cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition of the earthworm Eisenia foetida (savigny) and assimilation of 15 elements from sludge during growth

1. Concentrations of ash and 11 minerals were analyzed in non-voided Eisenia foetida in relation to body weight. Significant decremental regressions were found with increasing body weight for ash, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Al, Mn, and Zn. Significant incremental regressions were found for K and Cu. Nitrogen concentrations were constant and independent of body weight. 2. Similar analyses on earthworms whose gut was voided revealed a significantly higher content of N, P, Ca and Mg than in the non-voided specimens and significantly lower levels of the other minerals. Water concentration was constant at 18%, independent of body weight. 3. During growth for 4 weeks on activated sludge, biomass increased about twofold; N, P and K remained approximately constant at 10, 1 and 1%; and Ca, Mg and Na decreased from levels of 0.8, 0.3 and 0.44% to 0.7, 0.15 and 0.38% respectively. 4. With respect to potentially phytotoxic elements, no significant changes in concentration of Cd, Cr, or Ni were found between samples of E. foetida from stock culture and samples taken two weeks and four weeks after placement into fresh activated sludge. Significant amounts of Cu and Zn accumulated after two and four weeks, and a significant accumulation of Pb was found after four weeks, but not two weeks, in sludge.
Fluorescent nanoparticle probes for cancer imaging

Optical imaging technique has strong potential for sensitive cancer diagnosis, particularly at the early stage of cancer development. This is a sensitive, non-invasive, non-ionizing (clinically safe) and relatively inexpensive technique. Cancer imaging with optical technique however greatly relies upon the use of sensitive and stable optical probes. Unlike the traditional organic fluorescent probes, fluorescent nanoparticle probes such as dye-doped nanoparticles and quantum dots (Qdots) are bright and photostable. Fluorescent nanoparticle probes are shown to be very effective for sensitive cancer imaging with greater success in the cellular level. However, cancer imaging in an in vivo setup has been recently realized. There are several challenges in developing fluorescent nanoparticle probes for in vivo cancer imaging applications. In this review, we will discuss various aspects of nanoparticle design, synthesis, surface functionalization for bioconjugation and cancer cell targeting. A brief overview of in vivo cancer imaging with Qdots will also be presented.
Identification of cell-specific patterns of reference gene stability in quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction studies of embryonic, placental and neural stem models of prenatal ethanol exposure

Identification of the transcriptional networks disrupted by prenatal ethanol exposure remains a core requirement to better understanding the molecular mechanisms of alcohol-induced teratogenesis. In this regard, quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has emerged as an essential technique in our efforts to characterize alterations in gene expression brought on by exposure to alcohol. However, many publications continue to report the utilization of inappropriate methods of qPCR normalization, and for many in vitro models, no consistent set of empirically tested normalization controls have been identified. In the present study, we sought to identify a group of candidate reference genes for use within studies of alcohol exposed embryonic, placental, and neurosphere stem cells under both conditions maintaining stemness as well as throughout in vitro differentiation. To this end, we surveyed the recent literature and compiled a short list of fourteen candidate genes commonly used as normalization controls in qPCR studies of gene expression. This list included: Actb, B2m, Gapdh, Gusb, H2afz, Hk2, Hmbs, Hprt, Mrpl1, Pgk1, Ppia, Sdha, Tbp, and Ywhaz. From these studies, we find no single candidate gene was consistently refractory to the influence of alcohol nor completely stable throughout in vitro differentiation. Accordingly, we propose normalizing qPCR measurements to the geometric mean C(T) values obtained for three independent reference mRNAs as a reliable method to accurately interpret qPCR data and assess alterations in gene expression within alcohol treated cultures. Highlighting the importance of careful and empirical reference gene selection, the commonly used reference gene Actb was often amongst the least stable candidate genes tested. In fact, it would not serve as a valid normalization control in many cases. Data presented here will aid in the design of future experiments using stem cells to study the transcriptional processes driving differentiation, and model the developmental impact of teratogens.
The Affordable Care Act and Academic Medical Centers

fi s i M h t h n o i A a r Drs Taylor and Clinchy have given us a wake-up call concerning the future of Academic Medical Centers (AMC) as this nation faces the dual challenges of unsustainable costs and the immediate need for health care reform. No matter what happens to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, AMCs must change their business model or risk economic disaster. AMCs can no longer follow the traditional path that has supported them in the past decade. Sufficient money will not be available within the current business model. The Road Ahead for our teaching and research institutions demands innovation, and AMCs must be the incubator of new solutions for better health care delivery in addition to their advancing our science.
Distributed Path-Based Inference in Semantic Networks

This paper presents the task model, instruction set, reasoning scheme, software infrastructure, as well as the experimental results, of a new distributed semantic network system. Unlike the synchronous and static marker passing algorithm previously used for parallel semantic network design, our system operates asynchronously, supporting knowledge sharing, dynamic load balancing and duplicate checking. To better the performance in distributed environments, the system has two collaborating components: the slave module, which performs task executions and the host module, which interacts with the user and processes the information for the slaves. Our current implementation focuses on path-based knowledge inferences, using ANSI C and the MPICH-G2 with flex lexical analyzer and the yacc parser generator. Tests of individual components have been performed on a SUN multiprocessor server. The experiments demonstrate promising speedups.
Who pays for irrigation: cost recovery and water pricing?

The objective of this paper is to develop guidelines for improving cost recovery and reducing water use per unit of output. The guidelines were developed from a review of studies of irrigation reforms and interviews with World Bank staff members who have responsibility for irrigation sector reforms. From these studies and interviews, we distilled specific reforms that were important in improving cost recovery or reducing water use, or both. The paper lists the reforms that have raised collection rates and provides examples of what different countries have done to recover project costs and collect water charges. It also suggests alternatives for designing water charges that will give farmers an incentive to make better use of their water. The final section provides a summary of the reforms that are important for increasing costs recovery and encouraging farmers to improve their use of water.
Testing of adhesion of thin films to substrates

The results of the measurement of the adhesion strength of thin films or coatings to substrates are often influenced by system parameters that may be influenced by preparation of the specimen for testing or by deposition of the film itself. In this paper, the scratch, pull, and peel tests are analyzed in terms of criteria for film/coating removal and for the effects of system parameters such as film hardness and ductility, film thickness, substrate hardness, etc.
The self‐deception of economics

Abstract Formalization has led contemporary economics to turn its back on the study of capitalism as the social order to which it owes its origins and its intrinsic analytical focus. As a consequence, contemporary economics turns a blind eye to the empirical analysis of capital accumulation, the real‐world properties of markets, and the bifurcation of political power that endow capitalism with its unique historical properties. Instead, economics takes scientific, not social, analysis as its model, a view that gives an ideological cast to its findings.
Superintendent’s leadership: a key factor in project success

This research was undertaken to explore: 1) the link between leadership competency at a construction site, project success and profitability; 2) the possibility of identifying a ‘great superintendent’. The conclusions of this effort indicate that the quality and level of on-site leadership (as compared to management) is, and will remain, a key element for the success of construction projects. Two separate but complementary tools were developed: a self-evaluating ‘field construction superintendent (FCS) questionnaire’ and a ‘project manager questionnaire’ that solicits an independent performance evaluation from the FCS’s superior. These tools profile the leadership skills and capabilities of a FCS and induce an awareness of the scope and importance of leadership. The tools can be used to profile the leadership competencies or lack thereof of anyone with construction site responsibilities. The collected data confirms a significant correlation between a FCS’s leadership competency and job performance. Not surprisingly, it is the effectiveness of management skills that dominates the job performance. However, it is the degree of applied leadership that distinguishes the great performers (great superintendents) from the unexceptional ones. Interviews conducted with the participants’ company executives found a 90% congruency in the study’s and the corporate rankings.
Benzoylthiourea-modified MCM-48 mesoporous silica for mercury(II) adsorption from aqueous solutions

Abstract Benzoylthiourea-modified mesoporous silica with cubic structure, MCM-48, was studied as a potential adsorbent for mercury ions from aqueous solutions. The mesopore surface of MCM-48 was decorated with a multifunctional ligand, namely 1-benzoyl-3-propylthiourea, via two-step post-synthesis modification. Grafting the organic moiety inside of the MCM-48 mesopores afforded material with high surface area of 505 m2/g, accessible pores of 2.8 nm, and ligand coverage of 1.55 mmol/g. The specific three-dimensional structure of MCM-48 and the choice of the attached ligand allowed obtaining the maximum adsorption capacity as high as 6.7 mmol Hg2+ per gram of the adsorbent. High adsorption performance of the regenerated material for Hg2+ ions, reflected by only insignificant decrease in its initial adsorption capacity, was observed. About 90% of the initial adsorption capacity was restored after regeneration of the adsorbent with 10% thiourea in 0.05 M HCl in the concentration range of 0–3 mmol Hg2+/l.
Membrane pathways for water and solutes in the toad bladder: II. Reflection coefficients of the water and solute channels.

Urea and water transport across the toad bladder can be separately activated by low concentrations of vasopressin or 8 Br-cAMP. Employing this method of selective activation, we have determined the reflection coefficient (σ) of urea and other small molecules under circumstances in which the bladder was transporting urea or water. An osmotic method for the determination of σ was used, in which the ability of a given solute to retard water efflux from the bladder was compared to that of raffinose (σ=1.0) or water (σ=0). When urea transport was activated (low concentration of vasopressin), σ for urea and other solutes was low, (σurea,0.08–0.39;σacetamide, 0.55; σethylene glycol, 0.60). When water transport was activated (0.1mm 8 Br-cAMP) σurea approached 1.0 σurea also approached 1.0 at high vasopressin concentrations. In a separate series of studies, σurea was determined in the presence of 2×10−5m KMnO4 in the luminal bathing medium. Under these conditions, when urea transport is selectively blocked, σurea rose from a value of 0.12 to 0.89. Thus, permanganate appears to “close” the urea transport channel. These findings indicate that the luminal membrane channels for water and solutes differ significantly in their dimensions. The solute channels, limited in number, have relatively large radii. They carry a small fraction (approximately 10%) of total water flow. The water transport channels, on the other hand, have small radii, approximately the size of a water molecule, and exclude solutes as small as urea.
Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Positive Breast Cancer and Central Nervous System Metastases

Purpose To determine the incidence, outcomes, and current strategies for management of brain metastases in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive breast cancer. Methods A literature review was performed to obtain data on central nervous system metastases in patients with breast cancer. Results HER2 amplification/overexpression is a prognostic and predictive factor for the development of CNS metastases. Autopsy data show that the incidence rate for CNS metastases in patients with breast cancer is approximately 30%; this may be higher (ie, 30% to 50%) in patients with HER2-positive disease. Treatment with trastuzumab is not associated with an increased incidence of CNS metastases. Data from three phase III adjuvant trials showed the incidence was similar between patients who received trastuzumab and those who did not. Furthermore, trastuzumab can significantly improve overall survival in HER2-positive patients who already have CNS metastases compared with patients who do not ...
Alteration of cytokine levels in murine retrovirus infection: modulation by combination therapy

Abstract Immunoregulatory cytokines may regulate the resistance or susceptibility of a host to retroviral infection. These cytokines may be therapeutically modulated to prevent or limit the progression of infection. The non-progression to AIDS of some HIV+ patients has been related to a strong type 1 cytokine response (IL-2, IL-12, and IFNγ). For this reason, we investigated the ability of combination therapeutics to modulate cytokines in vivo towards a type 1 cytokine response in a murine retroviral infection using Friend leukemia virus (FLV). BALB/c mice were infected with FLV and treated with either 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT), the immunomodulator methionine enkephalin (MENK), or a combination of both AZT and MENK starting 3 d post infection. Splenocytes were harvested on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 post treatment initiation and cultured with 1 μg/ml concanavalin A (ConA) for 24 h. Supernatants were examined for IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, and IFNγ cytokine production using cytokine specific ELISAs. The levels of type 2 cytokines were not significantly changed by any treatment group over the course of the disease. However, although decreased in all infected animals, type 1 cytokines were partially maintained by the combination treatment through day 21. RT-PCR for cytokine specific mRNA confirmed these results, with expression of the type 1 cytokines, especially IFNγ, being maintained through day 21. Establishment of a treatment regime that can maintain protective cytokine activities against disease progression may prove applicable to other retroviral infections.
Some analytical tools for fluids management in space: Isothermal capillary flows along interior corners

Abstract Recent advances in the analysis of a class of capillary-driven flows relevant to materials processing and general fluids management in space have been made. The class of flows addressed concern spontaneous capillary flows in complex containers with interior comers. Such flows are commonplace in space-based fluid systems and arise from the particular container geometry and wetting properties of the system. Important applications for this work involve low-g liquid fill and drain operations where the container geometry is complex, possessing interior corners, and where quantitative information of fluid location, transients, flow rates, and stability is critical. Examples include the storage and handling of liquid propellants and cryogens, water conditioning for life support, fluid phase-change thermal systems for temperature control and power production, materials processing in the liquid state, and on-orbit biofluids processing. For several important problems, closed-form expressions to transient three-dimensional flows are possible that, as design tools, compliment if not replace difficult, time-consuming, and rarely performed numerical calculations. The theory is readily extended to address more complex flows. An overview of a selection of solutions in-hand is presented. Drop tower and low-g aircraft experimental results are cited to support the theoretical findings.
Flaws in the decision making process: Assessment of risk in the decision to launch flight 51‐L

This paper argues that it was the failure of the decision‐making process, rather than the mode of risk assessment itself which led to the decision to launch the Space Shuttle Challenger. The phrasing of the decision question and a shift in the burden of proof are identified as specific problems of the process.
Total thyroidectomy for Graves' disease: compliance with American Thyroid Association guidelines may not always be necessary.

Background Total thyroidectomy (TT) is the preferred operative approach to Graves’ disease. Current guidelines of the American Thyroid Association call for the administration of potassium iodide (KI) and achievement of euthyroid state before operation. Small numbers and a mixture of operative approaches spanning several decades hinder previous operative series. We present the outcomes for TT at a single high-volume center. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 165 patients undergoing TT for Graves’ disease from July 2007 to May 2012. Results Mean age was 43 years (range, 17−78), and 128 patients (78%) were female. A total of 95% of patients were on methimazole or propylthiouracil, and 42% remained hyperthyroid at time of TT. Only 3 (2%) patients received KI. Mean operative time was 132 minutes (range, 59−271). Mean gland size and blood loss were 41 g (range, 8−180) and 55 mL (range, 10−1050), respectively. No patient developed thyroid storm. Median follow-up was 7.5 months. Temporary and permanent hypocalcemia developed in 51 (31%) and 2 patients (1.2%), respectively. Temporary and permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis occurred in 12 (7%) and one (0.6%) patient, respectively. Sixty-one (37%) patients experienced at least one complication. On multivariate analysis, patient age younger than 45 years (odds ratio 2.93, 95% confidence interval 1.39–6.19) and obesity (odds ratio 2.11, 95% confidence interval 1.00–4.43) were associated with the occurrence of complications. Conclusion This high-volume surgeon experience demonstrates no appreciable detriment to patient outcomes when recommendations of the American Thyroid Association for routine use of KI and euthyroid state before thyroidectomy are not met. Transient hypocalcemia and hoarseness are frequent complications of TT for Graves’ disease, resolving within 6 months in most patients. Age younger than 45 years and obesity are risk factors for postoperative complications.
Bacterial chemotaxis in the temporal gradient apparatus

Abstract It is shown that the recently observed motility responses of bacteria to temporal changes in the concentration of chemotactic agents are predicted by the already established mathematical theory for bacterial chemotaxis, without modification or additional hypothesis, if one makes the plausible assumption that the fluid mechanical action of the temporal gradient apparatus mixing tube is effective down to the scale λ∾10 -2 cm with spatial inhomogeneities of characteristic size λ present initially in the observation cell.
An evaluation of the ability of the peripheral vasodilator buflomedil to improve vascular patency after acute frostbite

Abstract The extent of microvascular damage from frostbite can be accurately demonstrated by vascular microcorrosion casting techniques (P. S. Daum, W. D. Bowers, Jr., J. Tejada, and M. P. Hamlet, Cryobiology 24 , 65–73, 1987). In the present investigation, the peripheral vasodilator buflomedil was evaluated for its ability to ameliorate microcirculatory damage from acute experimentally induced freeze injury. This drug has been reported to decrease tissue loss in human frostbite patients when given intravenously during thawing (J. Foray, P. E. Baisse, J. P. Mont, and Cl. Cahen, Sem. Hop. Paris 56 , 490–497, 1980). In seven groups of anesthetized rats, left hindpaws were cooled to heat of fusion; cooling continued until the temperature in the footpads fell to −15 °C. Prior to cooling, group 1 received a tail vein injection of 1 ml saline/kg, while group 2 received 10 mg buflomedil/kg. Immediately following cooling, group 3 received an injection of 10 mg buflomedil/kg. Hindpaws were rapidly re warmed in a 40 °C bath. During re warming, left hindpaws from group 4 were immersed in deionized water, from group 5 in 24 mg buflomedil in deionized water, from group 6 in 30% dimethyl sulfoxide (Me 2 SO), and from group 7 in 24 mg buflomedil in 30% Me 2 SO. Right hindpaws served as controls. Vascular microcorrosion casts were made from left and right hindpaws of all groups. There was no significant difference in mean cast weights when frozen hindpaws of the seven groups were compared, although treatment with buflomedil increased the mean cast weight of control hindpaws from groups 3 and 7. It therefore appears that, in this acute model for frostbite, buflomedil does not improve vascular patency.
Optimal swim speeds for traversing velocity barriers: an analysis of volitional high-speed swimming behavior of migratory fishes.

SUMMARY Migrating fish traversing velocity barriers are often forced to swim at speeds greater than their maximum sustained speed ( U ms ). Failure to select an appropriate swim speed under these conditions can prevent fish from successfully negotiating otherwise passable barriers. I propose a new model of a distance-maximizing strategy for fishes traversing velocity barriers, derived from the relationships between swim speed and fatigue time in both prolonged and sprint modes. The model predicts that fish will maximize traversed distance by swimming at a constant groundspeed against a range of flow velocities, and this groundspeed is equal to the negative inverse of the slope of the swim speed–fatigue time relationship for each mode. At a predictable flow velocity, they should switch from the optimal groundspeed for prolonged mode to that for sprint mode. Data from six migratory fish species (anadromous clupeids: American shad Alosa sapidissima, alewife A. pseudoharengus and blueback herring A. aestivalis ; amphidromous: striped bass Morone saxatilis ; and potomodromous species: walleye (previously known as Stizostedion vitrium ) and white sucker Catostomus commersonii ) were used to explore the ability of fish to approximate the predicted distance-maximizing behaviors, as well as the consequences of deviating from the optima. Fish volitionally sprinted up an open-channel flume against fixed flow velocities of 1.5–4.5 m s -1 , providing data on swim speeds and fatigue times, as well as their groundspeeds. Only anadromous clupeids selected the appropriate distance-maximizing groundspeed at both prolonged and sprint modes. The other three species maintained groundspeeds appropriate to the prolonged mode, even when they should have switched to the sprint optima. Because of this, these species failed to maximize distance of ascent. The observed behavioral variability has important implications both for distributional limits and fishway design.
The SPEEDTRONIC Mark IV Control™, a Distributed Fault Tolerant Gas Turbine Control System

Greatly improved availability is the primary design goal of the SPEEDTRONTC Mark IV Gas Turbine control. It achieves this goal by distributing control functions among four microcomputers: three are identical control sections, and the fourth handles communications. Powerful on-line diagnostics indicate which section is faulty, down to the replaceable element. Panel repair is effected with the gas turbine running. Mean time to repair is predicted to be three to four hours. The prediction is that the SPEEDTRONIC Mark IV control will not cause a plant shut down more often than once in ten years. In addition, the system has capacity for redundant sensor inputs, which significantly reduces forced outages caused by faulty sensors. Information on how these results were accomplished is presented in the paper, along with a description of the initial experiences running gas turbines with the new system.Copyright © 1983 by ASME
Improved Detection of Emerging Drug-Resistant Mutant Cytomegalovirus Subpopulations by Deep Sequencing

In immunosuppressed hosts, the development of multidrug resistance complicates the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Improved genotypic detection of impending drug resistance may follow from recent technical advances. A severely T-cell-depleted patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia developed CMV pneumonia and high plasma viral loads that were poorly responsive to antiviral therapy. Serial plasma specimens were analyzed for mutant viral populations by conventional and high-throughput deep-sequencing methods. Uncharacterized mutations were phenotyped for drug resistance using recombinant viruses. Conventional genotyping detected viruses with the UL97 kinase substitution C607Y after ganciclovir treatment, a transient subpopulation of UL54 polymerase L773V mutants first detected 8 weeks after foscarnet was started, and a subpopulation of a mutant with deletion of UL54 codons 981 and 982 2 months after the addition of cidofovir. Deep sequencing of the same serial specimens revealed the same UL54 mutants sooner, along with a more complex evolution of known and newly recognized mutant subpopulations missed by conventional sequencing. The UL54 exonuclease substitutions D413N, K513R, and C539G were newly shown to confer ganciclovir-cidofovir resistance, while L773V was shown to confer foscarnet resistance and add to the ganciclovir resistance conferred by UL97 C607Y. Increased sequencing depth provided a more timely and detailed diagnosis of mutant viral subpopulations that evolved with changing anti-CMV therapy.
Coulomb displacement energies and decay widths of isobaric analog states from Sm(3He, t) at θ = 0°

The ,~~.*~~,l~s,*~~,*so,,s*.,s~sm(~~e, t)'44.'47,'48.'49.150.1SZ.f54 Eu reactions leading to ground- state isobarican~ogstates (IAS) have been studied at B = O-and E(?He) = 45.9 MeV. The Coulomb displacement energies decrease more rapidly than A-"3. Approximately 110 keV of the total decrease of about 470 keV from A = 144 (spherical) to A = 154 (deformed) can be ascribed to deformation. No discontinuity is apparent at the transition from spherical to deformed shapes at N = 88 - 90. This is attributed to two effects: (i) rms radii increase with static deformations and with dynamical vibrations; (ii) Coulomb displacement energies depend on rms charge radii and on the rms radii of the neutron excess. The data suggest neutron deformations greater than proton deformations for A = 148 and 1.50 but smaller for A = 152 and 154. The IAS widths increase from - 30 keV to -90 keV and can be attributed to mixing with the (To- 3) component of a proposed isovector giant monopole resonance.
One‐week light treatment of winter depression near its onset: The time course of relapse

One week of light treatment was given to 17 patients with seasonal affective disorder, close to their times of episode onset in the fall or early winter. They were then withdrawn front treatment for up to 8 weeks while symptoms were monitored weekly. The clinical response to light was maintained for variable durations after termination of treatment, but symptoms ultimately returned for all subjects. Relapses—as defined by criterion scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, supplementary Atypical Symptom Scale, and combined SIGH-SAD scale—occurred across 1–8 weeks of withdrawal. The duration of improvement during withdrawal was correlated with the date of episode onset: initiation of treatment later in the fall/winter season led to longer delays to relapse, and patients with longer episode durations (and earlier episode onset) tended to show accelerated relapse. We were unable to confirm the findings of Meesters et al. (J Affect Dis 23:15–19, 1991; J Affect Dis 29:41–48, 1993b), who concluded that 5 days of light therapy early in the episode succeeded in preventing the development of fully syndromal depression as well as relapse during withdrawal throughout the winter. Depression 2:20–31 (1994). © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Management of benign biliary strictures by percutaneous interventional radiologic techniques (PIRT)

Introduction. Some biliary strictures may be manageable by percutaneous interventional radiologic techniques (PIRT), but long-term efficacy of this approach is scarce. Methods. We reviewed retrospectively all patients with biliary strictures secondary to traumatic bile duct injury or strictured bilioenteric anastomoses. Patients in whom the initial management was by PIRT from 1998 through 2003 were selected. Subjects with sclerosing cholangitis, hepatic transplantation, or malignant strictures were excluded. Data were obtained from medical records and/or direct patient contact. Comparisons were made by Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results. Twenty-seven patients with biliary strictures were treated by PIRT. Mean age was 54 years (range 11–86). Most frequent etiology was laparoscopic cholecystectomy injury in 11 patients (41%). Eight patients (29%) had undergone biliary resection for malignancy, seven (26%) a pancreatoduodenectomy, and one for presumed ischemic cholangiopathy; no strictures were secondary to neoplastic recurrence. PIRT was successful in 10 of 11 patients (91%) with short, isolated bile duct strictures secondary to laparoscopic cholecystectomy and in seven of 15 patients (41%) with strictured bilioenteric anastomosis, but not in the patient with ischemic cholangiopathy. Twenty patients (74%) were stent-free at follow-up. Anastomotic biliary strictures were more likely to fail PIRT than isolated strictures secondary to laparoscopic cholecystectomy injury (p=0.02). Conclusion. Percutaneous balloon dilatation and stenting can be an effective strategy for patients with bile duct strictures, especially short bile duct strictures after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Anastomotic strictures are associated with less good results when managed by PIRT but are successful in up to 40% of patients.
Light scattering from wormlike chains with excluded volume effects.

This paper reports a calculation of the angular dependence of light scattering from wormlike chains with excluded volume effects. The Daniels distribution function, modified for excluded volume effects, is used to compute averages for scattering elements separated by contour lengths which are long with respect to the persistence length of the chain. An expansion in terms of exactly known moments of the distribution for the wormlike coil without excluded volume is used for short contour lengths. The results are applied to scattering from calf thymus (M = 18.1 × 106) and T7 (M = 25.4 × 106) DNA. It is demonstrated that the same values of excluded volume parameter (e = 0.11) and statistical segment length (1/λ′ = 900 A) which explain the sedimentation and viscosity behavior of DNA also account satisfactorily for the scattering behavior. Molecular weights and root-mean-square radii estimated by extrapolation from scattering data obtained in the angular region from 10° to 25° will be 5–10% too large for DNA of molecular weight 20 × 106–30 × 106.
The Competition Criterion in British Merger Control Policy

The 1984 Tebbit Doctrine formalized competition as the watchword in British merger control, a highly discretionary system that encourages negotiation between firms and the government. The government has rarely invoked the full extent of its review powers over corporate mergers, even after the 1989 European Merger Control Regulation ceded some authority to Brussels. Is competition really a criterion influencing British merger control, or do institutional and personal biases direct the decision? This article reviews the rationale for merger control, outlines the structure of the British system, and analyzes merger activity and regulators' decisions from 1984–2000.
Reading Reversals and Developmental Dyslexia a Further Study

The pattern of errors in reading isolated words was studied in two groups of children with respect, particularly, to reversals of letter sequence and letter orientation. One group (the Institute group) consisted of children 8 to 10 years old who had been diagnosed "dyslexic" according to medical and psychoeducational criteria. The other (the School group) included all the children in a second-year elementary school class (see Liberman, Shankweiler, Orlando, Harris and Berti, 1971) who fell into the lowest third on a standard test of reading achievement. Although the Institute children were somewhat poorer in word recognition than the backward readers selected purely on psychometric grounds, the groups did not differ significantly in the incidence of reversal errors. Also, for both groups, reversals represented a small proportion of the total number of reading errors. The performance of the two groups differed in two respects: in relation to directional bias in letter reversals and in the presence or absence of a significant correlation between letter-reversing and word-reversing tendencies. It was concluded from this that directional problems do not loom large in importance in most cases of reading backwardness, but may provide an additional source of difficulty for some dyslexic children. Other aspects of the error pattern were remarkably the same for both groups. The bulk of reading errors made by both groups reflect their common difficulties in phonemic segmentation of words in the lexicon, in phonetic recoding, and in mastery of the orthography--difficulties, in short, with linguistic characteristics of words rather than with their properties as visual patterns.
At Risk Young Children Enter School: What are the Developmental Implications?

This article addresses the need to extend to the public school settings the ecological theory of child development that has been used to guide early intervention programs for the risk children. The...
Shelf life characteristics of enhanced modified atmosphere packaged pork

The objective of these studies was to identify a chemical indicator for predicting performance of enhanced pork during storage, then select raw materials with the potential for color and shelf life instability and enhance them with antimicrobial solutions in an attempt to overcome their initial deficits. The purpose of Study 1 was to evaluate the use of pH, glycolytic potential, and glucose levels in the drip to assess shelf life characteristics of modified atmosphere packaged (MAP), enhanced pork loin chops during display. Chops from higher pH carcasses had higher color scores and aerobic plate counts, and less discoloration. Study 2 evaluated shelf life characteristics of chops derived from high pH (>5.75) raw materials enhanced with solutions containing salt and phosphate, and/or lactate and/or acetate. Overall, pH was the best indicator of color and microbiological stability. Raw materials with high ultimate pH were least stable. MAP chops derived from high pH raw materials and enhanced with a sodium acetate-containing solutions had better color and microbiological shelf life than those enhanced with other solutions.
Effect of antioxidants on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated induction of mangano superoxide dismutase mRNA in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a common event in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury. Endothelial cells may be both a target and a source of the ROS. Exposure of bovine pulmonary endothelial cells (BPAEC) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been shown to result in intracellular generation of both ROS and the antioxidant enzyme, mangano superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). The present study investigates whether alterations in intracellular oxidant state affect LPS-stimulated cytotoxicity and induction of MnSOD mRNA. BPAEC were pretreated with either the free radical scavenger, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), the xanthine oxidase inhibitor, allopurinol, or N-acetylcysteine (a cysteine derivate capable of increasing glutathione stores) prior to exposure to LPS (0.1 microgram/ml) for either 4, 8 or 18 hours. We found that pretreatment of BPAEC with DMSO blocked both LPS-induced cytotoxicity and induction of the MnSOD gene. Nuclear run-off experiments demonstrated that LPS-stimulated induction of the MnSOD mRNA occurred at the transcriptional level and that DMSO blocked this event. Pretreatment with allopurinol also prevented the cytotoxicity associated with LPS but, in contrast to DMSO, did not alter induction of MnSOD mRNA. N-acetylcysteine did not affect the LPS-stimulated cytotoxicity but resulted in an early and transient reduction in induction of the MnSOD gene. We conclude that LPS stimulates generation of intracellular ROS that regulate induction of the MnSOD gene at the transcriptional level further, we conclude that LPS-stimulated cytotoxicity involves both the xanthine oxidase pathway and perhaps intracellular generation of hydroxyl radicals. The difference in the protective effect between DMSO, NAC and allopurinol suggest that upregulation of the MnSOD gene does not contribute to LPS-induced cytotoxicity.
Instar and outstar learning with memristive nanodevices

The instar and outstar synaptic models are among the oldest and most useful in the field of neural networks. In this paper we show how to approximate the behavior of instar and outstar synapses in neuromorphic electronic systems using memristive nanodevices and spiking neurons. Memristive nanodevices are especially attractive for this application since such devices are tiny, can be densely packed in crossbar-like structures and possess the long time constants, or memory, needed by the synaptic models.
To Make a World Safe for Revolution: Cuba's Foreign Policy

Introduction The Formative Years The Security Regime Cuba's Challenge to the Soviet Union in the 1960s The Reestablishment of Soviet Hegemony Support for Revolutionary Movements Support for Revolutionary States Cuba's Relations with Capitalist Countries Cuba's Diplomacy in the Americas and the Third World How Cuban Foreign Policy Is Made Appendix A: Interviews Conducted in Cuba and Elsewhere Appendix B: Technical Notes on Soviet-Cuban Economic Relations Notes Index
A hypercube queuing model for facility location and redistricting in urban emergency services

Abstract This paper develops computationally efficient algorithms for studying the analytical behavior of a multi-server queuing system with distinguishable servers. The model is intended for analyzing problems of vehicle location and response district design in urban emergency services, includes interdistrict as well as intradistrict responses, and allows computation of several pointspecific as well as area-specific performance measures.
Alcohol Effects on Lipid Bilayer Properties as Measured using a Gramicidin-Based Fluorescence Assay

Alcohols are known modulators of lipid bilayer properties and their anesthetic action was for long sole attributed to their bilayer modifying effects. More recently, it has been shown that alcohols can alter protein function through direct alcohol-membrane protein interactions. This raises the question to what extent the anesthetic/intoxicating action(s) of alcohols result from direct protein-alcohol interactions or from general changes in membrane properties. The efficacy of alcohols of varying chain lengths (different number of carbon atoms) studied in very different assays tend to exhibit a so-called “cut off” effect - increased potency with increased chain length, which then levels off and maybe declines above a certain chain length. The “cut off” chain length varies depending on the assay in question and numerous mechanisms have been proposed, e.g.: limited size of the alcohol-protein interaction site (binding pocket), limited alcohol solubility, and chain length-dependent lipid bilayer-alcohol interaction. To address these questions, and to explore the general chemical structure-activity relationship for amphiphiles’ bilayer perturbing effects, we determined the membrane-modifying potential for a series of aliphatic alcohols using a gramicidin-based fluorescence assay. All the alcohols tested (chain-lengths varying between 1 and 10 carbons) alter bilayer properties, as sensed by a bilayer-spanning channel. The concentration at which they start affecting bilayer properties is higher or equal than the concentrations where they cause intoxication, equal or lower than the concentrations reported for direct alcohol-membrane protein interaction, and lower than the concentrations where they cause anesthesia. For short alcohol chain lengths, the alcohol's bilayer modifying potency scales linearly with alcohol bilayer partitioning, which then tapers off at higher chain lengths, reminiscent of a “cut off” effect - in a system where there is no alcohol binding pocket.
Differential Therapeutic Outcomes of Community-Based Group Interventions for Women and Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence:

Two community-based group therapies, emotion focused versus goal oriented, are compared among women exposed to intimate partner violence (n = 46) and their children ( n = 48) aged between 6 and 12 years. A series of repeated measures analyses are employed to evaluate the effects of time from baseline to postintervention following random assignment. Main and treatment effects for women provide support for the relative effectiveness in increasing quality of social support in the emotion-focused intervention and in the reduction of both family conflict and alcohol use for the goal-oriented intervention.
Germanium Implantation into Silicon: An Alternate Pre-Amorphization/Rapid Thermal Annealing Procedure for Shallow Junction Technology

Germanium implantation into Si was conducted to pre-amorphize the-si surface layer prior to a shallow/high dose (42 keV, 2 × 1015 cm−2) BF2 implant. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy showed that rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of the amorphous layer (without BF2 ) leaves defect-free material in the implanted region. Only a discrete layer of small (∼300A) dislocation loops due to straggling ion damage was found to be present at a depth corresponding to the amorphous/crystalline interface. RTA of the amorphous layer with the BF2 creatpd a high density of uniformly. distributed fine defect clusters (∼50A) in the surface region (0–500A) in addition to the straggling ion damage. Boron and F profiles obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry from the unannealed and rapid thermally annealed samples showed the presence of high concentrations of these impurities in the surface region where the fine defect clusters were observed. A comparison of the RTA behavior of the pre-amorphized surface layers (with or without BF2 ) produced by Ge and self-implantation is presented.
Performance assessment of automatic speech recognizers

This paper discusses the factors known to influence the performance of automatic speech recognizers and describes test procedures for characterizing their performance. It is directed toward all the stakeholders in the speech community (researchers, vendors and users) consequently, the discussion of test procedures is not directed toward the needs of specific users to demonstrate the performance characteristics of any one specific algorithmic approach or particular product. It relies significantly on contributions from an emerging consensus standards activity, especially material developed within the IEEE Working Group on Speech I/O Performance Assessment.
Ordering of liquid squalane near a solid surface

X-ray reflectivity is used to study the interfacial structure of liquid squalane on SiO2/Si(1 0 0) substrates. The data show that there are density oscillations (layers) near the interface, with the squalane molecular long axes parallel to the substrate. The results are compared to those from molecular dynamics simulations and recent force measurements. 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Multidisciplinary family meetings in the ICU facilitate end-of-life decision making.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of establishing a multi-disciplinary family meeting (MDFM) program and the impact of such a program on the end-of-life decision making in the setting of an ICU. Methods: During the study period MDFMs were scheduled for patients requiring mechanical ventilation for 5 or more days. The meeting followed a structured format. The pertinent details of the meeting as well as the treatment goals were recorded. Results: Twenty-nine patients were enrolled in this study. Thirty-five MDFM’s were held on 24 patients. A meeting could not be arranged for four patients. All meetings addressed patient’s diagnosis, prognosis and goals of care. Fifteen (52%) patients (9 of whom had metastatic malignancy) had life support withdrawal and died a mean of 4.8 + 4.2 days after the first family meeting. In the remaining 9 patients (3 with localized cancer and 6 with non-cancer diagnoses), the plan following the family meeting was to continue supportive care; all of the...
Role of Macrophage Foam Cells in Arterial Lesions

At some stage in their development, all atherosclerotic lesions contain foam cells. These cells can be easily identified by their swollen cytoplasm filled with lipid inclusions. Arterial foam cells have been recognized since the early 1900’s; their origin has been variously attributed to endothelial cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, macrophages, or lymphocytes (Geer and Haust, 1972). The nature and origin of arterial foam cells has remained unresolved even after the application of electron microscopy to their study, since the structural signs necessary for identification of cell type are lost in the lipid overloaded cells. A general consensus has grown, however, that foam cells may be derived either from intimal smooth muscle cells or from blood monocytes.
Learning Spatio-Temporal Structure from RGB-D Videos for Human Activity Detection and Anticipation

We consider the problem of detecting past activities as well as anticipating which activity will happen in the future and how. We start by modeling the rich spatio-temporal relations between human poses and objects (called affordances) using a conditional random field (CRF). However, because of the ambiguity in the temporal segmentation of the sub-activities that constitute an activity, in the past as well as in the future, multiple graph structures are possible. In this paper, we reason about these alternate possibilities by reasoning over multiple possible graph structures. We obtain them by approximating the graph with only additive features, which lends to efficient dynamic programming. Starting with this proposal graph structure, we then design moves to obtain several other likely graph structures. We then show that our approach improves the state-of-the-art significantly for detecting past activities as well as for anticipating future activities, on a dataset of 120 activity videos collected from four subjects.