cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous carotid angioplasty and stenting with the use of gadolinium in lieu of iodinated contrast medium: technical case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE We describe a patient who underwent percutaneous transluminal carotid angioplasty and stent placement with the use of intra-arterial gadolinium (Gd-DTPA) instead of iodinated contrast medium. This represents one of the first published reports of the use of Gd-DTPA as an angi
Relationships between caregivers' responses to oral health screening questions and early childhood caries.

Objective: This study evaluated relationships between caregiver responses to oral health screening questions and caries in young children. Methods: Two samples of caregivers answered identical eight-item screening questionnaires about their oral health. One sample included children enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) who were 24 to 42 months of age; the other sample included 3- to 5-year-old children attending a pediatric dental clinic. Using chi-square and relative risk, questionnaire findings were related to children's caries history based on clinical caries exams. Results: Questions significantly (P < 0.05) related to children's caries in the older sample included caregivers' poorer rating of their oral health, less frequent dental visits, current or recent caries, and history of tooth loss due to caries. However, only questions pertaining to tooth loss were related to caries in the younger sample. Conclusion: Caregivers' reported loss of teeth due to caries was significantly associated with caries development in their children in both samples, and may be a useful means for early identification of children at high risk.
Applying KISS to Healthcare Information Technology

Current public and private healthcare information technology initiatives have failed to achieve secure integration among providers. Applying the "keep it simple, stupid" principle offers key guidance for solving this problem.
The subcellular distribution of carnosine, carnosine synthetase, and carnosinase in mouse olfactory tissues

Abstract The dipeptide, carnosine, its synthetic enzyme, carnosine synthetase, and its degradative enzyme, carnosinase, appear to be localized in the cytosol of mouse olfactory bulb and epithelium. Mouse olfactory bulbs and epithelium were prelabeled in vivo with [3H]carnosine following intranasal irrigation with [3H]β-alanine. [3H]-carnosine co-distributed in olfactory bulb with lactate dehydrogenase with only 10% in the crude mitochondrial fraction. Similar results were also seen with endogenous carnosine distribution. Over 70% of the carnosine present in the crude mitochondrial fraction was localized in synaptosomes following sucrose gradient centrifugation. However, further fractionation of vesicle containing fractions from osmotically lysed crude mitochondrial fractions indicated that [3H]carnosine was not associated with vesicles. Nearly 70% of all the [3H]carnosine present in olfactory epithelium was soluble with most of the remainder in the crude nuclear fraction. The enzymes carnosine synthetase and carnosinase were clearly soluble in olfactory epithelium with 98% and 85% of the activity in the cytosol. Less than 2% was found in the crude mitochondrial fraction. In olfactory bulb both enzymes also appeared soluble.
Design and Testing of Scale Model Wind Turbines for Use in Wind/Wave Basin Model Tests of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Model basin testing is a standard practice in the design process for offshore floating structures and has recently been applied to floating offshore wind turbines. 1/50th scale model tests performed by the DeepCwind Consortium at Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) in 2011 on various platform types were able to capture the global dynamic behavior of commercial scale model floating wind turbine systems; however, due to the severe mismatch in Reynolds number between full scale and model scale, the strictly Froude-scaled, geometrically similar wind turbine underperformed greatly. This required significant modification of test wind speeds to match key wind turbine aerodynamic loads, such as thrust. To execute more representative floating wind turbine model tests, it is desirable to have a model wind turbine that more closely matches the performance of the full scale design.This work compares the wind tunnel performance, under Reynolds numbers corresponding to model test Froude-scale conditions, of an alternative wind turbine designed to emulate the performance of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW turbine. Along with the test data, the design methodology for creating this wind turbine is presented including the blade element momentum theory design of the performance-matched turbine using the open-source tools WT_Perf and XFoil. In addition, a strictly Froude-scale NREL 5 MW wind turbine design is also tested to provide a basis of comparison for the improved designs. While the improved, performance-matched turbine was designed to more closely match the NREL 5 MW design in performance under low model test Reynolds numbers, it did not maintain geometric similitude in the blade chord and thickness orientations. Other key Froude scaling parameters, such as blade lengths and rotor operational speed, were maintained for the improved designs. The results of this work support the development of protocols for properly designing scale model wind turbines that emulate the full scale design for Froude-scale wind/wave basin tests of floating offshore wind turbines.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The Place of Private Police in Society: An Area of Research for the Social Sciences

Social scientists have directed little inquiry into the nature or extent of private police activity in the United States. This article undertakes an examination of private police within the general context of policing in order to pinpoint some of the factors that should be considered in creating a research design. The development, growth, and present day functions of private police are discussed, as well as the extent to which private police activity is regulated. These components are analyzed within a conceptual framework that focuses upon the interrelationships between the “public” and “private” sectors of law enforcement. Implications for police research and for society are suggested.
The superolateral portal for arthroscopy of the shoulder

With the advent of arthroscopic procedures for the treatment of a variety of clinical conditions affecting the shoulder has come the need for better techniques for visualization of structural pathology, and better techniques for visualization of intracapsular structures during operative procedures. We present a new portal for shoulder arthroscopy that is safe to insert, providing a panoramic view of the glenohumeral joint (especially anteriorly), and allowing unobstructed observation of large instruments passed through more traditional anterior portals nearby. The superolateral portal is particularly suited for use in anterior stabilization procedures of the shoulder, where it can be used for direct visualization of the anterior glenoid neck, thus permitting the surgeon to perform such tasks as debridement or mobilization of tissues, and placement of tacks or sutures.
Multi-Attribute Utility Models: A Review of Field and Field-Like Studies

This article contains a review of published field and field-like research studies concerned with the development and use of multi-attribute utility models. Since the clients or experimental subjects who participated in these studies were all occupationally experienced in making the utility judgments required of them, it is felt that these particular findings would be useful in the practice of management science. Multi-attribute utility models are models designed to obtain the utility of items or alternatives that must be evaluated on more than one criterion. The additive and multiplicative model forms are examined, and methods for estimating the model parameters are presented.
The Immature Rat Small Intestine Exhibits an Increased Sensitivity and Response to Escherichia coli Heat-Stable Enterotoxin

ABSTRACT. Escherichia coli which elaborate heat stable enterotoxin (ST) are a major cause of endemic diarrhea in infants. The reason(s) for this increased susceptibility of infants to ST-mediated diarrhea is unknown. We investigated the possibility that the immature (14 and 21 day old) rat small intestine is more sensitive to ST than is the adult. Initially we found there was a 600-fold increased jejunal sensitivity to ST in the immature animals as measured by dose required for half maximal secretion. Also there was a greater jejunal secretory response in the immature animals (14 ≥ 21 days old > adult). To determine the cause for this increased sensitivity and secretory response to ST, we examined: 1) binding characteristics of 125I-ST to brush border membrane (BBM) receptors and 2) membrane bound guanylate cyclase activation by ST in both immature and adult rats. Our findings demonstrate that more ST receptors are present in jejunal BBM from 14- and 21-dayold rats than in jejunal BBM from adult rats (2.34 ± 0.18, 2.85 ± 0.82, and 0.79 ± 0.13 × 1012 receptors/mg BBM protein, respectively), while the affinity of the BBM receptor for ST is similar at all three ages in both jejunum and ileum. Furthermore, both the jejunum and ileum of the rats of all three ages revealed an equal sensitivity of guanylate cyclase to activation by ST. These findings suggest that the increased number of jejunal receptors in the immature rat may, in part, explain the increased sensitivity and secretory response observed in vivo.
A Threshold Mechanism Governing Activation of the Developmental Regulatory Protein σF in Bacillus subtilis

The RNA polymerase sigma factor σF is a developmental regulatory protein that is activated in a cell-specific manner following the formation of the polar septum during the process of spore formation in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Activation of σF depends on the membrane-bound phosphatase SpoIIE, which localizes to the septum, and on the formation of the polar septum itself. SpoIIE is responsible for dephosphorylating and thereby activating the phosphoprotein SpoIIAA, which, in turn, triggers the release of σF from the anti-σF factor SpoIIAB. Paradoxically, however, the presence of unphosphorylated SpoIIAA is insufficient to cause σF activation as SpoIIAA reaches substantial levels in mutants blocked in polar septation. We now describe mutants of SpoIIE, SpoIIAA, and SpoIIAB that break the dependence of σF activation on polar division. Analysis of these mutants indicates that unphosphorylated SpoIIAA must reach a threshold concentration in order to trigger the release of σF from SpoIIAB. Evidence is presented that this threshold is created by the action of SpoIIAB, which can form an alternative, long lived complex with SpoIIAA. We propose that formation of the SpoIIAA-SpoIIAB complex serves as a sink that traps SpoIIAA in an inactive state and that only when unphosphorylated SpoIIAA is in excess to the sink does activation of σF take place.
An Approach to Reduce AC LED Flicker

In this paper, we investigate a circuit design to reduce light flicker from an alternating current (AC) lightemitting diode (LED) lighting system. AC LEDs in the commercial marketplace have been criticized for the light flicker that they produce. In general, light flicker is an unwelcome phenomenon in a lighting application because of the health hazards it may cause. Some solutions have been proposed to reduce flicker from light sources, but they suffer from issues such as low power factor, low power efficiency, or bulky size. Here we propose an approach that can effectively reduce light flicker from an AC LED lighting system while maintaining normal power factor and high power efficiency.
Exposure of Violent Video Games to Children and Public Policy Implications

Abstract As the popularity of violent video games increases, many concerned parents and legislators are trying to legally restrict the purchase or rental of these adult-oriented games from minors. Numerous states have tried to enact violent video game legislation, but all such laws have been overturned by the courts as a violation of First Amendment rights. This essay discusses why both state and local governments have been wholly unsuccessful in restricting minors' access to violent video games and the strict scrutiny requirements that must be met to limit a person's First Amendment rights. Finally, this essay provides recommendations for areas that must be specifically addressed to legally restrict minors' access to these adult-oriented games.
Hydrogen induced interior crack-tip morphologies in high strength steel

In this study WOL specimens of high strength 4340 steel were used to obtain information on the interior, or near plane strain, crack-tip morphology resulting from hydrogen assisted crack growth, including the position of secondary cracks in relation to the region of maximum triaxial stress, crack-tip plastic zone size, and grain size. The interior, or near plane strain, regions were revealed by removing thin sections, by a grinding and polishing procedure, from the surfaces of specimens that underwent hydrogen assisted crack growth. The results appear to indicate that advance of the crack occurs by growth of protrusions, or steps, from the main crack front, followed by linkup of these protrusions by sideways growth along grain boundaries.
Underutilization and clinical benefits of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in patients with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction.

Despite evidence of therapeutic benefit of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for congestive heart failure and asymptomatic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, recent studies suggest that in heart failure patients, rates of ACE inhibitor usage in clinical practice remain low. In this study, the medical records of 107 patients with documented LV dysfunction were investigated for patterns of ACE inhibitor usage; 6-month and 1-year outcomes and event rates were evaluated. At index admission, 48% patients did not receive ACE inhibitor treatment, 32% were initiated on treatment, 19% continued on a prior regimen, and 1% were discontinued. Patients seen by a cardiologist were more likely to receive ACE inhibitor treatment (53% vs 35%, p = 0.172), as were patients with histories of hypertension (60% vs 40%, p = 0.044) or myocardial infarction (56% vs 44%, p = 0.221). Significantly shorter hospitalizations (5.9 vs 9.5 days, p = 0.001) were noted for patients with on-going ACE inhibitor treatment compared with those receiving newly initiated treatment or no treatment. At time of hospital discharge, 102 patients were alive. Of 54 patients who received ACE inhibitors, 67% received an insufficient dose. At a 6-month follow-up, of 51 patients on ACE inhibitors, 23% died or were readmitted to hospital compared with 55% of nonusers (p = 0.001). At 1 year, this event rate was 31% among ACE inhibitor users versus 71% among nonusers (p <0.0001). Bivariate and multivariate analysis revealed absence of ACE inhibitor use as the only significant variable associated with the event rate (p <0.0011). Thus, about half of patients with asymptomatic LV dysfunction received ACE inhibitors; 2/3 of these did not receive a sufficient dose. ACE inhibitor usage increased with involvement of a cardiologist, presence of coexistent hypertension, or prior myocardial infarction. Ongoing ACE inhibitor therapy was associated with shorter hospitalizations and fewer hospital readmissions or deaths.
State-resolved dynamics of infrared photodesorption of CO from Ag(111)

Current understanding of the dynamics of photon stimulated desorption (PSD) of molecules from surfaces has been derived in large part from state- and energy-resolved probes of the desorbed molecules in the gas-phase. Analogous to studies of gas-phase photodissociation, information concerning the electronic interactions and nuclear motions on the dissociative potential surface are inferred from the energy, internal state and angular distributions of the photoproducts. Of particular interest is the use of state-resolved methods to ellucidate the photodesorption mechanism which can involve substrate and/or absorbate excitations followed by facile energy transfer between the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom. The primary concern of this work is desorption induced by photon energies well below the work function ({<=}1-2 eV) which is nominally assumed to occur via a thermally activated process. From a dynamical standpoint, laser-induced surface heating results from the rapid thermalization of initially photo- excited electron-hole pairs which relax through inelastic e{sup -} - e{sup -} scattering and energy transfer to lattice modes of the substrate. Desorption results from random surface atom displacements which deposit vibrational energy in the absorbate-metal bond in excess of the binding energy.
Model Experiments on Measuring Flow in Microvessels Using Tracers

Abstract Most techniques for measuring plasma or red cell flow velocity within microvessels rely on determining the transit time of a tracer to traverse the distance between two monitoring sites within a vessel. In principle, proper transit time determinations require flow-weighted sampling of the tracer at monitoring sites. In practical application of the tracer technique, however, tracer sampling at monitoring sites is not flow-weighted but is area-weighted, and hence elapsed transit time can only be estimated from tracer data. We previously showed theoretically ( Microvasc. Res. 40, 394-411, 1990) that the flow velocity determined under these conditions can differ appreciably from the actual mean flow velocity of the carrier fluid within the microvessel. Nevertheless, trace mean flow velocity does approach that of the fluid when tracer velocity is measured past a finite distance from the microvessel entrance. In this study, we examine the tracer measurement of flow experimentally using a physical model. We perfused single glass microvessels and simple fabricated microvessel networks with distilled water at physiological flow rates. Mean tracer velocity (V d ) was determined at several axial locations within the microvessels using injected Evans blue dye. At each location V d was determined in a manner consistent with usual application of the tracer flow measurement technique. Actual mean flow velocity (V a ) was determined from the measured effluent flow rates discharged from each microvessel. Our experimental results confirm the existence of an appreciable velocity measurement error (VME) associated with the tracer technique. The VME behavior was consistent with our original theoretical analysis. V d was significantly smaller than V a within a finite length of vessel near the entrance, but approached and became equal to V a past this length. Furthermore, even under conditions where the VME was negligible at the end of a parent microvessel, a new and appreciable VME arose within the connecting downstream daughter microvessels. These results underscore that tracer mean flow velocity as obtained in normal implementation of the tracer technique can differ from that for the fluid itself within a microvascular network.
Mine target detection using principal component and neural networks method

This paper proposes a new system for real-time detection and classification of arbitrarily scattered surface-laid mines. The system consists of six channels which use various neural network structures for feature extraction, detection and classification of targets in six different optical bands ranging from near UV to near IR. A single-layer auto-associative neural network trained by the recursive least square (RLS) learning rule was employed in each channel to perform target feature extraction. The detection/classification based upon the extracted features was accomplished by a three-layer back-propagation neural network with 11-25-10-1 architecture. The outputs of the detector/classifier network in all the channels are fused together in a final decision making system. Simulations were performed on real data for six bands. Forty-eight different images were used in order to account for the variations in size, shape, and contrast of the targets and also the signal-to-clutter ratio. The overall results for the combined system showed a detection rate of approximately 97%, with less than 3% false alarm rate.
Synthesis of nanodiamond-reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites using cold-spray deposition

Abstract A dense nanodiamond–aluminum (ND–Al) composite coating was successfully produced by low pressure cold spray (CS) deposition of ball-milled powders containing 10 wt% ND. High-energy ball milling is a feasible means for the synthesis of composite feedstock powders as it provides excellent control over particle size distribution, crystal size, and the dispersion of ND agglomerates. The resulting CS coatings were characterized with respect to deposition efficiency, particle velocity and mechanical properties. It was found that the CS deposition produced dense, ND–Al composite coatings with increases in both hardness and elastic modulus as compared to the feedstock powders. The coating hardness of the 0.5 h-milled ND–Al composite that has the highest DE (14.2%) in ND–Al composites is 3.02 GPa, an 175% increase over the pristine as-received Al (1.10 GPa). The highest elastic modulus of the composite coatings is 98.3 GPa, a 51.5% increase over the as-received Al powder.
Simulation of a multistage domestic heating system

The performance of a single gas-fired conventional domestic space heaterr was compared with that of the same conventional heater in combination with a smaller auxiliary heater. The auxiliary heater could be a solar heater or could obtain its energy from more conventional sources. The auxiliary heater is presumed to have a shorter time constant than the main furnace. As room temperature falls below the present temperature, the auxiliary heater turns on before the main furnace, but turns off when the main furnace comes on. In the study the following parameters were varied: hysteresis of the main furnace's thermostat; hysteresis of the auxiliary heater's thermostat; time constants of the controller, main furnace, and auxiliary heater; and the size (heat output capacity) of the auxiliary heater as a percentage of the size of the main furnace. The outputs recorded were temperature variations of the room air and the cycling time of the system. In each case results were plotted as a function of the relative size of the auxiliary heater for 3 values of one of the time constants, the other two time constants and the hystereses of the thermostats being held constant. Operating conditions were a set point temperature 70/sup 0/Fmore » for room air and an outdoors air temperature of 0/sup 0/F. In all cases examined the system with the auxiliary heater produced more uniform room temperatures. Shortening the time constants of the controller and the auxiliary heate reduced variations in room temperature.« less
Cytochemistry and fine structure of elimination chromatin in Dytiscidae.

Abstract The elimination chromatin of Dytiscidae contains the whole nucleolar material. It synthesizes both DNA and RNA independently of the chromosomes. Once synthesized, these nucleic acids stay within the elimination chromatin mass throughout the differentiation process until the whole structure is eliminated from the oocyte nucleus. The total amount of DNA thus synthesized is at least 20 times the diploid value, most probably more than 40 times.
Heavy ion transmission detector

Abstract A description is given of a compact, inexpensive and easily fabricated transmission detector of energetic heavy ions. The detector makes use of a crossed electric-magnetic field to guide electrons (ejected from a thin metallized film by a transiting heavy ion) into a series of cycloidal-like paths. With each impact, electron multiplication occurs resulting in a surge of current onto a collector plate. This detector should prove useful for timing the passage of heavy ions with a concurrent minimum energy loss (less than 0.5 MeV for fission fragments). The detection efficiency of passing 252 Cf fission fragments is 100% over a sensitive area of 1.3 cm 2 . Using two like detectors, an overall system timing resolution (fwhm) of 0.8 ns is possible at the present stage of development.
Phylogenetic patterns of enamel microstructure in dinosaur teeth.

The tooth enamel microstructure of all the dinosaur taxa that are adequately represented in the American Museum of Natural History collections were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. This study aims to determine whether or not better sampling within a major nonmammalian amniote (hereafter referred to descriptively as “reptile”) clade will unearth phylogenetic patterns in enamel microstructure in addition to those dictated by tooth function. While interest in reptile enamel microstructure has increased in the past few years, intensive sampling focused on just one monophyletic reptile clade was not previously implemented. This study reveals that phylogenetic constraints play a larger role in shaping enamel microstructure in reptiles than previously thought. Within many monophyletic dinosaur clades the combination of enamel types and enamel features within a tooth—the schmelzmuster—is the same in all the taxa due to their common ancestry, and their schmelzmusters are diagnostic of their respective clades. While distantly related taxa with similar teeth and diets have similar schmelzmusters due to functional constraints, phylogenetic constraints keep those schmelzmusters distinct from one another. An interesting finding of this analysis is that the enamel complexity of a taxon does not necessarily coincide with the position of the taxon on a phylogenetic tree; more derived taxa do not necessarily have more derived enamel and more primitive taxa do not necessarily have more primitive enamel. J. Morphol. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effects of chronic irradiation on the breeding performance of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata (Osteichthyes:Teleostei).

SummaryThe effects of chronic irradiation on the life-time breeding performance of the small tropical fish, Poecilia reticulata, have been investigated at mean dose-rates of 0·17, 0·40 and 1·27 rad hour−1. The total fecundity was markedly (P < 0·001) reduced at all dose-rates owing to a decrease in mean actual brood-size and an increase in temporary and permanent infertility. Minor progressive changes in the interbrood time with age and dose-rate were noted. The neonatal death-rate, incidence of abnormalities, and survival and sex ratio of the offspring were unaffected by irradiation. The brood-size data have been used to derive estimates of the dominant lethal mutation rate which are of the same order as those determined for mammals. Histological studies indicate that functional sterility is not necessarily dependent on the destruction of the gonads, and it is possible that radiation effects on pituitary function are responsible for much of the observed infertility.
Supporting secure collaborations with attribute-based access control

Attribute-based access control (ABAC) has been regarded in recent years as an effective way for providing security guarantees in collaboration environments, due to its alleged flexibility and efficiency for meeting the access control requirements of heterogeneous organizations. Despite the growing interest in ABAC, there still need consensus on a reference model that comprehensively describes all necessary components and functions, in such a way non-trivial security properties can be effectively taken into account. In order to overcome this limitation, we propose an abstract model that includes a precise definition of attributes and relevant core components. In addition, we introduce the notion of security tokens that serve as a layer of association between attributes and access rights. We also validate our results by presenting both a case study and a comparison with existing approaches that have been previously proposed in the literature.
Managing multi-lateral, intergovernmental projects and programmes: the case of the UNEP/GEF South China Sea project.

The management of comprehensive and extensive, multi-lateral and multi-national programmes and projects in the field of coastal and ocean management poses numerous organisational problems encompassing co-ordination between: the actions of individual participating countries at the regional level; the national level actions of institutions from different sectors; and actions that are designed to address issues as diverse as: biological diversity conservation and sustainable use; fisheries management; maritime transport; and the control of land based pollution. Most large multi-lateral projects focus on sound scientific knowledge and information, and pay less attention to the design of a management structure that will ensure coherence and co-ordination of the interventions once the programme or project is under implementation. The project entitled "Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand" was complex since it addressed three priority areas of concern namely the loss and degradation of coastal habitats, over-exploitation of fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand, and land-based pollution. It is suggested that the success of the management framework reflects the following key design elements:•The framework permitted and encouraged both "horizontal" (inter-country) and "vertical" (intra-country) interactions and networking between individuals at all levels of project implementation and execution;•Inclusion of a body (the Regional Scientific and Technical Committee) that served as a forum for reconciling both sectorial and national interests and priorities;•The clear separation between discussions of scientific and technical matters from discussions dealing with policy and principles at both the national and regional levels;•The framework facilitated the incorporation of sound scientific and technical advice and information into politically based decision-making;•The use of regional experts and consultants from the participating countries fostered "ownership" of the activities and outputs;•Restriction of the membership of the Project Steering Committee to government representatives only, and exclusion of observers from regional and international agencies and institutions other than UNEP; and,•The framework allowed for adaptive management and was not a rigid unchanging structure.
The quantitative analysis of phenobarbital with trimethylanilinium hydroxide

Abstract The gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of phenobarbital which uses trimethylanilinium hydroxide (TMAH)_as a methylating agent results in the formation of two products: previously identified N,N-dimethylphenobarbital and a heretofore unidentified decomposition product. By mass spectrometry and synthesis, this compound was identified as N-methyl-α-phenylbutyramide. Two parameters affecting its formation are the concentration of TMAH and the time phenobarbital is in TMAH prior to GLC injection. Using a high TMAH concentration (1.8 M ), the amount of N-methyl-α-phenylbutyramide formed is reproducible, a linear function of the phenobarbital concentration and a better basis for the quantitative determination of phenobarbital than N,N-dimethylphenobarbital. Application to the simultaneous determination of phenobarbital, primidone and diphenylhydantoin in 12 min is given.
Testing renormalization group theory at the critical dimension in LiHoF 4

We have performed high-precision specific heat measurements on the Ising dipolar magnet ${\mathrm{LiHoF}}_{4}$ in the critical regime (reduced temperature $|t|\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.02).$ Combining these results with existing magnetization M and susceptibility $\ensuremath{\chi}$ data, we test renormalization group predictions at the critical dimension. In particular, the nontrivial prediction that ${t}^{2}\ensuremath{\chi}{C}_{P}{T}_{C}{/M}^{2}=\frac{1}{3}$ is well verified.
gift giving and reciprocity among the Japanese Americans in Honolulu1

Gift-giving practices of the Japanese Americans in Honolulu have been analyzed within the framework of the reciprocity norm. This system of balanced reciprocity requires that specified amounts of money be given at important events in the life cycle. It is concluded that reciprocity serves important social functions by facilitating status placement, providing generational continuities, reducing conflict, and equalizing class differences.
An unusual complication of a conduit-mounted homograft: Valve leaflet fixation in the open position

Surgical management of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in patients with complete transposition of the great arteries and an intact ventricular septum is difficult. Direct resection of subpulmonary stenosis has not produced satisfactory results. Thus, relief of stenosis has been accomplished with valved conduits from the left ventricle to the pulmonary artery. Initially, conduit tissue valves were porcine in nature. More recently, human-origin conduit tissue valves have been employed. In this report, we describe an unusual complication in a child with complete transposition in whom a homograft valve conduit was placed from the left ventricle to the pulmonary artery to relieve subpulmonary stenosis. The leaflets became fixed in an open position. Thus, the conduit was converted to a functionally nonvalved communication. The subpulmonary stenosis regressed, allowing egress from both the natural outflow tract and the conduit.
Gating of skeletal and cardiac muscle sodium channels in mammalian cells

1 Sodium channel ionic current (INa) and gating current (Ig) were compared for rat skeletal (rSkM1) and human heart Na+ channels (hH1a) heterologously expressed in cultured mammalian cells at ∼13 °C before and after modification by site-3 toxins (Anthopleurin A and Anthopleurin B). 2 For hH1a Na+ channels there was a concordance between the half-points (V½) of the peak conductance-voltage (G–V) relationship and the gating charge-voltage (Q–V) relationship with no significant difference in half-points. In contrast, the half-point of the Q–V relationship for rSkM1 Na+ channels was shifted to more negative potentials compared with its G–V relationship with a significant difference in the half-points of −8 mV. 3 Site-3 toxins slowed the decay of INa in response to step depolarizations for both rSkM1 and hH1a Na+ channels. The half-point of the G–V relationship in rSkM1 Na+ channels was shifted by −8.0 mV while toxin modification of hH1a Na+ channels produced a smaller hyperpolarizing shift of the V½ by −3.7 mV. 4 Site-3 toxins reduced maximal gating charge (Qmax) by 33% in rSkM1 and by 31% in hH1a, but produced only minor changes in the half-points and slope factors of their Q–V relationships. In contrast to measurements in control solutions, after modification by site-3 toxin the half-points of the G–V and the Q–V relationships for rSkM1 Na+ channels demonstrated a concordance similar to that for hH1a. 5 Qmaxvs. Gmax for rSkM1 and hH1a Na+ channels exhibited linear relationships with almost identical slopes, as would be expected if the number of electronic charges (e−) per channel was comparable. 6 We conclude that the faster kinetics in rSkM1 channels compared with hH1a channels may arise from inherently faster rate transitions in skeletal muscle Na+ channels, and not from major differences in the voltage dependence of the channel transitions.
Organizational change through effective leadership

I. THE PLANT Y CASE. 1. Setting the Stage. 2. Period of Disintegration. 3. Period of Change. 4. The Change Process in Retrospect - and the Results. 5. Epilogue. II. THE PLANT Z CASE. Section One: Description of Events at Plant Z. 6. Introducing Quality of Worklife at Plant Z. 7. Getting on Stream. Section Two: Conceptual Analysis of Plant Z. 8. The Process of Launching QWL. 9. The Dynamics of Problem-Solving Groups. 10. The Diffusion and Institutionalization of Change. 11. The Leadership Role. 12. Concluding Remarks - Plant Y and Plant Z. Bibliography.
Spectral tomography from spatial coherence measurements

We describe the use of non-focal interferometric cameras for reconstruction of the 4D power spectral density of incoherent sources. We develop a 4D version of the generalized van Cittert-Zernike theorem to establish the Fourier transform relationship between the mutual coherence function and the power spectral density. We present experimental demonstrations of 4D imaging using a rotational shearing interferometer. We discuss limitations of interferometric imaging systems and consider how sensor systems might evolve to combine the stability of focal systems with the algorithmic sophistication and multidimensional capacity of interferometry.
The production of phage-related materials when bacteriophage development is interrupted by proflavine☆

Abstract Phage-free fractions obtained by ultrafiltration or high-speed centrifugation of lysates of phage T2 contain noninfectious materials that can block phageneutralizing antibody. The antineutralizing activity, or “serum-blocking power,” of these materials is titrated with reference to that of infectious phage particles. Premature lysis of T2-infected cells during the latent period reveals that the non-infectious, serum-blocking materials appear several minutes before infectious phages and accumulate in the cells. In normal lysates, one-twentieth to one-fifth of the total serum-blocking activity is in the form of noninfectious materials smaller than phage. Bacteria infected with T2 in the presence of proflavine, which on lysis liberate no active phage, produce about as much serum-blocking activity as they would in the absence of proflavine, but this material is practically all in the form of elements smaller than phage. These materials may represent precursors of the tail portion of the phage, but there is no proof that they are indeed precursors. In the presence of proflavine all known major constituents of phage are synthesized, but on lysis they are liberated as noninfectious materials.
Hippocampal dysfunction and disruption of dopamine system regulation in an animal model of schizophrenia

Studies into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia have consistently demonstrated a dysfunction of dopamine (DA) system regulation in this disorder. This includes hyper-responsivity to DA agonists, the therapeutic efficacy of DA antagonists, and augmented striatal DA release in response to amphetamine. Nonetheless, there is little evidence for a pathological alteration with the DA system itself in schizophrenia. Instead, it is suggested that the disturbance lies in the manner by which the DA system is regulated. Recently, rodent models of schizophrenia have been advanced based on developmental disruption that recapitulates many of the symptoms observed in human schizophrenia patients. We found that administration of the mitotoxin methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) to rats at gestational day 17 leads to adult rats that exhibit neuroanatomical, pharmacological, and behavioral characteristics consistent with schizophrenia. These rats also exhibit hyperactivity within the ventral subiculum of the hippocampus that corresponds to a loss of parvalbumin-containing interneurons. This hyperactivity causes an increase in the population activity of the DA neurons(i.e., more DA neurons are firing spontaneously), thus increasing the responsivity of the DA system to stimuli. When the ventral subiculum is inactivated, DA neuron population activity is restored to baseline, and the hyperresponsivity to amphetamine is normalized to that observed in control rats. These findings demonstrate a direct link between the hippocampal pathophysiology, interneuronal alterations, and hyperdopaminergic state observed in the schizophrenia patient. Moreover, this suggests an alternate pharmacotherapeutic approach based on the normalization of hippocampal activity in the treatment of schizophrenia in humans.
Cell shape and growth regulation in skeletal muscle: Exogenous versus endogenous factors

Passive stretch (10-12%) of tissue-cultured avian skeletal myotubes in serum-containing medium stimulates myotube growth in a manner analogous to hormonal stimulation of adult muscle. The resulting increase in myotube length is accompanied by marked reduction in the number of surface microvilli seen by scanning electron microscopy. We investigated the possible involvement of exogenous growth factors in the transduction of stretch-induced alterations in cell shape into the concurring biochemical changes that are associated with cell growth. We show that the acute stimulation of myotube amino acid transport and protein synthesis by stretch are independent of serum growth factors in the culture medium by evidence obtained from serum dose-response experiments. The myotubes synthesize and secrete high molecular weight factors into their culture medium, which regulates myotube amino acid transport and protein synthesis. Stretch of the myotubes did not alter the appearance of these factors in the culture medium. The initial growth-related biochemical alterations induced by myotube stretch in vitro thus depend only on events intrinsic to the cells. However, subsequent stretch-induced growth of the myotubes occurs only in serum-containing medium. There are both serum-independent and serum-dependent steps in the transduction of the stretch stimulus into myotube growth.
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene thermal decomposition: kinetic parameters determined by the isothermal differential scanning calorimetry technique

Abstract The isothermal differential scanning calorimetry technique is used to determine kinetic parameters for the thermal decomposition of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Values for the activation energy and pre-exponential factor are presented. An analysis of the thermochemical induction period data is presented which allows calculation of the activation energy of the induction reaction.
The effect of diffusive solvent relaxation on ultrafast electron transfer within the methyl viologen-hexacyanoferrate complex in trehalose–water glass

Abstract Electron transfer rate were measured for methyl viologen-hexacyanoferrate and methyl viologen-hydroquinone complexes in solution and in trehalose–water glass matrices. Rates measured in the glass were a factor of 2.5–3 smaller than those observed in aqueous solution, whereas linear absorption spectra were shifted by less than 300 cm −1 with only minor differences in line shape. Our data in the trehalose–water glass are consistent with a predominantly aqueous local environment. Electron transfer rate data are modeled by allowing 10% of the solvent reorganization in the glass to proceed diffusively.
Glimpsing the Critical Intermediate in Cytochrome P450 Oxidations

Almost all living organisms make use of atmospheric oxygen (O2) for respiration. Another critical role of oxygen is in the partial oxidation of organic compounds, which can remove toxins or create compounds for specialized tasks such as signaling. The enzymes that accomplish this task, the oxygenases, were discovered by Hayaishi in 1955. Among them are the dioxygenases, which insert both of the O atoms into one or more substrates, and the monooxygenases, which incorporate only one of the O atoms into a substrate and reduce the other to water. The cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) ( 1 ), crucial to metabolism, can catalyze a most difficult transformation: the oxidation of aliphatic carbon-hydrogen bonds. The structure of a key intermediate in this reaction, a heme iron bearing a single oxygen atom, has eluded chemists for three decades. On page 933 of this issue, Rittle and Green ( 2 ) used Mossbauer and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, in concert with optical absorption spectroscopy, to characterize this hot oxidant in P450 catalysis as an Fe(IV)-oxo-porphyrin cation radical.
8.6 Enabling wide autonomous DVFS in a 22nm graphics execution core using a digitally controlled hybrid LDO/switched-capacitor VR with fast droop mitigation

A graphics execution core in 22nm improves energy efficiency across a wide DVFS range, from the near-threshold voltage (NTV) region, where circuit assist lowers intrinsic V M!N , to the turbo region, where adaptive clocking reduces the voltage-droop guard-band [1]. When powered with a shared rail, however, energy is wasted in the core if other blocks demand higher voltage and performance. Alternately, a per-core fully-integrated voltage regulator (VR) provides a cost-effective means to realize autonomous DVFS [2-4].
Transfection of an active cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenase indicates that 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid functions as an intracellular second messenger in response to epidermal growth factor

A common feature of most isolated cell systems is low or undetectable levels of bioactive cytochrome P450. We therefore developed stable transfectants of the renal epithelial cell line, LLCPKcl4, that expressed an active regio- and enantioselective arachidonic acid (AA) epoxygenase. Site-specific mutagenesis was used to convert bacterial P450 BM-3 into an active regio- and stereoselective 14S,15R-epoxygenase (F87V BM-3). In clones expressing F87V BM-3 (F87V BM-3 cells), exogenous AA induced significant 14S,15R-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) production (241. 82 ng/10(8) cells, >97% of total EETs), whereas no detectable EETs were seen in cells transfected with vector alone. In F87V BM-3 cells, AA stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation and increased cell proliferation, which was blocked by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, by the phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI-3) kinase inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, and by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor, PD98059. AA also induced tyrosine phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and PI-3 kinase that was inhibited by the cytochrome P450 BM-3 inhibitor, 17-ODYA. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) increased EET production in F87V BM-3 cells, which was completely abolished by pretreatment with either 17-ODYA or the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, quinacrine. Compared with vector-transfected cells, F87 BM-3 transfected cells demonstrated marked increases in both the extent and sensitivity of DNA synthesis in response to EGF. These changes occurred in the absence of significant differences in EGF receptor expression. As seen with exogenous AA, EGF increased ERK tyrosine phosphorylation to a significantly greater extent in F87V BM-3 cells than in vector-transfected cells. Furthermore, in these control cells, neither 17-ODYA nor quinacrine inhibited EGF-induced ERK tyrosine phosphorylation. On the other hand, in F87V BM-3 cells, both inhibitors reduced ERK tyrosine phosphorylation to levels indistinguishable from that seen in cells transfected with vector alone. These studies provide the first unequivocal evidence for a role for the AA epoxygenase pathway and endogenous EET synthesis in EGF-mediated signaling and mitogenesis and provide compelling evidence for the PLA2-AA-EET pathway as an important intracellular-signaling pathway in cells expressing high levels of cytochrome P450 epoxygenase.
Women in the Middle East and North Africa: change and continuity, by Elhum Haghighat-Sordellini

Women in the Middle East and North Africa: change and continuity, by Elhum Haghighat-Sordellini, New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, 216 pp., $85.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-23-010350-4 Women in the Mid...