cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The reversibility of the effects of acth and cytochalasin B on the ultrastructure and steroidogenic activity of adrenocortical tumor cells In vitro

Abstract We have demonstrated previously that the steroidogenic activity of ACTH on cultured adrenal tumor cells is associated with cell rounding and a rearrangement of microfilaments. Cytochalasin B (CB) also induces cell rounding, but changes the conformation of microfilaments and severely inhibits steroidogenesis. ACTH and CB may have different modes of action on the contractile machinery which are related to their opposing actions on steroidogenesis. To investigate this possibility further, we have examined the reversibility of the morphological and functional effects of these agents. Cultures were incubated for 1 hr, with and without ACTH (10 mU/ml of media), or with CB (50 μg/ml), or with both agents simultaneously. After a media wash, the cultures were incubated for 1 hr, with and without ACTH. The steroid production of the cells during pre- and post-washout incubations was determined, and some cultures were fixed for electron microscopy at the end of both incubation periods. The three- to ten-fold increases in steroidogenic activity of ACTH-stimulated cells declined during recovery incubations, but remained well above basal values. These cells nearly reflattened and began to regain stress fibers which had been ‘pulled apart’. The ‘washed out’ ACTH-stimulated cells were often refractory to restimulation. Cells recovering from CB also reflattened. Masses of filamentous felt induced by the drug disappeared from the cytoplasm, lost microvilli reappeared and stress fibers reformed. The 20–50% inhibition of basal steroidogenesis by CB was completely reversed. When ex-CB-treated cells were incubated with ACTH, their morphology and steroid production were typical of acutely stimulated cells. The recovery behavior of cells incubated with ACTH and CB simultaneously reflected the observation that there were cell-specific responses to one agent or the other during initial incubations. The persistence of heightened steroidogenic activity following a washout of ACTH and the rapid reversal of the effects of CB strongly support the concept that regulated actomyosin interactions are an integral part of the steroidogenic process.
Effect of blood viscosity on pulmonary vascular resistance

Abstract In the treatment of congenital cyanotic heart disease, the effectiveness of palliative shunts between the systemic arterial or systemic venous circulation and the pulmonary arterial circulation is dependent in no small part upon resistance to pulmonary blood flow. Factors that increase pulmonary vascular resistance tend to decrease the volume flow to the lungs by way of these shunts, and hence, to decrease their effectiveness. It has long been known that increased blood viscosity increases systemic vascular resistance and, secondarily, decreases total cardiac output in the intact circulation. 1 Similar changes of increased pulmonary vascular resistance have been seen when blood viscosity is increased; but since increased pulmonary vascular resistance occurs in the face of diminished cardiac output for whatever cause, it is not known whether increased blood viscosity is a primary factor in increasing resistance in the pulmonary circulation or if the increased pulmonary vascular resistance observed is a consequence only of diminished cardiac output. Since the functional effectiveness of systemic arterial or venous-pulmonary artery shunts is dependent primarily upon pulmonary vascular resistance, it seems important to determine what effect changes in blood viscosity have on pulmonary vascular resistance independent of changes in cardiac output.
Response of counterflow premixed and diffusion flames to strain rate variations at reduced and elevated pressures

The thermal structure of counterflow premixed and diffusion flames was experimentally and computationally studied to examine the response of flame structure to strain rate and pressure variations. The temperature profiles were experimentally measured as a function of strain rate at reduced and elevated pressures by using spontaneous Raman scattering, and were found to agree well with the independently computed profiles using detailed reaction mechanisms and transport properties. For both near-equidiffusive and non-equidiffusive premixed flames, results show that variation of the thermal structures is much smaller than that of the strain rate, and the structural sensitivity decreases with increasing pressure due to the reduced flame thickness. For diffusion flames, results show that the flame structure at different pressures largely scales with the density-weighted strain rate instead of the strain rate alone. Further analysis was conducted to extract the global flame parameters from the thicknesses of stretched non-equidiffusive flames in response to strain rate and pressure variations. It is demonstrated that the effects of stretch vary linearly with the imposed strain rate for the flames studied herein, and that the stretch effects can be predicted with good accuracy by knowing the laminar flame speeds of the one-dimensional planar flame as a function of the system pressure and equivalence ratio and by knowing the mixture Lewis number as a function of the equivalence ratio.
Algorithmic stratification of R A omD(M,N) for regular algebraic D-modules on Cn

Let M be a holonomic D-module on C^n. We give an algorithm to stratify C^n such that on all strata X each restriction (derived inverse image) module H^i(@r"X","C"^"n(M)) is a connection. For regular holonomic modules this stratifies the solution complex [email protected]?om"D"""C"""^"""n"""^""","""^"""a"""^"""n(M"a"n,O"a"n) of sheaves of (higher) holomorphic solutions of M. We also give an algorithm to compute the dimensions of the cohomology modules of the solution complex over all strata.
Adaptive versions of the Ho-Kashyap learning algorithm

Three adaptive version of the Ho-Kashyap perceptron training algorithm are derived based on gradient descent strategies. These adaptive Ho-Kashyap (AHK) training rules are comparable in their complexity to the LMS and perceptron training rules and are capable of adaptively forming linear discriminant surfaces which guarantee linear separability and of positioning such surfaces for maximal classification robustness. In particular, a derived version called AHK II is capable of adaptively identifying critical input vectors lying close to class boundaries in linearly separable problems. We extend this algorithm as AHK III, which adds the capability of fast convergence to linear discriminant surfaces that are 'good' approximations for nonlinearly separable problems.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Skyworks capacitor model for ESD applications

The Skyworks Capacitor model for ESD applications is described and discussed. A Skyworks ESD Capacitor is modeled as an ideal capacitor in parallel with a leakage current source, along with a resistor to the ground modeling the substrate leakage at each terminal. The current-voltage and small-signal characteristics predicted by the model coincide with measurement results. Furthermore, by employing the Human-Body Model (HBM), an ESD simulation environment is set up in order to simulate ESD tests on Skyworks ESD Capacitors. The breakdown criteria of two kinds of Skyworks ESD Capacitors are investigated and the corresponding model is investigated and developed based on experimental data.
Antisocial behavior of the elderly.

Abstract The elderly offender has only rarely been a subject of study, and relatively little has been written about him other than what is given in annual arrest and prison reports. The present study investigated the frequency and causes of arrests in San Francisco of individuals 60 years old or older, and certain characteristics of those arrested. Interviews were conducted with a sample of persons arrested for drunkenness. The data reported here do not include follow-up studies of the individuals arrested indicating whether they were brought to trial, acquitted or convicted, or data concerning their eventual disposition. Two types of data will be discussed. First, certain limited information was obtained for every person 60 years of age or over arrested during a period of four months during 1967–1968. Permission was obtained from the San Francisco Police Department to obtain data from the City Jail Arrest Ledger, which contains for every person arrested (over 18 years of age), name, address, sex, age, and charge. It should be noted that the United States Census1 reveals that San Francisco is somewhat unusual in the age distribution of its population, in that 18.5 per cent of its total population (780,000) is 60 years of age or older, whereas for the state of California this figure is 12.5 per cent and for the United States as a whole, 13.4 per cent. Second, a randomly selected sample of persons aged 60 or older arrested for drunkenness was interviewed. A member of the project staff who identified himself as being associated with the Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute and the University of California Medical Center requested permission of each prisoner to interview him. Only two persons declined to be interviewed, although many refusals were anticipated both by the police and by members of the study team. The Uniform Crime Reports for 19672 indicate a total of 4.2 million arrests of persons 18 years of age or over in the United States in 1967, from about 4566 arresting agencies concerned with a total population of about 146 million. Of these, 225,510, or 5.4 per cent of the total arrests, were persons 60 years of age or older. In San Francisco, it was found that during all of 1967 there were 2429 arrests of persons 60 years of age or older, which amounted to only 5.3 per cent of all persons 18 years of age or older arrested in that period, despite the relatively larger proportion of elderly resident.
Candidate Divergence, Ideology, and Vote Choice in U.S. Senate Elections

Although it has been long established that ideology influences the decisions of American voters, scholars have begun more recently to delineate which voters under what conditions will vote ideologically. Although these studies have been illuminating, most analyses have failed to account for one critical contextual factor: candidate ideological divergence. Using a random-effects probit model and data from the 1988 to 1992 American Senate Election Studies, I show that the ideological divergence among Senate candidates conditions the influence of ideology on vote choice, at least among the more politically knowledgeable segment of the population. This reinforces and extends the findings of Wright and Berkman that ideologically polarized candidates produce ideological voters.
Fictional robots as a data source in HRI research: Exploring the link between science fiction and interactional expectations

Because interacting with a robot is a novel experience for most adults, expectations about a robot's capabilities must come from sources other than past experiences. This paper explores the relationship between capabilities of robots portrayed in popular science fiction films and students' expectations about a real robot. A content analysis of 12 American science fiction films showed that fictional robots reliably display cognitive capabilities, but do not consistently exhibit many humanlike social behaviors. Survey data collected from students follow the same basic patterns: people expect robots to have humanlike cognitive capabilities, but not social capabilities. The results are discussed in terms of how an empirical evaluation of cultural artifacts can inform the study of human-robot interaction.
New observations on the ultrastructure of mammalian conducting airway epithelium: Application of liquid propane freezing, deep etching, and rotary shadowing techniques to freeze-fracture

Freshly isolated, viable hamster tracheal epithelium was rapidly frozen in a jet of liquid nitrogen-cooled propane followed by freeze-fracture, deep etching, and rotary shadowing. Examination of the replicas by transmission electron microscopy revealed characteristic features of both ciliated and nonciliated cells, profiles of tight junctional complexes, and two distinct types of membrane particle complexes. The findings of this study suggest that rapid freezing of viable biological specimens coupled with freeze-fracture, deep etching, and rotary shadowing may provide a useful approach to achieving some additional perspectives of cell structure and function. Since the experimental protocol avoided any use of chemical fixation and processing procedures generally employed in electron microscopy, this study also validates for airway epithelium the details of fine structure observed using more conventional ultrastructural methods.
Morphology and development rates of males and females of Xyleborus ferrugineus (Fabr.) (Coleoptera : Scolytidae) during metamorphosis

The developmental rate and external morphology of males and females of the ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus ferrugineus, during metamorphosis were studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. Special emphasis was placed on the development of sexually dimorphic features. There was no difference in the developmental rate of male and female larvae or pupae. Pupation occurred 8.1 ± 1.2 days after eclosion, and the pupal stage lasted 4.6 ± 0.6 days. A generalized sequence of the daily developmental events prior to and during metamorphosis is given. The development of the very distinctive pronotal horn and degenerate metathoracic wing of the male during metamorphosis is discussed. The setal pattern of the pronotum and the posterior processes on the pro- and mesothoracic coxae of the pupae are unique to the pupal stage. The information on X. ferrugineus provided in this paper, plus that given in our cited previous publications on this unique insect, establish a foundation of knowledge which should make the animal highly useful in certain experimental analyses of developmental biology.
CAGE CULTURE OF SEVEN FISH SPECIES IN A POWER PLANT EFFLUENT CHARACTERIZED BY WIDE SALINITY FLUCTUATIONS

Seven fish species, including freshwater, estuarine, and marine species, were cultured in floating cages between 22 July 1973 and 18 August 1975 in intake waters and at five stations in the cooling lake of an upper Galveston Bay, Texas, power plant. Cooling water was characterized by acute salinity fluctuations which adversely affected growth and survival of all species. Black drum was the only species which exhibited growth suitable for commercial production. However, black drum could not adapt to prolonged low salinities and suffered complete mortality. Striped mullet, stocked in the lake, survived the entire 2-year culture period, but growth rates were low. Pinfish and Florida pompano grew slowly and succumbed to low salinities while sea catfish and Atlantic spadefish could not tolerate low temperatures nor prolonged low salinity. Death of channel catfish occurred after conductivity levels increased above 20 millimhos/cm.
Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor

As part of an effort to develop a microscale gas turbine engine, this paper presents the design and experimental characterization of a microcombustor that catalytically burns JP8 fuel. Due to the high energy densities of hydrocarbon fuels, microscale heat engines based on them may enable compact power sources with specific energies higher than those of current battery systems. In addition, utilizing a commonly available logistics fuel would provide advantages for military applications. Thus, a microscale engine burning JP8 fuel is attractive as a portable power source. A liquid-fueled microcombustor with a combustion chamber volume of 1.4 cm3 and an overall die size of 36.4×36.4×6.5 mm3 was designed, microfabricated, and experimentally characterized. Two configurations were tested and compared, one with the combustion chamber entirely filled with a catalyst and the other with the combustion chamber partially filled with a catalyst. In the configuration filled with a catalyst, JP8 combustion was sustained at mass flow rates up to 0.1 g/s and an exit gas temperature of 780 K; an overall combustor efficiency of 19% and a power density of 43 MW/m3 were achieved. The primary limitation on increasing the mass flow rates and temperature further was the structural failure of the device due to thermal stresses. With the partially filled configuration, a mass flow rate of 0.2 g/s and a corresponding power density of 54 MW/m3 were obtained. The exit gas temperature for the partially filled configuration was as high as 720 K, and the maximum overall efficiency was over 22%. Although the reduced amount of catalyst led to incomplete combustion, smaller thermal losses resulted in an increase in the overall combustor efficiency and power density. A nondimensional operating map was constructed based on the experiment, and it suggests that improving the thermal efficiency would be necessary to achieve higher efficiencies in the device.
Remote fiber-optic chemical sensing using evanescent-wave interactions in chalcogenide glass fibers

An infrared-transmitting chalcogenide fiber was used as an optical probe to analyze qualitatively and quantitatively various chemical substances in aqueous solutions. An unclad fiber with 380-microm diameter was combined with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer to monitor the concentration of the analytes in solutions by measuring the changes in the absorbance of their fundamental vibration peaks. A linear relationship was observed between the absorption by the vanescent field and concentrations of various analytes. For this study low concentrations of acetone, ethyl alcohol, and sulfuric acid were detected in aqueous solutions. The minimum detection limit for these three chemical substances was 5, 3, and 2 vol. %, respectively, with a sensor length of 15 cm. It was also demonstrated that the same sensor design is capable of monitoring gaseous species such as dichlorodifluoromethane.
The interstitial structure of non-crystalline solids

Abstract The canonical hole set for non-metallic solids has been defined in order to provide a more specific and quantitative description of the interstitial structure of non-crystalline solids. Although a broad set of construction criteria would allow an indefinitely large number of polyhedra, considering regular-faced convex polyhedra, prisms, and antiprisms, the canonical hole set for non-metallic solids is a total of 126 polyhedra. As expected, this number is substantially larger than the total of eight Bernal holes for metallic solids. An even more compact set for non-metals (28 convex polyhedra and 16 prisms and antiprisms) is possible by considering only ‘simple’ polyhedra which can not be further dissected. A simple application of this approach is the description of cristobalite, a crystalline analog for vitreous silica, in which the interstices are relatively undistorted truncated tetrahedra. A substantially more complex application is the description of wollastonite, a crystalline analog for CaSiO3 glass, in which the interstices are relatively distorted tetrahedra, square pyramids, and triangular prisms.
Distillation time alters essential oil yield, composition and antioxidant activity of female Juniperus scopulorum trees

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of distillation time (DT) (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 240, 360, 480 minutes) on yield, oil profile and antioxidant capacity of female Juniperus scopulorum trees. Analysis of the data revealed that essential oil yields reached a maximum of 0.77% at 240 minutes DT; the concentrations of alpha-thujene, alpha-pinene, camphene, myrcene and para-cymene decreased with longer DT; and the concentrations of cis-sabinene hydrate and linalool/trans-sabinene hydrate reached maximum at 40 minutes DT, whereas that of pregeijerene-B, delta-carene reached maximum at 240 minutes DT. The concentrations of alpha-terpinene, limonene, gamma-terpinene and 4-terpineol reached their maximum at 360 minutes DT, whereas terpinolene, alpha-eudesmol/beta-eudesmol and 8-alpha acetoxyelemol reached maximum at 480 minutes DT. The yield of various essential oil constituents increased with increasing DT and reached maximum at 240 minutes or longer. The antioxidant capacity of J...
Ego Development and Psychosocial Functioning in Young Adults With and Without Psychiatric History

Ego development has been associated with positive outcomes, namely, with a better psychosocial adjustment and establishment of satisfactory relationships. However, ego development and psychosocial functioning are independent domains and a developed ego does not guarantee successful adaptation. Moreover, it is not clear whether ego development differentially influences psychosocial functioning in clinical and normative samples. The present study investigated the impact of ego development on the psychosocial functioning of young adults with (high-risk) and without (normative) psychiatric history. Results show an association between those two variables, especially strong for the high-risk group. High-risk individuals with successful psychosocial functioning exhibited levels of ego development more similar to those of normative young adults than to those of the remaining high-risk individuals. Moreover, as predicted, ego development mediated the relationship between psychiatric history and psychosocial functioning. Further support was found for the protective role of ego development, especially for individuals with psychiatric history.
Stable online control of an electrocorticographic brain-computer interface using a static decoder

A brain computer interface (BCI) system was implemented by recording electrocorticographic signals (ECoG) from the motor cortex of a Rhesus macaque. These signals were used to control two-dimensional cursor movements in a standard center-out task, utilizing an optimal linear estimation (OLE) method. We examined the time course over which a monkey could acquire accurate control when operating in a co-adaptive training scheme. Accurate and maintained control was achieved after 4–5 days. We then held the decode parameters constant and observed stable control over the next 28 days. We also investigated the underlying neural strategy employed for control, asking whether neural features that were correlated with a given kinematic output (e.g. velocity in a certain direction) were clustered anatomically, and whether the features were coordinated or conflicting in their contributions to the control signal.
Electromagnetic and finite βe effects on the modified two stream instability

Abstract Electromagnetic effects are found to stabilize the modified two stream instability under certain given conditions. The importance of this result to several classes of experiments is discussed.
Stenosing ureteritis in a 7-year-old boy with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis: A case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Introduction Urinary tract obstruction resulting from Henoch–Schonlein purpura (HSP) is an extremely rare urologic entity. If the genitourinary system is involved, it is primarily in the form of a focal proliferative glomerulonephritis. Stenosing disease has received little attention in the literature and treatment options are limited. Despite early intervention renal loss may be inevitable. Case report A 7-year-old African American male presented with renal failure secondary to bilateral sclerosing ureteritis 1 month after initial presentation with HSP. There was significant disease progression and he required multiple procedures, ultimately bilateral ureterocalycostomies and a left nephrectomy. Discussion HSP is an immune-mediated necrotizing vasculitis. It can affect any organ system; however, in the genitourinary system, focal proliferative glomerulonephritis is a common manifestation, occurring in 20–90% of cases [8] . Extrarenal manifestations are rare. Conclusion Ureteritis and obstruction may be late occurrences, but should be considered in all patients presenting with a history of HSP and new-onset flank pain, acute renal failure, or anuria. Families and patients should be counseled that renal impairment may be a consequence of stenosing ureteritis. Management of these patients can be complicated but surgical correction must be considered in the treatment algorithm once the disease has stabilized.
Development of the ability to lexically encode novel second language phonemic contrasts

Second language (L2) learners must often learn to perceive and produce novel L2 phoneme contrasts. Although both research and intuition suggest that these difficulties can be overcome to some extent with exposure to the L2, it is not known what consequences this kind of learning has for the phonological structure of the L2 lexicon. We present an experiment designed to investigate the lexical representations that learners establish for L2 words that contain novel phonemic contrasts. Specifically, we consider the acquisition of Japanese consonant length contrasts by native speakers of English: Japanese contrasts consonants such as /k/ and /kk/ while English does not. The results indicate that native English speakers do not initially encode consonant length consistently in their lexical representations of Japanese words, as reflected in both listening and production tasks. However, after one year of Japanese experience, the phonological structure of their Japanese lexicon more closely approximates that of na...
Collagenase-Induced Intrastriatal Hemorrhage in Rats Results in Long-term Locomotor Deficits

Background and Purpose Previous studies have shown that injection of the metalloproteinase collagenase directly into the caudate nucleus of rats causes an intracerebral hemorrhage. The purpose of the present study is to determine functional deficits associated with a collagenase-induced hemorrhagic lesion of the striatum. Methods Twelve adult rats received a 2-μL infusion of bacterial collagenase (0.5 U in saline) into the right striatum. The rotational response to apomorphine (1 mg/kg SC) administration was then examined at 1, 4, 7, 21, 35, and 70 days after the surgery. In addition to the rotational asymmetry studies, the initiation of stepping movements in each forelimb was determined 8 weeks after the collagenase injections. In the assessment of rotational asymmetry and stepping ability, an additional six control animals received unilateral injections of saline alone. After behavioral testing, brains were processed for neuropathological evaluation. Results A net ipsilateral rotation was noted at all p...
Improving the performance of MPI derived datatypes by optimizing memory-access cost

The MPI Standard supports derived datatypes, which allow users to describe noncontiguous memory layout and communicate noncontiguous data with a single communication function. This feature enables an MPI implementation to optimize the transfer of noncontiguous data. In practice, however, few MPI implementations implement derived datatypes in a way that performs better than what the user can achieve by manually packing data into a contiguous buffer and then calling an MPI function. In this paper, we present a technique for improving the performance of derived datatypes by automatically using packing algorithms that are optimized for memory-access cost. The packing algorithms use memory-optimization techniques that the user cannot apply easily without advanced knowledge of the memory architecture. We present performance results for a matrix-transpose example that demonstrate that our implementation of derived datatypes significantly outperforms both manual packing by the user and the existing derived-datatype code in the MPI implementation (MPICH).
Advanced electron-beam lithography for 0.5- µm to 0.25-µm device fabrication

High-resolution lithographic capability is required for the fabrication of fully scaled semiconductor devices at minimum dimensions of 0.5 µm to 0.25 µm--the prototype for the semiconductor logic and memory CMOS devices of the 1990s. Electron-beam exposure tools provide this capability. Fully scaled 0.5-µm test devices were fabricated using a modified EL-3 variable shaped-electron-beam system, while 0.25-µm ground-rule lithography was accomplished with a Gaussian round-electron-beam Vector Scan system. An important part of this technology is the selection of lithographic resist system and the process used for pattern definition and transfer. Twelve or more lithographic steps are often needed for circuit devices with the above minimum dimensions. For fully scaled applications, each one of these pattern levels must be defined by electron-beam lithography, and each level may require a specific lithographic resist. Thus, the electron-beam system and the resist process must be mutually compatible if the required resolution, feature size control, and pattern-level-to-pattern-level overlay accuracy are to be achieved. This paper discusses the successful integration of e-beam lithography and resist technologies and their application to CMOS device fabrication.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY, POLITICAL HOPE, RACIAL JUSTICE

After the overthrow of Jim Crow and the reelection of our first Black president, how should we conceptualize the tasks of a racially progressive politics in the United States? I address this question through (1) the lens of recent philosophical work on the relation between narrative and the justification of political hope and (2) a comparison of two autobiographies, Barack Obama’s Dreams of My Father and W. E. B. Du Bois’s Dusk of Dawn. In light of this comparison, the paper also evaluates some recent contributions to the American Political Science subfield of American Political Development.
"First Things First": What is the First Thing?

This op-ed piece comments on the down-side of an otherwise useful 12-step slogan, “First Things First,” which generally refers to staying sober (not drinking or using no matter what). While important, there are environmental, microsocial, psychiatric, and neurobiological considerations that may place other needs at an equal or higher priority than sobriety per se. That is, other changes may be needed to set the stage for, or enhance efforts at sobriety, prior to or concurrent with attempting to quit one's drug of choice. Perhaps slogans should be considered in a broader context and not be taken too literally.
RELATIONSHIP OF SEX, SEX-ROLE ORIENTATION AND A SELF-REPORT MEASURE OF ASSERTIVENESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Sex-role orientation reliably predicts several behavior patterns and personal characteristics considered to be adaptive. Persons with these characteristics have also been shown to be more assertive. The present study determined the relationship between sex-role orientation and a self-report measure of assertiveness. A multiple regression analysis showed that masculine sex-role orientation is the only single predictor of self-report measure of assertiveness and accounts for 52% of the total variance. Additional research is proposed to test the hypothesis that assertion is primarily a masculine sex-role characteristic. The implications for this assessment and training of assertion are also discussed in the context of sex-role.
Determination of nitroaromatic explosives and their degradation products in unsaturated-zone water samples by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array, mass spectrometric, and tandem mass spectrometric detection

Abstract Mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry, coupled by a thermospray interface to a high-performance liquid chromatography system and equipped with a photodiode array detector, were used to determine the presence of nitroaromatic explosives and their degradation products in USA unsaturated-zone water samples. Using this approach, the lower limits of quantitation for explosives determined by mass spectrometry in this study typically ranged from 10 to 100 ng/l.
New technologies in the radiotherapy clinic.

What are the limitations to the accuracy of our current technologies in radiation oncology? The immobilization of the patient, definition of the target, motion of the target and localization of the target are the major concerns that must be addressed. Current approaches to meet these needs have brought new technical systems with greater precision and new clinical procedures with higher expectations of practice. This text offers discussions on these issues, including advances in intensitymodulated radiotherapy planning, clinical target definition for the major tumor sites, management of organ motion, target localization and image guidance systems, and the expanding applications of high-precision treatment with stereotactic body radiotherapy. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel The technologies of radiotherapy planning and delivery have undergone rapid change. While these changes have been welcomed and carefully nurtured for the benefit of the cancer patient, each change has carried with it a spectrum of new concerns about its appropriate application and efficient integration into radiotherapy practice. These technologies, and the clinical treatment programs that bring them into practical use, are the focus of this volume. These technical achievements are closely interrelated: one development gives opportunity for another, but often necessitates the creation of a third, and then redefines the use of several others. Understanding this evolving world of new technologies and their applications requires broad perspectives from different vantage points. This volume first takes the viewpoint of computerized treatment planning and delivery with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), an elaboration of
What criteria do faculty use when rating students as potential house officers

Third-year medical students’ grades are a combination of faculty observations, National Board of Medical Examiners examinations, and other departmental specific course requirements. Faculty evaluations include assessment of students’ clinical skills, and a global rating for potential as house officer. We wished to better understand the ‘potential as house officer’ and to understand if these competencies were shared across the third year or unique to a given discipline. We then examined the relationship between house officer potential and performance on traditional measures of success. We analyzed the narrative comments from faculty evaluations of third-year students who faculty rated as ‘Outstanding’ in the house officer potential category. The low correlations found between house officer potential and traditional measures of academic success indicate that items beyond the stated learning objectives are influencing faculty evaluation of clinical students. Our data suggest that the awarding of ‘potential for house officer’ reflects the student’s ability to work as part of a health care team. Although there appear to be common elements among the house officer comments, we also observed discipline specific differences. Given the importance placed on house officer potential, more conversation is needed to develop a common language across the third-year courses.
Family as a salient source of meaning in young adulthood

Five studies demonstrated the role of family relationships as an important source of perceived meaning in life. In Study 1 (n ¼ 50), 68% participants reported that their families were the single most significant contributor to personal meaning. Study 2 (n ¼ 231) participants ranked family above 12 likely sources of meaning. Studies 3( n ¼ 87) and 4 (n ¼ 130) demonstrated that participants’ reports of their closeness to family (Study 3) and support from family (Study 4) predicted perceived meaning in life, even when controlling for several competing variables. Study 5 (n ¼ 261) ruled out social desirability as an alternative explanation to the proposed relationship between family and meaning. We conclude that for young adults, family relationships are a primary source of meaning in life and they contribute to their sense of meaning.
Using whey protein gel as a model food to study dielectric heating properties of salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) fillets

It is desirable to develop rapid commercial microwave and radio frequency sterilization processes to produce high quality shelf stable muscle foods, particularly aquatic foods. Whey protein gels containing D-ribose and salt were studied as a model food to determine heating patterns in salmon fillets during high temperature microwave sterilization processes. Dielectric constant (3 0) and loss factor (300) of whey protein gels with D-ribose (0.5 g/100 g, 1 g/100 g, and 1.5 g/100 g) at different salt contents (0, 0.1 g/100 g, 0.2 g/100 g, 0.3 g/100 g, 0.4 g/100 g, and 0.5 g/100 g) and frozen and thawed pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) fillets were determined over the frequency range of 27–1800 MHz at temperatures ranging from 20 to 120 � C. The dielectric properties of whey protein gels containing 1 g/100 g D-ribose and 0.2 g/ 100 g or 0.3 g/100 g salt closely matched the dielectric behavior of salmon fillets in both radio frequency (RF, 27 MHz) and microwave (MW, 915–1800 MHz) ranges. Altering the salt content had a greater impact on dielectric constant and loss factors at lower frequencies. These results suggest that whey protein gel may be a good model food for microwave sterilization process development, particularly for determining the locations of cold and hot spots in complex muscle foods.
Experimental data collection and performance analysis of outdoor UWB positioning system under static and mobile conditions

A wide variety of semiautonomous systems are emerging in construction, defense, and agricultural applications. A UWB positioning system shows promise in improving navigational capabilities and safety of operations for these systems. This paper describes an outdoor UWB positioning system used to measure the position of the operators of a semiautonomous vehicle to improve safety of operations. A measurement campaign was conducted to collect experimental range errors for the system at distances from 2m to 40 m. The range errors are characterized and performance of the system is assessed in a static environment. A model is proposed for range errors and results are compared to experimental data. Measured position errors are compared to position errors generated by the model. A mobility model is proposed and performance of the positioning system in a mobile environment is assessed.
Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? The Flexible Nature of Modality Dominance in Young Children

When presented simultaneously with equally discriminable, but unfamiliar, visual and auditory stimuli, 4-yearolds exhibited auditory dominance, processing only auditory information (Sloutsky & Napolitano, 2003). The current study examined factors underlying auditory dominance. In 6 experiments, 4-year-olds (N 5181) were presented with auditory and visual compounds in which (a) the complexity and familiarity of stimuli were systematically varied (Experiments 1–5) and (b) participants were explicitly instructed to attend to a particular modality (Experiment 6). Results indicate that auditory dominance is a special case of flexible modality dominance, which may stem from automatic pulls on attention. Theoretical implications of these results for understanding the development of attention and cross-modal processing, as well as linguistic and conceptual development, are discussed.
Longitudinal patterns of cancer patient reported outcomes in end of life care predict survival

Purpose Patients with advanced cancer typically demonstrate sharp deterioration in physical function and psychological status during the last months of life. This study evaluates the relationship between survival in patients with advanced cancer and longitudinal assessment of anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain interference, and/or physical function using the US National Institute of Health Patient Reported Outcomes Information System.
Epidemiology of the Reversible Cytotoxic Edema of the Splenium of the Corpus Callosum: A Midwest Tertiary Center Experience (P03.198)

OBJECTIVE: To study the epidemiology of reversible cytotoxic edema of the splenium of corpus callosum (CESCC), in order to contribute to our understanding of this entity. BACKGROUND: During the past decade multiple authors have reported cases of reversible CESCC without an associated clinical significance. However, the pathogenesis of CESCC is not fully understood. A recent review of the literature associates this entity with seizures and antiepileptic drugs, viral and bacterial infections, metabolic derangement, and toxins. The association between demographic and clinical presentation of CESCC is yet to be determined. DESIGN/METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of MRIs performed at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) between 2000 and 2012. MRIs reports were identified by searching different keyword combinations including "corpus callosum", "stroke", "cytotoxic", and "splenium”, using the KUMC Department of Radiology software Illuminate. The corresponding MRIs were individually reviewed, and only cases of true CESCC were selected. Corresponding patients9 charts were reviewed, and demographic data including age, sex, clinical presentation and reason for MRI study, were reviewed. RESULTS: 18,418 MRIs of the brain were performed from 2000 to 2012. 450 MRI reports met search criteria. Only 7 MRIs demonstrated isolated CESCC. Prevalence of CESCC was found to be 0.038%, or 0.003% per year, with a male to female ratio of 4:3. The average age of presentation with CESCC is 41 ± 16 years, with a duration of 18.3 ± 14.3 days. Of the 7 patients identified, 6 presented with alteration in level of consciousness, and 5 reported to have an associated headache. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CESCC in the adult patient population at KUMC is rare. It has no gender predilection. In adults, it occurs between 20 to 60 years of age, typically presenting with alteration in mental status and associated headache. The lesions may last 1 to 4 weeks before completely resolving. Disclosure: Dr. Toma has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gronseth has received personal compensation for activities with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc as a speaker. Dr. Gronseth has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurology. Dr. Gronseth has received research support from the American Academy of Neurology.
Proposed approach to drive wafer topography for advanced lithography

One requirement for advanced lithography remains suitable incoming wafer topography. We propose that local wafer flatness be visualized and quantified using the techniques developed for wafer front-surface nanotopography. This is a significant change in that existing wafer topography metrology tools do not enable our proposed approach.
Intertwining Roles of Silver Ions, Surfactants, and Reducing Agents in Gold Nanorod Overgrowth: Pathway Switch between Silver Underpotential Deposition and Gold–Silver Codeposition

The past two decades have witnessed great success achieved in the geometry-controlled synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using the seed-mediated nanocrystal growth method. Detailed mechanistic understanding of the synergy among multiple key structure-directing agents in the nanocrystal growth solutions, however, has long been lagging behind the development and optimization of the synthetic protocols. Here we investigate the foreign ion- and surfactant-coguided overgrowth of single-crystalline Au nanorods as a model system to elucidate the intertwining roles of Ag+ foreign ions, surface-capping surfactants, and reducing agents that underpin the intriguing structural evolution of Au nanocrystals. The geometry-controlled nanorod overgrowth involves two distinct underlying pathways, Ag underpotential deposition and Au–Ag electroless codeposition, which are interswitchable upon maneuvering the interplay of the Ag+ ions, surfactants, and reducing agents. The pathway switch governs the geometric and composition...
Recent Work on Punishment

L'A. se demande si le but du systeme punitif dans la societe est plutot utilitaire ou retributif. Il analyse pour ce les conceptions des successeurs de Hart, qui exposent notamment les relations entre la justice et le bien commun
ASSESSING THE VALIDITY OF PHYSICIAN QUALITY REPORTING

The United States is rapidly moving to implement public quality reporting and value-based purchasing for physicians. The properties of the performance measures used in these programs, however, are not well understood. Medicare currently allows physicians to select from a list of measures to report.
Predictors of Nursing Turnover: Organizational versus Professional Level

Turnover is defined as a process whereby the nurse either leaves his/her position to transfer to another organization (organizational turnover) or leave the profession altogether (professional turn...
Enhanced Hydrogen Storage Properties of Magnesium Nanotrees with Nanoleaves

Hydrogen storage in advanced solid state materials has been an intense area of research due to many drawbacks in conventional high pressure or cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage methods. A practical hydrogen storing material is required to have high storage capacity and fast dehydrogenation kinetics. Among many solid state materials for hydrogen storage, magnesium hydride (MgH2) combines a hydrogen capacity of 7.6 wt % with the benefit of the low cost of production and abundance. The main difficulties for implementing MgH2 are slow absorption/desorption kinetics and high reactivity towards air and oxygen, which are also common issues in most lightweight metal hydrides. Previously, improvements in hydrogen storage and release properties have been reported by using nanostructured magnesium that can be obtained through various fabrication methods including ball-milling, mechanical alloying, and vapor transport. In this study, we investigate the hydrogen absorption and desorption properties of magnesium “nanotrees” fabricated by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique, and also conventional Mg thin films deposited at normal incidence. Mg nanotrees are about 15 μm long, 10 μm wide, and incorporate “nanoleaves” of about 20 nm in thickness and 1,2 μm in lateral width. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gas absorption/desorption measurement system has been used for our hydrogen storage studies. Nanostructured and thin film Mg have been deposited directly on the surface of the gold coated unpolished quartz crystal samples. QCM hydrogen storage experiments have been performed at temperatures ranging between 100-300 °C, and at H2 pressures of 10 and 30 bars. Our QCM measurements revealed that Mg nanotrees can absorb hydrogen at lower temperatures and also at a faster rate compared to Mg thin film. In addition, Mg nanotrees can reach hydrogen storage values of about 4.80 wt% at 100 °C, and up to about 6.71 wt% (which is close to the theoretical maximum storage value of Mg) at temperatures lower than 150 °C. The significant enhancement in hydrogen absorption properties of our Mg nanotrees is believed to originate from novel physical properties of their nanoleaves. These nanoleaves are very thin (∼20 nm) and both surfaces are exposed to hydrogen enhancing the diffusion rate of hydrogen together with a decreased diffusion length. Based on X-ray diffraction measurements, individual nanoleaves have non-close-packed crystal planes that can further enhance the hydrogen absorption kinetics. In addition, our nanostructured Mg have been observed to quite resistant to surface oxidation, which is believed to due to the single crystal property of the Mg nanoleaves, which further improves the absorption kinetics of hydrogen.
Surviving and thriving in tough economic times.

When the recent economic depression occurred, the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC), like many other health systems, was in the process of significantly expanding its enterprise. We were building a joint ownership hospital in the northern suburbs, we had broken ground for our replacement
Repair of a Gingival Cleft Associated with a Maxillary Canine Tooth in a Dog

This case report describes repair of a gingival cleft located on the labial aspect of the maxillary left canine tooth in a client-owned dog. Multiple procedures were performed including elevation o...