cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vibrations of cantilever beams with various initial conditions

Abstract The motion of a cantilever beam is studied after it has been deflected into an initial shape and released from rest. This is determined by superimposing the displacements of the free vibration modes. While the analytical procedure used may be found in many textbooks, numerical results and a physical understanding of the vibratory motion are seriously lacking. Four examples are taken from which the initial deflection resembles, but is different from, the fundamental mode shape of free vibration. For two of the examples, plots of the resulting, aperiodic motions are made for various points taken along the beam. Displaced shapes of the beam at subsequent times are also shown. Another example begins with an initial shape resembling the second mode. From the plotted results the question of “What is a vibration?” arises, and is discussed.
AN EXAMPLE OF HOW PHOTOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES CAN INFLUENCE THE MAGNITUDE OF SOLVENT ISOTOPE EFFECTS UPON PHOTO-OXIDATION REACTIONS

Substantial isotope effects have been observed for the dye sensitised photo-oxidation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-pyrazoline in both polar and non polar solvents, implicating singlet oxygen as a reactive intermediate. By way of contrast, a solvent isotope effect upon the direct photo-oxidation of the pyrazoline was only observed when a protic solvent (methanol) was used. It was found that the photophysical properties (e.g. quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes) of pyrazolines are sensitive to the isotopic composition of protic solvents but not aprotic solvents. The solvent isotope effect observed for the direct photo-oxidation reaction in methanol may not therefore be a true indication of the participation of singlet oxygen. Since this reaction may not be singlet oxygen mediated, an alternative mechanism is proposed.
Synthesis and characterization of highly porous borazine-linked polymers and their performance in hydrogen storage application

A new class of highly porous borazine-linked polymers (BLPs) has been synthesized utilizing arylamines and boron trihalides. BLPs exhibit Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas in the range of 503 to 1364 m2 g−1 and store up to 1.3 wt% of hydrogen with 7.1 kJ mol−1 isosteric heat of adsorption.
Label-retaining cells in the adult murine salivary glands possess characteristics of adult progenitor cells.

Radiotherapy is the primary treatment for patients with head and neck cancer, which account for roughly 500,000 annual cases worldwide. Dysfunction of the salivary glands and associated conditions like xerostomia and dysphagia are often developed by these patients, greatly diminishing their life quality. Current preventative and palliative care fail to deliver an improvement in the quality of life, thus accentuating the need for regenerative therapies. In this study, a model of label retaining cells (LRCs) in murine salivary glands was developed, in which LRCs demonstrated proliferative potential and possessed markers of putative salivary progenitors. Mice were labeled with 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) at postnatal day 10 and chased for 8 weeks. Tissue sections from salivary glands obtained at the end of chase demonstrated co-localization between LRCs and the salivary progenitor markers keratin 5 and keratin 14, as well as kit mRNA, indicating that LRCs encompass a heterogeneous population of salivary progenitors. Proliferative potential of LRCs was demonstrated by a sphere assay, in which LRCs were found in primary and secondary spheres and they co-localized with the proliferation marker Ki67 throughout sphere formation. Surprisingly, LRCs were shown to be radio-resistant and evade apoptosis following radiation treatment. The clinical significance of these findings lie in the potential of this model to study the mechanisms that prevent salivary progenitors from maintaining homeostasis upon exposure to radiation, which will in turn facilitate the development of regenerative therapies for salivary gland dysfunction.
Scaled Memory Description of Hysteretic Material Behavior

Herein the concept of scaled memory (SM) is proposed to describe hysteretic material behaviors. SM scales the nonlinear variation of tangential modulus during monotonic loadings into a piecewise linear distribution, which can easily be modified to simulate specific characteristics of material behavior during cyclic loadings. As an example, SM is applied to eliminate artificial ratchetting in bounding surface plasticity, and to produce closed stress-strain loops during cyclic loadings, without introducing a single material constant. SM is generalized to six dimensions in the particular case of pressure-independent materials, and is applied to simulate the hysteretic responses of metals.
The relationship between sexual abuse and purging: findings from community-wide surveys of female adolescents☆

Abstract Objective: The first objective of this study was to examine the relationship between sexual abuse and a bulimic behavior, namely purging, with a large sample of female adolescents. If sexual abuse was found to be significantly related to bulimia, then the second objective was to determine if the relationship between abuse and purging remained significant when other factors were controlled. Method: Two different analyses were conducted to address the questions outlined above—a contingency table chi-square test and a logistic regression analysis. A sample of 7,903 female adolescents was drawn from a large Midwestern state. Results: The results of the bivariate analysis provide evidence that a relationship exists between sexual abuse and purging. However, the relationships between sexual abuse and purging did not remain significant when several other factors, including physical abuse, were included in the analysis. Several individual (a history of physical abuse and religiosity), familial (i.e., family support and parent-adolescent communication), and extra-familial (i.e., other adult support) factors were significantly related to purging. Conclusions: The data did not find a significant relationship between sexual abuse and purging when individual, familial, and extra-familial variables were included in the logistic regression. Unlike most earlier studies that focused on clinical samples, this study drew from a larger, more representative sample of female adolescents. The identification of significant predictors of purging at the individual, familial, and extra-familial levels suggests the importance of examining multiple levels of the teen’s ecology for factors that may influence this behavior. Spanish abstract not available at time of publication.
Effect of insulin on radiochromium distribution in diabetic rats.

Chromium deficiency may result in impaired glucose tolerance. However, the converse effect of diabetes mellitus on the plasma and tissue distribution of chromium has not been clearly established. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of experimentally induced diabetes mellitus and insulin administration on the serum and tissue distribution of radioactive chromium (51Cr) in the rat, utilizing tracer doses of 51Cr administered iv to control and diabetic rats and diabetic rats treated with insulin. A significant decrease in whole body retention of 51Cr was observed in diabetic rats, which was partially restored toward normal by insulin administration. Serum and tissue 61Cr levels were increased 30–60% and bone 51Cr was decreased 15% in rats diabetic for 31 days. Insulin administration restored the serum 51Cr level to normal and partially corrected 51 Cr distribution in certain tissues. Ratios of tissue to serum 51Cr con entration were significantly decreased 17–47% in all tissues of diabet...
Diffusion into Use of Exenatide for Glucose Control in Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study of a New Therapy

Abstract Background: Exenatide was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2005 as adjunctive therapy to metformin or a sulfonylurea for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Objective: We evaluated whether use of exenatide soon after its approval was consistent with the FDA- approved indications. Methods: We assembled a retrospective cohort of patients with DM using data from a population of employed persons and their dependents, including pharmacy claims and claims for inpatient and outpatient services, provided by i3 Innovus. The data set included patients aged between 18 and 64 years with a diagnosis of DM or a claim for a DM drug from June 1, 2004, to December 31, 2005. Laboratory data were available for a subgroup of patients tested at specific commercial laboratories from June 1, 2003, to December 31, 2005. In addition, we requested data for patients with a diagnosis of obesity, regardless of a diagnosis of DM, to assess early off-label use of this medication. Patients were categorized by DM medication use and by their first fill date for exenatide, and their clinical characteristics were described. Early use was defined as filling a prescription for exenatide in the first 3 months after its approval. For descriptive purposes, we reported the means and percentages for the variables described. Results: The study included data for 206,345 individuals (mean age, 51.3 years), of whom 54.0% were male. Starting in June 2005, prescriptions for exenatide were filled by 3225 (1.6%) individuals. Fifty-three percent of early users were women. Among those who filled a prescription for exenatide, 21.9% were obese, compared with 10.9% to 15.1% of those filling prescriptions for other DM medications. The proportion of patients filling a prescription for exenatide who had not received a prescription for any other DM medication in the preceding year was 14%, suggesting that exenatide was their initial therapy. A prescription for a thiazolidinedione was filled by 29.9% of patients within 60 days of filling a prescription for exenatide. Conclusions: Soon after its approval, exenatide was frequently used as monotherapy or in combination with a thiazolidinedione, neither of which is an FDA- approved indication. The observation that those filling a prescription for exenatide had a higher prevalence of obesity than those receiving prescriptions for other therapies may reflect awareness of the weight-lowering effects of exenatide. ( Clin Ther . 2007;29:1784-1794) Copyright © 2007 Excerpta Medica, Inc.
Passivation Material and Thickness Effects on the MTTF of Al-Si Metallization

Different passivation materials, namely undoped oxides (plasma and non-plasma deposited), P-doped oxide (PSG), oxynitride and their sandwiches were used to passivate the Al-Si test structures. MEF data (correlated to MTTF) were obtained from the wafer level test method called BEM (Breakdown Energy of Metal) which is presented separately in this conference by Hong and Crook [10]. The test results show: 1. The MEF of Al-Si is nearly proportional to the passivation thickness. 2. The effect of the different passivation materials was not as dominant as their thickness effect. 3. Post Aluminum heat cycles of the passivated test devices did not show improvement or deterioration of the MTTF. Conventional electromigration tests were conducted on Al-Si with different passivation thickness and the results agree with the BEM data.
Texture processing of extruded YBa2Cu3O6+x wires by zone melting

Abstract Zone melting has been used to produce texture in extruded YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+ x wires. By controlling the directional solidification of the molten zone, oriented structures are produced that show a large magnetic hysteresis at 77 K compared to unaligned extruded YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+ x wires. A magnetization critical current density of 1.8 × 10 4 A/cm 2 in an applied field of 20 kOe has been achieved.
A Higher Pragmatism: Assessment in the College Curriculum

We assess our world as we live in it. Our abilities to pass thoughtful judgments, to draw reasonable conclusions, to establish a sense of what is worthwhile, and to understand what needs to be changed (and what needs to be conserved) are, in essence, assessment abilities. To assess the world is to think actively about it, to consciously obtain and interpret information about it in a manner that leads to some value determination.
Recursive matrix inversion for application to system identification

A unified approach to the derivation of relationships for recursive inversion of several important types of matrices is presented, using a general recursive algorithm based on partitioning. Algorithms for symmetric and symmetric Toeplitz matrices are developed using a common "s-formulation" method which show the underlying relationship between methods. Toeplitz matrices are frequently encountered in time series modeling, and the new method for the recursive inversion of these matrices provides considerable savings in computer time and storage.
Pre-transplant mechanical ventilation and outcome in patients with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background: Mechanical ventilation for ventilatory failure has been considered a relative contraindication to subsequent lung transplantation. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are intubated and mechanically ventilated before transplantation have poorer post-transplant outcomes than do patients who are not ventilated. Methods: We compared the outcomes of 8 patients with CF who underwent mechanical ventilation for 62 ±20 days (range, 3–153 days) before bilateral lung transplantation with outcomes of 24 patients with CF who did not undergo pre-transplant mechanical ventilation. Results: Although time to extubation after transplantation was prolonged significantly (11 vs 4 days) for the pre-transplant ventilated group, days to hospital discharge, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (percent predicted) at 1 year after transplantation, and post-transplant survival as determined using the Kaplan-Meier method did not differ statistically between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Patients with CF who undergo pre-transplant endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure have outcomes that do not differ significantly from those of patients with CF who do not require invasive ventilatory support before bilateral lung transplantation.
Ethanol dependence has limited effects on GABA or glutamate transporters in rat brain.

Background: Neuroadaptations of GABAergic and glutamatergic systems appear to play an important role in both the acute as well as chronic effects of ethanol. Chronic ethanol intake leads to the development of ethanol tolerance and dependence that is associated with a decrease in GABAergic and an increase in glutamatergic function. The present report assessed the involvement of GABA and glutamate transporters in the chronic ethanol-induced adaptations of these two neuronal systems. Methods: Male and female rats were made ethanol dependent by 2-week administration of ethanol in a liquid diet. Levels of GABA (GAT-1, GAT-3) and glutamate (GLT-1, EAAC-1) transporters were assayed by immunoblotting. Transporter function was assessed by [3H]GABA and [3H]glutamate uptake assays. Results: Ethanol dependence did not alter levels of GABA or glutamate transporters in cerebral cortex compared with pair-fed control values. There were increases in some, but not all, transporter levels in hippocampus and hypothalamus with the development of ethanol dependence. A decreased rate of uptake was observed for GABA in cerebral cortex. There was no change in maximal GABA uptake or in glutamate uptake (Vmax). Conclusions: These results suggest that alterations in GABA and glutamate transporters have only a limited role in neuroadaptations to chronic ethanol intake in rats. However, the observed alterations were region-specific, supporting the complex responses to chronic ethanol exposure and suggesting that neuroadaptations of GABAergic and glutamatergic systems vary across the brain.
Nutrient canals of the ilium: A normal variant simulating disease on computed tomography

The nutrient canals of the ilium are a frequent finding on computed tomography (CT), and were seen in 8 of 8 consecutive examinations of the pelvis. CT sections through these canals could be misinterpreted as fractures or metastases, especially if there is a history of pelvic trauma or malignancy elsewhere.
Pluto's moons named

In the end, it did not matter that the name Vulcan came in first place by a landslide in a nonbinding public vote to suggest names for the fourth and fifth known moons of Pluto. Despite the independent vote conducted by the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., on behalf of the team that discovered the moons, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) did not select the name for a Plutonian moon. The decision came much to the dismay of actor William Shatner (who played Captain Kirk in Star Trek). Shatner had pushed for the name Vulcan to honor the home planet of Star Trek character Dr. Spock.
Micellar solubilization of cholesterol and of mixtures of cholesterol with cholesteryl esters of C18 fatty acids by a nonionic surfactant

Abstract Cholesterol and its binary mixtures with cholesteryl esters of four C 18 fatty acids having from zero to three ethylenic double bonds were solubilized by aqueous micellar solutions of the nonionic surfactant, nonoxynol 10, between 27 and 51°C. The equilibrium form of cholesterol under those conditions is the monohydrate. Its solubilization limit increased linearly with temperature and nearly tripled between 27 and 51°C. In binary mixtures of cholesterol monohydrate and an ester, the esters did not reduce the solubilization limit of cholesterol monohydrate, unless the surfactant solution was saturated first with the ester. Solubilization ratios (solubility of ester in the presence of cholesterol monohydrate to solubility of ester solubilized by itself) were independent of unsaturation but decreased with increasing temperature, from 0.7 at 27°C to 0.5 at 37°C and to 0.35 at 44°C. Higher unsaturation and higher temperatures resulted in increases in the combined amounts of lipids solubilized from binary mixtures of cholesterol monohydrate and an ester. Nonionic micelles bear some similarity to lipoproteins, which transport cholesterol and its esters in blood. If the solubilizing capacity of lipoproteins for these lipids is a factor in the formation and/or removal of lipid atherosclerotic deposits, our observations may offer an explanation for the fact that foodstuffs high in polyunsaturated fatty acids cause less atherosclerosis than those containing monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids.
Role of type I IFNs in the in vitro attenuation of live, temperature-sensitive vaccine strains of human respiratory syncytial virus.

Abstract The contributions of type I interferons (IFNs) to the in vitro attenuation of three temperature-sensitive (Ts) subgroup A and one subgroup B deletion mutant RSV strains were evaluated. The ability of these vaccine viruses to induce IFNs at their permissive and restrictive temperatures and their sensitivity to the antiviral effects of exogenous I IFNs were tested in human lung epithelial A549 cells. Our results show that the highly attenuated and immunogenic subgroup A vaccine strain Ts1C produced higher levels of IFN-β than its parent RSS-2 or two related strains, Ts1A and Ts1B, at their permissive temperature. Growth of RSV-infected A549 cultures at restrictive temperatures or prior UV inactivation of the virus abolished the observed induction of IFN-β, suggesting a strict requirement of viral replication for cellular IFN induction. The enhanced induction of IFN-β by the highly immunogenic Ts1C at permissive temperature may be an advantageous characteristic of a live intranasal vaccine candidate. The subgroup B strain RSV B1 and its mutant cp-52 (with SH and G gene deletions) both induced similar but low levels of IFN-β. Hence the observed overattenuation of cp-52 in human infants is probably not due to enhanced IFN induction during its replication in the host. The ability of cp-52 , which does not express the SH and G proteins, to induce IFN-β levels similar to those of its parent strain suggests that these viral proteins may not have a role in the induction of IFN-β in the host. In addition, both subgroup A and B mutants and their respective parent strains were similarly resistant to the antiviral effects of exogenous IFN-α or -β. Therefore, increased sensitivity of the mutants to IFNs does not seem to contribute to their attenuation.
The relationship of arterial compliance with endothelial-derived proteins of the hemostatic system.

Abstract Cardiovascular risk factors associated with hypertension include alterations in arterial compliance and an increased tendency to thrombosis. In this study we examined the relationship between arterial compliance and endothelial derived components of the hemostatic system: von Willebrand factor (vWF) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Ten males (4 normal and 6 untreated hypertensives, 41 ± 12 years) were studied. Compliance of proximal (large vessel) and distal (small vessel) arteries was measured by intraarterial pulse wave analysis; left ventricular wall thickness by echocardiography; and vWF and t-PA by immunoassay of plasma obtained before and immediately after maximum treadmill exercise. Baseline t-PA and vWF correlated inversely with distal compliance (r=−0.74, p =0.01; r=−0.56, p=0.09). Exercise strengthened the relationship between vWF and both distal compliance (r=−0.56to r=−0.86) and proximal compliance (r=−0.44 to r=−0.70). Moreover, post-exercise levels of vWF and t-PA were each significantly related to left ventricular posterior wall and septal thickness. Of note, these protein concentrations correlated more strongly with arterial compliance and left ventricular wall thickness than with blood pressure. Thus, arterial compliance and left ventricular wall thickness appear to be more powerful than blood pressure as predictors of the endothelial release of vWF and t-PA in response to exercise. These findings indicate that some of the key cardiac and arterial characteristics of hypertension might be linked to increased endothelial reactivity to hemodynamic stress.
Stimulation of the hypothamus initiates the urethrogenital reflex in male rats

Abstract The urethrogenital (UG) reflex is a spinal sexual reflex which is tonically inhibited in the intact male rat by neurons in the nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGi). The medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (MPOA) is involved in the actication of male sexual behavior. The present study examines the effect of hypothalamic stimulation on the UG reflex in the intact male rat. Areas of the hypothalamus were stimulated bilaterally with either electrical stimulation or D,L -homocysteic acid (DLH) and the presence of the UG reflex examined. Stimulation of discrete areas of the hypothalamus evoked the UG reflex. The UG reflex could be initiated in the absence of genital stimulation. Microinjections of DLH into the MPOA also initiate the UG reflex. These data suggest that stimulation of neurons in the MPOA overcome the inhibition by the nPGi and facilitate spinal genital reflexes leading to ejaculation.
Protease inhibitors and decreased birth weight in HIV-infected pregnant women with impaired glucose tolerance.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy, including a protease inhibitor (HAART/PI), on maternal glucose tolerance and fetal growth. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review of pregnancy outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus–infected pregnant women receiving HAART/PI (n=41) or zidovudine monotherapy (n=23). RESULTS: Abnormal 1-hour glucose tolerance tests (1hGTT) were observed in 30% of subjects receiving HAART/PI between 24 and 28 weeks' gestation. An elevated 1hGTT was associated with a significantly lower mean birth weight in subjects receiving HAART/PI compared to babies born to mothers with a normal 1hGTT (3.40±0.09 vs 3.00±0.18 kg, p<0.05, ANOVA). CONCLUSION: HAART/PI therapy is associated with an increased rate of impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy and impaired fetal growth. This finding merits further investigation.
Small arms mortality: access to firearms and lethal violence

There is an intuitive appeal to the notion that the more lethal the weaponry the more lethal the violence. We explore one aspect of lethal weaponry, firearm accessibility. Using nation-level (N = 168) data from the Small Arms Survey and the World Health Organization's measures of mortality we examine whether rates of small arm ownership have a positive effect on rates of homicide and suicide. Contrary to the opportunity model, the accessibility of firearms does not produce more homicide or suicide when other known factors are controlled for. Consistent with past research, structural factors, like deprivation, explain a large portion of the cross-national variation in homicide and suicide, with some interesting differences between the two models. We discuss explanations for our findings and suggest that firearm accessibility may make some structural positions more lethal.
Probabilistic causality reexamined

According to Nancy Cartwright, a causal law holds just when a certain probabilistic condition obtains in all “test situations” which in turn satisfy a set of background conditions. These background conditions are shown to be inconsistent and, on separate account, logically incoherent. I offer a corrective reformulation which also incorporates a strategy for problems like Hesslow's thrombosis case. I also show that Cartwright's recent argument for modifying the condition to appeal to singular causes fails.
Staphylococcus aureus Growth and Toxin Production in Imitation Cheeses

The ability of eleven imitation (or substitute) cheeses to support the growth and toxin production of Staphylococcus aureus at 26°C was evaluated. All established enterotoxin serotypes were tested by inoculating suspensions of the requisite strains into 100-g samples of cheese (about 30 staphylococci/g). Water activity (aw) of the cheese samples ranged from 0.942–0.973; pH values ranged from 5.33–6.14. Seven cheeses supported extensive growth of S. aureus; one or more serotypes of enterotoxin were produced in six cheeses. Enterotoxin in the cheese was detected in 4 days at 3 × 106 staphylococci/g. However, the ability of some cheeses to support growth and toxin production of S. aureus could not be correlated with pH, aw, or product formulation.
Nanorod decorated nanowires as highly efficient SERS-active hybrids

In order to propel surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensing into the real world, novel SERS-active nanostructure designs that enable facile, scalable, cost-effective, highly efficient and homogenous SERS substrates are paramount. We demonstrate the facile fabrication of highly efficient SERS-active 3D nanohybrids based on vertically aligned zinc oxide nanowires uniformly decorated with gold nanorods. The dramatic enhancement of the surface area (nearly 20 times) and hence the number of plasmonic nanostructures within the incident laser foot print results in more than three orders of magnitude increase in SERS intensity compared to planar SERS substrates. The SERS enhancement factor was found to be ∼3 × 107 with a detection limit of sub-pM for a non-resonant analyte. Apart from excellent sensitivity, the nanohybrids also exhibited excellent lateral and vertical homogeneity in SERS activity. We believe that under optimal conditions these nanohybrids can surpass the best 2D substrate designs in SERS enhancement and homogeneity.
Biochemical Function of msl5 (pks8 plus pks17) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv: Biosynthesis of Monomethyl Branched Unsaturated Fatty Acids

We show that the disruption of one of the mycocerosic acid synthase (mas)-like genes, msl5 (pks8 plus pks17) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv generates a mutant incapable of producing monomethyl branched unsaturated C16 to C20 fatty acids that are minor constituents of acyltrehaloses and sulfolipids. The msl5 mutation did not cause any significant change in the acyl lipid composition and also did not affect growth in culture, in mouse alveolar macrophage cell line MH-S, or in the murine lung.
Lymphatic mapping and epitrochlear lymph node dissection for melanoma

EPITROCHLEAR LYMPH NODE METASTASES occur infrequently in patients with upper extremity melanomas; therefore most surgeons are unfamiliar with the technical details of an epitrochlear lymph node dissection. The recent increase in use of sentinel lymph node mapping may result in identification of more patients with occult epitrochlear lymph node metastases. This brief clinical report describes the management of a patient in whom epitrochlear lymph node metastases were identified by means of sentinel lymph node mapping, the surgical anatomy of the epitrochlear lymph node basin, and the technique of epitrochlear lymphadenectomy.
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt: A Successful Treatment for Hepatopulmonary Syndrome

Hepatopulmonary syndrome is a well described complication of chronic liver disease. Though uncommon, it carries a high morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of the syndrome has not been clearly defined. Portal hypertension seems to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the syndrome, probably by enhancing nitric oxide production. As yet, no pharmacological therapy has been proven effective. Many reports of successful reversal of the syndrome after liver transplantation have been published. We report a patient with hepatopulmonary syndrome who showed a significant and durable (4 months') improvement in his symptoms, arterial oxygenation, and intrapulmonary shunts, as calculated by radionuclide studies after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt may represent a durable treatment option for patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome.
Functional and corticomotor changes in individuals with tetraplegia following unimanual or bimanual massed practice training with somatosensory stimulation: a pilot study.

Background and Purpose:In individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), damage to spinal pathways results in deficits of hand function; maladaptive cortical changes further impair function. Unimanual massed practice (MP) training with somatosensory stimulation (SS) has been shown to improve ha
Comparative biochemical studies of milks— II. Dialyzable carbohydrates

Abstract 1. 1. Dialyzable non-ionized milk sugars from forty-nine placental and three marsupial species have been investigated chromatographically. Conspicuous taxonomic differences in proportions of sugars occur. 2. 2. The most characteristic placental sugar with some exceptions in lactose followed in amount by a component that appears to be a trisaccharide and in turn by glucose, galactose and various oligosaccharides. 3. 3. In the marsupial milks, lactose, although present, is not the predominant milk sugar. Free glucose, galactose and oligosaccharides are present in the milk of each marsupial species. With one minor exception, the oligosaccharides of the marsupial milks yielded both glucose and galactose on hydrolysis. None of them appeared to be pentoses or yielded fucose or pentoses upon hydrolysis. 4. 4. The marsupial milks were tested for bifidus activity using Lactobacillus bifidus var. pennsylvanicus and found active. Some 40–70 per cent of the bifidus activitiy occurred in small molecular weight (i.e. dialyzable) milk constituents. Bifidus activity decreased markedly with the stage of lactation.
Visually guided ranging from observations of points, lines and curves via an identifier based nonlinear observer

Abstract In this paper we consider the problem of estimating the range information of features on an affine plane in R 3 by observing its image with the aid of a CCD camera, wherein we assume that the camera is undergoing a known motion. The features considered are points, lines and planar curves located on planar surfaces of static objects. The dynamics of the moving projections of the features on the image plane have been described as a suitable differential equation on an appropriate feature space. This dynamics is used to estimate feature parameters from which the range information is readily available. In this paper the proposed identification has been carried out via a newly introduced identifier based observer. Performance of the observer has been studied via simulation.
Design considerations for switched reluctance machines with higher number of rotor poles for solar-assisted plug-in electric auto rickshaw

Switched reluctance motor (SRM) technology is a potential candidate for the propulsion systems of hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs and PHEVs). They are robust in harsh operational conditions and have a wide constant power speed range. Conventional SRM configurations have a higher number of stator poles than rotor poles. This paper presents the advantages of a novel SRM configuration with the number of rotor poles greater than number of stator poles. It also investigates different design challenges toward the traction applications in a solar-assisted plug-in electric auto rickshaw. The proposed SRM configuration is based on a pole design (PD) formula. Geometrical design equations and related challenges are introduced and their applicability has been verified on a 3-phase, 6/10 SRM using finite element analysis simulations.
Self-diffusion measurements with chemical shift resolution in inhomogeneous magnetic fields

Abstract A methodology for chemical shift resolved molecular self-diffusion measurements in time-independent static and radiofrequency field gradients is demonstrated. Diffusion encoding is provided by a stimulated echo sequence with additional z -storage that allows for a change of diffusion time without affecting the relaxation weighting. The signal is acquired stroboscopically between the pulses of a train of adiabatic double passages that induces a z -rotation counteracting the phase spread resulting from precession in the inhomogeneous static field, as demonstrated in recent approaches to the goal of high-resolution “ex situ” NMR. Simulations of the pulse sequence show that the acquired signal results from the desired coherence pathway. Successful demonstrations of the experiment were performed on a mixture of water and isopropanol.
Functional development in the mauthner cell system of embryos and larvae of the zebra fish

In the embryonic zebra fish as early as 40 hr after fertilization, the Mauthner cells (M-cells) initiate an escape response, elicited by tactile-vibrational stimulation. The initial part of this behavior is similar to the acoustic startle reflex seen during the larval stage which begins at 96 hr. The embryonic response is directional and is followed by a series of strong tail flexures which are more pronounced than those during swimming. In the embryo the M-cell fired at the beginning of the response and rarely fired again during subsequent contractions; in our experiments the M-cell did not mediate iterative movements of the tail. The M-cell system is probably involved in evoked hatching behavior, as the tactile response is sufficient to rupture the egg membrane and allow the animal to escape. The M-cell sometimes fired spontaneously, which suggests that it might function also in spontaneous hatching behavior which occurs in the absence of phasic stimulation. At 48 hr the M-cell has morphologically mature synapses on its soma and dendrites, but its cytoplasm is relatively undifferentiated; it has few oriented neurofilaments and no distinct axon hillock. During these stages the extracellular M-spike is longer in duration and smaller in amplitude than at later times when the cell is more mature morphologically. Our data suggest that long-term inhibitory control of the M-cell system begins to function at about the time of hatching. At this time the cell is morphologically mature and is richly supplied with synaptic endings over its soma and dendrites.
A simultaneous multichannel monophasic action potential electrode array for in vivo epicardial repolarization mapping

While the recording of extracellular monophasic action potentials (MAPs) from single epicardial or endocardial sites has been performed for over a century, the authors are unaware of any previous successful attempt to record MAPs simultaneously from a large number of sites in vivo. They report here the design and validation of an array of MAP electrodes which records both depolarization and repolarization simultaneously at up to 16 epicardial sites in a square array on the heart in vivo. The array consists of 16 sintered Ag-AgCl electrodes mounted in a common housing with individual suspensions allowing each electrode to exert a controlled pressure on the epicardial surface. The electrodes are arranged in a square array, with each quadrant of four having an additional recessed sintered Ag-AgCl reference electrode at its center. A saline-soaked sponge establishes ionic contact between the reference electrodes and the tissue. The array was tested on six anesthetized open-chested pigs. Simultaneous diagnostic-quality MAP recordings were obtained from up to 13 out of 16 ventricular sites. Ventricular MAPs had amplitudes of 10-40 mV with uniform morphologies and stable baselines for up to 30 min, MAP duration at 90% repolarization was measured and shown to vary as expected with cycle length during sustained pacing. The relationship between MAP duration and effective refractory period was also confirmed. The ability of the array to detect local differences in repolarization was tested in two ways. Placement of the array straddling the atrioventricular (AV) junction yielded simultaneous atrial or ventricular recordings at corresponding sites during 1:1 and 2:1 AV conduction. Localized ischemia via constriction of a coronary artery branch resulted in shortening of the repolarization phase at the ischemic, but not the nonischemic, sites. In conclusion, these results indicate that the simultaneous multichannel MAP electrode array is a viable method for in vivo epicardial repolarization mapping. The array has the potential to be expanded to increase the number of sites and spatial resolution.
Incremental focus of attention for robust visual tracking

We present the Incremental Focus of Attention (IFA) architecture for adding robustness to software-based, real-time, motion trackers. The framework provides a structure which, when given the entire camera image to search, efficiently focuses the attention of the system into a narrow set of possible slates that includes the target state. IFA offers a means for automatic tracking initialization and reinitialization when environmental conditions momentarily deteriorate and cause the system to lose track of its target. Systems based on the framework degrade gracefully as various assumptions about the environment are violated. In particular, multiple tracking algorithms are layered so that the failure of a single algorithm causes another algorithm of less precision to take over, thereby allowing the system to return approximate feature state information.
Subtypes of Social Withdrawal in Early Childhood: Sociometric Status and Social‐Cognitive Differences across Four Years

From a sample of 567 kindergartners observed during free play, 150 children were classified as socially withdrawn and followed over 4 years. A cluster analysis involving teacher ratings was used to identify subtypes of withdrawn children. Four clusters were identified, 3 fitting profiles found in the literature and labeled unsociable (n=96), passive-anxious (n=23), and active-isolate (n=19), and I typically not discussed, labeled sad/depressed (n=12). Sociometric ratings indicated that unsociable children had elevated rates of sociometric neglect, active-isolates had higher than expected levels of rejection, and sad/depressed children had elevated rates of both neglect and rejection. Subtypes also differed in social information-processing patterns, with active-isolate children displaying the least competent skills. The findings that some subtypes experience more difficulty than others might account for the ambiguity in extant studies regarding whether or not social withdrawal is a risk factor in psychosocial development, because withdrawal has most often been treated as a unitary construct in the past
Voltage-Gated Proton Channels and Other Proton Transfer Pathways

Proton channels exist in a wide variety of membrane proteins where they transport protons rapidly and efficiently. Usually the proton pathway is formed mainly by water molecules present in the protein, but its function is regulated by titratable groups on critical amino acid residues in the pathway. All proton channels conduct protons by a hydrogen-bonded chain mechanism in which the proton hops from one water or titratable group to the next. Voltage-gated proton channels represent a specific subset of proton channels that have voltage- and time-dependent gating like other ion channels. However, they differ from most ion channels in their extraordinarily high selectivity, tiny conductance, strong temperature and deuterium isotope effects on conductance and gating kinetics, and insensitivity to block by steric occlusion. Gating of H+ channels is regulated tightly by pH and voltage, ensuring that they open only when the electrochemical gradient is outward. Thus they function to extrude acid from cells. H+ch...
An efficient polar coordinate system Fourier transform algorithm

The problem of efficiently computing the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of data acquired in an r= theta polar coordinate system has received considerable attention over the last 30 years. The interest in the problem has come from several different fields, including antenna and RCS (radar cross section) measurements, radio astronomy, and medical imaging. The author presents an alternative algorithm that offers advantages in some circumstances, particularly when it is desirable to process a limited number of theta angles. This algorithm transforms data from samples evenly spaced in r at arbitrary theta angles to an evenly spaced Cartesian spectrum. In order to verify the validity of the zero-order hold interpolation scheme, a test was performed to see how well the inverse transformation could reproduce an original distribution. A full-resolution aperture was synthesized with a uniform illumination and transformed using the polar Fourier transform algorithm combined above, padding the 1D fast Fourier transforms to eight times the output dimensions. >
Enzymatic resolution of stereoisomers of 2-iodocyclohexanol

All four optically active stereoisomers of 2-iodocyclohexanol were synthesized. Their enantiomeric purity was determined upon derivatization with Mosher’s acid, absolute configuration have been established by chemical correlation.
Advocates of Change in Authoritarian Regimes: How Chinese Lawyers and Chinese and Russian Journalists Stay Out of Trouble

This paper explores advocates of political change in authoritarian regimes in a comparative perspective through case studies of Chinese lawyers, Chinese journalists, and Russian journalists. We are interested in understanding how these actors manage to advocate change while still largely staying out of trouble in regimes that are known not only for stringent controls on political participation, but for harsh retribution against those who oppose them. Rather than focusing on the extent of their success in advocating change, we are interested in the tactics these actors use to protect themselves and persevere in their work. We further ask whether, how and why these tactics differ across the two types of actors and the two authoritarian regimes. The key difference across the two regimes was the use of ‘cross-jurisdiction’ strategy by lawyers and journalists in China, but not the journalists in Russia. The reason for the use of this tactic by Chinese lawyers and journalists is that it allows them to bypass pressure from local authorities that have limited ability to retaliate against actors from other jurisdictions. Both Chinese lawyers and journalists, however, face some limitations in using this strategy, including more aggressive tactics by local authorities, and in the case of journalists, official restrictions on cross-regional supervision. Russian journalists do not seem to engage in ‘cross-jurisdiction’ reporting because of a more centralized state and the lack of administrative censorship. The main difference we found in the tactics of journalists and lawyers was the more widespread use of self-censorship among journalists. Whereas journalists often alter their writing or wait out the sensitive times for publishing critical reports, the nature of lawyers’ work does not allow for as much self-censorship. It is also important to note that the nature of self-censorship may differ between the Chinese and Russian journalists due to the nature of the pressures they face, with the former facing more administrative censorship, and the latter more informal pressures from the state and the private sector. Uniting all three of our actors is the embeddedness strategy, or the use various networks to stay out of trouble. For all three groups of actors, networks are an important way to get information, either about cases for lawyers, or sources for reports for journalists. In addition, all three actors use networks as protection mechanisms in case of retaliation by authorities or other groups.We conclude that advocates of change in different authoritarian regimes generally draw from similar repertoires of tactics, but that differences in tactics highlight the impact of different types of authoritarian governance.
A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of the effects of the 5-hydroxytriptamine(4) agonist cisapride on the female urinary bladder.

Abstract Objective: Anecdotal reports have proposed the use of the 5-hydroxytriptamine(4) agonist cisapride as a treatment for female voiding dysfunction on the basis of the known prokinetic actions of the medication. The purpose of our study is to assess the effects of this agent on the normal bladder in vivo. Study Design: In this randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial, patients were randomized to receive either 20 mg cisapride or an identical placebo. They then underwent urodynamic evaluation that included uroflowmetry, multichannel filling cystometry, pressure-flow studies, and a urethral pressure profile. After a washout period of at least 7 days, subjects were then crossed over to the other arm and the tests were repeated. Results: Twenty women without significant urinary incontinence agreed to participate. There was a decrease in the maximum cystometric capacity from 556 mL for placebo to 496 mL for cisapride ( P Conclusions: In healthy women, cisapride caused a significant decrease in the maximum cystometric capacity, which could account for the higher reported rates of urinary frequency and urgency with this medicine. There was no evidence that this prokinetic agent improved voiding function. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:62-4.)