cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ventral Abdominal Approach for Laparoscopic Ovariectomy in Horses

Eleven mares and four mules were ovariectomized by a ventral abdominal laparoscopic technique. This approach required tilting the operative table about 30 degrees elevating the pelvis to allow observation of the ovaries. A triangulation technique with a single laparoscopic portal and four instrument portals was used. The ovarian pedicles were ligated and the ovaries were removed through a single enlarged instrument portal. Females ranged in age from 5 months to 18 years. Mean operative time was 44 minutes (range 20 to 90 minutes); mean operative time of the last seven animals was 26 minutes. Signs of abdominal pain occurred in three mules and one mare in the immediate postoperative period. Peritoneal fluid collected from six animals 48 hours after surgery had a mean leukocyte count of 34,463/microL: (range, 21,000 to 62,800/microL), mean protein concentration of 3.1 g/dL (range, 2.2 to 4.6 g/dL), and mean differential leukocyte count of 74% neutrophils and 26% mononuclear cells. The animals were confined for 2 weeks after surgery. Signs of estrus were observed in two mares within 6 months after ovariectomy. All owners reported satisfaction with the results of laparoscopic ovariectomy. The ventral abdominal laparoscopic approach permitted efficient and safe ovariectomy of foals and adults.
Sex differences in genioglossus muscle response to changes in pharyngeal resistance

The genioglossus (GG) muscle's response to partial oropharyngeal occlusion was studied in age-matched, healthy awake men (n = 16) and women (n = 15). A miniature balloon was placed in the retroglossal pharynx, and the GG's electromyographic (EMG) reflexive response was evaluated in different body postures. We assumed that inflating the pharyngeal balloon and changing the body posture from upright to supine would increase pharyngeal airway resistance. Our hypothesis was that the change in airway resistance would elicit a different response in the GG muscle depending on sex. Our results showed that GG activity during natural breathing was higher in women than in men. GG EMG activity did not change upon inflation of the balloon in women. In contrast, when the balloon was inflated in the men, the GG's basal activity increased (P <.01) in both the upright and the supine positions. Women appeared to show a higher GG baseline EMG activity during spontaneous breathing at rest, while men were more responsive to the partial occlusion of the pharyngeal airway.
Subjective memory complaints, cortical thinning, and cognitive dysfunction in middle-age adults at risk of AD

Background Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) represent an individual's perception of subtle changes in memory in the absence of objective impairment in memory. However, it is not fully known whether persons with SMCs harbor brain alterations related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) or whether they indeed demonstrate poorer cognitive performance.
Eosinophils in the zebrafish: prospective isolation, characterization, and eosinophilia induction by helminth determinants.

Eosinophils are granulocytic leukocytes implicated in numerous aspects of immunity and disease. The precise functions of eosinophils, however, remain enigmatic. Alternative models to study eosinophil biology may thus yield novel insights into their function. Eosinophilic cells have been observed in zebrafish but have not been thoroughly characterized. We used a gata2:eGFP transgenic animal to enable prospective isolation and characterization of zebrafish eosinophils, and demonstrate that all gata2hi cells in adult hematopoietic tissues are eosinophils. Although eosinophils are rare in most organs, they are readily isolated from whole kidney marrow and abundant within the peritoneal cavity. Molecular analyses demonstrate that zebrafish eosinophils express genes important for the activities of mammalian eosinophils. In addition, gata2hi cells degranulate in response to helminth extract. Chronic exposure to helminth- related allergens resulted in profound eosinophilia, demonstrating that eosinophil responses to allergens have been conserved over evolution. Importantly, infection of adult zebrafish with Pseudocapillaria tomentosa, a natural nematode pathogen of teleosts, caused marked increases in eosinophil number within the intestine. Together, these observations support a conserved role for eosinophils in the response to helminth antigens or infection and provide a new model to better understand how parasitic worms activate, co-opt, or evade the vertebrate immune response.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Time Management Behavior Scale

This study reports the results of a confirmatory factor analysis of the 1990 Time Management Behavior scale of Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, and Phillips. The results support the hypothesized factor str...
Teaching Beyond the Progressive–Traditional Dichotomy: Sharing Authority and Sharing Vulnerability

We explore teaching and learning beyond the familiar dichotomy between the authoritarian concept of the hard place of traditional teaching (in which the individual's experiential knowledge is neglected) and the abdication of authority inherent in the soft place of progressive teaching (in which the achieved cultural knowledge of the teacher is regarded as an embarrassment). Our need to theorize this different place, or a different positioning of teacher and authority, arises in part from the difficulties our students and we ourselves have in a classroom that does not answer to either of these conceptually familiar places. The different place is a place of shared authority. Sharing authority exposes our limitations and leads to a shared vulnerability.
Epigenetics and Autism

This review identifies mechanisms for altering DNA-histone interactions of cell chromatin to upregulate or downregulate gene expression that could serve as epigenetic targets for therapeutic interventions in autism. DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) can phosphorylate histone H3 at T6. Aided by protein kinase Cβ1, the DNMT lysine-specific demethylase-1 prevents demethylation of H3 at K4. During androgen-receptor-(AR-) dependent gene activation, this sequence may produce AR-dependent gene overactivation which may partly explain the male predominance of autism. AR-dependent gene overactivation in conjunction with a DNMT mechanism for methylating oxytocin receptors could produce high arousal inputs to the amygdala resulting in aberrant socialization, a prime characteristic of autism. Dysregulation of histone methyltransferases and histone deacetylases (HDACs) associated with low activity of methyl CpG binding protein-2 at cytosine-guanine sites in genes may reduce the capacity for condensing chromatin and silencing genes in frontal cortex, a site characterized by decreased cortical interconnectivity in autistic subjects. HDAC1 inhibition can overactivate mRNA transcription, a putative mechanism for the increased number of cerebral cortical columns and local frontal cortex hyperactivity in autistic individuals. These epigenetic mechanisms underlying male predominance, aberrant social interaction, and low functioning frontal cortex may be novel targets for autism prevention and treatment strategies.
Accessory splenectomy for refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) will frequently relapse following splenectomy. The removal of residual spleens remains a therapeutic option in these patients though the effectiveness of this procedure remains unclear. We present a single institution study of outcomes in patients who underwent an accessory splenectomy (AS) for refractory ITP. The study cohort represents a consecutive group of splenectomized patients with ITP who underwent AS for refractory disease. Fourteen patients were identified: 10 adult and 4 pediatric patients. Response was assessed at 4 weeks using standard criteria for complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or no response (NR). Eight adult patients underwent open AS, and two underwent uneventful laparoscopic AS. Overall, 50% (5/10) of adult patients responded (CR or PR) to AS at 1 month. Fifty percent (2/4) of pediatric patients achieved response. Clinical determinants suggestive of a response to AS in adults were female gender, favorable response to prednisone at first exposure and absence of Howell-Jolly Bodies prior to AS. These data suggest that laparoscopic AS remains a viable treatment option for patients with refractory ITP following splenectomy. However, given the role for novel medical therapies for refractory ITP, the potential morbidity of this surgical procedure must be weighed against its effectiveness.
Dynamic mass redistribution analysis of endogenous β‐adrenergic receptor signaling in neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts

Label-free systems for the agnostic assessment of cellular responses to receptor stimulation have been shown to provide a sensitive method to dissect receptor signaling. β-adenergic receptors (βAR) are important regulators of normal and pathologic cardiac function and are expressed in cardiomyocytes as well as cardiac fibroblasts, where relatively fewer studies have explored their signaling responses. Using label-free whole cell dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) assays we investigated the response patterns to stimulation of endogenous βAR in primary neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts (NRCF). The EPIC-BT by Corning was used to measure DMR responses in primary isolated NRCF treated with various βAR and EGFR ligands. Additional molecular assays for cAMP generation and receptor internalization responses were used to correlate the DMR findings with established βAR signaling pathways. Catecholamine stimulation of NRCF induced a concentration-dependent negative DMR deflection that was competitively blocked by βAR blockade and non-competitively blocked by irreversible uncoupling of Gs proteins. Subtype-selective βAR ligand profiling revealed a dominant role for β2AR in mediating the DMR responses, consistent with the relative expression levels of β2AR and β1AR in NRCF. βAR-mediated cAMP generation profiles revealed similar kinetics to DMR responses, each of which were enhanced via inhibition of cAMP degradation, as well as dynamin-mediated receptor internalization. Finally, G protein-independent βAR signaling through epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was assessed, revealing a smaller but significant contribution of this pathway to the DMR response to βAR stimulation. Measurement of DMR responses in primary cardiac fibroblasts provides a sensitive readout for investigating endogenous βAR signaling via both G protein-dependent and –independent pathways.
Early healing with locked condylar plating of periprosthetic fractures around the knee.

Management of periprosthetic fractures around the knee is often difficult because of poor bone quality, comminution, and constraints imposed by the existing prosthesis. Locked condylar plates may provide more reliable fixation for these fractures than traditional methods of fixation. Eleven patients with periprosthetic fractures around the knee were treated with open reduction and internal fixation using a locked condylar plate. All 9 acute fractures and 1 of 2 periprosthetic nonunions healed at an average of 21 weeks, and no patient required additional surgery. Nine fractures healed in anatomical alignment, whereas 1 healed in 5° valgus. The remaining periprosthetic nonunion developed a persistent nonunion with subsequent hardware failure. The average range of motion was 4° to 92°. Locked plating systems are highly effective for the management of complex periprosthetic fractures around the knee. They result in reliable fracture healing and permit early motion in complex fractures.
High-speed high-sensitivity low-noise scientific CMOS image sensors

Image sensors for scientific applications face unusually demanding performance requirements for speed, sensitivity, noise, dynamic range and data throughput. Dynamic proton radiography, for example, requires both extremely high frame rates (multi-MHz) and high dynamic range (~80 dB). Electron microscopy, particle physics, nuclear science and astrophysics applications requires high sensitivity and low noise for single-photon/single charged particle efficiency, often in extremely large (>100 M-pixel) arrays with tremendous sustained throughput (>50 G-pixels/s) and radiation-tolerance. This paper covers recent research results that extend standard CMOS image sensor performance in these areas. Signal to noise ratios as high as 90 dB have been achieved using a new, low-overhead, column-level active reset technique. This image sensor achieves output noise levels of ~45 microvolts, rms, without the use of correlated double sampling. Enhanced sensitivity for single-photon detection has been obtained by using an epitaxial silicon region as a higher cross-section CMOS sensor, with low-capacitance diode or large-area photogate charge collection. This development has made possible the use of standard 0.25 micrometer digital CMOS sensor arrays in place of expensive hybrid high-resistivity silicon sensor focal plane arrays plus CMOS readout circuit combinations. High-speed transient image sensors with frame rates as high as 10 M-frames/s, combined with 13-bit resolution, has been achieved using on-focal-plane frame storage. Fabricated in a standard digital 0.35 micrometer digital CMOS technology, the latter device includes a photodetector, a charge-integrating amplifier and an array of 64 sample circuits per pixel. Finally, a 100+ M-frames/s solid-state "streak camera" prototype is discussed which, in conjunction with the possible use of 3-D packaging techniques, may yield a sensor array capable of acquiring images at rates exceeding 10 T-pixels/s.
Secrets of Carotenoid Binding

Abstract In this issue of Structure , researchers reveal new crystal structures of the bacterial reaction center of Rb. sphaeroides R-26.1 containing either no carotenoid or natural or synthetic carotenoid (Roszak et al., 2004). These structures give insight in to the mechanism of carotenoid binding.
Periprosthetic joint infection: The economic impact of methicillin-resistant infections

Abstract The orthopedic community has begun to witness a worrisome rise in the incidence of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) caused by resistant organisms. Besides other challenges associated with treating these infections, it appears that these infections may pose a higher cost compared to infections caused by sensitive organisms. Significantly higher cost of care for treatment of infections due to methicillin-resistant organisms were seen at a mean of $107 264 per case compared to $68 053 for treating PJI caused by sensitive strains (P
The effect of sulfide and an increased food supply on the meiofauna and macrofauna at the East Flower Garden brine seep

A sulfurous brine seep at the East Flower Garden Bank, northwest Gulf of Mexico, produces conditions conducive to the growth of a luxuriant prokaryotic biota. Hydrodynamic cropping continually harvests this biota and distributes it to sandy-bottom and hard-bank benthic communities downstream of the seep. Consequently, both macro- and meiofaunal abundances are dramatically increased above the regional norm in parts of the seep system. When sulfide is present, the lower Bilaterian groups belonging to the meiofauna dominate the community; without sulfide, macrofaunal groups, particularly crustaceans, dominate the community. Outside the influence of the seep, meiofaunal copepods predominate. Changes in taxonomic composition and abundance indicate that the sandy-bottom benthos at 70–80 m depth at the East Flower Garden bank is foodlimited and that, under these conditions, meiofauna, particularly the higher Bilaterian groups, dominate the community numerically. Perhaps, under food-limiting conditions, meiofauna compete favorably with macrofauna for food.
Low cost integrating cavity for monitoring of environmental toxins

Contamination of the water source and air pollution are two major problems that must be faced in the coming years. The increasing worldwide contamination of freshwater systems with thousands of industrial and natural chemical compounds is one of the key environmental problems facing humanity today. It is estimated that pathogens in water cause more than 2 million deaths annually. Additionally, traditional water quality assessment methods, such as liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy, are expensive and time consuming from sample collection to analysis. Low cost tools are needed which can provide high sensitivity in sensing, while remaining portable and providing near real time analysis. Here, we present a low cost integrating cavity that can be used for highly sensitive environmental sensing.
Engineering Design for Quality Using the Taguchi Approach

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the Taguchi method as an approach to design optimization for quality. The method is briefly explained and its application is demonstrated by the use of an aerospace design example. The results suggest that the Taguchi method is an efficient, disciplined approach that can aid in designing for performance, quality, and cost. Principal benefits include significant time and resource savings and the determination of parametric sensitivities and interactions.
Observing the human exposome as reflected in breath biomarkers: heat map data interpretation for environmental and intelligence research

Over the past decade, the research of human system biology and the interactions with the external environment has permeated all phases of environmental, medical and public health research. Similar to the fields of genomics and proteomics research, the advent of new instrumentation for measuring breath biomarkers and their associated meta-data also provide very useful, albeit complex, data structures. The biomarker research community is beginning to invoke tools from system biology to assess the impact of environmental exposures, as well as from internal health states, on the expression of suites of chemicals in exhaled breath. This new approach introduces the concept of the exposome as a complement to the genome in exploring the environment-gene interaction. In addition to answering questions regarding health status for the medical community, breath biomarker patterns are useful for assessing public health risks from environmental exposures. Furthermore, breath biomarker patterns can inform security risks from suspects via covert interrogation of blood borne chemical levels that reflect previous activities. This paper discusses how different classes of exhaled breath biomarker measurements can be used to rapidly assess patterns in complex data. We present exhaled breath data sets to demonstrate the value of the graphical 'heat map' approach for hypothesis development and subsequent guidance for stochastic and mixed effect data interpretation. We also show how to graphically interpret exhaled breath measurements of exogenous jet fuel components, as well as exhaled breath condensate measurements of endogenous chemicals.
Towards an automatic discretization scheme for the method of finite spheres and its coupling with the finite element method

In this paper we report the development of a geometry-based automatic preprocessing environment as well as efficient numerical integration schemes for the method of finite spheres; a truly meshfree numerical technique developed for the solution of boundary value problems on geometrically complex domains. In addition, several techniques of coupling the method of finite spheres with the traditional finite element schemes are presented which improve computational efficiency and facilitate the imposition of Dirichlet boundary conditions.
The action spectrum for the transformation of protochlorophyll to chlorophyll a in normal and albino corn seedlings.

Abstract 1. 1. A monochromator has been developed for use with a high intensity lamp by means of which leaves can be illuminated throughout the visible spectrum with light monochromatic within 5 mμ. The beam is of such intensity that the protochlorophyll-chlorophyll transformation produced by periods of illumination of from 20 sec. to 6 min. is sufficient for accurate measurement. 2. 2. Methods of analysis have been worked out whereby the percentage transformation of protochlorophyll can be determined with a precision of about 2%. 3. 3. An albino mutant of corn has become available which when grown in the dark contains approximately the normal amount of protochlorophyll, and upon illumination transforms it into chlorophyll. The action spectrum for the transformation has been measured in this albino strain and in the normal strain from which it segregates. 4. 4. The two corn strains and also bean leaves show a prominent peak in the action spectrum at 650 mμ. At this wavelength 20% of the protochlorophyll was transformed to chlorophyll in 18.4 sec. by an intensity of 79.8 ergs/cm. 2 /sec. 5. 5. Another prominent peak lies at 445 mμ. In normal corn and bean leaves, this peak is considerably lower than the peak at 650 mμ, the ratio being 0.66. In contrast, the albino corn uses blue light even more effectively than it does red, the ratio of the peaks at 445 and 650 mμ being 1.89. 6. 6. Since the normal corn leaves contain abundant carotenoids and the albino does not, the lower efficiency of normal etiolated leaves in the blue can be attributed to competitive absorption of light by carotenoid pigments. 7. 7. If some chlorophyll is formed by a pre-exposure to light and the leaves are then further illuminated at 680 mμ (light which is strongly absorbed by chlorophyll but only weakly by protochlorophyll) only a little additional chlorophyll is produced. The increase in chlorophyll can be attributed to the slight absorption by protochlorophyll. 8. 8. Because of the sensitivity and precision of the methods used, the action spectrum for the conversion of protochlorophyll in the leaf is known with an accuracy approaching that of the absorption spectrum of extracted protochlorophyll. The two spectra are similar and the positions of the spectra are in agreement if allowance is made for the shift due to the influence of solvent.
Why All Banding Procedures in Personnel Selection Are Logically Flawed

In this article, I first demonstrate that statistical significance testing of differ- ences between predictor scores (whether based on the standard error of mea- surement or any other statistic) is irrelevant to, and inconsistent with, the traditional, optimizing selection model. Second, I demonstrate that all band- ing procedures used in (or advocated for) personnel selection, including the sliding-band procedures advocated by Cascio, Outtz, Zedeck, and Goldstein (1991-this issue), are fatally flawed logically. I show that, when the number of applicants is large, all banding procedures logically lead to the absurd con- clusion that the only justifiable form of selection is random selection. Third, I present evidence that the empirical data set used by Cascio et al. to evaluate different selection strategies is anomalous and leads to results very different from those to be expected in typical and representative data. Specifically, the effect is to produce misleadingly small differences between the strateg...
Project CONNECT: an interagency partnership to confront new challenges facing at-risk women and children in New York City.

Project CONNECT is a New York State—New York City collaborative venture to facilitate access to, coordinate and expand the delivery of health and human services, during the perinatal period to women and children in the three areas of New York City with the highest rates of morbidity and mortality. Based on the concept of comprehensive case management, CONNECT coordinates diverse providers around existing resources. Services implemented by community-based case managers for families in need include: medical care, substance/alcohol abuse treatment, foster care preventive services, parent education, developmental assessment, screening and child care.
Changes in plasma apo B, apo E, apo A-1, and apo A-IV concentrations in dogs consuming different atherogenic diets

Abstract To define the relationship between apoprotein levels and plasma cholesterol concentration in dogs, we measured the cholesterol, apo B, apo E, apo A-IV, and apo A-1 levels in 6 dogs fed a synthetic diet (Diet I), and in 5 dogs fed dog chow supplemented with lard, cholesterol, bile salts, and propylthiouracil (Diet II). The diet-induced hypercholesterolemia exceeded 900 mg/dl in dogs fed Diet I and was accompanied by a 12-fold increase in apo B, a 30-fold increase in apo E, an 8-fold increase in apo A-IV, and a l2'-fold increase in apo A-1. By contrast, the hypercholesterolemia averaged 1300 mg/dl in dogs fed Diet II and was accompanied by a 12-fold increase in apo B, an 11-fold increase in apo E, a 3-fold increase in apo A-IV, and a 5-fold decrease in apo A-1 levels. When 3 of the Diet I dogs were switched to dog chow, their plasma cholesterol, apo B, and apo E levels dropped to 30% of their peak value within 7 days. The change in apo B and apo E levels was found to be highly correlated with the change in plasma cholesterol concentrations in each of the Diet I animals ( r 2 ranged from 0.92 to 0.99 for both apoproteins). A strong linear relationship was also observed between apo E and apo B ( r 2 ranged from 0.94 to 0.98), indicating that the plasma apo E to apo B ratio remained constant in these animals as the hypercholesterolemia progressed or regressed.
The M and N subshell ratios of the 2.17 keV transition in 99mTc

Abstract The M 2 /M 3 /M 4 + 5 /ΣN subshell ratios of the 2.17 keV E3 transition in 99m Tc have been measured with the Vanderbilt iron-free, double-focusing spectrometer. The experimental results obtained for these ratios are 56.4 ± 2/1 OO /47.6 ± 2/28.6 ± 5 which compare-favorably with the theoretical ratios of Hager and Seltzer. The energy of the transition was measured to be 2.17 ± 0.01 keV.
Choice of relative performance evaluation for strategic reasons

This paper presents a new perspective for the use of relative performance evaluation. It argues that firms may want to evaluate their CEOs relative to their competitors for strategic reasons. It considers a competitive industry and with the help of a multiple agency model arrives at a set of hypotheses regarding the weights on firm performance and industry performance. These hypotheses do not have an analogue in a traditional single agency model framework. The empirical hypotheses relating the compensation contract parameters to the cost and market structures of the industry are tested with cash compensation data from 272 firms over a period of 18 years. Some of the empirical hypotheses find support from the data. Finally the paper also investigates whether the data supports alternate hypotheses arrived at by considering competing explanation for the use of RPE based on Holmstrom’s informativeness criterion.
Kinetics of CO and oxygen adsorption on smooth and sputtered epitaxial Pd(111) films on mica

Abstract The kinetics of carbon monoxide and oxygen adsorption at 298 K on epitaxial Pd(111) films grown on mica were shown to follow first and second order Kisliuk mobile precursor models, respectively. These results applied to both clean, as-deposited films as similar films given a saturation argon ion dose of approximately 3×10 13 ions mm 2 . For both gases, the kinetics of adsorption for the sputtered surfaces were more “Langmuir-like” than for the flat as-deposited films. The coverage-dependent sticking coefficients of carbon monoxide and oxygen were also determined for both flat and sputtered surfaces.
Free Sphingosine in Human Epidermis

Abstract The aim of the present study is to determine the concentration and composition of free long-chain bases in human stratum corneum. Samples of foot callus obtained from a local chiropodist were extracted at room temperature with chloroform: methanol mixtures (2:1, 1:1, and 1: 2). The extracts were concentrated, filtered to remove nonlipid debris, and dissolved in chloroform: methanol, 2:1, at a concentration of 25 mg/ml. Small portions of extract were treated with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene to convert free amino groups to N-dinitrophenyl derivatives, which were subsequently separated from other components by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and quantitated by photodensitometry at a wave length of 355 nm. The N-dinitrophenylsphingosines were then isolated by preparative TLC and oxidized with lead tetraacetate in benzene to produce aldehydes, which were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. It was found that callus lipid contained 3.39 ± 0.57 mg free sphingosine, 1.60 ± 0.72 mg dihydrosphingosine and traces of phytosphingosine per g lipid. The sphingosines and dihydrosphingosines ranged from 16 through 20 carbons in length, with 18:1 as the predominant constituent. These findings are similar to those recently reported for pig epidermis and support the possible role of free sphingosine as a regulator of epidermal differentiation.
Metaethics Meets Virtue Epistemology: Salvaging Disagreement about the Epistemically Thick

Abstract Virtue ethics and virtue epistemology shift the focus of evaluation from thin concepts to thick ones. Simon Blackburn has argued that a shift to thick ethical concepts dooms us to talking past one another. I contend that virtue epistemologists can answer Blackburn's objection, thus salvaging genuine disagreement about the epistemically thick. Section I introduces the standard cognitivist and non-cognitivist analyses of thick concepts. Section II argues that thick epistemic concepts are subject to combinatorial vagueness. I contend that virtue epistemologists share vague concepts of intellectual virtue and open-mindedness. Section III addresses Allan Gibbard's worry that appealing to vagueness exacerbates the problem. I conclude that for genuine disagreement to occur, the parties must (1) share vague concepts; and (2) agree on the goals of their conceptual analyses.
A phase II study of modulated-capecitabine and docetaxel in chemonaive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Introduction This phase II single-arm trial of docetaxel and capecitabine in previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was designed to evaluate response rate of this regimen based on promising efficacy data from phase II testing in pre-treated NSCLC patients. The trial also evaluated the correlation between peripheral blood dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) expression and efficacy/toxicity.
Diagrams as aids to problem solving: Their role in facilitating search and computation

In two experiments, university students solved kinship problems as they studied family trees or lists of statements about who was whose parent. Subjects were given problems to solve requiring the application of rules to the statements or trees. In the first experiment, response latency was less for subjects seeing trees than for those seeing statements. It was also found that latency increased as the problems became more difficult. In the second experiment, response latencies for subjects seeing no rules were less on difficult problems than for subjects working with rules involving English and nonsense kinship terms. This difference disappeared with practice. These findings provided support for an account of diagram interpretation based on the facilitation of search and computation through the spatial arrangement of concepts.
Spatial heterodyne spectroscopy for atmospheric remote sensing

Spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS) is a relatively new and incompletely developed method of Fourier transform spectroscopy that has advantages over conventional FTS in certain applications. In the SHS instrument, diffraction gratings replace the flat mirrors used in each arm of a conventional Michelson, and an imaging detector is used at the output to record a spatially heterodyned interferogram without any scanning elements. The mechanical simplicity of a diffraction grating is combined with the high light-gathering power of interference spectrometers. SHS systems can achieve an additional light-gathering gain of about two orders of magnitude over conventional FTS or Fabry-Perot interference spectrometers by field-widening using fixed transmitting wedges. Compared to conventional instruments, these gains translate into smaller instruments and/or higher sensitivity for a specified application. Flatness defects in the optics can largely be corrected in software, leading to relaxed tolerances which simplify extension to short wavelengths. This paper focuses on the concepts used in the design of an SHS for mesospheric OH remote sensing at 308 nm, and their validation in laboratory testing. A field-widened system has been constructed, and will soon undergo performance tests with an eye towards space application in the relative near future. Compared to a conventional grating spectrograph used previously for OH measurements, the SHS system is designed to achieve higher resolving power and several times more sensitivity in 1/10 or less of the volume, and with no moving parts.
Experimental Study on Skin Friction Reduction With Micro-Blowing

Reducing skin friction, such as friction on a car hood or a plane wing, can significantly reduce the drag force and decrease specific fuel consumption. Many techniques and methods have been tried. The Micro-blowing Technique (MBT) is an innovative way to reduce skin friction. Suggested by early research in boundary layer injection in 1950s, MBT was actually brought to effective use in 1994 by Hwang [1]. The basic idea is that by blowing fluid, same as or different from the mainstream flow, at an angle with that of the main flow, a decrease in the velocity gradient at the wall can be achieved, and thus the shear stress on the surface is reduced. Although the experimental data on boundary layer with micro blowing show a significant friction reduction, the mechanism of MBT is still not well understood and thus its full range of application is not yet established. In this paper, we further the understanding of the MBT mechanism. An experimental system is set up to visualize the flow structure on a plate with and without micro blowing in a tunnel. A long distance microscope is combined with a Full Field Flow Tracking visualization method in order to elucidate the nature of the flow interaction and mixing between the blowing flow and the main flow. The flow above the porous plates is visualized and velocities both in the blowing layer immediately adjacent to the plate and in the main flow are quantified using the PIV procedure. The flow and shear stress analysis shows that MTB has significantly different effects on a flow with a boundary layer and fully developed internal flows.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The extended gate chemically sensitive field effect transistor as multi-species microprobe☆

Abstract This paper describes a multi-species microprobe structure for potentiometric measurements and the appropriate patterning techniques of the chemically-sensitive membranes. The structures consists of an integrated coaxial cable whose signal line is connected to a high input impedance electrometer with the shield boot-strapped in order to reduce capacitive charging effects. The electrometer is an on-chip source follower, designed for minimum input capacitance. The coaxial line, which is an extension of the gate of the transistor, is fabricated with a triple poly-silicon NMOS process. The whole structure is compatible with current IC technology and allows integration of on-chip signal conditioning circuitry. Units of four element probes, each covered with a different membrane, have been fabricated. One important issue in multi-sensor fabrication is the deposition and patterning technique of the membranes. A scheme has been developed which allows successive patterning of both vacuum-deposited inorganics and spin coated polymers and gels. This technique has been successfully applied for a multi-species electrode of IRO 2 (H + ),AgCl(Cl - ) LaF 3 (F - ) and Ag.
Understanding silver hollow wares of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: Is there a role for X-ray fluorescence?

Open architecture energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) has been used extensively for the study of historic silver alloys since 1970. Silver alloy analyses are carried out to address questions about an object's provenance, technology of manufacture, authenticity, and condition. However, the data generated from this surface analysis technique rarely represent the bulk alloy composition. Quantitative analysis of historic silver alloys using XRF non-destructively is challenging due to: the objects’ curved and irregular surfaces (absence of ideal and reproducible geometries); element segregation in copper–silver alloys; limited availability of alloy standards for instrument calibration; post-manufacturing acid treatments that dissolve surface copper from the alloy (pickling); the presence of firescale (copper oxides) or other corrosion/tarnish layers; and surface inhomogeneities introduced by polishing. This study represents an attempt to quantify these sources of error, and, where possible, to provide a...
Electrophysiology of Viral Envelope Protein Ion Channels in Lipid Membranes Across Apertures in Polystyrene and Silicon

Viral ion channels, such as the coronavirus envelope proteins (E protein), belong to a family of channels that have attracted a considerable amount of interest during recent years. However, not many studies on the electrophysiology have been performed; mainly due to the fact that these channels are membrane proteins that do not easily express in the outer membrane of bacteria. Moreover, the channel currents are small (on the order of 10-300 pS) when compared with bacterial outer membrane channels. In our studies, we reconstituted the full-length channel-forming E protein from murine hepatitis coronavirus (MHV-A59) into 3:1:1 POPE:POPS:POPC lipid bilayers that were suspended either across 150 μm diameter apertures in polystyrene cups or across a 50 μm diameter aperture in silicon. Lipid bilayers were formed using the painting method on all substrates, resulting in reproducible Gigaseal formation. The aperture in silicon was prepared using photolithography and dry reactive ion etching, resulting in excellent reproducibility of the pore geometry. The surface was coated hydrophobically to allow lipid bilayer attachment.Bilayers created in the presence of E-protein in solution showed reproducible ion channel activity, independent of the substrate used. We were able to identify the signature conductance steps of E ion channels. Similar to what has been shown previously using the OmpF ion channel of E. coli, the ion channel activity on the silicon substrate was identical to that measured using the polystyrene cup, indicating the feasibility of the silicon substrate for the investigation of ion channels with conductances in the range of tens of picosiemens. Using silicon apertures for ion channel reconstitution experiments in array geometry provides an opportunity to increase measurement throughput.
Development Status of Microchannel Plate Photomultipliers

A microchannel plate (MCP) has several hundred thousand channels, each of which functions as an electron multiplier. A photomultiplier can be constructed by using a photocathode, MCP and an anode. The overall performance is expected to be superior to the best available photomultipliers. Gains of 103 - 107 can be obtained with timing and spatial resolutions of 100 psec and 25 ?m respectively. Two dimentional readouts are possible. A review of the applications and development status of this device is presented.
A generic interface chip for capacitive sensors in low-power multi-parameter microsystems

Abstract This paper presents a generic low-power sensor interface chip compatible with smart microsystems and a wide range of capacitive transducers. The interface chip is highly programmable, can communicate with an external microcontroller using a nine-line sensor bus standard, contains a switched-capacitor readout circuit, supports sensor self-test, and includes a temperature sensor. The circuit can interface with up to six external sensors and contains three internal programmable reference capacitors in the range of 0.15–8 pF. The chip measures 3.2×3.2 mm in a standard 3-μm single-metal double-poly p-well process, dissipates less than 2.2 mW from a single 5 V supply, and can resolve input capacitance variations of less than 1 fF in 10 Hz bandwidth.
UV irradiation of nucleic acids: formation, purification and solution conformational analysis of the ‘6-4 lesion’ of dTpdT

Abstract Irradiation of dTpdT with 300 kJ/m2 of 254 nm produces numerous photo-products, one of which labeled dT6pd4T[1] was purified by HPLC. dT6pd4T has a UV spectrum (H20, pH 7) with lambda max = 326 nm and lambda min = 265 nm, and a P-31 NMR resonance at -3.46 ppm (normal dTpdT occurs at -4.01 ppm; TMP, 30 degrees C). 2-D COSY NMR spectra facilitated proton resonance assignments and 2-D NOESY spectra aided analysis of spatial orientation. Carbon-13 and proton-coupled P-31 NMR spectra of dT6pd4T were also obtained. These analyses indicate: C5=C6 of dT6p- is saturated and the -pd4T base is more aromatic; the dT6p- base possesses a configuration of 5R, 6S; dT6p- and -pd4T have anti-type glycosidic conformations; furanose conformation of dT6p- is mainly C3'-endo and that of -pd4T exists in a C3'-endo in equilibrium C3'-exo; exocyclic bonds gamma (C5'-C4'), beta (05'-C5') and epsilon (C3'-03') are non-classical rotamers; dihedral angle about epsilon (C3'-03') is smaller relative to dTpdT.
Application of satellite remote sensing techniques to quantify terminus and ice mélange behavior at helheim glacier, East Greenland

Iceberg calving is an efficient mechanism for ice mass loss, and rapidly calving glaciers are often considered to be inherently unstable. However, the physical controls on calving are not well understood. Recent studies hypothesize that the presence of a rigid ice melange (composed of icebergs, bergy bits, and sea ice) can reduce iceberg calving by providing “backstress” to the terminus. To test this hypothesis the authors use remote sensing techniques to construct a time series model of calving rate and size and composition of the adjacent ice melange. The authors describe a semi-automated routine for expediting the digitization process and illustrate the methods for Helheim Glacier, East Greenland, using 2008 data. Ice velocities of the glacier terminus and ice melange are derived with feature-tracking software applied to radar imagery, which is successfully tracked year-round. Object-based image analysis (OBIA) is used to inventory icebergs and sea ice within the ice melange. The authors find that the model successfully identifies the calving rate and ice melange response trends associated with seasonal increases in terminus retreat and advance and shows seasonal trends of ice melange potentially providing seasonal backstress on the glacier terminus.
Lymphotoxin β Receptor Is Required for the Migration and Selection of Autoreactive T Cells in Thymic Medulla

How organ-specific central tolerance is established and regulated has been an intriguing question. Lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTbetaR) deficiency is associated with autoimmune phenotypes characterized by humoral and cellular autoreactivity to peripheral organs. Whether this results from defective negative selection of T cells directed at tissue-restricted Ags has not been well understood. By tracing the development of OT-I thymocytes in rat insulin 2 promoter-mOVA transgenic mice on either Ltbr+/+ or Ltbr-/- background, we demonstrate that LTbetaR is necessary for thymic negative selection. LTbetaR deficiency resulted in a dramatic escape of "neo-self" specific OT-I cells that persist in circulation and lead to development of peri-insulitis. When the underlying mechanism was further explored, we found interestingly that LTbetaR deficiency did not result in reduced thymic expression of mOVA. Instead, LTbetaR was revealed to control the expression of thymic medullary chemokines (secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC) and EBV-induced molecule 1 ligand chemokine (ELC)) which are required for thymocytes migration and selection in medulla. Furthermore, RIP-mOVA transgenic mice on SLC/ELC deficient background (plt) demonstrated significant impaired negative selection of OT-I cells, suggesting that the dysregulation of SLC/ELC- expression alone in Ltbr-/- thymi can be sufficient to impair thymic negative selection. Thus, LTbetaR has been revealed to play an important role in thymic negative selection of organ-specific thymocytes through thymic medullary chemokines regulation.
Role of nerve growth factor in ethylnitrosourea-induced neural carcinogenesis

The sensitivity of the rat nervous system to malignant transformation by ethylnitrosourea (ENU) is a function of age at treatment. From late gestation, nervous structures decrease in sensitivity with age as non-neural structures increase in susceptibility. There is a decrease in the proportion of neural tumors induced by ENU and an increase in survival time when nerve growth factor (NGF) levels are elevated in the fetal or neonatal stage. If antibodies directed against mouse beta-NGF (anti-NGF) are administered prior to neonatal ENU treatment, neural tumors appear earlier, although in the same proportion as with treatment by ENU alone. This effect is not observed if the ENU is administered first. This phenomenon seems to be attributed to an increased number of trigeminal nerve neurinomas, which have a shorter latent period than other nervous system tumors. The induced neurological tumors in rats treated neonatally with anti-NGF prior to ENU seem to be almost exclusively neurinomas in the peripheral nervous system. Fetal anti-NGF treatment leads to an increased number of intracerebral gliomas and a longer survival time, which corresponds to the longer latent period of these tumors. The role of NGF in the sensitivity of the rat nervous system to carcinogenesis by ENU and its possible implications in the development of the nervous system are discussed.
Dynamic observations of deformation in an ultrafine-grained Al–Mg alloy with bimodal grain structure

The tensile properties and deformation response of an ultrafine-grained (UFG) Al–Mg alloy with bimodal grain structure were investigated using a micro-straining unit and a strain mapping technique. Atomized Al 5083 powder was ball-milled in liquid N2 to obtain a nanocrystalline (NC) structure, then blended with 50 wt.% unmilled coarse-grained (CG) powder, and consolidated to produce a bimodal grain structure. The blended powder was hot vacuum degassed to remove residual contaminants, consolidated by cold isostatic pressing (CIP), and then quasi-isostatic (QI) forged twice. The resultant material consisted of a UFG matrix and CG regions. The dynamic response during tensile deformation was observed using a light microscope, and the surface displacements were mapped and visualized using a digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The DIC results showed inhomogeneous strain between the UFG and CG regions after yielding, and the strain was localized primarily in the CG regions. Strain hardening in the CG regions accompanied the localization and was confirmed by variations in Vickers hardness.
Scatter communications with radar chaff

The first part of this paper is concerned with finding an analytical expression for the scattering cross section of chaff oriented randomly within a vertical cone. The dipoles are allowed to take on all the angles within this cone. A vertically-polarized receiver is assumed off on the horizon and the transmitter on the ground below the chaff. The cross section is a function of the conical angle of the configuration and the angle between a normal to the ground and the incident electric field from the transmitter. Fig. 2 is a plot of the scattering cross section as a function of these two angles. Half-wave chaff randomly distributed within a conical angle about a vertical is not the most effective ensemble, but is a practical one at the lower frequencies. Cutting all these half-wave dipoles into very short ones makes it practical to place them in a horizontal position which has an ensemble gain over the conical but a reradiation loss, since short dipoles are less effective scatters than half-wave ones. The second part of this paper compares the reradiation loss and horizontal ensemble gain.