cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parametric study of thermodynamic and cost performance of thermal energy storage coupled with nuclear power

Abstract Thermal energy storage for nuclear power can increase the flexibility of low carbon baseload power plants and facilitate greater use of renewable energy sources. The thermodynamic performance and cost of approaches to integrate thermal energy storage with a 1050 MW nuclear power plant are compared in a parametric study over practical ranges of charge/discharge durations, peaking power and round-trip efficiency of the storage. Conceptual designs for sensible and latent heat storage modules are presented. The results quantify for the first time how different options for thermal energy storage affect technical performance of a nuclear power plant and are interpreted to identify the most efficient options and operating conditions. The three configurations are distinguished by charge and discharge operation. Configuration I charges the storage via high-pressure steam supply and discharges steam to the low-pressure turbine. Configuration II charges via high–pressure steam and discharges preheated condensate to the steam generator. Configuration IIII charges via low-pressure steam and discharges steam to a secondary Rankine cycle. The diurnal energy production ratio, or capacity factor, versus peaking power, and storage material cost are the metrics used to compare configurations. Configuration III, which does not require changes to the primary cycle turbines and thus has no detrimental impact on the efficiency of baseload operation, has the highest energy production ratio of 0.99. Energy production ratio increases as charging duration and discharge power are reduced. Configurations I and III can provide peaking power more than 1.5 times the baseload plant. Configuration II is limited to a peaking power of less than 1.1 times that of baseload and is cost effective in this range, albeit with lower energy production ratio than configuration III. Sensible heat storage in a rock bed is more economical than latent heat storage due to the relatively high cost of eutectic salt mixtures with appropriate melt temperatures. Keywords: thermal storage, nuclear, thermodynamic, sensible heat, latent heat
Evaluation of Five Data-to-Action Workshops to Enhance Capacity for Tobacco Control.

BackgroundFive data-to-action workshops were conducted during 2016–2019 with participants from 38 countries. The purpose of the workshops is to use data to inform and disseminate tobacco prevention...
The Prominence Effect in Shanghai Apartment Prices

Abstract A field study conducted in Shanghai identified a robust inconsistency between real estate developers' desired sales pattern (selling all apartments in a building at similar rates) and the actual sales pattern (selling good apartments faster). The authors explain this inconsistency using Tversky, Sattath, and Slovic's (1988) prominence principle, according to which buyers, who were in a choice mode, weighed the desirability of floors more heavily than developers, who were in a matching mode when setting prices. This explanation is corroborated by controlled experiments involving potential home buyers and professional real estate price setters. The research relates an intriguing anomaly originally found in paper-and-pencil surveys to a real-world issue in one of the world's most active markets. These findings also have implications for issues beyond real estate markets.
Investigating Sleep Spindle Density and Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract Sleep abnormalities are an early feature of schizophrenia (SZ) characterized by reductions in sleep spindles that have been associated with deficits in brain connectivity and cognitive function. This study investigated sleep spindle density (SSD) differences between SZ, first episode psychosis (FEP), and family high-risk (FHR) populations and matched healthy controls (HC) by investigating recent studies via a meta-analysis. We collected experimental, demographic, and methodological metrics from eligible studies across multiple online databases. 14 total studies survived the inclusion and exclusion criteria for a total of 337 patients and relatives and 339 HC. R-Studio was used to run the meta-analysis via the meta and metaphor packages. A heterogeneity score of I2 = 80% was calculated thus a random effects model was chosen. We report a large effect size for SSD in patients compared to controls. Furthermore, illness duration was significantly associated with SSD. Our next step to understanding sleep spindles would be to investigate SSD's use as a predictor for SZ or attempt to normalize SSD deficits as a therapeutic option.
The Contribution of Foreign Capital to Stabilization (1918–25)

The governments of the newly established “Successor States” immediately faced the problem of leading their countries out of the economic chaos. At the close of the war, these countries found themselves in a state of inflation which precluded normal exchange of goods, discouraged new investment, and prevented a revival of international trade. The lack of funds to finance government activities led to inflationary printing of notes.1 Such disguised taxation was limited in Czechoslovakia, and short-lived in the Baltic States; these countries were able to introduce without delay effective tax systems and balanced state budgets.2 But not so Poland and Hungary. Understandably, price stabilization and stabilization of the external values of the currencies were matters of national prestige for the debutant nations. It will be instructive to investigate, therefore, in what way and to what extent foreign capital was instrumental in the process of internal and external stabilizations.
Judicial Activism, Judicial Independence and Judicial Hubris: The Case of International Courts

Judicial activism is cause for concern in many democratic countries. In a narrow sense, judicial activism can mean judicial nullification of democratically enacted laws; more broadly, it implies the making or imposition of public policy by judicial decree. There are times when judicial activism may be warranted; there are also times when it is an abuse of judicial power. Judicial activism has implications for the ideal of judicial independence, both because such independence is necessary if courts are to intervene properly in behalf of justice and the rule of law, and because judicial overreach can actually threaten judicial independence, or may transmute it into indefensible judicial irresponsibility. Admirable instances of judicial activism by the mid-20th century American courts against racial discrimination seem to have inspired a far less justified trend toward judicial activism on many other issues by courts in the USA and elsewhere. There is cause for concern that international legal institutions, in particular, are contributing to the growth of a dubious kind of judicial activism. If judges around the world are encouraged—by academic opinion, by the Zeitgeist among political elites, by international lawyers and pressure groups—to overstep their authority, and especially if an activist judiciary is seen to be a partisan force in the great political and cultural disputes of the era, then democratic public opinion is liable, sooner or later, to ensure that there will be less judicial independence, not more.
Therapeutic cup insemination with cryopreserved donor sperm: prognostic value of cervical mucus score at insemination and the number of motile sperm in mucus at 24 hours

Objective To examine the prognostic value of cervical mucus score at insemination and the number of motile sperm in mucus 24hours after therapeutic cup insemination with cryopreserved donor sperm. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting Academic tertiary medical center. Patients One hundred thirty-eight women with confirmed bilateral tubal patency who received therapeutic cup inseminations with cryopreserved donor sperm between 1986 and 1993. Interventions All insemination cycles were monitored with serial daily urinary LH determinations with a single (n = 312) insemination or two inseminations (n = 212) performed on and/or 1day after the day of LH surge detection. A single examiner assigned cervical mucus scores in all insemination cycles and recorded the number of motile sperm in mucus 24hours after the first insemination in dual insemination cycles. Main Outcome Measure Pregnancy rate during various cervical mucus and motile sperm scores. Results Ninety-one women conceived (66%) and seven of these achieved two pregnancies. The overall pregnancy rate per insemination cycle was 18.7%. Age and day of insemination were the only variables identified as having significant influence on cycle outcome. Pregnancy occurred with decreasing frequency as patient age increased and was nearly twice as likely after insemination on the day after the urinary LH surge as on the day of surge detection. Conclusions Insemination the day after the urinary LH surge is superior to the day of surge detection. Cervical mucus score and the number of motile sperm in mucus 24hours after therapeutic cup insemination with cryopreserved donor sperm do not correlate with cycle outcome.
The Social Psychology of Corruption: Why It Does Not Exist and Why It Should

In recent decades, corruption has emerged as a major cause of global inequality and an important subject of social scientific research. This article argues that social psychologists have not taken full advantage of analytical tools at their disposal to generate explanatory accounts of corruption in non-Western contexts. In the first part of the article, the author maintains that the lack of social psychological research on why people engage in corruption is due to the dearth of empirical data on corruption, the theoretical complexity of this phenomenon, and current popularity of neoliberalism in politics and academic research. In the second part of the article, the author argues that the symbolic interactionism school of social psychology has a number of tools that could be more helpful in exploring the causes of corruption in non-Western settings than rational-choice approaches that are currently en vogue. The article concludes with an argument that such analyses could generate culturally sensitive as well as policy-relevant theories of corruption.
Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of phospholipid micelles.

Abstract The proton magnetic resonance spectrum of dl-α-lecithin at 100 MHz in CHCl3 solvent is reported. An analysis of the spectrum is made. The chemical shifts of the N-(CH3)3 protons and the resonance peak associated with the condensed water molecule showed concentration dependence with the latter showing the more pronounced response. These chemical shift changes are interpreted in terms of micelle formation through intermolecular hydrogen bond formation between lecithin monomers. The chemical shift data are used to calculate the critical micelle concentration of lecithin as well as the number of monomer lecithin units required to form a micelle. The temperature-dependent studies showed a small negative enthalpy change associated with the micelle. The micellar behavior in CHCl3 is compared with those in benzene and carbon tetrachloride.
What’s hAPPening at synapses? The role of amyloid β-protein precursor and β-amyloid in neurological disorders

Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulated levels of amyloid β-protein precursor (APP) and its catabolites contribute to the impaired synaptic plasticity and seizure incidence observed in several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, fragile X syndrome, Down's syndrome, autism, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease as well as in brain injury. This review article summarizes what is known regarding the synaptic synthesis, processing and function of APP and amyloid-beta (Aβ), as well as discusses how these proteins could contribute to the altered synaptic plasticity and pathology of the aforementioned disorders. In addition, APP and its proteolytic fragments are emerging as biomarkers for neurological health, and pharmacological interventions that modulate their levels, such as secretase inhibitors, passive immunotherapy against Aβ and mGluR5 antagonists, are reviewed.
On the Use of Photometry in Spectral Classification

We discuss the applicability of photoelectric photometry to the classification of stellar spectra. A distinction is made between “photometric” classifications, which depend upon correlations between photometric colors and spectral type, and true “spectral” classifications, which can be obtained photometrically if based upon reddening-free indices of the strengths of appropriate spectral features. Examples are given of the use of wide-band and intermediate-band photometry to measure intrinsic spectral characteristics of stars. One narrow-band photometric system – the writer’s eight-color system of TiO/CN classification photometry – is discussed in detail because it does provide true spectral classifications for stars of type M. Results from the eight-color system are compared to MK classifications as regards sensitivity, accuracy, and range of applicability.
Influence of surface chemical properties on the toxicity of engineered zinc oxide nanoparticles to embryonic zebrafish

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in a variety of products, thus understanding their health and environmental impacts is necessary to appropriately manage their risks. To keep pace with the rapid increase in products utilizing engineered ZnO NPs, rapid in silico toxicity test methods based on knowledge of comprehensive in vivo and in vitro toxic responses are beneficial in determining potential nanoparticle impacts. To achieve or enhance their desired function, chemical modifications are often performed on the NPs surface; however, the roles of these alterations play in determining the toxicity of ZnO NPs are still not well understood. As such, we investigated the toxicity of 17 diverse ZnO NPs varying in both size and surface chemistry to developing zebrafish (exposure concentrations ranging from 0.016 to 250 mg/L). Despite assessing a suite of 19 different developmental, behavioural and morphological endpoints in addition to mortality in this study, mortality was the most common endpoint observed for all of the ZnO NP types tested. ZnO NPs with surface chemical modification, regardless of the type, resulted in mortality at 24 hours post-fertilization (hpf) while uncoated particles did not induce significant mortality until 120 hpf. Using eight intrinsic chemical properties that relate to the outermost surface chemistry of the engineered ZnO nanoparticles, the highly dimensional toxicity data were converted to a 2-dimensional data set through principal component analysis (PCA). Euclidean distance was used to partition different NPs into several groups based on converted data (score) which were directly related to changes in the outermost surface chemistry. Kriging estimations were then used to develop a contour map based on mortality data as a response. This study illustrates how the intrinsic properties of NPs, including surface chemical modifications and capping agents, are useful to separate and identify ZnO NP toxicity to zebrafish (Danio rerio).
Squishy lipids: Temperature effects on the betaine and galactolipid profiles of a C18/C18 peridinin‐containing dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium microadriaticum (Dinophyceae), isolated from the mangrove jellyfish, Cassiopea xamachana

Summary Previous work from our laboratory has shown dinoflagellates, which possess the carotenoid peridinin, have been divided into two clusters based on plastid galactolipid fatty acid composition. In one cluster major forms of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), lipids that comprise the majority of photosynthetic membranes, were C18/C18 (sn-1/sn-2), with octadecapentaenoic [18:5(n-3)] and octadecatetraenoic [18:4(n-3)] acid as principal fatty acids. The other cluster contained C20/C18 major forms, with eicosapentaenoic acid [20:5(n-3)] being the predominant sn-1 fatty acid. In this study, we have found that Symbiodinium microadriaticum isolated from the jellyfish, Cassiopea xamachana, when grown at 30°C, produced MGDG and DGDG with a more saturated fatty acid, 18:4(n-3), at the sn-2 carbon than when grown at 20°C where 18:5(n-3) predominates. This modulation of the sn-2 fatty acid's level of saturation is mechanistically similar to what has been observed in Pyrocystis, a C20/C18 dinoflagellate. We have also examined the effect of growth temperature on the betaine lipid, diacylglycerylcarboxyhydroxymethylcholine (DGCC), which has been observed by others to be the predominant non plastidial polar lipid in dinoflagellates. Temperature effects on it were minimal, with very few modulations in fatty acid unsaturation as observed in MGDG and DGDG. Rather, the primary difference seen at the two growth temperatures was the alteration of the amount of minor forms of DGCC, as well as a second betaine lipid, diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine.
The Mass and Age of Very Low Mass Members of the Open Cluster α Persei

We present spectroscopic optical and photometric infrared observations of 12 faint candidate members of the young open cluster α Persei found by Prosser in 1994. Keck HIRES echelle spectra provide radial and rotational velocity measurements for five objects, two of which are clearly nonmembers based on the radial velocities. These kinematic nonmembers also do not fit well in the (V-I) versus (I-J) cluster sequence. One additional faint object is likely a nonmember based on a low-resolution spectrum. Using HIRES, we have searched for the Li I resonance line. Combining the absence/presence of lithium and photometry of the faint α Persei targets with confirmed membership constrains their ages and masses. The lack of lithium in AP J0323+4853 implies that its age is greater than about 65 Myr, which is older than the cluster classical upper main-sequence turnoff age of 50 Myr. A similar age discrepancy is found in the Pleiades. We detect lithium in the faintest of our program stars, AP 270, which implies a mass for it just at the substellar mass limit, given our adopted age and its luminosity. The membership of AP 281 is in question because of its high radial velocity compared with the cluster mean. On the other hand, AP 281 lies on the photometric cluster sequence and has a very high rotation velocity and Hα emission, indicating youth. If it is a member, its lack of lithium would push the minimum age of the cluster to 75 Myr, in agreement with a very recent upper main-sequence determination. In that case, AP 270 would not be a brown dwarf.
Is Dextromethorphan a Concern for Causing a False Positive During Urine Drug Screening

The initial screening for drugs of abuse invariably poses the risk for false positives due to cross-reactivity. The over-the-counter antitussive medication dextromethorphan (DXM) can cause false-positive results for phencyclidine (PCP) upon urine drug screening (UDS). It is believed that DXM can also cause a false positive for opiates, presumably due to structural similarities. This could have serious implications, as DXM abuse is reported to be increasing. However, many of these claims are anecdotal, as no fully comprehensive studies exist. Furthermore, what studies have been completed reveal that DXM does not cause a false positive for opiates, despite their similarity in structure. Laboratories have established cut-off limits for opiates for the initial screen, and like all presumptive positives, confirmation with more sensitive methods are strongly recommended to rule out false positives. * DXM : dextromethorphan PCP : phencyclidine UDS : urine drug screening DXO : dextrorphan CNS : central nervous system NMDA : N-methyl-D-aspartate DAU : drugs of abuse-urine EMIT : enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique FPIA : fluorescence polarization immunoassay RIA : radioimmunoassay KIMS : kinetic interaction of microparticles in solution CEDIA : cloned enzyme donor immunoassay SAMHSA : Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration GC-MS : gas chromatography-mass spectrometry LC-MS : liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry HPLC : high-performance liquid chromatography
(E)-3-Hexene-1,6-diyl dibenzoate

The title mol­ecule, C20H20O4, lies on an inversion center. The central alkene moiety is not coplanar with the remainder of the mol­ecule, forming a dihedral angle of 61.61 (12)° with the O—CH2—CH2—C plane and a dihedral angle of 58.70 (11)° with the phenyl plane. The central C=C length is 1.326 (2) A.
Lifting results for categories of algebras

In this paper, we present results that provide an abstract setting for the construction and interpretation of categories of algebras appearing in various semantic examples including those related to Scott domains and cartesian closed categories. A methodology is introduced that lifts adjoint pairs on categories with monads to categories whose objects are algebras for these monads. Results are achieved by exploiting prior work on Kleisli liftings and the existence of key isomorphisms. While applicable to domain theory and the semantics of partiality, the construction at work is considerably more general and is applicable to other settings as well.
Isocratic reverse-phase liquid chromatography assay for amino acid metabolic disorders using eluates of dried blood spots

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of the amino acids methionine, valine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, isoleucine, and leucine extracted from dried blood spots used in neonatal screening is described. The amino acids are eluted from a 3-mm filter paper disc of dried blood with an absolute ethanol:norleucine internal standard solution (1.5:1, v/v), derivatized with o-phthalaldehyde prior to injection, and separated on a C-18 reversephase column with subsequent fluorescent detection. The analysis time is under 9 min at the described sample dilution and the assay is linear from 15 to 300 μmol/liter for five of the amino acids and from 15 to 500 μmol/liter for valine. The interrun coefficients of variation are <10% (except for tryptophan) and the analytical recoveries exceed 85%. Results from patient samples correlate well with those from a Waters Pico-Tag amino acid analysis system and no apparent interferences were encountered. The rapid analysis time and the specificity of the assay will facilitate the presumptive diagnosis of the inherited amino acidopathies phenylketonuria, maple syrup urine disease, and homocystinuria/methioninemia as well as monitoring blood levels of diagnosed patients.
Medical surveillance for the emerging occupational and environmental respiratory diseases

Purpose of review To highlight the important issues to consider in deciding whether to pursue and how to conduct medical surveillance for the emerging occupational and environmental respiratory diseases. It provides several recent examples illustrating implementation and usefulness of medical surveillance and the lessons learned from these experiences. Recent findings Medical surveillance conducted after sentinel outbreaks of constrictive bronchiolitis in microwave popcorn and flavoring production plants have shown the usefulness of this approach in documenting the burden of disease, identifying particular problem areas as targets for preventive interventions, and in tracking the progress. They have also identified the usefulness of longitudinal spirometry, which allows comparison of the individuals' results to their own previous tests. The importance of recognizing a sentinel outbreak needing greater investigation is demonstrated by the cluster of cases of constrictive bronchiolitis recognized in military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The World Trade Center disaster has demonstrated the importance of having baseline lung function data for future comparison and the importance of rapidly identifying exposed populations at greatest risk for health effects, and thus potentially having the greatest benefit from medical surveillance. Summary When used appropriately, medical surveillance is a useful tool in addressing the emerging occupational and environmental respiratory diseases by facilitating improvements in primary prevention and enabling interventions to help individuals through secondary prevention.
Mixing of connexins in gap junction membrane channels

Gap junctions are plaque-like clusters of intercellular channels that mediate intercellular communication. Each of two adjoining cells contains a connexon unit which makes up half of the whole channel. Gap junction channels are formed from a multigene family of proteins called connexins, and different connexins may be coexpressed by a single cell type and found within the same plaque. Rodent gap junctions contain two proteins, connexins 32 and 26. Use of a scanning transmission electron microscope for mass analysis of rodent gap junction plaques and split gap junctions prvided evidence consistent with a model in which the channels may be made from (i) solely connexin 26, (ii) solely connexin 32, or (iii) mixtures of connexin 26 and connexin 32 in which the two connexons are made entirely of connexin 26 and connexin 32. The different types of channels segregate into distinct domains, implying tha connexon channels self-associate to give a non-random distribution within tissues. Since each connexin confers distinct physiological properties on its membrane channels, these results imply that the physiological properties of channels can be tailored by mixing the constituent proteins within these macromolecular structures.
Hydrocarbon geochemistry of cold seeps in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Abstract Samples from four geographically and tectonically discrete cold seeps named Clam Flat, Clamfield, Horseshoe Scarp South, and Tubeworm City, within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary were analyzed for their hydrocarbon content. The sediment contains gaseous hydrocarbons and CO 2 , as well as high molecular weight aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons with various combinations of thermogenic and biogenic contributions from petroleum, marine, and terrigenous sources. Of particular interest is the cold seep site at Clamfield which is characterized by the presence of thermogenic hydrocarbons including oil that can likely be correlated with oil-saturated strata at Majors Creek near Davenport, CA, USA. At Clam Flat, the evidence for thermogenic hydrocarbons is equivocal. At Horseshoe Scarp South and Tubeworm City, hydrocarbon gases, mainly methane, are likely microbial in origin. These varied sources of hydrocarbon gases highlight the diverse chemical systems that appear at cold seep communities.
Transport reduction by current profile control in the reversed-field pinch

An auxiliary poloidal inductive electric field applied to a reversed‐field pinch (RFP) plasma reduces the current density gradient, slows the growth of m=1 tearing fluctuations, suppresses their associated sawteeth, and doubles the energy confinement time. This experiment attacks the dominant RFP plasma loss mechanism of parallel streaming in a stochastic magnetic field. The auxiliary electric field flattens the current profile and reduces the magnetic fluctuation level. Since a toroidal flux change linking the plasma is required to generate the inductive poloidal electric field, the current drive is transient to avoid excessive perturbation of the equilibrium. To sustain and enhance the improved state, noninductive current drivers are being developed. A novel electrostatic current drive scheme uses a plasma source for electron injection, and the lower‐hybrid wave is a good candidate for radio‐frequency current drive.
Induced metamorphosis: Rectification of a genetic disability by thyroid hormone in the Mexican axolotl Siredon mexicanum

Abstract Evidence is presented to show that the pituitary-thyroid axis functions at an elevated level in axolotls induced to metamorphose by single injections of triiodothyronine. Investigations conducted were: (1) changes in premetamorphic skin grafts in intact and thyroidectomized postmetamorphic axolotls. (2) changes in the histological picture of the thyroid of hypophysectomized pre- and postmetamorphic animals. (3) effect of thyroidectomy on the pituitary of the pre- and postmetamorphic animals. (4) thin-layer chromatography of thyroid hormones in serum and thyroid and 131 I uptake by thyroid gland of pre- and postmetamorphic animals. Premetamorphic skin grafts metamorphosed on intact postmetamorphic animals but not on thyroidectomized animals. Hypophysectomy affected the thyroid in both pre- and postmetamorphic animals. The most pronounced change was the loss of granular texture in the colloid of operated animals. The cell height of the follicle epithelium showed a reduction in the animals as follows: Intact postmetamorphic > hypophysectomized postmetamorphic > intact premetamorphic > hypophysectomized premetamorphic. Histological variations in pituitary cytology could not be detected. Monoiodotyrosine was detected in the blood stream of all animals except those that were hypophysectomized or thyroidectomized. 131 I uptake by thyroid of premetamorphic axolotl was much lower than that seen in postmetamorphic animals. The implications of the observations mentioned above are discussed.
Complications following 573 Percutaneous Renal Radiofrequency and Cryoablation Procedures

Abstract Purpose To review complications related to percutaneous renal tumor ablation. Materials and Methods Prospectively collected data related to renal radiofrequency (RF) ablation and cryoablation procedures performed from May 2000 through November 2010 were reviewed. This included 573 renal ablation procedures performed in 533 patients to treat 633 tumors. A total of 254 RF ablation and 311 cryoablation procedures were performed; eight patients underwent simultaneous RF ablation and cryoablation. The mean age of patients at the time of the procedure was 70 years (range, 24–93 y), and 382 of 573 procedures (67%) were performed in male patients. Complications were recorded according to the Clavien–Dindo classification scheme. Duration of hospitalization was also documented. Results Of the 573 procedures, 63 produced complications (11.0% overall complication rate). There were 66 reported complications, of which 38 (6.6% of total procedures) were Clavien–Dindo grade II–IV major complications; there were no deaths. Major complication rates did not differ statistically ( P = .15) between cryoablation (7.7%; 24 of 311) and RF ablation (4.7%; 12 of 254). Of the complications related to cryoablation, bleeding and hematuria were most common. Bleeding during cryoablation was associated with advanced age, increased tumor size, increased number of cryoprobes, and central position ( P Conclusions Complications related to percutaneous renal ablation are infrequent. Recognition of potential complications and associated risk factors can allow optimization of periprocedural care.
Laparoscopic caudate hepatectomy for cancer--an innovative approach to the no-man's land.

Caudate hepatectomy remains a surgical challenge in spite of recent advances in laparoscopic technique. Hepatic tumor in the caudate lobe is usually deeply located in the center of the liver and close to the vena cava and hepatic hilum. Thus, lesion in this region was considered as a contraindication of laparoscopic hepatectomy. Only sporadic reports could be found in the literature. The aim of this study is to review the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic hepatectomy for lesions in the caudate lobe. Nine consecutive patients with caudate hepatic tumor received laparoscopic caudate hepatectomy in our institute from February 2006 to July 2010. One patient with hepatic adenoma was excluded from the analysis. Demographic data, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes of the remaining eight patients were assessed. All procedure for these eight patients with caudate hepatic tumors (size 0.9–4.5 cm) were completed with totally laparoscopic technique except one in which additional left hepatectomy was also done. The average operative time was 254 min (range 210–345 min) and estimated blood loss was 202 ml (range 10–1,000 ml), and average length of postoperative hospital stay was 6.9 days (range 4–11 days). There was no perioperative complications and patient mortality in this series. Our experience demonstrated that laparoscopic hepatectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for caudate hepatic tumors in selected patients.
Pharmacokinetics of orally and intravenously administered cyclosporine in pre-kidney transplant patients.

The pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine (CSA) and four metabolites were evaluated in eight hemodialysis subjects awaiting renal transplantation to compare metabolic patterns with those observed in post-transplant patients and normal volunteers. Each subject received a single 4-mg/kg intravenous and a single 10-mg/kg oral dose separated by a 1-week washout period. Blood samples were collected before and at .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 24 hours after CSA dosing. Cyclosporine blood, plasma, and metabolite (M17, M1, M18, M21) levels were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Mean (+/- standard deviation) CSA blood clearance was .47 +/- .15 L/hour/kg, steady-state volume of distribution (Vss) was 1.9 +/- .5 L/kg, and mean residence time (MRT) was 4.4 +/- 1.8 hours after intravenous dosing. With plasma, mean clearance was .70 +/- .31 L/hour/kg, Vss was 2.4 +/- 1.2 L/kg, and MRT was 3.7 +/- 2.2 hours. Cyclosporine bioavailability (F) averaged 24 +/- 11 and 24 +/- 15%, using blood and plasma, respectively. Values for clearance and Vss were approximately 30 to 100% greater than comparable estimates in healthy volunteers, but F and MRT were not altered to this extent. These changes might be explained on the basis of decreased protein binding in uremic patients. The area under the curve ratio for M17 and M1 to CSA increased an average of 1.7- and 3.9-fold, respectively, after oral dosing compared with intravenous administration, indicating increased conversion during first-pass metabolism.
Direct evidence of the role of virtual electrode-induced phase singularity in success and failure of defibrillation.

Virtual Electrodes in Defibrillation. Introduction: We recently demonstrated that virtual electrode-induced phase singularity is responsible for arrhythmogenesis during T wave shocks and explains the upper and lower limits of vulnerability. Furthermore, we suggested that the same mechanism might he responsible for defibrillation failure. The aim of this study was to experimentally support this hypothesis. Methods and Results: We used the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS and fast imaging to assess electrical activity in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. Ventricular arrhythmias were induced by monophasic shocks applied during T wave. Three types of defibrillation shocks (n = 79) were delivered from an intravenous right ventricular electrode: monophasic (8 msec), optimal biphasic (8/8 msec, 2/1 leading-edge voltage ratio), and nonoptimal biphasic (8/8 msec, 1/1 leading-edge voltage ratio). We found that a monophasic shock extinguished arrhythmic pattern of electrical activity via a virtual electrode polarization effect. However, the virtual electrode polarization was likely to produce phase singularities, leading to another arrhythmia and defibrillation failure. Nonoptimal biphasic shocks produced similar effects. Optimal biphasic shocks were successful because the first phase of the shock erased the arrhythmia via the virtual electrodes effect, whereas the second phase canceled the virtual electrodes, eliminating the substrate for phase singularities and arrhythmia resulting from them. Conclusion: Our data provide the first experimental support of the hypothesis implicating virtual electrode-induced phase singularity in defibrillation failure in the Langendorff-perfused rabbit heart. Optimal biphasic shock has a higher defibrillation efficacy because it does not produce virtual electrode-induced phase singularities.
Repetitive, noninvasive imaging of cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression in living mice.

Abstract The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene plays a role in a wide variety of normal physiologic pathways and is a major target of pharmacologic intervention in a large number of pathophysiologic contexts, including pain, fever, inflammation, and cancer. Expression of the COX-2 gene is induced in a wide range of cells, in response to an ever-increasing number of stimuli. The regulation of the COX-2 gene has been the subject of extensive study, using traditional transfection techniques with reporter gene constructs. Regulation of the COX-2 gene in living animals, however, requires sacrifice of the animal and in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemical studies. We have utilized in vivo optical imaging technology with a cooled charged coupled device camera to image the expression of the firefly luciferase gene in tumor xenografts that are stabley transfected with a chimeric gene containing the first kilobase of the murine COX-2 promoter. Induction of luciferase gene expression following systemic lipopolysaccharide/endotoxin administration can be robustly demonstrated; both a dose–response relationship and a time course for luciferase expression from the COX-2 promoter can be noninvasively analyzed in the tumor xenografts. These data suggest expression from the COX-2 promoter will be easily analyzed in transgenic mice, in knock-in mice, and in somatic cell and gene transfer experiments.
Relation between Mn, Mp and hadronic excitation strengths when there is strong absorption: The AZr(α, α′) reactions☆

Abstract We study the relationship between the r 1 radial moments M n , M p of neutron and proton transition densities and the corresponding interaction strengths at the large radii sampled by a hadronic probe when there is strong absorption. We use a folding model and a gaussian alpha-nucleon interaction to generate the transition potentials for A Zr( α , α ′) reactions at 35.4 MeV. Simple transition density models were considered, as well as a valence plus core polarization model, and applied to some 2 1 + and 3 1 − excitations for A = 90, 92 and 96. We show that the M n / M p ratios extracted can be very sensitive to the shapes assumed for the transition densities. The ratios deduced from the A Zr( α , α ′) data are smaller than those deduced recently using an implicit procedure, but still considerably larger than N / Z for A > 90. Explicit consideration of a few valence nucleons can produce significant variations.
Metastasis of untreated head and neck cancer to percutaneous gastrostomy tube exit sites

Abstract Background Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has become a mainstay in providing enteral access for patients with obstructive head and neck tumors. PEG tube placement is considered safe and complications are infrequent. Methods A comprehensive review of the literature in MEDLINE (1962-2011) was performed. We report herein 3 new cases. Results The literature search revealed 43 previous cases. The interval between PEG placement and diagnosis of metastasis ranged from 1 to 24 months. Conclusions Metastatic cancer should be considered in patients with head and neck cancer that have persistent, unexplained skin changes at PEG site, anemia, or guaiac positive stools without a clear etiology. The direct implantation of tumor cells through instrumentation is the most likely explanation, although hematogenous and/or lymphatic seeding is also a possibility. Our review of the literature and clinical experience indicate that the “pull” technique of PEG placement may directly implant tumor cells at the gastrostomy site.
Perspectives on: information and coding in mammalian sensory physiology: response kinetics of olfactory receptor neurons and the implications in olfactory coding.

Olfaction begins with the detection of odorants by olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in the nasal cavity. Olfactory transduction is mediated by a G protein–coupled transduction cascade culminating in the opening of the two olfactory transduction ion channels, the olfactory CNG channel and the Ca2+-activated Cl− channel anoctamin 2 (Ano2), and ultimately action potential (AP) generation. The mechanisms that activate olfactory transduction have been understood quite well over the last two decades. Mechanisms of response adaptation, however, have actually become much less clear, with mechanisms previously thought to be important now suggested to play less significant roles, raising the question of which transduction components are the target of adaptational feedback. Because ORNs are often stimulated rhythmically by the inhalation of odorants, fast response termination should be a prerequisite to adequately resolve the temporal aspect of the stimulus. Recent progress suggests that mechanisms that regulate ciliary Ca2+ transients dictate kinetics of transduction termination. Ultimately, the question to answer is how ORNs code for “natural” stimuli in the behaving animal.
Effects of film growth conditions on many-body photoemission satellites in heavy rare earths

Using angle-resolved synchrotron-radiation photoemission, we have studied the many-body satellite spectra of gadolinium and dysprosium overlayers on several substrates, including Cu(100), Ni(111), Si(111) and W(110). In addition to a 6 eV valence band satellite previous reported, we report the observation of a constant-kinetic-energy (CKE) satellite. We propose a model that describes both the 6 eV satellite as well as the newly observed CKE satellite. Our model explains in a single picture the presence and absence of the 6 eV satellite for a variety of film growth conditions.
Perspectives on clinical translation of smart nanotherapeutics.

Smart nanocarriers have shown great promise in the delivery of various therapeutic payloads to primary and metastatic tumor sites via enhanced permeability retention (EPR) effect [1-4]. To be efficacious, cancer nanotherapeutics need to have the following characteristics: (1) the nanocarriers need to be biodegradable and non-toxic; (2) scale up synthesis is feasible and formulation protocol in the clinic by the pharmacist is convenient, (3) the nanocarriers need to be highly stable in the blood circulation, with minimal premature drug release; (4) to minimize uptake by the reticuloendothelial system in the liver, spleen, lung and bone marrow, the nanoparticle drugs need to be small (<100 nm in diameter) and with “stealthy” surface; (5) delivery of the nanoparticle drug into the tumor sites needs to be high and sustained; (6) efficient uptake of the drug-loaded nanoparticles into the tumor cells enhances efficacy and overcomes drug resistance; (7) efficient drug release from the nanocarriers at the tumor site or inside the tumor cells ; and (8) drug release from the nanocarriers triggered on demand allows the oncologists to tune the therapeutic index to the patient's advantage.
Left ventricular wall tension and stress during exercise in athletes and sedentary men

This investigation examines the hypothesis that hypertrophy attenuates wall stress during exercise, when left ventricular wall tension is highest and most likely to contribute to hypertrophy. Upright bicycle exercise was performed by 17 endurance-trained male athletes and 15 sedentary men. M-mode echocardiograms were obtained during submaximal exercise at predetermined heart rates. At all levels of exercise, at a matched heart rate, wall tension was higher in athletes than in sedentary subjects. In both groups, wall tension increased with exercise, then plateaued. Wall stress did not differ significantly in athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and at heart rates of 110 and 150 beats/min, although a difference was observed at a heart rate of 130 beats/min. Wall stress decreased in both athletes and sedentary subjects with exercise. In conclusion, left ventricular hypertrophy caused wall stress in athletes to be maintained at values similar to sedentary subjects during exercise as well as at rest.
Postnatal development of geniculocortical projections in the tree shrew

We examined the postnatal development of retrogradely labeled cells in the tree shrew lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) following cortical injections of horseradish peroxidase. Results show that at birth (PO) when the LGN is still unlaminated: (1) the mature proportion of relay cells and interneurons already exists, (2) relay cells present are larger than interneurons, and (3) relay cells are topographically connected with the cortex. Aside from changes in absolute LGN soma size, the primary postnatal change noted (from P0 to P7) was an apparent decline in the relative width of the labeled LGN projection column, suggesting a refinement in topography.
Trials and Tribulations of the UK National Grid Service

The UK national grid service (NGS) is responsible for standardised access to data and compute resources across UK academia regardless of research area. The NGS has been in production for four years and is currently in its second iteration with planning for NGS III currently at an advanced stage. This paper examines the organisational structure of the NGS which has a distributed structure across four core sites as well as partner and affiliate sites. Management structures including details of the responsibilities of the five main NGS management boards are discussed as well as the benefits and disadvantages of the current structure. Due to the distributed nature of the NGS, challenges in managing are apparent and need to be tackled. Several of these challenges are described and the actions taken by NGS management to address these are detailed.
Influence of Calcium on Dopamine Synthesis and Tyrosine Hydroxylase Activity in Rat Striatum

Abstract: We have investigated three aspects of the relationship between calcium and tyrosine hydroxylase activity in rat striatum. In the first series of experiments, we examined the hypothesis that the rise in dopamine synthesis during increased impulse flow results from a calcium-induced activation of tyrosine hydroxylase. Calcium (12.5–200 μM) had no effect when added to crude enzyme or enzyme partially purified by gel filtration. Moreover, incubation of synaptosomes with excess calcium (up to 3.5 mM) had little or no effect on dopamine synthesis. Incubation with the depolarizing alkaloid veratridine (75 μM) did increase dopamine synthesis, but did not alter the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase subsequently prepared from the synaptosomes, despite the presumed rise in intracellular calcium. In the second series we examined the hypothesis that increased dopamine synthesis after axotomy results from activation of tyrosine hydroxylase owing to a decrease in intracellular calcium. Addition of the calcium chelator EGTA (100 μM) to crude or partially purified enzyme was without effect, whereas incubation of synaptosomes with EGTA (500 μM) decreased cell-free enzyme activity. In the third experimental series we examined the relationship between calcium and activation of tyrosine hydroxylase by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. EGTA failed to alter the increase in the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase prepared from synaptosomes incubated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. However, it blocked the increase in synaptosomal dopamine synthesis and dopamine content normally produced by the cyclic AMP analogue. Thus, tyrosine hydroxylase does not appear to be activated by either increases or decreases in calcium availability. However, calcium may be important for the maintenance of basal tyrosine hydroxylase activity, and may play an indirect role in the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase activation produced by other means.