cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
III-NITRIDE/SiC SEPARATE ABSORPTION AND MULTIPLICATION AVALANCHE PHOTODIODES: THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTROLLING POLARIZATION-INDUCED INTERFACE CHARGE

A III-Nitride/SiC separate absorption and multiplication avalanche photodiode (SAM-APD) offers a novel approach for fabricating high gain photodetectors with tunable absorption over a wide spectrum from the visible to deep ulltraviolet. However, unlike conventional heterojunction SAM APDs, the formation of polarization-induced charge at the hetero-interface arising from spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization can dramatically affect the performance of this detector. In this paper we report on the role of this interface charge on the performance of GaN/SiC SAM APDs. Simulations of the electric field profile within this device structure while biased near avalanche breakdown indicate that the density of positive interface charge may be sufficient to confine the electric field within the SiC multiplication region with negligible punch-through into the GaN absorption region, a distribution that is likely undesirable for efficient collection of photo-generated holes due to the presence of defects at the hete...
⁎⁎3723 Quality of life and symptomatic improvement in patients with achalasia: a prospective study.

Objective: Treatment for achalasia includes surgical myotomy, pneumatic dilation and injection of botulinum toxin. Success rates range from 32% to 98% and are mostly based on symptomatic improvement. The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively the symptomatic response and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients treated for achalasia. Methods: Eighteen patients with achalasia who presented for treatment were enrolled in the study. Patients completed the Health Status Questionnaire 2.0 (HSQ), a standardized measure of health status, and a symptom questionnaire (SQ) prior to treatment and after an average of 5.2 months follow-up. The SQ (visual analogue scale) measured the severity of dysphagia, regurgitation, chest pain and pressure, cough and heartburn. Symptom scores pre- and post-treatment were compared for all patients. HSQ was analyzed using the Microtest Q Assessment SystemTM. Eight scales describing the components of health status were compared for all patients pre- and post-treatment. Subgroup analyses were done comparing endoscopic versus surgical treatment. Results: To date, 18 patients have completed the follow-up questionnaire. One patient did not complete the HSQ and was excluded from the HSQ analysis. Six patients underwent myotomy, 9 patients had botulinum toxin injection and 3 patients had pneumatic dilation. The average patient age was 56.3 ±17.5 years (range 29-92 years). Ten patients were female (56%). Improvement was noted in patients post-treatment for the following symptoms: dysphagia (mean scores 5.6 pre- and 1.9 post-treatment; p
Does Insulin Removal Rate from Plasma Decline with Age

The effect of age on the rate of insulin removal from plasma was studied in both rat and man. The experimental approach was based on measurement of the steady-state plasma insulin concentration achieved during a period in which endogenous insulin secretion was suppressed and exogenous insulin infused. Rats, 1½ and 12 mo of age, were infused with 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 μU/kg of insulin during a 180-min period in which endogenous insulin secretion was suppressed by epinephrine and propranolol. Steady-state plasma insulin concentrations were approximately twice as high in the older rats at every insulin infusion rate. Similar results were seen in man; significant correlations were observed between height of steady-state plasma insulin concentration and advancing age during infusion of exogenous insulin and suppression of endogenous insulin with either exogenous insulin (r = 0.66, P
Numerical simulation of shock response of disk-suspension-slider air bearing systems in hard disk drives

As non-traditional applications of hard disk drives emerge, their mechanical robustness during the operating state is of greater concern. A procedure for simulating the shock responses of a disk-suspension-slider air bearing system is proposed in this paper. A finite element model of the system is developed and modified, and it is used to obtain the dynamic normal load and moments applied to the air bearing slider. The dynamic load and moments are then used as input data for the air bearing dynamic simulator to calculate the dynamic flying attitudes. We obtain not only the responses of the structural components, but also the responses of the air bearing slider. The procedure is convenient for practical application, because it separates the work into two essentially uncoupled steps. It is used to simulate the shock response of a drive. The system modeled is linear if the load dimple of the suspension maintains contact with the slider, but it is non-linear if the dimple separates due to a strong shock. The air bearing has different responses for upward and downward shocks. Slider-asperity contacts occur when a strong shock is applied.
Interactions of iron with biogenic amines and ATP

Abstract Studies on the chelation of iron(II) with a number of individual monoamines and adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP) were carried out potentiometrically in aqueous model systems at 25·0±0·1°C and an ionic strength of 1·0 (KNO 3 ). The nature of interaction of phosphatidylserine (a membrane-bound phospholipid) with Fe(II) was also investigated. In the combined presence of ATP and the amines, Fe(II) ion was found to be chelated to both the ligands in the pH range 6·8–7·2 which is of biological interest. The binding constants (log K) for the coordination of the amines with Fe(II)-ATP are reported for norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), octopamine (OA), tyramine (TA), p -hydroxyamphetamine ( p -HAA), norephedrine (NEph), p -hydroxynorephedrine ( p -HNEph) and normetanephrine (NMeN), and the values ranged from 3·78 to 7·98. The reactions of a number of other biogenic amines with Fe(II) in the pH range 3–10·5 are postulated on the basis of equilibrium data generated in this study. Phosphatidylserine (PS) was found to coordinate with Fe(II)-ATP to form the ternary chelate, Fe(II)-ATP-PS, in the pH range 5–6·5. NE exhibited strong binding with the Fe(II)-ATP-PS system in the pH range 6·5–8·5.
Scopolamine and amphetamine effects on discrimination: interaction with stimulus control.

A parametric examination of the interaction between drug-induced behavioral changes and the degree of predrug stimulus control was conducted with rats. A discrete-trial simultaneous discrimination was used, with the controlling stimuli varied over 6 values of distinctiveness. The effects of graded doses of scopolamine, d-amphetamine, and methylscopolamine on these performances were studied, with both scopolamine and d-amphetamine showing no increase in error rate under strong stimulus control, and dose-related increases in error rate under weak stimulus control. The similar interaction between drug effect and stimulus control for scopolamine and d-amphetamine indicates that the interaction reflects the degree of susceptibility of the behaviors to drug action, rather than two specific drug-behavior interactions. Methylscopolamine produced a slight effect on error rate and no significant interaction with stimulus control. A decrease in the number of trials responded to was found with both scopolamine and methylscopolamine, but not with d-amphetamine.
Mitigating information exposure to cheaters in real-time strategy games

Cheating in on-line games is a prevalent problem for both game makers and players. The popular real-time strategy game genre is especially vulnerable to cheats, as it is frequently hosted as a peer-to-peer game. As the genre has moved towards a distributed simulation approach to gameplay, the number of cheats has been reduced to bug exploits and "maphacks": a form of information exposure that reveals the opponent's units and positions when they should be hidden. This paper proposes a technique for detecting maphacking based on bit commitment and explores the tradeoffs in network traffic and information exposure inherent in reducing information exposure in peer-to-peer games.
Conduction Velocity in the Tricuspid Valve‐Inferior Vena Cava Isthmus is Slower in Patients With Type I Atrial Flutter Compared to Those Without a History of Atrial Flutter

Slower Conduction in the TV-IVC Isthmus. Introduction: In human type I atrial flutter, the electrophysiologic substrate is unclear. In order to determine if slow conduction is mechanistically important, we evaluated conduction velocity in the tricuspid valve-inferior vena cava (TV-IVC) isthmus, right atriai free wall, and interatrial septum in patients with and without a history of atrial flutter undergoing electrophysiologic study. Methods and Results: Nine patients with (group 1) and nine without a history of type I atrial flutter (group 2) were studied. Conduction time (msec) in the right atrial free wall. TV-IVC isthmus (bidirectional), and interatrial septum was measured during pacing in sinus rhythm at cycle lengths of 600, 500, 400, and 300 msec from the low lateral right atrium and coronary sinus ostium. Conduction velocity (cm/sec) was calculated by dividing the distance between pacing electrodes and sensing electrodes (cm) by the conduction time (sec). Conduction velocity was slower in the TV-IVC isthmus in group 1 (range 37 ± 8 to 42 ± 8 cm/sec) versus group 2 (range 50 ± 8 to 55 ± 9 msec) at all pacing cycle lengths (P < 0.05). However, conduction velocity was not different in the right atrial free wall or interatrial septum between groups 1 and 2. Conduction velocity was also slower in the TV-IVC isthmus than in the right atrial free wall and interatrial septum in group 1 patients, at all pacing cycle lengths (P < 0.05). Atrial flutter cycle length correlated with total atrial conduction time (r ≥ 0.832, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Slow conduction in the TV-IVC isthmus may be mechanistically important for the development of human type I atrial flutter.
Targeted overexpression of ornithine decarboxylase enhances β-adrenergic agonist-induced cardiac hypertrophy

These studies were designed to determine the consequences of constitutive overexpression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in the heart. Induction of ODC is known to occur in response to agents that induce cardiac hypertrophy. However, it is not known whether high ODC levels are sufficient for the development of a hypertrophic phenotype. Transgenic mice were generated with cardiac-specific expression of a stable ODC protein using the alpha-myosin heavy-chain promoter. Founder lines with >1000-fold overexpression of ODC in the heart were established, resulting in a 50-fold overaccumulation of putrescine, 4-fold elevation in spermidine, a slight increase in spermine and accumulation of large amounts of cadaverine compared with littermate controls. Despite these significant alterations in polyamines, myocardial hypertrophy, as measured by ratio of heart to body weight, did not develop, although atrial natriuretic factor RNA was slightly elevated in transgenic ventricles. However, stimulation of beta-adrenergic signalling by isoproterenol resulted in severe hypertrophy and even death in ODC-overexpressing mice without further altering polyamine levels, compared with only a mild hypertrophy in littermates. When beta1-adrenergic stimulation was blocked by simultaneous treatment with isoproterenol and the beta1 antagonist atenolol, a significant, although reduced, hypertrophy was still present in the hearts of transgenic mice, suggesting that both beta1 and beta2 adrenergic receptors contribute to the hypertrophic phenotype. Therefore these mice provide a model to study the in vivo co-operativity between high ODC activity and activation of other pathways leading to hypertrophy in the heart.
MO‐E‐M100J‐01: Anatomical Imaging

This presentation surveys imaging systems, their limitations and expectations for target and organ‐at‐risk position determination, delineation and respiratory motion estimation. Discussion will focus on systems that are in current clinical use. Imaging techniques at simulation usually attempt to use the same patient breathing conditions as at treatment, among them, breath hold, free breathing, coached breathing, or abdominal compression. CT remains the dominant standard for anatomical imaging of external beam radiotherapy simulation. CT acquisition techniques for motion estimation include breath hold at different inspiration levels, or more recently, respiration‐correlated CT (RCCT), involving retrospective sorting of axial images by means of a respiration signal. A limitation of RCCT is that images at a given position along the patient are confined to a single respiratory cycle, and assumes that the breathing pattern is repeatable, which is known to be violated to some extent depending on the patient. Further, images are acquired over several cycles and resorted into a single one; thus cycle‐to‐cycle changes in breathing pattern lead to artifacts. Coached breathing attempts to achieve more repeatable breathing and has shown varying degrees of improvement in some patients. Breath‐hold CT fidelity is similarly dependent on breath‐hold repeatability. Ideally imaging over several breath cycles is desirable, but imagingdose imposes limitations with RCCT, while patient fatigue limits breath‐hold CT. A possible future direction of development is to complement CT with modalities that can image over several cycles with little or no additional dose. For example, repeat MRI in the sagittal plane provides not only a self‐consistent image in terms of respiratory motion but also an estimate of cycle‐to‐cycle variation in motion extent, which is valuable for evaluating the sensitivity of a treatment plan to such variation. Education Objectives: 1. Understand the current technological advances in radiotherapyimaging at simulation to provide spatial information and respiratory motion estimation; 2. Understand the limitations, current expectations, and possible further improvements of these imaging systems.
On possibility of calculating Siegert eigenvalues for autoionizing electronic states

Abstract The energy and lifetimes of metastable states (equivalently, the positions and widths of scattering resonances) are determined by the complex poles of the S -matrix, the Siegert eigenvalues. A variational, basis set method proposed by Bardsley and Junker for calculating these complex eigenvalues has been applied to several examples — a one-dimensional potential resonance and several autoionizing states of He and H − — with encouraging results. The method is seen to converge to the correct results as the basis set is increased, and the convergence is seen to be well-behaved. It is also significant that results of useful accuracy (e.g., lifetimes to ≈ 10% accuracy) can be obtained with reasonably modest basis sets (≈ 10 configurations for He, H − , of a quality that is attainable for systems with more than two electrons.
The Use of Ultrasound Elastography to Assess Regional Variations in Tendon Strain

Muscle-tendon loading patterns are complex, with computational models suggesting that both muscle and tendinous tissues undergo highly nonuniform deformation patterns [1]. Hence, musculoskeletal tissue injuries may alter both the morphology and mechanical interactions of muscle and tendon, potentially contributing to secondary pathologies. For example, the presence of residual scar tissue following acute strain injury likely alters force transmission across the muscle-tendon junction and contributes to re-injury risk [2]. While visual ultrasonic methods for assessing tendon strain have provided insight into overall tissue mechanics [3], no prior technique has demonstrated the ability to measure strain distributions in vivo. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the potential use of ultrasound elastography as a tool for measuring in vivo tendon strain patterns. We achieved this purpose by first developing and assessing an elastography-based approach in an ex vivo experimental setup, and then repeating the analysis on pilot ultrasonic data collected in vivo.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Reining in the Reign of the Parties: Political Parties in Contemporary Indonesia

Abstract This article analyzes party system institutionalization during Indonesia's transition to democracy since 1998. From 1999–2008, I assert, Indonesia has largely been under the reign of the parties. The parties were both strongly embedded in the legal framework of the new democratic system and weakly institutionalized, relying on charisma and platitudes instead of organizational depth, with party splits littering the landscape, thus creating a perfect storm of frustration on the part of many Indonesian people. Legal changes, court decisions, and the rise of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, however, have reined in the parties' power perceptibly. Though these changes may increase individual accountability on the part of politicians, they are likely also to weaken the parties' institutionalization as the emphasis goes from parties to individuals. This has long-term implications for Indonesia's democratization.
The Perceptual Flattening of Three-Dimensional Scenes Enclosed by a Frame

The effects of a visible frame around a three-dimensional scene on perceived depth within the scene was investigated in three experiments. In experiment 1 subjects judged the slant of an object that had been rotated about a vertical axis. Judged slant was reduced when the frame was illuminated. In experiments 2 and 3 subjects judged the shape (width-to-height ratio) of the object. The object was judged to be narrower when the frame was illuminated (experiment 2) or when a frame was added to the scene in an illuminated room (experiment 3). These results demonstrate that the presence of a frame around a three-dimensional scene serves as a flatness cue, reducing perceived depth within the scene.
A Unified Treatment of Locally Most Powerful Rank Tests under Type II Censoring

Abstract For the derivation of locally most powerful (LMP) rank tests, a general method that encompasses a wide variety of testing problems and type II censoring schemes is formulated. Applications are illustrated in the context of the one-sample, two-sample, and regression problems. It is shown that the traditional derivations of the LMP rank tests are greatly simplified with the proposed method. The LMP criterion is also applied to some problems for which only ad hoc tests were previously proposed.
Paleontology and paleoecology of guano deposits in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

Bat guano deposits are common in the Mammoth Cave system (Kentucky, USA). Paleontological remains associated with these deposits are important records of local landscape changes. Recent excavations in the cave suggest that vertebrate remains in most of these deposits are dominated by Chiroptera. Although no extinct fauna were identified, the presence of a large roost of Tadarida brasiliensis in the Chief City section is beyond the northern extent of its current range suggesting that this deposit dates to an undetermined interglacial period. Stable isotope analyses of Tadarida-associated guano indicate a C3 prey signature characteristic of forested habitat. This was unexpected since this species is typically associated with open environments. Further ecomorphological analysis of wing shape trends in interglacial, Holocene, and historic-aged assemblages indicate that interglacial faunas are dominated by fast-flying, open-space taxa (T. brasiliensis) while late Holocene and Historic assemblages contain more taxa that utilized closed forest or forest gaps.
Cerebrovascular Dissections: A Review. Part II: Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury

Traumatic cerebrovascular injury (TCVI) is present in approximately 1% of all blunt force trauma patients and is associated with injuries such as head and cervical spine injuries and thoracic trauma. Increased recognition of patients with TCVI in the past quarter century has been because of aggressive screening protocols and noninvasive imaging with computed tomography angiography. Extracranial carotid and vertebral artery injuries demonstrate a spectrum of severity, from intimal disruption to traumatic aneurysm formation or vessel occlusion. The most common intracranial arterial injuries are carotid-cavernous fistulae and traumatic aneurysms. Data on the long-term natural history of TCVI are limited, and management of patients with TCVI is controversial. Although antithrombotic medical therapy is associated with improved neurological outcomes, the optimal medication regimen is not yet established. Endovascular techniques have become more popular than surgery for the treatment of TCVI; endovascular options include stenting of dissections, intra-arterial thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke caused by trauma, and embolization of traumatic aneurysms.
Comparison of computed tomography-enteroclysis and traditional computed tomography in the setting of suspected partial small bowel obstruction

Traditional computed tomography (CT) is sometimes limited in its ability to diagnose partial small bowel obstruction (SBO), especially if low grade. Standard enteroclysis is sensitive in diagnosing partial SBO; however, extraluminal abnormalities are not well visualized. CT-enteroclysis (CT-E) offers both crosssectional imaging and a contrast volume challenge. CT-E is compared to traditional abdominal/pelvic CT to identify any group(s) of patients who might benefit from having CT-E as the front-line examination.
Multi-resolution elliptic curve digital signature

The cryptographic strength and verification delay of an elliptic curve digital signature are determined by the parameters of the curve's underlying finite field. The field's parameters and public key are usually generated and distributed before the WSN's deployment thus cannot be changed easily. This situation creates a need for a multi-resolution digital signature scheme that provides the signer a choice to trade off a signature's strength for faster verification time and less power consumption. We present a digital signature scheme called Multi-Resolution Elliptic Curve Signature (MRECS) that allows the signer the ability to create signatures of different cryptographic strengths from the same public key set. Compared to an implementation using a set of different keys, MRECS requires less storage overhead and has longer key lifetime at the cost of slightly higher but acceptable communication overhead. MRECS yields up to 33% computational overhead reduction compared to that of the full-size signature while maintaining a full elliptic curve strength regardless of a signature strength.
Hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis with hypomagnesuric hypermagnesemia and severe hypocalciuria: A new syndrome?

Bartter's and Gitelman's syndromes are characterized by hypokalemia, urinary potassium wasting, elevated plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels, normotension, and prostaglandinuria. They differ in that hypomagnesemia and hypocalciuria are universal in Gitelman's syndrome; 20% of cases of Bartter's syndrome have hypomagnesemia and hypercalciuria. We present a 44-year-old white man referred for hypokalemia. Clinical evaluation was unremarkable. He had hypokalemia (P(K), 2.8 to 3.0 mEq/L), hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis, mild azotemia (serum creatinine, 1.4 to 1.8 mg/dL; creatinine clearance, 59 mL/min), normocalcemia, marked persistent hypocalciuria (FE(Ca), 0.08% to 0.09%), and normal intact parathyroid hormone levels (51 pg/mL) and glucosuria. He had persistent hypermagnesemia (P(Mg), 2.1 to 2.8 mEq/L) with relative hypomagnesuria (FE(Mg), 3.2% to 5.2%) given the level of renal impairment and hypermagnesemia. Supine plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels were high (11 ng/mL/hr and 43 ng/dL, respectively). An excessive dietary intake of magnesium, including medications, was excluded. Studies were performed after withdrawing all medications for 8 days. A maximum water diuresis was established (an oral load of 20 mL/kg; stable Uosm, 120 mOsm/kg), and free water and solute clearances were studied at baseline and after sequential intravenous injections of 125 mg chlorothiazide and 40 mg furosemide. The patient had moderate renal impairment (technetium diethylene triamine pentacetic acid [DTPA] clearance, 35.4 mL/min/1.73 m2) and, in contradistinction to Bartter's and Gitelman's syndromes, sodium and water handling in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle and the distal tubule (fractional distal solute reabsorption) was normal, but there was evidence of a defect in the proximal tubule reabsorption (glucosuria, supranormal C(H2O) and high distal delivery). Hypomagnesuria and hypocalciuria appeared to be secondary to an increase in their absorption in the loop of Henle (increased excretion following furosemide). In conclusion, this combination of metabolic abnormalities has never been described. We postulate a proximal tubular defect in the absorption of NaCl leading to hypocalciuria, hypomagnesuria, and potassium wasting. Whether the tubular defect is primary or secondary to a renal parenchymal disease is, however, unclear.
Optical Phonons in Ga 1 − x Al x As Mixed Crystals: A Modified Random-Element Isodisplacement-Model Calculation

The modified random-element isodisplacement model correctly predicts that ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Al}}_{x}\mathrm{As}$ forms a "two-mode"-type mixed crystal. The model calculations agree very well with a recent infrared measurement of concentration dependence of long-wavelength longitudinal and transverse optic mode frequencies of the mixed-crystal system.
Acoustic variability in vibrato and its perceptual significance

Summary Historically, studies of vocal vibrato have concentrated on pulse rate as being a primary factor in determining whether a given vocal movement is a good or bad vibrato or a tremolo or wobble. More recently, investigators have been studying the extent of frequency variation and amplitude variation around their respective means in order to determine their influence on the perception of vibrato. The present study is an additional attempt to understand the three parameters comprising vibrato, their interrelationship, and their relationship to perception. Samples of sustained sung tones were obtained primarily from recordings. The samples were digitized using a 16-bit A/D converter at a sampling frequency of 10 kHz. Each digitized sample was converted to a useful format for marking purposes in order to derive information on vibrato pulse rate, the mean frequency of the tone, the semitone deviation around the mean, percent frequency deviation and percent amplitude variation around the mean amplitude. Data presentation utilizes representative samples of good vibrato, tremolo and wobble and describes differences in waveforms which may impact on perception.
Reconnaissance-attack parsing

In this paper wc will describe an approach to parsing one major component of which is a stragegy called RECONNAISSANCEATTACK. Under this strategy, no structure building is attempted until after completion of a preliminary phase designed to exploit low-level information to the fullest possible extent. This first pass then defines a set of constraints that restrict the set of available options when structure building proper begins. R-A parsing is in principle compatible with a variety of different views regarding the nature of syntactic representation, though it fits more comfortably with some than with others--a point to which we shall return.
Visualization of fine-grained code change history

Conventional version control systems save code changes at each check-in. Recently, some development environments retain more fine-grain changes. However, providing tools for developers to use those histories is not a trivial task, due to the difficulties in visualizing the history. We present two visualizations of fine-grained code change history, which actively interact with the code editor: a timeline visualization, and a code history diff view. Our timeline and filtering options allow developers to navigate through the history and easily focus on the information they need. The code history diff view shows the history of any particular code fragment, allowing developers to move through the history simply by dragging the marker back and forth through the timeline to instantly see the code that was in the snippet at any point in the past. We augment the usefulness of these visualizations with richer editor commands including selective undo and search, which are all implemented in an Eclipse plug-in called “Azurite”. Azurite helps developers with answering common questions developers ask about the code change history that have been identified by prior research. In addition, many of users' backtracking tasks can be achieved using Azurite, which would be tedious or error-prone otherwise.
868 SPLENIC HYPOFUNCTION OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION (BMT)

Five recipients of BMT at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia developed late bacterial infections. This prompted us to review our clinical experience seeking evidence for splenic hypofunction in those and other patients (pts). Accordingly, we sought Howell-Jolly bodies (HJB) in peripheral blood smears of 29 pts; performed liver-spleen scans (LSS) in 9 pts with chronic graft-vs-host disease (CGVHD) and/or infection; and reviewed the spleens of 7 pts who died and had autopsies. In our series as a whole, 12 pts developed GVHD (5 acute; 2 chronic; 5 acute and chronic). 7/29 pts developed HJB; 4 of these had GVHD. Four pts receiving LSS showed decreased or absent splenic function; 3 had GVHD. The incidence of HJB or decreased function on LSS was not related to underlying diagnosis or preparative regimen. Lymphoid depletion was evident on all 7 spleens whose histopathology was reviewed: 2 showed total; 3 marked; and 2 moderately depleted lymphoid tissue. Our retrospective data suggest that splenic hypofunction is fairly common in the recipients of BMT, especially in pts with GVHD. Prospective studies performed at regular intervals after BMT will be necessary to define the true incidence of this condition and identify those pts who may need prophylactic antibiotic therapy.
Extinction efficiency in the infrared (2-18 µm) of laboratory ice clouds: observations of scattering minima in the Christiansen bands of ice.

Extinction measurements with a laser diode (0.685 μm) and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (2–18 μm) were performed on laboratory ice clouds (5 μm ≤ D ≤ 70 μm) grown at a variety of temperatures, and thus at a variety of crystal habits and average projected crystal area. Ice clouds were grown by nucleation of a supercooled water droplet cloud with a rod cooled with liquid nitrogen. The ice crystals observed were mainly plates and dendrites at the coldest temperatures (≈−15 °C) and were mainly columns and needles at warmer temperatures (≈−5 °C). The crystals were imaged with both a novel microscope equipped with a video camera and a heated glass slide and a continuously running Formvar replicator. The IR spectral optical-depth measurements reveal a narrow (0.5-μm-width) extinction minimum at 2.84 μm and a wider (3-μm-width) minimum at 10.5 μm. These partial windows are associated with wavelengths where the real part of the index of refraction for bulk ice has a relative minimum so that extinction is primarily due to absorption rather than scattering (i.e., the Christiansen effect). Bulk ice has absorption maxima near the window wavelengths. IR extinction efficiency has a noticeable wavelength dependence on the average projected crystal area and therefore on the temperature-dependent crystal properties. The average-size parameters in the visible for different temperatures ranged from 64 to 128, and in the IR they ranged from 2.5 to 44. The extinction efficiency and the single-scatter albedo for ice spheres as computed from Mie scattering also show evidence of the Christiansen effect.
Estimating neuromuscular stimulation within the human torso with Taser stimulus.

Designers of electromuscular incapacitation devices need to know efficacy. Which areas of nerve and muscle are stimulated and are these areas adequate to cause incapacitation? This paper focuses on efficacy, which used a torso-sized finite element model with a mesh of about 5 mm. To estimate the neuromuscular regions stimulated by the Taser® X26, calculations of electric current density and field strength values with 1 A inserted into the torso using the Utah 3D mesh were made. Field-times-duration values for given Taser stimulation were calculated. Then the region where the motor nerve was stimulated by the Taser was estimated by using a field-times-duration threshold from Reilly (1998 Applied Bioelectricity: From Electrical Stimulation to Electropathology (New York: Springer)). Neuromuscular stimulation occurred up to about 19 cm away from the darts and included the spinal cord. The current density at the heart for dart separation less than 10 cm was smaller than for larger dart separation. Users of finite element computer models will find information for torso models and their creation, meshing and operation.
Spatial regulation of CLASP affinity for microtubules by Rac1 and GSK3β in migrating epithelial cells

Proteins that in cells specifically bind to growing microtubule plus ends (+TIPs) are thought to play important roles in polarization of the cytoskeleton. However, most +TIPs do not show a bias of their microtubule-binding behavior toward different subcellular regions. Here, we examine the dynamics of the +TIP CLASP in migrating PtK1 epithelial cells. We find that, although CLASPs track microtubule plus ends in the cell body, they dynamically decorate the entire microtubule lattice in the leading edge lamella and lamellipodium. Microtubule lattice binding is mediated by the COOH-terminal region of the CLASP microtubule-binding domain and is regulated downstream of Rac1. Phosphorylation of sites in the NH2-terminal part of the microtubule-binding domain by glycogen synthase kinase 3β likely regulates the affinity of CLASPs for microtubule lattices. These results demonstrate the striking difference of the microtubule cytoskeleton in the lamella as compared with the cell body and provide the first direct observation of subcellular regulation of a microtubule-associated protein in migrating cells.
Gastrointestinal function and related problems following esophagectomy

Esophagectomy is associated with significant peri-operative morbidity. Nonetheless, it is realistic to expect that complication rates related to this formidable procedure will decrease. Progress will likely stem not from changes in surgical technique, but from overall advances in medicine, strides in critical care, and more accurate means of preoperative assessment. In contrast, the outlook for functional problems following esophagectomy is more pessimistic. While dumping, delayed gastric emptying, esophageal reflux, and the nutritional insufficiency that accompanies these problems cannot be solved, perhaps their frequency and severity can be moderated. Esophagectomy is an inherently life-altering operation that re-orders a patient’s ability to ingest and digest food and effortlessly complete many daily activities. The principal surgical reconstructions necessary to accomplish esophagectomy cannot be circumvented. Procedural modifications have had minimal impact on functional outcome. Many issues seem inconsequential: where an esophagogastric anastomosis is positioned— cervical or thoracic; through what incision the esophagus is mobilized—right chest, left chest, or transhiatal; by which path the gastric conduit is routed—mediastinal or substernal. Even the successful utilization of minimal access techniques to duplicate the maximally-invasive esophagectomy cannot offset the physical and physiological imbalances caused by esophagectomy.
Scaffolding through Cases: Diverse Constructivist Teaching in the Literacy Methods Course.

Abstract This study focused on my use of first grade literacy cases to scaffold a diverse constructivist perspective in my literacy methods course for preservice teachers. The cases depicted my concurrent work in a local school with three underachieving readers, two having diverse backgrounds with respect to home languages and socioeconomic status. I examined how I communicated a diverse constructivist orientation through cases, and whether preservice teachers utilized this perspective in their assignments. Qualitative analyses of university course videotapes and preservice teachers’ assignments revealed that over time many preservice teachers showed beginning attempts at articulating a diverse constructivist orientation when assignments focused on actual students.
Local refinement of three-dimensional finite element meshes

Mesh refinement is an important tool for editing finite element meshes in order to increase the accuracy of the solution. Refinement is performed in an iterative procedure in which a solution is found, error estimates are calculated, and elements in regions of high error are refined. This process is repeated until the desired accuracy is obtained. Much research has been done on mesh refinement. Research has been focused on two-dimensional meshes and three-dimensional tetrahedral meshes ([1] Ning et al. (1993) Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 13, 299–318; [2] Rivara, M. (1991) Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics 36, 79–89; [3] Kallinderis; Vijayar (1993) AIAA Journal,31, 8, 1440–1447; [4] Finite Element Meshes in Analysis and Design,20, 47–70). Some research has been done on three-dimensional hexahedral meshes ([5] Schneiders; Debye (1995) Proceedings IMA Workshop on Modelling, Mesh Generation and Adaptive Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations). However, little if any research has been conducted on a refinement algorithm that is general enough to be used with a mesh composed of any three-dimensional element (hexahedra, wedges, pyramids, and/or retrahedra) or any combination of three-dimensional elements (for example, a mesh composed of part hexahedra and part wedges). This paper presents an algorithm for refinement of three-dimensional finite element meshes that is general enough to refine a mesh composed of any combination of the standard three-dimensional element types.
Self-propagating Free-radical Binary Frontal Polymerization

The first mathematical model for free-radical binary frontal polymerization (BFP), is presented. The model describes the following experimental situation. A test tube is filled with a mixture of two monomers and an initiator. When the temperature at the top of the tube is increased a self-sustained polymerization wave which propagates along the axis of the tube is formed. Two different polymer species are synthesized in the wave. Such one-dimensional polymerization waves are studied. Approximate analytical solutions are derived and compared to numerical solutions. The effect of various parameters of the model on the front velocity and temperature is discussed.
Elimination of cooperativity in aspartate transcarbamylase by nitration of a single tyrosine residue.

In a previous report [Landfear, S. M., Lipscomb, W. N. & Evans, D.R. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 3988--3996] we demonstrated that tetranitromethane can be employed to nitrate a limited number of tyrosine residues in aspartate transcarbamylase (carbamoylphosphate:L-aspartate carbamoyltransferase, EC 2.1.3.2); such modification eliminates cooperativity, feedback inhibition, and enzymatic activity, and reduces binding of the feedback inhibitor cytidine triphosphate. Cooperativity is lost more rapidly than other properties, and this loss correlates with the nitration of a single tyrosine residue. In this paper, we describe the saturation kinetics of hybrid species constructed from nitrated subunits of one type (either catalytic or regulatory) and native subunits of the other type. We conclude that the modification responsible for loss of cooperativity is on the catalytic subunit. The tryptic peptide containing this modification has been isolated and identified.
Future Research in Sex Differences in Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: Report by the Society for Women's Health Research

Obesity has become an international public health concern. In the United States, the rates of overweight and obesity have escalated dramatically in the last several decades. The health implications of obesity stem from its relationship with the development and progression of several health complications and diseases. Cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer of women and men, is strongly influenced by obesity. The exact biological relationship between these two conditions is difficult to understand because several overlapping physiological systems and processes influence their development. One important component that affects obesity and cardiovascular disease is the sex of the individual. Although this basic biological variable is an obvious area for scientific study, research analyzing the influence of sex on obesity and cardiovascular disease is gravely lacking. The Society for Women's Health Research convened a workshop of obesity and cardiovascular disease experts in November 2005 to identify the gaps in scientific knowledge and crucial next steps in research related to sex differences in obesity and cardiovascular disease. This meeting report describes the workshop attendees' recommendations in detail.
Validating direct memory access interfaces with conformance checking

Direct Memory Access (DMA) interfaces are a common and important component of Hardware/Software (HW/SW) interfaces between peripheral devices and their device drivers. We present a HW/SW co-validation framework to validate DMA interface implementations of a device and its driver. This framework employs a virtual prototype of the device as a reference model and performs co-validation in two stages: (1) conformance checking which checks the DMA interface conformance between the device and its virtual prototype; (2) property checking which checks device/driver interactions across the DMA interface. In conformance checking, the virtual prototype infers the device state transitions by taking the same driver request sequence to the device. Property checking verifies system properties over the device state transitions exposed through the virtual prototype. This framework assists HW/SW integration validation by detecting DMA interface bugs in both devices and drivers. Furthermore, we have developed three key techniques: capture-on-write policy, partial capture, and environmental input prediction, to address two major challenges in scaling the framework: DMA capture overhead and imprecise environmental input simulation. We have applied this approach to four Ethernet adapters, discovering 12 serious DMA interface bugs from the devices, their virtual prototypes and their drivers. The results demonstrate that our approach has major potential in facilitating HW/SW co-validation.
RECONCILING TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR PRESERVATION AND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT PROCESS: EVALUATION OF NORTH CAROLINA PHASED ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH

In recent years, transportation agencies have become increasingly interested in using corridor preservation to protect future highway locations from development. However, the preparation of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents in the late stages of the transportation planning process makes uses of these measures difficult. In an attempt to make the corridor preservation and NEPA processes more compatible, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and FHWA have developed the phased environmental approach, an environmental review process that allows early selection of highway location and makes the use of protection techniques feasible and effective. Although the phased approach has been used in several pilot projects and is intended to become a part of the state's standard planning process, the procedure's compliance with the requirements of NEPA has not been evaluated. The compliance of the phased environmental approach with NEPA is examined. Several disparities are identified that place the new procedure in violation of the statute. Considering these problems, three options for modifying the phased approach to provide for compliance with NEPA are identified. These options are compared on the basis of their capacity to provide those benefits offered by the phased approach. A tiered environmental impact statement (EIS) is determined to be the best alternative to the phased environmental approach. This option provides the same benefits as the phased approach while remaining consistent with NEPA. Although several potential problems have been cited regarding the practicality of using a tiered EIS in transportation projects, these concerns may not apply in many cases.
The detrital mineralogy of ocean floor surface sediments adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

Abstract The detrital mineralogy of the 62–125 μ size fraction of the marine sediments adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula delineates three sedimentary mineralogical provinces. Western Weddell Sea sediments are dominated by a suite of metamorphic minerals which probably originates along the southern coast of the Weddell Sea. The sediments of the eastern Bellingshausen Sea are composed of a granitic suite originating largely from the rocks of the Andean intrusive, which dominates the geology of the Antarctic Peninsula. The sediments surrounding and to the north of the South Shetland Islands overwhelmingly consist of a volcanic extrusive suite derived from the insular volcanism. Ice rafting is considered the primary mode of transport, although in rare instances deep currents appear to have concentrated heavy minerals into placer or lag deposits.
School of Medicine CBIL librarian: an educational informationist model

The Computer‐Based Instruction Lab (CBIL) librarian works with instructional faculty in the School of Medicine (SOM) to identify and integrate computer‐based instruction into the curricula and to coordinate the informatics curriculum throughout the years of the medical student educational program. Because the CBIL librarian teaches informatics and grades papers, is resident within the building where instruction of medical students occurs, and because her salary is paid by the SOM, she is considered a part of the SOM instructional team and serves as a model of an educational informationist.
Synthesis, X-ray, spectroelectrochemical, and theoretical studies of a tricyanovinyl-capped quaterthiophene: A correlation of semiconductor performance with physical properties

A new tricyanovinyl-substituted quaterthiophene compound has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry, spectroelectrochemistry, and theoretical analysis. The tricyanovinyl group provides a dramatic change in the physical properties of the quaterthiophene. The molecule has been tested as the semiconducting layer in an n-type thin-film transistor. The device properties correlate well with the solid-state packing, spectroelectrochemical results, and theoretical modeling.