cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variability in the distribution of callosal projection neurons in the adult rat parietal cortex.

Abstract Previous reports have shown that the barrel field area of the parietal cortex of the adult rat contains relatively few callosal projection neurons, even though callosal projection neurons are abundant in this cortical region in the neonatal rat. Furthermore, it has been shown that many of the callosal neurons which ssem to disappear as the animal matures do not die, but project to ipsilateral cortical areas. These findings rely on the ability of retrograde transport techniques which utilize injections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or of fluorescent dyes into one hemisphere. We now show that several technical modifications of the HRP technique yield a wider distribution of HRP-containing neurons in the contralateral barrel field area of the adult rat than previously reported. These include implants of HRP pellets into transected axons of the corpus callosum, the addition of DMSO and nonidet P40 and to Sigma VI HRP, wheat germ agglutinin HRP and the use of tetramethyl benzidine as the chromogen in the reaction procedure. Our findings have implications for transport studies in general and for the development of the cortical barrel field in particular.
General Hilbert space framework for the discretization of continuous signal processing operators

We present a unifying framework for the design of discrete algorithms that implement continuous signal processing operators. The underlying continuous-time signals are represented as linear combinations of the integer-shifts of a generating function pi with (i equals 1,2) (continuous/discrete representation). The corresponding input and output functions spaces are V(pi) and V(p2), respectively. The principle of the method is as follows: we start by interpolating the discrete input signal with a function s1 (epsilon) V(p1). We then apply a linear operator T to this function and compute the minimum error approximation of the result in the output space V(p2). The corresponding algorithm can be expressed in terms of digital filters and a matrix multiplication. In this context, we emphasize the advantages of B-splines; and show how a judicious use of these basis functions can result in fast implementations of various types of operators. We present design examples of differential operators involving very short FIR filters. We also describe an efficient procedure for the geometric affine transformation of signals. The present formulation is general enough to include most earlier continuous/discrete signal processing techniques (e.g., standard bandlimited approach, spline or wavelet-based) as special cases.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A comparison of grain boundary topography and dislocation network structure in bulk-scale [001] tilt bicrystals of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x and YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract The facet topography and grain boundary dislocation content of the grain boundaries in nominally [001] tilt bicrystals of Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8+x (2212) and YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) are described and compared. Bicrystals with misorientation angles ranging from 8° to 15° were studied by polarized light microscopy, diffraction-contrast transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM. On the micron length scale of light microscopy, all of the boundaries appeared to be of pure tilt character and to form facets with dimensions on the order of fifty and several hundred micrometers in YBCO and 2212, respectively. However, TEM studies revealed a distinctly different characteristic pattern of faceting on the 100 nm length scale. In 2212, a rather irregular arrangement of nominally pure symmetrical [001] tilt facets and [001] twist facets is suggested. Very regular saw-tooth shaped arrangements of just two types of tilt facets predominate in YBCO. The nanoscale topography and structure of the tilt boundary facets show similarities in the two materials. Boundaries in both materials tend to facet further onto symmetric tilt planes on the nanoscale. This preference is most pronounced in 2212. A single set of partial edge dislocations and their associated stacking faults comprises the grain boundary dislocation network structure of the symmetric segments in both materials. Thus, the boundaries show nanoscale similarities, mesoscale (∼100 nm) differences, and a number of different possible microstructural sources for the heterogeneous electrical character that is indicated by their electromagnetic properties.
Trends and Quality of Care in Outpatient Visits to Generalist and Specialist Physicians Delivering Primary Care in the United States, 1997–2010

BACKGROUND Although many specialists serve as primary care physicians (PCPs), the type of patients they serve, the range of services they provide, and the quality of care they deliver is uncertain.
Bile acid excretion by the rat: nutritional effects.

A modification of several published procedures for bile acid determinations has been developed, and this procedure has been applied to the 24-hr, biliary excretions of rats prepared for 15 days on a series of dietary regimens. It has been established that: 1. 1. Cholesterol supplementation of the basal synthetic diet or of Purina Chow resulted in significantly increased biliary bile acid and cholesterol excretion. 2. 2. The levels of vegetable fat did not influence the biliary excretion of bile acids and cholesterol. 3. 3. The feeding of a commercial diet (Purina Rat Chow) resulted in a much higher bile acid excretion with a higher proportion as cholic acid than did any synthetic diet tested. 4. 4. The substitution of egg albumin for casein in the synthetic diet resulted in an increased bile acid excretion; however, the addition of methionine, cystine, or taurine did not produce a significant increase. 5. 5. The addition of brewer's yeast or desiccated liver to the diet or the administration of parenteral vitamin B12 was without significant effect. 6. 6. Fasting decreased the bile acid excretion of rats previously fed Purina Chow but increased the excretion of rats fed the basal (sucrosecontaining) diet. The substitution of starch for sucrose in the basal dict resulted in a larger biliary excretion of bile acids and a larger proportion as cholic acid. Dextrose substituted for sucrose was without effect. 7. 7. Increasing the levels of Cellu-flour in the basal diet also resulted in an increased biliary bile acid excretion. The conclusion was drawn that sucrose and dextrose are inhibitors of biliary bile acid excretion in the rat.
Community type differentiation using NOAA/AVHRR data within a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem

Abstract We assessed the ability of AVHRR/NDVI data to record intrabiome variability of phenological and structural characteristics of three dominant vegetation communities in the intermountain northwest. Seasonal NDVI signatures were developed from biweekly composite data for two grass and one shrub community within a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. The signatures were found statistically separable (p = 0.01) among all three communities in three of 19 composite periods, and between shrub and grass in 15 of 19. Integrated NDVI provided the greatest differentiation among the communities due to ordinal consistency of the three signatures throughout the growing season. A supervised classification of adjacent regions with contrasting topography and substrate was tested for accuracy, and results indicate a strong potential for AVHRR applications to community-level vegetation differentiation. Classification errors are primarily caused by subpixel scale topographic and soil background variations that may not be correctable for coarse resolution imagery.
On the interaction of an oblique shock with a flexible panel

Abstract In this communication, the dynamics of a flexible two-dimensional panel subjected to an impinging oblique shock is considered numerically in the inviscid regime. Computations have been performed for a Mach number equal to two and for several shock strengths employing a previously validated fluid–structural approach. Results show for the first time that for a sufficiently strong shock self-excited oscillations arise in the coupled system. Depending on the shock strength, either supercritical or subcritical bifurcations emerge at a value of dynamic pressure which can be considerably lower than that corresponding to standard panel flutter (i.e., in the absence of a shock). For fixed dynamic pressure, both the amplitude and frequency of the limit-cycle oscillations increase with the impinging shock strength. In addition to the incident and reflected oblique shocks, the unsteady flows are characterized by a shock at the plate leading edge and by a strong recompression and subsequent expansion near the trailing edge. The significant unsteadiness generated by the fluttering panel propagates along the reflected shock and trailing-edge recompression/expansion wave system with potential structural implications not only on the panel but on opposing surfaces in internal flow applications.
Stimulation of protein phosphorylation in intact rat brain synaptosomes by a pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin

Abstract Effects of deltamethrin, a powerful synthetic pyrethroid, on the protein phosphorylation activity in the intact rat brain synaptosome during the time course of depolarization-induced changes were studied. For this purpose, depolarization was induced either by veratridine or high concentration of K + . The level of phosphorylation on various synaptic proteins was found to quickly rise for 15 to 30 sec and return to the resting level in about 3 min. Deltamethrin, when given to the synaptosomes 10 min prior to depolarization, caused stimulation on this depolarization-induced protein phosphorylation activity at > 10 −12 M concentration. To find the cause for such an action of deltamethrin, the effects of ion-channel blockers and calmodulin inhibitors on the same phosphorylation process were studied. The inhibitory effect of a Ca 2+ -channel blocker, verapamil, and a Na + -channel blocker, tetrodotoxin (TTX), on the stimulatory action of deltamethrin was first established. However, in neither case were their actions complete. The former reduced the stimulatory effect of deltamethrin on synapsin I but not on calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-Kinase II), B50, or 38-kDa proteins. The latter could not inhibit the stimulatory action of deltamethrin on synapsin I. Even when both blocking agents were present, the stimulatory action of deltamethrin was apparent. The stimulatory effect of deltamethrin on the phosphorylation rate of phosphoproteins, synapsin I, calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and B50 was less when the entire external CaCl 2 was replaced by BaCl 2 in the prelabeling medium. Again, even under these conditions, the stimulatory effect of deltamethrin was evident on all proteins examined. In addition, the effect of calmodulin-inhibitor trifluoroperazine (TFP) was tested in the same manner. This inhibitor was found to reduce the phosphorylation on all of the tested synaptosome-proteins except protein 38 kDa, where there was an increase in phosphorylation in the presence of deltamethrin, especially, at 30, 60, and 180 sec of depolarization. These results indicate that (a) deltamethrin's action is not limited to calmodulin or the sodium or the calcium channel, (b) it must stimulate the release of Ca 2+ from the intracellular storage sites(s), and (c) such a stimulatory action of deltamethrin may be recognized only when the synaptosomes are depolarized regardless of the method of depolarization.
Prolonged chronic phase of greater than 10 years of chronic myelogenous leukemia in a patient with congenital human immunodefeciency virus infection

A 15-year-old male with congenital HIV infection was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) at age 4 years 9 months. HIV was initially treated with zidovudine. For the last >10 years he has received didanosine, lamivudine, and nelfinavir. CML was treated with Interferon alfa (INF-α) for >10 years and a brief course of hydroxyurea (HU). He remained in chronic phase CML since diagnosis however recent molecular monitoring revealed increased BCR/ABL transcripts necessitating a change in therapy to imatinib. The very prolonged chronic phase of CML in this patient has been unexpected especially in light of the underlying congenital HIV infection. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;53:658–660. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mechanistic Studies of Dichloro(1,4,7-triazacyclononane)copper(II)-Catalyzed Phosphate Diester Hydrolysis†

In order to explore the role of labile metal complexes in promoting phosphodiester hydrolysis, detailed kinetic and mechanistic studies with Cu[9]aneN3Cl2 (1) were performed. The hydrolysis of bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (2) by 1 is catalytic, as determined by the observation of both rate enhancement and turnover. The catalyst is selective for phosphodiesters; the rate of hydrolysis for 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (4) is 50 times slower than the hydrolysis rate of 2. A rate enhancement of 2000 is observed relative to hydroxide ion mediated hydrolysis, and the rates reported herein are comparable to the rates reported for phosphodiester hydrolysis by other labile metal complexes. The reaction of 1 with 2 showed a half-order dependence on the catalyst, implicating a monomer−dimer equilibrium with the monomer as the catalyst. The kinetically determined equilibrium constant is 1220 M-1, favoring the dimer. The reaction of 1 with ethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (3) follows Michaelis−Menten kinetics (KM = 62.3 mM an...
Hot-electron emission currents in N-channel IGFET's

Short-channel effects and the theory of scaling require proportionally increased doping concentrations in the surface channel and/or the bulk substrate regions of Si IGFET's of short channel lengths. Unless the applied voltages are reduced accordingly, appreciable emission of hot electrons from the Si substrate into the gate SiO 2 layer may occur. The emission processes can be studied by measuring the gate current directly in the case of channel electron emission, or the optically induced hot-electron emission current in the case of emission of thermally generated leakage electrons. Absolute emission probabilities as well as relative emission characteristics can be determined. These emission characteristics are useful not only for designing Si devices but also for quantitative testing of theoretical models of the emission process. Important physical mechanisms and device parameters in the emission process are discussed.
Dehydrins: A commonalty in the response of plants to dehydration and low temperature

Among proteins that accumulate in plants in response to dehydrative forces or low temperature, dehydrins (late embryogenesis abundant [Lea] D11 family) have been the most commonly observed. Dehydrins are composed of several typical domains joined together in a few characteristic patterns, with numerous minor permutations. These domains include one or more putative amphipathic a-helix forming consensus regions, a phosphorylatable tract of Ser residues, and an N-terminal consensus sequence. Lesser conserved domains are also present at various positions, particularly between the putative a-helix forming domains, where they may occur as tandem repeats. This medley of permutations is mirrored by a wide size range of dehydrin polypeptides from less than 100 to nearly 600 amino acid residues. As of yet, the fundamental biochemical mode of action of dehydrins has not been demonstrated, but a number of immunolocalization and cell fractionation studies have established that dehydrins can be located in the nucleus or cytoplasm. Furthermore, it appears that these proteins associate with macromolecules ranging from nucleoprotein complexes in the nucleus to an endomembrane sheath in the cytoplasm. At present, all observations are consistent with a hypothesis that dehydrins are surfactants capable of inhibiting the coagulation of a range of macromolecules, thereby preserving structural integrity.
Heme oxygenase-1 induction protects murine cortical astrocytes from hemoglobin toxicity

Abstract Exposure to micromolar concentrations of hemoglobin (Hb) results in the oxidative death of cultured cortical neurons, but glia are resistant. The role of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction on this glial resistance was investigated. Within two hours of exposure to 5 μM Hb, immunoblotting demonstrated an increase in HO-1 in confluent glial cultures. Consistent with prior observations, 23–30 h Hb exposure had little or no effect on glial viability, as assessed by lactate dehydrogenase release. Concomitant treatment with the HO inhibitors tin protoporphyrin IX or the d -amino acid peptide rvnlrialry resulted in release of 40–71% of glial lactate dehydrogenase; protein synthesis inhibition with cycloheximide produced a similar effect. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that HO-1 induction protects cortical astrocytes from Hb toxicity.
Elastic modulus of low- k dielectric thin films measured by load-dependent contact-resonance atomic force microscopy

Correlated force and contact resonance versus displacement responses have been resolved using load-dependent contact-resonance atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine the elastic modulus of low-k dielectric thin films. The measurements consisted of recording simultaneously both the deflection and resonance frequency shift of an AFM cantilever probe as the probe was gradually brought in and out of contact. As the applied forces were restricted to the range of adhesive forces, low-k dielectric films of elastic modulus varying from GPa to hundreds of GPa were measurable in this investigation. Over this elastic modulus range, the reliability of load-dependent contact-resonance AFM measurements was confirmed by comparing these results with those from picosecond laser acoustic measurements.
Fuzzy clustering with a specified membership function for target detection with a radar system

Many common clustering algorithms, such as the fuzzy C-means and the classical k-means clustering algorithms, proceed without making any assumptions about the form of the detector that will use the parameters that they determine. We compare the performance of a radial basis function (RBF) network with parameters that are determined using a modified fuzzy clustering procedure to that of an RBF network with parameters that are determined using a least-mean-square- error (classical) clustering procedure. As part of the fuzzy clustering procedure, we assume a particular functional form for the fuzzy membership function. We train and test both of the networks on simulated data and present performance results in the form of receiver operating characteristic curves.
Risk factors and outcomes of pancreatitis after open heart surgery.

Abstract Background We sought to analyze the risk factors and natural history associated with post-cardiac surgery acute pancreatitis. Methods Retrospective analysis of all patients having undergone cardiac surgery at our hospital between January 1, 1992, and October 1, 2001. Results A total of 10,249 cardiac operations were performed. Thirty-nine (0.4%) patients developed postoperative pancreatitis. There was a higher incidence during the period spanning 1992 through 1996 than 1997 through 2001 (0.6% versus 0.2%, P Conclusions Although the frequency of post-cardiac surgery pancreatitis is diminishing, it is still associated with significant mortality.
Progress toward a large-area chemical sensor

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is developing a large- area, fiber-optic chemical sensor that combines chemically selective coatings and optical spectroscopy. This is a potentially hyphenated sensing technique because of the ability to collect broadband spectroscopic information in addition to sensing the quantity of the target species. Selective compound coating of optical waveguides enables the production of chemical sensors in large lot sizes. This paper describes the progress to date to produce iodine vapor selective fiber sensors that use through the fiber absorption spectroscopy. Spectra have been collected on uncalibrated I2/N2 gas mixtures using visible light.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Optical Non-Invasive Latent Fingerprint Lifting

Most existing latent fingerprints lifting methods are invasive and often induce deleterious side effects. Based on the optical reflection and polarization we present a completely non-invasive method to lift latent fingerprints into good quality images.
Autogenic cycles of channelized fluvial and sheet flow and their potential role in driving long-runout gravel progradation in sedimentary basins

The paleoslope estimation method uses a threshold-shear-stress criterion, together with field-based measurements of median grain size and channel depth in alluvial gravel deposits, to calculate the threshold paleoslopes of alluvial sedimentary basins. Threshold paleoslopes are the minimum slopes that would have been necessary to transport sediment in those basins. In some applications of this method, inferred threshold paleoslopes are sufficiently steeper than modern slopes that large-magnitude tectonic tilting must have occurred in order for sediments to have been transported to their present locations. In this paper, we argue that autogenic cycles of channelized fluvial and sheet flow in alluvial sedimentary basins result in spatial and temporal variations in the threshold slope of gravel transport that can, under certain conditions, cause gravel to prograde out to distances much longer than previously thought possible based on paleoslope estimation theory (i.e., several hundred kilometers or more from a source region). We test this hypothesis using numerical models for two types of sedimentary basins: (1) an isolated sedimentary basin with a prescribed source of sediment from upstream, and (2) a basin dynamically coupled to a postorogenic mountain belt. In the models, threshold slopes for entrainment are varied stochastically through time with an amplitude equal to that inferred from an analysis of channel geometry data from modern rivers. Our models show that when local threshold slope values vary stochastically and sediment supply is relatively low compared to transport capacity, alluvial gravels can persistently prograde at slopes far below the threshold slopes predicted by paleoslope estimation theory. The result holds whether the stochastic changes in threshold slope are autocorrelated along the entire channel profile or occur in localized sections of the channel profile. As such, our model results suggest that long-runout gravels do not require steep regional slopes in order for transport to occur. We conclude that the minimum progradational slopes of fluvial sedimentary basins adjacent to postorogenic mountain ranges are functions of both the mean and coefficient of variation of water-flow depths as well as the density and texture of the bed sediment.
Application of thin films to porous mineral oxides using two-dimensional solvents

Thin polymeric films have been applied to the surface of a porous material in a novel process. Nitrogen sorption, a conventional tool for measuring surface areas and pore size distributions, can be employed for determining the thickness of such films through a comparison of the pore size distribution curves before and after film formation. The thickness of a polystyrene film on a porous alumina powder is determined and compared with the theoretical thickness for styrene polymerized inside a two-dimensional solvent, which consists of a partial bilayer of sodium dodecyl sulfate physically adsorbed from an aqueous solution onto the powder. Film thicknesses ranged from 1.8 to 0.4 nm while BET surface area decreased from 94.7 to 57.8 m2/g. The powder surface changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic while retaining the basic pore structure.
Outcomes of Biopsies and Excisions of Dysplastic Acral Nevi: A Study of 187 Lesions

Background Despite their frequency in clinical practice, controversy exists regarding the significance and management of dysplastic nevi (DN). Although the perception of DN as precursors to melanoma is questionable, excisions of biopsy-proven DN are commonplace in clinical practice. The management of dysplastic acral nevi is of interest given the challenge of surgery at acral sites. Objective To determine the outcomes of biopsies of clinically atypical acral nevi and excisions of histologically dysplastic acral nevi (HDN). Materials and methods Retrospective review of consecutive patients at a private dermatology practice who had a biopsy of an atypical acral nevus from December 2004 to July 2012. Results One hundred eighty-seven atypical acral nevi were biopsied from 168 patients (77 (41%) HDN, 108 (58%) common nevi). Based on initial histology, 30 (39%) HDN were recommended for excision and eight (10%) for clinical observation. Twenty-seven of the 77 HDN were excised; 23 (85%) revealed scar only, and four (15%) revealed residual DN not involving the margin. Conclusion Routine excision of biopsy-proven dysplastic acral nevi may not be necessary.
711-6 Declining Resource Utilization in Interventional Cardiology

While in recent years there has been concern with the cost of improvements that may have impact to lower resource utilization. Thus, the results of and indices of resource utilization of interventional procedures in 17.263 patients from 1980 through 1993 were reviewed. Previous studies have shown emergency surgery (CABG) and length of stay (LOS) to be the strongest correlates of cost (r = 0.89). Results (mean or %. MV = multivessel, EF = ejection fraction, New Dev = new devices, Ang Suc = angiographic success, Q MI = Q wave myocardial infarction. B/D = number of balloons or devices, LOS in days): Year 80–2 83–4 85–6 87–8 89–0 91–2 93 P n 1272 2435 2602 2879 3283 3416 1376 Age 54 56 58 59 60 61 62 l 0.0001 MV(%) 16 20 36 43 48 52 53 l 0.0001 EF 63 61 56 58 55 55 54 l 0.0001 NewDev(%) 0 0 0 0.6 7.3 16 15 l 0.0001 B/D ≥,2 (%) – – 7 12 16 12 12 l 0.0001 Ang Sue (%) 86 91 84 84 90 93 93 l 0.0001 Death (%) 0.1 03 07 09 07 07 07 0.018 OMI(%) 2.3 2.4 2.4 1.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 l 0.0001 CABG(%) 10 5.3 6.9 6.0 3.9 3.1 3.0 l 0.0001 LOS ≥2% (%) 15 15 20 19 15 12 4 l 0.0001 Patients undergoing procedures continue to get older and sicker. Nonetheless, success rates continue to improve, and complication rates fall. Mortality is unchanged since 1985 despites sicker patients, Device usage has been constant since 1991 and the number of balloons/devices per case is falling, From a resource standpoint. the most important indices of emergent CABG and prolonged LOS are decreasing. Intervention in the coronaries can be safely performed while steps are taken to minimize cost
Effects of Plasmid pBR322 on Respiratory and ATPase Activities in Escherichia coli

The effects of antibiotic resistance plasmids on respiratory and ATPase activities were investigated in Escherichia coli. The rates of oxygen consumption coupled to the oxidation of succinate and NADH, ATP hydrolysis, and ATP-Pi exchange were measured in isolated membrane vesicles prepared from HB101 strains that contained derivatives of plasmid pBR322. The rates of oxygen consumption coupled to the oxidation of NADH were independent of the presence or absence of plasmids in the strains from which the vesicles were prepared. In contrast, the mean rates of oxygen consumption coupled to the oxidation of succinate, ATP hydrolysis, and ATP-Pi exchange were 140-292% higher in vesicles made from plasmid-containing strains than from plasmid-free HB101 and independent of the expression of the plasmid-encoded tetracycline/H+ antiporter.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Alstroemeria

• Two female florists developed dermatitis of the fingertips. Patch testing revealed allergic contact dermatitis to the flower, Alstroemeria , used in floral arrangements. They had positive patch tests to portions of Alstroemeria , and to tuliposide A, the allergen in this plant. Vinyl gloves were not helpful since tuliposide A readily penetrates through these gloves. Nitrile gloves may be protective since they prevented positive patch test to tuliposide A. ( Arch Dermatol 1988;124:914-916)
Middleware solutions for integrated simulation environments

This paper outlines the expected research contribution of my PhD work. RAISE is a research project aimed at building a framework and platform that supports the integration of multiple existing models, simulations, and data. One of the limitations of the simulators is that they are developed by domain experts who have an in-depth understanding of the phenomena being modelled and typically designed to be executed and evaluated independently. Therefore the grand challenge is to facilitate the process of pulling all of independently created models together into an interoperating system of systems model where decision makers can explore different alternatives and conduct low cost experiments in an interactive environment. The key research question is whether such integration of independently created, deep domain models can be made feasible, practical, flexible, cost-effective, attractive, and usable.
Large amplitude solutions to the Sivashinsky and Riley-Davis equations for directional solidification

Abstract Directional solidification of a dilute binary alloy is often characterized by the appearance of deep-root, finger-type interfaces. As a model of this phenomenon, we investigate the large-amplitude behavior of long-wave evolution equations previously derived for directional solidification. In this paper we conduct a detailed asymptotic and numerical study of the periodic solutions of the Sivashinsky and Riley–Davis equations. The Sivashinsky equation, which describes the limit of small segregation coefficient, is shown to form deep-root solutions which can be described in terms of elliptic functions. However, this equation is known to be ill-posed in the sense that the solution branches are unstable, and large classes of initial conditions lead to finite-time blow-up. By considering asymptotically large surface energy, Riley and Davis derived an evolution equation which may be considered a regularizing perturbation of the Sivashinsky equation. This equation has steady, large-amplitude solutions which are linearly stable. In the absence of solutal segregation, we may describe these solutions asymptotically; in this limit, amplitudes and wavelengths may become arbitrarily large. A stability analysis suggests that with periodic boundary conditions the solution may coarsen until a single finger fills the domain. If segregation effects are included, both the amplitude and wavelength are bounded independent of domain size. This wavelength bound gives the system a finger-width selection mechanism associated with a tip-splitting bifurcation that has also been observed in experiments.
Total variation-penalized Poisson likelihood estimation for ill-posed problems

The noise contained in data measured by imaging instruments is often primarily of Poisson type. This motivates, in many cases, the use of the Poisson negative-log likelihood function in place of the ubiquitous least squares data fidelity when solving image deblurring problems. We assume that the underlying blurring operator is compact, so that, as in the least squares case, the resulting minimization problem is ill-posed and must be regularized. In this paper, we focus on total variation regularization and show that the problem of computing the minimizer of the resulting total variation-penalized Poisson likelihood functional is well-posed. We then prove that, as the errors in the data and in the blurring operator tend to zero, the resulting minimizers converge to the minimizer of the exact likelihood function. Finally, the practical effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated on synthetically generated data, and a nonnegatively constrained, projected quasi-Newton method is introduced.
QUANTUM SYMMETRY EFFECTS IN HYDROGEN GAS

The nuclear magnetic resonance technique was used to measure diffusion at 20.35 deg K in normal hydrogen gas and in a mixture of 37.5% ortho-hydrogen- 62.5% parahydrogen gas. Results showed that ortho-molecules in different spin quantum states must actually be treated as distinguishable particles in calculating the measured diffusion cross sections. (C.E.S.)
The dynamic self: How the content and structure of the self-concept change with mood.

Change in the content and structure of the self-concept was examined in a 2-year prospective study of depression. A self-descriptive card-sorting task measured the self-concepts of participants who were either high or low in cognitive vulnerability to depression at 2 times, once when their mood was low and once when it was not. Analyses examined change in the positive and negative content of the self-concept and in 3 features of self-structure: differential importance, compartmentalization, and self-complexity. Findings suggest that change in the content of the self-concept simply reflects life circumstances, whereas change in self-structure may help to counteract stress and negative mood.
Neurologic Emergencies in Patients Who Have Cancer: Diagnosis and Management

The nervous system can be significantly affected by cancer. Neurologic symptoms are present in 30% to 50% of oncologic patients presenting to the emergency department or in neurologic consultation at teaching hospitals. Evaluation and treatment require collaborative effort between specialties. The causes of neurologic emergencies in patients with cancer are mostly related to effects of cancer, toxicities of treatments, infections, and paraneoplastic syndromes. These complications cause significant morbidity and mortality and require prompt and accurate diagnostic and treatment measures. This article reviews the common neurologic emergencies affecting patients with cancer and discusses epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment modalities.
When a pregnant patient has a suspected pulmonary embolism, what are the typical embryo doses from a chest CT and a ventilation/perfusion study?

Received: 20 September 2004 Accepted: 20 September 2004 Published online: 25 February 2005 Springer-Verlag 2005 When a pregnant patient has a suspected pulmonary embolism (PE), what are the typical embryo doses from a chest CT and a ventilation/ perfusion (V/Q) study? A ventilation study can be performed using either Xe gas or aerosolized Tc diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). Use of Xe results in a negligible embryo dose (<0.01 mGy), whereas the inhalation of approximately 110 MBq Tc DTPA by a patient, which is absorbed through the lung and excreted through the renal system, will result in an embryo dose of about 0.9 mGy [1]. A perfusion study normally administers 370 MBq Tc macroaggregated albumin (MAA), which results in an embryo dose of about 0.9 mGy [1]. The dose to an embryo from a V/Q study can thus be taken to be in the range of 0.9–1.8 mGy. Protocol for a chest CT scan of a patient with suspected PE generally uses thin slices, rapid scanning to minimize patient motion, and the administration of about 100 cc of iodinated contrast agent by power injector. The scan volume is from the lung apices through the bases, with typical techniques of 120 kV, 300 mA, 0.5 s scan time, and a pitch ratio of 2. At these techniques on the patient axis and in the middle of the chest, the typical tissue dose is approximately 14 mGy. The distance from the directly irradiated region at the base of the lung to the location of the embryo (i.e., uterus) is generally at least 20 cm, where the scattered radiation level would be no more than 1% of the (maximum) chest dose [2]. The embryo dose from a chest CT performed for diagnosing PE may, therefore, be taken to be 0.14 mGy. In choosing a test, it is also important to consider the corresponding diagnostic information that is provided by any examination [3, 4] and operational factors, such as the availability of diagnostic services in an emergency department setting. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) offers guidance on pregnancy and medical irradiation [5]. The fetal dose from a V/Q examination (0.9–1.8 mGy) would be deemed to be low, and the fetal dose from a chest CT (0.14 mGy) would be considered to be very low. According to the ICRP, almost always, if a diagnostic examination is medically indicated, the risk to the mother of not doing the procedure is greater than the risk of potential harm to the fetus. Pediatr Radiol (2005) 35: 452–453 DOI 10.1007/s00247-004-1365-7 QUESTION/ANSWER
TFTR CAMAC Systems and Components

Princeton's tokamak fusion test reactor (TFTR) utilizes Computer Automated Measurement and Control (CAMAC) to provide instrumentation for real and quasi real time control, monitoring, and data acquisition systems. This paper describes and discusses the complement of CAMAC hardware systems and components that comprise the interface for tokamak control and measurement instrumentation, and communication with the central instrumentation control and data acquisition (CICADA) system. It also discusses CAMAC reliability and calibration, types of modules used, a summary of data acquisition and control points, and various diagnostic maintenance tools used to support and troubleshoot typical CAMAC systems on TFTR.
Mean mass energy absorption coefficient ratios for megavoltage x‐ray beams

Mean mass energy absorption coefficient ratios of acrylic, polystyrene, and water to air, were calculated using Monte Carlo generated energy spectra. The energy spectra were calculated for 4- to 50-MV x-ray beams, from machines using flattening filters and scanning beams. The validity of these spectra was verified by comparing the measured ionization ratios with the calculated values. The agreement was found to be within 1.9%. For beams of energy below 6 MV, our estimates of the mean mass energy absorption coefficient ratios agree well with those recommended by the TG-21 protocol. For higher energy beams, the discrepancy increases to about 3%. It was found that the discrepancy is attributable to the different spectra used in these calculations.
Validation of the reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) drug delivery platform using dilauryl fluorescein (DLF)

Dilauryl fluorescein (DLF) is a lipid soluble molecule that becomes fluorescent when lauric acid is removed by hydrolysis The purpose of these studies was to evaluate DLF as a potential probe for the function of reconstituted high-density lipoproteins (rHDL) as hydrophobic drug transport vehicles. The DLF containing rHDL nanoparticles were characterized regarding their physical/chemical properties, including molecular diameter, molecular weight, chemical composition, and buoyant density. We investigated the uptake of DLF from rHDL in cells that overexpress the scavenger receptor (SR-B1), known to facilitate the selective cellular uptake of cholesteryl esters from HDL. These studies show that DLF can be incorporated into rHDL and redistributed in the plasma compartment. In addition, these studies demonstrated an enhanced uptake and hydrolysis of DLF from rHDL by cells that overexpress the SR-B1 receptor, suggesting the involvement of a receptor mediated mechanism. The incorporation of DLF into the rHDL nanoparticles appear to protect against hydrolysis in the systemic circulation based on the lower rate of rHDL/DLF hydrolysis compared with the free DLF during incubation with human plasma. DLF may thus be used as a probe to track the movement and metabolism of HDL core constituents, including cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
Decidual Cell Polyploidization Necessitates Mitochondrial Activity

Cellular polyploidy has been widely reported in nature, yet its developmental mechanism and function remain poorly understood. In the present study, to better define the aspects of decidual cell polyploidy, we isolated pure polyploid and non-polyploid decidual cell populations from the in vivo decidual bed. Three independent RNA pools prepared for each population were then subjected to the Affymetrix gene chip analysis for the whole mouse genome transcripts. Our data revealed up-regulation of 1015 genes and down-regulation of 1207 genes in the polyploid populations, as compared to the non-polyploid group. Comparative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization results indeed confirmed differential expressional regulation of several genes between the two populations. Based on functional enrichment analyses, up-regulated polyploidy genes appeared to implicate several functions, which primarily include cell/nuclear division, ATP binding, metabolic process, and mitochondrial activity, whereas that of down-regulated genes primarily included apoptosis and immune processes. Further analyses of genes that are related to mitochondria and bi-nucleation showed differential and regional expression within the decidual bed, consistent with the pattern of polyploidy. Consistently, studies revealed a marked induction of mitochondrial mass and ATP production in polyploid cells. The inhibition of mitochondrial activity by various pharmacological inhibitors, as well as by gene-specific targeting using siRNA-mediated technology showed a dramatic attenuation of polyploidy and bi-nucleation development during in vitro stromal cell decidualization, suggesting mitochondria play a major role in positive regulation of decidual cell polyploidization. Collectively, analyses of unique polyploidy markers and molecular signaling networks may be useful to further characterize functional aspects of decidual cell polyploidy at the site of implantation.
Computer‐Aided Design of Trusses Using TURBO PASCAL

This article presents interactive microcomputer-aided design (MicroCAD) of steel plane trusses. A menu-driven graphic-based MicroCAD system has been developed for interactive analysis and design of statically determinate and indeterminate steel trusses using TURBO PASCAL Version 3.0 on an IBM PC with 256K of random access memory (RAM), called TRUSS2P. TRUSS2P makes extensive use of computer graphics for showing various configurations of the truss with or without joint numbering, member numbering, loading, member type numbering, cross sections of the members, and its deformed configuration under various loading conditions. Graphic manipulation capabilities of TRUSS2P are zooming, panning, scaling, rotating, shrinking, and expanding. Among the features of TRUSS2P are on-line input modification capability, modify input menus, input error check, and automatic data generation and replication for nodal coordinates, member information, and loading on the truss. Member design information can be displayed for each member through split-screen graphic-text displays.
Automated software wrapping

As a software vendor, we initiated a project to migrate a centralized mainframe-based commercial software system to a CORBA-based distributed environment using a software wrapping technique so our customers could invoke the system remotely. Later, we decided to automate the wrapping process to make the system more flexible in order to accommodate different customers' requirements for accessing the system using different interfacing styles. The automated software wrapping technique is presented in this paper.
Purchasing power parity over the modern float An application in higher order cointegration

Abstract Tests of the PPP hypothesis over the modern float have not fared well. One possible source of misspecification is analyzed in this paper. It is demonstrated that price levels are second difference stationary or integrated of order two [ P t ∼ I(2)]. The necessary condition for PPP to hold as a long-run equilibrium, i.e., that the exchange rate is cointegrated with the relative price level, is augmented by a second condition that requires price levels across countries to cointegrate from I(2) to I(1). These conditions are examined using price indices from the United States and Germany and the Deutschemark/Dollar exchange rate.
Sodium-sensitive glass microelectrode: Modified Thomas recessed-tip configuration

Using a glass-membrane, sodium-sensitive microelectrode, a modified Thomas sodium-sensitive electrode has been developed. The modified Thomas electrode possesses a high sensitivity (57.9 mV/log aNa), a high selectivity (KNa,Kpot < 0.005), a relatively low electrical resistance (7.65 × 1011 ohms), a small sensing chamber (10 μm3), and can be made in the double-barreled configuration. The modified Thomas electrode is designed to directly measure the intracellular sodium concentration of epithelial cells.
Sex, Color, and Geography: Racialized Relations in Brazil and Its Predicaments

Sex and race have significantly affected the trajectories of Brazil's historical geographies and its contemporary racialized relations. Interpretations of gender, race, and color in Brazil have pro...
Consequences of chronic extracochlear electrical stimulation in neonatally deafened cats

Abstract This investigation examined the consequences of neonatal deafness and chronic electrical stimulation of the cochlea in the developing auditory system. Cats were bilaterally deafened by daily ototoxic drug administration for two weeks after birth. Electrical stimulation was initiated at 6–9 weeks of age and continued for up to 6 months, using monopolar round window electrodes that synchronously excited auditory neurons throughout the cochlea. Morphometric evaluation of the density of spiral ganglion cell somata within Rosenthal's canal demonstrated that chronic stimulation induced an increase of about 6% in neuronal survival. Although this difference was statistically significant, extracochlear stimulation in these cats was less effective in preventing neural degeneration than lower intensity, more restricted intracochlear stimulation that was shown in a previous study to induce an average increase of about 13% in neuronal survival. Electrophysiological recording experiments conducted in the inferior colliculus in these animals indicated that monopolar extracochlear stimulation can induce profound alterations in the spatial (frequency) selectivity of the auditory midbrain. On average, results were similar to those previously reported for bipolar intracochlear stimulation, showing about a two-fold expansion of the central representation of chronically stimulated electrodes. However, results with extracochlear stimulation showed much greater variability among individual animals. The results presented suggest that it is problematic to effect consistent ‘whole’ nerve stimulation using monopolar round window electrodes. Moreover, this mode of stimulation can induce profound functional alterations in the central nervous system and is substantially less effective in forestalling the degeneration of auditory neurons than intracochlear stimulation. Both these results contraindicate the implantation of such electrodes in young children for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the auditory system for later application of a multichannel cochlear implant.
Effects of retinoic acid upon eye field morphogenesis and differentiation.

This study describes a whole embryo and embryonic field analysis of retinoic acid's (RA) effects upon Xenopus laevis forebrain development and differentiation. By using in situ and immunohistochemical analysis of pax6, Xbf1, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), gene expression during eye field, telencephalon field, and retinal development was followed with and without RA treatment. These studies indicated that RA has strong effects upon embryonic eye and telencephalon field development with greater effects upon the ventral development of these organ fields. The specification and determination of separate eye primordia occurred at stage-16 when the prechordal plate reaches its most anterior aspect in Xenopus laevis. Differentiation of the dopaminergic cells within the retina was also affected in a distinct dorsoventral pattern by RA treatment, and cell type differentiation in the absence of distinct retinal laminae was also observed. It was concluded that early RA treatments affected organ field patterning by suppression of the upstream elements required for organ field development, and RA's effects upon cellular differentiation occur downstream to these organ determinants' expression within a distinct dorsoventral pattern. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.