cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of a surgical nursing cooperation program in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background To evaluate the value of programmed surgical nursing in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) and summarize the experience. Methods The clinical data of 80 patients who received LPD in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from January 2017 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 40 patients were treated with traditional surgical nursing as the control group in the earlier stage. Afterwards, another 40 cases in the experimental group were treated using the surgical nursing program. Operation time, blood loss, and satisfaction of surgeons were analyzed. Results In all, 80 cases were successfully completed, and no significant difference was observed in the preoperative data statistics between these two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the average operation time and the average blood loss of the experimental group were significantly reduced (288.9±11.14 vs. 364.5±10.84 min, P<0.05; 135.3±20.12 vs. 364.8±77.39 mL, P<0.05), and the satisfaction of surgeons was significantly higher (95% vs. 80%, P<0.05). Conclusions Skilled execution of nursing cooperation is crucial in LPD. Through appropriate preoperative preparation, gaining mastery operation steps, remaining in sync with surgeons, and perfecting the management details, the surgical nursing cooperation program can improve the satisfaction of the surgeons and make operations more efficient.
Kinetic effects of molecular clustering and solvation by extended networks in zeolite acid catalysis

Reactions catalyzed within porous inorganic and organic materials and at electrochemical interfaces commonly occur at high coverage and in condensed media, causing turnover rates to depend strongly on interfacial structure and composition, collectively referred to as “solvent effects”. Transition state theory treatments define how solvation phenomena enter kinetic rate expressions, and identify two distinct types of solvent effects that originate from molecular clustering and from the solvation of such clusters by extended solvent networks. We review examples from the recent literature that investigate reactions within microporous zeolite catalysts to illustrate these concepts, and provide a critical appraisal of open questions in the field where future research can aid in developing new chemistry and catalyst design principles.
Calculation of Average Thermodynamic Properties Using the Canonical Partition Function and Treatment of Distinguishable and Indistinguishable Molecules

The material presented in this lecture is adapted from Chapter 3 of M&S. First, we will utilize material presented in Lecture 38 to calculate various canonical ensemble-averaged thermodynamic properties of the system, including the energy, the heat capacity at constant volume, and the pressure. Second, we will derive an expression for the canonical partition function of a system of independent and distinguishable molecules. Third, we will derive an expression for the canonical partition function of a system of independent and indistinguishable molecules, including stressing the role of the Pauli exclusion principle when carrying out the summation over the indistinguishable quantum states. Fourth, we will decompose the molecular canonical partition function into contributions from the translational, vibrational, rotational, and electronic degrees of freedom. Finally, we will contrast energy states and energy levels, including discussing the degeneracy of an energy level.
Renal Replacement Therapies

Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is an important component in the care of critically ill children with acute kidney injury (AKI), inborn errors of metabolism, and certain intoxications that respond inadequately to conservative measures. There are several modalities of RRT including peritoneal dialysis (PD), continual flow peritoneal dialysis (CFPD), hemodialysis (HD), sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED), and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Each of these modalities has its own inherent advantages and risks, and the clinical situation will help guide the most appropriate approach for the individual patient. Peritoneal dialysis allows for both solute clearance and ultrafiltration. However, PD is suboptimal therapy for patients with life-threatening hyperkalemia, severe volume overload, or intoxications that would benefit from rapid ultrafiltration or solute clearance. In those settings, intermittent HD would provide a more effective modality. CRRT is a common mode of RRT utilized in the pediatric intensive care unit. There are three primary forms of CRRT including continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH; convective clearance), continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD; diffusive clearance), and continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) which is a combination of convective (CVVH) and diffusive (CVVHD) clearance. CRRT is frequently used in conjunction with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. Sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) represents a hybrid between HD and CRRT. Although it has been used commonly in adults for over two decades, there is very little experience in pediatrics. A sound understanding of the various forms of RRT and their use in critical illness is essential.
US Engineering Ethics and Its Connections to International Activity

This chapter situates the field of engineering ethics in the US as one among other related specialties in professional ethics, particularly biomedical and research ethics. International interest in engineering ethics and social responsibility has broadened the conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches in the field. The chapter describes efforts of US government agencies, professional engineering societies, and the US National Academies (NA) including NA efforts that involve similar bodies in other countries, to address ethics in science and engineering research and practice in the US and abroad and to stimulate consideration of ethics in engineering education. It also describes on-going international activities to develop an international code of research ethics as well as a wide variety of standards that affect engineering practice. These activities and efforts provide part of a global background for engineering ethics education in the future.
Mites in the mix: Dust mite contamination of a flour product

Abstract Rationale There have been at least three reported cases of anaphylaxis after ingestion of a commercial beignet (flour based fried donut) mixture containing dust mites (DM) or DM antigen. All of the patients were skin test positive to DM and negative to foods. Our objective was to determine the frequency of DM contamination in packages from local stores before and after opening. Methods Twenty unopened packages of beignet mix with different expiration dates were collected. A sample from each package was examined by light microscopy and by rapid DM antigen kits using monoclonal antibodies against group II DM antigens. Results In six of the 8 unexpired boxes, DM were seen and the mixtures tested positive to DM antigen. Two of the 12 unexpired boxes contained DM and were antigen positive despite being well sealed. The DM positive packages contained visible brown areas within the mixture that represented contamination with DM. Packages were then closed with twist ties, stored at room temperature and re-examined at 2 weeks. DM were seen in 2 additional boxes and there was a marked increase in the number of DM seen in the previously contaminated boxes. Conclusions Most (75%) of the expired boxes and 17% of the unexpired boxes contained DM prior to being opened. Exposure to air caused rapid mite proliferation once the packages were unsealed. In temperate climates, storage of this mix at room temerature may increase the risk of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in those who are sensitized to DM.
Rigorous Testing by Merging Structural and Behavioral UML Representations

Error detection and correction in the design phase can reduce total costs and time to market. Yet, testing of design models usually consists of walk-throughs and inspections both of which lack the rigor of systematic testing. Test adequacy criteria for UML models help define necessary objectives during the process of test creation. These test criteria require coverage of various parts of UML models, such as structural (Class Diagram) and behavioral (Sequence Diagram) views. Test criteria are specific to a particular UML view. Test cases on the other hand should cover parts of multiple views. To understand testing needs better, it is useful to be able to observe the effect of tests on both Class Diagrams and Sequence Diagrams. We propose a new graph that encapsulates the many paths that exist between objects via their method calls as a directed acyclic graph (OMDAG). We also introduce the object method execution table (OMET) that captures both execution sequence and associated attribute values by merging the UML views. The merging process is defined in an algorithm that generates and executes tests.
The Development and Impact of Consumer Word of Mouth in New Product Diffusion

We investigate how consumer word of mouth (WOM) develops over time and in turn influences new product adoption. We develop a dynamic aggregate-level model of WOM development and new product diffusion that explicitly captures consumers’ learning of product quality from both marketing communications and WOM. It allows us to measure how effectively firms’ marketing efforts generate WOM (buzz) and to determine whether WOM influences product adoption primarily through an informative role (i.e., helping the consumer learn product quality) or a persuasive role (i.e., exerting a direct impact on sales, for example, by increasing awareness). A formal treatment of the endogeneity issue inherent in the WOM-sales relationship enables us to infer short-term and long-term sales elasticity of WOM. The model is estimated using simulated generalized method of moments (GMM) and applied to the U.S. video game market. Our results indicate: (1) media publicity is especially effective at generating WOM for video games while media advertising is ineffective. (2) WOM is the key source of quality learning. It has a larger informative effect than publicity and advertising combined. (3) While WOM also has a significant persuasive effect, the informative effect dominates; therefore, buzz marketing is economically meaningful only for high-quality products.
Gendered Home and Space for the Diaspora: Gish JenÃ¢â¬â¢s Typical American

This article explores the strategy of three first-generation male and female Chinese American characters in their reconstruction of home and space (domestic, communal, and social) in the U.S. from the late 1940s to the 1960s in Gish JenA¢â¬â¢s novel A¢â¬" Typical American (1991). The discussion is focused on how JenA¢â¬â¢s novel conflates space, culture, and gender relations through the experiences of the Chinese diaspora that crosses geopolitical, national, and cultural borders. Drawing upon critical perspectives in Asian American studies and feminist geography, this article examines how these diaspora men and women negotiate a new space between their A¢â¬Anative cultureA¢â¬Â and the A¢â¬Ahost societyA¢â¬Â in response to their displacement based on gender and race, when their respective spatiality is crisscrossed with their unceasingly adjusted relations with one another A¢â¬" as husband and wife (Ralph and Helen) and as brother and sister (Ralph and Theresa).
Plasma Waves Stimulated by Electron Beams in the Lab and in the Auroral Ionosphere

Energetic electron beams are frequently used as active probes of space plasmas. Often the assumed test particle nature of these electrons is violated when the electron beam stimulates plasma wave emissions. Such complex phenomena have been observed on rockets and satellites and are being modeled in laboratory plasmas. The large vacuum chamber at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas has been used for modeling F-region type ionospheric plasmas. A VLF receiver has been flown into an auroral plasma and the spectra from this flight will be compared to VLF spectra obtained in the NASA/JSC laboratory chamber. The electron beam is believed to have produced beam plasma discharge (BPD) on the rocket similar to that seen in the lab. At times during the rocket flight the electron beam was operated at 4 kilovolts and the electron current modulated at 3 kilohertz from 0 to 80 milli-amps. This resulted in the beam pulsing in and out of BPD and a variety of propagating wave modes.
Optical technology for conservative dentistry

New optical diagnostic tools utilizing near-IR light hold considerable promise for the early detection and diagnosis of dental caries, and IR lasers are ideally suited for the conservative removal and modification of these early lesions.
Hyperdiversity of ectomycorrhizal fungus assemblages on oak seedlings in mixed forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Diversity of ectotrophic mycobionts on outplanted seedlings of two oak species ( Quercus rubra and Quercus prinus ) was estimated at two sites in mature mixed forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains by sequencing nuclear 5.8S rRNA genes and the flanking internal transcribed spacer regions I and II (ITS). The seedlings captured a high diversity of mycorrhizal ITS-types and late-stage fungi were well represented. Total richness was 75 types, with 42 types having a frequency of only one. The first and second order jackknife estimates were 116 and 143 types, respectively. Among Basidiomycetes, tomentelloid/thelephoroid, russuloid, and cortinarioid groups were the richest. The ascomycete Cenococcum geophilum was ubiquitously present. Dominant fungi included a putative Tuber sp. (Ascomycetes), and Basidiomycetes including a putative Craterellus sp., and Laccaria cf. laccata . Diversity was lower at a drier high elevation oak forest site compared to a low elevation mesic cove — hardwood forest site. Fungal specificity for red oak vs. white oak seedlings was unresolved. The high degree of rarity in this system imposes limitations on the power of community analyses at finer scales. The high mycobiont diversity highlights the potential for seedlings to acquire carbon from mycelial networks and confirms the utility of using outplanted seedlings to estimate ectomycorrhizal diversity.
Epilepsy – success in clinical practice: translating trials to practice

Success in clinical practice results from the combination of a clinician's experience, an understanding of patient preferences and factors that influence patient perceptions, and careful interpretation of data from clinical trials. However, successful clinical trials fulfil rigid methodological requirements in order to provide a basis from which to evaluate the place of a drug within a therapeutic strategy. Their translation into practice is therefore complicated by an intrinsic tension between the requirements for scientific methods that minimize error, and the need for clinically relevant data. In practice, the clinician has the flexibility to individualize epilepsy management to maximize benefits and minimize adverse effects of antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. AED adverse effects and psychiatric comorbidity, in particular depression, have a profound impact on subjective health status; systematic screening for these confounding variables can guide clinical management and optimize quality of life. In addition, patient preferences can be acknowledged in any management plan. To achieve success in clinical practice, we need to remember that the information gleaned from clinical trials provides only part of the picture and needs to be augmented by our clinical experience, patient assessment (including routine screening for adverse effects and depression) and patient preference.
SP-40,40 Immunoreactivity in Inflammatory CNS Lesions Displaying Astrocyte/Oligodendrocyte Interactions

Immunoreactivity for SP-40,40, a putative complement inhibitor, adhesion or protective molecule, has been examined in a variety of inflammatory CNS lesions that displayed associations between hypertrophic astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, a phenomenon previously suggested to be related to oligodendrocyte phagocytosis or protection. SP-40,40 staining was common and was predominantly limited to hypertrophic astrocytes within lesion areas and diminished beyond the lesion margin. However, there was no consistent relationship between SP-40,40 immunoreactivity and astrocytes associated with oligodendrocytes. Staining for terminal complement complex (C5b-9/SC5b-9) occurred in association with larger vessel walls and microglial cells in the most active lesions, but was never seen in hypertrophic astrocytes. No association between SP-40,40 and complement deposition could be demonstrated. Staining for tumor necrosis factor-alpha showed a few scattered hypertrophic astrocytes to be positive. The findings confirm the presence of these astrocyte/oligodendrocyte interactions in active CNS lesions of varied etiology (multiple sclerosis, stroke and AIDS encephalitis). SP-40,40 immunoreactivity was common to hypertrophic astrocytes regardless of their associations with oligodendrocytes but showed no colocalization with terminal complement complex. Thus, these glial interactions do not apparently involve protection against complement-mediated lysis. Furthermore, the presence of SP-40,40 in astrocytes lacking association with oligodendrocytes did not support a role for this protein functioning as an adhesion molecule in astrocyte/oligodendrocyte associations.
Fast Sweeping Methods for Eikonal Equations on Triangular Meshes

The original fast sweeping method, which is an efficient iterative method for stationary Hamilton-Jacobi equations, relies on natural ordering provided by a rectangular mesh. We propose novel ordering strategies so that the fast sweeping method can be extended efficiently and easily to any unstructured mesh. To that end we introduce multiple reference points and order all the nodes according to their $l^p$-metrics to those reference points. We show that these orderings satisfy the two most important properties underlying the fast sweeping method: (1) these orderings can cover all directions of information propagating efficiently; (2) any characteristic can be decomposed into a finite number of pieces and each piece can be covered by one of the orderings. We prove the convergence of the new algorithm. The computational complexity of the algorithm is nearly optimal in the sense that the total computational cost consists of $O(M)$ flops for iteration steps and $O(M{\rm log}M)$ flops for sorting at the predetermined initialization step which can be efficiently optimized by adopting a linear time sorting method, where $M$ is the total number of mesh points. Extensive numerical examples demonstrate that the new algorithm converges in a finite number of iterations independent of mesh size.
Quantitative exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy for predicting angina recurrence after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Abstract The aim of this prospective study was to determine the value of quantitative exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy for predicting short-term outcome in patients after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Quantitative exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy was performed 2.2 ± 1.2 weeks after successful PTCA in 68 asymptomatic patients, 64 (94%) of whom had class III or IV angina before the procedure. Clinical follow-up was obtained in all patients at a mean of 10 ± 2 months and all were followed for at least 6 months; 45 patients (66%) remained asymptomatic during followup and 23 (34%) developed recurrent class III or IV angina at a mean of 2.6 ± 1.2 months. Multivariate analysis of 22 clinical, angiographic and exercise test variables revealed that thallium-201 redistribution, any thallium scan abnormality, presence of a distal stenosis and treadmill time were the only significant predictors of recurrent angina after PTCA. Using a stepwise discriminant function model, thallium-201 redistribution was the only significant independent predictor. Despite its prognostic value relative to other variables as a predictor, thallium redistribution at 2 weeks after PTCA was only detected in 9 of the 23 patients (39%) who subsequently developed recurrent angina, although only 2 of the 45 patients (9%) who remained asymptomatic during follow-up demonstrated thallium-201 redistribution at the time of early testing. After repeat angiography was performed in 17 of the 23 patients with recurrent angina, 14 (82%) demonstrated restenosis and 3 (18%) had worse narrowing distal to or remote from the site of dilatation. Thus, quantitative thallium-201 scintigraphy performed soon after successful PTCA appears to be a valuable prognostic tool in predicting recurrent angina that most often occurs secondary to restenosis. However, although specificity was high (91%), overall sensitivity of thallium-201 imaging performed at 2 weeks after dilatation in asymptomatic patients was low (39%).
Long-term ambient ozone concentration and the incidence of asthma in nonsmoking adults: the AHSMOG Study.

We conducted a prospective study of a cohort of 3091 nonsmokers, ages 27 to 87 years, to evaluate the association between long-term ambient ozone exposure and development of adult-onset asthma. Over a 15-year period, 3.2% of males and 4.3% of females reported new doctor diagnoses of asthma. For males, we observed a significant relationship between report of doctor diagnosis of asthma and 20-year mean 8-h average ambient ozone concentration (relative risk (RR)=2.09 for a 27 ppb increase in ozone concentration, 95% CI=1.03 to 4.16). We observed no such relationship for females. Other variables significantly related to development of asthma were a history of ever-smoking for males (RR=2.37, 95% CI=1.13 to 4.81), and for females, number of years worked with a smoker (RR=1.21 for a 7-year increment, 95% CI=1.04 to 1.39), age (RR=0.61 for a 16-year increment, 95% CI=0.44 to 0.84), and a history of childhood pneumonia or bronchitis (RR=2.96, 95% CI=1.68 to 5.03). Addition of other pollutants (PM10, SO4, NO2, and SO2) to the models did not diminish the relationship between ozone and asthma for males. These data suggest that long-term exposure to ambient ozone is associated with development of asthma in adult males.
STATE COMPLIANCE WITH WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established the National Commission on State Workmen's Compensation Laws. The National Commission was directed to “undertake a comprehensive study and evaluation of State workmen's compensation laws in order to determine if such laws provide an adequate, prompt, and equitable system of compensation”. In 1972 the Commission issued its report, and “criticized many aspects of state workmen's compensation programs”. In its report the Commission made eighty–four recommendations for a “moder” workmen's compensation program and designated nineteen of these as “essential”. This research traces state progress in complying with each of these nineteen essential recommendations. Between 1972 and 1977 many states made significant improvements in their workmen's compensation programs and overall there was a 34 percent increase in compliance during this period. Higher levels of compliance were found to be related to two factors: changes in industrial diversification and the involvement and activity of vitally concerned interest groups.
Public Attitudes Toward the Trustworthiness, Competence, and Altruism of Twenty Selected Occupations.

Ratings on 4-point scales of truthfulness, competence, and altruism of 20 selected occupations were obtained from 4 samples of subjects. The subjects included 200 students from the University of Connecticut, 96 students from the University of Maryland, 50 secretaries from a small town in Connecticut, and 50 teachers from the public schools of the same town. In spite of differences in sex, age, occupation, education, and locale, all the samples and subsamples were remarkably similar in their ratings of the 20 occupations. A strong tendency appears for professionals to be rated high and for people who may be regarded as powerful in our society to be rated poorly on all 3 variables. Several interesting differences in ratings on the 3 variables within professions were obtained.
Multidose cardioplegia in a complex arterial switch procedure.

Abstract Integrated cardioplegia techniques have gained wide acceptance by surgeons performing adult cardiac surgery, because patients being referred are likely to have poor ventricular function and energy-depleted hearts. In addition, the increasing complexity of available procedures has led to an increased threat of reperfusion injury and calcium contracture ("stone heart") after prolonged ischemia. In this report, we describe the case of a newborn with transposition of the great arteries that survived almost 6 hours of ischemic time and has normal ventricular function postoperatively. We attribute this outcome to the myocardial protection employed throughout the procedure which allowed successful correction of a technical problem.
Fluctuations near the nematic-smectic- C phase transition

We study the properties of a Ginzburg-Landau-Wilson Hamiltonian in which an order parameter is associated with each wave vector which points from the origin to one of two rings in reciprocal space. The existence of the order parameter breaks the two-dimensional rotational symmetry about the axis of the rings. The Hamiltonian may be interpreted as a simple model of the nematic-smectic-$C$ phase transition of a liquid crystal, if we identify the order parameter with the density of the liquid crystal and the axis with the average direction of the director field. There are no cubic terms present in the Hamiltonian, and the phase transition predicted by mean-field theory is second order. Fluctuations are taken into account by means of a method due to Brasovsky, and the phase transition is found to be of first order.
Integrated projecting optics tester for inspection of immersion ArF scanner

Immersion lithography has been intensively developed to print features, such as isolated lines and isolated spaces, which are smaller than 35 nm, with good depth of focus at a vacuum wavelength of 193 nm. Because the wavelength of the light in a liquid is reduced from the vacuum wavelength, the numerical aperture, i.e. the resolution (lambda/2NA) can be improved by a factor of the index of refraction of the liquid. At the end of 2005, Nikon scanner achieved 47nm L and S pattern. In order to utilize daily this performance of the immersion lithography apparatus with well-defined resolution enhancement technique in factory to its maximum content, optical parameters such as lens aberration, illuminator NA, pupil-fill annular ratio, and polarization status are to be measured and controlled more accurately than ever. To meet that need, an integrated projecting optics tester (iPot) for an in-situ inspection of wavefront aberration with calibration method to achieve high accurate measurement has been developed. The performance meets the required 47nm L&S pattern while the numerical aperture of immersion projection lens is larger than 1. The deviation between the averaged absolute value of the Zernike coefficient was 0.0022 lambda (0.42 nm). The deviation of the averaged absolute value of the coefficient in the scanned field is 0.0010 lambda (0.19 nm). Measured ratio of specific polarization (RSP) values of H and V polarized illuminated sections are 0.974 and 0.973, respectively. Projection lens with the low birefringence designed value is consistent with the measured value of RSP and the wavefront illuminated by linear polarizing light.
Response of hot-element wall shear-stress gages in laminar oscillating flows

An experimental investigation of the time-dependent response of hot element wall shear stress gages in unsteady periodic air flows is reported. The study has focused on wall shear stress in laminar oscillating flows produced on a flat plate by a free stream velocity composed of a mean component and a superposed sinusoidal variation. Two types of hot element gages, platinum film and flush wire, were tested for values of reduced frequency ranging from 0.14 to 2.36. Values of the phase angle of the wall shear stress variation relative to the free stream velocity, as indicated by the hot element gages, are compared with numerical prediction. The comparisons show that the gages indicate a wall shear stress variation that lags the true variation, and that the gages will also not indicate the correct wall shear stress variation in periodic turbulent flows.
Morphological features of the minor salivary glands

The minor salivary glands are important components of the oral cavity, present in most parts of the mouth, and their secretions directly bathe the tissues. Individual glands are usually in the submucosa between muscle fibres, and consist of groups of secretory endpieces made up of mucous acinar cells and serous or seromucous demilune cells. The ductal systems comprise intercalated ducts, intralobular ducts usually lacking basal striations, and excretory ducts opening directly through the mucosa Minor glands secrete highly glycosylated mucins, containing blood group determinants, and probably active in tissue lubrication and bacterial aggregation. They also secrete several antimicrobial proteins and immunoglobulins, and the lingual serous (von Ebner's) glands secrete digestive enzymes and proteins with possible taste perception functions. Minor gland morphology and function can conveniently be studied in the rat. There are substantial differences between major and minor salivary glands, as well as among the minor glands, in the nature and composition of their mucous and serous secretory products. The role of minor salivary glands in the function and defence of the oral cavity may be better understood as a result of new physiological and molecular methods applicable to samples of limited size and availability.
Phytohemagglutinin-induced skin swelling in birds : histological support for a classic immunoecological technique

Summary 1Measurements of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced tissue swelling are arguably the most popular surrogates for immunocompetence in wild birds. It is largely unresolved, however, whether the basic assumption underlying these measures is valid, particularly whether more swelling represents a ‘better’ or ‘stronger’ cell-mediated immune response. 2In this study we took a first step towards such validation by characterizing immune cell infiltration over time into the wing-webs (patagia) of PHA-challenged House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). Relative to saline-injected wing-webs, PHA-injected wing-webs displayed intensive infiltration of many immune cell types, including basophils, eosinophils, heterophils, lymphocytes, macrophages and thrombocytes. The abundance of most of these cell types changed over the course of the swelling response (6–48 h post-injection). Peak infiltration time varied depending on cell type. At several time points, significant correlations between the numbers of some cell types (particularly heterophils) and the degree of swelling were detected. 3Together, these data indicate that PHA-induced swelling is related to heightened immune cell activity in House Sparrows, but also that the PHA swelling response in this species is dynamic and involves both innate and adaptive components of the immune system. We thus caution against interpreting larger swellings as ‘greater cell-mediated immunocompetence’, given the complex nature of this immune response.
Physicochemical studies and purifying of drainage in refractories plants

The main contaminating component of drain waters is the dust suspension of clay, grog, chromite and magnesite. Coagulation followed by standing is recommended as the basic method for purifying drain waters. The cheapest regent for coagulation is CaO, and it is also possible to use Al2 (SO4)·18H2O in combination with CaO.
Teaching Headache Management to Medicine Residents

Background.—To evaluate the effect of teaching headache management to PG-1 medicine residents. Design.—Observational study using prerotation and postrotation ratings by residents of improvement in their knowledge of etiology, diagnosis, appropriate use of narcotics, and treatment of headache. Setting.—Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. Participants.—Twenty-two medicine residents. Measurements and Results.—There was small but significant improvement in the total knowledge score (P=.03) and in areas of etiology of headache (P =.02) and appropriate use of narcotics (P =.001). Conclusion.—We found there were substantial increases in residents’ subjective levels of understanding, history-talking and in the diagnosis and treatment of headache (P<.0001) in contrast to the objective knowledge test.
Sloughed mucus and drag-reduction in a school of Atlantic silversides, Menidia menidia

Atlantic silversides, Menidia menidia, were collected by seine-net from the Newport River estuary, North Carolina, USA and maintained in the laboratory. Direct measurement showed that the amount of mucus sloughed off individual silversides was 567 μg h-1 at a swimming speed of 50 cm s-1. Individual M. menidia were also allowed to swim in a flowtank filled with 0, 1, and 10 ppm of the synthetic drag-reducer Polyox to determine if any changes in tailbeat frequency or amplitude could be correlated with the level of this “sloughed” material. Tailbeat measurements between seawater controls and either Polyox concentration did not differ significantly. Calculations based on this evidence indicate that the amount of solubilized mucus sloughed off a school of 10 000 M. menidia would be at least two orders of magnitude less than the highest concentration of Polyox tested. We conclude that solubilized mucus in the water column does not confer drag-reduction to schooling M. menidia.
Cholinergic and monoaminergic innervation of the cat's thalamus: Comparison of the lateral geniculate nucleus with other principal sensory nuclei

The cholinergic and monoaminergic innervation of the lateral geniculate nucleus (GL) and other thalamic nuclei in the cat was examined by using immunocytochemical and tract-tracing techniques. Cholinergic fibers, identified with an antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), are present in all layers of the GL. They are fine in caliber and exhibit numerous swellings along their lengths. The A layers, the magnocellular C layer, and the medial interlaminar nucleus are rich in cholinergic fibers that give rise to prominent clusters of boutons, while the parvicellular C layers contain fewer fibers that are more uniformly distributed. The interlaminar zones are largely devoid of ChAT-immunoreactive fibers. Double-label experiments show that cholinergic projections to the GL originate from two sources, the pedunculopontine reticular formation (PPT) and the parabigeminal nucleus (Pbg). The PPT contributes cholinergic fibers to all layers, while Pbg projections are limited to the parvicellular C layers. The lateral geniculate nucleus has a much greater density of cholinergic fibers than the other principal sensory nuclei: the density of fibers in the A layers is more than three times greater than that in the ventral posterior nucleus (VP) or the ventral division of the medial geniculate nucleus (GMv). In contrast, serotonin (5-HT)-immunoreactive fibers are distributed with equal density across the principal thalamic nuclei, while tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive fibers (presumed to contain norepinephrine) are noticeably less dense in the GL than in the others. Monoaminergic fibers also differ from cholinergic fibers in their laminar distribution within the GL: both TH- and 5HT-immunoreactive fibers are distributed evenly across the layers and interlaminar zones and are slightly more abundant in the parvicellular C layers than in the other layers. Other thalamic nuclei rich in cholinergic fibers include the pulvinar nucleus, the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, the intermediate nucleus of the lateral group, the lateral medial and suprageniculate nuclei (Graybiel and Berson: Neuroscience 5: 1175–1238, '80), and the paracentral and central-lateral components of the intralaminar nuclei. This pattern matches the distribution of projections from the PPT and is similar, but not identical, to the pattern of acetylcholinesterase staining. The fact that most of the nuclei rich in cholinergic fibers have been implicated in visual sensory or visual motor functions suggests that cholinergic projections from the reticular formation play an especially important role in visually guided behavior.
Evaluation of a Simple Modified Radiographic Alignment System for Routine Use

Radiographic frames used for longitudinal studies may be in part unreadable for measuring crestal bone change. Sites may not be present on the film, or the measurement reliability may be compromised because of dissimilar geometry. Several techniques used to address this problem are expensive, time-consuming, and required great skill. For the present study a commercially-available alignment system was simply modified by addition of a reference pin in the bite block, facilitating the repositioning of the film holder for a second exposure. This study determined the ability of the modified instrument to: 1) improve the geometrical correspondence between serial radiographs; and 2) reduce the frequency of missed sites in the film. Two pairs of x-rays were taken for each of 40 subjects, 1 pair with the standard alignment instrument of an assigned site and 1 pair with the modified instrument of the contralateral site. Measurements of alveolar bone height were performed using the "side by side" technique. The modified instrument yielded significantly smaller measurement differences and a significantly better geometrical correspondence than the conventional system (P < 0.05). Also, the modified instrument yielded significantly greater (P < 0.01) readable sites (86%) as compared to the conventional instrument (62%). The simply-modified instrument facilitates the correct interpretation of serial radiographs.
Feedback and pullback in computer science

Investigates some major instances of feedback and pullback in structured programming, expert systems, neural networks, and fuzzy systems. Provides details of particular cases to illustrate investigations, including construction of a knowledge‐base and the mechanism of pullback, by a fuzzy system.
A practical approach to impede key recovery and piracy in Digital Rights Management System (DRM)

With the invention of high speed internet and content digitization, large scale content sharing has become exceptionally easy. This ease adds fuel to the fire of piracy, which causes a gigantic loss to content providers. Copyright laws only cause deterrence. Hence a technological solution was required to protect the rights of digital content owners. This inevitably gave birth to Digital Rights Management System (DRM). But DRM could not fulfill this obligation and is broken time to time. Two major types of attacks faced by DRM are the key recovery and unencrypted content capturing. In this paper a DRM model has been proposed which will employ elliptic curve integrated encryption system (ECIES) and a secure one-way hash function for generating a dynamic one time content encryption/decryption key. A portion of key is stored in license. With the proposed technique, the knowledge of a portion of key will reveal no information about the key itself. The key will never be reused and will never be stored on end user device. The proposed solution will raise the scale of difficulty for key recovery and piracy. If any effort is made to distribute the contents illegally, the contents will be locked cryptographically for both legal and illegal consumers. The proposed technique also provides protection against attacks, wherein an attacker becomes successful in extracting the content decryption key and publishes it on a public website database. With the help of any well-known technique like remote attestation, the proposed solution also allows checking the integrity of DRM client software which is executed in malicious host environment.
Nanoscale GaAs metal–semiconductor–metal photodetectors fabricated using nanoimprint lithography

GaAs metal–semiconductor–metal photodetectors (MSM PDs) with a variety of nanoscale finger spacings and widths were fabricated using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Compared with MSM-PDs fabricated using electron-beam lithography and photolithography, the MSM-PDs fabricated using NIL do not show observable degradation in the device characteristics if the imprinting pressures are kept at 600 psi or below, although they do degrade at higher pressures.
The theory of diazymes and functional coupling of pyruvate kinase and creatine kinase

The physical-chemical principles governing the interactions of enzymes having common metabolic products are presented. Methods for comparing the dissociation rates of the metabolic product and the rates of enzyme-enzyme interaction are given. Using muscle pyruvate kinase (PK) and creatine kinase (CK) as an example, it is shown that the probability of forming an enzyme-product-enzyme complex is much greater than the rate of ATP dissociation from either enzyme. Experimental evidence using 31 P-NMR demonstrates that in the presence of both pyruvate kinase and creatine kinase, there is exchange of phosphate between phosphocreatine and phosphoenolpyruvate without a change in the intermediate, ATP. This confirms the formation of a PK·ATP·CK complex in an aqueous solution without enzyme attachment to a substructure. Enzymes capable of forming these mobile clusters are defined as diazymes, and the criteria for their formation are given. The metabolic implications of diazymes are discussed.
Student connections among counting problems: an exploration using actor-oriented transfer

The purpose of this article is to explore student-generated connections among counting problems. The literature indicates that such problems pose difficulties for students, who struggle to detect common structures and identify models of underlying problem types. A case study is presented here, in which students elaborate upon connections they make during the problem solving process. The selected case study highlights student work on three particular combinatorics problems, one of which highlights tendencies toward over-counting. The conception of Lobato (Educational Researcher 3(1):17–20, 2003) of actor-oriented transfer, in which students’ (as opposed to experts’) notions of similarity are emphasized, is used as a means by which to analyze the resulting qualitative data. Results include (1) a domain-specific categorization of fundamental types of actor-oriented transfer in combinatorics and (2) implications that there is much to be gained when students attend to features of problems that experts might not emphasize.
Microwave-Assisted Noncatalytic Destruction of Volatile Organic Compounds Using Ceramic-Based Microwave Absorbing Media

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from various sources such as chemical process industry, manufacturing industry, and automobiles have been an environmental and health concern. With the eme...
Investigation into wear of Ti–6Al–4V under reciprocating sliding conditions

Abstract Wear behaviour of titanium alloy, Ti–6Al–4V under fretting-reciprocating condition was characterized under different loading conditions, contact surface conditions and contact configurations. Six series of tests were analyzed to investigate the effects of relative slip, contact load, number of cycles, bulk cyclic stress, contact geometry, and a lubricant. Dry and lubricated surface conditions produced “W” (scar with multiple valleys) and “U” (scar with single valley) shaped scars on both specimen and pad, respectively. WV (wear volume) was linearly related to the cumulative product of contact load and relative slip and to the total dissipated energy under different loading and sliding conditions for the cylinder-on-flat as well as flat-on-flat contacts for dry and lubricated conditions. The microscopy of wear scars showed that the wear was caused by both the adhesion and abrasion processes.
Bilharzial pseudotumors—Dramatic manifestation of schistosomiasis: Report of a case

Abstract A case is presented of an elderly man with a striking and unusual form of colonic schistosomiasis consisting of extensive large nodules on the serosal surface of the distal large bowel. The nodules were composed almost entirely of Schistosoma mansoni ova surrounded by thick bands of fibrous tissue. Although the English language literature describes various manifestations of intestinal and abdominal schistosomiasis, nowhere is there an adequate description of this unusual presentation, which might be confused with subserosal metastic malignancy or diverticulosis during surgical examination.
Visualizing quantum well state perturbations of metallic thin films near stacking fault defects

We demonstrate that quantum well states (QWS) of thin Pb films are highly perturbed within the proximity of intrinsic film defects. Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy (STM/STS) measurements indicate that the energy of these states have a strong distance dependence within 4 nm of the defect with the strongest energetic fluctuations equaling up to 100 meV. These localized perturbations show large spatially-dependent asymmetries in the LDOS around the defect site for each corresponding quantum well state. These energetic fluctuations can be described by a simple model which accounts for fluctuations in the confinement potential induced by topographic changes.