cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modification of topological formulas for active two-port networks

It is shown that the topological formulas for active two-port networks can be modified to appear in a form similar to those for passive two-port networks without mutual inductances.
Polymer-Anchored DNA Gene Monolayers

Monolayers of DNA chains of polymeric dimensions, considered here to be longer than ∼100 nucleotides, are widely encountered in biomolecular diagnostics as well as present for a model system for investigating behavior of polyelectrolytes at interfaces. A major challenge in advancing such applications is assembling the DNA on the surface in a controlled way. Although covalent immobilization is expected to produce optimal stability, the multitude of potential reactive sites along the contour of long DNA molecules requires that any chemical transformations be strictly site-specific to preserve control over attachment geometry and function. A synthetic approach to fabricating monolayers of DNA genes on gold using polymeric anchor (adhesion) films is presented that (i) possesses stringent site-specificity of surface-attachment, (ii) exhibits excellent stability to elevated temperatures, allowing denaturation of duplex chains at 90 °C without loss of surface-linked strands, and (iii) achieves surface coverages ...
Effect of entrance channel topology on reaction dynamics: O(3P) + CH4 → CH3 + OH

Abstract The generalized semirigid vibrating rotor target (GSVRT) method is employed to investigate O( 3 P) + CH 4 → CH 3 + OH reaction on a global potential energy surface (PES): the C–T surface of Corchado et al. [J.C. Corchado, J. Espinosa-Garcia, O. Roberto-Neto, Y.-Y. Chuang, D.G. Truhlar, J. Phys. Chem. A 102, 4899, 1998]. The reaction probability and rate constant from the present 5D GSVRT dynamics calculation are consistent with those from the 4D SVRT calculation, indicating that the umbrella vibrational motion of CH 4 is not strongly coupled to the reaction coordinate on the C–T surface. The calculated reaction threshold energy on the C–T surface is considerably larger than that from the experimental measurement. Our study indicates that the entrance channel topology of the C–T PES is responsible for the higher reaction threshold energy obtained from the dynamics calculation. This is the main reason for the large discrepancy in reaction rate constant between transition state-like results and the dynamics calculation which explores global potential energy surface beyond transition state region.
A lightweight software control system for cyber awareness and security

Designing and building software that is free of defects that can be exploited by malicious adversaries is a difficult task. Despite extensive efforts via the application of formal methods, use of automated software engineering tools, and performing extensive pre-deployment testing, exploitable errors still appear in software. The problem of cyber resilience is further compounded by the growing sophistication of adversaries who can marshal substantial resources to compromise systems. This paper describes a novel, promising approach to improving the resilience of software. The approach is to impose a process-level software control system that continuously monitors an application for signs of attack or failure and responds accordingly. The system uses software dynamic translation to seamlessly insert arbitrary sensors and actuators into an executing binary. The control system employs the sensors to detect attacks and the actuators to effect an appropriate response. Using this approach, several novel monitoring and response systems have been developed. The paper describes our light-weight process-level software control system, our experience using it to increase the resilience of systems, and discusses future research directions for extending and enhancing this powerful approach to achieving cyber awareness and resilience.
Absolute rate constant of the reaction between chlorine /2P/ atoms and hydrogen peroxide from 298 to 424 K

The absolute rate constant of the reaction between chlorine (2P) atoms and hydrogen peroxide was determined from 298 to 424 K, using the discharge flow resonance fluorescence technique. Pseudo-first-order conditions were used with hydrogen peroxide in large excess. A fast flow-sampling procedure limited hydrogen peroxide decomposition to less than 5% over the temperature range studied. At 298 K, the rate constant is (4.1 plus or minus 0.2) x 10 to the minus 13th cu cm/molecule-sec.
Stereotactic laser-guided approach to distal middle cerebral artery aneurysms

The Steiner-Lindquist laser intra-operative guidance method is described and its application in the surgical treatment of mycotic aneurysm is presented. Three illustrative cases of distal middle cerebral artery aneurysms are reported. The authors argue that all ruptured mycotic aneurysms should be treated surgically. The laser-guided stereotactic approach is presented as simple, flexible and reliable method to improve safety and accuracy of the operation in these cases. In our experience it compares favorably with previously described stereotactic techniques.
Petrologic Monitoring of 1981 and 1982 Eruptive Products from Mount St. Helens

New material from the dacite lava dome of Mount St. Helens, collected soon after the start of each successive extrusion, is subjected to rapid chemical and petrologic analysis. The crystallinity of the dacite lava produced in 1981 and 1982 is 38 to 42 percent, about 10 percent higher than for products of the explosive 1980 eruptions. This increase in crystallinity accompanies a decrease in the ratio of hornblende to hornblende plus orthopyroxene, which suggests that the volatile-rich, crystal-poor material explosively erupted in 1980 came from the top of a zoned magma chamber and that a lower, volatile-poor and crystal-rich region is now being tapped. The major-element chemistry of the dacite lava has remained essentially constant (62 to 63 percent silica) since August 1980, ending a trend of decreasing silica seen in the products of the explosive eruptions of May through August 1980.
Query operations of process-based searches

This paper introduces a non-traditional Web search problem, referred to as “process-based search”, and focuses on the query analysis and formulation of this type of search. Traditional information retrieval models were created based on the assumption that one query can be answered by one document. A query needs to properly specify the topic being requested. Recently published work, referred to as subtopic retrieval or aspect retrieval, has relaxed this assumption that a query may contain multiple subtopics and it can be answered by a set of documents, each of which covers one or multiple subtopics. However, the original query was still assumed to explicitly specify the subtopics. Process-based search further relaxes the assumption to facilitate complex Web searches. The subtopics of the query do not have to be explicitly specified, because the user may not be able to do so in the initial search due to the lack of knowledge for the topic. A database of processes is used to discover the subtopics implied by the query. Thus, this type of search is called process-based search. This paper focuses on the algorithms for formulating sub-queries for the process-based search. Experiments on real data sets showed that the needs of process-based searching exist in the real world and the proposed concepts and approaches effectively solve this problem.
Computer-aided software engineering in a computer supported cooperative environment

Most of today's applications have been targeted at making individuals more productive. It is common, however, for several individuals to collaborate on a project. Computers support the individual work done by group members but provide only token support for group interaction. There is a need for new tools that provide an environment where a group can cooperate on a project. Most work done in this area has thus far been targeted toward office automation and communication. However, there has been very little done to provide a group tool that supports the engineering design process. The objective of the CSCW project is to provide an environment that supports this process. In particular, this environment provides collaborative tools that support CAD and CASE. A CSCW environment has been developed by a team of faculty and students at Auburn University. This system is an expansion of an earlier project that focused on collaborative writing, called Distributed Collaborative Writing Aid. The CSCW project has added support for CAD and CASE. This paper discusses the method used to implement the CASE support. In particular, it addresses how group members can simultaneously work on coding a program and then integrate their work.
Segmentation and quantitation of the primary human airway tree

There has been an increased interest in automatic segmentation of volumetric medical image data. One of the reasons is that automated segmentation takes away the variability which exists when data is segmented manually. It also reduces processing time significantly. However, because of the stochastic nature of biological structures and the fact that no two data sets and scanner models are alike, it is very important to develop automated methods which process images in an adaptive manner and use a priori information to simplify the process. The method which we present here adaptively determines thresholds in order to segment out the primary human airway tree and uses some a priori information about the manner in which branching occurs, specifically the order in which the upward and downward branches arise from the right and left bronchi. We present preliminary results from this method, which automatically segments out the first four generations of the airway tree reliably, in data sets from both normal and airway comprised subjects and present comparisons with the current 'gold standard' of manual segmentation.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Validity of five MMPI alcoholism scales

Assessed five alcoholism scales derived from the MMPI for their ability to classify accurately two groups of alcoholics (N = 120) and a group of nonalcoholic psychiatric patients (N = 60) in an inpatient treatment setting. The alcoholic group was divided into those who were self-committed and those who were court-committed. Depending on how the data were treated, only one, or none of the scales was accurate.
Interaction of some centrally active drugs with caeruloplasmin.

Abstract Centrally active drugs such as D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and to a lesser extent ibogaine and 2-bromo-LSD, are shown to inhibit the caeruloplasmin-catalysed oxidation of 5-hydroxytryptamine but accelerate the oxidation of noradrenaline and dopamine. Harmine and harmol inhibit the enzymic oxidation of all three substrates. Centrally active anticholinergics and substituted phenylethylamines do not affect the enzymic oxidation of these substrates. Some drugs used in the treatment of mental illness affect the caeruloplasmin-catalysed oxidation of noradrenaline, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Tranquillizers of the phenothiazine class, for example, accelerate the oxidation of all three substrates whilst antidepressant drugs (other than monoamine oxidase inhibitors) inhibit the oxidation of all three substrates. The results obtained show that caeruloplasmin cannot be generally used as a model for those receptors with which some centrally active drugs must interact to produce their characteristic effects; they do, however, suggest that caeruloplasmin, or an enzyme with similar properties, may be of importance in controlling the relative concentrations of noradrenaline, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in those areas of the brain where these compounds act as neuro-transmitters.
Aerobraking tethers for the exploration of the solar system

Abstract In previous work the authors developed a model for the analysis of orbiting tethered spacecraft in an atmosphere. This model was used to demonstrate the feasibility of the aerobraking tether concept for a mission to Mars. The present work studies the possibility of using such vehicles in the exploration of the other atmosphere-bearing planets and satellites in the solar system. This includes Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Titan. After establishing ground rules, a study is performed in which the propellant mass for a typical rocket propulsion system is compared to the tether mass required for the aerobraking system. In every case, the tether mass turns out to be less than the propellant mass. The results have significant implications for the design of a new class of exotic spacecraft for the exploration of the solar system.
General procedure for the isolation and identification of 6-α- and 6-β-hydroxy metabolites of narcotic agonists and antagonists with a hydromorphone structure

In order to aid in the elucidation of the metabolism of drugs containing the hydromorphone structure, a method is described for isolation from urine, separation and identification of the 6-alpha- and 6-beta-hydroxy metabolites. The samples were acid-hydrolyzed, extracted, and separated by thin-layer chromatography. The zone containing the hydroxy metabolites was removed and the compounds were re-extracted and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). Silylation of the extract was necessary in most cases for optimum GLC resolution of the alpha- and beta-hydroxy epimers. To demonstrate application of this method, the urine of guinea-pigs and rats which had received a single 40-mg dose of naloxone subcutaneously was analyzed. Analysis indicated a alpha/beta ratio of 0.41 for the guinea-pig. In contrast, the amount of 6-alpha-naloxol found in the urine of the rat was negligible in comparison with the 6-beta-hydroxy metabolite, indicating a species difference in the stereospecificity of the drug-metabolizing enzyme.
Tissue reaction to three ceramics of porous and non-porous structures.

In this investigation, ceramics were studied to determine their role as rigid, abrasive implants in soft, living tissue. Discs and tubes of three ceramics, CaO·Al2O3, CaO·TiO2, and CaO·ZrO2, were introduced as porous and non-porous structures into muscle and connective tissue sites in rabbits. The animals were observed grossly to determine the duration of redness and swelling following surgery, and samples were retrieved at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months after implantation. A mild, acute inflammatory response immediately followed the implantation of all three materials in both the porous and non-porous forms. Histological sections of the ceramics and surrounding tissue, cut and stained for light microscopy, demonstrated the absence of inflammatory cells and revealed the normal morphology and organization of the cells present around all types of implants tested. Tissue around discs of porous ceramics healed faster and exhibited thinner fibrous encapsulations than with impervious discs of the same material. Healthy fibrous connective tissue with an ample blood supply occupied those implants with pores of 45–100 mμ, and even more rapidly filled the samples with a 100- to 150-μ pore size. The tissue ingrowth and tight adherence to the porous samples was believed responsible for the more moderate response to porous implants. No adverse responses of any kind were observed, except in a very few, atypical specimens.
Mechanical properties of intermetallic compounds associated with Pb-free solder joints using nanoindentation

Mechanical properties of intermetallic compound (IMC) phases in Pb-free solder joints were obtained using nanoindentation testing (NIT). The elastic modulus and hardness were determined for IMC phases associated with insitu FeSn particle reinforced and mechanically added, Cu particle-reinforced, composite solder joints. The IMC layers that formed around Cu particle reinforcement and at the Cu substrate/solder matrix interface were probed with NIT. Moduli and hardness values obtained by NIT revealed were noticeably higher for Cu-rich Cu3Sn than those of Cu6Sn5. The Ag3Sn platelets that formed during reflow were also examined for eutectic Sn-Ag solder column joints. The indentation modulus of Ag3Sn platelets was significantly lower than that of FeSn, SnCuNi, and CuSn IMCs. Indentation creep properties were assessed in localized microstructure regions of the as-cast, eutectic Sn-Ag solder. The stress exponent, n, associated with secondary creep differed widely depending on the microstructure feature probed by the indenter tip.
Classical Conditioning of a Complex Skeletal Response

The pigeon9s so-called "arbitrary" response of pecking an illuminated disk can be established and maintained by procedures resembling those of classical conditioning. This phenomenon was shown to be independent of the specific signaling relationships between illumination of the pecking disk and presentation of food; it will appear as long as the key is differentially associated with food. When a nondifferential condition is introduced, pecking "extinguishes" even if it has previously been established and even when the new condition involves as much reinforcement as the old one. Reinstating differential conditions reestablishes pecking. The initial conditions determine the speed and apparently the asymptote of pecking rates in the differential condition; initial exposure to a nondifferential procedure retards subsequent acquisition, possibly quite permanently. These findings are discussed in the context of mechanisms of adaptive learning, not involving reward and punishment, which lead to selection of effective behaviors on a nonarbitrary basis.
Achievable Degrees of Freedom for $K$ -User MIMO Y Channels Using Signal Group Based Alignment

We consider a K-user multiple input multiple output (MIMO) Y channel consisting of K(≥ 3) users and a relay. Each user has K-1 independent messages for all the other K-1 users. Degrees of freedom (DoF) of such channels is not known in general but it is known that the DoF of K(K-1)/2 is achievable for a network operating in a half-duplex mode by using signal space alignment for network coding during both the multiple access phase and the broadcast phase. In this paper, a novel signal group based alignment scheme is proposed, which divides all K(K-1) signals into l groups where l = K or K-1. Then, the signals in each group are aligned into a smaller subspace at the relay. If the i-th user is equipped with M i antennas and the relay is equipped with N antennas where all antennas are used for both transmitting and receiving, we prove that when M i = K-1, N = (K-1) 2 for even K and M i = K-1, N = K(K-2) for odd K, the optimal total DoF of this K-user MIMO Y channel is K(K-1)/2. As a consequence, to achieve the total DoF of K(K-1)/2, the requirements on M i and N are M i ≥ K-1 and N ≥ (K-1) 2 for even K, and M i ≥ K-1 and N ≥ K(K-2) for odd K. In our proposed approach, we significantly decrease the minimum M i at the expense of higher N for a given number of users K and achievable DoF of K(K-1)/2, compared to an existing approach. This signal group alignment concept also motivates other signal grouping methods, which provide a tradeoff between number of antennas at end users and the relay. Also, for the K-user Y channel where all end users have a single antenna and the relay node has N antennas, it is shown that the DoF of min{K/2, (N + 1)/2} is achievable.
Parallel language activation and inhibitory control in bimodal bilinguals

Findings from recent studies suggest that spoken-language bilinguals engage nonlinguistic inhibitory control mechanisms to resolve cross-linguistic competition during auditory word recognition. Bilingual advantages in inhibitory control might stem from the need to resolve perceptual competition between similar-sounding words both within and between their two languages. If so, these advantages should be lessened or eliminated when there is no perceptual competition between two languages. The present study investigated the extent of inhibitory control recruitment during bilingual language comprehension by examining associations between language co-activation and nonlinguistic inhibitory control abilities in bimodal bilinguals, whose two languages do not perceptually compete. Cross-linguistic distractor activation was identified in the visual world paradigm, and correlated significantly with performance on a nonlinguistic spatial Stroop task within a group of 27 hearing ASL-English bilinguals. Smaller Stroop effects (indexing more efficient inhibition) were associated with reduced co-activation of ASL signs during the early stages of auditory word recognition. These results suggest that inhibitory control in auditory word recognition is not limited to resolving perceptual linguistic competition in phonological input, but is also used to moderate competition that originates at the lexico-semantic level.
The distribution of deviance and exceeding the speed limit

Some theorists have argued that the propensity to deviance, like certain other psychological traits, is normally distributed in the population. Others have maintained that, since deviance is socially defined, its distribution is inevitably skewed by laws, rules, and regulations in the direction of conformity. Support for both these positions can be found in empirical studies conducted more than 50 years ago, but there has been little relevant work since then. The present study, using data made available by the Illinois Department of Transportation, supports the former position in that observed speeds of 16.4 million cars on rural highways in the state were found to be normally distributed with the mean on the speed limit of 65 mph. Similar results were found for trucks, though the distribution was slightly skewed in the direction of non-conformity. The implications of these results for criminological theory and for controlling everyday crimes committed by ordinary people are discussed.
Improving patient safety in intensive care units in Michigan

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to describe the design and lessons learned from implementing a large-scale patient safety collaborative and the impact of an intervention on teamwork climate in intensive care units (ICUs) across the state of Michigan. Materials and Methods This study used a collaborative model for improvement involving researchers from the Johns Hopkins University and Michigan Health and Hospital Association. A quality improvement team in each ICU collected and submitted baseline data and implemented quality improvement interventions. Primary outcome measures were improvements in safety culture scores using the Teamwork Climate Scale of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ); 99 ICUs provided baseline SAQ data. Baseline performance for adherence to evidence-based interventions for ventilated patients is also reported. The intervention to improve safety culture was the comprehensive unit-based safety program. The r wg statistic measures the extent to which there is a group consensus. Results Overall response rate for the baseline SAQ was 72%. Statistical tests confirmed that teamwork climate scores provided a valid measure of teamwork climate consensus among caregivers in an ICU, mean r wg was 0.840 (SD = 0.07). Teamwork climate varied significantly among ICUs at baseline (F 98, 5325 = 5.90, P t test showed that teamwork climate improved from 2004 to 2005, t (71) = −2.921, P Conclusion This study describes the first statewide effort to improve patient safety in ICUs. The use of the comprehensive unit-based safety program was associated with significant improvements in safety culture. This collaborative may serve as a model to implement feasible and methodologically rigorous methods to improve and sustain patient safety on a larger scale.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY : CHRIS AND PAT COMPARE SALARIES

Can you name 20 influences on pay that could cause a difference in earnings between two ostensibly equal employees? This short, involving exercise can be used to illustrate the numerous influences that affect how employees' pay is determined, for example, education, experience required for the job, supply and demand, company size, seniority, and merit. It identifies and clarifies three major categories of influences—internal consistency, external competitiveness, and individual contribution—that affect pay decisions and pay policies. The exercise stimulates students' thinking about pay issues and sets the stage for a discussion of effective compensation decisions.
Acute urinary retention following renal transplantation.

Abstract The management of a renal transplant recipient who postoperatively developed acute urinary retention secondary to benign prostatic hypertrophy is discussed. The importance of a thorough urologic evaluation prior to renal transplantation is emphasized, especially in older male candidates. Should urinary retention occur following transplantation, temporary urinary diversion via suprapubic cystostomy should be employed until the patient is able to undergo prostatectomy.
TH-A-214-03: Automated Patient-Specific CT Dose Monitoring System: Assessing Variability in CT Dose

Purpose: To develop an automated patient‐specific radiation dose monitoring system for CT capable of assessing variability in CT dose delivered to individual patients. Methods: CTimage data were sent from PACS to a secure dosimetry server. The dose reports were isolated by DICOM routing software and processed by an optical character recognition algorithm to extract the dose length product (DLP). The DICOM headers provided additional study information, including the study description, protocol, patient age, and patient gender. The effective dose was calculated from the DLP using age‐ and protocol‐specific conversion coefficients. We collected data from Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) and Duke Raleigh Hospital (DRH) over a 5 week period, during which we received over 6,500 CT studies. To assist in data analysis, a graphical user interface was developed capable of generating custom filters to isolate specific CT studies. The filters were used to assess variability in three typical protocols (standard chest, abdomen pelvis, and routine head) across both institutions. Results: Our automated CT dose monitoring program permitted quality assurance on a scale that was previously impractical. We were able to identify individual studies that significantly deviated from the median and flagged them for further review to assess the cause of the elevated dose. Additionally, we employed the custom filters to directly compare dose across three CTscanner models at both DUMC and DRH. We found notable variability between scanners and institutions, indicating the potential for dose reduction and standardization without compromising image quality. Conclusions: We developed an automated patient‐specific CT dose monitoring system to assess variability in CT dose to individual patients. This tool facilitates quality assurance and standardization of CT protocols.
ORIGINS OF INTEREST IN THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUNISHMENT: THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Interest in the privatization of punishment has increased substantially during the past decade. The rising costs of incarceration and steady increases in the incarcerated population have stimulated governmental enthusiasm for the transfer of certain correctional responsibilities to the private sector. Advocates and critics of privatization differ regarding the ultimate benefits of private sector participation in the correctional process. In an effort to shed light on some of the conflicting claims of advocates and critics, this paper analyzes the origins of interest in privatization in America during both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The analysis suggests that scrutiny of the historical record may provide insights that will be useful in the development of policy that can successfully anticipate and avoid hazards to the success of correctional privatization.
Calculation of alloy solid-liquid interfacial free energies from atomic-scale simulations

Solid-liquid interfacial free energies and associated crystalline anisotropies are calculated for a model Ni-Cu alloy system based upon the analysis of equilibrium capillary fluctuations in molecular-dynamics simulations. Alloying of Ni by Cu leads to a reduction in the magnitude of the calculated interfacial free energy, while having only a minor effect on computed anisotropies. The present study demonstrates the viability of applying the fluctuation method to simulation-based calculations of solid-liquid interfacial free energies in alloys.
Hormonal facilitation in the release of sperm from the spermatheca of the red-spotted newt.

Several neurotransmitters and hormones with potential to trigger a simultaneous contraction of the oviducts and the spermathecal myoepithelium were examined. Saline (0.05 ml), or 0.05 ml saline plus acetylcholine (9 mg), norepinephrine (50 μg), arginine-vasotocin (25 units), prostaglandin F2α(3μg) were injected into the spermathecal region of female newts (n=24 per group). The numbers of sperm present in the cloacae of prostaglandin-injected animals (107±30 SEM) were significantly greater than the numbers detected in saline (27±5 SEM) and in uninjected (14±3 SEM) controls. Smaller and less consistent increases in the numbers of sperm were detected in the vasotocin- and norepinephrine-injected groups. Study of sections from ovulating female newts failed to produce evidence that pressure from the passage of ova through the posterior portion of the oviduct forced sperm from the spermatheca. Observations indicate an active role for the spermathecal myoepithelium in the discharge of stored sperm and of a role for prostaglandin F2α in triggering that discharge.
Multiagent chemotherapy for sarcoma diagnosed during pregnancy

A 21-year-old, gravida 1, para 0, woman presented at approximately 25 weeks gestation with a large Ewing's sarcoma involving her iliac wing. She was treated with multiagent chemotherapy before a successful Cesarean delivery of a normal infant at approximately 34 weeks gestation. Four years later both the mother and child are doing well. The literature regarding sarcoma occurring during pregnancy and that regarding multiagent chemotherapy in pregnant patients is reviewed. Chemotherapy should be instituted early in the course of many malignant sarcomas, despite pregnancy, to prevent the occurrence of metastases.
Transducer frequency response and impact on TPOAT signal

Ideal transducers have perfectly uniform response to incoming pressure waves, regardless of frequency. In practice, piezoelectric transducers are designed with a particular center frequency (CF) and are most sensitive to signals with strong frequency content near CF, bandpass filtering signal - and reconstructed images. We characterized the frequency dependent receive sensitivity of three single-element transducers with CFs ranging from 1 to 3.5 MHz. The resulting sensitivity response curves are applied to ideal thermo/photo/opto-acoustic (TPOAT) signals generated by ideal spherical absorbers to show the impact of transducer frequency response on measured TPOAT data and reconstructed images.
An analysis of the choleretic effect of insulin.

Abstract The choleretic effect of insulin was studied in anesthetized guinea pigs after ligation of the cystic duct, the pylorus, and cannulation of the common bile duct during intravenous infusion of sodium taurocholate. Insulin caused increased bile flow, increased bicarbonate output, and increased chloride output, but no change in bile salt secretion. Vagotomy and atropine prevented the changes caused by insulin except for an increase in chloride secretion. Canalicular bile formation was estimated by the erythritol clearance method. In experiments in which there was a statistically significant increase in bile flow, insulin had no effect on the biliary clearance of erythritol. The results of these experiments support the hypothesis that insulin choleresis is principally vagally mediated, but there may be a small nonvagal component. Vagal stimulation acts primarily to stimulate secretion from the biliary ductular epithelium and has no measurable effect on canalicular bile production.
Expression and characterization of recombinant human milk fat globule-EGF factor VIII

Apoptosis plays an important role in the patho-biology of sepsis. The opsonizing protein milk fat globule-EGF factor VIII (MFG-E8) is involved in apoptotic cell clearance. Our previous studies have shown that administration of rat MFG-E8-containing exosomes or recombinant murine MFG-E8 (rmMFG-E8) is protective in a rat model of sepsis induced by cecal ligation of puncture (CLP). However, one obstacle hampering the development of MFG-E8 as a therapeutic agent for septic patients is the potential immunogenicity of animal proteins in humans. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to express recombinant human MFG-E8 (rhMFG-E8) and characterize its biological activity. Using an E. coli system, we successfully expressed and purified the mature molecule of human MFG-E8 (Leu24-Cys387). The purity of rhMFG-E8 was over 99% and it was immunoreactive for specific anti-human MFG-E8 antibodies. Amino acid sequence analysis by LC-MS/MS identified the purified protein as human MFG-E8. Using primary rat peritoneal macrophages, we showed that rhMFG-E8 markedly increased peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic thymocytes, which was as effective as commercial rmMFG-E8. To determine the biological activity of rhMFG-E8 in vivo, male adult rats were subjected to sepsis by CLP. rhMFG-E8 or rmMFG-E8 were administered intravenously at the time of CLP. Our results demonstrated that both rhMFG-E8 and rmMFG-E8 reduced thymocyte apoptosis and plasma levels of lactate and IL-6 at 20 h after CLP, and improved the 10-day survival rate. Thus, we have successfully expressed and purified biologically active rhMFG-E8. Our newly-expressed rhMFG-E8 is highly effective in the rat model of sepsis.
Biochemical cure after reoperations for medullary thyroid carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

Despite meticulous surgical techniques, calcitonin levels remain detectable in 40 % to 66 % of patients after initial surgery for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), and the optimal surgical management for persistent or recurrent disease remains controversial. Previous studies suggest that biochemical cure, defined by normalization of postoperative calcitonin measurements, predicts disease-free survival. Reoperative approaches range from targeted removal of detectable disease to comprehensive compartment-oriented lymph node clearance. A proportional meta-analysis of clinical case series of postoperative calcitonin clearance after reoperation for MTC was performed. Studies were obtained from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Twenty-seven articles capturing data of 984 patients met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. Overall, normalization of calcitonin after reoperation for MTC occurred in 16.2 % of patients [95 % confidence interval (CI) 14.0–18.5]. Stratified by operative procedure, targeted selective lymph node removal procedures had a normalization of calcitonin in 10.5 % of patients (95 % CI 6.4–14.7), while compartment-oriented procedures had a higher rate of normalization at 18.6 % (95 % CI 15.9–21.3). The rate of calcitonin normalization after reoperation for MTC is enhanced through use of a meticulous compartment-oriented lymph node dissection. Compartment-oriented lymph node dissection results in calcitonin normalization in 18.6 % of reoperative MTC patients and is the procedure of choice in patients in whom the goal is biochemical cure.
Ion-sensing devices with silicon nitride and borosilicate glass insulators

Ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFET's) with silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and borosilicate glass as the active gate material were fabricated and tested for pH-sensing applications. The borosilicate glass and silicon nitride devices were found to have a linear potential/pH response and previous theories of ISFET function were inadequate to explain this. A two-site theory is presented that can explain the features of the potential/pH response of both silicon nitride and borosilicate glass ISFETs. The model is easily extended to any two-site system.
Thermal Ablation of Mouse Skin Tissue Using Ultra-Short Pulse 1552 nm Laser

Analysis of biological tissue ablation by an ultra-short pulse laser and the corresponding mathematical modeling of ablation are of fundamental importance to the understanding of laser-tissue interaction for advancing surgical application of lasers. The objective of this paper is to analyze the thermal ablated damage zones during irradiation of freshly excised mouse skin tissue samples by a novel approach of using a focused laser beam from an ultra-short pulse laser source. Experiments are performed using Raydiance Desktop Laser having a wavelength of 1552 nm and a pulse width of 1.3 ps. Mouse tissue samples are translated in a direction perpendicular to the laser beam using three-axis automated motion-controlled stages. Scanning of the tissue sample ensures a fresh region of the tissue is irradiated each time. The surface temperature distribution is measured using a thermal imaging camera. It is observed that use of focused beam results in minimal radial heat spread to the surrounding tissue regions. The ablation phenomenon is analytically modeled by the use of two-phase transient heat conduction model. After completion of tissue irradiation experiments, histological studies are performed using frozen sectioning technique to observe morphological changes in tissue samples in response to laser irradiation. The ablation depth measurements obtained using histological studies are compared with the modeling results. A parametric study of various laser parameters such as time-average power, pulse repetition rate, and pulse energy, and as well as irradiation time and scanning velocity is performed to determine the necessary ablation threshold. Analytical modeling results are in very good agreement with experimentally measured ablation depth. The goal of this research is to develop a tool for selection of appropriate laser parameters for precise clean tissue ablation.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Hydraphile Channels: Structural and Fluorescent Probes of Position and Function in a Phospholipid Bilayer

Three novel tris(macrocycle)s having fluorescent residues at their distal termini have been prepared and studied. The compounds are of the form R〈N18N〉C12〈N18N〉C12〈N18N〉R in which R is 2-(3-indolyl)ethyl (1), 2-(3-(N-methylindolyl))ethyl (2), and dansyl (3). Compounds 2 and 3 were found to transport Na+ at rates similar to those of other tris(macrocyclic)s but 1 was not an ionophore in the bilayer as assessed by 23Na NMR analysis. The latter failure may be due to a hydrogen-bond blockade leading to a globular conformation adopted by the hydraphile. The fluorescence maximum of 3 was determined in a variety of solvents and in a phospholipid bilayer. The polarity experienced by the dansyl group in the bilayer was intermediate between that observed in methanol and ethanol. Fluorescence depth quenching using doxyl-substituted lipids showed that the dansyl headgroups of 3 were 14 A from the bilayer's midplane or separated by about 28 A. Fluorescence energy transfer between 2 and 3 showed that these two hydraphi...
In vitro Capacitation of Ejaculated Rabbit Spermatozoa

Prior to fertilization mammalian spermatozoa undergo physiological changes in the female reproductive tract. These changes are collectively known as capacitation. In essence capacitation is a further differentiation that the sperm cell must acquire beyond the maturational changes that it undergoes in the epididymis. Although capacitation in vitro has been easily achieved in rodents, its accomplishment in the rabbit is inconsistent and difficult. We report here successful in vitro capacitation of ejaculated rabbit sperm, assessed by in vitro and in vivo fertilization of rabbit ova. Sperm were used from pooled ejaculates collected from bucks of proven fertility since sperm collected from individual bucks resulted in significant differences in fertilization levels. Conditions favoring in vitro capacitation were: (1) extended incubation time of 12 h, (2) addition of 20% heated rabbit serum to incubation medium, and (3) an atmosphere of 5% CO2, 8% O2, and 87% N2 during incubation. In vitro capacitation of sperm under these conditions resulted in 67% fertilization compared to 89% for control sperm capacitated for 13 h in the uterus.
Studies on Blood and Liver Citric Acid Levels in Chicks

Abstract RECENT reports have indicated that tissue citric acid increases when animals are infected with Salmonellae. Berry et al. (1954), for instance, found that citric acid increased in various tissues of mice when they were infected with S. typhimurium. In addition, Gilfillan et al. (1956) reported that the liver accumulated citric acid when chicks were infected with S. pullorum. The purpose of the studies presented in this report was to determine whether or not citric acid accumulated in the blood of chicks infected with S. gallinarum and, if so, to determine the cause. METHODS White Plymouth Rock chicks obtained from a commercial hatchery were fed a commercial growing mash containing no antibiotics. At six weeks of age the chicks were inoculated with a saline suspension of S. gallinarum prepared as described previously (Hill and Garren, 1955). The studies with infected chicks involved three experiments. In experiment 1, ten control and ten…
Curvature Law of the Wall for Swirling Axial Flows

A new law of the wall accounting for curvature effects for swirling axial flows was derived. The curvature influence on turbulent mixing lengths in both axial and tangential directions was examined theoretically using Reynolds Stress Model. For equilibrium flows and weak curvature, identical mixing lengths were derived for both directions. In addition, the effect of shear stress ratio on the near-wall velocities was explored systematically. It was found that the curvature effect in swirling axial flows was suppressed by a factor of 1/(1+σw 2 ) compared to that in curved channel flows. Considerably improved agreement with measurements was obtained for the new curvature law compared to the classical logarithmic law.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Sign-conserving amacrine neurons in the fly's external plexiform layer.

Amacrine cells in the external plexiform layer of the fly’s lamina have been intracellulary recorded and dye-filled for the first time. The recordings demonstrate that like the lamina’s short photoreceptors R1–R6, type 1 lamina amacrine neurons exhibit nonspiking, “sign-conserving” sustained depolarizations in response to illumination. This contrasts with the sign-inverting responses that typify first-order retinotopic relay neurons: monopolar cells L1–L5 and the T1 efferent neuron. The contrast frequency tuning of amacrine neurons is similar to that of photoreceptors and large lamina monopolar cells. Initial observations indicate that lamina amacrine receptive fields are also photoreceptor-like, suggesting either that their inputs originate from a small number of neighboring visual sampling units ~VSUs!, or that locally generated potentials decay rapidly with displacement. Lamina amacrines also respond to motion, and in one recording these responses were selective for the orientation of moving edges. This functional organization corresponds to the anatomy of amacrine cells, in which postsynaptic inputs from several neighboring photoreceptor endings are linked by a network of very thin distal processes. In this way, each VSU can receive convergent inputs from a surround of amacrine processes. This arrangement is well suited for relaying responses to local intensity fluctuations from neighboring VSUs to a central VSU where amacrines are known to be presynaptic to the dendrites of the T1 efferent. The T1 terminal converges at a deeper level with that of the L2 monopolar cell relaying from the same optic cartridge. Thus, the localized spatial responses and receptor-like temporal response properties of amacrines are consistent with possible roles in lateral inhibition, motion processing, or orientation processing.
Effect of intracardiac operations upon congestive heart failure and body composition.

Abstract Patients with heart disease have under some circumstances marked abnormalities of body composition. These may be the result of many factors, including the tendency to retain sodium and to lose body cell mass when there is chronic reduction of cardiac output. Abnormalities of body composition are increased in the first 24 hours after open intracardiac operation. Patients without a history of chronic congestive heart failure usually recover normal body composition within a few weeks of operation. Patients with a history of chronic congestive heart failure usually require a longer period for resolution of their compositional abnormalities and in a few instances do not resolve them. The circumstances under which this last unfortunate result occurs have not been completely defined.
Policy based scheduling for simple quality of service in grid computing

Summary form only given. We discuss a novel framework for policy based scheduling in resource allocation of grid computing. The framework has several features. First, the scheduling strategy can control the request assignment to grid resources by adjusting usage accounts or request priorities. Second, Efficient resource management is achieved by assigning usage quotas to intended users. Third, the scheduling method supports reservation based grid resource allocation. Fourth, quality of service feature allows special privileges to various classes of requests. Experimental results demonstrate the usefulness of the framework.
U.S. current account debate with Japan then, with China now

Abstract This paper examines two U.S. current account deficit episodes, one in the 1980s and the other in the current 2000s, in which Japan and China, respectively, are the current account surplus countries that are criticized for contributing to the deficits. In both periods, U.S. policy makers pointed out the underdeveloped and closed financial markets of the current account surplus countries and advocated for these countries to fix the deficiencies, a position akin to the current “saving glut” argument. In both episodes, the current account surplus countries have criticized the United States for its low saving, especially public saving (the “Twin Deficit” argument). This paper presents empirical findings that are consistent with the Twin Deficit hypothesis; A one percentage point increase in the budget balance raises the current account balance by 0.10–0.49 percentage point for industrialized countries. The saving glut argument seems to be applicable only for countries with highly developed legal systems and open financial markets. While the United States has been experiencing a savings drought in both episodes, the Japanese current account surplus was driven by underinvestment in the 1980s and by over-saving during the 2000s. Furthermore, although the current Chinese current account surplus is driven by its over-saving, there is no evidence of excess domestic saving in the Asian emerging market countries; rather, they seem to have suffered from depressed investment in the wake of the 1997 financial crises.
Native Defect Formation and Ionization Energies in Cadmium Telluride

Deep intrinsic energy levels near the middle of the band gap in CdTe have been reported in a number of experiments. Based on earlier defect-supercell electronic structure calculations, at least some of these features have been attributed to the second ionization level of the Cd vacancy, while the TeCd antisite, possibly complexed with a Cd vacancy, has also been suggested to account for some midgap levels. Using high-accuracy LDA calculations with full lattice relaxation out to third neighbors, we find that (i) both acceptor states of the Cd vacancy are shallow, (ii) the donor states of an isolated TeCd are both more than 1 eV above the valence band maximum, (iii) the TeCd-VCd complex does indeed have acceptor states near midgap in CdTe and probably accounts for the native defect states in that energy range.