cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ESR Spin Trapping of the Reaction Between Urate and Peroxynitrite: the Hydrogen Adduct

Under basic conditions, the hydrogen adduct of the spin traps N-t-butyl-phenylnitrone (PBN) and α-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-t-butylnitrone (POBN) is formed as a major product in the reaction between the urate anion or dianion and peroxynitrite. It shows a characteristic nine-line spectrum with an intensity pattern of (1:2:1:1:2:1:1:2:1) and hyperfine splitting constants of a(H) = 10.68 G (two magnetically equivalent protons) and a(N) = 16.64 G. The hydrogen adduct of PBN also forms in the absence of urate. In this case, its formation is proposed to follow the non-traditional “inverted spin trapping” mechanism, followed by electron transfer between spin traps and the PBN–OH (or POBN–OH) adduct or one of its decomposition products. The H adduct formation is amplified when uric acid and peroxynitrite are present. Different yields of H adducts obtained from various spin traps supported the inverted spin trapping mechanism and can be rationalized by the relative redox potential of the spin traps.
Black Political Life in the Missouri General Assembly

It is not surprising that there is a paucity of research on Black political life in Missouri. One such undertaking by Greene, Kremer, and Holland (1980) examined the history of African Americans in Missouri from slavery to the late 1970s. They noted that the lives of African Americans changed precipitously as a result of the Civil War. For Black Missourians, this marked the beginning of a new social, economic, and political order. However, the mentality undergirding slavery permeated Black life in the state for many years following the Civil War. Hence, Black political development regressed in 1865 when the state legislature adopted a new constitution that rejected the rights of African Americans to vote and hold office. This racial exclusion sparked the formation of the first Black political organization in the state, the Missouri Equal Rights League (MERL). Founded in St. Louis, the city with the state's largest Black population, the MERL mobilized the Black community to address racial discrimination. Despite the efforts of the MERL, political success did not materialize at the state level. Black Southern migration in the early 1900s led to the concentration of African Americans in St. Louis and Kansas City. This Black urbanization would link the emerging African American electorate to the cities' Republican political machines (Greene et al., 1980). In 1920, African Americans in the state formed the Citizens Liberty League, which propelled the election of Missouri's first Black state representative, Walthall Moore. The state's Black citizens successfully elected at least one Republican Black state legislator to the general assembly until 1932, when the country fell into the throes of the Great Depression. When this period of economic stag-
The acetylcholine-induced flare response in evaluation of small fiber dysfunction

We iontophoresed acetylcholine on the dorsum of the foot and simultaneously measured flare and sweat responses using laser Doppler and sudorometric techniques, respectively. We compared these responses with those induced by histamine. Both acetylcholine and histamine produced dose-dependent flare, but only acetylcholine produced sweat responses. Responses to acetylcholine and histamine were blocked by hexamethonium chloride and pyrilamine maleate, respectively (p less than 0.01). We compared flare and sweat responses in 26 control subjects, 21 asymptomatic diabetic patients and 41 patients (17 diabetic, 24 nondiabetic) with pain symptoms suggestive of small fiber neuropathy and normal sensation (n = 15) or mild to moderate (n = 19) or severe (n = 7) sensory loss. No patient had trophic foot lesions. Basal skin blood flow and maximal flare responses were not significantly different among the various subgroups (Control subjects, 49 +/- 7.4; asymptomatic diabetic patients, 29 +/- 4; patients with small fiber neuropathy and normal sensation, 34 +/- 6; with neuropathy and mild to moderate sensory loss, 29 +/- 4.8; and with neuropathy and severe sensory loss, 35 +/- 5 ml/100 gm, for flare response, respectively). Flare responses lower than the lowest found in control subjects occurred in 5 of 21 asymptomatic diabetic patients, 4 of 15 patients with small fiber neuropathy and normal sensation, 5 of 19 with neuropathy and mild to moderate sensory loss, and 1 of 7 with neuropathy and severe sensory loss.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Systemic VHL gene functions and the VHL disease

The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene (VHL) is best known as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that negatively regulates the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). VHL mutations are the genetic defects underlying several human diseases including polycythemia, familial VHL tumor syndrome and sporadic renal cell carcinoma. VHL mutations can lead to cell-autonomous phenotypes in the tumor cells. However, non-tumor cell-autonomous functions of VHL have also been noted. VHL tumor-derived cytokines can promote inflammation and induce mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells. Up-regulation of HIF caused by VHL loss-of-function mutants, including heterozygotes, has been shown to increase the activities of hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial cells and myeloid cells. As such, systemic functions of VHL likely play important roles in the development of VHL disease.
Palatogram reading as a phonetic skill: the answer to issue 24(1)'s EPG “mystery” sentence

In issue 24(1): 21–34 of the Journal of the International Phonetic Association, we reviewed the technique of dynamic electropalatography (EPG) (also known as dynamic palatography or palatometry) for recording information about the tongue's contact with the hard palate over time (Byrd 1994). The purpose of that note was to provide an introduction to interpreting palatograms, much in the same way that phonetics students learn to read spectrograms. In this brief follow-up, we will decipher and discuss the “mystery” palatogram presented as Sentence 2 in the original tutorial. The frame-by-frame data on this sentence occurred on pages 32 – 34 there. Readers should consult these pages to follow along with the discussion below. Examples of palatograms for a variety of sounds as produced by the same speaker were also included there.
Language modeling for voice search: A machine translation approach

This paper presents a novel approach to language modeling for voice search based on the idea and method of statistical machine translation. We propose an n-gram based translation model that can be used for listing-to-query translation. We then leverage the query forms translated from listings to improve language modeling. The translation model is trained in an unsupervised manner using a set of transcribed voice search queries. Experiments show that the translation approach yielded drastic perplexity reductions compared with a baseline language model where no translation is applied.
Brominated ferracarboranes as diffuse redox mediators for glucose oxidase bioanodes

Abstract Two new brominated ferracarboranes, Li[Fe(3,1,2-C2B9H11) (8-Br-3,1,2-C2B9H10)] and Li[Fe(8-Br-3,1,2-C2B9H10)2] have been synthesized and characterized for use as redox mediators in a glucose oxidase (GOx) bioanode. These complexes were synthesized to more closely match the redox potential of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor in GOx as the parent complex, Li[Fe(3,1,2-C2B9H10)2], exhibited a redox potential too low to optimally oxidize FADH2 back to FAD. Hydrogen atoms attached to the carborane cage have been replaced with B–Br vertices to induce an anodic shift to the mediator Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox potential, making them stronger oxidizing agents. An anodic shift of ca. 150 mV in PBS and ca. 170 mV in MeCN was observed for each bromine added. Diffusion coefficients were determined for the complexes, with the heavier, brominated complexes showing decreased diffusion rates with respect to the parent non-brominated complex. These bromoferracarboranes were tested as diffuse mediators for a GOx-chitosan bioanode.
Nitration of gaseous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in simulated and ambient urban atmospheres: a source of mutagenic nitroarenes

Abstract Recent results from field studies in the Los Angeles air basin which focused on the nature and concentrations of mononitroarenes in the gaseous and particulate states in polluted ambient air are reviewed. Relative concentrations in organic extracts of ambient particulate polycyclic organic matter (POM) were found to be, in decreasing order, 2-NO2-fluoranthene > 1-NO2-pyrene ≳ 2-NO2-pyrene; this is in sharp contrast to primary emissions of diesel soot, where 1-NO2-PY > 3-NO2-FL > 8-NO2-FL. Since light and heavy duty diesel motor vehicle emissions are a significant source of sub-μm particles in the Los Angeles area, the relatively high abundance of 2-NO2-FL suggests that a significant fraction of the 2-NO2-FL in southern California may be formed via atmospheric reactions. In a wintertime 1986 study of a high-NOx episode ~ 20 km east of the Los Angeles International Airport, high concentrations of 1- and 2-nitronaphthalenes, much of which could have been in the gaseous state, were collected on a polyurethane backup ‘plug,’ along with lesser amounts of 2-NO2-FL (and 1- and 2-NO2-PY) adsorbed on the particles collected by a Hi-vol prefilter. Two gas phase mechanisms are proposed for the formation of adsorbed 2-NO2-fluoranthene and gaseous 2-NO2-naphthalene in urban air 1. (a) during daylight, attack on gaseous FL by OH radicals followed by NO2 addition, loss of H2O and condensation of 2-NO2-FL on particle surfaces 2. (b) reaction with N2O5 at night under ambient conditions during which the gaseous NO3 radical and NO2 are present, in equilibrium with N2O5. Chamber experiments with simulated polluted atmospheres support both of these mechanisms for the formation of 2-NO2-FL and 2-NO2-naphthalene; only the OH mechanism seems valid for 2-NO2-PY. Environmental and health implications of these studies are briefly discussed.
The niche revealed.

Summary A trio of studies in this issue of Cell Stem Cell from Mirzadeh et al., Shen et al., and Tavazoie et al. use three-dimensional imaging techniques to reveal microanatomical details of the adult neural stem cell niche. Combined, the results also provide a framework for future functional studies.
Estimation of Solubility Parameters from Refractive Index Data

THE solubility parameter, δ, of a polymer or compound is a measure of intermolecular forces and is useful for the studies of many polymer characteristics, particularly glass transition temperatures1, solubilities and diffusion or transport properties.2 It is therefore highly desirable to have a convenient method for quickly estimating δ values of polymers. It was suggested by Hildebrand and Scott, and later by Scatchard, that solubility parameters could be calculated from optical data such as refractive index measurements3,4. In this article we report some semiempirical correlations between solubility parameters and refractive indices for a series of model compounds and polymers. This work refers only to hydrocarbon and other organic materials; further work would be required to determine if an extension to inorganic polymers is possible.
Colorectal anatomy in adults at computed tomography colonography: normal distribution and the effect of age, sex, and body mass index.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Computed tomography colonography (CTC) is an accurate tool for assessing the large intestinal anatomy. Our aims were to determine the normal distribution of in vivo colorectal anatomy and to investigate the effect of age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) on colorectal length. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Asymptomatic adults who underwent primary CTC examination at a single institution over an 8-month period were evaluated. The interactive three-dimensional map was used to determine total and segmental lengths and number of acute-angle flexures. The two-dimensional multiplanar display was used to measure luminal diameters. The effects of age, sex, and BMI on colorectal lengths were examined. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 505 consecutive adults (266 women, mean age 56.6 years). Mean total colorectal length was 189.5 +/- 26.3 cm and mean number of acute-angle flexures was 10.9 +/- 2.4. Total length for older adults (> 60 years) did not significantly differ from those who were younger than 60 years ( P = 0.22), although the transverse colon was significantly longer in older adults ( P = 0.04). Women had significantly longer colons than men (193.3 cm vs. 185.4 cm, P = 0.002), whereas overweight adults (BMI > 25) had significantly shorter colons compared with those with BMI <or= 25 (187.2 cm vs. 194.5 cm, P = 0.005). Differences in total length were predominately due to differences in the transverse colon. CONCLUSIONS: Our results define the normal distribution of colorectal anatomy in an asymptomatic adult cohort, and may help to facilitate both colonoscopy training efforts and design of novel endoscopic devices. The transverse colon was the major determinant in length differences according to age, sex, and BMI, and was significantly longer in older adults, women, and thinner adults, respectively.
Pre-, Intra-, and Postprocedure Nursing Care and Assessment of Patients Undergoing Diagnostic Neuroradiological Procedures

Abstract Many patients with back pain are referred to the radiology department for invasive diagnostic testing before spinal surgery. The most common of these procedures are epidural injection, selective nerve root injection, facet joint injection, and provocative discography. With the exception of discography, these procedures are therapeutic as well as diagnostic, providing symptomatic relief for up to 6 months. This article discusses the purpose and method of these procedures, as well as the relative pre-, intra-, and postprocedure care and assessments.
Search behavior: A correction procedure for three-choice probability learning

Abstract A modified three-choice probability learning experiment, in which a subject was required to continue responding until he made the “correct” response on each trial, was run for three groups of 24 subjects over a series of 1000 trials. Groups differed in the experimenter-assigned probabilities, π, that each alternative was designated as correct. The main results of the experiment were: (a) First choice probabilities changed more rapidly than in traditional probability learning and for terminal trials approximated the value given by P(A i ) = π i 2 ∑ π j 2 . (b) A positive recency effect as defined in ordinary probability learning was obtained. (c) A choice-point model derived from statistical learning theory provided accurate, parameter free predictions of the asymptotic response probabilities for the first choices, and described the course of learning for first and second choices with the use of two parameters estimated from the data. Tests of the model using additional aspects of the data met with mixed results.
TAMOXIFEN-INDUCED REGRESSION OF BREAST CYSTS

The use of Tamoxifen as treatment for breast cancer is well established and its use experimentally as prophylaxis is promising, but little has been written about mammographically detected changes in breast parenchyma as a result of Tamoxifen therapy. We report two cases of spontaneous regression of breast cysts after Tamoxifen therapy for premenopausal breast cancer in the contralateral breast.
Functional castration of the female Japanese Quail

Abstract This experiment compared the reproductive behavior and morphology of female quail exposed to a short photoperiod (8L: 16D) for 3 or 6 weeks with the behavior and morphology of ovariectomized females and females exposed to a long photoperiod (16L: 8D). Birds exposed to 8L: 16D did not differ from ovariectomized birds in behavior or in oviduct weight and appeared to be functionally castrated. Functional castration by a short photoperiod is a convenient research technique.
Voluntary multilateralism and institutional modification: The first two decades of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

The voluntary multilateralism and consequent institutional weaknesses that have characterized Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) since its inception in 1989 are explained by the multiple geo-political fractures that characterize the Asia Pacific, as well as bureaucratic constraints and the missed opportunities to incorporate civil society. The history of APEC is the on-going creative struggle between ambitious multilateralists and national-sovereignty realists. While APEC has fallen short of its most ambitious goals, it has achieved some notable results in the cognitive diffusion of values and information, policy innovation to promote economic integration, and institutional modification in response to trial-and-error learning and to global shocks. The normative conclusions suggest additional institutional reforms and substantive agendas consistent with a flexible, evolving voluntary multilateralism.
Training in pediatric critical care medicine: A survey of pediatric residency training programs

Background: After completing their critical care rotations, pediatric residents are expected to have acquired skills in the resuscitation of critically ill newborns and children. Recent Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines have limited the time devoted to critical care training during pediatric residency. We sought to determine how individual programs have structured their critical care training experience in light of these changes. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to each pediatric residency program listed in the 1996-1997 Graduate Medical Education Directory. Information was obtained regarding the structure of critical care training. Data were analyzed using descriptive techniques, one-way analysis of variance with Scheffe post hoc test, and Fisher exact test as appropriate. Results: Data were received from 149 programs (71 % response rate). Most programs were in compliance with ACGME standards regarding the number of months devoted to neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and emergency medicine. There were no significant differences in the total number of rotations in either the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) when the programs were stratified by size. There were no significant differences in the percentage of programs requiring night call in either the NICU or the PICU during off-service months. However, small programs (< 25 residents) required significantly fewer rotations in emergency medicine (P < 0.001). Most programs complemented the critical care experience by offering additional rotations and advanced life support training. Conclusions: Pediatric residency programs have structured their critical care rotations in a similar fashion in accordance with ACGME guidelines. The success in meeting the stated objectives, as measured by the ability of graduating residents to stabilize critically ill children, is not known and will require further study.
Dynamic strain loading of cubic to tetragonal martensites

Abstract We present three-dimensional simulations of the microstructure and mechanical response of shape memory alloys undergoing cubic to tetragonal transitions, using FePd as an example. The simulations are based on a nonlinear elastic free-energy in terms of the appropriate strain fields. The dynamics is simulated by force balance equations for the displacement fields with a damping term derived from a dissipation function. Stress–strain properties in the pseudoelastic as well as the shape memory regime are investigated using strain loading. We also study the effects of defect-induced heterogeneous nucleation and motion of twin boundaries during deformation. Thus, we probe the influence of the microstructure on the mechanical response and investigate how the stress–strain behavior changes as a function of strain rate.
High-resolution Phenotypic Profiling Defines Genes Essential for Mycobacterial Growth and Cholesterol Catabolism

The pathways that comprise cellular metabolism are highly interconnected, and alterations in individual enzymes can have far-reaching effects. As a result, global profiling methods that measure gene expression are of limited value in predicting how the loss of an individual function will affect the cell. In this work, we employed a new method of global phenotypic profiling to directly define the genes required for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A combination of high-density mutagenesis and deep-sequencing was used to characterize the composition of complex mutant libraries exposed to different conditions. This allowed the unambiguous identification of the genes that are essential for Mtb to grow in vitro, and proved to be a significant improvement over previous approaches. To further explore functions that are required for persistence in the host, we defined the pathways necessary for the utilization of cholesterol, a critical carbon source during infection. Few of the genes we identified had previously been implicated in this adaptation by transcriptional profiling, and only a fraction were encoded in the chromosomal region known to encode sterol catabolic functions. These genes comprise an unexpectedly large percentage of those previously shown to be required for bacterial growth in mouse tissue. Thus, this single nutritional change accounts for a significant fraction of the adaption to the host. This work provides the most comprehensive genetic characterization of a sterol catabolic pathway to date, suggests putative roles for uncharacterized virulence genes, and precisely maps genes encoding potential drug targets.
OPTICAL VARIATIONS IN QUASARS.

A PHOTOGRAPHIC patrol of selected quasars has been in progress during the past 2½ years with the 40-inch telescope at Yale Observatory. We have already published1 an account of the behaviour of one of the patrol objects, 3C 454.3. The purpose of this article is to summarize our results for other selected quasars in the patrol programme. The basic data are summarized in Table 1. The object designations are listed in the first column. In the second column, m denotes the approximate photographic magnitudes of the objects. In column three, A denotes the approximate maximum amplitude of the optical variations in magnitudes from our observations. Light curves for those quasars having variations ≈0.5 m, as well as for 3C 181, are shown in Fig. 1. Here photographic magnitudes relative to an arbitrary zero point have been recorded for all quasars other than 3C 345 due to the present lack of suitable standard sequences in the fields. While there is very little overlap between our patrol programme and that of Peach2, in cases where overlap does occur (3C 181, for example) the light curves are in reasonable agreement. On each graph data points representing the “light curve” of a comparison star in the field are denoted by C. Error bars (p.e.) have been included in the graphs.
Heterogeneous tasks and conduits framework for rapid application portability and deployment

Emerging heterogeneous and homogeneous processing architectures demonstrate significant increases in throughput for scientific applications over traditional single core processors. Each of these processing architectures vary widely in their processing capabilities, memory hierarchies, and programming models. Determining the system architecture best suited to an application or deploying an application that is portable across a number of different platforms is increasingly complex and error prone within this rapidly increasing and evolving design space. Quickly and easily designing portable, high-performance applications that can function and maintain their correctness properly across these widely varied systems has become paramount. To deal with these programming challenges, there is a great need for new models and tools to be developed. One example is MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Parallel Vector Tile Optimizing Library (PVTOL) which simplifies the task of developing software in C++ for these complex systems. This work extends the Tasks and Conduits framework in PVTOL to support GPU architectures and other heterogeneous platforms supported by the NVIDIA CUDA and OpenCL programming models. This allows the rapid portability of applications to a very wide range of architectures and clusters. Using this framework, porting applications from a single CPU core to a GPU requires a change of only 5 source lines of code (SLOC) in addition to the CUDA or OpenCL kernel. Using GPU-PVTOL we have achieved 22x speedup in an application of Monte Carlo simulations of photon propagation through a biological medium, and a 60x speedup of a 3D cone beam computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction algorithm.
Fatigue crack initiation in hybrid boron/glass/aluminum fiber metal laminates

Abstract The fatigue crack initiation behavior of a high modulus and hybrid boron/glass/aluminum fiber/metal laminate (FML) was investigated experimentally and analytically. Two types of hybrid boron/glass/aluminum FMLs were fabricated and studied, which consisted of aluminum alloy sheets as the metal layers and a mixture of boron fibers and glass fibers as the composite layers. For the first type, the boron fiber/prepreg and the glass fiber/prepreg were used separately in the composite layers, and for the second type, the boron fibers and the glass fibers were mingled together to form a hybrid boron/glass/prepreg composite layer. These hybrid FMLs were consolidated using an autoclave curing process. The incorporation of the boron fibers improved the Young's modulus of the composite layer in FMLs, which in turn, would improve the fatigue crack initiation life of the Al sheet. The experimental results clearly showed that the fatigue crack initiation lives for both types of hybrid boron/glass/aluminum FMLs were superior to the monolithic aluminum alloy under the same loading condition. An analytical approach was proposed to calculate the fatigue crack initiation lives of hybrid boron/glass/aluminum FMLs based on the classical laminate theory and the small-crack theory. A good correlation was obtained between the predictions and the experimental results.
Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: What Nurses Need to Know

Objectives Upon completion of this activity, the learner will be able to : 1.Describe the prevalence, pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. 2.List and explain the different treatment options for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. 3.Provide appropriate information, including referral to additional resources, to patients diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) Credit A total of 2 contact hours may be earned as CNE credit for reading "Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: What Nurses Need to Know" and for completing an online post-test and participant feedback form. To take the test and complete the participant feedback form, please visit http://journalscne.awhonn.org/. Certificates of completion will be issued on receipt of the completed participant feedback form and processing fees. AWHONN is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Accredited status does not imply endorsement by AWHONN or ANCC of any commercial products displayed or discussed in conjunction with an educational activity. AWHONN also holds California and Alabama BRN numbers: California CNE provider #CEP580 and Alabama #ABN0058.
Applying a Service-Based Architecture to Autonomous, Distributed Sensor Networks

Traditional distributed architectures are not sufficient when developing an autonomous, distributed sensor network. In order to be truly autonomous, a distributed sensor network must be able to survive and reconfigure in the field without manual intervention. A limitation of traditional distributed architectures, such as client/server or peer-to-peer, within an autonomous network is that the distributed devices and applications are tightly coupled by their communication protocols prior to implementation and deployment. The introduction of new devices and applications in the field is difficult due to this coupling. Also, autonomous reconfiguration of the devices on the network due to faults or addition of new devices is extremely difficult unless the devices are homogeneous. A service-based architecture is proposed as an alternative architecture for creating autonomous, distributed sensor networks. The service-based approach provides the ability to create a scalable, self-configuring, and self-healing network for building and maintaining large, emerging and ad-hoc virtual networks of devices and applications. New devices can be automatically discovered by current devices on the network and automatically integrated into the system without manual intervention. This paper will explain the benefits and limitations of applying a service-based architecture to autonomous, distributed sensor networks and compare this approach with traditional architectures such as client/server and peer-to-peer. A description will be given of a prototype system developed using service-enabled seismic, acoustic, and visual sensors.
Pars plana vitrectomy in patients with intermediate uveitis.

Objective: To describe the effect of pars plana vitrectomy in patients with intermediate uveitis. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical course and visual outcome following pars plana vitrectomy in patients with intermediate uveitis. Results: Thirty-two patients (43 eyes) were included in the study. Pars plana vitrectomy was combined with cataract surgery in 22 of 43 eyes. The intermediate uveitis was associated with sarcoidosis in 16 eyes and multiple sclerosis in five eyes, and was idiopathic in 22 eyes. The mean (±SD) follow-up was 45.6 (±38) months (range: 6–146 months). In 19 of 43 eyes (44.1%), there was improvement in the course of uveitis, allowing the discontinuation of immunosuppressive treatment in seven patients. Cystoid macular edema resolved in 12 of 37 eyes (32.4%). Forty of 43 eyes achieved a better or retained their initial visual acuity. The remaining three eyes deteriorated by two or more lines in the Snellen chart due to the progression of cataract, chronic cystoid macular ede...
Unbuffered osmium staining in pars recta of the proximal tubule from rat kidney studied by thin and semi-thin section cytochemistry

Using semi-thin (0.5 μm thick) and conventional thin sections, observations have been made on the pattern of unbuffered OsO4 staining in the pars recta of the proximal tubule (thick descending limb of Henle) from rat kidney. The cisternae limiting autophagic vacuoles and Golgi cisternae located at the apical aspect of the stack were heavily stained in most cells. Sometimes a progressive diminution of stain was seen across the Golgi stack from apical to basal aspects. In many cells the endoplasmic reticulum stained although the degree of staining varied. Plasma membranes were unreactive. Transformation of membranes from endoplasmic reticulum-like to plasma membrane-like (i.e., endoplasmic to exoplasmic transformation) is thought to occur across the Golgi stack (deDuve, 1969; Morre et al., 1971) and presumably also occurs at the membranes limiting autophagic vacuoles, when these membranes are derived from endoplasmic reticulum. It is interesting that both sites of membrane transformation were heavily stained with unbuffered OsO4 in pars recta cells and a similar staining distribution has been reported by others in several different cell types. These observations suggest that OsO4 staining is associated with the membrane transformation phenomenon.
A Study of the Dermal Treatment of a Steer with C14-Labeled Imidan

Absorption, excretion, and metabolism of radiolabeled (C14) Imidan® ( O,O -dimethyl S -phthalimidomethyl phosphorodithioate) were studied in a steer after dermal application. Imidan was moderately absorbed by the skin of the steer, since 9.6% of the applied dose was recovered in the excreta within 7 days. The compound was rapidly broken down in the blood system, as indicated by the small percentage of radioactivity which could be extracted with chloroform (less than 2%). The principal route of elimination of absorbed material was through the urine, in which nearly 8% of the applied dose was found within 7 days. Paper chromatography and electrophoresis of urine samples indicated that the primary degradation of Imidan in the steer occurred at the nitrogen atom, resulting in the almost exclusive production of phthalic and phthalamic acids. The presence of benzoic acid as a metabolite was not conclusively proved. The systemic action against common cattle grubs, Hypoderma lineatum (de Villers), is evidently the result of very low concentrations of Imidan or the oxygen analogue.
Electron microscopic studies of monolayers at the air/water interface☆☆☆

Abstract The question of artifact formation associated with electron microscopic examination of the structure of monomolecular films was investigated. The effects of mode of film compression, surface energy of solid substrate, and surface roughness of solid substrate onto which fatty acid and phospholipid monolayers were transferred by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique from the air/water interface were systematically examined. Aberrations in monolayer structure can occur when low-energy solid surfaces such as Formvar and collodion are used for monolayer transfer below some specific surface pressure which is slightly different for each solid substrate. The observed structures bear similarity to the observations reported in other studies. However, when the monolayers are transferred onto mica substrates, the artifacts previously observed by electron microscopy appear to be eliminated and surface films existing in the liquid-expanded and liquid-condensed states exhibit a structure indicative of single-phase behavior, i.e., they are smooth, continuous, and homogeneous in agreement with current theories on monolayer structure. These results are discussed and compared with those of earlier microscopic studies.
Effects of Capacitive Coupling on Ion Remeasurement Using Quadrupolar Excitation in High-Resolution FTICR Spectrometry

Axial ejection is found to be the principal cause of the loss of ions during Fourier transform mass spectrometry remeasurement experiments. Ion remeasurement improves to near unit efficiency when an open-ended cylindrical analyzer cell is used with capacitive coupling of the excitation signal to the adjacent trapping plates. With capacitive coupling enabled for the entire experiment, 100% remeasurement efficiency is observed over a narrow mass range (10 Da) for 200 scans of ions of poly(ethylene glycol) formed by internal matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization. Greater than 99.5% efficiency per remeasurement cycle has been achieved for wide mass range (1000 Da) remeasurement with capacitive coupling enabled. Further evidence for axial ejection during remeasurement comes from a comparison of remeasurement efficiencies obtained at different trapping potentials.
Liposome-Encapsulated Hemoglobin using Film Hydration Processing to form Artificial Red Blood Cells

Process parameters using a Microfluidizer™ MHO to produce liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH) were further studied to examine their effect on hemoglobin (Hb) encapsulation efficiency (yield), steady shear viscosity, mechanical stability, and oxygen delivery. Liposome formulation loading ratios of up to 300 μmol of lipid per ml of Hb solution were evaluated; a maximum yield was obtained at 300 μmol/ml. Liposomes containing encapsulated Hb concentrations as high as 15.5 g/100 ml were prepared. LEH particle size distribution, determined from negatively stained whole mount preparations using transmission electron microscopy, resulted in average vesicle sizes for optimal batches of about 155 ran. Steady shear viscosity of LEH (up to 40% by volume) in an isotonic-isooncotic solution of PBS containing either albumin or dextran were evaluated for shear rates to 2000 s-1. Values obtained were generally higher than those of whole blood at all shear rates tested. Little leakage of Hb from liposomes stored in isot...
Alcohol consumption in persons on methadone maintenance therapy.

Alcohol use among methadone maintenance treatment program (MMTP) patients is substantial and a frequent impression is that addicts accelerate their consumption once in MMTP. This study reports an attempt to more clearly define alcohol consumption in opioid dependence as well as changes associated with methadone maintenance therapy. Two-day alcohol consumption (2-day EtOH) data were collected initially and quarterly on participants in a randomized controlled trial of intervention for alcoholism. Blood alcohol levels (BAL) were also determined. 17% of the participants were classified as active alcoholics (AA) and 8% as inactive alcoholics (IA). Two-day EtOH and BAL were significantly higher for AA than AI and nonalcoholics (NA, and AI higher than NA. Two-day EtOH decreased significantly over time for AA, AI, and NA. These findings indicate that AA among narcotic addicts and those on MMTP consume large quantities of EtOH but that consumption decreases with time on MMTP. The results, in confirmation of the wo...
Electronic doors to education: study of high school website accessibility in Iowa.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in all aspects of daily life, including education, work, and access to places of public accommodations. Increasingly, these antidiscrimination laws are used by persons with disabilities to ensure equal access to e-commerce, and to private and public Internet websites. To help assess the impact of the anti-discrimination mandate for educational communities, this study examined 157 website home pages of Iowa public high schools (52% of high schools in Iowa) in terms of their electronic accessibility for persons with disabilities. We predicted that accessibility problems would limit students and others in obtaining information from the web pages as well as limiting ability to navigate to other web pages. Findings show that although many web pages examined included information in accessible formats, none of the home pages met World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for accessibility. The most frequent accessibility problem was lack of alternative text (ALT tags) for graphics. Technical sophistication built into pages was found to reduce accessibility. Implications are discussed for schools and educational institutions, and for laws, policies, and procedures on website accessibility.
Fast algorithm for performance-oriented Steiner routing

We present a routing algorithm which minimizes the Elmore delay to the identified critical sinks while producing routes comparable to the best previously existing Steiner router. Since performance oriented layout generators employ iterative techniques that require a large number of calls to the routing algorithm for layout evaluation, a fast algorithm for routing is desirable. Our algorithm has a fast (O(n/sup 2/), where n is the number of points) and practical implementation using simple data structures and techniques. Comparisons with other existing algorithms are presented along with results from a performance driven layout generator using our routing algorithm.
Modeling strong-field above-threshold ionization

Above-threshold ionization (ATI) by intense, short-pulse lasers is studied numerically, using the stretched hydrogen atom Hamiltonian. Within our model system, we isolate several mechanisms that contribute to the ATI process. These mechanisms, which involve both excited bound states and continuum states, all invoke intermediate, off-energy shell transitions. In particular, the importance of excited bound states and off-energy shell bound-free processes to the ionization mechanism are shown to relate to a simple physical criterion. These processes point to importance differences in the interpretation of ionization characteristics for short pulses from that for longer pulses. Our analysis concludes that although components of ATI admit of simple, few-state modeling, the ultimate synthesis points to a highly complex mechanism.
Interactions of organic solvents with aromatic heterocyclic polymers. I. m-phenylene polybenzimidazole

A new method of interpreting gas-chromatographic (GC) data for determining solvents for thermally stable polymers has been developed. An equation is derived for molar Gibbs energy of sorption in terms of chromatographically measured parameters. The polymer used in this study is poly(5,5′-bibenzimidazole-2,2′-diyl-1,3-phenylene), or PBI. A battery of 40 compounds, including solvents and nonsolvents for PBI, was studied. This method involves determining molar heats of sorption and molar Gibbs energies of sorption at infinitely dilute surface coverage. Mathematical correlations between the measured thermodynamic quantities and the solvent polarizabilities and dipole moments were developed. From these correlations it was possible to explain the behavior of known solvents of PBI and predict new solvents for this polymer. The results of the interpretation of GC data were supported by quantitative solubility experiments.
Memoria, soledad y muerte en La hoja roja , de Miguel Delibes

The seventh novel written by Miguel Delibes, La hoja roja (1959) is branded by a recognizable individual style in which is found a double compromise that can’t be easily separated: human –preoccupied with the creation of voracious and intimate characters– and geographical –by utilizing his native Castile, both urban and rural, as the setting for his stories. With the objective of achieving the highest degree of credibility regarding the characters of his novels, Delibes makes use of various narrative techniques, among which it is important to mention one in particular: the fact that his characters have memories. This characteristic, together with the description of with the practices of their everyday lives, contributes to create individuals with a personal past as well as a present where interaction with the rest of the characters results crucial. Paradoxically, within the numerous and varied critical approaches to Delibes’ work, the topic of memory has never been considered as the central element in the investigation, although there are instances in which it is obliquely mentioned. Through these particular stories, that interweave the lives of the principal and secondary characters, Delibes recovers a collective memory as he narrates the present. In the author’s particular vision one can read the direct relationship between solitude and death as a warning on the precarious condition in human relationships in Spain’s society in the fifties, where the main pathology is solitude.
Determining the value of a corporate reuse program

Reuse metrics must accurately reflect the amount of effort saved. One must have realistic measures to ensure the credibility of the value placed on reuse and to separate reuse benefits from those of other technologies also competing for limited investment dollars. The paper defines a reuse metric and return on investment (ROI) model at IBM that distinguishes reuse savings and benefits from those already gained through accepted software engineering techniques. Used in conjunction with a planned reuse program, the potential of reuse serves as a powerful motivator. They derive three reuse metrics from readily available software data elements and use these metrics in return on investment model that establishes a sound business justification for reuse. >
Timing of Surgery and the Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Ewing Sarcoma of the Chest Wall: A Single-institution Experience

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the most common chest wall malignancy in adolescents. Current therapy incorporates chemotherapy to treat systemic disease and radiotherapy to assist with local control. We sought to evaluate the timing of surgery and role of adjuvant radiotherapy. We reviewed the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital chest wall ES experience from 1979 to 2009. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment variables, and outcomes were analyzed with respect to timing of surgery and use of adjuvant radiotherapy. Our cohort consisted of 36 patients with chest wall ES; median follow-up was 14.2 years, and 15-year estimate of overall survival was 66 %. In patients with localized disease, the timing of surgery (up-front vs. delayed) did not impact margin negativity or the use of adjuvant radiotherapy, but it did decrease the extent of chest wall resection. When considering radiotherapy in patients with localized disease, we found that patients who did not receive radiotherapy had smaller tumor size (median 6 vs. 10 cm) (p = 0.04) and were more likely to have had negative margins (p = 0.01) than patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy. One patient in each group developed a locoregional recurrence. The 15-year estimated of overall survival for patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy was 80 versus 100 % for those who did not. Delayed surgery decreased the extent of chest wall resection and helped define a patient population with favorable tumor biology. Patients with complete pathologic responses to chemotherapy, and those with tumors <8 cm and negative surgical margins may be spared adjuvant radiotherapy without any decrement in overall survival.
Interactions Between Nuclei and the Cytoskeleton Are Mediated by SUN-KASH Nuclear-Envelope Bridges

The nuclear envelope links the cytoskeleton to structural components of the nucleus. It functions to coordinate nuclear migration and anchorage, organize chromatin, and aid meiotic chromosome pairing. Forces generated by the cytoskeleton are transferred across the nuclear envelope to the nuclear lamina through a nuclear-envelope bridge consisting of SUN (Sad1 and UNC-84) and KASH (Klarsicht, ANC-1 and Syne/Nesprin homology) proteins. Some KASH-SUN combinations connect microtubules, centrosomes, actin filaments, or intermediate filaments to the surface of the nucleus. Other combinations are used in cell cycle control, nuclear import, or apoptosis. Interactions between the cytoskeleton and the nucleus also affect global cytoskeleton organization. SUN and KASH proteins were identified through genetic screens for mispositioned nuclei in model organisms. Knockouts of SUN or KASH proteins disrupt neurological and muscular development in mice. Defects in SUN and KASH proteins have been linked to human diseases including muscular dystrophy, ataxia, progeria, lissencephaly, and cancer.
Nanostructures and Nanotechnology: Perspectives and New Trends

Nanotechnology is widely agreed to be the research focus that will lead the next generation to breakthroughs in science and engineering. Nanotechnology will yield revolutionary advances in understanding and application at three cornerstones of expectation: Breakthroughs in properties that arise from materials fabricated from the nanoscale. Synergistic behaviour that arise from the combination of disparate types of materials (soft vs. hard, organic vs. inorganic, chemical vs. biological vs. solid state) at the nanoscale. Exploitation of natural (e.g. chemical and biological) assembly mechanisms that can accomplish structural control, at the nanoscale, are expected to lead to paradigms for assembling bio-inspired functional systems that accomplish desirable properties, either unavailable or prohibitively expensive, using top-down approaches.
Accessible Mandelbrot Sets in the Family zn+λ/zn

In this paper we prove the existence of infinitely many accessible Mandelbrot sets in the parameter plane for the family of maps $$z^n + \lambda / z^n$$ when $$n > 1$$ . These are Mandelbrot sets for which the cusp of the main cardioid touches the outer boundary of the connectedness locus. We show that there is a unique such Mandelbrot set at the landing point of each external ray that is periodic under $$\theta \mapsto n \theta $$ .