cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin-like growth factor 1 enhances renal function in a patient with chronic renal failure on peritoneal dialysis

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) has been shown to improve renal function in healthy subjects, as well as those with chronic renal failure. To our knowledge, IGF1 has not been shown to be efficacious in patients who were already undergoing dialysis. We present the case of a 70-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and overt uremic symptoms treated with IGF1 after peritoneal dialysis was discontinued because of complications. There was a significant improvement in her inulin clearance during the course of treatment. The patient remained well and did not require dialytic support for 19 weeks. Although further data are necessary, we believe this case shows that IGF1 may be a short-term alternative to dialysis in patients with ESRD.
Evidence for involvement of arachidonic acid in the teratogenic action of glucocorticoids

In addition to inhibiting shelf elevation glucocorticoids have been shown by us to inhibit breakdown of the medial edge epithelium of fetal palatal shelves from steroid-sensitive mouse strains in vivo and in a single shelf culture model in vitro. Glucocorticoids do this by reducing in the medial edge epithelial population the synthesis and/or release of lysosomal enzymes. We have also shown in rats in vivo that the clefting action of glucocorticoids, like their anti-inflammatory action, is prevented by arachidonic acid, a precursor of prostaglandins and thromboxanes. We now report that arachidonic acid is also effective against the teratogenic action of glucocorticoids in palatal shelves from steroid-sensitive mouse strains in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, arachidonic acid (200mg/kg) significantly lowers palatal clefting induced by cortisone in CD-1 (65.9% to 44.9%) and A/J (75% to 32.6%) mice. In vitro, arachidonic acid (0.001μg/ml to 1μg/ml) reverses the inhibition of medial edge epithelial breakdown by cortisol in single palatal shelves from CD-1 (10 reversals in 10 tests) and A/J (7 reversals in 8 tests) mice. Thus, arachidonic acid reverses the teratogenic action of glucocorticoids in both the fetus and our shelf culture model and evidence is provided for the possible biochemical pathway of steroid-induced palatal teratogenesis.
Scalable opportunistic VANET Content Routing with encounter information

Recently, Information Centric Networking (ICN) has attracted much attention also for mobiles. Unlike host-based communication models, ICN promotes data names as the first-class citizen in the network. However, the current ICN name-based routing requires Interests be routed by name to the nearest replica, implying the Interests are flooded in VANET. This introduces large overhead and consequently degrades wireless network performance. In order to maintain the efficiency of ICN implementation in VANET, we propose an opportunistic geo-inspired content based routing method. Our method utilizes the last encounter information of each node to infer the locations of content holders. With this information, the Interests can be geo-routed instead of being flooded to reduce the congestion level of the entire network. The simulation results show that our proposed method reduces the scope of flooding to less than two hops and improves retrieval rate by 1.42 times over flooding-based methods.
Using torsional bar testing to determine fracture toughness

A new method to determine fracture toughness K Ic of materials is introduced. A round-rod specimen having a V-grooved spiral line with a 45° pitch is tested under pure torsion. An equibiaxial tensile/compressive stress state is effectively created to simulate conventional test methods using a compact-type specimen with a thickness equivalent to the full length of the spiral line. K Ic values are estimated from the fracture load and crack length with the aid of a three-dimensional finite element analysis. K IC of 7475-T7351 aluminium is estimated to be 51.3 MPa√m, which is higher than the vendor's value in the TL orientation by ∼ 0.8% and higher than 0.5T compact tension (CT) value by 6%; A302B steel yields 54.9 MPa√m being higher than CT test value by ∼2%. Good agreement between the K IC values obtained by different methods indicates the proposed method is sound and reliable.
Pathologic analysis of photothermal and photomechanical effects of laser-tissue interactions.

Abstract— —Pathologic analysis of the biologic effects and mechanisms of laser–tissue interactions requires correlation of the irradiation parameters with the biologic status and response of the target tissues over time. The photobiologic mechanisms of laser-induced tissue injury can be separated into three categories, photochemical, photothermal and photomechanical. Anatomic pathologic analysis of laser-induced lesions reveals alterations that represent either specific markers of the photobiologic mechanism or non-specific reactions to tissue injury. Repair, regeneration and wound healing of laser induced lesions appear to be non-specific responses to the type of tissue damage rather than the photobiologic mechanism producing the lesion.
A Brief Investigation of Swarm Theory and Applications

For the last half century scientists have been discovering the biological complexities of colonies of ants, termites, bees and other insects. Although these colonies are composed of individuals with limited physical and intellectual aptitude, the behavior of the system as a whole displays highly adaptive and intelligent behavior. As a result, in the last two decades, engineers have been pursuing methods to create artificial swarm intelligence and applying these concepts of complex swarming systems to traditional and novel engineering areas such as robotics, optimization algorithms, wireless networks, and military applications. In this paper, an overview of swarm theory research is provided, followed by a more in depth demonstration of swarm behaviors including swarm clustering, formation control and swarm motion.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Heteroxanthin, diatoxanthin and diadinoxanthin from tribonema aequale

Abstract The principal crystallizable xanthophylls of Tribonema aequale are heteroxanthin, diatoxanthin, and diadinoxanthin. The latter pigment from Tribonema is identical with the diadinoxanthin from Euglena and the diatom Nitzschia . Description and identification of the pigments have been based upon comparative i.r., NMR and mass spectra.
Ethics and public policy: an analysis of a research tradition ∗

This article focuses on the relevent scholarly literature devoted to ethics and public policy. A literature search revealed an extensive body of research which lacked a coherent ordering. This article provides a model to understand a field of academic inquiry which has a rich tradition.
Poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) stationary phases for the separation of shape-constrained isomers.

A new approach for the synthesis of long alkyl chain length stationary phases for use in reversed-phase liquid chromatography is described. Poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) copolymers (i.e., (−CH2CH2−)x[CH2CH(CO2H)−]y) with different levels of acrylic acid were covalently bonded to silica via glycidoxypropyl or aminopropyl linkages. 13C cross polarization magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to characterize the new reversed-phase materials. Aspects of shape selectivity were evaluated for six different columns with Standard Reference Material (SRM) 869a, Column Selectivity Test Mixture for Liquid Chromatography. Selectivity for isomer separations was enhanced for stationary phases prepared with poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) containing a mass fraction of 5% acrylic acid. The relationship between alkyl conformation and chromatographic properties was studied by 13C magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR measurements, and correlations were made with the composition of the...
Functions of the protein and other nitrogenous fractions of potatoes in chip color development

Both by visual observation and by Hunter Color Difference Meter measurements (Rd) there appears to be no effect of the protein, soluble or insoluble fractions, on browning in the model system. There also appears to be no difference in color of filter paper discs between storage temperature and harvest date treatments as a result of the protein fractions.
Putting Together the Publicness Puzzle: A Framework for Realized Publicness

In light of the blurring between sectors, it is critical not only to understand public organizations, but also to identify factors that contribute to the achievement of public outcomes across sectors. To what extent does organizational “publicness” lend insight to understanding and managing for public outcomes? By integrating the theory of dimensional publicness with recent work on public values, this analysis presents a framework that defines realized publicness as public outcomes predicted in part by institutions embodying public values. Based on insights from neo-institutional theory, managing for public outcomes, or managing publicness, requires attention to the combined effects of regulative, associative, and cultural-cognitive public value institutions. This analysis concludes with a timely application of the realized publicness framework to mortgage lending, demonstrating the importance of conceptualizing influences from diverse types of public value institutions when evaluating a particular initiative, such as the Community Reinvestment Act, and mortgage outcomes.
Student perceptions of differences in visual communication mode for an online course in engineering

Online courses have the promise of extending the horizons of today's academic landscape with their cost-effective and convenient model compared to traditional learning environments. Despite the promising nature of the learning model, there continue to be several challenges that hinder learning, one of which is lack of instructor presence. This study aims at understanding the effect of instructor presence on student satisfaction in an online setting of a course in engineering. We conducted a student-centered pilot experiment to assess engineering students' perceptions of two modes of online minilectures: the first, a presentation with the instructor appearing in window, created using an off-the-shelf screen-capture software; the second, a presentation with the instructor overlaid in the slides created using recent visual communication technology that overlays the video of the instructor without any background images or outline boxes. The instructor was the same in both the presentations. Our focus here is on the following factors: 1. Comparing overall student satisfaction after watching the two modes; 2. Comparing the perceived non-verbal immediacy factors of the instructor; and, 3. Comparing the preference of video mode for future online courses. Preliminary results suggest a preference of the video mode with the instructor overlaid over that with the instructor in a box. The effect sizes of the differences in overall satisfaction between the experimental groups and their perceived levels of non-verbal immediacy factors when viewing the online lecture in the two modes are encouraging enough to pursue more longitudinal studies with the set-up.
Momentous Events and the Life Story

Memories of specific life episodes, termed personal event memories, have only recently become a focus of systematic research. In this article, memories of momentous events are analyzed from a funct...
Immunohistochemical localization of ATPase in human dysfunctional corneal endothelium.

Previous light microscopic autoradiographic results from our laboratory have shown a quantitative decrease in ATPase pump site density in dysfunctional corneal endothelium. In order to develop antibody techniques to correlate these findings with electron microscopic localization of pump sites, three types of corneas with dysfunctional endothelium (Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy, aphakic and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy) and two types of corneas with functional endothelium (age matched eye bank and keratoconus) were obtained at the time of transplant surgery. Corneas were fixed, frozen and cryostat sections were incubated in a rabbit kidney ATPase primary antibody followed by incubation in an HRP-labeled secondary antibody. Functional endothelia showed dense antibody labeling along the lateral cell membranes and there was a substantial reduction in labeling along the lateral membranes of dysfunctional endothelia. Positive tissue controls of rabbit kidney showed HRP reaction product in the convoluted tubu...
Analysis of classic algorithms on GPUs

The recently developed Threaded Many-core Memory (TMM) model provides a framework for analyzing algorithms for highly-threaded many-core machines such as GPUs. In particular, it tries to capture the fact that these machines hide memory latencies via the use of a large number of threads and large memory bandwidth. The TMM model analysis contains two components: computational complexity and memory complexity. A model is only useful if it can explain and predict empirical data. In this work, we investigate the effectiveness of the TMM model. We analyze algorithms for 5 classic problems - suffix tree/array for string matching, fast Fourier transform, merge sort, list ranking, and all-pairs shortest paths-under this model, and compare the results of the analysis with the experimental findings of ours and other researchers who have implemented and measured the performance of these algorithms on an spectrum of diverse GPUs. We find that the TMM model is able to predict important and sometimes previously unexplained trends and artifacts in the experimental data.
A Microscopic View of Radiation Damage in Semiconductors Using EPR as a Probe Invited Paper

This is the text of a tutorial talk on the use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) as a "microscopic" tool in the study of radiation-produced defects in semiconductors. The basic concepts of EPR and its general applicability to point defects in semiconductors are outlined. As an illustrative example, the study of a p-type (aluminum doped) silicon sample is described from 20.4°K irradiation with 1.5 MeV electrons through various annealing stages. By analysis of the EPR spectra, it is shown that the major defects can be identified and the annealing mechanisms determined.
The Evaluation of Maternal Competency

There is limited discussion of maternal competency in the consultation-liaison psychiatry literature. As awareness and reporting of child abuse is increasing, maternal ability to care for newborns is more often called into question. Maternal risk factors for harm and neglect have been identified, and positive signs of maternal ability have also been recognized as important to appraise. Specific domains in the maternal competency exam should be assessed by the psychiatrist, nursing staff, social work staff, and pediatrician. The competency exam by the psychiatrist requires a sensitive and nonjudgmental inquiry into maternal behavior and thoughts. The authors present a case study of an inpatient maternal competency consultation that illustrates some of the dilemmas encountered. Future directions should include more involvement by psychiatrists in preventive efforts and interventions that focus on pregnant women at risk in prenatal clinics and in the community.
Procalcitonin increase after endotoxin injection in normal subjects.

As procalcitonin concentrations have been shown to be elevated in patients with septicemia and gram-negative infections in particular, we proceeded to investigate the effect of endotoxin, a product of gram-negative bacteria, on procalcitonin concentrations in normal human volunteers. Endotoxin from Escherichia coli 0113:H10:k, was injected i.v. at a dose of 4 mg/kg BW into these healthy volunteers. Blood samples were obtained before and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 h after injection of the endotoxin. Each patient's cardiovascular and overall clinical status was monitored over this period. The patients developed chills and rigors, myalgia, and fever between 1-3 h. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels increased sharply at 1 h and peaked at 90 min, reaching the baseline concentration thereafter by 6 h. Interleukin-6 levels increased more gradually, peaking at 3 h and reaching the baseline concentration at 8 h. The procalcitonin concentration, which was undetectable (< 10 pg/mL) at 0, 1, and 2 h, was detectable at 4 h...
Toward Optimal ε-Approximate Nearest Neighbor Algorithms

We combine the recent optimal predecessor algorithm with a recent randomized stratified tree algorithm for an ?-approximate nearest neighbor to give an algorithm for an ?-approximate nearest neighbor in a fixed-dimensional space that is optimal with respect to universe size. We also give a deterministic version of the stratified tree algorithm.
Identification of a site that modifies desensitization of P2X2 receptors.

Abstract The time course of desensitization of P2X2receptors expressed inXenopusoocytes and HEK 293 cells was examined. We found that there was virtually no desensitization in response to 5 μM ATP, but that responses to 50 μM ATP desensitized with a highly variable time course. The time constant of desensitization varied 250fold among oocytes (from 4 to over 1000 seconds) and 10 fold among HEK cells (from 4 to 40 seconds). Mutation of D349, which lies at the cytoplasmic end of the second transmembrane domain (to either A, N, or R), resulted in a dramatic acceleration of the median rate of desensitization, and eliminated variation in the rate of desensitization. In contrast, mutation of four other charged residues in putative transmembrane domains had no effect on desensitization. These results suggest that P2X2receptor desensitization is strongly modulated by the intracellular environment, and that D349 is essential for this modulation.
Application of Covington's nonstatistical distribution of solvate species theory to the preferential solvation of Tl+ in various binary solvent systems

Covington's nonstatistical distribution of solvate species theory of preferential solvation is used to analyze205Tl chemical shift data for 0.005M TlNO3 in nine binary solvent systems. The theory quite adequately fits the experimental data, and equilibrium constants and free energies of preferential solvation are obtained. The effect of choosing different values for the solvation number is investigated and found to be slight except for systems involving DMSO,3 where decreasing the solvation number from 6 to 3 improves the fit to experimental data.
Barriers to Better Pain Control in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract Pain is often inadequately treated. To evaluate a common method of assessing pain and to identify some barriers to improving pain control, 50 hospitalized patients in pain, their nurses, and their physicians were interviewed about the pain experienced by the patients. The patients' "pain behavior" was assessed and literature was reviewed to identify the risk for developing iatrogenic drug addiction in patients with no prior history of drug abuse. Doctors and nurses tended to assess pain intensity as less than the patients' assessments. The doctor's and nurse's assessment of the same patient correlated poorly (r = 0.21). Pain behavior correlated weakly (rs = 0.36) with patients' pain scores. Twenty-one patients wanted more pain medicine but often staff would not give more. A common reason was fear of addiction, notwithstanding a literature that iatrogenic addiction hardly ever occurs in usual hospitalized patients. Barriers to better pain control in acutely hospitalized patients include: (1) exaggerated fear of iatrogenic addiction, (2) an attitude among staff that patients exaggerate the intensity of their pain, (3) poor correlation between pain behavior and pain intensity that can mislead staff who rely on pain behavior to assess pain intensity, and (4) a lack of agreement between doctor and nurse in estimating the intensity of a patient's pain. A new way of thinking about patients in pain, assessing pain as either present or absent, is proposed for evaluation. If pain is present, one should attempt to ameliorate it in a manner consistent with the desire of the patient and the acceptability of adverse effects.
Summary financial statement measures and analysts' forecasts of earnings

Abstract This study distinguishes between the information in the Ou and Penman (1989a) Pr measure and that in analysts' forecasts of earnings. For cases where analysts' forecasts are available, trading on Pr produces abnormal returns only when the predictions of Pr and those of analysts' forecasts disagree. This is consistent with Pr capturing some information not impounded in market prices. However, abnormal returns to this trading strategy continue for up to 72 months after the release of the data necessary to compute Pr . This is consistent with Pr proxying for the effects of omitted risk factors.
A Physical Concept of Soil-Water Equilibria for Nonionic Organic Compounds

Soil-water equilibrium data suggest that the transfer of nonionic chemicals from water to soil may be described in terms of a hypothesis of solute partitioning in the soil organic matter. This concept allows estimation of soil-water distribution coefficients either from solvent-water partition coefficients or aqueous solubilities.
Bisexuality in the Mythology of Ancient India

Hindu texts call into question our own gender conceptions; they tell us that desire for bisexual pleasure and the wish to belong to both sexes at the same time are very real, but unrealizable, except by those with magic gifts. Many myths bear witness to the existential perception of human beings as bisexual and to active bisexual transformations. Some may show the desire to be androgynous and, contrary to the dominant homophobic paradigm, present veiled images of a bisexuality fulfilled in happiness and satisfaction. The episode evoking Chudala as a mistress of initiation and some variants in the magical forests of Shiva and Parvati illustrate this carefree, joyous way of crossing the gender barrier.
Charge transport through a spatially periodic porous medium : electrokinetic and convective dispersion phenomena

A general theory is outlined for the transport of charge and the convective dispersion of charged species through a spatially periodic porous medium under the influence of a homogeneous, Darcy-scale electric field $\overline{E}$, as well as a homogeneous applied pressure-gradient field $\overline{\nabla}\overline{p}$. The particulate surfaces of the porous medium are characterized as possessing a non-uniform surface charge, with thin, Helmholtz double layers bordering the charged surfaces in the interstitial fluid phase. The theory uses a straightforward application of macrotransport theory, as well as standard methods of analysis of transport phenomena in spatially periodic systems, to derive, first, general expressions for the following four Darcy-scale, electromechanical-transduction property dyadics: (i) the effective electrical conductivity $\overline{\sigma}$; (ii) the hydraulic permeability $\overline{K}$; (iii) the \`streaming potential' coupling dyadic $\overline{K}\_{\text{P}}^{\text{c}}$; and (iv) the \`electroosmotic' coupling dyadic $\overline{K}\_{\text{E}}^{\text{c}}$. General formulas for these gross-scale, phenomenological coefficients are provided in terms of four spatially periodic, microscale dyadic fields ($\nabla $g, $\nabla $h, V, V$^{\text{E}}$). Unit-cell, boundary-value problems are derived for determining these latter dyadics as functions of the microscale geometrical and physicochemical nature of the porous material. In addition, formulas for computing the mean velocity $\overline{U}^{\ast}$ and dispersivity $\overline{D}^{\ast}$ of a charged, convecting and diffusing Brownian particle (or cluster of particles) are presented. Two explicit examples are offerred to illustrate the implementation of the theory. In the first example, a charged, pointsize, Brownian particle is imagined as convecting and diffusing within a porous medium composed of parallel, charged, rectilinear plates between which a Newtonian fluid flows and an electric field is applied. In the second example, leading-order expressions are derived for the electrokinetic transductive properties ($\overline{\sigma}$, $\overline{K}$, $\overline{K}\_{\text{P}}^{\text{c}}$, $\overline{K}\_{\text{E}}^{\text{c}}$) of a highly porous two-dimensional array of charged circular cylinders though which a Newtonian fluid flows. These leading-order results are found to be in agreement with results appearing in the literature.
Integration of Team-Based Learning Strategies Into a Cardiovascular Module

Objectives. To integrate components of team-based learning (TBL) into a cardiovascular module to increase students' responsibility for their own learning and actively engage students across 2 campuses in patient cases. Design. An existing cardiovascular course module was modified by replacing 8 hours of lectures with self-directed learning (SDL) assignments and transforming case discussion sessions using TBL methodologies. Case discussions were delivered using TBL methods to increase engagement of all students across both campuses while maintaining a low faculty-to-student ratio in the classrooms. Readiness assurance quizzes were performed with each SDL assignment and TBL case session. Assessment. Student and faculty satisfaction improved with the addition of SDL assignments and TBL cases without adverse effects on grades in the wake of the 14% decrease in lecture time. Total faculty time required increased primarily in the first year because of development of course materials. Conclusion. A modified TBL ...
Verapamil-sensitive left posterior fascicular ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction.

Verapamil-sensitive fascicular ventricular tachycardia (VT) of right bundle branch block (RBBB) and superior axis pattern is typically seen in young patients with structurally normal hearts and considered “idiopathic”. Recently, involvement of the Purkinje system in post-infarction monomorphic VT that mimics such idiopathic fascicular VT has been described. In this report we describe a case of a patient who following myocardial infarction developed left posterior fascicular Purkinje reentrant VT that was sensitive to verapamil. The VT was successfully treated by radiofrequency ablation guided by three dimensional electroanatomical CARTO™ mapping. Our case highlights that involvement of Purkinje fibers should be considered in post infarction patients with VT of narrow QRS duration, RBBB morphology and superior axis. Recognition of such VT is clinically important, as this arrhythmia is amenable to curative catheter ablation.
Effect of size, surface charge, and hydrophobicity on the translocation of polystyrene microspheres through gastrointestinal mucin

Microspheres (MS) have been proposed for use as oral vaccine delivery vehicles (VDV); however, due to poor and variable absorption their clinical utility is limited. The effects of size, ζ-potential, and surface hydrophobicity on the translocation (PT) permeabilities of polystyrene (PS) MS with varying surface functional groups (amidine, carboxyl, carboxylate-modified [CML], and sulfate) were determined through gastrointestinal (GI) mucin. PT were determined, under steady-state conditions, using a modified Ussing-type diffusion chamber and a mucin packet developed for use with the Transwell-Snapwell system. PT followed the Stokes-Einstein relationship, demonstrating the limited ability of larger MS (>0.5 μm) to diffuse through the mucin layer. PT also varied according to the surface characteristics. Even though the ζ-potential did not correlate with the transport of MS through mucin, surface ionization appears to be important in MS translocation. The PS-amidine MS were significantly less hydrophobic and had a higher PT than that of the other MS, suggesting that hydrophobicity is also a significant factor in MS transport through mucin. While these results suggest that mucin may be a significant barrier to the oral absorption of vaccines and VDVs in vivo, the rate-limiting barrier for the absorption of MS will be the intestinal mucosa. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 1481–1492, 1997
Complete Genome Sequence of the Haloalkaliphilic, Hydrogen-Producing Bacterium Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans

Halanaerobium hydrogenoformans is an alkaliphilic bacterium capable of biohydrogen production at pH 11 and 7% (wt/vol) salt. We present the 2.6-Mb genome sequence to provide insights into its physiology and potential for bioenergy applications.
Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding

Abstract It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that exclusive breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and health protection for the first 6 months of life, and that breastfeeding with complementary foods from 6 months until at least 12 months of age is the ideal feeding pattern for infants. Breastfeeding is an important public health strategy for improving infant and child morbidity and mortality, improving maternal morbidity, and helping to control health care costs. Research continues to support the positive effects of human milk on infant and maternal health, as it is a living biological fluid with many qualities not replicable by human milk substitutes. Recent research advancements include a greater understanding of the human gut microbiome, the protective effect of human milk for premature infants and those born to women experiencing gestational diabetes mellitus, the relationship of breastfeeding with human immunodeficiency virus, and the increased ability to characterize cellular components of human milk. Registered dietitian nutritionists and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered, should continue efforts to shift the norm of infant feeding away from use of human milk substitutes and toward human milk feeds. The role of registered dietitian nutritionists and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered, in breastfeeding promotion and support, in the context of the professional code of ethics and the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, are discussed in the "Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding," published on the Academy website at: www.eatright.org/positions.
Stochastic regularization of scalar electrodynamics

Abstract A regularization scheme, first proposed by Breit, Gupta and Zaks and based upon the Langevin equation of Parisi and Wu, is used to regularize scalar electrodynamics. This scheme is shown to preserve the masslessness of the photon and the tensor structure of the photon vacuum polarization at the one-loop level. The scalar wave function renormalization, Z 2 , is shown to be equal to the one-photon vertex renormalization, Z 1 , to all orders of the stochastically regularized theory.
Alterations in macrophage signal transduction pathways mediate post-traumatic changes in macrophage function

Abstract After injury, macrophage effector function diminishes while suppressor function increases. Protein kinase C (PKC), which initiates superoxide synthesis and phagocytosis, and phospholipase A (PLA2), which initiates eicosanoid metabolism, are key enzymes in cell signal transduction, which may mediate this change in cell function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of trauma on macrophage signal transduction. Swiss-Webster (CFW) mice (n = 210) were randomized to control or hindlimb amputation groups. Animals were sacrificed 24 hr after injury. Peritoneal macrophage function was assessed by measurement of superoxide anion (O-2), Fc, mannose-fucose-mediated phagocytosis, and PGE2 release. Membrane and cytosolic PKC activity were measured by radioimmunoassay in unstimulated and phorbol ester-stimulated cells. Membrane fatty acids and PLA2 activity were measured by thin-layer chromatography. Hindlimb amputation resulted in significantly decreased superoxide anion synthesis (0.7 ± 0.2 nm vs 1.7 ± 0.3 nmol/1/106 cells in controls, P
New ways to retire

Faculty now have the task of using retirement options creatively, and institutions, of finding common purpose with faculty.
Effect of an antibiotic algorithm on the adequacy of empiric antibiotic therapy given by a medical emergency team.

Abstract Introduction Delayed administration of effective antimicrobial therapy increases mortality in patients with septic shock. Empiric antibiotic selection in this setting can be inaccurate. The objective of this study was to determine whether an antibiotic algorithm (AA) tailored to institutional resistance patterns improves the adequacy of antimicrobial therapy. Methods A retrospective review of our rapid response system database was performed. Patients with possible sepsis with positive microbiological culture results were enrolled. Pathogens identified by culture were used to determine adequacy of antibiotic selection before and after implementation of an AA. Results A total of 234 patients with septic shock were reviewed (before AA, n = 36; after AA, n = 198). Seventy-two patients had positive cultures and were enrolled (before AA, n = 13; after AA, n = 59). Significantly more patients received adequate coverage after AA implementation (54% vs 86%, P = .02). Before AA, inadequate Gram-negative coverage was the most common reason for failure. Reasons for failure in the after-AA group were nonadherence to the algorithm (n = 5) and multidrug-resistant pathogens (n = 3). The algorithm failed in patients with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (n = 3), multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1), and Candida albicans (n = 1). Conclusions The use of an AA significantly improves the adequacy of empiric antimicrobial therapy.
AUTO-MA-TIC WORD DI-VI-SION

In a computerized word processing environment it is common to find the software performing pseudo-editorial tasks, the most prevalent of which is the automatic division of words at the end of justified lines. The purpose of such automatic word division is the minimization of white space in the copy while still maintaining a high degree of readability.
A large double scatter telescope for gamma rays and neutrons

Abstract A large aperture, area and solid angle double scatter telescope for measurements of the flux, energy, angle and time distributions of gamma rays and neutrons from a balloon is described. It is sensitive to gamma rays from 0.5 to 30 MeV and to neutrons from 2 to 100 MeV. A gamma ray is identified by Compton scatters in each of two large liquid scintillator tanks of cross section 1 m × 1 m spaced 1 m apart. For better angular resolution each tank is divided into 28 cells and each is viewed by its own photomultiplier. A neutron is identified by an elastic scatter from a proton in the first tank and a scatter by a proton or an inelastic scatter from carbon in the second tank. Measurements of the Compton electron recoil energies in each scintillator give estimates of the incident gamma ray energy and restrict its incident angle to a cone. Measurements of the proton recoil energy in the first scintillator and the time of flight between scintillators give the neutron's energy and incident angle to a cone. Time of flight separates the gamma rays from the neutrons and determines their direction through the telescope. For point sources the gamma ray detection efficiency is a maximum of 3% at 4 MeV and drops to 1% at 0.5 MeV and 0.4% at 30 MeV. The corresponding geometrical factors are 300, 100 and 40 cm 2 , respectively. The greatest efficiency occurs at 10° and falls by a factor of 3 at 60° for a 5 MeV gamma ray. For a neutron point source, its peak efficiency is 8% at 6 MeV and falls rapidly to 1% at 3 MeV and slowly to 0.4% at 100 MeV. The geometrical factors are 800, 100 and 40 cm 2 , respectively. Its efficiency is maximum for a 45° scatter and drops slowly for smaller and larger angles. For the large cells the gamma ray and neutron energy resolutions are both about 20% hwhm for the useful energies, and the cone angle resolutions are about 10° hwhm. Energy and angle resolution for the smaller cells are somewhat better. The detector has a high background rejection particularly because of the high hydrogen to carbon ratio of the scintillator of 2.0, the nanosecond time resolution and the 10° hwhm angular resolution.
Pick your poison: pricing and inventories at unlicensed online pharmacies

Electronic commerce has transformed how goods are supplied to consumers, but has also exposed weaknesses in supply regulations of certain goods, such as alcohol, weapons or prescription drugs. While licensed pharmacies have tread carefully with online sales, many enterprising operators have been selling pharmaceuticals without a license for years. Despite facing considerable adversity, unlicensed online pharmacies have managed not only to survive, but even to generate considerable revenue. In this paper, we attempt 1) to understand the economic reasons for their success, while facing stiff competition from both legal and illegal alternatives, and 2) to identify characteristics of their supply chains that could be used to disrupt illicit sales. We collected six months' worth of inventory and pricing data from 265 online pharmacies that advertise through search- engine poisoning. We compare this to data from Silk Road, an anonymous online marketplace, and from familymeds.com, a licensed online pharmacy. We discover that instead of directly competing with licensed pharmacies, unlicensed pharmacies often sell drugs that licensed pharmacies do not or cannot sell. Furthermore, unlicensed pharmacies are not only cheaper overall, but they also offer volume discounts. Clustering analysis of inventories reveals that only a few suppliers appear to cater for most unlicensed pharmacies, which suggests that cutting them off could disrupt unlicensed sales. Cross-validating our data with inventories from a random sample of 265 different pharmacies deemed ``not recommended'' by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy shows that our results are consistent across different types of questionable vendors.
How colipase-fatty acid interactions mediate adsorption of pancreatic lipase to interfaces.

Colipase is a cofactor protein which forms a 1:1 complex with pancreatic lipase. This facilitates lipase adsorption to phosphatidylcholine-rich interfaces, presumably as a consequence of the higher affinity of colipase for such interfaces. According to this model, the presence of colipase in an interface should be sufficient to enable lipase adsorption from the aqueous phase. To test this hypothesis, mixed monolayers of colipase, phosphatidylcholine, and fatty acid at the argon−buffer interface were exposed to lipase injected into the stirred aqueous subphase. Spread colipase remained associated with the lipid monolayer in a surface pressure- and lipid composition-dependent manner. For example, with diacylphosphatidylcholine alone, colipase remained in the lipid monolayer at surface pressures ≤20 mN/m, but with pure fatty acid this was increased to ∼40 mN/m. Contrary to the existing paradigm, the presence of colipase in a lipid monolayer was not sufficient to enable the adsorption of lipase to the interfa...
Programming in natural language: A descriptive analysis

This study investigated the utility of natural language in specifying procedures. Performance of programmers was compared with that of nonprogrammers on two types of problems: a “real-world” ordering task and a computer like database search task. Programmers performed better than nonprogrammers in general, although overall differences between the groups were greater for the real-world problem domain. Analyses of protocols suggest that an unconstrained natural language programming environment is presently infeasible. Although constraints imposed in the problem specification do appear to improve performance, they alone are not sufficient to produce efficient natural language programming. It is argued that programming requires general problem solving strategies and that at least some aspects of such strategies may be dependent upon the specific language in which they are implemented.
Retrieval of higher order ocean wave spectra from sunglint

Presented in this paper is a method of retrieving higher order statistical functions of the ocean wave surface from sunglint, or solar optical radiation specularly reflected from the surface. An expression was derived for the modelled slope probability density, which contains as parameters the desired cumulants and cumulant functions which we wish to retrieve. We then modelled the higher order statistical functions of the sunglint by integrating the slope density over a clipped domain representing the finite angular extent the solar disk subtends at the wave surface. This relationship was then inverted in order to retrieve the slope cumulant and cumulant functions from the corresponding functions of simulated sunglint data.
Intramolecular hydrogen bonding to improve membrane permeability and absorption in beyond rule of five chemical space

Utilising ‘beyond rule of five’ chemical space is becoming increasingly important in drug design, but is usually at odds with good oral absorption. The formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in drug molecules is hypothesised to shield polarity facilitating improved membrane permeability and intestinal absorption. NMR based evidence for intramolecular hydrogen bonding in several ‘beyond rule of five’ oral drugs is described. Furthermore, the propensity for these drugs to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds could be predicted for through modelling the lowest energy conformation in the gas phase. The modulation of apparent lipophilicity through intramolecular hydrogen bonding in these molecules is supported by intrinsic cell permeability and intestinal absorption data in rat and human.
Hughesian history of technology and Chandlerian business history: Parallels, departures, and critics

Thomas P. Hughes and Alfred D. Chandler have exerted enormous influence in their respective fields of the history of technology and business history. This essay explores the development of these two scholars and their work, highlights the interaction of Hughes and Chandler and their ideas, and indentifies the ideas and issues on which they agree and disagree. The problem of technological determinism has attended both scholars’ work and has become one of the principal avenues by which their work has been criticized. This essay argues that the rise of social contraction of technology and its cousins stemmed in large measure from political concerns about human agency in historical change in general and the problem of technological determinism in particular. Both social constructivism and historians’ embrace of the critique of American manufacturing methods launched by Piore and Sabel in their 1984 book, The Second Industrial Divide, have become principal means by which some historians have sought to lessen t...
Instability After Total Elbow Arthroplasty

Instability has limited the indications and appeal of unlinked (unconstrained, surfacing replacing) total elbow arthroplasties. True dislocation occurs in fewer than 5% of patients and may be less common when careful operative technique ensures appropriate tensioning of the medial collateral ligament, secure repair of the lateral collateral ligament, and preservation of the anterior capsule and triceps. Conversion of an unstable unlinked total elbow arthroplasty to a linked total elbow arthroplasty can be a complex and difficult procedure, but usually salvages a functional elbow.
Electrical and optical characterization of ferroelectric thin films deposited by photo-induced metallo-organic decomposition

Abstract A novel photo-induced metallo-organic decomposition (PIMOD) process has been developed for producing high-quality lithium niobate thin films on various substrates. Crack- and interdiffusion-free films have been grown by the PIMOD process. Values of dielectric constant and loss tangent were measured to be approximately 31 and 0.01, respectively, from 1 kHz to 0.1 MHz. The C-V hysteresis curves show ferroelectric switching. By prism coupling, the refractive indices were determined to be no = 2.271 and ne = 2.206 and the propagation loss was about 2.2 dB/cm. The electro-optic coefficient r 33 was measured, utilizing a transmission phase modulation technique, to be 10.7 × 10−12 m/V. The polarization reversal in the films was observed as shown in the photocurrent experiments.
On formal solutions of linear matrix differential–difference equations

Abstract In this paper, we construct a formal solution to the matrix differential–difference equation (dde) Y ′ ( t )= A ( t ) Y ( t −1), where A ( t ) is a matrix power series in t −1 . In many cases solutions to the latter equation and to the matrix differential equation Y ′ ( t )= A ( t ) Y ( t ) have the same form. However, these solutions may have different forms when the spectrum of A 0 , the leading term of A ( t ), contains −e −1 .
Interaction of retinoic acid and interferon in renal cancer cell lines.

Retinoic acid (RA) can potentiate the antitumor effect of interferons (IFN) in a variety of tumor types, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The mechanisms by which RA and IFN increase the antitumor effects in RCC are unknown. We used growth assays and mobility shift assays to examine the effects of combining 13-cis-retinoic acid (CRA) and IFN-α (plus IFN-γ) on proliferation and on the expression of the IFN-specific transcription factor IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 (ISGF3) in RCC cell lines. Combining CRA and IFN-α resulted in a significant increase in growth inhibition in four cell lines compared with IFN-α or CRA alone. Binding of nuclear extracts from RCC cells to an IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) oligonucleotide probe following incubation with IFN-α was not increased by CRA but was significantly increased by pretreatment by IFN-γ in a time-dependent fashion. Proliferation assays showed that sequential addition of IFNγ and IFN-α significantly increased growth inhibition. IFN-α but not IFN-γ o...
Improved image quality with elliptical orbits and distance-weighted backprojection SPECT reconstruction

The image quality of SPECT bone scans is enhanced through the use of distance-weighted filtered backprojection in association with elliptical orbit acquisition.
Examining Appearance-Based Rejection Sensitivity During Early Adolescence

The present study of 150 adolescents (M age = 13.05 years) examined the associations between appearance-based rejection sensitivity (Appearance-RS) and psychological adjustment during early adolescence, and evaluated three types of other-gender peer experiences (other-gender friendship, peer acceptance, and romantic relationships) as moderators. Appearance-RS was found to be uniquely related to two types of social anxiety, but not to self-esteem. Other-gender friendship emerged as a protective factor, whereas high other-gender peer acceptance emerged as a risk factor (especially for boys), after controlling for same-gender mutual best friendship involvement and peer acceptance. Results highlight the importance of distinguishing between different types of other-gender peer experiences during early adolescence and suggest that Appearance-RS during adolescence warrants further investigation.
Vitamin B-6 status and bioavailability in vegetarian women.

ABSTRAC1’ It has been hypothesized that the vitamin B-6 status of vegetarians and nonvegetarians may differ in relation to bioavailabiity of vitamin B-6. Fasting blood samples and 24-h urine collections were obtained from 13 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) vegetarian and 16 non-SDA nonvegetarian women aged 50-83 y. The two groups were further subdivided into vitamin users and nonusers. Dietary intake was estimated from a 3-d diet record. Plasma pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP) was measured by an enzymatic method. Vitamin B-6 intakes were similar and provided 85% of the RDA for both groups. The vegetarians consumed significantly more crude fiber than the nonvegetarians. No significant differences were found between the two groups for plasma PLP, urinary 4-pyridoxic acid, and urinary vitamin B-6 among vitamin nonusers or for age categories within groups. There appeared to be no adverse effect of fiber on the availability or metabolism of vitamin B-6 between these free-living groups. Am J C/in Nutr l987;46:647-5 1.