cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Programmable piezoelectric acoustic black hole for wavelength control and enhanced sensing

We present the theoretical and experimental investigation of a piezoelectric metamaterial-based acoustic black hole leveraging programmable shunt circuits. A versatile experimental platform is developed comprising a piezoelectric bimorph beam with 30 unit cells, each with a pair of piezoelectric patches with individually programmable shunt impedance. By varying the impedance applied to each unit cell, the local dispersion properties of the beam can be precisely controlled. In this work, we explore a programmable implementation of an acoustic black hole, in which wave packets are slowed down and compressed in space using a smooth gradient in shunt impedance.
Foucault’s Keystone: Confessions of the Flesh:

The fourth and final volume of The History of Sexuality offers the keystone to Michel Foucault’s critique of Western neoliberal societies. Confessions of the Flesh provides the heretofore missing link that ties Foucault’s late writings on subjectivity to his earlier critique of power. Foucault identifies in Augustine’s treatment of marital sexual relations the moment of birth of the modern legal actor and of the legalization of social relations. With the appearance of the modern legal subject, Foucault’s critique of modern Western societies is complete: it is now possible to see how the later emergence of an all-knowing homo œconomicus strips the State of knowledge and thus deals a fatal blow to its legitimacy. The appearance of both the modern legal actor and homo œconomicus makes it possible to fold the entire four-volume History of Sexuality back into Foucault’s earlier critique of punitive and biopolitical power. And it now challenges us to interrogate how we, contemporary subjects, are shaped in such a way as to implicate ourselves—both willingly and unwittingly—in the social order within which we find ourselves and that, through the interaction of knowledge-power-subjectivity, we reproduce.
Carbon Tax with Macroeconomic Stimulus: GDP as an Inferior Good

Structural vector auto-regressions (SVARs) are used to simulate US carbon taxes, treating price plus tax as exogenous. These reduce CO2 and GDP. If this fall in GDP is compensated to leave Disposable Income unchanged, the added income drives further declines in CO2, but also lower GDP. Carbon-heavy GDP is thus seen to be an inferior good for the US, falling as Disposable Income increases.
Mass Transfer Effects in Liquid Chromatography Simulation

For analytical and some small preparative columns in LC, mass transfer resistance is usually negligible and the equilibrium theory suffices [1]. However, for preparative columns with smaller plate numbers and large-scale columns, mass transfer effects are often significant and usually cannot be neglected. The study of mass transfer effects for single-component systems has been carried out by many researchers [2]. For example, Lee et al. [3] studied the mass transfer effects in nonlinear multicomponent elution ion-exchange chromatography. They discussed the differences between a general rate model and the equilibrium theory under various mass transfer conditions.
In the Wake of Bartók in Anatolia

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Janos Pokoly) Sipos Year: 2000 Pages: 221 Publisher: European Folklore Institute
Three Ancient Colonies: Caribbean Themes and Variations

As a young anthropologist, Sidney Mintz undertook fieldwork in Jamaica, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. Fifty years later, the eminent scholar of the Caribbean returns to those experiences to meditate on the societies and on the island people who befriended him. These reflections illuminate continuities and differences between these cultures, but even more they exemplify the power of people to reveal their own history. Mintz seeks to conjoin his knowledge of the history of Jamaica, Haiti, and Puerto Rico - a dynamic past born of a confluence of people of a sort that has happened only a few times in human history - with the ways that he heard people speak about themselves and their lives. Mintz argues that in Jamaica and Haiti, creolization represented a tremendous creative act by enslaved people: that creolization was not a passive mixing of cultures, but an effort to create new hybrid institutions and cultural meanings to replace those that had been demolished by enslavement. Globalization is not the new phenomenon we take it to be. This book is both a summation of Mintz's groundbreaking work in the region and a reminder of how anthropology allows people to explore the deep truths that history may leave unexamined.
Increasing Community Capacity to Reduce Tobacco‐Related Health Disparities in African American Communities

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the processes and interactions that African American tobacco control organizations use to engage African American communities in tobacco control efforts. Design and Sample: The study used grounded theory methods to interpret participant's perspectives on tobacco control. The study sample consisted of African American tobacco control program directors from African American tobacco control organizations throughout the United States. Measures: Data collection involved 1 interview per participant using a semistructured interview at a location selected by the participant. Each interview lasted approximately 30–90 min. Results: The results showed that organizations used specific strategies to involve African Americans in tobacco control. The tobacco control organizations built community capacity using 3 processes: developing relationships and partnerships, raising awareness, and creating collective power. Conclusion: Contextual, cultural processes, and historical references used by African American tobacco control organizations provide insight into how to engage African American communities in tobacco control efforts and achieve tobacco-related health parity. Public health professionals and nurses should be aware of these and other strategies that may increase the involvement of African American communities in tobacco control.
On the Eigenvalue Power Law

We show that the largest eigenvalues of graphs whose highest degrees are Zipf-like distributed with slope a are distributed according to a power law with slope α/2. This follows as a direct and almost certain corollary of the degree power law. Our result has implications for the singular value decomposition method in information retrieval.
Transport as the rate-limiting step in the incorporation of uridine into mengovirus ribonucleic acid in Novikoff rat hepatoma cells.

Abstract The incorporation of uridine into the nucleotide pool of actinomycin-treated, mengovirus-infected Novikoff rat hepatoma cells in culture follows simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and the apparent Vmax and Km values are similar to those for uridine transport by uninfected cells. Incorporation of uridine into mengovirus-specific ribonucleic acid (RNA) also follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and the apparent Km (about 10 μm) is approximately the same as for uridine transport. Inhibition of uridine transport by the presence of adenosine, persantin, or phenethyl alcohol inhibits simultaneously and to the same extent the incorporation of uridine into the nucleotide pool and into viral RNA, without affecting viral RNA synthesis per se. Phenethyl alcohol, however, also inhibits virus maturation. The inhibition of uridine incorporation into the nucleotide pool and into viral RNA is of the simple competitive type, indicating that transport into the cells is the rate-limiting step in the incorporation of uridine into mengovirus RNA. The results also indicate that treatment with actinomycin D or mengovirus infection does not affect uridine transport.
Expressways, Public Housing and Renewal: A Blueprint for Postwar Philadelphia, 1945-1960

During World War II, Russell Van Nest Black, the author of the 1931 Philadelphia Tri-State Regional Plan, characterized the Quaker City as either a "growing child in late adolescence," or "an ailing adult ... rotting at the core."1 Black's despairing sentiment, expressed in a letter of mid-1943, soon faded as the scintillating vision of postwar urban renaissance captured the imagination of planners, political reformers and businessmen alike. In many American cities, not only Philadelphia, once moribund city planning commissions were resurrected and their powers and staffs enlarged and professionalized. By war's end a diverse body of urban actors rallied behind redevelopment, housing construction and highway buildings. Planners, housing reformers, mayors, labor leaders, bankers, home builders, developers, and the heads of major universities, hospitals and other city institutions, seemed to agree with this three-part approach as the best way to rescue the city from decay and decline.2 In order to carry out the postwar vision of urban renaissance, organizations positioned in the van of what political scientist John Mollenkopf labels the "pro-growth coalition" touted urban redevelopment, housing, and highway building as the solution for urban problems, especially for the deteriorating downtown economy. These organizations included such heralds of the modern postindustrial city as Philadelphia's Citizens' Council on City Planning (CCCP), and the Greater Philadelphia Movement (GPM), founded respectively during and just after World War II.3 According to their progrowth diagnosis of the urban crisis, Philadelphia, like other big cities, suffered in particular from urban blight, an invidious combination of structural deterioration, obsolescent land use, population loss and social deterioration. But observers equally decried the rising volume of downtown automobile and truck traffic, which was according to widely used contemporary metaphor, a giant python, strangulating its prey, suffocating the social and economic life of the city's center. Wartime planning literature reviled the city's ancient gridiron of narrow streets, criss-crossing each other at grade and causing traffic delays or potential accidents at every corner. "The result," stated one pamphlet, "has been congestion and growing strangula tion arising out of the conflict between the dynamics of transportation and the statics of street design."4
Human corticosteroid binding globulin is secreted by a hepatoma-derived cell line

We used a sensitive radioimmunoassay for corticosteroid-binding-globulin (CBG) to demonstrate that a human hepatoma-derived cell line secretes a protein which: (a) the radioimmunoassay cannot distinguish from CBG; (b) has the same Stokes' radius as CBG; (c) is absorbed by a steroid affinity column which is specific for CBG.
An alteration in tubulin expression detected in SV40 transformed 3T3 cells.

Abstract Tubulin expression was analysed in normal and simian virus-40 (SV40) transformed 3T3 cells by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting studies using monoclonal antibodies raised to α- and β-tubulin subunits. The ratio of α- to β-tubulin recognised was calculated for both cell lines and found to shift from 2.50 in normal cells to 0.52 in virally transformed cells. β-Tubulin was thereby shown to be the predominant subunit in SV40-transformed 3T3 cells in contrast to normal 3T3 cells.
TN-368A: AN ATTACHED STRAIN OF HINK'S TRICHOPLUSIA NI (TN-368) CELL LINE

An attached strain of Hink'sTrichoplusia ni cell line TN-368 was developed using a modification of the method of Bilimoria and Sohi. The new strain is designated TN-368A. Attached cells were selected for by mechanical removal of loosely attaching and nonattaching cells. This procedure increased cell attachment from 5% in the parent cell line to 95% in the attached strain after 20 passages. Strain TN-368A is subcultured at a ratio of 1∶5 and reaches confluency 6 to 7 d after seeding. The new subline, which is significantly more susceptible to strain L1 ofAutographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus, produces well-defined plaques. Nonoccluded virus and polyhedral inclusion body levels in TN-368A cells were similar to those obtained with TN-368 cells. The attached strain is stable after storage in liquid nitrogen.
Post-martial law media boom in Taiwan

This article, based on observational research in Taiwan in 1994, focuses on the postmartial law media boom on the island. The study notes that newspapers, magazines, and satellite and cable television have experienced tremendous growth in the past six years. The domestic radio and television industry is on the verge of expansion also. Diversity in Taiwan's media and unhampered access to news and information from the outside world have created a truly open media environment on the island, although some problems related to professionalism have also emerged. The article looks at the issue of media freedom and development in the context of the values of Confucian humanism, which have provided legitimacy to democratization in Taiwan.
Application of the Integral Equation-Asymptotic Phase (Ie-Ap) Method To Three-Dimensional Scattering

An approach for numerically analyzing electromagnetic scattering from convex conducting obstacles which possess large, relatively smooth surfaces is discussed in this work. In this approach, the current density induced on the scatterer is represented in terms of basis functions which are capable of representing rapid phase variation with very few unknowns per square wavelength. The unknowns associated with the surface current are then determined through testing of appropriate surface integral equations. A special technique is introduced to accelerate calculations of portions of the resultant matrix equation associated with shadow regions and edges. The results of a series of numerical experiments on canonical objects demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the technique.
Rationale, timeline, study design, and protocol overview of the therapeutic hypothermia after pediatric cardiac arrest trials

Objective To describe the rationale, timeline, study design, and protocol overview of the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials.
Recovering Nonisothermal Physical Aging Shift Factors Via Continuous Test Data: Theory and Experimental Results

For isothermal physical aging, a few simple tests to characterize the aging shift factors allow reasonable prediction of the mechanical response. In this paper, a new technique is developed to extract aging shift factors from creep data during a nonisothermal history. Previous methods have generated discrete experimental shift factors by a series of short-term creep tests, in which the load portion alone is used for evaluation; this is particularly time consuming for nonisothermal histories, since many data points ( requiring several tests) may be needed for an adequate characterization of the response. This paper presents a new continuous shift factor (CSF) method, based on the validity of effective time theory, which generates a continuous experimental shift factor curve from a single test. Results are presented for this method when applied to a polyimide/carbon fiber composite material tested in shear under temperature jump conditions; this nonisothermal aging data for a polymer matrix composite is shown to exhibit similar response to that of homogeneous polymers. The new CSF technique will be useful in the development of models to predict the shift factor due to coupled aging and thermal history.
Pharmacology and toxicology of dysprosium, holmium, and erbium chlorides

Abstract A pharmacologic and toxicologic investigation of dysprosium, holmium, and erbium chlorides showed that these chemicals had the same delayed acute toxicity and symptoms as the other members of the rate earch group. No changes in growth or hematologic values, or evidence of histopathologic damage was observed after feeding the chemicals at three dosages for 12 weeks. On all systems studied, the three chemicals exhibited a depressant effect and produced death by respiratory paralysis coupled with cardiovascular collapse. Ocular application resulted in a transient conjunctivitis and ulceration. There were no effects on unabraded skin, but abraded skin showed extensive scar formation with epilation. The three chemicals produced nodules with foreign body giant cells and crystal formation when administered intradermally.
Latanoprost and herpes simplex keratitis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report three cases in which herpes simplex keratitis developed after initiation of latanoprost therapy. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: One patient with a history of herpes simplex keratitis had recurrence of herpes simplex keratitis with latanoprost treatment, resolution when latanoprost was stopped, and another recurrence when rechallenged with latanoprost. A second patient with a history of herpes simplex keratitis had bilateral recurrence with initiation of latanoprost; antiviral therapy could not eradicate herpes simplex keratitis until the latanoprost was discontinued. The third patient with latanoprost-associated herpes simplex keratitis cleared with the discontinuation of latanoprost and start of antiviral therapy; reinstitution of latanoprost with prophylactic antiviral medication kept the cornea clear, but as soon as the antiviral suppression was discontinued, herpes simplex keratitis reappeared. CONCLUSION: Latanoprost, among its diverse pharmacologic effects, may mediate inflammation in the eye. Prostaglandins may be a final common pathway for stimulating recurrence of herpes simplex keratitis. Clinicians should be aware of this possible association.
INGRID: A graph invariant manipulator

INGRID, a software system for assisting researchers and students of graph theory, is described. It is a partial commutative rule-based system using forward chaining, consists of approximately 1200 production rules, and is written in Berkeley Pascal on a VAX 11/780 under UNIX. INGRID has a data base of 36 graphical invariants and approximately 350 theorems symbolically relating these invariants. A set of one or more user-supplied restrictions upon the values of some invariants is propagated by INGRID, via the theorems, into intervals of possible values for other of the invariants. With the simple user interface provided by INGRID, even a graph theory novice can often discern properties of a graph that might normally require the capabilities of a well-informed expert.
Octadecanethiol SAMs as molecular resists for electrodeposition of cobalt

Patterned self-assembled monolayers can be used to direct surface processes to occur at specific locations on a surface. Recently, patterned SAMs have been shown to function as molecular resists in directing electrodeposition. In this paper, we explore the limits of ODT SAMs as molecular resists for the electrodeposition of cobalt as a function of deposition potential, time, and Co(II) concentration. We show that patterned ODT SAMs can serve as effective resists for eletrodeposition of high fidelity features with no breakdown of the ODT-modified regions. Breakdown results in formation of Co islands in the ODT-modified regions and is dependent on deposition potential, time, and Co(II) concentration.
Numerical analysis of friction factor for a fully developed turbulent flow using k–ε turbulence model with enhanced wall treatment

Abstract The aim of this study is to formulate a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model that can illustrate the fully turbulent flow in a pipe at higher Reynolds number. The flow of fluids in a pipe network is an important and widely studied problem in any engineering industry. It is always significant to see the development of a fluid flow and pressure drop in a pipe at higher Reynolds number. A finite volume method (FVM) solver with k–e turbulence model and enhanced wall treatment is used first time to investigate the flow of water at different velocities with higher Reynolds number in a 3D pipe. Numerical results have been presented to illustrate the effects of Reynolds number on turbulence intensity, average shear stress and friction factor. Friction factor is used to investigate the pressure drop along the length of the pipe. The contours of wall function are also presented to investigate the effect of enhanced wall treatment on a fluid flow. A maximum Reynolds number is also found for which the selected pipe length is sufficient to find a full developed turbulent flow at outlet. The results of CFD modeling are validated by comparing them with available data in literature. The model results have been shown good agreement with experimental and co-relation data.
Receptivity of the compressible mixing layer.

Receptivity of compressible mixing layers to general source distributions is examined by a combined theoretical/computational approach. The properties of solutions to the adjoint Navier–Stokes equations are exploited to derive expressions for receptivity in terms of the local value of the adjoint solution. The result is a description of receptivity for arbitrary small-amplitude mass, momentum, and heat sources in the vicinity of a mixing-layer flow, including the edge-scattering effects due to the presence of a splitter plate of finite width. The adjoint solutions are examined in detail for a Mach 1.2 mixing-layer flow. The near field of the adjoint solution reveals regions of relatively high receptivity to direct forcing within the mixing layer, with receptivity to nearby acoustic sources depending on the source type and position. Receptivity ‘nodes’ are present at certain locations near the splitter plate edge where the flow is not sensitive to forcing. The presence of the nodes is explained by interpretation of the adjoint solution as the superposition of incident and scattered fields. The adjoint solution within the boundary layer upstream of the splitter-plate trailing edge reveals a mechanism for transfer of energy from boundary-layer stability modes to Kelvin–Helmholtz modes. Extension of the adjoint solution to the far field using a Kirchhoff surface gives the receptivity of the mixing layer to incident sound from distant sources.
Trichinella spiralis: rapid, immunologically influenced reduction of intestinal, sodium-coupled sugar transport in the rat

Epithelium of isolated small intestinal segments were studied in Ussing-type chambers to detect physiological changes associated with rapid, immune rejection of Trichinella spiralis infective larvae. Electrophysiological parameters associated with Na+-coupled hexose transport were measured. Changes in transepithelial electrical potential difference (PD), resistance, and short circuit current (Isc) due to the addition of actively absorbed beta-methyl-D-glucoside (BMG) to the mucosal solution were determined. Measurements were made prior to and 30 min after primary and secondary infections. Animals were infected by intraduodenal inoculation. As the infective larval dose in primarily infected (nonimmunized) rats increased from 50 to 2000 larvae the magnitude of the rise in Isc elicited by BMG decreased in a dose-dependent fashion, with 50 larvae per rat having no effect. In previously infected (immunized) rats challenged with a secondary inoculum, all doses, ranging from 50 to 2000 larvae per rat, decreased the BMG-stimulated change in Isc by approximately 50%. The effect of 50 worms per rat in immunized hosts was equivalent to that produced by approximately 1600 worms in nonimmunized animals. Measurements of 14C-BMG mucosa-to-serosa flux confirmed that Na+-BMG cotransport was responsible for observed changes in Isc. Results support the conclusion that changes in intestinal epithelial function are associated with larval challenge of immune rats.
On Ezra Pound's “Notes for CXVII et seq.” and “Fragment (1966)”

(2003). On Ezra Pound's “Notes for CXVII et seq.” and “Fragment (1966)”. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 54-59.
Stress Corrosion of I-182 Weld Metal in High Temperature Water—The Effect of a Carbon Steel Couple

Abstract The effect of a carbon steel couple on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of I-182 weld metal in oxygen-containing pure water at 288 C was investigated with a series of slow strain rate (2×10−7 s−1) tests. The results indicated that I-182 was immune to SCC in the absence of a crevice and susceptible to SCC in the presence of a crevice. Coupling to A508 carbon steel either had an inhibiting effect on SCC in I-182 or no effect at all. Transgranular SCC was observed in the A508 in both the creviced and the uncreviced conditions. Crack nucleation in A508 occurred at oxide-filled pits that were apparently associated with sulfide inclusions.
“Happiness is not a potato”: The Victorian Cultivation of Happiness

Having seen what appears to be the figure of a nun who is said to have been buried alive in centuries past, Lucy Snowe tearfully enquires of her friend, the Doctor Graham Bretton in Charlotte Bront...
Anxiety in the gifted: Pluses and minuses

The many correlates of anxiety suggest that appropriate levels of stress can have a positive influence on the gifted as well as a variety of negative effects. When gifted individuals learn to use anxiety to advantage and to respond to conflict with problem solving and relaxation strategies, they are able to integrate their uniqueness into home and school environments. This ability fosters a healthy self‐image and contributes to their own development.
Study on Damage Modes of a Sandwich Panel Impacted Repeatedly

This paper describes an experimental investigation for determining the damage modes under low energy impact-fatigue of sandwich panels consisting of aluminum skins supported by honeycomb core made of aluminum. Square samples of 125mm by 125mm sides and 10mm thickness (skin of 0.6mm and 8.8mm of core) were subjected to impact fatigue loading using a testing machine at four different energy levels (2J, 3J, 5J and 7J). The square plates are clamped in a fixture system over a 100mm diameter hole. Three different diameters of impactor head (15mm, 25mm and 35mm) are used to study their influence on life duration of the sandwich plates. Results showed that damage area at impacted face and propagation of multi-cracks at rear face are greatly affected by energy level and impactor diameter.
CT scan abnormalities in a series of patients with hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome

Background. Hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome (HSES) affects children under 1 year of age and is characterized by seizures, shock and certain laboratory abnormalities, including coagulation abnormalities. It has a high mortality and many of the survivors are neurologically abnormal. Objective. To describe abnormalities observed on initial and follow-up CT scans in a group of patients suffering from HSES. Materials and methods. Retrospective review of records and CT scans of ten patients with HSES who were admitted to the intensive care unit of the Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle. Results. Cerebral edema was seen in all cases when the CT scan was obtained between 1 and 7 days after onset of HSES. The basal ganglia and cerebellum were relatively spared, and no hemorrhage was seen. Patients with moderate or marked cerebral edema usually had a poor prognosis. All survivors had significant neurologic sequelae. CT scans obtained after 7 days often showed encephalomalacia with ex vacuo ventricular enlargement. CT scans obtained between 24 h and 4 days after onset will show the acute changes of HSES. CT scans during the initial and convalescent stages of HSES can provide useful information about cerebral edema and encephalomalacia, which occur frequently with this illness.
Laboratory stabilization/solidification of tank sludges: maximizing sludge loading.

Abstract Highly radioactive, mixed-waste sludges that have been collected in tanks at Oak Ridge over several decades are being combined for treatment and disposal. Stabilization of the sludges in the different tank sets was tested prior to the proposed combination and treatment. This paper is the third one in a series on the laboratory stabilization/solidification of these tank sludges. It discusses efforts to maximize the sludge loading with no strength criterion for the grout formulation. Grout formulations were tested in the laboratory both with surrogates and with actual samples of tank sludge. Hydrogels eliminated free water generation, even at sludge loadings of >90 wt%, albeit strong monoliths did not form at such high loadings. Correlations established the dependence of the chromium and mercury performance in the Toxicity Characteristic Leach Procedure for the surrogates on the slag content of the grout while the lead performance depended on the extract pH. The surrogate sludge loading was limited by the chromate content to about 90 wt%, meeting Universal Treatment Standard limits. However, tests with actual sludges at such high loadings revealed problems with lead and silver stabilization that were not experienced with the surrogate testing.
Specific binding of human interferon-γ to particulates from hemolymph and protocerebrum of tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) larvae

Abstract Specific binding sites for human interferon-γ (hIFN-γ) were found on particulates prepared from the hemolymph and protocerebrum of fifth-instar larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta . A portion of these sites could be solubilized in an active form by the zwitterionic detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate (CHAPS). A well-defined specific binding was also associated with hemolymph particulate residue after solubilization by CHAPS. About one-half of [ 125 I]hIFN-γ binding could be displaced by heparin. The bound hIFN-γ could be covalently cross-linked to the binding sites using disuccinylamide suberate, and the molecular weight range of these complexes was 200–800 kDa as determined by density gradient sedimentation and gel-exclusion chromatography. Only a small fraction of the hemolymph IFN-γ binding could be competed by another mammalian cytokine, rat prolactin (rPRL), while there was no sensitivity to rat growth hormone. The small specific rPRL binding found in Manduca hemolymph showed an affinity similar to the prolactin sites found in the liver of pregnant rats. The detergent-insoluble Manduca hIFN-γ binding was bimodal and similar in affinity distribution to the binding found with human platelet membranes ( K diss range 0.1–2 nM). The detergent-solubilized IFN-γ sites were homogenous, with a K diss of about 1.5 nM. The IFN-γ binding sites in Manduca tissues may therefore include molecular species similar to the known invertebrate cytokine receptors and proteoglycan co-receptors.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for profound cardiogenic shock due to cocaine toxicity

Abstract Cocaine toxicity can result in myocardial infarction from coronary vasospasm. The current treatment algorithm includes intravenous and/or intracoronary vasodilator administration with an expectantly quick resolution of symptoms and signs of ischemia. However, in situations in which myocardial injury persists, the optimal management is uncertain. We present a case in which extracorporeal membrane oxygenation effectively stabilized a patient with ongoing hemodynamic instability who experienced repeated episodes of myocardial injury and ventricular tachyarrhythmias due to cocaine toxicity. Learning objective: In many urban settings, cocaine-induced angina is not uncommon. The pathogenesis of its manifestation includes coronary artery vasospasm and decreased left ventricular function. Treatment typically involves systemic vasodilators, such as nitrates and calcium channel blockers. However, in patients with substantial hemodynamic instability, these agents might result in a worsening of systemic perfusion. Accordingly, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation should be considered in such cases to promote myocardial recovery.>
Anaphylactic Reaction To Intravenous Administration Of Folinic Acid: A Case Report

M O N D A Y 700 Identification of Structural Determinants Supporting The Absence of IgE Cross-Reactivity Between Caprine and Bovine b-Caseins In Patients Allergic to Goat's Milk But Tolerant To Cow's Milk S. Hazebrouck, S. Ah-Leung, E. Paty, E. Bidat, M. F. Drumare, S. Tilleul, K. Adel-Patient, J. M. Wal, H. Bernard; Laboratoire d’Immuno-Allergie Alimentaire INRA, Gif sur Yvette, FRANCE, Hopital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, FRANCE, Hopital Ambroise Pare, Boulogne-Billancourt, FRANCE. RATIONALE: Despite a sequence homology of 90%, IgE antibodies from patients allergic to goat’s milk (GM) but tolerant to cow’s milk (CM) recognize the caprine b-casein without cross-reacting with the bovine b-casein. Primary structure differences between the two b-caseins, which probably account for this restricted IgE specificity, were thus investigated. METHODS: Recombinant caprine b-casein mutants were produced in E. coli by performing residue substitutions with the corresponding amino acids found in bovine b-casein. The alteration of immunoreactivity was then assessed by IgE binding studies using sera of 12 GM-allergic patients. Twenty CM-allergic patients were used as controls. The allergenic potency was also evaluated by performing mediator release assay using mast cells passively sensitized with human IgE. RESULTS: All b-casein constructs, whatever the mutations generated, exhibited the same IgE reactivity with sera from CM-allergic patients. In contrast to the recombinant caprine b-casein, the bovine counterpart was poorly recognized by IgE from GM-allergic/CM-tolerant patients. Five residues, out of the 17 amino acid residues differing between the two b-caseins, were identified for their critical role in the restricted IgE specificity of GM-allergic/CM-tolerant patients. Accordingly, the mutant of caprine b-casein containing the five bovine substitutions was unable to induce the degranulation of mast cells passively sensitized with IgE from GM-allergic/CM-tolerant patients. CONCLUSION: The restricted binding of IgE from GM-allergic/CMtolerant patients to the caprine b-casein is principally supported by three different residues located in the N-terminus and two residues located in the C-terminus of the protein.
Average number of rotations and access cost in iR-trees

iR trees are parameterized binary search trees which rebalance themselves locally. In our previous work the cases fori=1, 2 were studied. This note extends the result to arbitraryi. In particular, we derive a formula for the average number of rotations/reorganizations involved in an insertion and consequently a formula for the average number of comparisons for a successful search iniR trees.
Performance comparison of MPEG-4 and H.263+ for streaming video applications

MPEG-4 and H.263+ are the two latest video compression standards aimed towards the streaming video-over-Internet application. Both standars include advanced coding techniques to achieve high coding efficiency at low bit rates. They support several requirements of packet-based transmission on the Internet, e.g., scalable video coding and error resilience. MPEG-4 also supports object-based coding tools. It is widely expected that both MPEG-4 and H.263+ will be the two main standards used for delivering streaming video over the Internet. This paper compares the video coding performance of both MPEG-4 and H.263+ standards for this application. This paper also highlights the appropriate combinations of the tools (MPEG-4) and the options (H.263+) that provide good performance for streaming video applications. It is assumed that the reader is generally familiar with the coding tools used in these standards. A brief description of those tools is provided for the sake of completeness.
Prospective study of spinal muscular atrophy before age 6 years

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common neuromuscular disorder of childhood, associated with a high mortality rate during the first 2 years of life. Most practitioners expect patients with SMA to follow a progressive course with loss of muscle strength and function over 2-10 years. Counselling sessions with parents frequently emphasize the high mortality rate and risk for respiratory failure. The progressive nature of SMA has been attributed to the loss of motor neurons. Fifty-eight children, ages 6 years and younger, were examined between January, 1987, and April, 1992, as part of a large, multicenter collaborative study of SMA. Muscle function was evaluated at regular intervals using a standardized protocol that was demonstrated to be reliable. We determined a prevalence of 56% for tongue fasciculations, a prevalence of 22% for facial weakness, and persistent deep tendon reflexes in one patient. Improved motor function and acquired milestones during the study were documented. This work should contribute toward a better understanding of the natural history of SMA.
Sound attenuation in buildings: Implications for fire alarm system design

Abstract The sound pressure level of an audible alarm signal can be significantly attenuated by the acoustical characteristics of the building design and contents. The typical dormitory, hotel or similar residential occupancy has fire alarm signaling devices placed in the corridors with the expectation than an “acceptable” sound level will be achieved in the sleeping areas. If 75 A-weighted decibels (dBA) is the design criteria in the sleeping room location, then it becomes difficult for the design engineer to achieve this design goal with corridor-mounted audible devices. Further, the emphasis in modern construction is to reduce noise using boundary treatments and increase sound transmission losses of walls and doors. This paper examines issues related to the attenuation of audible fire alarm signals in buildings and reviews the performance of room-mounted audible fire alarm signaling devices in a university residential building.
On prorated servicing costs for two-dimensional warranties with combined repair-replacement strategies

We study a non-renewing two-dimensional warranty policy for repairable products with pro-rated cost for rectifying failures within a warranty coverage period defined by a rectangular region. Product failures in different warranty regions have different cost implications based on repair-replacement strategy employed by the manufacturer and the time and usage at the event of product failure. We obtain expressions for expected cost to the manufacturer based on two possible repair-replacement strategies which can be employed towards servicing the product in the event of failures and present the respective costs associated with them.
Safety, feasibility, and short-term outcomes of laparoscopically assisted primary ileocolic resection for Crohn's disease.

Outcomes of laparoscopic resection for ileocecal Crohn’s disease have been reported previously in smaller studies, suggesting its short-term advantages over open surgery. This study assessed the safety and recovery parameters in the largest, consecutive, single-institution series to date. Consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopically assisted primary ileocolic resection for Crohn’s disease between 1994 and 2006 were identified in an institutional prospectively collected database. Operative and postoperative outcomes at 30 days were studied. In this study, 109 patients (35 men) with a mean age of 35 ± 14 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 25 ± 6 kg/m2 were identified. The main indications for surgery were medically refractory disease (63%) and fibrous stenosis (27%). In 41% of the cases, previous abdominal surgery had been performed. The surgery had a mean duration of 150 ± 45 min and a conversion rate of 6%. The overall 30-day morbidity rate was 11%, and the reoperation rate was 1%. The mortality rate was 0%. The median postoperative hospital stay was 4 days (range, 2–15 days). This series, the largest reported to date, concurs with recent metaanalyses findings that laparoscopically assisted primary ileocecal resection for Crohn’s disease is safe and feasible, resulting in better short-terms outcomes than open resection. This operation is therefore the procedure of choice for Crohn’s disease at our institutions.
William O. Douglas: Consistent Civil Libertarian or Parabolic Supporter?

Ulmer claimed, contrary to the common wisdom, that Justice Douglas's support for civil liberties during his tenure on the Supreme Court conformed to a parabolic curve. Ulmer's conclusion is based on both unanimous and nonunanimous cases. We argue that unanimous cases should not have been included, for the votes in these cases reflect both legal and attitudinal variables. When we plot Douglas's support for civil liberties in nonunanimous cases we discover that he was a consistent civil libertarian from the beginning of the Warren Court until the end of his career.
Intersegmental Coordination: Lessons from Modeling Systems of Coupled Non-Linear Oscillators

SYNOPSIS. Intersegmental coordination of both vertebrates and invertebrates is poorly understood primarily because so little is known about the substrate of the neural underpinnings and how the elements interact to produce the complex timing relationships required by the organism. We describe here a systems approach combining experimental and theoretical treatment of the lamprey locomotor central pattern generator. The central pattern generator is viewed as a chain of coupled non-linear oscillators corresponding to segmental burst generators. We analyze various coupling schemes in terms of their ability to produce a stable traveling wave similar to that seen in the isolated spinal cord and the intact animal. The role of long coordinating neurons is particularly discussed.
Silicone rubber sampler to measure dissolved gases in saturated soils and waters

Abstract Dissolved gases in saturated soils and waters are usually monitored by the gas extraction equilibration technique (EET). A novel sampling technique, using silicone tubing, was developed and tested with dissolved nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The device consists of a silicone cell encased in a PVC pipe through which a continuous flow of water was maintained. Dissolved gases diffuse through the silicone membrane into the cell. Air samples were withdrawn from the silicone cell headspace, and gas phase concentrations were converted into dissolved N 2 O and CO 2 using Henry's law coefficients. Effluent from the PVC pipe was also collected into evacuated bottles, and dissolved gases content was determined using EET. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two techniques. Regression analysis between concentrations of dissolved N 2 O and CO 2 obtained using the new method ( Y ) and EET ( X ) yielded the following relationships: Y =0.961 X ( R 2 =0.996) and Y =1.01 X ( R 2 =0.756) for N 2 O and CO 2 , respectively. Equilibration time between gas and liquid phases across the silicone membrane varies with gaseous species, membrane thickness, temperature, and the silicone cell dimensions (volume to area ratio). After nearly 1 year of operation, no indication of microbial growth on the membrane was found. These results confirm the development of a new, accurate and versatile technique to monitor dissolved gases.
Regulation of Semliki Forest virus RNA replication: a model for the control of alphavirus pathogenesis in invertebrate hosts.

Alphavirus nonstructural proteins are translated as a polyprotein that is ultimately cleaved into four mature proteins called nsP1, nsP2, nsP3, and nsP4 from their order in the polyprotein. The role of this nonstructural polyprotein, of cleavage intermediates, and of mature proteins in synthesis of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) RNA has been studied using mutants unable to cleave one or more of the sites in the nonstructural polyprotein or that had the arginine sense codon between nsP3 and nsP4 changed to an opal termination codon. The results were compared with those obtained for Sindbis virus (SINV), which has a naturally occurring opal codon between nsP2 and nsP3. We found that (1) an active nonstructural protease in nsP2 is required for RNA synthesis. This protease is responsible for all three cleavages in the nonstructural polyprotein. (2) Cleavage between nsP3 and nsP4 (the viral RNA polymerase) is required for RNA synthesis by SFV. (3) SFV mutants that are able to produce only polyprotein P123 and nsP4 synthesize minus-strand RNA early after infection as efficiently as SF wild type but are defective in the synthesis of plus-strand RNA. The presence of sense or opal following nsP3 did not affect this result. At 30 °C, they give rise to low yields of virus after a delay, but at 39°C, they are nonviable. (4) SFV mutants that produce nsP1, P23, nsP4, as well as the precursor P123 are viable but produce an order of magnitude less virus than wild type at 30 °C and two orders of magnitude less virus at 39°C. The ratio of subgenomic mRNA to genomic RNA is much reduced in these mutants relative to the parental viruses. (5) At 30°C, the variants containing an opal codon grow as well as or slightly better than the corresponding virus with a sense codon. At 39 °C, however, the opal variants produce significantly more virus. These results support the conclusion that SFV and SINV, and by extension all alphaviruses, regulate their RNA synthesis in the same fashion after infection. P123 and nsP4 form a minus-strand replicase that synthesizes plus-strand RNA only inefficiently, especially at the higher temperatures found in mammals and birds. A replicase containing nsP1, P23, and nsP4 can make both plus and minus strands, but prefers the promoter for genomic plus sense RNA to that for subgenomic mRNA. The fully cleaved replicase can make only plus-strand RNA, and prefers the promoter for subgenomic mRNA to that for genomic RNA. Alphaviruses alternate between infection of hematophagous arthropods and higher vertebrates. Although the infection of higher vertebrates is acute and often accompanied by disease, continuing transmission of the virus in nature requires that infection of arthropods be persistent and relatively asymptomatic. We propose that this mechanism for control of RNA synthesis evolved to moderate the pathogenicity of the viruses in their arthropod hosts.
Characteristics of dispersion-flattened depressed-cladding single-mode fluoride fibers from 1.55 to 3.1 mu m

An analysis of chromatic dispersion in single-mode fluoride fibers is presented. It is shown that it is possible, with a simple depressed-cladding profile, to obtain the necessary flexibility to achieve simultaneously dispersion-flattening and minimum extrinsic losses. Hence, optimum performance is obtained over a broad wavelength region. Dispersion sensitivity to small variations in the design parameters is also reported. Some preliminary comparison is made to present-day silica fibers. >
Reduced cardiovascular effects of methamphetamine following treatment with selegiline.

Selegiline is a specific MAO-B inhibitor. As MAO-B has been shown to be significantly involved in the metabolism of dopamine in certain regions of the primate brain, selegiline has been proposed for use in the treatment of drug addiction. Selegiline is also metabolized in vivo to l-methamphetamine. Therefore, when given in combination with psychostimulants such as d-methamphetamine, there is the potential for adverse effects. To study this possibility, squirrel monkeys were treated with chronic selegiline and tested with two doses of d-methamphetamine (0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg, i.v.). Following at least 7 days of treatment with once daily 0.3 mg/kg i.m. selegiline, the effects of methamphetamine on blood pressure and heart rate were no different than the effects of methamphetamine observed prior to selegiline treatment. However, following at least 10 days of treatment with 1.0 mg/kg i.m. selegiline, the effects of methamphetamine on blood pressure and heart rate were significantly reduced. Both methamphetamine and amphetamine were detected in plasma following chronic selegiline treatment. When monkeys were given an acute selegiline injection prior to methamphetamine, reduced cardiovascular effects were also seen. These results indicate that selegiline can be used safely even in combination with methamphetamine, as the cardiovascular effects of the drug combination were no greater than either drug alone, and were actually reduced at the higher selegiline dose.