cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gas Myelography in the Management of Spinal Cord Disorders in Children

Gas myelography has not received the wide acceptance in America which it has been accorded in Scandinavia. Although polytomographic units, which enhance gas myelographic examinations, are located in most large centers, positive contrast examinations remain the preferred technique. At our institutions, however, gas myelography is utilized almost exclusively in examinations of children and adults. Since the spinal cord is directly visualized, any distortion in the normal anatomic continuity of the spinal canal can be appreciated, facilitating diagnosis and permitting precision in preoperative surgical planning. This report summarizes our experience utilizing gas myelography in pediatric patients with neurologic deficit.
Immune potentiation after fractionated exposure to very low doses of ionizing radiation and/or caloric restriction in autoimmune-prone and normal C57Bl/6 mice.

Abstract Very low doses of ionizing radiation can enhance immune responsiveness and extend life span in normal mice. Total lymphoid irradiation at relatively high doses of radiation can retard autoimmune disease in genetically susceptible mice, but may impair immune function. In order to determine whether fractionated low dose exposure would enhance immune response and retard lymphadenopathy in autoimmune-prone mice, groups of C57B1 6 lpr lpr mice were sham irradiated, exposed 5 days/week for 4 weeks to 0.04 Gy/day (0.8 Gy cumulative dose), or to 0.1 Gy/day (2.0 Gy cumulative dose). After the radiation protocol, the mice were evaluated for splenic T cell proliferative capacity, T cell subset distribution, and total spleen cell numbers. The independent and additive effect of caloric restriction was additionally assessed since this intervention has been shown to increase immune responsiveness and retard disease progression in autoimmune-prone mice. The congenic C57B1 6 +/+ immunologically normal strain was evaluated in parallel as congenic control. The results indicated that mitogen-stimulated proliferation was up-regulated in both strains of mice after exposure to 0.04 Gy/day. The proliferative capacity was additively enhanced when radiation at this dose level was combined with caloric restriction. Exposure to 0.1 Gy/day resulted in further augmentation of proliferative response in the lpr lpr mice, but was depressive in the +/+ mice. Although the proportions of the various T cell subpopulations were altered in both strains after exposure to LDR, the specific subset alterations were different within each strain. Additional experiments were subsequently performed to assess whether the thymus is required for LDR-induced immune potentiation. Thymectomy completely abrogated the LDR effect in the +/+ mice, suggesting that thymic processing and/or trafficking is adaptively altered with LDR in this strain. In contrast, augmentation in proliferative activity after LDR in the lpr lpr mice was maintained, although attenuated, in thymectomized mice. Taken together, these results indicate that fractionated exposure to LDR augments the proliferative response of spleen cells in both autoimmune-prone and immunologically normal mice; however, within each strain, the mechanisms appear to be different.
NASA aerospace flight battery system program plan

Abstract The objective of the NASA flight system program is to provide NASA with a policy and posture which will increase the safety, performance and reliability of space power systems. This will be accomplished through better control over battery system integration and improved performance, safety, and quality of primary and secondary cells and batteries. All NASA centers will be involved according to their expertise, resulting in a unified, coordinated effort for future problem avoidance and improved performance, safety, and reliability.
Better Living Through Geometry

Mark Weiser described ubiquitous computing as “invisible, everywhere computing that does not live on a personal device of any sort, but is in the woodwork everywhere”[1]. The EasyLiving project is concerned with development of an architecture and technologies for ubiquitous computing environments that allow the dynamic aggregation of diverse I/O devices into a single coherent user experience. Though the need for research in distributed computing, perception and interfaces is widely recognised, the importance of an explicit geometric world model for enhancing the user’s experience of a ubiquitous computing system has not been well-articulated. This paper describes three scenarios that benefit from geometric context and introduces the EasyLiving Geometric Model.
G.P.2

Antisense oligonucleotide (AON)-induced exon skipping in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients aim to restore out of frame dystrophin gene mutations to in-frame mutations with resultant dystrophin production and a BMD phenotype. BMD occurs in 1 in 20 000 males and is associated with partially functional truncated dystrophin protein. Pending on the amount of truncated dystrophin, the clinical phenotype of BMD patients vary from those with loss of ambulation in the mid-teens to patients with normal skeletal motor function in late adulthood. Natural history data of pediatric BMD patients would provide useful clinical information regarding the potential endpoints of therapeutic efficacy of exon skipping treatment trials. To characterize the clinical profile of pediatric patients with Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) IRB approved retrospective case series’ review of BMD patients Clinical profiles of BMD patients: 48 males with clinical and genetic/or histologic diagnosis of Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy. Patient characteristics: Mean age at diagnosis – 5.4 years (0.75–12 years); mean CK at time of diagnosis – 8036 (161–40,000); Presenting symptom(s) – elevated LFTs (10/48), gross motor delay (9/48), hypotonia (6/48), exercise intolerance/myalgias (15/48), abnormal walking/running gait (17/48), family history (6/48), incidental lab finding (9/48), fatigue (1/48); Indices of muscle mass: Pelvic/thigh Muscle MRI – (n = 33) normal study to trace fatty infiltration – 16, mild-to-moderate fatty infiltration – 11, diffuse/significant – 6; mean serum creatinine – 0.41 (0.1–0.8); DEXA mean % lean muscle mass – 70 (51–82); Bone health: mean DEXA distal femur R1 z-score – 0.75 (2.7–3.8); Cardiac function: mean left ventricular ejection fraction (%) – 63 (50–77); Motor status at last follow-up – normal function – 24, stable, near-normal function – 19, stable, abnormal function – 2, decline in motor function – 1, lost to follow-up – 2.
Metabolism of exogenous sialic acid in the rat.

SummarySialic acid, prepared from beef submaxillary mucin and assayed by the thio-barbituric acid assay, was administered to rats intra-arterially, intraperitoneally, subcutaneously, and also orally with and without antibiotic pretreatment of the gastrointestinal tract. Cannulation experiments demonstrated the rapid removal of free sialic acid from the vascular system following intraarterial administration. Analyses of 6 hour samples of rat urine following parenteral administrations showed that 80-92% of free sialic acid was recovered. Amount recovered increased as dose was increased. Intestinal bacteria destroyed the orally administered sialic acid which was not absorbed to any appreciable extent.
Observations on the alloxan-diabetic pig

Abstract 1. 1. An attempt was made to produce a diabetic state in pigs by the intravenous administration of 100, 200, or 300 mg. of alloxan per kg. body-weight. 2. 2. Plasma glucose increased approximately fourfold and plasma immuno-reactive insulin decreased from 28 to 18 μunits per ml. in some alloxan-treated animals. These animals were considered to be diabetic. 3. 3. The in vitro conversion of glucose- U- 14C to fatty acids and 14CO2 by adipose tissue biopsy samples of control and diabetic pigs was studied. Even though the utilization of glucose-U- 14C by adipose tissue of the diabetic animals was less than that of controls, this was found to be unrelated to the insulin status of the medium. 4. 4. The administration of insulin to the diabetic animals returned plasma glucose and insulin to approximately normal levels. Weight-gain was also enhanced. 5. 5. The abrupt withdrawal of insulin was not followed by the reappearance of the diabetic condition; in fact, the previously diabetic pigs now appeared normal in all the metabolic parameters investigated and seemed to regain the capacity to secrete insulin. 6. 6. It is concluded that in the alloxan-diabetic pig, glucose utilization by adipose tissue is little if at all impaired.
DARK apoptosome secrets come to light.

In this issue of Structure, Yuan et al. (2011) utilize biochemical approaches to reconstitute an active Drosophila apoptosome, as well as cryo-electron microscopy to generate an improved model for this conserved caspase-activating complex.
Functional interaction of calmodulin with a plant cyclic nucleotide gated cation channel

A family of plant ligand gated nonselective cation channels (cngcs) can be activated by direct, and reversible binding of cyclic nucleotide. These proteins have a cytoplasm-localized cyclic nucleotide binding domain (CNBD) at the carboxy-terminus of the polypeptide.A portion of the cngc CNBD also acts as a calmodulin (CaM) binding domain (CaMBD).The objective of this work is to further characterize interaction of cyclic nucleotide and CaM in gating plant cngc currents. The three-dimensional structure of an Arabidopsis thaliana cngc (Atcngc2) CNBD was modeled, indicating cAMP binding to the Atcngc2 CNBD in a pocket formed by a b barrel structure appressing a shortened (relative to animal cngc CNBDs) aC helix. TheAtcngc2 CaMBD was expressed as a fusion peptide linking blue and green fluorescent proteins, and used to quantify CaM (A. thaliana CaM isoform 4) binding. CaM bound the fusion protein in a Ca 2+ ‐dependent manner with a Kd of 7.6 nM and aC a 2+ binding Kd of 200 nM. Functional characterization (voltage clamp analysis) of Atcngc2 was undertaken by expression in human embryonickidneycells.CaMreversedcAMPactivationofAtcngc2currents.ThisfunctionalinteractionwasdependentonfreecytosolicCa 2+ . Increasing cytosolic Ca 2+ was found to inhibit cAMP activation of the channel in the absence of added CaM. We conclude that the physical interaction of Ca 2+ /CaM with plant cngcs blocks cyclic nucleotide activation of these channels. Thus, the cytosolic secondary messengers CaM, cAMP, and Ca 2+ can act in an integrated fashion to gate currents through these plant ion channels.
Evolutionary rates of a rapid radiation: The Paleogene planktic foraminifera

Population growth models of taxonomic radiations of clades from their origins have rarely been tested at the species level on an evolutionary time scale. The diversification of Paleogene planktic Foraminifera following the mass extinctions at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary is tested for correspondence with the logistic growth model and paleoenvironmental record. An explosive initial diversification rate lasted less than 1 ma. A period of slow, fluctuating growth to a mid-Eocene maximum of 44 species followed. A large-diversity fluctuation at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary is caused by an extinction pulse and low origination rate. The rest of the Paleogene was marked by a very slow decline in species richness. There is no correlation between the record of temperature fluctuations and global diversity, except for the correspondence of the final phase of slow decline with a cooling of oceanic surface waters. During this last period, with time partialled out, originations and extinctions are correlated (P {le} 0.10), weakly supporting a hypothesis of diversity-dependent equilibrium. Average durations for species originating within these three phases doubled with each phase. Diversity data better fit a simple asymptotic rather than logistic or sigmoid curve; initial exponential growth occurs much more rapidly than does the slowed growth to equilibrium.more » Comparisons of diversification between radiating clades must be done with a diversity-dependent curve in mind; there can be as much difference among different phases of a clade's history as among different groups.« less
Melanopsin Tristability for Sustained and Broadband Phototransduction

Summary Mammals rely upon three ocular photoreceptors to sense light: rods, cones, and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Rods and cones resolve details in the visual scene. Conversely, ipRGCs integrate over time and space, primarily to support "non-image" vision. The integrative mechanisms of ipRGCs are enigmatic, particularly since these cells use a phototransduction motif that allows invertebrates like Drosophila to parse light with exceptional temporal resolution. Here, we provide evidence for a single mechanism that allows ipRGCs to integrate over both time and wavelength. Light distributes the visual pigment, melanopsin, across three states, two silent and one signaling. Photoequilibration among states maintains pigment availability for sustained signaling, stability of the signaling state permits minutes-long temporal summation, and modest spectral separation of the silent states promotes uniform activation across wavelengths. By broadening the tuning of ipRGCs in both temporal and chromatic domains, melanopsin tristability produces signal integration for physiology and behavior.
Crystal structure of the plant dual-affinity nitrate transporter NRT1.1

Nitrate is a primary nutrient for plant growth, but its levels in soil can fluctuate by several orders of magnitude. Previous studies have identified Arabidopsis NRT1.1 as a dual-affinity nitrate transporter that can take up nitrate over a wide range of concentrations. The mode of action of NRT1.1 is controlled by phosphorylation of a key residue, Thr 101; however, how this post-translational modification switches the transporter between two affinity states remains unclear. Here we report the crystal structure of unphosphorylated NRT1.1, which reveals an unexpected homodimer in the inward-facing conformation. In this low-affinity state, the Thr 101 phosphorylation site is embedded in a pocket immediately adjacent to the dimer interface, linking the phosphorylation status of the transporter to its oligomeric state. Using a cell-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay, we show that functional NRT1.1 dimerizes in the cell membrane and that the phosphomimetic mutation of Thr 101 converts the protein into a monophasic high-affinity transporter by structurally decoupling the dimer. Together with analyses of the substrate transport tunnel, our results establish a phosphorylation-controlled dimerization switch that allows NRT1.1 to uptake nitrate with two distinct affinity modes. A description of the crystal structure of unphosphorylated NRT1.1 provides insights into how phosphorylation switches the nitrate transporter between the low-affinity and high-affinity states. Soil levels of nitrate, a primary nutrient for plant growth, can vary dramatically. Plants therefore need a versatile mechanism for obtaining nitrate from the environment. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the dual-affinity transporter NRT1.1 can take up nitrate across a broad range of concentrations, switching from low- to high-affinity mode according to the phosphorylation status of a key threonine residue. Two studies published in this issue of Nature describe the crystal structures of full-length NRT1.1, providing insights into how this post-translational modification switches the transporter between the low-affinity and high-affinity states.
The unsteady aerodynamics of slender wings and aircraft undergoing large amplitude maneuvers

Abstract Aircraft that maneuver through large angles of attack will experience large regions of flow separation over the wing and fuselage. The separated flow field is characterized by unsteadiness and strong vortical flow structures that can interact with various components of the aircraft. These complicated flow interactions are the primary cause of most flight dynamic instabilities, airload nonlinearities and flow field time lags. The aerodynamic and the vortical flow structure over simple delta wings undergoing either a pitching or rolling motion is presented. This article reviews experimental information on the flow structure over delta wings and complete aircraft configurations. First, the flow structure of leading-edge vortices and their influence on delta wing aerodynamics for stationary models is presented. This is followed by a discussion of the effect of large amplitude motion on the vortex structure and aerodynamic characteristic of pitching and rolling delta wings. The relationship between the flow structure and the unsteady airloads is reviewed. The unsteady motion of the delta wing results in a modification of the flow field. Delays in flow separation, vortex formation, vortex position and the onset of vortex breakdown are all affected by the model motion. These flow changes cause a corresponding modification in the aerodynamic loads. Data is presented which shows the importance of flow field hysteresis in either vortex position or breakdown and the influence on the aerodynamic characteristics of a maneuvering delta wing. The free-to-roll motion of a double-delta wing is also presented. The complicated flow structure over a double-delta wing gives rise to damped, chaotic and wing rock motions as the angle of attack is increased. The concept of a critical state is discussed and it is shown that crossing a critical state produces large transients in the dynamic airloads. Next, several aircraft configurations are examined to show the importance of unsteady aerodynamics on the flight dynamics of aircraft maneuvering at large angles of attack. The rolling characteristics of the F-18 and X-31 configurations are examined. The influence of the vortical flow structure on the rolling motion is established. Finally, a brief discussion of nonlinear aerodynamic modeling is presented. The importance of critical states and the transient aerodynamics associated with crossing a critical state are examined.
Niceness and Dating Success: A Further Test of the Nice Guy Stereotype

Proponents of the nice guy stereotype argue that women often say they wish to date kind, sensitive men, but, in reality, still choose to date macho men over nice guys, especially if the macho men are more physically attractive. We investigated the relationship between men’s agreeableness, physical attractiveness, and their dating success across different relationship contexts. One hundred and ninety-one male college students completed a computerized questionnaire to assess their levels of agreeableness and aspects of their dating history. Twenty college-aged women rated the men’s photographs for attractiveness. Results supported the nice guy stereotype. Lower levels of agreeableness predicted more less-committed, casual, sexual relationships.
Practical Considerations for Intensity Modulated CT

As most patients, for a given projection, contain regions of vastly different attenuation properties, the dose level is often far higher than is required for some regions and inadequate for others. In this paper, two practical issues pertaining to intensity modulated CT (IMCT) are demonstrated and their causes are theoretically derived. IMCT can be enabled using a number of various techniques. The use of a system of attenuating wedges, or dynamic beam attenuators (DBA) is considered here. The first practical issue is the presence of scatter radiation. It is shown that scatter radiation produces ring artifacts due to a mismatch in the frequency of the scatter and the DBA attenuation in the CT normalization procedure. The second practical issue concerns the generation of a uniform CNR image under different scanning geometries. It is shown that when the fluence incident on the detector is equalized, different system geometries propagate the noise differently (i.e. uniform noise projections do not correspond to uniform noise images for all scanning geometries). It is also shown that a simple data re-binning procedure (re-binning from one system geometry to another) can effectively mitigate this effect and allow for uniform noise images. In addition, a method to estimate the scatter signal is purposed that relies on assuming the scatter signal is equal on each side of individual DBA boundaries due to its low frequency nature.
Visibility Histograms and Visibility-Driven Transfer Functions

Direct volume rendering is an important tool for visualizing complex data sets. However, in the process of generating 2D images from 3D data, information is lost in the form of attenuation and occlusion. The lack of a feedback mechanism to quantify the loss of information in the rendering process makes the design of good transfer functions a difficult and time consuming task. In this paper, we present the general notion of visibility histograms, which are multidimensional graphical representations of the distribution of visibility in a volume-rendered image. In this paper, we explore the 1D and 2D transfer functions that result from intensity values and gradient magnitude. With the help of these histograms, users can manage a complex set of transfer function parameters that maximize the visibility of the intervals of interest and provide high quality images of volume data. We present a semiautomated method for generating transfer functions, which progressively explores the transfer function space toward the goal of maximizing visibility of important structures. Our methodology can be easily deployed in most visualization systems and can be used together with traditional 1D and 2D opacity transfer functions based on scalar values, as well as with other more sophisticated rendering algorithms.
Encapsulation of eugenol using Maillard-type conjugates to form transparent and heat stable nanoscale dispersions

Abstract Maillard-type protein-carbohydrate conjugates are known for their excellent emulsifying properties and have been used to encapsulate volatile oils and flavor compounds. In the present study, eugenol was used as a model compound for encapsulation in conjugates of whey protein isolate (WPI) and maltodextrins (MD) made using different WPI:MD mass ratios and MD chain lengths. The encapsulation involved two steps, emulsifying an oil phase of eugenol dissolved in hexane into an aqueous phase with dissolved conjugates and spray drying the emulsion. Mass yield up to 82.7 g/100 g and encapsulation efficiency as high as 35.7 g/100 g eugenol were observed. After hydrating spray-dried powders, several samples with an eugenol content above its solubility limit demonstrated transparent dispersions at pH 3.0 and 7.0 after heating at 80 °C for 15 min, corresponding to mean diameters smaller than ca. 100 nm. One treatment also showed transparent dispersions after heating at pH 5.0, which is near the isoelectric point of whey proteins, in contrast to gel formation for a control prepared with a mixture of non-conjugated WPI and MD. The present study demonstrates potential to produce food grade nanoscale systems for delivering lipophilic bioactives in functional beverages, without adversely affecting their visual appearance.
Interactions of naloxone and haloperidol with phencyclidine: Effects on milk intake

Abstract Phencyclidine (PCP), naloxone and haloperidol were administered alone and in combination to rats trained to drink sweetened-condensed milk during a 20 min daily session. PCP (1.0–16.0 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent decrease in milk intake. All doses of naloxone (0.1–16.0 mg/kg) produced approximately a 30% decrease in milk intake. Haloperidol (0.125 mg/kg) had virtually no effect on milk intake. When a dose of naloxone which reduced milk intake by approximately 30% (8.0 mg/kg) was administered as a pretreatment to the PCP, the PCP curve was shifted to the left (lowered) to that degree. When haloperidol (0.125 mg/kg) was administered as a pretreatment to the PCP, the PCP dose-response curve was shifted 1.5 fold to the right. These interactions are similar to those observed in other behavioral paradigms and are discussed in reference to PCP's actions as an indirect dopaminergic agonist.
Calibration of a gallium solar neutrino detector

The /sup 65/Cu(/sup 3/He,t)/sup 65/Zn and /sup 71/Ga(/sup 3/He,t)/sup 71/Ge reaction Q values have been directly compared. Problems with a /sup 65/Zn source for calibration of the proposed gallium solar neutrino detector are presented.
Challenges and opportunities for imaging journals: emerging from the shadows

In this article, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities for imaging journals in the next decades. These include: the importance of optimizing online communication to enhance exchange of ideas in the sciences and the necessity to facilitate the development of quantitative tools that will aid in risk stratification, diagnosis, monitoring of therapy, and disease surveillance in an era of "P4 medicine". Journals will also need to promote the evidence-based evaluation of promising technologies so that the resources expended in healthcare may be most effectively used.
On-Line Receptive Field Mapping of Cutaneous Receptors

A technique for on-line receptive field mapping of cutaneous receptors is presented. A punctate stimulus is drawn over the surface of the skin in a raster scan. The area scanned is partitioned into an N ×N matrix, with each element of the matrix element representing the number of action potentials produced by the receptor when the punctate stimulus was passing through the square of skin assigned to the element. Computer graphics supply an immediate perspective, contour, or base level view of the response topography of the receptor under study. Details of the instrumentation, preliminary results, and limitations of the approach are discussed.
Translation of modality database entries to an ACR/NEMA transfer syntax

Picker MR images were translated to the Bowman Gray School of Medicine (BGSM) IMACS format using software designed for portability to other modalities. The Siemens PET modality was the first successful test of the software's extensibility. Although the Picker project took nine months to complete, the Siemens project took only about two months. The structures of the Siemens PET images are organized utilizing software constructs which made the translation even easier. In addition, the Siemens PET system used standard Unix workstations with the Network File System (NFS), TCP/IP, and X Windows which greatly facilitated the transport of images. The translation of GE 9800 CT modality images, using a PBT interface allowed images to be sent to the 9-track archive system or the network using a state of the art NFS mount. This permitted using many powerful tools available on most Unix machines such as the qsh software developed by Gerald Q. Maguire Jr. and Marilyn E. Noz for the translation of various modalities into their DICOM-based key-value-pair system. This provided a mechanism for modality data base translation. In this way, it is hoped that modality images can be sent effectively to our IMACS. This paper discusses the transmission and conversion of modality database entries (images and demographics) into the BGSM DICOM format.
Policy as Communication and the Naturalistic Study of the Use of Policy Research

This article explores several ideas about naturalistic studies of the uses of policy research. The central thesis of this article is that naturalistic research is well suited to several important questions about the use of policy analysis. Policy analysis is a form of organizational communication. In particular, it is a form of argumentation and story-telling that occurs within the existing processes of influence and sense making in or ganizations. This view of policy research calls for methods that are sensitive to the way actors ascribe meaning to analysis and to the historical and social context of the communication.
Human brain protein phosphorylation in vitro: Cyclic AMP stimulation of electrophoretically-separated substrates

Abstract In vitro phosphorylation of electrophoretically-separated brain proteins was studied in human frontal cortex obtained 3–16 h post-mortem from 13 patients ages 3 days–82 years with extensive, mild or no neuropathological involvement. In 12 of the 13 cases, cyclic AMP increased incorporation of phosphate into acid-precipitable protein. Analysis of the autoradiographic profiles of separate proteins indicated that phosphorylation of a doublet of molecular weight 86–80,000 was stimulated by cyclic AMP in certain samples. This doublet corresponded to the cyclic AMP stimulated doublet from rat frontal cortex we have termed band D-1,2 (proteins Ia and Ib of Ueda and Greengard 20 ). Of special interest was the fact that, while co-migration was observed in the other phosphoprotein bands studied, band D-1,2 of humans consistently migrated slightly less than rat protein band D-1,2. This difference was not a function of post-mortem time, subcellular fraction or buffer used in the reaction phosphorylation assay. The use of post-mortem tissue was not a contributing factor as the retardation in band D-1,2 migration was still observed when post-mortem rat brain was used for comparison. In two human post-mortem samples, there was no measureable band D-1,2 phosphorylation even in the presence of cyclic AMP. This was the case in both homogenate and crude synaptosome/mitochondrial preparations. Band F-1 ( mol. wt.= 47,000 ) was not observed in any of the human samples studied. This is consistent with prior studies in rat which show that band F-1 phosphorylation is not detected in post-mortem brain. Band F-2 (mol. wt. 41,000) recently identified as pyruvate dehydrogenase 11 , was lightly phosphorylated under the reaction conditions used in this study.
Absorption of dilute SO2 gas stream with conversion to polymeric ferric sulfate for use in water treatment

Abstract Use of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the production of polymeric ferric sulfate (PFS) was investigated. PFS is a highly effective coagulant useful in treatment of drinking water and wastewater, and could serve as a value-added sink for sulfur removed during coal gas cleanup. SO2 was absorbed from a dilute gas stream by sparging it into a bench-scale reactor containing a stirred solution of ferrous sulfate with sodium chlorate added as an oxidant. The reaction took place near atmospheric pressure and at temperatures of 30–80 °C, and produced a solution containing approximately 50 wt.% PFS. SO2 removal efficiencies greater than 90% were achieved with ferrous iron concentrations in the product less than 0.1%. Other PFS quality parameters were also monitored, including total iron content, basicity, and pH. A factorial analysis of the effect of temperature, oxidant dosage, SO2 concentration, and gas flow rate on SO2 removal efficiency is presented. In general, higher synthesis temperatures increased iron conversion rates while decreasing SO2 removal efficiency, and increased oxidant dosages had a positive correlation with removal efficiency. In addition, X-ray diffraction analyses showed that all dried PFS samples were found to be highly amorphous regardless of drying conditions.
Peritoneal Mice Implicated in Intestinal Obstruction: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

Background Peritoneal loose bodies or "peritoneal mice" are asymptomatic and mostly found as "incidentalomas" during intraperitoneal surgery or at autopsy. Implication of these concretions in an acute abdomen is a rare clinical entity. Case report We report the case of a 63-year-old man who presented with small bowel obstruction and two calcified concretions in his pelvis. A computerized tomography scan demonstrated two oval stones near the terminal ileal loop with lumenal compression of the distal small bowel. During laparotomy, two extralumenal glistening stones, measuring 5.8 x 4.5 x 3.7 cm and 5.2 x 4.5 x 3.7 cm, were recovered from the peritoneal cavity. Histologically, the wall showed concentric lamellar fibrosis and calcification, whereas the nucleus displayed the vestiges of membranous fat necrosis; all consistent with diagnosis of peritoneal loose body. All symptoms of bowel obstruction were relieved postoperatively, and the patient had an uneventful recovery. Discussion Peritoneal loose body is a histopathologic diagnosis, and most other differentials for calcified intraperitoneal masses can be ruled out during the histologic examination. Surgical removal is recommended because conventional cross-sectional imaging cannot accurately establish the diagnosis.
Proactive interference and gender change in short- term memory

An examination was made of the salience of word gender as an encoding dimension. Ss received three Brown-Peterson tests with Spanish nouns, all of the same gender. On Test 4, there was a change in word gender for experimental Ss, and no change for control Ss. A small, but significant, release from PI occurred with gender change. Results were interpreted in terms of Wickens’s (1972) classification of stimulus dimensions.
Potential wake turbulence encounters analysis in current and NextGen flight operations

With an increasing population of super heavy aircraft operating in the National Airspace System and with the introduction of NextGen technologies, the wake vortex problem has become more important for airport capacity and the en-route air traffic operations. The vortices generated by heavy and super heavy aircraft can generate potential hazards to other aircraft on nearby flight paths. Moreover, the design of new airport procedures needs to consider the interactions between aircraft in closer paths. New methods and models are required to examine these effects before new operations are conducted in the National Airspace System (NAS). Reducing wake vortex separations to safe levels between successive aircraft is essential for NextGen operations. One approach taken recently by ICAO and the FAA is to introduce a re-categorization (RECAT) of wake vortex separations to six groups from the existing five groups employed by the FAA in the United States. Reduced aircraft separations can increase capacity in the (NAS) with corresponding savings in delay times at busy airports. Future Nextgen operations are likely to introduce smaller aircraft separations in the enroute and in the terminal area. Such operations would require better methods to identify potential wake hazards from reduced separation operations. This paper describes a simulation-based approach to identify potential wake encounters in the future NAS. The goal of the paper is to describe the Wake Encounter Model (WEM), a model that employs a detailed NASA-developed wake model to generate wake zones for different aircraft categories under different flight conditions that can be used with aircraft flight path data to identify potential wake encounters. The main contribution of this model is to gain an understanding of potential wake encounters under future NAS operations.
Mayo Clinic experience with very rare exocrine pancreatic neoplasms.

Objectives:Limited data are available to guide the management of very rare exocrine neoplasms of the pancreas (VREP). Available evidence suggests that VREP have different risk factors and prognoses from those of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The primary objectives for this study were to determine
Landmine Detection Using Two-Tapped Joint Orthogonal Matching Pursuits

Joint Orthogonal Matching Pursuits (JOMP) is used here in the context of landmine detection using data obtained from an electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor. The response from an object containing metal can be decomposed into a discrete spectrum of relaxation frequencies (DSRF) from which we construct a dictionary. A greedy iterative algorithm is proposed for computing successive residuals of a signal by subtracting away the highest matching dictionary element at each step. The nal condence of a particular signal is a combination of the reciprocal of this residual and the mean of the complex component. A two-tap approach comparing signals on opposite sides of the geometric location of the sensor is examined and found to produce better classication. It is found that using only a single pursuit does a comparable job, reducing complexity and allowing for real-time implementation in automated target recognition systems. JOMP is particularly highlighted in comparison with a previous EMI detection algorithm known as String Match.
Oral anticholinergics and gastric emptying

The quarternary ammonium antimuscarinic drugs propantheline bromide and clidinium bromide, given orally at the usual therapeutic doses, delayed gastric emptying of a swallowed radiolabeled liquid meal as measured by a gamma camera. Delay of emptying was dose dependent. If an identical meal was given by gastric tube, there was no slowing of emptying by propantheline in the group as a whole. Six subjects who emptied the intubated meal more quickly with placebo had slowed emptying after 30 mg propantheline. In five others, intubation alone slowed gastric emptying while the addition of 30 mg propantheline caused a paradoxical acceleration of gastric emptying. Clidinium bromide, 5 mg, delayed gastric emptying to the same extent as 15 mg propantheline bromide without the marked suppression of salivary secretion induced by the latter.
Reactions of (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(η1-C5H5) with phosphorus donor ligands

Abstract The course of the reaction of (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(η1-C5H5) with phosphorus donor ligands depends strongly on the nature of the ligand; products derived from an Arbuzov-like rearrangement or from reduction have been found as well as the expected simple substitution product. The dynamic PMR behavior of (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO) (P(OPh)3) (η1-C5H5) has been examined.
Impact of Component Selection and Operation on Thermal Ratings of Drain-Back Solar Water Heaters

In this paper a half-factorial, two-level experimental design is used to determine the effects of changes in collector area, storage tank volume, collector flow rate, recirculation flow rate, and storage tank design on thermal rating of a solar drain-back water heating system. Experimental ratings are determined in accordance with the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation guidelines. Storage tank design is varied by using a stratification manifold in place of the standard drop tube. Variations in other component sizes and operating factors are based on current industry standards. Statistical analyses indicate that a change in collector area accounts for nearly 90 percent of the variation in heat output. Doubling collector area from 2.78 m[sup 2] to 5.56 m[sup 2] increases delivered solar energy by 31 percent. Use of a stratification manifold increases the delivery of solar energy by six percent. Doubling collector flow rate from 0.057 to 0.114 1/s increases solar output by aproximately three percent; however, the increase in pumping energy outweighs the benefits of increasing collector flow rate. The effects of recirculation flow rate and tank volume are obscured by experimental error.
The impact of ethnicity on the presentation and prognosis of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Results from the National Cancer Data Base.

BACKGROUND. Regional-based studies have indicated that ethnicity is associated with presentation and outcome in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. To validate this observation in a large cohort, the authors of this report used the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to determine whether self-reported ethnicity influences presentation and survival in this patient population. METHODS. Patient demographics, tumor-related features, and treatment-related features were analyzed by ethnicity. Univariate analyses were performed using the chi-square test. Overall median and relative survival rates were examined by using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to identify the predictors of survival outcomes. RESULTS. Between 1995 and 2002, 81,095 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma were entered into the NCDB. There were 57,943 white patients (71.5%), 11,094 African-American patients (13.7%), 5665 Hispanic patients (7%), 4736 Asian/Pacific Islander (API) patients (5.8%), and 1657 patients of other ethnicities (2%). Significant differences were observed according to ethnicity among the variables that were compared (all P < .01). In patients with stage I and II disease, the 5-year relative survival rates for APIs (stage I, 77.2%; stage II, 48%) were more favorable than for whites (stage I, 58.7%; stage II, 32.8%), African Americans (stage I, 55.9%; stage II, 37.9%), and Hispanics (stage I, 60.8%; stage II, 39.3%). The overall median survival of APIs was more favorable than that of others (P < .01). Predictors of a better outcome were Asian race, female sex, younger age, earlier stage, lower grade, distal tumors, multimodality treatment, and care at a teaching hospital. CONCLUSIONS. Ethnicity was associated with differences in presentation and outcome of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. APIs had a more favorable outcome than patients of other ethnicities. Further studies should target underlying biologic and socioeconomic factors to explain these differences. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
The effect of the substrate on tadpole tailfin epidermal cells in vitro

The behavior of epidermal cells was studied by employing two in vitro systems in which reepithelialization occurs: the single explant system and the fused system. Single explants (4–5 mm2) are prepared from the tailfins of R. catesbeiana tadpoles and cultured in Hank's balanced salt solution at 22°C. The fused system is prepared by placing single tailfin pieces on either side of a tailfin piece that was stripped of its epidermis. These tissues are placed onto a Millipore filter and cultured in Hank's at 22°C. In these experiments one can study the effect of the substrate, core vs a collagenous basement membrane, on the behavior of epidermal cells during reepithelialization. The results of these experiments demonstrate that there are differences in the behavior of epidermal cells in these two systems. In the fused system wound closure is associated with the occurrence of “contact inhibition,” the cessation of further cell migration, and the presence of an epidermal layer that exhibits a normal cytoarchitecture in the wound area. However, in the single explant system, wound closure occurs but an overaccumulation of epidermal cells in the wound area, “capping,” is observed.
A Dual Approach to Constrained Interpolationfrom a Convex Subset of Hilbert Space

Many interesting and important problems of best approximationare included in (or can be reduced to) one of the followingtype: in a Hilbert spaceX, find the best approximationPK(x) to anyx?Xfrom the setK?C?A?1(b),whereCis a closed convex subset ofX,Ais a bounded linearoperator fromXinto a finite-dimensional Hilbert spaceY, andb?Y. The main point of this paper is to show thatPK(x)isidenticaltoPC(x+A*y)?the best approximationto a certain perturbationx+A*yofx?from the convexsetCor from a certain convex extremal subsetCbofC. Thelatter best approximation is generally much easier to computethan the former. Prior to this, the result had been known onlyin the case of a convex cone or forspecialdata sets associatedwith a closed convex set. In fact, we give anintrinsic characterizationof those pairs of setsCandA?1(b) for which this canalways be done. Finally, in many cases, the best approximationPC(x+A*y) can be obtained numerically from existingalgorithms or from modifications to existing algorithms. Wegive such an algorithm and prove its convergence
Using the creation machine to locate airplanes on aerial photos

Abstract Experiments on the use of the creation machine of the syntactic-semantic approach to locate airplanes on aerial photos is presented. The basic concepts and formulations of the syntactic-semantic approach are reviewed. The peculiarity of locating airplanes from aerial photos is discussed. Experimental results are shown. The creation machine is a procedure which can assemble the desired objects-from a chaos of fragments of the desired object and the noise object.
Electronic structural investigations of ruthenium compounds and anticancer prodrugs.

Several RuIII compounds are propitious anticancer agents although the precise mechanisms of action remain unknown. With this paper we start to establish an experimental library of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data for ten Ru compounds wherein the ligands [Cl−, dimethyl sulfoxide, imidazole, and indazole] were varied systematically to provide electronic structural information for future use in correlating spectroscopic signatures with chemical properties. Despite the considerable difference in the coordination environments of the complexes studied, the overall differences in spectral features and electronic structures calculated using density functional theory are unexpectedly small. However, the differences in the electronic structure of the RuIII prodrugs KP1019 ([IndH][trans-RuCl4(Ind)2], Ind is indazole) and ICR ([ImH][trans-RuCl4(Im)2], Im is imidazole) observed in the XAS data show correlation with known chemical and biological activities in addition to the donor abilities of imidazole compared with indazole and reduction potentials of the complexes. These semiquantitative results lay the groundwork for future biochemical studies into the structure–function relationships of Ru-based anticancer drugs.
Identification of human CD4 residues affecting class II MHC versus HIV-1 gp120 binding

INTERACTIONS of CD4 with the class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are crucial during thymic ontogeny1 and subsequently for helper and cytotoxic functions of CD4+CD8− T lymphocytes2–5. CD4 is the receptor for the T-lymphotropic human immunodeficiency virus and binds its envelope glycoprotein, gp1206–10. The residues involved in gp120 binding have been localized to a region within the immunoglobulin-like domain I of CD4, which corresponds to CDR2 of an immunoglobulin variable region11–13, but the CD4 residues important in MHC class II interaction have not been characterized. Here, using a cell-binding assay dependent specifically on the CD4–MHC class II association, we analyse the effects of mutations in CD4 on class II versus gp120 binding. Mutations in CDR2 that destroy gp120 binding affect CD4–MHC class II binding similarly. In addition, binding of soluble gp120 to CD4–transfected cells abrogates their ability to interact with class II-bearing B lymphocytes. In contrast, other mutations within domains I or II that have no effect on gp120 binding eliminate or substantially decrease class II interaction. Thus, the CD4 binding site for class II MHC is more complex than the gp120 binding site, possibly reflecting a broader area of contact with the former ligand and a requirement for appropriate juxtaposition of the two N-terminal domains. The ability of gp120 to inhibit the binding of class II MHC to CD4 could be important in disrupting normal T-cell physiology, acting both to inhibit immune responses and to prevent differentiation of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes into CD4+CD8− T lymphocytes.
Unexplained chest pain: the hypersensitive, hyperreactive, and poorly compliant esophagus.

Objective: To determine whether neuromuscular dysfunction of the esophagus causes chest pain in patients in whom no disease is found on cardiac work-up, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, esophageal...
LIMITED RESURRECTION OF THE BORN APPROXIMATION.

It is shown that the ordinary Born approximation for $\mathrm{pn}$ and $p\overline{p}$ charge-exchange scattering correctly accounts for (1) the shape of the forward peak for $0\ensuremath{\le}(\ensuremath{-}t)\ensuremath{\le}\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{2}}{2}$ at ${P}_{L}=8 \frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}$, and (2) the energy dependence of the cross sections at $t=0$ in the energy range ${P}_{L}=2\ensuremath{-}8 \frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}$. This result is analogous to the well-known success of the electric Born approximation in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ photoproduction. It is then shown that the simplest interpretation of this surprising result within the framework of Regge-pole theory is in terms of the fixed poles which are allowed by unitarity in hadronic amplitudes at certain nonsense points of right signature. Finally, it is shown how such a fixed pole at a nonsense point of one helicity amplitude affects another amplitude for which the corresponding point is sense.