cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subcellular localization of glutamate-stimulated intracellular magnesium concentration changes in cultured rat forebrain neurons using confocal microscopy.

Abstract Glutamate can stimulate increases in intracellular magnesium concentration ([Mg2+]i) and induce neurotoxicity, both independent of Ca2+ changes. Although Mg2+ is essential within the cell, very little is known about how it is regulated, especially in neurons. Therefore we used the fluorescent indicator, magindo-1 and confocal microscopy to examine possible intracellular pools of Mg2+ in cultured neurons that can be dynamically regulated by glutamate. The magindo-1 fluorescence signal was present throughout the cell body and extends into the neuronal processes. The magindo-1 405 nm/490 nm ratio signal was similar in the cytoplasm and nucleus, suggesting that resting [Mg2+]i is uniform across the neuron. The addition of 100 μM glutamate/10 μM glycine in an extracellular Ca2+- and Na+-free buffer stimulated an increase in [Mg2+]i in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic regions of similar magnitude and duration. This glutamate exposure also stimulated a [Mg2+]i increase in neuronal processes which was inhibited by the N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor antagonist, MK-801 (10 μM). The glutamate-stimulated [Mg2+]i increase in both the cell body and neuronal processes was dependent on the extracellular Mg2+ concentration. These findings suggest glutamate-stimulated [Mg2+]i changes may not only impact cytoplasmic processes, but also directly trigger nuclear events involved, for example, in neuronal injury.
Ultrasound-guided umbilical catheter insertion in neonates

Umbilical catheter placement is a routine neonatal emergency procedure that has large variability in technical methods. Commonly used methods are unable to accurately estimate insertion lengths, and X-rays cannot always identify malpositioned catheters. In clinical practice, the placement of umbilical lines takes time away from nursing during a critical transition period. Ultrasound is a safe and commonly used tool in the nursery for clinical management of sick neonates and has been shown to readily identify central catheter tip position. In this study, we sought to determine a more time-efficient and accurate means of umbilical catheter placement using bedside ultrasound. This is a prospective, randomized, pilot trial of infants of any age or weight admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit who required umbilical catheter placement. Infants were excluded if they had congenital heart disease, abdominal wall defects or had a single umbilical artery. Catheters were placed using either the conventional method, with blinded evaluation of the catheters using ultrasound, or with ultrasound guidance, with input pertaining to catheter tip location. The number of X-rays required to confirm proper positioning, completion time points throughout the procedure and manipulations of the lines were recorded for both groups. Ultrasound use decreased the time of line placement with an average saving of 64 min, as well as decreased the number of manipulations required and X-rays taken to place the catheters. The average X-ray time from request to viewing per X-ray was 40 min for all subjects. Ultrasound-guided umbilical catheter placement is a faster method to place catheters requiring fewer manipulations and X-rays when compared with conventional catheter placement.
Effects of a kappa agonist, spiradoline mesylate (U62,066E), on activation and vaginocervical-stimulation produced analgesia in rats.

Previous research has demonstrated increased pain threshold during copulation, gestation, and parturition in animals. In the laboratory, mechanostimulation of the vaginocervical region in many animals, as well as humans, can increase responsiveness to noxious but not to innocuous stimuli. This increased pain inhibition to vaginocervical stimulation, which mimics natural parturition, is mediated by spinal and supraspinal neuropeptides, including the opiates. The present research was designed to ascertain the possible effects of a kappa opioid agonist on vaginocervical-stimulated analgesia in rats. Initially, the novel kappa-selective agonist, spiradoline mesylate (U62,066E; 0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.), was injected intraperitoneally and general behavioral arousal in an open field apparatus was recorded. Results from this experiment indicate that stimulation with the kappa-selective drug caused significant decreases in behavioral activity at the high dose as compared to saline and the medium and low doses. Next, the effects of U62,066E (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on the analgesia associated with vaginocervical stimulation were determined in a tail flick apparatus. The kappa drug significantly increased antinociceptive thresholds prior to and during vaginocervical stimulation at the 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg doses. By contrast, the high dose (10.0 mg/kg) of U62,066E decreased vaginocervical stimulation-produced analgesia. Results are discussed in terms of the potential of nonaddictive kappa-selective opioid compounds being utilized in reproductive pain.
A Unique Approach to Power Electronics and Motor Cooling in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Environment

An innovative system for cooling the power electronics of hybrid electric vehicles is presented. This system uses a typical automotive refrigerant R-134a (1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane) as the cooling fluid in a system that can be used as either part of the existing vehicle passenger air conditioning system or separately and independently of the existing air conditioner. Because of the design characteristics, the cooling coefficient of performance is on the order of 40. Because liquid refrigerant is used to cool the electronics directly, high heat fluxes can result while maintaining an electronics junction temperature at an acceptable value. In addition, an inverter housing that occupies only half the volume of a conventional inverter has been designed to take advantage of this cooling system. Planned improvements should result in further volume reductions while maintaining a high power level.
An Adaptive Staggered Dose Design for a Normal Endpoint.

In a clinical trial where several doses are compared to a control, a multi-stage design that combines both the selection of the best dose and the confirmation of this selected dose is desirable. An example is the two-stage drop-the-losers or pick-the-winner design, where inferior doses are dropped after interim analysis. Selection of target dose(s) can be based on ranking of observed effects, hypothesis testing with adjustment for multiplicity, or other criteria at interim stages. A number of methods have been proposed and have made significant gains in trial efficiency. However, many of these designs started off with all doses with equal allocation and did not consider prioritizing the doses using existing dose-response information. We propose an adaptive staggered dose procedure that allows explicit prioritization of doses and applies error spending scheme that favors doses with assumed better responses. This design starts off with only a subset of the doses and adaptively adds new doses depending on in...
Sensory modulation disorders among children with a history of trauma: a frame of reference for speech-language pathologists.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to present definitions and concepts about sensory modulation, illustrate behavioral aspects of sensory modulation disorders, describe a framework for assessme...
Relationship of left atrial size and function to invasive left ventricular filling pressure: a cardiac MRI study

Background Increased left atrial (LA) size measured at left ventricular (LV) end systole is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in population based studies. LA function can be divided into 3 components: LA filling during LV systole, a passive emptying phase during early diastole and active atrial systole during LV late diastole. We sought to assess the relationships of LA volume and emptying function to invasive LV end diastolic pressure (LVEDP).
Monuments, mundanity and memory: Altering ‘place’ and ‘space’ at the National War Memorial (Canada):

On 1 July 2006, three youths were photographed urinating on the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Canada. This event affected Canadian collective memory in a very particular and subtle way. It acted...
Initial bispectral index may identify patients who will awaken during therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: a retrospective pilot study.

Abstract Aim Patients sustain a range of neurologic injuries after cardiac arrest, and determining which patients should be treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is complex, often confounded by sedation and neuromuscular blockade (NMB). We evaluated bispectral index (BIS) monitoring as a tool to identify adult patients that awakened during therapeutic hypothermia. Methods Review of prospectively collected registry data, with retrospective chart review of patient descriptions during hypothermia. Data are presented as median (interquartile range). Results 7 of 309 patients (2.2%) treated with TH over 6 years awoke (followed commands) prior to completing hypothermia. Median age was 58 (54–66) years; 71% were male, cardiac arrest was witnessed in 6 (86%) and out-of-hospital in 6 (86%), and 4 patients (57%) were transferred from another hospital. 5 patients (71%) had an initial rhythm of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, time to return of spontaneous circulation was 17 (12–23)min. The BIS value after first NMB dose during TH was 63, 45, 43, 52, 62, 54, and 42 (median 52, IQR 44–58, 95% confidence interval 46–58). The median BIS value in the remaining data set ( n =302) was 18 (6–36), p 46. Conclusion Patients who awakened early had higher BIS values after the first dose of NMB. Processed EEG values after cardiac arrest may provide additional information that could assist with determining best treatment.
Impact of Rice Flour Cold-Water-Soluble Fraction Removal on Gelatinization and Pasting Properties

ABSTRACT The influence of the cold-water-soluble fraction on gelatinization and pasting properties of rice flour was investigated. The cold-water-soluble fraction was removed by water extraction under room temperature. The gelatinization properties of untreated and treated flour were analyzed with a differential scanning calorimeter, and pasting profiles were measured with a rapid viscosity analyzer. The removal of the cold-water-soluble fraction resulted in the formation of a loosened starch granule structure, a morphological alteration of protein bodies, a markedly lower gelatinization temperature, and a significantly higher pasting enthalpy. The impact on paste viscosity followed different trends. In some cultivars that had lower endogenous amylase activity, the paste viscosity was greatly reduced by the removal of the cold-water-soluble fraction. In others, the higher level of endogenous amylase activity led to more soluble saccharides being released through starch hydrolysis. Removing the soluble fra...
SP100B is a repressor of gene expression.

Mammalian cell nuclei exhibit discrete sites where specific proteins characteristically localize. PML nuclear bodies (PML NBs) (nuclear domain 10s (ND10s)) are the primary localization site for the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein and the SP100 autoantigen. The observations that some PML and SP100 isoforms can function as transcriptional regulators, that both the size and number of PML bodies increase in response to interferon treatment, and that many mammalian viruses encode proteins that mediate disruption of PML bodies suggest that these sites suppress viral infection, perhaps by repressing viral gene expression. We hypothesized that a component of PML NBs functions as a repressor of gene expression. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the effect of PML or SP100 isoforms on expression of transfected reporter genes. PML-I, PML-VI, and SP100A did not repress reporter gene expression. In contrast, SP100B repressed reporter gene expression, especially under conditions in which the reporter gene expression was elevated by a viral transactivator or addition of trichostatin A to the culture medium. The SP100B DNA binding domain was required for repression. SP100B had no detectable effect on the amount, methylation pattern, or topological form of plasmid DNA in the nuclei of transfected cells. The demonstrated repressive activity of SP100B supports the hypothesis that SP100B is a component of an innate immune response that represses expression of ectopic DNA. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Role of ENPP1 on adipocyte maturation.

Background It is recognized that the ability of adipose tissue to expand in response to energy excess, i.e. adipocyte maturation, is important in determining systemic abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism. Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1, also known as PC-1) has been recently reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and related diseases. However, its role on adipose tissue physiology as a mechanism of systemic insulin resistance is not understood. This study was performed to evaluate whether ENPP1 is regulated during adipogenesis and whether over-expression in adipocytes can affect adipocyte maturation, a potential novel mechanism of ENPP1-related insulin resistance.
Neutron detector based on Particles of 6Li glass scintillator dispersed in organic lightguide matrix

Abstract Most 3He replacement neutron detector technologies today have overlapping neutron–gamma pulse-height distributions, which limits their usefulness and performance. Different techniques are used to mitigate this shortcoming, including Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) or threshold settings that suppress all gammas as well as much of the neutrons. As a result, count rates are limited and dead times are high when PSD is used, and the detection efficiency for neutron events is reduced due to the high threshold. This is a problem in most applications where the neutron–gamma separation of 3He detectors had been essential. This challenge is especially severe for neutron coincidence and multiplicity measurements that have numerous conflicting requirements such as high detection efficiency, short die-away time, short dead time, and high stability. 6Li-glass scintillators have excellent light output and a single peak distribution, but they are difficult to implement because of their gamma sensitivity. The idea of reducing the gamma sensitivity of 6Li-glass scintillators by embedding small glass particles in an organic light-guide medium was first presented by L.M. Bollinger in the early 60s but, to the best of our knowledge, has never been reduced to practice. We present a proof of principle detector design and experimental data that develop this concept to a large-area neutron detector. This is achieved by using a multi-component optical medium (6Li glass particles attached to a glass supporting structure and a mineral oil light guide) which matches the indices of refraction and minimizes the absorption of the 395 nm scintillator light. The detector design comprises a 10 in. long tube with dual end readout with about 3% volume density of 6Li glass particles installed. The presented experimental data with various neutron and gamma sources show the desired wide gap between the neutron and gamma pulse height distributions, resulting in a true plateau in the counting characteristics similar to that of 3He detectors.
Egg-laying, egg-removal, and ovary development by workers in queenright honey bee colonies

The study investigates whether worker policing via the selective removal of worker-laid male eggs occurs in normal honey bee colonies with a queen. Queenright honey bee colonies were set up with the queen below a queen excluder. Frames of worker brood and drone comb were placed above the queen excluder. Daily inspections of the drone frames revealed the presence of a few eggs, presumably laid by workers, at a rate of 1 egg per 16000 drone cells. 85% of these eggs were removed within 1 day and only 2% hatched. Dissections of workers revealed that about 1 worker in 10000 had a fully developed egg in her body. These data show that worker egg-laying and worker policing are both normal, though rare, in queenright honey bee colonies, and provide further confirmation of the worker policing hypothesis.
Theory of Electronic Properties of Thin Films of d -Band Metals

We have examined the changes in the nature of the $d$-band states in crystals of fcc transition and noble metals as the crystals become very thin. The calculated effects can be categorized as size effects and as surface effects. The size effects are the changes from states having a semicontinuous variation of energy with varying wave vector parallel to the small dimension to states having discrete energy values. These effects result from the loss of translational and cubic symmetry, and exist even when the overlap integrals are the same within the surface planes as within the interior planes of the crystal. The effects found are qualitatively different for single-crystal fcc films with $〈100〉$ and $〈111〉$ normals, respectively. Surface effects are changes in the electronic structure associated with changes of overlap integrals within the surface planes. We show how such changes lead to the existence of $d$-band surface states for a $〈100〉$ film. For $〈111〉$ films, there is an even more striking qualitative effect involving surface states. This is the appearance of surface states for one area of the two-dimensional Brillouin zone even when the overlap integrals within the boundary planes are the same as those within the interior planes of the film. We illustrate all these effects by calculations for the ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{12}$ bands (i.e., the bands corresponding to $E$-symmetry $d$ atomic states), using realistic parameters for Ni with crystals 5 and 11 atomic layers thick. Finally, we discuss the prospects for experimental work - in particular, investigations of the density of states and of various anisotropic effects associated with the departure from cubic symmetry on going to a very thin film.
Comparative Study of IT Investment Management Processes in U.S. and Portugal

This article investigates IT investment management processes in the U.S. and Portugal. In Portugal compared to the United States, we find less involvement of operational business users, less formalized processes, more bottom-up generation of ideas, less focus on business metrics other than financial ones, and more highly involved corporate boards. We develop a framework for understanding IT investment that includes five stages: idea generation, business case generation, investment selection, project implementation, and value realization. Several of Hofstedeâ€™s factors are used to explain national cultural differences in each of these stages. Cultures with high power distance involve fewer business line employees in idea generation, fewer operational business managers selecting investments, and more centrally managed project implementations. In cultures with high uncertainty avoidance, fewer large scale strategic project ideas are generated and there is a stronger emphasis on financial criteria in information technology investment selection.
Electron cytochemical studies of succinic dehydrogenase and dihydronicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide diaphorase activities.

Deposits of formazan created by the reduction of TNBT by the activities of succinic dehydrogenase or dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diaphorase occurred as or on 60–90 A particles with the osmiophilic layers of the internal membranes of some mitochondria in small blocks of heart muscle and kidney. Other mitochondria in both tissues showed no reaction or a spotty reaction. Completely reactive or unreactive heart mitochondria were found in isolated specimens, but no spotty reaction occurred. Membranes within cytolysosomes also reduce TNBT, but this reaction was probably nonenzymatic. In isolated mitochondria spread on grids, formazans were deposited as 50–85 A particles connected by semiopaque 30 A strands. These particles did not correspond to the dumbbell-shaped “elementary particles” obtained with negative staining with PTA.
Presynthesis Area Estimation of Reconfigurable Streaming Accelerators

In this paper, we propose algorithms for presynthesis estimation of hardware cost of a streaming accelerator. Our proposed estimation method helps to accelerate the design-space-exploration phase by orders of magnitude by eliminating the need to perform logic and physical synthesis in each iteration. We present algorithms to perform early cost estimation of resources that are specific to a streaming accelerator, and we evaluate our techniques using an industrial tool flow and a set of streaming benchmarks. For the register-queue sizes, our estimations are in the range of 28%-9% of actual synthesis results on average, depending on the given resource constraints, while the datapath area estimations are within 14%. A typical estimation requires less than a minute, while generating the configuration bitstream of a streaming accelerator can take as much as 30 min according to our experiments. Considering several repetitions of the synthesis stage for the design space exploration, our estimation framework yields an order of magnitude speedup.
What price space-based interceptors?

The Marshall Institute advocates that the United States should deploy space-based missile interceptors in the near future. At best such weapons would not be cost effective, at worst they would be useless.
The bladder as a bioreactor: Urothelium production and secretion of growth hormone into urine

Uroplakin genes are expressed in a bladder-specific and differentiation-dependent fashion. Using a 3.6-kb promoter of mouse uroplakin II gene, we have generated transgenic mice that express human growth hormone (hGH) in their bladder epithelium, resulting in its secretion into the urine at 100-500 ng/ml. The levels of urine hGH concentration remain constant for longer than 8 months. hGH is present as aggregates mostly in the uroplakin-delivering cytoplasmic vesicles that are targeted to fuse with the apical surface. Using the bladder as a bioreactor offers unique advantages, including the utility of all animals throughout their lives. Using urine, which contains little protein and lipid, as a starting material facilitates recombinant protein purification.
Dual ErbB1 and ErbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition exerts synergistic effect with conventional chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer

Patient survival in pancreatic cancer remains poor with gemcitabine (GEM)-based regimens. The target specific molecular agent lapatinib, a dual ErbB1 and ErbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown significant activity against ErbB1 and ErbB2-expressing tumors. Since pancreatic tumors frequently overexpress these proteins, we investigated its effects, both alone and in conjunction with 5-FU or GEM. The pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC-1 and AsPC were treated with varying doses of lapatinib in vitro. The effects on ErbB1/ErbB2 protein phosphorylation and on the cell survival protein survivin were determined by western blotting. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay and apoptosis was measured using the caspase-3 colorimetric assay. Similar dose-response lapatinib experiments were conducted with varying concentrations of 5-FU or GEM and isobolograms were constructed to evaluate therapeutic synergy. Lapatinib inhibited protein phosphorylation in the range of 4-16 µM, a clinically achievable concentration. The lapatinib-treated cells showed a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis at the same concentrations that blocked ErbB1/ErbB2 phosphorylation. The addition of 5-FU or GEM to these cells resulted in synergistic effects. The lapatinib-treated cells also demonstrated downregulation of survivin. Simultaneous dual ErbB1 and ErbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition with lapatinib results in significant reduction of pancreatic cancer cell growth and proliferation. These effects occur at clinically achievable concentrations and are synergistic with the effects of 5-FU or GEM. These findings support the potential role of lapatinib in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Ferroelectric properties of the tungsten bronze M2+6M4+2Nb8O30 solid solution systems

Abstract Ferroelectric compositions based on the chemical formula M 2+ 6 M 4+ 2 Nb 8 O 30 , where M 2+ = Ba, Sr or Ca and M 4+ = Ti, Sn or Zr, have been synthesized and their characteristics have been compared with the results of earlier work. X-ray diffraction and dielectric constant measurements show that Ba 2+ analogs are tetragonal at room temperature as previously reported, with one phase transition, while the Sr 2+ analogs are orthorhombic with two phase transitions. The orthorhombicity becomes pronounced on the addition of Ca 2+ into the Sr 2+ site and two phase transitions, paraelectric:ferroelectric and ferroelectric:ferroelastic, have been established. The solid solution between Ba 6 Ti 2 Nb 8 O 30 and Sr 6 Ti 2 Nb 8 O 30 was studied and found to exhibit a morphotropic phase boundary near the Sr 2+ rich side. The structural and ferroelectric properties of these various bronzes are described with respect to the M 2+ and M 4+ cations.
Immunohistochemical localization of S-100 protein in auditory and vestibular end organs of the mouse and hamster

The distribution of S-100-like immunoreactivity in mouse and hamster auditory and vestibular end organs was determined by the use of immunohistochemistry. Within the organ of Corti, the cytoplasm of cells of Deiter and Hensen were strongly immunoreactive. Inner hair cells and the peripheral processes and cell bodies of the spiral ganglion were weakly immunoreactive for S-100, whereas the supranuclear regions of outer hair cells and cells underlying the basilar membrane were unstained. Immunoreactivity was observed near the base of outer hair cells. In the lateral wall of the cochlea, cellular components of the spiral ligament and a subpopulation of epithelial cells in the stria vascularis, identified as predominantly basal cells, were immunoreactive. For the saccule, utricle, and semicircular canals, S-100 immunoreactivity was observed in vestibular hair cells, types I and II, and the nerve calyces surrounding type I hair cells as well as in nerve fibers underlying the sensory epithelium. Weak S-100-like immunoreactivity was associated with vestibular nerve fibers and cell bodies in the vestibular ganglion. The localization of S-100-like immunoreactivity to the sensory cells and nerve fibers of the peripheral auditory and vestibular end organs is consistent with a functional role for S-100 proteins at these sites.
QUANTITATION OF PEPTIDE HORMONE IN SINGLE CULTURED SECRETORY NEURONS OF THE CRAB, CARDISOMA CARNIFEX

The content of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) in single cultured neurons of the crab Cardisoma carnifex was determined by a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using purified CHH (1–50 pg) of the crab Carcinus maenas as standard. The somata were dissociated from the group of ∼150 peptidergic neurons that form the X-organ—sinus gland neuroendocrine system. As previously reported, the neurons show immediate regenerative outgrowth in defined culture conditions, and develop, generally, into one of two morphological types: cells that produce broad, lamelliform growth cones (veils), and others that are characterized by branching of neurites. In this study, all but one of 64 veiling cells taken after various times in culture up to 12 days contained CHH. They could be readily categorized as having “high” (>33 pg; mean 86±5, S.E., n=47) or “low” (≤33pg; mean 22±2.5; n=17) Carcinus CHH equivalents. Thus, CHH is associated with neurons showing veiling outgrowth, but veiling neurons with low CHH form a distinct, but not morphologically distinguishable group. They may contain an isoform of CHH with limited cross-reactivity. In 24 branching neurons assayed, Carcinus CHH equivalents averaged 7.2±2 pg. This figure includes 14 neurons in which CHH was undetectable, and one that had 40 pg of Carcinus CHH equivalents. There was no significant change of the hormone content in cells of either type during 6 days of culturing.
Development of the G16CM34 Engine as a High Efficiency Engine for Gas Transmission, Storage and Withdrawal Services

There is a new large horsepower engine available in North America and supported by a well-established network of authorized factory dealers. The driver is based on a reciprocating engine design delivering 7670 to 8180 HP depending on site conditions. The 16-cylinder prime mover is specially engineered for gas transmission, storage and withdrawal service. Built on a diesel engine designed block, crankshaft, bearings, rods, and gear train, it provides long service intervals and 120,000 hours before major overhaul. Electronic ignition and combustion controls help conserve fuel, minimize emissions and keep the engine operating at peak capability under a variety of ambient and loading conditions. Electronic monitoring protects critical components and systems while greatly simplifying maintenance. The electronic control tightly regulates the combustion process, cylinder by cylinder, to optimize efficiency. It also controls the main cylinder and prechamber fuel delivery. Using sensor data based on ambient and turbocharged-aftercooled air intake temperatures, the microprocessors in the control system continuously monitor available engine power. With this information, the PLC controlling the compressor has the ability to load or unload the compressor to match the available engine output. Fuel efficiency is less than 5900 Btu/bhp-hr and NOx emissions of 0.50 grams/bhp-hr. The mechanical efficiency of the engine is greater than 43%. The mechanical refinements designed into the prime mover, are behind the high efficiency. For instance, the long stroke design maximizes fuel efficiency. A solenoid operated gas admission valve for each cylinder provides precise fuel metering. A calibration ring in the upper part of the cylinder liner helps reduce CO and NMHC emissions. Combustion gases do not collect in the gap between the piston and the liner wall, where most of these gases form. Instead, piston action forces them back into the combustion chamber for complete burning. In the event of a decline in fuel quality, a three-piece connecting rod enables a quick change in compression ratio without changing the piston. The paper will also cover details on maintenance intervals and costs, with additional features on the product along with construction details. Figure 1, illustrates a side view of the engine as Seen from the front.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Transient electroluminescence from multilayer small organic molecular light-emitting devices

Nanosecond electroluminescence (EL) spikes observed at the voltage turn-off when multilayer blue 4,4'-bis(2,2'diphenyl vinyl) -1,1'-biphenyl (DPVBi)-based organic light-emitting devices (OLED's) are excited by rectangular voltage pulses are described. The spikes exceed the cw brightness by up to an order of magnitude. Time-resolved images of the devices demonstrate that the emission from most of the sample surface decays with a single time constant (tau) 1 equals 13 +/- 3 ns. This decay is attributed to recombination of charges which accumulate at the interface of the electron and hole transporting layers, possibly at intrinsic trapping sites. In areas of increased electron injection and EL such as cathode edges and morphological defects, a second slower decay time 20 ns < (tau) 2 < 1 microsecond is observed, apparently due to release of carriers from localized trap states in the organic/cathode interface. Only marginal variations in (tau) 1 are found between bright and dim areas of the devices. At a bias of 10 V, the amplitude of the spike is found to peak at a pulse duration of approximately 20 microseconds. It is noted that similar OLED's, in which the DPVBi was replaced by tris-(8- hydroxyquinoline Al) (Alq3), did not exhibit such spikes.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fluid Structure Interactions in the Eustachain Tube Under Normal and Pathological Conditions

Cleft Palate is a craniofacial syndrome in which the two plates that form the hard palate are not completely joined. As a result, the soft tissue anatomy of the Eustachian Tube (ET) is altered. The ET is a collapsible tube which connects the middle ear (ME) with the nasopharynx (NP). The ET must be periodically opened to equalize ME and NP pressures and drain ME fluids. In healthy adults, ET openings occur during swallowing, where muscle contraction deforms the surrounding soft tissue. However, changes in tissue anatomy may lead to ET dysfunction (i.e. closure during swallowing) and the development of ME disorders such as Otitis Media (OM)[1]. These disorders are especially problematic in infants with cleft palate as they hinder speech, hearing and psychosocial development. Although surgical procedures can be used to repair a cleft palate, these procedures do not typically account the possible development of ET dysfunction and/or OM.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Technology and Ethics: Privacy in the Workplace

Privacy in the workplace is one of the more troubling personal and professional issues of our time. But privacy cannot be adequately addressed without considering a basic foundation of “ethics.” We cannot reach a meaningful normative conclusion about workplace privacy rights and obligations without a fundamental and common understanding of the ethical basis of justice and a thorough understanding of the individual and organizational concerns and motivations. In this article I discuss the status of privacy in the workplace from a technological as well as a legal perspective. What was once considered an inalienable right has now been reassessed as our society and the business world have grown ever more complex. Traditional ethical analysis offers some guidance on how to evaluate the balance between a worker’s right to privacy and an employer’s need for information with which to manage the workplace. But guidance is not the same as resolution: as concerns workplace privacy rights, there are many more questions than answers. I then address the vexing issues of privacy, drawing on ethical theory to advance a means by which to identify the appropriate ethical balance for workplace privacy. My focus is on employee privacy in particular, because this is a critical area where
Characterization of nitrate reductase-deficient barley mutants.

Ten nitrate reductase-deficient Hordeum vulgare mutants were characterized for NADH and FMNH2 nitrate reductase (NR), cytochrome C reductase (CR) and nitrite reductase (NiR) activities. The mutants sort into four major groups. Group I represented by mutants Az 12, Az 23, Az 29 and Az 30 have low Nr and Cr activities. Group II represented by mutants Az 13, Az 31, Az 33 and Az 34 have low NR activities but intermediate CR activities. Group III represented by mutant Az 28 has low NR activity, but above normal CR activity. Group IV represented by Az 32 has low NADH-NR, low CR, but above normal FMNH2-NR activity. All ten mutants have elevated NiR activities. None of the ten mutants were constitutive for nitrite reductase activity. Only Az 34 showed a definite high temperature sensitivity when the NADH nitrate reductase activity was compared in the 12 to 26° C range. The mutants Az 12, Az 13, Az 23, Az 28, Az 29, Az 30, Az 31, Az 32 and Az 33 are allelic and were assigned the locus designation nar1. Mutant Az 34 represents a different genetic locus designated nar2. The nar1 gene is codominant and the nar2 gene is recessive.
The Dll4/Notch pathway controls postangiogenic blood vessel remodeling and regression by modulating vasoconstriction and blood flow.

Blood vessel remodeling is crucial to the formation of the definitive vasculature, but little is known about the mechanisms controlling this process. We show that Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4)/Notch pathway regulates vessel regression in normal pathologic conditions. Genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of Dll4/Notch prevented retinal capillary regression in the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) model and during normal development. Deletion of the Notch-regulated ankyrin repeat protein, a negative regulator of the Notch pathway, produced an opposite phenotype. Inhibition of Dll4/Notch reduced vessel occlusion, maintaining blood flow that is essential for survival of microvessels. Dll4/Notch inhibition up-regulated the expression of vasodilators adrenomedullin and suppressed the expression of vasoconstrictor angiotensinogen. Angiotensin II induced rapid nonperfusion and regression of developing retinal capillaries, whereas Ace1 and AT1 inhibitors and adrenomedullin attenuated vasoobliteration in OIR, indicating that both pathways are involved in modulating vessel remodeling. In contrast, inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) did not result in a pervasive loss of retinal capillaries, demonstrating that reduced expression of VEGF-A is not the proximate cause of capillary regression in OIR. Modulation of VEGF-A and DII4/Notch signaling produced distinct changes in blood vessel morphology and gene expression, indicating that these pathways can have largely independent functions in vascular remodeling.
Using Advanced MRI Techniques for Patient Selection Before Acute Stroke Therapy

Results of acute MRI studies may help guide the management of acute stroke. Patients with a malignant MRI pattern may be poor candidates for reperfusion therapies yet may benefit from hemicraniectomy. Preliminary data suggest that patients with a carefully identified diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)/perfusion weighted imaging (PWI) mismatch may benefit from intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in a 3- to 6-hour time window; however, confirmatory studies with larger sample sizes are required before clinical use of this strategy can be generally recommended. Post hoc analyses of recent studies suggest that PWI techniques that use a threshold to exclude benign oligemia from penumbra and DWI techniques that use apparent diffusion coefficient thresholds to exclude reversible DWI lesions to distinguish the ischemic core from penumbra appear to provide more accurate determinations of the volume of salvageable tissue. New automated software programs are now implementing these techniques to generate quantitative PWI and DWI maps within minutes. Prospective trials are in progress to investigate these new techniques. The results of these studies will further refine the application of MRI to select patients for acute recanalization therapies.
Microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of novel multi-component nanolayered nitride coatings

Abstract Novel multi-component nanolayered nitride coatings composed of four alternating layer constituents in a modulation period ( Λ ), i.e., TiN, Mo 2 N, ZrN and AlN, were synthesized using the unbalanced closed-field magnetron sputtering technique. The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the coatings were investigated over a wide range of the modulation period. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that at the smallest Λ of 1.8 nm, all the layer constituents formed a single cubic structure, with a lattice constant near the average of the individual constituents. In addition, a moderate (200) preferred orientation was observed in this condition. With increasing modulation period, the preferred orientation diminished and the cubic structure evolved to form hexagonal AlN layers, followed by the formation of crystallographic equilibrium structures of the individual constituents at Λ larger than 20 nm. These microstructural changes had a direct influence on the hardness ( H ) and Young's modulus ( E ) of the coatings. The maximum hardness of 34.0 GPa, which was considerably higher than the rule-of-mixture hardness of the constituent layers, was obtained at Λ = 31.1 nm. The coatings exhibited lower Young's modulus and significantly higher H 3 / E 2 ratios than the monolayered TiN coating. Dry sliding tests demonstrated that these coatings had a lower coefficient of friction and higher dry sliding wear resistance than TiN coating.
Medial temporal fMRI activation reflects memory lateralization and memory performance in patients with epilepsy

Abstract Memory difficulties are a frequent cognitive complaint of patients with chronic epilepsy. Previous studies have suggested that the presence of a seizure focus causes reorganization of brain mechanisms underlying memory function. Here we examine whether seizure onset in the left hemisphere and onset in the right hemisphere have different effects on memory lateralization and whether longer duration of epilepsy is associated with increased lateralization of memory functions to the unaffected hemisphere. We hypothesized that hemisphere of onset and duration of epilepsy would influence plasticity of memory mechanisms, similar to the plasticity observed for language mechanisms. Healthy controls (HC, N = 10) and patients with epilepsy (N = 23, 11 with a left- and 12 with a right-hemisphere focus) performed a scene-encoding fMRI task at 4 T. Active voxels (relative to scrambled image viewing) were identified for each participant. Memory laterality indices (LIs) were calculated in three regions of interest (ROIs) designed on the basis of HC group data: a functional ROI, an anatomical–hippocampal ROI, and an anatomical–medial temporal ROI encompassing hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus. In healthy controls, LIs were suggestive of slight left lateralization of encoding memory for pictures. Patients with right hemisphere epilepsy showed a nonsignificant increase in degree of left lateralization. In contrast, patients with left hemispheric epilepsy showed right-lateralized activation, differing significantly from controls and from patients with right hemispheric epilepsy. Neuropsychological measures of memory (WMS-III Story Recall) across epilepsy patients predicted LIs in the anatomical ROIs: higher scores were associated with more left-lateralized medial temporal fMRI activation. Neither age of onset nor duration of epilepsy was significantly related to LI. These results indicate that focal epilepsy may influence the functional neuroanatomy of memory function.
Lower bounds for orthogonal range searching: I. The reporting case

We establish lower bounds on the complexity of orthogonal range reporting in the static case. Given a collection of n points in d-space and a box [a1, b1] X … X [ad, bd], report every point whose ith coordinate lies in [ai, bi], for each i = l, … , d. The collection of points is fixed once and for all and can be preprocessed. The box, on the other hand, constitutes a query that must be answered online. It is shown that on a pointer machine a query time of O(k + polylog(n)), where k is the number of points to be reported, can only be achieved at the expense of O(n(log n/log log n)d-1) storage. Interestingly, these bounds are optimal in the pointer machine model, but they can be improved (ever so slightly) on a random access machine. In a companion paper, we address the related problem of adding up weights assigned to the points in the query box.
Modeling Sales-Advertising Relationships: An Integrated Time Series-Econometric Approach

Since Palda's pioneering work investigating the dynamic relationship between sales and advertising, the marketing literature has contained many articles on the topic of sales response model buildin...
Scrapbooking During Traumatic and Transitional Events

Abstract Scrapbooking is a popular hobby that can be used as a therapeutic tool. During traumatic and transitional events, an individual can use a scrapbook to chronicle events of personal importance, express emotions, and explore ideas. Scrapbooking has the same advantages as journaling yet allows self-expression without making writing demands on those uncomfortable with the blank page. The scrapbook can be included within the family therapy session to assist the child or teen in expressing his or her own needs.
A Strategy to Reduce Heart Failure Readmissions and Inpatient Costs.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a disease management intervention on rehospitalization rates in hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients. Methods: Patients treated with the TEACH-HF intervention that included Teaching and Education, prompt follow-up Appointments, Consultation for support services, and Home follow-up phone calls (TEACH-HF) from January 2010 to January 2012 constituted the intervention group (n = 548). Patients treated from January 2007 to January 2008 constituted the usual care group (n = 485). Results: Group baseline characteristics were similar with 30-day readmission rates significantly different (19% usual care vs. 12% for the intervention respectively (P = 0.003)). Patients in the usual care group were 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalized (95% CI: 1.2 - 1.9; P = 0.001) compared to the intervention group. A savings of 641 bed days with potential revenue of $640,000 occurred after TEACH-HF. Conclusions: The TEACH-HF intervention was associated with significantly fewer hospital readmissions and savings in bed days. Cardiol Res. 2015;6(1):201-208 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/cr384w
Assessing Pyridostigmine Efficacy by Response Surface Modeling

Abstract The therapeutic efficacy of atropine sulfate/pralidoxime chloride (ATR/2-PAM) treatment (im) therapy, and pyridostigmine bromide (PYR) pretreatment (oral) therapy were evaluated in soman-challenged guinea pigs. ATR/2-PAM efficacy was assessed as protective ratio (PR = treated soman LD50/control soman LD50); PYR efficacy was assessed both as PR and by response surface modeling (RSM) techniques. The optimal ATR/2-PAM treatment gave a PR of 3.78. PYR pretreatment (1 hr) produced a dose(log)-dependent ( r = 0.96) inhibition of whole blood AChE and afforded significant ( p r = 0.45) with the corresponding level of PYR-induced AChE inhibition. In contrast, RSM analysis of efficacy indicated that the optimal ATR/2-PAM dose combination varied as a function of both the soman-challenge level and the PYR pretreatment dose. Efficacy was therefore evaluated for varying PYR pretreatment doses in combination with the appropriate optimal ATR/2-PAM treatment (as determined by RSM for each soman challenge dose and PYR dose evaluated). When assessed in this manner, PYR efficacy (PYR) was found to be highly correlated ( r = 0.97) with PYR-induced AChE inhibition. Since percentage of AChE inhibition was directly correlated with PYR dose (log), these results indicate that PYR pretreatment efficacy is a highly correlated, dose-dependent phenomenon, providing ATR/2-PAM treatment is optimized.
Epitaxy and Monolayer Patterning of Solution-Derived LiNbO3 Thin Layers

Integrated lithium niobate (LiNbO3) thin layers show promise for efficient electrooptic, nonlinear optic, and optical amplifier applications. Solution-derived LiNbO3 thin layers have been deposited on sapphire substrates, allowing low temperature processing, control of stoichiometry, uniform doping and heteroepitaxy. Transmission electron microscopy of the LiNbO3/substrate interface suggests the structure consists of highly oriented grains with slight rotational variance to accommodate lattice mismatch. For use of such films as devices, the ability to pattern waveguides and other structures is desired. Modification of the substrate surface with patterns of hydrophobic monolayers allows control of deposition of solution precursors. Ambient, selective deposition of (00.1) oriented LiNbO3 heteroepitaxial strip waveguides with lateral dimensions as small as 4μm is demonstrated.