cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serials for Distance Education Research Projects

AbstractPublic service librarians, eager to comply with Association of College and Research Libraries guidelines, face challenges in the rush to support distance education programs in higher education. Distance education students doing serials research encounter significant problems. In this column the author identifies and discusses issues related to the instruction, reference, and access needs of such students. Serials Review 2002; 28:206–212.
Regulation of NF-κB activity through lysine monomethylation of p65

NF-κB is a key activator of inflammatory and immune responses with important pathological roles in cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases. Transcriptional activity of NF-κB is regulated by different posttranslational modifications. Here, we report a novel mechanism of NF-κB regulation through lysine monomethylation by SET9 methyltransferase. Set9 specifically methylates p65 at lysine 37. Both TNFα and IL-1β treatments induced methylation of p65. Methylated p65 is restricted to the nucleus and this modification regulates the promoter binding of p65. Moreover, Set9 mediated methylation of p65 is required for the expression of a subset of NF-κB target genes in response to TNFα stimulation.
Anomalous-dispersion enhanced active sagnac interferometry for gravitational wave detection

In this paper, we study theoretically a zero-area Sagnac ring laser gravitational wave (GW) detector. We review first the zero-area Sagnac interferometer for GW detection, comparing its properties against the more conventional GW detector based on a Michaelson interferometer. We then describe a modified version of such a detector where the Sagnac interferometer is replaced by a zero-area Sagnac ring resonator fed by an external laser. This leads to the description of a GW detector based on an active, zero-area Sagnac ring resonator, where a gain medium is present inside the cavity. Finally, we show that if a medium with negative dispersion, which yields the so-called fast-light effect, is also present inside this detector, then its sensitivity to GW strain is enhanced by the inverse of the group index of the dispersive medium. We describe conditions under which this enhancement factor could be as large as 10 5 .
Structure of eight streptococcal bacteriophages

Abstract Eight phages from groups A, B, C, E, G, and H streptococci were propagated in their own hosts, purified, and examined for morphology; the size, shape, and structure of their extracted nucleic acids was also examined. Electron microscopy showed three types of phage morphology. All eight phages possess linear double-stranded DNAs of molecular weights ranging from 10.5 × 10 6 to 24 × 10 6 . Four phages from three different serological groups presented an identical pattern of restriction enzyme fragments. As shown by BAL31 digestion prior to restriction and by reanneling experiments, all but one DNA is circularly permuted. Terminal repetition is also present in six phage DNAs.
Extended bound states and resonances of two fermions on a periodic lattice

The high-${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{c}}$ cuprates are possible candidates for d-wave superconductivity, with the Cooper pair wave function belonging to a nontrivial irreducible representation of the lattice point group. We argue that this d-wave symmetry is related to a special form of the fermionic kinetic energy and does not require any novel pairing mechanism. In this context, we present a detailed study of the bound states and resonances formed by two lattice fermions interacting via a nonretarded potential that is attractive for nearest neighbors but repulsive for other relative positions. In the case of strong binding, a pair formed by fermions on adjacent lattice sites can have a small effective mass, thereby implying a high condensation temperature. For a weakly bound state, a pair with nontrivial symmetry tends to be smaller in size than an s-wave pair. These and other findings are discussed in connection with the properties of high-${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{c}}$ cuprate superconductors.
Oligodendroglial Proliferative Abnormality Associated with Arteriovenous Malformation: Report of Three Cases with Review of the Literature

Abstract A peculiar nonneoplastic oligodendroglial proliferative abnormality associated with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) was present in three patients. Histological examination of biopsy material revealed dense oligodendroglial tissue reminiscent of oligodendroglioma in the white matter adjoining the AVMs. Careful consideration of clinical and pathological features suggested that the evidence was insufficient to qualify the lesion as truly neoplastic (oligodendroglioma); rather, a tissue collapse or a hamartomatous proliferation could be considered to be its cause. The literature contains 14 instances of various vascular malformations associated with primary brain tumors, 5 of which were diagnosed as oligodendrogliomas. It is possible, however, that some of the cases reported in the literature constitute oligodendroglial abnormality similar to that observed in our cases rather than genuine oligodendrogliomas. Attention is drawn to this interesting and prognostically important phenomenon.
Hand osteoarthritis and bone loss: is there an inverse relationship?

Abstract An inverse relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and bone loss has been supported in clinical research, but there has been little research on bioarchaeological skeletal remains. The current study examines 115 adults from a prehistoric hunter–gatherer population to aid in determining whether hand OA and bone loss are negatively correlated. OA lipping is scored on a four-point scale on left and right trapezia, MC1s, and MC2s and then analyzed with regard to their relationships with sex, age, right MC2 cortical index, and left and right MC1 robusticity, midshaft circumference, and midshaft diameter values. With sexes and ages combined, higher OA scores are found in individuals with greater midshaft diameters. However, lower cortical indices were found in individuals with higher right MC2 OA scores. The data presented tenuously support that bone loss is lower in individuals with more severe osteoarthritis, but age-related changes in bone deposition may make cortical index and other external shaft dimensions an unsuitable variable to examine this relationship.
The Uses of the Body: The Church and the Cult of Santa Margherita da Cortona

Pour une femme analphabete comme Marguerite de Cortone, le corps et sa gestion etaient les meilleurs moyens d'atteindre la beatitude. Elle a mene une guerre continuelle contre les tentations sexuelles et materielles dans le but d'achever sa redemption morale et acquerir une position prestigieuse dans sa communaute. Apres sa mort,la veneration de ses reliques eut de multiples effets: culte populaire a but therapeutique, renforcement de l'independance de la ville de Cortone. Elle est devenue un modele de devotion pour les franciscains. Le culte qui lui etait rendu representait une source de revenus ecclesiastiques utile au debut du 14 e siecle.
Applying Alternative Technical Concepts to Construction Manager–General Contractor Project Delivery

This paper discusses four public agency approaches to applying alternative technical concepts (ATCs) to construction manager-general contractor (CMGC) project delivery through an analysis of case study projects. The CMGC projects included a slope stabilization project in Michigan, a bridge in Oregon, the urgent, in situ foundation stabilization of a dam in Kansas, and a commuter rail project in Utah. The study results showed that ATCs provide a valuable mechanism to identify the best qualified contractor during the CMGC selection process. ATCs also permit an owner to consider innovative design solutions to constructability problems through the contractor's early involvement. The addition of ATCs to CMGC procurements permits an owner to accrue all of the savings offered by a contractor's ATCs because the contractor's preconstruction services' contract compensates the contractor for developing the ATCs.
A production system for intelligent monitoring systems

Conventional monitoring systems use data-collection techniques to obtain sensor data about various aspects of hazardous workplaces such as coal mines and provide warnings. However, they are ill-equipped for making complex decisions involving large amounts of interrelated data. Laser/RPS, a C language-based object-oriented production system, is presented, and those programming system features that can be used to develop intelligent monitoring systems are described. Potential applications of this system to underground coal mine monitoring systems are discussed. >
Li-Mn ferrites for high-speed computer memory applications

The high Curie temperature region of the ternary system Li 0.5 Fe 2.5 O 4 -MnFe 2 O 4 - Mn 3 O 4 has been investigated. Toroidal cores were fired using the two-step firing technique, and nearly all compositions investigated produced square S curves with thresholds between 4 and 10 Oe. When optimized for thresholds between 4 and 6 Oe, a compositional region was found, which combined good squareness and fast switching with low temperature and stress sensitivities. Substitutions of up to 0.1 atom of Zn for Mn in these compositions increased voltage outputs uV 1 and rV 1 without significantly affecting the other useful properties.
Response to The physics of ghost imaging--nonlocal interference or local intensity fluctuation correlation?

Shih has objected to the semiclassical explanation for lensless pseudothermal ghost imaging—whose measurement configuration is shown schematically in Fig. 8 of [1]—that is reviewed by Shapiro and Boyd. In Shih’s view, the only valid explanation for lensless pseudothermal ghost imaging is nonlocal two-photon interference, i.e., a purely quantum phenomenon. Shapiro and Boyd also develop that explanation for the lensless pseudothermal ghost image, where they show it to be equivalent, in its quantitative predictions, to the speckle-correlation interpretation arising from semiclassical photodetection theory. Thus, Sect. 1 of [1] concludes: “That the semiclassical and quantum theories yield identical measurements statistics in this case means that pseudothermal ghost-imaging experiments cannot distinguish between these two interpretations, even though we know that light is intrinsically quantum mechanical.” Shih begins by observing that Shapiro and Boyd fail to compare lensless pseudothermal ghost imaging of Scarcelli et al. [2], with the lens-based pseudothermal ghost
Requiem for a lightweight: The Northrop f‐20 strategic initiative

This study focuses upon the recently discontinued F-20 program of the Northrop Corporation. Northrop's strategic initiative is analyzed historically and comparatively, and the implications of the program failure are discussed with respect to government procurement policy, defense contracting, international trade and arms transfer, and global competition in aerospace.
Monolayer-Level Ru- and NbO2-Supported Platinum Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation

We developed electrocatalysts with a monolayer-level Pt content for methanol oxidation by depositing Pt or Pt + M (M = Os, Ir, Rh, Pd) on the surfaces of Ru nanoparticles through the galvanic replacement of Cu adlayers and by chemically reducing Pt ions on a NbO 2 oxide surface. Compared with a commercial PtRu/C alloy catalyst, the electrocatalyst with a monolayer of Pt (Pt ML /Ru/C) showed three times higher Pt mass activity and improved durability for methanol oxidation. The activity originates from the efficient bifunctional mechanism as well as the electronic effect that weakens the Pt-CO bonding facilitated by optimized size of Pt-free and Pt-covered Ru support. Electrocatalysts comprising mixed-metal M + Pt on Ru nanoparticles also had higher activity than the commercial one but did not surpass the Pt ML /Ru/C electrocatalyst. The properties of the electrocatalysts composed of a monolayer amount of Pt deposited on niobium oxide nanoparticles indicate that NbO 2 holds considerable promise as a support for a Pt monolayer for methanol oxidation.
Behind the Sacred Heart

Mexico 2007 I don't want to write about the Sacred Heart hung above our bed above mantels nailed to door posts and I don't know whether to write in the Spanish of my days or the English of my dream...
Properties of the pseudogap phase in high-T c superconductors

Several physical properties of the pseudogap phase are calculated on the basis of the spatially inhomogenous Franz-Millis model of superconducting fluctuations, consisting of small superconducting domains with uncorrelated supercurrents. The variation of this domain structure with time is supposed to be slow. A distribution function of superfluid velocities is found based on the assumption of the dominant role of extended saddle point singularities (''hot spots''). The model is used for calculation of the spectral function, the inelastic neutron scattering cross section, and the spin susceptibility entering the Knight shift. In all cases the calculated curves are qualitatively close to experimental results.
Pharmacokinetics of intravenous chloramphenicol sodium succinate in adult patients with normal renal and hepatic function

The pharmacokinetics of chloramphenicol (CAP) and total chloramphenicol succinate (CAPS) were studied in eight hospitalized adult patients with normal renal and hepatic function receiving intravenous chloramphenicol sodium succinate therapy. The steady-state peak concentrations of CAP (8.4–26.0 μg/ml) occurred at an average of 18.0 min (range 5.4–40.2) after cessation of the chloramphenicol sodium succinate infusion. Unhydrolyzed CAPS prodrug, representing 26.0±7.0% of the dose, was recovered unchanged in the urine indicating that the bioavailability of CAP from a dose of intravenous chloramphenicol succinate is not complete. A pharmacokinetic model was developed for simultaneous fitting of CAP and CAPS plasma concentration data. Pharmacokinetic parameters determined by simultaneous fitting were: V, 0.81±0.18 liters/kg; t1/2, 3.20 ±1.02 hr; CLB, 3.21±1.27 ml/min/kg for chloramphenicol; and V, 0.38±0.13 liters/kg; t1/2, 0.57±0.12hr; CLB, 7.72±1.87 ml/min/kg for total chloramphenicol succinate.
Multichannel optical coupling to a silicon photonics chip using a single-step bonding process

We report on scalable bidirectional optical coupling between silicon-on-insulator waveguides and polymer waveguides. Coupling loss of 0.8 dB and ±2 μm misalignment loss of 0.3 (0.6) dB are measured at TM (TE) polarization states.
Periodontal disease in three young adult populations.

The purpose of the present study was to assess periodontal destruction and related etiological factors in three young adult male populations in the U. S. A., Norway, and Sri Lanka. The clinical examination included the Plaque Index (Silness & Loe 1964), Retention Index for calculus, defective fillings, and gingival caries (Loe 1967), Gingival Index (Loe & Silness 1963), and Loss of Attachment (Ramfjord 1959). Plaque accumulation, calculus deposition, and gingival inflammation were higher in interproximal than buccal areas. Plaque and Gingival Index scores remained constant over the entire age range in each population. The filling experience was high in Norway compared to the U. S. A. and Sri Lankan populations where few defective fillings were found. Caries related to the gingival margin were rare in all three populations. Loss of attachment increased with age and was greater on buccal surfaces than mesial surfaces. The distribution of attachment loss was similar in the three populations, and the greatest attachment loss involved maxillary first molars, maxillary and mandibular first premolars, and mandibular incisors. Rates of attachment loss in these young populations were low, averaging less than 0.06 mm per year.
Treatment options in zidovudine intolerance or failure.

AIM To compare the efficacy and safety of didanosine and zalcitabine in patients who could not tolerate zidovudine or who had failed to respond adequately. PATIENTS AND METHODS A multicentre, randomly allocated, open-label clinical trial was set up with 230 patients treated with didanosine and 237 treated with zalcitabine. All had previously been treated unsuccessfully with zidovudine. The patients were followed for at least 1 year, with an average of 16 months. RESULTS Disease progression or death occurred in 157 patients taking didanosine and 152 taking zalcitabine. There appeared to be a slight trend in favour of survival in the latter group. CONCLUSIONS There is an urgent need for more effective and better tolerated antiretroviral agents in the treatment of HIV infection. Zalcitabine is at least as effective as didanosine and may provide a survival advantage in patients treated unsuccessfully with zidovudine.
Imaging protein–protein interactions in plant cells by bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay

The bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay is based on the reconstruction of a fluorescent signal upon the interaction of two protein partners fused to two non-fluorescent fragments of an otherwise fluorescent protein. Interacting partners are typically tagged to fragments of the yellow fluorescent protein, but the use of other fluorescent proteins has been reported. By combining fragments of different types of fluorescent proteins, it is possible not only to detect pairwise protein–protein interaction but also to study the formation of multiprotein complexes in living cells. As we discuss here, a multicolor BiFC set of vectors has been recently deployed for visualizing the simultaneous formation of alternative protein kinase and calcium sensor complexes in living plant cells. This proof-of-concept report and the vectors that have been developed are an important addition to the sets of tools that are useful for analysing multiprotein complexes in plant cells.
One-sided test of a covariance matrix with a known null value

We assume a random sample of n + 1 from a distribution and study the test statistics for H0 ∑ = ∑0 versus H1 ∑ ≥ ∑0 and H1 ∑ ≥ ∑0 versus H2 ∑ ≠ ∑0, where ∑0 is known. Estimation of ∑ is based on maximizing the likelihood of the location invariant sufficient statistic S, the sample covariance matrix. The one-sided nature of the hypotheses leads to a restricted parameter space and the use of techniques from order restricted inference. The asymptotic distributions of the resulting test statistics are derived and shown to be a poor approximation for small to moderate size samples. An empirical distribution approach is suggested and the power of the tests is discussed.
Funding Sources in Faculty Development: Strategies for Success in Submitting Proposals

Although the capacity for integrated research and potential for translating research findings to the clinical setting have never been stronger, we are paradoxically entering a period of highly constrained funding. It is more important than ever for clinician scientists and young researchers to be strategic in the approach to funding. The purpose of this article is to discuss strategies for a successful approach to appropriate grant funding agencies.
Counterexample to the infinite dimensional carleson embedding theorem

Abstract We are going to show that the classical Carleson embedding theorem fails for Hilbert space valued functions and operator measures.
A SUMMARY OF EXPERIMENTS ON TURBULENT HEAT TRANSFER FROM A NONISOTHERMAL FLAT PLATE

The results of an extensive experimental investigation of heat transfer to a turbulent incompressible boundary layer from a nonisothermal flat plate are summarizsd. Data presented extend the range of low-Mach-number confirmation of the von Karman analogy to Reynolds numbers of 4 x 10/sup 6/ for an isothermal plate. Data for a step wall-temperature distribution confirm experimentally the preferable expression for this important superposition kernel case. Data from a variety of other examples confirm the use of the superposition theories to predict heat transfer from nonisothermal surfaces. (auth)
Unusual electrochemical and spectroscopic behavior in a ligand-bridged binuclear complex of ruthenium (II): tetrakis (2,2′-bipyridine)- (μ-2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)triazine)diruthenium(II)

Abstract The coordination complex [(Ru(bpy) 2 ) 2 tpt] (PF 6 ) 4 (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; tpt = 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)triazine) has been prepared in 77% yield. Electrochemical characterization has been carried out and the electrochemical properties are compared to the previously characterized mononuclear analogue, [Ru(bpy) 2 tpt] (PF 6 ) 2 . Spectroelectrochemical results indicate that the first reduction of the binuclear complex occurs at the tpt ligand, but that the second reduction occurs at a bpy ligand. Both complexes are emissive in room temperature acetonitrile solution and their luminescence lifetimes and quantum yields have been determined. The relationship between the electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of this complex and its mononuclear analogue display a trend counter to those of previously reported mono- and binuclear complexes of Ru(II) based on bidentate bridging ligands.
Structural reliability under non-Gaussian stochastic behavior

One of the important issues in uncertainty analysis is to find an effective way for propagating uncertainty through the system. In this paper, the polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) was selected, since this approach can reduce the computational effort in large-scale engineering design applications. An implementation of PCE for different probability distributions is the focus of this paper. Two existing techniques, a generalized PCE algorithm and transformation methods, are investigated and verified for their accuracy and efficiency for non-normal random variable cases. A highly non-linear structural model of an uninhabitated joined-wing aircraft and a three pin-connected rod structure are used for demonstrating the method.
Sources of conductance volumetric measurement errors

The purpose of this work was to theoretically analyze the principles of conductance volumetric measurements, and to provide explanations and predictions of error sources. Cardiac volume measurements, based on conductance volumetric techniques have produced inconsistent and conflicting results. To enable more accurate evaluation of these results, we identified and analyzed four sources of measurement error: a) ventricular shape approximation; b) parallel conductance volume; c) non-measurable residual volume; and d) eccentric catheter position. Using a theoretical approach, based on modeling and simulation, we defined the properties of the two basic parameters of conductance volumetric calculations — the gain factor, α, and parallel conductance volume, α∗V c . We found that α must be c depends upon the myocardium/blood resistivity ratio. For volumes >40ml, α∗V c decreases with volume. The contributions of these parameters to volumetric measurement error were determined.
Message-passing algorithms for compressed sensing

Compressed sensing aims to undersample certain high-dimensional signals yet accurately reconstruct them by exploiting signal characteristics. Accurate reconstruction is possible when the object to be recovered is sufficiently sparse in a known basis. Currently, the best known sparsity–undersampling tradeoff is achieved when reconstructing by convex optimization, which is expensive in important large-scale applications. Fast iterative thresholding algorithms have been intensively studied as alternatives to convex optimization for large-scale problems. Unfortunately known fast algorithms offer substantially worse sparsity–undersampling tradeoffs than convex optimization. We introduce a simple costless modification to iterative thresholding making the sparsity–undersampling tradeoff of the new algorithms equivalent to that of the corresponding convex optimization procedures. The new iterative-thresholding algorithms are inspired by belief propagation in graphical models. Our empirical measurements of the sparsity–undersampling tradeoff for the new algorithms agree with theoretical calculations. We show that a state evolution formalism correctly derives the true sparsity–undersampling tradeoff. There is a surprising agreement between earlier calculations based on random convex polytopes and this apparently very different theoretical formalism.
Learning to Solve Complex Problems through Between-Group Collaboration in Project-Based Online Courses

Online courses have been criticized for their focus on knowledge acquisition rather than on how to solve authentic complex problems, a skill that is increasingly being recognized as critical to meeting the challenges in the real world. The purpose of this study was to explore whether between‐group collaboration in project‐based online courses can promote student learning of complex problem solving. Eleven graduate students in an educational technology class participated in this study. Each group of three to four members designed and developed a 2‐week online mini‐course that was later implemented with classmates across groups. During the semester, students were encouraged to visit other group areas, discuss challenges, and share strategies in the online course environment. The results indicate that between‐group collaboration was effective in improving group processes, group project performance, individual student achievement, and confidence in complex problem solving in designing online courses.
Does information available at admission for delivery improve prediction of vaginal birth after cesarean

We sought to construct a predictive model for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) that combines factors that can be ascertained only as the pregnancy progresses with those known at initiation of prenatal care. Using multivariable modeling, we constructed a predictive model for VBAC that included patient factors known at the initial prenatal visit as well as those that only become evident as the pregnancy progresses to the admission for delivery. We analyzed 9616 women. The regression equation for VBAC success included multiple factors that could not be known at the first prenatal visit. The area under the curve for this model was significantly greater ( P < 0.001) than that of a model that included only factors available at the first prenatal visit. A prediction model for VBAC success, which incorporates factors that can be ascertained only as the pregnancy progresses, adds to the predictive accuracy of a model that uses only factors available at a first prenatal visit.
The Interventional Cardiologist and the Diabetic Patient Have We Pushed the Envelope Too Far or Not Far Enough

One of the greatest challenges faced by the interventional cardiologist is the mature application of clinical judgment in the optimal selection of patients for transcatheter intervention, surgical revascularization, or medical therapy. This challenge is particularly formidable in diabetic patients with obstructive coronary disease because of the difficult anatomic and biological substrate present in these patients. In this issue of Circulation , Kip et al1 report the results of a comparison of outcomes after first-time percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients for up to 9 years after entry into the NHLBI 1985-1986 PTCA Registry. This careful analysis involving a total of 2114 patients enrolled at 16 clinical sites, 281 (13%) of whom were diabetic, showed increased short- and long-term risk when balloon angioplasty was used to revascularize the ischemic myocardium in diabetic patients. An examination of the baseline clinical characteristics showed that diabetics were older and sicker than the other patients in the registry and had more frequent comorbid conditions, such as hypertension and congestive heart failure. With regard to angiographic characteristics, despite similar preserved left ventricular function (ejection fraction of 59%), diabetic patients had a greater incidence of triple-vessel disease (28% versus 18%) and more diffuse disease in both proximal and distal coronary artery segments. Despite the similarity in the number of lesions attempted, diabetic patients had a significantly higher risk of in-hospital death, nonfatal infarction, and a combined end point of death/myocardial infarction/emergency surgery. Of note, the procedural success rate was similarly low in the diabetic and nondiabetic patients; total procedural success, defined as success in all attempted lesions, was only 71% and 76%, respectively. A particularly disturbing statistic was the excess of in-hospital mortality in the female diabetics—a striking 8.3%—while the estimated risk of in-hospital mortality …
Roadway traffic control software

Roadway traffic control is an important practical example of real time control applications, but effective control is hampered by a variety of organizational, financial and technical considerations. One major hurdle is the current reliance on outmoded field hardware and software. A systematic approach to traffic engineering software development could provide significant advantages with regard to software capability, flexibility and maintenance. Improved traffic controllers will likely be essential for many of the proposed intelligent vehicle highway systems (IVHS) applications. This paper describes the roadway traffic control problem generally and introduces a computable language that can be used for constructing real time traffic control software. This computable language is designed to be configured by a graphical user interface that does not require extensive software engineering training to use, yet provides much more flexibility and capability than possible by simply changing program parameters. The model is based upon the function block metaphor commonly used for constructing robust and efficient real time industrial control systems. The software model has been implemented in C on an open architecture traffic controller (OATC) hardware platform and demonstrated under simulated conditions for applications such as signalized intersection control, ramp metering, and communications with existing traffic control devices. System users can construct applications from a library of function blocks. The paper describes a demonstration application to freeway ramp metering control in Sacramento, CA. >
General Expressions for Acid−Base Titrations of Arbitrary Mixtures

A single, general master equation is given for acid−base titrations, describing the entire progress of the titration, and equally valid for the titration of a single strong acid with a strong base as for the titration of an arbitrary mixture of acids with an arbitrary mixture of bases, or vice versa.
Polymerase Chain Reaction and In Situ Hybridization: Applications in Toxicological Pathology:

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH) have revolutionized the study of genes and gene expression, and many of these molecular biology advances will greatly impact research in toxicological pathology. PCR is one of the most powerful tools in molecular biology and involves primer-mediated enzymatic in vitro amplification of specific target DNA sequences. Recent innovative methods utilizing PCR technology have been developed to detect mutations in neoplastic and small subpopulations of cells, to study biomarkers of genetic susceptibility and genes involved with carcinogen metabolism, to estimate mutation frequencies, to find novel genes induced by chemical exposure, and to characterize gene expression. ISH provides data on individual cells rather than an average of total cellular populations and allows analysis for heterogeneity. When combined with PCR, the sensitivity of ISH is elevated, and single-copy DNA sequences, single-base mutations, or low copies of messenger RNA (mRNA) can potentially be detected within individual cells. Herein are reviewed ISH- and PCR-based techniques such as single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis to detect point mutations, allelotypic analysis for loss of heterozygosity, differential display of mRNA to characterize gene expression, quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and in situ polymerase chain reaction with emphasis on current or potential applications in toxicological pathology. These new and evolving techniques offer tremendous potential in providing new insights into the molecular basis of toxicity and carcinogenesis.
2,2‐Dihydroxyindane‐1,3‐dione

[485-47-2] C9H6O4 (MW = 178.14 g mol−1) InChI = 1S/C9H6O4/c10-7-5-3-1-2-4-6(5)8(11)9(7,12)13/h1-4,12-13H InChIKey = FEMOMIGRRWSMCU-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used in arylation, transamination, EAS, condensation, MCRs, and spiroheterocycle synthesis) Alternate Names: ninhydrin, 1,2,3-indantrione, trioxohydrindene monohydrate, 1,2,3-triketohydrindene hydrate, Ruhemann's reagent. Physical Data: mp = 241–243 °C (dec.). Solubility: soluble in H2O, MeOH, and EtOH, slightly soluble in chloroform and ether. Form Supplied in: pale yellow crystals. Preparative Methods: two high yielding preparative methods have been reported. The first is a six-step synthetic sequence from esters of phthalic acid.1 Another is through condensation of diethyl phthalate with DMSO, followed by acidification with HCl, and hot hydrolysis.2 Purification: recrystallization from hot water (charcoal) forms pale yellow prisms.2, 3 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: dry under vacuum and store in sealed brown/amber containers because the reagent is light sensitive (air exposure causes noticeable change in color from pale yellow to red). Stable when stored properly. Incompatible with amines, strong bases, and oxidizing agents.
The Radical Outliner and the Radical Brainstormer: A Perspective on Composing Processes

Nearly twenty years ago, when my husband and I were newly married and working as teaching assistants in the composition program at the University of Kansas, we discovered, to our surprise, that our initial fears of being too much alike were unfounded. Although we were both teaching freshmen the same literature-based course, about twice a week we would have a version of the following conversation (italics added in retrospect):
C preprocessor use in numerical tools: an empirical analysis

The C preprocessor is a significant aspect of C and C++ programming. Ernst, Badros, and Notkin analyzed usage of the C preprocessor by a general set of 26 software packages. This paper extends that work with a case study of eight numerical tools from the Advanced Computational Software (acts) collection.
Screening and preventive health practices for the end-stage renal disease patient.

The population of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients continues to grow and to age. The nephrologist often is the sole or principal physician responsible for the total management of these patients. In this role, the nephrologist must address issues of routine health maintenance. Screening tests preventive care should be continued to detect, prevent, or minimize comorbid conditions that could affect quality of life or survival. Effective primary and secondary prevention requires understanding the principles of screening tests and their appropriate use. Screening and counseling procedures recommended for healthy adults should be continued, although certain screening tests may appropriately be discontinued if the expected survival is 5 years or less. Secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease is particularly important in ESRD patients, in whom accelerated atherosclerosis is often the cause of morbidity and death. Aggressive counseling in smoking cessation and in management of hyperlipidemia should be undertaken, in the hopes of limiting this common comorbidity.
Cascade effects [WWW computer style sheets]

Our experience is typical of what happened at many Web sites in 1998, and this trend will likely accelerate as more sites drop support for older browsers in favour of the ease and strength of style sheets. It seems clear at this point that 1999 will be a watershed year for CSS. The new CSS2 specification builds on CSS1, greatly broadening the application areas. It includes the following major enhancements: Support for "paged media", typically used in situations where a Web page will be printed on paper or transparency. It allows for dividing the page into sections that are not designed to be continuously scrolled on a computer screen. Greater font control, including the ability to point to fonts elsewhere on the Web, which I suspect many designers will go crazy with (as most have cursed the whole platform-font puzzle more than once). Position control for numerous regions and layers on a given page, which will finally unshackle designers from the element as a page-layout tool for which it was never designed. Ways to invent style sheets for different "media types", which is a major development for specialized application developers. For example, a page could be designed to render a document into speech (using a speech synthesizer plug-in on the client's computer), or on braille printers, palmtop computers, and other media.
Marginalization by the Marginalized: Race, Homophobia, Heterosexism, and “the Problem of the 21st Century”

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. This historic election occurred 105 years after W. E. B. Du Bois proclaimed in the introduction to The Souls of Black Folk, “the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line” (1994, p. v). According to Du Bois, the problem of the color line is racialized segregation and oppression. This article posits, however, that “the problem of the 21st century” is the further marginalization within already marginalized groups, and this article focuses on the history and occurrence of homophobia and heterosexism within the African American community as well as its links to gender discrimination. Special focus is placed on the Black Church as a possible causal factor for homophobia and heterosexism in the African American community. Possible solutions are also proposed, which consist of a nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage and African American leaders actively and publicly supporting lesbian, gay, and b...
Practical SPECT/CT in Nuclear Medicine

D. W. Jones, P. Hogg, and E. Seeram, Eds. New York, NY: Springer, 2013, 345 pages, $79.99 Today SPECT/CT has become standard in many imaging pathways, and thus there is a great need for information on how to achieve optimal SPECT/CT images. SPECT/CT can provide unique information that would
Patient specific three dimensional knee model

It has been 60 years since the first knee implant surgery was performed yet questions concerning which material and implant design is most effective for specific populations still remain unanswered. There is a need for a faster, cost effective solution to test implants for their efficacy under physiological conditions. The primary objective of this project is to establish a workable design space for developing meniscal implants. This paper describes the process of building a 3-D model from multiple volumetric MRI data using commercially available segmentation and model building software. The model, when simulated under a variety of physiological conditions using a finite element formulation developed for 3-D contact of biphasic tissues, will be verified against experimental data in whole in-vitro knee tests.
Update transport: a new technique for update synchronization in replicated database systems

A fully distributed approach to update synchronization is presented where each site completely executes every update. This approach has several features-higher resiliency to different kinds of failures, higher parallelism, improved response to user requests, and low communication overhead. A fully distributed algorithm for concurrency control obtained by rehashing a previously published semidistributed algorithm into the fully distributed model of update execution is presented. A performance model of replicated database systems is presented and used to study the performance of the proposed algorithm and its semidistributed version. The results of the performance study reveal that the proposed approach can substantially improve the performance at the cost of moderate input/output overhead. >
Special Section Guest Editorial: Quantum and Interband Cascade Lasers

This PDF file contains the editorial “Special Section Guest Editorial: Quantum and Interband Cascade Lasers” for OE Vol. 49 Issue 11
Phase retrieval and estimation with use of real-plane zeros

Locations at which the Fourier transform F(u, υ) of an image equals zero have been called real-plane zeros, since they are the intersections of the zero curves of the analytic extension of F(u, υ) with the real–real (u, υ) plane. It has been shown that real-plane zero locations have a significant effect on the Fourier phase in that they are the end points of phase branch cuts, and it has been shown that real-plane zero locations can be estimated from Fourier magnitude data. Thus real-plane zeros can be utilized in phase retrieval algorithms to help constrain the possible Fourier phases. First we show a simplified procedure for estimating real-plane zeros from the Fourier magnitude. Then we present a new phase retrieval algorithm that uses real-plane zero locations to generate a simple parameterization of the Fourier phase and uses knowledge about the image to estimate the Fourier phase parameters. We show by example that this algorithm generates improved phase retrieval results when it is used as an initial guess into existing iterative algorithms. We assume that the image is real valued.
Effect of Mid-day Reduction of High Electrical Conductivity Treatment on the Yield and Quality of Greenhouse Cherry Tomato

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. controlled environment, EC, premium grade, Lycopersicom esculentum, Solanum lycopersicum, sodium chloride SUMMARY. Cherry tomato (Solanumlycopersicum var.cerasiforme) plants were grown hydroponically with three different regimes of electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution to develop an effective EC management method to enhance the fruit quality. The EC treatments examined were 1) continuous high EC [4.7 dSm –1 (HE)], 2) continuous low EC [2.8 dSm –1 (LE)], and 3) high EC combined with midday (1030–1530 HR) low EC [midday reduction of high EC (MDR)]. The research was conducted to obtain preliminary information on the effect of EC treatments on the yield and fruit quality for 15 weeks of harvest under semiarid greenhouse conditions. Harvested fruit were sorted to several quality grades, including the ‘‘premium’’ grade based on fruit size, color, and total soluble solids. The number of fruit per truss was significantly higher in cultivar L308 than in cultivar L907 and in the LE treatment than in the HE or MDR treatment. The fruit size decreased over time regardless of EC treatment and cultivar. Cumulative yield of 15 weeks was greater in the LE treatment (26.3 kgm –2 ) than in the HE treatment (22.1 kgm –2 ) for ‘L907’, and there were no significant differences between the three EC treatments for ‘L308’ (24.1–28.1 kgm –2 ). The cumulative yield in the MDR treatment was similar to that in the LE treatment regardless of cultivar. When quality attributes such as total soluble solids concentration measured for randomly sampled fruit were considered, cumulative premium-grade yield was the greatest for the HE treatment (12.9 or 17.6 kgm –2 ) and was the smallest for the LE treatment (1.4 or 12.1 kgm –2 ), regardless of cultivar. The cumulative yield of premium-grade cherry tomatoes in the MDR treatment was not significantly different from that in the HE treatment for ‘L308’ but was 11% less than that in the HE treatment for ‘L907’. Therefore, together with cultivar selection, the MDR treatment may be a potential alternative to a more commonly practiced continuously high EC treatment in semiarid greenhouses with limited environmental control capacity in which increasing the nutrient EC to increase quality is desired without significantly decreasing yield.
International Blues

IEEE Security & Privacy could be a lot more international in its focus and content. Reflecting on the content and tone over the past seven years (yes, S&P is seven years old!), it's hard to tell that we do think of either privacy or security in a broad international context. There are examples of taking a broader view, but they're more notable as exceptions than as standards. This is bad for several reasons. First, privacy and security have different levels of importance in different places in the world. Second, by largely ignoring the non-Western world, we risk dangerous blind spots. Third, we might be failing to take simple and easy steps that would make our magazine more broadly valuable worldwide.
Abstract 20219: Foxc2 Plays a Key Role in the Early Response to Cardiac Ischemia via Regulation of Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis

Introduction: We have previously shown that forkhead box transcription factor C2 (Foxc2) plays a crucial role in angiogenesis. While Foxc2 has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, its role in the adult heart under pathological conditions and its underlying mechanism remain poorly understood. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that, in response to ischemic injury, Foxc2 acts through a cell-type-specific regulation of apoptosis. Methods: To test this hypothesis, mice heterozygous for either the Foxc2 global knockout (Foxc2+/-) or endothelial specific knockout (EC-Foxc2+/-), along with litter-mate controls, were subjected to myocardial infarction (MI) followed by echocardiographic analysis or whole-heart perfusion and harvest at baseline, or days 1, 3, 7, 14, or 28 post-MI. Hearts were then processed for histological staining, digested for flow cytometry, or further dissected for expression analysis. Results/ Conclusion: Time-course analysis of wild-type mice following MI revealed elevated border-zone Foxc2 mRNA 1 day post-MI, peaking at 3 days, and remaining highly elevated through day 7. Global Foxc2+/- mice subjected to ischemic injury displayed increased fibrotic scar tissue and impairment of cardiac function growing more significant with time, while EC-Foxc2+/- mice showed no change as measured by echocardiography and Masson’s Trichrome stain. Dual staining of TUNEL and lectin revealed increased border-zone apoptosis in global Foxc2+/- mice but no change in neovascularization. Analytical flow cytometry showed no difference in endothelial-specific apoptosis or cardiac leukocyte recruitment in global Foxc2+/- mice. Investigation of day 3 border-zone mRNA levels showed up-regulation of several pro-apoptotic genes including p53 and caspase3 in global Foxc2+/- hearts. Additionally, TUNEL and desmin co-staining confirmed a significant increase in cardiomyocyte-specific apoptosis 3 days post-MI. Our findings document that, in the early response to ischemic insult, Foxc2 acts through regulation of cardiomyocyte survival but not regulation of endothelial cell survival or leukocyte recruitment. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the exact link between the protective effects of Foxc2 and cardiomyocyte survival.