cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imaging genes, chromosomes, and nuclear structures using laser-scanning confocal microscopy

For 350 years, the optical microscope has had a powerful symbiotic relationship with biology. Until this century, optical microscopy was the only means of examining cellular structure; in return, biologists have contributed greatly to the evolution of microscope design and technique. Recent advances in the detection and processing of optical images, together with methods for labelling specific biological molecules, have brought about a resurgence in the application of optical microscopy to the biological sciences. One of the areas in which optical microscopy is breaking new ground is in elucidating the large scale organization of chromatin in chromosomes and cell nuclei. Nevertheless, imaging the contents of the cell nucleus is a difficult challenge for light microscopy, for two principal reasons. First, the dimensions of all but the largest nuclear structures (nucleoli, vacuoles) are close to or below the resolving power of far field optics. Second, the native optical contrast properties of many important chromatin structures (eg. chromosome domains, centromere regions) are very weak, or essentially zero. As an extreme example, individual genes probably have nothing to distinguish them other than their sequence of DNA bases, which cannot be directly visualized with any current form of microscopy. Similarly, the interphase nucleus shows no direct visible evidence of focal chromatin domains. Thus, imaging of such entities depends heavily on contrast enhancement methods. The most promising of these is labelling DNA in situ using sequence-specific probes that may be visualized using fluorescent dyes. We have applied this method to detecting individual genes in metaphase chromosomes and interphase nuclei, and to imaging a number of DNA-containing structures including chromosome domains, metaphase chromosomes and centromere regions. We have also demonstrated the applicability of in situ fluorescent labelling to detecting numerical and structural abnormalities both in condensed metaphase chromosomes and in interphase nuclei. The ability to image the loci of fluorescent-labelled gene probes hybridized to chromosomes and to interphase nuclei will play a major role in the mapping of the human genome. This presentation is an overview of our laboratory's efforts to use confocal imaging to address fundamental questions about the structure and organization of genes, chromosomes and cell nuclei, and to develop applications useful in clinical diagnosis of inherited diseases.
A model of decentralized multinational investment in product development activities

Abstract Survey evidence gathered from American and Japanese sources supports the contention that firms invest in product development activities abroad to enhance their abilities to develop products to meet local needs. Differences in preferences across countries and informational asymmetries in observing local preferences provide a source of proximity advantage for multinational activity that has not been addressed previously in the literature. Using a model of duopoly competition with vertical product differentiation, foreign direct investment in product development is shown to be more likely, the larger the cost disadvantage implied by these informational asymmetries and, under certain restrictions, the larger the home market.
Mapping iron binding sites on human frataxin: implications for cluster assembly on the ISU Fe–S cluster scaffold protein

Frataxin is an iron binding mitochondrial matrix protein that has been shown to mediate iron delivery during iron–sulfur cluster and heme biosynthesis. There is a high degree of structural homology for frataxin proteins from diverse sources, and all possess an anionic surface defined by acidic residues. In the human protein these residues principally lie on a surface defined by the α1 helix and β1 sheet and the impact of multiple substitutions of these carboxylate residues on iron binding is described. Full-length human frataxin has previously been shown to undergo self-cleavage to produce a truncated form both in vitro and in vivo. This truncated protein has been shown to bind approximately seven iron centers that are presumably associated with the acidic patch. Relative to this native protein, the stoichiometry decreases according to the number and sites of mutations. Nevertheless, the iron-dependent binding affinity of each frataxin derivative to the iron–sulfur cluster scaffold protein ISU is found to be similar to that of native frataxin, as defined by isothermal titration calorimetry experiments, requiring only one iron center to promote nanomolar binding. While frataxins from various cell types appear to bind differing numbers of iron centers, the physiologically relevant number of bound irons appears to be small, with significantly higher binding affinity following complex formation with partner proteins (micromolar compared with nanomolar binding). By contrast, in reconstitution assays for frataxin-promoted [2Fe–2S]2+ cluster assembly on ISU, one derivative does display a modestly lower reconstitution rate. The overall consensus from these data is to consider a pool of potential sites that can stably bind an iron center when bridged to a variety of physiological targets.
Working for tourism in Whistler

Abstract The following report summarizes highlights of the 24th annual conference of the Travel and Tourism Research Association, held in Whistler, Canada, June 1993. Conference registrants and members of TTRA will automatically receive a copy of the conference proceedings when they are published. Other readers who wish to receive one may order copies from Francine Butler, TTRA, 10200 West 44th Avenue, Suite 304, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. The cost is $75.
A comparison of the toxicology of the nematocyst venom from sea nettle fishing and mesenteric tentacles.

Abstract Sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) nematocyst venoms from the fishing and mesenteric tentacles were studied. Fishing tentacle nematocyst venom was more potent than mesenteric tentacle nematocyst venom in producing human cutaneous pain, mouse lethality, hemolysis, dermonecrosis, vasopermeability and damage to rat liver mitochondria. Both types of venom had similar enzyme contents except that mesenteric tentacle venom contained no hyaluronidase. The mouse lethal factors of both venoms had a molecular weight probably over 100,000, were not precipitated by 20% (NH4)2SO4 and could be further fractionated by gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing.
Retrieval of a Greenfield IVC Filter Displaced to the Right Brachiocephalic Vein

During insertion of a central venous sheath an inferior vena cava stainless steel Greenfield filter was dislodged to the right brachiocephalic vein without a free end. Successful retrieval was achieved by using a combination of a guidewire and a snare. Percutaneous retrieval of this vena cava filter is feasible with minimal risk using this method.
Vasodilator Response to Systemic But Not to Local Hyperinsulinemia in the Human Forearm

Abstract —Insulin-mediated vasodilation has been proposed as an important determinant of whole-body insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. However, it is not clear whether the vasodilator effect of insulin results from a direct action of the hormone or whether alternative mechanisms are involved. To better characterize the mechanism of insulin-mediated vasorelaxation, we compared forearm blood flow (FBF) responses to local (intra-arterial) and systemic (intravenous, euglycemic clamp) hyperinsulinemia in 10 healthy lean subjects using venous occlusion plethysmography. In addition, we assessed the effect of nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibition by N G-monomethyl-l-arginine (L-NMMA) on the vasodilator and metabolic responses to hyperinsulinemia. Similar forearm concentrations of insulin were achieved during local and systemic infusion (231±39 versus 265±22 μU/mL; P =0.54). Of note, FBF did not change significantly in response to local hyperinsulinemia (from 2.6±0.3 to 2.4±0.3 mL · min−1 · dL−1; P =0.50). In contrast, systemic hyperinsulinemia caused a 52% increase in FBF (from 2.5±0.2 to 3.8±0.5 mL · min−1 · dL−1; P <0.004), which was reversed by L-NMMA (FBF decreased from 3.8±0.5 to 2.3±0.2 mL · min−1 · dL−1; P =0.004). We conclude that systemic, but not local, hyperinsulinemia induces vasodilation in the forearm. Our findings suggest that insulin-mediated vasodilation is not due solely to a direct stimulatory effect of insulin but involves additional mechanisms activated only during systemic hyperinsulinemia.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Early Olfactory Learning as a Model System to study Neurobehavioral Deficits

The goal of basic research examining the deficits underlying fetal alcohol syndrome is to develop an animal model which allows investigation and assessment of the neural and cognitive impairments resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. The following review focuses on animal models and their relationship to human deficits following prenatal alcohol exposure. In addition, this review examines a unique, well-established model system which may permit an increased understanding of the role of alcohol on the developing brain and cognitive behavior. Specifically, large metabolic, neurochemical, neuropharmacological, morphological and neurophysiological changes in young rats have been reported as a consequence of early olfactory preference conditioning, a form of learning that normally occurs during both human and rat development. This olfactory odor preference training paradigm can be used to assess changes in learning as well as the neural substrates underlying this learning. Olfactory preference training has...
Measurement of 8-VSB DTV transmitter emissions

This paper describes the theory and procedures necessary to understand and measure the emissions of an 8-VSB DTV transmitter. It starts with the FCC's requirements, then moves to the nature of the 8-VSB signal. The noise bandwidth of the signal is calculated and it is demonstrated how to relate this bandwidth to the FCC's requirement that the out of channel emissions be measured in a 500 kHz bandwidth. This discussion justifies the measurement procedure provided, showing how a spectrum analyzer or other specialty 8-VSB measurement equipment may be used to determine compliance with the FCCs out of channel emissions requirements. Methods of achieving measurements to the FCCs -110 dB specification are discussed. Effects of several factors that may affect measurement accuracy including measurement bandwidth, intermodulation, noise floor, logarithmic amplifier error, detector error and mismatch errors are discussed. An appendix gives an easy method for approximating the power of the 8-VSB signal by adding 12 dB to the pilot signal amplitude. The appendix also derives the relationship between the amplitude of the pilot signal and the bandwidth-dependent amplitude of the head of the 8-VSB signal.
Gustatory projections from the nucleus of the solitary tract to the parabrachial nuclei in the hamster.

Taste-responsive cells in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) either project to the parabrachial nuclei (PbN) of the pons, through which taste information is transmitted to forebrain gustatory nuclei, or give rise to axons terminating locally within the medulla.Numerous anatomical studies clearly demonstrate a substantial projection from the rostral NST, where most taste-responsive cells are found, to the PbN.In contrast, previous electrophysiological studies in the rat have shown that only a small proportion (21–45%) of taste-responsive NST cells are antidromically activated from the PbN, suggesting that less than half the cells recorded from the NST are actually involved in forebrain processing of gustatory information.In the present experiment we investigated the projections from the NST to the PbN electrophysiologically in urethane anesthetized hamsters. Responses of 101 single neurons in the rostral NST were recorded extracellularly following lingual stimulation with 32 mM NaCl, sucrose and quinine hydrochloride (QHCl) and 3.2 mM citric acid. The taste-responsive region of the PbN was identified electrophysiologically and stimulated with a concentric bipolar electrode to antidromically activate each NST cell.Of the 101 taste-responsive NST cells, 81 (80.2%) were antidromically activated from the ipsilateral PbN. The mean firing rates to taste stimulation and the spontaneous activity of these projection neurons were significantly greater than those of non-projecting cells.Every sucrose-best neuron in the sample projected to the PbN.The mean conduction velocity of the 23 QHCl-best neurons was significantly lower than that of the other 58 PbN projection neurons, suggesting that the most QHCl-responsive cells are a subset of smaller neurons.These data show that a large majority of NST cells responsive to taste stimulation of the anterior tongue project to the gustatory subdivisions of the PbN and that these cells have the most robust responses to gustatory stimulation.
Multimedia transport in multihop dynamic packet radio networks

The paper presents a distributed architecture which relies on code division access scheme for multimedia transport in a wireless mobile radio network without a fixed infrastructure. The proposed multicluster architecture has the capability of rapid deployment and dynamic reconfiguration. Without the need of base stations, this architecture can operate in areas without a wired back-bone infrastructure. The presented architecture has two main advantages. First, this architecture can provide spatial reuse of the bandwidth due to node clustering. Second, computer simulation reveals that our cluster structure is robust in the face of topological changes due to node motion, node failure, and/or new node addition. In all, this architecture provides a stable infrastructure for the integration of different types of traffic in a dynamic radio network.
Advanced modeling of an exploding flux compression generator using lumped element models of magnetic diffusion

This paper describes an advanced PSpice/sup (R)/ model, which is used to complement the experimental work on explosive flux compression generators. This work is conducted at Texas Tech University in the framework of a MURI program. The results from the model are compared to actual results from generators that have been tested in the authors' laboratory. To achieve better fidelity of the model, the effect of transient current diffusion into the conductors of the generator is modeled by using a ladder network with many concentric layers of each current carrying conductor. For the optimum accuracy, the spacing of the concentric layers is closest at the surface of the conductor. The paper shows results, comparisons with experimental data and applications of the model for the design of power conditioning systems for MFC-generators.
Latino English Language Learners’ Writing During Literacy-Enriched Block Play

Although growing numbers of young English language learners (ELLs) from low-income homes enroll in U.S. schools, there remains a lack of research on how they respond to common school literacy practices including a literacy-enriched play. This exploratory study aims to examine the writing behaviors of six kindergarteners in their classroom's literacy-enriched block center. The results were varied since all children engaged in different types and frequencies of writing. However, most ELLs responded positively to the intervention and practiced their emergent writing skills. Therefore, literacy-enriched play centers can benefit early childhood classrooms serving culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students.
The Proof of the Mordell Conjecture

Andre Weil has frequently criticized the use of “conjecture” in mathematics: Sans cesse le mathematicien se dit: “Ce serait bien beau” (ou: “Ce serait bien commode”) si telle ou telle chose etait vrai. Parfois il le verifie sans trop de pein; d’autres fois il ne tarde pas a se detromper. Si son intuition a resiste quelque temps a ses efforts, il tend a parler de “conjecture”, meme si la chose a peu d’importance en soi. Le plus souvent c’est premature. [17]
64/32/16QAM-OFDM using direct-detection for 40G-OFDMA-PON downstream

A 43.6Gb/s downstream OFDMA-PON is demonstrated using optical single-side band 64/32/16QAMOFDM signals and direct-detection receiver through 20km SSMF. Only one photodiode/OFDM receiver is required at the ONU, thereby significantly reducing system implementation complexity and cost.
Vocal fold mucus aggregation in vocally normal speakers.

Vocal fold mucus aggregation is common in persons with voice disorders. The normality of vocal fold mucus aggregation in vocally normal speakers is not known. The purpose of this study was to preliminarily ascertain the presence, type, thickness, location, and pooling of mucus aggregation in vocally normal speakers. An additional aim was to evaluate whether the features of mucus aggregation are more easily identified using stroboscopy or high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV). These aims were accomplished by visually rating a systematically collected database of stroboscopy and HSV recordings from 52 normophonic speakers. Results revealed 97% of normophonic speakers presented with visible mucus aggregation. Statistically significant differences were found for judgments of HSV compared to stroboscopy on the parameters of type 1 mucus, not apparent and mild thickness, not apparent pooling, and all three locations. Two main conclusions can be drawn from this study: 1) normophonic speakers commonly have mucus aggreg...
Are DNA Flow Cytometry Measurements Providing Useful Information in the Management of the Node-Negative Breast Cancer Patient?

The appropriate management of the breast cancer patient with early stage disease is a controversial, frustrating issue. If laboratory tests could accurately predict tumor behavior, however, the clinician and patient would be greatly aided in their treatment decisions. Although imperfect, there are several new and significant factors that can be used to predict patient prognosis; the most promising and well studied of these factors are DNA flow cytometry measurements. There are at least two estimates of tumor aggressiveness that we can obtain from DNA flow cytometry: one is an estimate of the tumor DNA content or ploidy and the other is an estimate of the tumor proliferative capacity. These measurements have their greatest clinical impact in the node negative patient predicting for relapse-free survival and overall survival. Estimates of proliferative capacity are independent predictors of patient prognosis. Estimates of DNA content are at times controversial and yet still are helpful in distinguishing prognostic subgroups of proliferative activity and may have additional clinical relevance. This discussion will summarize the data obtained from DNA flow cytometry measurements supporting their use as clinically important markers of prognosis in the node-negative patient.
A Search for the Optimum Lithium Rich Layered Metal Oxide Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

We report the results of a comprehensive study of the relationship between electrochemical performance in Li cells and chemical composition of a series of Li rich layered metal oxides of the general formula xLi2MnO3 · (1-x)LiMn0.33Ni0.33Co0.33O2 in which x = 0,1, 0.2, 0,3, 0.5 or 0.7, synthesized using the same method. In order to identify the cathode material having the optimum Li cell performance we first varied the ratio between Li2MnO3 and LiMO2 segments of the composite oxides while maintaining the same metal ratio residing within their LiMO2 portions. The materials with the overall composition 0.5Li2MnO3 · 0.5LiMO2 containing 0.5 mole of Li2MnO3 per mole of the composite metal oxide were found to be the optimum in terms of electrochemical performance. The electrochemical properties of these materials were further tuned by changing the relative amounts of Mn, Ni and Co in the LiMO2 segment to produce xLi2MnO3 · (1-x)LiMn0.50Ni0.35Co0.15O2 with enhanced capacities and rate capabilities. The rate capability of the lithium rich compound in which x = 0.3 was further increased by preparing electrodes with about 2 weight-percent multiwall carbon nanotube in the electrode. Lithium cells prepared with such electrodes were cycled at the 4C rate with little fade in capacity for over one hundred cycles.
Evaluating project management interface visualization on mobile devices

This study investigates the visual features that should be incorporated in a mobile device interface from a user's perspective. Fifteen project managers were interviewed and asked to describe their tasks, resources and processes. Data collected from the interviews was analyzed, identifying three themes related to project management information. Users were then given a survey to analyze 12 screenshots of four relevant mobile application interfaces. The results demonstrated that a project management interface would be beneficial on a mobile device if it incorporated all of the five measures evaluated by the users.
Danger above: a classic case of an unruptured right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm

A 78-year-old man with a medical history significant for hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obstructive sleep apnoea presented for evaluation of atypical chest pain and slowly progressive exertional dyspnoea. Cardiac auscultation revealed a diastolic murmur. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a right saccular aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva (ASV) with a diameter of 51 mm and moderate aortic valve regurgitation (figure 1, videos 1 and 2). Cardiac electrocardiography-gated multidetector CT showed protrusion of the aneurysm into the right ventricular outflow tract (figure 2); three-dimensional reconstruction is also shown (figure 3). The patient was referred to surgery and preoperative coronary angiography showed minimal coronary atherosclerosis. Intraoperative transoesophageal echocardiography demonstrated significant aortic regurgitation (figure 4, videos 3 and 4). Surgical correction was achieved with bovine pericardial patch closure to the right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm and bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. Figure 1 Transthoracic …
Early Annual Reports

Prior studies of annual report timing treat all reports filed before SEC deadlines as similar. We show this is not the case. Nearly 40 percent of 10-Ks are filed well in advance of SEC deadlines, and the propensity of early reporting continues to increase. We find that the firm characteristics associated with early reporting are distinct from those of firms that file on time, and are generally consistent with the costs and benefits of early reporting. We further document that early reports themselves are different from those filed on time. Early reports are less informative, more accurate and complete, and are more likely to be preempted by voluntary disclosures. This evidence indicates that early filers provide faithfully represented information that is preempted by other disclosures, and is inconsistent with regulators’ assumption that providing mandatory reports earlier enhances their decision usefulness. Overall, we find that early annual reports represent a distinct reporting option that has been largely unexplored in prior literature.
The Contribution of School Desegregation to Academic Achievement and Racial Integration

It seems reasonable to assert that, in the last 30 years, no social policy has been as divisive as school desegregation. And few would argue that the numbers of minority and white leaders actively pursuing the goal of desegregation has declined from a decade or more ago. But the issue will not go away, and advocacy persists for at least two general reasons. First, on balance, and even though both massive and passive resistance have been more common than genuine efforts to make it work, school desegregation has benefited most of those who have experienced it. Second, the problems that school desegregation was meant to address are still with us in many communities, and social policies likely to be more effective in remediating them are not in evidence.
Inflammation and Symptom Change in Interstitial Cystitis or Bladder Pain Syndrome: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Research Network Study

Objective To explore inflammatory factors that influence symptom changes in interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome (IC or BPS). This longitudinal, prospective study examined the association of inflammation elicited by Toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and diurnal cortisol rhythms with changes in painful and urinary symptoms of IC or BPS and symptom flares over a 48-week period. Materials and Methods Participants were 24 women meeting criteria for IC or BPS who supplied blood for isolation of PBMCs and 3 days of salivary cortisol samples prior to a baseline visit. Participants completed the Genitourinary Pain Index (pain and urinary subscales) and reported symptom flares every 2 weeks for 48 weeks. Mixed effects longitudinal and regression models were used to determine if inflammatory variables were associated with the changes in IC or BPS symptoms (time × variable interactions), and the probability of a symptom flare. Results Elevated TLR-4 inflammation ( P = .031) and elevated TLR-2 inflammation ( P = .045) from PBMCs, and flattened diurnal cortisol slope ( P = .012) were each associated with less improvement in genitourinary pain over time. Additionally, elevated TLR-4 inflammation was associated with less improvement in urinary symptoms ( P = .018), whereas TLR-2 inflammation and cortisol slopes were not (both P > .16). In contrast, no inflammatory measure was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting a symptom flare (all P > .25). Conclusion TLR-mediated inflammation and diurnal cortisol slope may be useful as markers of symptom changes in IC or BPS.
Maturity-Independent Risk Measures

The new notion of maturity-independent risk measures is introduced and contrasted with the existing risk measurement concepts. It is shown, by means of two examples, one set on a finite probability space and the other in a diffusion framework, that, surprisingly, some of the widely utilized risk measures cannot be used to build maturity-independent counterparts. We construct a large class of maturity-independent risk measures and give representative examples in both continuous- and discrete-time financial models.
HANDIO: A Wireless Hand Gesture Recognizer Based on Muscle-Tension and Inertial Sensing

This paper describes a miniature, wearable wireless hand- gesture recognition (HGR) system called HANDIO. It obtains its input from not only traditional inertial sensors but also a muscle tension sensor (MTS). The addition of MTS enables recognition of a much broader range of intuitive hand gestures, particularly those involving the wrist, that would otherwise be difficult to distinguish by traditional inertial-only HGRs. Among MTSs, we choose an optical MTS over the conventional surface electromyography (sEMG) for the small size, low power consumption, wearing comfort, and good detection rate. This novel miniaturized design enables the whole system to be easily patched on the wrist area or integrated into a wearable device such as a wristband or watch without extra wiring. Experimental results show that a total of 8 hand gestures involving the wrist can be recognized with a detection rate over 93%. The average power consumption of the optical sensor is only around 258μW. This versatile system can also be used to detect other joint activities such as the elbow and knee joint.
Sandia Wake Imaging System Field Test Report: 2015 Deployment at the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) Facility.

This report presents the objectives, configuration, procedures, reporting , roles , and responsibilities and subsequent results for the field demonstration of the Sandia Wake Imaging System (SWIS) at the Sandia Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility near Lubbock, Texas in June and July 2015.
Aortic ruptures in turkeys induced by diethylstilbestrol and dienestrol diacetate.

SummaryHigh levels of dienestrol dia-cetate in the feed of turkeys (512, 526, 1024 mg/lb) caused aortic ruptures and decreased weight gains, while a low level (256 mg/lb of feed) caused no mortality and increased weight gains. Comparable mortality, hyper-lipemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hypotension resulted from the feeding of 16 gm diethylstilbestrol/100 lb and 512 or 1024 mg dienestrol diacetate per pound of feed.
404 REPEATED STRESS MAY ALTER THE ABILITY OF NICOTINE TO ACTIVATE THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS

Objective The hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is intimately involved in the stress response. Similar to other stressors, acute nicotine administration has been shown to stimulate ACTH and corticosterone/cortisol secretion in both rodents and humans, raising the possibility that activation of the HPA axis by nicotine may mediate some of the effects of nicotine. We hypothesized that chronic stress increases the ability of nicotine to activate the HPA axis and that the nature of the stress (mild vs. severe) may be critical in subsequent activation of the HPA axis by nicotine. Method Male C57/BL6 mice (25 g, 8 wks old) were exposed to one of the two stressors (swim in 15°C or 32°C for 3 min/day for 5 days). Controls were not exposed to either stressor. On day 8, half of the mice in each group received saline and the other half received nicotine (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.). Fifteen min later, the mice were then sacrificed, trunk blood was collected and assayed for levels of ACTH and corticosterone using radioimmunoassays. Results Acute exposure to either stressor increased serum ACTH and corticosterone levels. Similarly, as compared to saline, nicotine injection increased the level of corticosterone and ACTH. While there was no significant difference in basal ACTH and corticosterone level in stressed groups as compared to non-stressed controls, the group subjected to the severe stressor (swim in 15°C water), had significantly higher levels of ACTH in response to an acute nicotine challenge (15°C = 86.8 pg/mL, 32°C = 54.5 pg/mL, control= 48 pg/mL). Conclusion These results confirm our hypothesis that chronic stress leads to an enhanced sensitivity of the HPA axis to a nicotine challenge and that the severity of the stress is important in this regard. The present results may help to understand how stress may increase the risk of nicotine use and possibly help in the design of novel treatments for nicotine addiction.
Successful endoscopic transpapillary management of intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst.

Context Intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst extension is a rare but complex clinical entity requiring multimodality approach for management. There is no consensus regarding the optimal strategy for the treatment of intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst and the literature is limited to a few case reports. Most of the published cases were managed by surgical or percutaneous drainage. Case report We hereby report a case of intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst extension which failed to resolve by percutaneous drainage. Endoscopic transpapillary drainage was utilized which led to complete resolution of the intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst. Conclusion The excellent results obtained in our patient suggest that it should be considered as primary treatment and may obviate the need for more aggressive and potentially morbid procedures. Image: ERCP showing the 7F, 10 cm long pancreatic stent traversing the main duct stricture extending to the tail.
cis-Platinum in gynecologic cancer. II. Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Twenty-eight patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and one patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina were treated with cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum at a dose of 60 mg/m2. Of these patients, 22 were evaluable. No patient had a complete response, two (9%) had partial responses, nine (41%) had stable disease, and 11 (50%) had progressive disease. The overall response rate was 9%.
Development of the Mouse Blastocyst After Actinomycin D Treatment

Mouse blastocysts were incubated in vitro with actinomycin D in concentrations of 10-1 to 10-5 mug/ml. After transfer to recipient animals, there was a moderate but significant decrease in implantations at 10-minus 1 to 10-minus 3 and 10-minus 5. There was a severe inhibition of subsequent development at concentrations of 10-minus 1 and 10-minus 2. One of 49 fetuses which developed after actinomycin D treatment had a major malformation; there was one major and one minor abnormality among 95 control fetuses. It is suggested that most of the RNA or protein required to effect implantation is synthesized or coded for prior to the blastocyst state. The moderate but significant decrease in implantations found after actinomycin D treatment at this stage may reflect the ability of the drug to reduce cell adhesiveness. This study confirms the impression that the preimplantation embryo is relatively impervious to teratogenic agents, even one as potent as actinomycin D.
Peer Review in Obstetrics and Gynecology by a National Medical Specialty Society

Article-at-a-Glance Background Since 1986 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has offered a voluntary consultation service (Voluntary Review of Quality of Care [VRQC] program) to assist departments of obstetrics and gynecology in assessing their quality of care. How the VQRC program works The VRQC program review team selects three to five topics for on-site medical record review to further investigate the care processes that may contribute to the perceived problems. Each chart is evaluated by a single reviewer with the use of worksheets with explicit, objective criteria that represent practice guidelines. In addition, key departmental and hospital personnel are interviewed on site to provide insight into the issues that prompted the request. Evaluation of the VRQC program The first 100 site visits took place in 29 states and represented a diverse geographic cohort of hospital departments of obstetrics and gynecology. Overall departmental and systemic deficiencies were significantly more common than clinical concerns. Obstetric issues were more prevalent than gynecologic issues. Induction and augmentation of labor was the most common deficiency, and the availability and quality of obstetric anesthesia was the second. Conclusion The VRQC program, as a voluntary consultative peer review program, addresses hospital-specific quality problems and also identifies common deficiencies across a diverse group of hospitals, which may warrant continuing education.
Additive and pyrolysis atmosphere effects on polysiloxane-derived porous SiOC ceramics

Abstract Porous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) is emerging as a much superior ultrahigh surface area material that can be stable up to high temperatures with great tailorability through composition and additive modifications. In this study, bulk SiOCs were fabricated from a base polysiloxane (PSO) system by using different organic additives and pyrolysis atmospheres followed by hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching. The additives modify the microstructural evolution by influencing the SiO 2 nanodomain formation. The SiOC ceramics contain significantly less SiC and more SiO 2 with Ar + H 2 O atmosphere pyrolysis compared to Ar atmosphere pyrolysis. Water vapor injection during pyrolysis also causes a drastic increase in specific surface areas. The addition of 10 wt% tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) with Ar + H 2 O pyrolysis produces a specific surface area of 1953.94 m 2 /g, compared to 880.09 m 2 /g for the base PSO pyrolyzed in Ar. The fundamental processes for the composition and phase evolutions are discussed as a novel pathway to creating ultrahigh surface area materials. The ability to drastically increase the specific surface area through the use of pyrolysis atmosphere and organic additives presents a promising processing route for highly porous SiOC ceramics.
Emulsified and liquid-liquid phase separated states of α-pinene secondary organic aerosol determined using aerosol optical tweezers

We demonstrate the first capture and analysis of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) on a droplet suspended in an aerosol optical tweezers (AOT). We examine three initial chemical systems of aqueous NaCl, aqueous glycerol, and squalane at ∼75% relative humidity. For each system we added α-pinene SOA—generated directly in the AOT chamber—to the trapped droplet. The resulting morphology was always observed to be a core of the original droplet phase surrounded by a shell of the added SOA. We also observed a stable emulsion of SOA particles when added to an aqueous NaCl core phase, in addition to the shell of SOA. The persistence of the emulsified SOA particles suspended in the aqueous core suggests that this metastable state may persist for a significant fraction of the aerosol lifecycle for mixed SOA/aqueous particle systems. We conclude that the α-pinene SOA shell creates no major diffusion limitations for water, glycerol, and squalane core phases under humid conditions. These experimental results support the ...
Comparison of Low-Noise Air Nozzles: A Pilot Study

Excessive noise is a global occupational health hazard with considerable social and physiological impact, including noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) (Nelson et al., 2005). Noise is one of the most common occupational hazards in American workplaces. This study was performed in the Occupational Safety and Ergonomics Program’s Biomechanics Laboratory at Auburn University. The main purpose of this study was to compare the noise levels made by different air nozzles actually used by a bakery facility to nozzles whose manufacturers purported that they produce significantly less noise. Noise levels were determined using a sound level meter, which was positioned at ear level at distances of 5 and 10 feet. At the factory, air pressure (~100 psi) was used to push product downstream and to speed product cooling. The nozzles used were simple pipes or traditional air nozzles with side venting, but not of a “low noise” design. Two nozzles used by the factory were compared to three quieter nozzles. Nozzles were tested f...
Photoluminescence stability of blue organic phosphorescent materials on plasmonic silver nanostructure architectures (Conference Presentation)

Emerging lighting and display technologies use phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (Ph-OLEDs) because they are thinner, more flexible, and less pixelated than their inorganic LED counterparts. While Ph-OLEDs can have an internal quantum efficiency of 100%, on metal electrodes the light-extraction efficiency is 5-30% primarily due to coupling to surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes and photonic waveguide modes, SPPs, accounting for up to 50% of the loss in light-extraction efficiency. In addition to low light-extraction efficiency, efficiency roll-off in Ph-OLEDs is a significant cause of device degradation at high luminance and is due to triplet-polaron and triplet-triplet quenching processes. One way to address the efficiency roll-off issue is to accelerate the radiative decay rate of phosphorescence to reduce triplet quenching processes. Further, efficiency roll-off in blue Ph-OLEDs is very pronounced due to high triplet energies and significant triplet-polaron and triplet-triplet quenching relative to red and green Ph-OLED counterparts. This study aims to experimentally investigate the use of silver plasmonic nanostructured films with blue organic phosphorescent films to increase the radiative decay rate of triplet emission and, therefore, to minimize triplet quenching processes that cause unstable emission. We use the host poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) with the blue phosphorescent dopant, bis[2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridinato-C2,N](picolinato)iridium(III) (FIrpic) which is commonly-used in blue Ph-OLED prototypes. This host-dopant combination has been shown to improve light out coupling and enhance triplet excitation because the host assists in charge transport and excitation energy transfer, while the dopant provides color and increases intersystem crossing which improves the internal quantum efficiency. PVK:FIrpic thin film samples are spin coated onto planar silver, grating (1.6µm and 0.7µm), nanoporous (NPO) silver, and nanoparticle (NPT) silver. In addition PVK, FIrpic, and PVK:FIrpic thin films on glass are used as a reference. The silver plasmonic nanostructures are chosen due to their ability to increase light emission through light scattering. Each silver plasmonic nanostructure is prepared with 50 nm of silver using nanoimprint lithography deposition for grating (1.6µm and 0.7µm) and dewetting deposition for NPO and NPT. The samples are characterized using photoluminescence (PL) stability, PL lifetime, and PL quantum yield measurements to investigate the relationship between silver plasmonic nanostructures and improved phosphorescence stability. Preliminary data has shown a correlation between enhanced PL stability and PL lifetime of silver plasmonic nanostructures relative to a planar silver.
Analogue synthesis reveals decoupling of antibiofilm and β-lactam potentiation activities of a lead 2-aminoimidazole adjuvant against Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Biofilm formation is one of the many mechanisms bacteria utilize to survive antibiotic treatment. It has been demonstrated that when Mycobacterium tuberculosis exists in a biofilm in vitro, it expresses phenotypic resistance to antimicrobial drugs. As the in vivo survival of M. tuberculosis following drug treatment is potentially linked to a biofilm-like expression of drug tolerance, it is hypothesized that biofilm dispersion should increase antibiotic susceptibility and reduce the duration of the current antibiotic treatment regimen. Previously, we have identified a 2-aminoimidazole (2-AI) compound capable of dispersing and inhibiting M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis biofilms in vitro. Additionally, this compound potentiated the activity of carbenicillin against M. tuberculosis and, to a lesser degree, M. smegmatis. Here, we describe a SAR study on this compound evaluating each derivative for biofilm dispersion and β-lactam potentiation capabilities against M. smegmatis. This study identified a compound that improved upon the biofilm dispersion capabilities of the lead compound. Interestingly, a different compound was identified with an increased ability to potentiate a subset of β-lactam antibiotics. These compounds indicate that biofilm dispersion and potentiation capabilities may not be associated.
An Ecological Approach to Practice with Single-Parent Families:

Six components of the ecological model help practitioners understand the dynamics of single-parent families and devise preventive and interventive strategies to resolve post-divorce problems. The r...
Recent research on high-resolution 3D range geometry compression

The advancements on 3D range imaging have been accelerating in the past few years promotes one fundamental issue in 3D imaging: how can one effectively store and deliver such enormously large 3D data? While 3D image data compression is still in its infancy, compression techniques for 2D images, however, are quite mature. As a result, researchers have developed a variety of methods to store 3D data as standard 2D images such that 2D image compression techniques can be leveraged. This paper will overview what has been done recently in my research team and provide our perspectives on each compression technique.
Robotically assisted nerve and facet blocks: a cadaveric study.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of using a joystick-controlled robotic needle driver to place a 22-gauge needle for nerve and facet blocks. Materials and Methods Biplane fluoroscopy and a robotic needle driver were used to place 12 needles into the lumbar paraspinal region of an embalmed female cadaver (age at death, 98 years). Small metal BB nipple markers (1 mm in diameter) were inserted percutaneously to serve as targets. Six needles were then placed near the nerve root, and six were placed near the facet root. Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were obtained after each needle placement to assess its accuracy. Results All needles were placed within 3 mm of the target BB. The average distance was 1.44 mm ± 0.66 (standard deviation). Discussion A robotic needle driver can be used to place needles accurately in the nerve and facet regions. Clinical studies are required to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of this system for interventional procedures involving needles.
Properties of reactively sputtered Mo1−xOx films

Molybdenum oxide (Mo1−xOx) films were prepared by reactive rf sputtering of a Mo target in O2/Ar plasma. The dependence of film properties on various sputtering parameters is investigated. The atomic percentage of oxygen (x) in the Mo1−xOx films decreases with sputtering power and increases with the partial pressure of oxygen. Mo1−xOx films that exhibit metallic conductivities can be obtained over a wide range of sputtering conditions. The intrinsic film stress of conducting Mo1−xOx is compressive. Such M1−xOx films were shown by backscattering spectrometry to be excellent diffusion barriers between Al and Si up to 600 °C annealing for 30 min.
Formulation of Parenteral and Enteral Admixtures

The use of parenteral and enteral nutrition admixtures in the intensive care unit (ICU) requires a high level of clinical expertise in order to safely provide efficacious nutrition support. During critical illness, numerous physiological responses are produced by the host to appropriately defend against injury, and to reestablish homeostasis in an attempt to maintain cardiopulmonary function and hemodynamic stability. Critical care clinicians often facilitate these physiological adaptations through aggressive monitoring with invasive intravascular catheters, pharmacological interventions such as through the use of vasopressors, inotropic agents and resuscitative fluid therapy, and respiratory support through mechanical ventilation. The combination of the body’s metabolic response to injury and critical care interventions produces an array of changes in nutrient and metabolic homeostasis. Whether parenteral or enteral nutrition are given, or even when combined parenteral and enteral therapy are chosen, such conditions challenge the clinician who attempts to meet the nutritional and metabolic demands during this metastable state. Each mode of delivery has its attendant risks that may assume clinical significance. The purpose of this review is to exam­ine the major pharmaceutical issues that determine the stability and compatibility of parenteral and enteral nutrition admixtures in the critical care setting, in order to avoid significant physicochemical combinations that may produce therapeutic failures and/or increase the risk of morbidity and mortality.
A History of Cardiac Anesthesiology

In 1953, Gibbon used a heart-lung machine to allow closure of an atrial septal defect under direct vision. In 1967, Barnard performed the first heart transplant. In 1973, surgeons stopped the heart beating (cardioplegia), thereby protecting it, by infusing cold hyperkalemic solutions into the coronary arteries.
Accessibility and utilization of stereotactic body radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer: An analysis of geodemographic clusters.

e18636Background: Geodemographic characteristics including median income, education, ethnicity, and rural residency mediate healthcare access and disparity. SBRT offers definitive treatment with ac...