cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of NDE Methods to Detect Lack of Fusion in HDPE Butt Fusion Joints

Studies at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, were conducted to evaluate nondestructive examinations (NDE) coupled with mechanical testing of butt fusion joints in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe for assessing lack of fusion. The work provided information to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the effectiveness of volumetric inspection techniques of HDPE butt fusion joints in Section III, Division 1, Class 3, buried piping systems in nuclear power plants. This paper describes results from assessments using ultrasonic and microwave nondestructive techniques and mechanical testing with the high-speed tensile impact test and the side-bend test for determining joint integrity. A series of butt joints were fabricated in 3408, 12-inch (30.5-cm) IPS DR-11 HDPE material by varying the fusion parameters to create good joints and joints containing a range of lack-of-fusion conditions. Six of these butt joints were volumetrically examined with time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD), phased-array (PA) ultrasound, and the Evisive microwave system. The outer diameter (OD) weld beads were removed for microwave evaluation and the pipes ultrasonically re-evaluated. In two of the six pipes, both the outer and inner diameter (ID) weld beads were removed and the pipe joints re-evaluated. Some of the pipes were sectioned andmore » the joints destructively evaluated with the high-speed tensile test and the side-bend test. The fusion parameters, nondestructive and destructive evaluation results have been correlated to validate the effectiveness of what each NDE technology detects and what each does not detect. There was no single NDE method that detected all of the lack-of-fusion flaws but a combination of NDE methods did detect most of the flaws.« less
Technology challenges for virtual overlay networks

An emerging generation of mission-critical networked applications is placing demands on the Internet protocol suite that go well beyond the properties they were designed to guarantee. Although the "next generation internet" (NGI) is intended to respond to the need, when we review such applications in light of the expected functionality of the NGI, it becomes apparent that the NGI will be faster but not more robust. We propose a new kind of virtual overlay network (VON) that overcomes this deficiency and can be constructed using only simple extensions of existing network technology. In this paper, we use the restructured electric power grid to illustrate the issues, and elaborate on the technical implications of our proposal.
Display requirements for the InfoPad: a wireless multimedia terminal

In the recent years a major discussion has been unleashed about a new paradigm for personal computing, which is focused on supporting the new 'killer app' of accessing and manipulating multimedia data form the internet. The enormous growth of this activity, and the access to network resources that it provides, has called into question the continuing relevance of placing ever more computation and storage locally in the user's computer. The alternative being put forward is that the user device need only include the processing necessary to support network communications, and related I/O activities involving multimedia data. The personal computer then reduces to an I/O device with ever more of the functionality residing in network servers. The display is one of the most critical components of this device and its requirements will be discussed. One primary motivation for this evolution is that the computer must evolve from being an office and business device that was transplanted into the home, to a 'consumer appliance' which truly meets the computing and communications needs of the typical non-business user. Certainly cost is one of the key elements, but as will be seen there are a number of other characteristics that must be changed and incorporated in order for the home computer to have the acceptance of other consumer devices such as the phone and television. In fact the case is so compelling for this new appliance, it will have significant impact in the business sector as well.
The benefits and risks of inducing labour in patients with prior caesarean delivery: a systematic review

Objective To evaluate the risks and benefits of inducing labour in women with a prior caesarean delivery. Design Systematic review. Sample Pregnant women with prior caesarean delivery. Methods Studies were identified using MEDLINE, EMBASE, HealthSTAR, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, reference lists and experts. Main outcome measures All studies reporting data for outcomes in women with induced labours and prior caesarean were eligible. Methodologic quality was evaluated using the criteria of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. We assigned studies good, fair or poor rating. Results We reviewed 162 full text articles, identified 14 fair-quality studies, and found no good-quality studies. Compared with spontaneous labour, induction was more likely to result in caesarean delivery. Of women undergoing spontaneous labour, 20% had a caesarean (range 11–35%) compared with 32% receiving oxytocin (range 18–44%). In studies of PGE2, spontaneous labour resulted in caesarean delivery in 24% (range 18–51%) compared with 48% with PGE2 (range 28–51%). There was a non-significant increase in uterine ruptures among those induced compared with spontaneous labours. There were no maternal deaths; other maternal complications were infrequently reported. Only four studies reported on infant deaths; other infant outcomes were inadequately reported. Conclusion Women with a history of caesarean attempting trial of labour who require induction have a higher rate of caesarean delivery and have a slightly elevated risk of rupture compared with similar women with spontaneous labour. More consideration is needed for potential confounders: dose, reasons for induction and appropriate comparison groups.
The Quantified Self: Balancing Privacy and Personal Metrics

Crowds gather outside of government buildings to protest the National Security Agency's clandestine monitoring of Internet activity. Countless numbers of citizens demand that the government respect...
Identification of an inhibitor of neovascularization from cartilage

Certain tissues such as cartilage are resistant to vascular invasion, yet no single tissue-derived molecule that can inhibit angiogenesis has been reported. A protein derived from cartilage was purified that inhibits angiogenesis in vivo and capillary endothelial cell proliferation and migration in vitro in three separate bioassays. This protein is also an inhibitor of mammalian collagenase. These findings may help elucidate the mechanisms by which neovascularization is controlled in both normal and pathological states.
Noncontact Dipole Effects on Channel Permeation. IV. Kinetic Model of 5F-Trp13 Gramicidin A Currents

Nonlinear least squares fitting was used to assign rate constants for the three-barrier, two-site, double-occupancy, single-filing kinetic model for previously reported current-voltage relations of (5F-Indole)Trp(13) gramicidin A and gramicidin A channels (, 75:2830-2844). By judicious coupling of parameters, it was possible to reduce the parameter space from 64 parameters to 24, and a reasonable fit consistent with other experimental data was obtained. The main features of the fit were that fluorination increased the rate constant for translocation by a factor of 2.33, consistent with a free energy change in the translocation barrier of -0.50 kcal/mol, and increased first-ion binding affinity by a factor of 1.13, primarily by decreasing the first-ion exit rate constant. The translocation rate constant was 5.62 times slower in diphytanoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPhPC) bilayers than in monoolein (GMO) bilayers (coupled for the four combinations of peptide and salt), suggesting a 44.2-mV difference in the projection of the interfacial dipole into the channel. Thus fluorination caused increased currents in DPhPC bilayers, where a high interfacial dipole potential makes translocation more rate limiting because the translocation barrier was reduced, and decreased currents in GMO bilayers, where ion exit or entry is rate limiting because these barriers were increased.
Comparing next-generation sequencing and microarray technologies in a toxicological study of the effects of aristolochic acid on rat kidneys.

RNA-Seq has been increasingly used for the quantification and characterization of transcriptomes. The ongoing development of the technology promises the more accurate measurement of gene expression. However, its benefits over widely accepted microarray technologies have not been adequately assessed, especially in toxicogenomics studies. The goal of this study is to enhance the scientific community’s understanding of the advantages and challenges of RNA-Seq in the quantification of gene expression by comparing analysis results from RNA-Seq and microarray data on a toxicogenomics study. A typical toxicogenomics study design was used to compare the performance of an RNA-Seq approach (Illumina Genome Analyzer II) to a microarray-based approach (Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2.0 arrays) for detecting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the kidneys of rats treated with aristolochic acid (AA), a carcinogenic and nephrotoxic chemical most notably used for weight loss. We studied the comparability of the RNA-Seq ...
Impact parameter dependence of vibrational excitation cross sections for H2 + He collisions

Abstract Differential and integral vibrational excitation cross sections for H 2 + He have been obtained from a coupled-channels calculation using an optical potential approach. A comparison is made with results of the modified-wavenumber approximation. Angular distributions are found to be strongly peaked in the forward center-of-mass direction.
On the magnetic field in the tail of Comet Halley

The method of evaluation of the cometary magnetic field proposed by Podgornyet al. (1980) is shown not to be self-consistent. An alternative method is discussed.
Somatic embryogenesis from immature embryos of redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Somatic embryos developed directly from 96 and 110 day post-anthesis Cercis canadensis L. (redbud) zygotic embryos from one of two trees sampled that were explanted onto modified Schenk and Hildebrandt medium amended with either 1, 2, 3 or 5 mg/1 2,4-D in combination with either 7.6 or 12. 6 mM ammonium ion. Although somatic embryogenesis was expressed on most media, the number of explants that produced somatic embryos and the mean number of embryos formed per explant were greatest on media that contained either 2 or 3 mg/1 2,4-D; 12.6 mM ammonium ion inhibited embryogenesis from 96 day post-anthesis explants. Zygotic embryos explanted 117 days after anthesis produced only callus and roots. Somatic embryos that were bottle-shaped or had distinct cotyledons organized roots on germination media, but only one embryo formed a shoot. No additional development occurred. Histological examination of somatic embryos showed that shoot apical meristems were poorly developed.
Sedimentary Structure Zonation on Tidal Levees, Andros Island, Bahamas: ABSTRACT

The natural levees of tidal channels on northwestern Andros Island, Bahamas, show how primary sedimentary structures record small-scale variations in elevation and lateral position on a tidal flat. These levees, like stream levees, are highest adjacent to the channels, crest less than 50 cm above mean high water, and slope gradually for 25-300 m into shallow subtidal ponds. The most pronounced variation in sedimentary structures is between the well-laminated sediments of the levees and the bioturbated sediments of the pond. In the intertidal and subtidal ponds, browsing and burrowing animals completely destroy primary lamination, but the long periods of desiccation on the levees keep burrowers out of the sediments. Within the levees there are three distinct zones: (1) the levee crest, 30-50 cm above MHW, adjacent to the channel has smooth, parallel laminations 1-5 mm thick; mudcracks, where present, are discontinuous; (2) the central part of the levee, 10-30 cm above MHW, has thinner laminations, mostly less than 1 mm, that are disrupted by shallow mudcracks 2-6 cm apart. Cornflake-size chips and larger clasts are abundant; (3) on the pond side of the levees, 0-10 cm above MHW, thin, crinkled laminations less than 1 mm thick alternate with thicker laminations that have a prismatic structure inherited from surface mats of the blue-green alga Scytonema sp. Small mudcracks (2-8 mm) disrupt the lamination. End_of_Article - Last_Page 748------------
The dominant effect of alumina on nearfield plume radiation

Abstract Solid propellant rocket motors can achieve high specific impulse with metal fuel additives such as aluminum. Combustion of aluminum produces condensed alumina particles. Besides causing performance losses in the nozzle, the condensed Al2O3 particles are the major source of primary smoke in the exhaust plume. The particulate matter can also have major effects upon the plume i.r. signature. High number densities of particles can block gas-phase radiation from the plume. They can also be the source of radiation, especially the larger particles which exit the nozzle not in thermal equilibrium with the gas. In the past, the expected effects of particle size on the plume i.r. signature have been determined almost exclusively from predictions made with flow and radiation codes. The aim of the present work was to investigate the role of the Al/Al2O3 particles from a highly loaded solid propellant (up to 16% in weight) on the plume radiation of a small rocket motor (5 cm in diameter). The spatial variation of particle size distribution was simultaneously measured with the overall radiation of a portion of the plume in the i.r. band (3.5–5.0 μ). In micro-motors, operating with highly aluminized solid propellant, the condensed particles in the near exhaust plume were the major source of radiation in the 3.5–5 μ wavelength band. Motors with longer residence time and operating at medium chamber pressures produced more particles in the micron sized range. The role of afterburning was predominately confined to reheating of the alumina particles to a higher temperature, at which the condensed Al2O3 radiated more than gaseous species. Even with 30% Al2O3 in the plume, the plume of small motors can be considered as approximately conical in shape, with volume distributed radiating sources. Motor conditions producing larger particles in the plume core were thus found to increase plume radiation from that region. The overall apparent emissivity of the plume was between 0.15 and 0.25 (dominantly 0.16–0.19). Nearfield particle size distributions were tri- or quadra-modal and the farfield contained significantly fewer large particles. Thus, assumed monomodal distributions should not be expected to result in the correct prediction of the effects of particles onplume signature, nor can particle size data obtained in the farfield be expected to be applicable in the nearfield.
Domain wall resistance and magnetoresistance of narrow ferromagnetic wires

We report new experimental results for the transport properties of very narrow Ni wires. By suitable preparation with a magnetic field applied parallel to the axis of a wire it is possible to introduce domain walls, or to sweep all walls out of a sample. We find that domain walls make a contribution to the resistance which is negative. When a field is applied perpendicular to the axis of a wire, the resistance exhibits abrupt steps and hysteresis which suggest that rather modest perpendicular fields are able to nucleate domain walls, and enable us to measure the resistance of a single domain wall.
Early development of selenium-induced cataract: Slit lamp evaluation☆

The purpose of our research was to document early lenticular changes preceding cataract formation in rats receiving an elevated dose of selenium. The following stages were observed after selenium injection: Stage 1 (13-24 hr post-injection), formation of posterior equatorial subcapsular cataract (PESC); Stage 2 (24-72 hr), decline of the PESC, development of a prominent 'washer' shaped change in the refraction of the cortex, and first appearance of swollen fibers around the nucleus; Stage 3 (three to five days), appearance of bilateral dense central nuclear cataracts and further development of perinuclear swollen fibers; Stage 4 (five to 10 days), some nuclear cataracts became more opaque and/or angular. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the initial site of action of selenium in nuclear cataract formation is not in the lens nucleus. Rather, selenium causes early changes outside the nucleus, which are followed by nuclear cataracts.
Nucleosynthesis Now and Then

Today we understand, to reasonable accuracy, the origin of most of the abundant elements in the sun and similar Population I stars. Given our relatively primitive ability to model supernova explosion mechanisms, stellar mass loss, and stellar mixing, this is a remarkable achievement. This understanding is possible, in part, because supernovae are highly constrained by their spectra, light curves and the sorts of remnants they leave. This same understanding extends to the major abundances seen in primitive metal-poor stars down to [Fe/H] > −4. In particular, one finds no compelling evidence for exotic energies or unusual stellar properties. There are exceptions, however. About half of the isotopes above iron, the r -process and the p -process with A ⊙ were abundant, but stars over about 150 M ⊙ and under 30 M ⊙ were almost absent.
Pathophysiologic effects of a toxic peptide from Microcystis aeruginosa

W. H. Adams, R. D. Stoner, D. G. Adams, D. N. Slatkin and H. W. Siegelman. Pathophysiologic effects of a toxic peptide from Microcystis aeruginosa. Toxicon23, 441 – 447, 1985. — Toxin-LR, a hexapeptide produced by Microcystis aeruginosa, causes marked hepatic vascular congestion, thrombocytopenia, microscopic pulmonary thrombi and death in 50 – 70 min when injected into mice. Although it is considered an hepatotoxin, we report that sublethal hepatocellular damage produced by CCl4 given 24 hr prior to toxin-LR administration prevents the acute deaths. However, CCl4-treated mice surviving toxin-LR acute effects often died during the subsequent three days. Pretreatment of mice with the microsomal enzyme inhibitors SKF 525A or cobaltous chloride did not alter the acute lethality of toxin-LR, but pharmacologic doses of hydrocortisone prevented both the actue and delayed deaths. X irradiation-induced thrombocytopenia or thrombocytopenia and leukopenia did not significantly affect the toxin's lethality. In vitro platelet aggregation or lysis did not occur during incubation with toxin-LR, nor was a humoral aggregating factor detected in plasma from toxin-injected mice.
Nazarbaev and the north: State‐building and ethnic relations in Kazakhstan

Abstract Of all the former Soviet republics, Kazakhstan has what may well be the most untenable interethnic predicament ‐ an ethnic Russian population that is nearly as large as the ethnic Kazakh population. The Russians, moreover, constitute a majority of the population in the northern part of the country, which borders the Russian republic. Having the unenviable task of nation‐building in an increasingly fragmented multi‐ethnic environment, Nazarbaev has made his strategy clear: build a strong unitary Kazakh state by steadily increasing control over the Russian‐dominated provinces of the north. Kazakh action in the north, and Russian response, will determine whether there is a future for a multinational Kazakhstan.
Parametric Testing and Heat Generation Modeling of 133-mm Bore Ball Bearings: Part I—Results with Metal Rolling Elements

133 mm bore ball bearings with metal rolling elements were tested at the following conditions: speeds from 1.5 × 106 to 2.6 × 106 DN; thrust loads from 13,350 to 53,400 N; oil delivery temperatures from 66 to 121°C; and oil flow rates from 7.3 to 11.4 L/min. The resulting bearing outer race temperature, oil exit temperature, and power loss determined from the shaft torque and power loss determined from the oil temperature rise are reported. Experimental power loss values are compared to the analytical results obtained with the computer code SHABERTH.The experimental data are also fitted to an empirical equation to predict the total bearing power loss. The results indicate that bearing operating temperature is a challenge for next-generation engines, primarily driven by limits of polyolester lubricants used in gas turbine engines. The results also indicate that the computer code SHABERTH underpredicts the bearing lower loss at high load conditions. A new empirical model was able to reasonably predict the b...
What are the health costs of uranium mining? A case study of miners in Grants, New Mexico

AbstractBackground:Uranium mining is associated with lung cancer and other health problems among miners. Health impacts are related with miner exposure to radon gas progeny.Objectives:This study estimates the health costs of excess lung cancer mortality among uranium miners in the largest uranium-producing district in the USA, centered in Grants, New Mexico.Methods:Lung cancer mortality rates on miners were used to estimate excess mortality and years of life lost (YLL) among the miner population in Grants from 1955 to 2005. A cost analysis was performed to estimate direct (medical) and indirect (premature mortality) health costs.Results:Total health costs ranged from $2·2 million to $7·7 million per excess death. This amounts to between $22·4 million and $165·8 million in annual health costs over the 1955–1990 mining period. Annual exposure-related lung cancer mortality was estimated at 2185·4 miners per 100 000, with a range of 1419·8–2974·3 per 100 000.Conclusions:Given renewed interest in uranium world...
The effect of aminopterin (4-amino folic acid) on growth and cell division of fermentative versus oxidative yeasts.

In a related brewing study detailed characteristics of fermentations displaying effective yeastaminopterin interaction were presented.
The use of "medical by-pass" in the therapy of Crohn's disease: report of a case.

The treatment of Crohn's disease complicated by perianal fistulas, abscesses, and ulcerations can be one of the most difficult tasks to confront a physician. Medical management, including the use of steroids and sulfa drugs, is often unsuccessful (1). Surgery also has been relatively unsuccessful because of the high incidence of recurrence (2) and frequent postoperative complications (3, 4). Recently, however, several reports have suggested surgical bypass of the diseased bowel (5, 6, 7). These surgically bypassed loops of large intestine have shown evidence of healing, and reanastomosis has occasionally been successful (7). We recently had the opportunity to use a "medical bypass," utilizing an oral liquid elemental diet in a young boy with Crohn's disease of the ileum and colon complicated by a large perianal ulceration. The dramatic results obtained in this case prompted this brief report.
On a trinity role of the survival and hazard functions of the two-stage carcinogenesis models

Three types of the two–stage models that were based on the linear birth–and–death processes were originally envisioned by Kendall (1960) as tools for modeling the carcinogenic process. While two of the three models enjoy widespread applicability, the other has lain fallow so far. This note reports that, as far as the survival and hazard functions are concerned, all three models are equivalent. In addition to giving a proof of the claim, the note also discusses some of the implications within the context of applications of the two-stage models.
The obliquity of Jupiter

The spin-axis precession period of Jupiter is near that of a fundamental Laplace-Lagrange solar system mode describing the precession of Uranus's orbit plane (~4.3 × 105 yr). As a result, a portion of the 31 obliquity of Jupiter may actually be forced by a spin-orbit secular resonance with Uranus. If this portion predominates, it allows for a constraint on Jupiter's moment of inertia that is independent of interior models.
Short scar reduction mammaplasty in the bariatric patient.

Abstract: Reduction mammaplasty may be necessary even after massive weight loss. Patients typically present with unfavorable breast features such as significant loss of upper pole volume, inelastic skin, and severe ptosis. The most common approach in the United States has been the Wise-pattern inferior pedicle technique, emphasizing skin excision. This report presents the short scar vertical reduction mammaplasty approach for the bariatric patient population. It aims to demonstrate improved outcomes with less scar burden. The study included 15 women (n = 29 breast reductions) with mean age of 41.8 years. All the patients had undergone gastric bypass surgery, with mean weight loss of 109 pounds and mean body mass index of 33.3 kg/m2. A modified superomedial pedicle vertical mammaplasty technique was used. New nipple position was placed lower than the inframammary fold in accordance with vertical lack of upper pole fullness. Suction-assisted lipectomy was used to contour the inferior pole of the breast before glandular resection. A full-thickness superomedial pedicle and median incision of the upper pole maximized pedicle safety. The mean breast resection was 605 g on the right side (range, 352–945) and 592 g on the left side (range, 360–908). Patient satisfaction was high, with pleasing and stable breast shape at long–term, and a mean patient-related aesthetic ranking of 4.3 of 5.0. No major complications were noted. It is shown that superomedial pedicle vertical reduction mammaplasty can be an alternative approach in bariatric patients, achieving long-term pleasing and stable results with significantly decreased scar burden.
Maestrichtian Aquilapollenites in texas, Maryland, and New Jersey

Abstract At least 12 species of Aquilapollenites (sensu lato) and many other pollen and spore species, well known from the Upper Cretaceous Lance and Hell Creek Formations of the Rocky Mountain region, occur in the Maestrichtian Kemp Clay and Danian Kincaid Formation near Waco, Texas. The specimens in the Paleocene sediments appear to represent extensive reworking from the underlying Cretaceous. Specimens of Aquilapollenites also occur rarely in Maestrichtian deposits of the Atlantic Coastal Plain in Maryland (Monmouth Group) and New Jersey (Red Bank Formation). These occurrences mark both southward and eastward extensions of the known North American range of the genus and, in the case of the Texas locality, of many of the species typically associated with it elsewhere.
Abstract 1489: The T-box transcription factor Brachyury blocks cell cycle progression and mediates tumor resistance to chemotherapy and radiation.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The T-box transcription factor Brachyury, a molecule frequently detected in human cancers but seldom found in normal adult tissue, has recently been proposed as a significant determinant of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human carcinomas. In the current investigation, we present data demonstrating that in three different human lung carcinoma models, expression of Brachyury is associated with a mesenchymal phenotype. Additionally, elevated Brachyury expression is shown to strongly correlate with increased in vitro resistance to cytotoxic therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation. Further investigation showed that chemotherapy treatment in vitro selected tumor cells that were high in Brachyury, and that the degree of resistance to therapy was comparable to the level of Brachyury expression. We also demonstrate that in vitro and in vivo, human lung carcinoma cells with greater levels of Brachyury divide at slower rates than those with lower levels of Brachyury, a phenomenon associated with marked downregulation of cyclin D1, phosphorylated Rb (pRb), and CDKN1A (p21). ChIP and luciferase resporter assays revealed that Brachyury represses p21 expression in carcinoma cells by directly binding to a half T-box consensus site located within the promoter region of the p21 gene, indicating a potential mechanism for the observed therapy resistance associated with Brachyury expression. Finally, we observed that in vivo treatment of tumor xenografts with chemotherapy resulted in the selective growth of resistant tumors that were high in Brachyury. Altogether, these results suggest that in addition to being a driver of EMT, Brachyury expression may attenuate cell cycle progression, and enable tumor cells to become less susceptible to chemotherapy and radiation in human carcinomas. Citation Format: Bruce K. Huang, Joseph Cohen, Romaine I. Fernando, Duane H. Hamilton, Mary T. Litzinger, James W. Hodge, Claudia M. Palena. The T-box transcription factor Brachyury blocks cell cycle progression and mediates tumor resistance to chemotherapy and radiation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1489. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1489
Interstitial cells in the primate gastrointestinal tract

Kit immunohistochemistry and confocal reconstructions have provided detailed 3-dimensional images of ICC networks throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Morphological criteria have been used to establish that different classes of ICC exist within the GI tract and physiological studies have shown that these classes have distinct physiological roles in GI motility. Structural studies have focused predominately on rodent models and less information is available on whether similar classes of ICC exist within the GI tracts of humans or non-human primates. Using Kit immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging, we examined the 3-dimensional structure of ICC throughout the GI tract of cynomolgus monkeys. Whole or flat mounts and cryostat sections were used to examine ICC networks in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), stomach, small intestine and colon. Anti-histamine antibodies were used to distinguish ICC from mast cells in the lamina propria. Kit labeling identified complex networks of ICC populations throughout the non-human primate GI tract that have structural characteristics similar to that described for ICC populations in rodent models. ICC-MY formed anastomosing networks in the myenteric plexus region. ICC-IM were interposed between smooth muscle cells in the stomach and colon and were concentrated within the deep muscular plexus (ICC-DMP) of the intestine. ICC-SEP were found in septal regions of the antrum that separated circular muscle bundles. Spindle-shaped histamine+ mast cells were found in the lamina propria throughout the GI tract. Since similar sub-populations of ICC exist within the GI tract of primates and rodents and the use of rodents to study the functional roles of different classes of ICC is warranted.
Sites of reaction of pilocarpine

Analysis of the sites of reaction of a biologically important compound, pilocarpine, a molecule with imidazole and butyrolactone rings connected by a methylene bridge, has been accomplished in a quadrupole ion trap with the aim of characterizing its structure/reactivity relationships. Ion-molecule reactions of pilocarpine with chemical ionizing agents, dimethyl ether (DME), 2-methoxyethanol, and trimethyl borate (TMB), along with collision-activated dissociation elucidated the reaction sites of pilocarpine and made possible the comparison of structural features that affect sites of reaction. Based on MS/MS experiments, methylation occurs on the imidazole ring upon reactions with CH3OCH 2 + or (CH3OCH2CH2OH)H+ ions but methylation occurs on the lactone ring for reactions with (CH3O)2B+ ions. Bracketing experiments with two model compounds, α-methyl-γ-butyrolactone and N-methyl imidazole, show the imidazole ring to have a greater gas-phase basicity and methyl cation affinity than the lactone ring. The contrast of methylation by TMB ions on the lactone ring is explained by initial addition of the dimethoxyborinium ion, (CH3O)2B+, on the imidazole ring with subsequent collisional activation promoting an intramolecular transfer of a methyl group to the lactone ring with concurrent loss of CH3OBO. Semiempirical molecular orbital calculations are undertaken to further address the favored reaction sites.
The roles of information reactivation and nonassociative arousal in recovery from ECS-induced retrograde amnesia

Restoration of memory by pretest reminder treatments following ECS-induced amnesia in principle could be mediated by nonassociative arousal and/or reactivation of information by the reminder stimuli. In the present research, arousal value of the reminder treatment was largely a function of the novelty of the context in which the reminder cues occurred. After producing ECS-induced amnesia in rats for a signaled passive avoidance task, presentation of the signal outside of the training and test context proved to be an effective reminder cue. However, prereminder familiarization with the reminder location, which was sufficient to reduce exploratory behavior suggestive of a decrease in the arousal value of the context, did not influence recovery from amnesia. These data indicate that reminder treatments are capable of reversing experimental amnesia by initiating further processing of previously acquired information even when the treatment does not produce appreciable arousal.
Anti-human cytomegalovirus activity and toxicity of sulfonated anthraquinones and anthraquinone derivatives.

Abstract Sulfonated anthraquinones and other anthraquinone derivatives were evaluated for anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Acid blues 40 and 129, acid black 48, alizarin violet R and reactive blue 2 were the most active compounds having selective indices of greater than 30 and ECs0 values of 4-30 p.M. When tested against a clinical isolate, the 4 compounds were 2- to 5-fold less active. The antiviral activity was distinctly separate from the virucidal activity (> 1000 /zM). The compounds were weakly toxic to either log phase or stationary cells in most of the following cytotoxicity assays: neutral red uptake assay, lactic acid dehydrogenase assay, trypan blue exclusion assay and radiolabeled macromolecular precursor uptake assays. Using a genotoxicity assay, the comet assay, only reactive blue 2 and acid black 48 were found to cause DNA strand breakage. This occurred at concentrations of 30 and 170 /zM, respectively. These results suggest that these compounds could be a prototype for synthesizing even more effective HCMV-inhibitory anthraquinone derivatives. Keywords: Anthraquinone; Human cytomegalovirus; Comet assay; Genotoxicity assay; Antiviral agent
Electroporation as a method for high-level nonviral gene transfer to the lung.

To increase the levels of pulmonary gene transfer by nonviral vectors, we have adopted electroporation protocols for use in the lung. A volume of 100–200 μl of purified plasmid DNA suspended in saline was instilled into the lungs of anesthetized mice. Plasmids expressed luciferase, or β-galactosidase under control of the CMV immediate-early promoter and enhancer. Immediately following delivery, a series of eight square wave electric pulses of 10 ms duration each at an optimal field strength of 200 V/cm were administered to the animals using 10 mm Tweezertrodes (Genetronics, San Diego, CA, USA). The electrodes were placed on either side of the chest, which had been wetted with 70% ethanol. The animals recovered and survived with no apparent trauma until the experiments were terminated at the desired times, between 1 and 7 days post-treatment. Gene expression was detected by 1 day postelectroporation and peaked between 2 and 5 days. By 7 days, expression was back to baseline. By contrast, essentially no gene expression was detected in the absence of electric pulses. Using a β-galactosidase-expressing plasmid, the distribution of gene expression appeared to be concentrated in the periphery of the lung, but was also present throughout the parenchyma. The primary cell types expressing gene product include alveolar type I and type II epithelial cells. No inflammation or lung injury was detected histologically or by cytokine measurements in lungs at either 1 or 24 h following electroporation treatment. These results provide evidence that electroporation is a safe and effective means for introducing naked DNA into the lung and form the basis for future studies on targeted pulmonary gene therapy.
An investigation of collector-base transport in SiGe HBTs designed for half-Terahertz speeds

A new method is introduced to investigate electron transport in the collector-base space charge region of SiGe HBTs designed for half-Terahertz speeds. Using commercially-available Monte Carlo and hydrodynamic TCAD tools, one can eliminate the fundamental limitations of hydrodynamic models related to velocity overshoot and impact ionization. The method is verified in a 200-GHz SiGe technology and then applied to hypothetical 350-GHz and half-THz (500 GHz) SiGe HBTs. This new approach requires far less computational complexity than classical Monte Carlo tools.
Preventability of emergent hospital readmission

To determine whether emergent readmissions within 30 days of discharge are potentially preventable, we prospectively studied all readmissions to the medical service of a university teaching hospital during a 4-month period. The 327 readmissions, including 42 patients who were readmitted more than once during the study period, accounted for 12% of medical admissions. Nearly 75% of readmissions were due to previously diagnosed medical conditions; complications of drugs or therapeutic procedures caused 29%, and patient compliance contributed to 11%. Three reviewers judged 28 (9%) readmissions to be potentially preventable. These 28 readmissions constituted 1% of all admissions to the medical service and did not result in any fatalities, indicating that the quality of care was generally very good. One third of the potentially preventable readmissions were thought to be related to medical system failures, one third to an unfulfilled hope that the patient would improve after discharge, and one third to other suboptimal judgements in evaluation or treatment. Of the 28 potentially preventable readmissions, 89% occurred within 10 days of discharge. We conclude that potentially preventable readmissions would nearly always be detected by review of readmissions within 10 days of discharge and that many may be amenable to systematic interventions such as standardized predischarge assessment and better coordination of post-discharge follow-up.
Magnetically Coupled Adjustable Speed Drive Systems

ABSTRACT Adjustable speed drive (ASD) technologies have the ability to precisely control motor system output and produce a number of benefits including energy and demand savings. This article examines the performance and cost effectiveness of a specific class of ASDs called magnetically coupled adjustable speed drives (MC-ASD), which use the strength of a magnetic field to control the amount of torque transferred between motor and drive shaft. The MagnaDrive™ Adjustable Speed Coupling System (referred to hereafter as the MagnaDrive Coupling) uses fixed rare-earth magnets and varies the distance between rotating plates in the assembly. The PAYBACK® Variable Speed Drive (referred to hereafter as the PAYBACK Drive) from Coyote Electronics uses an electromagnet to control the speed of the drive. Laboratory testing was conducted at the Motor Systems Resource Facility at Oregon State University to evaluate performance for the MagnaDrive, PAYBACK, and a common variable frequency drive (VFD) when connected to a 5...
NO Oxidation Catalysis on Pt Clusters: Elementary Steps, Structural Requirements, and Synergistic Effects of NO2 Adsorption Sites

Kinetic and isotopic methods show that NO oxidation on supported Pt clusters involves kinetically relevant reaction of O2 with vacancy sites on surfaces nearly saturated with oxygen adatoms (O*). The oxygen chemical potential at Pt surfaces that determines the O* coverage is rigorously described by an O2 virtual pressure and determined by the thermodynamics of NO2−NO interconversion reactions. NO oxidation and oxygen isotopic exchange processes are described by the same rate constant, consistent with similar kinetically relevant O2 dissociation steps for both reactions. NO oxidation, NO2 decomposition, and 16O2−18O2 exchange rates increased markedly with increasing Pt cluster size (1−8 nm); these clusters remain metallic at all O2 virtual pressures prevalent during NO oxidation. These effects of cluster size reflect the higher vacancy concentrations and more facile oxygen desorption on larger Pt clusters, which bind oxygen adatoms weaker than more coordinatively unsaturated surface Pt atoms on smaller clu...
Assessment of Hypothyroidism in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Study Objective. To determine whether appropriate thyroid function measurements were being conducted in patients receiving care at a multidisciplinary heart failure clinic. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. University-affiliated outpatient clinic. Patients. One hundred ninety-three patients with heart failure. Intervention. Patients enrolled in the heart failure clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina from January 2000-April 2003 were identified. Their medical records were reviewed for demographics, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, laboratory data, and date of most recent heart failure clinic appointment. Measurements and Main Results. The records of 193 patients (43% women) were reviewed. Overall and subgroup analyses were performed based on patient characteristics such as presence of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level, interval since last heart failure clinic appointment, presence of thyroid replacement therapy, amiodarone use, NYHA functional class, and attending physician. Of the 193 patients, 77 (40%) had appropriate TSH monitoring, whereas 10 (32%) of 31 patients receiving amiodarone had appropriate monitoring. Forty-four (27%) patients not receiving amiodarone had no record of a TSH level. In 22 patients (11%), hypothyroidism was diagnosed and treated, whereas 16 patients (8%) had an abnormal TSH level but received no therapy. Conclusion. Forty percent of the 193 patients at this outpatient heart failure clinic received appropriate TSH monitoring. An opportunity exists for protocol implementation and education of pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and physicians concerning appropriate thyroid function monitoring in the heart failure population.
Flattening of the contrast-detail curve for large lesions on liver CT images.

This study evaluated the relative roles of physical and perceptual factors in flattening the contrast‐detail (CD) curve on liver CT scans. To estimate the role of physical factors, the theoretical CD curve for a calculated theoretical observer (i.e., a nonprewhitening matched filter) was predicted using the measured noise power spectrum and measured modulation transfer function of the CT system. Another theoretical CD curve was also produced from the output of the same calculated observer after taking the human visual response function (VRF) into account. Perceptual factors were evaluated by analyzing human observers’ replicated ratings of the visibility of details superimposed on liver CT scans. The CD curve for the calculated theoretical observer was below the CD curve actually measured for nine human observers and showed no flattening. With the VRF included, flattening of the theoretical CD curves was only produced by fixed image viewing distances of less than 30 cm, a reading style not employed by the human observers. Correlated ROC analysis of observers’ replicated ratings indicated that while random, intraobserver variation was present, the magnitude of this so‐called observer noise was insufficient to explain the flattening of CD curves. Use of narrow display windows did not eliminate this flattening effect. The main reason for human observers’ inefficient detection of large, low contrast liver lesions appears to be a consistent misuse of the image information.
Radiometric errors caused by diffraction from circular apertures: edge effects.

The diffraction corrections associated with a circular aperture are calculated for the case of a point source and a detector aperture having a diameter approximately equal to that of the illuminated region. This investigation is made for monochromatic and complex (tungsten) radiation; two types of detectors are considered: a typical silicon diode and a neutral detector. The intensity distribution near the edge is calculated for the same cases. Some experimental results are also presented to corroborate the calculations and to suggest the behavior with extended sources. We show that strong diffraction effects are present close to the shadow edge even with a source–detector combination having a very extended wavelength band. In radio-metric measurements, a suitable compromise between diffraction effects, stray light, and vignetting effects can be achieved by having the detector aperture diameter approximately half that of the illuminated region. An extended source will reduce diffraction effects. Finally, some suggestions are made with respect to making diffraction corrections for a series of apertures.
Teichons: Solitonlike Geodesics on Universal Teichmüller Space

This paper studies EPDiff(S 1), the Euler–Poincare equation for diffeomorphisms of S 1, with the Weil–Petersson metric on the coset space PSL2(ℝ) \ Diff(S 1). This coset space is known as the universal Teichmuller space. It has another realization as the space of smooth simple closed curves modulo translations and scalings. EPDiff(S 1) admits a class of solitonlike solutions (teichons) in which the "momentum" m is a distribution. The solutions of this equation can also be thought of as paths in the space of simple closed plane curves that minimize a certain energy. In this paper we study the solution in the special case that m is expressed as a sum of four delta functions. We prove the existence of the solution for infinite time and find bounds on its long-term behavior, showing that it is asymptotic to a one-parameter subgroup in Diff(S 1). We then present a series of numerical experiments on solitons with more delta functions and make some conjectures about these.
Sedimentary facies of barataria bay, Louisiana determined by multivariate statistical techniques

Abstract A multivariate statistical strategy employing cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, and ordination was used to classify and interpret depositional environments of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, from grain-size data tabulated by Krumbein and Aberdeen (1937). Weight-percent whole-phi variables for 69 samples were tested for redundancy using R-mode cluster analysis. These samples were partitioned into five environmentally significant facies using Q-mode cluster analysis: (1) beach-ridge sand; (2) shallow wave-zone sand; (3) channel sand and silty sand; (4) channel-margin silty sand; and (5) low-energy sandy silt and clayey silt. Then the classification was extended with discriminant analysis to the remaining 29 samples which exhibited incipient flocculation and whose constituents did not total unity. Environments of deposition were associated with each facies following the method of Visher (1969) and using gradient analysis on a two-dimensional Q-mode ordination. Wilk's lambda and discriminant analysis tested the statistical significance of these facies; they were further tested by comparing their distribution with field relations and known environmental processes.