cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Choosing a strategy to prevent neonatal early-onset group B streptococcal sepsis: economic evaluation

Objective To determine the most appropriate strategy to prevent neonatal streptococcal sepsis in a setting with a low incidence of the disease. Design Decision analysis and economic evaluation. Setting Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland. Population Pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation and in labour. Methods Local data and data from the literature were used in a decision analysis to compare the current policy of antibiotic administration at Geneva University Hospitals with the recommended preventive strategies. Main outcome measures Number of episodes of sepsis averted; cost and number needed to treat to prevent one episode of sepsis; and proportion of women receiving antibiotics during labour. Results Compared with the current policy, the risk factors strategy would prevent 69 streptococcal sepsis per million deliveries and the screening strategy would prevent 102 cases of sepsis per million deliveries. Cost per averted sepsis case would be £60, 700 and £473, 600, respectively. The number needed to treat to prevent one sepsis would be 1087 with a risk factors strategy and 1029 with a screening strategy. Preventive strategies would increase the proportion of women receiving antibiotics during labour from 6% with the current policy, to 13.5% and 16.5% respectively. Conclusions Preventive strategies are more effective than the current policy, but imply increased hospital costs and a notable increase in the proportion of women receiving antibiotics during labour, which may be unjustified in a low incidence setting.
Metabolism of 3H-digitoxigenin by rat liver, adrenal, and ovary homogenates

Abstract The metabolism of 3 H-digitoxigenin was studied in rat liver, adrenal, and ovary homogenates under identical conditions. The major metabolite formed by liver and ovarian preparations was 3-epidigitoxigenin. Male liver homogenates showed higher epimerizing activity than female liver or ovary homogenates. In the adrenal preparations, the major metabolite formed was 3-digitoxigenone, and no sex difference was observed in its rate of formation. Adrenal and liver homogenates produced small amounts of digitoxigenin polar metabolites. The polar metabolites formed by the adrenal preparations were tentatively identified as 5-hydroxydigitoxigenin and 16β-hydroxydigitoxigenin.
The impact of length of placement on self-reported mental health problems in detained Jordanian youth.

Abstract Objective This study reports the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among youths placed in juvenile correctional facilities in Jordan and describes the effect of length of stay on mental health outcomes. Method The Youth Self Report (YSR) was administered to 187 adolescent males (mean age = 16.4, SD = 1.0) in all five juvenile detention facilities in Jordan in 2011. Descriptive statistics were calculated to estimate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems. Logistic regression models were estimated to evaluate the impact of placement length on mental health. Statistical models were weighted by the youth propensity to be ‘long-stay’ youths (> 23 weeks) based on preplacement case characteristics. Results The prevalence of clinically significant emotional and behavioral problems was 84%. 46% had YSR scores above the clinical cutpoint in both the internalizing and externalizing subscales. 24% of youths reported suicidal ideation. The high prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders was stable across placement for most YSR subscales. Conclusions The prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders among detained and incarcerated youth in Jordan mirrors the literature worldwide. These findings suggest that serious mental health problems for many youths persist throughout placement.
Impact of two-photon absorption on self-phase modulation in silicon waveguides

We study the effects of two-photon absorption on the self-phase modulation (SPM) process in silicon waveguides while including both free-carrier absorption and free-carrier dispersion. An analytical solution is provided in the case in which the density of generated carriers is relatively low; it is useful for estimating spectral bandwidth of pulses at low repetition rates. The free-carrier effects are studied numerically with emphasis on their role on the nonlinear phase shift and spectral broadening. We also consider how the repetition rate of a pulse train affects the SPM process.
Multinomial diffusion equation.

We have developed a novel stochastic, space/time discrete representation of particle diffusion (e.g. Brownian motion) based on discrete probability distributions. We show that in the limit of both very small time step and large concentration, our description is equivalent to the space/time continuous stochastic diffusion equation. Being discrete in both time and space, our model can be used as an extremely accurate, efficient, and stable stochastic finite-difference diffusion algorithm when concentrations are so small that computationally expensive particle-based methods are usually needed. Through numerical simulations, we show that our method can generate realizations that capture the statistical properties of particle simulations. While our method converges converges to both the correct ensemble mean and ensemble variance very quickly with decreasing time step, but for small concentration, the stochastic diffusion PDE does not, even for very small time steps.
Regulation of chicken gizzard ecto-ATPase activity by modulators that affect its oligomerization status.

The major ectonucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase in the chicken gizzard smooth muscle membranes is an ecto-ATPase, an integral membrane glycoprotein belonging to the E-ATPase (or E-NTPDase) family. The gizzard ecto-ATPase is distinguished by its unusual kinetic properties, temperature dependence, and response to a variety of modulators. Compounds that promote oligomerization of the enzyme protein, i.e., concanavalin A, chemical cross-linking agent, and eosin iodoacetamide, increase its activity. Compounds that inhibit some ion-motive ATPases, e.g., sulfhydryl reagents, xanthene derivatives, NBD-halides, and suramin, also inhibit the gizzard ecto-ATPase, but not another E-ATPase, the chicken liver ecto-ATP-diphosphohydrolase, which contains the same conserved regions as the ecto-ATPase. Furthermore, inhibition of the gizzard ecto-ATPase by these compounds as well as detergents is not prevented by preincubation of the membranes with the substrate, ATP, indicating that their interaction with the enzyme occurs at a locus other than the catalytic site. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of these compounds, except suramin, is abolished or reduced if the membranes are preincubated with concanavalin A. It is concluded that these structurally unrelated modulators exert their effect by interfering with the oligomerization of the ecto-ATPase protein. Our findings suggest that, under physiological conditions, the gizzard smooth muscle ecto-ATPase may exhibit a range of activities determined by membrane events that affect the status of oligomerization of the enzyme.
Associations of food insecurity with body mass index among baby boomers and older adults

Increasing obesity levels portend a challenging societal healthcare issue, while the current economic crisis may foster food insecurity, characterized by limited or uncertain access to adequate food. This study examines associations among food insecurity, meeting recommendations for dietary and physical activity patterns, and body mass index (BMI) among baby boomers and older adults completing the 2010 Brazos Valley Health Survey. Subjects included 2,985 respondents (1,589 baby boomers and 1,396 older adults). Thirty-six percent of participants were obese while 15 % of participants were food insecure. Approximately 8 % of baby boomers and older adults were both food insecure and obese. Among all study participants, an increased BMI was more common among those who were ethnic minorities and had depression. An increased BMI was less common among those who met fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity recommendations. There was a positive association between food insecurity and BMI only among baby boomer and older adult females. A combined emphasis on availability of healthy foods and increased opportunities for meeting physical activity guidelines can help to counter the food insecurity-obesity connection among both baby boomer and older adult females.
A new approach to designing high-performance non-negative finite impulse response lowpass filters

This paper presents a new approach to the design of nonnegative finite impulse response (NNFIR) lowpass filters. The work is motivated by the unsatisfactory performance of current NNFIR filter design procedures and its importance in a variety of application areas, especially biomedical signal processing. The presented method is based on our previous result [1] that characterizes frequency domain limitations for this class of filters. Performance comparisons in terms of passband gains, stopband gains as well as the resulting system order are provided. This new approach demonstrates significantly better performance than the best previous design methods that were reported in the literature.
Performance of a linear robust control strategy on a nonlinear model of spatially developing flows

This paper investigates the control of self-excited oscillations in spatially developing flow systems such as jets and wakes using using a single actuator/sensor pair, fixed-gain linear feedback and an extended Kalman filter incorporating the system nolinearity.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor as a cause of paraneoplastic leukaemoid reaction in advanced transitional cell carcinoma.

. Increasing evidence suggests that paraneoplastic syndromes may be mediated by tumour-related cytokine release, although the specific factor(s) involved remain poorly defined. Colony-stimulating factors (CSF) and interleukins (IL) promote colony growth in semi-solid media and, when administered in recombinant form, increase blood counts in patients. However, normal serum CSF levels in individuals with physiologic blood counts and the relationship between specific serum CSF levels and paraneoplastic leukaemoid reaction are not well established. In this study, we found that normal serum levels of granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), as measured by ELISA, were generally < 55 pg ml−1; IL-3, < 30 pg ml−1; and granulocyte CSF (G-CSF), < 50 pg ml−1. In contrast, high levels of GM-CSF (132 pg ml−1), but not G-CSF or IL-3, were found in a patient with a transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and increased leukocytosis correlating with the tumour burden. The GM-CSF was biologically active, as demonstrated by its ability to stimulate colony growth in vitro. Based on these results it appears that autonomous production of GM-CSF is one possible pathophysiologic mechanism underlying leukaemoid reaction in cancer patients.
Validation of Chromosome Painting. II. A Detailed Analysis of Aberrations Following High Doses of Ionizing Radiation in Vitro

Fluorescence in situ hybridization with chromosome-specific composite DNA probes ('chromosome painting') is useful for quantifying radiation-induced cytogenetic damage. Recently we showed that the frequency of aberrations observed with painting is similar to that seen with conventional cytogenetic methods, at least at doses of < or = 2 Gy. Above this dose, however, the agreement was not as good. We describe here the results of additional work designed to clarify our earlier findings, and provide a detailed analysis of the type and frequency of aberrations induced in human peripheral lymphocytes following acute exposure to 137Cs at doses of 0 (unexposed control), 1, 2, 3 and 4 Gy. The newly-developed nomenclature for chromosome aberrations detected by painting (Protocol for Aberration Identification and Nomenclature Terminology, 'PAINT') was used to classify all aberrations. Our results indicate that if the guidelines of the PAINT system are followed, chromosome painting can provide meaningful biodosimetry at high doses, and that the observation of complicated rearrangements not only does not interfere with dose estimation, but also the information provided by these exchanges can be easily broken down into the component aberrations and included in the dose estimate. We also show that the inequality between translocations and dicentrics that we previously observed can be explained by an excess of one class of translocated chromosomes, specifically those in which the centromere is from an unpainted chromosome. Translocated chromosomes in which the centromere is painted were found to occur at a frequency equal to dicentrics. These results should help clarify the use of painting for radiation biodosimetry by improving our understanding of the frequencies of various types of stable aberrations observed shortly after exposure. This will improve our ability to perform meaningful biodosimetry long after the frequencies of unstable aberrations have ceased to be informative.
Backwards Uniqueness for the Ricci Flow

In this paper, we prove a backwards uniqueness theorem for solutions to the Ricci flow. A particular consequence is that the isometry group of a solution cannot expand within the lifetime of the solution.
THE EFFECT OF CERTAIN BENZAZOLE COMPOUNDS ON PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

KLINGENSMITH, M. J. (Colgate U., Hamilton, N. Y.) The effect of certain benzazole com-* pounds on plant growth and development. Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(1): 40-45. Illus. 1961.-A number of benzazoles, in particular benzimidazole, benzothiazole, and benzotriazole, were examined for their effects on growth of seedlings and established plants. Benzothiazole was the most active in repressing elongation of the primary root of cucumber. Benzimidazole and benzotriazole were about 1/10 as active. Adenine was without effect in reversing the benzazole-induced inhibition of cucumber root elongation and, in fact, supplemented the inhibition caused by benzi,midazole and benzothiazole. Application of benzotriazole to the root medium of bean, coleus, tomato, oat and wheat caused a pronounced inhibition of internodal elongation with a stimulation of axillary development. Distinct morphological changes were observed which did not correspond to those produced by other growth regulators. Application of benzimidazole to the root medium of several genera of plants resulted in injury to laminar tissue followed by desiccation, with no concomitant effect on the stem. Application of benzothiazole to the root medium induced development of adventitious roots in bean and tomato. This conipound also caused initiation of roots on cultures of tobacco-stem segments, while not suppressing bud development. The benzazoles tested seem to be of a different class of compounds from other growth regulators which have been studied. The responses elicited by treatment with each of the 3 benzazoles are distinctly characteristic and are dependent on the structure of the azole portion of the molecule.
The influence of thyroid and testicular hormones on globule leucocytes in the rat duodenal crypt epithelium

The globule leucocyte is a cell with a wide distribution in the digestive, respiratory, biliary, urinary and genital tract epithelia of homeotherms. It occurs in the crypts of the rat small intestine and within the epithelium on the villous bases but not on the remainder of the villi. A characteristic feature of this cell is the presence of acidophilic cytoplasmic granules, 0.5 to a few mm in diameter. The nucleus resembles that of intraepithelial intestinal lymphocytes. In this investigation, a quantitative study was made of the effect of thyroidectomy and/or castration on the number of globule leucocytes in the duodenal crypts of immature and adult rats. In sham-operated rats, globule leucocytes were rare, occurring with a frequency of 1 or 2 per 1,000 epithelial cells. After thyroidectomy, they increased to 14-20 per 1,000 epithelial cells. Castration did not influence the number of globule leucocytes but resulted in an increase in the number, size and acidophilia of their cytoplasmic granules. In immature rats, but not in adults, castration combined with thyroidectomy enhanced the effect of thyroidectomy, increasing globule leucocyte number to 32 per 1,000 epithelial cells. Treatment of thyroidectomized-castrates with thyroxine, initiated 38 days after operation, reduced the crypt globule leucocyte population to normal, whereas treatment with testosterone did not. Growth hormone failed to influence the elevated number of globule leucocytes in thyroidectomized rats, suggesting that this action of thyroxine was not mediated via an influence on growth hormone release. Because of their similar nuclear morphology, intraepithelial crypt lymphocytes were also counted and there was no obvious relationship in the fluctuations of these two cell populations. It is suggested that the greater number of crypt globule leucocytes in thyroid deficiency may reflect changes in the intestinal secretory immunoglobulin system and this is being investigated, beginning with a study of the distribution of IgE.
Radiative lifetimes of confined excitations in sigma-conjugated silane oligomers

Abstract Emission studies of polysilanes of well-defined length are used to deduce the chain length necessary to support delocalized excitations. The chemical conditions necessary for interruption of extended sigma-conjugation are also described.
A suggested course in introductory computer programming

Introductory programming courses have long been a popular topic of discussion. Often it is either the only computer course a student takes or it is the foundation upon which all further training in computer science is built. The usual goal of such a course is to introduce the student to the use of a computer to solve simple problems in his or her particular discipline.Generally the method of presenting the material may be separated into two distinct schools of thought, which we have termed the “Black Box School of Thought” and the “White Box School of Thought”. In this paper, we discuss the benefits and drawbacks associated with the two alternative approaches. Additionally, we present a suggested course outline using the “White Box” method.
Zur Chemie der kondensierten Phosphate und Arsenate. VII. Über die Produkte der thermischen Entwässerung des Natriumtriphosphat‐6‐Hydrates Na5P3O10·6H2O und die vermeintliche Bildung eines Dimetaphosphates dabei

Analytisch, rontgenographisch, durch Dichte- und durch Molekulargewichtsbestimmungen in schmelzendem Glaubersalz wird nachgewiesen, das bei der Entwasserung des Natriumtriphosphat-6-Hydrates Na5P3O10.6 H2O durch gleichzeitig ablaufende Hydrolyse des Anions zunachst Na4P2O7 und NaH2PO4 entstehen, die erst in sekundarer Reaktion bei hoherer Temperatur in das kristallwasserfreie Triphosphat Na5P3O10 ubergehen. Im Gegensatz zu Angaben der Literatur bildet sich kein Dimetaphosphat. Die Grunde fur die altere irrtumliche Annahme werden aufgeklart.
Blood-retinal barrier permeability to carboxyfluorescein and fluorescein in monkeys

Lipid solubility is a major determinant of permeability across the blood-brain barrier, to which the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) has many similarities. Carboxyfluorescein is a dye with about 1/1000 the lipid solubility of fluorescein, but their molecular sizes and spectral characteristics are similar. We studied the importance of lipid solubility in BRB permeability by comparing the BRB permeabilities to these two dyes. Dye in the vitreous and plasma of four monkeys was measured by fluorophotometry. The estimated inward permeability coefficients (Pin) were 11 ± 7.4 × 10−6) cm/min (mean and SD) for carboxyfluorescein and 21 ± 5.9 × 10−6 cm/min for fluorescein. The ratio of the means was 1/1.9, far from the expected 1/1000. This finding suggests that the BRB does not function as a continuous lipid membrane and that other factors are more important determinants of permeability for these dyes than lipid solubility.
An evaluation of the effects of three laryngeal lubricants on phonation threshold pressure (PTP).

Summary: Clinicians frequently offer advice to performers and voicedisordered patients aimed ostensibly to manipulate the water content and/or viscosity of the mucus blanket covering the vocal folds. To evaluate the relative effects of three potential laryngeal lubricants on phonatory function (ie, water, Mannitol—an osmotic agent, and Entertainer’s Secret Throat Relief (Kli Corp., Carmel, IN)—a glycerin-based product), phonation threshold pressure (PTP) was measured in 18 healthy, vocally normal female participants twice before (baseline) and then four times after 2 ml of each substance were nebulized. PTP is the minimum subglottal pressure required to initiate vocal fold oscillation, and the lowering of PTP is assumed to correspond to physiologically more efficient phonation and reduced phonatory effort. Over a 3-week period, participants were tested on three separate occasions (at 1-week intervals). On each occasion, a different nebulized treatment was administered. PTP for both comfortable and high fundamental frequency productions was measured using an oral pressure-flow system (Perci-Sars, MicroTronics Corp., Chapel Hill, NC). Analysis of the results revealed that Mannitol, an agent that encourages osmotic water flux to the luminal airway surface, lowered PTP immediately after its administration (ie, p 0.071, for high-pitched productions only). However, the duration of its PTP lowering effect was less than 20 minutes. The other two substances did not demonstrate any significant postadministration effect on PTP.
Application of powder rheometer to determine powder flow properties and lubrication efficiency of pharmaceutical particulate systems

The objective of this study was to understand the behavior of particulate systems under different conditions of shear dynamics before and after granulation and to investigate the efficiency of powder lubrication. Three drug powders, metronidazole, colloidal bismuth citrate, and tetracycline hydrochloride, were chosen as model drugs representing noncohesive and cohesive powder systems. Each powder was individually granulated with microcrystalline cellulose and 5%PVP as a binder. One portion from each granulation was lubricated with different levels of magnesium stearate for 5 minutes. The powder characterization was performed on the plain powders, nonlubricated and lubricated granules using powder rheometer equipped with a helical blade rotating and moving under experimentally fixed set of parameters. The profiles of interaction during the forcedistance measurements indicate that powder compresses, expands, and shears many times in a test cycle. Test profiles also clearly reveal existence of significant differences between cohesive and noncohesive powders. In all cases lubrication normalized the overall interactive nature of the powder by reducing peaks and valleys as observed from the profiles and reduced the frictional effect. The developed methods are easy to perform and will allow formulation scientists to better understand powder behavior and help in predicting potential impact of processing factors on particulate systems.
Inertial and magnetic posture tracking for inserting humans into networked virtual environments

Rigid body orientation can be determined without the aid of a generated source using nine-axis MARG (Magnetic field, Angular Rate, and Gravity) sensor unit containing three orthogonally mounted angular rate sensors, three orthogonal linear accelerometers and three orthogonal magnetometers. This paper describes a quaternion-based complementary filter algorithm for processing the output data from such a sensor. The filter forms the basis for a system designed to determine the posture of an articulated body in real-time. In the system the orientation relative to an Earth-fixed reference frame of each limb segment is individually determined through the use of an attached MARG sensor. The orientations are used to set the posture of an articulated body model. Details of the fabrication of a prototype MARG sensor are presented. Calibration algorithms for the sensors and the human body model are also presented. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the tracking system and verify the correctness of the underlying theory.
SU-E-T-28: Commissioning of OSLDs as An In-Vivo Dosimeter in INTRABEAM Radiotherapy for Early Stage Breast Cancer

Purpose: To commission OSLDs for estimating skin dose for patients undergoing INTRABEAM radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer. Methods: Intrabeam system, using low energy X‐rays of 20keV effective energy, 0.64mm of Al HVL, deliver 20Gy to the spherical applicator surface. Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeters (OSLDs Landauer screened nanoDOTs) were used for this study. OSLDs were water proofed using 3M Tegaderm film and held by a custom made solid water holder. OSLDs were irradiated in water at distances from the applicator surface ranging from 5mm up to 40mm. Measurements were repeated three times for each depth. Depth dose data in water as provided by the manufacturer is applied for estimating the delivered dose to OSLDs. Irradiated OSLDs were analyzed using microStar reader after giving a minimum 10 minutes delay to allow suppression of ambient phosphorescence. Calibration curves (Dose vs Counts) were generated for each applicator/probe combination and validated by performing comparisons in plastic water using PTW MARKUS planeparallel Ionization chamber and virgin OSLDs. Results: Calibration curves were generated for spherical applicators with diameters ranging from 2.5cm to 5cm. OSLD calibration curves were validated by performing a set of measurements in plastic water using ionization chamber & OSLDs. The results were within ±6% as expected based on the OSDL sensitivity uncertainty and OSLD positioning uncertainty. The reproducibility of OSLD measurements were ±2% (1σ). Conclusion: OSLDs can be used for in vivo dosimetry for intrabeam therapy and can accurately measure skin dose for patients receiving INTRABEAM therapy. Immediate reading and the ease of use provide added advantages to use OSLDs as an in vivo dosimeter. This calibration method incorporates the energy spectrum change with depth and hence the change in OSLD sensitivity with energy.
Depth-resolved Optical Imaging and Microscopy of Vascular Compartment Dynamics During Somatosensory Stimulation

The cortical hemodynamic response to somatosensory stimulus is investigated at the level of individual vascular compartments using both depth-resolved optical imaging and in-vivo two-photon microscopy. We utilize a new imaging and spatiotemporal analysis approach that exploits the different characteristic dynamics of responding arteries, arterioles, capillaries and veins to isolate their three-dimensional spatial extent within the cortex. This spatial delineation is validated using vascular casts. Temporal delineation is supported by in-vivo two-photon microscopy of the temporal dynamics and vascular mechanisms of the arteriolar and venous responses. Using these techniques we have been able to characterize the roles of the different vascular compartments in generating and controlling the hemodynamic response to somatosensory stimulus. We find that changes in arteriolar total hemoglobin concentration agree well with arteriolar dilation dynamics, which in turn correspond closely with changes in venous blood flow. For 4-s stimuli, we see only small changes in venous hemoglobin concentration, and do not detect measurable dilation or ballooning in the veins. Instead, we see significant evidence of capillary hyperemia. We compare our findings to historical observations of the composite hemodynamic response from other modalities including functional magnetic resonance imaging. Implications of our results are discussed with respect to mathematical models of cortical hemodynamics, and to current theories on the mechanisms underlying neurovascular coupling. We also conclude that our spatiotemporal analysis approach is capable of isolating and localizing signals from the capillary bed local to neuronal activation, and holds promise for improving the specificity of other hemodynamic imaging modalities.
The Effect of Two Levels of Methionine on the Biological Performance of Laying Pullets in Controlled Environments

Abstract AN EARLIER paper (Mueller, 1961) dealt with the performance of pullets at constant temperatures of 32°C. (90°F.), 13°C. (55°F.) and in an environment where temperature cycled from 32°C. to 13°C. and back to 32°C. every 24 hours. Using performance at a constant temperature of 13°C. as a base, continuous exposure to 32°C. reduced egg production of survivors 28%, average egg weight 15% and feed intake 32%. Little is known about the mechanisms which cause these adverse effects of high temperature. One possibility, suggested by further analysis of the data reported in 1961, was environmentally induced nutritional deficiencies. Hill and Dansky (1950) reported that, while daily nutrient requirements appeared to be relatively constant absolute quantities, requirements expressed as percentage of the ration were related to feed intake. Since the rations used from 1958 to 1960 (Mueller, 1961) were formulated in terms of required nutrient levels per unit weight of feed, the …
In Vitro Comparison of a Disposable Flexible Ureteroscope and Conventional Flexible Ureteroscopes

Purpose: We compared and evaluated the objective characteristics (deflection characteristics, field of view and flow rate) of a disposable flexible ureteroscope and 6 established, commercially available flexible ureteroscopes.Material and Methods: Six commonly used ureteroscopes, including Olympus™ URF-P3, Storz® 11278AU and 11274AAU, ACMI™ DUR™-8 Elite and DUR-8, and Wolf 7331.001 (Richard Wolf Medical Instruments, Vernon Hills, Illinois), were compared with the recently introduced SemiFlex Scope™ disposable flexible ureteroscope. Specifications and purchase costs were acquired from each manufacturer. The disposable ureteroscope consisted of a reusable eyepiece and a semiflexible shaft with a 3.3Fr working channel. Active tip deflection was measured with and without the 3Fr basket, the 365 μm laser fiber and the 3Fr forceps. The flow rate and field of view of each scope were evaluated.Results: Active tip deflection (down/up) was highest in the disposable ureteroscope at 300/265 degrees. Although deflecti...
Dexamethasone alters plasma levels of beta-endorphin and postoperative pain

Secretion of pituitary immunoreactive beta-endorphin is hypothesized to modulate the perception of pain. The present study examined this question by evaluating the effects of intravenous placebo or dexamethasone (0.1, 0.32, or 1.0 mg) on suppression of immunoreactive beta-endorphin secretion and development of postoperative pain after the surgical removal of impacted third molars in 48 patients. Compared with placebo, all doses of dexamethasone suppressed the postoperative increase in circulating levels of immunoreactive beta-endorphin. Patients administered 0.1 mg dexamethasone reported greater levels of pain, compared with those given placebo, from 60 through 120 minutes after surgery. Postoperative pain for the 0.32 and 1.0 mg doses did not differ from that for the placebo group. The increased pain after suppression of beta-endorphin release by the low dose of dexamethasone suggests that pituitary secretion of immunoreactive beta-endorphin alleviates postoperative pain under these conditions.
SO2 Surface Chemistry on Metal Substrates

The surface chemistry, induced by thermal and non-thermal methods, of SO2 on metal substrates is reviewed. The substrate temperature during dosing is important; regardless of metal, adsorption is dissociative at 300 K and molecular at 100 K. On Ni, Pd, and Pt, molecular adsorption occurs through the S and one O atom, and the molecular plane is perpendicular to the surface. However, on Ag and Cu, adsorption occurs only through the S with the molecular plane perpendicular to the surface. The differences can be attributed to the structure of the metal's molecular orbitals and their interactions with the SO2 orbitals. Upon heating, SO2 dissociates on all transition metal surfaces with the exception of Ag, Au, and Cu, where only molecular desorption occurs. On Pt, Fe, and Pd, additional reactions are observed between SO2 and its dissociation products. The nonthermal reactions induced by photons and electrons for monolayer coverages of SO2 on Ag (111) are dominated by molecular desorption. Desorption cross sections for 313 nm photons and 50eV electrons were 2.8 × 10−20 cm2 and −1 × 10−16 cm2, respectively. Nonthermal excitation mechanisms and quenching processes as well as interesting characteristics of SO2 under irradiation are also reviewed.
Axisymmetric Finite Element Analysis of a Debonded Total Hip Stem With an Unsupported Distal Tip

A tapered femoral total hip stem with a debonded stem-cement interface and an unsupported distal tip subjected to constant axial load was evaluated using two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric finite element analysis. The analysis was performed to test if the mechanical condition suggest that a "taper-lock" with a debonded viscoelastic bone cement might be an alternative approach to cement fixation of stem type cemented hip prosthesis. Effect of stem-cement interface conditions (bonded, debonded with and without friction) and viscoelastic response (creep and relaxation) of acrylic bone cement on cement mantle stresses and axial displacement of the stem was also investigated. Stem debonding with friction increased maximum cement von Mises stress by approximately 50 percent when compared to the bonded stem. Of the stress components in the cement mantle, radial stresses were compressive and hoop stresses were tensile and were indicative of mechanical taper-lock. Cement mantle stress, creep and stress relaxation and stem displacement increased with increasing load level and with decreasing stem-cement interface friction. Stress relaxation occur predominately in tensile hoop stress and decreased from 1 to 46 percent over the conditions considered. Stem displacement due to cement mantle creep ranged from 614 microns to 1.3 microns in 24 hours depending upon interface conditions and load level.
Elemental concentrations in fishes from the Salton Sea, southeastern California

The Salton Sea is a 93 000 ha saline lake fed by drainage water from more than 283 000 ha of irrigated lands in the Imperial and Coachella valleys of California. A total of 21 composite samples of four recreationally important fish species — bairdiella (Bairdiella icistia), orangemouth corvina (Cynoscion xanthulus), sargo (Anisotremus davidsoni), and Mozambique tilapia (Tilapia mossambica) —collected there were analyzed for 14 elements. Twelve of these elements were detected in one or more of the samples: As, B, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, V, and Zn. Cadmium and Tl were not detected. The ranges in concentrations of elements in the skinless fillets of bairdiella, corvina, and sargo, and in whole bodies of all four fishes were comparable to levels that are typically measured in saltwater fishes. Only Se concentrations were elevated (as much as 14 µg g−1 dry weight in both fillets and whole bodies) in this series of samples. Elevated concentrations of Se have already led to public health advisories concerning the consumption of fish and might eventually cause the demise of fish populations from toxic effects.
Inverse relationship of metabolic clearance rate of insulin to body mass index

Twenty-five human subjects, whose body mass indices (BMI) ranged from 18.0 to 34.1 kg/m2, underwent euglycemic clamps at both low (1.5 mU/kg/min) and high (10 mU/kg/min) insulin infusion rates. Mean C-peptide concentrations were ≤0.5 ng/mL at the end of each two-hour period. The metabolic clearance rates (MCR) of insulin (mL/kg/min) were significantly (P < .001) inversely correlated with BMI at both the low (r = −.65) and high (r = −.71) insulin infusion rates. The negative inverse correlations with BMI remained significant at both the low (r = −.42, P < .05) and high (r = −.61, P < .005) insulin infusion rates if the MCR were expressed as mL/m2/min. There were no significant correlations (r < .21) between the MCR at either rates of insulin infusion and age or tracer insulin binding to monocytes. Decreased MCR of insulin may contribute to the hyperinsulinemia seen in obese subjects.
Promoting Reduced and Discontinued Substance Use among Adolescent Substance Users: Effectiveness of a Universal Prevention Program

Efforts to address youth substance use have focused on prevention among non-users and treatment among severe users with less attention given to youth occupying the middle ground who have used substances but not yet progressed to serious abuse or addiction. Using a sample from 35 middle schools of 1,364 youth who reported using substances, this study examined the effectiveness of a universal youth substance use prevention program, the SAMHSA Model Program keepin’ it REAL, in promoting reduced or recently discontinued alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Discrete-time event history methods modeled the rates of reduced and recently discontinued use across four waves of data. Each substance (alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana) was modeled separately. Beginning at the second wave, participants who reported use at wave 1 were considered at risk of reducing or discontinuing use. Since the data sampled students in schools, multi-level models accounted for the nesting of data at the school level. Results indicated that prevention program participation influenced the rates of reduced and recently discontinued use only for alcohol, controlling for baseline use severity, age, grades, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and gender. Among youth who reported use of alcohol in wave 1 (N=1,028), the rate of reducing use for program participants was 72% higher than the rate for control students. The rate of discontinuing use was 66% higher than the rate for control students. Among youth who reported use of one or more of the three substances in wave 1 (N=1,364), the rate of discontinuing all use was 61% higher for program participants than for control students. Limitations and implications of these findings and plans for further research are discussed.
Analysis and interpretation of Wide-Field Planetary Camera outgas data collected in the temperature range from -20°C to -100°C

The data from the Wide Field Planetary Camera (WFPC) are analyzed to determine the absolute source-emission parameters and contaminant reemission parameters of outgassing mass accumulation. The data correspond to the mass accumulated on a -100 C quartz crystal microbalance and then desorbed at -50 C as a function of time. The parameters investigated include contaminant mass, first-order rate constants, and characteristic energies. The data are modeled in terms of a minimum number of species characterized by source-rate and reemission-rate parameters. The modeling technique is found to produce adequate fits, and the contaminants that accumulate at -100 C and desorb at -50 C do not accumulate at -50 C. The data analysis is found to be an adequate technique for assessing outgassing parameters for the prediction of WFPC internal contamination.
Outcome of patients with Gleason score 8 or higher prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy alone.

Purpose: We determine the effect of clinical and pathological variables on the outcome of patients with prostate cancer of Gleason scores 8 or greater treated with radical prostatectomy alone.Mater...
THE VERSATILE BACTERIAL TYPE IV SECRETION SYSTEMS

Bacteria use type IV secretion systems for two fundamental objectives related to pathogenesis — genetic exchange and the delivery of effector molecules to eukaryotic target cells. Whereas gene acquisition is an important adaptive mechanism that enables pathogens to cope with a changing environment during invasion of the host, interactions between effector and host molecules can suppress defence mechanisms, facilitate intracellular growth and even induce the synthesis of nutrients that are beneficial to bacterial colonization. Rapid progress has been made towards defining the structures and functions of type IV secretion machines, identifying the effector molecules, and elucidating the mechanisms by which the translocated effectors subvert eukaryotic cellular processes during infection.
Grain-boundary ordering, segregation, and melting transitions in a two-dimensional lattice-gas model.

A two-dimensional lattice-gas model of a binary-ordering-alloy system was used to study the phase transitions and the atomic configuration near a \ensuremath{\Sigma}=5 grain boundary. The cluster variation method was used to study order-disorder and melting transitions in the bulk alloys. The complete binary phase diagrams were constructed for two different sets of interaction-energy assumptions. Simulations based on the same model were performed to study these transitions in the grain-boundary region. In addition, the model also yields information on the segregation behavior of the alloying elements in the grain-boundary region.
Reading Realism: Audiences' Evaluations of the Reality of Media Texts

Forty-seven young adults participated in a series of focus group interviews designed to investigate how audiences conceptualize media realism. Contrasts in the way realism was defined and applied in the interviews and explicit statements by the participants supported previous findings that realism perceptions are multidimensional. The participants' discussions encompassed 6 distinct means of evaluating the realism of media texts: plausibility, typicality, factuality, emotional involvement, narrative consistency, and perceptual persuasiveness. Plausibility was the most readily discussed conceptualization. Different realism conceptualizations tended to be used for different media genres and the conceptualizations tended to focus on different features of the evaluated text. This article discusses the relationship of audience perceptions to scholars' conceptualizations and addresses implications for measuring media realism.
Role of thromboxane A2 in the induction of apoptosis of immature thymocytes by lipopolysaccharide.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes apoptotic deletion of CD4 + CD8 + thymocytes, a phenomenon that has been linked to immune dysfunction and poor survival during sepsis. Given the abundance of thromboxane-prostanoid (TP) receptors in CD4 + CD8 + thymocytes and in vitro evidence that thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2 ) causes apoptosis of these cells, we tested whether enhanced generation of TXA 2 plays a role in LPS-induced thymocyte apoptosis. Mice injected with 50 μg of LPS intraperitoneally displayed a marked increase in generation of TXA 2 and prostaglandin E 2 in the thymus as well as apoptotic deletion of CD4 + CD8 + thymocytes. Administration of indomethacin or rofecoxib inhibited prostanoid synthesis but did not affect thymocyte death. In contrast, thymocyte apoptosis in response to LPS was significantly attenuated in TP-deficient mice. These studies indicate that TXA 2 mediates a portion of apoptotic thymocyte death caused by LPS. The absence of an effect of global inhibition of prostanoid synthesis suggests a complex role for prostanoids in this model.
Statistical model of stereospecific polymerization of vinyl monomers

A statistical model for the stereospecific polymerization of vinly monomers on Ziegler-Natta catalytic systems is presented. The basic assumptions of the model are: (a) the catalytic centers are asymmetric, so that at a given catalytic center the monomer CH2CHR is inserted into the chain with two different rates according to the two different configurations of the opening carbon atom having the R group; (b) the insertion of a monomeric unit in the growing chain is affected also by interactions with the previous monomeric unit. Isotactic, syndiotactic, atatic, or stereoblock polymers are obtained according to the relative values of the two energy parameters expressing these two effects.
Photodecomposition of Pigment Yellow 74, a pigment used in tattoo inks

Tattooing has become a popular recreational practice among younger adults over the past decade. Although some of the pigments used in tattooing have been described, very little is known concerning the toxicology, phototoxicology or photochemistry of these pigments. Seven yellow tattoo inks were obtained from commercial sources and their pigments extracted, identified and quantitatively analyzed. The monoazo compound Pigment Yellow 74 (PY74; CI 11741) was found to be the major pigment in several of the tattoo inks. Solutions of commercial PY74 in tetrahydrofuran (THF) were deoxygenated using argon gas, and the photochemical reaction products were determined after exposure to simulated solar light generated by a filtered 6.5 kW xenon arc lamp. Spectrophotometric and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses indicated that PY74 photodecomposed to multiple products that were isolated using a combination of silica chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC. Three of the major photodecomposition products were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry as N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanamide (o-acetoacetanisidide), 2-(hydroxyimine)-N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanamide and N,N''-bis(2-methoxyphenyl)urea. These results demonstrate that PY74 is not photostable in THF and that photochemical lysis occurs at several sites in PY74 including the hydrazone and amide groups. The data also suggest that the use of PY74 in tattoo inks could potentially result in the formation of photolysis products, resulting in toxicity at the tattoo site after irradiation with sunlight or more intense light sources.
Experimental assessment of the cross coupling and polarization effects on ultra-wide band see-through-wall imaging reconstruction

A low-cost ultra-wide band see-through-wall imaging radar system was designed and implemented and has been used to assess common simplifying assumptions in its microwave imaging reconstruction. The typical simplifying assumption, it is assumed no mutual couplings exist between the array elements and no cross polarizations arise from the antennas, through wall propagation, or from the target itself. In this paper, we present our newly developed SAR system and experimentally investigate the effects of the two assumptions and said impact on radar imaging.
Response of realistic soil for GPR applications with 2-D FDTD

The three-dimensional (3D), wideband, bistatic ground penetrating radar (GPR) scatter response of rough, realistic ground is efficiently and accurately simulated using a hybrid high resolution 3D and large area two-dimensional (2D) finite difference time domain (FDTD) model. The 3D computation carefully models the transmitting and receiving antennas, while the 2D FDTD models wave propagation between the antennas and the scattering by the soil below them. The FDTD soil model considers realistic frequency dependent (dispersive) soil with Gaussian height variations. The modeling results are compared to experiments performed with the Geo-Centers, Inc., Newton, MA, commercially available GPR system used for mine detection. Despite the simplicity of the 2D model, the results of the simulation and the experiment agree quite well.
An Age-Related Dissociation of Short-Term Memory for Facial Identity and Facial Emotional Expression

BACKGROUND Memory for both facial emotional expression and facial identity was explored in younger and older adults in 3 experiments using a delayed match-to-sample procedure. METHOD Memory sets of 1, 2, or 3 faces were presented, which were followed by a probe after a 3-s retention interval. RESULTS There was very little difference between younger and older adults in memory for emotional expressions, but memory for identity was substantially impaired in the older adults. DISCUSSION Possible explanations for spared memory for emotional expressions include socioemotional selectivity theory as well as the existence of overlapping yet distinct brain networks for processing of different emotions.