cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enucleation of Biliary Cystadenomas: a Review.

BACKGROUND Biliary cystadenomas are very rare benign tumors which can transform into cystadenocarcinomas. The largest case series reported on 221 cases over 30 years from 10 HPB centers, i.e., about 7 cases per center per decade. The recommended treatment is liver resection. Enucleation of biliary cystadenomas has been done rarely. The purpose of the study was to determine the outcome of enucleation of these cysts, particularly the mortality rate and the recurrence rate. METHODS A keyword search was done using OVID followed by a search of the bibliography of papers describing the enucleation of biliary cystadenomas. Of 45 articles obtained, 25 were retained. The main reasons for exclusion were non-English language and review articles. RESULTS One hundred three patients in the 25 studies were treated with enucleation. Thirteen studies described prior treatments that had failed with resulting recurrence requiring re-treatment. The main indication for enucleation was large central cysts for which liver resection would be high risk. There were no postoperative deaths in patients treated by enucleation. Thirteen studies provided long-term follow-up in 40 patients, a substantial number given the rarity of the tumor. There were no recurrences or transformations to malignancy. CONCLUSIONS Enucleation seems to represent a reasonable treatment technique for BCA, especially when a large cystic lesion is located centrally and/or would require a large liver resection with significant loss of parenchyma.
The Automobile Exception: 100 Years, 80 Cases, but Still No Rule

Since the Supreme Court allowed for the warrantless search of automobiles in Carroll v. United States (1925), a reasonable expectation of privacy in the automobile has gone by the wayside. With new technologies creeping into all aspects of the car, privacy rights in the automobile could become non-existent if the Court’s current trend continues. The cost of a traffic stop has increased, and this thesis provides evidence in support of privacy returning to America’s roadways. This mixed-method approach thesis examines and frames the history, current tone, and possible future of the automobile exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment. Data were collected from the Supreme Court Database, Opinions of the Court, and journal articles. Regressions were employed to test the strength of the relationship between variables. Emerging technologies should only be searched via a valid search warrant, not by way of the automobile exception.
Methods for the Neurochemical Study of Microtubules

The microtubule and its protein subunit tubulin are found widely distributed in plant and animal cells, and there appears to be nothing unique about the morphology or chemistry of these entities in brain. The unusual aspect of their occurrence in nervous tissue is their high concentration. Microtubules are seen in great numbers on electron microscopic examination of neurons. Tubulin concentrations in brain have been reported between 11% and over 40% of the total soluble protein of brain (Dutton and Barondes, 1969; Feit et al., 1971a). These exceptionally high tubulin concentrations have been one of the most significant factors in convincing neurochemists that microtubules must play an important functional role in nervous tissue. The actual physiological role of the microtubule is unknown, although it has been implicated in both axoplasmic flow and neurosecretion. In this chapter, some useful techniques for the manipulation, purification, and identification of tubulin will be discussed. In the interests of brevity, only a portion of the techniques which have been used will be covered, although it is hoped that the selection maintains the most useful and general procedures.
Building a terminological database from heterogeneous definitional sources

An obstacle to understanding results across heterogeneous databases is the ability to determine conceptual connections between differing terminologies. In this paper, we present the two step approach which we have used to build a terminological database in order to address this issue. First we automatically built a heterogeneous collection of terms and definitions from two types of dynamic sources: 1) glossaries automatically identified from 147 government web sites and 2) definitions extracted from 600 unstructured articles. After storing terms and their definitions, we semantically analyzed the definitions to store the terminological knowledge in a relational database. Currently the database contains 12,780 definitions of 8,431 terms.
Punch Response of Gels at Different Loading Rates

Synthetic soft polymer gels have many advantages over protein-based gels that are derived from animal collagen and bones such as stability at room temperature and prolonged shelf life. In addition, the ability to tailor the formulations and processes of synthetic gel to control mechanical properties both isotropically or anisotropically is another essential feature in order for gels to mimic the spectrum of biological tissues. However, it is impractical to physically characterize all aspects of every gel available. To do so would require production of a significant amount of material to accommodate all the varying tests needed for a comprehensive study. A novel punch test was developed as a simple solution to obtain mechanical responses at different loading rates without the production of a large amount of sample material. The gels used in this effort are 10% and 20% ballistic gelatin, the commercially marketed PermaGelTM, and triblock copolymer gels. The experimental setup is discussed, and the results are presented and compared to a previous study that discussed the tensile behavior of these soft materials.
GeoSR: Geographically explore semantic relations in world knowledge

Methods to determine the semantic relatedness (SR) value between two lexically expressed entities abound in the field of natural language processing (NLP). The goal of such efforts is to identify a single measure that summarizes the number and strength of the relationships between the two entities. In this paper, we present GeoSR, the first adaptation of SR methods to the context of geographic data exploration. By combining the first use of a knowledge repository structure that is replete with non-classical relations, a new means of explaining those relations to users, and the novel application of SR measures to a geographic reference system, GeoSR allows users to geographically navigate and investigate the world knowledge encoded in Wikipedia. There are numerous visualization and interaction paradigms possible with GeoSR; we present one implementation as a proof-of-concept and discuss others. Although, Wikipedia is used as the knowledge repository for our implementation, GeoSR will also work with any knowledge repository having a similar set of properties.
Sport and Democracy in the Ancient and Modern Worlds

This book explores the relationship between sport and democratization. Drawing on sociological and historical methodologies, it provides a framework for understanding how sport affects the level of egalitarianism in the society in which it is played. The author distinguishes between horizontal sport, which embodies and fosters egalitarian relations, and vertical sport, which embodies and fosters hierarchical relations. Christesen also differentiates between societies in which sport is played and watched on a mass scale and those in which it is an ancillary activity. Using ancient Greece and nineteenth-century Britain as case studies, Christesen analyzes how these variables interact and finds that horizontal mass sport has the capacity to both promote and inhibit democratization at a societal level. He concludes that horizontal mass sport tends to reinforce and extend democratization.
Easily ionizable element (EIE) interferences in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry: II. Minimization of EIE effects by choice of observation volume

Abstract Measurements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) are expected to be immune to interferences caused by easily ionizable elements. This article demonstrates how observation width, viewing height and viewing volume can be chosen to minimize such interferences and to optimize emission-signal collection in either side-on or end-on configurations. At this time, results must be viewed as a confirmation of previous findings rather than a practical means of performing routine plasma optimizations. Volume data were computed from high-resolution two-dimensional laterally and radially resolved images of Ca I and Ca II emission in the presence and absence of a lithium concomitant. For side-on observation of calcium atomic emission, the customary arrangement, the optimal balance between signal-to-background (S/B) ratio and interference effects arises from use of a 0.5 mm observation width. The optimal position for measurement and the ideal height of the observation volume were dependent on applied r.f. power. More extended contiguous regions of high S/B ratio became available with the proper spatial averaging, which is inherent in viewing an extended volume. Side-on observation of Ca II emission in the presence of a Li concomitant was best with a 5 mm viewing width at low r.f. power (500 and 1000 W) and a narrow width (
Eating the Food of the Gods: Interpretive Dilemmas in Anthropological Analysis

Summary In critical opposition to the pathologizing processes of psychiatric diagnosis, anthropologists have interpreted the actions of individuals in psychological pain as forms of resistance. However, I suggest that such analyses often presume rather than trace the connection between the unsettled psyche and social life, in a manner that mirrors the dehumanization of biomedical categorization. In this article I examine events at a temple in Singapore where, in an act others regarded as deeply concerning, a woman climbed over the altar and ate the food left for the gods. My initial analytic strategy was to interpret her actions as a form of taciturn rebellion, as a commentary on the realities of life within a patriarchal family and under an authoritarian state. However, an experience from my own life prompted me to reconsider this reading and to interrogate the ways in which her experience was elided by my original analysis.
Strain-induced perpendicular magnetization in TbFe2(1 1 1) thin films on LiNbO3

Abstract By creating the necessary state of epitaxial strain the Laves phase compound TbFe 2 was grown as a thin film with the magnetization perpendicular to the (1 1 1) growth plane onto a piezoelectric substrate. The material was deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on LiNbO 3 (1 1 1) buffered successively by Ti(0 0 0 1) and then Mo(1 1 0). Differential contraction after growth during cooling to room temperature places the magnetic film under a 0.4% compressive strain, whence magnetoelastic coupling creates the desired magnetic polarization.
Development of a Transparent Indenter Measurement System and Indentation Analysis for Material Mechanical Property Evaluation

Since Tabor showed the application of spherical indentation approach to obtain material post-yielding true stress-strain curves, the indentation technique has been investigated to determine mechanical properties besides hardness measurement. Accurate measurement of indentation parameters is critical in the determination of surface mechanical properties using indentation method. In this research, an in-situ optical Transparent Indenter Measurement (TIM) method was developed for material inspection and mechanical property measurement. Using spherical indentation, residual surface deformation after spherical indentations was first investigated on IN783 superalloy samples using phase-shifting Twyman-Green and moire interferometry. The elastic-plastic boundary was identified based on the characteristic of the out-of-plane deformation fringe patterns. Then using the measured in-plane deformation, yield strength of the tested material was obtained. Using the TIM system, real-time in-situ measurement of indentation-induced out-of-plane deformation and contact radius were directly measured during an indentation process. Coupled with elastic recovery theories and 2D finite element analyses, a procedure was developed to determine the material stress-strain curve. It is also demonstrated that the TIM method is suitable for debonding inspection of thin film materials.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Ninth World Congress of the International Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology, Athens, Greece, June 27-30, 2013

The Ninth World Congress of the International Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology (IACD) was held in Athens, Greece, from June 27-30, 2013 under the joint presidency of Christina Antoniou and Andreas Katsambas, Athens, Greece (Figure 1). The International Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology (IACD), Hellenic Society of Dermatology and Venereology (HSDV), and the University of Athens Medical School skillfully organized the Congress (Figure 2). This extraordinary venue in the cradle ofWestern civilization and the birthplace of democracy helped to make the Congress a great success.
Biochemical and biological function of Escherichia coli RecA protein : behavior of mutant RecA proteins

The recA protein of E coli participates in several diverse biological processes and promotes a variety of complex in vitro reactions. A careful comparison of the phenotypic behavior of E coli recA mutations to the biochemical properties of the corresponding mutant proteins reveals a close parallel both between recombination phenotype and DNA strand exchange and renaturation activities, and between inducible phenomena and repressor cleavage activity. The biochemical alterations manifest by the mutant recA proteins are reflected in the strength of their interaction with ssDNA. The defective mutant recA proteins fail to properly assume the high-affinity DNA-binding state that is characteristic of the wild-type protein and, consequently, form less stable complexes with DNA. The mutant proteins displaying an 'enhanced' activity bind ssDNA with approximately the same affinity as the wild-type protein but, due to altered protein-protein interactions, they associate more rapidly with ssDNA. These changes proportionately affect the ability of recA protein to compete with SSB protein, to interact with dsDNA, and, perhaps, to bind repressor proteins. In turn, the DNA strand exchange, DNA renaturation, and repressor cleavage activities mirror these modifications.
Coordinate and non-coordinate accumulation of aspartate transcarbamylase and dihydroorotase in synchronous chlorella cells growing on different nitrogen sources

Abstract Regulation of the levels of aspartate transcarbamylase (carbamoylphosphate: l -aspartate carbamoyltransferase, EC 2.1.3.2) and dihydroorotase l -5,6-dihydro-orotate amidohydrolase, EC 3.5.2.3) was studied in synchronous cultures of the eucaryotic microorganism Chlorella. Analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sucrose density-gradient centrifugation studies revealed that these cells contain a single aspartate transcarbamylase and a dihydroorotase with apparent molecular weights of 160 000 and 88 000, respectively. In synchronous cells cultured in nitrate medium, these two enzymes accumulated in single step-patterns over different periods of the cell cycle. In contrast, these enzymes accumulated in a coordinate manner throughout the cell cycle in ammonium medium. Experiments with inhibitors of protein and RNA synthesis indicated that dihydroorotase is stable in vivo and suggested that cell cycle changes in the turnover rate of aspartate transcarbamylase might determine whether or not these enzymes accumulate in a coordinate manner. Although uracil and uridine could be absorbed and metabolized by the cells, synthesis of these two enzymes could not be repressed by culturing synchronous cells in medium, containing high concentrations (29–40 mM) of uracil or uridine, for an entire cell cycle.
Model fertility schedules revisited: The log-multiplicative model approach

This paper reconsiders Coale and Trussell’s (1974) specification of model fertility schedules by age. It formally presents model fertility schedules within the framework of categorical data analysis. Specifically, births are assumed to follow an independent Poisson distribution for each age interval of each population. Identification and estimation problems are discussed. It shows that the Coale-Trussell specification corresponds to Goodman’s (1979) fog-multiplicative model. Following Goodman’s algorithm, the paper simultaneously estimates Coale and Trussell’s u (age), m, and M through an iterative maximum likelihood procedure. This is demonstrated with the same data that were used in Coale and Trussell’s article. The new estimates are superior to those of Coale and Trussell according to an array of conventional goodness-of-fit criteria.
High temperature Hall effect in cuprous oxide

Abstract The Hall coefficient has been measured in monocrystalline cuprous oxide from 20°C to 750°C. It is positive below 450°C and negative at higher temperatures.
Topography of the membrane domain of the liver Na+-dependent bile acid transporter.

The ileal apical and liver basolateral bile acid transporters catalyze the Na+-dependent uptake of these amphipathic molecules in the intestine and liver. They contain nine predicted helical hydrop...
Dynamic Formation Control of Multi-Agent Systems Using Rigid Graphs

In this paper, we consider the problem of formation control of multi-agent systems where the desired formation is dynamic. This is motivated by applications, such as obstacle avoidance, where the formation size and/or geometric shape needs to vary in time. Using a single-integrator model and rigid graph theory, we propose a new control law that exponentially stabilizes the origin of the nonlinear, inter-agent distance error dynamics and ensures tracking of the desired formation. The extension to the formation maneuvering problem is also discussed. Simulation results for a five-agent formation demonstrate the control in action.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Optimal control of nonlinear continuous-time systems: design of bounded controllers via generalized nonquadratic functionals

By using the Hamilton-Jacobi framework and sufficiency theory, this paper presents a solution of the constrained optimization problem for nonlinear systems with soft and hard bounds imposed on control. The developed concept is based on the application of a generalized nonquadratic cost, and nonquadratic return functions are applied. Necessary and sufficient conditions have been used to synthesize the bounded controllers, and sufficient conditions are applied to verify the optimality. The constrained optimization problem is solved for nonlinear systems, and the offered results extend the application of the Hamilton-Jacobi theory by using a generalized nonquadratic cost. The design procedure is reviewed in the context of motion control applications. Analytical, numerical, and experimental results are presented for a servo-system actuated by a permanent-magnet DC motor. The designed nonlinear controller is experimentally verified.
Stimulus-Responsive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Brushes and Nanopatterns Prepared by Surface-Initiated Polymerization

In this paper we report the surface-initiated polymerization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAM), a stimulus-responsive polymer, from monolayers of ω-mercaptoundecyl bromoisobutyrate on gold-coated surfaces. pNIPAAM was polymerized in aqueous solution at a low methanol concentration at room temperature to maintain the growing pNIPAAM chains in a hydrophilic and an extended conformational state. Under these conditions thick polymer brush layers (up to 500 nm in the swollen state) are produced after 1 h of polymerization. We present a new and simple strategy to fabricate stimulus-responsive, surface-confined pNIPAAM brush nanopatterns prepared in a “grafting-from” approach that combines “nanoshaving”, a scanning probe lithography method, with surface-initiated polymerization. The reversible, stimulus-responsive conformational height change of bulk and nanopatterned polymer brushes was demonstrated by repeated cycling in water and water/methanol mixtures (1:1, v/v). Our findings are consistent with the ...
SLITRK1 mutations in Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania (TTM) is a chronic behavioral disorder characterized by the irresistible urge to pull out one's hair, resulting in noticeable hair loss.1 Clinically, TTM is classified as an impulse-control disorder and believed to belong to the obsessive-compulsive (OCD) spectrum. Tourette's Syndrome (TS), also belonging to the OCD spectrum, was recently associated with mutations in the slit and trk like 1 (SLITRK1) gene.2 Abelson et al.2 identified a frameshift mutation and a 3'-UTR micro-RNA binding site variation in three independent TS families. The mother of one proband carried the SLITRK1 mutation and was diagnosed with TTM. Therefore, we hypothesized that sequence variation in SLITRK1 may also contribute to TTM not associated with TS.
The role of dna damage in cellular aging: Is it time for a reassessment?

There is now evidence that the immediate cause of the loss of proliferative capacity in senescent cells is mediated by a specific inhibitor. If this tentative interpretation is correct, the next hurdle will be to determine mechanism(s) that regulate this putative senescence cell inhibitor that would, in effect, be the determinant of proliferative life span. One previously proposed hypothesis predicts that the decline of replicative activity is analogous to a checkpoint response to accumulated chromosomal damage (Rosenberger et al., 1991). Advances in our basic understanding of the nature of DNA damage, DNA repair mechanisms, and the response of eukaryotic cells to accumulated DNA damage provide a solid rationale for a reassessment of the causal role of the accumulation of chromosomal damage in cell senescence in vitro.
The Structural—Cultural Dialectic of Diasporic Politics

In this essay, we highlight and theorize the dynamic relationship between the structural and cultural aspects of diasporic politics and its importance for communication studies. In response to the divide between structurally determined studies of diaspora and cultural studies of celebratory resistance, this essay argues that understanding the dynamic relationship between the structural forces (for example, nation—state powers, governmental forces, global economic structures) and situated cultural practices, is key in understanding the complex articulations of diasporic identity, agency, and discourses that may echo exclusivist nationalist appeals. Throughout our theory—focused discussion, we refer to two historically specific diasporic formations—the Polish and Hawaiian diasporas—as case studies to illustrate the ever—changing relationships among the structural formations and cultural practices which constitute diasporic politics.
Component Relaxation Processes within Elastomeric Polypropylene

The behavior of specific components of elastomeric polypropylene was directly observed in situ using a dynamic, infrared polarimetry technique. The elastomeric nature of ePP is presumed to arise fr...
Changes Among ASEE Creativity Workshop Participants

In 1989, 1990 and 1991 the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) sponsored a two-week summer workshop on “Integration of Creativity into the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum” at Stanford University. As part of a demonstration of individual differences in information-seeking and decision-making, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI) were determined at the beginning and end of the workshop for 22 of the participants and the 3 facilitators. From each MBTI score was computed a “Creativity Index” (CI) developed by the Institute for Personality Assessment (IPAR) from studies of several hundred creative people in various creative professions. On the average, the mean CI for the workshop participants increased, statistically significantly, from a number typical for engineering students to one more characteristic of practicing architects.
Weak Disruptive Selection and Incomplete Phenotypic Divergence in Two Classic Examples of Sympatric Speciation: Cameroon Crater Lake Cichlids

AbstractRecent documentation of a few compelling examples of sympatric speciation led to a proliferation of theoretical models. Unfortunately, plausible examples from nature have rarely been used to test model predictions, such as the initial presence of strong disruptive selection. Here I estimated the form and strength of selection in two classic examples of sympatric speciation: radiations of Cameroon cichlids restricted to Lakes Barombi Mbo and Ejagham. I measured five functional traits and relative growth rates in over 500 individuals within incipient species complexes from each lake. Disruptive selection was prevalent in both groups on single and multivariate trait axes but weak relative to stabilizing selection on other traits and most published estimates of disruptive selection. Furthermore, despite genetic structure, assortative mating, and bimodal species-diagnostic coloration, trait distributions were unimodal in both species complexes, indicating the earliest stages of speciation. Long waiting...
Image Segmentation Using An Optimum Thresholding Technique

One of the main problems in image segmentation is the proper selection of thresholds. In this paper a procedure for optimum threshold selection is described. Threshold levels are chosen in such a way that the expected value of the overall segmentation error is minimized. Segmentation error is defined as some function of the error between the input image and the segmentation output. A set of equations is derived for the parameters of the segmentation and a solution for them is indicated. Experimental results are presented. Results of this technique have potential significance in many areas of computer vision and robotics.© (1987) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Epigenesis Of Relational Systems: A Model For Understanding Family Development

In the “epigenesis” of enduring relational systems, a sequence of four major processes or patterns can be identified: attachment/caregiving, communicating, joint problem-solving, and mutuality. Although these processes overlap, they optimally follow one another in becoming focally significant and ascendant. In this schema, intimacy makes a complex, deeply valued, but inconstant contribution. The development of family relatedness can be regarded as the prototype for epigenesis of relatively enduring relational systems. In family assessment, the hypothesized sequence qualitatively differs from, yet complements, traditional descriptions of structural transitions in family composition over the family life cycle. Such structural changes occur more or less inexorably whether or not the quality of family relating has progressed. Attempts to bypass stages in the development of salient relational processes are apt to generate impasses and dysfunctions or constrict subsequent growth. This developmental framework may be useful in relational “diagnosis” and in selecting those issues that deserve priority in therapy and research.
Robotic appendectomy in gynaecological surgery: technique and pathological findings.

Background We evaluated the feasibility, safety and pathological findings of incidental robotic appendectomy in patients undergoing robotic gynaecological surgery. Methods Retrospective analysis of 107 consecutive cases of robotic appendectomy done in conjunction with other robotic gynaecological procedures between May 2004 and January 2007. Results All appendectomies were performed robotically in conjunction with other robotic procedures. Mean time for appendectomy was 3.4 min. No perioperative complications related to appendectomy were encountered. Among 90 patients with no gynaecological malignancy, 57 patients reported chronic pelvic pain preoperatively and 21 (37%) of them had an abnormal appendiceal pathology as compared to only 5 (15%) of the 33 patients with no pelvic pain (OR. 3.2; 95% CI, 1.1–9.7, p = 0.032). Of seven patients with ovarian malignancy, three (42%) had appendicular metastasis. Conclusion Incidental robotic appendectomy can be performed safely without the need for switching to conventional laparoscopy. It should be considered in patients undergoing robotic pelvic surgery for pelvic pain and ovarian malignancy. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Helical Shifts Generate Two Distinct Conformers in the Atomic Resolution Structure of the CheA Phosphotransferase Domain from Thermotoga maritima.

Helical histidine phosphotransferase (HPt) domains play a central role in many aspects of bacterial signal transduction. The 0.98 A resolution crystallographic structure of the amino-terminal HPt domain (P1) from the chemotaxis kinase CheA of Thermotoga maritima reveals a remarkable degree of structural heterogeneity within a four-helix bundle. Two of the four helices have alternate main-chain conformations that differ by a 1.3–1.7 A shift along the bundle axis. These dual conformers were only resolved with atomic resolution diffraction data and their inclusion significantly improved refinement statistics. Neither conformer optimizes packing within the helical core, consistent with their nearly equal refined occupancies. Altered hydrogen bonding within an inter-helical loop may facilitate transition between conformers. Two discrete structural states rather than a continuum of closely related conformations indicates an energetic barrier to conversion between conformers in the crystal at 100 K, although many more states are expected in solution at physiological temperatures. Anisotropic atomic thermal B factors within the two conformers indicate modest overall atomic displacement that is largest perpendicular to the helical bundle and not along the direction of apparent motion. Despite the conformational heterogeneity of P1 in the crystal at low temperature, the protein displays high thermal stability in solution (Tm=100 °C). Addition of a variable C-terminal region that corresponds to a mobile helix in other CheA structures significantly narrows the temperature width of the unfolding transition and may affect domain dynamics. Helices that compose the kinase recognition site and contain the phospho-accepting His45 do not have alternate conformations. In this region, atomic resolution provides detailed structural parameters for a conserved hydrogen-bonding network that tunes the reactivity of His45. A neighboring glutamate (E67), essential for phosphotransferase activity hydrogen bonds directly to His45 N δ 1 . E67 generates a negative electrostatic surface surrounding the reactive His that is conserved by most CheA kinases, but absent in related phosphotransferase proteins. The P1 conformations that we observe are likely relevant to other helical or coiled-coil proteins and may be important for generating switches in signaling processes.
Effect of thiocarbonyl compounds on α-naphthylisothiocyanate-induced hepatotoxicity and the urinary excretion of [35S]α-naphthylisothiocyanate in the rat☆☆☆

Abstract The effect of disulfiram (DSF), sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), methyl diethyldithiocarbamate (Me-DDTC), and ethionamide on the hepatotoxic response of α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) was studied in the rat. The hyperbilirubinemic response of ANIT was significantly inhibited by ip or po DSF pretreatment. A more marked inhibition of toxicity occurred when DSF was given via ip injection. DDTC, Me-DDTC, and ethionamide significantly inhibited ANIT-induced hyperbilirubinemia. Me-DDTC is approximately three times more potent than DDTC as an inhibitor of toxicity. Approximately 16% of a dose of [ 35 S]ANIT was excreted in the urine as inorganic sulfate 48 hr after dosing. Me-DDTC administered simultaneously with [ 35 S]ANIT significantly reduced urinary [ 35 S]sulfate excretion in the first 24 hr. Ethionamide reduced urinary [ 35 S]sulfate excretion. Pretreatment with phenobarbital which stimulates toxicity in vivo increased urinary [ 35 S]sulfate excretion 300% in the first 12 hr. Thus, this study shows that agents which sensitize or protect rats from the toxic effects of ANIT, correspondingly stimulate or inhibit the oxidative desulfuration of [ 35 S]ANIT in vivo .
THE SYNTHESES AND PROPERTIES OF SOME COMPLEXES DERIVED FROM SULPHAMIDE

Abstract By means of reactions involving sulphamide, various amines or ammonia, and certain dipositive metal ions, a number of solid adducts have been isolated. These include compounds of the types M(BB), (Su)X 2 , M(BB) 2 (Su)X 2 , and M(BB) 2 (Su) 2 X 2 , where M is commonly Cu, BB is two molecules of ammonia or a diamine such as H 2 NC 2 H 4 NH 2 (en), H 2 NCH 2 CH(CH 3 )NH 2 (1,2- pn ), or H 2 NC 3 H 6 NH 2 (1,3- pn ), Su is sulphamide, and X is a uninegative ion or half a dinegative ion. Such adducts are stable in the solid state but decompose into the corresponding metal ammine complex and sulphamide in contact with water. The infra-red spectra indicate only weak interactions between sulphamide and the metal ions. N- substituted sulphamides and substituted de-ammonation products of sulphamide are even weaker ligands than sulphamide.
Wireless User Authentication via Comparison of Power Spectral Densities

We consider a physical layer approach to enhance wireless security by using the unique wireless channel state information (CSI) of a legitimate user to authenticate subsequent transmissions (messages) from this user, thereby denying access to any spoofer whose CSI would significantly differ from that of the legitimate user by virtue of a different spatial location. Past approaches have explicitly utilized underlying CSI estimated from data: is the CSI of the current message the same as that of the previous message? In this paper we formulate this problem as one of comparing two random signal realizations to ascertain whether they have identical power spectral densities. A binary hypothesis testing approach is formulated, analyzed and illustrated via simulations.
Imaging Stem Cell Implant for Cellular-Based Therapies:

Stem cell-based cellular therapy represents a promising outlook for regenerative medicine. Imaging techniques provide a means for noninvasive, repeated, and quantitative tracking of stem cell implant or transplant. From initial deposition to the survival, migration and differentiation of the transplant/implanted stem cells, imaging allows monitoring of the infused cells in the same live object over time. The current review briefly summarizes and compares existing imaging methods for cell labeling and imaging in animal models. Several studies performed by our group using different imaging techniques are described, with further discussion on the issues with these current imaging approaches and potential directions for future development in stem cell imaging.
Effect of Dopant Polarizability on Oxygen Sublattice Order in Phase-Stabilized Cubic Bismuth Oxides

Bismuth oxide doped with isovalent rare earth cations retains the high temperature defective fluorite structure upon cooling down to room temperature. However, these doped materials undergo an order-disorder transition of the oxygen sublattice at about 600 °C. When annealed at temperatures less than the transition temperature the oxygen sublattice continues to order, and consequently oxygen ion conductivity undergoes a decay. Modeling of ordered structures based on TEM diffraction patterns indicates a 〈111〉 vacancy ordering in the anion sublattice. Neutron diffraction studies show additional structural changes in the oxygen sublattice due to ordering. These studies indicate that the ionic conductivity is dependent on the distribution of oxygen ions between the regular 8c sites and the interstitial 32f sites in the fluorite structure. Earlier neutron diffraction studies indicate that short range ordering of the anion sublattice is related to the polarizability of the cations. In this study we relate the stability of the disordered structure and the formation of long range order to the polarizability of the dopant cations, in terms of the time constant for conductivity decay and the dielectric constant.
Factors Affecting Growth of an Initial Largemouth Bass Year Class in a New Texas Reservoir

ABSTRACT Highly variable and bimodal length-frequency distributions were observed from an initial young-of-the-year largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) year class in Aquilla Lake, a newly impounded reservoir. Spawning distribution, from daily age determination, indicated that early hatched fish in the cohort tended to be larger fish by late summer-early fall. Age accounted for 46% and 43% of the bass length variation in August and October, respectively. By October, lower growth rates were observed for late hatched fish than for older, earlier hatched fish. A paucity of suitable size prey available to the smaller individuals in the cohort probably accounted for differential growth rates. All these factors appeared to contribute to large variation in length for this year class. Recruitment to adult harvestable size is more likely to be achieved by earlier hatched, faster growing age-0 largemouth bass.
Expository and Narrative Text: Balancing Young Children's Reading Experiences

(1991). Expository and Narrative Text: Balancing Young Children's Reading Experiences. Childhood Education: Vol. 67, No. 4, pp. 211-214.
Poster Abstract: State Estimation and Sensor Fusion for Autonomous Driving in Mixed-Traffic Urban Environments

This poster investigates sensory data processing, filtering and sensor fusion methods for autonomous vehicles operating in real-life, urban environments with human and machine drivers, and pedestrians. Extended Kalman Filters were used to develop decentralized data fusion algorithms for communicating vehicles, Particle Filters were improved by assigning trust/confidence values in order to overcome faulty/compromised sensors, and the computational cost of particle filters were distributed by parallelizing the load using the developed Shared-Memory Systematic Resampling algorithm.
Comparison of Experimental and Theoretical Slant Path Absorptions in the Region from 1400 to 2500 cm −1

The variation of the infrared solar spectrum with altitude was observed during a balloon flight made 28 May 1963. For this flight a biaxial pointing control was used in conjunction with a prism spectrometer, which was set to scan the region from 1400 to 2500 cm−1. The transmittances as observed at various altitudes and wavelengths are presented. The transmittances as observed at selected altitudes are compared with the theoretical transmittances calculated by Plass. The agreement between the calculated and observed transmittance is quite good at the higher altitudes for the 4.3-μ region. The agreement is not good on the long-wavelength side of the 4.3-μ band at the lower altitudes. This lack of agreement is due to the contribution of N2O to the observed absorptions. The absorption due to N2O was not considered by Plass.The agreement between the calculated and observed transmittance in the 6.3-μ region is not as good as that in the 4.3-μ region. Part of the lack of agreement is due to the fact that the water-vapor distribution on the day of the flight was different than assumed by Plass.A water-vapor mixing ratio vs altitude profile was determined on the basis of the observed absorptions in the 6.3-μ region; these data are also presented.
Design of a secondary-vertex trigger system for a hadron collider

Abstract For the selection of beauty and charm events with high efficiency at the Tevatron, a secondary-vertex trigger system is under design. It would operate on forward-geometry events. The system would use on-line tracking of all tracks in the vertex detector, to identify events with clearly detached secondary vertices.
The Patterns of Antennas Located near Cylinders of Elliptical Cross Section

The patterns of small dipole and loop antennas mounted on or near a perfectly conducting cylinder of elliptical cross section are calculated by determining the open-circuit terminal voltages of the antennas when receiving plane waves. The antennas are assumed to be such that they cause negligible distortion of the field when they are open-circuited, thus reducing the problem to that of calculating the diffraction of a plane wave around the cylinder. The results have applications in the design of aircraft antennas and slotted-cylinder antennas.
Ultra-low temperature transport anomalies in air annealed Pt

Abstract Measurements of electrical resistivity ϱ and thermoelectric ratio G on air annealed reference grade Pt samples from 4 K down to 40 mK reveal ultra-low temperature anomalies in both properties. The observed T 2 components of ϱ are consistent with values obtained by previous investigators from measurements above 1 K.
Monitoring ivermectin distributors involved in integrated health care services through community-directed interventions: a comparison of Cameroon and Uganda experiences over a period of three years (2004-2006)

OBJECTIVES To assess and compare the effectiveness of ivermectin distributors in attaining 90% treatment coverage of the eligible population with each additional health activity they take up. METHODS Random sampling was applied every year to select distributors for interviews in community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) areas of Cameroon and Uganda. A total of 288 in 2004, 357 in 2005 and 348 in 2006 distributors were interviewed in Cameroon, and 706, 618 and 789 in Uganda, respectively. The questions included treatment coverage, involvement in additional activities, where and for how long these activities were provided, and whether they were supervised. RESULTS At least 70% of the distributors in Cameroon and Uganda during the study period were involved in CDTI and additional health activities. More of the distributors involved in CDTI alone attained 90% treatment coverage than those who had CDTI with additional health activities. The more the additional activities, the less likely the distributors were to attain 90% treatment coverage. In Uganda, distributors were more likely to attain 90% coverage (P < 0.001 if they worked within 1 km of their homesteads were selected by community members, worked among kindred, and were responsible for <20 households. CONCLUSION Additional activities could potentially undermine the performance of distributors. However, being selected by their community members, working largely among kindred and serving fewer households improved their effectiveness.
The synthesis of an RPS serial chain to reach a given set of task positions

Abstract This paper examines the synthesis of the five degree-of-freedom robot formed by links connected by a revolute, prismatic and spherical joint to form an RPS serial chain. The reachable workspace of this robot is a right circular hyperboloid that defines a constraint equation with 10 dimensional parameters. Evaluating this equation on 10 arbitrary spatial positions yields a polynomial system of total degree 262,144. Polynomial continuation yields as many as 1024 RPS chains for a general 10 position task. The number of task positions and constraint equations can be reduced by specifying some of the dimensional parameters. For the cases of six through eight task positions, analytical solutions are provided using both a resultant elimination strategy as well as a generalized eigenvalue elimination procedure. The generalized eigenvalue method has been implemented using Java and integrated into our design software. A numerical example of the solution for eight design positions is presented.
Decentralized Diagonal Dynamic Stabilization of Linear MultIvariable Systems

Abstract The diagonal stabilization problem (DSP) is defined over the ring of proper rational functions which have no poles inside a prescribed region of the finite complex plane. Solvability is intimately related to systems which exhibit the property of cyclicity. Necessary and sufficient conditions are established for the existence of solutions to the DSP. A complete parametrization of stabilizing controllers for the 2 × 2 case is given. Conditions of nonsolvability and hence nonstabilizability yield an explicit expression for the fixed modes of the system.
Design of a desipramine dosing regimen for the rapid induction and maintenance of maximal cortical β-adrenoceptor downregulation

Chronic administration of desipramine to rats causes a gradual reduction in cortical beta-adrenoceptor density. We examined the relationship between the duration of treatment with desipramine, and the rate and intensity of cortical beta-adrenoceptor downregulation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered a 3.75 mg/kg/12 hr dose of desipramine for 4, 8 or 16 days. After 4 and 8 days of treatment, cortical beta-adrenoceptor density was reduced by 14 and 26% respectively. After 16 days of treatment, cortical beta-adrenoceptor density was maximally reduced by 36%. In our next series of experiments, we tested the hypothesis that the dose of desipramine required to rapidly induce maximal beta-adrenoceptor downregulation was higher than the dose required to maintain maximal beta-adrenoceptor downregulation. Initially, cortical beta-adrenoceptors were rapidly, and maximally downregulated with a four day, 10 mg/kg/12 hr induction regimen of desipramine. Trough, steady-state brain/cortical concentrations of desipramine plus desmethyldesipramine at the end of this regimen were approx 4000 ng/gm. Subsequently, maintenance desipramine regimens of 3.75 mg/kg/12 hr and 1.87 mg/kg/12 hr or vehicle were initiated for the next four days. Inspite of a 20-fold drop in brain/cortical concentrations of desipramine plus its metabolite, the 3.75 mg/kg maintenance regimen sustained maximal cortical beta-adrenoceptor downregulation. The 1.87 mg/kg maintenance regimen did result in a marked (25%) but non-significant recovery in the density of beta-adrenoceptors. Animals administered a vehicle maintenance regimen showed a large (50%) and statistically significant recovery of cortical beta-adrenoceptor density.
Stability and instability of polymorphic populations and the role of multiple breeding seasons in phase III of Wright's shifting balance theory

It is generally difficult for a large population at a fitness peak to acquire the genotypes of a higher peak, because the intermediates produced by allelic recombination between types at different peaks are of lower fitness. In his shifting-balance theory, Wright proposed that fitter genotypes could, however, become fixed in small isolated demes by means of random genetic fluctuations. These demes would then try to spread their genome to nearby demes by migration of their individuals. The resulting polymorphism, the coexistence of individuals with different genotypes, would give the invaded demes a chance to move up to a higher fitness peak. This last step of the process, namely, the invasion of lower fitness demes by higher fitness genotypes, is known as phase III of Wright's theory. Here we study the invasion process from the point of view of the stability of polymorphic populations. Invasion occurs when the polymorphic equilibrium, established at low migration rates, becomes unstable. We show that the instability threshold depends sensitively on the average number of breeding seasons of individuals. Iteroparous species (with many breeding seasons) have lower thresholds than semelparous species (with a single breeding season). By studying a particular simple model, we are able to provide analytical estimates of the migration threshold as a function of the number of breeding seasons. Once the threshold is crossed and polymorphism becomes unstable, any imbalance between the different demes is sufficient for invasion to occur. The outcome of the invasion, however, depends on many parameters, not only on fitness. Differences in fitness, site capacities, relative migration rates, and initial conditions, all contribute to determine which genotype invades successfully. Contrary to the original perspective of Wright's theory for continuous fitness improvement, our results show that both upgrading to higher fitness peaks and downgrading to lower peaks are possible.