cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complications of 761 short-term intrathecal macrocatheters in obstetric patients: a retrospective review of cases over a 12-year period.

Abstract Background A continuous spinal catheter is a reliable alternative to standard neuraxial techniques in obstetric anesthesia. Despite the potential advantages of intrathecal catheters, they remain underutilized due to fear of infection, nerve damage or post-dural puncture headache. In our tertiary care center, intrathecal catheters are either placed intentionally in high-risk obstetric patients or following inadvertent dural puncture using a 19-gauge macrocatheter passed through a 17-gauge epidural needle. Methods A retrospective review of 761 intrathecal catheters placed from 2001 to 2012 was conducted. An institutional obstetric anesthesia database was used to identify patients with intrathecal catheters. Medical records were reviewed for procedural details and complications. Results There were no serious complications, including meningitis, epidural or spinal abscess, hematoma, arachnoiditis, or cauda equina syndrome, associated with intrathecal catheters. The failure rates were 2.8% (3/108) for intentional placements and 6.1% (40/653) for placements following accidental dural puncture. The incidence of post-dural puncture headache was 41% (312/761) and the epidural blood patch rate was 31% (97/312). Conclusions This review demonstrates that intrathecal catheters are dependable and an option for labor analgesia and surgical anesthesia for cesarean delivery. Serious long-lasting complications are rare.
Modes of Discourse: The study of discourse

This book studies discourse passages from a linguistic point of view. Discourse is made up of sentences, and through linguistic analysis we have learned a good deal about them. The perspective of linguistics, however, can't be used directly to study an entire discourse. Novels, histories, arguments, and other types of discourse are activities with their own character and conventional structure. Receivers draw on discourse knowledge to construct interpretations. The first problem for the linguist interested in close study of discourse, then, is to find a fruitful level for analysis. Larger units are organized primarily by convention and expectation. I will work more locally, at the level of the passage. There are intuitive differences between the passages of a discourse. People recognize passages of several kinds, namely Narrative, Description, Report, Information, and Argument. The intuitions are linguistically based: the passages have a particular force and make different contributions to a text. They can be identified by characteristic clusters of linguistic features. I shall say that a passage of text with certain features realizes a particular “Discourse Mode.” The Discourse Mode is appropriate for close linguistic analysis, because at this level linguistic forms make a difference. Discourse Modes appear in texts of all types of activity, or genres. I use the terms “discourse” for spoken and written material; “text” for written material. The Discourse Modes constitute an interesting level of text structure. I analyze them in two ways. I first discuss the differences between text passages of each mode.
Numerical Comparison of Experimentally Measured Ultrasound through a Multilayered Specimen

The integrity of bonded structures is of paramount importance in the safe and reliable operation of aircraft equipment. Fuselages, helicopter rotor blades and nose cones are multilayered composite structures bonded together. The operational readiness and security of these units depend to a large extent on the integrity of the interfacial bonds. Adhesive and cohesive strength studies do not appear promising because failure is really dominated by defects and not by some average physical properties of the adhesive and the interface [1].
Comment on Aliber's "Capital Flows, Exchange Rates, and the New International Financial Architecture: Six Financial Crises in Search of a Generic Explanation''

Robert Aliber’s article makes two main and interrelated points. The first is that today’s discussion on reforming the international monetary system is puny compared to the grand debate of the 1960s that tried to provide a solution to the Triffin paradox. Current discussion, instead, is ad hoc and is aimed at fixing specific crises rather than looking at the system as a whole. Aliber characterizes today’s debate as sterile “because there is so little agreement on the source of the problem.” The second is that private decentralized decisions by investors involve some type of market failure in that these “investors fail to recognize the impact of their purchases of a foreign security on the foreign-exchange value of the country’s currency and on asset prices in the capital-importing countries. Asset prices tend to increase in countries experiencing an increase in the inflow of foreign capital; similarly, the currency tends to appreciate. Conversely, the currency depreciates as the capital inflow declines.”
‘Let there be a Balance’: 1 Women in African Parliaments

It has been 25 years since the National Resistance Movement took power in Uganda and ushered in an era of women's increased presence in African legislatures – at first in east and southern Africa a...
Is there need for thoracic spine radiographs following a negative chest CT in trauma patients

The purpose of this study was to assess the need for conventional radiographs of the thoracic spine for routine clearance of trauma patients in whom chest CT has revealed no spinal trauma. The study was in the form of a retrospective review of trauma patients over the previous five years who underwent conventional radiographs of the thoracic spine following a chest CT that revealed no spinal trauma. Two hundred thirty-five trauma patients were found to have undergone conventional thoracic spine series following a chest CT that showed no spinal trauma. In 234 of the cases, the thoracic spine series was also negative. In one case, the thoracic spine series revealed mild anterior compression of the T7 vertebral body. This injury was stable and required no specific intervention. CT of the chest is an adequate evaluation of the thoracic spine in trauma patients who require routine thoracic spine clearance, making subsequent conventional radiographs of the thoracic spine unnecessary.
5. Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS)

Publisher Summary This chapter describes how Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) works, when to use it, how to make and analyze measurements, and the limitations and accuracy of the technique. RUS uses the mechanical resonances of small cylindrical, rectangular parallelepiped, or spherical samples to extract the elastic modulus tensor. Although many resonance techniques employing roughly similar measurement approaches have been used, RUS is qualitatively different in that the measurements and analysis are highly redundant, and when applied to samples of near unity aspect ratio, sensitive to all the components of the elastic tensor. The technique has been applied to samples with the minimum elastic symmetry, though it is most often, and most easily, applied to systems of rhombohedral or higher symmetry. Key to the use of this technique is the ability of modem personal computers to perform calculations nearly as rapidly as the supercomputers of recent years. For example, a modern RUS analysis would require approximately 2 hr per iteration on the first IBM personal computer, 1 sec on the first Cray, and 0.8 sec on an 850 MHz Pentium III. Instrumentation has also been benefited by modern integrated electronics, which enable digital signal processing algorithms to acquire RUS data at rates orders of magnitude higher than in the past, limited only by information theory and thermal noise.
Ultrastructure of acetylcholine receptor aggregates parallels mechanisms of aggregation

Acetylcholine receptors become aggregated at the developing neuromuscular synapse shortly after contact by a motorneuron in one of the earliest manifestations of synaptic development. While a major physiological signal for receptor aggregation (agrin) is known, the mechanism(s) by which muscle cells respond to this and other stimuli have yet to be worked out in detail. The question of mechanism is addressed in the present study via a quantitative examination of ultrastructural receptor arrangement within aggregates. In receptor rich cell membranes resulting from stimulation by agrin or laminin, or in control membrane showing spontaneous receptor aggregation, receptors were found to be closer to neighboring receptors than would be expected at random. This indicates that aggregation proceeds heterogeneously: nanoaggregates, too small for detection in the light microscope, underlie developing microaggregates of receptors in all three cases. In contrast, the structural arrangement of receptors within nanoaggregates was found to depend on the aggregation stimulus. In laminin induced nanoaggregates receptors were found to be arranged in an unstructured manner, in contrast to the hexagonal array of about 10 nm spacing found for agrin induced nanoaggregates. Spontaneous aggregates displayed an intermediate amount of order, and this was found to be due to two distinct population of nanoaggregates. The observations support earlier studies indicating that mechanisms by which agrin and laminin-1 induced receptor aggregates form are distinct and, for the first time, relate mechanisms underlying spontaneous aggregate formation to aggregate structure.
Reducing LDL with PCSK9 Inhibitors--The Clinical Benefit of Lipid Drugs.

Despite limitations in the data on the two new PCSK9 inhibitors, an FDA advisory committee has voted to approve alirocumab and evolocumab. But committee members emphatically stated that LDL cholesterol levels are not a reliable surrogate for cardiovascular benefit.
Towards Building a Lightweight Key-Value Store on Parallel File System

As data grows in number and size, big data applications begin to revolutionize the underlying storage system. On one hand, key-value store has prevailed as the back-end storage for big data applications owning to its schema-less data model, high scalability, and etc. On the other hand, parallel file system shared by multiple nodes offers large-capacity, high-throughput, as well as high-bandwidth access and is used widely in high performance computing (HPC) and cloud computing environments. In this paper, we explore the opportunity of building a lightweight key-value store that supports concurrent access over a parallel file system. The key-value store proposed relies on the sharing nature of parallel file system to provide distributed access. Instead of organizing a cluster of nodes with long running services to delegate the access, our key-value store simply embeds itself into applications and requires no long running services neither communication between nodes. Such a design not only simplifies the structure of a distributed key-value store but also avoids overhead introduced by having running services around the file system. We implemented a prototype of this system and compared it against Cassandra, a state-of-art key-value store. Preliminary results are promising.
Maximal Memory Binary Input-Binary Output Finite-Memory Sequential Machines

Gill[1] has shown that if there exists a finite-memory n-state sequential machine with finite memory ?, then ? cannot exceed ?n(n-1)?N n . He has further shown[2] that there exists an n-state N n input-binary output machine with memory ?= N n for every n. The question of whether a tighter upper bound might be placed on ? by the order of the input alphabet was raised by Gill. Massey[3] recently has shown that there exists a ternary input-binary output finite-memory machine with memory ?=N n for every n. The primary purpose of this note is to show that for every n there exists an n-state binary input-binary output finite-memory machine with memory ?= N n , and thus ? is shown not to be limited by the order of the input alphabet. It is shown that for every n there are actually at least two different machines with memory ? = N n . It will also be shown that for every n there exists a binary input-binary output n-state finite-memory machine with ? = N n -1.
Potential Agricultural Uses of Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in the Northern Great Plains

Flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) is a byproduct from the combustion of coal for electrical energy production. Currently, FGDG is being produced by 15 electrical generating stations in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Much of this byproduct is used in the manufacturing of wallboard. The National Network for Use of FGDG in Agriculture was initiated to explore alternative uses of this byproduct. In the northern Great Plains (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana), FGDG has the potential to be used as a Ca or S fertilizer, as an acid soil ameliorant, and for reclaiming or mitigating sodium-affected soils. Greater than 1.4 million Mg of FGDG could initially be used in these states for these purposes. Flue gas desulfurization gypsum can be an agriculturally important resource for helping to increase the usefulness of problem soils and to increase crop and rangeland production. Conducting beneficial use audits would increase the public awareness of this product and help identify to coal combustion electrical generating stations the agriculturally beneficial outlets for this byproduct.
Contraction and growth of wounds covered by meshed and non-meshed split thickness skin grafts

Full thickness wounds, one on either side of the backs of rabbits, were covered with meshed or non-meshed split thickness skin grafts. The wounds were measured over a 3 month period and the minimum and maximum sizes of the wounds determined as well as the rate of growth. Wounds covered with meshed grafts contracted to 55% of the original size while those covered with non-meshed grafts contracted to 81.5% (p = less than 0.0001). The meshed wounds grew to 114.6% of original area and non-meshed grew to 153.3% (p = 0.035) after 13 weeks.
KTP waveguides for frequency upconversion of strained-layer InGaAs laser diodes

KTP waveguides are being investigated for frequency upconversion of strained-layer InGaAs lasers in the 900 - 1100 nm range. Phasematching for the lowest-order mode interaction can be obtained using the modal dispersion properties of these diffused waveguides and modeling calculations have been used to determine the waveguide parameters required for phasematching to occur at a particular wavelength. Ion-exchange in pure RbNO3 has been used to form a waveguide that permits phasematched frequency doubling at wavelengths near 1040 nm.
Reactions and bonding of sodium disilicate glass with chromium

Reactions and reaction mechanisms occurring at sessile drop interfacial regions of sodium disilicate glass on chromium were identified at 1000/sup 0/C and an ambient atmosphere of 2.7 x 10/sup -4/ Pa with a /rho/(O/sub 2/) of 1 x 10/sup -15/ and 1 x 10/sup -5/ Pa. Depending on the experimental conditions, the principal reactions were redox reactions of Cr/sup 0/ with Na/sup +/ to form Cr/sup 2 +/ and Na/sup 0/, Cr/sup 2 +/ with Na/sup +/ to form Cr/sup 3 +/ and Na/sup 0/, Cr/sup 0/ with Si/sup 4 +/ to form CrSi /sub x/ alloy dendrites and Cr/sup 2 +/, and Cr/sup 2 +/ with Si/sup 4 +/ to form Cr/sup 3 +/ and SiO(gas). Adherence was developed when the interfacial region was saturated with Cr/sup 3 +/, i.e., Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3/.
Abstract A58: Galbanic acid isolated from Ferula assafoetida exerts in vivo antitumor activity in association with antiangiogenesis and antiproliferation

Abstract To investigate whether galbanic acid (GBA) exerts antiangiogenic and anticancer activities. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) model, we analyzed effects of GBA on cellular and molecular events related to angiogenesis. We tested its direct antiproliferative action on mouse Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells and established its in vivo antiangiogenic and antitumor efficacy using LLC model. GBA significantly decreased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced proliferation and inhibited VEGF-induced migration and tube formation of HUVECs. These effects were accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and AKT, and decreased expression of VEGFR targets endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cyclin D1 in VEGF-treated HUVECs. GBA also decreased LLC proliferation with an apparent G2/M arrest, but did not induce apoptosis. In vivo, inclusion of GBA in Matrigel plugs reduced VEGF-induced angiogenesis in mice. Galbanic acid given by daily i.p. injection (1 mg/kg) inhibited LLC-induced angiogenesis in an intradermal inoculation model and inhibited the growth of s.c. inoculated LLC allograft in syngenic mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed decreased CD34 microvessel density index and Ki-67 proliferative index in GBA-treated tumors. Overall, our findings suggest that GBA exerts anticancer activity in association with antiangiogenic and antiproliferative actions. Citation Format: Sunghoon Kim, Kwanhyun Kim, Soojin Jeong, Hyojeong Lee, Junxuan Lu. Galbanic acid isolated from Ferula assafoetida exerts in vivo antitumor activity in association with antiangiogenesis and antiproliferation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2012 Feb 6-9; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(4 Suppl):Abstract nr A58.
Expression of the cysteine proteinase inhibitor cystatin C mRNA in rat eye.

Background: Cystatin C, a naturally occuring inhibitor of cysteine proteinases, belongs to family 2 of the cystatin superfamily. While cystatins in general, and cystatin C specifically, are expressed in various cell types and found in biological fluids, cystatins in ocular structures have not been investigated. In the present study, the expression of cystatin C mRNA in the eye of the rat was studied. Methods: Total RNA was extracted from eyes as well as from pooled corneae, retinas, lenses, sclerae, and corneae of adult rats. Cystatin C mRNA was detected in the RNA samples by reverse transcriptase—polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot hybridization. In addition, in situ hybridizations of formalin-fixed cryostat sections were carried out using a digoxigenin-labeled cystatin C probe. Results: Cystatin C mRNA was demonstrated in total RNAs extracted from the eye, sclera, and retina, but not in RNAs isolated from the cornea and lens. In situ hybridizations revealed cystatin C mRNA in most of the stromal cells of the sclera. In the retina, a strong signal was localized in the outer nuclear layer. The distribution of the reaction product suggested that in the retina Muller cells and rod cells are the primary sites of expression of cystatin C. In addition, some glial cells in the inner nuclear and ganglion cell layers were stained. No specific signal for cystatin C mRNA was detected in the cornea, lens, iris, ciliary body, and choroid. Conclusions: In the eye of the rat, significant levels of cystatin C mRNA are detected in the sclera and retina. In the sclera cystatin C may play a role in modulating the activities of cysteine proteinases, mostly cathepsins, involved in the turnover and remodeling of the stroma. In the retina, cystatins synthesized and presumably released by Muller cells and rod cells may have a protective function against the harmful effects of cysteine proteinases released under physiologic and pathologic conditions. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A density functional theory study of the alkylation of isobutane with butene over phosphotungstic acid

The deactivation of solid acid catalysts during the alkylation of isobutane with butene has significantly impeded replacement of the commonly used homogeneous catalysts. The relative rates of alkylation and hydride transfer control the rate of heavy hydrocarbon buildup, leading to blocking of catalyst pores and acid sites. Herein the mechanisms of hydride transfer and alkylation over phosphotungstic acid are examined using ab initio density functional theory methods. The transition state of hydride transfer is a carbenium ion, with shared-hydride carbonium ions representing lower energy intermediates. Although the transition state for the alkylation step is also a carbenium ion, it is stabilized by interaction with the alkene reactant. Therefore, the barrier for alkylation is intrinsically lower than that for hydride transfer, thus providing a favorable path to the buildup of heavy hydrocarbons on the acid surface. The implications of these findings on the design of effective catalysts for alkylation are discussed.
Comment on the linked-graph expansion in a finite model space

Abstract Matrix methods for removing the contributions of unlinked graphs within a finite model space are investigated. The work of Brueckner suggests that existing methods remove not only the unlinked graphs but also remove the contributions of some linked graphs. It is found that the reintroduction of the effect of the linked graphs perturbatively to fifth order reduces the corrections by as much as thirty percent.
Effect of Phonon Dispersion on Transport Properties of Single-Crystalline Dielectrics

Thermal conductivity modeling using the Debye approximation can significantly reduce the complexity involved in the evaluation of thermal conductivity integral. Nevertheless, there are several compelling reasons (e.g., inconsistency between the estimations of the density of states used for heat capacity and thermal conductivity) that motivate more detailed modeling of the phonon dispersion in silicon or other diamond-like dielectrics. This manuscript presents closed-form expressions for the dispersion of the longitudinal and transverse modes in diamond-like dielectrics, which are then used to estimate the isotopic scattering rate, phonon spectrum and specific heat. The combinations of the above parameters are then used to predict the thermal conductivity of the bulk silicon and germanium with orders of magnitude variation in the mass fluctuation of isotopes and for the temperature range 2 to 1000 K. While this approach offers an elegant and consistent account of the phonon dispersion in diamond-like materials, however, provides no additional insight into the relative contributions of the longitudinal and transverse phonons to the heat transport.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
PCP Intoxication in Young Children and Infants

Six cases of PCP intoxication in young children age 5 years and younger seen at UCLA Medical Center recently and 10 other cases from the literature are described and their clinical findings summarized. PCP intoxication should be suspected in young children and infants presenting with rapid onset of lethargy or coma, strange behavior, staring spells, ataxia, and nystagmus. Other findings less frequent but still suspect are opisthotonos, hypertension, tachypnea or hyperpnea, miosis, hyperreflexia, hypertonia, and rigidity. Once suspected, the diagnosis is most easily made by finding PCP in the urine. Proper diagnosis of PCP intoxication is important to ensure that rapid, appropriate treatment is given, costly diagnostic workups are avoided, and family evaluations are instituted. One case strongly suggests that intoxication in infants may result from accidental inhalation when near individuals who are smoking PCP.
Khyberine and the biogenesis of dimeric aporphine-benzylisqoquinoline alkaloids

Abstract The new aporphine-benzylisquinoline khyberine ( 4b ) is present in Berberis calliobotrys Aitch. ex Bienert in about one part per million. An effort is made to present a complete scheme for the biogenesis of aporphine-benylisoquinoline dimers which arise from the condensation of two coclaurine units.
Exploring the garbage can: A study of information flows

Abstract The Garbage Can Model (GCM) has been used to study behavioral aspects of organizations and has been found to be a useful paradigm. In this study, the GCM has been used to study the behavioral implications of informal information systems of business entities. Currently little is known about this issue. As such, hypotheses are developed based upon the empirical findings which may provide a foundation for subsequent research. These hypotheses are: (1) problem senders and problem solvers are paramount in organizational problem identification, (2) both General and Problem type communications are correlated with and might result in Solution identification, (3) both General and Solution related communications are correlated with and might result in Problem identification, and (4) role stress is an important factor in the Problem-General-Solution communication linkage.
Boolean Algebras for Shapes and Individuals

Boolean algebras constructed for shapes and individuals show how different shapes and individuals really are.
Computational models of perirhinal cortex function

I review seven models of the contribution of perirhinal cortex (PRC) or neighboring neocortical regions to cognition. Five of the models address recognition memory function (Sohal and Hasselmo (2000) Network 11:169-190; Bogacz et al. (2001) J Comput Neurosci 10:5-23; Bogacz and Brown (2003a) Neurocomputing 52:1-6; Norman and O'Reilly (2003) Psychol Rev 110:611-646; Cowell et al. (2006) J Neurosci 26:12186-12197) and two account for the role of PRC in visual discrimination learning (Bussey and Saksida (2002) Eur J Neurosci 15:355-364; Cowell et al. (2010b) J Cogn Neurosci 22:2460-2479). The models span a range of biological scales and target a variety of datasets, such that like for like comparison between them is not always possible. I lay out a novel framework for facilitating comparison by defining some general abstract principles concerning the organization of cognition in the brain about which all of the models make a statement. The controversies that are revealed by scrutinizing the models within this framework highlight the fundamental questions that remain to be answered by future research. Ultimately, it is by combining these disparate accounts to build a unified model that bridges several levels of biological scale and accounts for multiple psychological phenomena that a full account of PRC function will be achieved.
HABITAT-LIMITED RECRUITMENT OF CORAL REEF DAMSELFISH

Spatial variation in abundance of reef fishes with dispersing larvae often has been attributed to variation in the supply of new colonists from the plankton, which we term “supply determination.” We conducted field experiments with three species of planktivorous damselfishes (Dascyllus flavicaudus, D. trimaculatus, and Amphiprion chrysopterus) to distinguish between the influence of supply determination and spatial variation in suitable microhabitat (“habitat determination”) on patterns of abundance, and to evaluate whether habitat became limited. In experiments where the abundance of initially unoccupied habitat suitable for these fishes was manipulated among a series of plots, colonization and population trajectories were followed for up to six years. Additional experiments explored the effect that the densities reached on colonization plots had on settlement. Colonization experiments revealed positive linear relationships between the time-averaged abundance of adults and of new colonists among experime...
Novel Peptide Inhibitors of Human Secretory Phospholipase A2 with Antiinflammatory Activity: Solution Structure and Molecular Modeling.

Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) and matrix metallopreoteinases (MMPs) are key enzymes involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and their modulation thus represents a potential therapeutic option. On the basis of Escherichia coli radioassay, synthetic peptides were designed and screened for sPLA2 inhibition. The linear peptide, 10f (PIP-18), inhibited the recombinant human synovial sPLA2 activity with an IC50 of 1.19 microM. Not only did the peptide interfere with the function of sPLA2, but it also appeared to inhibit mRNA expression of sPLA2 and various MMPs in IL-1beta-stimulated RA synovial fibroblast (RASF) cultures and thereby the production of the corresponding proteins (>80% inhibition). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), modeling, and docking studies indicate that in solution the peptide exhibits a beta-turn at residues Trp-Asp-Gly-Val and possibly binds to the hydrophobic channel of sPLA2. The results strongly suggest that the modulatory action of peptide 10f may play a major role in counteracting the development of RA.
Predicting mechanical distortions in x-ray masks

The development of a low distortion mask is essential for advanced lithographic technologies to meet the allotted error budgets for sub-130 nm regimes. Predicting mask- related distortions is the first step in the design and optimization process. This paper presents the result of simulating mechanical distortions induced in the x-ray mask during fabrication and pattern transfer. Finite element (FE) models have been used to predict the out-of-plane distortions for the fabrication of the mask blank. Numerical data are in excellent agreement with experimental data. In- plane distortions due to the pattern transfer process have also been simulated for the IBM Falcon mask layout. Parametric studies illustrate the effect of system parameters on the final in-plane distortion results.
Frequency comb swept lasers for optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate a frequency comb (FC) swept laser and a frequency comb Fourier domain mode locked (FC-FDML) laser for applications in optical coherence tomography (OCT). The fiber-based FC swept lasers operate at a sweep rate of 1kHz and 120kHz, respectively over a 135nm tuning range centered at 1310nm with average output powers of 50mW. A 25GHz free spectral range frequency comb filter in the cavity of swept lasers causes the lasers to generate a series of well defined frequency steps. The narrow bandwidth (0.015nm) of the frequency comb filter enables a ~-1.2dB sensitivity roll off over ~3mm range, compared to conventional swept source and FDML lasers which have -10dB and - 5dB roll offs, respectively. Measurements at very long ranges are possible with minimal sensitivity loss, however reflections from outside the principal measurement range of 0-3mm appear aliased back into the principal range. In addition, the frequency comb output from the lasers are equally spaced in frequency (linear in k-space). The filtered laser output can be used to self-clock the OCT interference signal sampling, enabling direct fast Fourier transformation of the fringe signals, without the need for fringe recalibration procedures. The design and operation principles of FC swept lasers are discussed and interferometric measurement applications are proposed.
Nox4 NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species, via endogenous carbon monoxide, promote survival of brain endothelial cells during TNF-α-induced apoptosis

We investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in promoting cell survival during oxidative stress induced by the inflammatory mediator tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CMVEC) from newborn piglets. Nox4 is the major isoform of NADPH oxidase responsible for TNF-α-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in CMVEC. We present novel data that Nox4 NADPH oxidase-derived ROS also initiate a cell survival mechanism by increasing production of a gaseous antioxidant mediator carbon monoxide (CO) by constitutive heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2). TNF-α rapidly enhanced endogenous CO production in a superoxide- and NADPH oxidase-dependent manner in CMVEC with innate, but not with small interfering RNA (siRNA)-downregulated Nox4 activity. CORM-A1, a CO-releasing compound, inhibited Nox4-mediated ROS production and enhanced cell survival in TNF-α-challenged CMVEC. The ROS-induced CO-mediated survival mechanism requires functional interactions between the protein kinase B/Akt and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK)/p38 MAPK signaling pathways activated by TNF-α. In Akt siRNA-transfected CMVEC and in cells with pharmacologically inhibited Akt, Erk1/2, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities, CORM-A1 was no longer capable of blocking Nox4 activation and apoptosis caused by TNF-α. Overall, Nox4 NADPH oxidase-derived ROS initiate both death and survival pathways in TNF-α-challenged CMVEC. The ROS-dependent cell survival pathway is mediated by an endogenous antioxidant CO, which inhibits Nox4 activation via a mechanism that includes Akt, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. The ability of CO to inhibit TNF-α-induced ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK activities in an Akt-dependent manner appears to be the key element in ROS-dependent survival of endothelial cells during TNF-α-mediated brain inflammatory disease.
Synonymy, New Combinations and Nomina Nuda in the Genus Eurytoma Illiger (Chalcidoidea: Hymenoptera)

In the Catalogue of Hymenoptera North of Mexico by Muesebeck, Krombein, Townes and others, published in 1951 by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., Peck listed seventy-three species and varieties under the genus Eurytoma Illiger. Since that time the author has been conducting a study with the intention of revising the genus for North America. Visits have been made to the U. S. National Museum in Washington; Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.; and the Department of Agriculture, Division of Entomology, Ottawa, Canada to study their collections of material of the genus. Through the generous cooperation of Dr. B. D. Burks and Dr. J. F. Gates Clark at the National Museum, Dr. Henry Dietrich at Cornell, and Dr. 0. Peck at Ottawa excellent facilities were made available. The following notes on synonymy, species removed from the genus, and nomina nuda are based on the material studied in the collections mentioned above and the specimens in my own collection.
The Beneficial Effects α‐Cyclodextrin on Blood Lipids and Weight Loss in Healthy Humans

α-Cyclodextrin (α-CD) is a soluble fiber derived from corn. It has previously been reported that early intervention with Mirafit fbcx, a trademarked name for α-CD, has beneficial effects on weight management in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, and that it preferentially reduces blood levels of saturated and trans fats in the LDL receptor knockout mice. The current investigation involves overweight but not obese nondiabetic individuals and was intended to confirm the effects of α-CD on both weight management and improving blood lipid levels. Forty-one healthy adults (age: 41.4 ± 13.6 years) participated in this 2-month, double-blinded, crossover study. In 28 compliant participants (8 males and 20 females), when the active phase was compared to the control phase, there were significant decreases in body weight (−0.4 ± 0.2 kg, P < 0.05), serum total cholesterol (mean ± s.e.m., −0.295 ± 0.10 mmol/l, 5.3%, P < 0.02) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (−0.23 ± 0.11 mmol/l, −6.7%, P < 0.05). Apolipoprotein B (Apo B) (−0.0404 ± 0.02 g/l, −5.6%, P = 0.06) and insulin levels also decreased by 9.5% (−0.16 ± 0.08 pmol/l, P = 0.06) while blood glucose and leptin levels did not change. These results suggest that α-CD exerts its beneficial health effects on body weight and blood lipid profile in healthy nonobese individuals, as previously reported in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Intracerebroventricular bethanechol chloride infusion in Alzheimer's disease. Results of a collaborative double-blind study.

✓ The use of intracerebroventricular bethanechol chloride infusion in patients with Alzheimer's disease was first reported in 1984. An initial trial in four patients demonstrated the feasibility of this approach for cholinergic drug delivery to the brain, but objective improvement in cognitive function was not documented. A collaborative placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study has now been carried out in 49 patients with biopsy-documented Alzheimer's disease. The results demonstrate a statistical improvement in Mini-Mental State scores and significantly slower performance on Trails A testing during drug infusion. Other neuropsychological test scores were not similarly affected. The degree of improvement was not sufficient to justify further treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by intracerebroventricular infusion of bethanechol chloride. The drug delivery system used in the study was well tolerated, with two irreversible complications in more than 50,000 patient days.
Nucleotide-dependent bending flexibility of tubulin regulates microtubule assembly

The atomic structure of tubulin in a polymerized, straight protofilament is clearly distinct from that in a curved conformation bound to a cellular depolymerizer. The nucleotide contents are identical, and in both cases the conformation of the GTP-containing, intra-dimer interface is indistinguishable from the GDP-containing, inter-dimer contact. Here we present two structures corresponding to the start and end points in the microtubule polymerization and hydrolysis cycles that illustrate the consequences of nucleotide state on longitudinal and lateral assembly. In the absence of depolymerizers, GDP-bound tubulin shows distinctive intra-dimer and inter-dimer interactions and thus distinguishes the GTP and GDP interfaces. A cold-stable tubulin polymer with the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue GMPCPP, containing semi-conserved lateral interactions, supports a model in which the straightening of longitudinal interfaces happens sequentially, starting with a conformational change after GTP binding that straightens the dimer enough for the formation of lateral contacts into a non-tubular intermediate. Closure into a microtubule does not require GTP hydrolysis.
rTS gene expression is associated with altered cell sensitivity to thymidylate synthase inhibitors

Abstract rTS is a recently discovered gene, phylogenetically conserved and found to be expressed in a wide variety of cell lines. rTS has also been found to be overexpressed in two cell lines resistant to FU and to MTX. The MTX-resistant cell line was found to have a high degree of cross resistance to several TS inhibitors. An apparent paradox to this correlation of rTS overexpression and resistance to TS inhibitors is the observation that expression of transfected rTSα results in enhanced sensitivity of cells to the TS inhibitor prodrug TFT and a modest increase in resistance to FUdR. Since immunoprecipitation of TS leads to the co-immunoprecipitation of two proteins within the expected molecular weight range of the two rTS proteins, it may be that both proteins bind to TS in vivo and modify its activity. Preliminary data substantiate this conclusion. It is conceivable that the ratio of the two rTS proteins associated with TS in vivo may differentially alter TS activity depending upon their stoichiometry or possibly posttranslational modification. Thus it may be possible for rTS to confer greater sensitivity to one pyrimidine analog (e.g., TFT) which is a product analog but to increase resistance or have a minor effect on a substrate analog (e.g., FdUMP) by stabilizing different conformations of TS. The structure of the rTS proteins suggests they are expected to have catalytic activity which involves proton abstraction from an α-carbon of a carboxyl group. Whether this enzyme activity is functional and related to pyrimidine metabolism awaits futher study.
Tax Incentive to Exports: Some Implications for Policy Makers

The major research question of this study is: Do American manufactures view DISC (the tax incentive to export) as assisting them in becoming more competitive in export markets? The importance of this question was recognized by Secretary of Treasury Michael Blumenthal who included an earlier version of this study in the April 1979 Treasury Report titled “The Operation and Effect of the Domestic International Sales Corporation (DISC).” As such the study has received recognition at the highest level of policy making. This study is unique in two respects: 1) it examines the impact of the tax incentive on the firm's total marketing and promotional efforts. Other studies have examined only the relationship between the tax incentive and change in export prices, and 2) this study expands the investigation of sample firms to include small businesses as well as multinationals. The conclusions of this study (surveying 125 multinationals and 125 small exporting firms) suggest that DISC stimulated some marketing activities for small companies and was used as a tax shelter for large multinationals. The main policy implication is that as a tax incentive DISC is helpful in attracting small firms into export marketing.
Tracking cellular metabolomics in lipoapoptosis- and steatosis-developing liver cells

Palmitate (PA) is known to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and apoptosis in liver cells, whereas concurrent treatment of oleate (OA) with PA predominately induces steatosis without ROS in liver cells. We previously reported that PA treatment induces the decoupling of glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) fluxes, but OA co-treatment restored most metabolic fluxes to their control levels. However, the mechanisms by which metabolites are linked to metabolic fluxes and subsequent lipoapoptotic or steatotic phenotypes remain unclear. To determine the link, we used GC-MS-based polar and non-polar metabolic profiling in lipoapoptosis- or steatosis-developing H4IIEC3 hepatoma cells, to examine the metabolome at different time points after treatment with either PA alone (PA cells) or both PA and OA (PA/OA cells). Metabolic profiles revealed various changes in metabolite levels for TCA cycle intermediates, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) intermediates, and energy storage metabolites between PA and PA/OA cells. For example, adenosine was markedly increased only in PA cells, whereas gluconate was increased in PA/OA cells. To assess the interaction among these metabolites, the metabolite-to-metabolite correlations were calculated and correlation networks were visualized. These correlation networks demonstrate that a dissociation among PPP metabolites was introduced in PA-treated cells, and this dissociation was restored in PA/OA-treated cells. Thus, our data suggest that abnormal PPP fluxes, in addition to increased adenosine levels, might be related to the decoupling of glycolysis and the resulting lipoapoptotic phenotype.
Experimental study of the planar-to-cellular transition during thin-film directional solidification : observations of the long-time-scale dynamics of microstructure formation

The morphological evolution of the crystal-melt interface formed during the thin-film directional solidification of the succinonitrile-acetone alloy is studied using an experimental system that permits extremely-long-time-scale experiments under conditions close to those for the onset of cellular growth from the planar interface. Long exposure times of the alloy to high temperatures result in thermal decomposition of the succinonitrile, which increases the total concentration of solute or impurity in the sample. This effect alone may be responsible for the apparent hysteresis observed by others in the measurement of the critical solidification rate ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{c}}$ for the onset of cellular growth and may explain the differences between those experiments and numerical calculations. We show that the evolution of the planar interface into cellular structures occurs first in packets of more rapidly growing undulations separated by regions of slower growing cells. These cellular structures propagate over the entire interface and at very long times the interface exhibits shallow cells without a selected wavelength. The interface dynamics appears to be spatiotemporally chaotic. The wavelength distribution is dispersed about a mean that is almost a factor of 4 below the critical value expected from linear stability theory. Deeper cells exhibit stronger wavelength selection behavior and are observed at solidification rates only slightly above ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{c}}$; the mean wavelength increases with increasing V for deep cells.
Disruption of a radiation-induced preference shift by hippocampal lesions

Abstract Male rats with extensive hippocampal lesions, in contrast to control rats, continued to exhibit a strong preference for a saccharin solution after saccharin ingestion was paired with exposure to low level X-irradiation. The results suggest that the hippocampus mediates, in part, the motivational consequences of exposure to X-radiation.
Power models and the farm workers' struggle: A case study of the agribusiness vs. UFW conflict

Power elite and pluralist frameworks are used to examine the conflict between farm workers and their employers, in California, from 1850 to 1977. Analysis focuses on four time periods which provide varying support for the contending frameworks. Assumptions and assertions of theorists in each camp are shown to be contradicted by some of the data in this case. We conclude by suggesting that a more accurate theoretical model of our national structure of power would emerge from a series of similar case studies of important national issues.
Inhibition of implant-associated infections via nitric oxide release

The in vivo antibacterial activity of nitric oxide (NO)-releasing xerogel coatings was evaluated against an aggressive subcutaneous Staphylococcus aureus infection in a rat model. The NO-releasing implants were created by coating a medical-grade silicone elastomer with a sol-gel-derived (xerogel) film capable of storing NO. Four of the bare or xerogel-coated silicone materials were subcutaneously implanted into male rats. Ten rats were administered 10 microl of a 10(8) cfuml(-1)S. aureus colony directly into the subcutaneous pocket with the implant prior to wound closure. Infection was quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated after 8d of implantation with microbiological and histological methods, respectively. A 82% reduction in the number of infected implants was achieved with the NO-releasing coating. Histology revealed that the capsule formation around infected bare silicone rubber controls was immunoactive and that a biofilm may have formed. Capsule formation in response to NO-releasing implants had greater vascularity in comparison with uninoculated or untreated controls. These results suggest that NO-releasing coatings may dramatically reduce the incidence of biomaterial-associated infection.
SPONTANEOUS CLOSTRIDIAL MYONECROSIS

Spontaneous clostridial myonecrosis (SCM) is an uncommon but frequently fatal tissue infection. The case report and review of the literature here provide some insight into the pathophysiology of this entity and clinical settings with which it is associated. It is hoped that this discussion will increase the reader's familiarity with SCM and provide clues that will lead to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.
Towards a better understanding of Web resources and server responses for improved caching

Abstract This work focuses on characterizing information about Web resources and server responses that is relevant to Web caching. The approach is to study a set of URLs at a variety of sites and gather statistics about the rate and nature of changes compared with the resource type. In addition, we gather response header information reported by the servers with each retrieved resource. Results from the work indicate that there is potential to reuse more cached resources than is currently being realized due to inaccurate and nonexistent cache directives. In terms of implications for caching, the relationships between resources used to compose a page must be considered. Embedded images are often reused, even in pages that change frequently. This result both points to the need to cache such images and to discard them when they are no longer included as part of any page. Finally, while the results show that HTML resources frequently change, these changes can be in a predictable and localized manner. Separating out the dynamic portions of a page into their own resources allows relatively static portions to be cached, while retrieval of the dynamic resources can trigger retrieval of new resources along with any invalidation of already cached resources.