cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Phenytoin on Theophylline Clearance

The influence of phenytoin on theophylline elimination was studied in six healthy, nonsmoking subjects who were not taking any other drugs. Subjects were given an intravenous infusion of theophylline (aminophylline), 5 mg/kg, and several blood specimens were drawn over the following 24 hr for theophylline concentration determination. Subjects then began a 2-wk course on oral phenytoin, 300 mg/day, and on day 15 were again challenged with theophylline. For each subject theophylline clearance (ClT) was greater when taking phenytoin (range 31% to 65%). Mean ClT of the six subjects was 45% greater when taking phenytoin than when not taking phenytoin. In one subject, 24-hr urine collections were obtained in the untreated and treated state for analysis of theophylline metabolites. These results showed a general increase in excretion for each of the three major theophylline metabolites in the phenytoin pretreated state compared to the control state. Results indicate that phenytoin increases theophylline elimination. Patients taking phenytoin may require larger theophylline doses than recommended to achieve therapeutic blood theophylline concentrations.
A fate constant data program

A program for compiling equilibrium and kinetic constants for predicting chemical transport and transformation in the environment is described. The fate constant data are obtained by searching the literature for reported measurements, by convening a panel of experts to postulate transformation pathways and products, by using computational techniques to estimate values, and by performing laboratory studies when measurements cannot be found or computed. Emphasis is placed throughout the program on quality control features to assure the reliability of the data.
The receptor binding conformation of bombyxin is induced by alanine(B15).

Bombyxin is an insect hormone with an insulin-like structure which affects the reduction of stored carbohydrates in the silkworm Bombyx mori. The receptor binding surface of bombyxin includes a trough on the interface between the B chain helix and the N-terminal A chain helix. Alanine(B15) is located on the edge of this feature, whereas the bottom is formed by hydrophobic core residues Ile(A2) and Leu(B14). Replacement of alanine(B15) with bulkier residues produces a negative steric effect on bombyxin receptor binding; alpha-aminobutyric acid reduced the affinity to 6.5%, valine to 1.1%, norvaline to 0.88%, and leucine to 0.05%. CD spectra of these analogues were indistinguishable from each other and identical to that of bombyxin. Changing the backbone structure by replacing alanine with glycine and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid resulted in analogues with activities of 3.7 and 1.4%, respectively, but also a disturbed structure as determined by CD spectroscopy. Replacement of other residues on the periphery of the trough, i.e., arginines at positions B12 and B16, also reduced the level of receptor binding but to a lesser extent than the replacement of alanine(B15). The level of receptor binding for citrulline(B12) bombyxin was 17% and for citrulline(B16) bombyxin was 45%. When it is considered that glycine(A1) is located on the edge of the same trough but across from Ala(B15) and is required for maintenance of the overall structure of bombyxin, it is proposed that the bombyxin receptor binding site forms a contiguous hydrophobic area consisting of residues Ile(A2), Leu(B14), and Ala(B15).
Presence and presentation : women in the Chinese literati tradition

Introduction S.J. Mou - Sex Crimes, Marital Violence and Collective Responsibilities: Women in Early Medieval Chinese Criminal Cases Jen-der Lee - Writing Virtues With Their Bodies: Mutilations in the Two Tang Histories' Biographies of Women S. J. Mou - The 'Strange' in Southern Dynasty Narratives of Female Death B.Spade - 'Smell Good and Get a Job': How Taoist Women were Verified and Legitimated During the Tang Dynasty S. Cahill - Ji-Entertainers in Tang Chang'an V. Xiong - Father in Heaven, Mother in Hell: Gender Politics in the Creation and Transformation of Mu-lien's Mother S. S. Lai - Bonds of Certain Consequence: The Personal Responses to Concubinage of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang D. J. Wyatt - Women in China's Frontier Politics: He qin: Political Marriage Between Chinese Imperial Princesses and Nomadic Rulers of Inner Asia N. Chia - Serving Women in the Ming Palace B. Hua Hsieh - Notes on Contributors - Index
A Study of Aerodynamics Around Rotating Blades in a Lawnmower Deck

The objective of this study is to investigate the flow behavior within a triple-blade lawnmower deck. The test section was constructed for velocity measurement with an open bottom and side-discharge. Velocity measurements were collected at several different tangential and axial sections inside the deck. The flow behaviors are observed using Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and a high-speed video camera capturing 2000 frames per second. Several different visualization techniques have been attempted: particle feeding, water vapor injection, tuft method, and others. To further enhance the experimental accuracy, fresh sod was fed into the system simulating normal cutting conditions. Along with the extensive velocity analysis, strain and static pressure were also examined at various surface locations along the blade using linear strain gages, piezoresistive pressure transducers, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods. Validation of the above analyses was performed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigation. It has been observed that the deck and blade configurations share equal significance in the resultant flow profiles.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Why does culture increase human adaptability

Abstract It is often argued that culture is adaptive because it allows people to acquire useful information without costly learning. In a recent paper Rogers (1989) analyzed a simple mathematical model that showed that this argument is wrong. Here we show that Rogers' result is robust. As long as the only benefit of social learning is that imitators avoid learning costs, social learning does not increase average fitness. However, we also show that social learning can be adaptive if it makes individual learning more accurate or less costly.
Renal cell carcinoma invading the hepatic veins

BACKGROUND Hepatic vein invasion by renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus is relatively uncommon. The Budd–Chiari syndrome that results from obstruction of the suprahepatic venous drainage by the tumor could evolve toward liver fibrosis and death. Early diagnosis and surgical treatment of this condition is of prime importance. Complete mobilization of the liver and rotation of the inferior vena cava enhances exposure of the ostium of the hepatic veins. This maneuver allows for the complete removal of tumor from the hepatic veins and decompression of the liver. METHODS Between May 1997 and April 2000, four patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava thrombus with hepatic vein invasion underwent surgery at the study institution.. Three of the patients had Budd–Chiari syndrome. Surgical techniques were developed to handle these difficult tumors safely. RESULTS Three patients presented with the Budd–Chiari syndrome, one of whom was found to have severe liver failure before surgery. The fourth patient presented with a hepatic vein tumor thrombus. A caval atrial thrombus and hepatic vein thrombus in one patient were removed successfully without opening the chest. Three patients required cardiopulmonary bypass. Hypothermic arrest was required in one patient. At the time of last follow-up, 2 patients were alive at 14 months and 30 months after surgery, respectively, without recurrence. One patient died 6 months after surgery due to metastatic renal carcinoma and 1 patient who had prior severe liver failure died of multiple organ failure 2 weeks after undergoing surgery. None of the four patients required reoperation. CONCLUSIONS Prompt surgical treatment should be performed to avoid hepatic failure and disease progression. The surgical technique described in the current study allowed for removal of the tumor from the hepatic veins and the authors believe it can be used with cardiopulmonary bypass to enhance visibility of the hepatic veins. Cancer 2001;92:1836–42. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Henry Cavendish (1731-1810): hydrogen, carbon dioxide, water, and weighing the world.

Henry Cavendish (1731–1810) was an outstanding chemist and physicist. Although he was not a major figure in the history of respiratory physiology he made important discoveries concerning hydrogen, ...
Partitioning of the chicken genome by microcell hybridization.

Chicken fibroblast cells isolated from 7-day-old White Leghorn S-line chicken embryos were used for microcell hybridization. Cells transfected with a pSV2-neo plasmid, which carries the Neor gene and confers resistance to geneticin (G418), were selected and maintained in medium containing G418 (350 micrograms/mL). Cells were micronucleated by colcemid arrest and hypotonic treatment. Enucleation was carried out by centrifugation in a Percoll gradient in the presence of cytochalasin B. Purified microcells and HeLa S3 cells were mixed and agglutinated by addition of phytohemagglutinin P, followed by polyethylene glycol fusion to generate microcell hybrids. Chicken by human microcell hybrids were selected in RPMI-1640 medium containing 1.4 mg/mL G418. Cloned hybrid cell lines were maintained in the same medium containing .7 mg/mL of G418. The presence of chicken chromosomes in hybrid cells was demonstrated by cytogenetic analysis and high-resolution nonisotopic chromosomal in situ hybridization. Three out of 28 hybrid cell lines analyzed retained single chicken chromosomes.
Litter dynamics and monthly fluctuations in soil phosphorus availability in an Amazonian agroforest

Abstract Commercial plantation agroforests offer a promising land-use alternative for small-scale farmers in tropical America because of their potential to produce high-value cash crops with less soil degradation than traditional annual cropping systems. In low- to no-input tree-based agroecosystems growing in tropical Ultisols and Oxisols, soil P availability depends heavily on factors that influence mineralization from decomposing litter. Using anion exchange resin membranes (AERMs), we monitored monthly fluctuations in soil solution P in an eight-year-old peach palm (Bactris gasipaes)–cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) commercial plantation agroforest to determine if changes in P availability were related to environmental factors controlling organic matter decomposition (precipitation, soil moisture and temperature) and seasonal fluctuations in litterfall and fruit harvest. Decomposition and C, N, and P dynamics in leaf litter were also studied to determine if soil P availability might be related to species differences in litter quality (initial leaf C, N and P contents) and thus differing rates of P release or immobilization. Although AERMs acted as dynamic exchangers, they appeared adequately sensitive to detect fluctuations in monthly soil P availability, despite inherently low soil extractable P concentrations. Soil P availability was greatest early in the rainy season, when both litterfall and a cycle of soil-wetting and drying were initiated, decreasing during the mid-rainy season when fruit production peaked. AERM P was greatest in superficial palm root mats, where decomposing litter accumulates, and in mineral soil beneath palm litter. This corresponded with greater N and P release from more P-rich palm leaf litter. Phosphorus immobilization in initially P-poor cupuassu leaves appears to have contributed to lowered P availability in soil underlying this species’ litter. Phosphorus availability was lowest in bare mineral soil located agroforest alleys where litter accumulation was minimal. Greater overall P availability in peach palm litter-covered soil and root mats may contribute to observed higher productivity in this species.
Pathophysiology of prediabetes and treatment implications for the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCD) are a growing public health challenge globally. An estimated 285 million people, corresponding to 6.4 % of the world’s adult population has diabetes. This is expected to reach 552 million by 2030, 7.8 % of the adult population, with the African region expected to experience the greatest increase. A much larger segment of the world’s population, approximating 79 million individuals in the US alone, has prediabetes. Multiple factors including genetic predisposition, insulin resistance, increased insulin secretory demand, glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity, impaired incretin release/action, amylin accumulation, and decreased β-cell mass play a causative role in the progressive β-cell dysfunction characteristic of prediabetes. Interventions preventing progression to type 2 diabetes should therefore delay or prevent β-cell failure. This article will first review the principal pathophysiological mechanisms underlying prediabetes and subsequently address treatment considerations based on these in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. In view of long-standing safety data with demonstrated efficacy and cost-effectiveness in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals, metformin should be considered as initial therapy for those unable to comply with or lifestyle modification or where the latter has been ineffective in decreasing progression to type 2 diabetes.
Trait contributions of complex dysregulated behavioral organization in schizophrenic patients.

Abstract Background: The “temporal architecture” of behavior is a construct that can be used to quantify the structure of behavioral sequences in the temporal domain—for example, by using a two-choice prediction task to investigate how past responses, stimuli, and outcomes influence the decision-making process. Using this task, previous investigations of the temporal architecture of the behavior in schizophrenic patients have identified an increased frequency of alternating highly predictable and highly unpredictable response sequences in the same test session in the same patient. Here, the hypothesis is tested that this dysregulation is stable over time and independent of psychosocial factors and symptomatic fluctuations. Methods: Ninety-one schizophrenic patients were tested on a 128 trial version of the two-choice prediction task; of those, 58 subjects completed a retest session 40 days later. Three sets of measures were obtained: simple response biases, dynamical entropy, and mutual information functions. These measures were subjected to a factor analysis, and the reliability of the resulting factors was examined. Results: First, three factors were obtained, which quantify 1) the level of dysregulation on this task; 2) the extent to which a win-stay/lose-shift strategy was used; and 3) the amount of simple response perseveration. Second, Crohnbach α for these factors was .699, .721, and .458, respectively. Third, there were no significant differences in the level of these factors within individual patients at the two time points. Fourth, neither symptom measures (Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms subscale scores) nor psychosocial or clinical variables (age, gender, illness duration, medication status) were able to predict the level of these factors at test or at retest. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that the fundamental dysregulation of the temporal architecture of behavior in schizophrenic patients is stable across time and independent of symptomatic status. Future studies will examine the heritability of this dysfunction.
Resveratrol-mediated sensitisation to TRAIL-induced apoptosis depends on death receptor and mitochondrial signalling

Natural food products such as resveratrol have gained considerable attention as cancer chemopreventive agents. In the present study, we investigated the potential of resveratrol to overcome the resistance of tumour cells against TRAIL. While resveratrol enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis through G1 cell cycle arrest and survivin depletion, resveratrol failed to sensitise cells with high expression levels of Bcl-2 or FADD-DN. Interestingly, overexpression of Bcl-2 or FADD-DN did not interfere with resveratrol-mediated cell cycle arrest or survivin depletion, but blocked release of cytochrome c and Smac from mitochondria into the cytosol, enhanced caspase activation and apoptosis upon combined treatment with resveratrol and TRAIL indicating that overexpression of Bcl-2 or FADD-DN decoupled the effect of resveratrol on the cell cycle and apoptosis. Similarly, cell cycle arrest at G1 using the cell cycle specific inhibitor mimosine or downregulation of survivin expression by antisense oligonucleotides failed to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis in Bcl-2- or FADD-DN-transfected cells. Likewise, inhibition of caspase activity using the broad range caspase inhibitor zVAD.fmk did not interfere with resveratrol-mediated cell cycle arrest and survivin depletion, while blocking apoptosis upon combined treatment with resveratrol and TRAIL. Thus, resveratrol is a potent sensitiser for TRAIL in certain tumours. However, it may be ineffective in others, e.g. in tumours with enhanced Bcl-2 expression or defective death receptor signalling.
Theory of bokeh image structure in camera lenses with an aspheric surface

We present theoretical, numerical, and experimental analysis of the cause of internal structure in out-of-focus images of point light sources seen in shots taken with camera lenses that incorporate aspheric surfaces. This “bokeh” structure is found to be due to diffraction on the phase grating at the lens exit pupil induced by small-scale undulations (ripples) of aspheric surfaces. We develop a phase-to-intensity transfer function approach which leads to a simple formula for estimating the intensity modulation ratio in the resulting bokeh based on the out-of-focus distance, amplitude, and frequency of surface undulations. Numerical simulations of bokeh image formation are carried out for a parabolic mirror imager and a double Gauss objective. We find that modulation depth in the bokeh structure calculated by light propagation based simulation agrees with theory when the modulation depth is <30%. Bokeh images are shown to be more sensitive to manufacturing artifacts of an aspheric surface than corresponding degradation in the lens modulation transfer function for a sharp focused image. We apply the transfer function approach to the calculation of the bokeh produced by a measured aspheric surface in a built camera lens and find reasonable agreement between the calculated and measured bokeh structure.
Environmental Summary of the Federal Register2

The ESFR provides a convenient way to review environmental entries within the Federal Register. It reduces the time to search for specific items, aids a user in obtaining a quick summary of all agency business, and provide full text entries of each summary. This enables a user to store any relevant information in an electronic data base and/or print out hard copies of relevant material, which makes organization quick and easy. Further, as a regular reader of the Federal Register, I do admit that use of ESFR would greatly ease a particularly tedious task; however, potential purchasers should keep in mind that the price of an outside company reducing the amount regulation review time is relatively expensive as compared with the cost of a one year subscription to the Federal Register.
Autopsy utilization in medicolegal defense of anesthesiologists.

BACKGROUND The rate of autopsy in hospital deaths has declined from more than 50% to 2.4% over the past 50 yr. To understand the role of autopsies in anesthesia malpractice claims, we examined 980 closed claims for deaths that occurred in 1990 or later in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project Database. METHODS Deaths with autopsy were compared with deaths without autopsy. Deaths with autopsy were evaluated to answer the following four questions: Did autopsy findings establish a cause of death? Did autopsy provide new information? Did autopsy identify a significant nonanesthetic contribution to death? Did autopsy help or hurt the defense of the anesthesiologist? Reliability was assessed by κ scores. Differences between groups were compared with chi-square analysis and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test with P < 0.05 for statistical significance. RESULTS Autopsies were performed in 551 (56%) of 980 claims for death. Evaluable autopsy information was available in 288 (52%) of 551 claims with autopsy. Patients in these 288 claims were younger and healthier than those in claims for death without autopsy (P < 0.01). Autopsy provided pathologic diagnoses and an unequivocal cause of death in 21% of these 288 claims (κ= 0.71). An unexpected pathologic diagnosis was found in 50% of claims with evaluable autopsy information (κ = 0.59). Autopsy identified a significant nonanesthetic contribution in 61% (κ = 0.64) of these 288 claims. Autopsy helped in the defense of the anesthesiologist in 55% of claims and harmed the defense in 27% (κ = 0.58) of claims with evaluable autopsy information. CONCLUSIONS Autopsy findings were more often helpful than harmful in the medicolegal defense of anesthesiologists. Autopsy identified a significant nonanesthetic contribution to death in two thirds of claims with evaluable autopsy information.
Non-pancreatic proteases of the chymotrypsin family. II. Two proteases from a mouse mast cell tumor

A chymotrypsin-like protease has been prepared from the mouse P815Y mast-cell tumor. It is similar in most respects to the first such enzyme purified from the normal peritoneal mast cells of the rat. It, too, has a molecular weight (estimated by gel filtration) of about 25 000. The apparent molecular weight is lower, unless high salt concentrations are used to overcome affinity of this enzyme for the dextran or polyamide gel columns. The binding of indole, and the binding of potato chymotrypsin inhibitor I, are characteristically strong. Specific alkylations and phosphorylation suggest a serine-histidine active center system. The protein is basic, with strong affinity for the heparin of the mast cell granule. High K+ concentrations (>1 M), rather than Na+, are needed to displace fully the enzyme from heparin in solution. A trypsin-like enzyme is also prominent in the mouse (but not the rat) cells. The trypsin-like enzyme has a specificity and active center reactivity characteristic of pancreatic trypsin, and a molecular weight, estimated by gel filtration, of about 35 000.
Identification of the mycothiol synthase gene (mshD) encoding the acetyltransferase producing mycothiol in actinomycetes.

Mycothiol is the predominant thiol in most actinomycetes, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and appears to play a role analogous to glutathione, which is not found in these bacteria. The enzymes involved in mycothiol biosynthesis are of interest as potential targets for new drugs directed against tuberculosis. In this work we describe the isolation and characterization of a Tn5 transposon mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis that is blocked in the production of mycothiol and accumulates its precursor, 1D-myo-inosityl 2-L-cysteinylamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside (Cys-GlcN-Ins). Cys-GlcN-Ins isolated from this mutant was used to assay for acetyl-CoA:Cys-GlcN-Ins acetyltransferase (mycothiol synthase, MshD) activity, which was found in wild-type cells, but not in the mutant. Sequencing outward of the DNA of the mutant strain from the site of insertion permitted identification of the mshD gene in the M. smegmatis genome, as well as the orthologous gene Rv0819 in the M. tuberculosis genome. Cloning and expression of mshD from M. tuberculosis (Rv0819) in Escherichia coli gave a transformant with MshD activity, demonstrating that Rv0819 is the mshD mycothiol biosynthesis gene.
Gödel's Conceptual Realism

Kurt Godel is almost as famous—one might say “notorious”—for his extreme platonist views as he is famous for his mathematical theorems. Moreover his platonism is not a myth; it is well-documented in his writings. Here are two platonist declarations about set theory, the first from his paper about Bertrand Russell and the second from the revised version of his paper on the Continuum Hypotheses. Classes and concepts may, however, also be conceived as real objects, namely classes as “pluralities of things” or as structures consisting of a plurality of things and concepts as the properties and relations of things existing independently of our definitions and constructions. It seems to me that the assumption of such objects is quite as legitimate as the assumption of physical bodies and there is quite as much reason to believe in their existence. But, despite their remoteness from sense experience, we do have something like a perception also of the objects of set theory, as is seen from the fact that the axioms force themselves upon us as being true. I don't see any reason why we should have less confidence in this kind of perception, i.e., in mathematical intuition, than in sense perception. The first statement is a platonist declaration of a fairly standard sort concerning set theory. What is unusual in it is the inclusion of concepts among the objects of mathematics. This I will explain below. The second statement expresses what looks like a rather wild thesis.
The Role of Blood Impulse in Cerebral Aneurysm Coil Compaction: Effect of Aneurysm Neck Size

Endovascular occlusion of cerebral aneurysms with bare platinum detachable coils is now recognized as preferable to surgical clipping (ISUIA Group, 2003, ISAT Group, 2002, Bavinzski et al, 1995, Thornton et al, 2002). Dependent on coil packing density (the ratio of the coil volume deposited in an aneurysm to that of the aneurysm volume), aneurysm location, size and neck width, coil compaction with recanalization of the aneurysm remains in the long-term a major concern. The aneurysm neck size is reported to be the main predictor for aneurysm recanalization (Fernandez-Zubillaga et al, 1994). The forces exerted on the coil mass at the aneurysm neck due to blood pulsatility are larger for wide neck aneurysms as compared to small neck aneurysms (Bavinzski et al, 1995). However, impingement forces have not been evaluated. We evaluated the force impinging on the aneurysm neck in a simplified aneurysm (basilar top) geometry utilizing the impulse-momentum equation and Womersley’s flow. Maximum impingement force as a function of aneurysm neck to parent lumen diameter ratio varies as a sigmoid curve. Analysis of the hemodynamic forces affecting coil compaction in cerebral aneurysms shows that the coil mass at the aneurysm neck may be subjected to cyclic impulse impingement due to redirection of blood momentum. Orientation of the aneurysm neck and the main axis of the aneurysm in relation to the oncoming parent vessel flow may help clinicians predict the risk of coil compaction and the location of subsequent aneurysm recanalization.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
A Computational Algorithm for Reliability Bounds in Probabilistic Design

Kapur formulated quadratic programming problems for determining bounds on the design reliability, given some bounds on the probabilities of the stress and strength random variables. We modify Kapur's formulation to improve its accuracy, and present a solution to the resulting quadratic programming problems that can be evaluated manually.
The role of radiosurgery to the tumor bed after resection of brain metastases.

BACKGROUND: Optimal postoperative management paradigm for brain metastases remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of the literature to understand the role of postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery after resection of brain metastases. METHODS: We performed a MEDLINE search of the literature to identify series of patients with brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery after surgical resection. Outcomes including overall survival, local control, distant intracranial failure, and salvage therapy use were recorded. Patient, tumor, and treatment factors were correlated with outcomes through the use of the Pearson correlation and 2-way Student t test as appropriate. RESULTS: Fourteen studies involving 629 patients were included. Median survival for all studies was 14 months. Local control was correlated with the median volume treated with radiosurgery (r = -0.766, P < .05) and with the rate of gross total resection (r = .728, P < .03). Mean crude local control was 83%; 1-year local control was 85%. Distant intracranial failure occurred in 49% of cases, and salvage whole-brain radiation therapy was required in 29% of cases. Use of a radiosurgical margin did not lead to increased local control or overall survival. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review supports the use of radiosurgery as a safe and effective strategy for adjuvant treatment of brain metastases, particularly when gross total resection has been achieved. With all limitations of comparisons between studies, no increase in local recurrence or decrease in overall survival compared with rates with adjuvant whole-brain radiation therapy was found.
High-throughput screening of small molecule ligands targeted to live bacteria surface.

The discovery of small molecule ligands targeted to the surface of live pathogenic bacteria would enable an entirely new class of antibiotics. We report the development and validation of a microarray-based high-throughput screening platform for bacteria that exploits 300 μm diameter chemical spots in a 1 in. × 3 in. nanolayered glass slide format. Using 24 model compounds and 4 different bacterial strains, we optimized the screening technology, including fluorophore-based optical deconvolution for automated scoring of affinity and cyan–magenta–yellow–key (CMYK) color-coding for scoring of both affinity and specificity. The latter provides a lossless, one-dimensional view of multidimensional data. By linking in silico analysis with cell binding affinity and specificity, we could also begin to identify the physicochemical factors that affect ligand performance. The technology we describe could form the foundation for developing new classes of antibiotics.
Optimal and Equilibrium Membership in Clubs in the Presence of Spillovers

Abstract This paper treats a partial equilibrium club economy in which clubs impose positive or negative externalities on one another. Both spillovers in congestable good and crowding are studied. It is shown that an increase the relative strength of the first type of spillover may result in either an increase or decrease in the optimal club size and public good levels. Spillovers in crowding, on the other hand, have a definite effect on the optimal membership and production of public good. These optimal outcomes are then compared to Nash equilibrium club size and public good provision when clubs are established by profit maximizing entrepreneurs instead of a social planner.
Automatic Full Strain Field Moiré Interferometry Measurement with Nano-scale Resolution

Moire Interferometry (MI) theoretically can provide real-time full strain field measurements in dynamic environment. So it’s extensively used in reliability analysis of electronic packaging. Due to the nature of specimen preparations procedure, the optical noise is usually too strong so that an accurate phase-based information processing is not possible. In this paper, a 164 nm/pixel spatial resolution Moire Interferometer with automated full strain field calculation is proposed. Provided by two-level zooming system, the high spatial resolution increase the signal intensity and eliminate some optical noise which allows accurate full strain field map generated automatically by the combination of phase shifting technique and continuous wavelet transform (CWT). Furthermore, the calculation procedure of CWT proposed here does not require unwrapping and differentiation, which avoid the possible numerical noise introduced in these two steps. In the proposed system, pixel by pixel in-plane strain tensors will be calculate from the intensity map of interferograms using phase-based method. The resulting strain tensor can be used to model constitutive relationship or compare with finite element analysis results. A thermal experiment on BGA packaging is used to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed new design.
Fundamental engineering problems and opportunities in operating power transmission grids of the future

Abstract This paper is concerned with the pivotal role of the transmission grid in achieving high energy efficiency over interconnected power systems. Since the transmission grid is taking on greater importance in responding to the evolving competition and deregulation of the utility business, we first briefly review its basic role and the methods by which it has been compensated and controlled in the past. In the future it is likely that the grid will be called upon to accommodate large energy transfers over far electrical distances, maximize power flow over the contractual paths while minimizing its effects on the rest of the system, and accommodate additional transfer needs caused by an increased presence of the independent power producers (IPP). While much discussion is concerned with the regulatory aspects of these changes, it is also necessary to revisit basic engineering issues in planning and operating the transmission grid subject to these changes. This paper deals strictly with the engineering aspects of the problem. It reviews fundamental planning and operating questions of the, transmission grid as seen by the author. Its emphasis is on network/control concepts considered essential in planning new compensation of the transmission grid and its adaptation to very dynamic and uncertain changes in generation and load inputs to the grid.
Structural characterization of recombinant consensus interferon-α

Abstract Recombinant consensus interferon-α is derived from genetically modified Escherichia coli containing a synthetic gene constructed from a consensus of interferon sequences. The purified and biologically active protein has been subjected to detailed structural characterization including sequence determination and peptide isolation and identification. The homogeneous consensus interferon-α preparation contains two chromatographically indistinguishable homologous polypeptides with one containing an extra methionyl residue at the amino terminus. The delineated amino acid sequence of the protein is identical to that expected from the coding sequence of the gene. Correct oxidation of the molecule has been confirmed with two intramolecular disulfide linkages observed at Cys(1)-Cys(99) and Cys(29)-Cys(139).
Texture control and ferroelectric properties of Pb(Nb,Zr,Sn,Ti)O3 thin films prepared by chemical solution method

Abstract A chelating and spin-coating procedure was used to prepare antiferroelectric thin films of Pb 0.99 Nb 0.02 [(Zr 0.84 Sn 0.16 ) 0.982 Ti 0.018 ] 0.98 O 3 . By controlling substrate and thermal processing conditions, films with strong (100) and (111) textures, as well as without textures, were prepared. These antiferroelectric films showed the characteristic double hysteresis polarization vs. electric field loops. An orientation dependence of the critical field for the antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition was also observed. In addition, when the applied voltage exceeded a critical level during the first “ramp up,” an abnormal reduction in the area of the hysteresis loop was noticed in the (100) and (111) textured films.
Coupling dynamics between photoluminescent centers in ZnO and surface plasmons

Nanostructured metal-ZnO systems provide an ideal workbench for studying the dynamics of exciton-plasmon coupling. In order to characterize the interactions, we grew tri-layer structures comprising thin films of ZnO, variable-thickness spacer layers of MgO, and thin films of Ag or Au. Analysis of the photoluminescence of these structures as a function of increasing MgO thickness confirms the existence of surface plasmon polariton-exciton coupling through Purcell enhancement of the excitonic emission for MgO films thinner than 30 nm, and through emission at the SPP resonance for MgO films thicker than 30 nm. Further, we demonstrate the enhancement of the ZnO impurity photoluminescence through dipole-dipole scattering with Ag and Au LSPs. Preliminary degenerate band-edge pump-probe measurements confirm the conclusions developed from photoluminescence measurements. In order to disentangle and further quantify the interactions seen in these systems, we are lithographically patterning metal nanoparticle arrays and metal hole arrays on ZnO quantum wells and beginning to perform white-light pump-probe spectroscopy to fully characterize the dynamics of energy transfer within these systems.
A new analytical approximation for the Thomas-Fermi model in atomic physics

Abstract The Thomas-Fermi model is studied in the light of multiple scales. The governing equation for the effective nuclear charge in a heavy, neutral atom is converted into a set of partial differential equations by an extension of the radial distance into a space of higher dimension. This is done by using “scale functions” which are necessarily nonlinear. A new analytical approximation for the nuclear charge is obtained by solving the extended equations. It is seen that the result is useful in several respects—provides enough arbitrary constants to absorb the boundary conditions, describes the correct asymptotic behavior both for small and large distances from the nucleus, and recovers a known exact solution under appropriate conditions. A uniform analytical description of the phenomenon is obtained and the approach is physically meaningful.
How should hamsters run? Some observations about sufficient patient time in primary care

In a recent editorial in this journal Ian Morrison and Richard Smith commented on doctors' dissatisfaction with not having sufficient time for their patients and suggested the need to redesign care to better meet the needs of patients.1 Yet to address such a redesign requires a sound factual basis. Although the consensus in the United States has been that managed care has required substantial reductions in the time that patients spend with their doctor, consultation time increased between 1989 and 1998 for prepaid and non-prepaid visits, primary and specialty care, new and repeat visits, and visits for common problems as well as for serious illness.2 Studies of how primary care doctors worked in the United States and in the United Kingdom over the past several decades can contribute to a more refined diagnosis. #### Summary points Doctors in both the United Kingdom and the United States believe that they have less time for each patient, yet time with patients is increasing in both countries Doctors feel stressed because there is now so much more they can do, patients and the public expect more, and there are more external forces impinging on their practice Personal continuity of care between doctor and patient builds trust and allows doctors to use available time more productively Email communication with patients, properly structured and with adequate safeguards, helps maintain continuity of care, provides opportunities to deal expeditiously with routine matters, and allows more time for meaningful communication I have drawn on 35 years of studying medical practice in the United States and United Kingdom, my reprint collection, and searches of Medline and other databases dealing with physician time and uses of the internet for health purposes. In 1966 I surveyed a random sample of 995 general practitioners in England and Wales and asked them about 26 …
LOCAL CALCIUM RELEASE IN MAMMALIAN SKELETAL MUSCLE

1. Fluo-3 fluorescence associated with Ca2+ release was recorded with confocal microscopy in single muscle fibres mechanically dissected from fast twitch muscle of rats or frogs, voltage clamped in a two Vaseline-gap chamber. 2. Interventions that elicited Ca2+ sparks in frog skeletal muscle (low voltage depolarizations, application of caffeine) generated in rat fibres images consistent with substantial release from triadic regions, but devoid of resolvable discrete events. Ca2+ sparks were never observed in adult rat fibres. In contrast, sparks of standard morphology were abundant in myotubes from embryonic mice. 3. Depolarization-induced gradients of fluorescence between triadic and surrounding regions (which are proportional to Ca2+ release flux) peaked at about 20 ms and then decayed to a steady level. Gradients were greater in frog fibres than in rat fibres. The ratio of peak over steady gradient (R) was steeply voltage dependent in frogs, reaching a maximum of 4.8 at -50 mV (n = 7). In rats, R had an essentially voltage-independent value of 2.3 (n = 5). 4. Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, resulting in concerted opening of several release channels, is thought to underlie Ca2+ sparks and the peak phase of release in frog skeletal muscle. A diffuse 'small event' release, similar to that observed in these rats, is also present in frogs and believed to be directly activated by voltage. The present results suggest that in these rat fibres there is little contribution by CICR to Ca2+ release triggered by depolarization, and a lack of concerted channel opening.
Deblurring of x-ray spectra acquired with a Nal-photomultiplier detector by constrained least-squares deconvolution.

A constrained least-squares technique to correct diagnostic x-ray tube energy spectra for inherent blurring by scintillation detectors was developed. The measured detector response function to monoenergetic sources was used to construct a matrix that modeled the energy broadening in the crystal. This blurring operator, along with an estimate of statistical noise in the count data, comprised the a priori system knowledge required for application of the method. Tungstenanodespectra up to 90 kVp were acquired with a Nal-photomultiplier detector system at a source-to-detector distance of 30 cm. X-ray tube output was collimated at the detector by a 0.5 mm diameter pinhole collimator. Measured Nal spectra were compared to both published reference data and to spectra acquired in our laboratory with a Gedetector system. Application of the constrained least-squares technique involved first defining a criterion function that combined an assessment of the goodness of fit with a weighted measure of the smoothness of the solution. Minimization of this function resulted in the corrected spectrum. While it is not possible to recover the characteristictungsten peaks, the success of our method in deconvolving the measured spectra was demonstrated by a significant improvement in agreement with reference data. To provide a measure of this agreement, a histogram of the differences between the two curves was generated. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Gaussian distribution fit to the histogram was used to quantify the similarity between the spectra and the reference data, both before and after correction. As spectral agreement improves, the FWHM becomes smaller. We show that application of the constrained least-squares technique improved spectral matching by 20%–60%.
Feline vestibular disorders. Part I: anatomy and clinical signs.

An understanding of the anatomy of the feline vestibular system is essential for interpretation of the clinical signs associated with vestibular dysfunction, for precise lesion localisation, and for accurate interpretation of results of diagnostic imaging. Appropriate recognition and interpretation of the clinical signs of vestibular disease is also an essential aspect of the precise diagnosis of the cause of vestibular dysfunction in cats. The objectives of this review are to provide an overview of the anatomy of the feline vestibular system, and to review the clinical signs of peripheral and central vestibular dysfunction of cats.
CMS Centres Worldwide: A new collaborative infrastructure

The CMS Experiment at the LHC is establishing a global network of inter-connected CMS Centres for controls, operations and monitoring. These support: (1) CMS data quality monitoring, detector calibrations, and analysis; and (2) computing operations for the processing, storage and distribution of CMS data. We describe the infrastructure, computing, software, and communications systems required to create an effective and affordable CMS Centre. We present our highly successful operations experiences with the major CMS Centres at CERN, Fermilab, and DESY during the LHC first beam data-taking and cosmic ray commissioning work. The status of the various centres already operating or under construction in Asia, Europe, Russia, South America, and the USA is also described. We emphasise the collaborative communications aspects. For example, virtual co-location of experts in CMS Centres Worldwide is achieved using high-quality permanently-running telepresence video links. Generic Web-based tools have been developed and deployed for monitoring, control, display management and outreach.
Ultrastructure of the human mammary ductule.

Terminal ductules of resting premenopausal breast were studied to determine the limits of normal ultrastructural variability. The lumen of the ductule is enclosed by columnar epithelial cells; and these, in turn, are enclosed by a discontinuous layer of myoepithelial cells. Some epithelial cells extend from the lumen through the discontinuities among the myoepithelial cells to the basement membrane. Usually, ductules with closely apposed cells have simple basement membranes, while those with separated cells have multiple basement membranes. Microvilli are present in clear spaces in lumens and between cells but are absent from occluded lumens. Some lumens contain orderly arrangements of filamentous material of maximum unit diameter of 410 A. Both cell types vary in density from light to dark. Two types of nuclear inclusion are found. Position, smaller mitochondria, hemidesmosomes and dark patches on myofibrils distinguish myoepithelial from epithelial cells. The distinctions are quantitative rather than qualitative, and there are suggestions of an essential similarity between the 2 cell types.
THE EFFECT OF HEXYL RESORCINOL ON YEAST GROWTH AND FERMENTATION

Summary. 1 Concentrations of 0.3 and 0.1 gm. of hexyl resorcinol per litre completely inhibit yeast growth and fermentation. Concentrations of 0.01 and 0.005 gm. only slightly inhibit. 2 Invertase action is not affected in the presence of 0.3 gm. of hexyl resorcinol per litre of mash.