cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Source of increased serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase: cycloheximide effect on carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity.

Abstract Repeated doses of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide prevented the increases in rat liver mitochondrial and cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase, in alanine aminotransferase and in protein content observed 24 h after a single carbon tetrachloride injection. Serum aminotransferase activity increases induced by carbon tetrachloride were also decreased as much as 75.7% with cycloheximide. Increased synthesis is, therefore, suggested as an important and sometimes major source of increased serum aminotransferases in hepatocellular injury. This effect of cycloheximide lends support to the hypothesis that the liver enzyme increases after CC14 are probably due to increased synthesis, in addition to the classically held mechanisms of leakage from necrotic or damaged hepatocytes. This explanation of the mechanisms of release of aminotransferases in rat liver injury would clarify many clinical observations if the same phenomenon were to occur in humans in response to hepatic injury. These data suggest that increased serum aminotransferase activities represent a healing, in addition to a degenerative, process.
Complications of colostomy closure

The records of 83 patients with 85 colostomy closures at Charity Hospital, New Orleans from January 1976 through June 1981 were reviewed. There were 47 complications in 30 patients (36 percent) with no deaths. The material used for anastomosis and fascial closure, the precipitating or underlying disease, the site of colostomy, and the length of operation did not influence the complication rate. The major factor affecting the complication rate was the interval of time from creation of the colostomy to its closure. Those patients who underwent closure after a 90 day interval had a lower overall complication rate than comparison groups with less than a 30 day interval and 30 to 90 day intervals (p less than 0.05). Other factors that appeared to influence the complication rate were as follows: loop colostomies had a lower suture line complication rate than divided colostomies, patients who underwent relaparotomy and closure had a higher complication rate than those whose closures were confined to the colostomy site, and wounds left open or that underwent delayed primary closure had a lower infection rate than wounds closed primarily. Thus, loop colostomies appear to have fewer complications at the time of closure than divided stomas. This is most likely related to the necessity for relaparotomy in some of the patients with divided stomas and the need for minimal mesenteric dissection required for most loop colostomy patients. Divided stomas should still be created if indicated, but when a choice exists, loop colostomies are preferable. Contaminated wounds are best managed with secondary closure or delayed primary closure. Because of the significant difference in complication rates between intervals from formation to closure of a colostomy, all patients should have their colostomies closed only after a minimum of 90 days has elapsed.
Cytogenetic findings in siblings with a myelodysplastic syndrome

A brother and sister, both in their third decade, presented 6 months apart with severe pancytopenia. Bone marrow examination demonstrated morphologic changes, characteristic of the myelodysplastic syndromes, subtype refractory anemia with excess of blasts; cytogenetic studies revealed complex but different karyotypic abnormalities in both siblings. No history of exposure to mutagenic agents was obtained; there was no evidence of congenital anomalies in the family. Both siblings died within 18 months of diagnosis from complications related to their disease. This report describes the clinical course and discusses the cytogenetic findings for both siblings.
Total arch replacement using moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest and unilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion

Objective To examine the clinical outcomes and impact of using moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA) and unilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (uSACP) in the setting of total aortic arch replacement (TOTAL). Methods From 2004 to 2012, 733 patients underwent open arch reconstruction with MHCA and SACP. Of these, 145 (20%) underwent TOTAL. Measured outcomes included death, stroke, temporary neurologic dysfunction (TND), and renal failure. Mean follow-up time was 33 months and ranged from 0 to 95 months. Results Core temperature at the onset of MHCA was 25.8°C. Cardiopulmonary bypass and myocardial ischemic times were 236 minutes and 181 minutes, respectively. Twenty-three patients (16%) underwent emergency repair of acute type A dissection. Fifty-four cases (37%) were reoperative and 52 (34%) were stage I elephant trunk procedures. Concomitant root replacement was performed in 50 (35%) patients, including 20 David V valve-sparing procedures. Mean duration of circulatory arrest was 55 minutes. Operative mortality was 9.7%. Overall incidence of stroke and TND was 2.8% and 5.6%, respectively. Four patients (2.8%) required postoperative dialysis. Seven-year survival was significantly reduced (P = .04) after repair of type A dissection (83.8%) compared with elective surgery (89.5%). Higher temperature during TOTAL was not found to be a significant risk factor for adverse events. Conclusions TOTAL using MHCA and uSACP can be accomplished with excellent early and late results. MHCA was not associated with adverse neurologic outcomes or higher operative risk, despite prolonged periods of circulatory arrest.
Outcomes after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair using hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Objective Recent advances in endovascular surgery have put into question the role of open operative treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. In this context we evaluated our experience with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair using cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermic circulatory arrest. Methods From January 1986 to December 2008, 218 patients (mean age, 63 ± 14 years) underwent thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermic circulatory arrest. The degree of repair was as follows: Crawford extent I, 57 (26%) patients; Crawford extent II, 91 (41%) patients; and Crawford extent III, 70 (32%) patients. Degenerative aneurysms were present in 160 (73%) patients. Eighteen (8%) patients underwent emergency operations. Results The mean durations of cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermic circulatory arrest were 160 ± 44 and 31 ± 12 minutes, respectively. Stroke occurred in 8 (3.7%) patients, and spinal cord ischemic injury occurred in 10 (4.6%) patients (8 with paraplegia and 2 with paraparesis). Temporary dialysis for new-onset renal failure was required in 3.6% of hospital survivors. Thirty-day and 1-year mortality rates were 7.3% and 24.5%, respectively. After emergency operations, the 30-day mortality rate was 33.3% compared with 5.0% after elective operations ( P = .001). Five- and 10-year survivals were 55% and 23%, respectively. Twenty-five patients required reoperation on the graft or contiguous aorta at a mean of 5 ± 3 years after the initial procedure. Five- and 10-year rates of freedom from reoperation were 87% and 60%, respectively. Conclusions Cardiopulmonary bypass with hypothermic circulatory arrest can be safely used for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair, providing excellent protection against end-organ injury. Early mortality and morbidity rates do not exceed those reported for endovascular repair, with particularly favorable outcomes among patients undergoing elective operations.
Bicarbonate effects in leaf discs from spinach.

In this paper, we show the unique role of bicarbonate ion in stimulating the electron transfer of photosystem II (PS II) in formate-treated leaf discs from spinach. This is referred to as the “bicarbonate effect” and is independent of the role of CO2 in CO2 fixation. It is shown to have two sites of action: (1) the first, described here for the first time, stimulates the electron flow between the hydroxylamine donation site (“Z” or “D”) and QA, the first plastoquinone electron acceptor and (2) the other accelerates the electron flow beyond QA, perhaps at the QA QB complex, where QB is the second plastoquinone electron acceptor.
Making Data Collection in Low-resource Contexts Intuitive, Fun, and Interactive

Abstract—Community health data can be used to track diseases, facilitate efficient deployment of medical resources, or reduce clinic wait times in fledgling healthcare systems in developing countries. Despite these potential benefits, many electronic data collection, aggregation and digitization projects fail within a few years of launching. Over a three-year span, Community Health Workers (CHWs) operating our telemedicine venture in East Africa retrogressed from using laptops and netbooks, to smartphones and basic cell phones, to pen and paper. The reasons for these technology downgrades can be attributed to diverse contextual, business-related, communication, coordination, and technological challenges that compromise the collection of data. To address this health data collection challenge, our team has designed intuitive, fun, power-efficient, and rugged devices that draw on principles of tangible computing, user-centered design, and interaction design. By incorporating lights, sounds, and instant feedback, these devices are designed to become a natural part of CHW-client interactions rather than cumbersome, intrusive distractions. This article describes the design of three interactive prototypes to gamify the health data collection process and preliminary test results from their deployment in Kenya.
Coupled harmonic oscillator models of carbon monoxide adsorbed on stepped, platinum surfaces

Abstract Harmonic oscillator models are used to explain recent experimental data on infrared absorption by CO molecules adsorbed on two stepped platinum surfaces. These data reveal only a lower frequency band at low coverage and only a higher frequency band at high coverage. Both bands exist over a range of intermediate coverages. The data are explained by a coupled-dipole model which includes the effects of electronic polarizability, the tilted orientation of CO molecules at step sites, and the electric field enhancement at step sites. The lower-frequency band is associated with CO molecules adsorbed on step sites and the higher-frequency band is associated with two-dimensional islands consisting of both step and terrace CO. The model explains the observed variation of frequency and intensity with coverage for CO adsorption on Pt(533) and Pt(432) surfaces. The model calculations indicate that the wavenumber for a single, linearly bonded CO molecule is about 9 cm−1 higher on a terrace site than on a step site.
Pharmacological mitigation of tissue damage during brain microdialysis.

Microdialysis sampling in the brain is employed frequently in the chemical analysis of neurological function and disease, but implanting the probes, which are substantially larger than the size and spacing of brain cells and blood vessels, is injurious and triggers ischemia, gliosis, and cell death at the sampling site. The nature of the interface between the brain and the microdialysis probe is critical to the use of microdialysis as a neurochemical analysis technique. The objective of the work reported here was to investigate the potential of two compounds, dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory agent, and XJB-5-131, a mitochondrially targeted reactive oxygen species scavenger, to mitigate the penetration injury. Measurements were performed in the rat brain striatum, which is densely innervated by axons that release dopamine, an electroactive neurotransmitter. We used voltammetry to measure electrically evoked dopamine release next to microdialysis probes during the retrodialysis of dexametha...
Ranking and selection procedures using standardized time series

We study the problem of determining that one of k stationary simulated processes which has the largest mean. We adapt for use in the simulation environment a ranking and selection procedure due to Dudewicz and Dalal (1975). In order to implement this procedure, it is necessary to estimate the process variance of each of the k simulated systems; variance estimators arising from the theory of standardized time series are used for this purpose.
Imaging of sacral masses: self-assessment module.

Received December 22, 2009, 2009; accepted after revision May 2, 2010. 1Both authors: Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Box 354755, 4245 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Address correspondence to A. S. Ha (aha1@uw.edu). AJR 2010; 195:S32–S36 0361–803X/10/1953–S32 © American Roentgen Ray Society ABSTRACT The educational objectives for this self-assessment module are for the participant to exercise, self-assess, and improve his or her understanding of sacral masses and the key imaging characteristics of various sacral masses.
Effects of acute and chronic administration of Δ9-tetrahy-drocannabinol or cocaine on ethanol intake in a rat model

The acute and chronic administration of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) or cocaine were studied in rats trained to obtain all of their daily food by lever pressing during four equally-spaced 30-min periods with water and 5% or 7.5% ethanol solutions freely available. With 5% ethanol available, rats consumed almost all of their daily fluid intake as ethanol, while with 7.5% ethanol available, rats consumed water and ethanol solution in approximately equal amounts. Rats consumed more food pellets with 7.5% ethanol available than with 5% ethanol available. Acute administration of delta 9-THC produced a dose-dependent decrease of 5% ethanol intake and food pellets consumed with a small increase in water intake, especially after the higher doses. Acute administration of delta 9-THC also depressed food intake when 7.5% ethanol was available, but decreases in ethanol solution intake were small. Chronic administration of delta 9-THC initially decreased ethanol intake, but tolerance occurred to this effect, so that during chronic delta 9-THC administration ethanol intake not only recovered, but increased above control levels. When the chronic administration of delta 9-THC was discontinued, ethanol intake was increased for 1 (5% ethanol) to 3 (7.5% ethanol) weeks. Animals with initially high, or initially low, but not with initially moderate ethanol intake, accounted for the increased ethanol intake during chronic delta 9-THC administration and withdrawal. Acute cocaine administration, at doses up to 30 mg/kg, had little effect on eating and drinking; however, during chronic cocaine administration, ethanol intake gradually increased, an increase which was sustained during cocaine withdrawal. The increased ethanol drinking was confined to the first 6-h period after cocaine administration. These data suggest that the chronic administration and withdrawal of other drugs can increase ethanol intake in this rat model.
Fabrication of micropatterned hydrogels for neural culture systems using dynamic mask projection photolithography.

Increasingly, patterned cell culture environments are becoming a relevant technique to study cellular characteristics, and many researchers believe in the need for 3D environments to represent in vitro experiments which better mimic in vivo qualities 1-3. Studies in fields such as cancer research 4, neural engineering 5, cardiac physiology 6, and cell-matrix interaction7,8have shown cell behavior differs substantially between traditional monolayer cultures and 3D constructs. Hydrogels are used as 3D environments because of their variety, versatility and ability to tailor molecular composition through functionalization 9-12. Numerous techniques exist for creation of constructs as cell-supportive matrices, including electrospinning13, elastomer stamps14, inkjet printing15, additive photopatterning16, static photomask projection-lithography17, and dynamic mask microstereolithography18. Unfortunately, these methods involve multiple production steps and/or equipment not readily adaptable to conventional cell and tissue culture methods. The technique employed in this protocol adapts the latter two methods, using a digital micromirror device (DMD) to create dynamic photomasks for crosslinking geometrically specific poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels, induced through UV initiated free radical polymerization. The resulting "2.5D" structures provide a constrained 3D environment for neural growth. We employ a dual-hydrogel approach, where PEG serves as a cell-restrictive region supplying structure to an otherwise shapeless but cell-permissive self-assembling gel made from either Puramatrix or agarose. The process is a quick simple one step fabrication which is highly reproducible and easily adapted for use with conventional cell culture methods and substrates. Whole tissue explants, such as embryonic dorsal root ganglia (DRG), can be incorporated into the dual hydrogel constructs for experimental assays such as neurite outgrowth. Additionally, dissociated cells can be encapsulated in the photocrosslinkable or self polymerizing hydrogel, or selectively adhered to the permeable support membrane using cell-restrictive photopatterning. Using the DMD, we created hydrogel constructs up to ~1mm thick, but thin film (<200 μm) PEG structures were limited by oxygen quenching of the free radical polymerization reaction. We subsequently developed a technique utilizing a layer of oil above the polymerization liquid which allowed thin PEG structure polymerization. In this protocol, we describe the expeditious creation of 3D hydrogel systems for production of microfabricated neural cell and tissue cultures. The dual hydrogel constructs demonstrated herein represent versatile in vitro models that may prove useful for studies in neuroscience involving cell survival, migration, and/or neurite growth and guidance. Moreover, as the protocol can work for many types of hydrogels and cells, the potential applications are both varied and vast.
Long-Term Effects of In-Situ Leach-Mining Restoration in Oakville Aquifer System near George, West Texas, with Implications for Shallow Waterflooding: ABSTRACT

The Miocene Oakville Formation is a major Gulf Coast freshwater aquifer and uranium host. The impact of long-term pumping during the restoration phase of leach mining depends on the efficiency of water-quality improvement methods, characteristics of the aquifer, and meteorological fluctuations affecting recharge. Newly acquired data from this industry have improved understanding of fluid migration in a fluvial depositional system. Development of the in-situ leach-mining industry has added vast amounts of subsurface hydrogeological data obtained from operation of an extensive network of wells. Both surface and subsurface data were combined in this investigation, which included analysis and interpretation of outcrop samples, uranium drill logs, cross sections loaned by companies, End_Page 1424------------------------------ pumping test data, water-well data furnished by the Texas Department of Water Resources, and geological and soils maps. This information was incorporated into the U.S. Geological Survey three-dimensional finite-difference computer model to predict ground-water behavior in a heterogeneous and anisotropic aquifer. Results indicate leakage through confining beds and communication across growth faults, suggesting that the Oakville is a complex aquifer system rather than a simple confined aquifer. Understanding the development of intricate flow paths and controlled movement of fluids through designed and controlled systems may improve methods of shallow waterflooding of petroleum reservoirs as well as management of water resources. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1425------------
Mammalian gene targeting with designed zinc finger nucleases

Gene targeting by homologous recombination is a powerful method to manipulate the genome precisely and could be exploited to correct genetic defects. Zinc finger nucleases are designed proteins that fuse a zinc finger DNA binding domain to the nuclease domain from the FokI restriction endonuclease. Zinc finger nucleases were generated that stimulated gene targeting from half-site sequences from the human beta-globin gene and the human common gamma-chain gene. Zinc finger nucleases were also generated that stimulated gene targeting at full sites from the green fluorescent protein gene and the human CD8alpha gene. This work built on the prior zinc finger design work of others and in targeting these four genes had a 100% success rate at designing nucleases to the consensus half-site 5'-GNNGNNGNN-3' and the consensus full site 5'-NNCNNCNNCNNNNNNGNNGNNGNN-3', suggesting that zinc finger nucleases can be empirically designed to stimulate gene targeting in a large portion of the mammalian genome.
Ion transport by mitochondria-rich cells in toad skin.

The optical sectioning video imaging technique was used for measurements of the volume of mitochondria-rich (m.r.) cells of the isolated epithelium of toad skin. Under short-circuit conditions, cell volume decreased by about 14% in response to bilateral exposure to Cl-free (gluconate substitution) solutions, apical exposure to ouabain resulted in a large increase in volume, which could be prevented either by the simultaneous application of amiloride in the apical solution or by the exposure of the epithelium to bilateral Cl-free solutions. Unilateral exposure to a Cl-free solution did not prevent ouabain-induced cell swelling. It is concluded that m.r. cells have an amiloride-blockable Na conductance in the apical membrane, a ouabain-sensitive Na pump in the basolateral membrane, and a passive Cl permeability in both membranes. From the initial rate of ouabain-induced cell volume increase the active Na current carried by a single m.r. cell was estimated to be 9.9±1.3 pA. Voltage clamping of the preparation in the physiological range of potentials (0 to −100 mV, serosa grounded) resulted in a cell volume increase with a time course similar to that of the stimulation of the voltage-dependent activation were prevented by exposure of the tissue to a Cl-free apical solution. The steady-state volume of the m.r. cells increased with the clamping voltage, and at −100 mV the volume was about 1.15 times that under short-circuit conditions. The rate of volume increase during current passage was significantly decreased by lowering the serosal K concentration (Ki) to 0.5mm, but was independent of whether Ki was 2.4, 5, or 10mm. This indicates that the K conductance of the serosal membrane becomes rate limiting for the uptake of KCl when Ki is significantly lower than its physiological value. It is concluded that the voltage-activated Cl currents flow through the m.r. cells and that swelling is caused by an uptake of Cl ions from the apical bath and K ions from the serosal bath. Bilateral exposure of the tissue to hypo- or hypertonic bathing solutions changed cell volume without detectable changes in the Cl conductance. The volume response to external osmotic perturbations followed that of an osmometer with an osmotically inactive volume of 21%. Using this value and the change in cell volume in response to bilateral Cl-free solutions, we calculated an intracellular steady-state Cl concentration of 19.8±1.7mm (n=6) of the short-circuited cell.
The polarographic reduction of some dinitroaniline herbicides

Polarography of 2,6-dinitroaniline herbicides in aqueous ethanol revealed a marked pH dependence of the reduction potentials. The study included the herbicides trifluralin (I), benefin (II), isopropalin (III), dinitramine (IV), nitralin (V), and oryzalin (VI), for which E12 values (mV vs. SCE) for the first polarographic wave, at pH 1.5, 5.1, 7.4, and 9.2, respectively, were (I) −190, −430, −540, −640; (II) −190, −430, −540, −640; (III) −170, −360, −560, −650; (IV) −230, −510, −720, −810; (V) −160, −330, −540, −650; (VI) −160, −370, −540, −680.
Adverse influence of ozone on pulmonary bactericidal activity of murine lung.

As an air pollutant, ozone is considered to be an important predisposing factor in pulmonary bacterial infections1–2. Little is known about the precise mechanisms responsible for the diminished resistance to infection, but it seems that the pathogenesis of these infections involves inhibition of pulmonary antibacterial activity. In vivo investigations have demonstrated that mice exposed to ozone have an increased mortality from infection with pathogenic streptococci3 or K. pneumoniae2,4. Experiments using an in vitro method for measuring alveolar macrophage function have shown marked impairment in phagocytic activity after exposure of mice to ozone5. These results prompted us to study the effect of ozone on the in vivo rate of bacterial killing by the murine lung. We show inhibition of pulmonary bactericidal activity from short term exposures to ozone concentrations as low as 0.62 p.p.m.
"Los doce trabajos de Hércules" de Villena y la "Fiorita" de Guido da Pisa

This essay points out a general source for Enrique de Villena's Los doce trabajos de Hercules . The source is Guido da Pisa's Fiorita d'Italia , specifically a section of it which is entirely devoted to Hercules' labors. Villena draws historical and exegetical data from this source, and at times he does so verbatim, but most often he amplifies and manipulates these data with originality in order to pursue his moral and political goals.
Lefty Blocks a Subset of TGFβ Signals by Antagonizing EGF-CFC Coreceptors

Members of the EGF-CFC family play essential roles in embryonic development and have been implicated in tumorigenesis. The TGFβ signals Nodal and Vg1/GDF1, but not Activin, require EGF-CFC coreceptors to activate Activin receptors. We report that the TGFβ signaling antagonist Lefty also acts through an EGF-CFC-dependent mechanism. Lefty inhibits Nodal and Vg1 signaling, but not Activin signaling. Lefty genetically interacts with EGF-CFC proteins and competes with Nodal for binding to these coreceptors. Chimeras between Activin and Nodal or Vg1 identify a 14 amino acid region that confers independence from EGF-CFC coreceptors and resistance to Lefty. These results indicate that coreceptors are targets for both TGFβ agonists and antagonists and suggest that subtle sequence variations in TGFβ signals result in greater ligand diversity.
Robert Hoffman and “direct experience of God”

THE mystic is important but baffling among the phenomena of religion. On the one hand he claims to have direct experience of God (or of some transcendental being), but on the other he says that this experience cannot be described. At the same time he apparently tries to describe it in terms of paradoxes and contradictions. Robert Hoffman, in "Logic, Meaning, and Mystical Intuition," I has interestingly applied one of the arguments central to contemporary analytic philosophy, Wittgenstein's "private language" argument, to these statements of the mystic. While agreeing that the argument is relevant here and that it leads to a definite conclusion about the mystic's claims, I disagree with the conclusion Hoffman draws. In this paper, therefore, I shall summarize the argument, point out what actually does follow from it, and show why I believe Hoffman to be wrong. Finally I shall have some general comments on mysticism. Briefly, the argument offered is this: The mystic claims to have direct experience of X (God, Self, Godhead, Brahman, etc.). A claim, though, must be made linguistically, and so anyone making a claim must speak a language and thus follow linguistic rules. But one can't be said to be following a rule unless there is some criterion for being correct or making a mistake. This criterion cannot be subjective, because "justification consists in appealing to something independent."2 But the mystic characterizes his experience of X as unique and absolutely incomparable. One conclusion which I believe can correctly be drawn here is this: the mystic, in so characterizing his experience, rules out the possibility of an (independent) criterion for the phrase 'direct experience of X.' It follows that this expression has no regular, meaningful use, and a fortiori cannot be used in claiming direct experience of God. Whether Hoffman would agree that this conclusion is correct or not, it is not the one he arrives at. But before discussing the above conclusion, I want to comment on the last part of Hoffman's contentions and give my reasons for thinking them wrong. Hoffman agrees that mystical experience is indescribable, but instead of drawing a conclusion about the phrase 'direct experience of X,' as I have above, he argues that 'X' has no correct or incorrect use: "Since the mystic . . .claims that his experience of X is unique, i.e. absolutely incomparable, he is unable to explicate it for us. But if this is so, how can he or anyone at all formulate a criterion for the correct use of terms he employs to 'describe'
Metabolism of 4′-thio-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine in CEM cells

Because of the excellent in vivo activity of 4'-thio-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (T-araC) against a variety of human solid tumors, we have studied its metabolism in CEM cells to determine how the biochemical pharmacology of this compound differs from that of beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC). Although there were many quantitative differences in the metabolism of T-araC and araC, the basic mechanism of action of T-araC was similar to that of araC: it was phosphorylated to T-araC-5'-triphosphate (T-araCTP) and inhibited DNA synthesis. The major differences between these two compounds were: (i) T-araC was phosphorylated to active metabolites at 1% the rate of araC; (ii) T-araCTP was 10- to 20-fold more potent as an inhibitor of DNA synthesis than was the 5'-triphosphate of araC (araCTP); (iii) the half-life of T-araCTP was twice that of araCTP; (iv) the catalytic efficiency of T-araC with cytidine deaminase was 10% that of araC; and (v) the 5'-monophosphate of araC was a better substrate for deoxycytidine 5'-monophosphate deaminase than was the 5'-monophosphate of T-araC. Of these differences in the metabolism of these two compounds, we propose that the prolonged retention of T-araCTP is a major factor contributing to the activity of T-araC against solid tumors. The data in this study represent another example of how relatively small structural changes in nucleoside analogs can profoundly affect the biochemical activity.
Analysis of Thermal Stresses and Residual Stress Changes in Railroad Wheels Caused by Severe Drag Braking

A finite-element computer program, which takes into consideration nonlinear material behaviour after the yield point has been exceeded, has used to analyze the thermal stresses in railroad freight car wheels subjected to severe drag brake heating. The analysis has been used with typical wheel material properties and wheel configurations to determine the thermal stress field and the extent of regions in the wheel where the yield point is exceeded. The resulting changes in the residual stress field after the wheel has cooled to ambient temperature have also been calculated. It is shown that severe drag braking can lead to the development of residual circumferential tensile stresses in the rim and radial compressive stresses in the plate near both the hub and rim fillets.
Single incision laparoscopic splenectomy in a 5-year-old with hereditary spherocytosis.

Background Single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) is an emerging technique that has been used as an approach for appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and splenectomy. We describe the technique of single incision laparoscopic splenectomy for hypersplenism in a 5-year-old boy with spherocytosis. Case report The patient required blood transfusions for anemia secondary to hypersplenism. His spleen measured 9.8 cm in cranio-caudal length on ultrasound. SILS splenectomy was performed through a 2-cm umbilical incision by using 3 ports. The splenic attachments were taken down using an electrosurgical sealing and cutting device, and the hilum was transected with an endosurgical stapler. The spleen was placed in an endosurgical bag, morcellated, and removed from the abdomen via the umbilical incision without complications. Operative time was 84 minutes; blood loss was minimal. Conclusion SILS splenectomy is feasible in pediatric patients. More experience is needed to assess advantages and disadvantages compared with the standard laparoscopic approach.
Improving the effectiveness of the medical visit: A brief visit-structuring workshop changes patients’ perceptions of primary care visits

Abstract Objective To teach visit-structuring strategies to primary care clinicians with a 1.5-h experiential workshop and assess its effect on patient perceptions of their medical visits. Methods We developed and conducted a 90min workshop for 75 clinicians from seven primary care clinics, and evaluated the effectiveness of the workshop by assessing changes in patients' ratings of visit qualities from 1 week prior ( n =301) to 1 week after ( n =322) the workshop. Patients rated their physicians' visit-structuring skills as well as satisfaction with their medical visits. Results Patients were highly satisfied with their visits both before and after the workshop. Post-workshop ratings of medical visits were more likely to indicate that all problems were addressed during the visit. Conclusions A brief workshop had a positive measurable effect on patients' perception of their medical visits. Future research should address the utility of patient rated assessments of visit characteristics. Practice implications Physicians' ability to establish and maintain a productive structure in primary care office visit is an important skill that can improve the quality of care, and some changes in physician visit-structuring behavior can be measured using patient perceptions.
A Simple Image Hiding Technique: What You May Be Missing

Recent posts to image newsgroups describe a new image hiding technique that is easy to implement and hard to spot. Criminals are utilizing common software to embed illegal graphics inside normal pictures. The files containing these embedded pictures could easily slip past an unsuspecting examiner. This article makes examiners aware of the hiding technique and the strengths and weaknesses of current forensic software and describes how to expose the hidden graphics.
Unraveling water's entropic mysteries: a unified view of nonpolar, polar, and ionic hydration.

Most chemical processes on earth are intimately linked to the unique properties of water, relying on the versatility with which water interacts with molecules of varying sizes and polarities. These interactions determine everything from the structure and activity of proteins and living cells to the geological partitioning of water, oil, and minerals in the Earth’s crust. The role of hydrophobic hydration in the formation of biological membranes and in protein folding, as well as the importance of electrostatic interactions in the hydration of polar and ionic species, are all well known. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of hydration are often not as well understood. This Account summarizes and extends emerging understandings of these mechanisms to reveal a newly unified view of hydration and explain previously mystifying observations. For example, rare gas atoms (e.g., Ar) and alkali-halide ions (e.g., K+ and Cl–) have nearly identical experimental hydration entropies, despite the significant c...
Role of Age in Sex-Role Conflict

A study of 556 working women and men examined the relationship between degree of sex-role conflict and age of the individual. For both women and men, mean sex-role conflict scores were significantl...
FDI by extended Kalman filter parameter estimation for an industrial actuator benchmark

Abstract The extended Kalman filter (EKF) is formulated as a parameter estimator and used to estimate position sensor bias and actuator current bias signals for the industrial actuator benchmark system. These bias estimates are compared instantaneously to a threshold for fault detection and identification (FDI). The paper reports results for applying this method to given benchmark data. The FDI performance is good for detecting position sensor and actuator current faults in the presence of unmodeled nonlinear dynamics and an unmodeled load change for small-amplitude signal conditions when the EKF implementation assumes parameter pseudonoise and a slow decay in the parameter dynamics. For large-amplitude signals, the results are reasonably good, but they suggest that a more accurate model for a saturation nonlinearity could improve the method's FDI performance.
Socio-economic planning in an era of falling oil revenues: The case of Venezuela

Abstract Falling oil revenues have forced the OPEC countries to adopt a variety of austerity measures. It is often said that socio-economic programs are the first to be cut under these circumstances. This paper examines likely budgetary tradeoffs to determine the validity of this thesis for Venezuela. In particular the paper examines whether the government will be able to sustain (and if so under what conditions) the socio-economic programs established during the period of expanded revenues. The results of several simulations of the economy using an optimal control, econometric model indicate that without major changes in national priorities (in terms of security vs socio-economic programs) that there are several strategies open to the authorities allowing socio-economic progress to continue over the period to 1990.
General aviation internal combustion engine research programs at NASA-Lewis Research Center

An update is presented of non-turbine general aviation engine programs. The program encompasses conventional, lightweight diesel and rotary engines. It's three major thrusts are: (1) reduced SFC's; (2) improved fuels tolerance; and (3) reduced emissions. Current and planned future programs in such areas as lean operation, improved fuel management, advanced cooling techniques and advanced engine concepts, are described. These are expected to lay the technology base, by the mid to latter 1980's, for engines whose life cycle fuel costs are 30 to 50% lower than today's conventional engines.
Sustained Delivery of Chemokine CXCL12 from Chemically Modified Silk Hydrogels

A delivery platform was developed using silk-based hydrogels, and sustained delivery of the cationic chemokine CXCL12 at therapeutically relevant doses is demonstrated. Hydrogels were prepared from plain silk and silk that had been chemically modified with sulfonic acid groups. CXCL12 was mixed with the silk solution prior to gelation, resulting in 100% encapsulation efficiency, and both hydrated and lyophilized gels were compared. By attaching a fluorescein tag to CXCL12 using a site-specific sortase-mediated enzymatic ligation, release was easily quantified in a high-throughput manner using fluorescence spectroscopy. CXCL12 continually eluted from both plain and acid-modified silk hydrogels for more than 5 weeks at concentrations ranging from 10 to 160 ng per day, depending on the gel preparation method. Notably, acid-modified silk hydrogels displayed minimal burst release yet had higher long-term release rates compared to those of plain silk hydrogels. Similar release profiles were observed over a range of loading capacities, allowing dosage to be easily varied.
An iterative Monte Carlo method for nonconjugate Bayesian analysis

The Gibbs sampler has been proposed as a general method for Bayesian calculation in Gelfand and Smith (1990). However, the predominance of experience to date resides in applications assuming conjugacy where implementation is reasonably straightforward. This paper describes a tailored approximate rejection method approach for implementation of the Gibbs sampler when nonconjugate structure is present. Several challenging applications are presented for illustration.
Sequence and genomic structure of the human adult skeletal muscle sodium channel α subunit gene on 17q

Abstract The amino acid sequence of the sodium channel α subunit from adult human skeletal muscle has been deduced by cross-species PCR-mediated cloning and sequencing of the cDNA. The protein consists of 1836 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence shows 93% identity to the α subunit from rat adult skeletal muscle and 70% identity to the α subunit from other mammalian tissues. A 500 kb YAC clone containing the complete coding sequence and two overlapping lambda clones covering 68% of the cDNA were used to estimate the gene size at 35 kb. The YAC clone proved crucial for gene structure studies as the high conservation between ion channel genes made hybridization studies with total genomic DNA difficult. Our results provide valuable information for the study of periodic paralysis and paramyotonia congenita, two inherited neurological disorders which are caused by point mutations within this gene.
Synthesis and transport studies of one-dimensional ion conductors: AxGa4+XTi1−xO8 (A = Li, Na, K)

Abstract Ion exchange reactions of the sodium-ion conductor Na 0.7 Ga 4.7 Ti 0.3 O 8 were investigated. Exposure to molten LiNO 3 at 440 °C for 72 h resulted in a 2% decrease in the unit cell volume, whereas exposure to molten KNO 3 under similar conditions had very little effect on the lattice parameters. The electrical conductivity of unexchanged Na 0.7 Ga 4.7 Ti 0.3 O 8 ranged from ∼ 10 − 7 S/cm at 300 °C to 10 − 3 S/cm at 1000 °C with an activation energy of 0.75 eV. Ion exchange with LiNO 3 resulted in an increase in conductivity whereas exchange with KNO 3 resulted in a decrease. The differences in conductivity are attributed to differences in the size of the mobile cation.
An equilibrium model of the Earth's magnetotail: Thin current sheet and a near‐Earth neutral line

An asymptotic two-dimensional equilibrium model of the Earth's magnetotail, containing a thin current sheet and a near-Earth neutral line, is derived. The effect of the dipole field is included. The model may be useful for investigations of particle orbits and magnetotail stability.
Gut Endocrine Cell Development

Endocrine cells are scattered throughout the gastrointestinal mucosa from the stomach to the colon and constitute one of the largest endocrine systems in the body. Enteroendocrine cells labeled by chromogranin A comprise about 1% of all epithelial cells in the gastrointestinal tract and are surrounded by mucus, chief, and parietal cells in the stomach, and enterocyte, goblet and Paneth cells in the intestine (Figure 1). The enteroendocrine system consists of at least 15 different cell types that can be classified based on their main hormonal products and on the ultrastructure of their secretory granules [1]. A given enteroendocrine cell secretes one or more hormone or hormone-like substance, which is released directly into the lamina propria and diffuses into the capillaries. These hormones include gastrin, histamine, serotonin, cholecystokinin (CCK), somatostatin and glucagon-like peptides (GLP1 and 2) [1]. Although enteroendocrine cells are very scarce, they are essential regulators of digestion, gut motility, appetite, and metabolism. Figure 1 Illustration of the major cell types found in the gastrointestinal epithelium. Gastric epithelium contains mucus, chief, Parietal, and endocrine cells, whereas enterocyte, goblet, endocrine, and Paneth cells are found in the intestinal epithelium. Intestinal ... The development of enteroendocrine cells is a fascinating biological problem: how is the relative proportion of the individual subtypes maintained? How are so many different cell types specified from a common precursor? And how is the endocrine compartment maintained in the gastrointestinal epithelium with its rapid and life-long turnover? However, the study of the mechanisms of enteroendocrine cell differentiation is not only an “academic exercise” but of relevance to human health and disease on multiple levels. First, deficiencies in enteroendocrine cell specification or survival contribute to human diseases, as exemplified by congenital malabsorptive diarrhea, discussed in detail below, which is due solely to deficient enteroendocrine cells. Second, several enteroendocrine cells play a role the control of glucose homeostasis and thus diabetes, and there relatedness to pancreatic beta-cells makes transdifferentiation of enteroendocrine cells an interesting possibility. Therefore, lessons learned from the study of normal gut endocrine cell development promise to be instructive to
THEORETICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON CLOSED-SHELL SILICON CLUSTERS DOPED WITH CU ATOMS

Abstract Silicon clusters doped with a single copper impurity (CuSiN), which were detected previously by mass spectrometric experiment, are explored by means of ab initio analysis. Features related to geometries, stabilities and adsorption energies of the species CuSiN, with N=4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 are discussed. The sensitive dependence of the physical properties of CuSiN clusters on the geometric arrangement of the respective SiN subsystem, as emerging from our research, is emphasized.
Patterns of theorizing about chess skill – Commentary on Linhares and Freitas (2010) and Lane and Gobet (2011)

Abstract Although Linhares and Freitas (2010) have failed to characterize earlier experimental work in chess skill accurately, their conceptual approach of “experience-recognition”-driven problem solving points to the need to incorporate analogical reasoning mechanisms into explanations of how chess players choose the best move in chess. The Lane and Gobet (2011) commentary and the cognitive simulation models that they espouse consist of plausible mechanisms to support choosing a good move, but need additional development to incorporate abstract/semantic information. One possible avenue for future exploration will be to produce hybrid models that use both “piece-on-square” chunk and template representations and abstract high-level representations to guide search in chess.
The Value of Ultrasound Screening of the Upper Urinary Tract in Hypospadias

Summary— Renal tract ultrasonography was performed in 82 of 111 patients with varying degrees of hypospadias. There were 2 true positive results (2.4%) and 1 false negative (1.2%). However, 2 of these patients would have been fully investigated because of the presence of an anorectal anomaly. The third boy had a pelvic ectopic kidney with no clinical significance. It was concluded that routine ultrasonography is not justified in this condition unless it is severe or there is an associated anomaly.
Comparisons of competence training in two successful clinical psychology programs.

Clinical training programs at the Universities of Alabama and Kansas were selected for application of a Barker-type methodology on the basis of survey data indicating high percentages of competent students in internships over a 3-yr. period. One-day visits enabled labeling of the functional behavior settings, occupancy counts, and stream of behavior accounts. The data were organized with regard to an external definition of competency training. The Alabama training experience is program-centered, teaching-oriented, structured in sequence and content. The underlying academic value is that the program can provide a matrix of fundamental clinical knowledge and skill. The Kansas program, democratic and equalitarian, stresses a faculty-student sharing of learning-by-doing, constant evaluation, and responsibility. The program provides the model for individual professional autonomy.