cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Color Doppler imaging in the evaluation of normal and abnormal early uteroplacental circulation and gestational outcomes

Abstract The advent of color Doppler imaging in combination with high-resolution transvaginal ultrasonography has extended the use of this modality to in-vivo functional assessment of early uteroplacental circulation. The anatomy of the early circulation may be described which may then be studied in combination with the functional assessment to characterize the pathophysiology of normal and abnormal first trimester circulations. During the first trimester of normal gestation color Doppler imaging shows low resistance to flow in the spiral arteries and absence of arterial blood flow within the intervillous space. In abnormal first trimester gestations important changes occur in the uteroplacental circulation which may be detected by color Doppler imaging. Color Doppler data of normal first trimester pregnancies characteristically demonstrate low resistance to flow in the decidual arteries and absence of arterial flow within the intervillious spaces. In abnormal pregnancies high resistance to flow is demonstrated in the same decidual vessels and diffuse pulsitile flow is detected within the intervillious space. Color flow Doppler ultrasonography is an extremely important imaging modality in the prediction of gestational outcome. This type of imaging may be employed in the assessment of pregnancies demonstrating clinical signs of early embryonic failure and may be used to evaluate the efficacy of therapies initiated for the prevention of miscarriage.
Electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen: Gold and gold-platinum nanoparticle catalysts prepared by two-phase protocol

This paper describes recent results of an investigation of gold (Au) and gold-platinum (AuPt) nanoparticle electrocatalysts for fuel cell reaction at the cathode, i.e., oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The Au nanoparticles and AuPt nanoparticles with different bimetallic ratios were prepared by a two-phase protocol and supported on carbon black materials. The catalysts were thermally activated under controlled calcination temperatures. The electrocatalytic ORR activities were characterized using voltammetric and rotating disk electrode techniques. We have also attempted an initial comparison of the electrocatalytic activities of our Au/C and AuPt/C catalysts with commercially-available Pt/C and PtRu/C catalysts (E-tek) under the same voltammetric measurement conditions. The results revealed important insights into the electrocatalytic activity of our catalysts, and have important implications to the design of highly active fuel cell catalysts.
Recurrent infections in a nine-month-old male infant.

A 9-month-old male infant presented with respiratory distress; three weeks before, he had been hospitalized for lobar pneumonia of undetermined etiology. In the hospital, he was treated with intravenous antibiotics for three days and discharged receiving oral amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. One week before the visit, the fever recurred and oral antibiotics were switched to clarithromycin. At examination, he was found to be tachypneic and hypoxic with 91% oxygen saturation while breathing room air. He was rehospitalized for further evaluation and management. Past medical history included a generalized erythematous maculopapular rash at birth with low-grade fever. The rash was spontaneously resolved in one week without specific diagnosis. He developed pneumococcal sepsis at 2 months, pneumonia at 4 months, and facial cellulitis at 6 months of age. These infections were eventually resolved with intravenous antibiotics. The patient had several episodes of otitis media in between these infections and intermittent oral thrush during antibiotic treatment. Usual bowel habits consisted of three to four mucousy, foul-smelling stools per day despite various formula changes in an attempt to improve stool pattern. At 6 months of age, nocturnal wheezing occurred but was being controlled with inhaled fluticasone (220 lg) twice a day. His development was appropriate for his age. He received three sets of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, inactivated polio, hepatitis B, and conjugated pneumococcal vaccines without serious adverse reaction. Family history was negative for consanguinity, cystic fibrosis, recurrent infections, or unexplained neonatal deaths. The patient never attended daycare. There was no exposure to smoking. There were no pets in the home. On admission, the patient appeared drowsy but easily aroused. It was noted that he appeared ‘‘somewhat fatigued’’ and unwilling to engage. He was afebrile, pulse was 120 beats per minute, and the respirations were 30 breaths per minute. Blood pressure was 90/40 mmHg. His weight was 7.9 kg (10th percentile for age) with no weight gain in the last two months; his length was 70.3 cm (50th percentile), and his head circumference was 45 cm (50th percentile). Tympanic membranes appeared normal. There was minimal clear nasal drainage present. The oropharynx demonstrated diffuse thrush on the buccal mucosa and tongue. No tonsillar tissue was noted. Lymphadenopathy was not appreciated. Chest examination revealed scattered crackles without wheezing. The abdomen was full with liver edge palpated 6 centimeters below the right costal margin. The spleen was not palpated. Neurologic examination revealed no focal deficit. Skin turgor was normal.
WAVEGUIDE EXPERIMENT RELATED TO FIELD CHAOS

Abstract An experiment is described in which a waveguide configuration is employed to test for field chaos. The analysis is based on the identical structures of the equation for the component of electric field of TM modes parallel to the guide axis in a metal waveguide and the Schrodinger equation for a particle confined to an equivalent 2-d quantum billiard. It is observed that over a common frequency interval, transmission through a square guide with one side replaced by a concave section, is significantly less than transmission through guides with square or rectangular cross sections with dimensions comparable to the concave-walled guide. This attenuation is attributed to chaotic fields in the concave-walled guide.
Chemical mechanisms for cytochrome P-450 hydroxylation: evidence for acylation of heme-bound dioxygen.

Abstract Using isotopic tracer methods, we have shown that dihydrolipoic acid (2,3-thioctic acid) acylates the distal oxygen of ferrous oxygenated Pseudomonas cytochrome P-450, forming a transient acyl peroxide intermediate that facilitates oxygen-oxygen bond cleavage. Single-turnover studies with 18O2 indicate one oxygen-18 atom incorporated into the carboxylate group of lipoic acid for each oxygen-18 inserted into the substrate, camphor, forming the product, exo-5-hydroxycamphor. Such a branching ratio for label indicates that water is initially released from an unlageled position and illustrates that the general P-450 mixed-function oxidase stoichiometry generates H218O from 18O2 only after multiple-turnover equilibration with the acylating carboxylate oxygen. Formation of an acyl peroxide state is a natural intermediate in peracid, "oxene", or radical mechanisms for methylene carbone oxygenation.
Blood Pressure, Hypertension, RAAS Blockade, and Drug Therapy in Diabetic Kidney Disease

Type 2 diabetes is the most common cause of CKD and ESRD in the United States and the Western world. Hypertension is prevalent in this cohort, and control of blood pressure is perhaps the most important risk factor to reduce CKD progression. The most recent blood pressure target recommended by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes and Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guideline committees is less than 140/90 mmHg for all patients with CKD. There is some evidence for those with 1 g or more of albuminuria, albeit weak, to support a blood pressure target of less than 130/80 mmHg. Multiple studies demonstrate that renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers are important in reducing cardiovascular risk and progression of CKD in those with advanced proteinuric nephropathy. However, there is no evidence that they prevent nephropathy or that reduction in microalbuminuria alone is associated with slowed nephropathy progression. The purpose of this article is to review the major studies that have evaluated cardiovascular and kidney endpoints in patients with diabetes and the role of RAAS blockers in the treatment of this disease.
A summary of meeting proceedings for 'Measuring immune responses in non-human primates for drug development-opportunities and challenges for predicting human efficacy and immunotoxicity'.

Cris KamperschroerImmunotoxicology Center of Emphasis, Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer, Inc., Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USANon-human primates (NHP) are important pre-clinic...
Genomic structure of the candidate proto-oncogene BCL3.

Abstract We previously reported the identification of a novel candidate proto-oncogene involved in the translocation t(14;19)(q32;q13) found in some cases of human B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This gene, BCL3 , is a member of the IκB family, whose encoded proteins regulate the NF-κB family of transcription factors. Here we describe the genomic structure of BCL3 . The gene contains nine exons, spanning 11.5 kb. In comparison to other members of the IκB family, there is a remarkable conservation of the exon-intron boundaries in relation to the coding sequences, consistent with an origin from a common ancestral gene. BCL3 is unusual in containing two CpG islands, a 5′ island encompassing the first exon, the other lying within the gene. Southern blot analysis using methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes revealed that while the 5′ CpG is unmethylated in all tissues tested, the degree of methylation of the internal CpG island varies.
Management of Biochemical Recurrence after Primary Localized Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Clinically localized prostate cancer is typically managed by well established therapies like radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy, and external beam radiation therapy. While many patients can be cured with definitive local therapy, some will have biochemical recurrence (BCR) of disease detected by a rising serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Management of these patients is nuanced and controversial. The natural history indicates that a majority of patients with BCR will not die from prostate cancer but from other causes. Despite this, a vast majority of patients with BCR are empirically treated with non-curable systemic androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), with its myriad of real and potential side effects. In this review article, we examined the very definition of BCR after definitive local therapy, the current status of imaging studies in its evaluation, the need for additional therapies, and the factors involved in the decision making in the choice of additional therapies. This review aims to help clinicians with the management of patients with BCR. The assessment of prognostic factors including absolute PSA level, time to recurrence, PSA kinetics, multivariable nomograms, imaging, and biopsy of the prostatic bed may help stratify the patients into localized or systemic recurrence. Patients with low-risk of systemic disease may be cured by a salvage local therapy, while those with higher risk of systemic disease may be offered the option of ADT or a clinical trial. An algorithm incorporating these factors is presented.
Making the Modern: Industry, Art, and Design in America

In this ambitious book, Terry Smith chronicles the modernist revolution in American art and design between the world wars--from its origins in the new industrial age of mass production, automation, and corporate culture to its powerful and transforming effects on the way Americans came to see themselves and their world. From Ford Motor's first assembly line in 1913 to the New York World's Fair of 1939, Smith traces the evolution of visual imagery in the first half of America's century of progress.
On fibering and splitting of 5-manifolds over the circle

Abstract Our main result is a generalization of Cappell's 5-dimensional splitting theorem. As an application, we analyze, up to internal s -cobordism, the smoothable splitting and fibering problems for certain 5-manifolds mapping to the circle. For example, these maps may have homotopy fibers which are in the class of finite connected sums of certain geometric 4-manifolds. Most of these homotopy fibers have non-vanishing second mod 2 homology and have fundamental groups of exponential growth, which are not known to be tractable by Freedman–Quinn topological surgery. Indeed, our key technique is topological cobordism, which may not be the trace of surgeries.
Inguinal hernias in men undergoing open radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Objectives To determine the incidence of inguinal hernias in men undergoing open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). Methods The incidence of preoperative and postprostatectomy inguinal hernias were determined by a retrospective chart review and questionnaire survey of 1130 consecutive men who underwent open RRP by a single surgeon from October 2000 to October 2005. A preoperative inguinal hernia was diagnosed by the physical examination or abdominal computed tomography findings. The incidence of new postoperative hernias was ascertained by the patients' responses to a survey indicating the development of a new groin bulge or hernia. Results Of the 1130 patients, 146 (13%) had a preoperative inguinal hernia. Increasing age and lower body mass index were significantly associated with the detection of a preoperative inguinal hernia. The sensitivity of detecting an inguinal hernia by physical examination and routine abdominal computed tomography preoperatively was 96.3% and 42.5%, respectively. Also, 8% of men developed a new hernia. Conclusions Although abdominal computed tomography can identify inguinal hernias in men undergoing open RRP, the test's sensitivity is inferior to that of a simple physical examination. All candidates for open RRP should undergo a careful physical examination to identify asymptomatic inguinal hernias. Our findings suggest that the previously reported high incidence of symptomatic inguinal hernias that developed after open RRP can be explained by a failure to diagnose preexisting inguinal hernias and the development of new hernias.
Phase II Trial of Temozolomide in Patients With Progressive Low-Grade Glioma

Purpose: Temozolomide (Temodar; Schering-Plough Corp, Kenilworth, NJ) is an imidazole tetrazinone that undergoes chemical conversion to the active methylating agent 5-(3-methyltriazen-1yl)imidazole-4-carboximide under physiologic conditions. Previous studies have confirmed activity of Temodar in the treatment of progressive and newly diagnosed malignant gliomas. We have extended these results, and now we report results of a phase II trial of Temodar for patients with progressive, low-grade glioma. Patients and Methods: Temodar was administered orally once a day for five consecutive days (in a fasting state) at a starting dose of 200 mg/m2/d. Treatment cycles were repeated every 28 days following the first daily dose of Temodar. Response criteria used a combination of magnetic resonance imaging and physical examination to evaluate activity. Results: Forty-six patients with low-grade glioma have been treated to date. The objective response rate was 61% (24% complete response and 37% partial response), with ...
Controlling RDX explosive crystallite morphology and inclusion content via simple ultrasonic agitation and solvent evaporation

Uniform crystallite morphology, narrow particle size distribution, and tailored inclusion content have been achieved for cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) explosive recrystallization by a combination of simple ultrasonic agitation and solvent evaporation, as characterized by optical imaging and confocal microscopy.
Exploring the Costs and Benefits Drivers of Clinical Education

Objective. This study was designed to identljV mone­ tary and nonmonetary costs and benefits, as well as their drivers, to assist persons in clinical sites who are implementing clinical education to minimize costs and maximize benefits. Method. Qualitative research methodology in­ volved students, student supervisors, administrators. and patients in a hermeneutic dialectic process ol identifying costs and benefits ofLevel 11 fieldwork in three clinical sites. Results. Diflerent costs and benefits were identi­ fied by the different groups ofrespondents. Drivers, or causes, of these costs and bene/its reflected unique en­ vironmentalfactors in each site ofdata collection as well as common factors across the sites. Conclusion. Clinical education may be enhanced and stress reduced for all persons involved in clinical education through improved communication, struc­ ture, education, and support.
Cytokine and chemokine profiles in multiple myeloma; significance of stromal interaction and correlation of IL-8 production with disease progression

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is a product of interactions between tumor plasma cells and multiple cell types native to the bone marrow (BM). We have used antibody array technology to examine the proteins produced by BM stromal cells in response to stimulation by BM taken from patients diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), and MM. We observed increased production of the chemokine IL-8 by stromal cells co-cultured with supernatants from bone marrow cells of patients with active myeloma. IL-8 production is correlated with active disease and is dependent upon IL-1β and NF-κB signaling. Consistent with the pro-angiogenic activity of IL-8, increased BM microvessel density (MVD) correlated with stimulation of stromal cell IL-8 production. In addition, the majority of MM cell lines and MM patient plasma cells were found to express IL-8 receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2. We conclude that stromal cell IL-8 production parallels MM disease activity, is IL-1β induced, and correlates with bone marrow angiogenesis.
“Green” Ergonomics: Advocating for the Human Element in Buildings

Certification in the LEED rating system for green buildings traditionally has focused on strategies for increasing energy efficiency and lowering indoor air pollutant emissions by selecting appropriate and natural or recyclable materials. However, designing an energy efficient workplace and low pollution workplace doesn’t necessarily equate with creating a healthy and productive workplace. In November 2008 the USGBC introduced 1 credit for good ergonomic design and programs in the Innovation sections of the rating system. This paper outlines the requirements of this ergonomics credit and it presents a case study of a building that has received LEED credit for their successful ergonomics program.
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia Associated with an IgG Cold Incomplete Antibody

. Serologic studies are reported on a patient with severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia, whose red cells were strongly coated with IgG and with α2D component of C3. Direct and indirect Donath-Landsteiner reactions were negative. In addition to a typical IgM anti-I cold agglutinin of modest titer, the serum contained a lambda IgG incomplete antibody which bound more strongly to normal red cells at 4°C (1/64) than at 37°C (1/4). The IgG antibody did not require complement for binding but could bind complement and cause hemolysis with papainized red cells. Once bound, the IgG antibody did not dissociate appreciably at room temperature. The antibody eluted poorly from the patient's cells at 56°C but was readily dissociable from cell stroma at pH 3.5. The eluate exhibited no blood group specificity with a diagnostic red cell panel. In particular, equally strong reactions were obtained with O, A2, B, A1B, P + P1-negative, Rh-null, adult and cord red cells. Reactivity was not impaired by prior papainization of the cells. Although the patient improved following splenectomy, neither IgG nor IgM antibodies were detectable in a concentrated splenic extract. The properties of the present cold IgG incomplete antibody are compared with those previously reported; possible clinical implications of these antibodies are briefly discussed.
Recombinative generalization of within-syllable units in prereading children.

This study demonstrates recombinative generalization of within-syllable units in prereading children. Three kindergarten children learned to select printed consonant-vowel-consonant words upon hearing the corresponding spoken words. The words were taught in sets; there were six sets, presented consecutively. Within sets, the four words that were taught had overlapping letters, for example, sat, mat, sop, and sug. Tests for recombinative generalization determined whether the children selected novel words with the same components as the trained words (e.g., mop and mug). Two children demonstrated recombinative generalization after one training set, and the 3rd demonstrated it after two training sets. In contrast, 2 other children, who received tests but no training, showed low accuracy across six sets. The 3 experimental children then demonstrated highly accurate printed-word-to-picture matching, and named the majority of the printed words. These findings are a promising step in the development of a computerized instructional technology for reading.
Jitter and recovery rate of a 50 kV, 100 Hz triggered spark gap with high pressure gas mixtures

Summary form only given.Recent attention to impulse antenna phased array has necessitated the need to develop a reliable high voltage, high repetition rate switch that will operate with ultra low jitter. An ideal jitter of a small fraction of the rise time is required to accurately synchronize the array to steer and preserve the rise time of the radiated pulse. This paper presents the impact gases and gas mixtures have on switch performance which includes recovery rate and in particular, jitter. A 50 Omega, 1 nF pulse forming line is charged to 50 kV and provides the low inductance voltage source. Triggering is provided by an SOS voltage source that supplies >100 kV, 10 ns rise-time pulses at a rep rate up to 1 kHz in burst mode. A hermetically sealed spark gap with a Kel-F lining is used to house the switch and high pressure gas. The system includes a gas mixing chamber that can mix various gases up to 2000 psi. Gases tested include dry air, H2, N2, and SF6. Initial testing with 30 kV, 10 Hz switch operations have shown reliable sub-ns jitter times with pure gases including dry air, H2, N2, and with H2-N2, and N2-SF6 gas mixtures. The system was then modified for 50 kV, 100 Hz operations with no recovery issues. Jitter data for pure gases, H2-N2, N2-SF6, and various Kr85 gas mixtures at the 50 kV, 100 Hz operation is also documented and compared in this paper.
Imaging the transcriptome

Mol Syst Biol. 9: 710 It is well known that genetically identical cells can display a high variability in their gene expression profiles. This phenomenon has a profound impact on a myriad of cellular processes, ranging from differentiation to signaling and drug resistance. Large efforts are therefore currently devoted to understand the mechanistic causes and functional consequences of cell‐to‐cell variability, often called noise (Lionnet and Singer, 2012). There are multiple sources of cell‐to‐cell variability: cell cycle stage, circadian clock, metastable epigenetic states, fluctuations in the concentration of regulatory factors, inhomogeneous microenvironments, or the stochastic nature of the molecular steps involved in gene expression. These factors are often hard to separate experimentally because they might be unknown a priori and are often challenging to control: they can range from intracellular concentrations of upstream factors to cell shape or extracellular context. As most genetic circuits involve a vast number of genes, it has proven extremely useful to study genome‐wide transcriptomes in order to understand the determinants of gene expression variability. The first applications of microarray profiling to single cells were demonstrated a decade ago (Klein et al , 2002), and RNAseq‐based methods have recently contributed to increase the assay sensitivity. As a result, these technologies can now map expression data onto …
P-sync: A Photonically Enabled Architecture for Efficient Non-local Data Access

Communication in multi- and many-core processors has long been a bottleneck to performance due to the high cost of long-distance electrical transmission. This difficulty has been partially remedied by architectural constructs such as caches and novel interconnect topologies, albeit at a steep cost in terms of complexity. Unfortunately, even these measures are rendered ineffective by certain kinds of communication, most notably scatter and gather operations that exhibit highly nonlocal data access patterns. Much work has gone into examining how the increased bandwidth density afforded by chip-scale silicon photonic interconnect technologies affects computing, but photonics have additional properties that can be leveraged to greatly accelerate performance and energy efficiency under such difficult loads. This paper describes a novel synchronized global photonic bus and system architecture called P-sync that uses photonics' distance independence to greatly improve performance on many important applications previously limited by electronic interconnect. The architecture is evaluated in the context of a non-local yet common application: the distributed Fast Fourier Transform. We show that it is possible to achieve high efficiency by tightly balancing computation and communication latency in P-sync and achieve upwards of a 6× performance increase on gather patterns, even when bandwidth is equalized.
New surgical staging of endometrial cancer: 20 years later.

Cancer staging is instrumental for adequate outcome comparison, stratification into prognostic categories, and guiding postoperative treatment. Operative staging procedures may also carry a potential therapeutic benefit. Surgical staging of corpus cancer was first recommended 20 years ago by the FIGO Committee on Gynecologic Oncology, with the intent of introducing a more accurate evaluation of the extent of metastatic disease [1]. Twenty years later, the FIGO Committee has now introduced changes in the staging criteria.
Benzoyl Coenzyme A Pathway-Mediated Metabolism of meta-Hydroxy-Aromatic Acids in Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Photoheterotrophic metabolism of two meta-hydroxy-aromatic acids, meta-, para-dihydroxybenzoate (protocatechuate) and meta-hydroxybenzoate, was investigated in Rhodopseudomonas palustris. When protocatechuate was the sole organic carbon source, photoheterotrophic growth in R. palustris was slow relative to cells using compounds known to be metabolized by the benzoyl coenzyme A (benzoyl-CoA) pathway. R. palustris was unable to grow when meta-hydroxybenzoate was provided as a sole source of organic carbon under photoheterotrophic growth conditions. However, in cultures supplemented with known benzoyl-CoA pathway inducers (para-hydroxybenzoate, benzoate, or cyclohexanoate), protocatechuate and meta-hydroxybenzoate were taken up from the culture medium. Further, protocatechuate and meta-hydroxybenzoate were each removed from cultures containing both meta-hydroxy-aromatic acids at equimolar concentrations in the absence of other organic compounds. Analysis of changes in culture optical density and in the concentration of soluble organic compounds indicated that the loss of these meta-hydroxy-aromatic acids was accompanied by biomass production. Additional experiments with defined mutants demonstrated that enzymes known to participate in the dehydroxylation of para-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA (HbaBCD) and reductive dearomatization of benzoyl-CoA (BadDEFG) were required for metabolism of protocatechuate and meta-hydroxybenzoate. These findings indicate that, under photoheterotrophic growth conditions, R. palustris can degrade meta-hydroxy-aromatic acids via the benzoyl-CoA pathway, apparently due to the promiscuity of the enzymes involved.
Taking contrast coverage seriously.

RADIOLOGY RESIDENT MOONLIGHTING Most residents graduate from medical school with significant debt. As such, moonlighting is a desirable and common aspect of many residency programs. Radiology residency moonlighting opportunities vary in intensity, from the simpler contrast coverage— monitoring for contrast reactions after the administration of contrast agents—to interpreting diagnostic imaging studies, to performing unsupervised invasive procedures [1]. Radiology residents often begin their moonlighting careers with contrast coverage opportunities. In a recent survey of US radiology residency programs, 73% of programs actively encouraged or condoned moonlighting. Of these programs, 73% had contrast coverage opportunities for residents [2]. For contrast coverage, residents are paid to be on site to monitor and treat patients for contrast reactions after the administration of contrast agents. Given the rarity of contrast reactions, most contrast coverage shifts involve little to no stress for moonlighting residents. Unfortunately, this has led to a widespread misconception that a contrast coverage shift involves little to no work. In reality, contrast reactions can be life threatening, and providing contrast coverage is a serious clinical responsibility for which one should be prepared.
Organizational Life Cycle Theory: an Introduction as an Aid To Strategic Marketing Planning

This paper presents the organizational life cycle as a method which may assist strategic marketing planners in identifying their appropriate role in the strategic planning process. A brief comparison to the product life cycle is offered as well as a discussion of a model of the organizational life cycle developed by Katz and Kahn (1978). The marketing priorities inherent in each stage of the model are then discussed followed by propositions which hopefully will stimulate debate and further research concerning the organizational life cycle’s use in marketing.
Cirrus microphysical properties and air motion statistics using cloud radar Doppler moments. Part I: Algorithm description

Abstract The first three moments of the millimeter-wavelength radar Doppler spectrum provide valuable information regarding both cloud properties and air motion. An algorithm using these Doppler radar moments is developed to retrieve cirrus microphysical properties and the mean air vertical motion and their errors. The observed Doppler spectrum results from the convolution of a quiet-air radar reflectivity spectrum with the turbulence probability density function. Instead of expressing the convolution integral in terms of the particle fall velocity as in past studies, herein the convolution integral is integrated over the air motion so that the mean vertical velocity within the sample volume can be explicitly solved. To avoid an ill-conditioned problem, the turbulence is considered as a parameter in the algorithm and predetermined from the Doppler spectrum width and radar reflectivity based on the observation that the spread of the particle size distribution in the velocity domain dominates the Doppler sp...
Animal Behavior: Electric Eels Amp Up for an Easy Meal

The high voltage discharge generated by electric eels is a powerful predatory weapon. A new study shows that eels exploit basic physics to increase the voltage delivered to prey, inducing muscle fatigue that turns challenging prey items into easy targets.
Rewards shape attentional search modes

Visual attention can be configured for specific stimulus features (feature search mode) or it can be non-specifically set for salient pop-outs (singleton detection mode). Additionally, monetary rewards have been shown to bias attention toward specific features, but it is unknown whether secondary reinforcers (images of US$) can shape global attention via search modes. In a between-group study, we trained participants to value one search mode over the other. In a testing phase, a salient distractor captured the attention of the value-singleton group; however, the value feature group was completely unaffected. This suggests that rewards automatically bias global attention mechanisms and potentially mediate the handoff between stimulus-driven and goal-directed attentional control.
Subanesthetic ketamine infusions for the treatment of children and adolescents with chronic pain: a longitudinal study

Chronic pain is common in children and adolescents and is often associated with severe functional disability and mood disorders. The pharmacological treatment of chronic pain in children and adolescents can be challenging, ineffective, and is mostly based on expert opinions and consensus. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, has been used as an adjuvant for treatment of adult chronic pain and has been shown, in some instances, to improve pain and decrease opioid-requirement. We examined the effects of subanesthetic ketamine infusions on pain intensity and opioid use in children and adolescents with chronic pain syndromes treated in an outpatient setting. Longitudinal cohort study of consecutive pediatric patients treated with subanesthetic ketamine infusions in a tertiary outpatient center. Outcome measurements included self-reported pain scores (numeric rating scale) and morphine-equivalent intake. Over a 15-month period, 63 children and adolescents (median age 15, interquartile range 12–17 years) with chronic pain received 277 ketamine infusions. Intravenous administration of subanesthetic doses of ketamine to children and adolescents on an outpatient basis was safe and not associated with psychotropic effects or hemodynamic perturbations. Overall, ketamine significantly reduced pain intensity (p <0.001) and yielded greater pain reduction in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) than in patients with other chronic pain syndromes (p = 0.029). Ketamine-associated reductions in pain scores were the largest in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and trauma patients and the smallest in patients with chronic headache (p = 0.007). In 37 % of infusions, patients had a greater than 20 % reduction in pain score. Conversely, ketamine infusions did not change overall morphine-equivalent intake (p = 0.3). These data suggest that subanesthetic ketamine infusion is feasible in an outpatient setting and may benefit children and adolescents with chronic pain. Further, patients with CRPS, POTS, and a history of trauma-related chronic pain are more likely to benefit from this therapeutic modality.
Metal-dependent ribbon and self-penetrated topologies in nitroaromatic-sensing zinc and cadmium coordination polymers with terephthalate and dipyridylamide ligands

Abstract Hydrothermal reaction of the requisite metal nitrate, potassium terephthalate (K 2 tere) and the dipyridylamide 3-pyridylisonicotinamide (3-pina) afforded a pair of crystalline coordination polymers whose dimensionality and topology depends critically on the metal coordination environment. The two new crystalline phases were structurally characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. {[Zn(tere)(3-pina) 2 ]·2H 2 O} n ( 1 ) manifests a 1-D zig-zag ribbon motif with monodentate 3-pina ligands. [Cd(tere)(3-pina) 2 ] n ( 2 ) displays a self-penetrated 3-D network with 4 4 6 10 8 mab topology. Thermal and luminescent properties of these two new materials are also presented. Both 1 and 2 show capability as sensors for nitroaromatic compounds via luminescence quenching, with better absorption for nitrobenzene than the more sterically bulky analyte m -nitrophenol.
Ancestral reconstruction under weighted maximum matching

Ancestral genome reconstruction has attracted increasing interests from both biologists and computer scientists. It has been conducted using various evolutionary models ever since comparative genomics moved from sequence data to gene order data. We propose a Flexible Ancestral Reconstruction Model, FARM, based on the maximum likelihood and weighted maximum matching algorithms, to infer ancestral gene orders. This will accommodate various evolutionary scenarios, including not only genomic rearrangements, but also insertion/deletions (indels), segment duplications, and whole genome duplications. We evaluate this work by using various simulated evolution experiments while comparing FARM to existing methods, like InferCarsPro, GASTS and PMAG++. FARM shows significant improvement in running time and the final assembling process and, therefore, can be used in large-scale real biological data ancestral inference.
Investigating The Initial Detection Stage Of Meiotic Silencing By Unpaired Dna In The Model Organism Neurospora Crassa

23 Background 23 Methods 24 Results 24 Discussion 24 Background 25 Methods 26 Results 29 Discussion 32 v References 37 Tables 41 Figures 48 III. SAD-5: A NUCLEAR PROTEIN OF MSUD 56 Abstract 56 Background 56 Methods 56 Results 57 Discussion 57 Background 57 Methods 59 Results 67 Discussion 73 References 77 Tables 81 Figures 84
A biblioteca do ensino intuitivo e o ensino de ciências na escola primária brasileira: 1880-1900

O trabalho discute a importância do ensino de Ciencias na escola primaria brasileira no ultimo quartel do seculo XIX, tendo como foco de analise os livros didaticos de Ciencias que surgiram depois da reforma educacional de 1878, do Ministro Carlos Leoncio de Carvalho, e o Parecer de 1883, de Rui Barbosa. O trabalho relata primeiro as ideias prevalecentes no exterior e debatidas no Brasil sobre o papel e a maneira de ensinar as ciencias na escola primaria. Segue com uma discussao de livros-didaticos de Ciencias Naturais divulgados no Brasil, e, particularmente, da coletânea de livros intitulada Biblioteca do Ensino Intuitivo — As Sciencias Naturaes. Os livros, destinados para o ensino primario, foram escritos por eminentes autores ingleses e publicados na Inglaterra e nos Estados Unidos sob o titulo Science Primers. A coletânea foi traduzida para o portugues e adaptada para o ensino brasileiro na decada de 1880 e 1890.
Presence of insulin-like growth factor I but absence of the binding proteins in the bile of rats

Whereas insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been found in various body fluids from different species, the presence or absence of IGF and associated binding proteins (IGFBPs) in bile has not been clearly defined. Bile concentration of IGF-I was measured in this study and found to be highest in the neonate and lowest in adult rats [133 +/- 15.9, 79.4 +/- 10.5, 45.3 +/- 12.7 ng/ml (mean +/- SE) in 12-day-old, 33-day-old, and adult rats, respectively]. When bile delivery rates of IGF-I (i.e., the product of IGF-I concentration in bile and the biliary flow rate) were calculated, IGF-I delivery was highest in weanling rats (469 pg.h-1.g body wt-1). When expressed as amount of IGF-I in bile delivered per day, however, delivery rates rose from 0.2 micrograms/day in the suckling and remained constant at 1.6-1.7 micrograms/day in both weanling and adult animals. Bile samples exposed to a placental membrane IGF receptor preparation showed significant dose-dependent inhibition of binding of native IGF-I. Because no IGF binding proteins were identified by Western ligand blot or by Sephadex gel chromatography, the results suggest the presence of biologically significant quantities of bioactive IGF-I in bile. We speculate that IGF-I in bile may play an important role in the growth of the gastrointestinal tract, both in the suckling as well as later in life.
Nanotubular array solid oxide fuel cell.

This report presents a demonstration and characterization of a nanotubular array of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) made of one-end-closed hollow tube Ni/yttria-stabilized zirconia/Pt membrane elect...
Evaluation of Amount of Blood in Dry Blood Spots: Ring-Disk Electrode Conductometry

A fixed area punch in dried blood spot (DBS) analysis is assumed to contain a fixed amount of blood, but the amount actually depends on a number of factors. The presently preferred approach is to normalize the measurement with respect to the sodium level, measured by atomic spectrometry. Instead of sodium levels, we propose electrical conductivity of the extract as an equivalent nondestructive measure. A dip-type small diameter ring-disk electrode (RDE) is ideal for very small volumes. However, the conductance (G) measured by an RDE depends on the depth (D) of the liquid below the probe. There is no established way of computing the specific conductance (σ) of the solution from G. Using a COMSOL Multiphysics model, we were able to obtain excellent agreement between the measured and the model predicted conductance as a function of D. Using simulations over a large range of dimensions, we provide a spreadsheet-based calculator where the RDE dimensions are the input parameters and the procedure determines the...
Clearance of surfactant phosphatidylcholine via the upper airways in rabbits

A possible route of clearance of surfactant phosphatidylcholine from the lungs is via the airways. To quantify surfactant loss via this pathway, latex bags were surgically placed into the abdomens of adult rabbits such that secretions cleared via the esophagus could be collected. The rabbits then were given treatment or trace doses of radiolabeled phosphatidylcholine-surfactant by tracheal injection and/or intravascular radiolabeled precursors of phosphatidylcholine. Labeled saturated phosphatidylcholine was measured in all fluids that were collected from the bags at 2-h intervals for 24 h and in alveolar washes and lung tissues at 24 h. No more than 7% of either treatment or trace doses of intratracheal surfactant-saturated phosphatidylcholine was lost via clearance up the airways over 24 h. Clearances of endogenously synthesized and secreted saturated phosphatidylcholine were estimated to be no more than 3% of the flux of labeled saturated phosphatidylcholine through the alveolar pool. These experiments demonstrate that surfactant phosphatidylcholine clearance via movement up the airways is not a major pathway leading to surfactant catabolism.
The impact of national health insurance on the notification of tuberculosis in Taiwan.

SETTING: General notification of tuberculosis in Taiwan. OBJECTIVES: To ensure the completeness of notification of tuberculosis (TB) in Taiwan, the Bureau of National Health Insurance (NHI) introduced two policies in 1997: 1) the no-notification-no-reimbursement (NNNR) policy, and 2) the notification-fee (NF) policy. The goals of this study were to investigate the impact of the NNNR and NF policies on notification of TB. DESIGN: Review of all cases notified to the National TB Register from 1995 to 1999 to determine calendar trend, type of case and source of notification. RESULTS: There were 11,453 and 13,612 reported cases in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Following the implementation of the NHI policies, there was a 47% increase in 1997, with 20 021 reported cases. Quarterly reporting of cases reached a historic peak in the third quarter of 1997. The increase in reported cases was mainly from general hospitals/clinics. Since 1998, the number of reported cases has declined steadily, at a rate of 7% and 3% in 1998 and 1999, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The NNNR and NF policies had a significant impact on notification of TB in Taiwan. These policies substantially improved completeness of reporting, an observation with implications for surveillance of other reported diseases.
Biopsy of Lesions of the Female Genital Tract

There are a wide range of lesions affecting the female genital tract that, for precise identification, require biopsy for histologic or cytopathologic study. The accuracy of both forms of biopsy is greatly improved by attention to technical detail. The methods described in this article have been found to be reliable and to produce diagnostic material of high quality.
A TECHNIQUE FOR OBSERVING IN-VIVO RESPONSES TO ELECTRICAL STIMULATION USING RABBIT EAR CHAMBERS

Publisher Summary Numerous studies have been carried out utilizing various forms of electrical and electromagnetic stimulation to promote healing, regeneration, and differentiation of living tissue. This chapter describes a technique for observing in vivo responses to electrical stimulation using rabbit ear chambers. Connecting the wire from the ear chamber and that from the subcutaneous anode to the battery pack resulted in current flowing into the ear chamber. A light microscope at total magnifications of 20×, 40×, and 100× was used to observe the chamber contents. Vascularization of the tissue in the chamber was used as a measure of the rate of healing. Vascularization was considered to have occurred when a definite wall was observed along circulatory channels. This study showed that rabbit ear chambers can be subjected to electrical stimulation and that the microscopic appearance of the living tissue in contact with the stimulating electrode can be easily observed at any time without disturbing the preparation.
Anti-Inflammatory Herbs for Arthritis

Arthritis is a serious public health concern in the United States. Inflammation is the key contributory factor in the pathogenesis of arthritis. The blockade of pro-inflammatory cytokines is a suitable therapeutic strategy. The treatment aim is pain control, function improvement, and disease process modification. Current pharmacological treatments include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroidal drugs, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which have limited impact and cause various side effects. There is growing interest in botanical alternatives for osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. The herbs with great potential to downregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines are turmeric, boswellia, and stinging nettle. Further research to improve the bioavailabity of their extracts is needed.
Potential for Therapeutic Benefit among Cystic Fibrosis Populations Excluded from Clinical Trials or Labeling of Marketed Therapies.

Remarkable advances in the management of individuals born with cystic fibrosis (CF) would not have been realized without empiric trial and error by CF clinicians with treatments developed and available for other purposes. As the testing and registration of CF-specific treatments have increased, so too have associated health care costs, particularly those of chronic medications. The transition of CF from a lethal pediatric disease to a life-shortening one with an adult majority, concurrent with sharp increases in chronic medication costs, has placed many CF treatments under increased scrutiny by third-party payers, particularly when prescribed to individuals from CF subpopulations that may not have been included in registration trials. Despite overall health improvements in the CF cohort and the increasing availability of CF-specific therapies, many physicians remain tasked with managing the health of patients from subpopulations that may be too young, too sick, or too complicated to have been included in ...