cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation experiments using pulsed‐field gradients

The underlying theoretical aspects for the application of pulsed-field gradients to heteronuclear NMR experiments are developed within the density matrix and product operator formalisms. Specific rules allow the straightforward product operator analysis of many pulsed-field-gradient NMR experiments. Using these rules, experiments for coherence selection in two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy are discussed and compared with experiments that use coherence selection by phase cycling. Methods for obtaining pure-phase lineshapes are discussed in detail. Finally, pulsed-field-gradient experiments that achieve resolution and sensitivity comparable to their corresponding phase-cycled versions are reviewed.
Copolymerization of glycidol with functionalized phenyl glycidyl ethers

Various copolymers of glycidol with phenyl-containing comonomers (glycidyl 2-methylphenyl ether, 2-biphenylyl glycidyl ether, 4-tert-butylphenyl glycidyl ether, methoxyphenyl glycidyl ether, and p-nitrophenyl glycidyl ether) were synthesized by cationic ring-opening polymerization, for possible use as nanoparticle coatings. The copolymerization involving p-nitrophenyl glycidyl ether produced p-nitrophenol as a byproduct. The copolymers were found to have relatively low average molecular weights and high polydispersities, with glass-transition temperatures in the −20 to +10°C range (approximately). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1462–1466, 2005
Propagation characteristics of capillary ripples, III. Capillary ripple velocity and attenuation dispersion on clean water surfaces and on various monolayers

Abstract The theory and instrumentation previously described by us were applied to the systems monolayer-free distilled water; stearic acid, mixed hexadecanol and octadecanol, and several long-chain fatty ester monolayers; stearic acid-polyvinyl acetate mixed films and egg albumen spread films; heptanoic acid adsorbed monolayers. Experimentally determined velocities of propagation and amplitude attenuations agreed with theory to within 1% and 7%, respectively, with distilled water and the insoluble monolayers (using limiting formulas for highly viscoelastic films). Data for heptanoic acid soluble films were considerably less reproducible, with frequency dependence of velocity of propagation appearing to deviate somewhat from theoretical expectation.
Growth of a sodium vapor bubble rising in the superheated liquid

Abstract The growth of a single spherical bubble moving in a uniformly superheated liquid is considered. The equations of motion and energy are presented in the forms which take into consideration the interaction between the motion and the growth. The fourth order Runge-Kutta method is used to obtain a simultaneous solution of equations of motion and growth rate. The solution is compared with the available experimental results. The results for liquid sodium are presented for a range of pressures and Jakob numbers.
Knockdown of prothrombin in zebrafish

Thrombin is a serine protease generated from its zymogen, prothrombin, and plays a central role in the coagulation cascade. It is also important for mammalian development. The zebrafish has now been established as an excellent genetic model for studies on mammalian hemostasis and development. In this report, we used prothrombin-specific antisense morpholinos to knock down the levels of prothrombin to characterize the effects of prothrombin deficiency in the zebrafish embryo. Prothrombin morpholino-injected zebrafish embryos yielded an early phenotype exhibiting severe abnormalities that later showed occasional bleeding. In a second late phenotype, the embryos had no observable morphological abnormalities in early stages, but showed occasional bleeding at later stages. These phenotypes resembled characteristics shown by prothrombin knockout mice. Laser-induced vascular injury on some of the normal appearing phenotypic larvae showed a prolonged time to occlusion, and recombinant zebrafish prothrombin injected into these larvae restored a normal time to occlusion thus showing the specificity of the morpholino effect. The system developed here should be useful for investigation of the role of thrombin in vertebrate development.
Treatment and prevention of equine gastric ulcer syndrome

EGUS is a common problem in horses and foals. Acids are the important causative factors and current therapy targets the suppression of gastric HCl and creation of a permissive environment for ulcer healing. Diagnosis is based on history, clinical signs, gastroscopy, and response to treatment. Of the products available, only GastroGard (FDA approved) and ranitidine have been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of EGUS. Ranitidine is often associated with treatment failure as a result of incorrect dosing and lack of owner compliance, because of the three times daily dosing required. Also, EGUS occurs in critically ill neonatal foals, but the pathogenesis may be different than in adult horses and acid-suppressive therapy may not be as effective.
The polynomial eigenstrain problem for an anisotropic ellipsoidal inclusion

The problem of an anisotropic ellipsoidal inclusion which undergoes an eigenstrain (stress-free transformation strain) of polynomial form is considered. The present result is a further development of Asaro and Barnett's result in the following senses. Not only the interior fields of the inclusion but also the exterior fields of displacement and displacement gradient are considered. Explicit integrations with respect to an angle variable are performed. Es wird das Problem eines anisotropen ellipsoidalen Einschlusses betrachtet, der einer Eigendehnung (spannungsfreie Transformationsdehnung) von polynomialer Form ausgesetzt ist. Das vorgelegte Ergebnis stellt eine Weiterentwicklung des Ergebnisses von Asaro und Barnett im folgenden Sinne dar. Nicht nur die inneren Felder des Einschlusses, sondern auch die auseren Felder der Verlagerung und des Verlagerungsgradienten werden berucksichtigt. Explizite Integrationen bezuglich einer Winkelvariablen werden durchgefuhrt.
Electrophysiologic observations during the spontaneous initiation of ischemia-induced ventricular fibrillation

Abstract Electrophysiologic features of spontaneous, ischemia-induced ventricular fibrillation were studied in 17 dogs using multiple endocardial bipoles positioned in normal and ischemic zones and at the border of ischemic myocardium. All dogs showed ventricular tachyarrhythmias prior to the initiation of ventricular fibrillation. The heart rate prior to the fatal arrhythmia in the ventricular fibrillation dogs was significantly faster than that of nonventricular fibrillation dogs. There was no difference in the coupling intervals of the initial premature complex between episodic and sustained ventricular arrhythmia in most dogs. However, shorter coupling intervals initiated sustained arrhythmia in some dogs. Sites of initiation of arrhythmia were mostly in the ischemic zone. Furthermore, diastolic electrical activity was consistently observed in the ischemic zone during fatal arrhythmia in dogs showing diastolic activity. Cycle length during the fatal arrhythmia prior to ventricular fibrillation gradually shortened, whereas cycle length of episodic ventricular tachycardia remained approximately 200 msec followed by lengthening prior to restoration of sinus rhythm. The disparity of local activation (time differences between the earliest and latest onset of the activation in the five recording sites) increased during the fatal arrhythmia. Examples of progressive intraventricular block (Wenckebach-like) between the border and the center of ischemic myocardium leading to ventricular fibrillation and resynchronization of this disparity leading to the termination of ventricular tachycardia are shown. The recording of continuous electrical activity using bipolar electrodes with an interelectrode distance of 1 mm suggests a smaller reentrant pathway during fatal arrhythmia. Our observations confirm the importance of endocardial recordings within ischemic myocardium, and adds new insight into the events leading to both episodic and sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation.
Detection of enteroviruses in marine waters by direct RT-PCR and cell culture

Sewage outfalls and storm water runoff introduces pathogenic human enteric viruses into marine coastal waters, which may pose a potential public health risk. Although members of the enterovirus group have been suggested as possible indicators of sewage pollution in marine waters, the lack of rapid, sensitive and cost effective methods have prevented routine monitoring in the United States. This study compared traditional cell culture and direct RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) amplification for detection of an enterovirus. Poliovirus could be recovered from 100 L of artificial seawater with an average efficiency of 77%, using adsorption and elution from electronegative filters. Viruses were eluted from the filters with 1.5% beef extract for viruses (BEV) adjusted to pH 9.5 and reconcentrated by organic flocculation to a volume of 30 mL. Substances which interfered with detection by RT-PCR were removed by treatment of the concentrates with sephadex and chelex resins. Direct RT-PCR could detect 2.5 and 0.025 PFU (plaque forming units) for single (25 cycles) and double PCR (2 × 25 cycles) in 10 μL of pure culture poliovirus samples, respectively. These methods are currently being applied to assess the occurrence of enteroviruses at marine bathing beaches influenced by sewage discharges.
The low-temperature diffusion of Hydrogen through annealed, quenched and aged gold

Abstract An electrolytic method has been used to measure the diffusivity of hydrogen through gold in the well-annealed state, as-quenched from 1248 K, and in foils formed by aging the quenched material at temperatures in the range 348–673 K. The resulting diffusivities are consistent with a simple statistical model in which a fraction of the H atoms saturate traps formed by quenched-in vacancies, but the mobility is primarily determined by the excess of nontrapped H atoms diffusing through “normal” sites in the fcc lattice.
Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of volume measurement of knee cartilage segmented from the OAI MR image set using a novel semi-automated segmentation method.

Summary Objective We developed a semi-automated method based on a graph-cuts algorithm for segmentation and volumetric measurements of the cartilage from high-resolution knee magnetic resonance (MR) images from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) database and assessed the intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of measurements obtained via this method. Design MR image sets from 20 subjects of varying Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) grades (from 0 to IV) on fixed flexion knee radiographs were selected from the baseline double-echo and steady-state (DESS) knee MR images in the OAI database (0.B.1 Imaging Data set). Two trained radiologists independently performed the segmentation of knee cartilage twice using the semi-automated method. The volumes of segmented cartilage were computed and compared. The intra- and inter-observer reproducibility were determined by means of the coefficient of variation (CV%) of repeated cartilage segmented volume measurements. The subjects were also divided into the low- (0, I or II) and high-KL (III or IV) groups. The differences in cartilage volume measurements and CV% within and between the observers were tested with t tests. Results The mean (±SD) intra-observer CV% for the 20 cases was 1.29 (±1.05)% for observer 1 and 1.67 (±1.14)% for observer 2, while the mean (±SD) inter-observer CV% was 1.31 (±1.26)% for session 1 and 1.79 (±1.72)% for session 2. There was no significant difference between the two intra-observer CV%'s ( P =0.272) and between the two inter-observer CV%'s ( P =0.353). The mean intra-observer CV% of the low-KL group was significantly smaller than that for the high-KL group for observer 1 (0.83 vs 1.86%: P =0.025). The segmentation processing times used by the two observers were significantly different (observer 1 vs 2): (mean 49±12 vs 33±6min) for session 1 and (49±8 vs 32±8min) for session 2. Conclusion The semi-automated graph-cuts method allowed us to segment and measure cartilage from high-resolution 3T MR images of the knee with high intra- and inter-observer reproducibility in subjects with varying severity of OA.
Structural studies of a Phe256Trp mutant of human salivary alpha-amylase: implications for the role of a conserved water molecule in enzyme activity

Abstract In the mechanism of hydrolysis of starch by α-amylases, a conserved water molecule bridging two catalytic residues has been implicated. In human salivary α-amylase (HSAmy), this water (W641), observed in many α-amylase structures, is part of a chain of water molecules. To test the hypothesis that W641 may be involved in the mechanism, Phe256 in the close vicinity was mutated to a Trp residue. X-ray structure of F256W complexed to 2-amino-2-(hydroxyethyl)-1,3-propanediol at 2.1 A revealed that the water chain is disrupted. In the F256W structure exhibits a positional shift in His305, characteristic of α-amylase complex structures. Kinetic analysis, in comparison with HSAmy, revealed that the mutant exhibited a 70-fold decrease in the specific activity for starch and significantly reduced kcat (20-fold) and Km (4-fold) for maltoheptaoside. Collectively, these results suggest that W641 and the chain of water molecules may be critical for the α-amylase activity.
An evaluation of multidisciplinary intervention for chronic fatigue syndrome with long-term follow-up, and a comparison with untreated controls

Abstract Individuals meeting the Fukuda et al definition for chronic fatigue syndrome completed a multidisciplinary assessment that included medical, psychiatric, behavioral, and psychological evaluations. Patients were then offered a comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention that included (1) bringing the patient under optimal medical management; (2) treating any ongoing affective or anxiety disorder pharmacologically; and (3) implementing a comprehensive cognitive–behavioral treatment program. Fifty-one patients proceeded to treatment. The cognitive–behavioral component was carried out through the use of a therapist working with the patients in their own environments. The program was individually tailored to patients, but included (1) structured physical exercise and activation; (2) sleep management strategies; (3) careful activity management; (4) regulation of stimulant intake and reductions in use of symptomatic medications; (5) cognitive intervention designed to deal with patients' beliefs concerning the nature of their disorder; (6) participation of patients' family; and (7) efforts to establish specific vocational and avocational goals. Third parties were encouraged to collaborate cooperatively. Employers were urged to provide employment opportunities and facilitate a graduated but time-targeted return to work. Disability carriers were encouraged to provide interim financial support in the form of disability benefits, support therapeutic intervention, but also to establish a clear time-frame to access to benefits. Of 51 treated patients, 31 returned to gainful employment, 14 were functioning at a level equivalent to employment, and 6 remained significantly disabled. Twenty of the original 71 patients were contacted an average of 33 months later. Patients who had been treated showed good maintenance of gains. Untreated patients showed improvement in only a minority of cases.
Disruption of Estrous Cycles in Exercise-Trained Rats

The female Sprague-Dawley rat was evaluated as an animal model for the menstrual irregularities that are common in women athletes. Daily vaginal smears revealed that estrous cycles were markedly disrupted in rats during a 10-week exercise training program, while cycles remained normal in sedentary rats. Compared to 9 sedentary rats, the 10 exercise-trained rats had longer mean cycle lengths and fewer estrus smears. Six of the exercise-trained rats, but none of the sedentary rats, had an "anestrus period" with more than twice the normal interval between estrus smears; one exercise-trained rat became essentially acyclic. Weight gain during the 10-week training program was lower in exercise-trained rats than in sedentary rats. Colonic temperatures, monitored at rest and during 30 min of exercise, were slightly lower in exercise-trained rats with irregular estrous cycles than in exercise-trained rats with regular cycles, indicating that unusually elevated body temperatures during exercise are not responsible for exercise-related reproductive acyclicity. It is concluded that the female Sprague-Dawley rat may be a useful animal model for the study of menstrual irregularities associated with exercise training.
Tort Reform and Implied Conflict Preemption

Almost twenty years ago, the Supreme Court erred in equating state products law with other forms of state regulation of potentially dangerous products. From there, it was only a short step to declare that the common - law imposition of liability could conflict with, and thus be preempted by, federal regulatory policy.At the time, state courts and legislatures were in the process of overturning thirty years of a strict liability experiment - an experiment that had been tried and ultimately found to be inconsistent with our fundamental understanding of the circumstances under which the assignment of responsibility for accidents was to be made.The timing could not have been worse. Because the Court did not articulate any principled basis for determining the content of federal policy, conflict preemption emerged as a means of not just reforming tort doctrine to rein in its perceived excesses, but to abolish it altogether.This Article traces the development of these events, illustrates the problem through the example of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s regulation of disposable lighters, and proposes a limitation to the use of conflict preemption doctrine in order to ensure that victims of negligence are not left without recourse.
Behavioral and pharmacological influences on phencyclidine discrimination in the pigeon

Discriminative stimuli produced by drugs control behavior in the same way as exteroceptive discriminative stimuli control behavior, despite the difficulty in controlling the intensity of the discriminative stimulus properties of drugs throughout test sessions. In recent years, many investigators have correlated the potency of drugs as discriminative stimuli, with their affinity for specific pharmacological receptors. High correlations have been interpreted as evidence that the discriminative stimulus properties of drugs are mediated by these specific pharmacological receptors. However, the relationship between discriminative stimulus potency and receptor affinity can be confounded by other pharmacological effects of drugs, such as their ability to produce position responding, and by behavioral variables, such as the schedule of reinforcement under which the drug discrimination is established and measured.
Low loss channel waveguides in polymers

The primary routes for creating polymeric channel waveguides are reviewed. Processes, materials, waveguide performance, and applications recently reported in the literature are covered. Emphasis is on an internal diffusion approach under development at Du Pont which has not been widely reported. The intent is to provide a perspective on the flexibility and versatility for fabricating polymer channel waveguides for practical integrated optic applications. >
Practical multiuser diversity with outdated channel feedback

Inspired by the information theoretic results concerning multiuser diversity, we address practical issues in implementing multiuser diversity in a multiple access wireless setting. Considering a channel-assigning strategy that assigns the channel only to the user with the best instantaneous SNR , our emphasis is on the effects of channel feedback delay in downlink transmissions. A finite set of M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) constellations is adopted and a constant transmit power is assumed in this practical multiuser adaptive modulation scheme. Based on the closed-form expressions for average bit error rate (BER) and average data rate, we illustrate the impact of channel feedback delay on the achievable multiuser diversity gain with the number of users. Simple and accurate asymptotic approximations are also provided in the limit of large numbers of users. Focusing on different applications, we propose two optimization criteria for the switching thresholds, based on either an average BER, or an outage probability constraint. Two novel constant power, variable rate M-QAM schemes that are less sensitive to feedback delay are proposed using the optimal switching thresholds, which are derived to maximize the average data rate subject to these two constraints, respectively. To obtain a certain degree of fairness among the users, we also consider a fair channel-assigning strategy that assigns the channel to only the user with the greatest normalized SNR.
The Role of Bilirubin Production in Breast-fed Infants with Elevated Serum Bilirubin Concentrations at 2 Weeks of Life

The carboxyhemoglobin level (COHb), an accepted qualitative index of bilirubin production, was measured in normal, full-term, breast-fed (n = 9) or formula-fed (n = 11) infants at 2 days and 2 weeks of life. The mean COHb did not differ significantly at 2 days and 2 weeks in either of the groups, nor did the mean COHb differ between the groups at 2 weeks. The mean serum bilirubin concentration was lower in the formula-fed infants compared to the breast-fed infants at 2 weeks (p < 0.05). The mean serum bilirubin concentration decreased by only 14 percent among the breast-fed infants, and actually increased in three infants by 2 weeks. In comparison, the mean serum bilirubin concentration of the formula-fed infants decreased by 61 percent (p < 0.05), with the serum bilirubin concentration decreasing in each infant by 2 weeks. These findings are consistent with the generally held belief that bilirubin production is not the primary etiology of elevated serum bilirubin concentrations associated with breast-fee...
Cylindrical Bending of Laminated Plates with Distributed and Segmented Piezoelectric Actuators/Sensors

The generalized plane quasistatic deformations of linear piezoelectric laminated plates are analyzed by the Eshelby‐Stroh formalism. The laminate consists of homogeneous elastic or piezoelectric laminae of arbitrary thickness and width. The three-dimensional differential equations of equilibrium for a piezoelectric body are exactly satiseed at every point in the body. The analytical solution is in terms of an ine nite series; the continuity conditions at the interfaces between adjoining laminae and boundary conditions at the edges are satise ed in the sense of Fourier series. The formulation admits different boundary conditions at the edges and is applicable to thick and thin laminated plates. Results are presented for laminated elastic plates with a distributed piezoelectric actuator on the upper surface and a sensor on the lower surface and subjected to different sets of boundary conditions at the edges. Results are also provided for a piezoelectric bimorph and an elastic plate with segmented piezoelectric actuators bonded to its upper and lower surfaces.
Axon guidance and synaptic maintenance: preclinical markers for neurodegenerative disease and therapeutics

Axon-guidance-pathway molecules are involved in connectivity and repair throughout life (beyond guiding brain wiring during fetal development). One study found that variations (single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) in axon-guidance-pathway genes were predictive of three Parkinson's disease (PD) outcomes (susceptibility, survival free of PD and age at onset of PD) in genome-wide association (GWA) datasets. The axon-guidance-pathway genes DCC, EPHB1, NTNG1, SEMA5A and SLIT3 were represented by SNPs predicting PD outcomes. Beyond GWA analyses, we also present relevant neurobiological roles of these axon-guidance-pathway molecules and consider mechanisms by which abnormal axon-guidance-molecule signaling can cause loss of connectivity and, ultimately, PD. Novel drugs and treatments could emerge from this new understanding.
A new mathematical interpretation of the FSAN crosstalk-summing method

It was recently shown that the full service access network (FSAN) method for computing the power spectral density (PSD) of the crosstalk noise produced by a mixture of digital subscriber line (DSL) disturbers may be considered a particular case of a general lower bound-obtained using Minkowski's inequality-of the sum of the power spectra of the noises generated by the individual interferer classes. Such a result was deemed important because it gave certain mathematical validation to the FSAN method, which currently lacks a theoretical foundation. The main contribution of the present paper is a proof that the FSAN method is equivalent to the L/sup P/ norm of a function suitably defined in a finite counting measure space, for a particular value of p. This result is regarded as relevant to the search of a mathematical basis for the FSAN method because it brings forward a new perspective for the theoretical analysis of the technique. Several results obtained with the help of this formulation are presented, including (1) a proof that the FSAN method always produces results smaller than or equal to the ones obtained by the simple sum of the crosstalk PSDs of the individual interferer classes and (2) a proof that the L/sup P/ norm with p/spl rarr//spl infin/ may be used to estimate the PSD of the crosstalk produced by the dominant disturber or disturber class at a particular frequency. The meaning of these results is illustrated with two examples.
Chromosomal mapping of the genetic basis of hypertension and renal disease in FHH rats

This study examined the genetic basis for hypertension and renal disease phenotypes in Fawn Hooded hypertensive (FHH) rats using chromosome substitution strains (consomic rats) in which each of the...
Hinged Forearm Split-Thickness Skin Graft for Radial Artery Fasciocutaneous Flap Donor Site Repair

Objective To present a modified technique in the harvest and application of split-thickness skin graft (STSG) from the primary flap donor site in forearm fasciocutaneous free flaps. Methods A prospective review was performed on 16 consecutive patients who had undergone a radial forearm free flap procedure for reconstruction of head and neck defects with a hinged forearm STSG used to reconstruct the flap donor site defect. Results Sixteen patients with a mean (SD) defect size of 53.7 (29.9) cm 2 underwent the hinged STSG procedure. A hinged STSG was successfully harvested from all patients without disruption. Graft take was greater than 90% in all patients by postoperative day 7. A secondary skin graft donor site was avoided in all but 2 patients. Good color match of the deepithelialized flap with surrounding oral and pharyngeal mucosa was observed. Visible scarring along the graft hinge margin was absent. No bridging scars resulted from the deepithelialized flaps. Conclusions The hinged STSG from the forearm is a reliable method of repairing radial forearm free flap donor site defects and offers the advantages of reduced suture line scarring, minimal STSG disruption, low or no secondary donor site morbidity, and good color match at the donor and recipient flap sites.
New lower bounds for halfspace emptiness

The author derives a lower bound of /spl Omega/(n/sup 4/3/) for the halfspace emptiness problem: given a set of n points and n hyperplanes in R/sup 5/, is every point above every hyperplane? This matches the best known upper bound to within polylogarithmic factors, and improves the previous best lower bound of /spl Omega/(nlogn). The lower bound applies to partitioning algorithms in which every query region is a polyhedron with a constant number of facets.
Control of Calcium in Skeletal Muscle Excitation-Contraction Coupling: Implications for Malignant Hyperthermia

The missing link in our understanding of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) in skeletal muscle is the mechanism by which Ca2+ increases in the cytosol to trigger contraction. We discuss here a general background of intracellular Ca2+ handling, some characteristics of the major proteins involved in Ca2+ flow during ECC, and mechanisms currently believed to explain the increase in Ca2+ upon stimulation of muscle cells. These mechanisms include the calcium-induced calcium release, the direct coupled mechanism in which a plasma membrane and sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane protein interact, and mechanisms involving Ca2+ secretagogues that are known to elicit increases in calcium in other cells, inositol trisphosphate, and cyclic ADP ribose. We also consider possible roles for proteins associated with the principal calcium release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the ryanodine receptor. Finally, we discuss malignant hyperthermia, a disease associated directly with aberrant control of muscle cell calcium release.
Computed tomography, endoscopic, laparoscopic, and intra-operative sonography for assessing resectability of pancreatic cancer

Pancreas cancer is the fourth leading cancer killer in adults. Cure of pancreas cancer is dependent on the complete surgical removal of localized tumor. A complete surgical resection is dependent on accurate preoperative and intra-operative imaging of tumor and its relationship to vital structures. Imaging of pancreatic tumors preoperatively and intra-operatively is achieved by pancreatic protocol computed tomography (CT), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS), and intra-operative ultrasound (IOUS). Multi-detector CT with three-dimensional (3–D) reconstruction of images is the most useful preoperative modality to assess resectability. It has a sensitivity and specificity of 90 and 99%, respectively. It is not observer dependent. The images predict operative findings. EUS and LUS have sensitivities of 77 and 78%, respectively. They both have a very high specificity. Further, EUS has the ability to biopsy tumor and obtain a definitive tissue diagnosis. IOUS is a very sensitive (93%) method to assess tumor resectability during surgery. It adds little time and no morbidity to the operation. It greatly facilitates the intra-operative decision-making. In reality, each of these methods adds some information to help in determining the extent of tumor and the surgeon’s ability to remove it. We rely on pancreatic protocol CT with 3–D reconstruction and either EUS or IOUS depending on the tumor location and operability of the tumor and patient. With these modern imaging modalities, it is now possible to avoid major operations that only determine an inoperable tumor. With proper preoperative selection, surgery is able to remove tumor in the majority of patients. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Software synthesis from synchronous specifications using logic simulation techniques

This paper addresses the problem of automatic generation of implementation software from high-level functional specifications in the context of embedded system on chip designs. Software design complexity for embedded systems has increased so much that a high-level functional programming paradigm need to be adopted for formal verifiability, maintainability and short time-to-market. We propose a framework for efficiently generating implementation software from a synchronous state machine specification for embedded control systems. The framework is generic enough to allow hardware/software partition for a given architecture platform. It is demonstrated that the logic optimization and simulation techniques can be combined to produce fast execution code for such embedded systems. Specifically, we propose a framework for software synthesis from multi-valued logic, including fast evaluation of logic functions, and scheduling techniques for node execution. Experiments are performed to show the initial results of our algorithms in this framework.
Population distribution of placental benzo(α)pyrene metabolism in smokers

Human placental microsomes isolated from term placentas derived from nonsmoking women and women smoking 1 to 40 cigarettes a day were analyzed for the metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene measured as various metabolites by HPLC and/or as aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH)6 activity. In accordance with other reports, AHH activity was several times higher in smokers than in nonsmokers. Regression analysis on 13 different placental tissues from women smoking from 1 to 40 cigarettes demonstrated a high correlation (r = 0.8 to 0.9) between AHH activity (or the formation of benzo(a)pyrene phenols resolved by HPLC) versus the formation of the procarcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol. Subsequent studies on placentas derived from 67 women who smoked 10 to 40 cigarettes per day demonstrated a definite dose-response relationship between AHH activity and the number of cigarettes smoked/day. The dose-response curve was sigmoidal in shape; however, when the data were plotted on a semi-log scale the curve assumed a linear shape, reaching saturation of AHH induction beyond 20 to 25 cigarettes/day. While mean AHH activity was dependent upon the number of cigarettes smoked/day, considerable interindividual variability in AHH (ranging more than 1,000-fold in some cases) was observed among individuals with comparable smoking histories, i.e. smoking the same number of cigarettes. Population distribution suggested clustering of the population in the low-AHH-activity region while cord-blood thiocyanate analysis and twin studies suggested that genetic factors contributed to a major portion of the inter-individual variability in AHH activity observed among smokers.
LONG‐TERM DYNAMICS OF AN INVERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGE DOWNSTREAM FROM A LARGE DAM

A century of hydrologic data (1895–1999) and 50 yr of aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblage data (1947–1999) were examined for two tailwater reaches of the Green River downstream from Flaming Gorge Dam in northeastern Utah, USA (40°54′ N, 109°25′ W). One reach was located upstream of an intermittent tributary, and the other downstream. The purpose of the study was to chronicle long-term dynamics and the effect of partial thermal restoration on invertebrate assemblages. The immediate hydrologic effect of the dam was a large decrease in annual maximum daily discharges, water temperatures, and sediment transport. Upstream of the intermittent tributary, macroinvertebrate genera declined from >70 to <30, and the mean macroinvertebrate density increased from 1000 to 10 000/m2 after dam closure. In 1978, a multilevel water intake structure was installed on the dam. Mean summer water temperatures increased from 6° to 12°C, and the number of annual degree days warmed from 2340 to 3200, which was similar to pre-dam ...
Time Comparison between the Cross-Over and Jab-Step Starts

(1979). Time Comparison between the Cross-Over and Jab-Step Starts. Research Quarterly. American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance: Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 521-523.
A moveable face: deconstructing the Microchiroptera and a new classification of extant bats

ABSTRACT Recent comparative-method and molecular studies have called into question both the classic subordinal division of bats into Megachiroptera versus Microchiroptera and the infraordinal separation of microchiropterans as Yinochiroptera and Yangochiroptera: megabats are not necessarily large, nor are microbats uniformly small; some yinochiropterans may be specially related to megachiropterans whilst others are more nearly affiliated with yangochiropterans; and quite apart from the conflict with DNA comparisons, the microbat dichotomy (based on moveable versus fused premaxillae) is neither completely cladistic nor parsimonious. We conclude that current appellations — including the neologism Yinpterochiroptera — no longer embody the authors' intended groups or have been so frequently redefined as to be positively misleading. We therefore adopt the new subordinal names Vespertilioniformes (for the group including Emballonuridae, Nycteridae, and the ‘yangochiropterans’) and Pteropodiformes (for the taxon...
Modulation of Na-K-2Cl cotransport by intracellular Cl− and protein kinase C-δ in Calu-3 cells

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that intracellular Cl−(Cl i − ) regulates the activity of protein kinase C (PKC)-δ and thus the activation of Na-K-Cl cotransport (NKCC1) in a Calu-3 cell li...
Quark fragmentation functions and long-range correlations in e+e- annihilation at 29 GeV

We study long-range correlations between hadrons in opposite jets ine+e− annihilation events at\(\sqrt s \)=29 GeV. We use the data to measure differences between quark and antiquark fragmentation functions into charged hadrons, and to estimate the variation of fragmentation properties among quark flavors. We find large variations in longitudinal fragmentation functions, but universal mean transverse momenta of hadrons in jets.
Healthy Children and Fears about Death

Some explanations for the paucity of empirical studies of death fears in healthy, nonbereaved children are offered, and issues in studying this topic are discussed. Three major findings from the ex...
Hemiparesis after general anesthesia in a patient with migraine with unilateral motor symptoms.

Abstract Design This is a case report. Setting The setting is at a postoperative recovery area. Patients: A 52-year-old woman with a history of migraine with unilateral motor symptoms developed hemiparesis after undergoing general anesthesia for total thyroidectomy. Interventions No interventions were performed. Measurements/main results Head computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were normal. Laboratory studies including basic metabolic panel and complete blood count were also within normal limits. Conclusions General anesthesia may be a trigger for hemiplegic migraine syndromes; however, it behooves the practitioner to rule out acute neurologic and metabolic events before making this diagnosis.
SU-F-T-557: Evaluation of Detector Response in Rectangular Small Field Dosimetry

Purpose: As stereotactic treatment modalities grow towards becoming the standard of care, the need for accurate dose computation in small fields is becoming increasingly essential. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the response of different detectors, intended for small field dosimetry, in jaw defined small rectangular fields by analyzing output factors from a stereotactic clinical accelerator. Methods: Two Dosimeters, the Exradin A26 Microionization Chamber (Standard Imaging) and Edge Diode Detector (Sun Nuclear) were used to measure output factors taken on the Varian Edge Stereotactic Linear accelerator. Measurements were taken at 6MV and 6FFF at 10cm depth, 100cm SSD in a 48×48×40cm3 Welhoffer BluePhantom2 (IBA) with X and Y jaws set from 0.6 to 2.0cm. Output factors were normalized to a 5×5cm2 machine-specific reference field. Measurements were made in the vertical orientation for the A26 and horizontal orientation for both the A26 and Edge. Output factors were measured as: OFFS = MFS/Mref where MFS and Mref are the measured signals for the clinical field and the reference field, respectively. Measured output factors were then analyzed to establish relative responses of the detectors in small fields. Results: At 6MV the Edge detector exhibited a variation in output factors dependent on jaw positioning (X-by-Y vs Y-by-X) of 5.7% of the 5×5cm reference output and a variation of 3.33% at 6FFF. The A26 exhibited variation of output factor dependent on jaw positioning of upto 7.7% of the 5×5cm reference field at 6MV and upto 5.33% at 6FFF. Conclusion: Both the Edge detector and A26 responded as expected at small fields however a dependence on the jaw positioning was noted. At 6MV and 6FFF the detector response showed an increased dependence on the positioning of the X jaws as compared to the positioning of the Y jaws.
An Interactive Visual Analysis Tool for Cellular Behavior Studies Using Large Collections of Microscopy Videos

This paper presents an interactive visual analysis tool created for studying collections of video data. Our driving application is cellular behavior studies that use microscopy imaging methods. The studies routinely generate large amounts of videos with various experimental conditions. It is very time-consuming for the scientists to watch each video and manually extract features-of-interest for further comparative and quantitative studies. We show that with our visualization tool, scientists are now able to conveniently observe, select and isolate, and compare and analyze the cellular behaviors from different perspectives within one framework. The tremendous time and effort saved allow scientist to focus on deriving the actual meaning behind certain observed behaviors.
The Schrödinger Wave Equation and Probability Interpretation

With the Bohr relation for the energy, E = ħω, and the deBroglie relation for the momentum vector, \( \vec p=\hbar\vec k \),we see the dispersion relation for waves \( \omega = f(\vec k), \) goes over to a relation between energy and momentum. For a conservative system, this relation can be expressed through \( {\rm E} = H(\vec p,\vec r), \) where H is the Hamiltonian function. In particular, for a free, nonrelativistic particle, of mass m, this “dispersion relation” becomes $$ {\rm E} = \frac{{(\vec p \cdot \vec p)}}{{2m}}. $$ (1) .
Development and Operation of a Large Hot Isostatic Pressing System

High pressure through its utilization in the hot-isostaticpressing (HIP) process has found wide acceptance in various industries. Hot-isostatic-pressing is the simultaneous application of heat and gas pressure to a body to perform useful work. The first application for hot isostatic pressing was the isostatic diffusion bonding of nuclear components developed at this laboratory in 1955 [1,2]. Today the major applications of this process are in the areas of powder consolidation, upgrading of the properties of cast materials, improvement of the properties of carbide materials, high pressure impregnation, and high pressure carbonization in addition to isostatic-diffusion bonding [3].
Experiences of Professional Nurses Using Computer Technology in the Intensive Care Unit Setting in Swaziland

The use of computer technology by nurses in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting is relatively new in Swaziland. In 2010, the second ICU opened in the country and very few nurses had been trained in critical care nursing. Understanding the nurses’ experiences with computer technology use in the ICUs in Swaziland may reveal effective strategies for the adoption and optimisation of the new technology for patient care activities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of professional nurses using computer technology in the ICU setting in the Swazi context. Purposive sampling of ICU nurses ( N = 13) was done at two hospitals in Swaziland to engage in individual face-to-face interviews. Colaizzi’s method guided the thematic analysis of the narrative data. Two themes emerged from the data analysis: practice value benefits and computer utilisation challenges . The narrative data revealed that the nurses valued the technology, but experienced challenges when using computers to perform their daily nursing activities. Nurses perceived that computers made work easier and contributed to quality improvement and resource utilisation. However, the challenges included a lack of institutional support and resource supplies, insufficient orientation and training and unreliable computer systems and Internet connectivity. As the use of computers by ICU nurses becomes the standard in Swaziland, these findings suggest that a well-designed orientation and ongoing institutional support may serve to optimise the use of the technology. Further research may explore the impact of computer technology on work-related quality of life for nurses and its effectiveness in improving patient care and clinical outcomes.
Cambi-Kollas : Bridging the Divide? Highland Migrants in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

On August 10, 2008 Bolivians went to the polls in a recall referendum on President Evo Morales and eight of nine Departmental Prefects. Morales, who won the 2005 election with an impressive 54% of the vote, saw his support increase to over 67% in the recall election while opposition prefects in two crucial departments—La Paz and Cochabamba—were ousted. The results showed broad support for the bold reforms he favors: 1) beating back the forces of neo-liberalism and globalization, 2) moving instead—as his party’s name ( Movimiento al Socialismo ) unflinchingly proclaims—toward socialism; 3) ending forced eradication of peasant-grown coca while exploring new markets for the leaf; 4) redistributing the nation’s lands more equitably; and 5) reversing 500 years of oppression by restoring power to Bolivia’s indigenous majority through constitutional reforms.
Exploiting Human Mobility Patterns for Point-of-Interest Recommendation

Point-of-interest (POI) recommendation, which provides personalized recommendation of places to mobile users, is an important task in location-based social networks (LBSNs). Unlike traditional interest-oriented merchandise recommendation, POI recommendation is more complex due to the timing effects: we need to examine whether the POI fits a user»s availability. While there are some prior studies which consider temporal effects by solely using check-in timestamps for modeling, they suffer from check-in data sparsity. Recent years, the advent in positioning technology has accumulated a variety of urban data related to human mobility. There is a potential to exploit human mobility patterns from heterogeneous information sources for improving POI recommendation. To this end, we propose a novel method which incorporates the degree of temporal matching between users and POIs into personalized POI recommendations. Specifically, we profile the temporal popularity of POIs, learn the latent regularity to characterize users, and conduct comprehensive experiments with real-world data. Evaluation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
"Forbes" 30 under 30 in Education: Manufacturing "Edu-Preneur" Networks to Promote and Reinforce Privatization/Marketization in Education.

Each year Forbes bestows a handful of “edu-preneurs” with the 30 Under 30 Award in Education (Under30), designating those individuals as the best hope for revolutionizing and reforming education. Boasting low recipient rates, Forbes elevates the manufactured expertise of awardees and the importance of their organizations and ventures. Further, Forbes employs the language and norms of neoliberalism to articulate a pro-market vision of education reform. This social network analytic (SNA) study seeks to untangle the edu-preneur network and critically examine the connections between awardees, their organizations, judges, and the larger education reform network. To this end, we utilized descriptive analyses and SNA. We find evidence that Under30 serves as a mechanism for promoting social closure and ideological homophily within education reform networks. Further, we consider the policy implications that such awards may have on public discourse and policy creation.
Ideals, varieties and Macaulay 2

This chapter introduces Macaulay 2 commands for some elementary computations in algebraic geometry. Familiarity with Grobner bases is assumed.
Introduction: Meteorites as Probes of Processes Occurring Very Early in the History of the Solar System

The solar system consists of the sun, nine planets, 32 known satellites (and a ring system), several thousand telescopically visible asteroids, >105 comets, meteoroids (see Glossary), interplanetary dust, and a tenuous and transitory plasma (the solar wind). A primary purpose of meteorite research is to learn more about the origin and evolution of the solar system.