cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ENDOVASCULAR GASTROINTESTINAL STAPLER DEVICE MALFUNCTION DURING LAPAROSCOPIC NEPHRECTOMY: EARLY RECOGNITION AND MANAGEMENT

Purpose: Controlled ligation and division of the renal hilum are critical steps during any nephrectomy procedure. The use of the endovascular gastrointestinal anastomosis (GIA) stapling device for control of the renal vessels during laparoscopic nephrectomy has become standard practice. However, malfunction can lead to serious consequences which require emergency conversion to an open procedure. We report our experience with GIA malfunction during laparoscopic nephrectomy.Materials and Methods: From July 1993 to September 1999, 565 patients underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy at 2 institutions for benign and malignant diseases, and for live renal donation. Retrospective chart reviews and primary surgeon interviews were conducted to determine etiology of failure, intraoperative management and possible future prevention.Results: Malfunction occurred in 10 cases (1.7%). In 8 cases the renal vein was involved and malfunctions affected the renal artery in 2. The estimated blood loss ranged from 200 to 1,200 cc....
Closed-Loop Control Framework for Fuel-Flexible Combustion of Biodiesel Blends

This paper presents a closed-loop control framework for fuel-flexible combustion control of biodiesel blends. This framework consists of two parts: blend detection and blend accommodation. Blend detection can be accomplished by an experimentally-validated dynamic estimator using exhaust oxygen and air-fuel ratio information. Blend accommodation can be accomplished by changing the control variables that the engine control module uses, namely, replacing exhaust gas recirculation fraction with combustible oxygen mass fraction, replacing total injected fuel mass with total injected fuel energy, and replacing start of main injection timing with end of main injection timing. With the conventional control structure it is experimentally shown that pure biodiesel (B100) produced 38% more brake specific nitrogen oxides (BSNOx) than pure conventional diesel (B0). With the new proposed structure, B100 produced not only lower BSNOx than B0, but also higher torque, higher brake thermal efficiency, lower particulate matter, and lower combustion noise than B0. Comparable experimental results are also presented for B5 and B20 blends.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The Docking Technique for Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction

Patella instability is a disabling condition, particularly in young athletes, that limits participation in sports because of apprehension and pain. The instability is related to several factors, including malalignment, osseous, and soft-tissue deficiencies that allow the patella to translate laterally and ultimately dislocate. In patients with normal osseous anatomy and lower-extremity mechanical alignment, the instability is attributed to deficient soft-tissue structures. Biomechanical studies demonstrate the medial patellofemoral ligament as the primary soft-tissue restraint to lateral patellar translation. Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with vastus medialis obliquus advancement is indicated in patients with medial soft-tissue deficiency and symptomatic instability. The technique uses a semitendinosus tendon that is fixed to the medial patella with a docking technique and to the femur with an interference screw at the location of greatest isometry. The vastus medialis obliquus muscle is advanced over the reconstructed tendon. Secure fixation enables accelerated rehabilitation. Early results have demonstrated high success rates.
Three-dimensional structure of peptide—protein complexes: implications for recognition

Abstract Numerous examples of the three-dimensional structures of peptides complexed with their biological partners have been determined recently by both X-ray crystallographic as well as modern NMR techniques. These provide a basis for the evaluation of concepts proposed earlier regarding peptide recognition, and determine the range of recognition motifs which are commonly used in biological systems. Two extremes of motifs have emerged: one linear, with the peptide backbone providing many of the recognition elements; the other dominated by interactions with the side chains, often held in β-turns. Recognition is concentrated in a few key anchor residues arranged in a particular three-dimensional arrangement, which sometimes but not always requires a particular backbone conformation. The influence of the receptor on the peptide conformation is clearly evident, and argues against trusting conclusions based solely on experimental data from the peptide alone.
Entrainment of the circadian rhythm of the supratidal amphipod Talorchestia longicornis by light and temperature: mechanisms of detection and hierarchical organization

The amphipod Talorchestia longicornis is active on the substrate surface during the night and inactive in its burrows during the day. The underlying circadian rhythm in activity can be entrained by the light : dark cycle. This study considered other aspects of entrainment, such as: whether the compound eyes or extraocular photoreceptors are used to detect entrainment cues, which visual pigment mediates the entrainment process, whether entrainment can also occur in response to diel temperature cycles and whether when presented with conflicting entrainment cues, the light : dark or temperature cycle dominates for entrainment. Entrainment was determined by monitoring temporal changes in surface activity using a video system, and assessed as the number of animals active on a sand substrate at 0.5 h intervals. The compound eyes and not extraocular photoreceptors are used for entrainment to the light : dark cycle. Although T. longicornis has two visual pigments with absorption maxima near 420 and 520 nm, entrai...
The Decline of Unionization in the United States: Some Lessons from Canada

This article examines the decline in unionization that has occurred in the United States over the past half century, focusing on the role that employer opposition to unions has played, together wit...
C3: Information science in uniform

This contribution explores an aspect of information science, which is little treated in the literature, but on which enormous sums of money are spent annually. This is the subject of information and the prosecution of war. What follows may be considered as a kind of tutorial on this huge, but poorly understood realm of information science applications. My objective at the workshop was to acquaint the participants with an overview of how information has been woven into the fabric of conflict. At present, information is so tightly woven with combat that the term information warfare has been coined. It may come as a surprise to think in these terms about information science.
Actigraphy-measured sleep disruption as a predictor of survival among women with advanced breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Poor sleep, prevalent among cancer survivors, is associated with disrupted hormonal circadian rhythms and poor quality of life. Using a prospective research design, this study aimed to clarify the relationship between objective measures of sleep efficiency and sleep disruption with survival among women with advanced breast cancer. METHOD We examined sleep quality and duration via wrist-worn actigraphy and sleep diaries for 3 days among 97 women in whom advanced breast cancer was diagnosed (age = 54.6 ± 9.8 years). Sleep efficiency was operationalized using actigraphy as the ratio of total sleep time to total sleep time plus wake after sleep onset. RESULTS As hypothesized, better sleep efficiency was found to predict a significant reduction in overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.98; P < 0.001) at median 6 y follow-up. This relationship remained significant (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91-0.97; P < 0.001) even after adjusting for other known prognostic factors (age, estrogen receptor status, cancer treatment, metastatic spread, cortisol levels, and depression). Secondary hypotheses were also supported (after adjusting for baseline prognostic factors) showing that less wake after sleep onset (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25-0.67; P < 0.001), fewer wake episodes, (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.98; P = 0.007); and shorter wake episode duration (HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.14-0.58; P < 0.001) also contributed to reductions in overall mortality. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that better sleep efficiency and less sleep disruption are significant independent prognostic factors in women with advanced breast cancer. Further research is needed to determine whether treating sleep disruption with cognitive behavioral and/or pharmacologic therapy could improve survival in women with advanced breast cancer.
Evaluating a Treatment Program for Newly Widowed People

This study evaluated the efficacy of a bereavement program for widowed people. The experimental and control groups each had twenty-five participants. The experimental participants were members who were partaking in a treatment group, while control participants were recruited from a waiting list for future groups. All participants were pre-and posttested on the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG). Results showed no significant differences between experimental and control groups on posttest scores. However, recovery from grief was significantly influenced by factors such as circumstances of death and time. Furthermore, males fared much better than females but there were not enough (six) to test for significance.
Recertification in Interventional Cardiology

The Interventional Scientific Council was established in the summer of 2007 in an effort to coordinate all activities regarding interventional cardiology within the American College of Cardiology (ACC). In the fall of 2007, the formation of the Interventional Scientific Section followed as those ACC
Depositional Setting and History of an Eocene Lacustrine Deposit, Brewster County, West Texas: ABSTRACT

Thick, massive beds of nonmarine limestone are exposed in the Elephant Mountain quadrangle, Brewster County, Texas. This Eocene carbonate ranges from 1 to 70 m (3 to 230 ft) in thickness, and is intercalated with the three lowermost formations of the Buck Hill volcanic group: the Pruett tuff, the Crossen Trachyte, and the Sheep Canyon Basalt. The Pruett Formation (Eocene), which is composed mainly of volcanic tuff and tuffaceous nonmarine limestone, uncomformably overlies the Boquillas limestone (Cretaceous). These interbedded tuffs, and intercalating lavas of the lower Buck Hill group represent several interruptions during the formation of this lacustrine deposit. The carbonate rocks consist primarily of pure to impure silty limestones with no appreciable dolomite or evaporite content. The unit contains charophytes, ostracodes, algal stromatolites, oncolites, possibly Equisetum, silicified wood, stromatolific tufa, and fresh-water gastropods. These features probably represent a shallow, low energy, sublittoral to littoral marginal facies which were deposited in a relatively humid environment. The thick lower beds of this nonmarine limestone were most likely deposited in a drainage basin formed by block faulting in the Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary. In contrast, the thinner beds in the upper portion of this deposit may have accumulated in local depressions formed in the surrounding volcanic flows. The true size of the lake basin is unknown due to the lack of exposure, but the Pruett tuff interbedded with limestone has been found in the subsurface approximately 90 km (56 mi) northwest of the study area. End_of_Article - Last_Page 464------------
Derivation of a modified Fermi-Dirac distribution for quantum dot ensembles under nonthermal conditions

Semiconductor quantum dot lasers offer significant advantages over traditional quantum well devices. However, the advantages due to the discrete density of states of a structure confined in all three spatial dimensions are usually not fully realized because of problems associated with the capture of carriers into the discrete states. In this paper we use a simple rate equation model to identify the processes that limit the performance of a quantum dot laser. This simplistic approach, while lacking the rigor of more complex models, allows us to develop a physical understanding of how the properties of the quantum dot electronic states effect the operation of a laser. The existence of a thermal, Fermi-Dirac distribution of carriers is shown to exist only when there are no recombination processes (either radiative or nonradiative). In a quantum well laser the rate of thermalization is much faster than the carrier loss processes and therefore the distribution appears to be close to Fermi-Dirac; however, in a quantum dot structure the slower capture/escape rates can cause nonthermal carrier distributions. The interplay of the radiative recombination and capture and escape rates in the dots is shown to define the mode of operation of the laser. An identity, derived simply in terms of the rates of carrier escape and spontaneous recombination and a confinement energy, predicts whether the carrier population is coupled across the dot ensemble. This will determine whether a semiconductor quantum dot laser exhibits single mode operation.
Discrete-Time Model for Adaptive Optics with Discrete-Time Atmospheric Model

This paper models the incident wavefront of an AO system as being constant within each frame. It has shown that the performance degradation is almost insignificant for astronomical AO applications.
Basic Research Needs for Design of Adsorptive Gas Separation Processes

Separation and purification of multicomponent gas mixtures by adsorption is an established process technology. Adsorptive process design requires accurate data on multicomponent gas adsorption equilibria, kinetics, and heats as input variables. These data often cannot be predicted by using today's models, particularly for complex practical systems where the gas mixtures have adsorbates of different sizes and polarities, and the adsorbent is energetically heterogeneous. There is a large volume of pure gas and some binary gas adsorption equilibrium and kinetic data in the published literature, but multicomponent adsorption data are rare. The data for heats of adsorption are only emerging. There is a desperate need to generate a multicomponent adsorption database for better understanding of the complex phenomenon, for seriously testing existing models, and for development of new models. Two recently developed methods called “isotope exchange technique” and “microcalorimetry for adsorption heats” are recommen...
Oxidation behaviour of reaction-bonded alumina compacts using an Al88Si12 alloy precursor

The oxidation behaviour of attrition-milled Al88Si12/Al2O3 powder mixtures was investigated for the formation of mullite/Al2O3 composites by the reaction bonded alumina (RBAO) process. Cylindrical powder compacts were heated at 5°C min−1 to temperatures between 450 and 1400°C. Oxidation occurred rapidly between ca. 400 and 750°C. Dense, outer reaction layers which formed at the lower temperatures inhibited complete oxidation and led to fracture of the body during continued heating to higher temperatures (above ca. 850°C) While the incorporation of ZrO2 improved the oxidation of the samples, X-ray analysis indicated that the Si in the alloy reacted with the ZrO2 to form phases which prevented the formation of mullite at the temperatures used in the experiments.
Alcohol Use and Prior Substance Abuse Treatment in Relation to Gambling Problem Severity and Gambling Treatment Outcome

Recent research has made it clear that problematic gambling is often accompanied by problematic alcohol use. Unfortunately, little is known about the nature of this association, especially as it relates to gambling treatment outcome. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of current alcohol use level and previous substance abuse treatment on the symptoms of a large cohort of pathological gamblers as well as on their response to treatment for pathological gambling. The sample included 464 men and 301 women recruited at six gambling treatment programs in Minnesota. Gambling treatment patients were assessed on a number of gambling problem severity and related clinical variables using the Gambling Treatment Outcome Monitoring System (GAMTOMS). Patients with frequent alcohol use had greater gambling involvement at baseline than infrequent alcohol users. Patients with a previous history of substance abuse treatment had more severe psychosocial problems, ostensibly resulting from their gambling behavior, than patients without past substance abuse treatment. A MANOVA with repeated measures showed that neither pretreatment alcohol use, nor past substance abuse treatment exerted significant effects on gambling treatment outcome. While the level of pretreatment alcohol use and a history of substance abuse treatment are markers for greater gambling problem severity, treatment outcome for pathological gambling was not adversely impacted by these variables.
An electronic model for the grain boundary embrittlement of iron, nickel and chromium and their alloys by antimony

Abstract This paper describes an electronic model for the grain boundary embrittlement of iron, nickel, and chromium and their alloys by antimony. The model is based on the results of fully quantum mechanical calculations. It will be shown that antimony is electronegative with respect to these transition metals, and as a consequence electronic charge is transferred from these metals onto the antimony. This charge transfer leaves fewer electrons to participate in the metal-metal bonding and these bonds are consequently weakened. It is the weakening of these metal-metal bonds that leads to grain boundary embrittlement. The results of these calculations show that additions of nickel and chromium to iron should increase the embrittling strength of antimony. It is also found that antimony has a preferential attraction to iron over either nickel or chromium. Therefore, nickel and chromium additions should not enhance the grain boundary segregation of antimony via the standard co-segregation model. The results of these calculations are also used to provide a more coherent interpretation of several experimental studies. It will be argued that calculations such as these provide an essential ingredient in understanding the problem of grain boundary embrittlement and can be quite useful in planning future experiments.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia-pathology

The term bronchopulmonary dysplasia has much to commend it. It does not declare the etiology of this disease, which seems to be an advantage. Another advantage is that it presents the idea of disturbance of growth as well as scarring. The premature lung responds at birth somewhat differently from the mature lung, not just in respect to surfactant but from the point of view of the blood vessels' size and compliance. But treatment must also be considered. The administration of steroids to the mother in the antenatal period probably favors maturation in the fetus, rather than growth of size and cell multiplication, which will also influence the behavior of the lung postnatally. This is probably a critical feature to look for in clinical assessment and follow-up of these patients.
Mine detection performance in different soil conditions using data from an ultrawideband wide-area surveillance radar

The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), as part of customer and mission-funded applied research programs, has been evaluating the use of low-frequency, ultra-wideband imaging radar to detect fields of buried mines. An instrumentation- grade measurement system has been designed and implemented by ARL. Four data collection campaigns in support of ground- penetrating radar objectives have led to the establishment of a significant and unique database of radar imagery. We are using these data to develop mine-detection algorithms that can aid an operator in separating mines from background clutter. This paper reviews recent findings and result from ARL's modeling, phenomenology, and algorithm development efforts. At SPIE '98, we reported on the performance of a physics-based mine-detection algorithm using data collected at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in January 1996. Subsequent measurements were made using the ARL BoomSAR at YPG in October 1997, January 1998, and June 1998. Most of the mines from the January 1996 experiment were still in place during the 1997/1998 experiments. Additional mines and unexploded ordnance were added to the YPG test after the January 1996 experiment. This paper discusses the difference in soil conditions from these data collections and the impact that may have on a mine's radar cross section (RCS) and detection performance. Detection results for M20 mines under different soil conditions will be shown. The detection algorithm invokes phenomenologically sound feature that exploit the expected mine RCS, texture, frequency dependent scattering, and model-based image correlation. Performance assessments, in terms of receiver operating characteristics, detail the detection capabilities at various false alarm rates. Finally, new imagery will be presented that shows the positive contrast of low metal content above dielectric background.
Gentle Dielectrophoretic Focusing of Yeast Cells in Curved Microchannels

Focusing cells into a tight stream is usually a necessary step prior to counting, detecting and sorting them in, for example, microfluidic flow cytometers. We present herein a simple and gentle cell focusing technique in physiological solutions through a serpentine microchannel using DC-biased AC electric fields. This electrokinetic focusing eliminates sheath flows and in-channel microelectrodes. It results from the cross-stream dielectrophoretic motion of cells induced by the intrinsic channel curvatures. The effects of electric field magnitude, AC to DC electric field ratio, AC field frequency, and cell concentration on the focusing performance of yeast cells will be studied.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Statistics, costs and rationality in ecological inference.

The so-called 'null hypothesis' debate in ecology opened a statistical Pandora's Box. Ecologists were forced to question whether or not decades of pattern analysis had been productive. Over the past few years, the debate has expanded beyond the role of different kinds of statistical hypothesis to include the importance of different types of statistical error. Our objective in this article is to show how trends governing ecological inferences under uncertainty appear to be changing as ecologists become increasingly aware o f the potential importance of statistical errors.
Time and memory: Towards a pacemaker-free theory of interval timing.

A popular view of interval timing in animals is that it is driven by a discrete pacemaker-accumulator mechanism that yields a linear scale for encoded time. But these mechanisms are fundamentally at odds with the Weber law property of interval timing, and experiments that support linear encoded time can be interpreted in other ways. We argue that the dominant pacemaker-accumulator theory, scalar expectancy theory (SET), fails to explain some basic properties of operant behavior on interval-timing procedures and can only accommodate a number of discrepancies by modifications and elaborations that raise questions about the entire theory. We propose an alternative that is based on principles of memory dynamics derived from the multiple-time-scale (MTS) model of habituation. The MTS timing model can account for data from a wide variety of time-related experiments: proportional and Weber law temporal discrimination, transient as well as persistent effects of reinforcement omission and reinforcement magnitude, bisection, the discrimination of relative as well as absolute duration, and the choose-short effect and its analogue in number-discrimination experiments. Resemblances between timing and counting are an automatic consequence of the model. We also argue that the transient and persistent effects of drugs on time estimates can be interpreted as well within MTS theory as in SET. Recent real-time physiological data conform in surprising detail to the assumptions of the MTS habituation model. Comparisons between the two views suggest a number of novel experiments.
Photocatalytical visbreaking of wastewater produced from polymer flooding in oilfields

Abstract Wastewater produced from polymer flooding in oilfields features a high viscosity and oily content because of a residue of high concentration of polyacrylamide (PAM). It is more difficulty efficiently to treat than that from water flooding by a conventional treatment system including gravitational settling and filtration. In this paper, initially by analyzing emulsification action and role of PAM in the wastewater, a process of photocatalytical visbreaking was proposed and investigated by taking aim at viscosity breaking and degradation of PAM in favor of further treatments. The experimental results show that viscosity of wastewater produced from polymer flooding is greatly decreased to the same level as that of distilled water under illumination of 5–10 min using photocatalytic degradation over TiO 2 powders. The rate of PAM photogradation is above 90% within illumination of 90 min. The efficient breaking of viscosity favors treatments to feed the conventional system used in the water flooding with low viscosity of wastewater.
Snake-Based SFS Recovery of Layered Manufacturing Surfaces

In this paper we study the application of snake-based shape-from-shading to surface quality inspection in Layered Manufacturing. A cross-section of a road surface is modeled using the concept of snake and recovered from its grayscale image, called process signature. An iterative SFS procedure approximates the shape of the snake-modeled surface cross-section with the one obtained from the signature. Two snake SFS techniques are introduced, featuring constant and adaptive spacing between snake elements. Surface recovery of 12 simulated Layered Manufacturing roads is recovered using both techniques, in order to evaluate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed methodology. Snake SFS method is compared to some existing techniques. It is shown that our approach outperforms these earlier techniques when processing images with specular reflectivity and self-shadowing.
A Theory of Bayesian Learning Systems

Efforts are made to simplify the implementation and to improve the flexibility of Bayesian learning systems. Using a truncated series expansion to represent a pattern class, a simplified structure is shown with nearly optimal performance. A criterion of determining the learning sample size is given so that after taking a sufficient number of learning observations, the system may elect to learn by itself without relying on the external supervision. A time-varying random parameter is approximated by the polynomial with random coefficients. The Bayes estimates of the coefficients are obtained sequentially from the useful information in the learning observations. The condition for convergence of the unsupervised learning is established and shown to be closely related to the selection of the characteristic features. The system retains the same structure in both supervised and unsupervised learning processes with either the stationary or the time-varying random parameter.
Surgical correction of the funnel chest deformity in children

The aim of this study was to evaluate our results during and after the Nuss operation in children with pectus excavatum. We have performed the Nuss procedure in 128 patients with pectus excavatum since 2001, and 74 patients underwent bar removal. Of the 128 patients 96 were male and 32 were female; age ranged from eight to 21 years with an average of 13.8 years. In 46% of patients psychological reasons for operative treatment were dominant while in the other 54% of patients clinical signs were the indications. Complications in 128 patients included 36 pneumothorax, 28 of which resolved spontaneously. Postoperative pneumonia developed in six patients. In two patients we had infection of the implanted bar, and there were two patients with cellulitis. We had six patients with bar displacement and reoperation was needed. During the Nuss procedure we had one injury of the intercostal artery. We had pericardial tears in two patients without clinical significance. In two patients we had pericardial effusion six months after the Nuss procedure, requiring pericardiocentesis. In one patient we had fracture of the sternum. There were no complications following bar removal. After bar removal in 74 patients, 54 patients (72.9%) maintained excellent results with normal chest anatomy, good results were found in 16 patients (21.6%) with mild residual pectus and poor results in four patients (5.5%) with severe recurrence. Our experience with the Nuss procedure demonstrated excellent results with few minor complications.
Invasive candidiasis in the intensive care unit.

AbstractInvasive fungal disease by Candida spp. is on the rise in the modern era of prolonged patient survival by virtue of improved critical care measures, novel chemotherapy regimens, and increasing immunosuppression following organ transplants. Invasive candidiasis (IC) in the setting of an intensive care unit results in prolonged hospital stay and increased morbidity. Clinical suspicion plays a major role in the diagnosis of IC, as current laboratory methods are not very sensitive. Various serum markers and molecular techniques are under development to improve diagnostic strategies. Treatment options involve an expanding spectrum of antifungals. Knowledge of local epidemiology and the risk factors that predispose patients to this disease are essential for effective patient care in an intensive care setting.
The Afro‐American Woman: Researching Her History

Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the Afro‐American experience and to show the joys, sorrows, needs, and ideals of the Afro‐American woman as she struggles from day to day.
Threshold-based preemption scheme for improving throughput in OBS networks

A threshold-based scheme to improve the throughput of optical burst switching networks based on burst preemption is presented. A larger burst can preempt the channel resource reserved by a smaller burst if the size difference is equal to or larger than a threshold. Extensive simulation tests to analyze the performance of this scheme have been conducted using ring, mesh-torus, and the US LongHaul topologies. The tests used the shortest path routing algorithm with just-in-time signaling and operated at different load conditions and threshold values. The tests revealed that the "unrestricted multiple-preemption per wavelength" variant of the scheme gives nearly the same throughput performance as the "restricted single-preemption per wavelength" variant. The improvement of the network throughput depends on the value of the threshold and the value of the threshold that gives maximum throughput increases with the network load. Selecting the candidate burst with the smallest size for preemption gives better throughput than selecting a random burst. An analytical model is developed to compute the throughput of ring networks for the "restricted single-preemption per wavelength" scheme with random burst selection. The ring analytical model is quite accurate and gives results very close to those obtained by simulation.
Stronger endocrine responses after brief psychological stress in women at familial risk of breast cancer

Recent research has linked exposure to chronic stress to altered acute stress responses and suggests a sensitizing effect of chronic stress leading to a stronger endocrine and cardiovascular response to acute stressors. Substantial evidence indicates that familial breast cancer risk is a chronic life stressor with higher levels of self reported distress. In this study, we investigated whether the endocrine response to a brief psychological stressor was stronger for women at familial risk for breast cancer. Thirty-six women at normal risk of breast cancer (FR- Stress Group) and 17 women at familial risk (FR+ Stress Group) underwent a brief psychological laboratory stress test (speech task and mental arithmetic) over a 15 min period. Thirty women at normal risk not subjected to the stressful task served as controls (FR- Control Group). Plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol were measured at baseline, directly after the stress test (15 min) and at 30 min and 45 min post baseline. Heart rate data confirmed the effectiveness of the stress regimen. While there were no significant baseline group differences in the endocrine parameters, the response curves for the familial risk group revealed stronger epinephrine and cortisol reactivity to the stress test, as confirmed by significant group by time interactions. Norepinephrine levels showed a similar pattern, but results did not reach significance. These findings are in line with previous research documenting the facilitating effects of chronic stressors on acute stress response in animals and humans and provide the first evidence in the literature of a heightened endocrine reactivity to acute psychological stress in women at familial risk of breast cancer. The heightened endocrine reactivity to the experimental tasks seen here suggests that these women may experience stronger responses to stressors in their daily lives. According to the recently proposed concept of allostatic load, repeated overly strong stress responses may cumulatively have negative health implications.
Statistical properties of spin noise in MRI

Spin noise is inherent in magnetic resonance. It is caused by incomplete cancellation of spin moments when the external static magnetic field is absent or by their small but finite fluctuations when the magnetic field is applied. Spin noise is viewed as the variation of thermal equilibrium macroscopic magnetization (TEMM), and can be described statistically. For MRI, TEMM is shown to be characterized by a Binomial distribution and is well approximated by a Gaussian. Parameters of this Gaussian distribution are determined by the spin density and the ratio of population difference over the total population of spins in a unit volume of the sample. Statistics of spin noise not only confirm Bloch's prediction of spin noise in the absence of the external magnetic field, but also give a more accurate account of its behavior under various conditions. These statistics also provide a new insight into the limits of spatial resolution in magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) and are consistent with Glover and Mansfield' corresponding conclusions based on their experiments.
Intertidal and phycophilous fungi from Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Seventeen ascomycetes and four fungi imperfecti collected on Tenerife represent the first records of marine fungi from the Canary Islands. The majority occurred on wood, three species were associated with algae, two were found in foam along the shore, and one lived in the shells of balanids. The most frequently collected species were Microthelia maritima (Linder) Kohlm., Ceriosporopsis halima Linder, and Torpedospora radiata Meyers. The new combination Banhegpia uralensis (Naoumoff) is proposed.
The role of MHC class I allele Mamu-A*07 during SIV(mac)239 infection.

Virus-specific CD8+ T cells play an important role in controlling HIV/SIV replication. These T cells recognize intracellular pathogen-derived peptides displayed on the cell surface by individual MHC class I molecules. In the SIV-infected rhesus macaque model, five Mamu class I alleles have been thoroughly characterized with regard to peptide binding, and a sixth was shown to be uninvolved. In this study, we describe the peptide binding of Mamu-A1*007:01 (formerly Mamu-A*07), an allele present in roughly 5.08% of Indian-origin rhesus macaques (n = 63 of 1,240). We determined a preliminary binding motif by eluting and sequencing endogenously bound ligands. Subsequently, we used a positional scanning combinatorial library and panels of single amino acid substitution analogs to further characterize peptide binding of this allele and derive a quantitative motif. Using this motif, we selected and tested 200 peptides derived from SIVmac239 for their capacity to bind Mamu-A1*007:01; 33 were found to bind with an affinity of 500 nM or better. We then used PBMC from SIV-infected or vaccinated but uninfected, A1*007:01-positive rhesus macaques in IFN-γ Elispot assays to screen the peptides for T-cell reactivity. In all, 11 of the peptides elicited IFN-γ+ T-cell responses. Six represent novel A1*007:01-restricted epitopes. Furthermore, both Sanger and ultradeep pyrosequencing demonstrated the accumulation of amino acid substitutions within four of these six regions, suggestive of selective pressure on the virus by antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. Thus, it appears that Mamu-A1*007:01 presents SIV-derived peptides to antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and is part of the immune response to SIVmac239.
Effects of the steroidal antiandrogen win 49596 on fertility and sex accessory tissue growth in the rat

Daily administration (20–500 mg/kg) of the steroidal androgen receptor antagonist, Win 49596, to mature male rats for 72 days caused a significant dose-related inhibition of sex accessory tissue growth that also correlated with Win 49596 blood levels. Cohabitation of treated males with cycling females for up to 7 days after 29 and 65 days of treatment resulted in no significant effects on insemination or pregnancy rates as compared to vehicle-treated controls. Furthermore, testicular growth was normal and there was no histomorphological evidence for effects on spermatogenesis. The data suggested that the androgen antagonist, Win 49596, selectively inhibited prostatic and seminal vesicle growth without compromising reproductive function. This tissue selectivity is explicable on the basis of the high levels of androgen in testicular fluid as compared to prostatic tissue.
U50488 inhibits HIV-1 expression in acutely infected monocyte-derived macrophages.

Opioids may play an immunomodulatory role in the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. Recently, synthetic κ-opioid receptor (KOR) ligands have been found to have anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 activity in acutely infected brain macrophages. In the present study, we investigated whether the selective KOR ligand U50488 would exert such an anti-HIV-1 effect in acutely infected blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Treatment of acutely infected MDM with U50488 induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 expression. The dose–response relationship of U50488 was U-shaped with a peak effect observed at 10−13 M, which was evident at both 7 and 14 days post-infection. The KOR antagonist nor-binaltorphimine blocked the anti-HIV-1 effect of U50488 by 73%, indicating involvement of a KOR-mediated mechanism. Also, expression of KOR mRNA and binding activity with a fluorescence-labeled KOR ligand supported the existence of KOR on MDM. Antibodies to the β-chemokine, RANTES (regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted), but not to various other cytokines, blocked U50488 inhibition by 56% suggesting that the anti-HIV-1 effect of U50488 involved, in part, the production of RANTES by MDM. Taken together, these in vitro findings support the anti-HIV-1 property of U50488, and suggest that KOR ligands may have therapeutic potential for treating patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Repeated Copulation in the Wood-feeding Cockroach Cryptocercus punctulatus Does Not Influence Number or Development of Offspring

Wood-feeding cockroaches in the genus Crytocercus live in biparental family groups in the interior of rotten logs and are considered socially monogamous. They typically produce a single brood of altricial offspring, with parental care then lasting until the death of adults 2 or 3 years later. Field and laboratory evidence suggests that copulation occurs repeatedly in C. punctulatus, with sexual activity occurring during non-fertile periods. We carried out a long-term field study to explore the significance of repeated copulation in C. punctulatus. The presence of a male positively affected the onset of female reproduction, but neither the male’s physical presence nor his ability to mate influenced the number or early development of nymphs. Sperm are viable in the spermathecae for at least 3 years. We conclude that it is unlikely that male-derived material benefits have driven the evolution of repeated copulation in C. punctulatus. Accumulating evidence suggests that prior to oviposition, repeated copulation may be rooted in sperm competition, but after the eggs are laid it may secure the continued paternal contribution of the male social partner.
Oxytocin Receptors: Oxytocin Analogs, but not Prostaglandins, Compete with 3H-Oxytocin for Uptake by Rat Uterus*

Uterine pieces from rats pretreated with estrogen were incubated for 1 hr at 20 C with 3H—oxytocin and nonradioactive oxytocin or its analogs, [4–threonine]—oxytocin, [8–valine]—oxytocin, [8–lysine]—vasopressin. These substances competed with 3H—oxytocin for uptake in proportion to their known oxytocic activities. [4–Proline]— oxytocin, a relatively inactive analog, was not competitive in the dose range tested. Prostaglandins E1,E2, A1 and the tromethamine salt of F2α had no effect on the uptake of 3H—oxytocin. These results suggest that oxytocin receptors exist in the uterus and that the uterotonic activities of the prostaglandins are mediated via separate receptor sites. (Endocrinology 92: 104, 1973)
Plasmapheresis for hyperlipidemic pancreatitis

Patients with triglyceride levels over 1,000 mg/dl are at high risk of developing acute pancreatitis. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of plasma exchange (PE) in reducing triglyceride levels during an acute attack of hyperlipidemic pancreatitis (HLP). A total of 17 hypertriglyceridemic patients with the complication of acute pancreatitis received one course of PE treatment for one or two consecutive sessions. The respective mean removal rates during a single PE for triglyceride, cholesterol, amylase, and lipase were 66.3, 62.1, 70.0, and 84.8%, respectively. An additional one exchange increased the removal rate to 83.3, 66.2, 85.5, and 87.0%, respectively. For the two-sessions of treatment, the removal rates were higher for triglyceride (P=0.0015) and amylase with a borderline statistical significance (P=0.0641). Better triglyceride clearance correlated well with lower levels of transmembrane pressure (TMP) at 90 minutes after PE (r2=0.5782, P=0.0010) and shorter plasmapheresis duration (r2=0.2241, P=0.0427). Thirteen of seventeen patients (76.5%) recovered completely, eight patients in a single-session, and five in two-sessions. Two patients developed intra-abdominal abscess, necessitating surgical drainage and two patients died due to both septic shock and multi-organ failure. No significant predictor of clinical outcome was identified. In summary, PE treatment is an effective method to clear lipids and enzymes from plasma in a single session for most HLP patients. A greater extraction of triglyceride would result in a reduced TMP and a shorter duration of PE treatment.
Photostability of pyrromethene 567 laser dye solutions via photoluminescence measurements

Abstract The effects of antioxidant addition and concentration on the photostability of methanol solutions of the pyrromethene laser dye 1,3,5,7,8-pentamethyl-2,6-diethylpyrromethene-difluoroborate complex (PM-567) were investigated. Specifically, methanol solutions of PM-567 were irradiated with 532 nm Nd:YAG laser pulses (2nd harmonic), and the photoluminescence measured as a function of accumulated laser pulses. The decrease in the photoluminescence-to-initial photoluminescence ratio with accumulated laser pulses was measured as a function of antioxidant addition and dye concentration. The addition of antioxidants, 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2] octane (DABCO) and sodium azide (NaN3), resulted in a dramatic enhancement of photostability, whereas only nominal enhancement was observed upon n-propyl gallate addition. Over the concentration range 6×105 to 5×104 M, dye-photostability was virtually concentration independent, with only a small enhancement at lower concentrations. The normalized photostability, the half-life of accumulated energy per mole of dye, could not explain the concentration dependence of photostability. Reasons why the normalized photostability fails to explain the concentration trends are discussed.
Effective-field approach to the Gaussian random-matrix model

A Hermitian random-matrix model with an arbitrary Gaussian distribution of the matrix elements is proposed and studied by means of effective-field theory. We construct an effective action as a functional of the eigenvalue distribution. Using this effective action, we obtain the entire N-level distribution function in the mean-field approximation. We show a smooth transition from the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble to the Poisson level distribution in the same delocalized phase. The connection to previous results is discussed.
SimBA: a discrete event simulator for performance prediction of volunteer computing projects

SimBA (Simulator of BOINC Applications) is a discrete event simulator that accurately models the main functions of BOINC, a master-worker runtime framework. SimBA generates, distributes, and monitors tasks executed in a highly volatile, heterogeneous, and distributed environment such as Volunteer Computing (VC). In addition, it collects and validates results of executed tasks.To understand the strengths and weaknesses of BOINC under distinct scenarios, project designers must study and quantify its performance without affecting the VC community. Although this is not possible on production systems, it is possible using SimBA, which is capable of testing a wide range of hypotheses in a short period of time.Our experience to date indicates that SimBA is a reliable tool for performance prediction of VC projects. Preliminary results show that SimBA's predictions of Predictor@Home performance are within approximately 5% of the performance reported by this BOINC project.
Switchable bistable ordering and real-time alignment dynamics in wormlike micelles

Using a combination of rheology and magnetic resonance known as “rheo-NMR” we observe, in real time, the shear- and field-dependent dynamics of orientational order in a wormlike micelle (WLM). We construct a dynamical phase diagram, yielding a range where bistable shear-activated phase switching occurs in which WLMs are stably isotropic (> 12 h) before shearing, and yet realign with B0 after shearing. Furthermore, we extract anisotropic viscoelastic coefficients for the first time in a WLM by precisely fitting nonlinear realignment data. This deepened understanding of complex surfactant fluid dynamics lights a path toward increased materials control in advanced lubricants and coatings, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.
SEX DIFFERENCES IN SERUM LH AND FSH PATTERNS IN HAMSTERS EXPOSED TO SHORT PHOTOPERIOD

Abstract When hamsters are exposed to a short photoperiod (10L:14D) suppression of gonadal function is observed in both sexes, and this is accompanied by alterations in the pattern of pituitary gonadotropin (GTH) secretion. Short photoperiod exposure leads to decreased serum concentrations of both LH and FSH in males. In females daily surges of LH and FSH were observed during the midafternoon in short photoperiod. The daily cycle in GTH release continued after ovariectomy in short photoperiod females. Daily surges of GTH were not observed in short photoperiod males. Females treated with androgen shortly after birth failed to show estrous cyclicity in adulthood and also failed to display daily GTH surges when exposed to short photoperiod. These data suggest (1) that the capacity to release GTH cyclically in both long and short photoperiods is a sexually differentiated trait in the hamster, (2) that the development of this trait depends on the presence or absence of sex steroids during perinatal life, and (3) that the daily surges of GTH in short photoperiod females are probably regulated by the same neural mechanism which is responsible for triggering the preovulatory surge of GTH in the ovulating female.