cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-staged Baerveldt glaucoma implant for childhood glaucoma associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Abstract Purpose To report the outcome and complications of 10 eyes of 9 children with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) who underwent two-stage insertion of a Baerveldt glaucoma implant (BGI) for glaucoma. Design Retrospective noncomparative case series. Participants The authors reviewed the medical records of children under the age of 14 years with SWS who underwent two-stage BGI for glaucoma at two tertiary care referral centers. Main outcome measures Intraoperative and postoperative complications, intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications, visual acuity, and further surgical intervention. Results Ten eyes of nine patients were included in the study. Ages of the nine patients at time of first stage BGI ranged between 6 weeks and 13 years. With average follow-up of 35 months (range, 10–50), all eyes had adequate IOP control (≤21 mmHg) without the need for additional glaucoma surgery. Intraocular pressure was reduced from a mean (± standard deviation) of 24.8 ± 6.2 mmHg preoperatively to 16.9 ± 2.3 mmHg at last follow-up visit ( P = 0.001). The number of medications used for control of glaucoma was reduced from a mean (± standard deviation) of 1.8 ± 1.0 preoperatively to 1.1 ± 1.4 at last follow-up visit ( P = 0.2). One eye had serous choroidal effusions with overlying serous retinal detachment that resolved spontaneously after 7 days with no permanent visual loss, and one eye had low choroidal effusion that lasted 4 days. There were no intraoperative or postoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhages. At last follow-up, visual acuity had improved by one or more lines in all patients in whom vision was measurable. Conclusions Two-stage BGI surgery appears to be a safe and effective treatment for refractory glaucoma in children with SWS.
Deep Neural Network Language Models

In recent years, neural network language models (NNLMs) have shown success in both peplexity and word error rate (WER) compared to conventional n-gram language models. Most NNLMs are trained with one hidden layer. Deep neural networks (DNNs) with more hidden layers have been shown to capture higher-level discriminative information about input features, and thus produce better networks. Motivated by the success of DNNs in acoustic modeling, we explore deep neural network language models (DNN LMs) in this paper. Results on a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) task demonstrate that DNN LMs offer improvements over a single hidden layer NNLM. Furthermore, our preliminary results are competitive with a model M language model, considered to be one of the current state-of-the-art techniques for language modeling.
Gedankenexperiment for Using Boltzmann Equation for Relic Graviton Density , in Pre-Planckian Physics Conditions if there Exists a Regime of Comparatively Low Temperatures (Cold Cosmologies)

We look at what may occur if Boltzmann equations, as presented by Muramaya in 2007, Les Houches, are applied to graviton density in a pre Planckian universe setting. Two restrictions are in order. First of all, we are assuming a graviton mass on the order of 10^-62 grams, as if the pre Planckian regime does not change the nature of Graviton mass, in its low end.. Secondly, we are also assuming that a comparatively low temperature regime (far below the Planckian temperature) exist . Secondly we are leaving unsaid what may happen if Gravitational waves enter the Planck regime of ultra high temperature. With those two considerations, we proceed to examine a Graviton density value resulting from perturbation from low to higher temperatures. Either cyclic conformal cosmology as ventured by Penrose may be the genesis of a low temperature regime, or a multiverse.
Eigenvalue perturbation models for flexible structures

It is pointed out that real parametric modal frequency and damping variation for lightly damped systems does not resemble disks on the complex plane. Using complex uncertainty models can introduce conservativeness in the design method. An alternative means of developing suitable complex uncertainty models is presented. It involves treating the uncertainty as perturbations to the system eigenvalues and using a particular linear fractional transformation to cover this uncertainty. This approach is applicable to modes within the bandwidth of control. It can be used in conjunction with the standard perturbation modeling approaches. A simple SISO (single-input single-output) example, motivated by a flexible truss experiment at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is discussed in order to illustrate the proposed approach. >
Molecular methods of hepatitis C genotyping

Hepatitis C virus is an RNA virus that is associated with chronic infection in the majority of people infected. Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus is the cause of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and is associated with a large spectrum of liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. End-stage liver disease due to chronic hepatitis C virus infection is currently the leading indication for liver transplantation in the USA. Hepatitis C virus genotyping of viral isolates circulating in the blood during chronic infection has become an important part of hepatitis C virus monitoring in chronically infected patients, and is useful as a prognostic indicator and to direct duration of therapy. This review will summarize information on hepatitis C genotyping, describe the limitations of current commercially available methods, give information on more recently developed methods, and provide a look to the future in terms of where advances in hepatitis C virus genotyping assays need...
The crossflow piston bed

Abstract The moving piston bed is a device for producing washed crystals from a slurry feed. Necessary for predicting the quality of a conceptual bed geometry is an evaluation method which accurately reveals the flow patterns in the dynamic system. The electrical analog method serves as a versatile guide to an evolutionary development of improved designs. All beds with a submerged drainage port have, for a given geometry, a unique relationship between loss of displacement fluid and rate of bed advance. The hydraulic diagram is unchanged, by the magnitude of applied forces. For rating productive capacity the use of gravity forces as a reference standard is recommended. A crossflow design is developed that predicts a productive rate over three times that achievable by downflow washing.
The Blossoms of ‘Trockne Blumen’: Music and Text in the Early Nineteenth Century

In January 1824, Franz Schubert set to work on a set of variations for flute and piano on 'Trockne Blumen', the eighteenth song from his cycle Die schone Mullerin, which he had completed the previous November. In some respects the choice of song is surprising, for the subject of 'Trockne Blumen' is nothing less than suicide. The prevailing images of the first part of the song are withered flowers, tears, the miller's grave and his profound despair, all set in a leaden E minor. The second half shifts to the parallel major, but the reconciliation is with death, and the final impression is of a young man whose fever of emotions causes him to look with longing towards his own demise. However, Schubert's variations make scant reference to the sombre and tortured emotions of the song, and are soon overtaken by the high spirits of virtuosic play between the instruments. The withered flowers of the song have indeed blossomed again, but without the necessity of the grave. This divergence of affect between the song and the instrumental work poses some interesting questions. What, for instance, is the nature of the interaction between music and text in early nineteenth-century song?l That there is some interaction seems evident: we know that the same text can make quite a different impression when it is set with different music. Goethe's 'Der Erlkonig' is a case in point, as a comparison of settings by Corona Schroter, Johann Friedrich Reichardt, Carl Friedrich Zelter, Bernhard Klein, and Schubert shows.2 Stating a point that seems obvious, but that has often been obscured by an emphasis on the text of songs at the expense of their music, the music of a song does make a difference in how we understand the text of a song. The present situation, however, suggests an asymmetry in the interactions between music and text, for the comparison is not between two songs but between a song and an instrumental work. Schubert's variations seem to show that, freed from the constraint of the text, the music of a song can head in any direction and be used to produce any effect the composer pleases. However the situation is not quite so simple, nor the asymmetry quite so profound. On the one hand, correspondences between music and text are not absolute, but general. Thus, there are no huge disruptions in strophic songs when the same music is used to set different lines of text. On the other hand, music does have a capacity for generating meaning, if only of a general sort. Consider the quite different and invariably comic effects produced when Robert Frost's
Impact of assumptions on DC power flow model accuracy

The industry seems to be sanguine about the performance of dc power-flow models, but recent research has shown that the performance of different formulations is highly variable. Considering their pervasive use, the accuracy of dc power-flow models is of great concern. In this paper, three dc power-flow formulations are examined: the classical dc power-flow model, dc power-flow model with loss compensation and the so-called a-matching dc power-flow model. These three models are tested in three systems of different sizes, ranging from 10 buses to 62,000 buses. By comparing the dc power-flow results with the ac power-flow results, the paper concludes that the a-matching formulation has the highest accuracy among three dc power flow formulations.
Increasing the power of fourth generation report generators

Abstract One of the main advantages of fourth-generation languages is their ability to generate reports quickly with only a minimal specification supplied by the user. The authors have undertaken a number of specific report generation implementations using seven different fourth-generation tools. Starting from this base of experience, a set of criteria that affect the expressive power of report generators is identified, and enhancements are proposed that would extend the power of such tools. With these proposed improvements, the report generators can be applied to a broader range of problems and thereby help to fulfil better the promise of fourth-generation language tools to increase software productivity.
Isolation and characterization of frameshift mutations in the lac operon.

Abstract A set of lac − mutations has been isolated in cells of Escherichia coli after mutagenesis with ICR-191D, an acridine half-mustard known to cause frameshifts in bacteria. The mutations in the β-galactosidase gene ( z ) were studied and shown to have properties consistent with their assignment to the frameshift class: they are revertible by the acridine half-mustard, they are polar for expression of distal genes in the operon, they do not respond to any of the three types of nonsense (chain termination) suppressors tested and one of the mutations, ICR36, reverts to lac + by intragenic suppression. Three different internal suppressors of ICR36 were recovered from these revertants and also shown to be frameshifts. The 31 independently isolated frameshift mutations do not map randomly in z ; several “hot spots” for ICR-191D mutagenesis are located in the operator-proximal end of the gene.
Comparison of a torsional handpiece through microincision versus standard clear corneal cataract wounds.

Purpose To directly compare intraoperative and clinical parameters using a torsional handpiece through microincision and standard clear corneal cataract wounds with appropriately configured tips and sleeves. Setting Duke University Eye Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. Methods Cataracts in both eyes of 32 patients needing bilateral surgery were extracted using the OZil torsional handpiece. Tips and sleeve selections were optimized for the incision chosen. Right eyes had cataract surgery using a standard method consisting of a 2.8 mm incision with a 0.9 mm tapered 30-degree bevel Kelman configuration tip with a Microsleeve. Left eyes had cataract surgery through a 2.2 mm microincision using a 0.9 mm miniflared 45-degree bevel Kelman configuration tip with an Ultrasleeve. Intraoperative measurements included cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) and balanced salt solution use. Clinical measurements included preoperative and 1-day postoperative central corneal thickness (CCT), preoperative and 6-month postoperative endothelial cell count (ECC), and preoperative and postoperative anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Results Intraoperatively, the microincision (2.2 mm) group had less CDE use than the standard incision (2.8 mm) group ( P = .001). Clinical measurements showed less ECC loss at 6 months in the microincision group ( P Conclusions Phacoemulsification using the OZil torsional handpiece through a microincision with an Ultrasleeve and a 45-degree miniflared tip showed favorable clinical and intraoperative characteristics such as less total energy use and less endothelial cell loss at 6 months. Further studies are warranted to substantiate these preliminary findings.
A standard experimental chemical burn

To establish a standard method for producing experimental cutaneous injuries caused by contact with corrosive liquids, we modified an apparatus and method recommended by Walker and Mason in 1967 to produce experimental thermal burns. The resulting procedure proved to be safe, reproducible, humane and efficient and can be used with a wide variety of corrosive liquids.
Network Anatomy of Industrial Marketing and Purchasing of New Manufacturing Technologies

Examines the central proposition that the marketing‐purchasing of new industrial manufacturing technologies involves the development (not necessarily a planned design) of a new network of relationships within and across enterprises. Presents the results of a detailed case study on the adoption by manufacturers of a new technology, electric motor drives, to illustrate research on new‐technology network anatomy. The results include additional evidence to the work of Wim G. Biemans on the importance of research on lateral relationships in testing and gaining approval for transforming an enterprise from an old to a proven, better, new manufacturing technology.
The effect of an aperture on the spectrum of partially coherent light

Abstract It is shown, for a particular class of partially coherent fields, that when such a field is incident upon a circular aperture, the spectrum of the light at an on-axis observation point in the far zone of the aperture is different from the spectrum of the light in the aperture. An explicit expression for the spectrum at such observation points is obtained, and it is shown that the difference between the two spectra is determined by the ratio of the radius of the aperture to the effective correlation length of the light in the aperture. Numerical examples are presented. Our results support a recent suggestion by Kandpal, Vaishya and Josi that the origin of the discrepancies found in the intercomparison of spectroradiometric scales maintained by standards laboratories may be due to such changes in the spectrum.
The Use of Personal Assistance Services by Persons With Spinal Cord Injury Policy Issues Surrounding Reliance on Family and Paid Providers

Previous discussions of personal assistance have focused on census data and descriptions of service programs. The current study examines patterns of usage of personal assistance among a community-based sample of 284 persons with spinal cord injury and how these patterns relate to other aspects of their lives. Expected significant relationships were found among variables of who provides assistance, whether they are paid, and with whom participants live, and between the amount of assistance received and severity of disability. Unexpectedly high rates of use of unpaid nonrelatives and paid relatives were found, as was the use of a combination of relatives and nonrelatives as assistants. Use of nonrelatives increased with education level. The effect of usage pattern on productivity could not be examined due to a staggeringly high unemployment rate (89%). Implications of these results for development of a national policy on providing personal assistance services, the expansion of formal service delivery system...
Laissez-faire in campaign finance

In this paper we analyze the impact of campaign contribution limits on government expenditures. The theory is based on the proclivity of geographic-based legislators to support wealth transfers from the polity at large to finance benefits for local constituents. It predicts that laissez-faire in contributions will lead to less government spending on budgetary redistribution and to a greater output of laws by the legislature. The theory is tested using data on U.S. State governments.
pH and concentration response surfaces for the luminol—H2O2 electrogenerated chemiluminescence reaction

Abstract A response surface for the luminol-H2O2 electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) reaction is constructed by systematically altering the pH and reagent concentration while determining luminol or H2O2. Ranges covered are 0.5 through 500 μMH2O2 and pH 7 through 10 for luminol determinations and 0.1 through 1000 μ M luminol and pH 7 through 10 for H2O2 determinations. At a given luminol or H2O2 concentration the ECL response surface with respect to pH and reagent concentration is essentially identical in general shape to the response surface observed at any other concentration. With this information one can predict the change in ECL response between any two sets of conditions or maintain the same ECL response with two sets of conditions if appropriately chosen. In general, monotonically sloping contours are observed such that as the pH or the luminol or H2O2 concentration is increased, there is a corresponding increase in ECL response.
Interaction forces between soft magnetic particles in uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields

The influence of the magnetization of a soft magnetic sphere on the surrounding magnetic field is measured and characterized. The interaction force between two soft magnetic particles is directly measured using an ultra precision load sensor in uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields. The interaction force largely follows an inverse fourth power law as a function of separation distance between particle centers. At small distances, the effect of magnetization of one particle on the magnetization of its adjacent particle causes the attractive (repulsive) force to be larger (smaller) than that predicted by the inverse fourth power law. The theoretical prediction based on a modified dipole model, that takes into account the coupling effect of the magnetization among soft magnetic particles, gives excellent agreement with the measured force in a uniform magnetic field. The interaction force under a non-uniform applied magnetic field can be reasonably predicted using the dipole–dipole interaction model when the local magnetic field is used to determine the magnetization.
Getting the message across: cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complexes

mRNA–ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes mediate post-transcriptional control mechanisms in the cell nucleus and cytoplasm. Transcriptional control is paramount to gene expression but is followed by regulated nuclear pre-mRNA maturation and quality control processes that culminate in the export of a functional transcript to the cytoplasm. Once in the cytosol, mRNPs determine the activity of individual mRNAs through regulation of localization, translation, sequestration and turnover. Here, we review how quantitative assessment of mRNAs in distinct cytoplasmic mRNPs, such as polyribosomes (polysomes), has provided new perspectives on post-transcriptional regulation from the global to gene-specific level. In addition, we explore recent genetic and biochemical studies of cytoplasmic mRNPs that have begun to expose RNA-binding proteins in an integrated network that fine-tunes gene expression.
Effect of a Sports Food Bar on Fat Utilisation and Exercise Duration

The manufacturer claims that using the Access Fat Conversion Activity Bar increases fat utilisation, which would have a glycogen-sparing effect and delay the onset of fatigue from endurance exercis...
Stimulated Recall Interviews in Ethnography

This article describes the use of stimulated recall interviews as a technique for investigating how people approach interactions in a number of different situations. In general, the technique I describe involves interviewing individuals by playing them audio or audiovisual recordings of their own behavior in social situations and discussing different aspects of those recorded interactions. Doing so can help us to understand what signals interactants understand as important, what signals they try to convey to others, and how they choose from various options to act upon the information they receive in interactions. Using the example of jazz jam sessions, I ask why it is that interactions can sometimes go smoothly and uneventfully, or sometimes break down completely. The stimulated recall interviews provide a valuable tool in helping the ethnographer to answer these kinds of questions.
Focal electrical stimulation as an effective sham control for active rTMS and biofeedback treatments

A valid sham control is important for determining the efficacy and effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as an experimental and clinical tool. Given the manner in which rTMS is applied, separately or in combination with self-regulatory approaches, and its intended impact on brain states, a valid sham control of this type may well serve as a meaningful control for biofeedback studies, where efforts to develop a credible control have often been less than ideal. This study examined the effectiveness of focal electrical stimulation of the frontalis muscle as a sham technique for blinding participants to high-frequency rTMS over the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) at durations, intensities, and schedules of stimulation similar to many clinical applications. In this within-subjects single blind design, 19 participants made guesses immediately after receiving 54 counterbalanced rTMS sessions (sham, 10 Hz, 20 Hz); 7 (13 %) of the guesses were made for sham, 31 (57 %) were made for 10 Hz, and 16 (30 %) were made for 20 Hz. Participants correctly guessed the sham condition 6 % (CI 1, 32 %) of the time, which is less than the odds of chance (i.e., of guessing at random, 33 %); correctly guessed the 10 Hz condition 66 % (CI 43, 84 %) of the time, which was greater than chance; and correctly guessed the 20 Hz condition 41 % (CI 21, 65 %) of the time, which was no different than chance. Focal electrical stimulation therefore can be an effective sham control for high-frequency rTMS of the DLPFC, as well as for active biofeedback interventions. Participants were unaware that electrical stimulation was, in fact, sham rTMS.
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase: role in cancer pathogenesis and small-molecule inhibitor development for therapy

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), a receptor tyrosine kinase in the insulin receptor superfamily, was initially identified in constitutively activated oncogenic fusion forms - the most common being nucleophosmin-ALK - in anaplastic large-cell lymphomas, and subsequent studies have identified ALK fusions in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, systemic histiocytosis, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors, esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and non-small-cell lung carcinomas. More recently, genomic DNA amplification and protein overexpression, as well as activating point mutations, of ALK have been described in neuroblastomas. In addition to those cancers for which a causative role for aberrant ALK activity is well validated, more circumstantial links implicate the full-length, normal ALK receptor in the genesis of other malignancies - including glioblastoma and breast cancer - via a mechanism of receptor activation involving autocrine and/or paracrine growth loops with the reported ALK ligands, pleiotrophin and midkine. This review summarizes normal ALK biology, the confirmed and putative roles of ALK in the development of human cancers and efforts to target ALK using small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
Synthesis of Novel Fluorescent ATP Analogue and its Interaction with Nucleotide Dependent Motor Proteins

Previously several kind of fluorescent ATP analogues have been synthesized for the application to the kinetic studies of ATPases. However, some of the ATP analogues exist as a mixture of isomers. For instance, 2′(3′)-O-Mant-ATP has isomer of 2′ and 3′ in its ribose moiety and each isomer performs differently as substrate for the ATPases. In the present study, we have tried to synthesize novel fluorescent ATP analogues that have no isomer. The fluorescent ATP analogue 6-(N- (7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl) amino) ethyl triphosphate (NBDTP) and N-methylanthraniloyl amino ethyl triphosphate (MANTTP) have been designed and synthesized, which are similar to non-nucleotide ATP analogue 2-[(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl) amino] ethyl triphosphate (NANTP). It is known that NANTP are good substrate for skeletal myosin and induces actin gliding in vitro motility assay. Excitation and emission maximums in the fluorescence spectrum of the ATP analogues were 474nm and 533nm for NBDTP, and 374nm and 430nm for MANTTP, respectively. In addition, molar absorbance coefficients of ATP analogues were 40274 M−1cm−1 for NBDTP in 478nm, and 3730 M−1cm−1 for MANTTP, respectively. The analogues showed ATP hydrolysis for conventional kinesin and skeletal myosin at the almost same level to that of ATP. Moreover, the analogues induced dissociation of acto-myosin. The ADP form of the fluorescent ATP analogues showed the formation of skeletal muscle myosin/ADP analogues/BeFn complexes which mimic the transient state in ATPase cycle.
Nonlinear adsorption and hydrodynamic dispersion in self-similar networks

Self-similar models proposed by Villermaux and Schweich (1992, J. Phys. II France2, 1023–1043) are modified and applied to simulate convection and nonlinear adsorption of a solute in a disordered porous medium. We explore the dispersive behaviour of three self-similar patterns. Conservation equations are integrated numerically for the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and an analytical procedure is developed for the rectangular isotherm. Breakthrough curves rapidly approach an asymptote with a nonzero breadth as the isotherm becomes increasingly concave-downward, in contrast to results of conventional dispersion models. The networks are simple to use, and we discuss how they can be applied in practice.
Thoracoscopy for Correction of Adult Thoracic Scoliosis

The endoscopic technique of instrumentation, correction, and fusion for scoliosis has undergone radical modifications since the first surgery. Some key factors conducive to successful fusion, such as thorough discectomy and end plate removal, are common to endoscopic and non-endoscopic procedures. There are indeed special technical features in our endoscopic approach that clearly affect outcome, however, and their enumeration rightly chronicles the evolution of our experimental undertaking.
Zeeman quantum beat spectroscopy of higher rovibrational levels of the V 1B2 state of carbon disulfide

Abstract Lifetimes and g values are measured for low J rotational levels of eight of the higher vibrational states of V 1B2 CS2. The measurements are conducted in a supersonic jet using the Zeeman quantum beat technique. All fluorescence decays are biexponential with a shorter-lived component (≈ 2 μs) corresponding to discrete emission and a longer-lived component (≈ 10 μs) corresponding to continuum-like emission. Only the discrete component shows quantum beats in the presence of a magnetic field. The g values range from 0.005 to 0.040 with no apparent dependence on rotational or vibrational quantum numbers. The large size of these g values can be accounted for by a model in which the V state levels acquire triplet character through spin-orbit interaction with nearby levels possibly belonging to the R3A2 state.
Effect of cholestyramine on the disposition of pentachlorophenol in rhesus monkeys

Three male rhesus monkeys were provided with a bile duct by‐pass and dosed twice with 14 C‐pentachlorophenol (50 mg/kg po) 4 wk apart. During the first day after each dose, the monkeys excreted about 20, 0.5, and 20% of the dose into urine, feces, and bile, respectively. While the animals continued to receive basal diet after the first dose, starting 24 h after the second dose their diet was supplemented with 4% cholestyramine for 6 consecutive days. A comparison of control to treatment period (d 2–6) shows that cholestyramine reduced the urinary excretion of pentachlorophenol from 35 to 5% and increased the fecal excretion from 3 to 54% of the dose administered. Cholestyramine, in addition to changing the major route of excretion of pentachlorophenol elimination, also markedly reduced the body burden of pentachlorophenol as total excretion (urinary plus fecal) was enhanced by 40%. Up to 30% of the dose was excreted into bile in 1 d during the control period, indicating considerable enterohepatic circulat...
Layer-by-layer carbon nanotube bio-templates for in situ monitoring of the metabolic activity of nitrifying bacteria

Despite the wide variety of effective disinfection and wastewater treatment techniques for removing organic and inorganic wastes, pollutants such as nitrogen remain in wastewater effluents. If left untreated, these nitrogenous wastes can adversely impact the environment by promoting the overgrowth of aquatic plants, depleting dissolved oxygen, and causing eutrophication. Although nitrification/denitrification processes are employed during advanced wastewater treatment, effective and efficient operation of these facilities require information of the pH, dissolved oxygen content, among many other parameters, of the wastewater effluent. In this preliminary study, a biocompatible CNT-based nanocomposite is proposed and validated for monitoring the biological metabolic activity of nitrifying bacteria in wastewater effluent environments (i.e., to monitor the nitrification process). Using carbon nanotubes and a pH-sensitive conductive polymer (i.e., poly(aniline) emeraldine base), a layer-by-layer fabrication technique is employed to fabricate a novel thin film pH sensor that changes its electrical properties in response to variations in ambient pH environments. Laboratory studies are conducted to evaluate the proposed nanocomposite’s biocompatibility with wastewater effluent environments and its pH sensing performance.
Fe-Ti Oxide Minerals from Regionally Metamorphosed Quartzites of Western New Hampshire

The assemblages rutile-hematite, hematite, hematite-magnetite, hematite-ilmenite-magnetite, and ilmenite-magnetite occur in sillimanite- and kyanite-grade quartzites exposed in western New Hampshire. Different assemblages are found in interlayered sedimentary beds of single outcrops. Magnetites are nearly pure Fe3O4 and contain trace amounts of Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, and Ni. Magnetites in contact with hematites contain up to 0.4 weight % MnO, but magnetites in contact with ilmenites containing up to 2.3 weight % MnO have no detectable Mn. Ilmenite is enriched in Mn relative to coexisting hematite, and hematite is so enriched with respect to magnetite. Systematic partitioning of elements between oxide minerals and absence of crossing tie lines suggest that the minerals attained chemical equilibrium during regional metamorphism. None of the assemblages are divariant because of the presence of components in addition to FeO, Fe2O3, and TiO2; therefore, none of them constitute oxygen buffers. Nevertheless, gradients in \(\mu _{O_2 } \)between adjacent sedimentary beds can be measured using variations of oxide mineral composition in trivariant and quadrivariant phase assemblages. Oxygen behaved as an “initial value” component or “inert” component during regional metamorphism. It is likely that the \(\mu _{O_2 } \)gradients are due to differences in bulk composition of sedimentary beds at the time of deposition.
Regulation of granulopoiesis: positive feed-back.

Abstract A new concept of regulation of granulocyte production, based on theoretical concepts and experimental data, is presented. The proposed schema invokes a mechanism of " positive feed-back ". It is suggested that mature granulocytes secrete and release a factor stimulating new maturation and production of this cell-line and that this is the major regulatory mechanism in granulopoiesis.
Carbocyclic Analog of Purine Ribonucleosides with Antileukemic Activity

Abstract: Carbocyclic analogs of several naturally occurring and biologically active purine nucleosides have been synthesized (1–4). In these analogs a methylene group occupies the position of the ring oxygen atom of the ribo- or deoxyribofuranosides. Because of the presence of a stable carbon-nitrogen bond at position 9 of the purine moiety, these analogs are not subject to cleavage by enzymes that remove or transfer the ribofuranosyl moiety of the nucleosides or nucleotides. Biochemical studies (5–7) have shown that the racemic analog (III) of adenosine can serve either as a substrate for or as an inhibitor of some of the enzymes involved in purine nucleotide metabolism, one of the more interesting findings being the inhibition of guanylic acid kinase by the phosphate (7). The antibiotic aristeromycin (8). the optically active form (9, 10) of the adenosine analog, inhibits certain plant pathogens (8, 11). Several racemic carbocyclic analogs of purine nucleosides are cytotoxic to neoplastic cells growing in culture (4). In this communication, antileukemic activity in vivo by a carbocyclic analog, the 8-azaadenosine analog (II), is reported.
Room Temperature Ductility and Microstructure of Magnesium AZ31B Sheet

Formability of wrought magnesium alloys at room temperature or slightly elevated temperatures is modest, reaching about 20% elongation in a tension test and exhibiting poor resistance to strain localization and failure. The hexagonal close packed structure of Mg has few active slip systems at lower forming temperatures, limiting ductility and reducing applications in auto body structures. Much greater levels of ductility can be reached at higher temperatures (typically >300 °C), but this is expensive and inconvenient for a high-volume production environment. Tension testing and biaxial forming of annealed AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets were done at room temperature to various levels of strain. High-resolution electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to measure twin fraction and dislocation density, in order to find relationships between strain and potential failure locations within the microstructure. Twin fractions were found to have a weak positive correlation to uniaxial and biaxial tensile strain, while dislocation density was found to correlate more strongly with uniaxial tensile strain.
The role of endoscopy in dyspepsia

Commentary In practice, dyspepsia is commonly used as an indication for endoscopy to exclude upper-gut mucosal abnormalities. However, in this review, Dr Nicholas J. Talley offers a much more pragmatic approach for the diagnosis and management of dyspepsia. By using several systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and recently proposed practice guidelines for dyspepsia, Dr Talley provides a convincing argument that upper endoscopy in subjects younger than 55 years with dyspepsia but without alarm symptoms is a low-yield diagnostic strategy. In contrast, subjects with dyspepsia and who are older than 55 years and/or with alarm symptoms would benefit from upper endoscopy as the initial evaluative strategy. An easy-to-follow (and remember) diagnostic algorithm for uninvestigated dyspepsia is offered at the end of the monograph. – Ronnie Fass, MD, Editor
Greensporones:Resorcylic Acid Lactones from an Aquatic Halenospora sp.

Fourteen new resorcylic acid lactones (1–14) were isolated from an organic extract of a culture of a freshwater aquatic fungus Halenospora sp. originating from a stream in North Carolina. The structures were elucidated using a set of spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The absolute configuration of one representative member of the compounds (7) was assigned using X-ray crystallography of an analogue that incorporated a heavy atom, whereas for compounds 8–11, a modified Mosher’s ester method was utilized. The relative configurations of compounds 12–14 were determined on the basis of NOE data. Compounds 12–14 were proposed as artifacts produced by intramolecular cycloetherification of the e-hydroxy-α,β-unsaturated ketone moieties of the parent compounds during the purification processes. The isolated compounds, except for 8 and 12, were tested against the MDA-MB-435 (melanoma) and HT-29 (colon) cancer cell lines. Compound 5 was the most potent, with IC50 values of 2.9 and 7.5 μM, respectively. The c...
Gain control in the electrosensory system: a role for the descending projections to the electrosensory lateral line lobe

1. The responses of E-cells, basilar pyramidal cells, of the electrosensory lateral line lobe (ELLL) were studied in normal animals (Apteronotus leptorhynchus) and in fish in which a component of the descending input from the midbrain n. praeeminentialis to the ELLL was interrupted by lesions or by application of local anesthetics. This treatment increased the responsiveness of these neurons by 100 to 300%. 2. A method is described by which the animal's electric organ discharge (EOD) can be increased or decreased in amplitude. Responses of E-cells to a brief stationary electrosensory stimulus and to moving electrolocation targets were studied in normal and in lesioned animals with normal and altered EOD amplitudes. 3. Large reductions in EOD amplitude, approximately 50%, result in no significant changes in the average size of E-cell responses to either type of electrosensory stimulus in normal animals. Interruption of the descending input, however, results in a loss of the E-cells' ability to maintain constant response size when the EOD amplitude is reduced. 4. Increases in EOD amplitude cause reductions in the size of E-cell responses to the moving electrolocation targets and to the stationary stimulus. The effects of increased EOD amplitude are present in normal animals and in animals in which the descending input is interrupted. 5. The descending input to the ELLL seems to function as a gain control mechanism that is capable of compensating for losses in stimulus strength resulting from reduced EOD amplitude. The component of the descending input studied here does not seem to play a role in the response of the system to increases in EOD amplitude. These results are discussed in conjunction with the known details of the ELLL circuitry and its connections with other brain areas.
Intensity in the Raman effect: the mean polarizability derivatives of hydrocarbon molecules

Abstract The intensities of the polarized Raman bands of gaseous methane, ethane, neopentane, benzene, ethylene and acetylene were measured with a photo-electrically recording spectrometer. The derivatives of the mean polarizability per bond were obtained from the observed intensities. For all molecules, they were found to be ca. 1.0 × 10−16 cm2, if divided by the multiplicities of the respective bonds.
A Western blot assay detects autoantibodies to cryptic endothelial antigens in thrombotic microangiopathies

Autoantibodies detected by immunofluorescence, ELISA, and complement-fixation techniques have provided discriminatory markers for many human diseases. However, these commonly applied assays may fail to detect antibodies against antigenic sites which are either inaccessible or not displayed in recognizable cellular structures. Moreover, molecular identities of recognized antigen(s) are not determined with such methods. We have used Western blot analysis of cellular proteins derived from human renal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMEC) to identify autoantibodies in patients with pathological endothelial injury. Exploring the possibility that endothelial injury may expose cryptic endothelial antigens to immune recognition, we detected antibodies binding a number of distinct HRMEC proteins. Among these, antibodies recognizing specific HRMEC proteins of 43 kDa were commonly detected in plasmas from patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) (13 of 14) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) (4 of 5) but were absent in 9 of 10 healthy subjects and 11 patients with a range of diseases not associated with endothelial injury of insult. Antibodies binding 43-kDa HRMEC antigens were detected in individual patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-glomerular basement membrane nephropathy, and heparin-associated thrombocytopenia, as well as in one of three patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Similar antibodies were detected in one hypercholesterolemic subject. Antibodies from four TTP patients were affinity purified and shown by two-dimensional analysis to recognize 43-kDa proteins having identical pl's (5.9, 6.0, and 6.1). Subcellular fractionation localized these antigens to cytosolic and nuclear compartments, sites presumably protected from immune recognition in the absence of endothelial injury. Western blot recognition of antiendothelial antibodies offers opportunities to define molecular characteristics and cellular distribution of antigens while generating reagents useful in their purification.
Nitric oxide synthase: A new diagnostic tool for neurogenic impotence

Abstract Cavernosal biopsy specimens obtained from men undergoing penile surgery permitted determination of the diagnostic value of nitric oxide synthase in neurogenic impotence. In biopsy specimens obtained from 25 men, the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), as shown by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase staining, was determined in nerve fibers, smooth muscle, and sinusoidal endothelium. Positive staining for NOS correlated significantly (p ⩽ 0.001) with a clinical history of cavernous nerve integrity. In comparison, staining with protein gene product (PGP 9.5), an excellent general nerve stain, lacked any degree of specificity as an indicator of nerve status. NADPH diaphorase may provide important insight into the cavernous nerve integrity of the patient. This report is the first to describe histologic features of human cavernosal tissue biopsies that will allow the direct diagnosis of neurogenic impotence owing to cavernous nerve damage.
Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopic studies on a silane adhesion-promoting mixture at a polymer interface.

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to probe the interface between poly(ethylene terephthalate) with deuterated ethylene glycol subunits (d4-PET) and a silane adhesion-...
Distribution, Concentration, and Health Care Implications of Naturopathic Physicians in the United States

Naturopathic physicians receive rigorous instruction through an accredited naturopathic school. Studies examining naturopaths from a geographic perspective are rare; therefore, it is important to acquire, process, and analyze data on the availability of and accessibility to naturopathic physicians (NDs) in the United States. What factors influence the locations of naturopaths? Multiple regression techniques indicated that population density and distance from naturopathic school explained more than 69% of the distribution. These same factors are also known to describe the locations of medical doctors (MDs). The implication is that the current distribution of NDs does not dramatically improve patients’ access to primary health care providers.
PURIFIED INTERFERONS: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND SPECIES SPECIFICITY.

The antiviral activity of highly purified preparations of chick and mouse interferons has marked species specificity. This species specificity is not explained by a demonstrable difference in adsorption rates. There is no difference in charge between the molecules as measured by combined zone electrophoresis or ion-exchange chromatography. The interferons are distinguishable by thermal inactivation studies and by precise chromatography on G-100 Sephadex columns. With the latter method, interferons produced by the same cell species (i) in vivo or in vitro, or (ii) in response to different viruses, have been shown to be identical. The same virus stimulates physically distinguishable molecules in the two different cell species. These findings indicate that interferon is a virus-induced product of the host genome
The MIIPS method for simultaneous phase measurement and compensation of femtosecond laser pulses and its role in two-photon microscopy and imaging

A number of nonlinear imaging modalities, such as two-photon excitation and second harmonic generation, have gained popularity during the last decade. These, and related methods, have in common the use of a femtosecond laser in the near infrared, with the short pulse duration making the nonlinear excitation highly efficient. Efforts toward the use of pulses with pulse duration at or below 10 fs, however, have been a great challenge, in part due to the fact that shorter pulses have been found to cause greater sample damage. Here we provide a brief review of the MIIPS method for correction of phase distortions introduced by high numerical aperture objectives and the introduction of simple phase functions capable of preventing three-photon induced damage, reducing autofluorescence, and providing selective probe excitation.
Oxygen-directed intramolecular hydroboration.

Metal-free homoallylic oxygen-directed intramolecular hydroboration is reported. Regioselectivities from 20:1 to 82:1 favoring the 1,3-dioxy-substituted products have been achieved using Me2S·BH3/TfOH followed by standard oxidative workup. Branching at the C5 position improves regioselectivity.
Theory of laser-molecule interaction: The recursive-residue-generation method

General properties of the semiclassical time propagator are given for molecules in interaction with intense laser fields, i.e., for molecular systems advanced by a periodic time-dependent operator. The operator expression of Floquet's theorem is used to unify various approaches in the literature and to emphasize that the problem can be reduced to a time-independent one with an effective quasienergy operator, if evolution is only considered at multiples of the optical period. The Magnus expansion (through third order) is used to obtain an explicit expression for the quasienergy operator. The recursive-residue-generation method, devised to evaluate transition amplitudes for systems with a very large number of coupled states, is developed in detail and applied to the model problem (with over 3 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{3}$ states) of an anharmonic oscillator, dipole coupled to the laser and also linearly coupled to a multimode harmonic bath.
Preoperative Preparation for Esophageal Surgery

Careful preoperative assessment is crucial in patients undergoing esophagectomy. The procedure carries significant morbidity and mortality, and careful evaluation is vital to minimizing risks. Tumor stage and the patient's general medical condition play equally important roles in determining operability. Patients with impaired pulmonary, cardiac, or nutritional function need to be identified, and reversible impairments need to be treated preoperatively. Preoperative tumor staging is done with a combination of tests, which should include CT, PET, and EUS for best noninvasive staging and more invasive techniques used on an individual basis.