cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arteriography in penetrating renal trauma

Abstract Selective renal arteriography is the most important study in the radiologic assessment of patients with penetrating renal trauma. Case reports selected from our experience are presented to illustrate the value of the procedure. Intravenous urography alone does not provide accurate information about the traumatized kidney. Arteriography allows the surgeon to develop a rational plan for possible renal preservation.
Partition of parinaroylphosphatidylethanolamines and parinaroylphosphatidylglycerols in immiscible phospholipid mixtures.

Partitioning of two parinaroyl phosphatidylethanolamines and two parinaroyl phosphatidylglycerols between solid and fluid phase phospholipids was examined. Fluorescence quantum yields and fluorescence polarization measurements were used to calculate Ks/fp, the solid to fluid partition coefficient of each probe (Sklar, L.A., Miljanich, G.P. and Dratz, E.A. (1979) Biochemistry 18, 1707-1716). In the immiscible mixture dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and dilinoleylphosphatidylcholine, both 1-palmitoyl-2-trans-parinaroylphosphatidylethanolamine and 1-palmitoyl-2-transparinaroylphosphatidylglycerol partitioned preferentially into solid phase lipid with mean Ks/fp values (calculated from quantum yields) of 3.4 +/- 1.5 and 2.1 +/- 0.7, respectively. In contrast, 1-oleoyl-2-cis-parinaroylphosphatidylethanolamine and 1-oleoyl-2-cis-parinaroylphosphatidylglycerol partitioned preferentially into fluid phase lipid in the same model system with mean Ks/fp values (calculated from quantum yields) of 0.44 +/- 0.26 and 0.16 +/- 0.07, respectively. Fluorescence polarization data on the same four parinaroyl phospholipids in mixtures of solid-phase dimyristoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine and fluid-phase dilinoleoylphosphatidylglycerol were similar to those obtained in the immiscible phosphatidylcholine system, demonstrating that the partitioning of these probes is not strongly dependent on head group. Knowledge of the partition properties of these fluorescent probes is relevant to use of these probes in investigation of the phase behavior of Escherichia coli inner membrane lipids, since phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol species account for approximately 95% of these lipids.
Development of experimental techniques and simulation methods to analyze mixing in co‐rotating twin screw extrusion

Currently, the selection of elements and operating conditions in the mixing of various materials in a corotating twin screw extruder is an art which requires previous experimental studies. In this report, we outline various experimental and theoretical tools developed to investigate the mixing process in a fully intermeshing corotating twin screw extruder. The thermomechanical history of mixing is simulated employing the finite element method. To verify the numerical findings, experimental techniques were developed to investigate the goodness of mixing of samples collected from a 50.8 mm, “clam shell” design, Baker-Perkins twin screw extruder.
Elliptografting : The right fit

Background. A number of new recipient grafting techniques have evolved employing micrografting, minigrafting, and follicular unit technologies as larger hair transplantation sessions incorporating smaller grafts have evolved. Objective. To introduce a new recipient graft device—the elliptograft—and compare it to standard circular minigrafts and laser-generated slot grafts. Methods. A blinded study was performed of 30 patients (mean age 44 years) with grades II–V male pattern Norwood or medium Ludwig female pattern androgenetic alopecia. Ten patients were transplanted with the second-generation elliptograft punch, 10 were treated with 2 mm circular minigrafts, and 10 were transplanted with the recipient sites created by the hybrid Er:YAG/CO2 laser in a slot configuration. The front three rows in each patient were transplanted utilizing No-Kor needle-generated micrografts in all three patient study subgroups. Results. Comparable hair growth density was achieved utilizing conventional circular minigraft, freehand laser slit, and elliptograft technologies. Healing time was slightly prolonged in the laser transplant subgroup; however, the time for initial hair growth was comparable in all three patient populations. Aesthetic improvement was judged superior in the elliptograft population by blinded physician observers, which correlated with good patient satisfaction. Conclusion. Combined micro-mini elliptografting utilizing the newly described elliptograft punch produces excellent hair density correlated with high patient satisfaction.
Profitability of CCS with flue gas bypass and solvent storage

Abstract We performed a study to determine whether flue gas bypass and solvent storage can increase the profitability of a power plant equipped with post-combustion carbon capture technology. By increasing flexibility, these technologies allow increased output when electric energy prices are high. We used the Integrated Environmental Control Model to characterize cost and operational parameters of a pulverized coal (PC) plant with both amine and ammonia carbon-capture systems, as well as a natural gas combined cycle plant with amine capture. We constructed profit-maximization operating models with both perfect and imperfect information about electric energy prices in a large electricity market in the Eastern United States. We optimized the size of the regenerator and solvent storage vessels to maximize profitability. Results indicate that the profitability benefits of flexible CCS range from 0 to 35%. Most of the potential benefit is capital savings from allowing the regenerator to be undersized. The benefits of flexible CCS were found to decline with increasing CO 2 prices, with steady-state units preferable above a CO 2 emissions price of $40/tonne. Flexible CCS was never optimal when the overall plant was profitable. While flexible CCS can boost profitability under policies that force plants with CCS to be built even where they are not profitable, it is less relevant under market-based policies that incentivize CCS through CO 2 prices.
Miocene Volcanics of Western Santa Monica Mountains, California: ABSTRACT

In the western Santa Monica Mountains the Miocene volcanics consist of olivine basalt, basalt, andesite and dacite flows, breccias, pyroclastic rocks, volcanic-derived epiclastic rocks, and associated intrusive bodies of related compositions. Pillow breccias are abundant in some areas, almost everywhere near the base of the volcanic sequence. True pillow lavas are scarce. Chemical analysis of these rocks show them to be low in FeO, Fe2O3, and MgO, and very low in K2O. Silica content ranges from 45.31 to 66.12 percent. The more basic rocks generally are present in the lower half of the volcanic sequence and the less basic are present in the upper third of the sequence. However, there is no consistent variation trend and the tendencies are of limited usefulness for purposes of stratigraphic correlation. Some tentative statement about a rock's probable stratigraphic position can be made if it contains olivine or is largely a pillow breccia (low in sequence), or if it contains primary quartz with or without oxyhornblende (high in sequence). A comparison of the volcanic rocks near the eastern end of their continuous outcrop area with those near the western end shows the latter to be of similar petrographic types but much more extensively altered. Toward the western end, fresh ferromagnesian rock types are scarce, the minerals having been replaced in part or completely by bowlingite, iddingsite, etc. The plagioclase is commonly affected and partly replaced by kaolinite or carbonate and commonly partly albitized. The glass has devitrified or has been replaced. The dominant structure of the volcanics in the mountains is that of a north-dipping homocline broken by steep east-west or east-northeast to west-northwest faults. Broad east-west folding also is recognized at several places. End_of_Article - Last_Page 460------------
Organization of the cerebellar tongue representation in the monkey

The cerebellar nuclei of rhesus monkeys were stimulated electrically and evoked responses of the tongue recorded with force-displacement transducers and electromyographically. Stimulation of the dentate (DN) and fastigial (FN) nuclei produced different effects on the tongue musculature, the former evoking movements characterized by changes in both the lateral and anteroposterior (AP) dimensions of the tongue and the latter movements associated with a preferential change in the AP dimension. While all three deep nuclei influenced the genioglossus muscle, the influences varied across nuclei in the following manner: FN produced the largest amplitude genioglossus mediated AP excursions and DN the smallest, with the nucleus interpositus (NI) occupying an intermediate position; and, FN and medial NI stimulation evoked changes in genioglossus respiratory activity whereas DN stimulation did not. These data indicate that the cerebellar tongue representation is organized into different functional zones and that within an anatomically broad representation of a single target muscle, nuclear functional specificity exists.
The assay of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide by immunodiffusion.

Abstract A simple gel diffusion technique was compared with the quantitative precipitin test for evaluating concentrations of pneumococcal polysaccharide. The analysis showed that results with unknown samples compared closely by the two methods.
Bioconvective patterns, synchrony, and survival.

With and without bioconvective pattern formation, a theoretical model predicts growth in light-limited cultures of motile algae. At the critical density for pattern formation, the resulting doubly exponential population curves show an inflection. Such growth corresponds quantitatively to experiments in mechanically unstirred cultures. This attaches survival value to synchronized pattern formation.
Cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation of taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene to taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5a-o1: the first oxygenation step in taxol biosynthesis

Abstract Background: The structural complexity of taxol dictates continued reliance on biological production methods, which may be improved by a detailed understanding of taxol biosynthesis, especially the rate-limiting steps. The biosynthesis of taxol involves the cyclization of the common isoprenoid intermediate geranylgeranyl diphosphate to taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene followed by extensive, largely oxidative, modification of this diterpene olefin. We set out to define the first oxygenation step in taxol biosynthesis. Results: Microsomal enzymes from Taxus stem and cultured cells were used to define the first hydroxylation of taxadiene. We confirmed the structure of the reaction product (taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5α-ol) by synthesizing this compound. The responsible biological catalyst was characterized as a cytochrome P450 (heme thiolate protein). In vivo studies confirmed that taxadienol is a biosynthetic intermediate and indicated that the hydroxylation step that produces this product is slow relative to subsequent metabolic transformations. Conclusions: The structure of the first oxygenated intermediate on the taxol pathway establishes that the hydroxylation reaction proceeds with an unusual double bond migration that limits the mechanistic possibilities for subsequent elaboration of the oxetane moiety of taxol. The reaction is catalyzed by a cytochrome P450, suggesting that the seven remaining oxygenation steps in taxol biosynthesis may involve similar catalysts. Because the first oxygenation step is slow relative to subsequent metabolic transformations, it may be possible to speed taxol biosynthesis by isolating and manipulating the gene for the taxadiene-5-hydroxylase that catalyzes this reaction.
Fluorometric detection and determination of organic compounds. II. Identification of aldehyde derivatives by chromatography

Summary The lower limit of carbonyl azine detection on paper has been determined and found to be in the range of 2–20 ng. A simple technique of identification of these compounds by rapid derealization followed by ascending chromatography on Vaseline-treated paper with methanol-water (8:1) as a developing solvent has been performed. Amounts of carbonyls in the 0.1–50 mg./ml. range are readily identified.
Bilateral Exudative Pleural Effusions Following Intravenous Ethchlorvynol Administration

A 26-year-old man had bilateral alveolar infiltrates and exudative pleural effusions following self-administration of intravenous ethchlorvynol (ECV). The effusions and pulmonary edema resolved by 72 h with supportive therapy only. As no other etiology was established, we concluded that the pathogenesis of the pleural fluid was the transvisceral pleural leak of the increased extravascular lung water induced by ECV. Current experimental and clinical evidence support the concept that pleural effusions probably develop in most states of permeability pulmonary edema. (Chest 1989; 95:464-65)
Role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in vitro on bovine oocyte maturation

This experiment attempted to determine the effect of cAMP on maturation of bovine oocytes in chemically-defined, serum-free medium. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were incubated in modified DME/Ham F-12 medium containing dbcAMP at 0 (control), 10−6, 10−4 and 10−2 M. After 18 and 24 hours of culture, the percentage of oocyte maturation between 0 (control) and 10−2 M dbcAMP-treated groups were significant. Some oocytes were cultured with dbcAMP (10−2 M) for 6, 12 and 24 hours followed by incubation in control medium to test the reversibility of inhibition or of any harmful effect of dbcAMP. The inhibitory effect of 10−2 M dbcAMP on bovine oocyte maturation was reversed by transferring cumulus-oocyte complexes to the control medium. In addition, forskolin (0.12 and 0.24 mM) was effective (P < 0.01) in preventing the resumption of meiosis. The cAMP content of oocytes cultured with forskolin was not increased, although cumulus cells responded to forskolin with an increase in cAMP content. These results indicate that elevated levels of cAMP in the culture medium are important in regulating resumption of meiosis of bovine oocytes in vitro.
Scanning electron microscopic observations of adult Baylisascaris procyonis (nematoda)

The scanning electron microscope was used to illustrate the microtopographic features of the caudal end of adult male Baylisascaris procyonis. The male tail was relatively long, smoothly attenuated and often had a small button-like or mucronate termination. The preanal papillae were situated ventrally in two slightly divergent and somewhat irregularly spaced rows. Anterior and posterior to the anus were two slightly raised roughened patches consisting of several rows of small spines. Just anterior to the anus along the outer margin of the preanal roughened patch was a large double medioventral papilla. There were five pairs of postanal papillae with the first pair just posterior to the anus being double while the remaining four pairs were more closely associated in a group near the tail end. The second pair were also double papillae; however, in a few specimens they were not fused and appeared as two single closely associated papillae. The last three pairs of papillae were single. The fourth pair of caudal papillae were the phasmids and in the center of each was a ringed pore-like opening. The spicules of the male had a highly sculptured surface with a pincher-like terminal end.
Clinical evidence that V456A is a Cystic Fibrosis causing mutation in South Asians.

Abstract Background Cystic Fibrosis (CF) genotypes in South Asians are variable with a decreased incidence of Delta F508 and an increased incidence of novel mutations. The objective of this study is to provide clinical evidence that V456A, a novel mutation in South Asian Cystic Fibrosis patients, can cause significant lung disease. Methods We extracted clinical data from a retrospective chart review of 2 CF patients of South Asian descent. Results Patient 1, a 10year and 11month old Pakistani female at her initial clinic visit, required multiple hospitalizations for bronchiectasis and pulmonary infections. She was pancreatic sufficient but had slow weight gain. Genetic testing revealed that she is homozygous for the CFTR V456A mutation. Patient 2, an Indian female diagnosed with CF on newborn screening, is compound heterozygous for V456A/R709X. She had slow weight gain with BMI ranging from 12.9 to 13.4kg/m 2 from 3 to 5years of age and was 14.2kg/m 2 at 6years of age. At 6years of age, pulmonary function tests revealed mild lung disease with FVC of 71%, FEV 1 of 75%, FEF 25–75 of 119%, and FEV 1 /FVC of 86% predicted. Sputum cultures were intermittently positive for Staphylococcus aureus and Haemophilus influenza . Conclusions We provide evidence that V456A can cause significant pulmonary disease in South Asian Cystic Fibrosis patients.
Raman studies of electron–phonon coupling in single walled carbon nanotubes

We present the results of Raman studies of the chirality dependence of electron-phonon coupling in carbon nanotubes. We demonstrate that a new parameter resulting from a tight binding derivation of the electron-phonon coupling is useful for analysing experimentally-determined radial breathing mode (RBM) intensities. We also provide a direct comparison of RBM intensities for 6 chiralities obtained with excitation of both the E 11 and E 22 transitions. Analysis of the observed intensity trends in terms of this new parameter demonstrates that the trend to weaker intensities as one excites at resonance with higher lying transitions results from differences in excited-state decay rates. Finally, we quantitate the magnitude of the matrix elements through modelling of RBM fundamental and overtone Raman excitation profiles using a time-dependent Raman formalism. Results for 5 chiralities show coupling in general to be weak.
Polarized gas targets for electron scattering experiments

Abstract Polarized gas targets represent a unique opportunity for the measurement of spin observables in electro-nuclear physics. The status in polarized target technique is briefly reviewed, which entails a discussion of atomic beam sources for 1H and 2H, and spin- and metastability-exchange sources for 3He. Attention is paid as much as possible to new developments. As a specific example, we discuss how the asymmetries for the reaction 3 He ( e ,e′p) may provide precise information on the small mixed-symmetry S′ and the D-wave parts of the 3He ground-state wave function.
Nippostrongylus brasiliensis: factors influencing movement of males toward a female pheromone.

Abstract Single, responding males of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis exhibited a dose-dependent movement toward a pheromone source that was derived from incubation or homogenization of female helminths in Tyrode's solution. Increases in female homogenate beyond an optimum concentration resulted in reduced male movement toward the pheromone source. Crowding of male N. brasiliensis prior to their exposure to female pheromone gradients diminished the males' response. However, crowding of females had no effect on response to the pheromone. The locomotory responses of males exposed to various mixed male and female pheromone sources reaffirmed earlier suggestions of a pheromone feedback system in which males influence the pheromone released from females.
The Off-Axis Galaxy Cluster Merger A115

We have used a 50.4 ks Chandra observation to examine the galaxy cluster A115 (z = 0.1971). The X-ray surface brightness distribution shows a merger of two subclusters with substantial off-axis motion. The northern subcluster moves toward the southwest and exhibits a strong X-ray surface brightness gradient toward this direction as well as a "fan" of X-ray-bright intracluster medium (ICM) toward the northeast. The southern subcluster shows a pronounced northeast-southwest elongation, probably as a consequence of the ongoing merger. The temperature of the ICM is highly nonuniform across the cluster. Although the merger is well underway and has had a substantial influence on the morphology of the two subclusters, it has apparently not disturbed the cool subcluster cores; the cores show projected temperatures of ~3 keV and are substantially cooler than the surrounding plasma of temperature ~5 keV. The ICM in between the subclusters has a significantly elevated temperature of ~8 keV. However, owing to the low surface brightness, we do not find direct evidence for shocks in this region. The X-ray surface brightness distribution of the northern subcluster is highly nonuniform. The data show a bright central core region of about 10'' (30 kpc) diameter. A highly significant surface brightness discontinuity separates the core from the ambient ICM. We discuss several possibilities to explain the compact core and its relation to the central radio galaxy 3C 28.0 and the subcluster's cooling flow. Farther outward, at about 246 (80 kpc) southwest of the subcluster core, the surface brightness distribution shows a jump associated with a contact discontinuity. The Chandra imaging spectroscopy data do not show evidence for a shock associated with the surface brightness jump. We conclude that it is associated with denser plasma moving subsonically through the ambient plasma.
Relationships between low serum cobalamin concentrations and methlymalonic acidemia in cats.

Background: Serum cobalamin concentrations below reference range are a common consequence of gastrointestinal disease in cats. Serum cobalamin ≤ 100 ng/L is associated with methylmalonic acidemia. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of cobalamin deficiency, defined by elevated serum methylmalonic acid (MMA), in cats with serum cobalamin ≤ 290 ng/L, and the optimum serum cobalamin concentration to predict cobalamin deficiency in cats. Sample Set: Residual serum samples (n = 206) from cats with serum cobalamin ≤ 290 ng/L. Methods: Retrospective, observational study. Serum cobalamin and folate were measured with automated assays. Serum MMA was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Cobalamin deficiency was defined as serum MMA > 867 nmol/L. Sensitivity and specificity of serum cobalamin concentrations ≤290 ng/L for detecting MMA > 867 nmol/L were analyzed using a receiver-operator characteristic curve. Results: There was a negative correlation between serum cobalamin and MMA concentrations (Spearman's r=−0.74, P 867 nmol/L. No significant difference in serum folate concentrations was detected between affected and unaffected cats. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Elevated MMA concentrations, suggesting cobalamin deficiency, are common in cats with serum cobalamin ≤ 290 ng/L. Cobalamin deficiency is clinically significant, and supplementation with parenteral cobalamin is recommended for cats with gastrointestinal disease and low serum cobalamin concentrations.
Healthy workplace practices and employee outcomes.

The current study explored the relationship between employee satisfaction with different workplace practices (i.e., employee involvement, growth and development, work-life balance, recognition, health, and safety) and employee outcomes (i.e., organizational commitment, emotional exhaustion, mental well-being, and turnover intentions). A total of 152 university faculty and staff completed a web-survey. Overall, regression results indicated that satisfaction with healthy workplace practices was predictive of employee outcomes. In addition, satisfaction with employee involvement practices played a central role in predicting employee outcomes, whereas satisfaction with the other healthy workplace practices was somewhat less influential. Overall, our results suggest that organizations may increase some of the benefits of different healthy workplace programs for employees if they rely on employee involvement in program development.
Use of ERE and reporter gene constructs to assess putative estrogenic activity.

Estrogens primarily function through the activation of their receptors, which subsequently function as nuclear transcription factors. There are two estrogen receptor (ER) genes, now designated ERa (the classic ER gene) and ER/3. The key consequence of the activation of either gene product is the regulation of gene transcription. The extent and nature of transcription appear to be regulated by a series of coregulator proteins. One of the most sensitive assays for detection of potential estrogenic activity is measurement of the ability of a test compound to influence the transcription of reporter genes. In this regard, many investigators use promoter-reporter constructs. To assess putative estrogenic activity, an estrogen-responsive promoter is generally placed upstream of a reporter gene and transiently transfected into a target cell. When exposed to an estrogenic compound, expression of the reporter gene would normally be induced. We briefly discuss several issues pertinent to the use of these assays and ...
Trophic Effects of Menhaden Fish Oil in Female Rats

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated growth inhibition of adipose tissue in male rats fed high-fat diets supplemented with fish oil. Whether or not similar effects are observed in females is unknown. Our lab is currently investigating the hypothesis that adiposity in female rats may be limited by feeding high-fat diets containing menhaden fish oil. Methods: 52 female Sprague-Dawley rats (175–200g) were fed one of two high-fat diets (20% by weight), containing either corn oil (CO) or menhaden fish oil (MFO) as the primary source of dietary fat. Animals were sacrificed at 0, 6, 12, 20, and 32 weeks to determine dietary-associated changes in adiposity over time. Body weights and fat depot weights (inguinal, parametrial, mesenteric, and retroperitoneal) were recorded across all time points. Results: Overall, there was a significant treatment effect of diet upon both body weight and weight gain (2-way ANOVA, P
Review of methods used in lunar organic analysis: Extraction and hydrolysis techniques

Extraction, hydrolysis and crushing procedures have proven useful in analyzing for some of the carbon-containing compounds which are present in Apollo 11 and 12 lunar samples. Three main extraction methods employed with aqueous and nonaqueous solvents were refluxing in open and closed systems, Soxhlet extraction, and sonication. With water and acids, refluxing was the method of choice. Of the various nonaqueous solvent systems used, benzene: methanol mixtures were most often selected, and sonication was favored over Soxhlet extraction. Extraction of lunar samples with water followed by acid hydrolysis of the water extract was found to be superior to direct acid hydrolysis of lunar material in the search for amino acids or their precursors. Direct acid hydrolysis of lunar materials did demonstrate however, that carbides or carbide-like compounds are present on the moon. Hydrolysis with deuterated acids and bases showed that lunar samples contain indigenous methane and ethane and confirmed the presence of carbide-like materials. Crushing experiments also showed that gaseous hydrocarbons can be released from lunar samples.
Comparison of Phosphorus Sorption by Light-Weight Aggregates Produced in the United States

Abstract In this study, phosphorus (P) sorption of thirteen light-weight aggregates (LWAs) from USA was compared during batch equilibrium experiments in order to identify those materials which had the highest P sorption capacity for further study. Seven different levels of sorption activity were observed, which were broadly grouped into three categories—high performing, middle performing, and low performing aggregates. Chemical analysis of Ca, Al, Fe, and Mg was used to describe the differences between LWAs. There was a significant correlation between cation (especially Al, Ca, Fe, and Mg) content and P sorbed. Langmuir isotherms were used to describe P sorption maximum and binding affinity for four of the top five performing LWAs, Universal, Stalite “D”, Stalite “Mix”, and TXI. The fifth aggregate, Lehigh, exhibited more complex sorption, and was better described by the Freundlich isotherm. Universal had a mean P sorption at the highest concentration of 824 mg kg −1 , well above its calculated sorption maximum (702 mg kg −1 ), and also had the highest binding affinity (1.1 L mg −1 ). This experiment suggests that the top performing LWA (Universal) may perform poorly in column and field studies due to observed precipitates, which could degrade constructed wetland performance. Other LWAs may exhibit superior field performance due to their high calculated sorption maxima. In general, these results highlight the importance of batch experiments as a first step in identifying materials suitable for column and field experiments.
Surface effect of rain on microwave backscatter from the ocean: Measurements and modeling

[1] The effect of rain on the ocean surface alters the relationship between the surface wind vector and microwave backscatter, presenting an obstacle to wind retrieval via scatterometry. To address the effect of rain on surface backscatter, we develop a physically based ocean surface wave model modified by rain. Microwave backscatter is then calculated using a multiscale scattering model. Comparisons to observations at Ku band are used to validate and tune our surface model. Simulations give insight into backscattering surface features: ring waves result primarily from the collapse of the splash-created stalk, and the impulse responsible for the generation of ring waves has a radius roughly 5 times the drop's radius. Comparisons also show that backscatter from stationary splash features is necessary to accurately reproduce the effect of rain at Ku band. For Ku band our simulations expand upon prior measurements showing that rain increases backscatter and diminishes azimuthal variations. There is, however, a wind relative azimuthal signature in the backscatter for most rainfall rates. Simulations at Ka band, C band, and L band without the contribution from stationary splash features show that rain-created ring waves often alter backscatter. The effects are greatest at Ka band where they mirror changes to the very high-frequency region of the surface wave spectrum. C band backscatter is increased at moderate and high incidence angles and is sensitive to rain-induced damping. The effect of rain on L band is to decrease backscatter at high rain rate, and it is also dependent on rain-induced damping.
Redox Control of Platelet Function

There has recently been a dramatic expansion in research in the area of redox biology with systems that utilize thiols to perform redox chemistry being central to redox control. Thiol-based reactions occur in proteins involved in platelet function, including extracellular platelet proteins. The alphaIIbbeta3 fibrinogen receptor contains free thiols that are required for the activation of this receptor to a fibrinogen-binding conformation. This process is under enzymatic control, with protein disulfide isomerase playing a central role in the activation of alphaIIbbeta3. Other integrins, such as the alpha2beta1 collagen receptor on platelets, are also regulated by protein disulfide isomerase and thiol metabolism. Low molecular weight thiols that are found in blood regulate these processes by converting redox sensitive disulfide bonds to thiols and by providing the appropriate redox potential for these reactions. Additional mechanisms of redox control of platelets involve nitric oxide that inhibits platelet responses, and reactive oxygen species that potentiate platelet thrombus formation. Specific nitrosative or oxidative modifications of thiol groups in platelets may modulate platelet function. Since many biologic processes are regulated by redox reactions that involve surface thiols, the extracellular redox state can have an important influence on health and disease status and may be a target for therapeutic intervention.
Pediatric Urologic Oncology: Organ-Sparing Surgery in Kidney and Testis

Technological advances in imaging as well as increased knowledge of tumor-specific biology have promoted the role of organ-sparing approaches to pediatric renal and testicular tumors. Application of these techniques continues to evolve as data on long-term follow-up become available and as protocol-guided investigation provides answers to therapeutic outcomes of these approaches. Optimally, organ-sparing surgery will continue to provide increased potential for preservation of both renal function and fertility.
Integrating parental attitudes in research on children's active school commuting

Current active research on school travel emphasizes travel distance and neighborhood walkability as major environmental conditions affecting the occurrences of children walking or biking to school. The impacts of parental travel attitudes on children's school travel behavior remain understudied. This paper outlines a conceptual framework that incorporates the relationships of attitudes, environment conditions, and children's walking or biking to school. The framework recognizes the predictive power that attitudinal factors have for children's walking or biking to school; the framework also highlights the moderating effects of parental travel attitudes on the predictive power of some environment conditions. By using data (1,197 cases) from a school travel survey conducted in a midsized school district in Oregon, this paper reports that parental attitudes toward walking or biking to school and car use are significant explanatory variables in models predicting occurrence of children walking or biking to school when the models control for important environmental variables. The analysis also reveals that important built environment variables--travel distance to school and neighborhood walkability--exhibit varying levels of impacts on the probability of children walking or biking to school when parents demonstrate different attitudes toward active school commuting and car use. The paper discusses implications of the research findings for the challenges facing Safe Routes to School Programs and explores approaches that can make these programs more effective. Language: en
Modeling of shielded, suspended and inverted, microstrip lines

Electromagnetic simulation and modeling of suspended-substrate microstrip lines have an important role in designing microwave and millimeter- wave integrated circuits. Suspended- substrate microstrip lines are sometimes manufactured and placed in a shield to reduce performance degradation from external influences. In this paper, we will illustrate modeling of shielded, suspended-substrate, microstrip lines using the finite element method(FEM). We specifically determine the capacitance per unit length, inductance per unit length, and characteristic impedance of shielded, suspended, microstrip lines. We compared our results with those obtained by other methods and found them to be in agreement. We extended the modeling by designing our own model of shielded, inverted, microstrip lines and compared it with shielded, suspended, microstrip lines. We found them to be very close.
Secret key generation exploiting channel characteristics in wireless communications

Due to the broadcast nature of wireless channels, wireless communication is vulnerable to eavesdropping, message modification, and node impersonation. Securing the wireless communication requires the shared secret keys between the communicating entities. Traditional security schemes rely on public key infrastructures and cryptographic algorithms to manage secret keys. Recently, many physical-layer-based methods have been proposed as alternative solutions for key generation in wireless networks. These methods exploit the inherent randomness of the wireless fading channel to generate secret keys while providing information-theoretical security without intensive cryptographic computations. This article provides an overview of the existing PHY-based key generation schemes exploiting the randomness of the wireless channels. Specifically, we first introduce the fundamental and general framework of the PHY-based key generation schemes and then categorize them into two classes: received-signal-strength-based and channel- phase-based protocols. Finally, we present a performance comparison of them in terms of key disagreement probability, key generation rate, key bit randomness, scalability, and implementation issues.
Public Agencies and Private Firms: Incentive Structures, Goals, and Individual Roles

There is an increasing interest in applying organization theory to public organizations as such, and a need for clarifying the distinction between public and private organizations. This quantitative case study compares questionnaire responses by middle managers in nonprofit public agencies and private profit-making corporations, to test hypotheses concerning differences in incentive structures, organizational goal clarity, and individual role characteristics. The public managers perceive a weaker relationship between performance and extrinsic rewards (weaker "expectancies'") and regard formal personnel procedures (e.g., civil service systems) as constraints on the administration of such rewards. They show higher scores on formalization scales, and are lower on certain dimensions of work satisfaction. There are no differences on scales of organizational goal clarity, role conflict, role ambiguity, and motivational variables.
Transforming Transfer: Unruly Children, Contrary Texts, and the Persistence of the Pedagogical Order

It is odd, very odd, to be writing about "transfer," given that my imagination has been preoccupied of late by young schoolchildren like 6-year-old Denise, the author of the preceding text. Denise liked to play KMEL (the local hip hop radio station) and, along with her friend Vanessa, often displayed her sense of the rhythmic rhyming style of the current youth scene. She sometimes transferred this material from her unofficial school activities to her official ones, including her daily writing workshop entries. The text shown is an entry about an upcoming family move, and those familiar lines about family and sisters were quite deliberately taken from Whoopi Goldberg in the film Sister Act II (Steel, Rudin, & Duke, 1994).
A Note on the Construction of a Sample Variance

Mukhopadhyay and Chattopadhyay (2013) proposed a new approach to construct unbiased estimators of by U-statistics starting with a class of non-symmetric initial kernels of degree m(> 2): But, surprisingly all symmetrized final estimators in the form of U-statistics reduced to when the parent distribution function (d.f.) F remained unknown. Now, we exhibit another class of non-symmetric initial kernels to come up with U-statistics of degree m(> 2) and unbiased for : Interestingly, the associated symmetrized final U-statistics again coincide with (Theorem 2.1), settling the open question from Remark 3.1 of Mukhopadhyay and Chattopadhyay (2013). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljastats.v15i1.6795
The Political History of PKU: Reflections on 50 Years of Newborn Screening

* Abbreviations: NBS — : newborn screening PKU — : phenylketonuria Just over 50 years ago, Dr Robert Guthrie developed a simple screening test for phenylketonuria (PKU) that became the prototype for universal newborn screening programs. Historians Jeffrey Brosco and Diane Paul explore why PKU screening marked a historical turning point in public health. It is a story that has left a far more complex legacy than most pediatricians recognize.—Jeffrey P. BakerSection Editor, Historical Perspectives Phenylketonuria, or PKU as it is more familiarly known, is a rare disorder, affecting only ∼1 in 15 000 people. In the United States, for example, ∼275 infants will be born with the disease each year.1 Thus in a lifetime of practice most pediatricians will not encounter a single case. Yet probably every pediatrician in the industrialized world has learned about PKU during medical school, many parents vividly remember the heel-stick test for their newborn, and scientists interested in genetics and metabolism say that they hope to “find another PKU.” Why has such a rare condition garnered so much attention? PKU is famous in part because it is widely seen as a victory for scientific medicine. If the condition is detected in the newborn period and a specialized diet is instituted, the profound cognitive impairment usually caused by PKU is averted. For the diet to be effective, however, the otherwise normal-appearing infant with PKU must be identified, among thousands of other nonaffected infants, in the first weeks of life. In the early 1960s, parents of children with intellectual disability began to advocate for state laws to test all newborns in the United States, and the first state laws for universal newborn screening (NBS) were implemented 50 years ago. By 1965, 32 American states had enacted screening laws, all but 5 making the test compulsory. By the mid-1970s, NBS for PKU had become routine in … Address correspondence to Jeffrey P. Brosco, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, PO Box 016820, Miami, FL 33101. E-mail: jbrosco{at}miami.edu
The Placebo as Performance: Speaking Across Domains of Healing:

In this article I explore the placebo and the placebo effect from a performance-studies perspective. I use this examination to argue for the placebo as a possible dialogic starting point between performance studies and qualitative health scholars. Using Lock and Scheper-Hughes’ concept of three bodies (the individual body, the social body, and the body politic), I explain how the placebo as performance opens dialogue by speaking across these three bodies. I argue that the placebo as performance offers a yet-unexplored and heuristic way to bridge the unfortunate divide that often exists between qualitative and quantitative ways of understanding healing. By exploring these connections and offering a history of blind testing in the medical community, I explain how the placebo requires multiple lenses to be understood in the healing process, and by extension opens up traffic between different ways of knowing.
Mitochondrial abnormalities in muscle and other aging cells: classification, causes, and effects.

The involvement of mitochondria and of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the aging process has generated much interest and even more controversy. The mitochondrial theory of aging considers a vicious circle consisting of: (1) accumulation of somatic mtDNA mutations; (2) impairment of respiratory chain function; (3) increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria; and (4) further damage to mtDNA. We review the evidence for and against the belief that these steps occur in aging muscle and brain, considering separately morphological, biochemical, and molecular data. The relationship between mitochondrial aging and late-onset neurodegenerative diseases is briefly reviewed. We conclude that mitochondrial dysfunction does play a crucial role in the aging process of both muscle and brain, but it remains unclear whether mitochondria are the culprits or mere accomplices.
Use of Clerkship Learning Objectives by Members of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry

The authors aimed to determine the extent and use of the 1995 psychiatry clerkship goals and objectives published by the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (ADMSEP) and to obtain members’ guidance regarding their proposed revision. ADMSEP members were surveyed regarding their awareness and current use of the objectives, their advantages and disadvantages and suggestions for revision. Fifty-four of approximately 130 members returned surveys, including 60% of members who identified as clerkship directors. Ninety percent of respondents were aware of the objectives and 48% used them. Use was significantly related to years of ADMSEP membership. Those who used the objectives did so moderately or extensively, and 84% found them moderately to very useful. Reasons for nonuse were the employment of other objectives, unawareness of them, too lengthy/not user-friendly, and lack of resources to implement them. Comprehensiveness and specificity were cited as both their most useful aspects and their least useful aspects. The most frequently suggested revisions included prioritization, adding more clinical competencies, decreasing the total number, and developing supporting documents such as clinical cases references sample examinations and a resource manual. Respondents held strongly favorable attitudes regarding the utility of learning objectives. The ADMSEP psychiatry clerkship learning objectives were widely but not uniformly used among members surveyed, and use is significantly related to years of membership. Respondents strongly favor using learning objectives and desire that a new iteration of the document be more user-friendly, oriented to competencies and supported by resource materials.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha in Normal and Diseased Brain: Conflicting Effects Via Intraneuronal Receptor Crosstalk?

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is pleiotropic mediator of a diverse array of physiological and neurological functions, including both normal regulatory functions and immune responses to infectious agents. Its role in the nervous system is prominent but paradoxical. Studies on uninflamed or “normal” brain have generally attributed TNF-α a neuromodulatory effect. In contrast, in inflamed or diseased brain, the abundance of evidence suggests that TNF-α has an overall neurotoxic effect, which may be particularly pronounced for virally mediated neurological disease. Still others have found TNF-α to be protective under some conditions of neurological insult. It is still uncertain exactly how TNF-α is able to induce these opposing effects through receptor activation of only a limited set of cell signaling pathways. In this paper, we provide support from the literature to advance our hypothesis that one mechanism by which TNF-α can exert its paradoxical effects in the brain is via crosstalk with signaling pathways of growth factors or other cytokines.
Numerical model of multiple-Raman-shifting excimer lasers to the blue-green in H(2).

Results of a computer model, which describes all resonant parametric and Raman processes involving frequencies up to fifth-order Stokes waves in a multiple-Raman-shifting amplifier using H2, are reported. The model is primarily concerned with downconverting ultraviolet excimer laser wavelengths to the blue-green. Results for shifting the XeCl laser (308 nm) to the third Stokes wave (499 nm) are presented.