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We propose to use the High Momentum Spectrometer of Hall C combined with the Neutral Particle Spectrometer (NPS) to perform high precision measurements of the Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) cross section using a beam of positrons. The combination of measurements with oppositely charged incident beams is the only unambiguous way to disentangle the contribution of the DVCS 2 term in the photon electroproduction cross section from its interference with the Bethe-Heitler amplitude. This provides a stronger way to constrain the Generalized Parton Distributions of the nucleon. A wide range of kinematics accessible with an 11 GeV beam off an unpolarized proton target will be covered. The Q 2 - dependence of each contribution will be measured independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of 319 pediatric patients treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) during a 10-year period, 27 developed pulmonary fungal infections (PFI). Only 2 patients (7%) survived. Twenty-three patients (85%) had been treated with systemic antifungal therapy immediately before or at the time of diagnosis. Nineteen patients (70%) were neutropenic, and 4 of the 8 patients who were not neutropenic were being treated with systemic steroids for graft vs. host disease (GVHD). Seven patients (26%) died within 7 days of diagnosis. The diagnosis was made ante-mortem in 9 patients (33%). Radiographic abnormalities were variable. At the onset of chest X-ray (CXR) change, the pulmonary infiltrates were unilateral in 14 patients (52%) and, at diagnosis, bilateral in 18 (66%). At diagnosis the infiltrates were interstitial in 3 patients (11%), alveolar in 20 (74%) and mixed in 4 (15%). Six patients (22%) developed cavitary lesions. The infecting agents were Aspergillus in 21 patients (78%), Candida in 7 (26%), Mucormycosis in 3 (11%), and Fusarium in 1 (4%). Five patients (19%) had mixed fungal infections and 7 (26%) had concurrent cytomegalovirus (CMV) pulmonary infections. Although the radiographic changes are often nonspecific in PFI, alveolar or nodular infiltrates in neutropenic patients or in those being treated for GVHD should strongly suggest a fungal etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A premature infant with arachnodactyly and congenital cyanotic heart disease had severe pulmonary emphysema, a little-known manifestation of Marfan syndrome. The possible etiologies of emphysema in this syndrome are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three cases of abdominal inflammatory pseudotumor or inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the small intestinal mesentery are presented with additional examples from the literature. An abdominal mass was detected in three preadolescent children who presented with fever, growth failure, hypochromic anemia, thrombocytosis and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. The radiographic findings confirmed the presence of a mass. Following surgical resection, the systemic manifestations dramatically resolved. The solid mesenteric mass was composed of spindle cells with the features of myofibroblasts and mature plasma cells and small lymphocytes. Clinical follow-up confirmed the benign nature of this lesion with no signs of recurrence in any patient from 3 to 6 years after the initial surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ( L.) Moench) is currently recognized throughout the world as a highly promising biomass energy crop. Production systems and management practices for sweet sorghum have not been fully developed for the USA, although sporadic research efforts during recent decades have provided some insights into production of sweet sorghum primarily for fermentable sugar production. Field plot experiments were conducted at sites across Louisiana to assess biomass and sugar yield responses to N fertilizer, plant density, and selected cultivars. Although linear increases in stem biomass production and fermentable sugar yield were obtained with increasing N fertilizer rate under irrigated conditions, most of the increase was from the initial 45 kg N ha increment. Nitrogen fertilization increased stem biomass production but not fermentable sugar yield in some non-irrigated environments. Increased plant density contributed to fermentable sugar yield only under growth-limiting conditions, particularly under limited soil moisture. Location effects indicate that sweet sorghum may not be suitable for some sub-optimal cropland and pasture environments in Louisiana. During the primary growing season, cultivar did not affect fermentable sugar yields, although Dale was consistently high in sugar concentration during this period. Nitrogen fertilizer increased fermentable sugar yields only when moisture was not limiting. Overall results indicate that in environments where soil moisture limits plant growth, sugar yield responses are likely from increased plant density and not from increased N fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glasses of Li2O · 2SiO2 (LS2), and LS2 doped with 0.001 wt% platinum (LS2 + 0.001 wt% Pt) compositions were melted, cooled and reheated at controlled rates while levitated (containerless) inside an electrostatic levitator (ESL) furnace at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The experiments were conducted in vacuum using spherical, 2.5–3 mm diameter, glass samples. The measured critical cooling rate for glass formation, R c, for the LS2 and LS2 + 0.001 wt% Pt glasses processed at ESL were 14 ± 2 °C/min and 130 ± 5 °C/min, respectively. The values of R c for the same LS2 and LS2 + 0.001 wt% Pt glasses processed in a container were 62 ± 3 °C/min and 162 ± 5 °C/min, respectively. The effective activation energy for crystallization, E, for this LS2 glass processed without a container at ESL, was higher than that for an identical glass processed in a container. These results suggest that the glass formation tendency for a containerless LS2 melt is significantly increased compared to an identical melt in contact with a container. The absence of heterogeneous nucleation sites that are inherently present in all melts held in containers is believed to be the reason for the increased glass forming tendency of this containerless melt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo provide initial validation of the Treatment Satisfaction Survey-Intraocular Pressure (TSS-IOP) quality-of-life survey that analyses specific issues related to side effects, patient satisfaction, and compliance.MethodsA prospective, observational cohort of 250 consecutive patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension was administered the TSS-IOP survey.ResultsFactors that correlated with patient satisfaction included perceived effectiveness of the medicine (F=7.47, P<0.001), ocular irritation (F=6.06, P<0.001), conjunctival hyperaemia (F=4.40, P<0.001), ease of use (F=8.52, P<0.001), and convenience of use (F=6.90, P<0.001). Patient compliance, acceptance of their illness, and knowledge of glaucoma were also related to perceived effectiveness of the medicine (P<0.001), ease of use (P<0.05) and convenience (P<0.001). Physician ratings of patient pressure control, side effects, and instillation problems also were significantly correlated to patient satisfaction (R=0.13–0.26, P=0.05–0.001). The physician ratings of patient compliance, however, were not significantly related to any dimension of patient satisfaction (P>0.05). Among monotherapy prostaglandin treatments, latanoprost demonstrated statistically greater satisfaction than bimatoprost or travoprost regarding conjunctival hyperaemia (P<0.05) and eye irritation (P<0.01).ConclusionsThis study provides initial evidence that patient satisfaction may be related to compliance, perceived effectiveness of treatment, adverse side effects, ease and convenience of use, acceptance of illness, and knowledge of glaucoma.Eye (2006) 20, 583–590. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6701932; published online 3 June 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacy prescription databases are useful for determining rates of adherence to long-term medication therapy. Thus far, however, analyses based on such databases have provided only snapshots of adherence rates over discrete time intervals and have been of limited usefulness for the timely measurement of adherence trends when adherence improvement strategies change over time. The Adherence Index of Performance is new mechanism that can be used to monitor pharmacy prescription databases over time to detect changes that occur when adherence improvement strategies are changed during a therapeutic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of brimonidine 0.2% vs unoprostone 0.15%, both added to timolol maleate 0.5% each given twice daily.Methods: In this prospective, multi-centred, double-masked, crossover comparison, patients were randomized to one treatment group for a 6-week treatment period, and then crossed over to the opposite treatment. Measurements were performed at 0800, 1000, 1600, 1800, and 2000 h at baseline and at the end of each treatment period.Results: In all, 33 patients entered this trial and 29 completed. The baseline trough intraocular pressure (IOP) was 23.3+/-2.4 and the diurnal curve IOP was 22.0+/-1.3 mmHg. For the brimonidine and timolol maleate treatment group, the trough IOP was 21.6+/-3.3 and the diurnal curve IOP was 19.8+/-2.1 mmHg, while the timolol and unoprostone treatment showed a trough IOP of 20.9+/-3.8 and a diurnal curve IOP of 19.3+/-2.4 mmHg. There was no significant difference between treatment groups at any time point for the diurnal curve, or in the reduction from baseline (P>0.05). Both treatments failed to statistically reduce the IOP from baseline at 1800 h. There was no difference between treatment groups regarding ocular and systemic unsolicited adverse events, but patients admitted to more dryness (P=0.02) and burning upon instillation (P<0.0001) with unoprostone by survey.Conclusion: Brimonidine 0.2% or unoprostone 0.15% added to timolol maleate 0.5% provide similar efficacy and safety throughout the daytime diurnal curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of melting temperature, time, and the type of raw material, NaNO3 or Na2CO3, as a source for Na2O on the glass formation for a Na2O·4TeO2(NT4) melt was investigated. Melting with NaNO3 at 750°C for a short time (15 min) produced a glass that is slightly more chemically durable and more resistant to crystallization than glasses melted at a higher temperature (800°C), or for a longer time (60 min), or using Na2CO3. A thin surface layer (<1.5 nm) that contains some nitrogen and a higher concentration of bridging oxygen is suspected to be the reason for the higher chemical durability and higher resistance to crystallization for this glass. However, melting at 800°C for 60 min produced a glass, whose properties were independent of the type of raw material, NaNO3 or Na2CO3, used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of latanoprost/timolol maleate fixed combination (LTFC) given once daily vs the concomitant therapy of brimonidine twice daily and latanoprost once daily in primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertensive subjects. METHODS:A prospective, double-masked, active-controlled comparison in which qualified subjects had all glaucoma medicines discontinued for 1 month and then were randomized to either LTFC or brimonidine and latanoprost concomitant therapy for 6 weeks. They were then switched to the other treatment regimen. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured at 0800, 1200, and 1600?h at baseline and at the end of Periods 1 and Period 2. RESULTS:In 32 subjects, the diurnal curve of the untreated IOP of 26.0±3.4 decreased to 17.8±2.5 on LTFC and 17.2±2.8?mmHg on brimonidine and latanoprost (P=0.31). At 0800 and 1600 h, the IOPs were statistically similar between the groups (P>0.05). At 1200?h the latanoprost and brimonidine treatment IOP was statistically lower (16.2±3.2) than LTFC (18.0±2.8?mmHg). However, the reduced IOP from untreated baseline was not statistically different at each time point and for the diurnal curve for each therapy (P<0.05). Safety was similar between groups for both solicited and unsolicited side effects (P>0.05). CONCLUSION:This study suggests that LTFC and concomitant therapy of brimonidine and latanoprost provide statistically similar diurnal IOP reduction from an untreated baseline.Eye (2004) 18, 990-995. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6701375 Published online 19 March 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To compare ocular tolerability of dorzolamide 2%, brinzolamide 1%, and placebo given three times daily. Methods A prospective, double-masked, three-centre, crossover comparison in which 25 ocular hypertensive or primary-open angle glaucoma subjects were randomized to receive dorzolamide, brinzolamide, or placebo three times daily for 3 days. Intraocular pressure, visual acuity, a visual analogue scale, and ocular and systemic symptom queries were completed at the end of each period. Results After chronic dosing, there was a significant difference in ocular pain on the visual analogue scale among the groups at the 10-s postinstillation time point with dorzolamide having the highest level (22.5±28.9) compared to brinzolamide (5.0±8.7) or placebo (3.2±10.4) (P = 0.0006). No differences between groups were observed preinstillation nor following dosing at 3 or 10-min postinstillation. On the initial instillation, the 10-s postinstillation pain was rated as 43.3±77.1, which was significantly higher than after chronic dosing (P = 0.017). On the ocular symptom query, dorzolamide had the highest incidence of burning/stinging and redness compared to the other groups, but was generally characterized as mild. There were no significant differences in the visual acuity at any time point. Conclusions This study suggests that subjects treated with dorzolamide suffer more ocular pain upon instillation compared to brinzolamide or placebo. However, pain symptoms are fewer following chronic dosing and are generally characterized as mild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most widely used drugs in the world, but their use is often associated with adverse gastrointestinal (GI) events that may be life threatening in some patients. Development of simple questionnaires for predicting GI events in individuals taking NSAIDs may help to prevent use of these drugs in high-risk patients. The present study was undertaken to test a new questionnaire designed to identify patients at high risk for NSAID-associated GI events--the Gastrointestinal Toxicity Survey (NSAID Induced) (GITS [NI]). In this study, results for GITS (NI) were compared with those for an established questionnaire, the Stanford Calculator of Risk for Events (SCORE), in a small cohort of 400 patients. Feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) and multinomial logistic (MNL) regression were used to perform the comparison. The overall correlation between results for GITS (NI) responses and the total score for the SCORE questionnaire was 0.962 (P < .0001). The agreement between the 2 instruments with respect to their ability to predict the same risk for NSAID-induced GI events was similar for both FGLS and MNL. For 4 levels of risk, the agreement was approximately 80% between the 2 instruments. For 3 levels of risk, the agreement was approximately 90%. This study showed that results obtained with GITS (NI) are highly correlated with those from SCORE and that GITS (NI) may provide physicians with information that will help them avoid administering NSAIDs to patients who are at high risk for adverse GI reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the electric form factor of the neutron, GEn, at two momentum transfers (Q2 = 0.5 and Q2 = 1.0 GeV/c2) through [This symbol cannot be presented in ASCII format]([This symbol cannot be presented in ASCII format], e′ n)p quasielastic scattering in Jefferson Lab's Hall C. Longitudinally polarized electrons scattered from polarized deuterated ammonia and GEn was extracted from the beam-target asymmetry AedV which, in quasielastic kinematics, is particularly sensitive to GEn and insensitive to MEC and FSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure to adhere to pharmaceutical therapy leads to poor clinical outcomes and substantially increased healthcare costs. Pharmacy claims databases contain all the information required to determine adherence to therapy for populations and individual patients, but extraction and analysis of these data are difficult and time-consuming. The Standardized Therapy Adherence Research Tool (START) converts pharmacy claims databases into a standardized format to rapidly obtain comprehensive adherence information that can be used to design interventions aimed at improving adherence rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most ecotoxicological risk assessments of wildlife emphasize contaminant exposure through ingestion of food and water. However, the role of incidental ingestion of sediment-bound contaminants has not been adequately appreciated in these assessments. This study evaluates the toxicological consequences of contamination of sediments with metals from hard-rock mining and smelting activities. Lead-contaminated sediments collected from the Coeur d'Alene River Basin in Idaho were combined with either a commercial avian maintenance diet or ground rice and fed to captive mute swans (Cygnus olor) for 6 weeks. Experimental treatments consisted of maintenance or rice diets containing 0, 12 (no rice group), or 24% highly contaminated (3,950 μg/g lead) sediment or 24% reference (9.7 μg/g lead) sediment. Although none of the swans died, the group fed a rice diet containing 24% lead-contaminated sediment were the most severely affected, experiencing a 24% decrease in mean body weight, including three birds that became emaciated. All birds in this treatment group had nephrosis; abnormally dark, viscous bile; and significant (p ≤ 0.05) reductions in hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations compared to their pretreatment levels. This group also had the greatest mean concentrations of lead in blood (3.2 μg/g), brain (2.2 μg/g), and liver (8.5 μg/g). These birds had significant (α = 0.05) increases in mean plasma alanine aminotransferase activity, cholesterol, and uric acid concentrations and decreased plasma triglyceride concentrations compared to all other treatment groups. After 14 days of exposure, mean protoporphyrin concentrations increased substantially, and mean δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity decreased by more than 95% in all groups fed diets containing highly contaminated sediments. All swans fed diets that contained 24% lead-contaminated sediment had renal acid-fast intranuclear inclusion bodies, which are diagnostic of lead poisoning in waterfowl. Body weight and hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations in swans on control (no sediment) and reference (uncontaminated) sediment diets remained unchanged. These data provide evidence that mute swans consuming environmentally relevant concentrations of Coeur d'Alene River Basin sediment developed severe sublethal lead poisoning. Furthermore, toxic effects were more pronounced when the birds were fed lead-contaminated sediment combined with rice, which closely resembles the diet of swans in the wild. Correspondence to: D. D. Day; email: dan_day@usgs.gov --> [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia is a common physiological feature of tumours. It activates a signalling cascade that culminates in the stabilization of the HIF-1 transcription factor and activation of genes that possess a hypoxia response element (HRE). We have used an optimized hypoxia responsive promoter (OBHRE) to investigate hypoxia-targeted gene expression in vivo in the context of an adenovirus vector. The OBHRE promoter showed limited activity in the liver or spleen such that expression was 1000-fold lower than that driven by the strong CMV/IE promoter. However, in the context of the tumour microenvironment, the OBHRE promoter achieved expression levels comparable to that of the CMV/IE promoter. Next, we showed that an adenovirus expressing the human cytochrome P450 (CYP2B6) regulated by the OBHRE promoter delays tumour growth in response to the prodrug cyclophosphamide (CPA). Finally, we exploited the hepatotropism of adenovirus to investigate whether the OBHRE promoter could mitigate the hepatotoxicity of a recombinant adenovirus expressing thymidine kinase (TK) in the context of the prodrug ganciclovir (GCV). High-dose Ad. CMVTK/GCV treatment caused significant liver necrosis whereas the same dose of Ad. HRETK was well tolerated. These in vivo data demonstrate that hypoxia-targeted gene expression via the OBHRE promoter can be used to increase the therapeutic window of cytotoxic cancer gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of 14 metals were studied in the soft tissues of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and sediments from 16 Great Lakes embayments and riverine environments. Samples were collected in 1993 and 1994 during the early and late autumn period when the body mass of mussels is least affected by reproductive activities. There was a significant difference in geometric mean concentrations of all metals except Cu in mussels sampled from different sites, and there was a significant difference in the geometric mean concentrations of all metals but Cd, Mn, and Zn between years. The higher metal concentrations in mussels from this study were generally similar to those in mussels from contaminated European and U.S. locations, and those with lower concentrations were similar to those from uncontaminated European and U.S. locations. Geometric mean sediment concentrations of all metals differed significantly among sites. Sediment concentrations of metals from some sites were above EPA guidelines for moderately polluted harbor sediments. Sites where zebra mussels had higher concentrations of Al, Cr, and V tended to be the same sites as those where sediment concentrations of these metals were also higher. However, there was not a significant statistical relationship between concentrations of metals in zebra mussels and sediments, except for Mg. Correspondence to: T. P. Lowe; email: Peter_Lowe@usgs.gov --> [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of gravity on glass formation and crystallization of the Na2Ocdot;8TeO2 (NT8) and Na2Oċ4TeO2 (NT4) melts were investigated using the low gravity drop shaft at the Japan Microgravity Center (JAMIC). This drop shaft produces a low gravity of <10−3 g for ∼10 s during free-fall and about 8 to 10 g for ∼5 s during deceleration of the capsule. The glass initially adhered to a small platinum heating coil was re-melted in low gravity. The melt detached from the heating coil during the high-g period and solidified after being splattered on a plate (substrate) located ∼4 cm below the heating coil. The parameters that were varied for the drop shaft experiments were the melt temperature and the substrate material on which the melt splattered. Like what was observed at 1-g (ground), the NT8 splatters from the drop shaft experiments always formed glass, being independent of the melt temperature and the substrate material used. The splatters from the NT4 melts partially crystallized in all the drop shaft experiments, even though this melt is an excellent glass former at 1-g. The splatter on a substrate of higher cooling ability such as copper had a smaller amount of crystals than the splatter on a substrate of smaller cooling ability such as glass or alumina. The glass transition temperature, heat capacity in the glass transition region, activation energy for crystallization and the infrared (IR) spectra for the drop shaft splatters were not significantly different from those for the similar splatters prepared at 1-g. However, the crystallization temperature of all the drop shaft splatters was 5 to 10°C lower than that of their 1-g counterparts. This result suggests that the NT8 and NT4 melts solidified under drop shaft conditions are less resistant to crystallization than the similar melts solidified at 1-g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glasses of Na2O·8TeO2 and Na2O·4TeO2 compositions adhered to a small platinum heating coil (2 to 3 mm ID, 5 to 6 mm long) were melted and evaporated in low gravity using the drop shaft at the Japan Microgravity Center (JAMIC). The gravity level attained during the 10 s free fall was in the order of 10−3 g. The species evaporated from the melt in low gravity generally formed a spherical smoke cloud surrounding the melt, whose size depended on the melt temperature and also on the time the melt evaporated in low gravity. The shape of the cloud was found to depend on several other factors, namely, the uniformity of heating, amount of melt, and the presence of gas bubbles in the melt. The evaporating species formed nearly perfect spheres of pure TeO2 whose diameter ranged from 0.05 to 20 μm. The size of TeO2 microspheres increased with increasing melt temperature and time in low gravity, and was 5 to 10 times larger than that of similar particles prepared at 1-g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generalized experimental method that uses differential thermal analysis (DTA) has been developed for determining the nucleation rate ( I), the crystal growth rate ( U), and the concentration of quenched-in nuclei ( Nq) in glasses. The method is applicable even for glasses, whose I and U curves (as a function of temperature) overlap to a considerable degree. Measuring I by the conventional method may yield an overestimated value for I if the chosen crystal growth temperature is within the region of overlap between I and U. When applied to a Na2O · 2CaO · 3SiO2 glass, whose I and U curves are known to overlap considerably, the present DTA method yields values for I, U, and Nq that are in excellent agreement with the same values determined by the conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) is an effective way to assess erectile difficulty (ED). Despite documented efficacy, however, many physicians may be reluctant to incorporate it into clinical practice because of the intimate nature of the questionnaire. In an attempt to devise and test an easy-to-use computer-based SHIM score indicator for office use, more than 30,000 SHIM questionnaires were administered to men visiting physicians' offices in 2000. Information about age, current smoking status, diabetes, depression, hypertension, prostate disease, and cholesterol levels was also collected. A logistic regression model with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 57.7% was created to predict the likelihood of ED in a patient scoring below 21 (SHIM definition). This model was built into a highly graphic Windows-based program. The SHIM score indicator is a convenient way to rapidly identify patients at high risk for ED who should be further assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological nitrogen fixation involves the reduction of atmospheric N2 to ammonia by the bacterial enzyme nitrogenase. In legume-rhizobium symbioses, the nitrogenase-producing bacteria (bacteroids) are contained in the infected cells of root nodules within which they are enclosed by a plant membrane to form a structure known as the symbiosome. The plant provides reduced carbon to the bacteroids in exchange for fixed nitrogen, which is exported to the rest of the plant. This exchange is controlled by plant-synthesised transport proteins on the symbiosome membranes. This review summarises our current understanding of these transport processes, focusing on ammonia and amino acid transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the Framingham Heart Study and risk-appraisal models were used to develop a Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Risk Factor Calculator for early identification of high-risk individuals. The Calculator was tested at an employee health fair for a large northeastern US corporation. Of the 590 employees who registered for cholesterol screening, 514 had their CHD risk calculated, and 134 (26.1%) of this group had a relative risk greater than 2. Elevated risk increased with age, ranging from 26.2% of those younger than 35 years to 75% of the over-64 group. Of special concern was the percentage of individuals below 45 years of age whose relative risk of CHD in the next 10 years was more than twice that of coevals with standard risk. The program also estimates and visually demonstrates possible benefits of interventions, allows monitoring of progress, and serves as an educational aid to motivate behavior modification. In this test, the software functioned as designed, and graphic demonstration of individual risk estimations appeared to motivate several participants to seek medical follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. An inflammatory pseudotumor is a benign, solid lesion of unclear etiology. Some authors believe it is a true neoplasm, while others consider it a post-infectious or post-traumatic process. It is most commonly found in the lung; an inflammatory pseudotumor of the pancreas is rare. This case report is the sixth of a pancreatic pseudotumor in a child.¶Patients and methods. An 11-year-old girl presented with obstructive jaundice due to a mass in the head of the pancreas. The mass was identified by sonography. This was confirmed by MRI and CT. The mass enhanced with gadolinium, but its enhancement at CT was similar to the remainder of the pancreas.¶Results. At operation, a pancreatic inflammatory pseudotumor was totally resected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three children with abdominal neuroblastomas and inferior vena caval tumor thrombi are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymptomatic pulmonary emboli producing microcalcifications were observed 200 days after bone marrow transplantation on a routine surveillance CT in a child. The findings consisted of peripheral hazy, nodular infiltrates in the lower lung fields. To our knowledge this has not been recorded in the radiologic literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of several cement-bonded castables and a phosphate-bonded ramming mix were determined before and after exposure to saturated vapor or immersed in liquid in pure steam, CO-steam, and a gas mixture containing HO, CO, CO, CH, H, and HS, at pressures and temperatures anticipated at the cold face of the refractory lining in coal gasifiers. Chemical reactions occurring in the refractories were determined by XRD, DTAITGA and correlated with properties. No major difference in properties was found between castables immersed in liquid and those exposed to saturated vapor. However, the loss of CaO which occurred both in liquid and saturated vapor, seemed to be more in liquid than vapor and should be considered in long term service performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties and flexural strength of dense alumina and lightweight insulating castables were investigated after exposure to a mixture of CO, CO, CH, H, HO (steam), and 1 vol pct HS at 6.9 M Pa. The temperature was cycled between 240 °C to form boehmite and 538 °C to decompose boehmite a total of five times. A high purity alumina castable became weaker after boehmite decomposition. The flexural strength of dense alumina castables containing silica either remained the same or increased after boehmite decomposition. The properties of insulating castables were essentially unaffected by cyclic exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical resistance of the bond phases in several cementbonded castables and a phosphatebonded ramming mix to CO-steam mixtures of CO/HO = 0.1, 1 and 3 at 6.9 MPa and 204, 241, 278, and 538 °C was evaluated from physical property changes, X-ray diffraction and DTA/TGA. The properties, generally, showed no major dependence upon the CO/HO ratio. However, there were evidences of CO disintegration, favored by a high CO content, especially in refractories containing >1 pct iron. The presence of SiO in the castables, as a component of the refractory cement or aggregate, was found to be beneficial to their flexural strength after exposure to CO-steam mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dimensional stability, density, porosity and flexural strength of several cement and phosphatebonded refractories were determined before and after exposure to steam and CO containing atmospheres at ∼0, 13.5, 30.5, 32.5, 85 and 100 pct saturation. The flexural strength and compounds present in a neat, high alumina cement were also determined as a function of the percent saturation of pure steam and steam/CO atmospheres. Chemical reactions occurring in the refractories and the neat cement were determined by XRD, DTA/TGA and SEM and correlated with the above properties. The flexural strength of the cementbonded castables and the hydrated neat cement increased significantly with increasing saturation due to the formation of new compounds, primarily boehmite. A minimum saturation of ∼70 pct was needed to realize the full increase in flexural strength. Phosphatebonded refractories became weaker after exposure to saturated atmospheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical resistance of commercial and experimental cementbonded castables and phosphatebonded ramming mixes to an atmosphere of CO, CO, H, HO, CH and HS at 6.9 MPa (1000 psia) and 231, 371, and 538 °C was evaluated from their physical and mechanical properties and by XRD and DTA/TGA after exposure. The major changes in properties occurred during the first ten days and then generally remained constant up to the maximum exposure of sixty days. Cementbonded castables exposed to saturated atmospheres showed a significant increase in flexural strength and decrease in porosity which corresponded to the formation of boehmite, AlO(OH). The dissolution of CaO and PO from the cement and phosphate bond phases, respectively, occurred in saturated atmospheres, but the dissolution of CaO had no major effect upon the flexural strength. Phosphatebonded refractories became weaker after exposure to saturated atmospheres. All of the refractories were structurally intact after the 60 day exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical resistance of the bond phases in eleven commercial and three experimental cement-bonded castables and phosphate-bonded ramming mixes to an atmosphere of CO, CO, HO, CH, H, and HS, at 6.9 MPa (1000 psia) for 30 days at 231 and 538 °C was evaluated from physical and mechanical property changes, X-ray diffraction, and DTA/TGA. Cement-bonded castables exposed to the saturated atmosphere showed a significant increase in flexural strength and reduction in porosity which corresponded to the large amounts of boehmite, AIO(OH), formed during exposure. The dissolution of CaO from the cement-bond phases appeared to affect the properties only slightly at these temperatures and pressure. The AIPO bond phase was sensitive to saturated atmospheres only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Langenbecks Archiv fuer Chirurgie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One of the major service issues within Medical Imaging is delivering reports quickly to referring physicians. As an effort to improve service, Mount Sinai Hospital's Department of Medical Imaging implemented Auto-Fax to distribute imaging reports to physicians indeed of the postal service. When a report is transcribed and then verified by the dictating radiologist, the radiology information system will automatically fax the result report to the referring physicians if subscribed to the Auto-Fax service. If not, the report will be printed and mailed out manually. A transmission log is kept recording the requisition number, time, date, fax number, number of pages, and transmission status of all reports faxed. The system will try three times to fax the report. If unsuccessful at all attempts, the report will be printed and sent out by mail. Referring physicians are required to sign an agreement that the receiving parties are responsible to ensure transmitted reports are kept confidential. Over 150 referring physicians have signed on for the service. Initial problems with missing cover pages, missing report pages, and reports not being received by physicians have been resolved. A recent survey of physicians receiving reports by Auto-Fax indicate that the service is very popular and has increased the speed with which transcribed report are received. Suggestions for improvement included faxing reports in batches, at specific times of the day, and directly to personal computers. Challenges reported included photocopying thermal paper faxes and sorting reports (for those offices with shared fax machines). (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioconversion of (4 R)-(+)-limonene to (4R)-(+)-α-terpineol by immobilized fungal mycelia of Penicillium digitatum was investigated in batch, repeated-batch and continuously fed systems. The fungi were immobilized in calcium alginate beads. These beads remained active for at least 14 days when they were stored at 4 °C. Three different aeration rates were tested. The highest yield was obtained at a dissolved oxygen level of 50.0 μmol/l. α-Terpineol production by this fungus was 12.83 mg (g beads)−1 day−1, producing a 45.81% bioconversion of substrate. Repeated-batch bioconversion showed yield decreases in the second and the third cycles. Regeneration with nutrient media after the third cycle improved the bioconversion yields. With continuous bioconversion, the half-life was dependent on the aeration. The optimum conditions with a continuous reactor were at an aeration rate of 0.3 standard l/min and a dilution rate of 0.0144 h−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although conduction in polyimides at elevated temperatures has been widely reported, measurements at ordinary device temperatures have been less well documented. Quantitatively reproducible low field conduction measurements on two device-grade polyimides (PMDA-ODA, BTDA-ODA/MPDA) in the temperature range of 20-350° C and under dry conditions are reported. Aluminum-polyimide-aluminum capacitors are prepared by spin coating an aluminized silicon wafer with between two and four coats of polyimide (prebake at 135° C for 10 min between coats). Samples are cured in dry nitrogen at 400° C for 45 min. Final thickness ranged between 3.3 and 6.6 µm. To permit rapid equilibration of moisture between the film and ambient, the upper electrode is patterned into multiple 25 µm stripes with 5 µ spaces for a total area of 5.1 cm. After a bake-out at 120° C under dry air and subsequent equilibration in a dry ambient at the test temperature, a voltage step is applied to the sample and the current versus time is recorded for 16,000 sec (the charging current). The sample is then shorted, and the discharging current is recorded. Below 100° C, both charging and discharging currents are dominated by a reversible polarization that follows a power law (approximately t). Isochronal plots of the polarization current reveal a linear dependence on the applied voltage for fields in the range 10-10 V/cm. The polarization current is nearly independent of temperature and is well modeled by the Lewis molecular dipole theory of polarization. Above 150° C, the current is increasingly dominated by a relatively constant transport current, defined as the difference between charging and discharging currents. This current is ohmic over the field range examined, and shows a complex, activated temperature dependence. For PMDA-ODA the transport current has an activation energy ( E ) of 0.5 eV below 175° C and 1.5 eV above that temperature. For BTDA-ODA/MPDA the E is 0.6 up to 250° C and 2.1 eV above. This corresponds to a resistivity of 9 × 10 Ω -@#@ cm at 23° C and 3.5 × 10 Ω-cm at 200° C for PMDA-ODA and 5 × 10 Ω-cm at 23° C and 5.6 × 10 Ω-cm at 300° C for BTDA-ODA/MPDA. This work demonstrates that the low temperature behavior of polyimide cannot be extrapolated from high temperature measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of polyimide (PI) in integrated circuits either as a passivant or as an interlevel dielectric requires an understanding of the potential for transfer of contaminant ions, always present to some degree in device-grade PI, from the PI to other device constituents. Sodium, in particular, if transferred from PI to SiO where it is relatively mobile at typical device operating temperatures, could affect device thresholds and create a reliability problem. In this paper, the quasistatic Q-V technique of Brown using metal-PI-SiO-Si structures has been applied to the quantitative study of the transfer of Na between PI and SiO. Removal of the PI after cure or after application of bias-temperature stress has been used to demonstrate that (1) quantitative, reversible ion transfer between PI and SiO does occur at temperatures above 200°C in the presence of an applied bias, but (2) in the absence of an applied bias, Na ions are not transferred from PI to SiO during PI cure at 350°C. It is also shown that the kinetics of Na transfer from PI to SiO in the presence of a bias are dominated by an activated diffusion process, with an activation energy on the order of 2.0eV and a prefactor on the order of 2x10 cm/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the use of planar aluminum-PI-aluminum capacitors, in which the variation of low frequency dielectric permittivity is shown to be proportional to absorbed moisture, to carry out in-situ studies of moisture uptake and diffusion in PMDA-ODA device-grade polyimide films. It is found that the equilibrium amount of moisture uptake depends on ambient relative humidity in the temperature range 20-80‡C, and that the diffusion kinetics obey a Fickian model with a diffusion coefficient in the range 3-5 x 10 cm /sec at room temperature. The diffusion coefficient is temperature dependent, with an activation energy of 0.32-0.34 eV, and is weakly dependent on absorbed moisture at fixed temperature. An asymmetry is observed between absorption and desorption kinetics which correlates with the moisture-dependent diffusion coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electron trap with a thermal activation energy of 0.83 eV from the conduction band is common in the deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) spectra of vapor phase epitaxial (VPE) n-GaAs, but is not observed in the DLTS spectra of as-grown molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) n-GaAs. We show here that this trap is created during high temperature annealing of MBE samples with a SiN, encapsulant. The trap concentration is correlated with the annealing temperature and time, suggesting the outdiffusion of a constituent atom resulting in the formation of a vacancy or vacancy-complex. Other electron traps observed in the DLTS spectra of asgrown MBE n-GaAs are annealed out for temperatures at or above 800° C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective review of the abdominal CT scans of 26 children with extrahepatic biliary atresia was performed, and the results were correlated with available surgical and pathologic data. Associated congenital anomalies or acquired abnormalities were identified in these patients. Congenital anomalies included polysplenia, venous anomalies and bowel stenosis. Acquired abnormalities developed secondary to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, intrahepatic biliary duct dilatation, and hepatic ischemia. Despite frequent episodes of ascending cholangitis in these children, no hepatic abscesses were identified by CT or by pathologic examination. In conclusion, abdominal CT scanning of children with extrahepatic biliary atresia can define congenital and acquired abnormalities and provide important anatomic data for the surgeons before liver transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Colloid & Polymer Science is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Gentamicin was found to bind to Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide. The interaction was partially ionic in nature and probably involved the core region of the lipopolysaccharide molecule. A comparison of phenol-extracted lipopolysaccharide derived from P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and a lipopolysaccharide 'core'-defective strain indicated that changes in this region of the molecule were responsible for gentamicin-biding differences. Lysozyme and magnesium ion were both capable of disrupting this interaction. The nature of the interaction appeared to be related to the amount of organic phosphate associated with the lipopolysaccharide and may play a role in the barrier function of the cell envelope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel exocellular glucoamylase produced by a thermophilic fungus, Cephalosporium eichhorniae, was purified by a combination of membrane filtration and Sephadex chromatography. The enzyme was a glycoprotein, 28% carbohydrate by weight. It was composed of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 26,850. The enzyme was thermostable with optimum activity between 45 and 62°C. It had a substrate preference of amylose>amylopectin. Analysis by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography showed the major hydrolytic product of starch was glucose, classifying this enzyme as a thermophilic glucoamylase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for the separation and purification of bacteroids and mitochondria from nodules of soybean roots is described. Cross contamination between these two oxidative fractions was easily assessible by using NADH oxidase and β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase respectively as specific mitochondrial and bacteroid markers. Bacteroid respiration was characterized by substantial endogenous respiration which could be reduced by keeping plants in the dark prior to isolation, and stimulated by uncoupler or organic acids. Nodule mitochondria readily oxidized external NADH and a range of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, with good respiratory control. A major difference between nodule and root mitochondria was the former's high sensitivity to the inhibitors rotenone and cyanide. This indicates a reduced capacity for non-phosphorylating electron transport in nodule mitochondria, which may be related to the large energy demand during ammonia assimilation in nodule cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]