region beginning 150 kb centromeric of HLA-A and extending nearly 5 Mb telomeric of it. Recombination in this region was approximately 28% of the expected value. This low level of recombination contributes to the unusually broad region of linkage disequilibrium found with hh. The strongest disequilibrium was found at locus HLA-H (delta = .84) and at locus D6S2239 (delta = .85), a marker approximately 10 kb telomeric to HLA-H. All disequilibrium methods employed in this study found peak disequilibrium at HLA-H or D6S2239. The cys282tyr mutation in HLA-H, a candidate gene for hh, was found in 85% of disease chromosomes. A haplotype phylogeny for hh chromosomes was constructed and suggests that the mutation associated with the most common haplotype occurred relatively recently. The age of the hh mutation was estimated to be approximately 60-70 generations. Disequilibrium was maintained over a greater distance for hh-carrying chromosomes, consistent with a recent mutation for hh. Our data provide a reasonable explanation for previous difficulties in localizing the hh locus and provide an evolutionary history for disease chromosomes.
Staging of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma by Imaging Studies

Imaging studies play a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography (CT) is the most widely available and best-validated modality for imaging patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. To maximize the diagnostic efficacy of CT, use of a pancreas protocol is mandatory. The sensitivity of CT for diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (89%–97%) and its positive predictive value for predicting unresectability (89%–100%) are high. The positive predictive value of CT for predicting resectability (45%–79%) is low because the diagnostic criteria for diagnosing vascular invasion by tumor favors specificity over sensitivity to avoid denying surgery to patients with potentially resectable tumor. Furthermore, the sensitivity of CT for small hepatic and peritoneal metastases is limited. Magnetic resonance imaging has not been shown to perform better than CT for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but can be helpful as an adjunct to CT, particularly for evaluation of small hepatic lesions that cannot be fully characterized by CT. Ultrasound is often the first study obtained in patients with obstructive jaundice or unexplained abdominal pain, but its utility for diagnosis and staging of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma is limited. Positron emission tomography/CT combines the functional information provided by positron emission tomography with the anatomic information provided by CT and is a promising modality for imaging of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but its utility has not been established. Endoscopic ultrasound is generally considered superior to CT for the diagnosis and local staging of pancreatic cancer, but is limited by availability and inability to assess for distant metastases.
Differential myocardial Protein Kinase C (PKC) isoform activity in cardioplegic arrest and hypothermic preservation

Abstract Body. Myocardial protection during donor organ procurement remains limited. PKC is thought to be an important mediator of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Our objective was to study isoform-specific PKC activity in a murine model of cardioplegic arrest and hypothermic preservation as utilized in cardiac transplantation. Murine hearts were isolated and perfused on an ex vivo system at normothermic conditions. Baseline hemodynamic measurements were taken after 30 min of perfusion. Hearts were arrested with 3 ml of University of Wisconsin preservation solution delivered via the aortic root (n = 6) or perfused with 3 ml of saline (n = 6) and stored for 4 h at 4°C. All hearts were then reperfused at 37°C for 1 h and hemodynamic indices were measured. Activity of PKC isoforms α, ϵ, and δ were measured by protein immunoblotting and compared between groups. All data are expressed as mean ± SEM. Values between groups were compared using Student’s t-test. Postischemic recovery of left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) was greater in the cardioplegia (CP) versus saline (SA) group: 63 ± 8% versus 26 ± 4%, P 0.05. In contrast, αPKC and δPKC isoform activity were inhibited to near baseline levels in the CP versus SA group: 0.72 ± 0.14 versus 1.0 ± 0.10 and 1.2 ± 0.20 versus 2.4 ± 0.29, P
Determination of additives in biomer and lycra spandex by pyrolysis tandem mass spectrometry and time temperature resolved pyrolysis mass spectrometry

Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (Py-MS), time/temperature resolved Py-MS (TTR-Py-MS), and pyrolysis tandem mass spectrometry (Py-MS/MS) were used to determine the structure of an additive present in Biomer and Lycra Spandex. The additive was found to form a second phase in the polymer matrix which was insoulble in N,N′-dimethylacetamide. This insoluble portion (7% by weight) was separated by centrifugation. The structure of this additive is proposed to be poly(2-diisopropyl amino ethyl methacrylate)(DPA-EMA). The additive is present as a stabilizer for UV radiation and chloride and hypochlorite ion attack. A chloride containing compound of similar structure (2-diisopropyl amino ethyl chloride) (CAS No. 96-79-7) is also detected. This chloride-containing compound may be formed by reaction of the polymeric additive with chloride ions during storage or pyrolysis.
Relationship of mycorrhizal growth enhancement and plant growth with soil water and texture

Soybean plants were grown in pots with or without vesicular-arbuscular myocorrhizal (VAM) fungi in three soils of low plant-available P content, different texture and different water-holding capacities. Mineral nutrients, except P, were provided in a complete nutrient solution. The biomass of non-VAM plants was positively and fungal colonization negatively correlated with increasingly coarse soil texture. There was no correlation of soil P with host or endophyte growth. Plant growth enhancement was positively correlated with soil water content at −1.5 MPa. These observations suggest soil water status and the mycorrhizal condition interact in influencing plant growth.
Review: cancer-related decision aids improve patient knowledge overall and reduce anxiety in screening settings.

Are decisions aids (DAs) effective in patients with cancer or at risk of cancer? Included studies evaluated DAs in patients who had cancer or were at increased risk of cancer. DAs were defined as interventions to help patients, alone or with clinicians, in making cancer-related healthcare decisions related to screening, prevention, and treatment options. Studies published before 1976, in abstract form only, or evaluating DAs for clinicians only were excluded. Outcomes included patient knowledge, anxiety, and decisional conflict. Medline (to Mar 2007); CINAHL, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, HealthStar, CancerLit, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts, and Cochrane Library (all to Jun 2006); and reference lists were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Authors were contacted for missing data. 34 RCTs …
Histopathology of human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal carcinoma: a review of classic and variant forms

Abstract Over the past decade, oropharyngeal human papillomavirus-related squamous cell carcinoma has become firmly established as a distinct entity that differs from conventional head and neck cancer in many ways including its epidemiology, genetics, tumor behaviour, and prognosis. While much attention has been given to advanced techniques for genetic profiling and viral detection in these tumors, sometimes overlooked is the fact that human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas exhibit characteristic histologic features that can be appreciated by routine microscopy. In addition, there are now variant morphologies of oropharyngeal human papillomavirus-related carcinoma that are well recognized. This review will cover the classic and variant histomorphologic appearances of human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal carcinoma, with an emphasis on their differences from conventional, human papillomavirus-unrelated cancer. Recognition of these appearances can help facilitate the performance and interpretation of human papillomavirus testing, as well as communication with treating physicians.
Weight reduction in young obese children. I. Effects on adipose tissue cellularity and metabolism.

Summary: A 10-year longitudinal study was conducted on 26 prepubescent youngsters who had undergone successful weight reduction. Their ages ranged from 2 to 10 years when the study began. In all subjects, weight reduction proceeded only by a decrease in adipose cell size (from 0.62 ± 0.02 to 0.46 ± 0.02 μg lipid per cell) and resulted in a corresponding 33% decrease (from 177 ± 6 to 144 ± 5%) in percent ideal body weights. Cell numbers did not change appreciably during the period of weight loss (29.4 ± 2.6 versus 28.7 ± 2.3 × 109 total adipocytes). Three years after the start of the study, 14 of 20 youngsters had maintained their reduced percent ideal body weights, including eight who remained below 130% ideal body weight. Ten years later, only four remained below 130% ideal body weight. AH four children had total adipose cell numbers below 20 × 109 total adipocytes at the start of the weight reduction program, a value below the lower limit for adult normal weight subjects. Thirteen other children have maintained or decreased their initial percent ideal weights. The remaining nine youngsters have further increased their percent ideal body weights. In vitro metabolic studies of the patient's adipocytes revealed a >50% depression of epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis pre- and immediately postweight reduction; this decrease persisted for the entire period of study, irrespective of the maintenance of a normal percent ideal body weight. At the same time, normal 150% increases in the in vitro production of 14CO2 from [1-14C]glucose in the presence of insulin occurred. Speculation: Maintaining weight reduction long term is generally unsuccessful except in a small minority of very young obese children. Therefore, if the prevalence of obesity and its associated diseases are to be decreased, very early identification of at-risk youngsters is important. Specific enzymatic and metabolic alterations in these children, e.g., depression of in vitro epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis, appear to be useful for early identification of susceptible individuals. In addition, this study indicates that factors such as genetics and gestation may lay the groundwork for the future development of increased adiposity.
Experimental and kinetic modeling study of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy plume from metallic lead in argon ☆

A kinetic model of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plume of lead in argon has been developed to gain an understanding of the physical and chemical factors controlling the LIBS signature. This model includes processes involving ion chemistry, excitation, ionization, and other processes affecting the concentrations of argon and lead atoms (in 9 different electronic states) and their ions. A total of 15 chemical species and 90 reactions are included in the model. Experimental measurements of the temporal dependence of a number of lead emission lines in the LIBS plume of metallic lead have been made in argon and air. The modeling results are compared with these observations and with previous modeling of LIBS of lead in air.
Microwave characterization of bicrystal grain boundary junctions

We have characterized thin film YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-(delta ) (YBCO) bicrystal grain boundary junctions by a non-contact microwave absorption method which is based on the study of dynamic flux quantization in these junctions using the field-modulated-microwave absorption technique. This method is capable of probing the inhomogeneity of coupling in the Josephson junctions. The first derivative of the microwave absorption (dP/dB) as a function of B dc was measured in a TE 102 microwave cavity at 9.5 GHz. Epitaxial films of YBCO were deposited by laser ablation on 24 degree(s) bicrystal substrates of SrTiO(subscript 3$. Lengths of the investigated junctions ranged from 100 micrometers to 2 mm. We observed series of well-resolved absorption lines as a function of externally applied dc magnetic field. The nonuniformity of the grain boundary junction coupling was determined using analysis based on the line profile, the amplitude modulation period and microwave power dependence of the series. A physical model, based on the microwave absorption analysis in a single non-uniform Josephson junction was used for the data interpretation. The results of our measurements agree with a model in which the grain boundary consists of several parallel subjunctions.
Astigmatism and field curvature from pin-bars

Astigmatism and field curvature of lithography lenses can be measured with an error less than 30 nm using an optical microscope and conventional resolution test patterns. A sequence of through-focus images, recorded in positive resist, are examined with an optical microscope to determine the smallest lines remaining after development. It is only necessary to judge existence of lines; no dimensional measurements are required. Imperfections in fabrication and design that limit the resolution of most lithography lenses are easily identified by this new technique. The method for doing the measurements, the analysis, and recent application to characterization of lithography lenses are presented.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.