cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are EUV bursts members of the flare family

A number of properties of EUV bursts are found to be consistent with the conclusion that they are at the low energy extreme of the family of events including flares. The incidence of EUV bursts exceeds that of flares by over two orders of magnitude, which suggests the possibility that, in total, they may be as important energetically as flares. The faster EUV bursts have light curves resembling those observed in hard X-rays at the times of flares.
The Production of Value-Added Proteins in Transgenic Alfalfa

Advances in plant biotechnology allow for the introduction of novel heritable traits into almost all major crop plants. Most of the modifications are aimed at improving the agronomic traits of the crop such as increased pest resistance or modifying the nutritive or processing value. Another approach using plant biotechnology to add value to a crop is to produce foreign proteins such as pharmaceuticals or industrial enzymes in the crop. Currently, most industrial enzymes are produced from microorganisms by large-scale fermentation. An alternative approach to their production would be to express and recover these enzymes from transgenic plants. A multidisciplinary research group at UW Madison has produced and field-tested transgenic alfalfa producing several different microbial enzymes. These include manganese-dependent lignin peroxidase (Mn-P) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium, alpha-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis, phytase from Aspergillus niger and four different cellulases. The most successful to date is production of the animal feed enzyme phytase which was expressed at economically viable levels (up to 2% of total soluble protein) under field conditions. Furthermore we have shown that crude juice or leaf meal preparations can be used directly in animal feed to replace the microbial enzyme. There are tremendous potential environmental and social benefits to this emerging “Green Technology”. Fractionation of a crop into more useful parts leads to more efficient use of resources, eliminates some waste management problems and gives added value to the growers.
Parallelized multilevel fast multipole algorithm for scattering by objects with anisotropic impedance surfaces

A parallelized multilevel fast multipole algorithm MLFMA is presented for simulating electromagnetic scattering from complex targets with anisotropic impedance surfaces. By employing both surface electric and magnetic currents as unknowns and weakly enforcing the anisotropic impedance boundary condition, a combined integral equation is formulated to generate a set of well-conditioned linear systems to be solved by MLFMA. To further improve the iterative convergence of the linear systems, a parallel sparse approximate inverse preconditioner is constructed from the near-field interaction of the system matrix. The MLFMA is parallelized to enable computation on a large number of processors for large-scale problems. Several numerical examples are presented to validate the algorithm and demonstrate its accuracy, scalability, and capability in handling large complex objects with anisotropic impedance surfaces. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Choroid Plexus Tumors

The choroid plexus has the highly specific function of producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It is anatomically localized to the parenchymal/ventricular junction in all four ventricles. The choroid plexus is derived from the specialization of ventricular epithelium along certain segments of the neural tube, and there is a common ontogeny between choroid epithelium and cells of glial origin. This can and does lead to diagnostic confusion in certain cases. Tumors arising from the choroid plexus can display a benign or malignant phenotype with conversion to a malignant phenotype being exceedingly rare (Chow et al. 1999a). Guerard was the first to describe a choroid plexus tumor in 1833. The first surgical resection was reported by Bielschowsky and Unger in 1906. Thereafter both Cushing and Dandy reported their experiences with this unusual tumor (Davis and Cushing 1925; Dandy 1922).
A coordinated adaptive stabilizer for multimachine power systems

The speed governor and excitation control functions are rarely incorporated into existing power plant computer control structures. However, current research trends indicate a growing interest in the integration of these functions into the computer control hierarchy. To this end, several control schemes have been proposed for replacing the main governor and excitation control functions as well as the conventional power system stabilizer (PSS) with online controllers at the generating unit level. A digital PSS design technique for a multimachine power system suitable for easy integration into the power system control hierarchy at the generating plant level is presented. The adaptive PSS design algorithm is based on the decentralized model reference adaptive control concept using Lyapunov function methods. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated on a multimachine power system using computer simulation studies. Results show an improvement in the overall system damping characteristics using the proposed adaptive controller in comparison to those obtained using other digital controllers. >
The role of electroplates in contact reliability

Electroplated coatings represent a major portion of the electrical contact finishes used worldwide. This is particularly true as contact sizes and energy levels decrease. As a result, ever-thinner coatings are used for reasons of economy. At the same time, it is in these applications that the state of the contact surface plays an increasingly important role in reliability.
Fully automated, high yielding production of N‐succinimidyl 4‐[18F]fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB), and its use in microwave‐enhanced radiochemical coupling reactions

A General Electric Medical Systems (GEMS) Tracerlab FXFN fluorine-18 synthesis module has been reconfigured to allow rapid (45 min), fully automated production of N-succinimidyl 4-[18F]fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB) using the established three-step, one-pot synthesis procedure. Purification is by sep-pak only and [18F]SFB is routinely obtained in 38% non-decay corrected yield,>1 Ci/µmol specific activity, and >95% radiochemical purity (n=20). Moreover, this report includes our preliminary research efforts into improving peptide coupling reactions with [18F]SFB using microwave-enhanced radiochemistry. Reaction times can be reduced by>90%, when compared with traditional thermal reactions, with no significant effect on radiochemical reaction yield. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultraviolet-laser-induced permanent electrical conductivity in polyimide

When polyimide (Kapton) is irradiated by a krypton fluoride (KrF) laser, an increase of the electrical conductivity of up to 16 orders of magnitude is observed. In the high conduction regime, the resistivity is about 0.1 Ω cm, the current voltage characteristic is ohmic and the contacts of gold and silver with the irradiated conducting polymer are also ohmic. The conduction mechanism is phonon-assisted variable range hopping, evident from the observed temperature and electric field dependence of the resistivity at low conductivities. The laser-induced conductivity depends on the ambient atmosphere during irradiation. Transmission spectroscopy in the visible region and infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy have been used to characterize the material. A thermal mechanism is proposed for the formation of conducting polyimide, by excimer-laser irradiation.
Inhibitory control over no-longer-relevant information: Adult age differences

Hartman and Hasher (1991) used a garden-path task in which younger and older adults generated the final word for each of a series of high-cloze sentences. Under instructions to remember the final word, the experiment included critical sentences for which the generated word was replaced by a new, to-be-remembered target. Using an implicit priming task, the first experiment replicated a basic finding: Younger adults showed priming only for the target words, whereas older adults showed priming for both the generated and target words. Two experiments explored boundary conditions. One showed that an additional sentence that interpreted the new target word enabled older adults to narrow access to only the target word. The provision of additional time following the introduction of the new target word did not. Specific information, not more time, is required for inefficient inhibitory mechanisms to clear the recent past from memory.
Challenges to potassium metabolism: internal distribution and external balance

A complex pump-leak system involving both active and passive transport mechanisms is responsible for the appropriate distribution of potassium (K) between the intra- and extracellular fluid compartments. In addition, the kidneys, and to a lesser extent the colon, safeguard maintenance of the narrow range of low K concentrations in the extracellular fluid. Early renal clearance studies showed that K is normally both reabsorbed and secreted by renal tubules, and that regulated secretion is the major source of K excretion. Net K secretion occurs mainly in principal cells while K absorption takes place in intercalated cells. Studies on single tubules and principal and intercalated cells have defined the determinants of K secretion and reabsorption including the electrochemical driving forces, specific carriers, ATPases, and K channels. Recent studies on the properties and molecular identity of renal K channels have also contributed significantly to understanding the renal mechanisms that transport and regulate K excretion.
The hydrology of carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies and the evolution of planet progenitors

Oxygen isotope ratio data from carbonaceous chondrites are explained if aqueous fluids flowed from high to low temperatures within the parent objects of these primitive meteorites. Recognition of ancient hydrological activity on primitive asteroid precursors affords a new class of constraints on the heat sources (ages?) and sizes of planet precursors in the early Solar System based on the geological evolution of planetesimals.
Synthesis and characterization of some reduced zirconium halides

High temperature equilibrium experiments have revealed several new zirconium subhalides as well as nonstoichiometry among the better-known trihalides. Product characterization by standard gravimetric and electron microprobe analyses was allied with x-ray powder and single crystal work. Accurate lattice parameters for phases of known cell type were determined from high precision x-ray powder data obtained by Guinier methods with Si powder as an internal standard. Up to 50 g batches of ZrCl and the hitherto unreported ZrBr have been prepared stoichiometrically from ZrX/sub 4/ and thin (3 to 4 mils) Zr turnings. Virtually 100% yields of >99.5% pure ZrCl/sub 3/ and ZrBr/sub 3/ were subsequently made by reacting well-ground mixtures of ZrX/sub 4/ with the very soft graphitic monohalides. Since ZrI does not exist, ZrI/sub 3/ was prepared from ZrI/sub 4/ and ZrI/sub 1/./sub 8/, the most reduced iodide phase. New compounds in the Zr--Cl and Zr--Br systems were prepared either by isopiestic equilibration of ZrX and ZrX/sub 3/ and/or via transport in a thermal gradient. A single crystal structure determination has shown the ZrCl/sub 2/./sub 5/ phase to be the first Group IVB M/sub 6/ cluster compound. It crystallizes in space group Ia3d with Z = 16 and is isostructuralmore » with Ta/sub 6/Cl/sub 15/.« less
Economic considerations in technology assessment: the case of genetic disease

This paper describes economic issues pertinent to health care technology assessment. Of interest are the allocation of resources between health and other sectors of the economy, between alternative services within the health sectors, and the costs of producing the services that are selected. These issues are discussed and then illustrated by reference to a specific area of health care technology: screening for and intervention against genetic diseases. It is concluded that investments in screening programs for Tay Sachs disease and Down Syndrome are allocatively efficient. Indications are that such investments are also efficient for interventions against Neural Tube Defects; however, there are complex ethical issues involved. There are many genetic diseases for which screening tests have yet to be developed. As such tests become available, each will have to be evaluated on its own merits relative to alternative health sector investments.
Identification of polymorphisms in the constant region of IgG3: the missing mouse allotype

We have identified DNA sequence polymorphisms in the C gamma 3 genes of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. One of these results in a Ser-->Gly amino acid difference in CH1 at position 129 according to the Wu and Kabat numbering system. There are three additional silent substitutions in the coding region and two polymorphic nucleotides in the 3' untranslated region. According to standard nomenclature in which alleles are numbered according to the order of their identification, these C gamma 3 alleles are designated Igh-8a and Igh-8b respectively. We also describe two polymerase chain reaction-based assays that identify the allelic differences.
Brain Abscess and Meningitis caused by a Diphtheroid resembling Corynebacterium ulcerogenes.

SummaryAn organism resembling Corynebacterium ulcerogenes was isolated repeatedly in pure culture from a brain abscess and spinal fluid of a 7-year-old child. The morphological and biochemical characteristics of the organism were determined, and found to be culturally identical to C. ulcerogenes. It was found to be resistant to penicillin, in vitro, but inhibited in growth by sulfanilamide, sul-famerazine, sulfasuxidine, and sulfaguani-dine. Sulfamerazine was the most effective. The organism was non-pathogenic to guinea pigs, white mice, rabbits, and hamsters, irrespective of the route of inoculation.
LANGUAGE PRACTICES AND SELF DEFINITION: THE CASE OF GENDER IDENTITY ACQUISITION*

This article empirically explores possible relationships between language practices and the acquisition of gender identity. I propose a framework for analyzing the language of social identification underlying the usage of identifying categorical terms and then use this framework to analyze segments of interaction recorded in two preschools. On the basis of this analysis, I propose a distinctively sociological theory of gender identity acquisition and suggest that the proposed analytical framework may provide the basis for a more general sociological psychology.
113Cd nmr study of the metal cluster structure of human liver metallothionein

Abstract Cadmium-113 nuclear magnetic resonance ( 113 Cd nmr) was used to elucidate the structural properties of the cadmium binding sites in human liver metallothionein. The isotopically labeled 113 Cd-metallothionein was prepared by the in vitro exchange of the native metals (greater than 94% zinc) for 113 CdCl 2 during isolation. The two isoproteins, MT-1 and MT-2, showed 113 Cd nmr resonances in the chemical shift range 610–670 ppm. The multiplet structure of the resonances is due to two bond scalar interactions between adjacent 113 Cd ions linked by cysteine thiolate ligands. Homonuclear 113 Cd decoupling experiments allowed the determination of the metal cluster structure, which, similar to the rabbit liver metallothionein, consists of a four- and a three-metal cluster designated cluster A and cluster B, respectively. Chemical shift similarities in the 113 Cd nmr spectra of the human, rabbit and calf liver MT-1 and MT-2 are observed, especially for cluster A. Small variations in chemical shifts are explained in terms of differences in the primary structure between the two human isoproteins.
Catastrophe theory models in geology

Catastrophe theory is a recently developed branch of topology which has a number of practical applications, principally because of its ability to model situations which include discontinuities or singularities, where the methods of differential calculus break down. Some examples of its possible use in geology are presented, in fields as diverse as volcanology, sedimentology, and structural geology, and wider applications, in modeling spatial or temporal discontinuities in other fields, are suggested.
Tell me the rule – I have plenty of good information: rule 1: leadership development is first about leaders who are develop‐able

Purpose – This paper is intended to inform the reader of the author's expertise.Design/methodology/approach – The author's opinion is based primarily on 27 years of leadership and executive leadership development in the business realm and over five years of related practical research.Findings – Only leaders with demonstrated ability in key areas and a desire to learn can be significantly developed.Practical implications – Leadership development and succession planning should focus on correctly identifying leaders as a first priority.Originality/value – The paper serves as a reminder to executives and HR leaders charged with the responsibility of identifying and developing leaders for the future of their organization.
Preparing staff to enhance active participation of adults with severe disabilities by offering choice and prompting performance during a community purchasing activity

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a multicomponent staff training package on the number of choice responses and performance responses made by adults with disabilities in a community purchasing activity. The multicomponent training package included an inservice (written manuals, a verbal explanation of the information, role play activities, and video examples) performance feedback sessions in the community context, and self-monitoring instruction. Primary data were collected on how each staff offered choices and prompted performance with an individual with severe disabilities in three different fast food restaurants per week. Secondary data were collected on the number of choices individuals with disabilities made and the level of their performance during a purchase in a fast food restaurant. The findings showed that all four of the staff did not give opportunities for choices and used intrusive prompting or performed the skill for the person in baseline, but mastered these skills the first probe after the training sessions. In addition, the staff generalized offering choices and prompting performance across settings and adults with disabilities and maintained the skills. Also, the adults with disabilities increased the number of choice responses they made as well as their level of performance (compared to baseline) after the staff received the intervention.
Fully converged sudden rotation total integral cross sections for 4He + H2 (ν = 0, j = 0) → 4He + H2 (ν′ = 1, j′)

Abstract Total integral cross sections for 4 He + H 2 (ν = 0, j = 0) → 4 He + H 2 (ν′ = 1, j ′ = 0, 2) have been calculated in the total energy range 1.2 to 5.5 eV, according to a quantal sudden approximation for the H 2 rotational degrees of freedom and a close coupling expansion of the vibrational degree of freedom. Convergence of the above cross sections is investigated by employing four vibration basis sets in the close coupling calculations, i.e., ν = 0,1, ν = 0,1, 2, ν = 0, 1, 2, 3 and ν = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. Between 4.2 and 5.5 eV calculations were done with three vibration basis sets; ν = 0.–4, ν = 0–5, and ν = 0–6. It is found that at least four vibrational basis functions are needed to converge (to within 5–10%) these cross sections in the above energy range. Comparison of breathing sphere calculations and summed sudden rotation results shows good agreement for the (weakly anisotropic) Mies-Krauss potential. However, as expected the former results underestimate the vibrational 0 → 1 total integral cross sections.
β-Glucuronidase mediated pathway essential for retinal pigment epithelial degradation of glycosaminoglycans. Disease expression and in vitro disease correction using retroviral mediated cDNA transfer

A beta-glucuronidase mediated pathway for the degradation of glycosaminoglycans is present in the retinal pigment epithelium. The pathway has been defined using ocular tissues and cultured cells from mutant animals having a recessively inherited deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme. In situ, storage products accumulate in secondary lysosomes of the retinal pigment epithelium, the cytoplasm fills with inclusions and the cells hypertrophy; severity of the disease increases with aging. Deficient activity of beta-glucuronidase is present in primary and second passage cultures. Radiolabel studies with 35SO4 show a significant retention of cell layer label by mutant retinal pigment epithelial cells during a 72-hr pulse or 24-hr chase period. The labels is in newly synthesized chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate, which are natural substrates for the deficient enzyme. There is no difference from normal in the total radioactivity and electrophoretic profile of the glycosaminoglycans that are synthesized and released into the media. A retroviral vector was used to transfer normal rat beta-glucuronidase cDNA into the mutant cells. The vector treatment results in restoration of enzyme activity and correction of the degradative defect; 35SO4 labeling shows that chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate levels return to normal. The vector treatment studies indicate that a single gene defect determines the abnormal beta-glucuronidase mediated pathway in the mutant retinal pigment epithelium.
Technology assessment: the contribution of professional organizations.

Assessment and accountability are becoming the watchwords of medical practice and reimbursement. Medical technologies, especially “big ticket” technologies such as those used in radiology, are obvious targets for increased attention. Providing enhanced accountability while preserving access to technologies for patients who need them requires expert knowledge and medical judgment. No more important role can be envisioned for professional medical organizations and technically expert physicians in practice.
Activation of lymphoid cells by BCG in vitro

Abstract Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) stimulated splenic and thymic lymphocytes in vitro as measured by uptake of 3 H-thymidine. This activation of lymphocytes by BCG required the presence of a critical concentration of macrophages. Thymus cells containing no more than 0.25% macrophages were stimulated by BCG, but reduction of macrophages below this level by adherence to plastic abolished the response. Reconstitution with purified macrophages completely restored the response. A high concentration of adherent cells (“macrophages”) depressed the response of splenic lymphocytes, as judged by the improvement in DNA synthesis after reduction of the proportion of adherent cells in the spleen cell population. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin augmented the production of lymphocyte-activating factor (LAF) from purified splenic adherent cells, but the presence of lymphocytes made that augmentation considerably greater. These data reaffirm the bidirectional nature of the relationship between lymphocytes and macrophages. They further show that BCG can create highly activated populations of each type of cell, in part by enhancing their interaction.
Counterveillance: How Foucault and the Groupe d’Information sur les Prisons reversed the optics

The analysis herein considers the dynamics of panopticism by developing further the concept of counter-surveillance—or counterveillance—whereby prison officials rather than the prisoners become the...
Synthesizing fluidic flexible matrix composite based cellular structures

Recently, an adaptive structure concept based on fluidic flexible matrix composite (F 2 MC) cells has been investigated for its potential to provide multiple functionalities simultaneously. This structure consists of different F 2 MC cells that are connected through internal fluidic circuit, and due to the interaction between the fluid flow and cell wall deformation, the structure exhibits distinct system poles and zeros. By adjusting the F 2 MC cellular design parameters, the poles and zeros can be placed at appropriate positions so that the cellular structure can perform dynamic functions such as vibration absorption and dynamic actuation. In order to fully explore the potential of the F 2 MC based cellular structure, this research develops a synthesis procedure for a triple cellular structure based on a set of prescribed poles and zeros. This procedure is essentially a hybrid numerical method combining the Jacobi inverse eigenvalue problem solver and genetic algorithm with discrete variables. It is capable of selecting physically feasible design parameters for each F 2 MC cell in order to achieve the desired pole and zero positions accurately.
Trimming long-term tunneled central venous catheters in pediatric patients.

Long-term tunneled central venous catheters (CVC) are employed in critically ill patients. Manufacturers do not provide patient-customized devices; therefore, trimming is required for pediatric use. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was used to assess changes induced by different trimming methods on single and double lumen Hickman–Broviac catheters. Increased roughness, exposure of inorganic macroaggreagates and increase in surface inorganic charges were generated by the trimming procedure, with the scalpel producing a smoother surface compared to scissors. Trimming produces changes on the CVC surface that may influence the rate of long-term complications. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 152–155. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of Low-Velocity Impact Response of Honeycomb Sandwich Structures Using Factorial-based Design of Experiments

A response surface analysis of data from factorial experiments is used to determine the effect of different design factors on the low-velocity impact response of the honeycomb sandwich structures. A low-cost, out-of-autoclave manufacturing process is utilized to manufacture aerospace quality honeycomb sandwich panels. CYCOM® 5320 out-of-autoclave prepreg and FM® 300-2M are used as facesheet and adhesive, respectively. The out-of-autoclave process uses the vacuum bag pressure, thus, avoiding costly tooling and making the process more economical. A completely randomized design is used while manufacturing and testing the samples. Three design factors: angle difference between successive prepreg layers, number of prepreg layers, and number of adhesive layers, are selected as experimental variables. Each variable is considered at three levels, yielding a 33 factorial design. To investigate the effect of the experimental variables on the three response variables: energy absorbed (X); peak contact force (Y) and ...
Abelian core of graph algebras

We introduce a certain natural abelian C*-subalgebra of a graph C*-algebra, which has functorial properties that can be used for characterizing injectivity of representations of the ambient C*-algebra. In particular, a short proof of the Cuntz-Krieger Uniqueness Theorem, for graphs that may have loops without entries, is given. Graph C*-algebras are interesting objects with a structure that can often be understood in terms of the combinatorics and geometry of the underlying graph. A large class of examples include AF-algebras, Cuntz-Krieger algebras, and C*algebras that are built up from matrices over C(T). Here we consider C*-algebras defined from countable directed graphs. In particular, such a graph is determined by a four-tuple E = (E, E, r, s) consisting of its vertex set, edge set, and range and source maps. Given such a graph E we define a Cuntz-Krieger E-system on a Hilbert space H to be a collection {Sμ |μ ∈ E ∪ E} of operators on H, where Sμ is an orthogonal projection whenever μ ∈ E and a partial isometry whenever μ ∈ E, and the usual Cuntz-Krieger conditions are satisfied: (CK 1) S∗ eSe = Ss(e) for every e ∈ E (CK 2) Sv = ∑ r(e)=v SeS ∗ e whenever {e ∈ E | r(e) = v} is nonempty and finite. In light of the restriction on the vertex v in condition (CK 2) we need also to require that SeS ∗ e ≤ Sr(e) for every e ∈ E, and that the projections SeS e are mutually orthogonal. Let us call such a system nondegenerate if there is no vertex v ∈ E with Pv = 0. Note that our convention for the initial and range spaces of the partial isometries agrees with [R]. In the usual way, one can prove the existence of a universal C*-algebra generated by a Cuntz-Krieger E system; we denote this algebra by C∗〈E〉. By a uniqueness theorem one means a set of conditions on the graph E or on the map π guaranteeing that a representation π : C∗〈E〉 → A is injective. The first of the Cuntz-Krieger uniqueness theorems was Coburn’s Theorem (see, e.g., [Mu]), which asserts that any C*-algebra generated by a nonunitary partial isometry is isomorphic to the Toeplitz Algebra T . Taking the graph E with E = {v, w} and E = {e, f}, where s(f) = v and s(e) = r(e) = r(f) = w, one can verify that in any E-system the operator Se + Sf is a nonunitary partial isometry, and thus C ∗〈E〉 = T . Ten years later, in [C], Cuntz showed that when E consists of a single vertex and n edges (loops), any algebra generated by an E-system is isomorphic to the Cuntz algebra On ([CK]). Subsequently, Cuntz and Krieger proved that the graph with adjacency matrix A 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 46L10; Secondary 46L30.
Optimal anatomic coverage for CT in staging lung cancer: Lessons from PET-CT correlation

Abstract Objective To determine the optimal anatomic coverage at CT that would provide the most accurate staging for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Methods We reviewed lung cancer staging PET-CT scans and correlated them with staging chest CT scans performed within 50 days of the PET-CT study. There were 113 patients who underwent both studies within our time frame. We reviewed the results of subsequent imaging studies and surgical and biopsy procedures to determine the final stage for each patient. This study was approved by the local institutional review board. Results In 86 (76%) of 113 patients, staging by PET-CT and by CT from the lung apices through the lung bases was identical. PET-CT upstaged 21 patients (19%) compared with CT findings; in 13 of these patients the PET-CT noted disease that was either outside of the anatomic range of any lung cancer staging CT or was within the area scanned by CT, but was not evident by CT. In the other 8 upstaged patients, extending the anatomic scope of the CT scan to the supraclavicular region (5), adrenal glands (2) or abdomen (1) would have resulted in correct staging. Conclusions CT scanning from the supraclavicular region through the caudal adrenal glands improves the accuracy of CT staging of lung cancer compared with scanning from the lung apices through the lung bases. Anatomic coverage beyond the adrenal glands has a low yield for improved staging, at the cost of requiring administration of oral contrast to all patients. Summary To determine the optimal anatomic coverage at CT that would provide the most accurate staging for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, we reviewed lung cancer staging PET-CT scans and correlated them with staging chest CT scans performed within 50 days of the PET-CT study. CT scanning from the supraclavicular region through the caudal adrenal glands improves the accuracy of CT staging of lung cancer compared with scanning from the lung apices through the lung bases. Anatomic coverage beyond the adrenal glands has a low yield for improved staging, at the cost of requiring administration of oral contrast to all patients undergoing lung cancer staging.
The use of laparoscopy in retroperitoneal pathology

Laparoscopy is usually not performed for retroperitoneal disease. However, if the retroperitoneal process is palpable or displaces viscera, laparoscopy may allow visualization and directed biopsy. In a personal series of 316 laparoscopies reviewed retrospectively, 19 (6%) were performed primarily for retroperitoneal pathology. All patients had CT scans documenting a retroperitoneal process. A confirmed histologic diagnosis was obtained on directed laparoscopic biopsy in 16 patients, including 9 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. There was no mortality or morbidity in this series. Laparoscopy is a useful modality in selected patients with retroperitoneal diseases, and its use should be considered when a histologic diagnosis is necessary.
Lysosomal isozyme patterns in ethylnitrosourea-induced brain tumors☆

Isozyme patterns for five acid hydrolases, acid phosphatase (AP), arylsulfatase (AS), β-glucoronidase (β-Glu), N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) and β-galactosidase (β-Gal), were studied in isolated lysosomes from ethylnitrosourea (ENU)-induced gliomas and compared with normal and newborn rat brains. With polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), AP was separated into three bands, acidic (A), intermediate (B) and basic (C). In tumors and newborn brains there was a decrease in A and C but a significant increase in B. For NAG the acidic form was elevated by 9–19% in tumors, while newborn brains showed a 19% decrease. Even though the band intensities of β-Glu in tumors and newborn brains were increased, the relative distribution remained similar to normal brain. With isoelectric focusing, five hydrolases were separated into four to five distinct forms. In ENU-induced gliomas the intensities of all peaks were considerably increased, but in most cases the number of isozymes remained the same. In tumors the isolectric points were shifted towards the acidic side and smaller peaks in the basic regions merged into more acidic peaks. This effect was especially evident for AP and Gal. In the cases of AS, β-Glu and NAG, consistently more activity was associated with acidic peaks than with the basic ones. Our data indicates that there is a significant increase in acidic forms of some of the lysosomal hydrolases studied in ENU-induced brain tumors.
Measurement of liver and spleen volume by computed tomography. Assessment of reproducibility and changes found following a selective distal splenorenal shunt.

Liver and spleen size were measured in 11 normal subjects and 12 patients with cirrhosis. Volume was calculated by adding together the area measurements obtained from successive transverse abdominal scans. The normal mean volume of the liver (+/- S.D.) was 1,493 +/- 230 cm3 and that of the spleen was 219 +/- 76 cm3; interobserver variability was 4-8% and the day-to-day coefficient of variation was 6-10%. In cirrhotic patients studied prior to and 7-10 days after a distal splenorenal shunt, the mean liver volume fell from 1,642 to 1,529 cm3 (p less than 0.06) and the mean spleen volume from 660 to 507 cm3 (p less than 0.006), supporting the use of such a shunt in selective decompression of varices and maintenance of portal hypertension. This is a clinically useful method of measuring organ volume with the required sensitivity.
On the aims of medicine: comments on 'Philosophy of medicine as the source for medical ethics.

Health defined as the psychophysiological capacity to act or respond appropriately in a wide variety of situations, is enhanced by many means other than preventing and treating disease and injury. Therefore no choice of a particular medical intervention is likely to maximize health for all people with (or at risk for) a given disease. As a result, if medical practitioners are to be fully competent in the sense of knowing not only how to perform procedures but when and when not to do so, they must be able to support patients (and those who know and care about them) in weighing all of the many factors which bear upon the decision as to which, if any, medical interventions are likely to improve the person's health.
Toward a deeper examination of global it theory and frameworks

AbstractIn this paper, we examine the field of global information technology (global IT) and attempt to answer the following four questions: (1) Have we established a theory or theories, which enable us to generate a clear set of definitions that define this field? (2) Do we have a level of consensus on what we are trying to measure while we conduct research in this area? (3) What are (if any) the common threads of research in the global IT area and is there continuity in the research being conducted? (4) What are the future implications for researchers in this area and are there any concepts that need to be integrated with existing frameworks that would help define this area of research? Our answers to the four questions lead us to propose that global IT researchers need to move towards developing a theory for the field, generate a consensus on what we want to measure and build a truly global cumulative research tradition for the field. We also propose that practitioner issues should not be ignored when ...
Effect of angiotensin II infusion in rats on Na,K-ATPase activity in renal cortical microsomal preparations.

Abstract Direct dose-dependent effects of angiotensin II on renal tubular sodium reabsorption have been demonstrated. Alterations in tubular sodium reabsorption may occur via modulation of renal Na,K-ATPase activity. Thus, these experiments were undertaken to ascertain whether angiotensin II could influence renal cortical Na,K-ATPase activity. Angiotensin II, 495 ng/μl/h, or vehicle (controls) was infused for 24 h via miniosmotic pumps 48 h after rats were adrenalectomized and implanted with osmotic pumps containing 12.5 μg/μl corticosterone (Treatment I) or both corticosterone and 0.2 μg/μl aldosterone (Treatment II), and in rats receiving 3% NaCl in their food (sodium loaded, Treatment III). Rats receiving Treatments I and III received saline to drink. Renal cortical microsomal membranes were prepared, and the effects of angiotensin II infusion on the K 1 2 and Vmax for Na, K, and ATP determined. Angiotensin II infusions were associated with (i) a decrease (P K 1 2 for Na activation of Na,K-ATPase from 14 ± 3 to 6 ± 1 (n = 4 experiments), 16 ± 1 to 12 ± 1 (n = 5), and 12 ± 3 to 7 ± 1 (n = 5) m m (means ± SE) for treatments I, II, and III, respectively; (ii) no changes in the K 1 2 for K activation or the Km for ATP; (iii) no changes in the Vmax for Na, K, or ATP; and (iv) no change in Mg-ATPase activity. We conclude that angiotensin II infusion is associated with a decrease in the K 1 2 of renal cortical Na,K-ATPase activity for sodium. This action of angiotensin II on the enzyme activity may contribute to the regulation of tubular sodium transport.
Separating and Sorting Membrane Species using a Supported Bilayer Extractor Composed of Patterned Lipid Phases

The role of lipid rafts is important in understanding cell processes and disease states; however, identifying the key components of these lipid domains is difficult and impedes research progress. Here we present a new platform to separate, sort, and characterize membrane-bound molecules based on their affinity for raft phase domains using a heterogeneous supported lipid bilayer (SLB) consisting of patterned lipid raft and non-raft domains. Adjacent SLBs consisting of liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases are formed inside a microfluidic channel and maintain phase separation. Membrane-bound biomolecules loaded into the device are convected laterally in the two-dimensional plane along the heterogeneous supported bilayer by a shear force induced from hydrodynamic flow of the bulk aqueous phase. During axial convection, the membrane-bound biomolecules diffuse across the microchannel within the 2-D heterogeneous bilayer plane, partitioning into their preferred lipid phase. Patterns for the lipid phases are designed to facilitate the sorting and collection of separated species. The main advantages of this new method over existing methods used to identify and assay raft species include separating membrane species within a membrane environment, near physiological conditions, and without artifacts associated with detergent, high salt, or alkaline pH. These criteria are particularly crucial to the separation of lipid-linked proteins and transmembrane proteins to avoid denaturation. This new capability to separate membrane-bound species near native conditions based on affinity for certain lipid phases can be used to identify intrinsic membrane raft residents and to characterize how post-translational modifications shift the affinity of analogs to a particular lipid phase.
Computer programs for calculation of liquid scintillation counting data

Abstract Computer programs have been written in Fortran IV language to calculate disintegrations per minute and quench corrections for liquid scintillation counting data. They may be used for either manually punched or automatically punched IBM cards. Each program will accomodate an infinite number of counting jobs with up to 200 samples per job.
On the Rational Interpretation of Data on Laminar Flame Speeds and Ignition Delay Times

This article examines a seemingly trivial issue, namely, the apparently large scatter found for the laminar flame speeds of fuel-rich mixtures as compared to those of lean mixtures. Using the hydrogen/air flame speed at atmospheric pressure as an example, it is demonstrated that this perceptive notion is based on rather uninformed data presentation. It is shown that the cause for the notion has little to do with the data itself, but it is the result that the flame speed data are customarily plotted against the equivalence ratio, which by its asymmetric definition, compresses the data for lean mixtures and expands the data for rich ones. When plotting the flame speed against the symmetrized equivalence ratio defined as ≡ φ/(1 + φ), it can be readily shown that the flame speed data have, in fact, similar uncertainties across the entire range of stoichiometric mixtures tested thus far. A statistical analysis of an extensive set of flame speed data further illustrates the above point, namely, a nearly invaria...
Phosphorylation of FADD by the kinase CK1α promotes KRASG12D-induced lung cancer

Genomic amplification of the gene encoding and phosphorylation of the protein FADD (Fas-associated death domain) is associated with poor clinical outcome in lung cancer and in head and neck cancer. Activating mutations in the guanosine triphosphatase RAS promotes cell proliferation in various cancers. Increased abundance of phosphorylated FADD in patient-derived tumor samples predicts poor clinical outcome. Using immunohistochemistry analysis and in vivo imaging of conditional mouse models of KRAS(G12D)-driven lung cancer, we found that the deletion of the gene encoding FADD suppressed tumor growth, reduced the proliferative index of cells, and decreased the activation of downstream effectors of the RAS-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway that promote the cell cycle, including retinoblastoma (RB) and cyclin D1. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts, the induction of mitosis upon activation of KRAS required FADD and the phosphorylation of FADD by CK1α (casein kinase 1α). Deleting the gene encoding CK1α in KRAS mutant mice abrogated the phosphorylation of FADD and suppressed lung cancer development. Phosphorylated FADD was most abundant during the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, and mass spectrometry revealed that phosphorylated FADD interacted with kinases that mediate the G2/M transition, including PLK1 (Polo-like kinase 1), AURKA (Aurora kinase A), and BUB1 (budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1). This interaction was decreased in cells treated with a CKI-7, a CK1α inhibitor. Therefore, as the kinase that phosphorylates FADD downstream of RAS, CK1α may be a therapeutic target for KRAS-driven lung cancer.
An Internal Hyperfine Field of 62.4 T in Ferromagnetically Ordered α-Iron(II) Octaethyl-Tetraazaporphyrin

Abstract We report on the magnetic properties of the molecular solids derived from square-planar, neutral iron(II) octaethyltetraazaporphyrin, FeOETAP. This compound exists as two polymorphs, α and β. dc SQUID and ac susceptometry measurements (1–1000 Hz) show that the α polymorph orders as a soft molecular ferromagnet below TCurie = 2.8 K, whereas the β form, with the same number of unpaired spins and a similar g value, exhibits zero-field splitting to a non-magnetic ground state. 57Fe-Mossbauer spectroscopy indicates that α-FeOETAP exhibits a remarkably large internal hyperfine field, Hint, of 62.4 T. This, to our knowledge, is the highest value of Hint ever reported for Fe, regardless of its spin state.
An improved computation of time-optimal control trajectory for robotic point-to-point motion

This paper presents a computational method for generating time-optimal control (TOC) trajectories for robotic point-to-point motions. The algorithm is composed of two phases: initialization and refinement. In the initialization phase, a two-point boundary value problem (TPBVP) resulting from the perturbed TOC problem is solved for an appropriately chosen perturbation parameter. The solution obtained from the initialization phase is then refined by solving a set of initial value problems (IVPs) sequentially and/or in parallel until the desired solution is achieved. The proposed two-phase method is computationally efficient since the resulting TPBVP is solved only one time and the remaining problem becomes solutions to a set of IVP subproblems. The algorithm was used to investigate the effects of robot parameters on the TOC structure through computer simulations on an example robot system with different motion configurations, including both regular and singular trajectories.
Focal spot characterization

We discuss the partitioning of effects on the fundamental focal irradiance distribution from whole beam self-focusing, and PSDs of the optical components in the laser chain, and the resulting third harmonic focal distribution. Beamlet and NIF simulation results are discussed.
Maskless, parallel patterning with zone-plate array lithography

Zone-plate array lithography (ZPAL) is a maskless lithography scheme that uses an array of shuttered zone plates to print arbitrary patterns on a substrate. An experimental ultraviolet ZPAL system has been constructed and used to simultaneously expose nine different patterns with a 3×3 array of zone plates in a quasidot-matrix fashion. We present exposed patterns, describe the system design and construction, and discuss issues essential to a functional ZPAL system. We also discuss another ZPAL system which operates with 4.5 nm x radiation from a point source. We present simulations which show that, with our existing x-ray zone plates and this system, we should be able to achieve 55 nm resolution.
Early migrating neural crest cells can form ventral neural tube derivatives when challenged by transplantation

Once neural crest cells undergo an epithelial–mesenchymal transition to leave the neural tube, it has been classically assumed that they are fated to differentiate within the neural crest lineage. To test this idea, we challenged the developmental potential of recently emigrated neural crest cells by transplanting them into the ventral portion of the neural tube at the open neural plate stage. Newly migrating neural crest cells were isolated in tissue culture, labeled with the lipophilic dye DiI, and microinjected into the ventral portion of the neural plate. After 2 days, some neural crest cells became incorporated into the neuroepithelium in positions characteristic of floor plate cells and motor neurons. Some of the labeled cells within the ventral neural tube expressed FP-1, characteristic of floor plate cells. A few labeled cells were found in positions characteristic of motor neurons and expressed islet-1. In contrast, neural crest cells transplanted onto neural crest pathways expressed the HNK-1 epitope, but no ventral neural tube markers. Injection of neural crest cells into the mesenchyme adjacent to the notochord or culturing them in the presence of Sonic hedgehog failed to elicit FP-1 expression. These results suggest that migrating neural crest cells are flexible in their fate and retain the ability to form neural tube derivatives even after emigrating from the neural tube.