cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diplomats, Institutions, and International Society

The Diplomatic Corps as an Institution of International Society. Edited by Paul Sharp, Geoffrey Wiseman. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 287 pp., cloth: (ISBN 13: 978-0-230-00165-7). Editors Paul Sharp and Geoffrey Wiseman have done an exceptionally well-focused job of bringing together and relating three subjects—Diplomatic Corps, institutions, and international society—which are not usually well defined. James Mayall's introduction discusses how diplomats represent state institutions in a complex relationship of factors engaged in bringing order to international society (p. 4). This framework is generally considered part of the “English School,” and may therefore seem limited, but the information brought out by the material in this book is relevant to a great many more theories than mere diplomatic behavior, and the concept of “international society” has been understudied generally in the United States of late. The behavior of diplomats so well outlined by the authors in Parts 3 and 4 is critical for assessing almost any theoretical scheme—rational choice theory, comparative foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, international organization, etc. Moreover, as Mayall notes, an understanding of diplomats' methods and belief systems is particularly important to understanding how they work in managing ideological conflict both within and between …
Significance of elevated parathyroid hormone after parathyroidectomy.

ABSTRACT Objective To review the prevalence of parathyroid hormone elevation after parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism and to discuss possible mechanisms. Methods A Medline search of the English-language literature published between 1990 and 2009 was performed using the search terms “elevated PTH after parathyroidectomy.” All of the identified articles reported either prospective or retrospective studies without control groups. Studies that included patients with secondary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism were not reviewed. Results Within 1 week to 5 years after parathyroidectomy, 9% to 62% of patients with a normal serum calcium concentration are reported to have an elevated parathyroid hormone concentration. No evidence suggests that postoperative normocalcemic parathyroid hormone elevation is an indication of surgical failure and recurrent hypercalcemia. Preoperative findings in patients with postoperative parathyroid hormone elevation include lower vitamin D concentration, higher concentrations of bone turnover markers, and higher parathyroid hormone concentration. Potential mechanisms for parathyroid hormone elevation in the setting of normocalcemia include vitamin D deficiency, hungry bone syndrome, and parathyroid hormone resistance. Study findings suggest a possible benefit of postoperative calcium and vitamin D supplementation, but no randomized trials have been done. Conclusion Elevation of parathyroid hormone commonly occurs after parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. (Endocr Pract. 2010;16:112-117)
Some calculations concerning the effect of nickel on the stability of cohenite in meteorites

Abstract Observed distribution ratios of nickel between cohenite and kamacite (as obtained from the literature) indicate that the two equilibrated under different sets of isothermaluisobaric conditions in some meteorites. The range of P-T conditions corresponding to such distributions are calculated for the cases of ideal solid solutions. Lack of precise thermodynamic data and the probable nonideality of cohenite solutions permit only semi quantitative conclusions: the presence of nickel in cohenite and iron increases the pressure of stabilization of cohenite (at any temperature) by, at most, a few thousand atmospheres; calculated distribution ratio trends indicate that some cohenite will be indicative of high temperature at low pressures consistent with an asteroidal parent body, while with different distribution ratios higher pressures may be required at lower temperatures. Thus, cohenite in some meteorites may have metastably persisted during lower temperature annealing of the metal phase and not indicate high pressures at all.
Lower Healthy Eating Index-2005 dietary quality scores in older women with rheumatoid arthritis v. healthy controls.

Objective: To assess the dietary quality of older women with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005) to identify potential strategies to improve the nutritional status. Design: Cross-sectional. Diet was assessed using 7 d food records and analysed for nutrient composition (Food Processor v. 7?11). Diet quality was determined using the HEI-2005, a measure of compliance with 2005 US Dietary Guidelines. Individuals with RA completed a self-reported evaluation of arthritis (pain scale and disability index). Independent two-tailed t tests or Mann–Whitney tests compared the differences between groups and correlations were computed between HEI2005 and measures of disease reactivity. Setting: Arizona, USA. Subjects: Older ($ 55 years) women (n 108) with RA (n 52) and healthy controls (HC; n 56). Results: There were no differences between groups in age, weight, or BMI (kg/m 2 ). HC participants had higher mean HEI-2005 scores for whole fruit (cups; P 5 0?02), total fruit (cups; P 5 0?05), whole grains (oz; P 5 0?004), oil (g; P 5 0?05) and total HEI score (P 5 0?04) than the RA group. In the RA group, these same HEI components were inversely correlated with disability index (r 52 0?20, P 5 0?04). Participants with RA reported lower mean intakes of carbohydrate (g; P 5 0?02), fibre (g; P 5 0?01) and vitamin C (mg; P 5 0?04). Conclusions: This is the first study examining the dietary quality in older women with and without RA using the HEI-2005. Living with RA was associated with significantly lower dietary quality. Since even small changes in dietary quality can translate into better nutritional status, future interventions should focus on increasing dietary quality in this high-risk group.
Lower bounds for polarons in one-dimension

Abstract Lower bounds to the self-energy are obtained at arbitrary coupling for an electron, acoustic-phonon system and for an electron, optical-phonon system coupled, in each case, by corresponding deformation potential interactions in one-dimension.
Influence of Irradiation on the Characteristic of a Glow Discharge in Pure Rare Gases

Irradiation of the positive column of a glow discharge in pure rare gases by the radiation from a second discharge tube filled with the same gas influences the $V\ensuremath{-}I$ characteristic of the irradiated glow discharge, shifting it to a higher voltage for the same current. The effect arises from the reduction of the concentration of metastable atoms by absorption. In the case of helium the effect could be studied separately for the two mainly absorbed lines 10 830A and 20 581A. Practically the whole effect is caused by the latter. This result can be understood by considering the possible transitions involved.
Louisiana's Oysters, America's Wetlands, and the Storms of 2005

When Katrina made landfall near Empire, Louisiana's “oyster capital,” it devastated the public and private oyster grounds of Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes. Rita followed with similar damage in parishes to the west of the Mississippi River. These storms thus struck at a core of Louisiana's maritime heritage. Much attention has focused on the physical and social destruction these events have caused in New Orleans and on the failures of the public response efforts. Social scientists are in a position to assess such damages and to critique this collective failure of response. In this article, I seek to contribute to a parallel assessment of the potential of the oyster industry to recover from the storms of 2005, after a decade of substantial diminishment in political and economic power and public support.
PRACTICAL AND FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT AFFECT SELECTION AND PURCHASE OF ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT

No technology has had a greater impact on the practice of a medical specialty than ultrasound as used in obstetrics. In a relatively brief time, technologic innovations in sonography have facilitated its assimilation into the daily practice of obstetrics and gynecology. Clinicians now routinely rely on ultrasound to help assess fetal growth, development, and well-being. The most complete physical examination of a second-trimester fetus is achieved through ultrasound evaluation. The information presented in the preceding articles may lead the reader to conclude that the purchase or lease of an ultrasound system is warranted. If one already has access to an older machine, it may be time to purchase or lease a system with better microprocessor and transducer technology. Fundamental knowledge of the physics of ultrasound and kinetic energy is needed in these acquisitions. In addition, the business profile of a practice may dictate the feasibility and preference of owning or leasing an ultrasound system. The type of obstetric and gynecologic patients seen in a practice setting and the anticipated utilization frequency impact on the advisability of such an investment. If these practice variables are not known, an initial step is to ascertain this information. Several other questions should be addressed, such as the following: What features are essential for the system to optimize care to patients in a routine obstetric and gynecologic practice? What features are available, convenient, but not essential? What features are available but not only not essential but not desired? Who will perform the routine ultrasound examination, and what qualifications and certifications are needed? What are the standards in regard to examination documentation? What quality assurance measures should be in place? The discussion in this article provides insight into these issues in an attempt to help providers determine whether owning or leasing an ultrasound system is cost-effective and likely to improve access to care and the quality of care.
Pharmacologic rationale for intravesical N-trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-valerate (AD 32): a preclinical study.

Based on previous clinical findings following systemic administration, as well as appropriate laboratory evidence, the novel lipophilic anthracycline analogueN-Trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-valerate (AD 32) has been identified as an agent of potential value in the intravesical therapy of superficial bladder carcinoma. Toward this end, using a rat model, the present study was designed to evaluate the potential for toxicity of a therapeutic dose of AD 32 given intravesically. With regard to systemic toxicity, following a single intravesical dose of AD 32 (20 mg/kg), the total systemic drug exposure (0–6 h), expressed as the area under the plasma concentration-time curve, was 14.2 μg min ml−1, or <1% of the corresponding value obtained when the identical dose was injected intravenously (2,392 μg min ml−1). In separate studies, a single intravenous dose of AD 32 (20 mg/kg) given to normal animals produced only a 20% reduction in white blood cell counts as compared with a 60% reduction following the administration of a therapeutic dose of Adriamycin (5 mg/kg); no effect was seen for either drug on red blood cell production. Taken together, these results imply that systemic drug exposure following the intravesical instillation of a therapeutic dose of AD 32 would result in negligible (∼0.2%) hematotoxic potential. Furthermore, intravesical instillation of AD 32 (20 mg/kg) at a concentration (10 mg/ml) greater than that projected for use in humans resulted in no evidence of contact toxicity to the rat bladder urothelium. Thus, based on experimental and clinical considerations of safety and efficacy, AD 32 appears to be an excellent candidate for the intravesical treatment of superficial bladder cancer.
UPPER LIMIT ON THE GRAVITATIONAL FLUX REACHING THE EARTH FROM THE CRAB PULSAR.

A 30-m laser interferometer has been used in a search for gravitational radiation from the Crab pulsar. The minimum detectable signal would be produced by an incident gravitational flux of ${10}^{9}$ ergs/sec ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ and we find no effect at this level.
The arithmetical triangle of Jordanus de Nemore

Abstract The first extensive definition and development of the arithmetical triangle are credited to Blaise Pascal. However, Jordanus de Nemore discussed its construction and use in Book IX, Proposition 70, of De arithmetica . An analysis of Jordanus's thinking and a critical edition of the proposition are presented.
Numerical simulation of the Nernst effect in extreme type-II superconductors: A negative Nernst signal and its noise power spectra

Recently, different transport coefficients have been measured in high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors to pinpoint the nature of the pseudogap phase. In particular, the thermoelectric coefficients received considerable attention both theoretically and experimentally. We numerically simulate the Nernst effect in extreme type-II superconductors using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations. We report the sign reversal of the thermoelectric coefficient ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{xy}$ at temperatures close to the mean-field transition temperature ${T}_{c}^{\mathrm{MF}}(H)$, which qualitatively agrees with recent experiments on high-${T}_{c}$ materials. We also discuss the noise power spectrum of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{xy}$, which shows $1/{f}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}$ behavior. Based on this observation, we propose an experiment to distinguish among different regimes of vortex dynamics by measuring the noise correlations of the Nernst signal.
Linearly constrained pseudo-Newton method

Must Newton-type methods for linearly constrained optimization be either of the modified Newton or quasi-Newton variety? The contention of this paper is that explicity recomputing part of the projected Hessian may be superior to both approaches. A computational comparison with MINOS is presented.
Finding nearest neighbors with Voronoi tessellations

Abstract Bentley, Weide and Yao (1980) have shown that, subject to certain assumptions, nearest neighbors in k -dimensional space can be computed in O (3 k ) expected time. This paper presents a new method for finding nearest neighbors in any bounded region. The algorithm employs the Voronoi tessellation to allow nearest neighbor retrievals to be performed in expected constant time which is independent of the dimension. Under the assumption that the points in the file are uniformly distributed, it is shown that as the amount of storage is increased, the expected number of records examined will approach 1.
A fast adaptive noise control algorithm based on the lattice structure

Abstract In this paper, a fast adaptive noise control algorithm is presented and applied to the active control of broadband noise in a one-dimensional enclosure. This algorithm employs the lattice predictor which decouples the filtered reference signals. As a result, the algorithm delivers good performance even with a wide variance in the eigenvalue spread ratio of the input correlation matrix. In addition, the algorithm can be implemented with a computational complexity that increases linearly with the filter order. To avoid the primary signal estimation process, the order-update for the estimation error is modified to obtain local estimation errors directly from the signal sensed by the error microphone. Computer simulations and laboratory experiments are conducted to investigate the convergence of this noise control algorithm in a one-dimensional enclosure. The results illustrate the fast convergence capability of the lattice-based noise control algorithm.
Freezing and transplantation of brain tissue in rats

Neocortical tissue obtained from rat embryos was frozen and stored at - 70 degrees C for 6 h prior to transplantation into the cerebellum of neonatal rats. Growth, differentiation, and integration of this tissue within the host brain was comparable to that obtained from freshly dissected and transplanted tissue. It is suggested that freezing to low temperatures does not adversely effect the viability or transplantability of the neural tissue.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome occurring in brothers.

Abstract Two cases of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome occurring in middle-aged healthy brothers, aged 50 and 57 years, are reported. This rare occurrence, also reported by others, suggests that heredity may, at times, play a role in the appearance of this syndrome.
A diagnostic test for the sources of persistence in individuals' decisions

Abstract This paper presents a diagnostic test for the different sources of persistence in individuals' decisions (like brand loyalty): (1) state dependence, (2) serial correlation and (3) a direct dependence of current decisions on previous exogenous variables. This test successfully distinguishes among the different sources 95% of the time.
Placental growth factor in the cerebrospinal fluid of women with preeclampsia

Abstract Objective: Recent data suggest that excess circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) may causally relate to preeclampsia. This study investigates the levels of sFlt-1, VEGF, and P l GF in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with preeclampsia and normotensive controls. Methods: CSF was collected from preeclamptic patients ( n = 15) and controls ( n = 7) at the time of spinal anesthesia and assayed for P l GF, sFlt-1, and VEGF (total and free) by specific immunoassays. Results: All sought angiogenic factors were measurable. Levels of free P l GF but not sFlt-1 or VEGF (total or free) were increased in CSF of preeclamptic women. There was no significant difference in the ratios of angiogenic factors in the CSF of women with preeclampsia. There was no correlation between levels of angiogenic factors and CSF cell counts or severity of symptoms. Conclusion: Elevated levels of P l GF in CSF preeclamptic women may promote vascular permeability and contribute to the hypertensive encephalopathy seen in such patients.
Resistive Computing: Memristors-Enabled Signal Multiplication

Memristors-based resistive logic computation units are introduced. By controlling the memristors' conditional set operation adaptively to one of the input polarities, bipolar signal multiplication of an input and a stored reference bit is performed by unipolar memristor devices and control switches. The multiplication result is registered in an output nonvolatile memristor so that the computed output can be accessed anytime later on by reading the output memristor's state. A memristive multiplier circuit demonstrates a fast and highly sensitive pattern recognition for highly complex inputs.
Solid Rocket Motor Combustion Chamber Aeroacoustics

ASOURCE of solid rocket motor vibration is investigated by treating the problem of pressure fluctuations inside the motor cavity. Theoretical aeroacoustics is applied to the cavity gases and imbedded burning metal agglomerates. Several critical experiments are performed to provide numerical input to the theory. Consideration of turbulence, combustion, and entropy noise yields the conclusion that only one cause is dominant for the fluctuations in chamber pressure—that of interaction of turbulence with the exhaust nozzle. Typically, an 0.4% rms pressure fluctuation can be accounted for by this mechanism. Spectral distributions of the noise are presented and a comparison is made of the theory and an actual motor firing. Contents
ULTRASTRUCTURAL OBSERVATIONS ON PINACEAE LEAF PHLOEM\ I. THE SPRING CONDITION

SUMMARY Pine and spruce leaves were fixed for electron microscopy during their period of rapid differentiation (April-May 1970). The sieve cells are in radial rows and mature from the outside towards the inside of the leaf. The sieve cell initials have large nuclei and many organelles. As the sieve cells mature, the walls become thick and lamellar, the tonoplast breaks down, and most of the organelles disappear. The plastid stroma becomes fibrillar. The plastids then rupture, releasing fine fibrils into the mictoplasm. The plasmodesmata between phloem parenchyma cells and albuminous cells occur in expanded regions of the cell wall. The sieve areas have little callose in the spring.
An in vitro increase in aspartyltranscarbamylase activity.

Abstract A number of investigators have demonstrated synthesis of specific enzymes in cell-free systems (cf. Nisman and Pelmont, 1964 ). The following communication deals with an increase of aspartyltranscarbamylase (ATCase) activity observed in a cell-free system from a uracil requiring mutant of E. coli . When grown on limiting amounts of uracil, ATCase contitutes about 12 per cent of the soluble protein of this mutant ( Gerhart and Schachman, 1965 ). The in vitro increase in ATCase activity reported here is dependent on the presence of ATP, GTP and Mg ++ and a dialyzed cell-free enzyme preparation of the mutant. The increase in activity is greater if exogenous amino acids are added and is partially inhibited by RNase, but not by puromycin.
bullwinkle is required for epithelial morphogenesis during Drosophila oogenesis.

Many organs, such as the liver, neural tube, and lung, form by the precise remodeling of flat epithelial sheets into tubes. Here we investigate epithelial tubulogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster by examining the development of the dorsal respiratory appendages of the eggshell. We employ a culture system that permits confocal analysis of stage 10–14 egg chambers. Time-lapse imaging of GFP-Moesin-expressing egg chambers reveals three phases of morphogenesis: tube formation, anterior extension, and paddle maturation. The dorsal-appendage-forming cells, previously thought to represent a single cell fate, consist of two subpopulations, those forming the tube roof and those forming the tube floor. These two cell types exhibit distinct morphological and molecular features. Roof-forming cells constrict apically and express high levels of Broad protein. Floor cells lack Broad, express the rhomboid-lacZ marker, and form the floor by directed cell elongation. We examine the morphogenetic phenotype of the bullwinkle (bwk) mutant and identify defects in both roof and floor formation. Dorsal appendage formation is an excellent system in which cell biological, molecular, and genetic tools facilitate the study of epithelial morphogenesis.
A course in physics and history: matching an unlikely pair

Summary A course, ‘Physics, history and society’, has been taught primarily to college freshmen since 1972. Disciplinary lines are sharply drawn, thereby teaching the subject in the same fashion as research is done. The course is about the way physics and history became disciplines and how they have developed, as well as about the rhetoric of physics/history. The main topics are the physicist's/historian's personality as it is related to his work. The history of physics is used to show how a scientist's personality is related to his work. The nature of physics and history is taught as a preliminary to other courses in these subjects.
Disentangling the effects of race and SES on arthritis-related symptoms, coping, and well-being in African American and White women

This study examined both unique and interactive effects of race and socioeconomic status (SES) on arthritis-related symptoms, coping, and well-being in African American and White women. Participants included 77 African American and 98 White women, aged 45 to 90, who completed structured, face-to-face interviews. A series of 2 × 2 MANCOVAs examined race (African American, White) and SES (high/low education or high/low occupational status) differences in arthritis-related symptoms, coping, and well-being. African Americans used more religious coping, wishful-thinking, seeking social support, and emotional expression than Whites. Individuals with low SES reported worse arthritis-related symptoms, poorer well-being, and greater use of coping strategies that tend to be maladaptive. Race × SES interactions revealed higher depressive symptoms in African Americans with low versus high education and coping differences in African Americans with low versus high occupational status; however differences in depressive ...
Phosphorylation of proteins of synaptosome enriched fractions of brain during short term training experience : the effects of various behavioral treatments

The relationship between the phosphorylation of synaptosomal proteins and the behavior of mice subjected to foot-shock avoidance conditioning has been studied. It appears that the increased phosphorylation of these proteins in the trained mouse is specific to the training, since mice that were merely exposed to the training stimuli or performed the avoidance after they had been previously trained did not show the response. However, mice that extinguished the learned behavior did show such increases. These changes may be relevant to the establishment of neural pathways that enable storage of memory of a novel experience.
Multi-Target/Multi-Sensor Tracking using Only Range and Doppler Measurements

A new approach is described for combining range and Doppler data from multiple radar platforms to perform multi-target detection and tracking. In particular, azimuthal measurements are assumed to be either coarse or unavailable, so that multiple sensors are required to triangulate target tracks using range and Doppler measurements only. Increasing the number of sensors can cause data association by conventional means to become impractical due to combinatorial complexity, i.e., an exponential increase in the number of mappings between signatures and target models. When the azimuthal resolution is coarse, this problem will be exacerbated by the resulting overlap between signatures from multiple targets and clutter. In the new approach, the data association is performed probabilistically, using a variation of expectation-maximization (EM). Combinatorial complexity is avoided by performing an efficient optimization in the space of all target tracks and mappings between tracks and data. The full, multi-sensor, version of the algorithm is tested on simulated data. The results demonstrate that accurate tracks can be estimated by exploiting spatial diversity in the sensor locations. Also, as a proof-of-concept, a simplified, single-sensor range-only version of the algorithm is tested on experimental radar data acquired with a stretch radar receiver. These results are promising, and demonstrate robustness in the presence of nonhomogeneous clutter.
Efficacy of genital T cell responses to herpes simplex virus type 2 resulting from immunization of the nasal mucosa.

Abstract Intravaginal (ivag) or intranasal (i.n.) immunization of C57BL/6J (B6) mice with a thymidine kinase-deficient strain (tk−) of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) resulted in comparable protection of the genital epithelium and sensory ganglia against HSV-2 challenge. In contrast, protection of these sites was much reduced in i.n.-immunized compared to ivag-immunized B cell-deficient μMT mice. Fewer HSV-specific T cells were detected in the genital epithelium of i.n.-immunized compared to ivag-immunized μMT mice after HSV-2 challenge. Passive transfer of HSV-specific serum to immune μMT mice restored protection of these sites against HSV-2 challenge. These results suggest that protection of genital and neuronal sites may be conferred by i.n. immunization but may be more dependent on antibody-dependent mechanisms than the protection resulting from genital immunization. These results have implications for immunization strategies to elicit high levels of cell-mediated protection of the genital tract and sensory ganglia.
Dissecting calcium oscillators in plant cells.

Abstract To understand Ca 2+ signaling, we need to identify all the Ca 2+ transporters and their regulatory components. The first Ca 2+ transporters to be cloned from plants and shown to have regulated activity were calmodulin-dependent Ca 2+ -pumps. The regulation of these pumps suggests that being able to change the rate of Ca 2+ efflux is important for Ca 2+ signaling. The identification of pumps and antiporters in different subcellular locations is helping to dissect the complexities of Ca 2+ signaling in plants.
STRESS DISTRIBUTION AT TWO NORMALLY INTERSECTING CYLINDRICAL SHELLS

Abstract The boundary value problem concerned with the state of stress in two normally intersecting circular cylindrical shells subjected to internal pressure is formulated. The differential equations of the two shells are solved for a small ratio of radii ( ϱ 0 R 1 3 ) subject to edge conditions along the intersection curve and at the ends of the cylinders. The numerical results will be published in a later paper.
The Heyday of the New Strategy: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Confirmation of Coercive Diplomacy

The Cuban missile crisis has been of special interest to those growing numbers of civilians who have a professional interest in the use and management of military power. The successful and determinedly civilian orchestration of the great panoply of persuasion that was brought to bear on the Soviets in the Caribbean seemed to herald an era wherein vastly expanded power, blessedly, had become a relevant, useful, and rational instrument of American policy. The triumphant and apparently lopsided position of the United States in the aftermath of the Cuban crisis reinforced the venerable American hope that a stable international order could be sustained if it were underwritten by America’s readiness to employ effective force. What was novel in contemporary “crisis management,” political science Robert Tucker observed a few years later, was “the intensity of the aspiration to exercise a far greater measure of control…. A growing confidence in the ability… to manage crises [was] accompanied by a growing confidence that force [might] be employed in a regulated manner.”1
A small circular structure in the right atrium: a cause for right atrial and ventricular dilatation?

From the *Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; and †Anesthesia Service, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI. Address reprint requests to Paul S. Pagel, MD, PhD, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Anesthesia Service, 5000 West National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53295. E-mail: pspagel@ mcw.edu © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1053-0770/2703-0001$36.00/0 http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.jvca.2012.01.036
Stochastic Flash Analog-to-Digital Conversion

A stochastic flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is presented. A standard flash uses a resistor string to set individual comparator trip points. A stochastic flash ADC uses random comparator offset to set the trip points. Since the comparators are no longer sized for small offset, they can be shrunk down into digital cells. Using comparators that are implemented as digital cells produces a large variation of comparator offset. Typically, this is considered a disadvantage, but in our case, this large standard deviation of offset is used to set the input signal range. By designing an ADC that is made up entirely of digital cells, it is a natural candidate for a synthesizable ADC. Comparator trip points follow the nonlinear transfer function described by a Gaussian cumulative distribution function, and a technique is presented that reduces this nonlinearity by changing the overall transfer function of the stochastic flash ADC. A test chip is fabricated in 0.18- CMOS to demonstrate the concept.
New technique for retrograde left heart catheterization in aortic stenosis

Retrograde catheterization of the left ventricle in patients with aortic stenosis is frequently difficult and occasionally impossible. We have developed a new technique to facilitate this problem. A standard #8 "pigtail" catheter is preformed with a 145 degrees angle 7 cm from the catheter tip. With this catheter in the ascending aorta, the preformed angle lifts the catheter tip leftward and superiorly, allowing a straight guidewire a direct approach to the orifice of the stenotic aortic valve. Utilizing this technique, we were able to cross the stenotic aortic valve in 26-29 consecutive patients with isolated aortic stenosis (mean gradient +/- 0.22 cm2, mean fluoroscopy time for crossing: 32 +/- 40 seconds). The 145 degree angle also lifts the catheter off the posterior wall of the left ventricle and allows a more parallel alignment of the catheter with the long axis of the left ventricle, leading to a more stable position with less ventricular dysrhythmias during angiography. Thus a preformed angle in the "pigtail" catheter facilitates crossing of the stenotic aortic valve and produces a more stable position in the left ventricle.
Streamwise vorticity effects on supercell morphology and persistence

Abstract The structure and steadiness of radar-observed supercell thunderstorms are examined in terms of their particular distribution of vorticity. The data confirm that the vorticity vector in supercells points in the direction of the storm-relative velocity vector and that supercell updrafts contain large positive helicity (V·ω). The alignment of vorticity and velocity vectors dictates that low pressure associates not only with vorticity but also with helicity. Accelerating pressure gradients and helicity, both thought important for suppressing small-scale features within supercells, may combine with shear-induced vertical pressure gradient forces to organize and maintain the large-scale persistent background updrafts that characterize supercells. Rear downdrafts possess weak positive or negative helicity. Thus, the decline of storm circulation may be hastened by turbulent dissipation when the downdraft air eventually mixes into supercell updrafts.
Thoracic neurilemoma: case report and review of the world literature

Abstract Thoracic tumors are unusual and tend to occur in the posterior mediastinum. A case of anterior thoracic neurilemoma is presented, with plain film, computed tomographic, and pathologic correlation. Diagnosis of chest wall masses, including the role of computed tomography, is discussed, along with the significance of calcification in these lesions.
Structural Characterization of a Viral NEIL1 Ortholog Unliganded and Bound to Abasic Site-containing DNA

Endonuclease VIII (Nei) is a DNA glycosylase of the base excision repair pathway that recognizes and excises oxidized pyrimidines. We determined the crystal structures of a NEIL1 ortholog from the giant Mimivirus (MvNei1) unliganded and bound to DNA containing tetrahydrofuran (THF), which is the first structure of any Nei with an abasic site analog. The MvNei1 structures exhibit the same overall architecture as other enzymes of the Fpg/Nei family, which consists of two globular domains joined by a linker region. MvNei1 harbors a zincless finger, first described in human NEIL1, rather than the signature zinc finger generally found in the Fpg/Nei family. In contrast to Escherichia coli Nei, where a dramatic conformational change was observed upon binding DNA, the structure of MvNei1 bound to DNA does not reveal any substantial movement compared with the unliganded enzyme. A protein segment encompassing residues 217–245 in MvNei1 corresponds to the “missing loop” in E. coli Nei and the “αF–β10 loop” in E. coli Fpg, which has been reported to be involved in lesion recognition. Interestingly, the corresponding loop in MvNei1 is ordered in both the unliganded and furan-bound structures, unlike other Fpg/Nei enzymes where the loop is generally ordered in the unliganded enzyme or in complexes with a lesion, and disordered otherwise. In the MvNei1·tetrahydrofuran complex a tyrosine located at the tip of the putative lesion recognition loop stacks against the furan ring; the tyrosine is predicted to adopt a different conformation to accommodate a modified base.
An efficient fault-tolerant scheduling algorithm for real-time tasks with precedence constraints in heterogeneous systems

In this paper, we investigate an efficient off-line scheduling algorithm in which real-time tasks with precedence constraints are executed in a heterogeneous environment. It provides more features and capabilities than existing algorithms that schedule only independent tasks in real-time homogeneous systems. In addition, the proposed algorithm takes the heterogeneities of computation, communication and reliability into account, thereby improving the reliability. To provide fault-tolerant capability, the algorithm employs a primary-backup copy scheme that enables the system to tolerate permanent failures in any single processor. In this scheme, a backup copy is allowed to overlap with other backup copies on the same processor, as long as their corresponding primary copies are allocated to different processors. Tasks are judiciously allocated to processors so as to reduce the schedule length as well as the reliability cost, defined to be the product of processor failure rate and task execution time. In addition, the time for detecting and handling a permanent fault is incorporated into the scheduling scheme, thus making the algorithm more practical. To quantify the combined performance of fault-tolerance and schedulability, the performability measure is introduced Compared with the existing scheduling algorithms in the literature, our scheduling algorithm achieves an average of 16.4% improvement in reliability and an average of 49.3% improvement in performability.
Structure of the Cul1-Rbx1-Skp1-F boxSkp2 SCF ubiquitin ligase complex.

SCF complexes are the largest family of E3 ubiquitin–protein ligases and mediate the ubiquitination of diverse regulatory and signalling proteins. Here we present the crystal structure of the Cul1–Rbx1–Skp1–F boxSkp2 SCF complex, which shows that Cul1 is an elongated protein that consists of a long stalk and a globular domain. The globular domain binds the RING finger protein Rbx1 through an intermolecular β-sheet, forming a two-subunit catalytic core that recruits the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. The long stalk, which consists of three repeats of a novel five-helix motif, binds the Skp1–F boxSkp2 protein substrate-recognition complex at its tip. Cul1 serves as a rigid scaffold that organizes the Skp1–F boxSkp2 and Rbx1 subunits, holding them over 100 A apart. The structure suggests that Cul1 may contribute to catalysis through the positioning of the substrate and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, and this model is supported by Cul1 mutations designed to eliminate the rigidity of the scaffold.
Computer modeling of intracoronary stents undergoing MRI scanning: simulating electrogenesis

The use of intracoronary artery stents in general medical care is increasing, as is the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. We have developed software to model the risk of electrical generation from these intracoronary stents being placed in an MRI scanner's magnetic field, while the heart is beating. This has not been specifically modeled in the past. We developed a pair of programs to first measure the coronary artery movement, from cine-MRI scans of the heart; we used this data to calculate local voltages between the stents and adjacent myocardial tissue in various locations of the heart using a software model. The software is written in RealBasic and Python under Macintosh OS X.
Frequency-hopped generalized MC-CDMA for multipath and interference suppression

Generalized multi-carrier (GMC) CDMA transceivers equipped with frequency hopping are developed in this paper. Through judicious code design, multiuser interference (MUI) is eliminated deterministically and symbol recovery is guaranteed, relying on a minimum number of redundant subcarriers. This, together with subcarrier frequency hopping (FH), improves BER performance in the presence of frequency-selective multipath fading channels and enhances resistance to narrow-band interference. Blind channel estimation methods are developed with guaranteed channel identifiability, regardless of the locations of the zeros of the FIR channel. Performance analysis and simulation results illustrate the merits of the proposed FH-GMC-CDMA transceivers relative to competing OFDMA and multicarrier CDMA alternatives.
Comparison of Three Methods of Teaching Women How to Perform Breast Self-Examination

This paper presents results from an experimental study designed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of three methods of teaching women how to do breast self-examination (BSE). Frequency of BSE, confidence in examination performance, proficiency of BSE technique, and lump detection performance were the main outcome variables assessed. The three training methods compared in this study were provision of a pamphlet describing how to do BSE, having women view a videotape depicting proper performance of BSE, and having women practice doing BSE on a life-like breast model. Results showed that passive methods of BSE instruction such as the use of pamphlets or films were of little value in helping women develop the tactile skills necessary for proficient BSE. Three months after training, it was found that lump detection performance, as measured on silicone breast models, was significantly higher among those women who had been given an opportunity to practice doing the breast examination on a breast model with corrective feedback given by a BSE instructor. The opportunity to practice doing the examination with corrective feedback on performance appears to be a critical variable in the acquisition of BSE skill.
Quantifying design productivity: an effort distribution analysis

This paper presents basic process models for textual and graphical HDL-based design. The models are used to measure effort (time) required for various design activities, with an aim to quantify design productivity. Effort-distribution in man-minutes is used as a parameter to evaluate design productivity. Design quality, defined as a probability that the design meets its specifications, is plotted for various design activities. We also discuss the resources that are essential to perform each design activity. These experiments demonstrate that "effort-distribution analysis" is useful for real life HDL-based design projects.
Developmentally Regulated Mitochondrial Fusion Mediated by a Conserved, Novel, Predicted GTPase

Abstract The Drosophila melanogaster fuzzy onions ( fzo ) gene encodes the first known protein mediator of mitochondrial fusion. During Drosophila spermatogenesis, mitochondria in early postmeiotic spermatids aggregate, fuse, and elongate beside the growing flagellar axoneme. fzo mutant males are defective in this developmentally regulated mitochondrial fusion and are sterile. fzo encodes a large, novel, predicted transmembrane GTPase that becomes detectable on spermatid mitochondria late in meiosis II, just prior to fusion, and disappears soon after fusion is complete. Missense mutations that alter conserved residues required for GTP binding in other GTPases inhibit the fusogenic activity of Fzo in vivo but do not affect its localization. Fzo has homologs of unknown function in mammals, nematodes, and yeast.
Isolation of Cold-Sensitive yidC Mutants Provides Insights into the Substrate Profile of the YidC Insertase and the Importance of Transmembrane 3 in YidC Function

YidC, a 60-kDa integral membrane protein, plays an important role in membrane protein insertion in bacteria. YidC can function together with the SecYEG machinery or operate independently as a membrane protein insertase. In this paper, we describe two new yidC mutants that lead to a cold-sensitive phenotype in bacterial cell growth. Both alleles impart a cold-sensitive phenotype and result from point mutations localized to the third transmembrane (TM3) segment of YidC, indicating that this region is crucial for YidC function. We found that the yidC(C423R) mutant confers a weak phenotype on membrane protein insertion while a yidC(P431L) mutant leads to a stronger phenotype. In both cases, the affected substrates include the Pf3 coat protein and ATP synthase F1Fo subunit c (FoC), while CyoA (the quinol binding subunit of the cytochrome bo3 quinol oxidase complex) and wild-type procoat are slightly affected or not affected in either cold-sensitive mutant. To determine if the different substrates require various levels of YidC activity for membrane insertion, we performed studies where YidC was depleted using an arabinose-dependent expression system. We found that −3M-PC-Lep (a construct with three negatively charged residues inserted into the middle of the procoat-Lep [PC-Lep] protein) and Pf3 P2 (a construct with the Lep P2 domain added at the C terminus of Pf3 coat) required the highest amount of YidC and that CyoA-N-P2 (a construct with the amino-terminal part of CyoA fused to the Lep P2 soluble domain) and PC-Lep required the least, while FoC required moderate YidC levels. Although the cold-sensitive mutations can preferentially affect one substrate over another, our results indicate that different substrates require different levels of YidC activity for membrane insertion. Finally, we obtained several intragenic suppressors that overcame the cold sensitivity of the C423R mutation. One pair of mutations suggests an interaction between TM2 and TM3 of YidC. The studies reveal the critical regions of the YidC protein and provide insight into the substrate profile of the YidC insertase.
To Build Bifrost: Developing Space Property Rights and Infrastructure

In recent years, there has been much excitement over individuals arguing for private land claims on the Moon and Mars as a thrust to commercialize space. There is a fundamental flaw in the logic of those who purport that these bodies or portions thereof may be privately owned. It is true that, “The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits any claims of national sovereignty on the Moon or Mars,” and it is also true that “the treaty says nothing against private property.” It does not follow, however, that without claiming sovereignty, the U.S. could recognize land claims made by private companies that establish human settlements there, as would-be extraterrestrial realtors claim.
Love's Constancy

‘Marital faithfulness’ refers to faithful love for a spouse or lover to whom one is committed, rather than the narrower idea of sexual fidelity. The distinction is clearly marked in traditional wedding vows. A commitment to love faithfully is central: ‘to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part… and thereto I plight [pledge] thee my troth [faithfulness]’. Sexual fidelity is promised in a subordinate clause, symbolizing its supportive role in promoting love's constancy: ‘and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her/him.’
Sticks and Stones Can Break My Bones, But Ethnophaulisms Can Alter the Portrayal of Immigrants to Children

An archival study examined the portrayal of ethnic immigrants to children as a function of the prevailing cognitive representation of those ethnic immigrant groups in ethnophaulisms. The complexity in ethnophaulisms (and, to a lesser degree, the valence in ethnophaulisms) predicted the portrayal of ethnic immigrant groups. Overall, ethnic immigrant groups characterized in terms of ethnophaulisms of low complexity were less frequently present in children’s literature, children from these ethnic groups were described more in terms of physical appearance than in terms of personal traits, fictional child characters from those ethnic groups were portrayed with smaller heads and with lower verbal complexity, and the folksongs attributed to these groups had a more negative affective tone. The implications of these results for approaches to intergroup relations are considered.
Fermi-motion effects in deep-inelastic lepton scattering from nuclear targets

The ratio of deep-inelastic structure functions of nuclear targets to the sum of free neutron and proton structure functions has been calculated using a modified form of the Atwood-West technique for deuterium. Fermi-gas momentum distributions were used with modifications to include high-momentum tails resulting from nucleon-nucleon correlations. Tables of smearing ratios for ${W}_{1}$, ${W}_{2}$, and ${W}_{3}$ are given as a function of $x$ and ${Q}^{2}$ for deuterium and several heavy nuclei. We find that for $xg0.5$ the scaling violations for heavy nuclei are smaller than those for free nucleons. The shapes of the antiquark distributions are also changed.