cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analytical artifacts produced by a polycarbonate chamber compared to a Teflon chamber for measuring surface mercury fluxes.

We found significant differences in mercury fluxes measured with a dynamic surface mercury flux chamber made of Teflon versus one made of polycarbonate. While both materials responded reasonably well when virgin materials were used, the polycarbonate chamber was found to exhibit significant chamber blanks under light after it was exposed to surface mercury fluxes of >100 ng/m2/h. Most significantly, the polycarbonate chamber blocked all wavelengths of light below ∼320 nm. Given that ultraviolet radiation plays an important role in soil mercury flux, the polycarbonate chamber was found to significantly underestimate observed fluxes from background soil in both high light conditions (by 1–4-fold) and under diffuse, low light conditions (by ∼10-fold). These results suggest that Teflon produces fewer analytical artifacts in the surface emission of mercury measured with a flux chamber than polycarbonate.
Hobbes's psychology of thought: Endeavours, purpose and curiosity

(1989). Hobbes's psychology of thought: Endeavours, purpose and curiosity. History of European Ideas: Vol. 10, No. 5, pp. 519-545.
First-principles analysis of oxygen-containing adsorbates formed from the electrochemical discharge of water on Pt(111)

A combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and dynamic Monte Carlo (DMC) simulations was employed to study the process of O-containing adsorbates formed from the electrochemical ...
Micellar nanomedicine of human neuropeptide Y

Abstract Human neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an important biologics that regulates a multitude of physiological functions and could be amenable to therapeutic manipulations in certain disease states. However, rapid (within minutes) enzymatic degradation and inactivation of NPY precludes its development as a drug. Accordingly, we determined whether self-association of NPY with biocompatible and biodegradable sterically stabilized phospholipid micelles (SSM) improves its stability and bioactivity. We found that in saline NPY spontaneously aggregates; however, in the presence of SSM it self-associates with the micelles as monomers. Three NPY molecules self-associate with 1 SSM at saturation. This process stabilizes the peptide in α-helix conformation, abrogates its degradation by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 and potentiates NPY-induced inhibition of cAMP elaboration in SK-N-MC cells. Collectively, these data indicate that self-association of NPY with SSM stabilizes and protects the peptide in active monomeric conformation, thereby amplifying its bioactivity in vitro. We propose further development of NPY in SSM as a novel, long-acting nanomedicine. From the Clinical Editor Human neuropeptide Y (NPY) regulates a multitude of physiological functions and could be amenable to therapeutic manipulations, which is currently limited by its short half life. Self-association of NPY with spherically stabilized micelles (SSM) protects and stabilizes the peptide in active monomeric conformation, thereby amplifying its bioactivity in vitro, enabling future therapeutic considerations.
Anti-HIV compound assessment by two novel high capacity assays

Abstract Two novel, semi-automated assays for the assessment of compounds for activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are described. One assay uses quantitation of DNA by fluorescence to monitor reversal by test compounds of HIV-induced growth inhibition. The second assay measures the amount of HIV p24 by an indirect immunofluorescent technique. Both assays are sufficiently sensitive to allow multiple sampling of 96-well plates. Intra- and inter-assay variability were within acceptable limits. The two assays provide comparable results for given compounds. Retrovir® (3'-azido, 3'-deoxythymidine, AZT) protected MT4 cells from HIV-induced growth inhibition, and inhibited the production of HIV p24. Consistent with the results of others, the anti-HIV potency of AZT was dependent on the concentration of the infecting virus. Interestingly, AZT-protected, HIV-infected MT4 cells grew faster than mock-infected MT4 cells, and inclusion of Interleukin 2 in the assay eliminated this effect.
Large-scale AOSD for middleware

For a variety of reasons, today's middleware systems are highly complex. This complexity surfaces internally in the middleware construction, and externally in the programming models supported and features offered. We believed that aspect-orientation could help with these problems, and undertook a case study based on members of an IBM® middleware product-line. We also wanted to know whether aspect-oriented techniques could scale to commercial project sizes with tens of thousands of classes, many millions of lines of code, hundreds of developers, and sophisticated build systems. This paper describes the motivation for our research, the challenges involved, and key lessons that we learnt in refactoring both homogeneous and heterogeneous crosscutting concerns in the middleware.
Carbon Nanotube−Silicon Heterojunction Arrays and Infrared Photocurrent Responses

We study and demonstrate a periodic array of “carbon nanotube−silicon” heterojunctions, its functioning as an infrared (IR) detector, and report on the first observation of near- to mid-IR photocurrent response in both the cooled and uncooled modes. The formation of carbon nanotubes in a periodic dense array, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the silicon substrate, offers a new promising IR material platform with spectral tunability and scalability in field size and absorbance as well as uniform electrical and optical accesses to each of the nanotubes. The spectral dependence of the photocurrent also allows for an estimate of the band gap of the nanotubes, which is found to be in good agreement with that determined from thermally activated dark conductivity measurements.
A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial of 3 regimens for sedation and analgesia after cardiac surgery.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac risk as a consideration for selecting postoperative sedation and analgesia regimens used for cardiac surgical patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass and early extubation. Design An observer-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Setting A tertiary referral medical center involving an intensive care unit. Participants One hundred forty-five adults requiring elective cardiac surgery. Interventions Patients were stratified preoperatively as low, moderate, or high cardiac risk based on established criteria and then assigned to 1 of 3 postoperative regimens: propofol infusion beginning at 25 μg/kg/min and morphine boluses (P), fentanyl infusion beginning at 2 μg/kg/h and midazolam boluses (F), or propofol and fentanyl infusions beginning at 25 μg/kg/min and 0.5 μg/kg/h (PF), respectively. Measurements and Main Results Postoperative regimen P was associated with a significantly reduced time to extubation (median value, 264 minutes; p = 0.05) compared with F (295 minutes) but not PF (278 minutes) in patients characterized as low cardiac risk. The time to extubation did not differ among regimens in patients of moderate/high cardiac risk. Conclusion Patients with low cardiac risk undergoing cardiac surgery had statistically significantly shorter times to extubation with propofol infusion and intermittent morphine than a fentanyl infusion and intermittent midazolam. These differences were not sustained in patients considered at higher cardiac risk. The time to extubation after cardiac surgery may further improve if postoperative sedation and analgesia are not administered uniformly to all patients but selected based on individual characteristics.
The Role of Ductal Constriction in Transient Stenosis of the Left Pulmonary Artery

To confirm the hypothesis that narrowing of the left pulmonary artery is produced by ductal closure, Doppler velocities in the pulmonary arteries from 20 premature infants with a patent duct were compared to velocities from 20 with a closed duct. In infants with a patent duct, the mean Doppler velocity in the main, right, and left pulmonary arteries were, respectively, 86 cm/sec +/- 5 standard error (SE), 120 +/- 7, and 125 +/- 8. With closed duct, the comparable velocities were 102 cm/sec +/- 7, 129 +/- 8, and 190 +/- 11. The only significant difference was the higher velocity in the left pulmonary artery associated with a closed duct (p = 0.00003). This physiologic origin of left-branch stenosis associated with ductal constriction should be considered when a murmur is detected after administration of indomethacin (in addition to possible persistent ductal flow), and as an explanation for some murmurs in the normal newborn. No anatomic or physiologic support was found for the theories that murmurs in the neonate were due to ductal flow, or to acute angulation of the branch pulmonary arteries.
Behavioral Therapies for Co-occurring Substance Use and Mood Disorders

There has been marked progress in recent years in the development of effective behavioral therapies for substance use disorders and in the largely independent development of behavioral therapies for mood disorders. Until recently, however, there were few well-specified behavioral approaches that incorporated an integrated approach for individuals in whom these disorders co-occur. The emerging literature on the efficacy of several types of behavioral therapy for engaging individuals with co-occurring mood and substance use disorders in treatment, reducing substance use and affective symptoms, enhancing adherence, and preventing disengagement and relapse is reviewed, followed by discussion of the challenges likely to be met in integrating these behavioral approaches into clinical practice.
The Kinetics Underlying the Velocity of Smooth Muscle Myosin Filament Sliding on Actin Filaments in vitro

Actin-myosin interactions are well studied using soluble myosin fragments, but little is known about effects of myosin filament structure on mechanochemistry. We stabilized unphosphorylated smooth muscle myosin (SMM) and phosphorylated smooth muscle myosin (pSMM) filaments against ATP-induced depolymerization using a cross-linker and attached fluorescent rhodamine (XL-Rh-SMM). Electron micrographs showed that these side polar filaments are very similar to unmodified filaments. They are ∼0.63 μm long and contain ∼176 molecules. Rate constants for ATP-induced dissociation and ADP release from acto-myosin for filaments and S1 heads were similar. Actin-activated ATPases of SMM and XL-Rh-SMM were similarly regulated. XL-Rh-pSMM filaments moved processively on F-actin that was bound to a PEG brush surface. ATP dependence of filament velocities was similar to that for solution ATPases at high [actin], suggesting that both processes are limited by the same kinetic step (weak to strong transition) and therefore are attachment-limited. This differs from actin sliding over myosin monomers, which is primarily detachment-limited. Fitting filament data to an attachment-limited model showed that approximately half of the heads are available to move the filament, consistent with a side polar structure. We suggest the low stiffness subfragment 2 (S2) domain remains unhindered during filament motion in our assay. Actin-bound negatively displaced heads will impart minimal drag force because of S2 buckling. Given the ADP release rate, the velocity, and the length of S2, these heads will detach from actin before slack is taken up into a backwardly displaced high stiffness position. This mechanism explains the lack of detachment-limited kinetics at physiological [ATP]. These findings address how nonlinear elasticity in assemblies of motors leads to efficient collective force generation.
New Heavy Crude Oil Flow Improver Increases Production: Application Scenarios

As worldwide heavy crude oil production increases, pipelines are faced with challenges to transport these higher viscosity fluids. Historically, heavy crude oil has been a challenge for existing commercially available DRAs. As crude oil gravities fall below ∼23 °API, existing DRAs become ineffective. ConocoPhillips Specialty Products Inc. (CSPI) developed a new class of DRAs to address this need. CSPI’s new heavy crude oil DRA technology, ExtremePower™ Flow Improvers, is proven to increase deliveries of produced heavy crude oil to market. In this paper we will discuss the mechanism of drag reduction, how a heavy crude oil DRA works, and two scenarios in which value is created by utilizing the product.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Characterization of a temperature-sensitive membrane alteration in chick embryo fibroblasts infected with a temperature-sensitive mutant of Rous sarcoma virus.

Abstract The intramembrane particles of freeze-fractured chick embryo fibroblasts transformed with a temperature-sensitive mutant of Rous sarcoma virus (TS68) are distributed differently at the permissive and non-permissive temperatures if, and only if, the cells are treated with glycerol before fixation. Few aggregates of intramembrane particles are present in glycerol-treated cells grown at the permissive temperature for transformation (36°C), while numerous large aggregates of particles are present at the non-permissive temperature (41°C). Changes in the distribution of particles after cells are shifted from 36 to 41°C are observed after 20 min, while a temperature shift from 41 to 36°C causes changes in glycerol-induced redistributions after 1 h. The changes observed in temperature shifts from 36 to 41°C and from 41 to 36°C do not require protein synthesis or RNA synthesis.
One-pot preparation of a series of glycoconjugates with predetermined antigen-carrier ratio from oligosaccharides that mimic the O-PS of Vibrio cholerae O:1, serotype Ogawa.

Abstract Di-through the pentasaccharide that mimic the upstream terminus of the O-specific polysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae O:1, serotype Ogawa were synthesized in the form of 5-methoxycarbonylpentyl glycosides and linked to BSA using squaric acid diester chemistry. The conjugation reactions were monitored by surface-enhanced laser-desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS), which allowed conducting the conjugation of the synthetic oligosaccharides in a controlled way and termination of the reaction when the desired molar hapten–BSA ratio had been reached. This made it possible to prepare, from one hapten in a one-pot reaction, a series of neoglycoconjugates having different, predetermined carbohydrate–carrier ratios. The accuracy of molecular mass determination in SELDI-TOF MS analysis could be increased by using the carrier protein as the internal standard.
Ultrastructural cytology of Basidiobolus haptosporus: Morphology and electron cytochemistry of microbodies

Summary Vegetative and reproductive cells of Basidiobolus haptosporus possess naturally occurring organelles identified as microbodies. Cells of four other species of the genus contained morphologically indistinguishable organelles. Microbodies were invariably present in cells of the fungi grown on routine mycological media. The constitutive microbody was characterized by a single, intensely electron-opaque crystalloid body which rapidly enlarged to fill the organellar compartment. The microbody then underwent degeneration by an autolytic-like process. Growth of the fungi on xanthine and its catabolites as sole nitrogen sources (but not urea) greatly enhanced the production of new microbodies in which protein was initially accumulated as paracrystalline arrays. These inclusions then underwent reorganization and compaction to form crystalloid bodies. Key enzymes of the purine degradation pathway are believed to be core proteins of the crystalloid. D-amino acid oxidase, α-hydroxy acid oxidase, xanthine oxidase and urate oxidase (but not catalase) were detected cytochemically in mature microbodies. Significant levels of phosphorus and molybdenum were present in the microbody crystalloid by X-ray dispersive microanalysis; iron and copper were not detected. The ability of Basidiobolus species to assimilate xanthine and its catabolites might explain their ecological association with the gut and cloacal contents of various amphibia, reptiles and fish.
Vesicovaginal Fistula and its Complications Due to Prolonged Use of Vaginal Diaphragm

The vaginal diaphragm is currently less popular than other contraceptive methods, such as the pill, IUDs or surgical sterilization. It is however, regarded as one of the safest methods of contraception available and complications of diaphragm use are rare. This report describes a case in which a vesicovaginal fistula and genitourinary tract infections complicated the use of this contraceptive method.
Collaborative project information management in a semantic web environment

Purpose – The advent of web services and the semantic web have opened up opportunities for a new generation of interoperable systems on the web. The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of semantics in design and construction, and how this has long been recognised and addressed to varying extents by researchers.Design/methodology/approach – There is now the potential for designs to be developed through a system of collaborating design services and for input by the construction team members. The potential also extends to the construction phase where the designers can provide more timely responses to problems encountered in the field. Within this environment, there is the need for effective mechanisms for design and construction information management, in addition to an ontology that facilitates the sharing of design and construction information and the underlying semantics. This paper explores these trends in collaborative design and construction, and presents an ontology‐based approach to proje...
Clustering Effects in Cu-Ni

While concentrated Cu-Ni alloys show local correlations characteristic of clustering, it is re-emphasized, in light of the recent claim of Kidron, that normal solution heat treatment of them (which includes nearly any cooling procedure) yields a small deviation from randomness of the atomic arrangements and no Guinier-zone formation or phase separation.
Does supine positioning increase apnea, bradycardia, and desaturation in preterm infants?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prone and supine positioning on the cardiorespiratory stability of preterm infants with apnea and bradycardia. METHODS: A total of 22 preterm infants with symptomatic apnea and bradycardia (gestational age of 26.9 ± 1.8 weeks and birth weight of 865 ± 235 gm) were monitored for 24 hours (in four sequential 6-hour blocks) for apnea, bradycardia, and oxygen desaturation in alternating positions (prone or supine) following randomization. Postconceptional age at the time of study was 31.9 ± 3.0 weeks. Respiratory rate, heart rate, and transcutaneous oxygen saturation were continuously monitored. All episodes of apnea (≥10 seconds), bradycardia ( 0.05) in the incidence of clinically significant apnea, bradycardia, or desaturation between supine and prone positions were seen in these preterm infants. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the cardiorespiratory stability of preterm infants is not significantly compromised by supine positioning.
Proportion of higher trophic-level prey in the diet of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)

During nutritionally stressful situations, Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) may switch from preying on benthic invertebrates to higher trophic-level prey (HTLP) (e.g., pinnipeds and/or seabirds). We applied a Bayesian mixing model to stable isotope (C and N) data from analyses of various tissues (tongue and lumbar muscle, skin, and liver) to quantify the proportional contribution of HTLP to walruses (n = 293 individuals). The mode contribution of HTLP to walrus diet was ~22 % (±10 %) based on muscle mixing models, which is consistent with results from contaminant studies of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus), but higher than estimates based on historical stomach content analyses of Pacific walruses. A broader range in the proportion of HTLP (0–60 %) shown by mixing models using stable isotope data from liver and skin of walruses indicated they pursue an opportunistic foraging strategy. Data from the HTLP-consuming walruses were comparable with our stable isotope data of a known “seal-eating” walrus. No significant difference was evident between the estimated contributions of HTLP to the diet of male versus female walruses (P > 0.01). This finding suggests that changes in diet base for walruses are not influenced by the sex of the predator.
Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism affects bone mineral density: an analysis by fuzzy mathematics

To find defects in genes that cause diseases, geneticists test whether a change or variation in a gene is associated with a disease or an increased susceptibility. Morrison first reported in 1994 that a slight variation in the vitamin D receptor gene (VDRGP) is associated with a significant change in our bone mineral density (BMD). By January of 1997, seventy-five independent investigations had been published, and no consensus had been reached as to whether BMD is really associated with VDRGP. We analyzed all the 75 publications using a fuzzy mathematics approach to address this issue. We use two methods, one based on preference relations, and the other based on p-values. Fifty-five studies on spinal BMD and 73 on hip BMD were analyzed. Results from method I found that VDRGP affects spinal BMD strongly among pre-menopausal populations, and moderately among post-menopausal populations, and populations with pre- and post-menopausal women combined. No relations were found in populations with males and females combined. VDRGP was associated with hip BMD among pre-menopausal, but not any other, populations. Using method II we found that VDRGP was associated with spinal BMD only in pre-menopausal women, and VDRGP was somewhat associated with hip BMD in all four types of populations. Conclusion: BMD is associated with VDRGP in certain populations, but not in others. Heterogeneity of populations studied seems to be responsible for the discrepancies among studies.
A macrophage cell model for pH and volume regulation

A whole-cell model of a macrophage (mphi) is developed to simulate pH and volume regulation during a NH4Cl prepulse challenge. The cell is assumed spherical, with a plasma membrane that separates the cytosolic and extracellular bathing media. The membrane contains background currents for Na+, K+ and Cl-, a Na(+)-K+ pump, a V-type H(+)-extruder (V-ATPase), and a leak pathway for NH4+. Cell volume is controlled by instantaneous osmotic balance between cytosolic and extracellular osmolytes. Simulations reveal that the mphi model can mimic alterations in measured pH(i) and cell volume (Vol(i)) data during and after delivery of an ammonia prepulse, which induces an acid load within the cell. Our analysis indicates that there are substantial problems in quantifying transporter-mediated H+ efflux solely from experimental observations of pH(i) recovery, as is commonly done in practice. Problems stemming from the separation of effects arise, since there is residual NH4+ dissociation to H+ inside the mphi during pH(i) recovery, as well as, proton extrusion via the V-ATPase. The core assumption of conventional measurement techniques used to estimate the H+ extrusion current (I(H)) is that the recovery phase is solely dependent on transporter-mediated H+ extrusion. However, our model predictions suggest that there are major problems in using this approach, due to the complex interactions between I(H), NH3/NH4+ buffering and NH3/NH4+ efflux during the active acid extrusion phase. That is, the conventional buffer capacity-based I(H) estimation must also take into account the perturbation that a prepulse challenge brings to the cytoplasmic acid buffer itself. The importance of this whole-cell model of mphipH(i) and volume regulation lies in its potential for extension to the characterization of several other types of non-excitable cells, such as the microglia (brain macrophage) and the T-lymphocyte.
Non-identical behavior of the Ca2(+)-ATPase in the terminal cisternae and the longitudinal tubules fractions of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The kinetics of Ca2+ dissociation from and binding to the Ca2+-ATPase and the coupled tryptophan fluorescence changes were compared in the heavy and the light sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fractions. It was found that in the light SR both the dissociation of Ca2+ from the Ca2+ -ATPase and the coupled tryptophan fluorescence change took place in a biphasic fashion, but they were monophasic in the heavy SR. On the other hand, the time courses of both the Ca2+ binding and the coupled tryptophan fluorescence increase were biphasic, and virtually indistinguishable between the heavy and the light SR fractions. Submicromolar ruthenium red altered the kinetics of both the Ca2+ dissociation and the coupled fluorescence change in heavy, but not in light SR; the monophasic time course characteristic of the heavy fraction became biphasic, similar to that found for light SR in the absence of ruthenium red. Extraction of non-ATPase proteins from the heavy SR vesicles also changed the kinetics of the Ca2+ dissociation-coupled fluorescence decrease in the heavy SR from monophasic to biphasic. These results suggest that the difference between the heavy and light SR Ca2+-ATPase in the Ca2+ dissociation kinetics is most probably produced by a ruthenium-red-sensitive interaction of the Ca2+-ATPase with additional protein(s), which is are present exclusively in the heavy SR, rather than being due to a difference inherent to the Ca2+-ATPase polypeptide itself.
Drip infusion pyelography: a study of 300 cases in a geriatric population.

The urinary tract was studied by means of drip infusion pyelography (large volume of contrast material and fluid administered rapidly) in 300 male geriatric patients. Results were better and reactions were fewer and less severe than with conventional pyelographic techniques. The necessity for retrograde pyelographic examination, with its attendant morbidity, was significantly reduced. Drip infusion pyelography is recommended as the procedure of choice for evaluating the urinary tract in elderly patients.
Axioms for minimax regret choice correspondences

Abstract This paper unifies and extends the recent axiomatic literature on minimax regret. It compares several models of minimax regret, shows how to characterize the according choice correspondences in a unified setting, extends one of them to choice from convex (through randomization) sets, and connects them by defining a behavioral notion of perceived ambiguity. Substantively, a main idea is to behaviorally identify ambiguity with failures of independence of irrelevant alternatives. Regarding proof technique, the core contribution is to uncover a dualism between choice correspondences and preferences in an environment where this dualism is not obvious. This insight can be used to generate results by importing findings from the existing literature on preference orderings.
An inner product relation on Saito-Kurokawa lifts

Let f be a newform of weight 2k−2 and level M with M an odd square-free integer. Via the Saito-Kurokawa correspondence there is associated to f a Siegel newform Ff of weight k and level M. In this paper we provide a formula relating the Petersson products {Ff, Ff} and {f, f}. We use this result to give a new proof of a special case of a well-known result of Shimura on the algebraicity of a special value of a Rankin convolution L-function.
The characteristic landscape equation for an AR(2) landscape

Abstract Grover’s equation [L.K. Grover, Local search and the local structure of some NP-complete problems, Operations Research Letters 12 (1992)] and, equivalently, the Laplacian equation [J.W. Barnes, S. Dokov, B. Dimova, A. Solomon, A theory of elementary landscapes, Applied Mathematics Letters 16 (2003)] define an elementary landscape which has favorable properties for direct search methods. Dimova et al. [B. Dimova, J.W. Barnes, E. Popova, Arbitrary elementary landscapes & AR(1) processes, Applied Mathematics Letters (in press)] prove that the autocorrelation function associated with an arbitrary elementary landscape is consistent with an AR(1) time series. In this work, we develop the characteristic landscape equation for AR(2) consistent landscapes and show that they also possess favorable properties for direct search methods.
Synthesis of two distinct interferons by human fibroblasts.

Abstract Human interferon species Le and F can be distinguished on the basis of their distinct antigenic, biological, and physicochemical characteristics. Until now, Le interferon was thought to be produced only in cells of lymphoid origin. This study demonstrates that cultures of human fibroblast cell strains GM-258 and FS-4 produce both F and Le interferons. Le interferon constituted up to about 20% of the total interferon activity produced in fibroblast cultures after stimulation with Newcastle disease virus or vesicular stomatitis virus. In contrast, only F interferon was detected in preparations obtained after induction with polyinosinate-polycytidylate. These results indicate that the Le interferon gene is inducible in cells of nonlymphoid origin and that the expression of this gene depends on the nature of the inducing agent.
The role of fiberoptic endoscopy in the management of the continent ileostomy.

Between January 1982 and December 1985, 355 fiberoptic pouchoscopies were performed in 123 patients with a continent ileostomy. These examinations have been reviewed to determine the effectiveness of the technique as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. The Olympus GIF-XP pediatric endoscope was used after pouch lavage, and the afferent loop of ileum, the pouch, and (by retroflexion) the nipple valve were examined on each occasion. There were 63 males and 60 females, with a median age of 35 years (range, 16 to 71 years). The median length of follow-up after pouch construction was 36 months (range, 6 to 120 months), and an average of three examinations were performed per patient (range, 1 to 12). Of 127 examinations performed in asymptomatic patients, the pouch was normal in 117 cases, and there was mesh erosion into the pouch in 10 cases. The remaining 228 examinations were for symptoms that included pouchitis (56), difficulty in intubation (47), incontinence (35), follow-up of treated pouchitis (18), parastomal sepsis (22), blood in the stool (13), anemia (8), excess mucus discharge (6), valve prolapse (4), and purulent discharge from the stoma (1). Eighty-four examinations were normal; 144 revealed a likely cause for the symptoms and led to appropriate treatment, which in 45 patients was surgical. Fiberoptic endoscopy was therapeutic in 6 patients in whom it was used on 10 occasions to intubate a pouch with a slipped valve. Radiographic studies were seldom used, with pouchograms being carried out in 16 patients and fistulograms in 5. Only the fistulograms contributed to the assessment of each patient. There was no morbidity or mortality due to the fiberoptic procedures. These data show fiberoptic pouchoscopy to be an effective diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the management of patients with a continent ileostomy.
Ethnic differences in coffee use and attitudes to coffee

Interviews on coffee drinking habits and attitudes to coffee were carried out with 166 adult American coffee drinkers, representing Italian, Jewish, Black and White North‐Central European ethnic gr...
Reduction of in-hospital mortality among California hospitals meeting Leapfrog evidence-based standards for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Background The Leapfrog Group established evidence-based standards for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, including targets for case volume and perioperative β-blocker usage. The purpose of this study was to determine whether meeting these benchmarks correlated with improved patient outcomes over time. Methods We studied California hospitals that responded to consecutive Leapfrog Group Hospital Quality and Safety Surveys between 2000 and 2005. Survey results of compliance with Leapfrog standards were linked to patient outcomes for AAA repair using the California state discharge database for the corresponding years. A random-effects Poisson regression analysis was performed to measure the effect of meeting β-blocker and case volume standards on hospital mortality and average length of stay after elective open and endovascular AAA repair (EVAR) during the early (2000-2002) and later (2003-2005) phase of Leapfrog implementation. Results Among 140 hospitals that performed open AAA repair, 25 (17.4%) met the Leapfrog case volume standard, 32 (22.2%) were compliant with routine perioperative β-blocker use, 5 hospitals (3.5%) met both criteria, and 78 control hospitals failed to meet either standard. After controlling for temporal differences in hospital and patient characteristics, hospitals that implemented a policy for perioperative β-blocker usage were found to have an estimated 51% reduction of in-hospital mortality (relative risk, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.99; P Conclusions This population-based study supports the effectiveness of meeting Leapfrog AAA repair standards towards improving mortality outcomes over time and suggests that their impact depends upon procedure type. Further studies are needed to help promote the standardization of evidence-based measures that may improve vascular surgery outcomes.
Electrophoresis and sedimentation of isomerizing systems

Schlieren patterns are calculated for electrophoresis or sedimentation of a substance undergoing an isomerization reaction or a reversible chemical reaction with essentially unimolecular kinetics. Under certain conditions two and even three peaks may appear; for a simple symmetrical system the conditions under which a separation of the peaks occurs are summarized.
Fungal symbionts as manipulators of plant reproductive biology.

AbstractSymbioses have shaped the evolution of life, most notably through the fixation of heritable symbionts into organelles. The inheritance of symbionts promotes mutualism and fixation by coupling partner fitness. However, conflicts arise if symbionts are transmitted through only one sex and can shift host resources toward the sex through which they propagate. Such reproductive manipulators have been documented in animals with separate sexes but not in other phyla or sexual systems. Here we investigated whether the investment in male relative to female reproduction differed between hermaphroditic host plants with versus without a maternally inherited fungal symbiont. Plants with the fungus produced more seeds and less pollen than plants lacking the fungus, resulting in an ∼40% shift in functional gender and a switch from male-biased to female-biased sex allocation. Given the ubiquity of endophytes in plants, reproductive manipulators of hermaphrodites may be widespread in nature.
Novel liposome microencapsulation techniques for food applications

Abstract Microencapsulation technology presents exciting opportunities for the food technologist in areas such as flavor retention and release, and the enhanced stability and shelf life of sensitive ingredients. Liposome microencapsulation of food ingredients is a novel approach to microencapsulation that has the advantage of using inexpensive, ‘generally recognized as safe’ materials. Several techniques for the manufacture and characterization of liposome microcapsules are reviewed.
Energy Control of Nonlinear Non-Homogeneous Chains

In this paper, we consider the problem of energy control of an n-degrees-of-freedom system consisting of a chain of masses wherein each of the masses is connected to its neighboring mass with the help of a nonlinear memoryless spring element. The qualitative nature of the nonlinearity in each of the spring elements can, in general, be different. Both fixed-fixed and fixed-free boundary conditions are considered. The energy control problem is approached from a new perspective — that of constrained motion. For a given set of masses at which the control is to be applied, explicit closed form expressions for the nonlinear control forces are derived by using the fundamental equation of mechanics. Through the use of the invariance principle, we show that these control forces provide global asymptotic convergence to any ‘given’ non-zero energy state provided that the first mass, or the last mass, or alternately, any two consecutive masses in the chain are included in the subset of masses that are controlled. The results obtained in this paper are, in general, applicable to any finite degrees-of-freedom, fixed-fixed or fixed-free nonlinear chain whose spring potentials are described by a class of twice continuously differentiable, strictly convex functions, which possess a global minimum at zero displacement, with zero curvature possibly only at zero displacement.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Speed Improvement in Electrical Capacitance Tomography Through a Multiple Excitation and Receiving Method

Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) is a method to determine the material distribution within the interior of a closed object by measuring the capacitance values across externally mounted electrodes. Traditionally, an AC excitation pulse is applied to a pair of electrodes that form a capacitor during each measurement step, in order to determine the capacitance from the output current measured. This paper investigates how the speed of inter-electrode capacitance measurement can be improved by comparatively studying three methods that affect the way electrodes are excited and signals are received: 1) multiple-excitation-single-receiving, 2) single-excitation-multiple-receiving, and 3) multiple-excitation-multiple-receiving. A PSPICE circuit model was built to simulate the bandwidth and interference between the simultaneously sampled measurement channels. Simulations using ECT sensors with 8 and 12-electrodes have shown that measurement speed can be increased by up to 3 ∼ 30 times as compared to the traditional mode of capacitance measurement. Such new capability opens up new possibilities for ECT as an effective tool for online, real-time monitoring of a wide range of dynamical processes in the industry.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The scaling of spatial attention in visual search and its modification in healthy aging.

A model of visual search (Greenwood & Parasuraman, 1999) postulating that visuospatial attention is composed of two processing components—shifting and scaling of a variable-gradient attentional focus—was tested in three experiments. Whereas young participants are able to dynamically constrict or expand the focus of visuospatial attention on the basis of prior information, in healthy aging individuals visuospatial attention becomes a poorly focused beam, unable to be constricted around one array element. In the present work, we sought to examine predictions of this view in healthy young and older participants. An attentional focus constricted in response to an element-sized precue had the strongest facilitatory effect on visual search. However, this was true only when the precue correctly indicated the location of a target fixed in size. When precues incorrectly indicated target location or when target size varied, the optimal spatial scale of attention for search was larger, encompassing a number of array elements. Healthy aging altered the deployment of attentional scaling: The benefit of valid precues on search initially (in participants 65-74 years of age) was increased but later (in those 75-85 years of age) was reduced. The results also provided evidence that cue size effects are attentional, not strategic. This evidence is consistent with the proposed model of attentional scaling in visual search.
Design of low-power SAR ADCs using hybrid DACs

In the past decade, successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) has become a popular topology in a wide range of resolutions and sampling rates. This paper investigates methods to improve the energy-and-area efficiency of the SAR ADCs by focusing on the design of the internal digital-to-analog converter (DAC). Different hybrid resistive---capacitive DACs are studied in detail. It is shown that more than an order of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency of the DAC is achievable. The conditions for such an improvement are discussed.
Field guides for everyone: A guide to their diversity

There is a great deal of interest in the environment these days, and while much of that interest focuses on saving the world, a lot of it relates to learning about nature. Field guides are among the most popular natural history guides for the general public; it sometimes seems that almost every household must have at least one lurking in a corner. There are an incredible variety of field guides available for inquiring naturalists. The well‐known Peterson, Golden, and Audubon series and the typical bird, flower, and tree guides are just the tip of the iceberg.
Imaging Diagnosis of Solitary Tumors of the Phalanges and Metacarpals of the Hand.

OBJECTIVE. Tumors and tumorlike lesions of the tubular bones of the hand, often incidentally discovered lesions, present a unique but challenging differential diagnosis. CONCLUSION. Imaging, including both radiography and cross-sectional imaging, can allow the radiologist to generate a clinically useful differential diagnosis based on the distinguishing features of these entities. Recognition of these lesions is important because clinical management and treatment by orthopedic oncologists vary depending on the diagnosis.
Processor acceleration through automated instruction set customization

Application-specific extensions to the computational capabilities of a processor provide an efficient mechanism to meet the growing performance and power demands of embedded applications. Hardware, in the form of new function units (or co-processors), and the corresponding instructions, are added to a baseline processor to meet the critical computational demands of a target application. The central challenge with this approach is the large degree of human effort required to identify and create the custom hardware units, as well as porting the application to the extended processor. In this paper, we present the design of a system to automate the instruction set customization process. A dataflow graph design space exploration engine efficiently identifies profitable computation subgraphs from which to create custom hardware, without artificially constraining their size or shape. The system also contains a compiler subgraph matching framework that identifies opportunities to exploit and generalize the hardware to support more computation graphs. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this system across a range of application domains and study the applicability of the custom hardware across the domain.
Adopted Homes for Yesterday's Children

In the absence of surviving casework, this article draws on the recollections of women who lived in a racially segregated orphanage in Oakland, California, during the Great Depression and World War II. The women, who were not orphans, came from white working-class families in need of emergency child care. After explaining the place of woman-run institutions in California9s mixed economy of social welfare, the article draws on memories of the Children9s Home to argue that physical settings made clear the intentions of orphanage founders but were invested with other meanings by children. Spatial evidence is used to direct attention to the ability of children to act on their own behalf. This evidence shows that, with Progressive reforms driving social changes, U.S. cities lost institutions that represented the needs of dependent children to a larger urban public when orphanages were closed down.
Numerical simulation of nanosecond-pulse electrical discharges

Recent experiments with a nanosecond-pulse, dielectric barrier discharge at the stagnation point of a Mach 5 cylinder flow have demonstrated the formation of weak shock waves near the electrode edge, which propagate upstream and perturb the bow shock. This is a promising means of flow control, and understanding the detailed physics of the conversion of electrical energy into gas motion will aid in the design of efficient actuators based on the concept. In this work, a simplified configuration with planar symmetry was chosen as a vehicle to develop a physics-based model of nanosecond-pulse discharges, including realistic air kinetics, electron energy transport, and compressible bulk gas flow. A reduced plasma kinetic model (23 species and 50 processes) was developed to capture the dominant species and reactions for energy storage and thermalization in the discharge. The kinetic model included electronically and vibrationally excited species, and several species of ions and ground state neutrals. The governing equations included the Poisson equation for the electric potential, diffusion equations for each neutral species, conservation equations for each charged species, and mass-averaged conservation equations for the bulk gas flow. The results of calculations with this model highlighted the path of energy transfer in the discharge. At breakdown, the input electrical energy was transformed over a time scale on the order of 1?ns into chemical energy of ions, dissociation products, and vibrationally and electronically excited particles. About 30% of this energy was subsequently thermalized over a time scale of 10??s. Since the thermalization time scale was faster than the acoustic time scale, the heat release led to the formation of weak shock waves originating near the sheath edge, consistent with experimental observations. The computed translational temperature rise (40?K) and nitrogen vibrational temperature rise (370?K) were of the same order of magnitude as experimental measurements (50?K and 500?K, respectively), and the approach appears promising for future multi-dimensional calculations. The effectiveness of flow control actuators based on nanosecond-pulse, dielectric barrier discharges is seen to depend crucially on the rapid thermalization of input energy, in particular the rate of quenching of excited electronic states and the rate of electron?ion recombination.
Heterotaxy syndrome and malrotation: Does isomerism influence risk and decision to treat

Abstract Purpose Controversy remains regarding the management of the asymptomatic heterotaxy syndrome (HS) patient with suspected intestinal rotational abnormalities. We evaluated the outcomes for our HS population to identify frequency of malrotation and identify characteristics of children who might benefit from expectant management. Methods After IRB approval, a retrospective review of all patients treated for HS at a large tertiary care children's hospital between January 2008 and June 2012 was performed. For the purpose of this paper, malrotation was defined as an operative note that described the presence of Ladd's bands and a narrow mesentery. Results Thirty-eight patients with HS were identified, including 18 who underwent abdominal exploration. Left atrial isomerisation (LAI) was identified in 13 individuals, and right atrial isomerisation (RAI) was noted in 25. The rate of surgical intervention did not vary between the 2 groups (54%). Malrotation was found in 8 patients: one with LAI and 7 with RAI. This difference in incidence was statistically significant (p=0.04). Conclusion These data suggest that the direction of atrial isomerisation influences the likelihood of true malrotation, where RAI patients are more likely to be malrotated. Given the inherent risk of surgery on this medically fragile patient population, surgeons should consider expectant management for asymptomatic LAI patients.