cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phylogenetic evidence for the role of a pre-existing bias in sexual selection

Females of the genus Xiphophorus, which includes unsworded platyfish and sworded swordtails, share a mating preference which favours a sword despite phylogenetic evidence that the sword was not present in the evolutionary history of platyfish. A recent molecular phylogeny, however, proposes that the platyfish arose from within the swordtails. If this is the case, the preference for a sword in platyfish may be a retained ancestral preference rather than a bias that evolved before the first appearance of the sword. To determine whether or not the preference favouring a sword is an ancestral bias present before the evolution of the sword, I tested sword preferences in the sister genus, Priapella, which lacks a sword: female P. olmecae were found to prefer conspecific males with artificial swords to those without swords. These results suggest that a pre-existing bias favouring a sword arose before the divergence of these two genera, and thus before the appearance of a sword. In addition, the strength of the preference exhibited by P. olmecae females for a sword was found to vary with sword length; as the length of the sword was increased, the strength of the preference increased. Female P. olmecae, therefore, prefer males with longer swords to males with shorter swords. This increasing preference with sword length is similar to the preference of green swordtails, suggesting that the preference has a common basis in the two groups. More generally, this work further establishes the pre-existing bias model as a viable explanation for the evolution of female preferences and male traits.
A TEST OF THE CHARGE SYMMETRY HYPOTHESIS: POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE PION PRODUCTION RATIO OBTAINED IN BOMBARDING CARBON WITH ALPHA PARTICLES AND PROTONS

A measurement of the plus/minus ratio for the production of pions by alpha-particles incident on carbon nuclei has been carried out to test the charge symmetry hypothesis. Employing an experimental procedure which eliminates residual errors in geometry, etc., the ratio was found to be 0.72\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.17. The alpha-particle energy was 375 Mev and the meson energy was 15 Mev observed at 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to the beam. Coulomb effects are expected to bring about a depression of the production ratio from unity of about this magnitude. The experimental result, therefore, provides support for the charge symmetry hypothesis.As supplementary information the same apparatus was used to measure the pion plus/minus ratio for 330-Mev protons incident on carbon. The ratio found was 5.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8.
Membrane surface properties of reticulocytes from rats rendered severely anemic with phenylhydrazine as determined by partition in aqueous phase systems

Abstract Partition was studied in aqueous dextran-polyethylene glycol two-phase systems of reticulocytes from rats rendered severely anemic with phenylhydrazine. 1. 1. The countercurrent distribution of reticulocyte populations from phenylhydrazine-injected rats indicate that these are highly heterogeneous. The distribution patterns obtained include separation of such reticulocytes into two distinct sub-populations, a broad (and therefore obviously heterogeneous) curve, or a distribution intermediate between these. 2. 2. A part of the heterogeneity of the reticulocyte population is due to the degree of maturation of these cells. Highly reticulated reticulocytes (with the highest protein synthetic activity) have the lowest, lightly reticulated reticulocytes an intermediate and erythrocytes the highest partition. 3. 3. The partition of reticulocytes is lower than that of normal erythrocytes and is thus similar to the partition of the youngest reticulocytes from normal rats [6]. Reticulocytes from phenylhydrazine-injected rats are shown to maintain this (low) partition while they age. They differ thereby dramatically from normal rat reticulocytes the partition of which increases rapidly as they mature. 4. 4. Reticulocytes from phenylhydrazine-injected rats (‘abnormal’ reticulocytes) do mature to erythrocytes. But these, in turn, have a lower partition than erythrocytes from normal rats. Surface charge is a major determinant of cell partition in dextran-polyethylene glycol phases. The lower partition of reticulocytes from phenylhydrazine-injected rats and of the erythrocytes into which they mature therefore reflects a lower surface charge on these cells compared to their normal counterparts. 5. 5. A large percentage of the abnormal reticulocytes disappears rapidly from the circulation both in the phenylhydrazine-injected animal and when transfused to normal rats. This rapid disappearance may well be related to the abnormal membrane surface characteristics of these cells.
Behavioral approaches in the multidisciplinary management of chronic pain: Programs and issues☆

Abstract Psychological, social, and behavioral factors appear to play an important role in determining how patients adapt to chronic pain. There is a growing consensus among physicians that traditional diagnostic approaches to chronic pain must be expanded to address these factors. Innovative, multidisciplinary programs designed to change behavioral and psychological functioning in chronic pain patients have recently been developed. Disciplines involved include nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, anesthesiology, neurosurgery, and orthopedics. These programs are interesting because they successfully treat many chronic pain patients who previously failed to respond to conventional treatments. This article provides a selective review of behaviorally oriented, multidisciplinary, chronic pain treatment programs. It begins with a consideration of the conceptual foundations of these programs—the mechanisms of chronic pain. Basic elements of several major programs as well as outcome data are described. The paper concludes with a discussion of clinical issues important in evaluating these programs.
Contamination: concept analysis and nursing implications.

PURPOSE. To analyze the concept of contamination and discuss the implications for nursing practice, research, and education. DATA SOURCES. Published research articles, official governmental publications, policy reports, and textbooks. DATA SYNTHESIS. Various attributes of contamination are described using the Walker and Avant method of concept analysis and include: (a) exposure to a contaminant, and (b) contaminant exists in a dose sufficient to cause adverse health effects. The major antecedents of contamination include the presence of a contaminant, dose, duration of exposure, route of exposure, and individual human differences. Major consequences of contamination include organ and systemic responses, and psychological, social, and economic effects. CONCLUSIONS. Contamination is an important concept and is essential to the discipline of nursing. The concept of contamination is separate from exposure. Precision in the use of diagnostic language describing contamination incidents will lead to greater accuracy in outcomes and interventions for individuals and groups experiencing overt or covert contamination resulting from accidental or intentional acts. Broad agreement on the definition, antecedents, and consequences of contamination will improve the likelihood of successful management of contamination events. IMPLICATIONS. The nursing profession makes an important contribution to the improvement of individual, community, and societal environmental health. Clarifying the concept of contamination is an important first step in building the nursing science that will lead to identifying sound nursing interventions.
Immigration theory for a new century: some problems and opportunities.

"This essay examines some of the pitfalls in contemporary immigration theory and reviews some of the most promising developments in research in this field. As a data-driven field [of] study, immigration has not had to contend with grand generalizations for highly abstract theorizing. On the contrary, the bias has run in the opposite direction, that is toward ground-level studies of particular migrant groups or analysis of official migration policies. As the distillate of past research in the field and a source of guidance for future work, theory represents one of the most valuable products of our collective intellectual endeavor. Ways to foster it and problems presented by certain common misunderstandings about the meaning and scope of scientific theorizing are discussed." The geographical focus is on the United States.
Connectedness in the Lives of Children and Adolescents: A Call for Greater Conceptual Clarity

Studies of the role of connectedness in the health and development of children and adolescents are accumulating rapidly. Although findings are uniformly consistent in documenting its correlation with a host of health indicators, the construct is in need of substantial conceptual clarification to maximize its research and applied utility. Current conceptualizations and operationalizations inconsistently span a wide spectrum of varied elements of social experience--including the quality of a relationship, the degree of liking an environment or relationship, the quality of performance in an environment or relationship, the possession of feelings or attitude states, and a combination of states and the behaviors that antecede them--resulting in an ability to adequately understand what the construct is and how, why, and when it is most protective. This paper documents this variability in an effort to sensitize researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to the complexity of the construct. It further describes one ongoing, multicultural research project that is currently informing international health initiatives as an illustration of one approach to addressing the complexity with goals of precision, parsimony, cultural sensitivity, and applied utility.
Immunity against Staphylococcus aureus cutaneous infections

Complications arising from cutaneous and soft tissue infections with Staphylococcus aureus are a major clinical problem owing to the high incidence of these infections and the widespread emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. If prophylactic vaccines or immunotherapy for certain patient populations are to be developed as an alternative to antibiotics, it will be essential to better understand the immune mechanisms that provide protection against S. aureus skin infections. Recent discoveries have identified a key role for interleukin-1 (IL-1)- and IL-17-mediated immune responses in promoting neutrophil recruitment to the site of infection in the skin, a process that is required for host defence and bacterial clearance. This Review describes these new insights and discusses their potential impact on immune-based therapies and vaccination strategies.
Harnessing the online resources : A case study of ScienceDirect in India

E-mail-alerting system of online databases is a new trend catching up fast with researchers. Results of auto-run set queries are informed through e-mails as ‘alerts’ to the registered user. Even though e-mail-alerting systems are quite popular amongst Internet users, their inherent advantages remain unexplored in the Indian scenario. An effort to explore all such features available in the ScienceDirect online database has been made in this paper. The process of registration for activating e-mail alerts, customizing a home page, selecting favorite journals, search alerts, journal issue alerts, citation alerts and search history are briefed with screen shot examples. The study emphasizes the fact that librarians and information Science professionals should take lead roles in unveiling all such possible features available in various online databases. They should also make efforts at informing the user community of the utility of such features in a bid to enhance the research output.
A diagnostic genetic test for the honey bee tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi.

(2007). A diagnostic genetic test for the honey bee tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi. Journal of Apicultural Research: Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 195-197.
Presynaptic calcium channel localization and calcium-dependent synaptic vesicle exocytosis regulated by the Fuseless protein.

A systematic forward genetic Drosophila screen for electroretinogram mutants lacking synaptic transients identified the fuseless (fusl) gene, which encodes a predicted eight-pass transmembrane protein in the presynaptic membrane. Null fusl mutants display >75% reduction in evoked synaptic transmission but, conversely, an approximately threefold increase in the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous synaptic vesicle fusion events. These neurotransmission defects are rescued by a wild-type fusl transgene targeted only to the presynaptic cell, demonstrating a strictly presynaptic requirement for Fusl function. Defects in FM dye turnover at the synapse show a severely impaired exo-endo synaptic vesicle cycling pool. Consistently, ultrastructural analyses reveal accumulated vesicles arrested in clustered and docked pools at presynaptic active zones. In the absence of Fusl, calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release is dramatically compromised and there is little enhancement of synaptic efficacy with elevated external Ca2+ concentrations. These defects are causally linked with severe loss of the Cacophony voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, which fail to localize normally at presynaptic active zone domains in the absence of Fusl. These data indicate that Fusl regulates assembly of the presynaptic active zone Ca2+ channel domains required for efficient coupling of the Ca2+ influx and synaptic vesicle exocytosis during neurotransmission.
Considerations for UMTS capacity and range estimation

In this paper, example uplink and downlink capacity and range estimation methods have been outlined. These have been limited to the single service case where the modem performance, multipath structure, environmental conditions and service rate are common to all users in the network. It has been found that uplink capacity estimation is primarily a function of modem performance and the F-factor. This is due to the dominance of other user noise over the thermal noise, even in lightly loaded cells, as well as the variability of the in-cell and out-of-cell noise (the F-factor). Simplifications to the downlink numerical modelling have been shown using fixed RAKE finger characteristics. These simplifications assume that the average channel conditions do not change with position, time or when the subscriber unit is in soft-handover. We have also considered the consequences of the simplified link-budget and user to interference margin mapping in the context of estimating capacity and range for a homogenous network. Homogeneity does not describe realistic network topologies; however, the generic case does give some indication of UMTS capabilities. Coupled with a numerical modelling technique, the methods outlined in this paper can help dimension the air-interface network for UMTS.
Hydrogen isotope exchange in thermally stressed cellulose

Abstract We have investigated the changes in the ratio of stable isotopes of hydrogen when cellulose is subjected to thermal stress at the high temperatures of 180°C and 200°C, respectively. The thermal stress caused deuterium depletion at both the temperatures, with the kinetics being faster at the higher temperature. The process appeared to approach isotopic equilibrium when the D/H of heated cellulose samples extracted from several wood samples were compared with their non-exchangeable D / H . Previous work has shown that the cellulose polymer contains exchangeable hydrogens bonded as O–H species and that this hydrogen is preferentially substituted by deuterium when cellulose is allowed to exchange in aqueous solutions at 0°C. Thermal stress apparently involves the reverse reaction i.e. preferential incorporation of hydrogen from the exchanging medium. Because of the high experimental temperatures involved, it is likely that the exchange took place between the O–H hydrogens in cellulose and a vapor phase. Further, the thermal stress also resulted in varying degrees of hydrogen loss from the cellulose molecule. This study suggests that by using a pre-heating technique, it might be possible to determine the D / H ratio of non-exchangeable hydrogens in a variety of samples. The technique is also useful when determining the stable hydrogen isotope ratio of kerogen extracted from sediments since it is often difficult to determine and eliminate all, if any, of the exchangeable hydrogen in these types of samples.
Phobic anxiety symptom scores and incidence of type 2 diabetes in US men and women

Abstract Context Emotional stress may be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the relation between phobic anxiety symptoms and risk of T2D is uncertain. Objective To evaluate prospectively the association between phobic anxiety symptoms and incident T2D in three cohorts of US men and women. Design, setting and patients We followed 30,791 men in the Health Professional’s Follow-Up Study (HPFS) (1988–2008), 68,904 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) (1988–2008), and 79,960 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II) (1993–2011). Phobic anxiety symptom scores, as measured by the Crown–Crisp index (CCI), calculated from 8 questions, were administered at baseline and updated in 2004 for NHS, in 2005 for NHS II, and in 2000 for HPFS. Incident T2D was confirmed by a validated supplementary questionnaire. We used Cox proportional hazards analysis to evaluate associations with incident T2D. Results During 3,099,651 person-years of follow-up, we documented 12,831 incident T2D cases. In multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models with adjustment for major lifestyle and dietary risk factors, the hazard ratios (HRs) of T2D across categories of increasing levels of CCI (scores = 2 to Conclusion Our results suggest that higher phobic anxiety symptoms are associated with an increased risk of T2D in women.
Causation, Liability and Toxic Risk Exposure

Persons injured as a result of exposure to toxic or carcinogenic substances are seldom able to recover damages from those who are responsible for the exposure. Tort law requires proof of causation, and causation is often unprovable because of long latency periods, because of the relative infrequency of the injuries and because many of the injuries among the exposed population are the result of other factors. A number of proposals for modifying the legal causation requirement to allow those who create hazardous risks to be held liable for the injuries that materialise are considered and found inadequate. A proposal to treat risk exposure itself as an injury for which compensation under private law is possible is also considered and ultimately found incoherent. The paper concludes by arguing for a public law solution, modelled on criminal law, but providing compensation for victims.
The microstructure of ti alloys as influenced by Thin-Foil artifacts

Abstract : The occurrence of a variety of thin foil artifacts which form during preparation of electron microscope thin foils from Ti alloys have been described in the literature. These artifacts severely complicate the study of phase transformations and microstructure/property relations in Ti alloys. This paper illustrates several examples of such artifacts which occur in a wide range of alloys and show how their presence can be bothersome and, in some instances, grossly misleading. Examples include 'spontaneous relaxation' in beta-phase alloys, reversion of martensite and modification of omega-phase precipitates. An ion-thinning technique has been developed which suppresses the occurrence of thin foil artifacts, thereby permitting examination of alloys and microstructures which previously have not been analyzed. The structures of ion-thinned samples are illustrated and compared to the structures observed in conventionally thinned samples. (Author)
A Numerical Investigation of NOx Formation in Counterflow CH4/H2/Air Diffusion Flames

A detailed numerical study was carried out for the effect of hydrogen enrichment on flame structure and NOx formation in counterflow CH4 /air diffusion flames. Detailed chemistry and complex thermal and transport properties were employed. The enrichment fraction was changed from 0 (pure CH4 ) to 1.0 (pure H2 ). The result indicates that for flames with low to moderate stretch rates, with the increase of the enrichment fraction from 0 to 0.5~0.6, NO emission index keeps almost constant or only slightly increases. When the enrichment fraction is increased from 0.5~0.6 to about 0.9, NO emission index quickly increases, and finally NO formation decreases again when pure hydrogen flame condition is approached. However, for flames with higher stretch rates, with the increase of hydrogen enrichment fraction from 0 to 1.0, the formation of NO first quickly increases, then slightly decreases and finally increases again. Detailed analysis suggests that the variation of the characteristics in NO formation in stretched CH4 /air diffusion flames is caused by the change of flame structure and NO formation mechanism, when the enrichment fraction and stretch rate are changed.Copyright © 2006 by National Research Council Canada
Processing Infrared Images For High Speed Power Line Inspection

This work examines automation of fault detection in infrared images of power transmission lines. Several levels of processing for semi- and full automation of the task are proposed and the first processing level is implemented. A global adaptive thresholding technique which adapts to each new tape is used for the real-time detection of potential fault spots in the taped imagery. Timing considerations for fault detection and image saving are discussed and the impact of hot background objects on the system performance is explained.
The determination of the optical constants of benzene and chloroform in the i.r. by thin film transmission

Abstract The techniques for measuring band intensities and optical constants discussed in the three preceding papers are illustrated by measurements on liquid benzene over the range 4200-500 cm −1 and on liquid chloroform over the range 3300-550 cm −1 . The values obtained are compared with data in the literature based mainly on attenuated total reflection measurements.
Pregnancy Desire Among a Sample of Young Couples Who Are Expecting a Baby

CONTEXT Adolescents’ desire for a pregnancy has been explored more among females than among males. A more comprehensive understanding of teenagers’ pregnancy desires is needed to inform pregnancy prevention efforts and to support couples as they undergo the transition to parenthood.
Ambiguity and Workarounds as Contributors to Medical Error

Why are some organizations error-prone-regularly subject to interruptions and inconveniences, some of which periodically coalesce catastrophically-whereas other organizations, although similar in the products and services they generate and the process technologies they use, are reliable, adaptable, and continuously self-improving, relentlessly learning from experience to get ever better? Analyzing medical error reports and studies of high-performing, non-health care organizations reveals 2 differences. High performers know how to prevent problems from producing further consequences once they occur and how to prevent their recurrence. They do this by specifying how work is expected to proceed-who will do what for whom, with what purpose, when, where, and how-before work is actually done. Then, when anything contrary to expectations occurs, it is immediately identified as a problem. Through this approach, the effects of problems are contained, the causes are quickly investigated, process knowledge is deepened, and recurrence is prevented. In contrast, error-prone organizations tolerate ambiguity, a prevailing lack of clarity over what is supposed to happen at any given time. Problems are thus hard to identify, and, even when recognized, they are worked around. People "get the job done," but don't initiate efforts to learn from the problem or improve the process. We believe that coupling high degrees of specification with rapid responses to individual problems can improve health care. Superlative manufacturing, service, and military organizations apply this approach to myriad processes and situations, and initial health care trials of this approach have been promising. We discuss how such an approach could be initiated in health care more broadly.
Motion Pictures as an Aid in Correcting Baseball Batting Faults

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of motion pictures as an instructional aid in the correcting of batting faults in baseball. Twenty subjects from the varsity baseball squad at the State University of Iowa served as subjects and were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The findings would appear to warrant the conclusion that baseball players who view motion pictures of their batting can significantly decrease the number of their batting faults as compared to baseball players who do not view motion pictures of their batting.
Perceptual and physiological heat strain: examination in firefighters in laboratory- and field-based studies

Firefighting demands performing heavy muscular work under adverse and potentially dangerous conditions. Although the physiological and psychological responses to simulated firefighting activities have been described, the heat strain has not been characterised using standardised indices of exercise-heat strain. The purpose of the study is to describe the physiological and perceptual strain associated with working in personal protective equipment and performing simulated firefighting activities in a hot environment using recently developed strain indices (Physiological Strain Index (PhSI); Perceptual Strain Index (PeSI)). Data from two previously published studies (Smith et al. 1995, 2001) - one a laboratory-based study and one a field-based study - were re-analysed incorporating the strain indices. The laboratory study involved walking on a treadmill for 15 min while wearing three different clothing and equipment configurations. The field study involved three trials of standardised firefighting tasks in a live-fire training structure (mean trial length = 5.76 min). Heart rate, rectal temperature, thermal sensations and ratings of perceived exertion were collected in each study. PhSI and PeSI values were calculated using the formulae developed by Moran et al. (1998b) and Tikuisis et al. (2002), respectively. PhSI and PeSI increased significantly over time in both studies. Even relatively brief bouts of exercise while wearing heavy impermeable clothing or simulated firefighting activity in the heat results in moderate to high levels of heat strain as assessed by PhSI and PeSI.
Complications following cranioplasty: incidence and predictors in 348 cases.

OBJECT The factors that contribute to periprocedural complications following cranioplasty, including patient-specific and surgery-specific factors, need to be thoroughly assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors that predispose patients to an increased risk of cranioplasty complications and death. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of all patients at their institution who underwent cranioplasty following craniectomy for stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, and trauma between January 2000 and December 2011. The following predictors were tested: age, sex, race, diabetic status, hypertensive status, tobacco use, reason for craniectomy, urgency status of the craniectomy, graft material, and location of cranioplasty. The cranioplasty complications included reoperation for hematoma, hydrocephalus postcranioplasty, postcranioplasty seizures, and cranioplasty graft infection. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Confidenc...
Two-Phase Heat Dissipation Utilizing Porous-Channels of High-Conductivity Material

The results of an experimental study of two-phase heat dissipation in high-conductivity porous channel heat sinks are presented. Porous channels of various sizes were fabricated using sintered copper particles inside rectangular copper channels with base dimensions of 25 mm by 25 mm, either 3 or 10 mm in height. The experiments were conducted using subcooled water as the working fluid and test conditions ranged from an inlet temperature of 85 to 95°C, inlet pressures of 1.062 to 1.219 bars, flow rates of 22.5 to 150 ml/min, and heat fluxes of 10 to 25 W/cm 2 . The experimental results were compared to the results predicted using a previously developed numerical model. For water with inlet subcooling in the range of 6.6 to 10.8°C, heat transfer coefficients for open channel flow were increased from 1.25 to 1.94 W/cm 2 °C to 1.79 to 3.33 W/cm 2 °C, or a 43 to 142 percent improvement through the use of porous channels with mean particle diameters of 0.97, 0.54, 0.39, or 0.33 mm. The results indicate that the high thermal conductivity of the porous material and the large solid-fluid contact area combine to create a highly effective, two-phase heat sink, which may provide an effective mechanism for cooling high heat flux microelectronics
Agenesis of the penis, scrotal raphe, and anus in one of monoamniotic twins

Severe defects in the development of the caudal axis are rare, but lead to profound consequences for the fetus. They result from damage to multiple germ layers at a very early stage of development and vary in severity depending on the timing and degree of insult incurred. One of a set of identical male twins presented with persistence of the primitive cloaca with an absent phallus and anal atresia, but normal limb development. This combination of penile agenesis, imperforate anus, and absence of the scrotal and perineal raphae is an ominous physical finding indicative of severe renal anomalies, which in all cases have been incompatible with extrauterine survival. This constellation of findings, of which our patient is only the sixth reported example, probably results from a primary defect in caudal mesoderm migration before the fourth week of gestation. In this case, the defect may have occurred as a consequence of monochorionic monoamniotic monozygotic (MZ) twinning.
Resistance to satiation as a function of three satiation procedures

Three groups of rats were trained to run a straight alley while hungry and tested while satiated. Group C was satiated only with lab chow, Group M with lab chow and wet mash, and Group P with lab chow and Noyes pellets. In satiated testing Group P ran significantly slower than Group C and ate fewer pellets in the alley than either group C or M. These results are consistent with an associative interpretation that assumes that resistance to satiation of eating and running is greater the higher the proportion of cues present in satiated testing that had been conditioned in acquisition.
A new device to stabilize templates for transperineal I-125 implants

Transperineal Iodine-125 implants of the prostate are currently being performed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with CT-based treatment planning and transrectal ultrasound for verification of proper needle placement in the prostate at the time of implantation. An adjustable device, the WIPI, has been designed to stabilize the perineal template and rectal obturator during planning and implementation of the procedure. The device is simple to use and is compatible with CT scanning, transrectal ultrasound, and the Mick applicator. Its design and key functional features are described here.
Decreased pulmonary alveolar macrophage bactericidal activity in splenectomized rats

Abstract The organism most frequently encountered in postsplenectomy sepsis is Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is thought to invade via the upper respiratory tract. This study assesses the phagocytic and bactericidal activity of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) in normal, splenectomized, and one-third splenectomized autotransplanted rats at 8 weeks of age, 7 weeks post surgery. The PAMs from both the splenectomized and control rats all expressed the same ability to phagocytose latex beads and Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytosis of SRBC. In the bactericidal assay, bacterial growth, after 1 hr without macrophages, was 31 × 103 colony-forming units (CFU). In the presence of PAMs from splenectomized rats, the colony count was 22 × 103 (P
Technique for simultaneous alignment and collimation of a laser diode in an optical data storage head.

An autocollimator is used to align and detect collimation of a laser diode in an optical data storage head. High wave-front quality is achieved without interferometric equipment.
Use of an engineering data management system in the analysis of Space Shuttle Orbiter tiles

The use of an engineering data management system to facilitate the extensive stress analyses of the space shuttle orbiter thermal protection system is demonstrated. The methods used to gather, organize, and store the data; to query data interactively; to generate graphic displays of the data; and to access, transform, and prepare the data for input to a stress analysis program are described. Information related to many separate tiles can be accessed individually from the data base which has a natural organization from an engineering viewpoint. The flexible user features of the system facilitate changes in data content and organization which occur during the development and refinement of the tile analysis procedure. Additionally, the query language supports retrieval of data to satisfy a variety of user-specified conditions.
CARBONYL RETENTION IN MODEL SYSTEMS AND BERMUDA ONION JUICE DURING LYOPHILIZATION: EFFECT OF SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES, BINARY CARBOHYDRATE MIXTURES AND SUCROSE INVERSION

Information leading to the improvement and understanding of volatile retention was developed. This was accomplished by studying the effects of selected process variables on retention of carbonyl components in model carbohydrate-pyruvic acid systems and in Bermuda onion juice. Variables studied were carbohydrate type, concentration, binary mixtures and sucrose inversion. Increases in carbohydrate concentration increased retention in both model systems and onion juice. Increases in retention were greater at low carbohydrate levels (5–10%) than at high concentration (15–20%). Distinct differences in retention were found in model systems, but not in onion juice. A synergistic retention effect was observed in binary mixtures of lactose and glucose in model systems. Retention appeared to be a function of percent hydrolysis of sucrose in model systems. At low inversion levels, retention was high and uniform. At high hydrolysis levels, retention decreased to a low retention level which remained uniform to 100% inversion.
SU‐E‐J‐44: Reconstruction of 4D‐CT from Single Free‐Breathing 3D‐CT for Image Guided Lung Radiotherapy

Purpose: The goal of our method is to reconstruct the 4D‐CT from single 3D free‐breathing image acquired at the treatment day, for improving accuracy in patient setup and dose delivery during radiotherapy of lungcancer. Methods: Our method consists of two steps. First, we propose a new spatiotemporal registration algorithm to build a 4D lung motion model by establishing temporal correspondences across different respiratory phase images of the 4D‐CT acquired in the planning day. Second, we use the obtained 4D lung motion model to reconstruct a new 4D‐CT for the treatment day, using just a free‐breathing 3D‐CT acquired in the treatment day. Specifically, in this step, we first de‐interlace each slice of the free‐ breathing 3D‐CT w.r.t. the optimal phase and couch position to obtain a sequence of incomplete 3D‐CT images, each with image information only in certain slices. Then, we warp the 4D lung motion model (built in the planning day) to the sequence of incomplete 3D‐CT images for reconstruction of a new complete 4D‐CT for the treatment day. Results: The spatiotemporal registration algorithm in the first step was tested on five lung 4D‐CT datasets with manual landmarks. Our algorithm achieves the best registration accuracy, compared to several other start‐of‐the‐art deformable registration algorithms. The 4D‐CT reconstruction algorithm in the second step was evaluated on a simulated free‐breathing dataset. Our algorithm is able to reconstruct a high‐quality 4D‐CT with clear anatomical structures from single free‐breathing 3D‐CT. Conclusions: We have developed a novel two‐step method to reconstruct a complete 4D‐CT from single free‐breathing 3D‐CT acquired in the treatment day, by using a 4D lung motion model built from the 4D‐CT acquired in the planning day. Promising results have been obtained in both simulated and real‐patient datasets, indicating great potential of this method in improving the quality of image‐guidedlungradiotherapy.
Cortical thickness as a contributor to abnormal oscillations in schizophrenia

Introduction Although brain rhythms depend on brain structure (e.g., gray and white matter), to our knowledge associations between brain oscillations and structure have not been investigated in healthy controls (HC) or in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ). Observing function-structure relationships, for example establishing an association between brain oscillations (defined in terms of amplitude or phase) and cortical gray matter, might inform models on the origins of psychosis. Given evidence of functional and structural abnormalities in primary/secondary auditory regions in SZ, the present study examined how superior temporal gyrus (STG) structure relates to auditory STG low-frequency and 40 Hz steady-state activity. Given changes in brain activity as a function of age, age-related associations in STG oscillatory activity were also examined. Methods Thirty-nine individuals with SZ and 29 HC were recruited. 40 Hz amplitude-modulated tones of 1 s duration were presented. MEG and T1-weighted sMRI data were obtained. Using the sources localizing 40 Hz evoked steady-state activity (300 to 950 ms), left and right STG total power and inter-trial coherence were computed. Time-frequency group differences and associations with STG structure and age were also examined. Results Decreased total power and inter-trial coherence in SZ were observed in the left STG for initial post-stimulus low-frequency activity (~ 50 to 200 ms, ~ 4 to 16 Hz) as well as 40 Hz steady-state activity (~ 400 to 1000 ms). Left STG 40 Hz total power and inter-trial coherence were positively associated with left STG cortical thickness in HC, not in SZ. Left STG post-stimulus low-frequency and 40 Hz total power were positively associated with age, again only in controls. Discussion Left STG low-frequency and steady-state gamma abnormalities distinguish SZ and HC. Disease-associated damage to STG gray matter in schizophrenia may disrupt the age-related left STG gamma-band function-structure relationships observed in controls.
USING ROOT FUNCTIONS FOR EIGENVALUE PROBLEMS OF ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS

We study eigenvalue problems for an ordinary differential operator L acting on L 2(ℝ)-spaces (Problem 1) and on L 2(J)-spaces (Problem 2). Here J is a bounded but large interval. Assuming that in Problem 1 the spectral parameter s lies in the set of normal points of L, we show that the structure of eigenspaces for both problems is similar to the structure of finite complex-valued matrices. In the case of a finite matrix, the geometry of eigenspaces is described by the Jordan form. In the case of ordinary differential operators, the corresponding geometry is described by a sequence of root functions. Therefore, the main tool of our studies is root functions for complex-valued analytical matrix functions.
Chem2Bio2RDF: A Linked Open Data Portal for Systems Chemical Biology

The Chem2Bio2RDF portal is a Linked Open Data (LOD) portal for systems chemical biology aiming for facilitating drug discovery. It converts around 25 different datasets on genes, compounds, drugs, pathways, side effects, diseases, and MEDLINE/PubMed documents into RDF triples and links them to other LOD bubbles, such as Bio2RDF, LODD and DBPedia. The portal is based on D2R server and provides a SPARQL endpoint, but adds on several unique features such as RDF faceted browser, user-friendly SPARQL query generator, MEDLINE/PubMed cross validation service, and Cytoscape visualization plugin. Three use cases demonstrate the functionality and usability of this portal. The portal is available at http://chem2bio2rdf.org.
Coordination in Intelligent Grid Environments

A computational grid is a complex system. The state space of a complex system is very large and it is infeasible to create a rigid infrastructure implementing optimal policies and strategies which take into account the current state of the system. An alternative to a rigid infrastructure is to base the system's reactions on logical inference, planning, and learning, the quintessential elements of an intelligent system. An intelligent grid is one where societal services exhibit intelligent behavior. A coordination service acting as a proxy on behalf of end users reacts to unforeseen events, plans how to carry out complex tasks, and learns from the history of the system. Various policies implemented by the societal services of an intelligent grid, such as brokerage and matchmaking, are based upon rules and facts gathered with the aid of a monitoring service. The question we address is how to construct intelligent computational grids which are truly scalable and could respond to the needs of a diverse user community. We present a prototype of a system used for a virtual laboratory in computational biology.
Time-Dependent Kinetics III: Diurnal Oscillations in Steady-State Plasma Valproic Acid Levels in Rhesus Monkeys

Valproic acid was administered by constant rate intravenous infusion to catheterized chained rhesus monkeys for 8-10 weeks under controlled environmental conditions. Steady-state plasma levels were monitored at 2-hr intervals for 26 hr (10 am-12 noon on the following day), 1 day/week for 6 weeks. Individual steady-state plasma concentration-time plots exhibited the following characteristics. During Period A (10 am-6 pm), plasma levels remained stable or decreased. During Period B (6 pm-6 am), plasma levels increased, reached a maximum, and remained markedly higher than during Period A. The maximum concentrations were 40-140% higher than the observed minimum concentrations. During Period C (6 am-noon), plasma levels tended to decline from the maximum concentrations achieved in Period B. In most cases, plasma concentrations at 10 am and 12 noon of the 2nd experimental day fell within 10% of their respective values on the previous day. The mean (+/- SD) periods obtained by cross-correlation analysis of individual plasma concentration-time plots were 30.7 (+/- 3.7) and 22.8 (+/- 3.6) hr for Animals 903 and 923, respectively. The corresponding mean (+/- SD) amplitudes were 27.3 (+/- 12.6) and 17.4 (+/- 2.3)%. A circadian rhythm in total body clearance was hypothesized, and its pharmacokinetic implications are discussed.
Spektren, Struktur, Ligandenaustausch und Reaktionen eines Ether‐Wolfram(II)‐ Komplexes

Leicht abspalten last sich der Etherligand aus dem Komplex 1 und ermoglicht damit einen Zugang zu dem reaktiven Kation [WTp′(CO)(PhC≡CMe)]+ (Tp′=Hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylborat). In Dichlormethan zerfallt 1 in Abwesenheit potentieller Liganden und reagiert mit dem Losungsmittel zum Metallacyclus 2 [Gl. (a)].
Technique of permanent cannulation of the right ventricle in rats and ground squirrels.

SummaryRecently a technique for permanent cannulation of the aorta and vena cava was described which permits simultaneous blood sampling and circulatory studies in unanesthetized and undisturbed small animals. To make this technique usable for cardiac output determinations (Fick principle), the venous cannula is now permanently implanted in the right ventricle where mixing of the venous blood is adequate. Two hundred forty-one adult male rats and 61 adult ground squirrels of both sexes were cannulated in this way. Postoperative survival was 100%. The animals regained preoperative body weight after 3.9 days and continued afterwards to grow normally. Except for a few animals in which the cannula slipped from the ventricle into the atrium, the patency of the cannulas seemed to be limited only by the life span of the animal.
MEMS: small machines for the microelectronics age

In the past few years, the micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) industry has exceeded the $1-billion-a-year mark. Some economic forecasters estimate that the industry will surpass $14 billion by the year 2000. The reason for this tremendous growth is the enabling nature of MEMS, which give engineers and researchers the tools to build things that have been impossible or prohibitively expensive with other techniques. MEMS are micron- to millimeter-scale devices that can be fabricated as discrete devices or in large arrays. MEMS borrow much of their technology from integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, providing three-fold benefits: miniaturization, multiplicity and microelectronics. First, miniaturization of the devices is inherent in the processing techniques. Modern microelectronics fabrication techniques are designed to build submicron-scale devices. By using the same techniques, engineers can easily leverage this technology to produce MEMS that are orders of magnitude smaller than their macroworld counterparts. Second, the use of photolithography techniques makes producing thousands or even millions of copies of a single device easy. Thus, single devices can be arrayed into systems to produce an effect impossible with discrete devices. Finally, because MEMS technology is so similar to IC fabrication technology, MEMS are integrable with microelectronics.
Grounding and Execution of OWL-S Based Semantic Web Services

OWL-S is an ontology for specifying semantic web services written using the Web Ontology Language (OWL). In order to leverage the vast array of existing WSDL-based, non-semantic web services, OWL-S provides a grounding (or binding) mechanism that maps OWL ontological input and output concepts to the standard XML data types used in WSDL input and output messages. In this paper, we discuss an approach using the SPecification and EXecution tool (SPEX), that facilitates the automated generation of OWL-S groundings and associated XSLT transformations and also supports the execution of fully-grounded OWL-S-based semantic web services. In addition, we will present a comprehensive example that will demonstrate the use of the SPEX tool for the grounding and execution activities. This work is a follow-on to our previous work in the area of model-driven semantic web services and is the final piece in the end-to-end development approach.