cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of prenatal and lactational exposure to acrylamide on the development of intestinal enzymes in the rat.

Abstract Pregnant Fischer 344 strain rats were exposed by gavage to 20 mg acrylamide/kg body wt/day on 10 successive days (Days 6 to 17 of gestation) for a total cumulative dose of 200 mg/kg. On Day 1 of age, the pups were pooled into two groups (treated and control) and then cross-fostered into four experimental groups; treated dams with treated pups (T-T), treated dams with control pups (T-C), control dams with treated pups (C-T) and control dams with control pups (C-C). Randomly selected pups from each group ( n = 4, one pup/preparation) were sacrificed at 14, 21, and 60 days after birth to examine the development of five marker enzymes in the small intestine; acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, β-glucuronidase, citrate synthase, and lactate dehydrogenase. Differences in enzyme activities were indicative of a prenatal effect (C-T values compared to C-C values), a lactational effect (T-C values compared to C-C values), and an enhancement of prenatal effects (T-T values compared to C-T values). These differences were either increases or decreases. Alkaline phosphatase activities showed a prenatal effect at 14, 21, and 60 days, a lactational effect at 20 and 60 days, and an enhancement of prenatal effects at 14, 21, and 60 days. Citrate synthase activities were not affected in any of the treatment groups. The only change in lactate dehydrogenase was a lactational effect at 21 days. Acid phosphatase activities exhibited prenatal effects at 14 and 60 days, a lactational effect at 14 days and an enhancement of prenatal effects at 21 and 60 days. β-Glucuronidase activities showed a prenatal effect at 21 days, a lactational effect at 21 days, and an enhancement of prenatal effects at 14 and 21 days. Measurements of maternal enzyme levels in each of the groups showed no significant change. These measurements were made after weaning of pups (approximately 24 days postpartum). Throughout this study there were no overt signs of maternal toxicity. In addition, litter sizes (average body weight), number, and sex ratio of pups were not affected by the dose of acrylamide given.
Limit-cycle bounds of a satellite attitude-control system

Attitude-control system propellant consumption is a major concern for one mode of long-term operation of the Skylab. In this mode the dynamic behavior of the inertial roll angle is described by a second-order nonlinear time-varying differential equation. The main result established in this paper is the following. If the reaction control system is of the form considered, then the roll angle exhibits a bounded behavior. The bounding cycle is described explicitly in terms of the system and control parameters.
Assignment of GUCIA2, the gene coding for the {alpha} 2 subunit of soluble guanylyl cyclase, to position 11q21-q22 on human chromosome 11

This report describes the localization of the gene coding for the {alpha}2 subunit of soluble guanylyl cyclase, GUCIA2, to human chromosome 11q21-q22 using in situ hybridization and somatic cell hybrid analysis. 14 refs., 1 fig.
MODIFICATION OF CONSUMMATORY (ATTACK) BEHAVIOR RESULTING FROM PRIOR HABITUATION OF APPETITIVE (THREAT) COMPONENTS OF THE AGONISTIC SEQUENCE IN MALE BETTA SPLENDENS (PISCES, BELONTIIDAE)

To investigate the effects of habituation of threat behavior on subsequent attack in pairs of conspecific male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), two experiments were performed. In Experiment I, pairs of fish were separated by either a clear or opaque Plexiglas partition for 6 hours. The partition was then removed and the pairs met in a I hour direct encounter. The pairs which had been in visual contact for the 6 hours during which threat display occurred showed less fighting than the visually isolated pairs. However, in the group having visual contact much biting was directed at the partition during the 6 hour habituation period, a possible explanation for decreased fighting during the direct encounter. Therefore, Experiment 2 was conducted in such a manner that the biting at the partition was eliminated (although threat responses were retained) by separating the pairs by 5.08 cm for the 6 hour habituation period. A second group was separated by 12.60 cm to investigate response-independent effects of habituation since no threat responses were elicited at that distance. A third group was separated by an opaque partition as in Experiment I. The subsequent direct encounters were 60 minutes as in Experiment I. The only quantitative difference in attack behavior between groups was in the first 5 minutes, where the pairs separated by 12.60 cm bit less than pairs in the other two groups. This attack difference is explained in terms of an initially retarded agonistic sequence as compared to the other groups, apparently resulting from a combination of habituation and response-independent treatment effects. However, once fighting began in the habituation groups, it was qualitatively more vigorous than in the nonhabituation group. Also, in several instances, there was an unexpected appearance of intermale quasi-sexual behavior in the habituation groups only. The present experimental paradigm is interpreted as being that of a dominance encounter rather than either a territorial boundary fight or a territorial defense against an intruder. It is suggested that threat habituation does not attenuate subsequent attack in a dominance situation, but it is possible that there may be such an attack attenuation if the same operations were applied to clearly territorial Siamese fighting fish.
Approximate methods for analyzing the growth of large cracks in fatigue damaged aircraft sheet material and lap joints

Several levels of approximation are investigated to account for the effect of small fatigue cracks on the residual strength of aircraft sheet materials and fuselage lap joints containing major cracks. A version of the Dugdale model is proposed which accounts for strain hardening of the sheet in an approximate way and which incorporates a criterion for crack advance leading to crack growth resistance. This model builds upon the model proposed by Nilsson and Hutchinson [1] and accounts for the detailed interaction between the major crack and the small damage cracks. A simpler version of the model uses the damage-reduced local strength of the sheet or joint in assessing the effect of the major crack on residual strength. The simpler approach thus bypasses the necessity of a direct determination of the highly complicated details of the interaction of the small cracks in a lap joint with a major crack.
Relative effectiveness of estradiol and coumestrol on the reversal of castration changes in the anterior pituitary of mice.

Mice were ovariectomized and immediately injected with estradiol-17β or given oral coumestrol for 9 days. The estrogenic potency of the plant estrogen, coumestrol, and the natural animal estrogen, estradiol- 17β, was determined by the usual methods of uterine weight response and vaginal cornification. The potency of the 2 compounds with respect to target organs was then compared with the degree of inhibition of gonadotropin production and release in the anterior pituitary. Gonadotropic function was measured histochemically by the periodic acid- Schiff (PAS) reaction and by bio-assay of total gonadotropin content of the gland. Slope-ratio analysis showed coumestrol was 2.9X10-5 times as active as estradiol on the uterus and 8.3 XlO-5 times as active in blocking pituitary gonadotropic function. On the basis of MED550, coumestrol was 3.1 XlO-0 times as active at the level of the uterus and 7.8X10"6 times as active on the pituitary. The results indicate that coumestrol influences gonadotropin release, but, un...
APCOL: An example

A complete description of the APCOL programming system is printed in the Conference Proceedings in the session entitled "Programming Languages and Operating Systems." Lee Gregg discussed the APCOL system in detail under the title, "APCOL: A Programming System fur Computer-Controlled Psychology Laboratories." a paper coauthored by Allen 1. Pinkus and Lee W. Gregg. For this symposium, 1. Gregg coded the Sternberg memory experiment in APCOL (see listing below).
Characteristics of choroidal neovascularization in the complications of age-related macular degeneration prevention trial.

Objective To describe the characteristics of incident choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in observed and treated eyes in the Complications of Age-related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial (CAPT). Design Cross-sectional descriptive study within a multicenter, randomized clinical trial. Participants Patients who developed CNV during CAPT follow-up. Methods Inclusion criteria for CAPT specified bilateral large drusen (≥10 drusen at least 125 μ), visual acuity ≥20/40 in each eye, and age ≥50. Exclusion criteria included CNV and geographic atrophy >1 Macular Photocoagulation Study (MPS) disc area or within 500 μ of the foveal center. One eye of each person was selected randomly for low-intensity laser treatment and the contralateral eye was observed. Fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline, annually for ≥5 years, and whenever there were symptoms of CNV. Trained readers at the CAPT Photograph Reading Center assessed color stereo photographs and angiogram negatives to identify CNV. Main Outcome Measures Choroidal neovascularization was classified by type (predominantly classic CNV, minimally classic CNV, occult only CNV, or scar), location, and area. Visual acuity was measured by certified examiners. Symmetry of characteristics between eyes of bilaterally affected patients was examined. Results Choroidal neovascularization developed in 282 eyes of 225 patients. At the time of detection, 192 (68%) of the lesions were occult only, 153 (54%) were subfoveal, and 157 (56%) were ≤2 MPS disc areas. Visual acuity was ≥20/40 in 123 (69%) of 179 eyes with visual acuity measured at the time of detection. Choroidal neovascularization developed in both eyes in 57 patients (25%) during CAPT follow-up. Lesions in eyes of bilaterally affected patients were no more similar to each other than affected eyes in 2 different patients. Conclusions When patients are monitored closely, many CNV lesions can be detected outside of the fovea and when they are relatively small. Early detection may lead to improved long-term visual acuity. Financial Disclosure(s) The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Cellular retinoid-binding proteins.

• A number of specific carrier proteins for members of the vitamin A family have been discovered. Two of these proteins bind all-trans-retinol and are found within cells important in vitamin A metabolism or function. These two proteins have considerable sequence homology and have been named cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP) and cellular retinol-binding protein, type II (CRBP [II] ). A third intracellular protein, cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (CRABP) also is structurally similar but binds only retinoic acid. Although retinol appears to be bound quite similarly by the two retinol-binding proteins, subtle differences are apparent that appear to be related to the different functions of the two proteins. That, coupled with the specific cellular locations of the two proteins, suggests their roles. Cellular retinol-binding protein appears to have several roles, including (1) delivering retinol to specific binding sites within the nucleus and (2) participating in the transepithelial movement of retinol across certain blood-organ barriers. In contrast, CRBP (II) appears to be involved in the intestinal absorption of vitamin A and, in particular, may direct retinol to a specific esterifying enzyme, resulting in the production of fatty acyl esters of retinol that are incorporated into chylomicrons for release to the lymph. Like CRBP, CRABP can deliver its ligand retinoic acid to specific binding sites within the nucleus, sites different from those for retinol. The nuclear binding of retinol and retinoic acid may be part of the mechanism by which vitamin A directs the state of differentiation of epithelial tissue. (Arch Dermatol1987;123:1693-1695a)
Comparison of on-axis three-mirror-anastigmat telescopes

We compare and contrast the Korsch (1972) full-field three-mirror anastigmat telescope (TMA) to the Korsch (1977) annular-field TMA. Both TMAs offer flat fields with comparably good aberration correction and comparably good telephoto advantage. Both offer good accessibility of the focal plane. The advantages of the FFTMA are its extremely uniform focal length over its field, its nearly telecentric final focus, and the fact that there is no hole in the center of its field. The advantages of the AFTMA are its complete accessible cold stop (essential if a warm telescope is to be used to image the sky at near-IR wavelengths) and its low sensitivity to mirror location error. Either alternative can deliver diffraction-limited visible-wavelength images over a one degree diameter field with a two meter aperture.
Distance traveled by free-ranging supplemented and non-supplemented lactating and non-lactating cows

Abstract Daily travel of protein supplemented and non-supplemented lactating and non-lactating mature (>4 years of age) Santa Gertrudis X Hereford and Hereford X Santa Gertrudis crossbred cows was estimated between 29 May and 18 August 1986. The study was conducted on semidesert rangeland in south-central New Mexico. Ambient air temperatures ranged between 7 and 38°C. Relative humidity ranged between 15 and 91%, with precipitation 49% above the long-term January–August mean of 147 mm. Four lactating and 4 non-lactating cows were fed an average of 1.4 kg per head day −1 of a 41% crude protein cottonseed supplement every 3.5 days. Ten similar non-supplemented cows, 5 lactating and 5 non-lactating, were grazed with the supplemented animals in paddocks averaging >2000 ha in size. To monitor travel, the 18 cows were each bi-pedometered with digital pedometers attached to their front legs. The least square mean travel (± standard error) over the 81-day study period indicated supplemented and non-supplemented cows traveled similar ( P >0.05) distances of 7.7±0.7 and 7.9±0.7 km day −1 , respectively. Lactating and non-lactating cows likewise traveled similar ( P >0.05) distances of 7.6±0.7 and 8.2±0.7 km day −1 , respectively. Daylight ranged between 14.2 and 13.2 h throughout the study with daily travel decreasing ( P −1 . Mean daily cow travel was positively correlated ( P r =0.37) and mean hours of daylight ( r =0.35) during the period in which travel was monitored. Mean daily cow travel was negatively correlated ( r =−0.21; P P >0.05) correlated to mean relative humidity of the period in which travel was monitored or to total amount of precipitation received during the previous sampling period. Correlation coefficients were negative ( P r =−0.37 and r =−0.26 for mean daily cow travel and mean ambient air temperatures (mid-range, minimum and maximum) regardless of sampling period.
Euro‐American rivalry and security in the Persian Gulf

(1997). Euro‐American rivalry and security in the Persian Gulf. Defense Analysis: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 103-117.
Negative reinforcement in drug addiction: the darkness within

Drug seeking is associated with the activation of reward neural circuitry, but I argue that drug addiction also involves another major source of reinforcement, specifically negative reinforcement driven by the 'dark side' (i.e., a decrease in the function of normal reward-related neurocircuitry and persistent recruitment of the brain stress systems). This combination forms the antireward system or 'darkness within.' Understanding the neuroplasticity of the neurocircuitry that comprises the negative reinforcement associated with addiction is the key to understanding the vulnerability to the transition to addiction, misery of addiction, and persistence of addiction.
Satellite techniques for determining the geopotential of sea surface elevations

Spaceborne altimetry with measurement accuracies of a few centimeters has the potential for determining sea surface elevations necessary to compute three-dimensional geostrophic currents from traditional hydrographic observations. The existing limitation in this approach is the uncertainty in our knowledge of the global and ocean geopotentials that produce satellite and geoid height uncertainties about an order of magnitude larger than the goal of about 10 cm. This paper begins with a description of the quantitative effects of geopotential uncertainties on processing altimetry data. This is followed by a review of existing models, which are shown to be inadequate. Potential near-term improvements not requiring additional spacecraft are discussed. However, even though there would be substantial improvements at the longer wavelength, the oceanographic goal would not be achieved. The potential NASA Geopotential Research Mission (GRM) is described. This mission should produce geopotential models that are capable of defining the ocean geoid to 10 cm and near-earth satellite positions significantly better. For completeness the state of the art and the potential of Spaceborne gravity gravimetry is described as an alternative approach to improve our knowledge of the geopotential.
A CAMAC Interface for TPC Data Acquisition Electronics

An approach to general particle and nuclear physics data acquisition has been implemented using the hardware originally developed for a very large experiment and a special CAMAC interface. Success in achieving desired cost and schedule objectives is obtained by using a proven data acquisition system whose development cost has already been incurred, a CAMAC interface whose development cost is relatively small, and a simple yet flexible software package which allows all types of users to develop their own routines. This approach of writing a software tool which permits users to interact with the system and solve their own problems represents a very efficient use of everyone's time and the experimenter's money. Everyone need not be an expert on everything in order to do useful work with the system. By using the system block diagram with mnemonics and the software tool, the knowledge base required of each group is more in line with that group's intended function. Maintenance personnel can concern themselves with system hardware functionality, experimenters can concern themselves with optimizing the set up of system variables for specific experiments, and programmers can occupy themselves writing those few special programs which are needed for the long term.
Analysis of optimal controls for a mathematical model of tumour anti-angiogenesis

SUMMARY Anti-angiogenic therapy is a novel treatment approach for cancer that aims at preventing a tumor from developing its own blood supply system that it needs for growth. In this paper we consider a mathematical model where the endogenous stimulation term in the dynamics is taken proportional to the number of endothelial cells. This system is an example from a class of mathematical models for antiangiogenic treatment that were derived from a biologically validated model by Hahnfeldt, Panigrahy, Folkman and Hlatky. The problem how to schedule a given amount of angiogenic inhibitors to achieve a maximum reduction in the primary cancer volume is considered as an optimal control problem and it is shown that optimal controls are bang-bang of the type 0a0 with 0 denoting a trajectory
The seed oil of the arrow wood

The seed oil of the arrow wood bush,V. dentatum L., is a non-drying oil in contrast to that of the highbush cranberry,V. opulus L. var.americanum (Miller) Ait., (5) whose iodine number assigns it to the semi-drying group. Their content of oleic acid is of the same order of magnitude, or 54 and 58 pct., respectively. This is not true, however, with respect to their -linoleic acid content for here the ratio is approximately 1:2 or 19 and 35.8 pct. It has been found that the seed oil of the latter is, apparently, of unusual composition in that it contains only small amounts (1.6 pct.) of saturated acids; those of the former are almost four times as much.
More elementary sturm theory

This paper generalizes and extends the study in [3]. It also introduces new types of “stumian” theorems. Some typical consequences are: 1) a nonnull solution y(x) of the system has a zero on the (open) interval (o, φ) for every e≠, ∣e∣ σ of the line x=σ with respect to the functional , the focal point of the y-axis, if it exists, is <σ.
Measurement of Red Cell Lifespan and Aging

The measurement of red blood cell (RBC) survival has a long history, and a wide variety of methods have been utilized for this purpose. Current methods are of 2 types. First, those that label a representative sample of RBCs of all ages from the blood and then measure their rate of disappearance upon reinfusion. This category includes the 51Cr and biotin labels. Second, those that use a metabolic precursor or product to determine the turnover of hemoglobin. Examples of these are carbon monoxide production and incorporation of labeled glycine. Recent studies with the covalent, nonradioactive biotin label show its unique suitability for both the accurate measurement of red cell survival and the determination of changes in red cell properties as they age in vivo.
Modular neural net architecture for automatic target recognition

Multilayer perceptrons (MLP) have been widely applied to pattern recognition. It is found that when the data has a multi-modal distribution, a standard MLP is apt to local minima and a valid neural net classifier is difficult to obtain. In this paper, we propose a two-phase learning modular (TLM) neural net architecture to tackle the local minimum problem. The basic idea is to transform the multi- modal distribution into a known and more learnable distribution before using a global MLP to classify the data. We applied the TLM to the inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) automatic target recognition (ATR), and compared its performance with that of the MLP. Experiments show that the MLP's learning often leads to a fatal minimum if its net size or the initial point is not chosen properly. Its performance depends strongly on the number of training samples as well as the architecture parameters. On the other hand, the TLM is much easier to train and can yield good recognition accuracy, at least comparable to that of the MLP. In addition, the TLM's performance is more robust.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Colorectal cancer screening in North Carolina: associations with diabetes mellitus and demographic and health characteristics.

Abstract Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) may increase the risk of colorectal cancer, a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. This report examines factors associated with colorectal cancer screening, including DM status. Methods. Data from the 1993/1995/1997 North Carolina (NC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were analyzed to assess self-reported screening rates within guidelines for sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopy (sig/proct) and fecal occult blood test (FOBT). Results. Overall, 28.6, 27.2, and 19.7% received a sig/proct, FOBT, or either test within guidelines, respectively. Screening rates varied according to some demographic variables, but not by DM status. However, DM status changed some relationships between screening and some demographic/health characteristics. Conclusions. Colorectal cancer screening in NC is similar to national rates, but certain subgroups are less likely to get screened. Persons with DM are as likely to get colorectal cancer screening, but some groups with DM (ethnic minorities, persons of low socioeconomic status) may be at high risk for not getting screened. Educational efforts to increase screening should target these groups.
Clinical presentation and management of stage I cervical adenocarcinoma: a 25 year experience.

Abstract In this study, we review the clinical presentation, treatment, and prognosis of 89 patients with stage I cervical adenocarcinoma treated at Strong Memorial Hospital over the past 25 years. In the past decade, the mean age of patients with stage I cervical adenocarcinoma was 44 years, in contrast to a mean of 58 years in the prior interval ( P P = 0.02). The difference in age at presentation cannot be explained by earlier detection, as the fraction of stage I patients, the mean tumor size, and the percentage of clinically occult tumors have not changed. There were no ovarian metastases in 41 patients who underwent oophorectomy. Adenosquamous tumors did not differ in prognosis from pure adenocarcinoma. Grade and lymph node status were significant predictors of outcome. Treatment results have not improved over the past 25 years, and combined therapy with radiation and surgery offered no advantage over radiation alone. Because this tumor is more frequently seen in younger patients, the management of occult adenocarcinoma with early stromal invasion has become problematic. Ovarian conservation has been questioned, and the lack of generally accepted criteria for microinvasive adenocarcinoma has led to radical therapy in patients who might have been adequately treated with local excision. Further study is necessary to guide our recommendations regarding preservation of ovarian function or even childbearing potential in young women.
Mapping the potential energy landscapes of selenium clusters

Abstract We describe the potential energy landscapes of Se3–Se8 clusters using disconnectivity graphs. Inherent structures include both chain and ring configurations, with rings dominating in the larger clusters. Transition points are located using an eigenvector-following technique, which is of general applicability in mapping multi-dimensional energy landscapes.
A synchrotron-based X-ray exposure station for radiation biology experiments

Abstract Synchrotron X-ray sources enable radiation biology experiments that are difficult with conventional sources. A synchrotron source can easily deliver a monochromatic, tunable energy, highly collimated X-ray beam of well-calibrated intensity. An exposure station at beamline 10.3.1 of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) has been developed which delivers a variable energy (5–20 keV) X-ray fan beam with very sharp edges (10–90% in less than 3 μm). A series of experiments have been done with a four-well slide where a stripe (100 μm wide×18 mm long) of cells in each well has been irradiated and the dose varied from well to well. With this facility we have begun a series of experiments to study cells adjacent to irradiated cells and how they respond to the damage of their neighbors. Initial results have demonstrated the advantages of using synchrotron radiation for these experiments.
Derivatives of the triazoloquinazoline adenosine antagonist (CGS 15943) having high potency at the human A2B and A3 receptor subtypes.

The adenosine antagonist 9-chloro-2-(2-furanyl)[1,2,4]triazolo[1, 5-c]quinazolin-5-amine (CGS 15943) binds nonselectively to human A1, A2A, and A3 receptors with high affinity. Acylated derivatives and one alkyl derivative of the 5-amino group and other modifications were prepared in an effort to enhance A2B or A3 subtype potency. In general, distal modifications of the N5-substituent were highly modulatory to potency and selectivity at adenosine receptors, as determined in radioligand binding assays at rat brain A1 and A2A receptors and at recombinant human A3 receptors. In Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with human A2B receptor cDNA, inhibition of agonist-induced cyclic AMP production was measured. An N5-(2-iodophenyl)acetyl derivative was highly selective for A2A receptors. An (R)-N5-alpha-methyl(phenylacetyl) derivative was the most potent derivative at A3 receptors, with a Ki value of 0.36 nM. A bulky N5-diphenylacetyl derivative, 13, displayed a Ki value of 0. 59 nM at human A3 receptors and was moderately selective for that subtype. Thus, a large, nondiscriminating hydrophobic region occurs in the A3 receptor in proximity to the N5-substituent. A series of straight-chain N5-aminoalkylacyl derivatives demonstrated that for A2B receptors the optimal chain length occurs with three methylene groups, i.e., the N5-gamma-aminobutyryl derivative 27 which had a pA2 value of 8.0 but was not selective for A2B receptors. At A1, A2A, and A3 receptors however the optimum occurs with four methylene groups. An N5-pivaloyl derivative, which was less potent than 27 at A1, A2A, and A3 receptors, retained moderate potency at A2B receptors. A molecular model of the 27-A2B receptor complex based on the structure of rhodopsin utilizing a "cross-docking" procedure was developed in order to visualize the environment of the ligand binding site.
Comparison of Serial Debridement and Autografting and Early Massive Excision with Cadaver Skin Overlay in the Treatment of Large Burns in Children

Thirty-two children admitted from 1977 through 1981 were treated by serial debridement of their burn wounds with 1:1.5 to 3:1 meshed autografting of granulating tissue as it became available. Thirty-two burned children treated from 1981 to 1984 were treated by early total excision to fascia with app
7021 Intraductal ultrasound (idus): experience in a us tertiary care center.

Introduction: IDUS may be a useful adjunct to ERCP. Aim:To report our initial experience with this modality. Methods:We reviewed all IDUSs performed at our institution over the past 14 months. Results: Using the Olympus UM-3R 20 MHz and UM-2R 12 MHz probes,37 IDUSs were performed on 32 patients (17 M, 15 W) of mean age 67 yrs (50-89). Twentynine biliary, 7 pancreatic, 5 ampullary, and 1 intracystic IDUS were performed. Surgically altered anatomy was present in 5 patients (2 Billroth II, 1 liver transplantation, 1 distal pancreatectomy, 1 choledochojejunostomy). The bile duct (BD) was accessed via a native papilla (10), biliary sphincterotomy (ST) (14), surgical choledochojejunostomy (1), or metal stent (1). The pancreatic duct (PD) was accessed via a native papilla (1), biliary ST (2), pancreatic ST (1) or both (2). Eighteen malignancies and 14 benign conditions were imaged. The malignancies were 8 cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs), (1 intrahepatic, 2 proximal, 2 mid-duct, 3 distal), 2 ampullary adenocarcinomas (adCAs), 2 pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous tumors (IPMTs), 3 metastatic cancers with BD strictures (1 gastric, 2 adCAs of unknown origin), and 3 pancreatic adCAs. Malignancy was established by surgery in 13 patients and by biopsy/cytology in 5. The benign conditions were ampullary fibrosis/papillary stenosis (7), stones/sludge (7), postoperative PD stricture with communicating pseudocyst (1), PD stricture in chronic pancreatitis (1), periampullary cyst (1), normal duct (1). Malignant lesions imaged by IDUS consisted of masses (4), mural-based nodules (2 CBD, 1 CHD), strictures (7 CBD, 2 CHD, 2 PD),and mucin, mural nodules and epithelial projections in the IPMTs. Of the 18 malignancies, 15 had surgically confirmed vascular staging. Vascular involvement was correctly predicted in 2 cases and correctly excluded in 13 cases. Benign lesions imaged by IDUS included sludge/stones (7), PD strictures (2), hyperechoic areas in pancreatic parenchyma (in the one case with chronic pancreatitis). Malignant strictures appeared as thickened hypoechoic areas that obliterated the duct layers present in normal duct segments. Nodules and mural masses appeared hypoechoic with heterogeneous echotexture in the larger masses. Stones and sludge were highly echogenic.In 6 out of the 7 cases of stones/sludge the diagnosis had not been established during ERCP. Conclusion: IDUS delineates normal wall layers and their effacement in malignant strictures and is accurate for vascular staging and the detection of small stones and sludge.
Nanoparticles for Thermal Cancer Therapy

Advances in nanotechnology are enabling many new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in cancer. In this review, examples where nanoparticles are employed to induce localized heating within tumors are explored. Approaches to nanoparticle-mediated thermal therapy include absorption of infrared light, radio frequency ablation, and magnetically-induced heating. These approaches have demonstrated high efficacy in animal models, and two are already in human clinical trials.
Multiyear Photometry and a Spectroscopic Orbital Period Search for the VY Sculptoris Type Cataclysmic Variable V794 Aquilae

Continued photometry of the nova-like cataclysmic variable (CV) V794 Aql shows that the unusual repetitive, slow, deep declines that were reported earlier for 1990–1992 have persisted now for over 6 years. The slow declines and rapid rises are shown to have relatively consistent shapes. This continued behavior presents some potential problems for the model of Honeycutt, Cannizzo, & Robertson, in which the "sawtooth"-shaped light curve was considered to be an accretion disk instability initiated as dropped from the nova-like regime. Alternative mechanisms are briefly explored and are argued to also encounter difficulties in accounting for the light curve. A radial velocity study of V794 Aql yields a best period of 0.1533 days (3.68 hr). Periods of 0.1336 and 0.1787 days are considerably less likely but cannot be ruled out from the data at hand. These periods are in the expected range for VY Sculptoris type nova-like CVs.
Contributions of Fluid Convection and Electrical Migration to Transport in Cartilage: Relevance to Loading

We have studied the contributions of diffusion, fluid flow and electrical migration to molecular transport through adult articular cartilage explants using neutral and charged solutes that were either radiolabeled (3H2O, [35S]sulfate, [3H]thymidine, [3H]raffinose, and a synthetic matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor) or fluorescently tagged (NSPA and Lissamine-dextran). In order to induce fluid flow within the cartilage matrix without mechanical deformation, electric current densities were applied across cartilage disks. These currents produced electroosmotic fluid velocities of 1-2 microns/s, magnitudes that have been reported to exist during joint loading in vivo. This fluid convection enhanced neutral solute flux relative to passive diffusion alone by a factor that increased with the size of the solute. While the enhancement factor for 3H2O was 2.3-fold, that for [3H]raffinose (594 Da) and similar sized neutral solutes was 10-fold, suggesting that the effect of fluid flow is important even for small solutes. The largest enhancement (25-fold) was seen for the neutral 10-kDa Lissamine-dextran, confirming that fluid convection is most important for large solutes. We also studied the electrophoretic contribution to solute flux, which is relevant to the presence of intratissue streaming potentials induced during loading in vivo. Using the negatively charged [35S]sulfate ion with a range of current densities, as much as a 10-fold enhancement in flux was observed. Values for the intrinsic transport properties of the solutes (e.g., diffusivity, electrical mobility, hydrodynamic hindrance factor) can be obtained from the data.
Trading carbon tradable offsets under Kyoto's clean development mechanism: the economic advantages to buyers and sellers of using call options

Abstract Under the Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism, developed countries may purchase or trade for emission reduction units or greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets originating either from excess quota allocations or from developing countries’ projects. Selling emission reduction units before a market has actually developed presents pricing problems for both sellers and buyers. In the case of sequestered carbon and in the example of a Costa Rican project, it may be economically beneficial to both buyer and seller alike for the buyer to purchase the right, but not the obligation, to purchase a carbon tradable offset (CTO). It is shown by valuing purchases and sales of CTO options that advantages from such an instrument are possible to both seller and buyer at least until a true market in GHG offset trading develops.
Hydroliquefaction of Illinois No. 6 coal with petroleum atmospheric residue using oil-soluble molybdenum catalyst

Abstract The hydroliquefaction of Illinois No. 6 coal with petroleum atmospheric residue (AR), hydrogenated AR and coal-derived recycled oil was carried out using an oil-soluble Mo catalyst and a NiMoalumina catalyst. The liquefaction using the oil-soluble Mo catalyst gave lower yields of solvent insolubles than that using the NiMo catalyst. The yields of solvent insolubles during the liquefaction with hydrogenated AR were lower than those with AR, and at the same level as those with recycled oil at 400°C. A synergistic effect is revealed when coal and AR are coprocessed.
Beyond accountability: using obligations to reduce risk exposure and deter insider attacks

Recently, the importance of including obligations as part of access control systems for privilege management, for example, in healthcare information systems, has been well recognized. In an access control system, an a posteriori obligation states which actions need to be performed by a user after he has accessed a resource. There is no guarantee that a user will fulfill a posteriori obligations. Not fulfilling these obligations may incur financial loss, or loss of goodwill and productivity to the organization. In this paper, we propose a trust-and-obligation based framework that reduces the risk exposure of an organization associated with a posteriori obligations. We propose a methodology to assign trust values to users to indicate how trustworthy they are with regards to fulfilling their obligations. When access requests that trigger a posteriori obligations are evaluated, the requesting users' trust values and the criticality of the associated obligations are used. Our framework detects and mitigates insider attacks and unintentional damages that may result from violating a posteriori obligations. Our framework also provides mechanisms to determine misconfigurations of obligation policies. We evaluate our framework through simulations and demonstrate its effectiveness.
Changes in Na‐K ATPase and protein kinase C activities in peripheral nerve of acrylamide‐treated rats

In previous studies on rat peripheral nerve, we showed that acrylamide (ACR) exposure was associated with alterations in axonal and Schwann cell elemental composition that were consistent with decreased Na-K ATPase activity. In the present corollary study, the effects of ACR exposure on Na-K ATPase activity were determined in sciatic and tibial nerves. Subacute ACR treatment (50 mg/kg/d x 10 d, ip) significantly (p < .05) decreased Na-K ATPase activity by 45% in sciatic nerve but did not affect this activity in tibial nerve. Subchronic ACR treatment (2.8 mM in drinking water for 30 d) significantly decreased (p < .05) Na-K ATPase activities by 19% and 35% in sciatic and tibial nerves, respectively. Na-K ATPase activity was not altered in sciatic nerve homogenates exposed to 1.0 mM ACR in vitro. Since protein kinase C (PKC) has been proposed to play a role in the modulation of membrane Na-K ATPase function, PKC activity was also measured in sciatic nerve homogenates and subcellular fractions prepared from control and ACR-treated rats. Regardless of the ACR treatment protocol, PKC activity was elevated in nerve cytosol, but not in a particulate fraction. The results of this study suggest that decreased Na-K ATPase activity is involved in ACR-induced perturbation of axoplasmic and Schwann cell elemental composition in rat peripheral nerves and that loss of activity is not due to direct chemical inhibition of the enzyme. The role of PKC in ACR neurotoxicity requires further elucidation.
Ultracold water cluster anions

Attachment of free electrons to water clusters embedded in helium droplets leads to water-cluster anions (H2O)n(-) and (D2O)n(-) of size n > or = 2. Small water-cluster anions bind to up to 10 helium atoms, providing compelling evidence for the low temperature of these complexes, but the most abundant species are bare cluster anions. In contrast to previous experiments on bare water clusters, which showed very pronounced magic and anti-magic anion sizes below n = 12, the presently observed size distributions vary much more smoothly, and all sizes are easily observed. Noticeable differences are also observed in the stoichiometry of fragment anions formed upon dissociative electron attachment and the energy dependence of their yield. Spectroscopic characterization of these ultracold water-cluster anions promises to unravel the relevance of metastable configurations in experiments and the nature of the still controversial bonding sites for the excess electron in small water-cluster anions.
INACCURATE BLOOD FLOW RATE DURING RAPID HEMODIALYSIS

Simulated hemodialysis with isotonic saline was performed to compare the requested blood flow rate (BFR-r) with the actual blood flow rate (BFR-a) delivered during rapid, efficient hemodialysis. Four different blood pumps and blood lines from three different manufacturers were used for the studies. BFR-r was set on each blood pump, and a timed outflow specimen from the dialysis circuit was used to measure the BFR-a delivered. BFR-r values of 200, 350, and 500 mLlmin were used; the arterial pressure was set at − 50, − 250, and − 325 mm Hg. BFR was determined every hour for 5 hours. At an arterial pressure of −50 mm Hg, the BFR-a was slightly higher than the BFR-r, and this did not vary over the 5-hour study period. When the arterial pressure was − 250 mm Hg, the initial BFR-a was 95% of the BFR-r; at the end of the 5-hour study, this had declined to an average of 87% of the BFR-r. The largest discrepancy between BFR-a and BFR-r was at an arterial pressure of − 325 mm Hg; the initial actual values averaged only 90% of the requested, and by the end of the 5-hour study, this value had declined to a mean of 78% of the BFR-r. The use of whole blood with a hematocrit value of 33% and the addition of venous reistance did not significantly affect these results. Our studies demonstrate that the BFR-a can be much lower than the BFR-r during rapid, efficient hemodialysis, which uses high BFRs and arterial line negative pressures. This phenomenon may be a cause of inadvertent underdialysis during this procedure.
Algorithms And Architectures For Statistical Image Processing In Emission Tomography

The advent in position-emission tomography of the measurement of the differential time-of-flight of annihilation photons, in addition to their line-of-flight, has necessitated the development of new reconstruction algorithms to replace the conventional filtered back-projection algorithm used when only line-of-flight information is available. The "confidence-weighted" and "estimated posterior-density weighted" algorithms are reviewed. The structure of these algorithms makes the use of parallel, pipelined processing-architectures possible and perhaps necessary for their practical use in clinical studies.
Colon Absorptive Epithelial Cells Lose Proliferative Response to TGFα as They Differentiate

Abstract As colon epithelial cells migrate up the cylindrical colonic crypt, they terminally differentiate and lose their ability to divide. Elevated levels of the epithelial cell mitogen TGFα have been found at the top of the crypt by other investigators, causing us to speculate that colon epithelial cells lose mitogenic response to TGFα as they differentiate. We tested this hypothesis by using the HT29 colon carcinoma sublines U4 and U4H as models of one colonocyte lineage, fluid-transporting enterocytes. TGFα was mitogenic for the U4 cells, but inhibited the growth of the more differentiated U4H cells. However, p44 MAP kinase was activated by TGFα in both U4 and U4H cells, as well as in two control undifferentiated HT29 sublines which showed no change in proliferation in response to TGFα. In addition, TGFα activated the EGF receptor in each line by increasing its tyrosine phosphorylation. No relationship was found in these four lines between response to TGFα and level of expression of either the EGF receptor or two EGF receptor ligands, TGFα and amphiregulin. Activated EGF receptors initiate both growth-inhibitory and mitogenic signals in these cells since blocking some of the EGF receptors on TGFα-growth-inhibited U4H cells and TGFα-unresponsive U9 cells overrode the inhibitory signals and made both U9 and U4H cells sensitive to mitogenesis by added TGFα. These data imply that upon reaching stages of greater maturation, colon enterocytes lose proliferative response to TGFα because of changes in signaling by their EGF receptors.
Hand movements in laparoscopic suturing: A simple vector analysis

Laparoscopic suturing is a complex task that is vital to the performance of many advanced laparoscopic procedures. Mastery can be difficult and problematic for surgical trainees. We present a description of hand movements in laparoscopic suturing. Complex maneuvers are simplified into linear motions using vectors. The analysis is intended to be a tool for training in the art of laparoscopic surgery. Linear hand movements in the x and y axes produce opposite motions at the instrument tip. Position along the z axis influences the extent of hand movement relative to the instrument tip. Rotational movements of the hand produce an equal rotation of the instrument tip. Revolution is a complex motion that combines movements in x and y axes. Vector analysis reveals that the arc of revolution must be reversed to produce the desired needle motion. A conceptual understanding of hand-movement vectors facilitates the efficient mastery of the complex skills required for laparoscopic suturing.
Further studies of Olpidium as a vector of tobacco necrosis virus.

Abstract When a suspension of zoospores of Olpidium brassicae (Wor.) Dang. and tobacco necrosis virus (TNV) was added to seedling roots of mung bean ( Phaseolus mungo L.) and the seedlings were placed in a moist chamber 30 minutes later, infection of the roots by Olpidium and by TNV resulted. When the seedlings were placed in running tap water instead of in the moist chamber, TNV infection was increased. Infection was heavy in seedlings placed in TNV, exposed to prolonged washing, and inoculated with zoospores; apparently the zoospores transmitted TNV retained by the roots through the washing. Although zoospores do not complete root penetration until 2–3 hours after encystment, addition of TNV to roots 1–2 hours after zoospore encystment on the roots resulted in little or no TNV infection. When appropriate dilutions of TNV and antiserum were mixed and added to zoospores released into water, no virus transmission to roots resulted from the mixture, but transmission resulted when zoospores were released from roots into the virus suspension and the antiserum was added later. Zoospores released from TNV-infected roots into antiserum caused one-fifth to one-half as much TNV infection as similar zoospores released into normal serum. The addition of TNV antiserum to roots bearing zoospores that had encysted on the roots in the presence of TNV did not prevent TNV infection, although the antiserum inactivated the virus in suspension. Thus, the evidence indicates that the Olpidium zoospore acquires and harbors TNV in such a manner that antiserum cannot inactivate it. Therefore it is probably not merely a surface carriage. Unsuccessful attempts were made to transmit tobacco ringspot virus and tobacco rattle virus to Nicotiana tabacum L. ‘Xanthi’, tobacco mosaic virus and tomato bushy stunt virus to Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. ‘Bonny Best’, southern bean mosaic virus to Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Bountiful,’ and peach yellow bud mosaic virus to Cucumis sativus L. ‘National Pickling’, by adding combined suspensions of zoospores and the viruses to the roots.