cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolic abnormalities associated with calyceal diverticular stones.

Stones in calyceal diverticula present an interesting problem, both surgical and metabolic. Authors from the USA used a comprehensive metabolic evaluation of patients with these stones, and found consistent abnormalities. They also found that these could be corrected with selective medical therapy, and this was associated with a high remission rate. OBJECTIVE To review the metabolic analyses of patients with calyceal diverticular stones who had surgical treatment of their calculi and to examine the effect of selective medical therapy on stone recurrence, as recent reports suggest that metabolic abnormalities contribute to stone development. PATIENTS AND METHODS In all, 37 patients who had endoscopic treatment of symptomatic calyceal diverticular calculi were retrospectively reviewed. Stone composition and initial 24-h urine collections (24-h urinary volumes, pH, calcium, sodium, uric acid, oxalate, citrate, and the number of abnormalities/patient per collection) were compared with 20 randomly selected stone-forming patients (controls) with no known anatomical abnormalities. Stone formation rates before and after the start of medical therapy were calculated in the patients available for follow-up. RESULTS Twelve of the diverticulum patients (five men and seven women) had complete 24-h urine collections, all of whom had at least one metabolic abnormality. Seven patients had hypercalciuria, four had hyperuricosuria and three had mild hyperoxaluria. The most common abnormality was a low urine volume; 11 of the 12 patients had urine volumes of 0.05). No patients had gouty diathesis and none developed cystine stones. Stone analyses were similar in the two groups; both developed either calcium oxalate or mixed calcium oxalate/calcium phosphate stones. Six patients were followed for a mean of 23.1 months while on selective medical therapy; only one passed any additional stones, thought to be existing calculi, for a remission rate of five of six (83%). CONCLUSIONS All patients with symptomatic calyceal diverticular stones who had comprehensive metabolic evaluation had metabolic abnormalities. There were similar abnormalities in the control random stone-formers. The abnormalities were corrected with selective medical therapy, as shown by the high remission rate. We recommend that, for patients with symptomatic calyceal diverticular calculi, a metabolic evaluation should be considered to determine stone forming risk factors.
Postpartum contact and maternal confidence and anxiety: A confirmation of short-term effects*

Amount of postpartum contact was examined in 34 primiparas and their normal, full-term infants born in a hospital which allowed extensive time together during the day. Although hours of contact were not reduced as part of the design, 18% of the sample were separated from their babies for at least 24 hours due to elevated maternal temperatures without other symptoms. The data were analyzed for both days of separation (which were not determined by the mother's personality) as well as median number of hours of contact which may have been confounded by her attitudes (excluding the separated mothers from the low-contact group). Definite but transient effects of the amount of postpartum contact were found. Maternal confidence was reduced in low-contact and separated mothers during the neonatal period but not at 4–6 weeks or 6 months, and overt (particularly in relation to covert) anxiety was increased in separated mothers 4–6 weeks after the birth. Mother-infant interaction patterns at newborn, 4–6 weeks and 1 year, newborn behavior at 2 days and 4–6 weeks, and infant development at 1 year did not differ in relation to postpartum contact. These data confirm the early findings of enhanced maternal confidence following extended postpartum contact and support more recent reports of contact-related differences in affective behaviors. No support was found for long-term effects, however.
Witsenhausen's counterexample: A view from optimal transport theory

We formulate Witsenhausen's decentralized stochastic control setup as an optimization problem involving the quadratic Wasserstein distance and the minimum mean-square error. Classical results are recovered as immediate consequences of transport-theoretic properties. New results and bounds on the optimal cost are also obtained. In particular, we show that the optimal controller is a strictly increasing function with a real analytic left inverse.
Numerical Simulation of Radiation-driven Targets for Light-ion Inertial Confinement Fusion

Light ion beam inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a concept in which intense beams of low atomic number ions would be used to drive ICF targets to ignition and gain. Here, results from numerical simulations are presented describing the operation of an indirect-drive light-ion ICF target designed for a commercial power plant application. The simulations indicate that the ICF target, consisting of an X-ray-driven capsule embedded in a spherical foam-filled hohlraum, will produce a fusion energy output of over 500 MJ when driven with lithium ion beams containing a total input energy of 8 MJ.
Interference in the Manufacture of Nuclepore Filters

In connection with the manufacture of Nuclepore filters at Vallecitos, considerations that are probabilistic in nature become important. One such consideration deals with the probabilities of interference of circles of uniform radius placed at random on a surface. Such probabilities have been found by several investigators in different contexts. A second consideration is three dimensional in that one must find the probability that cyclinders formed by passing the circles through a plate of given thickness at random angles will intersect completely through the plate. An approximate solution is found to this problem as a function of the ratio of plate thickness to circle radius. Small scale simulations are included to check the adequacy of the approximations.
G Proteins and Axon Growth

Abstract This article highlights recent studies into the roles of the G proteins in two processes required for axon growth: growth cone motility and vesicular transport. Heterotrimeric G proteins are involved in growth cone motility, but their precise roles remain controversial. The small GTP-binding proteins are clearly established regulators of the actin cytoskeleton in fibroblasts, and their functions are just beginning to be explored in the growth cone. Members of the rab subfamily of small GTP-binding proteins have been shown to regulate vesicular transport in every cell type examined thus far, including neurons.
The timing and pace of health transitions around the world.

IN THE LAST half century demographers and historians have recovered a rich body of information about mortality levels and trends in the past in individual countries. In this exercise I assemble data and estimates from some 700 sources to fashion a broad picture of regional and global life expectancy gains across time and space and examine some implications from that collective picture. The countries I consider are those with populations in the year 2000 of at least 400000. Sources providing estimates of life expectancy at birth are listed by country in a bibliography provided separately. The term “health transition” describes the persistent gains in survival that have occurred in all countries and that are part of a long-run shift from low to high life expectancy. In individual countries the beginning of a health transition can typically be associated with a single decade or two successive decades marked by sustained gains in survival. For most countries and for the world as a whole the transition once underway continued into the 1980s with no more than temporary interruptions caused for example by wars famines or epidemics. Since the early 1980s there has been a trifurcation of experience. (excerpt)
PTSD and comorbid AUD: a review of pharmacological and alternative treatment options.

BACKGROUND Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD) frequently co-occur there are no specific treatments for individuals diagnosed with these comorbid conditions. The main objectives of this paper are to review the literature on pharmacological options for PTSD and comorbid AUD, and to summarize promising behavioral and alternative interventions for those with these dual diagnoses. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search on PsycINFO and MEDLINE/PubMed databases using Medical Subject Headings terms in various combinations to identify articles that used pharmacotherapy for individuals with dual diagnoses of PTSD and AUD. Similar strategies were used to identify articles on behavioral and alternative treatments for AUD and PTSD. We identified and reviewed six studies that tested pharmacological treatments for patients with PTSD and comorbid AUD. RESULTS The literature on treatment with US Food and Drug Administration approved medications for patients with dual diagnosis of PTSD and AUD is very limited and inconclusive. Promising evidence indicates that topiramate and prazosin may be effective in reducing PTSD and AUD symptoms in individuals with comorbidity. Seeking safety has had mixed efficacy in clinical trials. The efficacy of other behavioral and alternative treatments (mindfulness-based, yoga, and acupuncture) is more difficult to evaluate since the evidence comes from small, single studies without comparison groups. CONCLUSION There is a clear need for more systematic and rigorous study of pharmacological, behavioral, and alternative treatments for patients with dual diagnoses of PTSD and AUD.
Characterization of lipophorin binding to the midgut of larval Manduca sexta.

Lipophorin binding to the midgut of Manduca sexta larvae was characterized in a midgut membrane preparation, using iodinated larval high-density lipophorin (125I-HDLp-L). The iodination procedure did not change the affinity of the preparation for lipophorin. In the presence of increasing concentrations of membrane protein, corresponding increases in lipophorin binding were observed. The time-course of lipophorin binding to the membranes was affected by the lipophorin concentration in the medium, and at a low lipoprotein concentration, a longer time was required for equilibrium to be reached. The specific binding of lipophorin to the midgut membrane was a saturable process with a Kd=1.5±0.2×10−7 M and a maximal binding capacity=127±17 ng lipophorin/μg of membrane protein. Binding did not depend on calcium, was maximal around pH 5.5, was strongly inhibited by an increase in the ionic strength, and abolished by suramin. However, suramin did not completely displace lipophorin that was previously bound to the membrane preparation. The lipid content of the lipophorin did not significantly affect the affinity of the membrane preparation for lipoprotein.
Strains of Small Race Entamoeba histolytica maintained in Outdated Blood Bank Blood Medium.

Summary1. Two modified blood mediums, one diphasic, the other liquid, are described for growth and maintenance of Entamoeba histolytica of large and small races. The mediums are modifications of the one described and used by Tarshis(11) to grow Mycobacterium tuberculosis. 2. Strains of small race-Griffith; Brown, a new strain; Conrad; and 110-maintained in the diphasic medium exhibited increased motility as compared to egg slant controls and increased growth over liquid charcoal cultures. The large race strains-200; K9; and Komin, a new strain-grew equally well in the diphasic blood medium. 3. The liquid blood medium was particularly unsatisfactory for maintenance of strains of small race, as the organisms were not easily discerned in the highly cellular sediment. 4. No attempts were made to culture stools or to isolate new strains of small or large race in either blood medium. 5. A 48-hour subculturing scheme was satisfactory for diphasic blood medium, liquid charcoal medium and egg slants; 0.5 ml of sed...
Perinatal exposure to a high NaCl diet increases the NaCl intake of adult rats

Abstract To determine the effect of differences in perinatal NaCl exposure on NaCl intake, adult Sprague-Dawley female rats were maintained on diets containing either 0.12, 1.0, or 3% NaCl throughout pregnancy and lactation. The offspring were continued on the these same diets to 30 days postpartum. Thereafter, all offspring were fed the same basal diet containing 1% NaCl. At 90 days of age, the adult offspring were placed in metabolism cages for 7 days and fed 1% NaCl chow for days 1–2, and 0% NaCl chow for days 3–7. On days 6–7, the animals were free to consume both water and 0.3 M NaCl. When dietary NaCl was available, adult rats exposed perinatally to the high NaCl diet excreted significantly more sodium on days 1–2 and 6–7 than did the rats exposed to either the mid or low NaCl diets. There were no differences in sodium excretion during sodium deprivation on days 3–5. The 0.3 M NaCl intake of the high NaCl-exposed rats was also significantly greater than the intake of the mid and low NaCl-exposed rats. In another group of adult rats, exposed perinatally to either a low or high NaCl diet, the spontaneous 24-hr intake of water and 0.3 M NaCl was measured after repeated episodes of acute sodium depletion. Sodium depletion was induced by 48 hr of dietary sodium deprivation combined with a single subcutaneous injection of 5 mg furosemide. Acute sodium depletion was found to augment existing differences in NaCl intake between low and high NaCl-exposed rats. Early NaCl exposure is likely to alter the neuroendocrine mechanisms involved in the control of NaCl intake.
The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer: Present and future

The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) is an airborne passive microwave radiometer designed to provide high resolution, wide swath imagery of surface wind speed in tropical cyclones from a low profile planar antenna with no mechanical scanning. Wind speed and rain rate images from HIRAD's first field campaign (GRIP, 2010) are presented here followed, by a discussion on the performance of the newly installed thermal control system during the 2012 HS3 campaign. The paper ends with a discussion on the next generation dual polarization HIRAD antenna (already designed) for a future system capable of measuring wind direction as well as wind speed.
Identification of Operators and Promoters That Control SXT Conjugative Transfer

Transfer of SXT, a Vibrio cholerae-derived integrating conjugative element that encodes multiple antibiotic resistance genes, is repressed by SetR, a lambda434 cI-related repressor. Here we identify divergent promoters between s086 and setR that drive expression of the regulators of SXT transfer. One transcript encodes the activators of transfer, setC and setD. The second transcript codes for SetR and, like the cI transcript of lambda, is leaderless. SetR binds to four operators located between setR and s086; the locations and relative affinities of these sites suggest a model for regulation of SXT transfer.
Synthesis of Nanoporous Gold Structures via Dealloying of Electroplated Au-Ni Alloy Films

We studied the synthesis of nanoporous gold (NPG) films using electrodeposited Au-Ni as a precursor for dealloying. Potentiostatic dealloying of amorphous Au-Ni (Ni 65, 77, and 85at%) films at 0.7VSCE in 10mM H2SO4, resulted in the formation of nanoporous structures with average pore diameter increasing with Ni content from 69 to 107 nm. Alloy films with high Ni content are more susceptible to surface cracking due to large internal stresses. Potentiostatic dealloying of amorphous Au-Ni 73at% at 1.0V, 1.3V, and 1.5VSCE in 10mM H2SO4 yielded NPG structures with an average pore size which decreased with increasing applied voltage, from 57nm to 36nm. At higher anodic potentials, surface cracks become more apparent. Finally, the NPG structure could be tuned also by potentiostatic dealloying of partially crystallized Au-Ni 73at% at 0.7VSCE in 10mM H2SO4. The average pore size measured about 9nm, much smaller than those observed in dealloyed amorphous Au-Ni films.
Scaling, hierarchical modeling, and reuse in an object-oriented modeling and simulation system

Three useful modeling techniques for specifying discrete event simulation models are discussed. Hierarchical model specification provides for model specification at different levels of abstraction. Scaling of model elements provides for the combination of similarly structured and parallel operating model elements into arrays of both fixed and dynamic sizes. Reuse of model elements allows for the repeated use of model element specifications. The Hierarchical Control Flow Graph Model paradigm is used to demonstrate the techniques discussed.
Structure of cDNAs Encoding the Triple-Helical Domain of Murine α2 (VI) Collagen Chain and Comparison to Human and Chick Homologues. Use of Polymerase Chain Reaction and Partially Degenerate Oligonucleotides for Generation of Novel cDNA Clones

Type VI collagen cDNAs of human and avian origin were recently obtained and characterized by screening cDNA libraries in k phage. Based on the published sequences of these cDNAs, we constructed partially degenerate oligonucleotide primers that we used in polymerase chain reactions for the generation of α2(VI) collagen clones of murine origin. As template, we used cDNA derived from murine total RNA. We amplified, cloned and sequenced a 1043-bp fragment that contains the coding sequence for the entire triple-helical domain except for the first two amino acids that are Gly-Pro in both man and chicken. Comparison of the nucleotide and derived amino acid sequences revealed 84.6% and 92.5% identity between mouse and man at the DNA and protein levels, respectively. Comparison with chicken sequences showed 72% and 79.1% identity. The third base usage showed a distinct preference for A in the glycine codons for the three species; whereas, U is preferred in all human fibrillar collagen genes previously defined. The preference for third base codon in Y position prolines is U for the α2(VI) collagen as it is for the human fibrillar collagen genes. A single cysteine at position 89, two Arg-Gly-Asp sequences, and one triple helix-interruption are conserved in mouse, man and chicken. Comparison of hydropathy plots showed great similarity between those of murine and human α2(VI) collagen chains and to a lesser extent between murine and chick. Northern blot hybridization of murine poly A+ RNA with a nick-translated radiolabeled ±2(VI) collagen probe detected one major transcript of 3.7 kb. Two less abundant transcripts of 2.7 and 2.1 kb were also detected. The presence of multiple transcripts suggests the existence of either multiple polyadenylation signals or alternative splicing events or both.
Avoiding hydrolysis of fuel ether oxygenates during static headspace analysis.

The determination of fuel ether oxygenates in groundwater was found to be problematic when samples are preserved at pH < 2 and then analyzed using heated headspace sampling. Acid catalyzed the hydrolysis of tert-amyl methyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether, and methyl tert-butyl ether during headspace sampling when aqueous samples were heated at 80 °C, a typical temperature used for heated headspace sampling. Hydrochloric acid at pH 2 did not cause hydrolysis of oxygenate ethers in samples stored for 28 d at 4 °C. When trisodium phosphate was used to preserve the sample or to adjust the pH of samples preserved with acid before headspace sampling, the recovery of spiked ethers was excellent. The heated headspace method was also applicable for the determination of other fuel oxygenates including ethanol, tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), tert-amyl alcohol (TAA), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), acetone, and monoaromatic compounds found in gasoline including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and trimethylbenzenes. The m...
Expressions for the Specific Heat Flux to a Cylinder in a Thermal Plasma Crossflow

Analytical expressions for the specific heat flux on the cylinder surface or average over its circumference in a thermal plasma counter flow is presented. (AIP)
The cognitive ecology of Mexico: Climatic and socio-cultural effects on life history strategies and cognitive abilities

Abstract The purpose of the present study is to test an integrated model of human ecology, which takes into consideration variables and predictions derived from both life history and social privilege paradigms. Population-level statistics were collected from an assortment of Mexican national agencies on thirty-one Mexican States and the Federal District ( N = 32). The integrated model of human cognitive ecology specifically described how biodiversity impacts state-level life history strategies and cognitive abilities in Mexico. Results from the sequential canonical cascade analysis supported the three following hypotheses: (1) regional climatic factors affected regional life histories; (2) both regional life histories and climatic factors affected regional levels of human capital; and (3) both regional levels of human capital and regional climatic factors affected regional mean cognitive abilities. The integrated model of human cognitive ecology explained a preponderance of the pooled multivariate variance ( V = .66) in cognitive abilities. Implications and future directions within life history and intelligence research are discussed.
The effect of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and other tumor promoters on the colony formation of rat tracheal epithelial cells in culture

Normal primary rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells were isolated and exposed in culture to tumor promoters and irritants of diverse chemical classes. The phorbol derivative class of tumor promoters greatly stimulated colony forming efficiency (CFE) in culture. The efficacies of the agents tested were ranked in the order: mezerein greater than 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) greater than phorbol didecanoate greater than phorbol dibutyrate greater than phorbol dibenzoate greater than 4-O-methyl TPA greater than phorbol diacetate. The parent alcohol phorbol did not stimulate CFE under the conditions tested. The indole alkaloid tumor promoter teleocidin stimulated CFE at concentrations at least 10-fold lower than those required for TPA. Other irritants and non-phorbol ester tumor promoters such as anthralin, benzoyl peroxide, calcium ionophore A23187, and ethylphenyl propiolate were either inactive or reduced CFE. Phenobarbital marginally stimulated CFE at one concentration but reduced CFE at higher concentrations. Increases in CFE elicited by TPA and analogs were dependent upon the time of addition of TPA to the cultures. Maximum increases in CFE were observed when the cells were plated into medium containing TPA. If TPA was added 40 h after plating, stimulation of CFE did not occur. This 40 h time interval may represent a crucial period for the commitment of RTE stem cells to proliferation or differentiation. Whether the stimulation of colony formation seen in normal RTE cells exposed to phorbol derivatives also occurs in carcinogen-altered cells, thereby causing their proliferative expansion, remains to be determined.
Epitaxial growth of BGaAs and BGaInAs by MOCVD

Abstract The growth of epitaxial zinc-blende B x Ga 1− x As and B x Ga 1− x − y In y As alloys using diborane is complicated by a thermodynamic miscibility gap and complex gas-phase chemistry. We have characterized the growth behavior of these alloys when they are grown using trimethylgallium (TMG), triethylgallium (TEG), trimethylindium (TMI), and arsine by low-pressure and atmospheric-pressure metal–organic chemical-vapor-deposition. Boron incorporation into B x Ga 1− x As exhibits qualitatively different behavior using TEG and TMG, but the incorporation efficiency and maximum achievable boron concentration decrease dramatically at growth temperatures greater than 600°C using either Ga source.
Role of extracellular signal regulated kinases in neuronal death and survival

The death of neurons is one of the forces that shapes the development of the nervous system. Most neurons in the mature nervous system are postmitotic cells and therefore cannot be easily replaced by cell renewal. Thus, the number of mature neurons in the nervous system is primarily dependent on the extent of neuronal survival and can decline when cell death is induced by damaging insults. Excessive neuronal death underlies the loss of nerve cells and the subsequent functional decline observed in several major neurological diseases including stroke or dementia. As neuronal death and/or survival are greatly affected by the cellular environment, it is expected that signal transduction pathways activated by extracellular or intracellular signals will regulate these processes. Extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERKs) that belong to the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) family are important carriers for multiple informational inputs that reach the neuron. For instance, they play a critical role in neuronal plasticity, which is a substrate for learning and memory. The purpose of this minireview series is to discuss the literature on the involvement of ERKs in the regulation of neuronal survival and/or neuronal death. In the first paper of the series, Hetman & Gozdz present evidence supporting the role of ERK½ in the suppression of neuronal death and/or the enhancement of neuronal survival. It appears that ERKI/2 may transduce the prosurvival activity of several protective extracellular stimuli. ERK½ may also be involved in mobilizing a defensive response in neurons exposed to damage. In the second paper, Cavanaugh reviews reports indicating that ERK5 may play an important role in protection against neuronal death. It seems that this kinase serves as a prosurvival transducer in immature neurons during development, and that the prosurvival activity of ERK5 involves regulation of gene expression. Finally, Chu et al. present literature indicating that in several cases, activation of ERKI/2 may transduce toxic signals that trigger neuronal death. Indeed, the chronic activation of ERK½ in certain cellular compartments may contribute to the neurodegenerative cascades that are involved in Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases as well as in ischemic stroke. It appears that there are several questions concerning ERKs involvement in the regulation of neuronal death/ survival that will require further study. They include the following: (a) what are the target mechanisms that mediate ERKs effects on neuronal death/survival? and (b) which factors can determine the outcome of ERKs activity on neuronal death/survival? Addressing these questions may aid the development of neuroprotective interventions that will target signaling via ERKs.
Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Chemical Bonding and Hydrothermal Stability of an Aminosilane on Metal Oxide Surfaces

Abstract Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to study the metal oxide/silane interface. Structures of γ-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane (γ-APDMES) coupling agent on the surface of metal oxide powders are proposed. The structures depend on the surface characteristics of the substrate. The amine group of the silane molecule forms a hydrogen bond with the silica surface. The enhanced intensity of the amine band around 1600 cm−1 indicates that the amine group forms a complex on the titanium dioxide and aluminum oxide surfaces, as well as a hydrogen bond. By using the diffuse reflectance infrared technique, the Al-O-Si and Ti-O-Si antisymmetric frequencies are detected at 963 and 950 cm−1, respectively, which agree favorably with the calculated frequencies. When the treated metal oxide powders are immersed in 80°C water, the rate of silane desorption increased in the following order of substrate; SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3.
Impact of a liquid drop against a flat surface

Lagrangian methods are used with an assumed flow field and a truncated sphere model to analyze the dynamical process of a liquid drop impacting aflat, rigid surface. The resulting differential equation for drop height as a function of time during contact is solved numerically for several values of the three parameters: Weber number of the incoming drop, ratio of the surface tension in air to that at the contact surface, and the viscosity parameter. The drop contact radius as a function of time is also calculated and compared with some experimental results in the literature.
Low-Frequency (1/f) Noise in Nanocrystal Field-Effect Transistors

We investigate the origins and magnitude of low-frequency noise in high-mobility nanocrystal field-effect transistors and show the noise is of 1/f-type. Sub-band gap states, in particular, those introduced by nanocrystal surfaces, have a significant influence on the 1/f noise. By engineering the device geometry and passivating nanocrystal surfaces, we show that in the linear and saturation regimes the 1/f noise obeys Hooge’s model of mobility fluctuations, consistent with transport of a high density of accumulated carriers in extended electronic states of the NC thin films. In the subthreshold regime, the Fermi energy moves deeper into the mobility gap and sub-band gap trap states give rise to a transition to noise dominated by carrier number fluctuations as described in McWhorter’s model. CdSe nanocrystal field-effect transistors have a Hooge parameter of 3 × 10–2, comparable to other solution-deposited, thin-film devices, promising high-performance, low-cost, low-noise integrated circuitry.
Empirical equation based chirality (n, m) assignment of semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes from resonant Raman scattering data

This work presents a technique for the chirality (n, m) assignment of semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes by solving a set of empirical equations of the tight binding model parameters. The empirical equations of the nearest neighbor hopping parameters, relating the term (2n, m) with the first and second optical transition energies of the semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes, are also proposed. They provide almost the same level of accuracy for lower and higher diameter nanotubes. An algorithm is presented to determine the chiral index (n, m) of any unknown semiconducting tube by solving these empirical equations using values of radial breathing mode frequency and the first or second optical transition energy from resonant Raman spectroscopy. In this paper, the chirality of 55 semiconducting nanotubes is assigned using the first and second optical transition energies. Unlike the existing methods of chirality assignment, this technique does not require graphical comparison or pattern recognition between existing experimental and theoretical Kataura plot.
Alanine Aminotransferase Levels: What's Normal?

In this issue, Prati and colleagues confirm and extend previously reported data demonstrating relations between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, body mass index, and abnormal lipid or carbohy...
Morphogenesis of the head of a newt: Mesodermal segments, neuromeres, and distribution of neural crest

Segmentation of the mesoderm in the head of a newt embryo is revealed by scanning electron microscopy. By the end of gastrulation, the newt embryo is already segmented from one end to the other, with additional segments added later by the tail bud. This metameric segmentation appears long before the first "somite" can be seen in the late neurula by light microscopy. The six segments found in the newt head look much like the six most-cranial segments described decades ago in shark embryos. Mesodermal segments in the newt head are similar to somitomeres in amniote embryos, but in amniote embryos, the numbers and relationships of head segments are quite different from those of the newt. In both amniote and newt, the first segment abuts the prosencephalon, but for each more caudal head segment, where the newt embryo has one segment, the amniote has two. Although the pattern and distribution of cranial neural crest is quite similar in newt and amniote embryos, there are different relationships between migrating crest masses and mesodermal segments due to the doubling of most of the cranial segments in amniotes. It now appears that all vertebrate embryos, regardless of their mode of gastrulation, form similar mesodermal segments from one end of the embryo to the other, and this metameric pattern is established during gastrulation.
A statistical analysis of the variation in measured crystal orientations obtained through electron backscatter diffraction

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques are used to determine the crystallography of individual metal grains. This paper examines the variability in the orientation of measurements obtained by EBSD. Although precision and statistics of orientation have been explored in the literature, little attention has been paid to formal statistical inference for quantifying variation in orientation measurements. Our intention is to study precision by developing statistical analyses for quantifying multiple sources of orientation variation, given repeat scans of a metal sample. Three sources of variability are simultaneously explored: variation in repeat measurements at a fixed location, variation among locations within a grain, and grain-to-grain variation. Bayes statistical methods will be applied to a hierarchical model with the uniform-axis-random-spin (UARS) components of Bingham et al. [1] to quantify these sources of variation. Repeat scans of a Inconel 600 specimen will be used to provide an illustrating example of how the statistical methods can be used to arrive at precision estimates.
Measurement of solution streaming in polarographic maxima of the second kind

Summary A detailed procedure for the measurement of the speed of solution streaming in maxima of the second kind is described. The solution velocities increase to maximal values at the drop surface and different velocities are found in various regions around the drop. The effect of varying flow rate of mercury, concentration of supporting electrolyte and presence of a surfactant on these velocities is reported.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome from organophosphate poisoning

A 46-year-old man after an accidental exposure to organophosphates developed florid adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A markedly suppressed level of pseudocholinesterase and red blood cell cholinesterase with profuse salivation and sweating confirmed the diagnosis of organophosphate poisoning. Within 48 hours, patient developed respiratory distress needing intubation. Despite maximum ventilatory support and positive end-expiratory pressure, hypoxia persisted, Swan Ganz (Baxter Healthcare Inc, Irvine, CA) pressures showed low pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and patient died on the third hospital day. An autopsy confirmed the picture of ARDS. Other potential causes of ARDS were excluded. Although rare, organophosphate poisoning should be added to the list of toxins causing ARDS.
Optical Performance Of Molded-Glass Lenses For Optical Memory Applications

Optical performance results are reported for four different molded-glass lenses. All four lenses are intended for use as focus objectives in optical memory applications, including Compact Disc, Laser Disc, and optical storage pickups. All lenses have measured performance below 0.04 waves RMS on-axis at 0.780 micron. The lenses differ in the different performance features they emphasize. These features include excellent off-axis performance, longer working distance, a finite conjugate, and a higher numerical aperture.
Hours of work and the ecological footprint of nations: an exploratory analysis

Concerns over the unsustainability of current social and economic practices persist, despite significant improvements in recent decades in ecological efficiency – i.e. the ability to produce each dollar of economic output with fewer resource inputs and pollution outputs. As increases in production frequently outpace eco-efficiency improvements, the ecological impacts of many nations continue to grow. In light of such trends, eco-efficiency improvements may be inadequate to address ecological challenges unless accompanied by the notion of sufficiency, i.e. moderating the growth of production and consumption. One sufficiency-based option involves a shift in emphasis in the way already-affluent nations benefit from economic progress. Rather than taking advantage of continued labour productivity gains – the ability to produce more in every hour of labour – in the form of more production and material affluence, several writers have called for all or part of these gains to be channelled toward a reduction in ho...
A combinatorial approach to matrix algebra

On presente une interpretation combinatoire de l'algebre des matrices et on donne des demonstrations de cinq identites matricielles classiques
Purification and characterization of an inducible cysteine proteinase inhibitor from submandibular glands of isoproterenol-treated rats

A low-molecular-weight protein, induced in rats following prolonged isoproterenol treatment, has been purified from rat submandibular glands by chromatography on columns of Sepharose CL-6B, DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, and Sephadex G-75. The purified protein is homogeneous based on gel electrophoresis and Ouchterlony double diffusion. The molecular weight of the purified protein was 14,000 and 15,500 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration on a Superose 12 column, respectively. This protein contains 31% glutamic acid/glutamine and aspartic acid/asparagine, 3.6% cysteine, and 2.5% proline. This protein is shown to be an inhibitor of several cysteine proteinases, papain and ficin being inhibited very strongly in approximately 1:1 molar ratio of enzyme to inhibitor. The protein is not detected in normal rat tissues but is induced in submandibular and sublingual glands even after 1 day of isoproterenol treatment of rats as early as 7 days after birth. Based on cysteine proteinase inhibitor activity, molecular size, and chemical composition this protein appears to belong to the cystatin superfamily.
Selenium source identification and biogeochemical processes controlling selenium in surface water and biota, Kendrick Reclamation Project, Wyoming, U.S.A.

Abstract The major tributaries draining the Kendrick Reclamation Project (KRP) account for an average of 52% of the total Se load measured in the North Platte River downstream from Casper, Wyoming. The Casper Creek drainage basin contributed the largest Se load of the five tributary sites to the North Platte River. The 4-d average Se concentration in water samples from one site in the part of the North Platte River that receives irrigation return flows exceeded the 5 μg/l U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's aquatic life criterion five time during a 50-d monitoring period in 1989. In agreement with the water-quality data, muscle and liver tissue rom rainbow trout collected from the same part of the North Platte River had Se concentrations exceeding levels known to cause reproductive failure and chronic Se poisoning. On the basis of Se: Cl, 18O/16O and D/H ratios in water from Goose and Rasmus Lee Lakes (closed-basin systems), the large Se concentrations in those lakes were derived by natural evaporation of irrigation water without leaching of soluble forms of Se from soil or rocks. Water samples from Thirtythree Mile Reservoir and Illco Pond (flow-through systems) showed considerable enrichment in Se over evaporative concentration, presumably due to leaching and desorption of Se from soil and rock. The Se: Cl ratios of irrigation drain water collected from the KRP indicate that leaching and desorption of soluble forms of Se from soils and rocks are the dominant processes in drain water. Results of a Wilcoxon matched-pairs test for 43 paired drain-water samples collected during June and August 1988, indicated there is a statistically larger concentration of Se (0.01 significance level) during the June sampling period. The larger concentrations of Se and other chemical constitutents during the early part of the irrigation season probably were due to dissolution of seleniferous salts that have accumulated in soils within the KRP since the last irrigation season. The large Se concentrations in water samples from wetland sites in the KRP were reflected in the aquatic-bird food chain. Most waterfowl and shorebirds nesting at the KRP showed Se concentrations in livers and eggs greater than levels suspected of causing adverse reproductive effects.
Relatedness measured by oligonucleotide probe DNA fingerprints and an estimate of the mating system of Sea Lavender (Limonium carolinianum)

Using DNA fingerprint markers within species and populations of wild plants requires information on the relationship between fingerprint similarity and relatedness. We identified a hypervariable marker based on oliog(GATA)4-hybridization of DpnII-cut genomic DNA from Sea Lavender (Limonium carolinianum). Banding patterns were somatically stable and highly variable among unrelated individuals. Band molecular-weight sizing errors (as a percent of band molecular weight) were estimated at 0.44%±0.003 within gels and 0.76%±0.964 between gels. Band sizing errors defined a 99% confidence bin of ±0.95% (1.90% total) of molecular weight. Band-sharing estimates were based on this bin size and on variance estimates that compensate for non-independent comparisons. Band-sharing among nine unrelated individuals (θ) was 0.198±0.O11. Experimental pollinations designed to produce selfed, fulland half-sib progeny groups led to five selfed progeny groups and no outcrossed progeny (mean band-sharing, ovS=0.468±0.074). A linear regression between band-sharing (S) and relatedness (r) assuming 17% inbreeding was r=0.006+0.914*S (R(2)=0.973) and established the maximum amount of inbreeding. ovS(0.392±0.022) estimated from wild pollinated seeds from four maternal families was intermediate to unrelated individuals and experimental selfed progeny, giving evidence for mixed mating in wild plants. More extensive plant pedigrees with known levels of inbreeding will be needed to measure variation in the relationship between S and r among populations and families.
Willamette valley radio system for the united states corps of engineers

Winter floods in the willamette river Basin in Western Oregon wreak havoc and destruction from frequent flooding of a highly-populated and developed valley, 150 miles in length. Congress instructed the United States Corps of Engineers (USCE) to study the problem in the Willamette Valley and to make specific recommendations. As a result the Corps has recommended a system of 16 multiple-purpose reservoirs. These reservoirs were to be located on the major tributaries in the basin and would control a total of 3,200 square miles of the 11,200 square miles in the basin. At the present time five of the recommended reservoirs are in operation, two are under construction, and planning is under way on two more.
Practical aspects of overexpressing bacterial secondary membrane transporters for structural studies

Membrane transporter proteins play critical physiological roles in the cell and constitute 5-10% of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. High-resolution structural information is essential for understanding the functional mechanism of these proteins. A prerequisite for structural study is to overexpress such proteins in large quantities. In the last few years, over 20 bacterial membrane transporters were overexpressed at a level of 1 mg/l of culture or higher, most often in Escherichia coli. In this review, we analyzed those factors that affect the quantity and quality of the protein produced, and summarized recent progress in overexpression of membrane transporters from bacterial inner membrane. Rapid progress in genome sequencing provides opportunities for expressing several homologues and orthologues of the target protein simultaneously, while the availability of various expression vectors allows flexible experimental design. Careful optimization of cell culture conditions can drastically improve the expression level and homogeneity of the target protein. New sample preparation techniques for mass spectrometry of membrane proteins have enabled one to identity the rigid protein core, which can be subsequently overexpressed. Size-exclusion chromatography on HPLC has proven to be an efficient method in screening detergent, pH an other conditions required for maintaining the stability and monodispersity of the protein. Such high-quality preparations of membrane transporter proteins will probably lead to successful crystallization and structure determination of these proteins in the next few years.
What Should You Know About the Theory of Corporate Finance

This paper outlines the thinking of financial theorists on issues most relevant to those influencing financial decision‐making within a firm. While the review is not comprehensive, it does provide a foundation for understanding what is included in the modern theory of corporate finance. Perhaps more importantly, the reader should gain an appreciation for what is financial “myth” and what is financial “trust.” The paper concludes with a section on managerial implications.
Meeting the challenges of on-host and off-host water balance in blood-feeding arthropods

In this review, we describe water balance requirements of blood-feeding arthropods, particularly contrasting dehydration tolerance during the unfed, off-host state and the challenges of excess water that accompany receipt of the bloodmeal. Most basic water balance characteristics during the off-host stage are applicable to other terrestrial arthropods, as well. A well-coordinated suite of responses enable arthropods to conserve water resources, enhance their desiccation tolerance, and increase their water supplies by employing a diverse array of molecular, structural and behavioral responses. Water loss rates during the off-host phase are particularly useful for generating a scheme to classify vectors according to their habitat requirements for water, thus providing a convenient tool with potential predictive power for defining suitable current and future vector habitats. Blood-feeding elicits an entirely different set of challenges as the vector responds to overhydration by quickly increasing its rate of cuticular water loss and elevating the rate of diuresis to void excess water and condense the bloodmeal. Immature stages that feed on blood normally have a net increase in water content at the end of a blood-feeding cycle, but in adults the water content reverts to the pre-feeding level when the cycle is completed. Common themes are evident in diverse arthropods that feed on blood, particularly the physiological mechanisms used to respond to the sudden influx of water as well as the mechanisms used to counter water shortfalls that are encountered during the non-feeding, off-host state.
Therapy for Experimental Intraabdominal Sepsis: Comparison of Four Cephalosporins with Clindamycin Plus Gentamicin

An experimental model of intraabdominal sepsis in rats was used for evaluation of treatment with four cephalosporins: cephalothin, cefazolin, cefoxitin, and cefamandole. Doses were 115 mg of each of the cephalosporins/kg and, in additional experiments, 350 mg of cephalothin or cefazolin/kg. Response to treatment was evaluated by mortality rate and the incidence of intraabdominal abscess. All four cephalosporins and gentamicin produced a similar reduction in mortality rates. There was a marked variation in incidence of abscess dependent upon the cephalosporin selected and the dosage tested. Regimens most effective in reducing abscesses were clindamycin, low-dose cefoxitin, or high-dose cephalothin.