cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intra-operative acoustic hemostasis of liver: production of a homogenate for effective treatment.

Abstract Objective: We have shown that High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) can effectively control bleeding from injuries to solid organs such as liver, spleen, and lung. Achievement of hemostasis was augmented when a homogenate of tissue and blood was formed. The objective of this study was to investigate quantitatively the effect of homogenate production on HIFU application time for hemostasis. Possible mechanisms involved in homogenate production were also studied. Methods: Ten anesthetized rabbits had laparotomy and liver exposure. Liver incisions, 15–25 mm long and 3–4 mm deep, were made followed immediately by HIFU application. Two electrical powers of 80 and 100 W corresponding to focal acoustic intensities of 2264 and 2829 W/cm2, respectively were used. Tissue and homogenate temperatures were measured. Smear and histological tissue sample analysis using light microscopy were performed. Results: In treatments with homogenate formation, hemostasis was achieved in 76 ± 1.3 s (Mean ± Standard Error Mean: SEM) at 80 W. In treatments without homogenate formation (at 80 W), hemostasis was achieved in 106 ± 0.87 s. At 100 W, hemostasis was achieved in 46 ± 0.3 s. The time required for homogenate formation, at 80 and 100 W were 60 ± 2.5 and 23 ± 0.3 s, respectively. The homogenate temperature was 83 °C (SEM 0.6 °C), and the non-homogenate tissue temperature at the treatment site was 60 °C (SEM 0.4 °C). The smear and histological analysis showed significant blood components and cellular debris in the homogenate, with some intact cells. Conclusion: The HIFU-induced homogenate of blood and tissue resulted in a statistically significant shorter HIFU application time for hemostasis. The incisions with homogenate had higher temperatures as compared to incisions without homogenate. Further studies of the correlation between homogenate formation and temperature must be done, as well as studies on the long-term effects of homogenate in achieving hemostasis.
Small-sample interval estimation using quantal data

This paper describes computational methods for applying known theoretical results to obtain confidence bounds for a single location or scale parameter from quantal data using the discrete distribution of either the maximum likelihood or a method of moments estimator.For some standard dose-response models an algorithm which makes finding such bounds computationally feasible is described.Also described are more easily computed approximate confidence bounds based on the asymptotic distribution of the point estimators.Computational studies indicate that these methods can also be applied to the more practical problem of finding confidence bounds for location after estimating an unknown scale parameter.
The Changing Liability Structure of Savings and Loan Associations

THE CHANGING LIABILITY STRUCTURE OF SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS by Dwight Jaffee Princeton University and Kenneth Rosen University of California, Berkeley The liability structure of savings and loan associations (SLA&#39;s) has undergone rather dramatic changes in the 1970&#39;s. At the beginning of the decade the passbook account was still the predominant liability as consumer certificate accounts had only been introduced in 1970. By the V end of the decade passbook accounts comprised only 25% of total savings‘. and loan association liabilities; with short — term qmoney market certif— 3:5” T icate” accounts comprising over 25% of deposit liabilities. While these shifts in the structure of deposits are the prime liability changes, there has also been a steady but small increase in the proportion of Lq: .. &#39; . liabilities comprised of SLA borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bankq? :3 system and from private sources. This paper will discuss some of the economic principles underlying V SLA liability management, examine the changes in the liability structure of SLA&#39;s in the 1970&#39;s, and finally discuss the further shifts in liabil- ity structure likely in the 1980&#39;s.
Electrochemical responses of multiply-charged transition metal complexes bound electrostatically to graphite electrode surfaces coated with polyelectrolytes

Abstract Several types of cationic and anionic polyelectrolyte molecules that adhere to graphite electrode surfaces have been employed to bind oppositely charged transition metal complexes to the electrode surface. Electrostatic interactions are the basis of the binding. Electrochemical responses from the bound complexes are measured as a function of time, nature of the polyelectrolyte coating and solvent. Examples in which the complex incorporated by the polyelectrolyte experiences significant shifts in formal potential are contrasted with those in which little or no change in formal potential is observed.
Small angle x-ray scattering from the amorphous alloy Fe40Ni40P14B6

Abstract The amorphous alloy Fe 40 Ni 40 P 14 B 6 was examined by small angle X-ray diffraction in the as-formed condition and after annealing, and after cold rolling and annealing. In all cases, the annealing temperature was well below the crystallization temperature of this material. The scattering intensity was measured and related to the presence of scattering regions or particles within the material. The as-quenched amorphous alloy contained scattering regions of about 32 A diameter. The number of scattering regions apparently increased by a factor of 3 on annealing for 2 h at 100°C but the size remained essentially unchanged. The scattering regions constitute about 1% of the volume and are spaced about 250 A apart. Frozen-in thermal fluctuations accounted for about 5% of the background scattering. Cold rolling destroyed the scattering regions but they were restored by annealing for 2 h at 150°C. It was concluded that the scattering is caused by regions of high phosphorus concentration which were first observed by Auger analysis on the fracture surface of annealed material.
Changes of protein stiffness during folding detect protein folding intermediates

Single-molecule force-quench atomic force microscopy (FQ-AFM) is used to detect folding intermediates of a simple protein by detecting changes of molecular stiffness of the protein during its folding process. Those stiffness changes are obtained from shape and peaks of an autocorrelation of fluctuations in end-to-end length of the folding molecule. The results are supported by predictions of the equipartition theorem and agree with existing Langevin dynamics simulations of a simplified model of a protein folding. In the light of the Langevin simulations the experimental data probe an ensemble of random-coiled collapsed states of the protein, which are present both in the force-quench and thermal-quench folding pathways.
Gas-particle interaction in detonation spraying systems

A model is developed to describe dynamic interaction of particles with the carrier gas during detonation spraying. Equations of mass, energy, and momentum conservation are integrated numerically for the two-phase particle-gas flow with the Hugoniot boundary conditions at the detonation wave front. Velocity and temperature of the sprayed powder and the gas parameters are calculated self-consistently, taking into account effects of friction and cooling of the gas in the vicinity of the gun barrel and effects of particle-gas interaction on the parameters of the gas phase. Calculations are performed for tungsten carbide particles of 30 μm diam and a 1.8 m long detonation gun using a stoichiometric mixture of oxygen and propane. Distributions of gas and particle parameters along the barrel are calculated for various moments of time. Tungsten carbide particles of 30 μm reach an exit velocity of 1278 m/s and a temperature of 1950 K. Exit particle velocity is a nonmonotonic function of the loading distance,L, with a distinct maximum atL = 75 cm. The proposed model can be applied to a broad range of problems related to detonation coating technology and allows evaluation of the effectiveness of various designs and optimization of operational parameters of detonation spraying systems.
Large, solitary, luteinized follicle cyst of pregnancy and puerperium

Abstract Large, solitary, luteinized follicle cyst of pregnancy and the Puerperium is a rare type of ovarian cyst. The pathogenesis has been related to high gonadotropin levels of pregnancy. Supportive data based on relevant laboratory tests were not available in any previous case reports. The present report describes, for the first time, such a cyst from a 16-year-old Primigravida with both pertinent hormone levels prior to surgery and immuno-histochemical exploration of the lesion. The patient's hormonal profile of absent βHCG and suppressed pituitary gonadotropin levels failed to support a mechanism of abnormal hormonal stimulation as previously postulated. Nevertheless, the stromal hyperthecosis we observed appeared to indicate some degree of luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulation. In view of the low LH levels, such hyperthecosis may reflect a time lag between cause and effect. The results of immunohistochemical studies confirmed the granulosa derivation of the large luteal cells in the cyst wall. By expressing neurophysin, a carrier protein for oxytocin-vasopressin that does not occur in theca cells, these luteal cells reveal a stage of functional activity that is characteristic of the menstrual and early gestational corpus luteum.
Management of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in patients with a performance status of 2.

Patients with a poor performance status (PS) constitute a substantial fraction of patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet these patients have been largely excluded from clinical research in the past decade. Despite the proven benefits of chemotherapy in patients with a good PS, cooperative group trials in the 1980s showed that patients with a PS of 2 did not benefit from chemotherapy and, in fact, had high rates of morbidity and mortality, a notion that came to dominate clinical practice for the next 2 decades. More recent studies demonstrate that these patients indeed have a worse prognosis than those with a better PS. However, chemotherapy seems to provide a benefit, at least in terms of symptom improvement, and may improve survival as well. A recent comparison of single-agent therapy with combination chemotherapy showed an advantage for patients with a PS of 2 treated with the combination regimen, without a detriment to quality of life. Dedicated studies in patients with a PS of 2 are urgently needed. More effective chemotherapy and better supportive care may allow extension of benefits of chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC to patients with a PS of 2. Ongoing trials are in progress to further test the role of molecular-targeted agents alone or in combination with standard chemotherapeutic agents in this subset of patients.
vCLAP, a Caspase-recruitment Domain-containing Protein of Equine Herpesvirus-2, Persistently Activates the IκB Kinases through Oligomerization of IKKγ

Abstract vCLAP, the E10 gene product of equine herpesvirus-2, is a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD)-containing protein that has been shown to induce both apoptosis and NF-κB activation in mammalian cells. vCLAP has a cellular counterpart, Bcl10/cCLAP, which is also an activator of apoptosis and NF-κB. Recent studies demonstrated that vCLAP activates NF-κB through an IκB kinase (IKK)-dependent pathway, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this report, we demonstrate that vCLAP associates stably with the IKK complex through direct binding to the C-terminal region of IKKγ. Consistent with this finding, IKKγ was found to be essential for vCLAP-induced NF-κB activation, and the association between vCLAP and the IKK complex induced persistent activation of the IKKs. Moreover, enforced oligomerization of the isolated C-terminal region of vCLAP, which interacts with IKKγ, can trigger NF-κB activation. Finally, substitution of the C-terminal region of IKKγ, which interacts with vCLAP, with the CARD of vCLAP or Bcl10 produced a molecule that was able to activate NF-κB when ectopically expressed in IKKγ-deficient cells. These data suggest that vCLAP-induced oligomerization of IKKγ, which is mediated by the CARD of vCLAP, could be the mechanism by which vCLAP induces activation of NF-κB.
Evaluation of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil) as second-line chemotherapy of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: a phase II study of the Gynecologic Oncology Group.

Abstract Objective. Doxorubicin has reported activity in advanced and recurrent cervical cancer but hematologic toxicity has limited its use in some combinations. To determine the level of activity and potential for use in future combinations, a phase II trial of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin as second-line therapy in advanced and recurrent cervical cancer was performed. Methods. Eligible patients had squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, measurable disease, one prior chemotherapy regimen which did not include an anthracycline, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > 1500/μl, platelet count > 100,000/μl, and adequate hepatic function. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin 40 mg/m 2 was administered intravenously over 1 h every 4 weeks. Results. Twenty-seven patients were entered on this study. All patients were evaluable for toxicity and 26 were evaluable for response. A median of 2 courses of therapy (range 1–10) was given. No grade 4 toxicities were noted. Three patients (11.1%) had partial responses. Conclusion. Liposomal doxorubicin has limited activity, at the dose and schedule employed in previously-treated cervical cancer.
Light intensity is a limiting factor to the inland expansion of Cape ivy (Delairea odorata)

Cape ivy (Delairea odorata) is a highly invasive climbing perennial vine that is primarily distributed in coastal communities of California and Oregon, with patchy infestations in some inland riparian areas. In this study, we evaluated light as a potential environmental limitation to the spread of Cape ivy into inland regions of the western United States. Cape ivy was collected from four locations representing the north to south range. Plants were grown for 9 to 11 weeks in full sunlight and under two shade regimes (20 and 6% of full sunlight). The experiment was conducted twice at two temperature regimes. Results show some within- and among-population variability, with the southernmost San Diego County population having the highest biomass under the warmer growing conditions and the three northern populations responding most favorably in the cooler growing conditions. Despite the minor differences within and between populations, Cape ivy grew very poorly in full sunlight in both experiments. Although plants growing under 6% light grew better than those in full sunlight, they were far less robust compared to plants growing at 20% light. Our results indicate that while Cape ivy will not persist in areas with prolonged high intensity sunlight, characterized by much of the interior regions of California and Oregon, it is expected to invade and spread in areas with reduced light, including coastal regions frequently exposed to fog or cloudy conditions, or sub-canopy layers of riparian forests or woodlands. These communities should be the target areas for early detection and rapid response programs to prevent further Cape ivy invasion.
Simple model for photonium production

We present a simplified model for the production of photonium in which an incident positron picks up an off-shell electron. The vertex form factor and coupling constant for one state are fixed by experimental measurements. Predictions for the production of additional states and for two-photon decay experiments are then made assuming the production vertex is the same for all states of photonium.
Resource Impact Factors and optimal energy concervation standards for buildings

Abstract The effects of using “Resource Impact Factors” (RIFs) in the determination of an optimal energy conservation performance standard for buildings are assessed. RIFs may be generally defined as indices constructed to reflect the full social costs of using various energy types. The major elements which RIFs should take into account are discussed as well as the appropriate method of formulating them. A cost minimization model for determining the optimal standard is used in conjunction with a range of RIF values so that a comparison can be made between a standard that is optimal from the private point of view (without RIFs) and one that is optimal from the social point of view (with RIFs). The comparison is made in terms of the amount of energy saved by each standard in climates of differing severity.
Alterations in Specific Antibody Production Due to Rank and Social instability

Separate studies examined the influence of the social environment of male cynomolgus macaques on primary and secondary antibody responses to immunization with tetanus toxoid. All animals showed evidence of both primary and secondary anti-tetanus antibody response. In the first study, subordinate animals had a greater primary antibody response to tetanus toxoid, while a single social reorganization (acute stressor) did not influence the response. In the second study, social rank was not associated with the secondary antibody response but repeated social reorganizations (chronic stressor) resulted in a greater level of specific antibody production in comparison to nonreorganized controls. These effects could not be accounted for on the basis of nonspecific differences in total serum IgG or serum albumin.
Quantitative CH determinations in low-pressure flames

Quantitative linear laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has been applied to measure CH concentration in low-pressure propane/air and methane/air flames. Temperature measurements at the peak of the CH distribution give 1600 and 1700 K for those flames, respectively, using CH B-X, A-X, and OH A-X excitation LIF scans. Quenching was taken into account by measuring the temporally resolved decay of the signal. The CH absolute number density determination was carried out in two different electronic bands and the LIF signal was calibrated with two independent methods: Rayleigh scattering of N2 and Raman scattering of H2. The results show agreement to better than 10% between electronic bands and 30% between calibration methods. Overall, the technique is well suited to measure concentrations in the ppm and sub-ppm range with an average error of 25%. This degree of accuracy is adequate to test flame kinetic models. CH profiles and peak amounts of 4–11 ppm for the propane and methane flames agree well with model predictions based on the GRI-Mech 2.11 mechanism. Flame CH, temperature, and NO measurements were used to deduce rate constants for the CH+N2 reaction near 1600 K.
Paired comparison scaling of reaction potential from simultaneous measurements of GSR and looking time

Thurstone’s method of scaling from paired comparison data was employed to obtain estimates of reaction potential on eight successive presentations of randomly generated polygons. One set of scale values was based upon the magnitude of the GSR made by each of 40 Ss to the onset of each stimulus. Another set of scale values was based upon the Ss looking times, when the S was instructed to press a switch to terminate the stimulus after he finished looking at it. Following termination of each stimulus, a 20-sec period of no stimulation intervened prior to the next stimulus. The GSR reduced in size from trial to trial, describing a typical habituation curve, while looking time increased from trial to trial. Across trials the two sets of scale values were significantly negatively correlated (r=−0.91). The failure to find habituation of looking time was explained on the assumption that the 20-sec period between stimuli was noxious to the Ss, which resulted in longer and longer looking times across trials. These results were interpreted as indicating that habituation of the GSR is not merely a matter of reduced attention in the cognitive sense. In addition, it was pointed out that the use of orienting reflex concepts in dealing with attentional and other cognitive phenomena may be unjustified.
The dissolution of synthetic Na-boltwoodite in sodium carbonate solutions

Abstract Uranyl silicates such as uranophane and Na-boltwoodite appear to control the solubility of uranium in certain contaminated sediments at the US Department of Energy Hanford site [Liu, C., Zachara, J.M., Qafoku, O., McKinley, J.P., Heald, S.M., Wang, Z. 2004. Dissolution of uranyl microprecipitates in subsurface sediments at Hanford Site, USA. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 68, 4519–4537.]. Consequently, the solubility of synthetic Na-boltwoodite, Na(UO2)(SiO3OH) · 1.5H2O, was determined over a wide range of bicarbonate concentrations, from circumneutral to alkaline pH, that are representative of porewater and groundwater compositions at the Hanford site and calcareous environments generally. Experiments were open to air. Results show that Na-boltwoodite dissolution was nearly congruent and its solubility and dissolution kinetics increased with increasing bicarbonate concentration and pH. A consistent set of solubility constants were determined from circumneutral pH (0 added bicarbonate) to alkaline pH (50 mM added bicarbonate). Average log K sp o = 5.86 ± 0.24 or 5.85 ± 0.0.26; using the Pitzer ion-interaction model or Davies equation, respectively. These values are close to the one determined by [Nguyen, S.N., Silva, R.J., Weed, H.C., Andrews, Jr., J.E., 1992. Standard Gibbs free energies of formation at the temperature 303.15 K of four uranyl silicates: soddyite, uranophane, sodium boltwoodite, and sodium weeksite. J. Chem. Thermodynamics 24, 359–376.] under very different conditions (pH 4.5, Ar atmosphere).
Partition coefficients and capacity factors of some nucleoside analogues

The AIDS epidemic has brought into focus the development of antiviral agents, of which nucleoside analogues are an important class. The single most important physico-chemical property of a chemotherapeutic agent is its hydrophobicity. This paper reports the hydrophobicity, determined as log partition coefficient (P) by the shake-flask method, of 25 nucleoside analogues. The capacity factors (k') of these analogues were also obtained by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. There is a very strong linear correlation between the log P and the log k' values of all the nucleoside analogues, indicating that hydrophobicity of nucleosides can be determined by liquid chromatography. Examination of the P data indicates that an empirical mathematical relationship exists between the partition coefficient value and the molecular structure of the nucleoside analogues. A table of constants and an equation is proposed to estimate the P of nucleoside analogues.
Constructive interactions among nutrients and bone-active pharmacologic agents with principal emphasis on calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and protein

Current and emerging bone active pharmacologic agents are capable of producing substantial gains in bone mass. However, nutrition must be adequate if this potential is to be realized. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation, for example, have both been demonstrated to augment substantially the skeletal response to estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women. The bisphosphonates and selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERMs) have all been tested only in the context of supplemental calcium and vitamin D. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that these bone active agents would be effective in the absence of these nutrients. Adequate protein intake has also been demonstrated to protect bone mass in the elderly and to improve recovery from osteoporotic fractures. Phosphorus intake, less extensively studied, may be more important than currently recognized, particularly in elderly individuals living alone, eating little meat, and receiving anti-osteoporosis treatment agents.
Prevalence of granular lymphocyte proliferation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and neutropenia.

Abstract purpose: Granular lymphocyte proliferation and neutropenia with or without splenomegaly occurs with unknown frequency in rheumatoid arthritis. We decided to evaluate the prevalence of Felty's syndrome and granular lymphocyte proliferation among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to determine the fraction of patients with granular lymphocyte proliferation who also had rheumatoid arthritis. patients, methods, and results: We retrospectively analyzed 1,053 cases of rheumatoid arthritis and 13,505 marrow examination reports for the decade 1978 to 1987. Among patients with Felty's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis with neutropenia/leukopenia, and rheumatoid arthritis with splenomegaly, we identified 18 patients with neutropenia as a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis. We also identified marrow examination in 150 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Using blood counts, microscopy of marrow, and surface antigen analysis of mononuclear cells, we determined that 12 patients had typical Felty's syndrom and six had granular lymphocyte proliferation, representing prevalences of 1.1 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively. No patient had granular lymphocyte proliferation without neutropenia. conclusion: Granular lymphocyte proliferation and neutroenia with or without splenomegaly in rheumatoid arthritis commonly resembles typical Felty's syndrome. Further, the six patients with granular lymphocyte proliferation represent 20 percent of our institution's patients with granular lymphocyte proliferation, supporting the previously described common association of this disorder with rheumatoid arthritis. The relatively large fraction of deaths (due to malignancy and infection) among the patients with typical Felty's syndrome suggests that their mean survival may be comparatively less in those with granular lymphocyte proliferation.
Digitized parody: The politics of egao in contemporary China

This article investigates egao—technology-enabled online parody in contemporary China. Egao is a site where issues of power struggle, class reconsolidation, social stratification, (online) communit...
Multidisciplinary placement optimization of heat generating electronic components on printed circuit boards

A multidisciplinarv placement optimization methodology for heat generating electronic components on printed circuit boards (PCBs) is presented. The methodology includes thermal, electrical, and placement criteria involving junction temperature, wiring density, line length for high frequency signals, and critical component location which are optimized simultaneously using the genetic algorithm. A board-level thermal performance prediction methodology which is based on a combination of a superposition method and artificial neural networks is developed for this study. Two genetic algorithms with different thermal prediction modules are used in a cascade in the optimization process. The first genetic algorithm uses simplified thermal network modeling and it is mainly aimed at finding component locations that avoid any overlap. Compact thermal models are used in the second genetic algorithm leading to more accurate thermal prediction which Improves the placement optimization obtained using the first algorithm. Using this optimization methodology, large calculation time reduction is achieved without losing accuracy. To demonstrate its capabilities, the present methodology is applied to a test case involving placement optimization of several heat generating electronics components on a PCB.
Multichannel cochlear implants: relation of histopathology to performance.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship of surviving neural elements to auditory function in multichannel cochlear implant temporal bones. STUDY DESIGN: Case series of all 14 existing multichannel cochlear implants in our temporal bone collection. METHODS: Devices included Nucleus 22 (n = 11), Nucleus 24 (n = 1), Ineraid (n = 1), and Clarion (n = 1). Morphologic evaluation of structural elements including spiral ligament, stria vascularis, hair cells, peripheral processes, and spiral ganglion cells was performed. Clinical performance data were obtained from patient charts. For eight patients, nonimplanted contralateral temporal bones were available and paired comparisons were made. RESULTS: Despite frequent absence of hair cells and peripheral processes, all bones had at least some remaining spiral ganglion cells. Percent of normal remaining structures were unrelated to auditory performance with the implant for any of the structural elements. Ganglion cell count in segment III showed significant negative correlations to speech discrimination scores for words and sentences (Rhos = -.687 and -.661, P < or = .03 and .04) as did segment IV and total ganglion cell count with word score (Rhos = -.632 and -.638; P < or = .05). Spiral ganglion cell survival did not differ between implanted and nonimplanted ears, with the exception of segment I, which had fewer cells in the implanted ear (P < or = .028). CONCLUSIONS: Performance variability of cochlear implants cannot be explained on the basis of cochlear neuronal survival. Although hair cells and peripheral processes were frequently absent or greatly diminished from normal, all subjects had at least some spiral ganglion cells. And, in this series, there was an inverse relationship between survival of ganglion cells and performance.
Magnetic stabilization of a Rydberg quasimolecule in circular states

An exact analytical classical solution for the electronic terms of circular Rydberg states (CRS) in the presence of a magnetic field B is obtained for two-Coulomb-center systems. The classical electronic terms are shown to be significantly affected by the magnetic field. In particular, a sufficiently strong magnetic field is shown to cause the appearance of CRS above the ionization threshold. These CRS are the classical molecular counterparts of the quantal atomic quasi-Landau levels (resonances). Study of the stability of the nuclear motion in this system reveals that the system in CRS is, in the absence of the magnetic field, not really a molecule, but only a quasimolecule with antibonding molecular orbitals. We also find that the magnetic field creates a deep minimum in one of the branches of the effective potential of the relative motion of the nuclei, and thereby stabilizes the nuclear motion. We have therefore shown that a magnetic field can transform the quasimolecule into a real, classically described molecule where one of the molecular orbitals becomes bonding. This result reveals a phenomenon--the magnetically controlled stabilization of the quasimolecules in CRS--which is appropriate for future experimental studies.
THE REGULATION OF GRANULOPOIESIS IN CHILDHOOD NEUTROPENIC DISORDERS AND ACUTE LEUKEMIA

The agar culture technic for the growth of human granulocytic colony forming cells (or CFC) from the bone marrow of patients may be used to study factors involved in the regulation of granulopoiesis. Bone marrow cells from 10 children with neutropenia were cultured in agar; the peripheral blood cells of these patients were also tested for their production of colony stimulating activity (CSA). It was observed that patients with aplastic anemia had decreased bone marrow CFC and decreased production of CSA. Other patients with neutropenia had normal CFC and increased CSA. This included 2 patients with “maturation arrest” neutropenia associated with type I(b) glycogen storage disease - a previously undescribed association. Leukemic children in relapse have decreased bone marrow CFC and peripheral blood CSA. However, when peripheral blood cells from certain neutropenic patients were used as feeder layers for bone marrow cells from leukemic children in relapse, a marked increase (up to fifty fold) in the number of granulocytic CFC was observed. It may be concluded that the defect in neutropenic conditions may be due to a decrease in CFC, or a decrease in CSA or “defective maturation”. The defect in granulopoiesis in the acute leukemia patients that we have studied was due to decreased CSA production which was corrected by factors in the peripheral blood cells of certain neutropenic patients.
EFFECT OF NIMODIPINE ON SYSTEMIC, RENAL, AND CEREBRAL HAEMODYNAMICS AFTER A MILD HYPOXIC-ISCHAEMIC INSULT IN NEWBORN PIGLETS

Because many Ca2+ channel blocking agents are known to cause adverse systemic effects, in this study we tested the haemodynamic side effects of nimodipine with and without a mild hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) insult in a newborn piglet model. Fifteen min after completing a brief period of asphyxia we gave i.v. nimodipine as 5 micrograms kg-1 bolus followed by 0.1 microgram kg-1 min-1 continuous infusion for 105 min in six piglets, while the same treatment was repeated in five animals without preceding HI insult. At third group of six served as sham operated controls. In the HI insult group by 105 min of nimodipine infusion the mean BP dropped by 30% and the cardiac output dropped by 23% of respective baseline. In this group, the renal blood flow dropped between 65% and 77% of baseline and regional cerebral blood flow dropped between 28% and 55% of respective baseline by 45 min and 105 min of nimodipine fashion. In the group with no prior HI insult, 105 min of nimodipine infusion caused no significant changes in these variables. Despite nimodipine infusion, HI insult caused a significant increase in the mean brain water content compared to the two control groups: 89 +/- 3.2% compared to 82.7 +/- 0.5% in the nimodipine control group, and 83.7 +/- 1.7% in the sham group (P < 0.0001). We conclude that while nimodipine therapy without prior asphyxial insult does not cause significant adverse haemodynamic effects, its infusion after even a mild HI insult could cause reduction in renal blood flow and moderate reduction in regional cerebral blood flow, BP, and cardiac output, suggesting a differential effect. A 15 min lag between HI insult and nimodipine therapy may be too long to prevent cerebral oedema.
A sensor system designed for remote coating degradation detection

A remote sensing technique based on Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) for detecting coating degradation is presented in this paper. Different from the traditional EIS which requires bulky and expensive instruments, the sensor system designed by our group realizes low cost, remote detection for coating degradation. The sensor system consists of sensor nodes and a base station. The sensor node is less than a business card in size. Two coated panels are used for testing. Testing results are presented for both commercial EIS instrument and the sensor system. Good correlations indicate this sensor system is valid for EIS based coating degradation detection.
Pericarditis mediated by respiratory syncytial virus in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant patient

We describe a case of pericarditis and large pericardial effusion in a 63-year-old African-American man undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma. Pericardial tissue biopsy demonstrated fibrinous pericarditis, and immunohistochemistry stains were positive for respiratory syncytial virus. The patient improved with oral ribavirin and intravenous immune globulin infusions.
Judgments of eye level in light and in darkness.

Subjects judged eye level in the light and in the dark by raising and lowering themselves in a dental chair until a stationary target appeared to be at the level of their eyes. This method reduced the possibility of subjects' using visible landmarks as reference points for setting eye level during lighted trials, which may have contributed to artificially low estimates of the variability of this judgment in previous studies. Chair settings were 2.5 deg higher in the dark than in the light, and variability was approximately 66 percent greater in the dark than in the light. These results are discussed in terms of possible interactions of two separate systems, one sensitive to the orientations of visible surfaces and the other sensitive to bodily and gravitational information.
Human factors engineering in computerized mental health care delivery

There has been strong clinical resistance to the use of automation in mental health. At least part of the resistance may be due to the researcher’s failure to understand the psychological factors involved in the human-computer relationship. This paper reviews human factors research as it may be related to computerized systems in mental health. Human factors considerations are specifically applied to: design and implementation of computer systems, patient-computer interaction, mental health staff-computer interaction, and computer output.
Comorbidity of drug dependence and other mental disorders: a two-phase study of prevalence at outpatient treatment centres in Italy

Abstract A cross-sectional multicentre study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of DSM III-R Axis I morbidity among drug addicts seeking treatment. Consecutive outpatients of the National Health Service's treatment units (aged 18–60 years, fulfilling criteria for drug dependence and without primary diagnosis of alcohol dependence) were enrolled at intake. In the first phase of the study, professional staff members evaluated current psychiatric morbidity of 317 clients clinically. In the second phase, trained interviewers administered the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and a European adaptation of the Addiction Severity Index to 65 probands. Some current psychiatric morbidity was found in 26.2% of subjects recruited during the first phase and in 22.2% during the second; lifetime comorbidity was ascertained in 32.3% of probands recruited in the second phase. Unfortunately, remarkable rates of undetermined diagnostic assessment during the second phase are due to refusers. The distribution of categorical diagnoses is somewhat different between the two samples, but the most frequent are Anxiety and Mood disorders in both. Primary versus secondary psychiatric diagnoses were also distingushed when evaluated over a lifetime. The rates of psychiatric comorbidity are low in this study as compared with previous investigations, but suffer from a poor compliance with structured diagnostic procedures by unselected probands. Other methodological factors may also affect this kind of research. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the validity of comorbid diagnostic constructs and their prognostic significance. Also, a concurrent assessment of Axis II disorders may be helpful to explain symptomatic polymorphism in case of multiple Axis I comorbidity.
Teaching the computer how to discover(!) and then prove(!!) (all by itself(!!!)) analogues of Collatz's notorious 3x + 1 conjecture

In spite of their exponential growth, computer assisted and especially computer-generated mathematical research are still in their infancy. One approach is that of formal proofs using the axiomatic...
DMH 2013 - Data mining for healthcare - Workshop summary

The Data Mining for Healthcare (DMH) workshop, held in conjunction with the IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI), provides a forum to underline various research challenges in healthcare, promote productive interactions between academia and industry to enhance the state of the art, and define a clear path for future research. This workshop facilitates collaborations among multiple core disciplines, including computer science, medicine, public health, pharmacology, statistics, and social sciences.
MAJOR ELEMENT COMPOSITIONAL VARIATION WITHIN AND BETWEEN DIFFERENT LATE EOCENE MICROTEKTITE STREWNFIELDS

Major element compositional overlap exists between microspherules of different microtektite layers or strewnfields. For this reason, microspherules of similar composition cannot, a priori, be assumed to belong to the same microtektite event and those of different compositions cannot, a priori, be assumed to result from different events. Nevertheless, despite major element compositional overlap between microspherules of different strewnfields, multivariate factor analysis shows microtektites and related microspherules of three stratigraphically different late Eocene layers to follow recognizably different compositional trends. The microtektite population of the North American strewnfield (Globorotalia cerroazulensis Zone) follows compositionally well defined trends and is characterized by high concentrations of SiO2, Al2O3, and TiO2. The microspherule population of the slightly older crystal-bearing Globorotalia cerroazulensis Zone microspherule layer is more heterogeneous and characterized by microspherules which are relatively enriched in FeO and MgO and relatively impoverished in SiO2 and TiO2. The microspherule population of the oldest microspherule layer in the uppermost Globigerapsis semiinvoluta Zone is highly heterogeneous and characterized by microspherules which are relatively enriched in CaO and impoverished in Al2O3 and Na2O. Individual microspherules of this oldest late Eocene horizon often exhibit major element compositions similar to those of the lower Gl. cerroazulensis Zone layer and occasionally exhibit major element compositions similar to North American layer microtektites. Nevertheless, late Eocene microspherule occurrences can be assigned to appropriate late Eocene microtektite horizons on the basis of major element compositional trends.
Direct-write waveguides in volume photopolymers

Photopolymers developed for holographic data storage have good optical quality in millimeter-thick films, very low shrinkage and large index change. We show that these materials will support single-mode waveguides created via three-dimensional direct-write lithography.
Major histocompatibility complex-mismatched allogeneic bone marrow transplantation using perforin and/or Fas ligand double-defective CD4(+) donor T cells: involvement of cytotoxic function by donor lymphocytes prior to graft-versus-host disease pathogenesis.

Experimental allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) models using cytotoxic single-deficient (perforin/granzyme or Fas ligand [FasL]) and cytotoxic double-deficient (cdd) CD4+donor T cells have previously demonstrated roles for both effector pathways in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In the present study, the role of CD4-mediated antihost cytotoxicity in a GVH response is further examined across a complete major histocompatibility complex class I/II mismatch. As predicted, a double cytotoxic deficiency resulted in a clear delay in GVH-associated weight loss, clinical changes, and mortality. Interestingly, analysis of donor T-cell presence in 5.5-Gy recipients soon after BMT demonstrated that the double cytotoxic deficiency resulted in a marked decrease in donor CD4 numbers. Transplantation of singularly perforin- or FasL-deficient donor CD4+ T cells demonstrated that the absence of FasL was responsible for the markedly diminished CD4 number in recipient lymph nodes and spleens soon after BMT. However, increasing recipient total body irradiation conditioning (11.0 Gy) abrogated the decrease in FasL-defective B6-cdd and B6-gld CD4 numbers. Thus, the decrease was not a result of inherent CD4 defects, but was probably attributable to host resistance. Consistent with these observations, transplantation into 11.0-Gy recipients resulted in identical GVH lethality by equal numbers of B6 wild-type, B6-cdd, and B6-gld CD4+ T-cell inoculum. In total, the findings indicate that aggressive host conditioning lessens the requirement for donor CD4+ cytotoxic function in GVH responses soon after BMT. The present results thus support the notion of a role for cytotoxic effector function in donor CD4+ T cells prior to GVH-induced tissue injury.
A Heterogeneous Fleet of Vehicles for Automated Humanitarian Missions

An automated emergency response system and an experimental framework for its design and validation are presented here. The system consists of a high-level mission optimization and a fleet of heterogeneous autonomous vehicles. The fleet includes ground vehicles for setting up local stations, fixed-wing aircraft for assessing infrastructure damage and performing surveillance, and rotorcraft for delivering emergency supplies. Internet technology provides a unifying environment for the vehicles, optimization module, operators, and emergency responders with support for computational integration in cyberspace.
Attempting an Affirmative Approach to American Broadcasting Ideology, Politics, and the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program

The Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) was the largest source of capital funding for U.S. public broadcasters for nearly fifty years. Between 1963 and 2010, the PTFP distributed more than $800 million to support the construction of public broadcasting facilities. Though the PTFP itself was generally noncontroversial, the fortunes of the program were complicated by the partisan politics of public broadcasting and federal fiscal policy. This study provides evidence of the ambiguous and contingent nature of the American approach to public broadcasting, and demonstrates some of the problems associated with affirmative efforts by government to advance public communication.
Penalized cluster analysis with applications to family data

The goal of cluster analysis is to assign observations into clusters so that observations in the same cluster are similar in some sense. Many clustering methods have been developed in the statistical literature, but these methods are inappropriate for clustering family data, which possess intrinsic familial structure. To incorporate the familial structure, we propose a form of penalized cluster analysis with a tuning parameter controlling the tradeoff between the observation dissimilarity and the familial structure. The tuning parameter is selected based on the concept of clustering stability. The effectiveness of the method is illustrated via simulations and an application to a family study of asthma.
Combined autoradiography and immunofluorescence for estimation of single cell activity by ammonium-oxidizing bacteria1,2

Immunofluorescence and /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ autoradiography were used for simultaneously enumerating and assaying the autotrophic activity of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in seawater. Relative activity (/sup 14/CO/sub 2/ assimilation as measured by autoradiography) and abundance were measured in simulated in situ incubations at seven stations in the primary NO/sub 2//sup -/ maximum region of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. More than 10/sup 4/ cells liter/sup -1/ were present; relative activity often showed a peak near the surface and an increase in the NO/sub 2//sup -/ max region below the photic zone. The method permits assessment of individual cell activity; most cells at all depths were active in CO/sub 2/ assimilation, usually at low and quite variable levels. There were no differences in relative activity between samples incubated under simulated in situ conditions and in the dark. Relative activity was positively correlated with the abundance of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria, temperature, total dark CO/sub 2/ assimilation (as measured by liquid scintillation counting of replicate samples), and pheopigment concentration, and negatively correlated with oxygen concentration.
Rival creator arguments and the best of all possible worlds

‘Rival creator’ arguments suggest that God must have created the best of all possible worlds. These arguments are analyzed and evaluated, and Leibniz’s position defended.
Role of inversion layer formation in producing low effective surface recombination velocities at Si/liquid contacts

Photoconductivity decay lifetimes have been obtained for NH4F(aq)-etched Si(111) and for air-oxidized Si(111) surfaces in contact with solutions of CH3OH or tetrahydrofuran (THF) containing either ferrocene+/0 (Fc+/0), bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) Fe+/0, or I2. Si surfaces in contact with electrolytes having Nernstian redox potentials >0 V versus the standard calomel electrode exhibited low effective surface recombination velocities regardless of the different surface chemistries, whereas those exposed only to N2(g) ambients or to electrolytes containing mild oxidants showed differing rf photoconductivity decay behavior depending on their different surface chemistry. The data reveal that formation of an inversion layer, and not a reduced density of electrical trap sites on the surface, is primarily responsible for the long charge-carrier lifetimes observed for Si surfaces in contact with CH3OH or THF electrolytes containing I2 or Fc+/0.