cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Placental transfer of ritonavir with zidovudine in the ex vivo placental perfusion model

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The object was to determine the placental transfer of ritonavir alone and in combination with zidovudine. STUDY DESIGN: Twelve placental perfusion studies were performed at trough (1-2 μg/mL) and peak (~20 μg/mL) combinations of ritonavir and zidovudine. Accumulation of ritonavir was determined. RESULTS: Transfer of ritonavir at trough concentrations was undetectable ( 20 μg/mL and 25.5 ± 6.9 μg/mL at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. There was no tissue accumulation of ritonavir either alone or with zidovudine. CONCLUSION: The clearance index of ritonavir at therapeutic levels was extremely low, with little accumulation in the fetal compartment and no accumulation in placental tissue. Zidovudine does not significantly affect the transfer or accumulation of ritonavir. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;179:758-61.)
The Importance of Authenticity for Self and Society

The transition from industrial to postindustrial society and from modern to postmodern culture has led to increased interest in authenticity. Such interest is widespread not only among those studying changes in social structure and culture but also among those who adhere to the social psychological tenet that self reflects society, and society, the self. In this article, I specify how issues of authenticity have become a pervasive part of our culture, our institutions, and our individual selves. Building on both Rosenberg and Turner, I conceptualize authenticity in terms of a commitment to self-values. The relevance of this conceptualization is illustrated, first by demonstrating its implications for identity theory and second through its implicit use by others writing about the contemporary experience of being oneself. I conclude with a discussion of how this approach to authenticity may be used by social scientists to better conceptualize self in a way that explicitly incorporates the cultural implications of today's postindustrial society.
Vertical Tube Passive Condenser Under Secondary Pool Water Level Transient

An experimental work was carried out on a passive containment cooling system (PCCS) test facility where the effect of PCCS pool water level change on the PCCS heat transfer characteristics was investigated. The specific design of condensing tube was based on scaling analysis from the PCCS design of Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR). The annulus between the primary condensing tube and the secondary boiling tube is filled with water and serves as water pool. During the test, steam generated in the pool is discharged through three steam exit nozzles located symmetrically at the top of the secondary boiling tube. Transient tests carried out with secondary pool water level change show that the system pressure for complete condensation mode increases with decrease in water level, however rate of condensation is almost constant. However, if the PCCS is operated in through flow mode the system pressure (primary side pressure) is constant, however, the condensate rate decreases indicating that some of the steam does not condense.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Probing the Trafficking Routes of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 After Their ER Exit

Background: KCNQ1 (Q1, pore-forming channel subunit) and KCNE1 (E1, regulatory subunit) associate to form the slow delayed rectifier (IKs) channel, important for cardiac action potential repolarization. Although Q1/E1 are obligatory partners in cardiomyocytes, in adult ventricular myocytes the two are not well colocalized: E1 is on the lateral cell surface while Q1 is mainly in the intracellular junctional SR. This appears to contradict data from heterologous expression or non-cardiac cell types, which suggest that Q1/E1 assemble into IKs when they are still in ER or soon thereafter. The current study is designed to distinguish between 2 scenarios. First, Q1 and E1 traffic from ER to the plasma membrane together, followed by Q1 internalization to the ER/SR compartment. Alternatively, Q1 and E1 traffic on different routes from ER to their separate destinations.Methods: COS-7 cells transfected with Q-GFP/E1-dsR are cultured in presence of brefeldin A (BFA) for 12 – 16 hr, to allow protein translation without ER exit. Cells are imaged in absence of BFA but presence of cycloheximide+dynasore (blocking protein translation and endocytosis). Time-lapse images (Zeiss 710, 37oC) of 4-um optic slice (to maximize capture of trafficking events in thin cytosol of COS-7 cells) are recorded till the Q1-GFP and E1-dsR distribution reaches quasi steady-state (> 2 hr).Results: BFA removal allows ER exit and Golgi reconstruction. E1-dsR exits ER in distinct vesicles, more frequently at the cell periphery. These vesicles gradually cluster to the peri-nuclear region, entering the post-BFA Golgi. Q1-QFP stays in the ER compartment for > 2 hr. Its ER location is confirmed by FRAP experiments.Conclusion: Our data support the second scenario. Experiments are in progress to test whether E1-dsR and Q1-GFP behave the same when expressed in a cardiac myocyte environment.
Nd:Cr:GSGG, Will It Replace Nd:YAG?

Gadolinium scandium gallium garnet (GSGG) codoped with neodymium (Nd) and chromium (Cr) is a new laser material that can make more efficient lasers. I compare it to Nd-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) for two types of systems: large zig-zag slab lasers and small rod lasers. Nd:Cr:GSGG has a significant advantage over Nd:YAG in large systems because of its high efficiency and availability in large sizes. In small rod systems, though, the larger thermal lensing and birefringence in Nd:Cr:GSGG make it less desirable than Nd:YAG from an optical standpoint, but its high efficiency means that laser system size and weight can be reduced. I review progress in obtaining large Nd:Cr:GSGG slabs. In this effort, Allied-Signal Corp. has successfully grown 5-inch diameter Nd:Cr:GSGG boules.
THE NEED FOR CONTROLLED INFORMATION PROCESSING IN THE VISUAL ACQUISITION OF ROUTE KNOWLEDGE

The route knowledge of participants who performed a concurrent task during a simulated route-learning exercise was compared to that of participants engaged only in the route-learning exercise by employing tests of scene recognition, distance estimation and map verification. Results indicated performance decrements on the scene recognition and distance estimation tasks on the part of participants in the concurrent task condition, thus supporting the interpretation that these tasks were sensitive to the reduction in available attentional resources. Performance on the map verification task was generally poor, a fact that may have masked the general effect of the concurrent task manipulation. Comparisons involving only those subgroups for which performance was above chance level provided evidence that this task was also sensitive to the availability of resources. In addition, results from the map verification task clearly pointed to map orientation as an important factor influencing the ability to recognize a cartographic representation of a path of movement within a large-scale environment.
Effect of plasma storage on erythrocyte sodium pump measurements.

The possibility that sodium handling in red cells may be an indicator of abnormalities associated with hypertension has encouraged many investigators to study erythrocyte sodium transport. The results have often been in conflict, perhaps because of the variety of laboratory techniques and procedures employed. Investigation into the effect of storage of red cells in plasma showed larger changes when cells were stored at 0°C than at room temperature (19°). At 0°C, sodium efflux via the pump increased 22.1% (p < 0.001) after 2 hours storage and 54.2% (p < 0.005) after 4 hrs of storage. At 19°C, sodium efflux values were more scattered after storage, but the mean value was not significantly different even after 4 hours. Intracellular sodium increased 17.3% in cells stored 4 hrs at 0°C; significant changes were not observed when cells were stored 2 hrs at 0°C or 2-4 hours at 19°C, The number of Na, K-ATPase sites per red blood cell did not change with either storage condition. For samples processed within one ...
Installation of a New Neutron Beam Facility at the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor

The fleet of research and training reactors is aging, and no new research reactors are planned in the United States; thus, there is a need to expand the capabilities of existing reactors to meet users’ needs. To address these needs, the Colorado School of Mines added a neutron beamline facility to the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR), a 1-MW(thermal) Mark-I TRIGA reactor located at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. The original GSTR design did not include any beam ports, and future research efforts will benefit from a neutron beam at the GSTR. Adding new beamline facilities to existing research reactors is both rare and challenging, and this paper describes the design and installation of a new neutron beamline facility at a Mark-I TRIGA reactor with no existing beamline facilities. The design and construction of a radiation beamstop for the new beamline is described in detail. A neutronics model of the neutron beam provides researchers with a useful tool for experiment design. Th...
[CHROMOSOME MOSAIC 45/XO-/46XX-/47/XXX SIMULATING A "TRUE GONADAL DYSGENESIS"].

Als Zufallsbefund konnte bei einer primar amenorrhoischen Patientin mit Lupus erythematodes discoides chronicus “reine Gonadendysgenesie” festgestellt werden. Die cytogenetische Interphasekernuntersuchung ergab sowohl an den Epithelien von Mundschleimhaut als auch Vagina. Kerne mit zwei Barr-Korperchen, wodurch Hinweis auf “triplo-X female” gegeben war; die in unserem Gewebezuchtlabor durchgefuhrten Chromosomenanalysen aus dem Blut deckten dann das Gonosomenmosaik XO/XX/XXX auf. Nach Durchsicht der uns zuganglichen Literatur handelt es sich um den zweiten bekannt gewordenen Fall der Chromosomenkonstellation 45/XO//46/XX//47/XXX bei “reiner Gonadendysgenesie”.
Does Nitrous Oxide Antagonize Isoflurane-induced Suppression of Learning?

Background A greater MAC fraction of nitrous oxide than isoflurane is required to prevent response to verbal commands and suppress the capacity to learn. Speculating that this difference between these agents may be caused by nitrous oxide's capacity to increase sympathetic activity, we tested the hypothesis that nitrous oxide may antagonize the suppression of learning found with isoflurane. Methods We administered a combination of isoflurane and nitrous oxide at three subanesthetic test concentrations (0.43, 0.56, and 0.68 MAC) to 24 healthy male volunteers. Assuming additivity of the anesthetics, the first test concentration was selected to suppress learning of new Information by 50% (ED50 for suppression of learning); the second concentration, to suppress the ability to respond appropriately to verbal command by 50% (MAC-awake); and the third, to provide 1.4 times MAC-awake. Three tests of learning were applied. At each test concentration, we provided 7 answers to “trivial pursuit”-type questions, resulting in a set of 21 answered questions for each volunteer; an additional 7 unanswered questions served as controls. At the highest test concentration, each volunteer also heard two examples from each of two categories (4 words) repeated 30 times (the category-example task), and a message instructing them to touch either their nose or their ear during a specified interval in the postanesthetic interview (the behavior task). Results The MAC-awake value for the combination of isoflurane and nitrous oxide was 118 ± 4% of the expected value (i.e., the two anesthetics were antagonistic for this effect). Consistent with antagonism, the anesthetic concentration predicted to suppress learning by 30% permitted significantly more learning, and the ED50 was 105 ± 2% of that predicted. Neither the category task nor the behavior task demonstrated evidence of learning at 1.4 times MAC-awake. Conclusions Our results are consistent with an antagonism between nitrous oxide and isoflurane; however, the degree of antagonism is small.
Technology for Enhanced Transfusion Safety

Data from reporting systems around the world document that non-infectious hazards are the leading cause of serious morbidity or mortality resulting from blood transfusion. Among these non-infectious hazards, mis-transfusion represents the most frequently observed serious hazard and occurs at an estimated rate of 1 in 14,000 transfusions. Mis-transfusion events result from "lapse errors" (slip ups) rather than cognitive mistakes. Lapse errors are more likely to occur during repetitive tasks when individuals are distracted, rushed, or fatigued--conditions to which machines are not susceptible. The final bedside check and the collection of patient samples for pre-transfusion testing are key "error spots" and are candidates for new technology innovation. Existing technology includes non-computerized devices; bedside devices based on bar code technology; and the use of radiofrequency chips. Several commercial systems employing bar-code technology have reached clinical application or are undergoing refinement. Radiofrequency-based systems are on the near horizon. Nearly all systems begin with the application of machine-readable data to the patient's wristband. The third error spot--the decision to transfuse--will be a challenging area for future application of information technology. Computerized physician order-entry, decision support and ultimately active computer-based decision-making are expected to enhance transfusion decisions. Despite the explosive growth in information technology in modern society, healthcare has lagged behind many other sectors in the use of enhanced information technology. Studies are needed to identify which technologies improve patient outcomes. Healthcare workers, administrators, and regulators need to embrace the use of new technology in order to reduce errors and improve safety for patients.
An Interview with James Dashow

Computer Music Journal, 27:2, pp. 14–29, Summer 2003 q 2003 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A pioneering composer of computer music, James Dashow (see Figure 1) was a co-founder of the Centro di Sonologia Computazionale at the University of Padova. He has taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton University, and the Centro para la Difusion di Musica Contemporanea in Madrid. For many years he was coproducer of a contemporary music radio program for Italian National Radio and Television (RAI). He lives north of Rome but lectures extensively in the U.S. and Europe. Mr. Dashow has received commissions, awards, and grants from numerous organizations. Most recently, he was awarded the prestigious Prix Magistere at the 30th Festival International de Musique et d’Art Sonore Electroacoustiques in Bourges, France. His music has been recorded on Capstone, Wergo, BMG-RCA, Neuma, ProViva, CRI and other labels. Complete lists of the composer’s works, recordings, and awards are available on his Web site, www.jamesdashow.net. His oeuvre includes works for tape (used here in the general sense to refer to  xed electronic media), live instruments plus tape, and instruments without electronics; but he uses the computer in composing even his purely instrumental music. James Dashow visited the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media at the University of Washington in early March 2002 for a concert of his recent works and to conduct a master class. During the three days of his stay, we managed to have an extended interview-like conversation in front of a microphone on one of the islands just off the coast of Seattle. Several of the little restaurants on the island have their own pier nudging out into Puget Sound for customers (like us) who prefer to take their coffee or wine outdoors in the early spring sunshine. As we say in Seattle, ‘‘The mountain was out’’: Mt. Rainier rose majestically in all its splendor between the two mountain ranges (the Olympics to the west and the Cascades to the east) that surround the city. These were the perfect conditions for an interview.
Formation and deposition of volcanic sulfate aerosols on Mars

The paper considers the formation and deposition of volcanic sulfate aerosols on Mars. The rate limiting step in sulfate aerosol formation on Mars is the gas phase oxidation of SO2 by chemical reactions with O, OH, and HO2; submicron aerosol particles would circuit Mars and then be removed from the atmosphere by gravitational forces, globally dispersed, and deposited over a range of equatorial and mid-latitudes. Volcanic sulfate aerosols on Mars consist of liquid droplets and slurries containing sulfuric acid; aerosol deposition on a global or hemispheric scale could account for the similar concentrations of sulfur within surficial soils at the two Viking lander sites.
SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ARGON-NEON Z-PINCH PLASMA AT STAGNATION

The density, temperature, and radiation coupling are investigated in strongly radiating Ar-Ne Z -pinch plasmas at stagnation using a novel high resolution space- and time-resolving x-ray spectrometer. One- and two-dimensional electron temperature profiles are obtained from the slope of the Ne recombination continuum. The electron density and ion temperature are determined from comparisons of the heliumlike Ar Rydberg series with detailed line-profile calculations. 2D nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium calculations predict a radiating region denser and cooler than measured. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
The role of hydroxylated semiconducting surfaces in the reaction of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl with adsorbed water

Abstract The role of hydroxylated semiconducting surfaces in the intermolecular oxidation and reduction reaction of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl with adsorbed water has been explored. Major products were isolated on various catalysts, characterized and their yields determined. The reaction is the same whether a solvent is present or not. It appears that a simultaneous presence of surface OH groups and ‘F-centers’ is necessary on the surface of a catalyst for the reaction to occur. Considering the mode of catalysis a mechanism for the reaction is proposed on stoichiometric basis.
Distinct human antibody response to the biological warfare agent Burkholderia mallei

The genetic similarity between Burkholderia mallei (glanders) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis) had led to the general assumption that pathogenesis of each bacterium would be similar. In 2000, the first human case of glanders in North America since 1945 was reported in a microbiology laboratory worker. Leveraging the availability of pre-exposure sera for this individual and employing the same well-characterized protein array platform that has been previously used to study a large cohort of melioidosis patients in southeast Asia, we describe the antibody response in a human with glanders. Analysis of 156 peptides present on the array revealed antibodies against 17 peptides with a > 2-fold increase in this infection. Unexpectedly, when the glanders data were compared with a previous data set from B. pseudomallei infections, there were only two highly increased antibodies shared between these two infections. These findings have implications in the diagnosis and treatment of B. mallei and B. pseudomallei infections.
Interchangeable allies: Exploiting development and selection to swap symbionts

The interdependence of some microbes and their hosts is profound. Coevolution has led to hosts whose survival and reproduction is dependent upon the presence of a specific microbial partner, and to microbes that have adapted to life within hosts. Such obligate microbial symbioses are present across the tree of life, and study of associations between insects and microbes have provided key insights into the evolutionary, ecological, physiological, and molecular underpinnings of these associations. In PNAS, Moran and Yun (1) take a novel approach to investigate one of the best-studied insect-symbiont associations, that of aphids and the bacterium Buchnera aphidicola. By replacing one symbiont for another, the authors experimentally confirm that an important ecological phenotype is dictated by the genetic make-up of the symbiont and pave the way for future studies on host and symbiont interactions (Fig. 1).
SU‐FF‐T‐01: A Delivery Transfer Function (DTF) Analysis of Helical Tomotherapy

Purpose: Explore the delivery resolution (blurring) for any given beamlet for a helical tomotherapy unit. Based on this analysis, then to determine how the optimization procedure can be further improved to account for the source motion blurring inherent to the unique intensity modulation method used. Also, organ motion blurring effects can be evaluated in this context. Method and Materials: We rely upon and expand previous theoretical work of the “Delivery Transfer Function (DTF)” [K. Otto, et al., Med. Phys. 29, 1823 (2002)] to include the unique intensity modulation method of helical tomotherapy. In addition to the collimation of each beamlet, and the Gaussian convolution spreading of the dose that other radiotherapy units have, helical tomotherapy used small arcs of varying lengths to adjust the intensity. The blurring from these arcs are not taken into account in the current Hi‐ART® TomoTherapy device. Results: Near the isocenter, the transverse (to a given beam direction) blurring is small but at larger radii, the source blurring dominates over leaf size. The longitudinal blurring is dominated by the jaw width, and organ motion blurring less than this width will not be noticed. When a large number of angles are averaged together and with the varying intensities of a real sinogram, the average blurring is very close to the leaf width value >∼ 6.5 mm for typical parameters — even well off‐axis where source motion blurring will be larger. Conclusion: The treatment planning which does not include this source motion can be improved by adding a penalty to beamlets that give large blurring at a particular voxel. Organ motion blurring effects may not seem as deleterious in the context. The averaging effects of many beam directions and many leaf intensities reduces the overall transverse blurring to a very low level for typical situations.
Loyalty, protocol, bargainer characteristics, and rationality in an experimental investigation of bilateral bargaining in dyads

This article analyses data from a bargaining experiment where dyads (i.e. two players) bargain over the chances (in terms of lottery tickets) to win a shrinking monetary reward. The analysis models both time-independent and time-dependent measures of rationality, which are derived from the negotiated distribution of lottery tickets, as a function of bargainers' stated loyalty, individual characteristics, and bargaining protocol. Statistical results suggest that constrained self-interest dominates both measures of rationality, which are significantly affected by pre-bargain cheap talk, first-offer restrictions, loyalty, gender, and academic major.
The relationship between solar flares and solar sector boundaries

A superposed epoch analysis of 1964-1970 solar flares shows a marked increase in flare occurrence within a day of (-+) solar sector boundaries, as well as a local minimum in flare occurrence near (+-) sector boundaries. This perference for (-+) boundaries is more noticeable for Northern Hemisphere flares, where these polarities match the Hale polarity law, but is not reversed in the south. Plage regions do not show such a perference.
Morphology of the HIV versus the diabetic cotton wool spot.

BACKGROUND Retinal cotton wool spots (CWS) have long been associated with many systemic diseases, including diabetes mellitus and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The pathogenesis of the diabetic CWS has been well established but is not clear in HIV disease. This study documents a morphological difference between cotton wool spots observed in diabetes mellitus and HIV infection. METHODS Electronic images of 47 diabetic CWS and 38 HIV CWS were compared in terms of eccentricity. Each CWS was enlarged, and its major and minor axes were determined. Eccentricity was determined by use of a simple ratio of major vs. minor axis. The eccentricity of these diabetic and HIV CWS were compared by use of the Mann-Whitney rank sum test to check for significance. RESULTS The HIV CWS was significantly more eccentric (p < or = 0.001), thus suggesting a different morphology than its diabetic counterpart. CONCLUSIONS There seems to be a significant difference in the morphology of the cotton wool spots observed in diabetes mellitus compared with those observed in HIV infection. This difference suggests that, at some level, the pathogeneses of these two CWS are not the same. Clinically, the practitioner should strongly suspect HIV disease in a patient with boomerang-shaped cotton wool spots.
Some results on constrained Bayes estimators

If posterior means are used to estimate nonlinear functionals of an ensemble of parameters, biased estimates of those functionals typically result. Posterior means are optimal under sum-of-squared-error loss (SSEL); introducing weighting and at the same time discarding SSEL optimality may lead to better estimates of these functionals. Constraining the first two sample moments (weighted and unweighted) of the estimates is an attractive approach that is explored in this paper.
MBARI's Midwater Ecology Low-Light Imaging System Development

This paper focuses on the technology for an imaging system that allows MBARI's midwater ecologists to detect both illuminated, nearly transparent organisms and stimulated bioluminescence. The system utilizes high intensity red LEDs and an ICCD camera with the ability to gate the detected light. This system uses less power than traditional underwater video systems and provides a higher contrast image for use in future automated counting systems.
The reduction of magnetic observations to mean of year

Measurements of the Earth's main field are always affected by continuously varying electric currents flowing above and below the Earth's surface. During magnetic storms the Earth's field in low latitudes may be reduced by several per cent, and the gradual recovery of the field may continue for several days. The increase of field following the recovery-period of a storm may persist for a week or more, so that the field may attain values considerably in excess of the annual mean value. This effect is often also found in the case of small and moderate disturbances of the Earth's field, and has caused serious difficulty in the task of estimating the changes in the main field appearing from year to year.
Design for instrumentation: high quality measurement of formal technical review

All current software quality assurance methods incorporate some form of formal technical review (FTR), because structured analysis of software artefacts by a team of skilled technical personnel has demonstrated an ability to improve quality. However, FTR methods come in a wide variety of forms with varying effectiveness, incur significant overhead on technical staff, and have little computer support. Measurements of these FTR methods are coarse-grained, frequently low quality, and expensive to obtain. This paper describes CSRS, a highly instrumented, computer-supported system for formal technical review, and shows how it is designed to collect high quality, fine-grained measures of FTR process and products automatically. The paper also discusses some results from over one year of experimentation with CSRS; describes how CSRS improves current process improvement approaches to FTR; and overviews several novel research projects on FTR that are made possible by this system.
Demand chain collaboration and operational performance: role of IT analytic capability and environmental uncertainty

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to enhance the extant understanding of the IT‐collaboration relationship. The study aims to test the robustness of the relationships among the concepts of IT analytic capability, demand chain collaboration and operational performance besides investigating the interaction effects of environmental uncertainty variables on the IT‐collaboration relationship.Design/methodology/approach – Data for testing the hypothesized relationships in the conceptual model were collected through a survey of managers in manufacturing firms from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) membership directory. The survey sample included 152 responses accounting for a response rate of 28 percent.Findings – Findings suggest that while IT analytic capability associates positively with collaboration, the technological turbulence dimension of uncertainty enhances the above relationship. Market turbulence, however, was not found to have a significant moderating impact on the...
Biosynthesis of tropic acid: Feeding experiments with cinnamoyltropine and littorine

Abstract The administration of cinnamoyl-[2- 14 C]-tropine-[ N -methyl- 14 C] to Datura stramonium plants resulted in the formation of labeled atropine and scopolamine. However the atropine was found to have almost all its radioactivity located on the N -methyl group of the alkaloid, indicating that the administered ester had undergone hydrolysis in the plant affording tropine and cinnamic acid, the latter not being utilized for the biosynthesis of tropic acid. Dual labeled RS -littorine (3β-(2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionyloxy-[1- 14 C]-tropane-[3β- 3 H]) was also fed to D. stramonium and radioactive atropine was obtained. However the drastic change in the 3 H: 14 C ratio found in the atropine indicated that the littorine was not converted directly to the alkaloid, and it is suggested that the littorine is hydrolysed in vivo to tropine and phenyl-lactic acid, the latter undergoing rearrangement to tropic acid prior to esterification with tropine.
Controlling dynamic instability of three-level atoms inside an optical ring cavity

Dynamic instability in the transmission field of an optical ring cavity containing three-level $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type rubidium atoms is studied in detail both experimentally and theoretically. The onset and periodicity of such dynamic oscillations in the cavity field can be controlled by the experimental parameters, such as intensity and frequency detuning of the coupling field and∕or cavity field. Such nonlinear dynamic behavior is caused by competition between optical saturation of the cavity field and optical population pumping by the coupling field in the three-level atomic system.
Origin and characterization of different stick-slip friction mechanisms

Mechanical parts often move, not smoothly, but in jerks known as stick−slip. Stick−slip motion may be regular (repetitive or periodic) or irregular (erratic or intermittent). In the case of frictional sliding, stick−slip can have serious and often undesirable consequencesresulting in noise (chatter), high energy loss (friction), surface damage (wear), and component failure. We review the origins of stick−slip friction and present new experimental results on model surfaces that clarify its different origins, its dependence on experimental conditions or “system parameters”, and how stick−slip can be controlled in practical situations.
5-microtransducer catheter in evaluation of neurogenic bladder function.

Abstract Recent use of the multiple microtransducer catheter in the evaluation of neurogenic bladder due to spinal-cord injuries leads us to believe that (1) the use of the inferior edge of the symphysis pubis as the zero point for resting bladder pressure is more accurate than its superior edge, (2) changes in resting bladder pressure at various volumes are influenced more by body position than by intravesical position of the sensor, (3) back-to-back microtransducers indicate significant pressure difference at the external sphincter zone, and (4) detrusor bladder neck dyssynergia during autonomic dysreflexia in patients with spinal cord injury is more likely of skeletal than of smooth muscle origin.
Capturing camp experiences on the web: -design of Cyber Camp CAEN-

In this paper, I present Cyber Camp CAEN, a novel web-based form of computer programming education for junior/high school students. Cyber Camp CAEN is a web-based interactive learning platform which incorporates many of the pedagogical features that make University of Michigan's Camp CAEN successful. Based on observations, surveys, and interviews, three features of camp life were found to be particularly significant, and they have been incorporated into the Cyber Camp CAEN design. Those features are: 1) competition, 2) collaboration, and 3) unpredictability. Cyber Camp CAEN incorporates these aspects of camp experience by utilizing A) a peer-based and skill graded learning community; B) live online peer help; C) an "Iron programmer" competition; and D) project exhibitions.
Lagrangian formulation of a geometrical scalar-tensor theory of gravitation

The author's geometrical theory of the scalar-tensor gravitational field is extended by formulating it in terms of a Lagrangian. An exact solution of the coupled nonlinear field equations for a static point mass is also presented. This theory which is conformally equivalent to the empty spaceEinstein equations predicts the same results for experiments as the usual theory of Brans and Dicke which has a non-zero energy momentum tensor.
A New Reactance Distance Relay

THE HIGH LEVEL of industrial and commercial activity has created a demand for electric power greater today than at the peak of wartime production. Installation of additional generating capacity and new transmission lines has been unable to keep up with this growth in power demand. This has led to transfer of additional power over existing lines, thus making dependable line relaying more vital than ever.
Integral and spherical-harmonic analyses of the geomagnetic field for 1955.0, part 2

The geomagnetic field is analyzed by spherical harmonics. Series representations in spherical harmonics of geomagnetic field charts are compared for truncation of the series at terms of degree 6, 8, 10, and 12. Scalings are at a uniformly spaced latitude-longitude grid from both U.S. and U.S.S.R. isomagnetic charts for 1955.0. Some minor but undesirable effects are mentioned that arise because of the uniform angular spacing of data points scaled from charts. The variation of the earth's magnetic moment and the location of the dipole axis since 1835 is described and discussed. It is shown that spherical harmonic coefficients of secular change for 1912.5, 1922.5, 1932.5, and 1942 seen roughly compatible with those of Nagata and Oguti for 1958.5, even though earlier data analyzed were defective in Antarctica; evidently the precision of determination of the coefficients of secular change is not high. Finally, an extrapolation of the geomagnetic field into the earth's interior is described. (auth)
Carbachol- and elevated Ca(2+)-induced translocation of functionally active protein kinase C to the brush border of rabbit ileal Na+ absorbing cells.

Abstract Protein kinase C is involved in mediating the effects of elevated Ca2+ in ileal villus Na+ absorbing cells to inhibit NaCl absorption. The present studies were undertaken to understand the mechanism by which this occurs. The effects of carbachol and the calcium ionophore A23187, agents which elevate intracellular Ca2+ and inhibit NaCl absorption in ileal villus cells, were studied. Carbachol treatment of villus cells caused a rapid decrease in protein kinase C activity in cytosol, with an accompanying increase in microvillus membrane C kinase. Exposure of the villus cells to calcium ionophore also caused a quantitatively similar decrease in cytosol C kinase and increase in C kinase activity in the microvillus membrane. This increase caused by carbachol and Ca2+ ionophore was specific for the microvillus membrane. In fact, 30 s and 10 min after exposure of the cells to carbachol, basolateral membrane protein kinase C decreased, in a time-dependent manner; whereas 10 min of Ca2+ ionophore exposure did not alter basolateral C kinase. Exposure of villus cells to Ca2+ ionophore or carbachol caused similar increases in microvillus membrane diacylglycerol content. As judged by the ability to inhibit Na+/H+ exchange measured in ileal villus cell brush border membrane vesicles, the protein kinase C which translocated to the microvillus membrane was functionally significant. Inhibition of Na+/H+ exchange required ATP and was reversed by the protein kinase C antagonist H-7. In conclusion, the effect of carbachol and Ca2+ ionophore in regulation of ileal NaCl absorption is associated with an increase in microvillus membrane diacylglycerol content and functionally active protein kinase C. The effects of both carbachol and Ca2+ ionophore are different on brush border and basolateral membrane distribution of protein kinase C.
Dual loop control of cable-conduit actuated devices

Nonlinearities in cable-conduit actuation has been a major drawback in operating flexible endoscopes, catheters and other robotic devices. Generally, these nonlinearities are manually compensated by the human in the loop in the absence of any automated control of cable-conduit transmission. Furthermore, size and safety constraints limit the type of sensors that can be used for feedback control. In this paper, a dual loop adaptive robust control is implemented while utilizing the limited output feedback available in conjunction with the intermediate actuator position feedback. Experiments are performed on a gastroscope operated using a DC motor, with output feedback provided through a medical grade magnetic tracker at a very low sampling rate. Experimental results show substantial performance improvement over traditional manual operation. Limitations in the controller design and possible changes have been discussed.
Altering Resistivity in Diamond Films Without Impurity Addition

CVD Diamond films with resistivites comparable to that measured in natural type IIA diamond can be fabricated using a microwave-plasma assisted growth environment. Modification of the resistivity of these films is typically accomplished through the introduction of impurities, or dopants such as boron. Some applications, however, require that the purity of the carbon lattice be maintained, while still altering the resistivity of the film. This is the case for many applications of diamond in space. Here, varying the resistivity of CVD diamond is investigated by controlling the introduction of sp2coordinated bonds, yet maintaining the overall diamond structure and carbon purity. Experimental results will be presented, and the use of these materials in NASA’s Genesis Discovery Mission will be discussed
Life at high temperatures

Water environments with temperatures up to and above boiling are commonly found in association with geothermal activity. At temperatures above 60 degrees C, only bacteria are found. Bacteria with temperature optima over the range 65 degrees to 105 degrees C have been obtained in pure culture and are the object of many research projects. The upper temperature limit for life in liquid water has not yet been defined, but is likely to be somewhere between 110 degrees and 200 degrees C, since amino acids and nucleotides are destroyed at temperatures over 200 degrees C. Because bacteria capable of growth at high temperatures are found in many phylogenetic groups, it is likely that the ability to grow at high temperature had a polyphyletic origin. The macromolecules of these organisms are inherently more stable to heat than those of conventional organisms, but only small changes in sequence can lead to increases in thermostability. Because of their unique properties, thermophilic organisms and their enzymes have many potential biotechnological uses, and extensive research on industrial applications is under way.
Bioavailability of Total and Unbound Disopyramide: Implications for Clinical Use of the Immediate and Controlled‐Release Dosage Forms

This study further characterized the impact of concentration-dependent protein binding on the bioavailability and clinical use of the immediate-release (IR) and controlled-release (CR) dosage forms of disopyramide after single doses and during steady-state conditions in ten healthy volunteers. Consistent with the clinical use of these products, steady state has incorporated an IR to CR conversion step. Side effects and electrocardiographic actions were quantitated using a visual analog scale and serial Holter monitor recordings, respectively. Significant decreases resulted in area under the curve for total disopyramide between single dose and steady state: IR, 47.8 +/- 13.6 versus 33.0 +/- 6.4 mg/Lxh (P < .05); and CR, 46.9 +/- 9.5 versus 31.7 +/- 5.9 mg/Lxh (P < .05). In contrast, there were no differences in area under the curve for unbound disopyramide between phases or products. During conversion, the mean IR peak significantly decreased (P < .05) to the nadir before the first CR dose for total (37%) and unbound (60%) concentrations. There were no major differences in change in QT interval or side effects detected between products or phases. These findings indicate that, because of concentration-dependent protein binding, unbound, not total, concentrations should be used to estimate the bioavailability of disopyramide. Also, although the previously recommended conversion method (first CR dose 6 hours after the last IR dose) should provide an adequate transition in most, an alternative method (combined first CR with last IR dose) is indicated in select patients.
A thermomechanical analysis of the G-Tunnel heated block experiment using a compliant-joint rock-mass model

The results of two-dimensional finite element analyses of several thermal/mechanical loading cycles of the G-Tunnel heated block experiment are presented. The deformations of the block resulting from thermal loading under constant biaxial stress were determined using a recently developed compliant-joint rock-mass model. The results of the finite element calculations were compared to experimental results reported by Zimmerman et al. Qualitative agreements between the experimental and numerical results were obtained in all cases while quantitative agreements were achieved in some cases. The results of this evaluation are discussed.
Nucleosome Positioning: An Essential Component of the Enhancer Regulatory Code?

Summary The organization of transcription factor binding sites within enhancers plays a key role in the function of these elements. A recent study suggests that the intrinsic propensity to bind to nucleosomes can also play a decisive part in determining enhancer function.
OBSERVATIONS ON SELECTED ISOLATED RETINAL ELEMENTS AND AN ANALYSIS OF ROD CELL RNA OF THE RABBIT

RNA was analyzed in the whole rod cell and in the rod cell nucleus of the rabbit retina. The analysis was performed on rod cells or rod cell nuclei after they were isolated by microdissection and collected. The nuclei were denuded by selectively lysing inner and outer segments chemically. The rod cell contained an average of 0.65 µµg RNA. About 60% of the total RNA was nuclear. RNA concentration was of the order of 0.4% w/v. RNA base composition was determined for the whole rod cell and for the rod cell nucleus, and from it the base composition of cytoplasmic RNA was derived also. Microdissection of the retina revealed that each Muller cell had firmly attached to it a certain complement of visual cells, forming a bouquet-like arrangement. The unusual susceptibility of the inner and outer segments to lysis was regarded as an indication of an unique composition of the plasma membrane.
Charge Collection and Charge Sharing in a 130 nm CMOS Technology

Charge sharing between adjacent devices can lead to increased Single Event Upset (SEU) vulnerability. Key parameters affecting charge sharing are examined, and relative collected charge at the hit node and adjacent nodes are quantified. Results show that for a twin-well CMOS process, PMOS charge sharing can be effectively mitigated with the use of contacted guard-ring, whereas a combination of contacted guard-ring, nodal separation, and interdigitation is required to mitigate the NMOS charge sharing effect for the technology studied
Long-Term Evaluation of Prosthetic Mitral Valves in Sheep

We have developed an in vivo model for chronic evaluation of prosthetic heart valves using juvenile domestic sheep. This report summarizes the results of a study conducted to assess a new bileaflet prosthetic valve. Nine juvenile sheep underwent mitral valve replacement using standard cardiopulmonary bypass techniques including mild hemodilution, systemic hypothermia, and cold fibrillatory arrest. The average time on cardiopulmonary bypass was 57 min. There were no surgical or anesthetic complications. Two (22%) early deaths occurred due to prosthetic annular size disproportion (1) and preexisting pneumonitis (1); postmortem examination of both implanted devices revealed normal function. The remaining seven animals (78%) remained clinically well and underwent left and right heart catheterization, angiography, and sacrifice after the 150th postoperative day. Left ventriculograms demonstrated normal valve function in all cases. The average mitral transvalvular gradient, as determined by simultaneous pulmonary capillary wedge and left ventricular and diastolic pressure, was 5.4 mm Hg. Thus we have developed a new in vivo model that provides a successful model for chronic evaluation of prosthetic valves using a sheep model. There are several features contributing to the success of our model. First, to decrease the possibility of bacteremia and seeding of the prosthesis, a single incision is used and intraoperative monitoring lines minimized. Second, we use a short cardiopulmonary bypass run (range 52-62 min), with no period of ischemia. Third, fresh sheep blood is transfused immediately following bypass to prevent anemia. Fourth, gastric decompression is used to prevent ruminal bloating, with the resulting vena caval compression that decreases blood return while on bypass.
Review Article: A Systematic Review of Cancer-Related Fatigue Measurement Questionnaires

Purpose: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common symptom experienced by patients in all stages and in cancer survivors. The main objectives of this review were to identify validated CRF instruments, and populations in whom these tools have been validated. Methods: We used a systematic review methodology. Three separate searches were performed using different MeSH terms in Pub Med and Ovid databases. Articles were analyzed for validation and reliability. Results: A total of 1453 papers from 3 different searches identified 40 instruments (3 unidimensional and 37 multidimensional). Instruments varied by psychometric properties, items, scale, dimension, cancer site, and population. Five were optimally tested for validity and reliability. Completion rates, sensitivity to change, and test—retest reliability were reported for a few. Discussion: Most tools had been validated in mixed populations and are relatively insensitive to differences in fatigue to cancer stage. Most instruments are burdensome for those wi...
Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus aggregation and immunogenicity following freeze-drying.

Two different lots of a formalin-inactivated Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) vaccine were examined before and after freeze-drying by a quantitative electron microscopic technique. More than 95% of the virions were monodispersed in both vaccines prior to freeze-drying. After reconstitution one freeze-dried lot contained more than 90% aggregated virions, while the other contained virions as thoroughly monodispersed as the original product. Immunogenicity correlated with the degree of monodispersion regardless of the history of lyophilization.
Instability at the y-1 locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Twenty-three spontaneous yellow mutants were isolated from two stable green strains of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Genetic characterization indicated that 22 of 23 mutants had a mutation at the y-1 locus, and all 22 y-1 alleles were unstable. Crosses designed to follow the inheritance of instability at the y-1 locus showed that instability is caused by a single genetic factor located at the y-1 locus or very close to it.