cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacotherapy for the management of obesity

In the last 30 years, obesity has rapidly increased and obesity-related comorbidities have surged. Once considered to be a problem only in developed nations, obesity has become a global epidemic. Consequently, the costs associated with managing overweight and obesity worldwide are astronomical. The objective of this mini-review is to provide an overview of current options available for obesity management, with a focus on anti-obesity pharmacotherapies. The impact of weight loss on improving obesity-related comorbidities and risk factors has been well documented. Although established clinical guidelines suggest comprehensive lifestyle modification to induce weight loss, many patients do not respond to lifestyle interventions and may not qualify for bariatric surgery. For these patients, pharmacotherapy may serve as a therapeutic option. Several anti-obesity pharmacotherapies, such as phentermine, are indicated for short-term use and are not required to demonstrate clinically meaningful weight loss (i.e., ≥5%). For long-term weight management, the FDA has approved 5 agents so far-orlistat, lorcaserin, phentermine/topiramate, naltrexone/bupropion, and liraglutide. These drugs have shown efficacy in enabling patients to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss and improving cardiometabolic parameters. Healthcare practitioners can help alleviate the obesity epidemic by tailoring these pharmacotherapies based on individual needs, comorbidities, and associated drug safety concerns.
Direct development of the brittle star Amphiodia occidentalis (Ophiuroidea, Amphiuridae) from the northeastern Pacific Ocean

Abstract. The highly modified development of the brittle star Amphiodia occidentalis is described from post-fertilization to the juvenile stage. Fertilized eggs are negatively buoyant, ∼190 μm in diameter, surrounded by a thick hyaline layer and a tough fertilization envelope. After gastrulation, embryos flatten into a bilaterally symmetrical disk with a U-shaped ridge surrounding an indented stomodeum on the oral surface. Internally, a ring of ∼22 calcitic ossicles grows at the edge of the disk. Vestigial ophiopluteal structures such as a ciliated band, paired larval spicules, or larval arms are not expressed during development. Although the fertilization envelope disintegrates on day 3, developmental stages remain immotile for five more days until they move with podia. At hatching, five hydrocoelic lobes are evident on the left side of the post-gastrula, and these migrate clockwise around the stomodeum, establishing pentamerous radial symmetry. Central and radial plates originate on the right side and migrate to a dorsocentral location as pentamerous symmetry is established. Development of the juvenile oral skeletal frame follows closely that described by Hendler (1978) for Amphioplus abditus except that A. occidentalis did not form buccal scales. The juvenile mouth opened by day 12. Fifty-five days after fertilization, juveniles had not added their first arm segments, although the first lateral arm plates had appeared. Developmental stages identical to those described here have been found in plankton tows taken in Oregon usually after storms that bring high waves. The unusual development of this species probably occurs in both benthic and pelagic environments.
A numerical and analytical study of nonlinear bifurcations associated with the morphological stability of two-dimensional single crystals

The nonlinear stability of a two-dimensional single crystal of pure material in an undercooled melt is studied both analytically and numerically. The quasi-steady state approximation is used for the thermal fields, and the effects of different solid and liquid thermal conductivities, isotropic interfacial growth kinetics, and isotropic surface tension are included. The bifurcation analysis is performed by calculating the instantaneous value of the fundamental component of the local normal growth speed for an interface perturbed by a single Fourier shape component. Numerically, the fundamental component of the interfacial growth speed is found by Fourier analysis of the solution to an integrodifferential equation obeyed at the interface. Analytically, an expansion technique is used to derive a solvability condition defining each of these bifurcation points. The analytical and numerical results are in very close agreement. Almost all of the bifurcations are subcritical, and the results are presented by giving values of the Landau coefficient as a function of the different dimensionless parameters used in the model.
The identification of alcohol dependence criteria in the general population.

Aims To assess the criteria used to identify alcohol dependence in the general population. Design and setting Two independent probability surveys of the US household population 18 years of age and older were analyzed: the 1994 National Telephone Survey (NTS-94), which interviewed 637 respondents, and the 1988 National Household Interview Survey (NHIS-88) which interviewed 43,809 respondents in their homes. Participants The analyses of the NHIS-88 dataset focused on drinkers who consumed at least 12 drinks of alcohol in the 12 months prior to the survey interview (N = 22,102). The analyses of the NTS-94 dataset focused on drinkers who consumed at least one drink in the 12 months prior to the survey interview (N = 637). Measurements Criteria for DSM-IV alcohol dependence were operationalized using 15 items from a standardized questionnaire. Findings Analyses suggested that normal drinking behavior can be misidentified as dependence criteria. Results for men who drank up to two drinks per day suggest that if the dependence criteria were invalid, reductions in the prevalence of specific indicators of alcohol dependence would range from 0.3% to 5.2%. Correcting for the misidentification of alcohol dependence diagnosis would reduce the overall prevalence of alcohol dependence by 0.5%. Up to 7% of the men could have been diagnosed as alcohol-dependent and could have provided invalid reports. Conclusions The identification of alcohol dependence in general population samples must include careful probing of the nature of drinking-related behavior reported by respondents. This will decrease misidentification of dependence criteria, increasing the validity of dependence diagnosis in survey research.
Ratio of Cross Sections for Electron Capture and Electron Loss by Proton Beams in Metals

Measurements have been made of the ratio of the charged to the neutral component (protons to hydrogen atoms) in hydrogen ion beams of energies between 20 and 400 kv, passing through the metallic media beryllium, aluminum, silver, and gold. The data show that this ratio is the same, within the accuracy of the experiment, for the three lighter elements, but is slightly less in gold above 100 kv. The curves depicting this ratio as a function of ion speed cannot be fitted by a power law over the entire energy range, but the high energy end of the data can be fitted fairly well in this way. At 350 kv, the slopes correspond to a dependence on ion speed $v$ of the form ${v}^{9}$ in the case of the lighter elements, and ${v}^{7}$ in the case of gold.The cross sections for electron capture and electron loss are found to be equal at an ion energy of 26 kv. The ion then has a speed 0.95 times that of the hydrogen orbital electron ($\frac{{e}^{2}}{\ensuremath{\hbar}}$).
Replication and Demethylation of O6-Methylguanine in DNA

Publisher Summary To study the disappearance and the effect upon DNA replication of O 6 -methylguanine in vitro , this chapter presents the synthesis of polydeoxynucleotides containing O 6 -methylguanine to be used as substrates for “repair enzymes” and as templates for DNA polymerases. Polydeoxynucleotides used in replication studies were prepared by the copolymerization of m 6 dGTP with dTTP or dCTP using terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase. To prevent slippage during DNA replication, appropriate hairpin primers were added to poly(dT,m 6 dG) and poly( dC,m 6 dG) in separate reactions also using the transferase. Replication was carried out with T5 phage DNA polymerase under standard conditions, which are also described in the chapter. It also shows that different DNA polymerases recognize m 6 dG differently depending on whether it is a substrate (m 6 dGTP) or in the template (m 6 dG) for DNA replication. The relative mutagenic potentials of m 6 dGTP and m 6 dG in the cell are, therefore, dependent on the cell type as well as on the concentration of substrates.
The luminosity scale of cepheid variable stars : a revision.

The period-luminosity-color relation for classical Cepheids is discussed in terms of a recent redeterminations of the distance moduli of open clusters with Cepheid members. The distance moduli of eight clusters with well established Cepheid members were determined from Stromgren four-color and Hp photometry of the B stars. Possible sources of systematic errors in these distance moduli are discussed. Zero points are derived from these data for the period-luminosity-color (PLC) relation on the UBV system and the period-luminosity relations for near-infrared magnitudes. The present relations yield absolute magnitudes which are fainter by 0.4-0.6 mag than those now commonly used. The source of this discrepancy is discussed. These lower luminosities cause the pulsational masses of the Cepheids to be less than the evolutionary masses by up to a factor of 2.5 but bring them into good agreement with the masses of beat and bump Cepheids. Thus, the predictions of the pulsation theory are made more consistent but the Cepheid mass discrepancy is reintroduced. This revision of the Cepheid luminosity scale will directly affect distances of galaxies based on the Cepheids, but its effect on the Hubble constant depends on how much weight was placed on the Cepheids in the establishment of the distance scale in the Local Group. A comparison of distance moduli for the Large Magellanic Cloud based on various indicators with those for the Cepheids from the present calibration shows no serious discrepancy. Subject headings: cosmology galaxies: Magellanic Clouds stars: Cepheids stars: pulsation
A 0.8mm 2 all-digital SAW-less polar transmitter in 65nm EDGE SoC

EDGE is currently the most widely used standard for data communications in mobile phones. Its proliferation has led to a need for low-cost 2.5G mobile solutions. The implementation of RF circuits in nanoscale digital CMOS with no or minimal process enhancements is one of the key obstacles limiting the complete SoC integration of cellular radio functionality with digital baseband. The key challenges for such RF integration include non-linearity of devices and circuits, device mismatches, process parameter spread, and the increasing potential for self-interference that could be induced by one function in the SoC onto another.
A Small Aptamer with Strong and Specific Recognition of the Triphosphate of ATP

We report the in vitro selection of an RNA-based ATP aptamer with the ability to discriminate between adenosine ligands based on their 5‘ phosphorylation state. Previous selection of ATP aptamers yielded molecules that do not significantly discriminate between ligands at the 5‘ position. By applying a selective pressure that demands recognition of the 5‘ triphosphate, we obtained an aptamer that binds to ATP with a Kd of approximately 5 μM, and to AMP with a Kd of approximately 5.5 mM, a difference of 1100-fold. This aptamer demonstrates the ability of small RNAs to interact with negatively charged moieties.
Reduced stress dose with rapid acquisition CZT SPECT MPI in a non-obese clinical population: Comparison to coronary angiography

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) SPECT camera technology has the potential to reduce patient’s radiation exposure and shorten imaging time. This study evaluated the correlation of low stress tracer dose, rapid CZT SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) to coronary angiography in a <200-lbs population to further validate its ability to achieve both goals while preserving diagnostic accuracy. All patients who had a low-dose stress (≤15 mCi) Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT MPI study using a CZT camera (GE Discovery NM 530c) with 3- to 5-minute image acquisition over a 2-year period followed by a coronary angiogram within 2 months were included. Patients with a history of coronary revascularization, left ventricular dysfunction, and LBBB or paced rhythms were excluded. Both MPI studies and coronary angiograms were interpreted by blinded readers and coronary artery disease (CAD) was defined as ≥70% stenosis. A total of 71 patients were included with a mean age of 64 years, 55% male, and a BMI of 25.4 kg/m2 with an average stress dose of 13.3 mCi. Exercise stress was performed in 54% of patients and vasodilator pharmacologic stress in 46%. Sensitivity was 89%, specificity was 66%, and accuracy was 78% for detecting obstructive CAD. In this group of non-obese patients undergoing low stress dose imaging, high-efficiency CZT SPECT imaging demonstrated a high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting obstructive epicardial CAD with a greatly reduced imaging time.
Immune Response and Resistance of Channel Catfish to Edwardsiella ictaluri Challenge when Fed Various Dietary Levels of Zinc Methionine and Zinc Sulfate

Abstract The effects of dietary levels of zinc from zinc methionine (ZnM) and zinc sulfate ZnSO4 on nonspecific immune responses and disease resistance of juvenile channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (mean initial weight of 3.3 g) were determined. Fish in triplicate aquaria were fed to satiation twice daily for 16 weeks with an egg white basal diet without zinc supplementation or supplemented with 5, 20, and 60 mg zinc/kg as ZnM or 20 and 60 mg zinc/kg as ZnSO4. Relative percentages of peripheral blood lymphocytes, thrombocytes, and macrophages were not affected by dietary zinc. The relative percentages of neutrophils significantly increased in fish fed 20 and 60 mg Zn/kg as ZnM. Chemotactic responses of macrophages were significantly higher for fish fed the three ZnM-supplemented diets and the 60-mg ZnSO4. Dietary zinc, however, had no influence on the phagocytic activity of macrophages for Edwardsiella ictaluri. Likewise, neither the source nor the level of dietary zinc provided protection to channel ca...
Effects of Item Order and Context on Estimation of NAEP Reading Proficiency

What can be learned about the effects of item order and context on invariance of item parameter estimates? Are common-item equating methods appropriate when measuring trends in educational growth?
Energy demand and interfuel substitution in the United Kingdom

Abstract This paper sets out to examine the demand for energy in the United Kingdom. All energy sources are demonstrated to be substitutable. Coal is the most price responsive with natural gas, oil and electrical energy following. Moreover, when the issue of stability is considered, the suggestion is that the demand for coal, oil, natural gas and electrical energy have remained virtually constant over the past three decades.
Cortical and subcortical networks in human secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Generalized tonic–clonic seizures are among the most dramatic physiological events in the nervous system. The brain regions involved during partial seizures with secondary generalization have not been thoroughly investigated in humans. We used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to image cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes in 59 secondarily generalized seizures from 53 patients. Images were analysed using statistical parametric mapping to detect cortical and subcortical regions most commonly affected in three different time periods: (i) during the partial seizure phase prior to generalization; (ii) during the generalization period; and (iii) post-ictally. We found that in the pre-generalization period, there were focal CBF increases in the temporal lobe on group analysis, reflecting the most common region of partial seizure onset. During generalization, individual patients had focal CBF increases in variable regions of the cerebral cortex. Group analysis during generalization revealed that the most consistent increase occurred in the superior medial cerebellum, thalamus and basal ganglia. Post-ictally, there was a marked progressive CBF increase in the cerebellum which spread to involve the bilateral lateral cerebellar hemispheres, as well as CBF increases in the midbrain and basal ganglia. CBF decreases were seen in the fronto-parietal association cortex, precuneus and cingulate gyrus during and following seizures, similar to the ‘default mode’ regions reported previously to show decreased activity in seizures and in normal behavioural tasks. Analysis of patient behaviour during and following seizures showed impaired consciousness at the time of SPECT tracer injections. Correlation analysis across patients demonstrated that cerebellar CBF increases were related to increases in the upper brainstem and thalamus, and to decreases in the fronto-parietal association cortex. These results reveal a network of cortical and subcortical structures that are most consistently involved in secondarily generalized tonic–clonic seizures. Abnormal increased activity in subcortical structures (cerebellum, basal ganglia, brainstem and thalamus), along with decreased activity in the association cortex may be crucial for motor manifestations and for impaired consciousness in tonic–clonic seizures. Understanding the networks involved in generalized tonic–clonic seizures can provide insights into mechanisms of behavioural changes, and may elucidate targets for improved therapies.
Structure-seeking multilinear methods for the analysis of fMRI data

In comprehensive fMRI studies of brain function, the data structures often contain higher-order ways such as trial, task condition, subject, and group in addition to the intrinsic dimensions of time and space. While multivariate bilinear methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) have been used successfully for extracting information about spatial and temporal features in data from a single fMRI run, the need to unfold higher-order data sets into bilinear arrays has led to decompositions that are nonunique and to the loss of multiway linkages and interactions present in the data. These additional dimensions or ways can be retained in multilinear models to produce structures that are unique and which admit interpretations that are neurophysiologically meaningful. Multiway analysis of fMRI data from multiple runs of a bilateral finger-tapping paradigm was performed using the parallel factor (PARAFAC) model. A trilinear model was fitted to a data cube of dimensions voxels by time by run. Similarly, a quadrilinear model was fitted to a higher-way structure of dimensions voxels by time by trial by run. The spatial and temporal response components were extracted and validated by comparison to results from traditional SVD/PCA analyses based on scenarios of unfolding into lower-order bilinear structures.
Hydraulic conductivity and pore-size distribution in small microcosms with and without enchytraeids (Oligochaeta)

Abstract Enchytraeids can influence pore structure by enlargement of pores, reduction of pore-size and formation of new pores. The distribution of enchytraeids through soil is strongly related to the placement of plant residues which is, therefore, expected to influence their effect on porosity and pore-size distribution. Fifteen cm soil columns with a bulk density of ca. 1.4 g/cm3 were built using 3 metal rings each 5 cm high. Two types of columns were created: buried litter (BL) with organic matter mixed through the whole column and surface litter (SL), where the litter was added onto the surface of the column. To half of the columns of each treatment 45 enchytraeids were added. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was determined at time 0 and then after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. After the hydraulic conductivity measurements, the columns were separated into 3 depths and soil moisture retention was measured at a range of low suction pressures (0.5–20 kPa). Hydraulic conductivity decreased with time in the BL columns. At each time interval, Ksat was higher in the BL columns containing enchytraeids compared to columns without enchytraeids. Presence and distribution of organic matter, the number of enchytraeids present and the duration of the experiment, influenced the impact of enchytraeids on hydraulic conductivity. Frequent ingestion and egestion of soil reduced its stability, especially in the SL columns, thereby decreasing pore size and continuity.
New Data on Plate Tectonics of Alaska

Abstract Geologic evidence indicates that Alaska probably consists of a series of eugeosynclinal belts that may represent several events of continental development. Recent paleomagnetic data indicate that since Jurassic time, a block of southern Alaska that includes at least the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Range has rotated approximately 59° clockwise and has moved northward approximately 19° of latitude. It is unknown how many similar events might have occurred previously. An extensive search for active faults in south-central Alaska did not locate a welldefined Pacific—North American plate boundary north of the Fairweather fault. Seismic data indicate a Benioff zone involving the Pacific plate, which is dipping northwest at a low angle beneath much of southern Alaska. This portion of Alaska, which is south of the Denali fault, appears to be partially coupled to the Pacific plate beneath. The Denali fault is usually regarded as an extension of the Queen Charlotte Islands transform fault, but the transfer of motion from the Denali fault to the Aleutian trench may occur at lower crustal depths in the Mt. McKinley area. Seismic data and deformation associated with the 1964 Alaska earthquake imply present activity along the eastern Aleutian trench, although the activity and the trench become poorly defined south and east of Prince William Sound. The plate-boundary connection between Mt. McKinley and the Queen Charlotte Islands fault is poorly defined, but may occur along the Totschunda fault system in southern Alaska, along a complex system of thrust faults, or along another fault system in southern Alaska; it may be poorly defined because it is geologically young and is still developing. Evidence of recent fault activity north of the Denali fault gives a similarly complicated picture and suggests that transfer of stress may occur along the McGinnis Glacier, Healy Creek, Donnelly Dome, Clearwater Lake, and other active faults. Active faults farther north may or may not result from plate interaction along these boundaries. Evidence of recent fault activity has been found within the southern partially coupled block along the Castle Mountain, Hanning Bay, Patton Bay, and other faults.
Absolute lymphocyte count at the time of first relapse predicts survival in patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma

Peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) is a survival prognostic factor in hematological malignancies. No reports have addressed whether ALC at the time of first relapse (ALC-R) predicts survival. Thus, we assessed the prognostic significance of ALC-R in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients were required to have been diagnosed with first relapsed DLBCL, have ALC-R values, and to be followed at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. From Feb 1987 until March 2006, 97 first relapsed DLBCL patients qualified for the study. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were measured from the time of first relapse. The value of ALC-R >or= 1.0 x 10(9)/L was used for the analysis. Both groups (ALC-R >or= 1 or or= 1.0 x 10(9)/L (N = 60) versus ALC-R < 1.0 x 10(9)/L (N = 37) [median OS: 28.7 months, 5 years OS rates of 39% versus median OS: 10.2 months, 5 years OS rates of 14%, P < 0.002; and median PFS: 14.8 months, 5 years PFS rates of 21% versus median PFS: 6.5 months, 5 years PFS rates of 8%, P < 0.004, respectively]. ALC-R was an independent prognostic factor for OS [RR = 0.4, P < 0.01] and PFS [RR = 0.5, P < 0.005]. ALC-R predicts survival suggesting that host immunity is an important variable predicting survival in first relapsed DLBCL.
Mass Spectral Analysis of Acid- and Base-Sensitive Alcohols as Phenylcarbamates

The usual methods of derivatization of alcohols which are unstable in the mass spectrometer fail with those alcohols which are acid- and/or base-sensitive. Examples include the acid-sensitive acetal group and the acid- and base-sensitive oxirane ring, as in structures I and II, respectively.
Sol–gel synthesis and characterization of nanostructured hydroxyapatite powder

Abstract Nanocrystalline powders of hydroxyapatite (HAP) were prepared from Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ·4H 2 O and P 2 O 5 using a simple sol–gel approach. The resultant gel precursors obtained based on the concentration of the starting solutions were either transparent or translucent. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) result combined with the X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates the presence of amorphous hydroxyapatite (HAP) in the as-dried gel precursor. X-ray patterns collected on the powder after heat-treatment at 900 °C for 12 h in air exhibits single phase of HAP. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the powder obtained after heat-treatment at 900 °C is composed of nanocrystalline (50–150 nm) HAP particles.
Solving Russia: Final piece in NATO's puzzle

Long‐term hopes for Russia's, and ultimately Europe's, success rest on crafting an overall set of policies, approaches, and engagements with public and private sectors in Russia—not just on its relationship with NATO.
Is body focus restricted to self-evaluation? Body focus in the evaluation of self and others.

Objective Clinicians have suggested that the core pathology of the eating disorders is an extreme body focus in self-evaluation. This study investigated whether women who focus on their own bodies place a similar focus on body shape when evaluating others and expect others to have a strong body focus in their self-evaluations. Method: Eighty-four undergraduate women completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) which largely measures body focus in self-evaluation. Each was also shown a series of photographs of women and asked what aspects of the photos they first noticed and how the depicted women felt about themselves. Finally, each responded to scenarios in which they or a hypothetical woman overate or dieted. Results: High EAT-26 scores were associated with an elevated number of “fat” or “thin” feelings attributed to women in the slides and a marginally greater number of body-related observations made about the slides. High EAT-26 scores were also associated with inferred negative feelings of others after overeating and positive feelings of others after dieting. In fact, the relationships between EAT-26 scores and feelings in response to hypothetical overeating and dieting situations were no stronger when applied to the self than when applied to others. However, when presented with a situation in which they overate, participants showed stronger relationships between their EAT-26 scores and their expected weight change and dieting behavior than they predicted would occur for others after an identical period of overeating. Discussion: Extrapolating findings to a clinical population, women with eating disorders may focus on others' body shapes as well as their own. These women may also expect others to be as emotionally invested in their own body shapes as they are themselves, but may not expect others to be as prone to gain weight or to diet as strictly as they do. Treatment for this somewhat recalcitrant belief system is discussed, as are directions for future research. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
From market shares to consumer types: Duality in differentiated product demand estimation

A widely applied method for dierentiated product demand estimation, introduced by Berry, Levinshon and Pakes (1995), is founded on matching observed and theoretical market shares of products. In this paper, we derive an equivalent formulation to BLP by assuming that consumer tastes are discrete, rather than continuous. Our approach is based on a matching occuring in the consumer type space, rather than the product space. The equivalence between the two formulations expresses a duality between market shares and consumer types. The dual formulation, introduced in this paper is computationally more e¢ cient than the primary, while the adoption of discrete tastes allows for correlation of tastes across dierent product characteristics. Simulation exercises show that the dual method is signi…cantly faster.
THE STATE Of THE STATE IN LATIN AMERICA: CHALLENGES, CHALLENGERS, RESPONSES AND DEFICITS

Understanding the state in Latin America requires an understanding of the challenges and challengers that it is facing. This paper argues that the region’s three major transitions at the end of the 20th century (i.e. democratization, liberalization and decentralization) each posed distinct challenges to the state. It then uses the concept of infrastructural power to conceptualize the actors who are challenging the state, distinguishing between those who threaten either its territorial power or its relational power. Turning from challenges and challengers to responses, the paper identifies three different types of changes (i.e. policy, institutional, and regime) that states have adopted to undercut, accommodate, or defeat challengers. Finally, the paper underscores the difficulty of measuring state deficits in post-decentralization Latin America.
The focal trough of the Autopan panoramic dental x-ray machine

The focal trough of the Autopan machine was evaluated with a multiline test object. The width of the focal trough varied from 5.5 mm anteriorly to about 23 mm in the midramus area with 1.7 line pairs per millimeter of resolution. The focal trough covers most tooth position areas. The machine is capable of producing clinically acceptable radiographs in most clinic populations.
Receive channel FIR filters for enhanced contrast in medical ultrasound

Aperture weighting functions are critical design parameters in the development of ultrasound systems because beam characteristics determine the contrast and point resolution of the final image. In previous work by our group, we developed a general apodization design method that optimizes a broadband imaging system's contrast resolution performance [1, 2]. In that algorithm we used constrained least squares (CLS) techniques and a linear algebra formulation of the system point spread function (PSF) as a function of the scalar aperture weights. In this work we replace the receive aperture weights with individual channel finite impulse response (FIR) filters to produce PSFs with narrower mainlobe widths and lower sidelobe levels compared to PSFs produced with conventional apodization functions. Our approach minimizes the energy of the PSF outside a defined boundary while imposing a quadratic constraint on the energy of the PSF inside the boundary. We present simulation results showing that FIR filters of modest tap lengths (3-7) can yield marked improvement in image contrast and point resolution. Specifically we show results that 7-tap FIR filters can reduce sidelobe and grating lobe energy by 30dB and improve cystic contrast [3] by as much as 20dB compared to conventional apodization profiles. We also show experimental results where multi-tap FIR filters decrease sidelobe energy in the resulting 2D PSF and maintain a narrow mainlobe. Our algorithm has the potential to significantly improve ultrasound beamforming in any application where the system response is well characterized. Furthermore, this algorithm can be used to increase contrast and resolution in novel receive only beamforming systems [4, 5].
Portable thermal reference for winter field studies

When documenting the infrared images of targets and backgrounds it is usually necessary to place one or more sources having known surface radiances within the field-of-view of the imaging system in order to calibrate the imagery. Although a variety of commercially available thermal references (i.e. , "black bodies") exist they generally are very expensive and are not well suited for operating in the field under severe winter environmental conditions. A portable low-temperature thermal reference was recently developed at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) to calibrate infrared images of mines and snow backgrounds in winter.
The effect of chronic hypercapnia on oxygen affinity and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate

Abstract The relationship between oxygen affinity and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) in the red cell has been studied in chronic hypercapnia induced by prolonged exposure of guinea pigs to 15% CO 2 and 21% O 2 in N 2 . Red cell pH fell to a minimum after six hours of exposure and subsequently rose without reaching initial values after seven days of exposure. Both oxygen half-saturation pressure (P 50 ) and the level of 2,3-DPG of the red cells followed the time course of the pH changes. However, both parameters required 24 hours to reach a minimum, following which they increased steadily and were not different from control values after seven days of exposure.
EXIT chart analysis and design of non-binary protograph-based LDPC codes

Binary LDPC codes built out of protographs constitute a class of high-performance structured codes. In this paper we carefully extend the code construction to the non-binary case. We present a method based on a newly developed EXIT-chart approach to efficiently design non-binary protograph-based LDPC codes with good properties. The results presented here can be particularly useful in the development of coding schemes that can be effectively combined with non-binary modulation in bandwidth-efficient high-speed communication systems.
Overcharge Effect on Morphology and Structure of Carbon Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium metal plating on graphite anodes of Li-ion batteries is one of the causes of capacity fading and failure. An overcharge experiment on the graphite anode was conducted and the morphology and structure of graphite were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the failure mechanism of graphite during overcharge is similar to that of the lithium metal electrode. The deposited lithium will react with the electrolyte to form a new solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer, which will prevent further accessibility during the following cycles. According to SEM and TEM images, this SEI layer shares the same morphologies of the lithium metal electrode during cycling.
Effect of Surfactant Concentration and Film Area on the Stability of Films of Surfactant Solutions

Abstract The effect of surfactant concentration and film area on film stability was investigated in thin liquid films of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions. Film stability was evaluated at various concentrations of SDS solutions and various film areas. In this study, a maximum film stability was observed for the SDS concentration of 200 mM. Interestingly, this concentration also corresponds to the maximum micelle lifetime or long relaxation time (τ2). The results also show that film stability decreases with increasing film area, and that the larger films appear to be more sensitive to the micelle stability and structuring effect in the film than films with smaller surface areas.
Motives for flexible work arrangement use.

This study investigated employees’ motives for using two types of flexible work arrangements (FWA), flextime and flexplace. Using a sample of workers with high job flexibility (university academics), we examined both the prevalence of different motives (life management and work-related) and how these motives vary according to several individual differences (gender, family responsibility, marital status, and work-nonwork segmentation preferences). Overall, results indicated that employees are more driven to use FWA by work-related motives than by life management motives. Those with greater family responsibilities and those married/living with a partner were more likely to endorse life management motives, whereas individuals with greater segmentation preferences were more motivated to use FWA by work-related motives. Findings regarding gender were contrary to expectations based on traditional gender roles, as there were no gender differences in life management motives but women more highly endorsed work-rel...
Differentiation of primary embryonic neuroblasts in purified neural cell cultures from Drosophila

Embryonic neuroblasts of Drosophila are undifferentiated precursor cells that give rise to the central nervous system. Centrifugal elutriation has been employed to fractionate embryonic cells on the basis of size. A fraction of large cells was found to be greatly enriched for neuroblasts, whereas mesodermal precursor cells were completely excluded. This allowed a second step of purification, based upon adhesion to glass, to provide virtually pure cultures of neural cells. The cells in these cultures had the properties of neurons of the Drosophila CNS: They gave rise to ganglion-like clusters from which neurites extended on the culture substrate, and they expressed the enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, and the cell surface antigens recognized by antisera raised against horseradish peroxidase. The production of large-scale neuronal cell cultures will be useful for immunological and molecular studies of neural cell differentiation.
Navier–Stokes revisited

Abstract A revision of Newton's law of viscosity appearing in the role of the deviatoric stress tensor in the Navier–Stokes equation is proposed for the case of compressible fluids, both gaseous and liquid. Explicitly, it is hypothesized that the velocity v appearing in the velocity gradient term ∇ v in Newton's rheological law be changed from the fluid's mass-based velocity v m , the latter being the velocity appearing in the continuity equation, to the fluid's volume velocity v v , the latter being a stand-in for the fluid's volume current (volume flux density n v ). A similar v m → v v alteration is proposed for the velocity v appearing in the no-slip tangential velocity boundary condition at solid surfaces. These proposed revisions are based upon both experiment and theory, including re-interpretation of the following three items: (i) experimental “near-continuum” thermophoretic and other low Reynolds number phoretic data for the movement of suspended particles in fluids under the influence of mass density gradients ∇ ρ , caused either by temperature gradients in single-component fluids undergoing heat transfer or by species concentration gradients in inhomogeneous two-component mixtures undergoing mass transfer; (ii) the hierarchical re-ordering of the Burnett terms appearing in the Chapman–Enskog gas-kinetic theory perturbation expansion of the viscous stress tensor from one of being based upon small Knudsen numbers to one of being based upon small Mach numbers; (iii) Maxwell's (1879) ubiquitous v m -based “thermal creep” or “thermal stress” slip boundary condition used in nonisothermal gas-kinetic theory models, recast in the form of a v v -based no-slip condition. The v v vs. v m dichotomy in the case of compressible fluids is shown to lead to a fundamental distinction between the fluid's tracer velocity as recorded by monitoring the spatio-temporal trajectory of a small non-Brownian particle deliberately introduced into the fluid, and the fluid's “optical” or “colorimetric” velocity as monitored, for example, by the introduction of a dye into the fluid or by some photochromic- or fluorescence-based scheme in circumstances where the individual fluid molecules are themselves responsive to being probed by light. Explicitly, it is argued that the fluid's tracer velocity, representing a strictly continuum nonmolecular notion, is v v , whereas its colorimetric velocity, which measures the mean velocity of the molecules of which the fluid is composed, is v m .
Inverse relationship between PSA and IL-8 in prostate cancer: an insight into a NF-κB-mediated mechanism.

Background Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is traditionally used as an indicator for the presence of prostate cancer (PCa) and radiotherapy is generally used to treat inoperable and locally advanced PCa. However, how cellular PSA level is associated with sensitivity of PCa to radiotherapy is unknown. The previous finding that the RelB-based NF-κB alternative pathway differentially regulates PSA and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in aggressive PCa has directed our attention to the role of RelB in the response of PCa to radiotherapy. Methodology/Principal Findings RelB and its targets PSA and IL-8 in PCa cells were manipulated by ectopic expression in PCa cells with a low endogenous level of RelB (LNCaP) and by RNAi-based knock-down in PCa cells with a high constitutive level of RelB (PC3). The effects of RelB, PSA and IL-8 on the response of PCa to radiation treatment were examined in vitro and in xenograft tumors. RelB regulates PSA and IL-8 in an inverse manner. When the cellular levels of PSA and IL-8 were directly modulated by genetic manipulations or by the addition of recombinant proteins, the results demonstrate that up-regulation of IL-8 enhanced radioresistance of PCa cells and concurrently down-regulated PSA. In contrast, up-regulation of PSA resulted in reduced radioresistance with concurrent down-regulation of IL-8. Conclusion/Significance RelB plays a critical role in the response of PCa to radiotherapy and the inverse expression of IL-8 and PSA. The results identify a previously unrecognized relationship between IL-8 and PSA in the response of PCa cells to radiotherapy.
Mycoplasma infection of cell cultures: Isolation and detection

Mycoplasma contamination of cell cultures was first reported in 1956 and continues today to be a major concern to the investigator. Although awareness has increased over the years, mycoplasma infection of cell cultures remains a common, troublesome problem that affects many cell functions and can markedly influence proper interpretation of test results. Up-dated, sensitive mycoplasma test procedures are described. These include isolation of mycoplasmas by agar and large volume broth media procedures, and detection in an indicator cell culture system with a DNA-binding fluorochrome stain. Although prevention is the first line of defense, occasionally the considerable effort required to eliminate the contaminant from an irreplaceable cell line can be justified.
On the application of community psychology to public health: Explanation versus identification

Community psychology and public health should be natural allies, yet the two fields operate sufficiently independently of each other to undermine their capacity to reach what might be common objectives. This discontinuity is in part a reflection of differential priority attached to explaining health outcomes and identifying individuals' health status by the two fields. To foster crossdisciplinary work here we highlight the distinction between explanation of health outcomes and identification of individuals' health status. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fractionated proton beam radiotherapy for acoustic neuroma.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated proton beam irradiation in patients with acoustic neuroma. The aim was to provide maximal local tumor control while minimizing complications such as cranial nerve injuries. METHODS: Thirty-one acoustic neuromas in 30 patients were treated with proton beam therapy from March 1991 to June 1999. The mean tumor volume was 4.3 cm 3 . All patients underwent pretreatment neurological evaluation, contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and audiometric evaluation. Standard fractionated proton radiotherapy was used at daily doses of 1.8 to 2.0 cobalt Gray equivalent: patients with useful hearing before treatment (Gardner-Robertson Grade I or II) received 54.0 cobalt Gray equivalent in 30 fractions; patients without useful hearing received 60.0 cobalt Gray equivalent in 30 to 33 fractions. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 30 patients were assessable for tumor control and cranial nerve injury. Follow-up ranged from 7 to 98 months (mean, 34 mo), during which no patients demonstrated disease progression on magnetic resonance imaging scans. Eleven patients demonstrated radiographic regression. Of the 13 patients with pretreatment Gardner-Robertson Grade I or II hearing, 4 (31%) maintained useful hearing. No transient or permanent treatment-related trigeminal or facial nerve dysfunction was observed. CONCLUSION: Fractionated proton beam therapy provided excellent local control of acoustic neuromas when treatment was administered in moderate doses. No injuries to the Vth or Vllth cranial nerves were observed. A reduction in the tumor dose is being evaluated to increase the hearing preservation rate.
Permafrost thicknesses in the Oliktok Point, Prudhoe Bay and Mikkelsen Bay areas of Alaska

Abstract An improved map of the thickness of ice-bearing permafrost in northern Alaska has been constructed by combining the previous data of Osterkamp and Payne (1981) with new data obtained by analyses and interpretation of recently released well logs. The new map provides greater detail and increased coverage, especially in offshore areas. Ice-bearing permafrost reached a maximum thickness of ≈ 629 m in three areas. This suggests that the permafrost thickness (depth to 0°C) may be on the order of 670–680 m. Permafrost thickness may be
Synthesis and analytical characterization of all tetra to octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins

Abstract We describe the synthesis and analytical characterization of the tetrachlorodibenzo-through octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins. We determined the relative response factors for each chlorinated dioxin by both electron impact (EI) and negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (NCI). An assumption of a 1:1 response factor for a polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) congener within a group with the same number of chlorines is valid in EI but is not a valid assumption in NCI. We have determined the proton nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift and coupling constants for each PCDD. All of the tetrachlorinated through heptachlorinated congeners, with two exceptions, gave appropriate first order proton spectra in Benzene-d6. The vapor phase infrared absorption bands are unique for each PCDD congener and allow a second method of structural assignment.