cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of glucose transport in PC12 cells by the atypical antipsychotic drugs risperidone and clozapine, and structural analogs of clozapine.

Abstract Treatment of schizophrenics with some antipsychotic drugs has been associated with an increased incidence of hyperglycemia and new-onset type 2 diabetes. Some of these drugs also inhibit glucose transport in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. The current study was designed to examine the effects of the atypical antipsychotic drugs — risperidone, clozapine and analogs of clozapine on glucose uptake in PC12 cells. Glucose transport was measured in cells incubated with vehicle or drug over a range of concentrations (0.2–100 μM). Uptake of 3H-2-deoxyglucose was measured over 5 min and the data were normalized on the basis of total cell protein. Risperidone and clozapine inhibited glucose transport in a dose-dependent fashion with IC50’s estimated to be 35 and 20 μM, respectively. The clozapine metabolite, desmethylclozapine, was considerably more potent than the parent drug, whereas clozapine N-oxide was essentially inactive. The structural analogs of clozapine, loxapine and amoxapine, both inhibited glucose transport with amoxapine being the least potent. The ability of the drugs to inhibit glucose transport was significantly decreased by including 2-deoxyglucose (5 mM) in the uptake medium. Schild analysis of the glucose sensitivity of clozapine, loxapine and risperidone indicated that 2-deoxyglucose non-competitively antagonized the inhibitory effects of these drugs. Moreover, clozapine and fluphenazine inhibited glucose transport in the rat muscle cell line, L6. These studies suggest that the drugs may block glucose accumulation directly at the level of the glucose transporter (GLUT) protein in cells derived from both peripheral and brain tissue. Furthermore, this work may provide clues about how the antipsychotic drugs produce hyperglycemia in vivo.
Synthesis and properties of NdNiO3 prepared by low-temperature methods

NdNiO{sub 3} has been prepared with a rhombohedral perovskite structure by low-temperature methods, and its magnetic and electric properties have been studied between 4 and 300 K. The temperature coefficient of the resistivity changes at 130 K from positive (i.e., metal-like) to negative (i.e., semiconductor-like), with some thermal hysteresis at this transition. The magnetic susceptibility shows Curie-Weiss behavior, modified by the changing thermal occupation of the Nd{sup 3+} crystal field levels, over the whole temperature range. Differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis showed oxygen loss beginning at 900{degree}C in an N{sub 2} atmosphere. Subsequent X-ray analysis at room temperature showed the presence of Nd{sub 2}NiO{sub 4} and NiO. The electrical resistivity of sintered polycrystalline samples (1.5 {times} 10{sup {minus}2} ohm cm at 300 K) is somewhat above the expected minimum metallic conductivity, but the observation of a positive constant term in the susceptibility above 100 K suggests metallic band behavior. The hysteresis near 130 K suggests a structural distortion at low temperatures.
Ultrastructural Criteria in Evaluating Leukemic Infiltration in Prepubertal Testicular Biopsies

The diagnosis of leukemic infiltration in the testis by routine histology is not always possible. During the past 5 years, 46 bilateral testicular biopsies from prepubertal boys were examined by electron microscopy for the purpose of establishing the presence or absence of leukemic infiltration. The ultrastructure of the cells of acute lymphoblastic leukemia is described from the positive cases10 and compared with cases from the literature, Variations in ultrastructure between the T-cell, B-cell, and “null cell” types are discussed. The ultrastructure of the normal prepubertal cellular elements, which include immature Leydig cells, primitive fibroblastic cells (intertubular), and attenuated peritubular fibroblasts, is described. Ultrastruclural criteria are summarized that enable a definitive evaluation of cases that are equivocal by histologic examination.
Raman spectroscopic measurement of tablet-to-tablet coating variability

We report new results suggesting the feasibility of Raman spectrometry as a tool by which to examine the variability of tablet coatings. Our experiments feature a probe that can operate with a revolving laser focus to average content and coating non-uniformity. Raman spectral changes are correlated with tablet exposure times in a pan coater by means of partial least squares (PLS) multivariate analysis. Statistical models are found to be improved by pre-processing schemes that emphasize spectral changes while minimizing the effects of background light scattering and fluorescence. These pre-processing techniques include multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and standard normal variate (SNV) transformation, used in concert with Savitzky-Golay second derivative smoothing (SGSD). The two approaches give comparable results yielding R2 values for PLS calibration and cross-calibrated prediction variance regression of 0.999 and 0.997, respectively. Correlation results and model residual values demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy serves sensitively to reflect the coating thickness of the tablets studied.
The blended space between third and first person learning: drama, cognition and transfer

This essay considers whether the neuroscientific concepts of conceptual blending (from cognitive linguistics) embodiment and analogy offer insights into why and how drama-based pedagogies strengthen classroom learning. Pilot writing samples from eight-and nine-year-old students suggest that conceptual blending is enhanced through drama-based instruction and that the process not only increases learning outcomes, but motivates to learn as well.
Centrality definition using mid-rapidity ET distributions from p+Be to Au+Au at AGS energies

Abstract Measurements by the E802 Collaboration of the A -dependence and pseudorapidity interval (δη) dependence of mid-rapidity E T distributions in a half-azimuth electromagnetic calorimeter are presented for p+Be, p+Au, O+Cu, Si+Au and Au+Au collisions at the BNL-AGS. The issues addressed are 1) whether the shapes of the upper edges of the E T distributions vary with δη similarly to the variation in shapes of mid-rapidity charged particle distributions and 2) how small a δη interval would still give a meaningful characterization of the ‘nuclear geometry’ of a reaction. A new way of plotting E T distributions was found from which the reaction dynamics could be read directly.
In vivo analysis of GenePro, a lentivral therapeutic vaccine

Despite advances in HIV commercial therapies, including fixed-dose combinations, unprecedented proportions of HIV patients remain without therapeutic options due to lack of access to treatment and epidemiologically significant proportions of multi-class drug resistance that are driving morbidity levels in both developed and resource-poor settings. The need to emphasize the development of therapeutic options with the potential to abrogate these correlating trends are receiving insufficient dedication of resources, as new clinical strategies do not address these enduring disparities. GenePro, a therapeutic vaccine candidate, has shown preclinical efficacy via publicly sponsored research that demonstrates the potential to address a current therapeutic issue.
Migrant bodies and the materialization of belonging in Sweden

Immigration and transnational adoption are both manifestations of the pervasive dislocations that characterize the contemporary era. Each illuminates as well the double movement of assimilation and internal exclusion through which racisms that are a heritage of colonialism are expanded and reactivated in the metropolitan centers of western Europe and North America. In this process, race is spatialized, different forms of migrant bodies are produced, and familiar logics of belonging that link person to place are transformed. The differential politics of adoption and immigration in late twentieth-century Sweden shed light on this process of racialization and the affective economies through which it is realized, as that nation pursues a multicultural project in which ‘Swedishness’ becomes ‘the measure of everything.’
Efficacy of the hypomethylating agents as frontline, salvage, or consolidation therapy in adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The hypomethylating agents (HAs), azacitidine and decitabine, have emerged as an alternative to initial and salvage therapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Little is known about how AML responds to hypomethylating agents after standard therapy, and the activity of these agents in a real-world setting is not well studied. We retrospectively examined data for 75 consecutive AML patients at Wake Forest from 2002 to 2011 treated with HAs either as first-line (n = 34), salvage (n = 28), or consolidation (n = 13) therapy. We collected data on age, gender, race, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), cytogenetics, type of treatment, complete remission (CR), complete remission with incomplete count recovery (CRi), and survival. Statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models. Frontline response rate (CR + CRi) was 26.5 %, and median overall survival (OS) was 3.4 months (95 % CI 1.3–7.4), with 18 % alive at 1 year. In the salvage cohort, the response rate was significantly lower compared to frontline (3.6 versus 26.5 %, p = 0.017). Despite the reduced response, OS from time of HA treatment was longer than frontline at 8.2 months (CI 4.8–10.3). In the consolidation cohort, OS was 13.8 months (CI 8.0–21.6) with one patient in remission more than 30 months from diagnosis. These data suggest that prior cytotoxic therapy decreases marrow response rates to HAs but not survival. Furthermore, use of hypomethylating agents for consolidation resulted in a median overall survival over 1 year in a cohort of older patients. This suggests that hypomethylating agents have activity in all phases of AML treatment.
The electron microscopy of ferritin crystals.

Abstract Electron microscopic observations on carbon replicas of dried crystals of the protein ferritin show that, within the limit of measurement, their molecules are in a cubic close packing with α 0 = 154A. The same arrangement has been found for the octahedra crystallized from 5% CdSO 4 and the flat plates from 1% CdSO 4 .
Extraction behaviors of Eu, Th, U and Am with diamides+thenoyltrifluoroacetone

N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dihexyl-3-oxapentanediamide, DMDHOPDA, N,N′-dihexyl-3-thiopentanediamide, DHTPDA and N,N′-dihexyl-3-oxapentanediamide, DHOPDA were synthesized and tested for the synergistic extraction of Eu3+, Th4+, UO22+, NpO2+ and Am3+ with thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA). Although Eu3+, Th4+, UO22+ and Am3+ were not extracted by DHTPDA or DHOPDA alone, they were extracted synergistically when combined with HTTA. Analysis of the dependency of extraction on pH and extractant concentration indicated that the dominant extracted species were Eu(TTA)3(A), Th(TTA)3(A)(X), UO2(TTA)2(A) and Am(TTA)3(A) (where A is diamide, and X is chloroacetate or ClO4−).
Proneural and Neurogenic Genes Control Specification and Morphogenesis of Stomatogastric Nerve Cell Precursors inDrosophila

Abstract The stomatogastric nervous system (SNS) of theDrosophilaembryo develops from a placode which appears in the stomodeal epithelium. Most cells of this placode invaginate as three pouches (the iSNSPs) into the interior of the embryo. After separating from the stomodeum, the SNS pouches transiently form epithelial vesicles and eventually dissociate into solid clusters of cells which migrate on the foregut epithelium and differentiate into the neurons of the SNS. Prior and during iSNSP invagination, two small subpopulations of SNSPs (dSNSPs and tSNSPs) delaminate as individual cells from the SNS placode (Hartensteinet al.,1994). The results presented in this paper show that the neurogenic and proneural genes are expressed and required during all phases of SNS development to control the number, pattern, and structural characteristics of the SNSP subpopulations. First, loss-of-function mutations of the proneural and gain-of-function mutations of the neurogenic genes result in the absence or reduction of delaminating SNSPs; loss of function of neurogenic genes leads to the overproduction of d/tSNSPs and a loss of iSNSPs. Second, both proneural and neurogenic genes are involved in the invagination and dissociation of iSNSPs. Reduction of neurogenic gene function leads to a premature dissociation of iSNSPs; gain of neurogenic gene function blocks invagination and dissociation of these cells. Since all iSNSPs form a homogenous population with regard to their differentiative fate as SNS neurons, these results indicate that lateral inhibition is not a necessary aspect of the developmental process controlled by neurogenic and proneural gene function.
Quick incidental verb learning in 4-year-olds: identification and generalization.

This study examined the abilities of young children to identify and generalize new verbs from an indirect teaching context. Forty 4-year-olds were shown a story that presented the following manner-of-motion verbs: frolic, saunter, scurry, strut, and trudge. The experimental group (N= 20) heard the label of each verb 13 times while viewing the story, whereas the control group (N= 20) did not hear the verbs' labels. The performances of these two groups were compared to each other and to a group of adults (N= 22) who did not view the story but presumably had prior knowledge of the verbs. The experimental group correctly identified the target verbs in their prototypical form significantly more often than the control group but less often than the adult group. Generalization measures were evaluated for the children in the experimental group who correctly identified more than half of the target verbs (N= 6), their age-matched control group peers (N= 9), and the adult group. The experimental subgroup and the adul...
Office treatment of Bartholin's gland abscess or cyst

Abstract An office method of treating Bartholin's gland abscess and Bartholin's gland cyst is shown. The cyst lining is destroyed by means of the Post cautery through a small incision, and illustrations are given to demonstrate the method.
Expression of c‐fos and c‐jun during hepatocellular remodeling following ischemia/reperfusion in mouse liver

The expression of the immediate early genes (IEGs) c-fos and e-jun have been hypothesized to potentially play key roles in mediating cellular responses following injury to the liver. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential involvement of c-jun and c-fos as determinants either of cellular regeneration or programmed cell death following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in mouse liver. To this end, we have analyzed the in situ messenger RNA (mRNA) expression patterns of c-jun and c-fos following lobar I/R in mouse liver. The expression patterns of c-jun and c-fos were correlated with four criteria for tissue repair and injury, including: 1) morphological determinations of regeneration using immunocytochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), 2) programmed cell death (apoptosis) using the in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method, 3) histopathologic assessment of hepatocellular necrosis, and 4) serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels. Increasing lengths of lobar ischemia for 3, 60, and 90 minutes followed by reperfusion directly correlated with the extent of liver injury as determined by serum transaminases and hepatocellular necrosis. PCNA expression in the liver was elevated at 1 to 6 hours following liver reperfusion and returned to baseline levels by 20 hours in both ischemic and nonischemic lobes. In contrast, apoptotic responses peaked only in ischemic lobes at 6 hours' postreperfusion and remained elevated out to 20 hours. Two distinct patterns of c-jun and c-fos expression were observed during the acute (1-3 hours) and subacute (6-20 hours) phases of liver responses to I/R including: 1) coexpression of c-jun and c-fos mRNA within damaged regions of the liver at 1 to 3 hours' postreperfusion, and 2) a decline in c-fos expression with sustained high levels of c-jun expression within a subset of cells bordering necrotic/apoptotic regions of the liver at 6 to 20 hours' postreperfusion. These findings suggest that coexpression of both c-jun and c-fos may be involved in mediating early tissue repair processes in liver remodeling following I/R. In contrast, the onset of hepatocellular apoptosis correlated with sustained c-jun expression, in the absence of c-fos, and suggests that these changes in the molecular profile of immediate early gene expression may regulate cellular responses that signal hepatocytes for programmed cell death.
Low incidence of MDR1 expression in acute promyelocytic leukaemia

Summary. The MDR1 gene product, P-glycoprotein, functions as a transmembrane efflux pump for certain cytotoxic agents including anthracyclines. Based upon the clinical observation that patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) respond favourably to anthracyclines, we hypothesized that APL cells may have low levels of MDR1 expression. We therefore investigated MDR1 expression in 10 patients with APL and compared results with those obtained in 18 patients with other subtypes of acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Prior to reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with MDR1 specific primers, leukaemic cells were purified by fluorescence activated cell sorting to exclude normal haemopoietic cells, in particular lymphocytes, from the MDR1 analysis. In sorted APL cells, MDR1 expression was detected in only two of 10 patients, which was significantly different from findings in other AML subtypes (MDR1 expression in 14/18 patients; P<0.01). When unsorted specimens from APL patients were studied, five of six cases were MDR1 positive, whereas sorted APL cells were shown to express MDR1 mRNA in only one of these cases. MDR1 mRNA levels expressed as MDRl/beta-2 microglobulin ratios were significantly lower in APL (0-24 –0-2, mean –SD) than in AML (0-75 –0-48; P<0.01). We conclude that low or absent expression of MDR1 in APL cells may contribute to the efficacy of anthracyclines in the treatment of APL.
Air pollution impairs cognition, provokes depressive-like behaviors and alters hippocampal cytokine expression and morphology

Air pollution impairs cognition, provokes depressive-like behaviors and alters hippocampal cytokine expression and morphology
Resource characteristics and competition affect colony and individual foraging strategies of the wood ant Formica integroides

1. Resource characteristics and competitive pressure can affect an ant colony’s foraging strategy. This study examined the ability of the wood ant Formica integroides to respond, at both the colony and individual levels, to changes in competitive pressure for access to terrestrial and arboreal resources. 2. Because foraging behaviours depend on resource characteristics, foraging for different resource types (e.g. terrestrial and arboreal habitats) produces different spatial or territorial arrangements. In this study, terrestrial contests for resources followed an interference-exploitation tradeoff, while arboreal foragers defended entire trees as absolute territories. 3. Competitive pressure for access to arboreal resources was shown to increase with distance from F. integroides nests. 4. In this study, the ability of F. integroides to defend a resource varied with body size. Large foragers were better defenders than small foragers. For groups of foragers, the ability to defend a resource increased with the ratio of large to small foragers. 5. In response to competitive pressure, F. integroides colonies altered the size distribution of arboreal, but not terrestrial, foragers. An increase in competitive pressure was matched by an increase in the number of large foragers allocated to trees. This response to competition affected the relationship between body size and distance from the nest for arboreal foragers. 6. Foraging behaviours for individual arboreal foragers also varied with competitive pressure. As competition increased, large arboreal foragers spent more time in direct contact with the resource rather than standing between resource patches.
HIV Testing in a New York City Sample of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

Data indicate that HIV incidence is rising among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in New York City. We examined HIV testing behaviors along key demographics and in relation to substance use in a diverse sample of 18- to 29-year-old YMSM using cross-sectional survey data. The majority of YMSM had tested for HIV in their lifetime and had undertaken their most recent HIV tests as part of a scheduled health checkup or test, or a desire to know their status. In bivariate analyses, a greater proportion of Black men, Latino men, and YMSM of multiracial or other race/ethnicity had ever tested and were more likely to report a recent HIV test than White or Asian/Pacific Islander (API) men, while those living with their parents and those using stimulants were less likely to have tested. Taken together, multivariate analyses indicated that younger men, API men, and those using stimulants were less likely to have tested for HIV. Findings suggest that testing may be facilitated by reducing barriers to testing or ...
Nanoscale Heat Transfer Modeling in Solids: Data Storage and Electronic Devices

Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), is used to examine multi-length scale, confined heat conduction phenomena in solids for which sub-continuum regime is important. This paper describes the implementation of the method and its application to cases pertinent to data storage and electronic devices. Thin solid films with internal heat generation and with temperature difference across the boundaries are used as case studies to illustrate the benefits of the LBM. We compare our results with various hierarchical equations of heat transfer such as Fourier, Cattaneo, and Boltzmann transport equations, as well as with experimental and numerical data from the literature. Our results exhibit a good agreement with other methodologies in one and two dimensions, at a much lower computational effort.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Stability studies for titanium dioxide nanoparticles upon adsorption of Suwannee River humic and fulvic acids and natural organic matter.

Abstract In many studies humic acid, fulvic acid, or natural organic matter is used interchangeably to model the effect of naturally derived organic matter on geochemical processes in the environment. In this study, the term NOOM (naturally occurring organic matter) is used to include both humic and fulvic acids as well as natural organic matter and compares the effect of NOOM type on NOOM removal onto nano-TiO2. In general, regardless of variations in solution chemistry, the order of the percentage of removal of NOOM onto nano-TiO2 was humic acid > natural organic matter > fulvic acid. The order of adsorption constant values of NOOM onto nano-TiO2 was also found to be humic acid > natural organic matter > fulvic acid under all conditions studied. The extent of NOOM removal by nano-TiO2 was enhanced in the presence of the divalent ions, magnesium and calcium, at pH 7.8 when compared to the presence of the monovalent ions, sodium and potassium. Also, lower NOOM removal by nano-TiO2 in the presence of sodium salts of dihydrogen phosphate, bicarbonate and nitrate relative to chloride was observed and was likely due to the competition between polyatomic anions and NOOM adsorption onto the surface of nano-TiO2 indicating an anionic effect. Low concentrations of NOOM (10–20 mg L− 1) destabilized nano-TiO2 in solution, however, the stability of nano-TiO2 increased as the amount of NOOM adsorbed onto nano-TiO2 increased at higher dissolved NOOM concentrations and significant stabilization was seen at 25 mg L− 1 NOOM. Thus, the three fractions of NOOM, humic and fulvic acids and natural organic matter and their concentrations were found to affect nano-TiO2 stability to different degrees although pH dependent trends in cation and anion effects had similar patterns. While the effects of adsorption of these three commonly used types of NOOM onto nanoparticles are similar, there are important differences that can be related to structural differences.
Dondorff Rings: Synthesis, Isolation, and Properties of 60°-Directed Bisterpyridine-Based Folded Tetramers

Square feat: The synthesis, isolation, and characterization of five novel bisterpyridine-based metallomacrocycles, possessing a folded tetrameric configuration is reported (see figure). The initial dimeric building block with the stable linear {tpy-Ru(II)-tpy} connectivity circumvents the formation of the thermodynamically favored molecular triangles.
Third and fourth heart sounds detected by correlated audioelectric cardiography are highly specific markers for elevated left ventricular filling pressure and reduced ejection fraction

Study objectives: The determination of abnormal left ventricular hemodynamics by noninvasive measures may improve the early diagnosis and treatment of patients with suspected heart failure. The presence of third (S3) or fourth (S4) heart sounds may reflect increased left ventricular filling pressure and are associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Because S3 and S4 heart sounds are challenging to auscultate with a stethoscope, we sought to test the hypothesis that S3 and S4 heart sounds detected by correlated audioelectric cardiography will be accurate markers for elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and reduced ejection fraction compared with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and echocardiography-derived measure of left ventricular filling pressure. Methods: Within a 4-hour period, patients underwent left-sided heart catheterization for LVEDP (elevated if >15 mm Hg) and ejection fraction (reduced if 100 pg/mL), and echocardiography for E/E' (ratio of maximum early mitral inflow velocity to tissue Doppler-derived early diastolic mitral annular velocity [elevated if >12]). The presence of an S3 or S4 was determined by correlated audioelectric cardiography (Audicor, Inovise Medical). Results: Ninety-five patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 62±13 years (range 24 to 91 years). Ninety-three patients had BNP measurement, 85 had adequate S3 and S4 analysis, and 77 had measurement of E/E'. The mean ejection fraction was 49%±19%, and the mean LVEDP was 15.6±8.0 mm Hg. Twenty (24%) patients had an S3, 28 (33%) had an S4, and 9 (11%) had both. Compared with subjects with a normal LVEDP, those with an elevated LVEDP had a higher BNP (mean 874±1,232 pg/mL versus 150±228 pg/mL; P P P =.007) and an S3 (40% versus 9%; P =.001). Compared with subjects with a normal ejection fraction, those with a reduced ejection fraction had higher BNP (mean 888±1,286 pg/mL versus 275±678 pg/mL; P =.01) and higher E/E' (9.25.5 versus 6.03.0; P =.006) and were more likely to have an S4 (44% versus 20%; P =.04) and an S3 (48% versus 8%; P =.001). The following measures predicted elevated LVEDP by univariate analysis: S3 (odds ratio [OR] 6.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0 to 22.8; P =.003); S4 (OR 3.6; 95% CI 1.4 to 9.4; P =.01); and elevated BNP (OR 5.6; 95% CI 2.2 to 14.3; P P =.003); S4 (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.04 to 9.5; P =.01); elevated BNP (OR 7.1; 95% CI 2.2 to 22.2; P P =.01). By multivariate analysis, E/E' is an independent predictor for both elevated LVEDP ( P Conclusion: The presence of an S3 or S4 determined at the bedside with noninvasive correlated audioelectric cardiography is a highly predictive marker for an elevated LVEDP or reduced ejection fraction.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-immunoreactive neurons in the mammillary body of the rat

The presence and distribution of CRF-immunoreactive cells and nerve fibers were studied in the mammillary body of the rat, 12 days after placing various types of lesions within the hypothalamus. Anterior and anteriolateral cuts, placed in the midhypothalamus immediately behind the paraventricular nuclei resulted in an almost complete disappearance of CRF-immunoreactive fibers from the median eminence and simultaneous appearance of CRF-containing neurons in the mammillary body. Posterior or postero-lateral hypothalamic cuts carried out in front of the mammillary body caused the accumulation of CRF-immunoreactive material in neurons and neural processes located behind the cut-line. This type of intervention had no effect on the quantity of CRF fibers in the median eminence. A cut running through the central part of the mammillary body in the frontal plane resulted in appearance of CRF neurons only in the posterior half of the mammillary region. Placing a cut behind and over the mammillary body, CRF-immunoreactive neurons became detectable below the superior cut-line. No immunoreactive neurons were observed in the mammillary body when the frontal cut reached the base of the brain at the posterior border of the nucleus, leaving intact its anterior and superior connections. In all these cases when the mammillo-thalamic tract was transected, CRF neurons became detectable in the mammillary body.
Towards in situ monitoring of YBCO Tc and Jc via neural network mapping of Raman spectral peaks

Abstract Raman spectroscopy has proved promising for use as an in situ process monitor and feedback control sensor during pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (YBCO) thin films. Several engineering challenges must be solved before Raman spectroscopy can be utilized in situ. Taken in the aggregate, deposition conditions such as high temperature, low vacuum, and electromagnetic radiation emitted from the plume, lead to a hostile environment for in situ Raman spectroscopy. This paper investigates the feasibility of applying Raman as a process-control sensor. Tests are conducted to determine Raman probe integrity under processing conditions when positioned 5–10 mm above the substrate. An empirical characterization of the black-body effects in this temperature region is presented to determine impact over the spectral region of interest. Optical emission from the ablation plume, a series of discrete spectral features (emission lines) across the visible and UV regions, is investigated to determine if the features coincide with any of the significant peaks in the Raman spectra needed for in situ control. Additionally, a study of the effects of surface degradation of YBCO films on both the Raman spectra and film superconductive transition critical temperature ( T c ) is undertaken. A neural-net (NN) architecture is built, which maps T c from reduced Raman spectral data and optimizes the number of nodes based upon the generalization error.
Diagnosis and treatment of intracranial complications of paranasal sinus infections

Complications and local extension of paranasal sinus infections most often involve the orbit and periorbita. Because of the widespread use of antibiotics since World War II, intracranial extension of maxillofacial sinusitis is rarely seen today. Nevertheless, the clinician must be aware of the potential for these complications, because late recognition of this condition and delays in treatment can increase morbidity and mortality rates. A comprehensive, current review of sinogenic intracranial complications is presented, with illustrative cases of brain abscess, subdural empyema, meningitis, cavernous sinus thrombosis, epidural abscess, and osteomyelitis. The mechanisms and potential for intracranial spread of infection from the frontal, sphenoid, and ethmoid sinuses are discussed in detail. The management of each type of complication is outlined, including the use of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and the role of surgical drainage.
A neoliberal nexus: Economy, security and the biopolitics of citizenship on the border

Abstract In this paper I explore what the development of an expedited border-crossing program called NEXUS reveals about the changing political geography of citizenship in contemporary North America. Developed after 9/11 as a high-tech solution to competing demands for both heightened border security and ongoing cross-border business movement, NEXUS and other so-called Smart Border programs exemplify how a business class civil citizenship has been extended across transnational space at the very same time as economic liberalization and national securitization have curtailed citizenship for others. The biopolitical production of this privileged business class citizenship is explored vis-a-vis the macroscale entrenchment of neoliberal policy through NAFTA and the microscale production of entrepreneurial selfhood. By examining how this transnational privileging of business class rights has happened in an American context of exclusionary nationalism, the paper also explores the relationship between neoliberalism and the development of new spaces of exception defined by exclusion from civil rights. Examples of such exclusion include ‘expedited removal’ and ‘extraordinary rendition’, two forms of American anti-immigrant control that have been developed in concert with expedited border-crossing programs. Examining these forms of expedited exclusion and comparing the carceral cosmopolitanism they produce with the soft cosmopolitanism of the NEXUS lane, the paper ends by offering an argument about the relationship between the neoliberal privileging of transnational mobility rights and its exclusionary counterparts.
SI Units and the Clinical Practice of Infectious Diseases: Application to the Usage of Antimicrobial Agents

Over the next few years, le Systeme international d'Unites or SI units may replace the presently used metric system in reporting laboratory data. The change to SI units will likely result in some confusion among clinicians who are not well versed in the new system. Application of SI units to the clinical practice of infectious diseases is discussed, including changes in drug dosages, serum drug levels, and minimum inhibitory concentrations. A table is presented to facilitate conversion of metric units to SI units and vice versa.
String-inspired supergravity model at one loop

We study a prototype supergravity model from superstrings, with three generations of matter fields in the untwisted sector, nonperturbatively induced supersymmetry breaking and including threshold corrections in conformity with modular invariance. The scale degeneracy of the vacuum is lifted at the one-loop level, allowing a determination of the fundamental parameters of the effective low-energy theory.
Investigation of preferred orientation and microstructure in oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloys

Crystallographic textures and microstructures developed in oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloys have been examined as a function of thermomechanical treatments. The alloys studied were Fe20Cr4.5Al0.5Ti0.5Y2O3 and Ni16Cr5Al1Y2O3. The iron-base alloy is characterized by a deformation-type texture consisting of {112} 〈110〉 and {114} 〈110〉 in the warm-worked state. This texture is stable with heat treatments up to 1300 °C, where a change in preferred orientation is observed. The next texture is described by (471) [113] and (110) [112]. In contrast, the nickel-base alloy is characterized by a recrystallization-type texture in the warm-worked state. This preferred orientation is best described as a combination of a [001] fiber texture and a {100} 〈001〉 rolling texture. The microstructural evolution with heat treatments is also discussed with respect to the development of specific textures.
Driving traction on phase boundary interfaces in solids with boundary elements

A method of computing driving tractions for phase transformations is presented. The driving traction calculation requires evaluating the jump in the displacement gradient and the average stress acting across the interface. A bimaterial Green's function is used in a boundary element formulation for the calculation. The Green's function satisfies all interface boundary conditions for the bimaterial providing an efficient formulation for evaluating the necessary jump and average interface terms. We derive a boundary integral equation for calculating the driving traction and apply the developed numerical tool to driving traction calculations in copper-aluminum-nickel.
Increasing The Efficiency Of Stimulated Scattering Phase-Conjugate Mirrors

Stimulated processes, such as Brillouin and Raman Scattering (SBS and SRS), have been used successfully for high power phase conjugation. To achieve high conversion efficiency, usually the intensity of the laser beam needs to be relatively high. We show that SBS or SRS reflectance can be substantially increased by feeding back a portion of the back scattered Stokes energy. Before the feedback Stokes wave is admitted through the exit window of the Brillouin cell, it is strongly diffused by a diffusing plate. This is necessary since the feedback Stokes wave is the phase conjugate of the laser field at the entrance window but not the exit window. The phase conjugate component in the diffused Stokes wave will increase the efficiency of the process dramatically. We show that if losses are neglected, the energy reflection coefficient, R, can achieve a value R = 1 - β, where β is the feedback energy fraction of the Stokes wave. Since can be small compared to unity, in principle, R can be close to unity.
Ventricular tachycardia in infants with structurally normal heart: A benign disorder

We evaluated the presentation, treatment, and outcome of infants who present with ventricular tachycardia in the first year of life. Seventy-six infants were admitted to our institution with a diagnosis of ventricular tachycardia between January, 1987 and May, 2006. Forty-five infants were excluded from the study because of additional confounding diagnoses including accelerated idioventricular rhythm, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy, long QT syndrome, cardiac rhabdomyoma, myocarditis, congenital lesions, or incomplete data. The remaining 31 included infants who had a median age at presentation of 1 day, with a range from 1 to 255 days, and a mean ventricular tachycardia rate of 213 beats per minute, with a range from 171 to 280, at presentation. The infants were treated chronically with propranolol (38.7%), amiodarone (12.9%), mexiletine (3.2%), propranolol and mexiletine (9.7%), or propranolol and procainamide (6.5%). The median duration of treatment was 13 months, with a range from 3 to 105 months. Ventricular tachycardia resolved spontaneously in all infants. No patient died, or received catheter ablation or device therapy. Median age at last ventricular tachycardia was 59 days, with a range from 1 to 836 days. Mean follow-up was 45 months, with a range from 5 to 164 months, with a mean ventricular tachycardia-free period of 40 months. Infants with asymptomatic ventricular tachycardia, a structurally normal heart, and no additional electrophysiological diagnosis all had spontaneous resolution of tachycardia. Furthermore, log-rank analysis of the time to ventricular tachycardia resolution showed no difference between children who received chronic outpatient anti-arrhythmic treatment and those who had no such therapy. While indications for therapy cannot be determined from this study, lack of symptoms or myocardial dysfunction suggests that therapy may not be necessary.
Permeability from porosimetry measurements: Derivation for a tortuous and fractal tubular bundle

Abstract Permeability modeling of complex carbonate reservoirs is difficult. Porosity–permeability relationships are weak in carbonates and conventional porosity–permeability transforms give poor results. Even though the link between porosity and permeability in carbonates persists, other pore system properties, such as the largest connected pore-throat diameter, are more strongly linked to permeability. This important pore-throat diameter, as well as related porosity and other pore system architectural information, is determined by the analysis of mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) porosimetry experiments. This paper explores the use of porosimetry data for the calculation of permeability as originally demonstrated by Purcell in 1949. We return to the tubular bundle model of Purcell and Burdine with a general mathematical form for the porosimetry data and a new tortuous and fractal relative tubular bundle. Using mathematical reasoning, without fitting parameters, we obtain a new formula for the computation of permeability based on the pore system architectural information of highly connected systems using the MICP porosimetry data. Moreover, we include the observation that the flow paths and the related tortuosity have a fractal aspect. The result is compared to an extensive porosimetry data set of the highly connected Arab D limestone, where vugs are absent. For porous media characterized by porosimetry data, the following expression emerges: κ ≈ 506 B v ∞ P d 2 e − 4.43 G , which is the permeability for a monomodal carbonate pore system characterized by a single Thomeer hyperbola with associated Thomeer parameters ( κ is in Darcy; B v ∞ in fractional bulk volume, and P d is the minimum entry pressure in psi and G is the pore-geometrical factor). The nearly equal sign is used here only because of an approximation used for the modified Bessel function of the second kind present in the general solution and approximate knowledge of the fractal exponent and the percolation path length ratio. There are no fitting factors. The exponents on the variables in our permeability formula demonstrate the significant shift in emphasis from porosity to the diameter of the largest connected pore throats, P d . Note that the presence of vugs are not considered in this work, since they do not form part of the Arab-D limestone matrix. This mathematical effort emphasizes the relative importance of pore system attributes on permeability as commonly found in carbonate porosimetry data. The approach can be readily extended to multimodal carbonate pore systems, to other sources of pore system architectural data and is shown to be equivalent to the operation of an incomplete Laplace transform on the porosimetry data. Importantly, and in contrast to previous permeability models to which we compare, this new formulation sets the stage for a complete and scale independent understanding of permeability in carbonate pore systems commonly encountered in the Arab D limestone and similar pore systems.
Selective timing for the arterial switch operation.

Background. To determine outcomes for the arterial switch operation individualized according to the underlying anatomy and clinical status. Methods. A retrospective review of a consecutive series of infants less than 90 days of age who underwent the arterial switch operation at a single institution. Results. From July 1993–April 2001, 117 infants underwent an arterial switch operation before 90 days of age. Seventy-five patients (64%) had transposition of the great arteries with intact ventricular septum with the aim of operation before 14 days of age; however, 8 of these patients had delayed presentation (range 15– 46 days). Thirty-five patients (30%) had transposition with a ventricular septal defect (30 patients) or double outlet right ventricle (5 patients) and normal arch anatomy and were repaired within the first 90 days of life depending on the severity of heart failure at a median of 12 days of age (range 3– 83 days). Seven patients (6%) had associated aortic coarctation (5 patients) or interrupted aortic arch (2 patients). One patient died during hospitalization (0.85% hospital mortality) and one patient died from noncardiac causes during a median follow-up of 35 months (1.7% total mortality). Four patients required intervention during follow-up (3.4%) for new aortic coarctation (2 patients), supravalvar pulmonic stenosis (1 patient), or right hemi-diaphragm paralysis (1 patient). Conclusions. Individualized timing for the arterial switch operation within the first ninety days of life produces excellent survival rates for all types of transposition physiology with the expectation of a satisfactory course during follow-up.
A Lesson on Courage: Monks, Martyrs, and Muslims—but Strangers No Longer in Algeria

This article uses the work of Heinz Kohut and Julia Kristeva to reflect upon and interpret the experience of nine Trappist monks—especially Brother Christian—in Algeria in the mid-1990s who shared an incredible bond of faith with the Muslim villagers living around the monastery in Tibhirine. Specifically, I examine how an understanding of Kohut’s nuclear self and Kristeva’s stranger may assist us in transforming resistance concerning interfaith dialog in seminary classes and faith communities alike when we bring these two ideas into conversation around the religious and community experiences of the monks and the villagers. I argue that if individuals are able to “make peace” or establish rapport with the stranger within they will exemplify the kind of narcissistic balance Kohut describes in his theory of a nuclear self that allows for a demonstration of courage in the face of difficulty.
CONCERNING THE MECHANICS OF HURRICANES

Abstract The balance of angular momentum in the mature hurricane is examined quantitatively. It is found that the cyclonic angular momentum which ultimately appears in the hurricane is first introduced into the atmosphere within the circulation around each of the neighboring high-pressure cells. From here it is transferred into the cyclonic core of the hurricane through the agency of “horizontal-eddy” processes, which are characterized by mass exchanges in horizontal planes. Such mass exchanges are identified with the so-called “Rossby regime” of convection. Within the cyclonic core of the hurricane, the angular momentum is transported inward through the agency of “vertical-eddy” processes, which are characterized by mass exchanges in vertical planes passing through the axis of rotation of the hurricane. Such mass exchanges are identified with the “Hadley regime”. The hurricane thus possesses characteristics of two distinctly different regimes of convection.
Retrograde cerebral perfusion enhances cerebral protection during prolonged hypothermic circulatory arrest: a study in a chronic porcine model

Abstract Background . This study was undertaken to confirm earlier findings that retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) can improve cerebral outcome after prolonged hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA), and to determine whether RCP with inferior vena caval occlusion, which is more effective in removing particulate emboli, is superior to conventional RCP in enhancing cerebral protection. Methods . Sixty-two pigs (27 to 30 kg) were randomly assigned to undergo one of the following for 90 minutes at 20°C: antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP); conventional RCP (RCP); RCP with occlusion of the inferior vena cava (RCP-O), or HCA with the head packed in ice. RCP flow was regulated to a sagittal sinus pressure of 20 mm Hg. Hemodynamic, electrophysiologic, and metabolic monitoring were carried out until 4 hours after rewarming, daily behavioral and neurologic assessments until elective sacrifice on day 7, and histologic analysis of the brain after death. Results . Complete behavioral recovery was seen in all surviving animals by day 5 after ACP or RCP, but in only 83% after RCP-O and 50% after HCA ( p = 0.001). A histopathologic score of 2 or more, indicating more than mild injury, was not found in any animal after ACP, in 27% after RCP, in 47% after HCA, and in 68% after RCP-O ( p = 0.002). The median oxygen consumption was 6.66 mL/min after ACP, 1.37 mL/min with RCP, and 1.02 mL/min with RCP-O ( p p Conclusions . Conventional RCP without inferior vena caval occlusion results in a significantly better outcome than RCP-O after prolonged HCA, despite more efficient cerebral perfusion during RCP-O, and also provides cerebral protection superior to prolonged HCA alone, but care must be taken during its implementation to minimize cerebral edema and other possible causes of retroperfusion-related cerebral injury.