cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Assessment of Operative Results in Congenital Heart Disease by Intraoperative Indicator-Dilution Curves

In 260 patients with intracardiac shunts, indicator-dilution curves were recorded immediately after corrective operations. In every patient, the effectiveness of the repair was also determined at late postoperative cardiac catheterization or necropsy. In 248 patient (96 per cent) the presence or absence of a shunt, determined from the intraoperative curves, was confirmed by the findings at post-operative study. The intraoperative curves were normal in 213 patients, 209 of whom had no residual communication at late evaluation; in four patients, the studies indicated initial complete correction followed by recurrence of the shunt. Abnormal intraoperative curves were recorded in 47 patients, eight of whom died. In 17 of the 39 surviving patients, postoperative catheterization revealed persistent residual shunts comparable in magnitude to those present before operation. Fourteen patients had residual shunts that did not necessitate reoperation, and in eight patients, shunts present at the conclusion of the operation were shown to close in the postoperative period. The study indicates that the recording of intraoperative indicator-dilution curves provides a reliable objective method for evaluating the effectiveness of operation in patients with circulatory shunts. If normal curves are recorded, no residual shunt may be expected in 98 per cent of patients, and postoperative catheterization may be unnecessary unless other hemodynamic data are required. If abnormal intraoperative curves are recorded, however, postoperative study is mandatory, since the shunt will persist in 80 per cent of patients, in many of whom a second operation will be indicated.
Asplenia and Polysplenia Malformation Complexes Explained by Abnormal Embryonic Body Curvature

Abstract Asplenia and polysplenia malformation complexes characteristically have severe cardiovascular defects and visceral heterotaxy. We examined the hypothesis that the conditions may arise from an altered timing of development of embryonic body curvature: delayed in asplenia, accelerated in polysplenia. The morphologic features of the 25 patients with asplenia and 15 with polysplenia autopsied at The Johns Hopkins Hospital were determined. The time of appearance of various morphologic features and the evolution of body curvature was studied in 351 staged serially sectioned human embryos of The Carnegie Embryological Collection. All asplenia patients had severe atrioventricular canal malformations. Bilateral trilobed lungs were found in 12 patients. The polysplenia patients had severe interatrial septal defects in 10 patients; but ventricular septal defects in only six. Bilateral bilobed lungs were seen in five patients. Comparison of the time of appearance of anatomic structures in normal embryos with the observed malformations suggest that asplenia and polysplenia complexes originate in stages 13 to 15. The observations are consistent with the concept that the malformations in asplenia and polysplenia can be explained by minor alterations in the sequence of development of embryonic body curvature relative to organ maturation.
Effect of planting date, ventilation and soil temperature on growth and nutrition of tomato in high tunnels

Growth rates and tissue nutrient concentrations were measured in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) grown in unheated high tunnels in the spring in the northeast USA. Two weeks after transplant on 3 April, seedlings had low concentrations of Nitrogen, Magnesium and other nutrients, while later plantings on 17 April and 1 May had adequate nutrition. The low yield and small fruit of the 3 April planting, compared to the later plantings, was likely related to this nutrient stress soon after transplant. Air and soil temperatures were less than 10°C at planting on 3 April. Air and soil were warmed during the day to different extents in tunnels vented at different temperatures. Over all plantings and ventilation regimes, relative growth rates over the two weeks after transplant were correlated to average air temperature. However, there was little uptake of P, N and Mg, when soil was cooler than 12°C. Nutrient concentrations in the shoot became very low because shoot growth continued when soil temperature limited nutrient uptake.
Studies on kinetoplast DNA III. Kinetic complexity of kinetoplast and nuclear DNA from Leishmania tarentolae

Quantitative renaturation kinetic studies of purified kinetoplast minicircular DNA from Leishmania tarentolae indicated that there is probably one but certainly no more than two classes of identically sized minicircles in terms of DNA base sequences. Total kinetoplast network DNA was found to consist mainly of repeated minicircle base sequences, but also to possess a component of a higher complexity (7.0 · 106 daltons) which comprised 5.4 % of the total network DNA. The most likely molecular candidates for this more complex species are the long DNA molecules seen in the kinetoplast networks. Nuclear DNA possessed three species of annealing components: presumed singlecopy sequences, moderately repetitive sequences, and a rapidly annealing component representing approx. 25 % of the nuclear DNA with a C0t value which was even less than that of minicircles.
“Binge” Versus Steady Drinking: Effects on the Liver in the Ovariectomized Rat

Substantial interest exists as to whether or not differential effects in liver injury based on the pattern of alcohol intake exist; and further, if they do, are they simply a function of the total dose over time. A rat model in which ethanol (ETOH) at doses of 12%, 24%, or 36% of total calories was isocalorically administered for 4 months either daily or intermittently (4 days of ETOH, 3 days of control diet, repeatedly) was used to assess this question. There were significant differences in the two feeding pattern groups between 36% ETOH rats for the liver weight corrected for body weight, the fat infiltration score, the total amount of ETOH consumed/mg body weight, the proportion of animals with a fat infiltration score > 2, and albumin levels. There was a significant difference between 12% ETOH rats for the liver weight corrected for body weight. Of particular relevance is the comparison to be made between Daily 12% ETOH and Binge 24% ETOH animals, because these two groups consumed an identical total amount of ETOH/mg body weight (Daily: 445 +/- 5 vs. Binge: 468 +/- 15) and thus these animals are comparable in terms of ETOH dose over time but different in terms of the pattern of ETOH exposure. There were no differences in the liver/body ratio (Daily: 235 +/- 6 vs. Binge: 232 +/- 4), fat infiltration score (Daily: 2.5 +/- 4 vs. Binge: 2.4 +/- 0.3), the proportion of animals with a fat infiltration score > 2 (Daily: 5/10 vs. Binge: 4/8), or albumin levels (Daily: 3.0 +/- 0.1 vs. Binge: 3.1 +/- 0.1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Activation of rabbit brain microsomal (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase by a leukocytic product

Abstract The properties of a (Na + + K + )-dependent ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) activator contained in leukocytic extracts was investigated. Intact polymorphonuclear leukocytes release the activator in a time- and temperature-dependent process. It is non-dialyzable through cellophane: inactivated by protease, trypsin, or phenol; contains essential sulfhydryl groups; and is heat and acid labile. Treatment of ATPase with the activator and subsequent removal of the activator from mixtures did not reverse the ATPase activation.
A differential geometric approach toward robust signal detection

Abstract A procedure for measuring the robustness of a signal detector by applying some techniques rooted in differential geometry is presented. This approach admits nonstationarity and, in some cases, dependent data in a manner which reflects the effects of essentially arbitrary perturbations in a distribution about a nominal. Numerous examples are provided of the computation of robustness for several detectors. It is shown how such a quantitative measure of robustness can be employed to design detectors which possess an optimized combination of performance and robustness subject to a linear cost criterion, thus admitting the judicious tradeoff of those two important quantities.
Midbrain control of vocalizations in redwinged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Abstract Chronically indwelling electrodes were used to stimulate the midbrain of unrestrained male redwinged blackbirds. Vocalizations were elicited only by stimulating non-auditory regions of the torus semicircularis. Many of the vocalizations given by this species in its natural habitat were elicited by stimulating the torus. Some evoked calls had structures intermediate between different call types. Sounds not found in the natural repertoire were also evoked. The structure and temporal patterning of vocalizations evoked by torus stimulation could be altered by manipulating stimulation parameters. Furthermore, dramatic changes in evoked vocal patterns occurred with only minor parameted changes. However, the vocal patterns produced by such manipulations varied for different individuals. These observations suggest that non-auditory regions of the torus semicircularis exert a profound coordinating influence upon the respiratory and syringo-tracheal components of the avian vocal apparatus.
A Proportional Drive for Discontinuous Mode DC-to-DC Converters

A conceptually simple and easy to design scheme to provide proportional base drive currents to bipolar-junction-transistors (BJT) used as power switches in switch mode power supplies (SMPS) is presented. The technique is presently restricted to use with SMPS which have magnetics designed to operate in discontinuous mode. This proportional inductance drive (PID) is so named to describe the circuitry used for implementation. The PID provides three important base drive functions in one simple circuit. It provides forward base current proportional to collector current during on time. It provides reverse base current proportional to collector current during storage time. It provides reverse bias clamping for base-emitter voltage. All three functions are performed by one simple magnetic circuit which is easily driven by most of the commercially available PWM control chips.
Interlayer states in graphite and in alkali-metal-graphite intercalation compounds

The character of the first unoccupied band in the graphite intercalation compound ${\mathrm{LiC}}_{6}$ is examined. Based on a framework of interacting nonorthogonal states, an analysis of previous band-structure results shows that this band can be interpreted as a hybrid of Li $2s$ and graphite interlayer states.
Focusing our vision: the process of redesigning adobe acrobat

In this paper we describe the rationale, strategy, and approach of redesigning Adobe Acrobat and Reader from 2008 to 2010. User research techniques, methodologies, and a series of lessons learned during the two-and-a-half-year development cycle are also summarized.
Patterns of pelvic recurrence in endometrial carcinoma

Abstract The patterns of pelvic recurrence were evaluated in patients with endometrial carcinoma treated primarily at M. D. Anderson Hospital from 1949 through 1974. A total of 431 patients treated with preoperative radiotherapy followed by conservative hysterectomy was eligible for analysis. Any lateral pelvic mass was classified as node recurrence. The recurrences were analyzed by stage and grade. The overall recurrence rates were 1% for pelvic nodes. 3% for vagina, and 3% for central pelvic structure. A total of 91 patients treated with radiotherapy alone was eligible for analysis. The overall recurrence rates were 1% for pelvic nodes, 4.5% for vagina, 2% for central pelvic structure, and 17.5% for uterus. When the uterine recurrences were subdivided according to two chronologic periods with different dose regimens, the recurrence rate dropped to 8.5% for the more recent period with a higher dose regimen.
The glucose paradox: new perspectives on hepatic carbohydrate metabolism

Abstract In the past few years the question of how the body handles a glucose load when a fast is terminated has taken on renewed interest. As a result, longstanding concepts have been challenged and new formulations are emerging. The mechanism by which liver glycogen is repleted during refeeding has come under particular scrutiny and is the primary focus of this article.
The precision and accuracy of iterative and non-iterative methods of photopeak integration in activation analysis, with particular reference to the analysis of multiplets

The relative precisions obtainable using two digital methods, and three iterative least squares fitting procedures of photopeak integration have been compared empirically using 12 replicate counts of a test sample with 14 photopeaks of varying intensity. The accuracy by which the various iterative fitting methods could analyse synthetic doublets has also been evaluated, and compared with a simple non-iterative approach.
Relationship between positive and negative symptoms and neuropsychological scores in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Patients with dementia, particularly those with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), are reported to display marked negative symptoms, including apathy, lack of initiative, and flattened affect, similar to those observed in schizophrenic patients. However, negative symptoms have yet to be formally quantified in an FTD population. Twenty-seven patients with FTD (11 primarily right-sided, 8 primarily left-sided, and 4 symmetric) and 7 patients with Alzheimer's disease were rated on the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and the Emotional Blunting scale. The FTD patients registered significantly more negative symptoms than the Alzheimer's patients, averaging a threefold increase; groups did not significantly differ in positive symptoms. Negative symptom scale scores were negatively correlated with nonverbal executive skills (23–44% shared variance), verbal executive skills (up to 25% shared variance) and verbal memory (up to 20% shared variance), but were unrelated to measures of attention, verbal and nonverbal information processing, nonverbal memory, language, and constructional skill. In contrast, positive symptoms were positively correlated with constructional skill (19% shared variance) and attentional scores (15% shared variance). These findings add to the existing literature relating negative symptoms to anterior cerebral hypofunction, and suggest that positive symptoms, at least in this population, may be tied to increased posterior activation. (JINS, 2003, 9, 698–709.)
High-pressure Liquid Chromatographic Separation, Identification, and Determination of Sulfa Drugs and Their Metabolites in Urine

A high‐pressure liquid chromatographic method for the separation and quantitative determination of sulfamethazine, sulfamerazine, sulfathiazole, and their N4‐acetylated metabolites on an amino‐bonded reversed‐phase column was developed. The method is suitable for the analysis of these compounds in pure solutions as well as in cattle urine. Retention times were reproducible. Injection volumes containing 0.2 μg of individual sulfonamides or their acetyl derivatives were successfully quantitated; coefficients of variation ranged from 0 to 0.073 for individual sulfonamides.
Handling emergency calls for service: organizational production of crime statistics

This paper reviews the transformation of requests for police services, specifically examining the various categories of assault. The impact of housing, race, education level, police workload, neighbourhood criminal history, type of call, call‐taker input, priority (seriousness) originally assigned to the call, and decision to despatch are assessed. Moreover, the paper will: identify the processes police agencies use in classifying crime; identify the conditions under which requests for service are transformed by call‐takers and despatchers; examine the impact of precursors to a request for services being made, including social and contextual (ecological), and prior workload variables; and examine the impact of factors occurring concurrent to the taking of a call.
Pulsed Power Technology for Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion

Over the past few years, the technology of pulsed power generators has been developed to the level where it is possible to produce powers of the order of 1012 W for times of the order of 10-7 sec. Such generators are most commonly utilized to produce intense relativistic electron beams, and this paper briefly surveys the existing state of the art of generators and relativistic beams. As examples, recent work at NRL is considered in some detail. Finally, several potential applications of this technology in controlled fusion research will be discussed.
Learning by Tweeting: Using Twitter as a Pedagogical Tool

Marketing professionals use Twitter extensively for communicating with and monitoring customers, for observing competitors, and for analyzing chatter concerning brands, products, and company image. Can professors use Twitter to engage students in conversation about a marketing course? The authors argue that Twitter has many benefits for marketing educators who are interested in engaging students in experiential learning. In a real-time environment for student learning, professors may use Twitter for direct communication with students to generate discussion and interest in the course topics and examples. Just as marketers use Twitter to generate interest, discussion, and brand image, educators can use Twitter to generate this interest in a course through social media. Furthermore, Twitter is a fast, easy method for making announcements, solving student issues, and performing course-related administrative duties. In three studies, both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that when students engage in T...
A free-standing carbon nanofiber interlayer for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries

Free-standing porous carbon nanofibers with tunable surface area and pore structure have been investigated as an interlayer between the sulfur cathode and the separator to inhibit the shuttling of the intermediate polysulfides in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Specifically, the effects of thickness, surface area, and pore size distribution of carbon nanofiber (CNF) interlayers on the performance of Li–S batteries have been studied. The carbon nanofiber interlayer not only reduces the electrochemical resistance but also localizes the migrating polysulfides and traps them, thereby improving the discharge capacity as well as cyclability. It was found that the optimum thickness of the interlayer is a critical factor to achieve good cell performance, in addition to the surface area and pore structure. A high initial discharge capacity of 1549 mA h g−1 at C/5 rate, which is 92% of the theoretical capacity of sulfur, with 98% average coulombic efficiency and 83% capacity retention after 100 cycles was obtained with a meso–microporous carbon nanofiber interlayer.
Peer Observation of Teaching: Perceptions of the Observer and the Observed

While peer observation of teaching is regarded as an important part of a faculty member's promotion and tenure portfolio, little has been reported on its usefulness. Results from this study indicate that both observers and observees value the peer observation process, are neutral about the adequacy of observer training, use a variety of observation instruments but favor the written narrative, and believe their peer observation instruments are an effective measure of teaching. Although observers feel more stress about peer observations than observees, both groups experience minimal stress in participating in observations. Both groups also believe that peer observation reports are valid and useful.
Defining Specific Lipid Binding Sites for a Peripheral Membrane Protein in Situ Using Subtesla Field-cycling NMR

Despite the profound physiological consequences associated with peripheral membrane protein localization, only a rudimentary understanding of the interactions of proteins with membrane surfaces exists because these questions are inaccessible by commonly used structural techniques. Here, we combine high resolution field-cycling 31P NMR relaxation methods with spin-labeled proteins to delineate specific interactions of a bacterial phospholipase C with phospholipid vesicles. Unexpectedly, discrete binding sites for both a substrate analogue and a different phospholipid (phosphatidylcholine) known to activate the enzyme are observed. The lifetimes for the occupation of these sites (when the protein is anchored transiently to the membrane) are >1–2 μs (but <1 ms), which represents the first estimate of an off-rate for a lipid dissociating from a specific site on the protein and returning to the bilayer. Furthermore, analyses of the spin-label induced NMR relaxation corroborates the presence of a discrete tyrosine-rich phosphatidylcholine binding site whose location is consistent with that suggested by modeling studies. The methodology illustrated here may be extended to a wide range of peripheral membrane proteins.
MMP-9 gene ablation mitigates hyperhomocystenemia-induced cognition and hearing dysfunction

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is associated with cognitive decline and hearing loss due to vascular dysfunction. Although we have shown that HHcy-induced increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is associated with cochlear pathology in cystathionine-β-synthase heterozygous (CBS+/−) mice, it is still unclear whether MMP-9 contributes to functional deficit in cognition and hearing. Therefore, we hypothesize that HHcy-induced MMP-9 activation causes vascular, cerebral and cochlear remodeling resulting in diminished cognition and hearing. Wildtype (WT), CBS+/−, MMP-9−/− and CBS+/−/MMP-9−/− double knock-out (DKO) mice were genotyped and used. Doppler flowmetry of internal carotid artery (ICA) was performed for peak systolic velocity [PSV], pulsatility index [PI] and resistive index [RI]. Cognitive functions were assessed by Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT) and for cochlear function Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was elicited. Peak systolic velocity, pulsatility and resistive indices of ICA were decreased in CBS+/− mice, indicating reduced perfusion. ABR threshold was increased and maximum ABR amplitude and NORT indices (recognition, discrimination) were decreased in CBS+/− mice compared to WT and MMP-9−/−. All these parameters were attenuated in DKO mice suggesting a significant role of MMP-9 in HHcy-induced vascular, neural and cochlear pathophysiology. Regression analysis of PSV with ABR and cognitive parameters revealed significant correlation (0.44–0.58). For the first time, MMP-9 has been correlated directly to functional deficits of brain and cochlea, and found to have a significant role. Our data suggests a dual pathology of HHcy occurring due to a decrease in blood supply (vasculo-neural and vasculo-cochlear) and direct tissue remodeling.
Fine Mapping of Murine Antibody Responses to Immunization with a Novel Soluble Form of Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Complex

ABSTRACT The hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein E1E2 complex is a candidate vaccine antigen. Previous immunization studies of E1E2 have yielded various results on its ability to induce virus-neutralizing antibodies in animal models and humans. The murine model has become a vital tool for HCV research owing to the development of humanized mice susceptible to HCV infection. In this study, we investigated the antibody responses of mice immunized with E1E2 and a novel soluble form of E1E2 (sE1E2) by a DNA prime and protein boost strategy. The results showed that sE1E2 elicited higher antibody titers and a greater breadth of reactivity than the wild-type cell-associated E1E2. However, immune sera elicited by either immunogen were only weakly neutralizing. In order to understand the contrasting results of binding and serum neutralizing activities, epitopes targeted by the polyclonal antibody responses were mapped and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were generated. The results showed that the majority of serum antibodies were directed to the E1 region 211 to 250 and the E2 regions 421 to 469, 512 to 539, 568 to 609, and 638 to 651, instead of the well-known immunodominant E2 hypervariable region 1 (HVR1). Unexpectedly, in MAb analysis, ∼12% of MAbs isolated were specific to the conserved E2 antigenic site 412 to 423, and 85% of them cross-neutralized multiple HCV isolates. The epitopes recognized by these MAbs are similar but distinct from the previously reported HCV1 and AP33 broadly neutralizing epitopes. In conclusion, E1E2 can prime B cells specific to conserved neutralizing epitopes, but the levels of serum neutralizing antibodies elicited are insufficient for effective virus neutralization. The sE1E2 constructs described in this study can be a useful template for rational antigen engineering. IMPORTANCE Hepatitis C virus infects 2 to 3% of the world9s population and is a leading cause of liver failures and the need for liver transplantation. The virus envelope glycoprotein complex E1E2 produced by detergent extraction of cells overexpressing the protein was evaluated in a phase I clinical trial but failed to induce neutralizing antibodies in most subjects. In this study, we designed a novel form of E1E2 which is secreted from cells and is soluble and compared it to wild-type E1E2 by DNA immunization of mice. The results showed that this new E1E2 is more immunogenic than wild-type E1E2. Detailed mapping of the antibody responses revealed that antibodies to the conserved E2 antigenic site 412 to 423 were elicited but the serum concentrations were too low to neutralize the virus effectively. This soluble E1E2 provides a new reagent for studying HCV and for rational vaccine design.
Structural and functional properties of the coleoptile chloroplast: Photosynthesis and photosensory transduction.

Recent studies have shown that guard cell and coleoptile chloroplasts appear to be involved in blue light photoreception during blue light-dependent stomatal opening and phototropic bending. The guard cell chloroplast has been studied in detail but the coleoptile chloroplast is poorly understood. The present study was aimed at the characterization of the corn coleoptile chloroplast, and its comparison with mesophyll and guard cell chloroplasts. Coleoptile chloroplasts operated the xanthophyll cycle, and their zeaxanthin content tracked incident rates of solar radiation throughout the day. Zeaxanthin formation was very sensitive to low incident fluence rates, and saturated at around 800–1000 μmol m−2 s−1. Zeaxanthin formation in corn mesophyll chloroplasts was insensitive to low fluence rates and saturated at around 1800 μmol m−2 s−1. Quenching rates of chlorophyll a fluorescence transients from coleoptile chloroplasts induced by saturating fluence rates of actinic red light increased as a function of zeaxanthin content. This implies that zeaxanthin plays a photoprotective role in the coleoptile chloroplast. Addition of low fluence rates of blue light to saturating red light also increased quenching rates in a zeaxanthin-dependent fashion. This blue light response of the coleoptile chloroplast is analogous to that of the guard cell chloroplast, and implicates these organelles in the sensory transduction of blue light. On a chlorophyll basis, coleoptile chloroplasts had high rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and low rates of photosynthetic carbon fixation, as compared with mesophyll chloroplasts. In contrast with the uniform chloroplast distribution in the leaf, coleoptile chloroplasts were predominately found in the outer cell layers of the coleoptile cortex, and had large starch grains and a moderate amount of stacked grana and stroma lamellae. Several key properties of the coleoptile chloroplast were different from those of mesophyll chloroplasts and resembled those of guard cell chloroplasts. We propose that the common properties of guard cell and coleoptile chloroplasts define a functional pattern characteristic of chloroplasts specialized in photosensory transduction.
Preliminary characterization of equine interferons and their antiviral activities on bovine, ovine, and human cells

Equine dermal cells induced with poly I:C + DEAE-dextran produced low levels of interferon tentatively classified as equine interferon beta (EqIFN-beta). In contrast, dermal cells initially primed with EqIFN-beta and then superinduced with poly I:C + DEAE-dextran in the presence of cycloheximide and actinomycin D produced greater than 100-fold EqIFN-beta. Equine blood mononuclear cells induced with Newcastle disease virus and phytohemagglutinin produced high levels of interferons tentatively classified as equine interferon alpha (EqIFN-alpha) and equine interferon gamma (EqIFN-gamma), respectively. Both EqIFN-beta and EqIFN-gamma exhibited equivalent antiviral activity on equine, bovine, and ovine cells while EqIFN-alpha had greater activity on bovine and ovine cells than on equine cells. Furthermore, EqIFN-alpha had high antiviral activity on human cells. No detectable levels of antiviral activity of equine interferons was observed on feline and mouse cells.
Thermionic and threshold photoemission energy distributions from LaB6(110)

Measurements of the energy distribution of electrons thermionically emitted from LaB 6 (110) are reported and analyzed in terms of a standard free electron model. This analysis reveals a sizable discrepancy (≈25%) between the measured temperature of the LaB 6 emitter and the temperature required by the best theoretical fit to the data. Energy distributions of electrons photoemitted from LaB 6 (110) using a focussed argon ion laser are also presented. Analysis of the photoemitted energy distributions show that the high current density obtained by laser illumination occurs at substantially lower temperatures than thermionic emission.
Free-space to plasmon waveguide coupling

Surface plasmon (SP) excitation is important for integrated plasmonic circuits. This study covers experimental and numerical studies of far-field excitation of propagating SPs using engineered local plasmon resonances.
DISCRETE PHYSICS AND THE DIRAC EQUATION

Abstract We rewrite the 1 + 1 Dirac equation in light cone coordinates in two significant forms, and solve them exactly using the classical calculus of finite differences. The complex form yields “Feynman's checkerboard” — a weighted sum over lattice paths. The rational, real form can also be interpreted in terms of bit-strings.
Local spectral and spatial frequency moments of shallow-water sound propagation

Underwater sound propagation is inherently nonstationary, particularly in shallow water where the ocean surface and bottom act like waveguide boundaries, giving rise to structural (or geometric) dispersion. The spectrogram has been a principal means to study the nonstationarities and dispersion characteristics of shallow-water sound propagation. In this paper, we give the low-order conditional time-frequency moments of a wave propagating in a waveguide. Comparison of these results is made to spectrograms of explosive source sound propagation in the Yellow Sea.
Electrocardiographic detection of left ventricular hypertrophy by the simple QRS voltage-duration product.

Objectives. The object of this study was to assess the hypothesis that the product of QRS voltage and duration, as an approximation of the time-voltage integral of the QRS complex, can improve the electrocardiographic (ECG) identification of left ventricular hypertrophy. Background. Electrocardiographic identification of left ventricular hypertrophy has been limited by the poor sensitivity of standard voitage criteria. However, increases in left ventricular mass can be more closely related to increases in the time-voltage integral of the summed left ventricular dipole than to changes in voltage or QRS duration alone. Methods. Antemortem ECGs were compared with left ventricular mass at autopsy in 220 patients. There were 95 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, defined by left ventricular mass index 118 g/m2in men and 104 g/m2in women. The voltage-duration product was calculated as the product of QRS duration and Cornell voltage (Cornell product) and the 12-lead sum of QRS voltage (12-lead product). Results. At partitions with a matched specificity of 95%, each voltage-duration product significantly improved sensitivity for the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy when compared with simple voltage criteria alone (Cornell product 51 % [48 of 95] vs. Cornell voltage 36% [34 of 95], p < 0.005 and 12-lead product 45% [43 of 95] vs. 12-lead voltage 31% [30 of 95], p < 0.001). Sensitivity of both the Cornell product and 12-lead product was significantly greater than that found for QRS duration alone (28%, 27 of 95, p< 0.005) and the Romhilt-Estes point score (27%, 28 of 95, p < 0.005), and compared favorably with the sensitivity of hie complex Cornell multivariate score (44%, 42 of 95, p = NS). Comparison of receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated that improved performance of the voltage-duration products for the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy was independent of test partition selection. In addition, test performance of the voltage-duration products was not significantly affected by the presence or absence of a bundle branch block. Conclusions. These data suggest that the simple product of either Cornell or 12-lead voltage and QRS duration can identify left ventricular hypertrophy more accurately than can voltage or QRS duration criteria alone and may approach or exceed the performance of more complex multiple regression analyses.
Paracrystalline aggregates of bacteriochlorophyll protein from green photosynthetic bacteria.

Abstract Paracrystalline aggregates of bacteriochlorophyll-protein are observed in preparations of the mother liquor from which crystals have been obtained. These aggregates are confocal in texture but are rigid and fragile as opposed to the classic examples of confocal smectic “liquid crystals.” Observations of birefringence and dichroism indicate that bacteriochlorophyll is molecularly oriented in a filamentous fine texture that constitutes each ordered domain of the aggregates. Electron microscopy of these aggregates shows that this texture is composed of tubules. These tubules are more or less parallel to each other within the small confines of each domain but their lateral spacing is variable and random. Cross sections of the tubules show a hexagonal array of electron-dense elements surrounding an electron-transparent channel. This array seems congruous but not identical to hexagonal units in the lattice observed in cross sections of bacteriochlorophyll-protein crystals. The macromolecular arrangement is considered in terms of the lateral bonding sites in bacteriochlorophyll-protein paracrystals.
Dynamics in the pretransitional isotropic phase of pentylcyanobiphenyl studied with subpicosecond transient grating experiments

Abstract Transient grating optical Kerr effect measurements in the isotropic phase of the nematic liquid crystal pentylcyanobiphenyl (5CB) are presented. Subpicosecond time resolution permits the first direct investigation of the time correlation function for the local molecular dynamics of the molecules within the pseudonematic domains. Intradomain molecular relaxation is nonexponential with relaxation rates ranging from 1/1 ps to 1/300 ps. The decay characteristics are temperature independent to temperatures 35°C above the nematic-isotropic phase transition reflecting a decoupling of the local dynamics from the bulk viscosity.
Regenerative capacity and biochemical composition of the sea star Luidia clathrata (Say) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) under conditions of near-future ocean acidification

Abstract The present study examines sublethal effects of near-future (year 2100) ocean acidification (OA) on regenerative capacity, biochemical composition, and behavior of the sea star Luidia clathrata, a predominant predator in sub-tropical soft-bottom habitats. Two groups of sea stars, each with two arms excised, were maintained on a formulated diet in seawater bubbled with air alone (pH 8.2, approximating a pCO2 of 380 μatm) or with a controlled mixture of air/C02 (pH 7.8, approximating a pCO2 of 780 μatm). Arm length, total body wet weight, and righting responses were measured weekly. After 97 days, a period of time sufficient for 80% arm regeneration, pyloric caecal indices, and protein, carbohydrate, lipid, and ash levels were determined for body wall and pyloric caecal tissues of intact and regenerating arms of individuals held in both seawater pH treatments. The present study indicates that predicted near-term levels of ocean acidification (seawater pH 7.8) do not significantly impact whole animal growth, arm regeneration rates, biochemical composition, or righting behavior in this common soft bottom sea star.
Epinephrine-aminophylline-induced arrhythmias after midazolam or thiopentone in halothane-anaesthetized dogs.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate epinephrine-aminophylline-induced arrhythmias during halothane anaesthesia after induction with thiopentone or midazolam. Ten mongrel dogs were studied during 1 MAC halothane and 50% N2O:O2 anaesthesia while maintaining constant acid-base status. The minimal arrhythmogenic infusion rate of epinephrine (MAIRE) and the corresponding plasma concentration of epinephrine (MAPC) required to produce ventricular arrhythmias before and after aminophylline were higher following induction of anaesthesia with midazolam than with thiopentone (P < 0.05); the MAIREs decreased stepwise with aminophylline (P < 0.05). The correlation coefficient between individual MAIREs and MAPCs was 0.93 (P < 0.001). Epinephrine alone and in combination with aminophylline was less arrhythmogenic after induction with midazolam than with thiopentone.
The anaemia of infection.

Anaemia is a common finding in infected individuals, and in many cases is an indicator of disease activity and/or duration. The term 'anaemia of infection' refers to a specific syndrome related to the more broadly defined 'anaemia of chronic disease'. In this syndrome, cytokines produced as part of the host response to infection induce anaemia by well-defined pathophysiological mechanisms. In this chapter, the diagnosis, significance, pathophysiology and treatment of the anaemia of infection will be reviewed. Other mechanisms which can produce anaemia in infected individuals will also be reviewed.
Effect of Basic Drive Train Cycle Length on Induction of Ventricular Tachycardia by a Single Extrastimulus

MORADY F, ET AL: Effect of Basic Drive Train Cycle Length on Induction of Ventricular Tachycardia by a Single Extrastimulus. This study determined the effects of a wide range of basic drive cycle lengths on the induction of ventricular tachycardia (VT) hy a single extrastimulus (Sj). Seventy-one patients with coronary artery disease and inducible sustained monomorphic VT underwent 121 electrophysioiogy tests either in the control state or during treatment with an antiarrhythmi c drug. Ventricular basic drive trains were eight beats in duration and the intertrain interval was three seconds. Programmed ventricular stimulation was performed with S2 using the longest possible basic drive cycle length rounded off to the nearest multiple of 100 msec, then using basic drive train cycle lengths that decreased in 100 msec steps to 400 msec, and finally using a basic drive cycle length of 350 msec. At each drive cycle length, an interval of > 50 msec beyond the effective refractory period (ERP) was scanned with S2. Monomorphic VT was induced by S2 in 52/121 studies (43%). The drive cycle length had a significant linear effect on the log odds of indueingVT(P < 0.0001). ThehighestyieldofVT occurred with a drive cycle length of 350 msec (42/121, 34%), and with each increment in drive cycle length, the expected odds of inducing VT decreased by a factor of 1.7. In 88% of cases in which VT was induced at a particular drive cycle length but not at longer drive cycle lengths, the coupling intervals that induced VT exceeded the ERP measured at one or more of the longer basic drive cycle lengths. In conclusion, there is an inverse relationship between the basic drive cycle length and the yield of monomorphic VT induced by S2. The use of shorter basic drive cycle lengths often facilitates the induction of VT by some effect other than critical shortening of the S2 coupling interval. (J Electrophysiol 3:111-116, 1989)
Inflammatory Response to Fine Particulate Air Pollution Exposure: Neutrophil versus Monocyte

Objectives Studies have shown that chronic exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (less than 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter, PM2.5) pollution induces insulin resistance through alterations in inflammatory pathways. It is critical to study how the immune system responds to this stimulant, which has been linked to cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, but few studies have been focused on such involvement of both neutrophils and monocytes in a timely manner. We hypothesized that the neutrophil was involved in the inflammatory response to air pollution. Methods and Results C57BL/6 mice were exposed to PM2.5 or filtered air (6 hours/day, 5 days/week) for 5, 14, and 21 days, respectively, in Columbus, OH. At the end of each of the exposure periods, we investigated the inflammatory response through flow cytometry, histology, intravital microscopy, and real-time PCR. PM2.5-exposed mice demonstrated a significant inflammatory response after 5 days of exposure. In the lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, monocytes/macrophages showed a transient response, while neutrophils showed a cumulative response. In addition, exposure to PM2.5 resulted in elevation of the monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) cytokine, a monocyte/macrophage attractant in blood, at an early stage of exposure. Conclusions These findings suggest that PM2.5 exposure induces the inflammatory responses from both macrophages and neutrophils involvement.
Selectively neutral mutations, transferrins and the evolution of natricine snakes☆

Abstract 1. 1. Transferrins of natricine snakes from four Zoogeographie regions were compared using quantitative microcomplement fixation. 2. 2. The magnitude of differences in transferrins of two species correlates better with their length of reproductive isolation than with their external morphology or ecology. 3. 3. Data suggest that the evolutionary lines leading to modern Asiatic natricine genera originated during the Miocene. 4. 4. By the end of the Miocene groups classified as Natrix had become isolated on four continents. 5. 5. Natrix has undergone extensive speciation in North America since the Miocene. The majority of structural changes in the transferrins of the resulting species seem to have been nonadaptive.
Spatial properties of rod-cone interactions in flicker and hue detection

Rod-cone interactions in flicker and hue detection were compared to examine the hypothesis that they are mediated by mechanisms with different spatial properties. Flicker and hue thresholds for a 1 deg test stimulus (TS) were measured as a function of background luminance and diameter. Flicker thresholds were reduced from their dark-adapted value by an 11 deg diameter background, but not by a 1 deg background. These results, in agreement with previous work, demonstrate that light adaptation of rods surrounding the TS is necessary to eliminate their effect on cone flicker thresholds. In contrast, hue thresholds were reduced from their dark-adapted value to a comparable degree by 1 and 11 deg backgrounds, indicating that light adaptation of the rods stimulated by the TS is sufficient to abolish the rod-cone hue interaction. Our results support the contention that the rod-cone flicker and hue interactions are mediated by different mechanisms. We also demonstrated that changing the detection task while keeping stimulus parameters constant is sufficient to shift between these two types of rod-cone interactions.
Józef Piłsudski and the 'Jewish question', 1892-1905

L'article est consacre a l'analyse des positions de Joseph Pilsudski sur la question nationale en general et la question juive entre 1893 et 1905. L'A. montre que Pilsudski est passe d'une position assimilationniste a la defense des droits nationaux juifs en 1902.
The sailcloth manufacturing business-past, present and future

Sailcloth has come a long way since flax canvas, and some of today's synthetic fibres are eminently suitable for the purpose. In this article, Adam Rice looks at the history of sailcloth manufacture, and some of the more recent developments in the area.
Arabinogalactan from Western larch. Part IV. Polymeric products of partial acid hydrolysis

Abstract Under identical conditions of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis, disordered arabinogalactan (DAG) degrades about twice as fast as ordered arabinogalactan (AG). Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) shows that the polymeric product from DAG becomes increasingly polydisperse as hydrolysis proceeds, whereas the polymeric product from AG persists as a narrow SEC peak. Polymeric products isolated from hydrolysates of AG and DAG at different stages of degradation, like original AG, are disordered with alkali and subsequently reordered by drying, which indicates that order is maintained in the degrading polysaccharide. Conformational restraints imposed by a network of hydrogen bonds in the ordered portion of the AG multiplex are a likely cause for its slower degradation, and this interpretation is supported by results from 1 H NMR. After disordering, the partially hydrolyzed AG products return to the ordered state more readily than DAG returns to AG, and this preference for order increases with extent of degradation, suggesting that prior hydrolytic removal of non-ordered portions of the AG multiplex facilitates re-establishment of order from disorder. By contrast, the partially hydrolyzed DAG products show less tendency to reorder than DAG, the more so with increasing extent of degradation. Compositional analyses of the products from AG and DAG indicate little difference in the rate of initial rapid loss of Ara residues, consistent with the view that these residues are on the periphery of the molecule and not involved with order in the multiplex. Results of linkage analyses and of alkaline degradation analyses of these products indicate that maintenance of order during hydrolysis of AG coincides with preservation of 3,6-linked main-chain Gal p residues with single, terminal Gal p residues at C-6, from which it follows that these moieties are involved in the ordered network. Part of an earlier study, which led to the conclusion that hydrolysis of AG yields two distinct polymeric fragments, was repeated, and this conclusion is critically reassessed.
Inhibition of microRNA-181 Reduces Forebrain Ischemia-Induced Neuronal Loss

MicroRNA (miRNA), miR-181a, is enriched in the brain, and inhibition of miR-181a reduced astrocyte death in vitro and infarct volume after stroke in vivo. This study investigated the role of miR-181a in neuronal injury in vitro and hippocampal neuronal loss in vivo after forebrain ischemia. miR-181a levels were altered by transfection with mimic or antagomir. N2a cells subjected to serum deprivation and oxidative stress showed less cell death when miR-181a was reduced and increased death when miR-181a increased; protection was associated with increased Bcl-2 protein. In contrast, transfected primary neurons did not show altered levels of cell death when miR-181a levels changed. Naive male rats and rats stereotactically infused with miR-181a antagomir or control were subjected to forebrain ischemia and cornus ammonis (CA)1 neuronal survival and protein levels were assessed. Forebrain ischemia increased miR-181a expression and decreased Bcl-2 protein in the hippocampal CA1 region. miR-181a antagomir reduced miR-181a levels, reduced CA1 neuronal loss, increased Bcl-2 protein, and significantly prevented the decrease of glutamate transporter 1. Thus, miR-181a antagomir reduced evidence of astrocyte dysfunction and increased CA1 neuronal survival. miR-181a inhibition is thus a potential target in the setting of forebrain or global cerebral ischemia as well as focal ischemia.