cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amniotic Fluid Volume Estimation from 20 Weeks to 28 Weeks. Do You Measure Perpendicular to the Floor or Perpendicular to the Uterine Contour

Objective Two different techniques are described in the literature for measuring amniotic fluid pockets to estimate amniotic fluid volume. This study was undertaken to determine if ultrasound estimates using amniotic fluid index (AFI) and single deepest pocket (SDP) techniques should be measured perpendicular to floor vs perpendicular to uterine contour in pregnancies between 20 and 28 weeks. Study Design Amniotic fluid was measured using AFI and SDP techniques in low risk pregnant women undergoing an indicated ultrasound between 20 and 28 weeks of gestation. Measurements of both AFI and SDP were made holding the ultrasound transducer perpendicular to the floor and then perpendicular to the uterine contour. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the association between estimated amniotic fluid volumes determined by the transducer perpendicular to the floor versus transducer perpendicular to the uterine contour; intra-class correlation coefficient was used to test agreement of the two techniques. Results Measurements were collected on 160 women between 20 and 28 weeks. For pregnancies between 20 and 28 weeks, the level of correlation for AFI was 0.67 (95% CI 0.57-0.74) [moderate] and for SDP was 0.47 (95% CI: 0.34-0.58) [poor]. Conclusion In pregnancies between 20 and 28 weeks, the correlation of AFI values perpendicular to floor and perpendicular to the uterine contour remains moderate, either measurement can be used to estimate amniotic fluid volume. The correlation for SDP is poor and it remains uncertain which technique, perpendicular to floor or perpendicular to uterine contour, should be used for estimating amniotic fluid volume.
Inferring stable gene regulatory networks from steady-state data

Reconstructing gene regulatory networks from gene expression data has received tremendous attention in functional genomics following advancements in microarray technology. These networks provide the framework for medical diagnosis, drug design, disease treatment and biological research. Several approaches from simple clustering to highly complex hybrid techniques have been proposed in literature to understand the regulatory roles of genes and proteins. The nature of the data from microarray experiments however poses a huge informatics challenge for accurate network identification. In this paper, we present the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator vector autoregressive (Lasso-VAR) technique that incorporates stability constraints through Gersgorin's theorem for inferring stable, sparse and causal genetic networks from steady-state data.
Fire Resistance of Minerals and Rocks

Fire damage has frequently created problems with building stone and concrete. Urban fires have severely damaged stone, especially granites and quartz-sandstones, but also limestones, dolostones and marbles. Major conflagrations in many European cities during World War II have left behind numerous ruins as cases for detailed studies.
Regulation of hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450IIE1 level by dietary lipids and carbohydrates in rats

The present work tests the hypothesis that high fat/low carbohydrate diets elevate the level of liver microsomal cytochrome P450IIE1. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed liquid diets containing varied ratios of corn oil/carbohydrate for 4 d. Rats fed diets with higher fat/carbohydrate ratios produced higher serum acetone levels and higher hepatic microsomal P450IIE1 content and N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase activity than those fed diets with lower fat/carbohydrate ratios. This dietary fat/carbohydrate effect on P450IIE1 also was observed with modified semipurified AIN-76A diets. In addition, both the quantity and the extent of unsaturation of dietary lipids affected P450IIE1 regulation. At moderate fat levels (5 and 20% diet), rats fed corn oil and menhaden oil diets produced higher P450IIE1 activity than those fed lard and olive oil diets. Rats fed a diet containing 20% corn oil or an amount of linoleic acid equivalent to the 20% corn oil diet showed twofold to threefold increases in the level of P450IIE1 over those fed a fat-free diet. Rats fed a 25% corn oil diet showed twofold higher enflurane metabolism in vivo than those fed a 0.5% corn oil diet. The present results suggest that the constitutive P450 enzyme level is regulated by dietary fat/carbohydrate ratios.
Coinfection with Clostridium piliforme and Felid herpesvirus 1 in a kitten

A 1-month-old Domestic Shorthair kitten was submitted for autopsy, with a history of upper respiratory tract infection and diarrhea. This was the third kitten from the same litter that had died with similar clinical findings within a period of 1 month. Severe conjunctivitis, rhinitis, tracheitis, and bronchointerstitial pneumonia were present, together with lymphohistiocytic colitis. Respiratory lesions were caused by infection with Felid herpesvirus 1. Colonic lesions were associated with the presence of long filamentous bacteria, identified as Clostridium piliforme, in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Our report describes a case of concurrent C. piliforme infection (Tyzzer's disease) and feline rhinotracheitis in a kitten.
Effects of hypoxia, hypercapnia, and pH on ventilation rate in Nauphoeta cinerea

Abstract Injecting 50 μl of a phosphate-buffered Ringer's solution with adjusted oxygen pressure (PO 2 ), Carbon dioxide pressure (PCO 2 ) or hydrogen ion concentration (pH) stimulates ventilation in the cockroach, Nauphoeta cinerea . When the pH of the buffered Ringer's is held at 7.08, the observed pH of our cockroach haemolymph, neither a reduced PO 2 nor an elevated PCO 2 produced responses that could account for the observed changes in ventilation in insects during exercise or when exposed to elevated ambient CO 2 . Ventilation changes produced by altering the pH of the injected saline are comparable to those observed in active insects and in insects exposed to elevated ambient CO 2 . We show that the effect of an elevated ambient CO 2 on ventilation can be accounted for by changes in haemolymph pH.
Single Molecule Fluorescence Dynamics and On/Off Blinking of Photoactivatable Fluorescent Protein mEos2

Blinking, the natural switching of a fluorophore between fluorescent and dark states, has been well documented for commonly used fluorescent proteins such as GFP and YFP. However, blinking behaviors of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins popular in superresolution imaging have not been well characterized. Blinking fluorophores can be exploited to obtain subdiffraction-limited resolution, but counting a single fluorophore multiple times could lead to misidentification of structural features and difficulties in quantifying constituents of cellular structures. We describe the blinking behavior and related photophysical, photochemical properties of mEos2, the most widely used photoactivatable fluorescent protein in super resolution imaging. We analyze variations of single mEos2 molecules in fluorescence emission, lifetime, and blinking rates and their dependence on the power of activation and excitation energy. These results are interpreted and utilized in the context of obtaining superior superresolution images.
The method of upper and lower solutions and interval method for first order differential equations

Combining the method of upper and lower solutions and lower solutions and the interval method, existence of solutions of initial and periodic value problems of first order differential equations is considered.
Synthesis and characterization of three geometric isomers of rutheniumII(2,2′-bipyridyl)(salicylaldehyde)2

Abstract A new synthesis of RuII(bpy)(sal)2 (1) (bpy=2,2′-bipyridyl, sal=salicylaldehyde) has been developed and the separation and characterization of all three geometric isomers have been completed. The isomers are denoted 1a (phenolic oxygens trans), 1b, (aldehyde oxygens trans), and 1c (aldehyde oxygen trans to phenolic oxygen). All three isomers have been characterized by 1H NMR, high resolution FAB-MS, UV–Vis, and cyclic voltammetry. Additionally, 1a has been characterized by solid-state UV–Vis and a single-crystal X-ray structural study. The solid-state packing of the RuII(bpy)(sal)2 molecules in the structure of 1a displays intermolecular π–π interactions between bpy ligands of adjacent molecules. The bpy interactions form infinite π-stacks with alternating short stacking distances of 3.437 and 3.402 A.
The effects of turbulent eddies on the stability and critical swimming speed of creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus).

SUMMARY The effect of turbulent eddy diameter, vorticity and orientation on the 2 min critical swimming speed and stability of creek chub ( Semotilus atromaculatus ) is reported. Turbulent eddies were visualized and their properties were quantified using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Flow fields with an increasing range in eddy diameter were created by inserting cylinder arrays upstream from the swimming test section. Eddy vorticity increased with increasing velocity. Two orientations of eddies, eddies spinning about a vertical axis and eddies spinning about a horizontal (wall-to-wall) axis, were investigated. Stability challenges were not observed until the largest (95th percentile) eddy diameters reached 76% of the fish body total length. Under these conditions fish were observed to spin in an orientation consistent with the rotational axis of the large eddies and translate downstream. These losses in postural control were termed ‘spills’. Spills were 230% more frequent and lasted 24% longer in turbulent flow fields dominated by horizontal eddies than by vertical eddies of the same diameter. The onset of spills coincided with a 10% and 22% reduction in critical swimming speed in turbulent flows dominated by large vertical and horizontal eddies, respectively. These observations confirm predictions by Pavlov et al., Cada and Odeh, Lupandin, and Liao that the eddy diameter, vorticity and orientation play an important role in the swimming capacity of fishes.
Integrated Testing of the Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion Critical Sequence

The Cassini-Huygens Mission consists of a large interplanetary spacecraft that has traveled about 3.5 billion kilometers (2.2 billion miles) during the cruise phase of its mission to Saturn. It is an international cooperative effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) as well as several separate European academic and industrial contributors. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) manages the U.S. portion of the mission for NASA. The primary objectives of the mission include the ongoing survey the complex Saturnian system and the successful release and relay of data from the ESA-Huygens probe at Titan. The success of the Cassini Mission has been largely due its many simulation test beds and its rigorous test program. The Integrated Test Laboratory (ITL) at the JPL is an integral part of the Cassini Program. It provides hardware in the loop simulation for both the Attitude Articulation and Control Subsystem (AACS) and the Command Data Subsystem (CDS). This paper describes the methodology used to verify and validate the Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) Critical Sequence in the Cassini ITL. It details the global metric approach of using deterministic maneuver execution error to quantify the success of SOI critical sequence tests.
Measuring the new superconductors

Faster, more straightforward methods are needed for testing the new high-temperature copper-oxide superconductors. A non-contact eddy-current characterization instrument particularly suitable for screening large numbers of samples will soon be on the market.
Stratospheric Aerosol Sampling: Effect of a Blunt-Body Housing on Inlet Sampling Characteristics

During a campaign to study ozone loss mechanisms in the Arctic stratosphere (SOLVE), several instruments on NASA's ER-2 aircraft observed a very low number density (0.1 I^(−1)) of large, nitric-acid-containing particles that form the polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). For effective physical and chemical characterization of these particles, the measurements from these instruments have to be intercompared and integrated. In particular, proper interpretation requires knowledge of the sampling characteristics of the particles into the instruments. Here, we present the calculation of the sampling characteristics of the one of the instruments on the ER-2, the NOAA NOy instrument. This instrument sampled ambient particles and gas from two forward-facing inlets located fore and aft on a particle-separation housing (the football) and measured total NOy in the sample. In recent studies, ambient aerosol mass has been estimated by the difference of the measurements of the two inlets with the assumption that the rear inlet observations represent the gas-phase NOy and small particles and the front inlet samples represent gas-phase NOy and all particle sizes with varied efficiency (anisokinetic sampling). This knowledge was derived largely from semiempirical relations and potential flow studies of the housing. In our study, we used CFD simulations to model the compressible flow conditions and considered noncontinuum effects in calculating particle trajectories. Our simulations show that the blunt body housing the inlets has a strong and complex interaction with the flow and particles sampled by the two inlets. The simulations show that the front inlet characteristics are influenced by the effect of the blunt body on the upstream pressure field. The rear inlet sampling characteristics are influenced both by the shape and size of the inlet and its location on the blunt body. These interactions result in calculated inlet characteristics that are significantly different from previously assumed values. Analysis of the SOLVE data, considering the ambient conditions and the calculated inlet sampling characteristics, in conjunction with thermodynamic growth modeling of super-cooled ternary solution (STS) particles, provides validation of the CFD results.
A micromechanistic-based approach to fatigue life modeling of titanium-matrix composites

Fatigue life modeling of titanium-based metal-matrix composites (MMCs) was accomplished by combining a unified viscoplastic theory, a non-linear micromechanics analysis and a damage accumulation model. The micromechanics analysis employed the Bodner-Partom unified viscoplastic theory with directional hardening. This analysis was then combined with a life-fraction fatigue model to account for the time-dependent component of fatigue damage. The life-fraction fatigue model involved the linear summation of damage from the fiber and matrix constituents of the composite. A single set of empirical constants for the life-fraction fatigue model were established for each of two titanium MMCs reinforced with silicon carbide fibers: SCS-6/Ti-15-3 and SCS-6/ TIMETAL®21s. The predicted fatigue lives were within one order of magnitude of the experimental data for different loading conditions: isothermal fatigue, and both in-phase and out-of-phase thermomechanical fatigue. MMCs modeled included cross-ply, quasi-isotropic and unidirectional SCS-6/TIMETAL®21s, and cross-ply and quasi-isotropic SCS-6/Ti-15-3 laminates.
Super-Resolution Imaging of GFP Expressing Cells using Dye Labeled GFP Aptamers

Aptamers are small RNA oligos that can tightly bind to specific molecular targets they were selected against. RNA aptamers can have high binding affinities, be of a relatively small size, and are easy and inexpensive to produce in the laboratory, making them an interesting and potentially very powerful substitute for conventional antibody labeling. Furthermore, they can be designed and assembled in a modular way making it possible to, for example, increase brightness by adding multiple fluorophores, or create libraries for flexible multi-color imaging or be used for bar-coding applications. As there are currently a multitude of available cell lines with GFP tagged proteins of interest, we have initially focused on a GFP-binding aptamer (AP3) that tightly binds GFP (∼4nM Kd) and used it as a strategy to target any GFP-labeled protein for super-resolution imaging. To carry out STORM imaging in GFP expressing cells, we covalently labeled our GFP aptamer with Alexa-647. The dye labeled aptamer enables us to do super-resolution imaging on any cell line that has GFP-tagged proteins of interest. We validated this new method by STORM imaging on cells expressing GFP tagged membrane proteins.
Benzoyl peroxide reactions in an acne study group.

Benzoyl peroxide patch testing was performed on 60 young adults who had participated in a double-blind acne study. 25% of those who had used a benzoyl peroxide product showed reactivity of +1 or greater (on a 0–3 scale). None of these individuals demonstrated symptoms suggestive of irradiancy or allergy greater than those who did not have positive patch tests and who were on the same treatment program. The positive patch tests did not correlate with acne treatment responses. 2 of 44 individuals in the acne study group developed clinical allergy and had dramatically positive patch tests, while the majority of individuals with positive patch tests could use products containing benzoyl peroxide daily without significant adverse effects.
Expression of epidermal growth factor family gene members in early mouse development.

Transcription of four members of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, EGF, TGF-α, Amphiregulin, and Cripto, was investigated in the ovulated unfertilized egg and preimplantation embryo using cDNA libraries. EGF was present as a maternal message only, TGF-α was present at low levels in each library, Amphiregulin was not detected, and Cripto transcripts were first detected in the blastocyst cDNA library. In situ hybridization studies of the implanting embryo revealed Cripto expression localized to the entire ectoderm and then to the rapidly growing ectoplacental cone. At gastrulation, Cripto was detected in the primitive streak and developing mesoderm. During organogenesis, Cripto localized to the developing heart. Two Cripto transcripts were detected: one is confined to the early embryo and teratocarcinoma cells, and the other, first found in the fetus, is the major form detected in adult organs. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The guanosine binding site of the Tetrahymena ribozyme

The self-splicing Group I introns have a highly specific binding site for the substrate guanosine. Mutant versions of the Tetrahymena ribozyme have been used in combination with guanosine analogues to identify the nucleotide in the ribozyme that is primarily responsible for recognition of the guanine base.
X‐ray degradation of penton and its potential use as a dosimeter for the 4–15 keV range

Exposure of poly-3,3-(bischloromethyl)oxetane (Penton) to x-rays produces a linear reduction of the molecular weight, heat of fusion, and melting point with increasing absorbed dose. Optical density measurements fit a smooth curve with absorbed dose. Exposures were made with 25, 50, and 100 cal/cm2 integrated incident energy at 50 peak kV with and without zinc and titanium-aluminum filters. Because the molecular weight of Penton is relatively uniform from lot to lot, and because it is difficult to obtain spectral measurement in the 4–15 keV range to which Penton is particularly sensitive, it is believed that the data contained in this report can be used with an interative computer code to determine the spectrum and intensity of radiation in this region.
The Anomalous Infrared Amide I Intensity Distribution in 13C Isotopically Labeled Peptide β-Sheets Comes from Extended, Multiple-Stranded Structures. An ab Initio Study

Ab initio based calculations of force fields and atomic polar tensors are used to simulate amide I infrared absorption spectra for a series of isotopically substituted (Ac-A12-NH-CH3)n peptides clustered in an antiparallel β-sheet conformation having a varying number of strands, n = 2−5. The results demonstrate that the anomalous intensity previously reported for the isotopically shifted amide I in 13C labeled peptides is due to formation of multistranded β-sheet structures in this conformation. Computations show that the characteristic widely split amide I mode for β-sheet polypeptides as well as this anomalous intensity enhancement in isotopically substituted β-sheet peptides grows with increasing sheet size. For sheets of five strands, qualitative and near quantitative agreement with experimental amide I intensity patterns is obtained for both labeled and unlabeled peptides. The strongest transitions primarily represent in-phase coupled modes of the 13C labeled, next nearest neighbor amides on the inne...
Platelet adenylyl cyclase activity as a state or trait marker in alcohol dependence: results of the WHO/ISBRA Study on State and Trait Markers of Alcohol Use and Dependence.

Background There has been considerable interest in identifying biochemical markers indicative of a genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence (“trait markers”), as well as biochemical markers of recent alcohol drinking (“state markers”). Platelet adenylyl cyclase activity has been suggested as a trait and/or as a state marker related to alcohol dependence. We have now measured platelet adenylyl cyclase activity in more than 1400 well-characterized subjects, which allows us to investigate the influence of a broad range of factors on this activity. Methods Subjects were recruited as part of the WHO/ISBRA Study on State and Trait Markers of Alcohol Use and Dependence and were interviewed by using the WHO/ISBRA Interview Schedule. Adenylyl cyclase activity (basal, cesium fluoride [CsF]-, forskolin- and Gpp(NH)p-stimulated activities) was measured in platelet samples that were obtained at the time of interview. Data were analyzed by multivariate regression analyses. Results The multivariate analyses revealed that recent abstinence from alcohol was associated with diminutions in platelet adenylyl cyclase activities. A positive family history of alcohol dependence was associated with higher levels of adenylyl cyclase activities, and there was a significant interaction between the effect of alcohol consumption in the past month and family history of alcohol dependence; that is, the influence of alcohol consumption depended on whether the individual had a positive family history. A history of marijuana abuse also was associated with higher levels of platelet adenylyl cyclase activities, and a history of major depression was associated with lower levels of forskolin- and CsF-stimulated activities. Sex, race, and site of recruitment also affected some adenylyl cyclase activities, but there was no significant association of alcohol dependence or abuse with any of the platelet adenylyl cyclase activities. Discussion The large population and extensive characterization of subjects in this study provided an advantage over previous studies in which only the association of a few individual factors with adenylyl cyclase activity was investigated. The results demonstrate that although platelet adenylyl cyclase activity could be useful as a trait marker of alcohol dependence, its reliability in this regard is diminished by the influence of recent alcohol drinking and other variables. The associations between platelet adenylyl cyclase activities and marijuana abuse, as well as a history of depression, suggest that it may be worthwhile to study the genetic association of adenylyl cyclases (e.g., polymorphisms in the genes that code for particular adenylyl cyclase isoforms) with a predisposition to depression as well as to alcohol or marijuana abuse/dependence.
The Homecomings: What Happens When Arab Foreign Fighters in Iraq and Syria Return?

What threat do foreign Arab jihadists returning from the war in Syria and Iraq pose to their home states and the broader Arab world? Foreign fighters come back as hardened veterans, steady in the face of danger and skilled in the use of weapons and explosives. While in the conflict zone, they will form networks with other radicals, embrace techniques like suicide bombings and beheadings, and establish ties to jihadists around the world. Different countries have different mitigating factors that limit the danger. The presence or absence of strong and focused security services is particularly important. Returnees' ambition, regional focus, lack of discipline, and brutality often mean they create more enemies than they vanquish and anger local populations. Most terrorism will be locally and regionally focused, with international terrorism probably less of a priority. Area regimes can reduce the risk of bleedout by hindering the travel of volunteers and constraining their ability to organize, stressing the in...
Cellulose Isolation Methodology for NMR Analysis of Cellulose Ultrastructure

In order to obtain accurate information about the ultrastructure of cellulose from native biomass by 13C cross polarization magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR spectroscopy the cellulose component must be isolated due to overlapping resonances from both lignin and hemicellulose. Typically, cellulose isolation has been achieved via holocellulose pulping to remove lignin followed by an acid hydrolysis procedure to remove the hemicellulose components. Using 13C CP/MAS NMR and non-linear line-fitting of the cellulose C4 region, it was observed that the standard acid hydrolysis procedure caused an apparent increase in crystallinity of ~10% or less on the cellulose isolated from Populus holocellulose. We have examined the effect of the cellulose isolation method, particularly the acid treatment time for hemicellulose removal, on cellulose ultrastructural characteristics by studying these effects on cotton, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and holocellulose pulped Populus. 13C CP/MAS NMR of MCC indicated that holocellulose pulping and acid hydrolysis has little effect on the crystalline ultrastructural components of cellulose. Although any chemical method to isolate cellulose from native biomass will invariably alter substrate characteristics, especially those related to regions accessible to solvents, we found those changes to be minimal and consistent in samples of typical crystallinity and lignin/hemicellulose content. Based on the rate of the hemicellulose removal, as determined by HPLC-carbohydrate analysis and magnitude of cellulose ultrastructural alteration, the most suitable cellulose isolation methodology utilizes a treatment of 2.5 M HCl at 100 °C for a standard residence time between 1.5 and 4 h. However, for the most accurate crystallinity results this residence time should be determined empirically for a particular sample.
Student Perceptions of the Relationship between Publishing and Teaching.

Considerable discrepancy was found between student assessments and the “publish or perish” criteria employed in many of our universities.
Effects of diet and ethanol treatment on azoxymethane-induced livei and gastrointestinal neoplasia of male rats

Epidemiological and animal studies have shown that diet and excessive alcohol consumption are major risk factors for liver and gastrointestinal cancers. This study investigated the effects of diet and alcohol consumption on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced liver and gastrointestinal neoplasia in male rats. Rats were infused intragastrically with control or ethanol-containing diets. After 35 days of dietary acclimatization, all rats received two intragastric infusions of AOM (15 mg/kg) separated by 1 week and then were maintained on standard rat food for 26 weeks. Results suggest that liver and duodenum are the major target organs when AOM is given orally and ethanol pre-exposure potentiates the AOM-induced hepatic and duodenal dysplasia.
Fabrication of 0.25 μm metal particles

Abstract We have developed a technique for fabricating uniformly sized 0.25 μm particles at a high production rate. The pattern is exposed in a two layer high resolution electron resist by a Cambridge EBMF-2 electron beam microfabricator. A lift-off technique is employed to produce to the metal particles.
Incidence, Histology and Management of Intraluminal Thrombus at Post-Chemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection

Purpose: We determined the incidence, histology and management of intraluminal thrombus in a large group of patients treated with post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.Materials and Methods: We queried the testicular cancer database at our institution from January 1990 to June 2010. Tumor resection en bloc with major vascular structures and/or thrombectomy at post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection was done in 240 patients, of whom 89 had a total of 98 intraluminal thrombi involving major vasculature.Results: The site of the 98 thrombi was the inferior vena cava (72), aorta (1) and renal vein (20). Management of the 72 vena caval thrombi included cavectomy (36), partial cavectomy (9) and thrombectomy (27). For the 20 renal vein thrombi management included nephrectomy (18) and thrombectomy (2). The single aortic thrombus was managed by aortic resection and replacement. Pathological evaluation revealed bland thrombi in 31 cases, necrosis in 23, teratoma in 28, active germ c...
The metastatic spread of "head and neck" tumors in men (an autopsy study of 371 cases).

This investigation was performed by using 371 autopsy records collected by the Department of Pathology at Roswell Park Memorial Institute from 1956 till 1967. Only the “head and neck” tumors were taken into consideration. Two hypotheses were tested, i.e. whether metastases diffuse directly from the primary tumor throughout the body or if the metastatic process takes place in steps, requiring, in other words, that one or more organs be seeded first, before any generalized metastasis occurs. It appeared that the lungs and the lymphnodes of the neck are the two organs responsible for generalized metastases in the cancers of the “head and neck” area. The importance of the neck and lungs metastases in disseminating the disease was discussed in the text. It appeared that when metastases are present in the lymphnodes of the neck, the cancer is already generalized with and without metastatic deposits in the lungs. However, the absence of metastases in the neck is no guarantee that the disease is still localized to the “head and neck” area.
Phase-controlled currents in semiconductors.

The direction of emission of photoexcited electrons in semiconductors is controlled by adjusting the relative phase difference between a midinfrared radiation and its second harmonic. This is achieved by using quantum interference of electrons produced with one- and two-photon bound-to-free intersubband transitions in AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well superlattices.
Uterine artery embolization: a legitimate option for the treatment of uterine fibroids

As compared with hysterectomy and myomectomy, uterine artery embolization is a safe and efficacious therapy. It should be offered as a legitimate alternative for the treatment of symptomatic fibroids.
Stories and cognition: Comments on Robert de Beaugrande's “the story of grammars and the grammar of stories”

Abstract In this paper, I strongly support the view that the study of stories is properly the study of what humans do when they read and write stories. The act of reading a story is seen as a special case of world-perception, and only by looking at the variety of types of stories, I claim, will we be able to say how reading a story can be distinguished from any other form of perception. As in any act of communication, story writers pursue their own goals and use devices, and an accurate theory of stories must explain how readers and writers are aware of each other and how their goals interact. Given these concerns, I argue that grammars are quite inadequate for representing what we know about stories, and I claim that “story grammar” is at best an overworked and misleading metaphor.
Understanding Nazi Animal Protection and the Holocaust

AbstractIt is well known that the Nazis treated human beings with extreme cruelty but it less widely recognized that the Nazis also took some pains to develop and pass extensive animal protection laws. How could the Nazis have professed such concern for animals while treating humans so badly? It would be easy to dismiss Nazi proclamations on animals as mere hypocrisy but there may be other explanations for the contradiction. For example, anecdotal reports and psychological evaluations of many prominent Nazis suggest they felt affection for animals but dislike of humans. Second, animal protection measures, whether sincere or not, may have been a legal veil to attack Jews and others considered undesirable. Third, the Nazis blurred moral distinctions between animals and people and tended to treat members of even the Master Race as animals at times. This article argues that at the core of the Nazi treatment of humans and animals was a reconstitution of society's boundaries and margins. All human cultures seek...
High Pressure Research at the National Synchrotron Light Source

The National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory has been home to a successful high-pressure program for over 20 years. The first dedicated high-pressure diffraction endstation, X17C, was established at NSLS in 1990. A large number of new techniques have been developed at this beamline, including double-sided laser heating [1], single crystal diffraction above 60 GPa [2], X-ray diffraction measurements in a resistive heated diamond anvil cell (DAC) at 1300 K and 1 megabar [3], the first high-pressure and low-temperature experiment [4], and radial diffraction in a DAC [5].
Managing prairie dogs for prairie heritage biodiversity and wildlife tourism

The black-tailed prairie dog is a keystone species of the North American short-grass prairie, large parts of which are devoted to cattle ranching. However, the prairie dog population has been dramatically reduced by eradication programs developed in response to the animals' competition for, and consumption of, grasses that would otherwise feed cattle and to the long-held belief that their burrows pose a threat to livestock. This article will discuss the important role the black-tailed prairie dog plays in biodiversity as ecosystem engineer and prey as well as in the natural and cultural heritage and economy of the short-grass prairie, which has been dramatically transformed by Euro-American settlement. It will focus on the case study involving a group of ranchers in western Kansas' Logan County whose alternative land management practices include rotation grazing and maintaining prairie dogs for the animals' role in supporting other wildlife, despite fierce opposition by neighboring ranchers and government...
Design for two loading conditions

Abstract The problem of the plastic design of a statically indeterminate truss with fixed geometry and connectivity subjected to two independent loading conditions is shown to decompose into two uncoupled single loading condition problems. The realizability of the resulting force system on a elastic truss is also discussed.
Risk factors for nosocomial candidemia: a case-control study in adults without leukemia.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to define risk factors for nosocomial candidemia in adult patients without leukemia at a tertiary care medical center. Patients and methods AU patiente with nosocomial candidemia between August 1, 1981, and October 31, 1984, were included if they met strict selection criteria and did not have acute or chronic leukemia. For each case, one control was selected from among patiente admitted during the same month/year and matched for hospital service and duration of hospitalization up to the first blood culture that grew Candida species. Logistic regression was used to obtain estimates of risk after simultaneously controlling for other variables. Results Candida albicana caused 24 of the 48 fungemias studied. The risk factors identified included the presence of a central line (odds ratio, 26.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 451.1); bladder catheter (13.0, 1.3 to 131.4); two or more antibiotics (25.1, 2.1 to 318); azotemia (22.1, 22. to 223.2); transfer from another hospital (21.3, 1.7 to 274.5); diarrhea (10.2, 1.03 to 101.4); and candiduria (27.0, 1.7 to 423.5). A prior surgical procedure was associated with lowered risk (0.1, 0.01 to 0.9), suggesting perhaps that medical service patiente are at higher risk than those on surgical services. Because total parenteral nutrition was always administered by means of a central line, it could not be shown to increase the risk over that conferred by a central line alone. Conclusions This study has defined seven major risk factors for nosocomial candidemia. These findings should facilitate development of rational approaches to preventing infection and may assist clinicians in identifying those patiente in whom this life-threatening complication is likely to occur.
Terminology, Tolerance, and Flexibility: Communication Challenges for Health Education

(1995). Terminology, Tolerance, and Flexibility: Communication Challenges for Health Education. Journal of Health Education: Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 251-253.
Are there more than minimal a priori limits on irrationality

(1994). Are there more than minimal a priori limits on irrationality? Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 89-102.
Catalytic combustion of ethane over palladium foil in the 300-450°C range : Kinetics and surface composition studies

Catalytic oxidation of ethane over palladium foils was studied and the kinetic parameters were determined for the reaction. The studies were carried out at 800 Torr total pressure over a wide range of reaction conditions in the temperature range of 300–425°C. The catalyst surface composition was characterized before and after reaction by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). While we detected only metallic palladium before reaction, the postreaction analysis showed significant formation of PdOx, a surface oxide, at all temperatures and under all ethane/oxygen ratios. The catalyst that exhibits optimum combustion activity is the one covered with 0.3 to 0.5 monolayer of oxygen. Carbon monoxide temperature-programmed desorption (CO-TPD) was used to evaluate the surface area of the metallic and oxidized palladium in order to normalize the measured catalytic reaction rates. The turnover rate for ethane combustion is in the range of 1–260 s−1(molecule(s) of CO2produced per surface palladium atom per second) in the studied temperature range. Under stoichiometric reaction conditions at 325°C the rate for ethylene combustion is 100 times faster than that of ethane and the turnover rate for ethylene formation is calculated to be 0.6 s−1(molecule(s) of C2H4produced per surface palladium atom per second). At 325°C the kinetic orders are 1, 0, and −1 for ethane, carbon dioxide, and water, respectively. The order in oxygen is −1/2 under stoichiometric and fuel-rich conditions and 0 under oxidizing conditions. Apparent activation energies of 104, 116, and 189 kJ/mol under fuel lean, stoichiometric, and fuel-rich conditions, respectively, were observed. While CO2is the main carbonaceous product, unoxidized and partially oxidized species, methane and ethylene, are produced in small amounts. The product distribution is typically 98.6 mol% CO2, 0.9 mol% C2H4, and 0.5 mol% CH4at 10% conversion during a reaction at 350°C under stoichiometric conditions.
Analysis of aromatic polyether dendrimers and dendrimer-linear block copolymers by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry

Polyether dendrimers with differing chain end functionalites and molecular topologies were analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The success of this analytical method is highly dependent on the type of matrix and sample preparation used. Ester and perdeuterophenyl terminated dendrimers with molecular weights up to 14,000 amu were successfully analyzed using an indoleacrylic acid matrix in tetrahydrofuran. Hybrid block copolymers consisting of linear polystyrene or poly (ethylene glycol) chains attached to one or two dendrimers gave spectra with oligomeric resolution in matrices of t-retinoic acid and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether respectively. The MALDI-TOF results provide access to molecular weight distribution data confirming the results of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis.
Public School Music Teachers' Perceptions of the Effect of Certain Competencies on Pupil Learning

A list of competencies was developed and rated by 201 public school music teachers. Fifty-one competencies were classified as musical, and 59 were identified as teaching competencies. General music...
Startup and Idle Emissions Analysis of a 2009 VW Jetta Using PEMS SemtechD

A 2009 Volkswagen Jetta was tested using a Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) SemtechD emissions analyzer to determine when the emissions and fuel consumption will be the smallest in regards to startup vs. idle emissions. An idle time equivalent was calculated to determine when idle emissions became equal to startup emissions at four different ambient temperatures for a cold start. The mass of Total Hydrocarbons (THC) emitted limited the idle time equivalent to less than the startup time for all ambient temperatures. The temperature of the Catalytic Converter (CC) was monitored to determine how quickly the car cools down and therefore, how beneficial it is to turn the car off after a certain time period. For the temperature range tested, it was more beneficial for reduced emissions to turn off the car compared to idling by a factor of at least four. The data suggests a trend that idling would never be the best option; however, more testing needs to be done with a greater range of CC cool down temperatures to confirm this initial assessment.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Effect of holothurin on Trypanosoma lewisi infections in rats.

SYNOPSIS. Crude holothurin from the Bahamian sea cucumber Actinopyga agassiz, inoculated intraperitoneally into rats with Trypanosoma lewisi infection, altered the host-parasite relationship. The effect was measured by a study of parasite population during infections. Rats treated with holothurin prior to and simultaneously with an infection of trypanosomes had lower parasitemias than controls. A higher level of parasitemia was observed in treated after infection with trypanosomes. Both dosage and timing appeared to have been important parameters of the observed effect. The reticuloendothelial system is suspected to play a role in these findings.
Challenges in process integration of catalytic DC plasma synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanofibres

The ability to synthesize free-standing, individual carbon nanofibres (CNFs) aligned perpendicularly to a substrate has enabled fabrication of a large array of devices with nanoscale functional elements, including electron field emission sources, electrochemical probes, neural interface arrays, scanning probes, gene delivery arrays and many others. This was made possible by development of a catalytic plasma process, with DC bias directing the alignment of nanofibres. Successful implementation of prototypical devices has uncovered numerous challenges in the integration of this synthesis process as one of the steps in device fabrication. This paper is dedicated to these engineering and fundamental difficulties that hinder further device development. Relatively high temperature for catalytic synthesis, electrical conductivity of the substrate to maintain DC discharge and other difficulties place restrictions on substrate material. Balancing non-catalytic carbon film deposition and substrate etching, non-uniformity of plasma due to growth of the high aspect ratio structures, plasma instabilities and other factors lead to challenges in controlling the plasma. Ultimately, controlling the atomistic processes at the catalyst nanoparticle (NP) and the behaviour of the NP is the central challenge of plasma nanosynthesis of vertically aligned CNFs.
We need to talk about psychological pain.

The author responds to Dr. Shattell's suggestion (Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 30(5), 2009) that it may be time to add psychic pain to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ pain management standard. Before we do so, some level of agreement is necessary on issues concerning terminology, measurement, and intervention. The author offers a definition of psychological pain as common ground for future research and development in clinical care.
Genetics and Poultry Improvement

(1954). Genetics and Poultry Improvement. World's Poultry Science Journal: Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 228-239.
The Feed Requirements and the Feed Cost of the Dairy Sire

Summary A compilation from figures published by the United States Department of Agriculture gives the average feed received by 118 bulls on farms in four sections of the United States. In addition 37 hours man-labor were required, pasture to the amount of $6.57, and other cost totaling $28.37. A summary is given of the feed received by 58 bulls of Minnesota farms over a period of a year. The average feed cost at current local prices was $69.71. Assuming the same other costs as found by the United States Department of Agriculture, the total cost of keeping a mature bull is approximately $98.00 a year in addition to about 37 hours of man labor. The amount of feed consumed by six mature bulls in the University of Minnesota herd is given. The total digestible nutrients contained approximate closely the maintenance requirements as estimated by the use of feeding standards. The nutrients received by growing bulls fed according to common practice on dairy farms were close to the amounts prescribed by Morrison's feeding standard for growing dairy cattle of the weights represented.
The theory of simultaneous excitonic-superconductivity condensation

Abstract The theory of simultaneous excitonic-superconductivity condesation also known as the excitonic enhancement model (EEM) for high T c superconductivity is presented in two different approaches: (a) Based on the assumption of a strong Coulomb binding between electron and hole carriers in a two-band model, we obtained the total excitation gap in terms of a Pythagorean sum of an excitonic and a BCS gap component in a mean-field approximation. The importance of near two-dimensionality in the excitonic component was emphasized. (b) The off-diagonal-long-range-ordering [ODLRO] of the superconducting quasi-particle was assumed to be a linear combination of electron and hole states due to a strong electron-hole correlation. The result gives a charge reduction in the quantized flux. An estimation to this reduction was given in the mean-field isotropic limit.
Coherent, Phase Modulated (PM) Fiber-optic Link Design

This paper is concerned with a coherent, phase modulated optical link for microwave applications, such as antenna remoting. The optical transmitter employs a low noise high power solid state laser and a sensitive phase modulator. The demodulator/detector in the optical receiver utilizes a newly developed and tested photonic phased locked loop (PPLL). All signal processing, including down-conversion to intermediate frequency (IF) range, is executed in the optical domain. The link design predicts a spurious free dynamic range up to 157 dBHz 2/3 and noise figure below 3dB. The requirements on key photonic components to attain these results are described in detail
Perceptions of Disability as Related to Medical and Social Factors

This study addressed self-perception of disability and the belief that others perceive one to have a disability. Factors from the medical and social models of disability were tested to determine if social factors still play a role in such perceptions when controlling for medical factors. Cross-sectional data from the 1994–1995 National Health Interview Study on Disability (NHIS-D) provided a stratified random sample of 25,805 noninstitutionalized adults. Logistic regression models were used to demonstrate that even controlling for medical factors (e.g., particular disabling conditions and restrictions in activities of daily living), social and vocational factors were significant predictors of disability perception. Ramifications for the theoretical study of disability, social psychology, and disability policy are discussed.