cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation lobectomy-a minimally invasive treatment model for liver cancer: case report.

Chemotherapy-resistant colon carcinoma metastases to a patient's right hepatic lobe progressed after right lobar radioembolization with yttrium-90. The metastasis-free left lobe had adequate volume as a future liver remnant. Repeat right lobar radioembolization with supratherapeutic activity of 90 Y caused shrinking of the tumors and the right lobe with no adverse outcome. With an adequate tumor-free future liver remnant, one hepatic lobe bearing a large tumor burden may be administered supratherapeutic activity of 90 Y, risking lobar ablation for greater probability of tumor eradication. This is analogous to hepatic lobectomy. This case is presented as a proof of principle.
Upper bounds on lepton-number violating meson decays.

From a retroactive data analysis, we obtain the first upper bound on the {vert bar}{Delta}{ital L}{vert bar}=2 kaon decay {ital K}{sup +}{r arrow}{pi}{sup {minus}}{mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup +}: {ital B}({ital K}{sup +} {r arrow}{pi}{sup {minus}}{mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup +}){lt}1.5{times}10{sup {minus}4}. We also discuss {ital K}{sup +}{r arrow}{pi}{sup {minus}}{mu}{sup +}{ital e+} and {vert bar}{Delta}{ital L}{vert bar}=2 decays of {ital D} and {ital B} mesons. We suggest experiments which can improve our limit and discuss the connection with direct searches for heavy neutrinos in {ital K}{sub {mu}2}{sup +} decay.
A surface‐enhanced hyper‐Raman and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering study of trans‐1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethylene adsorbed onto silver film over nanosphere electrodes. Vibrational assignments: Experiment and theory

We present theoretical and experimental studies of the infrared (IR) spectroscopy, normal Raman spectroscopy (NRS), surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and surface‐enhanced hyper‐Raman (SEHRS) spectroscopy of trans‐1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethylene (BPE). This centrosymmetric molecule is expected to have no common Raman and hyper‐Raman lines provided that it is not strongly perturbed by adsorption on the surface. The measured SERS spectrum, obtained under electrochemical conditions on Ag film over nanosphere (AgFON) electrodes, shows a well defined C=C stretch band that is not seen in the SEHRS spectrum, but many of the other bands overlap closely. We use ab initio calculations for isolated BPE to assign the spectra, and find excellent agreement between the calculated and measured IR and SERS spectra, and good agreement between the calculated and measured SEHRS spectrum. We find that the apparently overlapping IR, SERS, and SEHRS bands are in fact due to modes that have similar vibrational characteristic...
The modeling of realistic chemical vapor infiltration/deposition reactors

We describe the low Mach number equations as well as a second-order numerical integration procedure that are used to solve a realistic chemical vapor infiltration/chemical vapor deposition (CVI/CVD) problem. The simulation accounts for a homogeneous gas chemical reaction mechanism, a heterogeneous surface reaction mechanism, and an evolving pore structure model. The numerical solution of the model ultimately leads to the solution of a large system of stiff differential algebraic equations that are to be integrated over a long time. An operator splitting algorithm is employed to deal with the stiffness associated with chemical reactions, whereas a projection method is employed to overcome the difficulty arising from having to solve a large coupled system for velocity and pressure fields. Results show that the proposed integration procedure is very efficient for modeling long time CVI/CVD densification processes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Report on Travel to Kosovo, April 5–13, 2003

ABSTRACT The U.S. State Department asked the author to visit the National and University Library of Kosovo (BKUK) and participate in the first annual Library Week in Kosovo, which took place from April 7 to 12, 2003, in Prishtina. While there he met the new director of BKUK; gave two lectures; discussed interlibrary cooperation; met with the staff of the Prishtina Municipal Library and with the administration of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Kosovo; looked at bookstores, book vendors, and minority publications; bought books and serials for LC; and visited the fourteenth-century Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Gracanica.
Full‐thickness Thoracic and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction in Dogs Using Carbon/Polycaprolactone Composite

Square 9 × 9 cm full-thickness defects were created in the thoracic wall of five dogs and the abdominal wall of five dogs. The skin was retained. Ten centimeter squares of carbon fabric with a thin polycaprolactone (PCL) lining were sutured into the defects with the PCL lining facing the viscera. The dogs were observed for 5 months. The surgical technique was simple and fast. All implants were well tolerated. Cosmetic results were excellent in nine dogs. One dog (abdominal implant) developed an infection and draining tract, and a second dog (thoracic implant) had a subclinical infection. Thoracic implants caused brief serosanguinous pleural transudate. Mild paradoxical respiratory motion disappeared by 8 weeks. Lungs were radiographically normal. At necropsy, fibrous tissue was present but lacked orientation. Loose adhesions covered 20 to 80% of implant linings. There was no significant difference in ultimate tensile strength of implant/fibrous tissue compared to control abdominal wall. No carbon fragments were observed in lymph nodes. Increased numbers of secondary follicles, plasma cells, eosinophils, and sinus histiocytes in lymph nodes suggested immunologic stimulation of undetermined significance.
A study of the single radial hemolysis in gel system. I. Factors affecting the model.

Abstract Mouse hemolytic 19S antibodies can be quantitatively measured if they are allowed to radially diffuse in an agar plate containing the erythrocyte antigen. After diffusion and subsequent lysis with complement a linear relationship can be seen between the area of lysis and the square root of the antibody dilution. It is found that the temperature does not affect the area of lysis obtained; however, the erythrocyte concentration, agar concentration and time do affect the slope of the line for any antibody preparation. When care is taken, only 4·37 per cent error was observed.
Feature Identification from Vectorized Mechanical Drawings

Algorithms to identify 2-D geometric features from the vectorized form of a scanned engineering drawing have been developed. These are based on a pattern matching process where the entities present in the vectorized drawing are checked for specific pattern primitives. The pattern primitives present in an entity are compared with the overall direction of the entity to arrive at the 2-D features that are present. A library of 2-D geometric features has been developed for comparative purposes. For 3-D reconstruction and feature recognition a separation reference point is first found in order to group the entities into their respective views, i.e., top, front, and right side view. This separation reference point is then used to transfer the points belonging to the three orthographic views, expressed in the 2-D coordinate system, to a 3-D coordinate system. The 2-D feature recognition algorithm is applied to each of the three views and the 2-D features recognized in each view are combined using a set of matching primitives and matching rules to arrive at the 3-D features present in the component. 3-D features with linear sweep or rotational sweep and uniform thickness can be recognized.
Thermo-mechanical damage modeling of polymer matrix sandwich composites in fire

Abstract The objective of this research is to develop a modeling and simulation approach for predicting the thermo-mechanical damage of composite materials subjected to fire environments. A 3D thermal damage model is developed for glass-reinforced polymer composite materials subject to high temperature and radiative environments. Homogenization methods are used to formulate the damaged material in terms of fiber, resin and char. The thermal damage model is implemented in Abaqus via an overlaid element approach. The solution of the mechanical response uses the existing functions in Abaqus for large-displacement analysis. Composite sandwich panels with balsa core are examined. Reasonable agreement in temperature is obtained between predictions and available experimental data. For the sandwich panels, delamination failure is predicted at the sandwich interface – consistent with the experiments. Comparisons of time-to-failure of the sandwich panel show the predictions are reasonable.
Spontaneous polarization in quantum-dot systems

We show that the dipole-dipole interactions can lead to a spontaneous polarization of quantum dots. For a square lattice of dots we find that the phase transition into the polarized state is of the second order, and leads to an antiferroelectric arrangement.
Determining the Value of Improvements in Production Efficiency

Abstract The derivation of a practical linear equation for calculating the value of a practice in terms of feed costs is described. The equation is useful for determining the economic value of a practice which changes the feed efficiency of poultry production but does not affect other production parameters such as quality or total output.
Sinopulmonary complications of illicit drug use

Illicit drug use is frequently complicated by sinopulmonary illnesses. These complications fall into two major categories: (1) direct effects of drug exposure, and (2) indirect effects caused by HIV-induced immunosuppression. This article reviews the more common sinopulmonary syndromes associated with illicit drug use.
Estimating and Using Propensity Scores with Partially Missing Data

Abstract Investigators in observational studies have no control over treatment assignment. As a result, large differences can exist between the treatment and control groups on observed covariates, which can lead to badly biased estimates of treatment effects. Propensity score methods are an increasingly popular method for balancing the distribution of the covariates in the two groups to reduce this bias; for example, using matching or subclassification, sometimes in combination with model-based adjustment. To estimate propensity scores, which are the conditional probabilities of being treated given a vector of observed covariates, we must model the distribution of the treatment indicator given these observed covariates. Much work has been done in the case where covariates are fully observed. We address the problem of calculating propensity scores when covariates can have missing values. In such cases, which commonly arise in practice, the pattern of missing covariates can be prognostically important, and ...
Immunologic reactivity against Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with motor neuron disease.

• Of 19 unselected patients with the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) living in Suffolk County, New York (an area of high Lyme disease prevalence), 9 had serologic evidence of exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi ; 4 of 38 matched controls were seropositive. Eight of 9 sero-positive patients were male (8 of 12 male patients vs 2 of 24 controls). Rates of seropositivity were lower among patients with ALS from nonendemic areas. All patients had typical ALS; none had typical Lyme disease. Cerebrospinal fluid was examined in 24 ALS patients—3 (all with severe bulbar involvement) appeared to have intrathecal synthesis of anti- B burgdorferi antibody. Following therapy with antibiotics, 3 patients with predominantly lower motor neuron abnormalities appeared to improve, 3 with severe bulbar dysfunction deteriorated rapidly, and all others appeared unaffected. There appears to be a statistically significant association between ALS and immunoreactivity to B burgdorferi , at least among men living in hyperendemic areas.
How Does the Incentive Effect of the Charitable Deduction Vary across Charities

ABSTRACT: We examine how taxes affect donations given to nonprofit organizations and how this varies across nonprofit types. Most prior studies constrained tax price elasticities to be constant across nonprofits, primarily because the data do not provide donations by nonprofit type. Using nonprofit-level data and average marginal tax rates that vary across years and states, we estimate tax price elasticities by nonprofit type. We find an aggregate public charity elasticity of approximately −1.0 and a private foundation elasticity of approximately −2.0. These results suggest that the cost of the charitable contribution deduction is roughly proportional to its benefit for public charities, but that the deduction stimulates significant giving for private foundations. When we partition our elasticities across 24 public charity types, we find significant elasticities of −1.0 or larger for six types. This result suggests that the effect of the charitable contribution deduction varies significantly across nonpro...
Highly accessible catalytic sites on recyclable organosilane-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles: An alternative to functionalized porous silica catalysts

Abstract Diaminosilane-functionalized cobalt spinel ferrite (CoFe2O4) magnetic nanoparticles are synthesized and used as efficient heterogeneous base catalysts for the Knoevenagel condensation of aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes with malononitrile. The magnetic nanoparticle catalyst is characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and nitrogen physisorption measurements. Quantitative conversion of the reactants is achieved under mild conditions. Recovery of the catalyst is easily achieved by magnetic decantation. The supported catalyst is reused five times without significant degradation in catalytic activity. No contribution from homogeneous catalysis due to active amine species leaching into reaction solution is detected. The performance of the magnetic base catalyst in the Knoevenagel reaction is directly compared with diamine-functionalized SBA-15 and MCM-48. Reaction rates over the non-porous, magnetic nanoparticle catalyst are comparable to the large pore mesoporous silica materials and faster than the small pore MCM-48 material with ∼22 A diameter pores. A significant effect of the acidity of the magnetic nanoparticle support on catalyst activity in the Knoevenagel condensation is also observed.
Differentiated control of web traffic: a numerical analysis

Internet measurements show that the size distribution of Web-based transactions is usually very skewed; a few large requests constitute most of the total traffic. Motivated by the advantages of scheduling algorithms which favor short jobs, we propose to perform differentiated control over Web-based transactions to give preferential service to short web requests. The control is realized through service semantics provided by Internet Traffic Managers, a Diffserv-like architecture. To evaluate the performance of such a control system, it is necessary to have a fast but accurate analytical method. To this end, we model the Internet as a time-shared system and propose a numerical approach which utilizes Kleinrock's conservation law to solve the model. The numerical results are shown to match well those obtained by packet-level simulation, which runs orders of magnitude slower than our numerical method.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Future for Flat PC Desktop Monitors

The market opportunity for flat PC desktop monitors will be discussed in terms of the total market opportunity, display performance, screen size and addressability requirements, and the unique attributes which flatness and low power can offer. The evolution of market segmentation from specialized applications to mainstream products will be discussed in terms of the customer requirements needed to achieve this.
Regulation of polyamine synthesis and transport by fibroblast growth factor in aortic smooth muscle cells

AbstractBasic-FGF (FGF2) is implicated as a regulator of smooth muscle cell proliferation that develops after arterial injury. Polyamines are essential for cell growth and differentiation and may mediate some of the FGF2-elicited responses. To examine this possibility, the effect of FGF2 on polyamine synthesis and uptake was tested on rat arterial smooth muscle cells. Exposure of cells to FGF2 for 24 and 48 h resulted in increased intracellular polyamine content. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity increased in FGF2-treated cells after 6 h of treatment, whereas no increases were detected in ODC mRNA steady-state levels. Basic-FGF increased maximal polyamine transport rate without changes in Km. Treatment with actinomycin D decreased polyamine transport. The effect of cyclohexamide on polyamine uptake was dose dependent. These studies indicate that treatment of vascular smooth muscle cells with FGF2 results in increases in intracellular polyamine content, polyamine synthetic activity, and polyamine tran...
Primary Creep Crack Growth at Room Temperature in Surface Cracked Pipes

Abstract Primary-creep damage may occur at a crack tip in steel at room temperature and below. The effect of this time-dependent damage is generally neglected. Recently developed experimental data clearly show that, for some materials, neglecting time-dependent deformation and damage may be quite non-conservative and dangerous in certain practical applications. This paper presents a simple engineering primary-creep crack-growth damage model. The model was verified by comparison of finite-element solutions and primary-creep crack-growth tests on single-edge-notch and center-crack-panel geometries. The model was extended to axial through-wall crack pipes, where again model predictions were compared with full-scale pipe-test experimental data. Here the model is extended to axial surface-cracked pipes and is based upon time-dependent Irwin-type plastic-zone correction applied to the elastic solution. Experimental data are presented that show the importance of primary-creep crack growth for surface-crack growth. Model predictions of the experimental data are also presented. It is shown that the effects of primary-creep damage cannot be neglected for elastic-plastic surface-crack growth under conditions of large scale yielding. This means that proof tests should limit the hold time at maximum pressure and that leak detection should be done at some reduced pressure.
Umbrella: A Portable Environment Creator for Reproducible Computing on Clusters, Clouds, and Grids

Environment configuration is a significant challenge in large scale computing. An application that runs correctly on one carefully-prepared machine may fail completely on another machine, creating wasted effort and serious concerns about long-term reproducibility. Virtual machines and system containers provide a partial solution to this problem, in that they allow for the accurate reconstruction of an entire computing environment. However, when used directly, they have the dual problems of significant overhead and a lack of portability. To avoid this problem, we present Umbrella, a tool for specifying and materializing comprehensive execution environments from the hardware all the way up to software and data. A user simply invokes Umbrella with the desired task, and Umbrella determines the minimum mechanism necessary to run the task - direct execution, a system container, a local virtual machine, or submission to a cloud or grid environment. We present the overall design of Umbrella and demonstrate its use to precisely execute a high energy physics application across many platforms using combinations of chroot, Docker, Parrot, Condor, and Amazon EC2.
Isolation and Characterization of the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Terminase Complex

During herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection, empty procapsids are assembled and subsequently filled with the viral genome by means of a protein complex called the terminase, which is comprised of the HSV-1 UL15, UL28, and UL33 proteins. Biochemical studies of the terminase proteins have been hampered by the inability to purify the intact terminase complex. In this study, terminase complexes were isolated by tandem-affinity purification (TAP) using recombinant viruses expressing either a full-length NTAP-UL28 fusion protein (vFH476) or a C-terminally truncated NTAP-UL28 fusion protein (vFH499). TAP of the UL28 protein from vFH476-infected cells, followed by silver staining, Western blotting, and mass spectrometry, identified the UL15, UL28, and UL33 subunits, while TAP of vFH499-infected cells confirmed previous findings that the C terminus of UL28 is required for UL28 interaction with UL33 and UL15. Analysis of the oligomeric state of the purified complexes by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation revealed that the three proteins formed a complex with a molecular mass that is consistent with the formation of a UL15-UL28-UL33 heterotrimer. In order to assess the importance of conserved regions of the UL15 and UL28 proteins, recombinant NTAP-UL28 viruses with mutations of the putative UL28 metal-binding domain or within the UL15 nuclease domain were generated. TAP of UL28 complexes from cells infected with each domain mutant demonstrated that the conserved cysteine residues of the putative UL28 metal-binding domain and conserved amino acids within the UL15 nuclease domain are required for the cleavage and packaging functions of the viral terminase, but not for terminase complex assembly.
CORROSION RESEARCH LABORATORIES—8: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The name of H. H. Uhlig and the work of the Corrosion Laboratory at M.I.T. are synonymous and familiar to corrosion engineers throughout the world. We are fortunate this month in being able to publish an article describing the corrosion researches at M.I.T., from the pen of Professor Uhlig himself. Research on corrosion has been pursued at M.I.T. since the turn of the century, always on fundamental corrosion phenomena. As Professor Uhlig says at the end of his article, “money spent by industry or Government on basic corrosion research probably marks one of the soundest investments of present times”—the following gives a very good idea of what this has entailed at M.I.T.
Instantons with fractional topological charge

Abstract We introduce and discuss the properties of multivalent gauges for Yang-Mills fields, and demonstrate the existence of instantons with fractional topological charges in such gauges.
First Do No Harm: Emotional Maltreatment in the Classroom

Emotional maltreatment of children is occurring in classrooms daily and professionals sometimes are unaware of it. We are bound by a Code of Ethics, which states that we have a responsibility to intervene when children are harmed. Most professionals are unaware of how emotional maltreatment looks in the classroom and what they can do to prevent it. We have addressed what emotional maltreatment look like in the classroom and what teachers and parents can do to help to change this frequently occurring situation. The editorial presents a scenario of a first grade child who is experiencing emotional maltreatment in the classroom and strategies for parents and professionals to use when they observe emotional maltreatment in the classroom.
Doping, Schottky barrier and p-n junction formation in amorphous germanium and silicon by rf sputtering

Abstract A method is described for preparing doped specimens of amorphous germanium and amorphous silicon by rf sputtering. We present conductivity and thermoelectric power measurements which demonstrate that doping has been achieved, and sketch some photoconductive properties of the material. To demonstrate device potential, we have fabricated Schottky barriers and p-n junctions and present i-V characteristics and a photo- voltage spectrum.
Development of cleavage in limestones of a fold-thrust belt in eastern New York

Abstract Tectonic cleavage has developed in Lower Devonian limestones of the Hudson Valley Fold-Thrust Belt in New York State. Morphology and distribution of cleavage in these limestones is controlled by the amount of clay-quartz matrix present and by strain. Only limestones with greater than 10% clay-quartz matrix developed widespread cleavage. X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that the clay matrix was altered during deformation; the width of the 001 illite peak in cleaved lime wackestone is less than that in uncleaved lime wackestone from the same stratigraphic level. A minimum of 10% clay is necessary to provide interconnectivity between sites of dissolution and the free-fluid system. Preliminary analyses of bulk chemistry indicate that calcite is removed from the local rock system during cleavage development, supporting proposals that circulation of fluid through the rock plays a major role in the development of cleavage. Textural evidence suggests that both pressure solution and free-face dissolution contribute to the removal of ions at grain boundaries. Cross-cutting relations indicate that cleavage was initiated early during the development of the fold-thrust belt, but continued to develop during the late stages of folding.
Bend and splay elastic constants of diheptylazoxybenzene.

In this study we report the values of the bend (${\mathit{K}}_{3}$) and splay (${\mathit{K}}_{1}$) elastic constants of the nematic liquid crystal diheptylazoxybenzene, using a Fr\'eedericksz-transition technique. Both the bend and the splay constants were measured over a range of temperatures approaching the nematic\char21{}smectic-A (NA) transition. The ratios of ${\mathit{K}}_{3}$/${\mathit{K}}_{1}$ follow the trend of increasing towards the NA transition, which makes the conditions favorable, in the homeotropic geometry, for striped instabilities to set in. The value of ${\mathit{K}}_{3}$/${\mathit{K}}_{1}$ for our material is fairly small at higher temperatures when compared to similar materials, which is consistent with the decreasing of ${\mathit{K}}_{3}$/${\mathit{K}}_{1}$ with an increasing alkyl-chain length. The bend critical exponent ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{3}$ was determined to be 0.68\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04, which is in close agreement with a prediction of de Gennes [Solid State Commun. 10, 753 (1972)]. The effect of the nematic range on this critical exponent is examined in terms of a critical-multicritical crossover.
Kolmogorov and nonstationary spectra of optical turbulence.

The basic concept of locality of turbulent interactions in $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{k}$ space is considered. It is suggested that some nonlocal turbulent spectra can be turned into the local ones by virtue of appropriate ``hidden parameters.'' Based on this idea, a local description is developed for optical turbulence that escaped investigation by standard methods for a while, and a broad set of the Kolmogorov spectra is found explicitly. The developed method is applied then to describe formation of Kolmogorov spectra and evolution of free optical turbulence.
A study of hypersonic corner flow interactions

Hypersonic corner flow in He investigated by heat transfer, surface pressure, pitot surveys, oil and electron beam flow measurements
Early Childhood WIC Participation, Cognitive Development and Academic Achievement

Abstract For the 22% of American children who live below the federal poverty line, and the additional 23% who live below twice that level, nutritional policy is part of the safety net against hunger and its negative effects on children's development. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides steadily available food from the food groups essential for physical and cognitive development. The effects of WIC on dietary quality among participating women and children are strong and positive. Furthermore, there is a strong influence of nutrition on cognitive development and socioeconomic inequality. Yet, research on the non-health effects of U.S. child nutritional policy is scarce, despite the ultimate goal of health policies directed at children—to enable productive functioning across multiple social institutions over the life course. Using two nationally representative, longitudinal surveys of children—the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) and the Child Development Supplement (CDS) of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics—I examine how prenatal and early childhood exposure to WIC is associated in the short-term with cognitive development, and in the longer-term with reading and math learning. Results show that early WIC participation is associated with both cognitive and academic benefits. These findings suggest that WIC meaningfully contributes to children's educational prospects.
Quantitative removal of heparin from plasma and other aqueous solutions by affinity adsorption on poly(L-Lysine)-Sepharose 4B

Abstract A method is described for removal of heparin from aqueous solutions. Poly(L-lysine) covalently linked to Sepharose 4B has a strong affinity for heparin. Passage of an aqueous heparin solution through a column of poly(L-lysine)-Sepharose 4B (PLLS) results in complete removal of heparin under appropriate experimental conditions. Heparin adsorbed to PLLS then can be eluted quantitatively from the column by addition of 0.1 N NaOH. No significant loss in anticoagulant properties is observed in heparin eluted from PLLS. PLLS can be used to remove heparin from plasma also. Following exposure to plasma containing heparin, PLLS can be washed with solutions of high ionic strength, low pH, or both to remove most nonspecifically adsorbed plasma proteins. Analysis by crossed immunoelectrophoresis of heparin eluted from PLLS showed that the anticoagulant recovered contained less than 1 μg of albumin/ml (0.001% of plasma albumin) but apparently was free of other plasma proteins. Washing of PLLS with solutions of high ionic strength and low pH probably resulted in the loss of certain blood coagulation factors (factors VIII and XII), while the concentration of factor X and antithrombin III did not change appreciably.
Verification of CDMA and accuracy on echo ranging system using spread spectrum ultrasonic signals

This paper proposes the echo ranging system with spread spectrum ultrasonic signals for automobile robots. The spread spectrum signals have noise-proof property and an ability of code division multiple access (CDMA). To verify them on reflected waves, an experimental system for indoor echo ranging dealing with spread spectrum modulations was installed on original PCI hardware connected PC, and experiments for verification of CDMA and measurement accuracies were conducted. Results of the experiments indicated usefulness of the echo ranging system with spread spectrum ultrasonic signals.
Can the DNA Damage Response Be Harnessed to Modulate Atherosclerotic Plaque Phenotype

Gray et al1 describe studies to examine smooth muscle cell (SMC)–selective effects of acceleration or inhibition of double-strand DNA break repair on atherosclerotic lesion phenotype in the apolipoprotein E–deficient (ApoE−/−) mouse model. Markers of the DNA damage response (DDR) and expression of DNA repair enzymes are both significantly elevated in human atherosclerotic plaques as compared with nonatherosclerotic mammary arteries2 and are also increased in experimental models of atherosclerosis, a process that can be reversed by dietary lipid lowering.3 The report by Gray et al1 provides important insights into the specific contribution of SMCs to plaque phenotype when the DDR is manipulated in vivo. Although complementary analyses of double-strand DNA break repair in other major cell types within atherosclerotic lesions are needed, data from the studies by Gray et al1 suggest the possibility of harnessing atheroprotective features of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase,4,5 a primary initiator of the DDR. Article, see p 816 Cardiovascular disease is not only the leading cause of death in the Western World but has also surpassed infectious disease as the primary reason for mortality worldwide.6 Obesity, poor nutrition, and conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lack of physical activity, smoking, and advancing age are all major risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.7 Although the hallmark of disease progression is the insidious formation of the atherosclerotic plaque, it is the acute rupture of vulnerable plaques that is most commonly associated with cardiovascular mortality.8 Autopsy studies are the basis for predicting the features of unstable lesions where it is evident that lesion phenotype and the distribution of macrophages and SMCs are particularly important. The presence of apoptotic SMC and macrophages, a large lipid-rich core, and a thin fibrous cap are notable features.9–11 Evidence …
Optomechanical design and characterization of a printed-circuit-board-based free-space optical interconnect package

We present a proof of concept and a feasibility demonstration of a practical packaging approach in which free-space optical interconnects (FSOI's) can be integrated simply on electronic multichip modules (MCM's) for intra-MCM-board interconnects. Our system-level packaging architecture is based on a modified folded 4f imaging system that has been implemented with only off-the-shelf optics, conventional electronic packaging, and passive-assembly techniques to yield a potentially low-cost and manufacturable packaging solution. The prototypical system as built supports 48 independent FSOI channels with 8 separate laser and detector chips, for which each chip consists of a one-dimensional array of 12 devices. All the chips are assembled on a single substrate that consists of a printed circuit board or a ceramic MCM. Optical link channel efficiencies of greater than 90% and interchannel cross talk of less than -20 dB at low frequency have been measured. The system is compact at only 10 in.3 (25.4 cm3) and is scalable, as it can easily accommodate additional chips as well as two-dimensional optoelectronic device arrays for increased interconnection density.
Effect of Frequency, Environment, and Temperature on Fatigue Behavior of E319 Cast Aluminum Alloy: Stress-Controlled Fatigue Life Response

The fatigue stress-life (S-N) behavior of E319 cast aluminum alloy was studied by using both ultrasonic and conventional fatigue techniques in order to understand the potential effect of frequency on fatigue behavior of cast aluminum alloys. It was observed that, at the investigated temperature (20 °C, 150 °C, and 250 °C), fatigue life in air at 20 kHz is 5 to 10 times longer than that at 75 Hz. The difference in fatigue life between 20 kHz and 75 Hz is attributable to an environmental effect on fatigue crack growth rate. The effect of frequency, environment, and temperature on S-N behavior of E319 cast aluminum alloy can be predicted by use of a general version of a modified environmental superposition model. Environmental effects need to be considered when ultrasonic fatigue is used for estimating fatigue lives of aluminum alloys that are under cyclic loading at lower frequencies in service. It is possible to extrapolate ultrasonic fatigue data to conventional fatigue behavior for an E319 cast aluminum alloy based on the environmental superposition model.
Covenant and Assurance in Early English Puritanism

This paper deals with the nature of the idea of “covenant” in English Puritan writings of the first half of the seventeenth century, and particularly as this bears upon the question of the assurance of salvation.That this assurance could be obtained was a commonly accepted axiom and, indeed, the actual striving for such awareness was a commonly recognized obligation. When William Ames wrote, “The assurance of our calling and election is a thing greatly to be desired”, he also added the statement that this certainty “is not only possible for us to attaine unto, but also … it belongs to our duty to make this our calling and election sure”. There may well be many difficulties along the way, with serious agonies and doubtings. But excessive fearfulness is as great a sin as presumption, denying as it does the power of God's mercy. And so William Perkins could say, “we doe not teach that all and every man living within the precincts of the Church, professing the name of Christ is certen of his salvation, … but that he ought so to be, and must indeavor to attaine thereto”.
Zebrafish Genomic Instability Mutants and Cancer Susceptibility

Somatic loss of tumor suppressor gene function comprising the second hit of Knudson's two-hit hypothesis is important in human cancer. A genetic screen was performed in zebrafish (Danio rerio) to find mutations that cause genomic instability (gin), as scored by Streisinger's mosaic-eye assay that models this second hit. The assay, based on a visible test for loss of wild-type gene function at a single locus, golden, is representative of genomewide events. Twelve ENU-induced genomic instability (gin) mutations were isolated. Most mutations showed weak dominance in heterozygotes and all showed a stronger phenotype in homozygotes. Trans-heterozygosity for 7 of these mutations showed greatly enhanced instability. A variety of spontaneous tumors were found in heterozygous adults from all gin lines, consistent with the expectation that genomic instability (mutator) mutations can accelerate carcinogenesis. The incidence of spontaneous cancer at 30-34 months was increased 9.6-fold in heterozygotes for the mutant with the strongest phenotype, gin-10. Tumors were seen in skin, colon, kidney, liver, pancreas, ovary, testis, and neuronal tissues, with multiple tumors in some fish. The study of these mutants will add to our understanding of the mechanisms of somatic loss of gene function and how those mechanisms contribute to cancer susceptibility.
Causality, Chaos Theory, and the End of the Weimar Republic: A Commentary On Henry Turner’s Hitler’s Thirty Days to Power

This article seeks to integrate the roles of structure and human agency in a theory of historical causation, using the fall of the Weimar Republic and in particular Henry Turner's book Hitler's Thirty Days to Power as a case study. Drawing on analogies from chaos theory, it argues that crisis situations in history exhibit sensitive dependence on local conditions, which are always changing. This undermines the distinction between causes and conditions (including counterfactual conditions). It urges instead a distinction between empowering and constraining causes of specific human actions as a more fruitful model. The paper also discusses more briefly two other analogies to chaos theory: 1) similarity across differences in scale as applicable to different levels of individual (psychological) and collective events, which are seen as homologous; 2) a model of branching as applicable to the totality of causes of a given event.
PREMATURE URACHAL CLOSURE INDUCES HYDROURETERONEPHROSIS IN MALE FETUSES

AbstractPurpose: Congenital hydronephrosis is more common in male individuals. We investigate whether an alteration in fetal bladder function induced by premature urachal closure contributes to fetal hydronephrosis, consequently explaining this male predominance.Materials and Methods: The urachus was clipped in 8 male and 4 female ovine fetuses at 95 days of gestation (term 140 days). Subjects were sacrificed, and the urinary tract was assessed at 109 and 116 days of gestation in 3 and 1 male fetuses, respectively, and at term in 4 male and 4 female lambs.Results: At 109 and 116 days of gestation 3 of the 4 male fetuses had upper tract dilatation. At term no female but 4 male lambs had hydroureteronephrosis, including some with marked pelvic dilatation and parenchymal thinning. At term mean bladder weight in the male animals with urachal clipping was 5.28 gm. (range 3.5 to 8.2), which was significantly greater than normal (p = 0.02). Bladder weight at term in the female lambs with urachal clipping was not...
Isolation of 3,4-didehydroretinoic acid, a novel morphogenetic signal in the chick wing bud

There is increasing evidence that retinoic acid is a morphogen involved in vertebrate development. This evidence comes in part from studies of the chick wing bud, in which local application of all-trans-retinoic acid results in a duplication of the digit pattern along the anteroposterior axis. Retinoic acid may be only one of several morphogenetic signalling compounds required for limb pattern formation. To identify novel morphogenetically active compounds, fractionated extracts of whole chick embryos were tested for their ability to induce digit pattern duplications. We describe here the isolation of a new activity present in the limb bud, which we have identified as all-trans-3,4-didehydroretinoic acid. The 3,4-didehydroretinoic acid is generated in situ from retinol through a 3,4-didehydroretinol intermediate. We show that 3,4-didehydroretinoic acid and retinoic acid are equipotent in evoking digit duplications. These findings suggest that there are at least two endogenous retinoids with morphogenetic properties in the chick limb.
Block truncation coding for color images using vector quantization

The method of block truncation coding (BTC) was originally proposed by Delp and Mitchell and later extended to color images by others. The idea is to retain important visual features while discarding details which are not to be noticeable to human observers. In our paper, we further explore the block truncation coding method by minimizing the within group variance measure proposed by Otsu and the information distance suggested by Kullback to divide every 4 by 4 subimage into two classes, and an intuitive vector quantizer to further compress the coded output. As a result of the combined application of BTC and vector quantization methods, we get better bit rates (bits per pixel) for the test image used in experiments without significant perceivable errors in its appearance. First, we divide a color image into 4 by 4 small nonoverlapping blocks. The Otsu or Kullback thresholding technique is then used as an optimal method to minimize the mean square error of classifying each pixel in a block into two classes and encode it in one-bit adaptive vector quantizer. After classification, for each 4 by 4 block, there is a bitmap corresponding to one-bit adaptive vector quantizer and a six-dimensional mean vector corresponding to each of the two classes. In the second part, the vector quantizer proposed by Linde, Buzo and Gary (known as LBG) is used to compress the bit-map and mean vectors separately. This is a six- dimensional signal compression for the mean vectors and a binary compression for the bitmap. Vector quantization of these BTC output results in a reduction of the bit rate of the coder. By using BTC and vector quantization methods, we have obtained 1.0 bit/pixel compression result for a color image of size 512 by 480 given with 8 bits/pixel and R, G, B specifications. The mean square error was also measured as low as 0.07 without much deformation in the reconstructed image.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Distribution of smooth muscle actin-containing cells in the human meniscus.

Abstract This is the first report of a contractile actin isoform, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), in the cells of the human meniscus that lacked meniscal tears based on gross anatomical appearance. Approximately 25% of the cells in the tissue contained SMA by immunohistochemistry. Most of the SMA-positive cells were chondrocytic in morphology.
Moisture profiles during intermittent soaking of an oblate spheroid

Abstract Oblate spheroidal geometry and Fickian diffusion with constant diffusivity are used to model moisture absorption in a sorghum kernel with an aspect ratio of 1.48 during intermittent soaking. During the soaking phases the surface is assumed to be saturated while during the drain phases convective transport between the surroundings and the surface is assumed. An explicit finite difference scheme is used to solve the dimensionless form of the diffusion equation. For a three-cycle scenario with a 30-min soak, 2-h drain, 30-min soak, 5-h drain, and a 64-h soak, it is shown that the moisture distribution in the kernel is more uniform (as measured by the standard deviation of the moisture profile) than during a constant soaking scenario regardless of the assumed values of the Biot modulus and the equilibrium surface moisture concentration during the drain phases.
I2 amplifier in the green

The collisional coupling between the green (A - 505 nm) and UV (342 nm) bands of 12 has been examined in electron beam-pumped mixtures of Ar and hydrogen iodide (HI). The strong interaction between the two is evidenced by the large suppression (> 40%) of the 342 nm D' 4. A' fluorescence that is observed when a green dye laser pulse (A - 503 nm) of I > 4 MW - cm-2 is injected into the medium.
Synthesis and mass spectra of the partially methylated and partially ethylated anhydro-d-mannitol acetates derived by reductive cleavage of permethylated and perethylated Saccharomyces cerevisiaed-mannans

Abstract Reductive cleavage of per- O -ethylated or per- O -methylated Saccharomyces cerevisiae d -mannans and subsequent acetylation had previously been shown to produce the expected derivatives of 1,5-anhydro- d -mannitol. Described herein is the independent synthesis of each of these derivatives, namely, 1,5-anhydro-2,3,4,6-tetra- O -methyl-, -2,3,4,6-tetra- O -ethyl-, -2- O -acetyl-3,4,6-tri- O -methyl-, -2- O -acetyl-3,4,6-tri- O -ethyl-, -3- O -acetyl-2,4,6-tri- O -methyl-, -3- O -acetyl-2,4,6-tri- O -ethyl-, -6- O -acetyl-2,3,4-tri- O -methyl-, -6- O -acetyl-2,3,4-tri- O -ethyl-, -2,6-di- O -acetyl-3,4-di- O -methyl-, -2,6-di- O -acetyl-3,4-di- O -ethyl-, -3,6-di- O -acetyl-2,4-di- O -methyl-, and -3,6-di- O -acetyl-2,4-di- O -ethyl- d -mannitol. The 1 H-n.m.r. spectra, chemical-ionization (NH 3 ) mass spectra, and electron-impact mass spectra for all of these derivatives are tabulated.
INFLUENCE OF BILL SHAPE ON ECTOPARASITE LOAD IN WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS

Abstract Populations of the Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) have bills specialized for feeding in their respective habitats. Populations in oak habitat have hooked bills, whereas those in pinyon habitat have pointed bills with a reduced maxillary overhang. Work on other bird species shows that the bill overhang is essential for efficient preening to control ectoparasites. Given the importance of this overhang, we predicted that louse-infested jays with pointed bills would have higher louse loads than those with hooked bills. We compared the number of lice on 65 pointed-billed (4 infested) and 105 hooked-billed (17 infested) birds. Despite their lower incidence of louse infestation, pointed-billed birds had significantly more lice than hooked-billed birds, supporting our prediction. While pointed bills enhance feeding in pinyon habitat, our results suggest that they may incur a cost of reduced preening efficiency. Evolution of bill shape has traditionally been interpreted mainly in terms of fora...
Blood and the brain

In everyday Euro-American understandings, blood is both vital and dangerous to the brain. Why, then, are there virtually no illustrations of the brain in contemporary neuroscience that include the blood vessels needed to supply the brain with its vital energy? Photographs, drawings, scans, images, and other kinds of visual material illustrate the location, function, and shape of nervous tissue in the brain in endless variety and detail. But to see where the blood vessels that supply the brain lie, one has to turn to texts on the anatomy of cerebral vasculature or medical literature specifically devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of brain injury. Blood is simultaneously essential to contemporary understandings of brain physiology and segregated into distinct domains. Using visual depictions in medical illustrations and web-based discussions among patients with brain injury, this paper explores what kind of special object blood is in contemporary neuroscience.