cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE): Detailed Protocol for Generating SAGE Catalogs of Mammalian Cell Transcriptomes

Publisher Summary Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) is a sequencing-based technique that permits the simultaneous evaluation of thousands of transcripts in a single assay. The technique generates large numbers of short tags, originating from the last unique location of a restriction enzyme recognition site in a cDNA generated from a single transcript. DNA in aqueous solution can be precipitated by EtOH in the presence of sodium or ammonium acetate. In certain cases, an increased volume of ethanol or 10 min dry ice/ethanol incubation is required on the precipitation step, as indicated in the text. Terminate the reaction when the bromphenol blue stain in the loading buffer migrates to the bottom of the gel. The optimal dilution of the ditag ligation reaction products for large-scale PCR is considered based on 102-bp band brightness to background ratio and highest dilution ratio. Once the conditions have been optimized, one needs to perform a large-scale PCR with a fresh LoTE dilution of the selected ditag ligation product as a template. Perform the reaction as described in step 10, except use a Thermo-Fast 96-well detection plate.
Gender Differences in Spatial Task Performance as a Function of Speed or Accuracy Orientation

Performance differences in spatial abilities as a function of gender may be modified by practice and relevant background experiences, as well as by directions given in laboratory situations. We examined whether a focus on speed or accuracy influenced performance in various spatial domains, using several different scoring techniques. Men and women from a small, predominantly White private college completed tasks of spatial perception, spatial visualization, and mental rotation under one of three conditions: speed-emphasis, accuracy-emphasis, or control. Participants also provided information concerning experiences pertinent to spatial ability. Results revealed relative parity between men and women on tasks of spatial visualization and spatial perception; speed/accuracy orientation did not alter these findings. Men outperformed women on mental rotation, but only when scored in a strict manner and when explicitly told to focus on accuracy, but not when directional emphasis was absent or geared toward speed. Self-reported background in math, sports, and the arts was unrelated to performance. The results are discussed in terms of women's efficacy beliefs about performing tasks explicitly designated as spatial in nature.
Estimating brain's functional graph from the structural graph's Laplacian

The interplay between the brain’s function and structure has been of immense interest to the neuroscience and connectomics communities. In this work we develop a simple linear model relating the structural network and the functional network. We propose that the two networks are related by the structural network’s Laplacian up to a shift. The model is simple to implement and gives accurate prediction of function’s eigenvalues at the subject level and its eigenvectors at group level.
Surgical management of insertional calcific achilles tendinosis with a central tendon splitting approach.

Background: Insertional calcific Achilles tendinosis is a painful, frequently disabling condition. Numerous operative approaches for this problem have been described. This study evaluated the outco...
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among emergency medicine residents

There have been anecdotal reports of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in physicians responding to mass casualty events. No formal, prospective study has addressed the presence of PTSD symptoms as a result of the work of Emergency Medicine residents in non-mass casualty settings. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the presence of symptoms of PTSD among Emergency Medicine residents (EMR). The study was a survey of EMR, administered in an anonymous, voluntary format in late June 2001. The survey was conducted at an Emergency Medicine residency program that serves a large, urban, county hospital. Four groups, incoming interns and three EM resident classes were surveyed. PTSD symptoms were divided into three categories according to the DSM IV. The Jonckheere-Terpstra test for trends was applied to each of the three categories of symptoms. Sixty-three surveys were administered, with a 93.6% response rate. All respondents reported experience with patient death or dying. Seven residents reported sufficient symptoms to meet the DSM IV criteria for PTSD. Each of the three symptom categories showed a statistically significant increase in the proportion of positive responses as the resident time in training increased (p < 0.01). In conclusion, many EM residents reported symptoms of PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD significantly increased as resident level of training increased.
Column and thin-layer chromatographic separation of polynuclear ring-carbonyl compounds

Abstract Methods for the separation of polynuclear ring-carbonyl compounds by alumina column chromatography and alumina and cellulose thin-layer chromatography are described. A method for the thin-layer Chromatographic separation of acridones and phenanthri-dones from other types of polynuclear compound is also described. Compounds on a thin-layer chromatogram are located by fluorescence methods employing trifluoracetic acid fumes and tetra-ethylam-monium hydroxide solution. Fluorescence spectra of these compounds on the thin-layer chromatogram and in solution are also reported.
Development and application of a new abrasion testing device.

Abstract Statement of problem. Wear of gypsum materials is a significant problem in the fabrication of accurately fitting cast prosthetic devices. Unfortunately, there is little agreement on how to measure it. Purpose. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a newly designed abrasion device and to develop a test methodology that provides a clinically relevant measure of material loss from gypsum material. Material and methods. In this study, a unique benchtop microabrasion/microimpact device was created. The device consists of a vertical arm with a variably loaded stylus and a reciprocating table that moves the specimen under the stylus. Type IV gypsum samples (Silky Rock, Whip Mix Corp, Louisville, Ky.) were made with 1 mm vertical, 45-degree angled ridges used to represent crown margins. Samples (n = 30) were separated 1 hour after pouring and allowed to bench set for 24 hours or 7 days. Three loads (15, 50, and 75 g) were used, and the resulting defect was evaluated after 5, 10, 15, or 20 cycles of loading. Changes in mass and volume were recorded. Results. At both 24 hours and 7 days, there was an increase in both mass and material volume loss with increasing load on the stylus ( P P P >.0001). Conclusion. Under these conditions, the increasing load had a greater effect than the number of load cycles on gypsum brittle fracture. (J Prosthet Dent 2000;84:635-41.)
Resistive transition in superconducting films

The consequences of a vortex unbinding picture of two-dimensional superconductivity are worked out. Although there is no true finite-temperature phase transition, dirty superconducting films should display anomalous behavior below the BCS transition temperature and above an effective Kosterlitz-Thouless vortex unbinding temperature. In particular, both the conductivity and fluctuation diamagnetism behave like ξ + 2 in this regime, where ξ+ is the correlation length calculated by Kosterlitz, ξ+-ξ c exp (B/T − T c)1/2. We estimate ξc, B, and the vortex unbinding temperature, and determine the nonlinear resistivity below T c. A recent theory of vortex dynamics, together with a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory, lead to a determination of the frequency-dependent conductivity.
Time-parallel simulation of wireless ad hoc networks

In this paper, we study time-parallel simulation of wireless networks based upon the concept of the perturbation induced by a networking event and present a layer-by-layer analysis of the impact of perturbations on the wireless network. This analysis allows us to propose several methods to improve the accuracy of time-parallel simulation. We describe an implementation based on the widely used ns-2 simulator and on the iterative extension of the warmup period. We introduce a method for initial state approximation which can improve the accuracy of the simulation for table-driven ad hoc routing protocols. A series of experiments show that on typical scenarios time-parallel simulation leads to a significant speedup while maintaining a high level of accuracy.
Ab initio study of C+H+3 reactions

The reaction C + H3+ --> CH(+) + H2 is frequently used in models of dense interstellar cloud chemistry with the assumption that it is fast, i.e. there are no potential energy barriers inhibiting it. Ab initio molecular orbital study of the triplet CH3+ potential energy surface (triplet because the reactant carbon atom is a ground state triplet) supports this hypothesis. The reaction product is 3 pi CH+; the reaction is to exothermic even though the product is not in its electronic ground state. No path has been found on the potential energy surface for C + H3+ --> CH2(+) + H reaction.
Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale scores of psychiatric outpatients by age and sex.

This study was designed to estimate the correlations of the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale with age and sex in a psychiatric outpatient sample. 378 male and 671 female clients of 13 to 89 yr. of age completed the scale as part of their admission to an outpatient psychiatric clinic. The scores were classified according to sex and age (in 10-yr. groups). Analysis showed some statistically significant differences according to age and sex, but the magnitude of those differences was small. Comparison of these data with a previously published set of data from a nonpsychiatric sample showed, as would be expected, the psychiatric group scored consistently higher.
Effect of chronic undernutrition on hepatocyte insulin receptors in rats.

The effect of moderate chronic undernutrition on insulin receptors was studied in male rats, pair-fed 60% of the daily food intake of ad libitum-fed littermates, for 8 weeks. Body weights of undernourished rats were consistently found to be 35% to 40% less than control littermates, with no period of growth arrest at any point in the 8-week study. The binding-displacement curves of labeled insulin to hepatocyte receptors in the two groups in the presence of unlabeled insulin were significantly different (P = .0258 after repeated measures ANOVA). Significantly lower binding was observed in hepatocytes from the undernourished group (P < .01) at all unlabeled insulin concentrations less than 20 nmol/L. In the absence of any unlabeled insulin, specific binding was reduced from 8.8% ± 0.7%, (mean ± SE) in controls, to 7.4% ± 0.3% in undernourished rats (P < .01). Half-maximal specific hormone binding to hepatocytes was achieved at a free insulin concentration of 362 nmol/L in the control group, compared with 447 nmol/L in the undernourished group, reflecting an increase of approximately 20%. The hypoglycemic response to intravenous insulin (0.1 U/kg body weight) was tested in a parallel experiment involving seven paired littermate rats, and found to be significantly impaired in the undernourished group (P = .0041 by repeated measures ANOVA). The nadir of glucose attained in the ad libitum-fed group was significantly lower than in the undernourished group (3.4 ± 0.4 mmol/L v 4.1 ± 0.3 mmol/L, P < .01), representing approximately a 20% reduction. The similarity in the degree of impairment in both insulin binding to its receptor and the hypoglycemic response to insulin, suggests that they may be related, and that reduced binding may contribute in part to the overall insulin resistance seen in malnourished states. It is also concluded that an acquired defect in the insulin receptor associated with malnutrition, may be responsible for the reduced insulin binding reported in cells of patients with malnutrition diabetes.
Challenges to marrying atomic and continuum modeling of materials

Abstract As the engineering and characterization of bulk materials has progressed down to the nanometer scale, atomic-level modeling has moved from the realm of chemistry and physics to become an important tool for mechanical and materials engineers. However, connecting even the largest atomic simulations currently carried out in three dimensions to full engineering scales is a major challenge. The purpose of this brief article is to comment on these challenges and on the future of approaches that marry atomic and continuum modeling with the goal of increasing the spatial domain accessible to molecular modeling of the mechanical properties of materials.
Pulmonary hemodynamic consequences of ECG-synchronized ventilation.

The pulmonary hemodynamic consequences of ECG-synchronized jet ventilation were studied in an acute closed chest swine model (n = 11). Eight jet timing protocols were compared to conventional mechanical ventilation. Hearts were paced atrially at 120 beats per minute, and analog measurements of pulmonary arterial flow and pulmonary arterial, tracheal, pleural, left atrial, and femoral arterial pressure were digitized in real time at 200 Hz. Fourier analysis of pulmonary artery pressure and flow waveforms was employed to calculate mean and oscillatory right ventricular hydraulic power and pulmonary vascular input impedance. Measurements were taken at 0, 5, and 10 cm H2O of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) during conventional respiration and synchronized ventilation modes. No difference was found in mean pulmonary pressure and flow between conventional and synchronized ventilation at any level of PEEP, regardless of the timing of the jet pulse relative to the cardiac cycle. A significant difference in mean tracheal pressure between conventional and jet ventilation could be found only in the absence of PEEP (3.8 ± 0.5 vs 2.5 ± 0.3 mm Hg, P < 0.05). In the absence of PEEP, total hydraulic power was significantly less with respect to conventional ventilation when the jet pulse trailed the QRS complex by 90 and 135°. A significant decrease in the ratio of oscillatory-to-mean power versus conventional respiration was found when jet ventilation lagged the QRS by 135° (0.115 ± 0.015 vs 0.147 ± 0.013). These differences did not persist when PEEP was added. Moreover, no significant difference in hemodynamic variables was found when the various jet timing protocols were compared to each other. These data affirm the dominant role of mean tracheal pressure as the major variable modifying pulmonary hemodynamics but suggest that, at normal airway pressure, pulmonary hemodynamics may be modestly affected by synchronization of ventilation with the cardiac cycle.
Cyclic 3′,5′-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase in Rat Skin II. Biochemical Characterization

The biochemical characteristics of cyclic 3′5′-nucleotide phosphodiesterase were studied in homogenates of male albino rat skin using preparations which were predominantly epidermal. Enzymatic activity was detected in both the particulate and soluble fractions of these skin homogenates. Two kinetically distinct phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities were detected in the soluble fraction (100,000 X g supernatant). This 100,000 X g supernatant contains at least two distinct protein bands that hydrolyze cyclic AMP as demonstrated by gel electrophoresis. Divalent cations (Mg ++ or Mn ++ ) and 2-mercaptoethanol were required for maximal enzymatic activity. Epinephrine, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, and methylxanthines inhibited while imidazole and histamine phosphate stimulated the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity at high and low cyclic AMP concentrations. Cyclic GMP competitvely inhibited hydrolysis of low, but not high, concentrations of cyclic AMP. Hydrocortisone phosphate in pharmacologic concentrations blocked PDE denaturation by heat. These studies indicate that there are complex interrelationships between cyclic nucleotides and PDE in rat skin.
Trade-off between energy savings and source-to-sink delay in data dissemination for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of large numbers of unattended sensors with limited storage, energy (battery power) and computational and communication capabilities. Because battery power is the most crucial resource for sensor nodes and delay time is a critical metric for certain WSN applications that require fast response time, data dissemination between source sensors and sinks, which is an essential activity in WSNs, should be done in an energy efficient and timely manner. In this paper, we characterize the trade-off between energy savings and source-to-sink delay in order to extend the operation of individual sensors and hence increase the lifetime of the WSN, and enable sinks to receive sensed data in a timely fashion and make appropriate decisions quickly. To this end, the proposed data dissemination protocol decomposes the transmission range of sensors into a certain number of concentric circular bands (CCBs) based on a minimal distance between consecutive forwarding sensors. Then, it provides a classification of these CCBs based on their exterior radii which will help a source sensor express its degree of interest (DoI) in minimizing two metrics, namely energy consumption and source-to-sink delay. We prove that the use of sensors nodes, which lie on or closely to the shortest path between a source and the sink, as proxy forwarders, helps minimize these two metrics. Our numerical results show that the second CCB minimizes energy consumption; the last CCB minimizes source-to-sink delay; and the middle CCBs trade off between the two metrics in disseminating the monitored data towards the sink.
A weakly chaotic iteration in n

Abstract A weakly chaotic iteration, called the Generalized Theodorus Iteration, is introduced and analyzed with respect to boundedness and asymptotics. An application is made of the discrete version of Hukuwara's Theorem.
Theory-to-research-to-theory strategy: A research-based expansion of radical change theory

Abstract Theory use and development in research are significant to all disciplines. Scholarly literature serves as a venue to share the diverse and detailed methods about how theories are used and developed in research. This research study, which investigated information behavior of digital age youth, applied and further developed radical change theory by adopting the theory-to-research-to-theory strategy. Radical change theory guided development of the research questions. The research design incorporated radical change theory to provide structure to the systematic data collection and analysis. Finally, radical change theory was further developed by the study's results. The study's primary finding is the development of a typology of youth information behavior in the digital age. The typology presents innovative information behaviors that operationalize radical change theory's concepts. The typology creation contributes to the expansion of the theory and lays the groundwork for future research.
The Late Auditory Evoked Potential Masking-Level Difference as a Function of Noise Level

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the masking-level difference (MLD) obtained with the late (P2) auditory evoked potentials has characteristics similar to those reported for the be...
Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Mental Processing Scales of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children.

Convergent and discriminant validity of the Mental Processing Scales of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) were examined using 51 first-grade children. Convergent validity was assessed using the Reading Recognition and Comprehension subtests of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. Discriminant validity was assessed using a measure of anxiety/self-esteem, the Child Anxiety Scale, and a measure of hyperactive behavior, the Hyperactivity scale of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Results supported the convergent validity of the K-ABC; correlations with reading achievement were fairly large. The discriminant validity received only partial support. The K-ABC did not correlate with the Child Anxiety Scale, but did show rather large correlations with the measure of hyperactive behavior. Implications for understanding what the K-ABC Mental Processing Scales are measuring are discussed.
Precision measurement of the neutron-3He spin-dependent scattering length using neutron interferometry

Abstract There is strong theoretical interest in the study of few-body nucleon systems. Experimental measurements of neutron scattering lengths are able to perform precise tests of nucleon–nucleon models. Neutron interferometry provides some of the most precise values of spin-independent neutron scattering lengths, b c , including measurements for n-H, n-D, and n-3He to better than a percent relative uncertainty. The spin-dependent neutron scattering length, b i , of n-3He has been measured once before by Zimmer et al. using a polarized 3He target inside a spin echo apparatus. Their result along with measurements of the spin-independent scattering length of n-3He disagree with current theoretical models. An experiment to measure b i in n-3He to less than 1% relative uncertainty has been conducted at the Neutron Interferometer and Optics Facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology using small, flat-windowed 3He cells. This experiment has different systematics than that of the spin echo measurement, and is the first use of a polarized gas target in a neutron interferometer.
Complications following paediatric ambulatory surgery

The overnight admission rate following paediatric ambulatory surgery, reasons for such admission and post-hospitalization complications reported by parents during 1988–1991 (n = 15 245) were compared to previously reported data for patients undergoing ambulatory surgery during 1983–1986 (n = 10000) in the same institution. The overnight admission rate decreased from 0.9 to 0.3%. Vomiting, complicated surgery and croup were the most common reasons for overnight admission in both series, accounting for nearly 60% of admissions. We were able to contact 10 319 (67.7%) parents on the day following surgery. Of these, 59.9% reported a complication or discomfort following discharge from the ambulatory unit. Vomiting continues to be the leading cause of postoperative morbidity.
Ultrastructural Features of Osmotic Shock in Mussel Gill Cilia

Terminal gill cilia of the freshwater mussel Unio stop abruptly within 5 min (shock-stop) when distal gill filaments are placed in hypertonic (>217 ± mOsm) salt, urea or sucrose solutions. Electron microscopy of stopped cilia reveals that the axonemal complexes are obscured by an electron-dense matrix, although microtubule protofilaments are visible after fixation with tannic acid—glutaraldehyde. We conclude tubulin was not depolymerized because colchicine and vinblastine, inhibitors of tubulin polymerization, did not prevent stopped cilia from resuming beating in water. The cytosol of stopped cilia which resumed beating in the same solution or in water is less dense, and axonemal complexes have reappeared. Solutions of increasing tonicity retard or stop cilia, possibly due to aggregation of protein-rich cytosol around microtubules in the ciliary stalk because dense cytosol of stopped cilia is digested by pepsin and trypsin.
Interaction of a turbulent vortex with a lifting surface

The impulsive noise due to blade-vortex-interaction is analyzing in the time domain for the extreme case when the blade cuts through the center of the vortex core with the assumptions of no distortion of the vortex path or of the vortex core. An analytical turbulent vortex core model, described in terms of the tip aerodynamic parameters, is used and its effects on the unsteady loading and maximum acoustic pressure during the interaction are determined.
A novel technique to acquire perceived utility scores from textual descriptions of distorted natural images

Many applications value an assessment of distorted natural images according to their usefulness, or utility, rather than their perceptual quality. For the quality task, human observers evaluate an image based on its perceptual resemblance to a reference, whereas for the utility task, the usefulness of an image as a surrogate for a reference is under evaluation. This paper presents a novel technique for acquiring perceived utility scores derived from textual descriptions produced by observers viewing images. The technique uses an observer-centric approach, so observers dictate the relevant concepts that characterize image usefulness. This technique is used to collect perceived utility (PU) scores for 150 distorted images that simulate scenes captured by a surveillance system. The capability of both the natural image contour evaluation (NICE) utility estimator, which compares contours of the reference and test images, and popular quality estimators to estimate PU is reported. The conclusions drawn from the results augment previously reported results and establish that a multi-scale implementation of NICE (MS-NICE) is the most robust utility estimator among the estimators evaluated, since MS-NICE consistently performs as well as estimators producing the most accurate perceived utility estimates for various distortion types.
Chloride channels of intracellular organelles

Chloride channels are present in a variety of intracellular organelles (Golgi, endosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and sarcoplasmic reticulum) where they serve largely to shunt the membrane potential created by other ion-translocating processes. Electrophysiological studies have shown that the Cl- channels of the endoplasmic and sarcoplasmic reticula facilitate the efflux of Ca2+. In the Golgi and some endosomes, the open Cl- channels (probably the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) favor accumulation of H+.
A Numerical Study of 3D Turbulent Cooling Jet Interaction Over a Range of Blowing Ratios, Turbulence Intensity and Turbulent Length Scale

Three-dimensional simulations of an unloaded cooled vane have been conducted for blowing ratios of 0.67, 1.02, and 1.4. For each blowing ratio, three free stream turbulence intensities of 1%, 10%, and 20% have been simulated. A brief investigation into the effects of length scale has also been performed at a turbulence intensity of 10% via a 40% reduction in length scale of. Three rows of cooling holes were simulated for a total of 31 cooling holes. The flow through each hole and the feed plenum were simulated. The first two rows of holes were inclined downward at 60° to the horizon, while the third row exited axially. The cases were run at Mach number 0.23 and Reynolds number based on the blade leading edge diameter, or thickness, of 4.1×104 with a main flow total temperature of 705.6K° and a cooling flow total temperature of 360K°, providing a cold to hot gas density ratio of approximately 2. Surface contours of film cooling effectiveness and static temperature, plots of η vs. s, exit plane static temperature contours, and exit plane plots of mass averaged total temperature are presented along with detailed streamline maps to show the propagation of cooling flows through the passage. The results indicate that cooling effectiveness was greatest for the 1.02 blowing ratio case. Higher blowing ratios resulted in streaks of uncooled blade surface between cooling holes in the showerhead region caused by cooling jet coupling and interactions, and the misplacement of the holes for this condition. These cooling patterns resulted in a cell-like structure of cooling flows in the downstream wake for the lowest turbulence intensity, although this was not observed with higher turbulence. Lastly, cooling flows impacted the lower wall of the passage for all cases. This occurred when cooling flows were either entrained by the corner separation for the two lower blowing ratio cases, or impacted the lower surface before the separation, as observed for high blowing and low turbulence. In the latter case this resulted in suppression of the corner separation in the trailing edge region of the blade.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Impossibility of large phase shifts via the giant Kerr effect with single-photon wave packets

An approximate analytical solution is presented, along with numerical calculations, for a system of two single-photon wave packets interacting via an ideal, localized Kerr medium. It is shown that, because of spontaneous emission into the initially unoccupied temporal modes, the cross-phase-modulation in the Schr\"odinger picture is very small as long as the spectral width of the single-photon pulses is well within the medium's bandwidth. In this limit, the Hamiltonian used can be derived from the ``giant Kerr effect'' for a four-level atom, under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency; it is shown explicitly that the linear absorption in this system increases as the pulse's spectral width approaches the medium's transparency bandwidth, and hence, as long as the absorption probability remains small, the maximum cross-phase-modulation is limited to essentially useless values. These results are in agreement with the general, causality-based, and unitarity-based arguments of Shapiro and Razavi [J. H. Shapiro, Phys. Rev. A 73, 062305 (2006); J. H. Shapiro and M. Razavi, New J. Phys. 9, 16 (2007)].
Use of protein chip mass spectrometry to monitor biotinylation reactions.

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight analysis was used to monitor both the kinetics and heterogeneity of product formation during the biotinylation of a number of model proteins and peptide targets. The selected molecules were the IgG-binding protein, protein A, human serum albumin, and a synthetic peptide corresponding to the N terminus of a streptococcal M1 protein. The extent of biotinylation was determined by kinetic analysis of the shift in molecular mass from the native material. Each residue modified by reaction with N-hydroxysuccinimide biotin resulted in an addition of ∼341 amu to the native protein or polypeptide. The novelty of the method was in the ability to determine the molecular mass shift, without first separating the targeted molecule from the biotinylating reagent. The analysis was rapid, simple, and provided information on the average number of biotin molecules added and the homogeneity of the resulting product.
Effects of imidazoleacetic acid on brain amino acids and body temperature in mice.

Free amino acids have been studied in the brains of fasted mice (18 h) injected intraperitoneally with a 3 mmol/kg dose of imidazole-4-acetic acid (IMA). Groups of mice were killed by cervical dislocation and their brains were removed before injection or at 5, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after injection and treated immediately with perchloric acid. Amino acid analyses were performed on the perchlorate extracts. Of the 16 amino acids evaluated quantitatively, only glutamic acid and glutamine showed progressive changes during the period of observation, the glutamic acid falling and glutamine levels rising. Serine and threonine levels were increased significantly above the control values from 30 min after the injection to the end of the experiment. Rectal temperatures (measured with a thermistor probe) after injection of IMA showed a progressive reduction from the control levels throughout the period of observation. An essentially linear correlation was noted between the decreases in body temperature and the differences between the glutamic acid and glutamine values for the first 90 min post-injection. Our data suggest that IMA affects mechanisms of temperature regulation, possibly in the hypothalamus, and that, among other processes, the activities of glutaminase and of serine and threonine dehydratases in brain might be reduced when brain temperatures fall.
Interferon gamma is not required for recurrent herpetic stromal keratitis.

Abstract The role that interferon-γ (IFNγ) plays during herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) has not been definitively determined. In primary HSK most reports suggest that IFNγ may help control viral replication and contribute to corneal pathology. However, its role in recurrent HSK has not been directly addressed. The present study addresses its role in recurrent HSK by comparing HSK in latently infected normal and IFNγ gene knockout (GKO) on the C57BL/6 background. We initially evaluated HSK following primary infection and observed that GKO mice had higher tear film virus titers, but virtually identical ocular disease as normal mice. In contrast, following reactivation of latent virus, GKO mice had a greater incidence and severity of opacity, neovascularization, and blepharitis. Interestingly, the incidence of reactivation after UV-B exposure was equivalent in GKO and normal mice, but virus shedding was increased in the GKO groups. We also observed diminished delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in GKO mice, as expected. These data indicate that IFNγ is important for the control of virus replication in both primary and recurrent ocular HSV infection in C57BL/6 mice. The enhanced recurrent disease seen in GKO mice may be the result of increased viral titers and persistence in these mice which act to prolong the stimulation of an inflammatory response.
Long-term Results of Surgical Treatment of Idiopathic Neuralgias of the Glossopharyngeal and Vagal Nerves

Physicians disagree about the best surgical treatment for patients with idiopathic neuralgias of the glossopharyngeal and vagal nerves after medical treatment has failed. Some favor percutaneous thermal rhizotomy, and others prefer extracranial section of the glossopharyngeal or branches of the vagal nerve, intracranial section of the glossopharyngeal and upper vagal rootlets, or microvascular decompression. However, the results of these procedures are limited to series with follow-up periods of less than 5 years or to series with longer follow-ups that were performed before the microneurosurgical era. We reviewed the long-term results of 14 patients with vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia treated surgically at our center between 1976 and 1987 to determine the best treatment. Sixteen procedures were performed: 2 percutaneous thermal rhizotomies; 2 extracranial sections of the superior laryngeal nerve; and 12 intracranial glossopharyngeal and upper vagal rhizotomies, 4 with and 8 without microvascular decompression. The follow-ups ranged from 4 to 17 years (mean, 10 yr). All 14 patients who underwent percutaneous or intracranial rhizotomies were pain free. Two patients who underwent percutaneous rhizotomies developed persistent dysphagia and hoarseness. Both patients who underwent extracranial nerve section experienced pain recurrence 2 and 4 years later. Of 12 patients who underwent intracranial section of the glossopharyngeal and upper vagal rootlets, 2 developed dysphagia, which resolved completely in 1 patient and persisted mildly in the other; 1 had transient hoarseness; and 2 developed frequent coughing episodes, which persisted in 1 patient and resolved completely in the other. Side effects due to motor vagal deficits may be eliminated by intraoperative monitoring. Of these 12 patients, 11 (92%) rated the procedure as excellent and 1 (8%) rated the procedure as good. We conclude that intracranial section of the glossopharyngeal and upper vagal rootlets is an effective and safe procedure in treating vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia; microvascular decompression is a surgical adjunct for treating patients with significant compression of the lower vagal rootlets. Percutaneous thermal rhizotomy and extracranial section of the glossopharyngeal or vagal nerves should be restricted to those who cannot tolerate an open intracranial procedure
A comparison of rat andDrosophila spermatozoan metabolisms

Abstract 1. 1. Compared to rat liver and Drosophila hydei flight muscle, rat epididymal sperm have a moderate but greater glycolytic potential than D. hydei sperm. Both rat and D. hydei sperm possess moderate Krebs cycle capacities. 2. 2. Rat sperm are capable of rapidly oxidizing α-glycerophosphate and fatty acid, reflecting a high capacity for phospholipid degradation. D. hydei sperm have little ability to degrade fatty acid or α-glycerophosphate. 3. 3. D. hydei sperm have the potential for rapid degeneration of amino acids and, ostensibly, protein; this capacity is less well developed in rat sperm. 4. 4. The rates of lipid and protein synthesis in the mature D. hydei testis are extremely high. D. hydei sperm have comparatively well-developed protein and lipid synthesis capacities.
Role of fiber stitching in eliminating transverse fracture in cross-ply ceramic composites

A theoretical study of the feasibility of using fiber stitching to prevent transverse matrix cracking in cross-ply ceramic composites is first reported. The prototype problem solved is a curved composite beam subject to pure bending (the C-specimen), which develops a transverse tensile stress Go acting across its circumferential mid-plane. This transverse stress is cause for concern if the beam is unstitched since there is no mechanism to arrest a matrix crack once one becomes critical. Fiber stitches normal to this plane are introduced to bridge a circumferential matrix crack lying along the mid-plane of the specimen. Results are presented for the energy release rate of this matrix crack as a function of a nondimensional parameter characterizing the density and fiber sliding stress of the fiber stitches. A parameter is identified which assures the applicability of the classical ACK (Aveston, Cooper and Kelly) limit for a steady-state matrix crack subject to {sigma}{sub 0}. The results obtained can be used to choose the level of stitching such that transverse matrix cracking will be excluded. The second problem we address is thermal delamination in a cross-ply ceramic composite plate due to high temperature gradients applied in the thickness direction. It is shown thatmore » a preexistent crack with a size of the order of the plate thickness will propagate unstably when a moderately large through-thickness temperature gradient is enforced. The possibility of using cross-fiber stitches to suppress thermal delamination cracking is discussed.« less
Stark effect of optical properties of excitons in a quantum nanorod with parabolic confinement

Abstract We study the quantum Stark effect of optical properties of a quasi-one-dimensional quantum rod with parabolic confinement. Interplays between the competing/cooperative forces from confinement, electron–hole (e–h) attraction, and an external field are examined by studying the binding energy, the oscillator strength, and the root-mean-square (RMS) average of the e–h separation in a nonlinear electric field. In a long rod with weak confinement, the e–h interaction dominates over the confinement effect, yielding an abrupt drop of the exciton binding energy, oscillator strength, and a sudden increase of the RMS average e–h separation as the excitons are dissociated at the threshold field as the field increases. The exciton-dissociation transition is gradual in a short rod, where the confinement force dominates over the e–h attraction. We show that a DC field can induce an optically active excited exciton state in a narrow field range, causing a sharp peak in the oscillator strength and a dip in the RMS average of the e–h separation as the field increases. The Stark effects are also investigated as a function of the linear confinement length (i.e., rod length) at fixed fields.
Doctors, drugs, and driving--tort liability for patient-caused accidents.

The author discusses the case of Coombes v. Florio, in which the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned a trial judge's ruling to dismiss a lawsuit against a physician whose patient was th...
Numerical investigation of the influence of laser beam mode on melt pool

Abstract During the laser material interaction process, the laser beam mode has significant influence on the formation and development of the melt pool, which directly affects the product quality. In the present study, a mathematical model and related numerical methods have been developed to simulate the process of laser material interaction for different laser beam modes. Three types of symmetric laser beam modes, TEM00, cylindrical TEM01* and TEM10 modes, and one nonsymmetrical rectangular TEM01 mode are considered. Since spatial distribution of the laser beam intensity varies with beam mode, the formation procedure and the shape of the melt pool in these four cases exhibit quite different features. Flow pattern, which is driven mainly by the thermo-capillary force and recoil pressure, together with temperature distribution are investigated and compared. Physical phenomena such as melting, solidification, vaporization and evolution of the free surface are incorporated in the present model.
Fully processed lysyl oxidase catalyst translocates from the extracellular space into nuclei of aortic smooth-muscle cells

Lysyl oxidase (LO), a secreted protein, was recently identified within the nuclei of vascular smooth-muscle cells (SMC) and 3T3 fibroblasts. A possible pathway by which LO can enter cell nuclei was explored in the present study. SMC were incubated with purified 32-kDa bovine aorta LO that had been fluorescently labeled with rhodamine (TRITC-LO). TRITC-LO entered the cytosol and then rapidly concentrated within the nuclei of preconfluent cultures of these cells, whereas carbonic anhydrase, a protein of similar molecular weight and similarly labeled, did not enter the cells under these conditions. LO that had been reductively methylated at lysine residues with [14C]HCHO was also taken up into the cytosolic and nuclear compartments. Intracellular uptake and intracellular distribution were not altered by inhibiting LO activity with β-aminopropionitrile. An excess of native LO but not of carbonic anhydrase competitively inhibited the uptake of the isotopically labeled enzyme. Thus, once secreted and proteolytically processed, mature LO can enter the cells and concentrate within nuclei in a manner that appears to be specific and independent of its catalytic activity. J. Cell. Biochem. 79:576–582, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analyzing manufacturing processes to determine the placement of diagnostic systems

A method is presented for effectively placing diagnostic systems. The method has two components, the strategic planning component, consisting of a set of rules that analyze a given manufacturing process and identify where to install diagnostic systems, and tactical planning, composed of a set guidelines for evaluating the recommendations made by the strategic planning component. The focus is on strategic planning. Strategic planning rules are organized into four categories: the cost of performing a manufacturing step, the value of the partially completed product, the reliability of the equipment, and the characteristics of the process flow. The objectives of this research are to define a unique classification for diagnostic systems, update well-known heuristics for placing diagnostic systems based on the new classification scheme, and describe a computer implementation of the strategy using Prolog. The program automatically analyzes a manufacturing process and determines the proper placement of diagnostic systems. A case study of the printing industry is used to explain the methodology, the computer implementation, and the applicability of this method. >
Vacancies, interstitials, and close Frenkel pairs on the zinc sublattice of ZnSe

In the present paper, we describe optical detection of magnetic resonance ~ODMR! studies in the photoluminescence of ZnSe after irradiation by 2.5 MeV electrons in situ at 4.2 K. Observed, frozen into the lattice after the primary displacement event, are zinc vacancies, zinc interstitials, and 25 well resolved distinct close zinc-interstitial‐zinc-vacancy Frenkel pairs of varying separation in the lattice. This study has been in progress over a number of years and some of the highlights have been described in short communications over this extended period. 1‐5 The purpose of the present paper is to supplement these results with recent and previously unpublished results, and to fold them into our present understanding of this interesting system. The outline of the paper is as follows: In Sec. II, we describe the experimental details for the in situ electron irradiation and ODMR experiments. In Sec. III, we briefly review what has been established concerning the isolated vacancy from previous EPR and ODMR studies, and the early evidence for Frenkel pairs from EPR studies. We supplement this with some relevant previously unpublished results. In Sec. IV, we summarize briefly the ODMR results for interstitial zinc in the Td site surrounded by four Se neighbors, and present results for the less stable site ~tentatively identified! surrounded by four Zn’s. The wave function of the unpaired electron on Zn i 1 in the more stable site is analyzed and used to provide an approximate estimate of the electrical level position of its Zn i 1 /Zni 21 double-donor level in the band gap. In Sec. V, we describe ODMR results for eight distant Frenkel pairs, bringing the total now to 25. In all cases, the ODMR spectra can be analyzed as reflecting the sum of the S51/2 spin Hamiltonians of the isolated vacancy and interstitial plus an exchange and a weaker dipole-dipole interaction between them, and we supply a more complete analysis of these terms for several of the previously reported closer pairs. In this section, we also describe in detail the results of defect alignment vs bombarding electron beam direction, which has allowed tentative assignments of a few of the defects to specific lattice sites. One of these has allowed, in turn, another independent estimate for the interstitial double-donor level which is generally consistent with that estimated in Sec. IV, but is believed to be more accurate. Section VI presents a summary of the results and our present understanding of these intrinsic defects on the zinc sublattice. In an accompanying paper that immediately follows this, 6 advantage will be taken of this unique system to measure the radiative lifetimes of several of the individual Frenkel pairs. This information, related to the overlap of vacancy and interstitial wave functions in a manner similar to that for the exchange interaction, also provides important clues concerning the separations of the pairs. Theoretical treatments of the exchange and radiative lifetimes will also be presented there, leading finally to tentative lattice assignments for all of the pairs.
A VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR SURFACE FLOWS

Abstract A technique for the visualization of film coverage is described. The technique can be applied in instances where surface regions wetted by a flow need to be identified, but cannot be visualized in real time due to geometric considerations (difficult to reach or observe surfaces). The method introduces chemicals into a water flow in addition to other chemicals on the surfaces on which the water film coverage is to be visualized. The chemicals react wherever the flow is incident on the surfaces, leaving an identifiable pattern. The technique is applied in the study of silicon wafer rinsing, which is extensively used in microelectronics manufacturing.