cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knee manipulation following total knee arthroplasty. Analysis of prognostic variables.

Abstract In an effort to identify prognostic indicators for knee manipulation, the authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 60 osteoarthritic patients with posterior stabilized knee implants who required manipulation (94 knees) between January 1984 and December 1986. They also studied the records of 28 consecutive osteoarthritic patients who were implanted with 41 posterior stabilized knees between January 1985 and September 1985 whose knees did not require manipulation (control group). In both patient groups the following parameters were assessed and compared: overall knee alignment, joint line elevation, anterior to posterior (AP) dimension of the knee, AP placement of the tibial component, patellar height, obesity, age, preoperative flexion, time of manipulation, single vs bilateral knee implants, final flexion, final Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, and the development of heterotopic ossification. The findings of this study showed that an increase in the AP knee dimension by 12% or greater was a critically independent variable that significantly pre- disposed patients to manipulation. They also show that quadriceps adhesions were another major factor leading to manipulation, and that rupturing of these adhesions led to an increase in heterotopic ossification. This review also indicated that 3 months after knee arthroplasty was a significant time for evaluation because knee flexion and HSS score at this point in the patient's recovery positively correlated with the final HSS score.
Gender effects on Internet, catalogue and store shopping

A survey of 300 men and 300 women consumers measured their attitudes towards shopping and their perceptions of Internet, catalogue, and store shopping based on 12 positive and 12 negative adjectives. The results indicate women have much more positive attitudes toward shopping in general. Women's ratings of catalogue and store shopping were significantly more positive and less negative than men's ratings. The opposite was true for Internet shopping. Women obtain more satisfaction from shopping and are likely to respond positively toward any enhancements to the shopping experience.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of live Drosophila melanogaster using magic angle spinning.

High-Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HRMAS) proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) is a novel non-destructive technique that improves spectral line-widths and allows high-resolution spectra to be obtained from extracts, intact cells, cell cultures, and more importantly intact tissue to investigate relationships between metabolites and cellular processes. In vivo HRMAS 1H-MRS studies have yet to be reported in the live fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila, as a simpler genetic organism, allows the multiple biological functions and various evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways to be examined at the whole organism level and it is a useful model for investigating genetics and physiology. To this end, we developed and implemented an in vivo HRMAS 1H-MRS method to investigate live Drosophila at 14.1 T. Here, we outline an HRMAS 1H-MRS protocol for the molecular characterization of Drosophila with a conventional MR spectrometer equipped with an HRMAS probe. This technique is a novel, in vivo, non-destructive Drosophila metabolite measurement approach, which enables the identification of disease biomarkers and thus may contribute to novel therapeutic development.
The Propagation and Structure of Shock Waves of Varying Strength in a Self-Gravitating Gas Sphere

This paper gives a general method to describe the motion of a spherically symmetric shock wave of varying strength moving in a gas where the density ahead of the shock front varies with distance from the centre. The method applies only as long as the density does not become zero ahead of the shock front at any instant. The motion is initiated by a central explosion which liberates a given amount of kinetic energy. The density distribution ahead of the shock front is shown to have an important effect on the variation in the shock strength, and a first approximation to the equation of motion of the shock front is deduced. A particular example is worked out in detail, and it is shown that for certain density distributions the blast wave consists of a thin shell of gas while the remainder of the original sphere is left intact.
Equivalent Nonlinear Foundation Method for Pile-Founded Structures

An equivalent foundation method was developed to model the nonlinear response of piles subjected to pile head shear, moment and axial load. This equivalent method uses only two pile elements to represent the axial and flexural resistance of a pile which normally needs a complex system of pile-soil elements to model. Each of the equivalent elements has a multi-linear force-displacement relationship and an appropriate hysteretic behavior that retains the static, cyclic and dynamic behavior of a more complex model. This method has been applied to some typical pile-founded offshore structures for both static and dynamic analysis. The comparison between the responses obtained from this method and from the well known nonlinear Winkler model showed that both solutions agreed extremely well. More important, the equivalent method has just about one-tenth of the number of degrees of freedom normally needed in a Winkler model. This study concludes that the equivalent nonlinear foundation model is an accurate and economical technique to represent the nonlinear behavior of pile foundations. The reduction in computer cost and storage by this nonlinear foundation modeling technique is significant.
Two-dimensional echocardiographic contrast assessment of pacing-induced mitral regurgitation: relation to altered regional left ventricular function.

Two-dimensional echocardiography during agitated saline contrast injections into the left ventricle was applied in eight closed chest dogs to examine the degree of mitral valve regurgitation encountered with pacing from two sites: 1) at the right ventricular apex and 2) within the coronary sinus at the base of the left ventricle. Pacing was at a rate of 10 beats/min above the sinus rate, and ranged from 60 to 120 beats/min. Hemodynamic variables were monitored, and data on global and regional left ventricular function were derived from a series of short- and long-axis cross-sectional echographic images. The degree of valvular regurgitation was assessed independently by two observers, and systolic appearance of echo contrast in the left atrium was graded as 0 to +4. Although no mitral regurgitation was noted in sinus rhythm, regurgitation was severe with right ventricular apical pacing (3.2 ± 0.7, mean ± standard deviation) and relatively mild (0.9 ± 0.7) with basal pacing (p It is concluded that significant differences in mitral regurgitation exist depending on the site of pacing, with apical pacing causing severe regurgitation and abnormal regional contraction near the pacing site.
Endometrial carcinoma following estrogen-progestogen therapy in Turner's syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract A case of Turner's syndrome in which the patient developed a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the endometrium after 15 years of sequential estrogen-progestogen therapy and 3 additional years of combined therapy is reported. A survey of the literature revealed 10 other cases of Turner's syndrome in which endometrial carcinoma developed after long-term replacement hormonal therapy and one additonal case without a definitive diagnosis of carcinoma. Including the one described here, four patients developed endometrial carcinoma after either combined or sequential estrogen-progestogen therapy. Seven patients were given estrogen alone as substitution therapy. One patient was given progestogens alone for 19 weeks after 9 years of stilbestrol. It appears that the addition of progestogens to the therapeutic regimen does not always prevent the development of endometrial carcinoma. It is advocated that all patients with Turner's syndrome on replacement therapy with estrogens alone or with sequential or combined estrogen-progestogens be closely followed for the development of endometrial carcinoma.
An oxidation resistant radioligand for corticotropin-releasing factor receptors.

Abstract The methionine residues in Tyr-corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and Tyr-sauvagine radioligands are subject to oxidation, which renders them biologically inactive. Therefore [Tyr 0, Gln 1, Leu 17 ]sauvagine (YQLS), in which the methionine was replaced with leucine was synthesized and labeled with 125 Iodine using chloramine-T. Mass spectroscopy revealed that chloramine-T-treatment did not oxidize YQLS. 125 I-YQLS bound with high affinity to cells expressing the murine CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1), CRF receptor 2 (CRFR2), and the mouse brain regions known to express both CRF receptors. 125 I-YQLS chemically cross-linked to CRFR1. In conclusion, 125 I-YQLS is oxidation-resistant, high affinity radioligand that can be chemically cross-linked to the CRF receptors.
Channel coding over finite transport blocks in modern wireless systems

In modern wireless systems such as 3GPP LTE/LTE-Advanced, packets are partitioned into multiple transport blocks where each transport block is a group of resource elements with a common modulation and coding scheme. Accordingly, a transport block is the data unit in the physical layer of modern wireless systems. In this paper, we investigate the throughput performance of modern wireless systems under channel coding over finite transport blocks. When we apply coding over multiple transport blocks, the underlying wireless channel can be effectively modeled as a finite-state discrete-time Markov chain. We link the characteristics of the underlying physical channel to the parameters of the Markov chain, and derive the corresponding “channel dispersion.” The “channel dispersion” is then used to assess the throughput performance of various communication strategies. The results show that for a fixed packet size the system throughput increases with transport block size.
Enzymatic reaction of β-N-methylaminoalanine with l-amino acid oxidase

The reaction of beta-N-methylaminoalanine (BMAA) with L-amino acid oxidase (L-AAO) in the presence of catalase yields ammonia and beta-N-methylaminopyruvate, which was trapped as its 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone, as products. Incubation of BMAA with L-AAO in the presence of semicarbazide led to the formation of a semicarbazone, indicating intermediate iminium ion formation; when potassium cyanide (5 mM) was added, semicarbazone formation was blocked. The formation of beta-N-methylaminopyruvate was decreased by omission of catalase and was reduced in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (100 mM). These results indicate that BMAA is converted by L-AAO to the corresponding alpha-imino acid, which undergoes hydrolysis to beta-N-methylaminopyruvate. The alpha-keto acid is readily oxidized to N-methylglycine by hydrogen peroxide.
Retarded Casimir interaction in the asymptotic domain of an electron and a dielectric wall

A number of different approaches have been used to determine the interactions between a variety of pairs of polarizable systems asymptotically far apart; these are examples of retardation or Casimir interactions. The pairs include two dielectric walls, and an atom and a dielectric wall, but not an electron and a dielectric wall. (The asymptotic value of the interaction between an electron and an ideal conducting wall has been evaluated.) We here apply a method not previously used in the evaluation of retardation potentials, quantized Fresnel modes, to determine the interaction in the asymptotic domain of a polarizable system and a dielectric wall. We thereby reproduce the known result for an atom and a dielectric wall and obtain a previously unobtained result, that for an electron and a dielectric wall. The result simplifies greatly for an ideal metallic wall and for a wall made from a material such as liquid helium for which the dielectric constant is very close to unity. We also discuss the question of a connection between the electron--dielectric-wall interaction and Lifshitz's force per unit area between two dielectric walls. The determination of the amplitudes of the Fresnel modes, by quantization, is the only nonclassical element in the calculation.
The Alonzo functional programming language

Alonzo is a programming language for specifying an output stream of characters as a function of a given input stream of characters. It is a non-strict language based on the untyped λ-calculus, and it has been enriched by adding syntax for local bindings and mutual recursion. Primitive data and their operators have been included along with strict vectors.
An Introduction to Passive Ion Transport across Model Lipid Membranes for Undergraduate Students: Proton Permeation Measurements in Liposomes

In an upper-division biochemistry laboratory experiment, students use a variety of experimental techniques and apply several biochemical and biophysical concepts to measure and interpret proton permeation rates across model membranes. Model membranes in the form of liposomes are prepared from lipids by the extrusion method. The liposomes encapsulate the membrane-impermeable fluorescent pH-indicator pyranine, which facilitates pH detection in their aqueous interior. Rates of proton permeation across the lipid membrane in response to acidification of the external volume are measured by fluorescence spectroscopy. Data analysis introduces students to flux calculations and illustrates the concept that concentration differences are the driving force of diffusion processes such as passive ion transport across membranes. Students are given the task of formulating and then testing a hypothesis regarding the effects of bilayer thickness, liposome radius, magnitude of pH difference across the bilayer, and the presen...
Low-temperature tolerance of southern flounder in Texas

Abstract Young and adult southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma were subjected to decreasing temperature (1°C every 24 h) in fresh and salt water in the laboratory to study their lower temperature tolerances. Survival of adult southern flounder overwintering in fresh- and saltwater ponds was also observed. Young and adults in the laboratory were more tolerant of cold in salt water than in fresh water. Sixty percent of young fish died in fresh water, but only 10% in salt water, as temperatures declined to 2°C; all adults died in fresh water and 63% died in salt water after temperature declined to 1°C. Young died sooner than adults in fresh water, but later in salt water, during temperature decreases. Mortalities continued after water rewarmed. Some young and all adults ceased feeding when temperatures dropped below 6.4°C. In ponds, a minimum temperature of 8°C in fresh and salt water resulted in 14% mortality of adults, whereas a 5°C minimum temperature in a freshwater pond caused 100% mortality. Tempe...
Electrocardiographic findings after open-heart surgery in children.

Abstract The records of 297 pediatric patients who underwent intracardiac surgery using the pump oxygenator were reviewed in regard to the incidence and type of postoperative arrhythmias. Of the 33 patients who died during or just after operation without a permanent electrocardiogram having been taken, 15 were noted by the surgeon to have a complete heart block. This group of 33 patients was characterized by young age, severe defects, and long run on the pump oxygenator, in contrast to the other 264 patients who tended to be older, to have milder defects, and to have shorter pump runs. Arrhythmias occurred only after atriotomy or ventriculotomy, and were more common in the cyanotic cases of tetralogy of Fallot and in those cases of ventricular septal defect with pulmonary hypertension. The incidence of postoperative arrhythmias varied directly with the size of the septal defect, the duration of pump run or cardiac arrest, and, to a lesser degree, the use of patches in repair. There were 21 cases of complete atrioventricular block among these 264 patients who had postoperative electrocardiograms, with death ensuing in 13. Just as in the smaller group of 33, this complication commonly developed in patients with cyanotic tetralogy of Fallot or ventricular septal defect with pulmonary hypertension. No cases occurred after repair of atrial defect, although it appeared in 2 patients with atrioventricular canal of the complete type. Complete right bundle branch block developed in the majority of patients who had a ventricular septal defect or atrioventricular canal, particularly if incomplete right bundle branch block was present preoperatively.
Structural response of Tokamak TF magnet systems to in-plane and out-of-plane electromechanical loads

Abstract A finite thickness, hybrid toroidal shell is presented to model the structural behavior of a Tokamak toroidal field magnet system, consisting of a discrete set of toroidal coils, with intercoil support structure. Both in-plane and out-of-plane electromechanical loads are considered. When the stiffness of the intercoil structure is accounted for, the membrane formulation of the model demonstrates strain incompatibility in the funicular “D” coil configuration. Bending effects are predicted in this configuration; this is also demonstrated numerically. The model is applied in parametric structural analysis of several TF coil configurations with the aspect ratio of the 1981 FED design, under the action of in-plane and out-of-plane loads. An elliptical TF coil shape which exhibits significantly smaller bending stresses than the “D” configuration is recommended as an alternative when, to meet plasma engineering requirements, an elongated coil shape is necessary.
Student honorifics usage in conversations with professors

Abstract The present study investigates student usage (and non-usage) of honorifics (keego) in Japanese conversations with professors. The main data consist of 12 conversations with 22 native speakers participating. It was found that, even though the relative social status of the participants remains the same, honorific usage, including addressee honorifics (desu/masu), varies greatly within the same discourse, as well as among individuals. Unlike what could be predicted from the recent reports that young Japanese speakers rarely use honorifics, a substantial number of the college students in the study did use them, and there was variation in the types of referent honorifics used. Also discussed are referent honorific avoidance strategies used by students.
Two-Stage Triolein Breath Test Differentiates Pancreatic Insufficiency from Other Causes of Malabsorption

In 24 patients with malabsorption, [14C]triolein breath tests were conducted before and together with the administration of pancreatic enzymes (Pancrease, Johnson and Johnson, Skillman, N.J.). Eleven patients with pancreatic insufficiency had a significant rise in peak percent dose per hour 14CO2 excretion after Pancrease, whereas 13 patients with other causes of malabsorption had no increase in 14CO2 excretion (2.61 ± 0.96 vs. 0.15 ± 0.45, p A 0.001). The two-stage [14C]triolein breath test appears to be an accurate and simple noninvasive test of fat malabsorption that differentiates steatorrhea secondary to pancreatic insufficiency from other causes of steatorrhea.
Porta-caval shunting changes neuronal sensitivity to ammonia ☆

Abstract The relations between an effect of ammonia on postsynaptic inhibition, the amount of ammonium acetate i.v. to obtain this effect, and the tissue concentrations of NH 4 + and glutamine were investigated in the cerebral cortex of cats without and with portacaval shunts. Normal cats required 2.43 mmol/kg ammonium acetate to affect postsynaptic inhibition. Cerebral NH 4 + and glutamine increased from 0.21 μmol/g to 0.77 μmol/g and from 2.92 μmol/g to 5.54 μmol/g, respectively. In portacaval shunted cats, postsynaptic inhibition was normal in spite of increases of NH 4 + and glutamine to 1.37 μmol/g and 14.28 μmol/g, respectively. Only 0.7 mmol/kg of ammonium acetate were sufficient to affect postsynaptic inhibition. This was associated with a statistically insignificant increase of NH 4 + to 1.61 μmol/g and no change of glutamine. A chronic portasystemic shunt markedly increases the tolerance of postsynaptic inhibition to NH 4 + . However, postsynaptic inhibition becomes very sensitive to an acute systemic ammonia load and the associated increase of tissue NH 4 + in the cerebral cortex. These observations help to understand the pathogenesis of the encephalopathy precipitated in patients with portasystemic shunts by an acute systemic ammonia load such as resulting from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
Photoelectron detachment and solvated electron dynamics of the cobalt(III) and iron(III) oxalato complexes.

The photochemical redox reaction kinetics of [M(III)(C2O4)3]3- [M = Co, Fe] complexes have been reexamined and studied by time-resolved spectroscopy. The redox mechanisms of the two systems, Co and...
Arturo Bocchini and the Secret Political Police in Fascist Italy

(1998). Arturo Bocchini and the Secret Political Police in Fascist Italy. The Historian: Vol. 60, No. 4, pp. 779-793.
Autokinetic movement of an induced afterimage.

Thirty-two female Ss participated in an experiment in which autokinetic movement (AKM) direction change frequency of an induced afterimage was assessed as a function of stimulus afterimage color (yellow or blue-green) and the presence or absence of eye strain. Afterimage color was found not to affect AKM frequency reports. However, eye strain significantly (p less than .002) affected such reports, with the fewest AKM direction changes reported when strain was present. These results were explained in terms of an error signal and noise analysis of AKM.
Sib pair linkage and association studies between bone mineral density and the interleukin-6 gene locus

A major determinant of the risk for osteoporosis in later life is bone mineral density (BMD) attained during early adulthood. Bone mineral density is a complex trait that, presumably, is influenced by multiple genes. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an attractive candidate gene for osteoporosis susceptibility, because it has effects on bone cells and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Furthermore, previous investigators have identified an association between a 3' UTR polymorphism of the IL-6 gene and BMD. In this study, we searched for linkage and association between this IL-6 gene polymorphism and peak BMD in a large population (812 individuals) of healthy premenopausal sibpairs. Although previous investigators identified only 6 IL-6 alleles, we identified 17 alleles by modifying electrophoretic conditions and evaluating a very large population. We found no evidence for either linkage or association between the IL-6 gene locus and BMD of the spine or hip in either Caucasians or African Americans.
Symposium: Normal and abnormal REM sleep regulation: REM sleep in successful, usual, and pathological aging: the Pittsburgh experience 1980-1993.

Successful psychological and physical adaptation in late life correlates with preservation of sleep quality and physiological integrity of nocturnal EEG sleep measures. Failure to adapt is associated with loss of sleep continuity, alterations in the temporal distribution of delta wave activity, and by either a relative increase in REM sleep (e.g. in mood disorders) or a decrease in REM sleep (e.g. neurodegenerative disorders). Maintenance of sleep (particularly REM sleep) into late life may not be just a correlate, but also possibly a mechanism, of successful aging and thus necessary to the long-term maintenance of vitality and engagement in life.
Unified theory of Rayleigh-angle phenomena for acoustic beams at liquid-solid interfaces

Various phenomena have been observed when a bounded acoustic beam is incident from a liquid onto the surface of a solid at or near the Rayleigh angle. These phenomena include: a shift of the reflected beam from the position predicted by geometrical acoustics, a null or minimum of intensity within the reflected beam, a 180° phase reversal of the field on either side of the null, a weak trailing field on only one side of the reflected beam and a frequency of least reflection when the solid is lossy. By carefully examining the reflection coefficient for angles in the vicinity of the Rayleight angle, and by taking into account the angular spectrum of plane waves that comprise a bounded beam, a model of the reflection process is developed that explains all of the observed phenomena. This model shows that the various critical-reflection effects result from the interference between a geometrically reflected field and the field of a leaky Rayleigh wave, which is excited by the incident beam. Moreover, this model resolves the conflict between various explanations made for these phenomena in the past; in particular, it is found that Schoch's classical description of a laterally displaced reflected beam is valid only for beams having a large width.
Photochemical reduction of uranyl nitrate by tri-n-butyl phosphate—II temperature dependence and quantum yield

Abstract Nitrate production, an undesirable side-reaction in the photochemical reduction of UO2(NO3)2 by tri-n-butyl phosphate, is strongly dependent on temperature and HNO3 concentration. The quantum yield of the UO22+ reduction is about 0.3.
What is the Worst Part About Having Epilepsy? A Children’s and Parents' Perspective

Do children and parents view epilepsy similarly? Children and their parents at an epilepsy camp received a voluntary survey. Twenty children (aged 9-15 years) and their parents responded. Fifty percent of children and 27% of parents thought social stigmatization comprised the worst part of having epilepsy, whereas 38% and 40%, respectively, chose physical seizures. Over half of children and parents would want to have fewer or no seizures if they could change one thing. Sixty-seven percent of children and 93% of parents agreed that epilepsy camp was fun, and the other third of children considered it a place where they felt normal. Overall, children with epilepsy and their parents agreed. Despite the morbidities and potential risks of seizures and of the treatments themselves, the majority of children were most concerned with the stigma attached to having epilepsy.
Identifying Hurricane-Induced Hazardous Material Release Scenarios in a Petroleum Refinery

Hurricanes and other natural disasters can induce hazardous material (hazmat) releases. However, researchers generally treat natural and technological disasters as separate entities rather than as ...
“LIKE BUT UNALIKE”: ERIC SUNDQUIST AND LITERARY HISTORICISM

Eric Sundquist, Strangers in the Land: Blacks, Jews, Post-Holocaust America (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005) As measured by that deadly but inescapable phrase “quantity and quality,” Eric Sundquist is perhaps the most productive American literature scholar of his generation. Since 1979, when he was still in his twenties, he has authored half a dozen books while editing another half-dozen. All have made an impact and many of these have been highly influential—his first book, Home as Found: Authority and Genealogy in Nineteenth-Century American Literature , was among the very first to read canonical American works through the lens of contemporary literary and psychoanalytic theory; his edited collection American Realism: New Essays (1982) proved pivotal in reviving the critical energy in a major but long-dormant literary and historical period. To Wake the Nations: Race in the Making of American Literature (1993) was by implicit design and to powerful effect nothing less than a rewriting of the foundational work of American literary history and criticism—F. O. Matthiessen's monumental American Renaissance: Art and Expression in the Age of Emerson and Whitman (1941). I will spend some time describing To Wake the Nations not only because of the book's exceptional importance but because its eloquent introduction provides the closest thing to a critical credo that Sundquist has written. His description there of his critical ideals—particularly of “justice,” boundary-crossing and “verification”—will help orient our approach to Strangers in the Land , which remains loyal to these ideals as it extends his interest in race and ethnicity, black and white, to the tormented subject of blacks and Jews, united by a “bond of alienation.” (52).
Energetic deposition using filtered cathodic arc plasmas

Energetic film deposition techniques, film properties, and some applications are briefly reviewed. Energetic deposition can be defined as a film deposition process in which a significant fraction of particles arrives at the substrate surface with a kinetic energy greater than the bulk displacement energy. Examples of energetic deposition processes include ion-beam-assisted deposition, plasma immersion ion deposition, pulsed laser deposition, and cathodic arc deposition. This work focuses on the production, properties, and use of filtered cathodic arc plasmas. The pulsed biasing technique of metal plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition extends the possibilities of tuning film properties such as density, stress, adhesion, surface roughness, hardness, elastic modulus, and optical constants via the energy of film-forming ions. The difference between kinetic and total ion energy, atomic scale heating, nucleation, intermixing, subplantation, and the relaxation of compressive stress by relatively high-energy ions are discussed.
Biodegradable functional poly(ester amide)s with pendant hydroxyl functional groups: Synthesis, characterization, fabrication and in vitro cellular response

The synthesis of a new family of biodegradable α-amino acid poly(ester amide)s (AA-PEAs) with pendant benzyl ether groups and hydroxyl functional groups is reported. The synthetic strategy employs the ring opening reaction of O-benzyl-L-serine-N-carboxyanhydride with di-p-toluenesulfonic acid salts of bis-L-valine butane-1,4-diester, followed by solution polycondesation reactions with di-p-nitrophenyl sebacate in N,N-dimethylacetamide. Catalytic hydrogenation of the resulting benzyl ether protected AA-PEAs (PEA-Ser-Bzs) was performed to restore the hydroxyl functional groups in the functionalized AA-PEAs (PEA-Ser-OH). All resulting polymers were characterized by standard physico-chemical methods. The pendant hydroxyl groups in PEA-Ser-OH were used to fabricate AA-PEA-based gels via acrylation and photo-gelation. The cell-polymer interactions of PEA-Ser-Bz and PEA-Ser-OH were evaluated in terms of cell attachment and proliferation assay using bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) as well as fibroblasts. The cell culture data indicated that the hydrophobic/hydrophilic characteristics (from contact angle data) of these AA-PEAs could significantly affect the interaction between BAECs and AA-PEA. This finding may provide additional possible applications for this new family of functionalized AA-PEA polymers.
Localization of 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDEase) activity in isolated bovine thyroid plasma membranes.

Isolated bovine thyroid plasma membrane preparations were obtained by isopycnic density gradient centrifugution. Cyclic AMP-PDEase (EC 3.1.4.c) activity has been demonstrated by electron microscopic histochemistry on the unit membrane of isolated bovine thyroid cells. 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX) produced partial inhibiton, while omission of the substrate revealed no reaction product deposition. These observations correlated well with biochemical studies that showed 0.4% of the total cAMP-PDEase activity to be present in the plasma membrane preparations. Kinetic analysis of cAMP hydrolysis yielded two apparent Michaelis constants for the homogenate and the plasma membrane-rich fraction. Dose-response curves for IBMX inhibition showed cAMP-PDEase of the homogenate to be more sensitive to inhibition than that of the plasma membrane-bound enzyme. Furthermore, wash experiments indicate that the plasma membrane-associated enzyme is tightly bound. This investigation strengthens our previous study and suggests that bovine thyroid cell plasma membranes contain a cAMP-PDEase that may be involved in interactions between the cell and the external environment in a manner yet to be determined.
Geopolitics and the Genealogy of Free Trade Zones in the Persian Gulf

Free trade zones have been championed by policy makers as important mechanisms for the “economic liberalisation” and “globalisation” of the Middle East. While a growing number of political economists have begun to investigate the performance of these projects, few have considered why states voluntarily limit their sovereign powers by establishing these liberalised territories. To address this question, this paper studies the Jebel Ali free trade zone in Dubai (UAE) and the Kish free trade zone in Iran, two of the earliest such projects in the region. Rather than being products of neoliberal ideology or pressure from advanced industrial economies, the essay argues that paradoxically these zones were developed by the Iranian state and Dubai emirate to project territorial sovereignty in turbulent geostrategic settings and moments as well as nodes to circulate rent to domestic and international members of ruling coalitions. The geostrategic and state-building logics informed when, where, and how these project...
Perceived effects of deployments on surgeon and physician skills in the US Army Medical Department.

BACKGROUND: The military health care system is unique in that almost every physician deploys for ≥6 months to a combat or far-forward setting. The aim of this study was to determine the perceived changes in clinical skills in this deployed population. METHODS: A survey was sent out to all specialty consultants to the Army Surgeon General to query active duty staff physicians in their specialty areas who have deployment experience in August 2007. Questions concerning specialty, length of deployment, perceived changes in skills, skill use while deployed, and time to get back to baseline clinically after deployment were asked. RESULTS: Surveys were sent to approximately 1,500 physicians, of which 673 were usable, for a 45% response rate. More than 70% of respondents were deployed for >6 months. Fifty-nine percent reported that they were used in their specialties 6 months, and the degradation was correlated with the length of time deployed. Most surgical specialists felt that it took them 3 to 6 months to return to their clinical and surgical performance baseline upon returning from a deployment and that 6 months was the most amount of time they could be deployed without a significant decrement in skills.
Restrictions on two-Higgs-doublet models from heavy-quark systems

We obtain bounds on charged-Higgs-boson masses and couplings in models with two Higgs doublets by considering their effect on neutral-B-meson mixing. Even with the present fairly loose experimental constraints, the bounds are comparable to those obtained with additional assumptions from the neutral-K system. Neutral-Higgs-boson effects on the spectrum and wave functions of t t-bar bound states are examined in the same model. In the future they could lead to restrictions on, or discovery of, the corresponding neutral Higgs bosons if they have relatively low masses and enhanced couplings.
Morphology of lanthanum carbonate particles prepared by homogeneous precipitation

The synthesis of lanthanide oxide precursor particles through urea decomposition has received considerable attention over the past few years. It was previously reported by several different workers that the synthesis of spherical, monodispersed light lanthanide ceramic precursor particles was consideably more difficult than the precipitation of spherical particles from the heavy lanthanide elements. These difficulties have been overcome to a large extent by proper choice of processing conditions. This paper describes the synthesis conditions for which dispersed spherical particles and plates may be formed of lanthanum, the lightest of the lanthanide elements. The experimental conditions for the synthesis of these particles is given in the form of morphological diagrams and the chemistry and yield of the process is also reported. The process was also analyzed as a function of time in order to observe the supersaturation and growth regimes. The effect of calcining on the morphology of the particles is also discussed.
THE ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY OF HUMAN URINE, AN INDEX OF PROSTATIC SECRETION11

THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED to determine, a) the normal values for urinary acid phosphatase in men, women and children; h) the site of origin of urinary phosphatase; and c) the influence of altered physiological states on urinary phosphatase excretion. That the urine of humans contains an enzyme capable of splitting organic phosphates has been demonstrated by Demuth (1) and others (2, 3, 4). These authors agree that optimal phosphate splitting in urine occurs in an acid medium close to a pH of 5. Kutscher (4) found an alkaline phosphatase present at plasma level in the urine. Considerable controversy exists, however, as to the site of formation of urinary phosphatase, its levels of excretion and sex differences in excretion levels. WaldschmidtLeitz and Nonnenbruch (2) found a phosphatase present in urine with an optimum pH range of 5 to 6 and in concentrations much stronger than in serum. They believed
Simulation of high-resolution magnetic resonance images on the IBM blue gene/L supercomputer using SIMRI

Medical imaging system simulators are tools that provide a means to evaluate system architecture and create artificial image sets that are appropriate for specific applications. We have modified SIMRI, a Bloch equation-based magnetic resonance image simulator, in order to successfully generate high-resolution 3D MR images of the Montreal brain phantom using Blue Gene/L systems. Results show that redistribution of the workload allows an anatomically accurate 2563 voxel spin-echo simulation in less than 5 hours when executed on an 8192-node partition of a Blue Gene/L system.
Ionospheric researches of the National Bureau of Standards during 1937

Regular determinations of critical frequencies and virtual heights of the E-, F1- and F2- regions of the ionosphere were continued for frequencies between 600 and 16,000 kc/sec. This series of data, continuous since 1933, constitutes the most complete existing body of data on the ionosphere, and is of special interest because it reveals the characteristic progression of changes in ionospheric characteristics throughout substantially a semicycle of solar activity. The variations of ionospheric characteristics during 1937 were similar both diurnally and seasonally to those reported for previous years. The annual average increases in ionization-density of all the regions from the minimum observed about 1933 have continued, following the general rising trend of solar activity since that time. Near the end of 1937 there appeared to be a slowing down of this rise, suggesting the approach of the maximum of solar activity for the present cycle.
MAPK interacts with occludin and mediates EGF-induced prevention of tight junction disruption by hydrogen peroxide

The MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway is a major intracellular signalling pathway involved in EGF (epithelial growth factor) receptor-mediated cell growth and differentiation. A novel function of MAPK activity in the mechanism of EGF-mediated protection of TJs (tight junctions) from H2O2 was examined in Caco-2 cell monolayers. EGF-mediated prevention of H2O2-induced increase in paracellular permeability was associated with the prevention of H2O2-induced Tyr-phosphorylation, Thr-dephosphorylation and cellular redistribution of occludin and ZO-1 (zonula occludin-1). EGF also prevented H2O2-induced disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and the dissociation of occludin and ZO-1 from the actin-rich detergent-insoluble fractions. MEK (MAPK/ERK kinase, where ERK stands for extracellular signal related kinase) inhibitors, PD98059 and U0126, completely blocked these protective effects of EGF on TJs. EGF rapidly increased the levels of phosphorylated MEK (p-MEK) in detergent-soluble fractions and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) in detergent-insoluble fractions. p-ERK was colocalized and co-immunoprecipitated with occludin. GST (glutathione S-transferase) pull-down assay showed that the C-terminal tail of occludin binds to p-ERK in Caco-2 cell extracts. Pair-wise binding studies using recombinant proteins demonstrated that ERK1 directly interacts with the C-terminal tail of occludin. Therefore the present study shows that ERK interacts with the C-terminal region of occludin and mediates the prevention of H2O2-induced disruption of TJs by EGF.
A comparative ultrastructural study of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma and myxoid chondrosarcoma.

This electron microscopic study concerns an extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma and a myxoid chondrosarcoma of bone. The well-differentiated cartilaginous cells of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma and myxoid chondrosarcomatous cells showed many features common to chondrocytes, such as abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, multiple well-developed Golgi complexes, and microvillous and scalloped cytoplasmic membranes. Glycogen deposit was more abundant and more frequently found in the myxoid chondrosarcoma. The extracellular matrix of well-differentiated areas of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma consisted of amorphous material, electron-dense granules, tropocollagen fibrils, and collagen fibrils. The matrix of the myxoid chondrosarcoma, however, contained only the first three elements, but not collagen fibrils. The undifferentiated portion of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma showed primitive mesenchymal cells and fibroblast-like cells. This finding confirms the suggestion of Lichtenstein and Bernstein19 that undifferentiated elements of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma are in fact “precartilage mesenchyme.” Cancer 33:1531–1542, 1974.
Fluoroalkyl-Functionalized Silica Particles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Wetting Characteristics

Fluoroalkyl-functionalized silica particles for use in nonwetting surfaces were prepared by treatment of silica particles with fluoroalkyl-functional chlorosilanes. Both fumed and precipitated silica were studied, as well as the efficiency of surface coverage using mono-, di-, and trifunctional chlorosilanes. The most effective surface treatment was accomplished via the surface grafting of monofunctional chlorosilanes in the presence of preadsorbed dimethylamine under anhydrous conditions at room temperature. Confirmation of covalent attachment was accomplished via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, while elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption isotherms were used to determine grafting densities and additional key geometric characteristics of the grafted layer. The effect of residual silanol content on the moisture uptake properties of the modified silica particles was determined by measuring the water uptake of unbound particles, while liquid wetting properti...
Epidemiologic characteristics of cytomegalovirus infection in mothers and their infants

Abstract In this longitudinal study of cytomegalovirus in 4578 pregnant women of middle/upper socioeconomic status in Houston, 52% had cytomegalovirus antibody when enrolled, and 48% were serologically susceptible. Studies were completed on 3899 mothers and their infants; 2.2% of these women experienced primary cytomegalovirus during pregnancy and 24% of those with primary infection transmitted cytomegalovirus to their infants. Of 22 cytomegalovirus-infected infants, 2 had disease at birth and 20 were asymptomatic. One symptomatic infant (primary maternal infection) had developmental delay. The other (immunocompromised mother with cytomegalovirus antibody before pregnancy) had hepatitis but has no symptoms at 1 year of age. On follow-up, 4 of 16 infants asymptomatic at birth have sequelae (hearing loss in 3, developmental delay in 1). All four were born to mothers with primary cytomegalovirus infection. Infant outcome was not related to trimester of maternal infection.
NON-SPECIFIC BINDING OF IGG1 TO HELIGMOSOMOIDES POLYGYRUS : ADULT WORM HOMOGENATE SUPERANTIGEN IS A TARGET FOR IMMUNOGLOBULIN-INDUCED INHIBITION

Previous evidence had indicated that selected antigens contained in H. polygyrus adult worm homogenate (AWH) could bind non-specifically to mouse IgG1. To determine whether H. polygyrus superantigen was one of these binding molecules, an inhibition assay was carried out using monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) to block the in vitro superantigen response. The results indicated that non-specific IgG1 binding could inhibit the cellular response to the superantigen. This assumption was tested using affinity chromatography to extract those antigens which bound non-specifically to mouse IgG1. Both the protein fraction which bound to the column and the unfractionated AWH demonstrated superantigen activity, as described previously. In contrast, the unbound fraction contained no superantigen activity. None of the tested fractions exhibited non-specific mitogen activity. These results indicate that the superantigen produced by H. polygyrus binds to host IgG1 of any specificity and this binding can inhibit further host recognition of this molecule. Additionally, it was demonstrated that an apparently similar superantigen is also contained in L4 homogenate, and is strongly represented in the excretory/secretory (E/S) proteins produced by both adult and L4 parasitic stages. Therefore, it is probable that H. polygyrus superantigen influences the host during both the L4 and adult stages of the life-cycle.
Energy-efficient two-stage Compressed Sensing method for implantable neural recordings

For in-vivo neuroscience experiments, implantable neural recording devices have been widely used to capture neural activity. With high acquisition rate, these devices require efficient on-chip compression methods to reduce power consumption for the subsequent wireless transmission. Recently, Compressed Sensing (CS) approaches have shown great potentials, but there exists the tradeoff between the complexity of the sensing circuit and its compression performance. To address this challenge, we proposed a two-stage CS method, including an on-chip sensing using random Bernoulli Matrix S and an off-chip sensing using Puffer transformation P. Our approach allows a simple circuit design and improves the reconstruction performance with the off-chip sensing. Moreover, we proposed to use measureed data as the sparsifying dictionary D. It delivers comparable reconstruction performance to the signal dependent dictionary and outperforms the standard basis. It also allows both D and P to be updated incrementally with reduced complexity. Experiments on simulation and real datasets show that the proposed approach can yield an average SNDR gain of more than 2 dB over other CS approaches.
The Traveling Salesman Problem for the Reeds-Shepp Car and the Differential Drive Robot

In this paper we consider variations on the Traveling Salesman Problem for the Reeds-Shepp car and Differential Drive robot. We consider the problem of finding the shortest path compatible with the dynamics of such models through a set of points. We present algorithms that asymptotically perform within a deterministic constant factor of the optimum, for any distribution of points. In addition, we consider a version of such problems in which the target points are dynamically generated by a stochastic process with uniform spatial density. In such a case, the objective will be to minimize the expected waiting time between the appearance of a target and the time it is visited by the vehicle. We present algorithms that (i) ensure stability of the system, for all target generation rates, and (ii) provably perform within a constant factor of the optimum.