cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonparametric tests for ordered alternatives in the bivariate case

Abstract A class of bivariate rank tests are developed for the two-sample problem of testing equality of distributions against certain one-sided alternatives. These tests are the nonparametric analogs of a normal theory test proposed by Schaafsma and Smid. These tests are shown to be unbiased and the asymptotic distributions are obtained under the null distribution and local alternatives. Some asymptotic efficiency comparisons are also made.
Intestinal fatty acid binding protein may favor differential apical fatty acid binding in the intestine.

Abstract The intestinal mucosa metabolizes fatty acids differently when presented to the lumenal or basolateral membrane. Expression of both liver and intestinal fatty acid binding proteins (L- and I-FABPs) uniquely in the enterocyte offers a possible explanation of this phenomenon. An organ explant system was used to analyze the relative binding of fatty acids to each protein. More fatty acid was bound to L-FABP than to I-FABPs (28% vs. 6% of cytosolic radioactivity), no matter on which side the fatty acid was added. However, a 2–3-fold increase in fatty acid binding to the intestinal paralog was noted after apical addition of palmitic or oleic acid in mucosa from chow fed rats. When oleic acid was added apically, a 1.4-fold increase in binding to I-FABP was observed in mucosa derived from chronically fat fed rats, consistent with the previously observed 50% increase in the content of that protein. Immunocytochemical localization of both FABPs in vivo demonstrated an apical cytoplasmic localization in the fasting state, and redistribution to the entire cytoplasm after fat feeding. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that I-FABP may contribute to the metabolic compartmentalization of apically presented fatty acids in the intestine.
Fatigue as a Response to Environmental Demands in Women's Lives

Fatigue is a significant health care problem of interest to professionals in many disciplines. Yet, it is poorly understood. Fatigue, as an indicator of adaptation, is examined in relationship to internal and external environmental demands in women's lives. From a secondary analysis of data collected from a large group of women in a Northwest urban community in the U.S., it was found that internal demands such as depression or anxiety are more significantly related to fatigue and vitality than external demands such as negative life events or employment status.
Compatibility of ferrous alloys in a forced circulation Pb-17Li system☆

Abstract Corrosion data have been obtained on ferritic HT-9 and Fe-9Cr-1Mo steel and austenitic Type 316 stainless steel in a flowing Pb-17 at.% Li environment at temperatures between 371 and 482°C. The corrosion behavior is evaluated by measurement of weight loss as a function of time and temperature. Metallographic examination of the materials exposed to the flowing Pb-17Li environment is presented.
Lobular Neoplasia (Lobular Carcinoma in Situ) of the Breast - A Histological Entity of Controversial Clinical Significance

Summary Lobular neoplasia of the breast, a term which we prefer to that of lobular carcinoma in situ, is a multifocal microscopic entity of uncertain and controversial clinical significance. It is not yet proven definitely that it is an irreversible lesion which sooner of later will lead to invasive carcinoma. It is always an incidental histologic findings. When it is discovered in association with benign lesions, and if the breast is not removed, subsequent occurrence of true invasive carcinoma is probably between seven and nine times the expected incidence. However, both breasts are at risk, and about one half of these subsequent carcinomas will develop in the controlateral breast. In addition, there are no known histological features, qualitative or quantitative, enabling us to predict which of these women with lobular neoplasia will eventually develop true invasive carcinoma. One recent study suggests that when lobular neoplasia is associated with gross cystic disease and/or family history of mammary carcinoma in mother or sister, the risk of developing true invasive carcinoma becomes greater. From these data, it appears that ipsilateral mastectomy will protect only one half of the already small number of women with lobular neoplasia who will eventually develop carcinoma, and that the only logical surgical approach would then have to be bilateral mastectomy. As an alternative to mastectomy, a careful program of frequent follow-up examinations, when possible, should be given serious consideration.
Narcissism, Materialism, and Environmental Ethics in Business Students

We investigate the relationships between narcissism, materialism, and environmental ethics in undergraduate business students. Data were collected from business students (n = 405) at an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business–accredited business school at a comprehensive state university. Results indicate that narcissism has an indirect effect on business students’ environmental ethics. Narcissism was significantly related to materialism, and materialism was significantly related to lower levels of environmental ethics. Considering increasing levels of narcissism among business students, we discuss the potential for future research and potential intervention strategies.
Giant fornix syndrome: a recently described cause of chronic purulent conjunctivitis and severe ocular surface inflammation, with a new diagnostic sign on CT

Giant fornix syndrome: a recently described cause of chronic purulent conjunctivitis and severe ocular surface inflammation, with a new diagnostic sign on CT
Adsorption of fluorescently labeled microbeads on PDMS surfaces

Fluorescently labeled beads may be utilized in transparent microfluidic devices to facilitate a variety of immunoassay based chemical measurements. We investigate the ability to visualize, quantitate, and reduce undesirable adsorption of beads within a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel device. These methods are prerequisites to the design of practical bead-based microfluidic sensing devices. The PDMS microchannels were shown to be transparent enough to make accurate quantitative optical measurements, although significant adsorption was observed. Epifluorescence microscopy was employed in an attempt to quantitatively evaluate microbead adsorption to PDMS microchannel walls and bulk surfaces after different agitation, solution, and surface treatments. This microscopy method provides reproducible imaging of individual beads and allows for characterization of adsorption to PDMS microchannel walls. Solution composition seemed to play a more important role in the ability to reduce the number of adsorbed beads to the PDMS surface than agitation. The most significant reduction in bead adsorption was seen in surface treatment. The most effective surface treatment examined in this study was Teflon AF.
Electron field emission from transparent multiwalled carbon nanotube sheets for inverted field emission displays

Abstract Strong, conducting, transparent carbon nanotube sheets were prepared by solid-state draw from well-ordered, aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) forests [Zhang et al., 2005] [1] . Study of electron field emission from such transparent MWCNT sheets shows threshold fields of less than 0.5 V/μm with current densities high enough for display applications. Step-like field emission current increase and hysteresis behavior in I–V curves has been observed. The origin of such behavior is discussed in terms of mechanical rearrangement of the nanotube network in high electric field. Studied MWCNT transparent sheet field emission cathodes have several advantages when used as multi-functional electrodes. They are high current, high stability, transparent, and flexible field emission sources and can be used in an inverted geometry, with cathode being in front of the light emitting plate. At the same time transparent CNT sheets may serve as a transparent conducting electrode for electrical connection and pixel addressing in field emission displays (FEDs). Also, these sheets can be used as an optical polarizer in FEDs.
Effect of the Secondary Electrode Configuration in Removing Metal Contaminants from Soils by the CEHIXM Process

The effect of the secondary electrode configuration in removal of metal contaminants from soils under coupled electric hydraulic gradient assisted by ion exchange medium (CEHIXM) process was investigated. Soil samples using a blend of spent foundry sand and millpond sludge were used to investigate the contribution and cost-effectiveness of the secondary electrode configuration in removal of primarily four heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, and Mn). A number of tests were conducted at an optimum constant DC electric voltage of 50 V and an optimum constant flow velocity of 0.00713 cm/sec for a period of 200 hours. The experimental results demonstrated the removal efficiencies of approximately 89.84% of Pb, 96.63% of Cd, 92.89% of Zn, and 91.14% of Mn with the primary electrode (PE) configuration. In case of the secondary electrode (SE) configuration, the removal efficiencies were about 87.34% of Pb, 91.68% of Cd, 95.30% of Zn, and 90.44% of Mn. In the case of the combined PE and SE configuration, the removal efficie...
Design Guidelines for Social Problem-Solving Interventions

Two or more social actors-individuals, groups, and organizations-engage in social problem solving when resolving or managing a shared problem. Social problem solving poses significant conceptual an...
Managing the Fiscal Metropolis: The Financial Policies, Practices, and Health of Suburban Municipalities by Rebecca M. Hendrick

Rebecca M. Hendrick, Managing the Fiscal Metropolis: The Financial Policies, Practices, and Health of Suburban Municipalities (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2011).Managing the Fiscal...
Synthesis and X-ray structure of the heteronuclear cluster, (μ-H)2(η5-C5H5)IrOs3(CO)10

(μ-H)2(η5-C5H5)IrOS3(CO)10 was prepared in 21% yield by reaction of (μ-H)2Os3(CO)10 with (η5-C5H5)Ir(CO)2. The cluster was characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry and by X-ray crystallography. The structure of (μ-H)2(n5-C5H5)IrOs3(CO)10 consists of a tetrahedral cluster core with a semi-bridging carbonyl from Ir to Os. It closely resembles the other members of the series (μ-H)2(η5-C5H5)MOs3(CO)10 (M  Co, Rh). The semi-bridging carbonyl has greater bridging character as M  Ir < Rh < Co. This is reflected in the relative intensities and shapes of the semi-bridging CO stretching bands in the IR spectra and in the 13C NMR chemical shifts of the semi-bridging carbonyl signals of the compounds. The semi-bridging carbonyl 13C resonance is shifted to higher field from cobalt to iridium.
Accessing integrated and nonintegrated propositional structures in memory.

This paper investigates the access properties associated with different propositional structures. Two memory experiments are reported, in which the underlying structures of sentences were integrated or not. Some sentences tested had the same concept repeated across the propositions (integrated), whereas other sentences had no explicit repeated arguments (non-integrated). Accessibility to the memory traces of the sentences was manipulated through the acquisition and the testing conditions. In Experiment 1, subjects received either immediate or delayed recall tests, under free or cued conditions. Integrated sentences were recalled better than nonintegrated ones under conditions of high accessibility (immediate recall or delayed cued recall). In contrast, under the low-access condition (delayed free recall), nonintegrated sentences were recalled slightly better than the integrated ones. Experiment 2 confirmed and extended the results for delayed free recall. Here again, under conditions of low sentence access, nonintegrated sentences were recalled better. These results were interpreted according to theory dealing with the lag effect in list learning.
Retrospective Cultural Consecration in Popular Music Rolling Stone’s Greatest Albums of All Time

Acts of cultural consecration set sacred cultural producers and products apart from their profane counterparts. Some acts of consecration occur retrospectively, such as Allen and Lincoln’s examination of the retrospective cultural consecration of American films. In this article, the author extends Allen and Lincoln’s findings to the field of popular music by considering the effects of popular, professional, and critical reception on the likelihood that a popular music album was retrospectively consecrated by Rolling Stone magazine.
Death Threat Constructions in the Student and the Prudent

Two experiments were conducted as tests of the validity of the provided-construct Threat Index, a theoretically based death orientation instrument. The first study compared changes in death threat scores of students in two death education courses to threat scores of control classes. Although a hypothesized decline in mean threat scores from pre- to post-testing among the thanatology students was not found, it was found that the mean death threat scores of the thanatology students were significantly lower than the control classes at both pre- and post-testing and that the variance of scores among the death class students increased markedly while remaining stable in the control classes. The second study compared mean Threat Index scores of two groups: a) a criterion group composed of persons who had made explicit preparatory arrangements for their own funeral, cremation, or body donation; and b) a demographically comparable control group of adults who had not taken such action. With a sample of 106 responde...
Broadband demonstrations of true-time delay using linear sideband chirped programming and optical coherent transients

Abstract Linear sideband chirped (LSC) programming is introduced as a means of configuring spatial-spectral holographic gratings for optical coherent transient processors. Similar to linear frequency chirped programming, LSC programming allows the use of broadband integrated electro-optic phase modulators to produce chirps instead of using elaborate broadband chirped lasers. This approach has several advantages including the ability to use a stabilized laser for the optical carrier as well as stable, reproducible chirped optical signals when the modulator is driven digitally. Using LSC programming, we experimentally demonstrate broadband true-time delay as a proof of principle for the optical control of phased array radars. Here both cw phase modulated and binary phase shift keyed probe signals are true-time delayed with bandwidths of 1 GHz and delay resolutions better than 60 ps .
Probe shapes for streamwise momentum and cross-stream turbulence intensity

When the highly turbulent flowfields at the edges of jets, in augmentors, and in other jet-mixing devices are surveyed with conventional pitot probes, the values indicated by the instruments may contain a significant increment brought about by the dynamics of the eddies. Although the influence of turbulence on the measurements is usually negligible in streams where the turbulence level is 1 percent or less, the effect of turbulence on static and total pressure measurements can be around 20 percent when the turbulence level exceeds 40 percent. This paper describes a theoretical study that develops probe shapes that directly measure the time-averaged total pressure based on the streamwise component of the velocity vector to obtain a direct measurement of the streamwise momentum. The difference between the time-averaged pressure indicated by such a probe and one that measures the total head based on the entire velocity vector yields the cross-stream turbulence intensity.
Propafenone treatment of recurrent ventricular tachycardia: Comparison of continuous electrocardiographic recording and electrophysiologic study in predicting drug efficacy

Propafenone was administered to 29 patients who had multiple episodes of recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) despite previous antiarrhythmic therapy. All patients had 24-hour continuous electrocardiographic recording and electrophysiologic study in a drug-free control state and while receiving maximum doses of propafenone. During propafenone treatment, the mean frequency of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) decreased 74% (p
Personality research methods: An historical perspective

An historical perspective upon personality research methods is presented and scholarly resources are reviewed to encourage historical perspective-taking among personality psychologists The historical perspective demarcates five periods in the development of personality research methods (1) the pre-identity era, (2) the pre-World War II era, (3) the post-World War II era, (4) the contemporary era, and (5) within the contemporary era, the current situation FOT a set of basic research methods in personality, three types of development are identified Laboratory methods, observer judgments, personality scales and inventories, and projective techniques illustrate continued development, biographical/archival methods and field studies illustrate interrupted methods, and reputational analysis by use of naturalistic observational assessment illustrates arrested development The methodological pluralism evident in the history of personality research and inherent in its scientific agenda has not been fully realized, although current trends are encouraging Recommendations for promoting integrative methodological pluralism are made regarding research planning, institutional arrangements, and graduate research training programs
Anti-apoptotic Signaling of Pleiotrophin through Its Receptor, Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase

The secreted growth factor pleiotrophin (PTN) can induce mitogenesis in cells that express the receptor for this growth factor, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Here we examine the ability of PTN to produce anti-apoptotic signals. We demonstrate that PTN is a survival factor for SW-13 epithelial cells and show that ribozyme-mediated depletion of ALK from SW-13 cells abolishes this effect of PTN. Furthermore, in serum-starved NIH3T3 fibroblasts PTN prevents apoptosis (measured by annexin V staining) with an EC(50) of 0.2 ng/ml and induces cell growth at higher concentrations of PTN. A polyclonal antibody against the PTN ligand-binding domain of the ALK receptor (alpha-LBD) was a partial agonist for ALK in NIH3T3 cells. This alpha-LBD antibody showed high agonist activity for anti-apoptosis (56 +/- 9% relative to PTN), low agonist activity for cell growth (21 +/- 1% relative to PTN), and was an antagonist of PTN-induced cell growth (61 +/- 2% inhibition). Both MAP kinase and phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase cascades in NIH3T3 cells were activated by PTN, and this effect persisted for up to 3 h. Surprisingly, the anti-apoptotic effect of PTN was completely blocked by the MAP kinase inhibitor UO126, but was not affected by the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. In contrast, PTN-dependent cell growth required both MAPK and PI 3-kinase activity. We conclude that anti-apoptotic signaling of PTN through ALK in NIH3T3 fibroblasts is via the MAP kinase pathway.
Adamantane based molecular glass resist for 193 nm lithography

We have already developed several candidates of future resists using not only monomer but also the molecular glass resists as high performance resist materials and discussed them on the former talk. Those novel adamantane based molecular glass resists were made sure of sufficiently high Tg and the highly etch resistance. However some of them were not satisfied as resist materials due to their higher or lower solubility. Then we have designed and synthesized new adamantane based molecular glass resists containing acetal and ester moieties for the lower dose sensitivity and the excellent transparency at 193 nm. Further more, the protecting groups were modified in order to control the solubility into both a conventional solvents for the spin on the wafers and a developer. Novel adamantane-based molecular glass resists were modified their polarity of the hydroxyl group of cholic acid moiety in order to improve their film thickness loss by subtrahend and / or by capping the hydroxyl group. These treatments affected their adhesion to a wafer greatly. The capping technique using with any units can introduce various functional groups and applied versatile improvements. GR-14 that were capped their hydroxyl group with acetyl unit was imaged sub 100 nm line and space by the EB exposure. Although, the excess subtraction of hydroxyl group has reduced its film property like GR-11 that made from lithocholic acid. We made sure that the imperfect resist for its improvement of the film thickness loss such as GR-17, GR-18 and GR-19 was affected by BARCs as the under layer.
Linked opening angle and histological and mechanical aspects of the proximal pulmonary arteries of healthy and pulmonary hypertensive rats and calves

Understanding how arterial remodeling changes the mechanical behavior of pulmonary arteries (PAs) is important to the evaluation of pulmonary vascular function. Early and current efforts have focused on the arteries' histological changes, their mechanical properties under in vitro mechanical testing, and their zero-stress and no-load states. However, the linkage between the histology and mechanical behavior is still not well understood. To explore this linkage, we investigated the geometry, residual stretch, and histology of proximal PAs in both adult rat and neonatal calf hypoxic models of pulmonary hypertension (PH), compared their changes due to chronic hypoxia across species, and proposed a two-layer mechanical model of artery to relate the opening angle to the stiffness ratio of the PA outer to inner layer. We found that the proximal PA remodeling in calves was quite different from that in rats. In rats, the arterial wall thickness, inner diameter, and outer layer thickness fraction all increased dramatically in PH and the opening angle decreased significantly, whereas in calves, only the arterial wall thickness increased in PH. The proposed model predicted that the stiffness ratio of the calf proximal PAs changed very little from control to hypertensive group, while the decrease of opening angle in rat proximal PAs in response to chronic hypoxia was approximately linear to the increase of the stiffness ratio. We conclude that the arterial remodeling in rat and calf proximal PAs is different and the change of opening angle can be linked to the change of the arterial histological structure and mechanics.
Evolution of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning and Storm Structure in the Spencer, South Dakota, Tornadic Supercell of 30 May 1998

Abstract On 30 May 1998, a tornado devastated the town of Spencer, South Dakota. The Spencer tornado (rated F4 on the Fujita tornado intensity scale) was the third and most intense of five tornadoes produced by a single supercell storm during an approximate 1-h period. The supercell produced over 76% positive cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning and a peak positive CG flash rate of 18 flashes min−1 (5-min average) during a 2-h period surrounding the tornado damage. Earlier studies have reported anomalous positive CG lightning activity in some supercell storms producing violent tornadoes. However, what makes the CG lightning activity in this tornadic storm unique is the magnitude and timing of the positive ground flashes relative to the F4 tornado. In previous studies, supercells dominated by positive CG lightning produced their most violent tornado after they attained their maximum positive ground flash rate, whenever the rate exceeded 1.5 flashes min−1. Further, tornadogenesis often occurred during a lull in C...
Provisioning of virtual environments for wide area desktop grids through redirect-on-write distributed file system

We describe and evaluate a thin client solution for desktop grid computing based on virtual machine appliances whose images are fetched on-demand and on a per-block basis over wide-area networks. The approach uses a distributed file system redirection mechanism which enables the use of unmodified NFS clients/servers and local buffering of file system modifications during the appliances lifetime. The file system redirection technique is achieved through user-level proxies, and can be integrated with virtual private network overlays to provide transparent access to image servers even if they are behind firewalls. We have implemented and evaluated a prototype system which allows thin client diskless appliances to boot over a proxy VM bringing on-demand only a small fraction of the appliance image (16 MB out of WOMB) and showing low runtime overhead for CPU-intensive applications. The paper also presents decentralized mechanisms to support seamless image version upgrades.
Marrow hypoplasia associated with congenital neurologic anomalies in two siblings.

. Two siblings with congenital neurologic structural anomalies and delayed-onset selective bone marrow hypoplasia in a previously undescribed constellation of symptoms are presented. Differences between these cases and other well known syndromes are discussed. The importance of this association is the implication that children with congenital neurologic abnormalities may be at increased risk for the development of hypoplastic hematopoietic conditions.
Phase II trials of single-agent anti-VEGF therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Between 2005 and 2008, we conducted separate phase II clinical testing of three distinct anti-VEGF therapies for patients with relapsed/refractory CLL. Collectively, 46 patients were accrued to trials of single-agent anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab, n = 13) or one of two receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (AZD2171, n = 15; sunitinib malate, n = 18). All patients have completed treatment. Patients received a median of two cycles of bevacizumab, AZD2171, or sunitinib malate. All three trials were closed early due to lack of efficacy. No complete or partial remissions were observed. Individually and collectively, these studies indicate that single-agent anti-VEGF therapy has minimal clinical activity for patients with relapsed/refractory CLL.
Characteristics of a scanning nano-slit image sensor for line-and-space patterns

A single scanning nano-slit is used to study aerial image characteristics. Finite-difference time-domain simulations reveal that, in the far field of such a slit, the detected image contrast is very high over a large spatial frequency range regardless of the polarization direction. In the near field, the TM polarization shows a decrease in contrast at larger spatial frequencies. Experiments verify this characteristic using a 125 nm wide slit on an aluminum mask at a wavelength of 658 nm. Unlike the light transmission characteristics of a nano-slit, which are greatly influenced by slit width and metal mask thickness, it is shown that image contrast measurement is almost insensitive to small changes in these parameters. It is found that defects on the metal mask play an important role in accurate analysis of the system.
Near-minimax recursive density estimation on the binary hypercube

This paper describes a recursive estimation procedure for multivariate binary densities using orthogonal expansions. For d covariates, there are 2d basis coefficients to estimate, which renders conventional approaches computationally prohibitive when d is large. However, for a wide class of densities that satisfy a certain sparsity condition, our estimator runs in probabilistic polynomial time and adapts to the unknown sparsity of the underlying density in two key ways: (1) it attains near-minimax mean-squared error, and (2) the computational complexity is lower for sparser densities. Our method also allows for flexible control of the trade-off between mean-squared error and computational complexity.
Access to Counsel Psychological Science Can Improve the Promise of Civil Rights Enforcement

Employment discrimination claimants in general, and racial minority claimants in particular, disproportionately lack access to legal counsel. When employment discrimination claimants lack counsel, ...
Defining the Signals that Constitute the Nephron Progenitor Niche

For decades we have known that reciprocal inductive interactions between the embryonic ureteric bud and the metanephric mesenchyme are the basis for kidney development. Signals from the mesenchyme promote the branching of the bud, whereas signals from the bud regulate the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of nephron progenitors. Due to the complex nature of the bud-derived signals, progress in identifying these factors has been slow. However, in the last several years, tremendous advances have been made in identifying specific roles for various secreted proteins in nephron progenitor cell development. Here, we briefly review the roles for Fgfs and Wnts in induction of the nephron progenitors.
Statistics on alcoholic marriages: an overview

This paper is a brief American literature review reporting on (1) the percentage of alcoholics who marry, (2) the percentage who separate or divorce, and (3) the temporal relationship between date of marriage and onset of alcoholism. All studies discussed control for age and compare results to a general population. The authors show that early studies suggested that alcoholics were an unsocialized and homeless group of people who were not likely to marry whereas later research showed that alcoholics are just as likely as persons in the general population to marry but are at least four times more likely to separate or divorce. Multiple variables account for the high rate of marital disruption. The literature is conflicting regarding whether people tend to marry before or after the onset of alcoholism. Future research must delineate relevant psychological and sociocultural variables in addition to the alcoholism itself.
Diabetes is not associated with an increased peri-operative mortality or non-infectious morbidity following lower extremity arterial reconstruction

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine if, at a national level, diabetes mellitus is associated with worse perioperative outcomes after open lower extremity arterial reconstruction. Methods Using Current Procedural Terminology codes, the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to identify diabetic and nondiabetic patients who underwent open lower extremity arterial reconstruction from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2007. These 2 groups were then compared using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results There was no difference in mortality between the 2 groups (3.3% in diabetics and 3.5% in nondiabetics, P = .618). On multivariate analysis, there was no difference in the incidence of cardiac, pulmonary, or renal complications between the 2 groups. Diabetics, though, were more likely to develop infectious complications postoperatively. Conclusions After lower extremity arterial reconstruction, diabetes is not associated with an increased risk for mortality or an increased rate of major postoperative complications. Diabetics, however, have an increased rate of certain perioperative infections.
MAC layer protocols for real-time traffic in ad-hoc wireless networks

Providing quality of service (QoS) to high bandwidth video, voice and data applications in wireless networks is an important problem. Such applications are in the class of real-time applications; they need communication operations to complete within certain targeted deadlines. Based on this premise, this paper addresses the design of distributed MAC layer protocols that incorporate explicit support for real-time traffic in an ad-hoc wireless network. Specifically, we have developed two new MAC layer protocols, namely the elimination by sieving (ES-DCF) and the deadline bursting (DB-DCF) protocols. Both algorithms use deterministic collision resolution algorithms in order to provide timely delivery guarantees to different classes of real-time traffic. The extensive simulation studies conducted confirmed that ES-DCF and DB-DCF perform well for hard-real-time traffic and soft-real-time traffic, respectively.
Incorporation of plant protein feedstuffs into fish meal diets for rainbow trout increases phosphorus availability

Individual plant protein feedstuAs were incorporated into a diet containing fish meal and fed to rainbow trout to determine apparent and true phosphorus availability (APA and TPA, respectively). The plant protein feedstuAs evaluated were soybean, canola and peanut meals; each was incorporated at 200 g kg ‐1 of dry matter. The average initial weight of fish was 68 g and the water temperature was maintained at 15∞C. Concentrations of macronutrients were constant in diets. Incorporation of plant protein feedstuAs significantly increased APA and TPA values. The APA values were 19.5% for fish meal and 39.5%, 40.2%, and 38.5% for the diets containing soybean meal, canola meal, and peanut meal, respectively. Similarly, the TPA values for the combination of fish meal and plant protein feedstuA were 43.4%, 42.1% and 40.6% for diets containing soybean, canola and peanut meals, respectively, which were significantly higher than values for fish meal (21.5%). Calculation of APA and TPA values for individual feedstuAs resulted in values for the plant protein ingredients of over 100%. We speculate that the increased APA and TPA values were the result of decreasing total dietary phosphorus concentrations or dilution of the calcium concentrations from bone in fish meal.
Modulation of the Frequency of Spontaneous Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Release Events (Ca2+ Sparks) by Myoplasmic [Mg2+] in Frog Skeletal Muscle

The modulation by internal free [Mg2+] of spontaneous calcium release events (Ca2+ "sparks") from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was studied in depolarized notched frog skeletal muscle fibers using a laser scanning confocal microscope in line-scan mode (x vs. t). Over the range of [Mg2+] from 0.13 to 1.86 mM, decreasing the [Mg2+] induced an increase in the frequency of calcium release events in proportion to [Mg2+]-1.6. The change of event frequency was not due to changes in [Mg-ATP] or [ATP]. Analysis of individual SR calcium release event properties showed that the variation in event frequency induced by the change of [Mg2+] was not accompanied by any changes in the spatiotemporal spread (i.e., spatial half width or temporal half duration) of Ca2+ sparks. The increase in event frequency also had no effect on the distribution of event amplitudes. Finally, the rise time of calcium sparks was independent of the [Mg2+], indicating that the open time of the SR channel or channels underlying spontaneous calcium release events was not altered by [Mg2+] over the range tested. These results suggest that in resting skeletal fibers, [Mg2+] modulates the SR calcium release channel opening frequency by modifying the average closed time of the channel without altering the open time. A kinetic reaction scheme consistent with our results and those of bilayer and SR vesicle experiments indicates that physiological levels of resting Mg2+ may inhibit channel opening by occupying the site for calcium activation of the SR calcium release channel.
End Resection at Double-Strand Breaks: Mechanism and Regulation

RecA/Rad51 catalyzed pairing of homologous DNA strands, initiated by polymerization of the recombinase on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), is a universal feature of homologous recombination (HR). Generation of ssDNA from a double-strand break (DSB) requires nucleolytic degradation of the 5'-terminated strands to generate 3'-ssDNA tails, a process referred to as 5'-3' end resection. The RecBCD helicase-nuclease complex is the main end-processing machine in Gram-negative bacteria. Mre11-Rad50 and Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2/Nbs1 can play a direct role in end resection in archaea and eukaryota, respectively, by removing end-blocking lesions and act indirectly by recruiting the helicases and nucleases responsible for extensive resection. In eukaryotic cells, the initiation of end resection has emerged as a critical regulatory step to differentiate between homology-dependent and end-joining repair of DSBs.
Chemical reduction of individual graphene oxide sheets as revealed by electrostatic force microscopy.

We report continuous monitoring of heterogeneously distributed oxygenated functionalities on the entire surface of the individual graphene oxide flake during the chemical reduction process. The charge densities over the surface with mixed oxidized and graphitic domains were observed for the same flake after a step-by-step chemical reduction process using electrostatic force microscopy. Quantitative analysis revealed heavily oxidized nanoscale domains (50–100 nm across) on the graphene oxide surface and a complex reduction mechanism involving leaching of sharp oxidized asperities from the surface followed by gradual thinning and formation of uniformly mixed oxidized and graphitic domains across the entire flake.
Diastolic Abnormalities Detected by Velocity Vector Imaging in the Presence of Coronary Ischemia: A Pilot Stress Echocardiographic Study.

Background: The ischemic cascade has long been known to begin with diastolic dysfunction before detectable systolic abnormalities. The advent of speckle-tracking imaging and velocity vector imaging (VVI) has provided accurate and reproducible interpretation of systolic abnormalities in numerous disease processes; however, this imaging tool has been only recently been proposed for detecting diastolic abnormalities. Methods: We analyzed pre and poststress echocardiography images of ten patients using VVI. We calculated normalized strain time (NST) as the duration strain was at least 90% of the measured peak and subtracted pre and poststress NST to calculate prolongation of NST as a sign of diastolic dysfunction. These intervals were measured from left ventricular longitudinal cine images obtained from two and 4-chamber in five patients not only with a positive stress echocardiographic response but also anatomy confirmed by coronary angiography. They were then compared to five patients without coronary artery disease (CAD). Results: Differences in pre and poststress NST measured in the apical 4-chamber view were greater in CAD patients than without (40 ± 16 vs. 12 ± 19; P = 0.04). Conclusions: Significant diastolic abnormalities were detected using a semi-automated VVI analysis in the poststress recovery period. A prospective study is now required in a larger number of patients to correlate the development of diastolic strain abnormalities with extent and location of CAD.
The application and suitability of microbiological tests for fecal bacteria in pulp mill effluents: A review

Tests for fecal (thermotolerant) and total coliforms applied to drinking and recreational waters are convenient but not necessarily accurate indicators of the presence of pathogens originating from the intestines of warm-blooded animals. These tests may be inappropriate for analyses of complex industrial effluents such as pulp mill effluents, which may contain bacteria that yield a positive result in fecal and total coliform tests, even though no fecal source exists. Consequently, other more specific indicators for the presence of potential pathogens are needed. In cases where the sources of, or validity of, fecal responses are problematic, the direct examination of pathogens, and/or the use of new source-tracking techniques, such as DNA fingerprinting, may be better approaches for protecting public health.
Meningococcal Disease: A Review

Invasive meningococcal disease continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in the developing world. This review focuses on the epidemiology, clinical syndromes, therapy, and prevention of meningococcal disease. Prevention will be enhanced by the development of effective, long-lasting vaccines against all the major meningococcal serogroups, particularly serogroup B
Colchicine, vinblastine and griseofulvin: Pharmacological studies with human leukocytes

Abstract Some aspects of the interactions of the vinca alkaloids, colchicine and griseofulvin with human leukocytes in suspension have been explored. Tritiated colchicine, vinblastine and griseofulvin enter the cells where significant binding by a supernatant protein takes place. Glutamate competitively inhibits the entry of vinblastine into the leukocytes when present in large excess. Inhibition of the incorporation of valine-14C into leukocyte protein occurred in the presence of vinblastine and vincristine at concentrations down to 6 × 10−6 M; colchicine and griseofulvin did not affect this incorporation until levels of 3 × 10−4 M were attained. Concentrations of these agents as high as 1 × 10−4 M did not inhibit the incorporation of uridine-3H NA or of acetate-14C into lipid. The data were considered to support the concept that the antimitotic and anti-inflammatory effects of vinca alkaloids, colchicine and griseofulvin result from binding to precursor units of the microtubules.
The Geography and Area Studies Interface from the Second World War to the Cold War

Disciplinary geography's history represents an important source for contemporary debates over the status of geographical knowledge across the social sciences. This article argues for a reorientation of geography's history by examining its interface with the development of area studies in the United States. It investigates the epistemological and institutional transformations that occurred in the decades before and after the Second World War as the regional concept transmuted into area studies. The article finds that although geography's regional concept shaped the spatial constructions of area studies, the latter's imaginative geographies fixed the regional concept along geopolitical visions of the nation-state and Cold War regional blocs that continue to occlude social scientific attempts to redraw the borders of the world. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Monolayer of Hydrazine Facilitates the Direct Covalent Attachment of C60 Fullerene to a Silicon Surface.

The development of oxygen-free organic–inorganic interfaces has led to new schemes for the functionalization of silicon surfaces with nitrogen-based chemical groups. However, building layers of large structures directly on this functionalized surface has remained elusive. This work confirms the path to form a stable interface between silicon and buckminsterfullerene C60 based on covalent chemical bonds. The starting point for this modification is the hydrazine-reacted Si(111) surface with the diamine functionality, which is further reacted directly with the C60 molecules. The chemistry of this process is confirmed spectroscopically and microscopically and can be used to form organic–inorganic interfaces separated by a single layer of nitrogen.
Control Systems Simulation by Spice

Abstract The student version of PSpice is available free to students and is being widely used in basic circuits and electronics courses. Host of the students in a junior or senior level control course are expected to be knowledgeable about PSpice. PSpice can be also integrated into control course. This paper presents the techniques for using PSpice for simulating control systems and presents examples
Effects of spatial heterogeneity and material anisotropy on the fracture pattern and macroscopic effective toughness of Mancos Shale in Brazilian tests

For assessing energy-related activities in the subsurface, it is important to investigate the impact of the spatial variability and anisotropy on the geomechanical behavior of shale. The Brazilian test, an indirect tensile-splitting method, is performed in this work, and the evolution of strain field is obtained using digital image correlation. Experimental results show the significant impact of local heterogeneity and lamination on the crack pattern characteristics. For numerical simulations, a phase field method is used to simulate the brittle fracture behavior under various Brazilian test conditions. In this study, shale is assumed to consist of two constituents including the stiff and soft layers to which the same toughness but different elastic moduli are assigned. Microstructural heterogeneity is simplified to represent mesoscale (e.g., millimeter scale) features such as layer orientation, thickness, volume fraction, and defects. The effect of these structural attributes on the onset, propagation, and coalescence of cracks is explored. The simulation results show that spatial heterogeneity and material anisotropy highly affect crack patterns and effective fracture toughness, and the elastic contrast of two constituents significantly alters the effective toughness. However, the complex crack patterns observed in the experiments cannot completely be accounted for by either an isotropic or transversely isotropic effective medium approach. This implies that cracks developed in the layered system may coalesce in complicated ways depending on the local heterogeneity, and the interaction mechanisms between the cracks using two-constituent systems may explain the wide range of effective toughness of shale reported in the literature.
Robotic assistance for performing vocational rehabilitation activities using BaxBot

Activities of Daily Living (ADL's) refer to tasks that people do on a daily basis, such as self-feeding, cleaning the house, or bathing. These activities often require a degree of functional mobility that may be outside the ability of a person suffering from cognitive or physical impairment. This work describes methods of performing ADL's with a mobile robotic system. We examined the needs of potential users and caregivers through surveys to determine the most needed applications for robotic assistance. Using this information, we extended the functionality of our BaxBot mobile robotic system to provide meaningful, autonomous assistance in performing three specific ADL's with minimal user interaction.
Perspectives of Clinicians at Skilled Nursing Facilities on 30-Day Hospital Readmissions: A Qualitative Study.

Background Unplanned 30-day hospital readmissions are an important measure of hospital quality and a focus of national regulations. Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) play an important role in the readmission process, but few studies have examined the factors that contribute to readmissions from SNFs, leaving hospitalists and other hospital-based clinicians with limited evidence on how to reduce SNF readmissions. Objective To understand the perspectives of clinicians working at SNFs regarding factors contributing to readmissions. Design and participants We prospectively identified consecutive readmissions from SNFs to a single tertiary-care hospital. Index admissions and readmissions were to the hospital's inpatient general medicine service. SNF clinicians who cared for the readmitted patients were identified and interviewed about root causes of the readmissions using a structured interview tool. Transcripts of the interviews were inductively analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results RESULTS: We interviewed 28 clinicians at 15 SNFs. The interviews covered 24 patient readmissions. SNF clinicians described a range of procedural, technological, and cultural contributors to unplanned readmissions. Commonly cited causes of readmission included a lack of coordination between emergency departments and SNFs, poorly defined goals of care at the time of hospital discharge, acute illness at the time of hospital discharge, limited information sharing between a SNF and hospital, and SNF process and cultural factors. Conclusions SNF clinicians identified a broad range of factors that contribute to readmissions. Addressing these factors may mitigate patients' risk of readmission from SNFs to acute care hospitals.