cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Consumer Debt Crisis and the Reinforcement ofClass Position

This article critically examines the public and private policies and practices that have contributed to consumer over-indebtedness and discusses the relationship of those policies to class creation, reinforcement, and mobility. Analysis of class issues in connection with government and private policies is essential to understanding the effects of such policy decisions, yet scholarly and public discourse often neglect the topic of class and class position. This article begins to remedy that neglect. Part II explains the various conceptions of ‘class’ recognized in the United States and outlines a working definition of the factors that mark one’s class position. Part III analyzes the origins of the consumer debt crisis, including the rise of consumerism, the deregulation of the consumer credit industry, and the democratization of credit. It describes the relationship between the hegemonic forces that operate together to strengthen class divisions and thwart class mobility, and further examines the role of debt in the lives of low-means consumers. Part IV then discusses the class-related effects of over-indebtedness. Because of the credit market’s negative externalities and the erosion of public trust in the market, broad-spectrum intervention and oversight is needed, argues Part IV. A thorough understanding of the causes of consumer over-indebtedness and its impact on class mobility and opportunity leads inexorably to the conclusion that the policies and practices supporting the existing consumer debt system are indefensible.
A Multiprocess Network Logic with Temporal and Spatial Modalities

We introduce a modal logic which can be used to formally reason about synchronous fixed connection multiprocess networks such as of VLSI. Our logic has both temporal and spatial modal operators. The various temporal modal operators allow us to relate properties of the current state of a given process with properties of succeeding states of the given process. Also, the spatial modal operators allow us to relate properties of the current state of a given process with properties of the current state of neighboring processes. Many interesting properties for multiprocessor networks can be elegantly expressed in our logic. We give examples of the diverse applications of our logic to packet routing, firing squad problems, and systolic algorithms.
Serologic confirmation of simian T-lymphotropic virus type I infection by using immunoassays developed for human T-lymphotropic virus antibody detection

Serum specimens from diverse species of Old World monkeys, categorized as seropositive (n = 97) or seronegative (n = 23) for human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infection, were tested by using recombinant env-spiked Western immunoblot assays and synthetic peptide assays for simultaneous detection and discrimination of simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV) infection. Of the 97 seropositive specimens, 93 reacted with the recombinant transmembrane (r21env) protein and 90 reacted with a recombinant, MTA-1, derived from the central region of the external glycoprotein of HTLV-I (rgp46env), thus yielding test sensitivities of 96 and 93%, respectively. While 1 of the 23 negative monkey specimens reacted with r21env, none reacted with rgp46env, for overall specificities of 96 and 100%, respectively. Analysis of synthetic peptide-based immunoassays demonstrated that while 85 of 97 (88%) seropositive specimens reacted with HTLV-I-specific epitope (p19gag), none of the specimens reacted with HTLV-II-specific epitope (gp52env). These results show that recombinant envelope-spiked Western blots provide a simple means for serologic confirmation of STLV-I infection and that type-specific synthetic peptides can be used to confirm the virus type in seropositive monkey specimens. Images
Incipient urbanism at the Early Andean center of Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia

For decades archaeologists have recognized that Khonkho Wankane was an important monumental site in the Bolivian Andes, and most have interpreted it as a Tiwanaku regional center. A decade of research indicates that Khonkho Wankane was an important Late Formative center that engendered Tiwanaku’s Middle Horizon urbanism and ritual-political centrality. It was neither a Tiwanaku regional center nor Tiwanaku’s second city. Furthermore, recent research at Khonkho suggests a critique of the “one center, one polity” model of political complexity. Rather than being the singular center of a spatially bounded multi-community polity, Khonkho was one of multiple interacting Late Formative centers in an emergent macro-community that gave rise to Tiwanaku urban centrality.
Towards a microscopic theory of nuclear barrier penetration

Alternative microscopic approaches to the problem of nuclear barrier penetration are surveyed, the advantages of the path integral method are presented, and the open problems are discussed.
Opportunities and challenges of next‐generation sequencing applications in ecological epigenetics

Evolutionary theory posits that adaptation can result when populations harbour heritable phenotypic variation for traits that increase tolerance to local conditions. However, the actual mechanisms that underlie heritable phenotypic variation are not completely understood (Keller 2014). Recently, the potential role of epigenetic mechanisms in the process of adaptive evolution has been the subject of much debate (Pigliucci & Finkelman 2014). Studies of variation in DNA methylation in particular have shown that natural populations harbour high amounts of epigenetic variation, which can be inherited across generations and can cause heritable trait variation independently of genetic variation (Kilvitis et al. 2014). While we have made some progress addressing the importance of epigenetics in ecology and evolution using methylation-sensitive AFLP (MS-AFLP), this approach provides relatively few anonymous and dominant markers per individual. MS-AFLP are difficult to link to functional genomic elements or phenotype and are difficult to compare directly to genetic variation, which has limited the insights drawn from studies of epigenetic variation in natural nonmodel populations (Schrey et al. 2013). In this issue, Platt et al. provide an example of a promising approach to address this problem by applying a reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS) approach based on next-generation sequencing methods in an ecological context.
Development of antimicrobial peptides for catheter-related bloodstream infectionprevention.

Central venous catheters are used in many medical procedures to deliver critical and lifesaving treatments, such as antibiotics and chemotherapy agents. However, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) associated with these devices negatively impact over 100,000 patients per year and are extremely expensive to treat. When infections arise on implanted biomaterials, they are treated with systemic antibiotics, debridement, and implant removal. Unfortunately, the high local antibiotic concentrations needed to kill colonized bacteria are only achieved over a short time, cause cytotoxicity, and can promote antibacterial resistance. Therefore, it is currently believed that proactive methods of infection management will be superior to reactive methods. As an alternative to traditional antibiotics or to device removal, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a novel way to prevent and treat infections. AMPs are short, cationic molecules found naturally in the innate immune systems of many species, and they have broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. AMPs use fundamentally different mechanisms to kill bacteria than conventional antibiotics, reducing the threat of bacterial resistance.
Automating pattern discovery for rule based data standardization systems

Data quality is a perennial problem for many enterprise data assets. To improve data quality, businesses often employ rule based data standardization systems in which domain experts code rules for handling important and prevalent patterns. Finding these patterns is laborious and time consuming, particularly for noisy or highly specialized data sets. It is also subjective to the persons determining these patterns. In this paper we present a tool to automatically mine patterns that can help in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these data standardization systems. The automatically extracted patterns are used by the domain and knowledge experts for rule writing. We use a greedy algorithm to extract patterns that result in a maximal coverage of data. We further group the extracted patterns such that each group represents patterns that capture similar domain knowledge. We propose a similarity measure that uses input pattern semantics to group these patterns. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method for standardization tasks on three real world datasets.
Horizontal Transfer of PAH Catabolism Genes in Mycobacterium: Evidence from Comparative Genomics and Isolated Pyrene-Degrading Bacteria

Biodegradation of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene, has only been observed in a few genera, namely fast-growing Mycobacterium and Rhodococcus. In M. vanbaalenii PYR-1, multiple aromatic ring hydroxylating dioxygenase (ARHDOs) genes including pyrene dioxygenases nidAB and nidA3B3 are localized in one genomic region. Here we examine the homologous genomic regions in four other PAH-degrading Mycobacterium (strains JLS, KMS, and MCS, and M. gilvum PYR-GCK), presenting evidence for past horizontal gene transfer events. Seven distinct types of ARHDO genes are present in all five genomes, and display conserved syntenic architecture with respect to gene order, orientation, and association with other genes. Duplications and putative integrase and transposase genes suggest past gene shuffling. To corroborate these observations, pyrene-degrading strains were isolated from two PAH-contaminated sediments: Chattanooga Creek (Tennessee) and Lake Erie (weste...
Unnatural selection in chemical systems.

NASA: The term "unnatural selection" will be used loosely to describe evolution of nucleic acids or other replicatable polymers in vitro. The term "Natural Selection" will be reserved for the evolution of living organisms and their viruses. Natural Selection usually involves the coevolution of nucleic acids and proteins, while "unnatural selection", as practiced so far, allows replicating nucleic acids to evolve but holds constant the enzymes that catalyze replication. It is widely believed that biology based on DNA, RNA, and proteins was preceded by the biology of an "RNA world" in which enzymes were composed of RNA alone. The origin of RNA replication is thus the central puzzle of the origins of life. Consequently, RNA-catalyzed RNA replication is presently one of the main goals of experimental work on unnatural selection. However, there is also a more distant goal, namely, to achieve replication and selection in systems unrelated to RNA.
Tectonic discrimination of granitoids

Granitoids as categorized by tectonic environment are (1) island arc granitoids (IAG), (2) continental arc granitoids (CAG), (3) continental collision granitoids (CCG), (4) postorogenic granitoids (POG), (5) rift-related granitoids (RRG), (6) continental epeirogenic uplift granitoids (CEUG), and (7) oceanic plagiogranites (OP). Of these, the IAG, CAG, CCG, and POG are considered orogenic granitoids, and the RRG, CEUG, and OP are considered anorogenic granitoids. The discrimination of granitoids is based on the major-element chemistry. Various discrimination plots are presented which sequentially discriminate the different tectonic environments. OP are separated from all other granitoids on the K2O versus SiO2 plot. Discrimination between group I (IAG + CAG + CCG), group II (RRG + CEUG), and group III (POG) granitoids can be achieved by using plots of Al2O3 versus SiO2, FeO(T)/ [FeO(T) + MgO] versus SiO2, and AFM and ACF ternary diagrams. In the figures, group I and group II plot in individual fields. Identification of group III is different, in that group III does not have a unique field in which it plots. Group III is identified because it consistently displays characteristics of both group I and group II. Further discrimination within group I can be accomplished on the basis of Shand's index. Only CCG have A/CNK [AL2O3/(CaO + Na2O + K2O)] values greater than 1.15. It is not possible to discriminate between IAG and CAG. Further discrimination within group II is done using the TiO2 versus SiO2 plot. The proposed discrimination scheme is applied to the Proterozoic granitoids of the midcontinent of the United States. It is shown that the Arbuckle granitoids are not anorogenic as previously thought.
Unification factoring for efficient execution of logic programs

The efficiency of resolution-based logic programming languages, such as Prolog, depends critically on selecting and executing sets of applicable clause heads to resolve against subgoals. Traditional approaches to this problem have focused on using indexing to determine the smallest possible applicable set. Despite their usefulness, these approaches ignore the non-determinism inherent in many programming languages to the extent that they do not attempt to optimize execution after the applicable set theory has been determined.Unification factoring seeks to rectify this omission by regarding the indexing and unification phases of clause resolution as a single process. This paper formalizes that process through the construction of factoring automata. A polynomial-time algorithm is given for constructing optimal factoring automata which preserve the clause selection strategy of Prolog. More generally, when the clause selection strategy is not fixed, constructing such an optimal automaton is shown to be NP-complete, solving an open trie minimization problem.Unification factoring is implemented through a source code transformation that preserves the full semantics of Prolog. This transformation is specified in the paper, and using it, several well-known programs show performance improvements of up to 100% across three different systems. A prototype of unification factoring is available by anonymous ftp.
Design of a photovoltaic-hydrogen-fuel cell energy system

Abstract The design of a stand-alone renewable energy system using hydrogen (H2) as the energy storage medium and a fuel cell as the regeneration technology is reported. The system being installed at the Humboldt State University Telonicher Marine Laboratory consists of a 9.2 kW photovoltaic (PV) array coupled to a high pressure, bipolar alkaline electrolyser. The array powers the Laboratory's air compressor system whenever possible; excess power is shunted to the electrolyser for hydrogen and oxygen (O2) production. When the array cannot provide sufficient power, stored hydrogen and oxygen are furnished to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell which, smoothly and without interruption, supplies the load. In reporting the design, details of component selection, sizing, and integration, control system logic and implementation, and safety considerations are discussed. Plans for a monitoring network to chronicle system performance are presented, questions that will be addressed through the monitoring program are included, and the present status of the project is reported.
Properties of the inner membrane anion channel in intact mitochondria.

The mitochondrial inner membrane possesses an anion channel (IMAC) which mediates the electrophoretic transport of a wide variety of anions and is believed to be an important component of the volume homeostatic mechanism. IMAC is regulated by matrix Mg2+ (IC50=38 µM at pH 7.4) and by matrix H+ (pIC50=7.7). Moreover, inhibition by Mg2+ is pH-dependent. IMAC is also reversibly inhibited by many cationic amphiphilic drugs, including propranolol, and irreversibly inhibited byN,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Mercurials have two effects on its activity: (1) they increase the IC50 values for Mg2+, H+, and propranolol, and (2) they inhibit transport. The most potent inhibitor of IMAC is tributyltin, which blocks anion uniport in liver mitochondria at about 1 nmol/mg. The inhibitory dose is increased by mercurials; however, this effect appears to be unrelated to the other mercurial effects. IMAC also appears to be present in plant mitochondria; however, it is insensitive to inhibition by Mg2+, mercurials, andN,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Some inhibitors of the adenine nucleotide translocase also inhibit IMAC, including Cibacron Blue, agaric acid, and palmitoyl CoA; however, atractyloside has no effect.
Liraglutide‐Induced Acute Kidney Injury

Published case reports have documented the relationship between exenatide use and acute kidney injury. However, to our knowledge, no cases of this adverse effect with liraglutide, another glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, have been reported. We describe a 53-year-old Caucasian woman who came to a community hospital with severe and progressively worsening gastrointestinal symptoms for several weeks, leading to dehydration and development of acute kidney injury. Laboratory results showed an increase in her serum creatinine concentration to 22.8 mg/dl and blood urea nitrogen to 150 mg/dl; she also had lost 8.9 kg in the previous month. One month earlier, the patient had begun liraglutide 1.8 mg/day subcutaneously for uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a possible relationship (score of 3) between the patient's development of acute kidney injury and liraglutide. Renal biopsy and laboratory testing were helpful in ruling out other potential causes of renal failure and adverse drug reactions due to other drugs such as ciprofloxacin and quinapril. After the reports of the renal biopsy were obtained, liraglutide was determined to be a likely cause of acute tubular necrosis. The patient was successfully treated with discontinuation of liraglutide, volume repletion, and hemodialysis. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of liraglutide-induced acute tubular necrosis. Clinicians should be aware of this possible complication and closely follow liraglutide's dosage titration recommendations in the package insert. Patients should also be educated about the need to report unusual or prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms.
Gateshead Revisited: Perceptual Simulators and Fields of Meaning in the Analysis of Metaphors

In an extension and partial reformulation of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), Ritchie (2003, 2004, 2006) proposed that the linguistic expressions cited as evidence of complex conceptual metaphors can be parsimoniously interpreted in terms of perceptual simulators (Barsalou, 1999), often within extended fields of meaning, which may be but are not necessarily anchored in underlying conceptual metaphors. Cameron (2003, 2007) added substance and precision to the focal concept of communicative context, and showed how metaphors can be analyzed both as part of an overall pattern of figurative language in a communicative event. In this essay a series of metaphors in Tony Blair's speech to the 2005 Gateshead Conference of the Labour Party is analyzed to illustrate how perceptual simulators and fields of meaning can be used to identify nuances of thought and feeling potentially activated by metaphors in a particular communicative context and how the patterns of perceptual simulators and fields o...
New Approaches for Dry Etching Metal Oxides at low Temperature and High Rates

The reactions of metal oxides including CuO, ZnO, V2O5, and PbO with 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexaflouro- 2,4-pentanedione (hfacH) were investigated. A hot-wall reactor was used to react hfacH with metal oxide powders to form sufficient quantities of volatile reaction products for characterization by Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), Elemental Analysis (EA), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Mass Spectroscopy (MS), Thermogravimetric Analysis and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA). PbO, ZnO and CuO powders reacted rapidly at 200 °C to form the corresponding metal β-diketonates and V2O5 reacted to give OV(hfac)2. A differential cold-wall reactor was to used to measure etch rates of CuOx films as a function of temperature and hfacH partial pressure. AES and XPS analysis of the laser ablation deposited CuOx film annealed in an O2 atmosphere revealed that the film was composed of CuO and Cu2O. Etch rates of up to a l µm/min at hfacH partial pressure of 1 Torr at 270 °C were obtained. Laser induced etching of the same CuOx film with hfacH showed evidence of copper oxide removal.
Primary cutaneous amyloidosis of the external ear: a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of 17 cases.

Primary cutaneous amyloidosis includes several forms of localized amyloidosis characterized by superficial amyloid deposits occurring at or near the dermal–epidermal junction in the absence of systemic involvement. Primary cutaneous amyloidosis of the auricular concha and external ear represents a rarely described variant. There have been 27 cases reported in the English language literature, and herein we report 17 additional cases. This article demonstrates that the amyloid observed in this context is generally positive for Congo red, crystal violet and thioflavin T. It also expresses cytokeratin 34sE12 via immunohistochemistry. Our immunohistochemical results and review of the literature suggest that the amyloid in amyloidosis of the external ear is the result of basal keratinocyte degeneration and does not signify deposition from a systemic or generalized process. Wenson SF, Jessup CJ, Johnson MM, Cohen LM, Mahmoodi M. Primary cutaneous amyloidosis of the external ear: a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of 17 cases.
Human somatotropin: Semisynthesis of the hormone by noncovalent interaction of the natural NH2-terminal fragment with a synthetic analog of the COOH-terminal fragment

Abstract Complementation of the natural [Cys (Cam) 53 ]-HGH-(1–134) fragment with synthetic analogs of COOH-terminal fragments of human somatotropin (HGH), namely [Nle 170 , Ala 165,182 ]-HGH-(140–182) and [Nle 170 ,Ala 165,182 ]-HGH-(140–187) has been investigated. It was found that the synthetic fragment, [Nle 170 ,Ala 165,182 ]-HGH-(140–187), gave a recombinant with about 40% HGH radioreceptor-binding activity. When compared with the natural recombinant, the semisynthetic hormone exhibited similar receptor-binding activities. The natural and semisynthetic recombinants were indistinguishable in radioimmunoassay. The α-helical content of the semisynthetic recombinant was completely restored in comparison with that of the native hormone as revealed by circular dichroism spectra. On the other hand, attempts to obtain a recombinant with the synthetic [Nle 170 ,Ala 165,182 ]-HGH-(140–182) were unsuccessful. The synthesis of [Nle 170 ,Ala 165,182 ]-HGH-(140–182) and [Nle 170 ,Ala 165,182 ]-HGH-(140–187) is herein described.
Mechanisms of diethyldithiocarbamate-induced loss of cytochrome P-450 from rat liver.

A single, intraperitoneal injection of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) to adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats decreased hepatic cytochrome P-450 (P-450) concentrations. This effect was dose-dependent over a range of 250 to 750 mg/kg and most prominent 24–36 hr after dosing. Depletion of hepatic glutathione (GSH) by diethylmaleate (DEM) administration significantly decreased P-450 8 hr after concurrent treatment with DDTC at a dose which given alone had little effect on P-450 concentrations. When hepatic microsomes were incubated with DDTC in the presence of NADPH, P-450 was converted to cytochrome P-420 (P-420). Similar incubations employing [35S]DDTC demonstrated strict NADPH-dependent binding of labeled sulfur to microsomal membranes, suggesting that diminished P-450 concentrations are related to the metabolic activation of DDTC. Addition of reduced GSH to incubation mixtures blocked the binding of 35S to microsomal membranes, as well as conversion of P-450 to P-420. DDTC inhibited NADPH-ADP3+ mediated peroxidation of microsomal lipids in vitro, suggesting that the effect of DDTC on P-450 does not result from stimulation of lipid peroxidation, but may be influenced by the levels of hepatic GSH. DDTC treatment 1 hr after P-450 was pulsed labeled by an intravenous injection of [3H]δ-aminolevulinic acid resulted in a 2-fold increase in the rate of loss of radioactivity associated with membrane-bound P-450 heme during the next 20 hr. Within this time interval, hepatic heme oxygenase (HO) activity increased and at 8 hr after dosing was 7-fold greater than control values in the livers, but was unchanged in the kidneys and spleens of DDTC-treated animals. An elevation of hepatic δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase (δ-ALAS) activity occurred at 8 and 24 hr after DDTC treatment. Since this enzyme is rate limiting in the biosynthesis of heme, its increased activity may represent a compensatory response to offset the DDTC-mediated loss of P-450 heme.
Accountability in integrated working: Meaning and implications for cancer care teams

This article presents a critical evaluation of the concepts of accountability and delegated authority and how this impacts on integrated working in cancer care teams. It looks at the difficulties experienced by radiographers in establishing their roles in integrated teams through an analysis of how professional teams have developed from a sociological and historical perspective. The paper highlights the contestability of the terms and contends that many non-medical professional practitioners experience problems with assuming full accountability. The article acknowledges and advocates that the wishes of patients and clients must be prioritised in the decision making process, thus requiring professionals to embrace accountability fully and differentiate and manage risk. The importance of leadership in furthering the achievement of integrated working is recognised. In conclusion, the article proposes that shared accountability among teams is challenging for radiographers and others, and that education providers should take this into account when designing curricula.
The liquid-vapour interface of simple models of nematic liquid crystals

We have applied a recently developed statistical mechanical theory for the interfacial properties of strongly anisotropic fluids to the liquid-vapour interface of a model nematic at the triple point temperature T tr, i.e. at the nematic-isotropic transition under conditions of saturated vapour pressure. We have investigated the structure of the interfacial region, and in particular we have studied the dependence of the orientational order parameter profiles on the details of the intermolecular potential characterizing the system. We find that both parallel and perpendicular orientations of the molecules at the nematic free surface can be obtained, depending on the sign of one of the parameters that specify the interactions, in qualitative agreement with experimental results. The surface tension of the nematic-vapour interface is found to exhibit a type of reentrant wetting behaviour at T tr which has so far not been seen experimentally.
Surgical Treatment of Habitual Criminals

During the past two years I have had an opportunity of making observations in two cases which seem to me to be of especial interest in pointing out a reasonable plan for the surgical treatment of habitual criminals of the male sex. Case1. —Mr. G., a merchant, married, 43 years of age, came under my care July 22, 1897, giving the following history: Although he had never been very rugged, he had never suffered from any disease except an attack of intermittent fever at the age of 16. He has always suffered from constipation, and for three months has suffered from a throbbing pain in the region of the prostate gland. More force is required in voiding the urine and evacuating the bowels than formerly, causing a slight protrusion on each side in the vicinity of the inguinal canals. Present condition: He is fairly well nourished, although he has lost
Keeping Your Headcount When All About You Are Losing Theirs: Downsizing, Voluntary Turnover Rates, and The Moderating Role of HR Practices

Although both downsizing and voluntary turnover have been topics of great interest in the organizational literature, little research addresses the topics' possible relationship. Using organization-level data from multiple industries, we first investigate whether downsizing predicts voluntary turnover rates. Second, to support our causal model, we examine whether aggregated levels of organizational commitment mediate this relationship. Third, we test whether the downsizing-turnover rate relationship is (1) mitigated by HR practices that either embed employees in their organization or convey procedural fairness and (2) strengthened by HR practices that enhance career development. Results support the hypothesized main, mediated, and moderated effects.
Optimum design of wing structures with multiple frequency constraints

Abstract In this paper, design optimization of aircraft wing structures with multiple frequency constraints was considered. An optimality criterion algorithm along with a scaling procedure was used. Large-scale structural design problems were considered for demonstrating the reliability and efficiency of the algorithm. A simplified fighter wing, and an intermediate-complex wing were considered as design examples. Design histories and the first few frequencies at the initial and final conditions are presented.
Morbid obesity: a significant risk factor for failure of two-stage revision total knee arthroplasty for infection.

Background: Obese patients have a higher risk of complications following primary total knee arthroplasty, including periprosthetic joint infection. However, there is a paucity of data concerning the efficacy of two-stage revision arthroplasty in obese patients. Methods: We performed a two-to-one matched cohort study to compare the outcomes of thirty-seven morbidly obese patients (those with a body mass index of ≥40 kg/m2) who underwent two-stage revision total knee arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infection following primary total knee arthroplasty with the outcomes of seventy-four non-obese patients (those with a body mass index of <30 kg/m2). Groups were matched by sex, age, and date of reimplantation. Outcomes included subsequent revision, reinfection, reoperation, and Knee Society pain and function scores. The minimum follow-up time was five years. Results: Morbidly obese patients had a significantly increased risk for revision surgery (32% compared with 11%; p < 0.01), reinfection (22% compared with 4%; p < 0.01), and reoperation (51% compared with 16%; p < 0.01). Implant survival rates were 80% for the morbidly obese group and 97% for the non-obese group at five years and 55% for the morbidly obese group and 82% for the non-obese group at ten years. Knee Society pain scores improved significantly following surgery in both groups; the mean scores (and standard deviation) were 50 ± 5 points for the morbidly obese group and 55 ± 2 points for the non-obese group (p = 0.06) preoperatively, 74 ± 5 points for the morbidly obese group and 89 ± 2 points for the non-obese group (p < 0.0001) at two years, 72 ± 6 points for the morbidly obese group and 88 ± 3 points for the non-obese group (p < 0.0001) at five years, and 56 ± 9 points for the morbidly obese group and 84 ± 3 points for the non-obese group (p = 0.01) at ten years. Conclusions: Morbid obesity significantly increased the risk of subsequent revision, reoperation, and reinfection following two-stage revision total knee arthroplasty for infection. In addition, these patients had worse pain relief and overall function at intermediate-term clinical follow-up. Although two-stage revision should remain a standard treatment for chronic periprosthetic joint infection in morbidly obese patients, increased failure rates and poorer outcomes should be anticipated. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Integrating Fundamental STEM Material in a Laboratory Based Dynamic Systems Course

A Dynamic Systems course generally involves material from previous undergraduate courses related to Differential Equations, Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Dynamics, etc. These underlying courses are basic building blocks that are critical to the students understanding of dynamic systems material. However, students often consider material in earlier courses as irrelevant since immediate practical application is not implemented in the previous courses. A traditional Dynamic Systems course, with traditional class lecture/homework/test scenario is destined to the same fate as these earlier courses if taught in the same manner. A new variation of this course has been implemented which has individual projects which address various analytical approaches using closed-form analytical solutions with MATLAB and SIMULINK computer software to completely address 1st and 2nd order systems. In addition, a laboratory based component is added to collect measured data for these systems to be used to further develop the analytical representation of these systems. Students work in groups and collect data to develop these models and prepare detailed reports summarizing their efforts. The project is described along with lab experiments performed. Student comments regarding the project are presented. Assessments of the first two semesters of the project clearly indicate that the students enjoyed the hands-on based project and clearly felt that they understood the material in much greater depth as a result of the project.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Porosimetry of MEAs Made by “Thin Film Decal” Method and Its Effect on Performance of PEFCs

Mercury porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy have been used to characterize the pore size and distribution of carbon supports, with and without catalyst loading, and the catalyst layer of membrane electrolyte assemblies (MEAs) used in polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) applications. The majority of pores for carbon powders and catalyst loaded carbon powders concentrate in a range from 24 to 84 nm (in diam) with a small number of residual pores lying outside this range. The membrane electrode assembly catalyst layer prepared from recast Nafion and carbon supported catalyst has a different pore structure, determined by the type of catalyst used, the preparation method, and the total Nation content. The catalyst layer has two distinctive pore categories with boundary of ∼17 nm in diam. The specific pore volume of both the primary (small) pores and the secondary (large) pores decreases with an increase of Nafion content. Boiling the MEA tremendously increases the pore area. The Nafion content in the catalyst layer affects the performance of MEAs over the entire current range. The optimum performance was obtained with a Nafion content of 28 wt % for a Pt 3 Cr catalyst layer made by the thin film decal process.
Abrasive concentration effects on wear under reciprocating conditions

Abstract Experiments were conducted to investigate wear under abrasive conditions present at the piston ring-cylinder liner interface in coal-fueled diesel engines. A reciprocating apparatus was designed and fabricated to study the effects on wear of ash content in coal and of abrasive concentration in oil. The wear rate was found to be a linear function of ash concentration regardless of whether the coal had been combusted or not. A linear dependence of wear rate on abrasive concentration in oil was also observed for both coal and pure silica. These effects have important implications on wear mitigation and research methodologies for coal-fueled engines.
Nucleic Acid Turnover Studies in Human Leukæmic Cells and the Function of Lymphocytes

THE experiments described here were undertaken to ascertain the pattern of purine utilization and turnover in the nucleic acids of different types of leukaemic leucocytes. The results indicate that leukaemic lymphocytes survive longer than leukaemic granulocytes. The results also direct attention to the possibility of re-utilization of large fragments of nucleic acids by lymphocytes, and invite speculation on the significance of this process as an explanation of the problem in long-term immunity of how formation of antibody continues long after the limited contact between tissues and antigen.
Comparative effects of norepinephrine, epinephrine, angiotensin on pre- and postcapillary resistance vessels in dog skeletal muscle.

Abstract The effect of intraarterial infusions of norepinephrine, epinephrine and angiotensin II on the pre- and postcapillary resistance was determined in the isolated pump perfused gracilis muscle of the dog. The extraction/filtration method was used to provide data on arteriolar, precapillary sphincter, and postcapillary resistance vessel tone. Drug infusions over the dose range of 0.004–2.0 μg/ml blood flow produced progressive increases in perfusion pressure, venous blood 86Rb radioactivity, and venous blood colloidal osmotic pressure. These changes reflected vasoconstriction of arterioles, precapillary sphincters, and postcapillary resistance vessels. The dose/response curves for NOR and EPI were essentially identical and were situated above those of Angio II.
Colony differences and behavior in Long-Evans rats

A series of three experiments was performed on male Long-Evans rats from two colonies, Blue Spruce Farms (BSF) and Mississippi State University (MSU). The purpose of the present study was to account for the differences in rate of mouse killing by male Long-Evans rats from different colonies reported by Thompson and Thorne (1975). A pilot study replicated the findings of Thompson and Thorne. Experiment I found that the offspring of animals whose parents were obtained from BSF and bred at MSU killed at a significantly higher rate than animals whose parents were part of the MSU breeding stock. Thus, genetic and/or preweaning variables were implicated in accounting for the results reported by Thompson and Thorne. Experiment II found no differences between BSF offspring (mostly killers) and MSU offspring (mostly nonkillers) on measures of handling characteristics, activity, and learning of a simple discrimination task. Experiment III was intended as a replication of Experiment I, but no differences in the rate of killing were found between BSF and MSU rats. Due to methodological flaws, the present study was unable to account for the differences seen by Thompson and Thorne (1975). Possible explanations for the failure of Experiment III to replicate Experiment I were discussed.
Minimally-invasive intracerebral hemorrhage removal using an active cannula

The high incidence of intracerebral hemorrhages, together with a 40% mortality rate, provide strong motivation for enhancements in the treatment methods available to physicians. To minimize the disruption to healthy brain tissue associated with gaining access to the surgical site that is imposed by traditional open or endoscopic surgical intervention, we propose a new minimally-invasive, image-guided, robotic approach that provides articulation within the lesion at the tip of a needle. In this paper we present a biocompatible and sterilizable robot, together with an image-guidance approach designed to deliver the tip of the needle accurately to the blood clot and to move it within the clot, to aspirate it. An experimental evaluation demonstrates removal of 92% of the target clot tissue in a proof-of-concept phantom study.
An exploratory study of a text classification framework for Internet-based surveillance of emerging epidemics.

Purpose Early detection of infectious disease outbreaks is crucial to protecting the public health of a society. Online news articles provide timely information on disease outbreaks worldwide. In this study, we investigated automated detection of articles relevant to disease outbreaks using machine learning classifiers. In a real-life setting, it is expensive to prepare a training data set for classifiers, which usually consists of manually labeled relevant and irrelevant articles. To mitigate this challenge, we examined the use of randomly sampled unlabeled articles as well as labeled relevant articles.
Orientation Dependent Residue Energies For Proteins Coarse-Grained From Atomic Force Fields

Coarse-grained models for protein simulations can potentially access longer time-scales in larger protein systems than atomic level models. Here, a coarse-grained residue-pair potential, with distance and orientation dependency, is derived from equilibrium ensembles of residue pairs generated by molecular dynamics (MD). In particular, the Boltzmann inversion method is used to determine the energies. The residue-pair potential is used in the folding simulations of six small proteins, (28-67 residues) containing a variety of secondary structures. For the proteins tested, folding simulations by Monte Carlo methods generates structures similar to the native ones. However, these native like structures were among the lowest in energy for alpha helical proteins but not for proteins containing extended beta structures. It is also found that a careful balance between local and non-local interactions is essential.
Estimating the In-Plane Young's Modulus of Polycrystalline Films in MEMS

Polycrystalline films in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sometimes have a crystallographic fiber texture that causes their in-plane Young's modulus to differ from the bulk isotropic value, which influences device behavior, lifetime, and reliability. We estimate the in-plane Young's modulus of electrodeposited nickel bridges in radio-frequency MEMS devices by measuring the crystallographic texture using X-ray diffraction and then computing a texture-weighted average of the single-crystal elastic coefficients. The nickel bridges have a 001 fiber texture and are predicted to have an in-plane Young's modulus of 195-200 GPa, about 5-7% less than the bulk isotropic value of 210 GPa. The method presented here takes into account the full distribution of crystallite orientations to predict the in-plane Young's modulus. The method is rapid, general, and capable of estimating the in-plane Young's modulus of polycrystalline film components in individual MEMS devices in an array, making it ideal for MEMS design, analysis, and quality control.
Immunotoxins for targeted cancer therapy

Immunotoxins are proteins that contain a toxin along with an antibody or growth factor that binds specifically to target cells. Nearly all protein toxins work by enzymatically inhibiting protein synthesis. For the immunotoxin to work, it must bind to and be internalized by the target cells, and the enzymatic fragment of the toxin must translocate to the cytosol. Once in the cytosol, 1 molecule is capable of killing a cell, making immunotoxins some of the most potent killing agents. Various plant and bacterial toxins have been genetically fused or chemically conjugated to ligands that bind to cancer cells. Among the most active clinically are those that bind to hematologic tumors. At present, only 1 agent, which contains human interleukin-2 and truncated diphtheria toxin, is approved for use in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Another, containing an anti-CD22 Fv and truncatedPseudomonas exotoxin, has induced complete remissions in a high proportion of cases of hairy-cell leukemia. Refinement of existing immunotoxins and development of new immunotoxins are underway to improve the treatment of cancer.
Effect of enzymatic methylation on the chemical, physical, and biological properties of DNA.

Abstract DNA methylase was partially purified from Escherichia coli W and used to methylate DNA from Bacillus subtilis and bacteriophage φ105. The former DNA was methylated 1.17% and the latter 0.87%. The products were 6-methyladenine (85%) and 5-methylcytosine (15%) in both cases. The methylated DNA was stable toward depurination and viscosity loss at elevated temperatures. Methylation led to a 50% decrease in transforming activity in two strains of B. subtilis and no change in a third strain. The ability of phage φ105 DNA to rescue a defective phage strain was decreased 50% by methylation. No changes were observed in the ability of methylated DNA to serve as a template for DNA polymerase or RNA polymerase. The pattern of cleavage of DNA by a variety of restriction endonucleases was not affected by methylation. There were no changes in the physicochemical properties of DNA on methylation as measured by hyperchromicity on heating, formaldehyde denaturation, viscosity, and sedimentation.
Flaxseed and Cardiovascular Risk

Flaxseed has recently gained attention in the area of cardiovascular disease primarily because it is the richest known source of both α-linolenic acid (ALA) and the phytoestrogen, lignans, as well as being a good source of soluble fiber. Human studies have shown that flaxseed can modestly reduce serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, reduce postprandial glucose absorption, decrease some markers of inflammation, and raise serum levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, ALA and eicosapentaenoic acid. Data on the antiplatelet, antioxidant, and hypotensive effects of flaxseed, however, are inconclusive. More research is needed to define the role of this functional food in reducing cardiovascular risk
A descriptive study of coping strategies used by Medical Intensive Care Unit nurses during transitions from cure- to comfort-oriented care.

Objective The aim of this study was to describe Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) nurses’ coping behaviors while caring for a patient whose medical treatment transitioned from cure- to comfort-oriented care. Methods The use of a descriptive qualitative research design with brief selective participant observation and focus group interviews was used to explore the coping experiences of MICU nurses. The study took place in an 18-bed MICU that was part of a 719-bed acute care hospital located in the northeastern United States. Nineteen female and 5 male nurses participated in the study. Results MICU nurses used a variety of coping strategies including cognitive, affective, and behavioral techniques to cope with end-of-life care transitions. Being a MICU nurse in and of itself provided a sense of pride for staff. Most believed that their clinical opinions were valued and that they were respected as professionals. Providing futile care, the perception of “torturing the patient,” and conflict with families caused the greatest distress to staff. Conclusions MICU nurses are dynamic and resourceful when responding to challenging end-of-life patient care situations.
Alkaline phosphatase, glycogen, and periodic acid-Schiff positive substances in the bovine uterus during the estrous cycle.

INTRODUCTION The general histology of the uterus of the cow was described by Schmaltz (1911) and histological changes during the course of the estrous cycle were reported by Murphey (1924), Hammond (1927), Cole (1930), Asdell (1946), Asdell et al. (1949), and Weber et al. (1948 and 1950). Thus far no histochemical findings have been reported on the bovine uterus, although numerous studies have been made on those of other species. The general distribution of alkaline phosphatase in the uterus of various species has been reported by Gomori (1941), Kabat and Furth (1941), and Wislocki and Dempsey (1945). Changes in alkaline phosphatase distribution during the estrous cycle were given for the rat by Pritchard (1949), for the human endometrium by Atkinson and Engle (1947) and Arzac and Blanchet (1948). Cyclic variation of the uteri of several species with regard to glycogen distribution has been demonstrated by many investigators (Reynolds, 1949).