cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of ultrasonographic and orchidometer measurements of testis volume in adults.

A study from New York was aimed at determining the correlation between testicular volume measurements made with an orchidometer and with high-resolution scrotal ultrasonography; the authors found that measurements made with the former strongly correlate with those from the latter. Premature ejaculation remains a significant problem, and authors from Brazil reports a placebo-controlled study into the use of topical anaesthetic in this condition. OBJECTIVE To determine the correlation between testicular volume measured with an orchidometer or high-resolution scrotal ultrasonography (US) with colour-flow Doppler analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS In all, 159 men (mean age 36.6 years) presenting for infertility evaluation underwent both a physical examination by a one experienced examiner and high-resolution US with colour-flow Doppler analysis. An orchidometer was also used to measure testicular volume after stretching the scrotal skin tightly over the testis and after warming with a heating pad. The US was interpreted by a radiologist who had no knowledge of the orchidometer estimates. The volume was calculated as 0.71 × length × width × height. RESULTS For the right testes the mean orchidometer and US estimates were 18.4 and 18.3 mL, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.72 (r 2 = 0.52, P < 0.01). On the left the respective values were 17.1 and 16.9 mL, with a correlation coefficient of 0.69 (r 2 = 0.48, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Orchidometer estimates of testicular volume correlate closely and very significantly with US estimates in adults. In the hands of an experienced examiner orchidometer measurements provide an accurate, rapid and inexpensive assessment of testicular volume.
Viscosity dependence of optical limiting in carbon-black suspensions

Summary form only given. We report the optical limiting behavior of carbon black suspensions (CBS) in solvents of varying viscosity using a pulsed laser. The experiments were performed using a frequency-doubled, Q-switched, 5 ns (FWHM), Nd-YAG laser, operating at 10 Hz or single-shot repetition rate. Samples were prepared by mixing amorphous carbon particles with different host solvents, and placed in a 1 cm length cell. The particle hydrodynamic diameter was 155 /spl mu/m. The results show how CBS may be applied to optical limiting of high repetition rate lasers, by using low viscosity solvents and small carbon particles.
First and Second Laws

This chapter deals with the first and second laws of thermodynamics, Carnot cycle, concept of entropy (S) as an arrow of time, black hole entropy and Boltzmann’s microscopic interpretation of entropy, along with illustrative applications of the latter to mineralogical systems; the combined statement of the two laws leading to the fundamental relation of thermodynamics for a closed system, U = U(S, V), where U is the internal energy of the system, from which a number of practically useful thermodynamic potentials can be derived. Illustrative applications deal with the condition of thermal equilibrium, heat engines and heat pump, and heat engines in nature.
Determination of four forms of vitamin B12 and other B vitamins in seawater by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for more than half of surveyed marine algae species, but methods for directly measuring this important cofactor in seawater are limited. Current mass spectrometry methods do not quantify all forms of B12, potentially missing a significant portion of the B12 pool. METHODS We present a method to measure vitamins B1, B2, B6, B7 and four forms of B12 dissolved in seawater. The method entails solid-phase extraction, separation by ultra-performance liquid chromatography, and detection by triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry using stable-isotope-labeled internal standards. We demonstrated the use of this method in the environment by analyzing B12 concentrations at different depths in the Hood Canal, part of the Puget Sound estuarine system in Washington State. RESULTS Recovery of vitamin B12 forms during the preconcentration steps was >71% and the limits of detection were <0.275 pM in seawater. Standard addition calibration curves in three different seawater matrices were used to determine analytical response and to quantify samples from the environment. Hydroxocobalamin was the main form of B12 in seawater at our field site. CONCLUSIONS We developed a method for quantifying four forms of B12 in seawater by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with the option of simultaneous analysis of vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B7. We validated the method and demonstrated its application in the field. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nursing student retention in an associate degree nursing program utilizing a retention specialist

Abstract Personal, academic, and environmental factors related to associate degree nursing student attrition and retention were analyzed in association with the use of a retention specialist for individual and group tutoring. Statistically significant relationships were found between higher course grades and higher graduation grade point average with the use of the retention specialist with individual and group tutoring. A retention specialist may support academic factors impacting nursing student attrition and retention to graduation.
Kv2.1 Cell Surface Clusters are Insertion and Retrieval Platforms For Kv Channel Trafficking at the Plasma Membrane

The Kv2.1 delayed-rectifier K+ channel regulates electrical activity in neurons and plays a non-conducting role in SNARE-mediated protein fusion in neuroendocrine cells. Kv2.1 is unusual among voltage-gated K+ channels in that it localizes to micron-sized clusters on the cell-surface of neurons and transfected HEK cells. Within these clusters Kv2.1 is non-conducting. Here we demonstrate that these surface structures are specialized platforms involved in trafficking of Kv channels to and from the cell surface. TIRF-based studies indicated that GFP-Kv2.1 containing vesicles tether directly to and deliver cargo in a discrete fashion to the Kv2.1 surface clusters in both transfected HEK and cultured hippocampal neurons. Qdot-based single molecule experiments indicated that the delivery and surface retrieval of Kv2.1 occurs at the perimeter of the surface clusters. Overall, 85±8.4% of newly synthesized channels in HEK cells and 84.9±10.4% in hippocampal neurons were inserted at the cluster perimeter even though the Kv2.1 clusters represent only 21.4 ±3.8% of the basal cell surface. When 132 continuously recycling Kv2.1 channels in HEK cells were examined, 96.2% were also inserted at the cluster perimeter. The actin depolymerizing agents swinholide A and cytochalasin D reduced the cluster localized insertion to 5 and 0% of control, respectively. Unlike Kv2.1, the Kv1.4 K+ channel has a homogeneous cell-surface expression in transfected cells. Demonstrating that Kv2.1 clusters represent cell-surface platforms for more than just Kv2.1 insertion and retrieval, the non-clustering Kv1.4 K+ channel also inserted into the HEK cell plasma membrane at the Kv2.1 cluster perimeter. Kv1.4 endocytosis also occurred at this region. Together, these results indicate that a non-conducting function of Kv2.1 is to form specialized cell-surface microdomains which are involved in ion channel trafficking. These domains may also be involved in additional cellular processes.
Further studies on the role of bile salts in cholesterol esterification and absorption from the gut

Abstract The object of this investigation was to study the effectiveness of varying amounts of taurocholate and of high doses of other unconjugated and conjugated bile salts on the appearance of 4- 14 C-cholesterol in the lymph. A preparation was used which consists of a modification of Bollman's technique for the cannulation of the abdominal thoracic duct in the rat; a uniform lymph flow rate was assured by infusion of isotonic saline at a constant rate into the duodenum. Experimentally, individual unconjugated or conjugated bile salts were administered by stomach tube in an emulsion containing protein, carbohydrate, monoolein, and 4- 14 C-cholesterol. Lymph was collected hourly for at least 12 hr after feeding. The radioactivity of free cholesterol and cholesterol esters was analyzed in a liquid scintillation counter after separation by glass fiber paper chromatography. The appearance of both dietary and endogenous cholesterol in the thoracic duct lymph, measured 6 hr after feeding, was related to the type of bile salt administered with the emulsion. In experiments in which only a trace amount of 14 -cholesterol was fed, the critical micellar concentration of taurocholate was produced by administration of 225 mg or more of the bile salt. Taurocholate supported the absorption of total cholesterol similarly to that observed with natural bile. In addition, taurocholate was the most effective bile salt in aiding cholesterol absorption. Glycocholate and glycodeoxycholate were significantly less effective than the corresponding taurine conjugates. Absorption was not enhanced by combining bile salts in various proportions as to make a total of 250 mg. After administration of 3α,7α,12α-trihydroxy-5β-unconjugated and conjugated bile salts, 65–75% of the cholesterol in the lymph was found to be esterified. Both 3α, 12β-dihydroxy-5β- and 3α,7α-dihydroxy-5β-conjugated bile salts were capable of activating the absorption mechanism, but they supported the esterification of only 50% of the exogenous or endogenous cholesterol in the lymph. Esterified cholesterol almost disappears from the lymph of those animals dosed with taurodeoxycholate. These findings have been interpreted as indicative that certain specific conjugated bile salts play a special role in the esterification of the sterol during intestinal absorption and that the appearance of unesterified and of esterified cholesterol in the lymph is the result of at least two independent mechanism. After feeding the same emulsion with either natural bile, taurocholate, or glycocholate and a trace dose of oleic acid-9,10- 3 H, biphasic kinetics for the appearance of radioactive triglycerides in the lymph was demonstrated.
Degeneracy in Loop Variables

The small algebra of loop functionals, defined by Rovelli and Smolin, on the Ashtekar phase space of general relativity is studied. Regarded as coordinates on the phase space, the loop functionals become degenerate at certain points. All the degenerate points are found and the corresponding degeneracy is discussed. The intersection of the set of degenerate points with the real slice of the constraint surface is shown to correspond precisely the Goldberg-Kerr solutions. The evolution of the holonomy group of Ashtekar's connection is examined, and the complexification of the holonomy group is shown to be preserved under it. Thus, an observable of the gravitational field is constructed.
Irradiation of the inguinal lymph nodes in patients of differing body habitus: A comparison of techniques and resulting normal tissue complication probabilities

The treatment of the inguinal lymph nodes with radiotherapy is strongly influenced by the body habitus of the patient. The effect of 7 radiotherapy techniques on femoral head doses was studied. Three female patients of differing body habitus (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph) were selected. Radiation fields included the pelvis and contiguous inguinal regions and were representative of fields used in the treatment of cancers of the lower pelvis. Seven treatment techniques were compared. In the ectomorph and mesomorph, normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for the femoral heads was lowest with use of anteroposterior (AP) and modified posteroanterior (PA) field with inguinal electron field supplements (technique 1). In the endomorph, NTCP was lowest with use of AP and modified PA field without electron field supplements (technique 2) or a 4-field approach (technique 6). Technique 1 for ectomorphs and mesomorphs and techniques 2 and 6 for endomorphs were optimal techniques for providing relatively homogeneous dose distributions within the target area while minimizing the dose to the femoral heads.
Determination of the Ginzburg-Landau parameters of an indium-lead alloy by a steady state calorimetric technique

Abstract Measurements of the Ginzburg-Landau parameters κ 1 and κ 2 of an In − 7.3 at. % Pb alloy by a steady state calorimetric technique show poor agreement with existing theories.
Whose lawn is it anyway? Redefining problems and the implementation of municipal stormwater policies

Research of problem definitions typically centres on agenda setting and formulation with less attention given to implementation. In recognition of this gap, this analysis examines the relationship between issue definition, issue redefinition and policy implementation by reviewing two municipal stormwater plans. The results suggest that in larger issue contexts replete with ambiguity and uncertainty, problem definitions are often “tweaked” and adapted during the implementation process. In short, street-level bureaucrats craft “genetically related” but idiosyncratic problem definitions – that fit their own policy-making context. In the case of stormwater, “solutions”; are best described as dynamic policies built upon the values associated with technical expertise, public participation and environmental sustainability.
Combining Prostate-Specific Antigen Nadir and Time to Nadir Allows for Early Identification of Patients at Highest Risk for Development of Metastasis and Death Following Salvage Radiation Therapy

Abstract Purpose Little is known regarding the prognostic capability of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir (nPSA) and time to nPSA (TnPSA) following salvage radiation therapy (SRT) for biochemical failure (BF) postradical prostatectomy (RP). We sought to assess their prognostic significance in this setting. Methods and Materials A total of 448 patients who received SRT without androgen deprivation therapy at a single academic institution were included in this retrospective analysis. Univariate analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess BF, distant metastasis (DM), prostate cancer-specific death (PCSD), and overall survival (OS). A prognostic nomogram incorporating nPSA and TnPSA was developed and validated in randomly allocated training and validation cohorts. Results Median follow-up post-SRT was 64 months. Median nPSA and TnPSA were undetectable and 6.7 months, respectively. On univariate analysis, a detectable nPSA ( P P P P P P Conclusions Patients with a detectable nPSA also having a TnPSA
A first principles study of oxygen reduction reaction on a Pt(111) surface modified by a subsurface transition metal M (M = Ni, Co, or Fe)

We have performed first-principle density functional theory calculations to investigate how a subsurface transition metal M (M = Ni, Co, or Fe) affects the energetics and mechanisms of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the outermost Pt mono-surface layer of Pt/M(111) surfaces. In this work, we found that the subsurface Ni, Co, and Fe could down-shift the d-band center of the Pt surface layer and thus weaken the binding of chemical species to the Pt/M(111) surface. Moreover, the subsurface Ni, Co, and Fe could modify the heat of reaction and activation energy of various elementary reactions of ORR on these Pt/M(111) surfaces. Our DFT results revealed that, due to the influence of the subsurface Ni, Co, and Fe, ORR would adopt a hydrogen peroxide dissociation mechanism with an activation energy of 0.15 eV on Pt/Ni(111), 0.17 eV on Pt/Co(111), and 0.16 eV on Pt/Fe(111) surface, respectively, for their rate-determining O2 protonation reaction. In contrast, ORR would follow a peroxyl dissociation mechanism on a pure Pt(111) surface with an activation energy of 0.79 eV for its rate-determining O protonation reaction. Thus, our theoretical study explained why the subsurface Ni, Co, and Fe could lead to multi-fold enhancement in catalytic activity for ORR on the Pt mono-surface layer of Pt/M(111) surfaces.
Dunlop receives European Geophysical Society's Néel Medal

David J. Dunlop of the Physics Department and Erindale College at the University of Toronto has been awarded the 1999 Louis Neel Medal of the European Geophysical Society (EGS) for “authoritative contributions to rock magnetism, setting the standards for future decades.” The medal will be presented to Dunlop in April in a special ceremony at the Nederlands Congresbebouw in The Hague, The Netherlands, during the 24th General Assembly of the EGS. The Neel Medal is awarded by the Solid Earth Geophysics section of EGS in recognition of the scientific achievements of Louis Neel, who shared the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics for his fundamental discoveries in magnetism.The medal is awarded “for outstanding achievements in the fertilization of the Earth Sciences by the transfer and application of fundamental theory and/or experimental techniques of solid state physics, defined in its broadest sense.”
A context-aware middleware platform for autonomous application services in dynamic wireless networks

Dynamic wireless networks, and especially mobile ad hoc networks, have imposed new constraints regarding the design and the implementation of service-oriented middleware platforms dedicated to mobile computing. Indeed, from now, these platforms must be able to capture the context in which they operate in order to provide the services they host with an abstraction of their running context, and to notify them of the variations occurring in this context. These middleware platforms must also implement communication means enabling services to support the frequent and unpredictable connection disruptions. In this paper, we present the design and the implementation of a service-oriented middleware platform capable of environmental context introspection and of delay-tolerant asynchronous communications.
Effect of lethal doses of morphine on brain amines in isolated and aggregated mice.

Abstract Brain levels of norepinephride, dopamine and serotonin were measured in isolated and aggregated mice after lethal doses of morphine. Although morphine significantly lowered all three brain monoamines there were no significant differences between isolated and aggregated mice. Measurements of brain morphine concentrations also failed to demonstrate any differences which could account for the difference in lethality observed in isolated and aggregated mice.
The isolation of elastic tissue from lung.

Abstract Rather drastic methods are commoly used to isolate elastic fibers from tissues; heating the tissue in 0.1 N NaOH (Lowry et. at., 1941) or autoclaving in water (Partridge, Davis and Adair, 1955) or dilute organic acid (Hall 1955) leaves a residue which is called elastin. As the name implies, the product so isolated undoubtedly represents partially degraded elastic fibers. In an attempt to isolate elastic fibers in a form more closely resembling that of the native state we have used digestion by trypsin and collagenase to remove extraneous protein. This report shows the difference in amino acid composition between elastin prepared by this procedure and that prepared by heating lung connective tissue in 0.1 N NaOH.
Weaving identities: Construction of Dress and Self in a Highland Guatemala Town

Weaving identities: Construction of Dress and Self in a Highland Guatemala Town. CAROL HENDRICKSON. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995. xvi + 245 pp., tables, figures, photographs, notes, glossary, bibliography, index.
Power Optimal Control in Multihop Wireless Networks With Finite Buffers

In this paper, we propose two cross-layer algorithms, namely, the Power-optimal Scheduling Algorithm (PSA) and the Throughput-optimal Scheduling Algorithm (TSA), to minimize energy consumption and to maximize throughput, respectively, in multihop wireless networks. Our algorithms guarantee a flow-based minimum data rate and jointly integrate congestion control, power allocation, routing, and link rate scheduling. Different from traditional algorithms that assume infinite buffers, the proposed algorithms deterministically upper bound the flow-based packet queue length and thus can be employed in multihop networks with finite buffers. In addition, the algorithms achieve a power expenditure/throughput “e-close” to the optimal value, with a tradeoff of order O(1/e) in buffer size. The average end-to-end delay upper bound can also be derived from the finite buffer property. Finally, numerical results are presented to show the performance of the two algorithms with different system parameters.
Interjurisdictional Sorting and Majority Rule: An Empirical Analysis

The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive empirical analysis of majority rule and Tiebout sorting within a system of local jurisdictions. The idea behind the estimation procedure is to investigate whether observed levels of public expenditures satisfy necessary conditions implied by majority rule in a general equilibrium model of residential choice. The estimator controls for observed and unobserved heterogeneity among households, observed and unobserved characteristics of communities, and the potential endogeneity of prices and expenditures, as well as the self-selection of households into communities of their choice. We estimate the structural parameters of the model using data from the Boston Metropolitan Area. The empirical findings reject myopic voting models. More sophisticated voting models based on utility-taking provide a potential explanation of the main empirical regularities.
Specific HPLC Method for the Separation of Verapamil and Four Major Metabolites After Oral Dosing

Abstract We have developed a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method which resolves verapamil, norverapamil, D620, D617 and what we believe to be another verapamil metabolite which has been previously unreported. An alkyl-phenyl column is used with a mobile phase of 0.005% sulfuric acid in methanol. The extraction recoveries of verapamil, norverapamil and the internal standard (imipramine) from plasma ranged between 98% and 104%. The day-to-day, and within-day coefficients of variations for verapamil and norverapamil at plasma concentrations of 7.3 and 233 ng/ml ranged between 1.7 and 6.1%. The limit of sensitivity was slightly less than 1 ng for both verapamil and norverapamil. Chromatograms of extracts of serum and urine obtained from five normal subjects who took single oral verapamil doses, indicated the presence of verapamil, norverapamil, and two other known metabolites. Chromatograms of serum extracts also indicated an additional peak which is probably another verapamil metabolite.
An Indian Village through Letters and Pictures

An Indian Village through Letters and Pictures. DETLEF KANTOWSKY. MARA LUCKMANN, trans. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1995. First published in German, Campus Verlag 1986. Ix + 193 pp., illustrations, maps, tables, notes, bibliography, index.
Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cervical Cancer

This article reviews the current data on human papillomavirus as the cause of most cervical cancer cases, data on the recently approved human papillomavirus vaccines, and updated information concerning the Bethesda System for interpretation of Papanicolaou test results. Current recommendations for surgical treatment, concurrent chemotherapy, and radiation therapy and recent advances in systemic therapy for advanced or metastatic cervical cancer are reviewed.
Dendritic crystal growth, differential circular scattering, and the origin of biomolecular homochirality.

Phthalic acid rapidly crystallizing in thin aqueous films is deposited radially and rhythmically as dendritic banded spherulites that have heterochiral meso-textures in hemi-circles. The chiral fields differentially scatter left and right circularly polarized light. A scenario for chiral amplification and the origin of biomolecular homochirality is thus proposed that combines the influences of crystals and light. Chirality, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Malaria parasite liver stages render host hepatocytes susceptible to mitochondria-initiated apoptosis

Intracellular eukaryotic parasites and their host cells constitute complex, coevolved cellular interaction systems that frequently cause disease. Among them, Plasmodium parasites cause a significant health burden in humans, killing up to one million people annually. To succeed in the mammalian host after transmission by mosquitoes, Plasmodium parasites must complete intracellular replication within hepatocytes and then release new infectious forms into the blood. Using Plasmodium yoelii rodent malaria parasites, we show that some liver stage (LS)-infected hepatocytes undergo apoptosis without external triggers, but the majority of infected cells do not, and can also resist Fas-mediated apoptosis. In contrast, apoptosis is dramatically increased in hepatocytes infected with attenuated parasites. Furthermore, we find that blocking total or mitochondria-initiated host cell apoptosis increases LS parasite burden in mice, suggesting that an anti-apoptotic host environment fosters parasite survival. Strikingly, although LS infection confers strong resistance to extrinsic host hepatocyte apoptosis, infected hepatocytes lose their ability to resist apoptosis when anti-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins are inhibited. This is demonstrated by our finding that B-cell lymphoma 2 family inhibitors preferentially induce apoptosis in LS-infected hepatocytes and significantly reduce LS parasite burden in mice. Thus, targeting critical points of susceptibility in the LS-infected host cell might provide new avenues for malaria prophylaxis.
Thermal metamorphism of primitive meteorites—X. Additional trace elements in Allende (C3V) heated to 1400° C

Abstract We report data for Ag, As, Cd, Cs, Co, Cu, Rb, Sb, Te, Tl and Zn in Allende samples subjected to week-long heating at 400–1400°C in a low-pressure H2 environment. Temperatures of incipient release for these 11 and 5 additional elements tend to be ordered in a manner similar to postulated condensation sequences during cooling of nebular material but there are differences. Losses progress with temperature but neither the extent of loss nor apparent activation energies for mobilization would have been predictable to even a zeroth order approximation. Elemental retentivity trends and interelement correlation patterns for Allende (C3V) and Murchison (C2) differ markedly indicating a substantially different trace element siting, hence loss trends for these two chondrites.
Martian geomorphology from fractal analysis of drainage networks

[1] An alternative approach to conventional planetary terrain analysis is proposed. Martian terrains, represented by topography based on the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimetry (MOLA) data, are represented as a series of drainage basins, regardless of the historical presence or absence of actual fluid flow. A fractal analysis of each drainage network, computationally extracted from an underlying terrain, yields a network descriptor, a list of four numbers that describes the traits of a network. Network descriptors are used for a quantitative characterization and classification of Martian surfaces. We have extracted and analyzed 387 drainage networks from 74 Martian locations, representing all major epochs and geological units, to investigate whether their network descriptors are capable of differentiation between different epochs and geological units. We have found that our approach can distinguish morphologically different terrains, but only in a statistical sense. In particular, the method could be used to measure the degree of surface cratering and thus the age of the surface. In addition, for surfaces that are not heavily cratered the method is capable of distinguishing between different geological units. We have found no global trends in the character of Martian drainage networks; their network descriptors show no systematic dependence on location or elevation. Our analysis reveals that all Noachian surfaces grouped in the Npld geological unit have very similar network descriptors, regardless of prominence and integration of their visible fluvial features. The comparison between statistical description of Npld and terrestrial drainage networks shows overall similarities, but also some marked differences. Because of these differences, the notion of sustained rainfall on Mars during the Noachian epoch is inconsistent with our findings, but a limited rainfall is compatible with our results.
Penile carcinoma: a twenty-five-year experience.

Abstract The treatment of 34 patients with carcinoma of the penis wasreviewed during a twenty-five-year period (1958–1983). There were 26 patients with Stage I disease, 7 patients with Stage II, and 1 patient with Stage III disease. Among the Stage I group, 12 patients underwent partial/total penectomy and immediate ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy; 14 patients were treated with partial/total penectomy and observation of clinically nonpalpable nodes. Within the observation period, 10 of the 26 patients died, with a mean survival time of one hundred thirty-three months (standard error = 20.4), and a median of one hundred twenty months. Both the Mantel-Cox and Breslow test statistics showed the survival distribution of these groups of patients not to be significantly different from each other. All 7 patients with Stage II penile cancer died, with a mean survival time of 10.6 months (standard error = 2.1) which is significantly different from the Stage I group and the reported survival of 30–60 percent in the literature. A plan of management for the primary lesion and the role of ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy are presented.
Multiple-laser excitation of multilevel atoms

The probability of preparing multilevel atoms in high-lying levels by multiphoton excitation using one or more laser pulses can be increased by suitably tailoring the pulse amplitudes and frequencies. Few, if any, systematic methods designed specifically for multilevel excitation have been proposed. We present in this paper specific pulses and phase modulations which give specific degrees of inversion of multilevel atoms in analytic form.
Recovery from the Metastable EL2 Defect in GaAs Under Monochromatic Light Illumination.

The infrared absorption technique is used to study the recovery of theEL2 metastable state in semi-insulating GaAs under monochromatic light illumination. The induced optical recovery is monitored after low intensity (≤ 2mW/cm2) irradiation in the energy range 0.7 ≤ hv ≤ 1.5 eV. The data exhibit a complex structure consisting of a broad band around 0.9 eV and a set of multiple sharp peaks between 1.44 and 1.5 eV. This recovery is strongly dependent on the sample, temperature and illumination time. The present results suggest that a) the existing data and theoretical predictions for the isolatedAsGa antisite structure are not compatable with the optical recovery data, b)EL2 is affected dramatically by other defects (traps) present in the sample and c) the peaks observed in the optical recovery data are coincident with the arsenic vacancy energy levels and therefore the present results support the proposed complex models involving an arsenic vacancy.
Professional, Institutional, and National Identities in Dialog: The Development of Descriptive Practices in the First Decade of the US National Archives

Drawing upon archival sources, this article reviews the historical background and discourse surrounding early descriptive developments at the US National Archives from 1935 to 1941. It identifies three discursive strands and discusses their implications for archivists today: how local and national differences might temper wholesale adoption of practices employed in other settings; the initial attempt to blend bibliographic and archival approaches at the National Archives; and the conceptualization and subsequent adoption of the record group as an institutional compromise. This compromise embedded conceptual principles identified by European archivists while simultaneously addressing specific pragmatic and physical considerations presented by federal records at the time.
Esophagogastric junction distensibility assessed with an endoscopic functional luminal imaging probe (EndoFLIP)

Background Increased esophagogastric junction (EGJ) compliance is a key abnormality in GERD leading to increased volumes of reflux. To date, EGJ distensibility has been measured only with investigational barostat-based prototype devices. Objectives The aim of the study was to test the endoscopic functional luminal imaging probe (EndoFLIP), a new commercially available technology designed to measure intraluminal distensibility, by assessing the EGJ of GERD patients and controls. Design Prospective case-control series. Setting Tertiary referral center. Subjects Twenty GERD patients and 20 controls studied during a routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Methods The EndoFLIP was passed through the endoscopic instrumentation channel and positioned across the EGJ. The EndoFLIP uses impedance planimetry to measure 16 cross-sectional areas (CSA) along with the corresponding intrabag pressure within a 4.6-cm cylindrical segment of a fluid-filled bag. Main Outcome Measurement EGJ distensibility was assessed with 10- to 40-mL volume-controlled distentions. Results In both groups, the least distensible locus at the EGJ was usually at the hiatus. As a group, GERD patients exhibited two- to threefold increased EGJ distensibility compared with controls, particularly at 20- to 30-mL distention volumes, values quantitatively similar to previous measurements with barostat-based devices. The endoscopic estimation of EGJ distensibility, the flap valve grade, correlated poorly with EndoFLIP measurements. Limitations Heterogeneity of GERD patients. Conclusions Measurement of EGJ distensibility with EndoFLIP is feasible during clinical endoscopy. Stratifying GERD patients according to this physiological parameter may facilitate the identification of patient subgroups responsive or unresponsive to medical or surgical treatments.
Effects of subcutaneous injection and intrahypothalamic infusion of releasing hormones upon lordotic response to repetitive coital stimulation.

Abstract The effects of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) upon the lordotic response to repetitive coital stimlation were studied using ovariectomized (OVX) and ovariectomized-adrenalectomized (OVX-ADX) female rats. Both OVX and OVX-ADX rats, pretreated with estrone alone, exhibited a dual behavioral response to repeated coital stimulation. The initial response to short-term stimulation was facilitatory with peak sexual receptivity occurring approximately 120 min following the initial male contact. This initial phase was followed by a depression of sexual receptivity associated with continued coital stimulation. Subcutaneous injection of 500 ng of LRH prior to mating was found to significantly potentiate the initial increases in sexual receptivity and to delay the onset of behavioral depression. The injection of 500 ng of TRH was observed to significantly depress behavioral enhancement due to repetitive coital stimulation. The repetitive coital stimulation model was utilized to localize forebrain areas behaviorally responsive to LRH and TRH. Stainless steel cannulas were implanted into either the medial preoptic area (MPOA), arcuate area (ARC), lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), or cerebral cortex (CC). Cannulated animals, primed with estrone, were tested for sexual receptivity immediately prior to experimental treatment, i.e., the infusion of 0.5 μl of 50 ng of LRH or TRH in 0.9% saline, 0.5 μl of 0.9% saline, or sham infusion. A second mating (postinfusion) test was performed 1.75 hr following infusion. When infused into the MPOA or ARC, LRH significantly enhanced lordotic behavior as compared to values obtained for saline or sham infusions. The infusion of LRH into LHA or CC showed no enhancement beyond the levels observed in control infusions (saline and sham infusions). The infusion of TRH into the MPOA or ARC depressed lordotic enhancement to repeated mating, however, this depression was significant only in ARC. These findings were consistent with previously demonstrated actions of releasing hormones upon neural activity within the MPOA and ARC.
Resonance Raman imaging of macular pigment distributions in the human retina

We describe resonance Raman imaging (RRI) of macular pigment (MP) distributions in the living human eye. MP consists of the antioxidant carotenoid compounds lutein and zeaxanthin, is typically present in high concentrations in the healthy human macula relative to the peripheral retina, and is thought to protect this important central region from age-related macular degeneration. We demonstrate that RRI is capable of quantifying and imaging the spatially strongly varying MP distribution in the human retina. Using laser excitation of the MP molecules at 488nm, and sequential camera detection of light emitted back from the retina at the MP's strongest Raman peak position and at an off-peak position, RRI maps of MP are obtained at a resolution below 50μm within a fraction of a second per exposure. RRI imaging can be carried out with undilated pupils and provides a highly molecule-specific diagnostic imaging approach for MP distributions in human subjects.
Effects of folate in culture medium on common fragile sites in lymphocyte chromosomes from normal and leukemic children.

The expression of common fragile sites at 69 bands was evaluated in 20 normal children and in 15 children with newly diagnosed acute leukemia using medium with folate (FA+) and without folate (FA-). As expected, the FA- medium significantly increased expression of aberrations in all study groups but the differences were larger for normal children than leukemic children. The major effect of the FA- medium was a generalized increase in aberration frequency over all sites rather than site-specific increases. A tendency toward clumping of aberrations within cells was exhibited in both media. Aberrations were seen at 81% (FA+) and 83% (FA-) of the 69 bands, with 4 sites -3p14, 6p21, 9q13, and 17q23 — recorded in most of the study individuals. In addition, 12 sites not previously recorded as common or rare sites had significant levels of expression in at least one study group.
Oxidation state of technetium in bone scanning agents as determined at carrier concentration by amperometric titration.

Abstract The reduction of TcO4− in media containing pyrophosphate, methylenediphosphonate, and ethane-1,hydroxyl,-1,1,diphosphonate was studied by amperometric titration with Sn(II). Linear titration curves with single endpoints were observed; from these the oxidation state of the product could be determined without ambiguity. Measurements in acidic, neutral and alkaline media showed that the product of reaction was Tc(IV) except in the case of EHDP, for which the product in neutral or alkaline media was Tc(V). The method appears generally useful for identifying the oxidation state of technetium in radiopharmaceuticals prepared by reduction with Sn(II) or other fast-acting reductants.
Diffusion-Limited Speed of an Actin-Propelled Particle Near a Surface

Some invasive pathogens and other particles are propelled intracellularly by the polymerization of actin at the particle surface into a dense “comet tail” of filamentous actin. As new monomers are added to the filament (+)-ends located the junction between the particle and its comet tail, the particle is propelled forward. The molecular origin of force generation and how the elongating comet tail remains attached to the particle surface via nucleation promoting factors such as N-WASP remain unresolved questions. Recently, based on measurements of biomimetic particles coated with RickA, a bacterial homolog to N-WASP, Shaevitz and Fletcher [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104:15688–15692, 2007] reported that particle speed depends on the separation distance from a nearby wall (slide surface), a result which they interpreted as the effect of hydrodynamic coupling to the wall damping fluctuations and inhibiting monomer addition, consistent with the well-known “Brownian ratchet” model for force generation. Based on a reaction-diffusion model for monomer transport and consumption at the particle surface, we show here that the experimentally observed speed-separation distance profile is completely consistent with hindered monomer diffusion due to the presence of the nearby wall. That is, the observed reduction in speed can be entirely explained by hindered diffusion, without invoking any hydrodynamic effect.
Effects of gonadal steroids on agonistic behavior of female Peromyscus leucopus.

Abstract The role of gonadal hormones in modifying agonistic behavior of female P. leucopus was examined by means of ovariectomy and treatment with estradiol benzoate (EB), progesterone (P), or testosterone propionate (TP). Aggression was lower in diestrous females than in proestrous females, and was eliminated by ovariectomy. Submissive behavior increased following ovariectomy; surgery had no effect on investigative behavior. Administration of EB had no effect on aggressive or submissive behavior, but higher dosages caused an increase in investigative and sexual behavior. Higher dosages of P increased aggression; P had no effect on submissive or investigative behavior. An increase in aggression also resulted from administration of high levels of TP. TP also caused an increase in investigative behavior, and had no effect on submissive behavior. These results may be due to direct effects of the administered hormones on behavior or to indirect effects such as a stimulation of prolactin secretion or alteration of adrenal function.
Robust feedback control of an articulated robot: A case-study

In the past year, we have introduced: (i)An inherently discrete-time dynamic robot model[1][2] which is compact and designed for trajectory planning and computer-control of robots. Our model guarantees conservation of the robot energy over each sampling period; and (ii) Robust continuous and discrete-time nonlinear feedback robot control algorithm[3][4] which are insensitive to modeling inaccuracies, unmodeled dynamics and parameter errors. In this paper, we evaluate (in digital simulation) trajectory planning and inverse dynamics applications of our discrete dynamic robot model and robust nonlinear feedback control algorithms on the three degree-of-freedom positioning system of an articulated manipulator.
The energy levels and the defect signature of sulfur-implanted silicon by thermally stimulated measurements

Abstract Two energy levels of sulfur in the upper half of the energy gap of silicon were obtained by isothermal transient capacitance and thermally stimulated current measurements on samples prepared by sulfur implantation and high-temperature annealing. The measured energy levels are in good agreement with two levels for sulfur introduced by a closed-tube diffusion but disagree with one of two levels measured for implanted sulfur after low-temperature annealing.
Physical Child Abuse Perpetrator Characteristics A Review of the Literature

Physical child abuse continues to be a major social concern, particularly because the sequelae of physical child abuse can persist long after the experience of abuse. This article presents the practitioner with a representative, albeit not an exhaustive, review of perpetrator characteristics. Perpetrator variables are discussed under four major headings: social, biological, cognitive/affective, and behavioral factors. Each section contains a review of selected variables and a discussion of their possible roles in the occurrence of physical child abuse. Finally, implications for assessment and intervention programs are discussed. Given that no physical child abuse perpetrator typology has been adequately validated, it is underscored that interventions should be tailored to individual perpetrator characteristics with a consideration of factors from other ecological levels.
Robust dispatch to manage uncertainty in real time electricity markets

To deal with the uncertainty in the demand and the lack of compliance from generators to follow instructions, Independent System Operators (ISO) evaluate commitment and dispatch solutions for different demand scenarios (low, medium and high). A robust dispatch algorithm that guarantees the “reach-ability” of the low and high demand scenarios from the medium demand dispatch is proposed in this paper. 5-bus examples are used to demonstrate the value of the dispatch reach-ability.
Luther's Am Neujahrstage: Style as Argument

Abstract: While accounts of Renaissance rhetoric have recently begun to consider the work of Martin Luther, understanding of Luther9s preaching strategies depends on detailed scrutiny of his sermons. A careful investigation of the language of a Luther sermon, in consideration of the rhetorical intent and context in which the work was developed, reveals a speaker striving to engage an audience. As a critical concept more pervasive than traditional notions of elocutio , the paradigmatic concept of "style" offered here draws from Burke and Perelman/Olbrechts-Tyteca to show how rhetorical devices ("figures") advance the argument and how the audience is intended to apprehend the meaning and action ("form") of the discourse. Coherent analysis of contextual, thematic, and structural features of Luther9s sermon text shows style a primary rather than derivative feature of rhetorical criticism.
Double-positioning twinning in icosahedral B12As2 thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Analysis of synchrotron white-beam X-ray Laue patterns of thin epitaxial films of icosohedral boron arsenide (B12As2) prepared by chemical vapor deposition at 1300 °C on 6H-SiC (0001) (on-axis) substrates using hydrides as reactants indicated the epitaxial relationship (111)〈101〉‖(0001)〈1120〉 and the presence of double-positioning twins of B12As2. Diffractometry showed that the two twinning variants existed in a ratio of 2:1. A reciprocal space map of the epilayer showed a single peak (12 arc min wide in the ω scan direction and 1.6 arc min wide in the θ−2θ scan direction), high degrees of both of tilt, and strain broadening. Consistent with these observations, cross-sectional transmission electron micrographs showed twin domains, with one twin orientation appearing as a matrix holding grains between 0.2 and 4 μm wide of the second twin orientation. A high density of dislocations was also noted.
Quantifying spatio-temporal dependencies in epileptic ECOG

There is evidence that the mechanisms leading to epileptic seizures can be understood by continuously tracking the ongoing spatio-temporal mappings in the brain. We propose to quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics by using a SOM-based similarity index (SI) measure. While it is shown that this measure is statistically as accurate as the original SI measure, it is also computationally faster and therefore applicable for real-time analyses. In order to quantify the changes of SI in electrode space and along time, a spectral clustering approach is employed by interpreting the SOM-SI values as affinity matrices. Preliminary analyses on spatial mappings of multivariate epileptic ECOG data are presented using the modified spectral clustering approach. Results involving two pairs of seizures of an epileptic patient suggest that patterns associated with channels' spatio-temporal dynamics during the inter-ictal to pre-post ictal transition vary from seizure to seizure.