cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time course of thyrotropin-dependent protein phosphorylation in thyroid slices.

The time course of TSH-dependent protein phosphorylation was studied in calf thyroid slices labeled in vitro with 32<Pi. Several of the proteins identified by two-dimensional electrophoresis displayed striking increases in 32<Pi labeling in the presence of TSH. Phosphorylation of histones H3 and HI (two subgroups) was enhanced about 3.7 and 10-fold, respectively, after incubation with TSH (15 mU/ml) for 70 min. Histone phosphorylation showed a lag after exposure to TSH; a major increase occurred only after 30-min incubation but then increased progressively up to 2 h. The lag in histone phosphorylation was also observed with slices prelabeled with 32P before the addition of TSH. In contrast, phosphorylation of a minor basic protein, A5, was also increased by 15 mU/ml TSH but displayed different kinetics, increasing substantially at 10 min. This time course correlates well with the rise in intracellular cAMP levels and protein kinase activity in thyroid slices after TSH.
Plasma membrane isolated with a defined orientation used to investigate protein topography

Abstract An investigation into the protein topography of tomato plasma membrane proteins was undertaken. Plasma membrane was isolated by phase partitioning to expose the extracellular leaflet, and by coating the protoplasts with silica microbeads to expose the cytosolic surface. Marker enzyme analysis indicated that both methods yielded relatively pure plasma membrane. Orientation of these plasma membrane fractions was established by investigating the latency of H+-ATPase activity. Triton X-100 stimulated H+-ATPase activity by 6-fold in the phase-partitioned plasma membrane fraction but did not stimulate this enzyme in the silica microbead-isolated plasma membrane. The impermeant photoactivable probes, 3-azido-(2,7)-naphthalene disulfonate and 5-azido-1-naphthalene monosulfonate, were used to probe the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions of the plasma membrane, respectively. Using 5-azido-1-naphthalene monosulfonate, six proteins were labeled from the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane and five proteins were labeled from the extracellular leaflet. Only two proteins were labeled by 3-azido-(2,7)-naphthalene disulfonate, and these were from the cytosolic-facing leaflet. The results indicate that these photoactive probes can be used in conjunction with aqueous two-phase partitioning and silica microbeads for transmembrane mapping of plasma membrane proteins.
High-pressure phase transformation of the silicon clathrate Si136

The compressional behaviour of a new expanded form of silicon, the cubic Si136 clathrate, is studied by energy dispersive x-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell experiment. The ambient temperature bulk modulus and its pressure derivative are determined to be K0 = 90(3) GPa and K0' = 5.2(8), in agreement with LDA theoretical calculations. At pressures between 8 and 10 GPa, the structure transforms into the thermodynamically stable β-Sn phase. This behaviour is analogous to that of diamond-structured silicon. However, the metastable transition from Si136 to the β-Sn structure should occur at a much lower pressure (3-4 GPa), from consideration of free energy-pressure relations. The observation can be related to the absence of a convenient low-energy pathway for the IV- to VI-fold coordination change involved in the transition from Si136 to β-Sn.
Effects of Measurement Devices on Conducted Interference Levels

Measurements of power line conducted interference voltages are commonly made throughout the 150 kHz to 30 MHz frequency range on military, industrial, and consumer equipment using line impedance stabilization networks (LISN) and, more recently, current probe techniques. This paper presents some brief background information concerning power line conducted interference measurements and the results of a study to assess the effects of LISN and current probe measurement devices on the level of measured conducted interference. A model is defined which facilitates prediction of the effects. The model concept allows the procedures described in this paper to be extended to equipment of other impedance definitions. A comparison of the calculated and empirical differences is made and suggests an analytical approach in sizing the effects upon the conducted interference levels.
The hemisphere chart: Wheeler's ideas on the reflection coefficient plane

Wheeler attached prime importance to graphics for representation and analysis of data and as computational tool. Accordingly, for the reflection coefficient plane he developed his own optimal, minimalist, and specialized forms. He early on recognized the utility of stating reflection coefficient in units of dB(SWR), validated by later workers and developments. The (graphical) evaluation of the maximum efficiency of transmission through a 2-port network was a particular achievement.
Heat Transfer Analysis of Continuous Fiber/Thermoplastic Matrix Composites During Manufacture:

The thermal behavior of a continuous fiber/thermoplastic matrix composite laminate being cooled in a large steel mold is simulated using a finite element method. The heat released by crystallization is a small part of the total, and is treated approximately using a temperature-dependent specific heat. We present arguments and procedures for combining several lamina in one finite element to gain computational efficiency. Experi ments are carried out on flat panels of APC-2 in a compression mold with asymmetric cooling. The model accurately predicts temperature histories in the laminate. In our exam ple problem, heat transfer is dominated by the convective heat transfer coefficient in the cooling channel, the in-plane conductivity of the steel mold, and the thickness-direction conductivity of the composite. Fiber orientation in the composite has a negligible in fluence on the temperature history.
Foam extrusion of high density polyethylene/wood-flour composites using chemical foaming agents

A one-way analysis of variance and thermal analysis were performed in this study to examine the influences of the contents, types (exothermic vs. endothermic), and forms (pure vs. masterbatch) of chemical foaming agents (CFAs), as well as the use of coupling agents, on the density reduction (or void fraction) and cell morphology of extrusion-foamed neat high density polyethylene (HDPE) and HDPE/wood-flour composites. The CFA types and forms did not affect the void fractions of both the neat HDPE and HDPE/wood-flour composites. However, a gas containment limit was observed for neat HDPE foams whereas the average cell size achieved in the HDPE/wood-flour composite foams remained insensitive to the CFA contents, irrespective of the foaming agent types. The experimental results indicated that the use of coupling agent in the formulation was required to achieve HDPE/wood-flour composite foams with high void fraction. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 3139–3150, 2003
Technology Benefits Estimation (T/BEST) for Aerospace Engine Technology Propulsion Systems: Life and Maintenance

A Technology Benefit Estimator (T/BEST) system has been developed to provide a formal method to assess advanced technologies and quantify the benefit contributions for prioritization. T/BEST may be used to provide guidelines to identify and prioritize high payoff research areas, help manage research and limited resources, show the link between advanced concepts and the bottom line, i.e., accrued benefit and value, and to credibly communicate the benefits of research. An open-ended, modular approach is used to allow for modification and addition of both key and advanced technology modules. T/BEST has a hierarchical framework that yields varying levels of benefit estimation accuracy that are dependent on the degree of input detail available. This hierarchical feature permits rapid estimation of technology benefits even when the technology is at the conceptual stage. T/BEST’s software framework, status, novice-to-expert operation, interface architecture, analysis module addition, key analysis modules are discussed. Representative example of T/BEST benefit analyses for life and maintenance is described in some detail.Copyright © 1995 by ASME
Intrauterine-Onset Myoclonic Encephalopathy Associated With Cerebral Cortical Dysgenesis:

The intrauterine onset of convulsive syndromes has been documented only rarely, and previous reports have lacked detailed neuropathologic description. This report details a case of severe, intractable myoclonic encephalopathy, which, on the basis of severely abnormal paroxysmal fetal movement patterns confirmed by antenatal ultrasound, appears to have been of antenatal onset. The infant suffered an early demise and at autopsy showed features of a severe brain dysgenesis with polymicrogyria and superadded encephaloclastic features. Despite an extensive evaluation, the etiology of this condition remains elusive in our case. This case demonstrates that closer analysis of the qualitative features of fetal movements by, for instance, real-time ultrasound could aid in the antenatal diagnosis of neurologic, particularly convulsive, syndromes. (J Child Neurol 1993;8:164-170).
Firm-Level Productivity and Management Influence: A Comparison of U.S. and Japanese Automobile Producers

This study compares the productivity of six major US and Japanese motor vehicle manufacturers-General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda-from the early 1950's through 1987. Techniques of productivity measurement, conventionally applied at the level of industries or national economies, are adapted for the analysis of individual firms. Several potential determinants of growth in productivity are evaluated, including economies of scale, adoption of "just-in-time" manufacturing, and changes in top management. The results show that productivity improvement by the six motor vehicle producers was attained primarily through more efficient utilization of labor; long-term growth in capital productivity was negligible for most firms. The three Japanese producers had achieved higher labor productivity than their US counterparts by the late 1970's. More recently, though, differences among firms within each country have become large relative to the gap between the US and Japan. Early productivity growth for Japanese producers was derived in part from the achievement of scale economies, but this source of improvement was largely exhausted by the mid-1960's. In both countries, significant shifts in the growth rate and level of firm productivity have followed changes in top management.
Altered expression of L-arginine metabolism pathway genes in chronic wounds in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

Summary Individuals with the severe, mutilating Hallopeau–Siemens form of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (HS-RDEB) have trauma-induced blisters and skin erosions which often progress to wounds that are slow to heal. These chronic wounds cause considerable morbidity and there is an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma arising in the wound margins. Currently, little is known about the keratinocyte cell biology in these wounds. Therefore, we compared the gene expression profiles of wound edge with nonwounded skin from two individuals with HS-RDEB. Trauma-induced wound sites had been present in both patients for more than 3 months. Hybridizations using DermArrayTM gene expression filters showed relative differences in gene expression between wounded and unwounded skin. Notably, there was a fivefold increase in expression of arginase-1 (ARG1) in the chronic wound samples. Expression of seven other genes relevant to l-arginine metabolism also showed differences greater than twofold. l-Arginine is known to have a critical role in the synthesis of nitric oxide as part of normal tissue repair. Although alterations in arginase isoenzymes have been detected previously in other chronic wounds (human and animal models), this is the first study to demonstrate differences in several components of the l-arginine metabolism pathway in chronic wounds, and the first to examine chronic wounds in HS-RDEB. The data show that the cascade of l-arginine metabolites is altered in HS-RDEB and the findings may provide new insight into the pathology of chronic wounds in this genodermatosis.
Algorithms for Compressed Inputs

We study compression-aware algorithms, i.e. algorithms that can exploit regularity in their input data by directly operating on compressed data. While popular with string algorithms, we consider this idea for algorithms operating on numeric sequences and graphs that have been compressed using a variety of schemes including LZ77, grammar-based compression, a graph interpretation of Re-Pair, and a method presented by Boldi and Vigna in The Web Graph Framework. In all cases, we discover algorithms outperforming a trivial approach: to decompress the input and run a standard algorithm. We aim to develop an algorithmic toolkit for basic tasks to operate on a variety of compression inputs.
Type VI collagen-specific messenger RNA is expressed constitutively by cultured human synovial fibroblasts and is suppressed by interleukin-1.

OBJECTIVE Type VI collagen is a prominent constituent of the synovial extracellular matrix. The cellular source of this matrix protein and the identity of local factor sin synovium that may regulate its expression have not been delineated, however. We examined the capacity of human fibroblast-like synovial cells to synthesize type VI collagen as well as the effect of interleukin-1 (IL-1) on this expression. METHODS RNA was extracted from cultured human synovial cells derived from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). Northern blots were analyzed using sequence-specific probes, and steady-state messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the 3 alpha (VI) procollagen chains were measured. The effect of IL-1 treatment on these levels was determined. RESULTS Abundant expression of 3 characteristic mRNA transcripts, corresponding to the alpha 1 (4.2-kb), alpha 2 (3.5-kb), and alpha 3 (8.5-kb) chains of type VI procollagen, was observed in untreated cells derived from RA and OA patients. IL-1 treatment consistently suppressed steady-state mRNA levels for all 3 alpha (VI) procollagen chains in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Tumor necrosis factor alpha induced a response similar to that of IL-1, while IL-2 was ineffective in this regard. Indomethacin partially restored alpha (VI) mRNA expression in IL-1--treated cells. CONCLUSION These studies provide novel data demonstrating abundant steady-state levels of mRNA transcripts coding for all 3 type VI procollagen polypeptides in human synovial fibroblast-like cells, as well as coordinated down-regulation of these transcripts by IL-1. Local production of IL-1 may thus constitute an important means in vivo of regulating the production of type VI collagen.
Zero-divisors among finite structures of a fixed type

Conditions are established which guarantee that a finite structure be a zero-divisor relative to the class of all finite structures of its type. These conditions are concerned with reducts, disjointness conditions on ranges and/or projections of operations and/or relations, and diophantine equations induced by a relation.
Active Crohn's disease in the small bowel: evaluation by diffusion weighted imaging and quantitative dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging.

Purpose To determine relative diagnostic value of MR diffusion and perfusion parameters in detection of active small bowel inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Materials and Methods We reviewed 18 patients with active CD of terminal ileum (TI) who underwent MR enterography (MRE; including dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI). Conventional MRI findings of TI were recorded. Regions of interest were drawn over TI and normal ileum to calculate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) and the contrast media distribution volume (ve). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine their diagnostic performance. Results Among conventional MR findings, mural thickening and increased enhancement were present in all actively inflamed small bowel. Ktrans, ve, and ADC values differed significantly between actively inflamed TI and normal ileum (0.92 s−1 versus 0.36 s−1; 0.31 versus 0.15 ± 0.08; 0.00198 mm2/s versus 0.00311 mm2/s; P < 0.001). Area under the curve (AUC) for Ktrans, ve, and ADC values ranged from 0.88 to 0.92 for detection of active inflammation. Combining Ktrans and ADC data provided an AUC value of 0.95. Conclusion Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) provide quantitative measures of small bowel inflammation that can differentiate actively inflamed small bowel segments from normal small bowel in CD. DWI provides better sensitivity compared with DCE-MRI and combination of ADC and Ktrans parameters for analysis can potentially improve specificity. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Solid-fuel household cook stoves: characterization of performance and emissions.

In this study, 14 solid-fuel household cook stove and fuel combinations, including 10 stoves and four fuels, were tested for performance and pollutant emissions using a WBT (Water Boiling Test) protocol. Results from the testing showed that some stoves currently used in the field have improved fuel efficiency and lower pollutant emissions compared with traditional cooking methods. Stoves with smaller-mass components exposed to the heat of fuel combustion tended to take lesser time to boil, have better fuel efficiency, and lower pollutant emissions. The challenge is to design stoves with smaller-mass components that also have acceptable durability, affordable cost, and meet user needs. Results from this study provide stove performance and emissions information to practitioners disseminating stove technology in the field. This information may be useful for improving the design of existing stoves and for developing new stove designs. Comparison of results between laboratories shows that results can be replicated between labs when the same stove and fuel are tested using the WBT protocol. Recommendations were provided to improve the ability to replicate results between labs. Implications of better solid-fuel cook stoves are improved human health, reduced fuel use, reduced deforestation, and reduced global climate change.
Experimentally measured shear stress in the standpipe of a circulating fluidized bed

Shear stress measurements were obtained in the standpipe of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) for 230-μm coke breeze particles under a variety of flow conditions. These data were combined with incremental gas-phase pressure drop readings, and an estimate of the bed weight to predict the solids-phase pressure drop. It was determined that the wall shear stress and solids-phase pressure drop are significant portions of the momentum balance and cannot be neglected when modeling frictional flow behavior of Geldart type B powders in a standpipe using the conservation of linear momentum. The combined magnitude of the axial solids-phase pressure drop and wall shear stress exceeded 48% of the total forces in the mixture momentum balance for a standpipe. However, tests indicated that the influence of the wall shear stress and axial solids pressure in the mixture momentum balance may be assumed to be negligible once minimum fluidization has been exceeded. Under packed standpipe flow conditions most literature applications treat the wall shear stress as being directly proportional to the axial solids pressure divided by a proportionality factor that does not change with solids flow rate. This assumed constant is the product of the Janssen coefficient and coefficient of friction or the stress ratio. However, shear stress measurements indicated that this proportionality factor experienced a large monotonic decrease from conditions of incipient flow, where it was at its maximum, to conditions of high volumetric fluxes, where it approached a much smaller constant value. Two packed-bed flow regimes were identified. They are the smooth flow regime, characterized as spanning from moderate to large solid volumetric flow rates, and a stick-slip regime characterized as spanning from incipient to moderate solid volumetric fluxes.
The Determinants of Larceny: an Empirical and Theoretical Study

This study ascertains the characteristics of individuals and their life styles that are differentially related to the risk of personal larceny victimization. Using the "rou tine activity" perspective recently explicated by Cohen and Felson (1979), we analyze 1975-76 National Crime Survey victimization data for the entire United States. The effects of age, race, income, major activity, and number of persons in the household are examined independently and in interaction, via log-linear tech niques. The data indicate that those with a family income of $20,000 or more a year, sixteen through twenty-nine year olds, people who live alone, and persons who are unemployed all face greater than average risks of being victimized by personal lar ceny. In contrast, those with a family income of less than $10,000 per year, those who are fifty or older, and those whose major activity is "keeping house" have less than average odds of being the victims of a personal larceny. These findings are discussed within the routine...
The RASSF1 Gene and the Opposing Effects of the RASSF1A and RASSF1C Isoforms on Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis

RASSF1A has been demonstrated to be a tumor suppressor, while RASSF1C is now emerging as a growth promoting protein in breast and lung cancer cells. To further highlight the dual functionality of the RASSF1 gene, we have compared the effects of RASSF1A and RASSF1C on cell proliferation and apoptosis in the presence of TNF-α. Overexpression of RASSF1C in breast and lung cancer cells reduced the effects of TNF-α on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and MST1/2 phosphorylation, while overexpression of RASSF1A had the opposite effect. We also assessed the expression of RASSF1A and RASSF1C in breast and lung tumor and matched normal tissues. We found that RASSF1A mRNA levels are significantly higher than RASSF1C mRNA levels in all normal breast and lung tissues examined. In addition, RASSF1A expression is significantly downregulated in 92% of breast tumors and in 53% of lung tumors. Conversely, RASSF1C was upregulated in 62% of breast tumors and in 47% of lung tumors. Together, these findings suggest that RASSF1C, unlike RASSF1A, is not a tumor suppressor but instead may play a role in stimulating survival in breast and lung cancer cells.
Reference-free detection of spike faults in wireless sensor networks

In recent years, wireless sensor networks have been applied to many applications. These sensors are usually simple, low-cost devices, deployed in large quantities, and prone to failure. This paper presents a model-free and reference-free spike fault identification method based on pair-wise verification. When the input of a system comes from a common source, there is a linear relationship between the output of any pair of sensors. This linear relationship between sensor pairs can be obtained through training. We present a method which is able to find faulty sensors suffering from sparse spikes in their outputs by pairwise comparisons even though there is no knowledge of which sensor is normal or abnormal, and no knowledge of the common input. The performance and limitations of the algorithm are discussed. Simulation results show that our algorithm has good performance, even when the spike fault power is comparable to the output signal power or observation noise power.
From Pixels to Semantic Spaces: Advances in Content-Based Image Retrieval

The paradigm for image retrieval has evolved from low-level image representations to semantic concept models to higher-level semantic inferences. UCSD's Statistical Visual Computing Laboratory has developed effective techniques for each paradigm that equate retrieval with classification and strive for minimum-probability-of-error optimality.
The Mordukhovich Normal Cone and the Foundations of Welfare Economics

The statement that Pareto optimal allocations require the equalization of marginal rates of substitution, or in an economy with public goods, require the equalization of the aggregate of the marginal rates in consumption to those in production, is formalized through the use of the Mordukhovich normal cone. Since this cone is strictly contained, in general, in the Clarke normal cone, the results generalize earlier work of Khan and Vohra, Quinzii, Yun, and Cornet. The results are an application of Mordukhovich's 1980 theorem on necessary conditions for optimality in constrained optimization problems involving functions that are not necessarily differentiable or quasi-concave. As such, the results suggest a distinction between the mathematical programming approach to the “second welfare theorem,” as in the work of Hicks, Lange, and Samuelson, and that based on the separation of sets, as pioneered by Arrow and Debreu.
Modern Wiener--Hopf design of optimal controllers Part I: The single-input-output case

An analytical feedback design technique is presented here for single-input-output processes which are characterized by their rational transfer functions. The design procedure accounts for the topological structure of the feedback system ensuring asymptotic stability for the closed-loop configuration. The plant or process being controlled can be unstable and/or nonminimum phase. The treatment of feedback sensor noise, disturbance inputs, and process saturation is another major contribution of this work. The cornerstone in the development is the selection of a performance index based on sound engineering considerations. It is these considerations, in fact, which ensure the existence of an optimal compensator for the system and make the performance index a natural one for the problem at hand.
Determination of Oxygen Permeation Kinetics in A Ceramic Membrane with The Composition SrFeCo0.5O3.25-δ

The oxygen permeation through an oxide membrane with bulk composition SrFeCo0.5O3.25-jg has been measured as a function of both oxygen partial pressure and temperature. The results of the pressure dependence of the permeation indicate that the oxygen transport in this membrane is dependent primarily on the bulk diffusion rate. Although the permeation experiments were carried out at temperatures within, or very close to, the range where SrFeCo0.5O3.25-δ is stable as a pure single phase, the membrane was found to consist of SrFe1.5-xO3.25-δ(x = ∼0.42) together with fractions of Sr(Co,Fe)O3-δ perovskite and Co-Fe oxide that formed as stable phases during densification of the membrane at high temperature (1090°C). These additional phases persisted in the membrane during the permeation measurements.
Home-based peer social networks of young children with Down syndrome: a developmental perspective

Numerous dimensions of the peer social networks of children with Down syndrome were examined within a developmental framework. Results revealed that for many key measures, particularly involvement in play, linkages to other settings, and control of play, children with Down syndrome have less well-developed peer networks even in comparison to a mental age matched group of typically developing children. This suggests both an absence of any social advantage in the peer context for children with Down syndrome and the existence of unusual difficulties that may be traced to underlying problems in peer-related social competence. The need for future observational studies of peer interactions for this group of children was emphasized.
Crustal seismicity and the earthquake catalog maximum moment magnitude (Mcmax ) in stable continental regions (SCRs): Correlation with the seismic velocity of the lithosphere

Abstract A joint analysis of global seismicity and seismic tomography indicates that the seismic potential of continental intraplate regions is correlated with the seismic properties of the lithosphere. Archean and Early Proterozoic cratons with cold, stable continental lithospheric roots have fewer crustal earthquakes and a lower maximum earthquake catalog moment magnitude (Mcmax). The geographic distribution of thick lithospheric roots is inferred from the global seismic model S40RTS that displays shear-velocity perturbations (δVS) relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM). We compare δVS at a depth of 175 km with the locations and moment magnitudes (Mw) of intraplate earthquakes in the crust ( Schulte and Mooney, 2005 ). Many intraplate earthquakes concentrate around the pronounced lateral gradients in lithospheric thickness that surround the cratons and few earthquakes occur within cratonic interiors. Globally, 27% of stable continental lithosphere is underlain by δVS≥3.0%, yet only 6.5% of crustal earthquakes with Mw>4.5 occur above these regions with thick lithosphere. No earthquakes in our catalog with Mw>6 have occurred above mantle lithosphere with δVS>3.5%, although such lithosphere comprises 19% of stable continental regions. Thus, for cratonic interiors with seismically determined thick lithosphere (1) there is a significant decrease in the number of crustal earthquakes, and (2) the maximum moment magnitude found in the earthquake catalog is Mcmax=6.0. We attribute these observations to higher lithospheric strength beneath cratonic interiors due to lower temperatures and dehydration in both the lower crust and the highly depleted lithospheric root.
Unrestricted rotation in polymers with discrete rotational states

The authors propose that a polymer chain with equally probable but discrete rotational states be called a chain with “unrestricted” rotation. This model is equivalent to the “freely rotating” model only under specific circumstances. At the present time, it is customary to compare unperturbed mean-square end-to-end dimensions of polymers (r20/nl2) with the corresponding values calculated from the freely rotating model of a polymer chain. However, comparison of (r20/nl2) to the equivalent unrestricted rotation model dimensions (r2u/nl2) is an improved measure of chain stiffness or conformational order. Calculations are performed for polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene, isotactic polypropylene, and polyisobutylene. The significance of r20/r2u for these polymers is discussed.
Management of intra-abdominal aneurysms associated with periarteritis nodosa

Periarteritis nodosa is a disease of small and medium-sized arteries, frequently associated with multiple visceral artery aneurysms. Infrequently, these aneurysms rupture, usually with fatal results. A case of spontaneous rupture of a middle colic artery aneurysm in a patient with periarteritis nodosa is reported, and similar cases in the literature are reviewed. Treatment of a ruptured visceral artery aneurysm requires ligation or resection of the aneurysm without delay. Residual aneurysms are treated with cyclophosphamide and/or prednisone in an attempt to induce regression of the aneurysms. An arteriogram performed after 3 to 4 months of medical therapy determines the need for further surgical intervention.
An Efficient Packet Loss Recovery Methodology for Video Streaming Over IP Networks

Large amounts of data and limited bandwidth are always at odds for digital video streaming over internet protocol (IP) networks. Packets could possibly be delayed or lost. Sender-based recovery techniques for packet loss generate redundant information that causes lower compression ratio and consumes additional bandwidth. In order to address this issue, a novel information hiding based recovery methodology has been developed. The basic idea is that the redundant information used for error recovery is embedded within the frames of the original video contents, by means of high bitrate information hiding techniques. In the receiver end, the hidden information is extracted for lost-packet recovery. Experimental results show that the damaged macroblocks can be recovered with a higher quality using the proposed methodology, as compared to spatial extrapolation used in H.264/AVC reference software. The main contributions of the proposed methodology are: (1) the delivery of redundant information does not increase bandwidth requirement significantly under the same media quality, bringing out advantages in practical applications; (2) the structures of encoder and decoder do not need to be changed in the case of intra-only coding mode.
Overcoming nasal discomfort—A novel method for office‐based laser surgery

Objectives: The passage of a flexible channeled laryngoscope for office-based laser laryngeal surgery can be limited by narrow nasal passages, nasal discomfort, or both. We describe a novel method for delivering the laser fiber transorally with simultaneous laryngeal visualization to avoid these limitations. This technique can be employed with instruments available in most otolaryngologists' offices. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed and procedural details were recorded. Results: Technical description: A laser fiber was threaded through the shaft of an Abraham cannula. A patient was seated in an otolaryngology examination chair and instructed to hold and stabilize his own tongue. Using his nondominant hand, the surgeon placed a rigid angled telescope into the patient's oral cavity for laryngeal visualization. Using his dominant hand, the surgeon simultaneously introduced the laser fiber threaded through the Abraham cannula into the patients oral cavity and guided it towards the patients larynx. Energy from the PDL, KTP, or CO2 flexible laser fibers was then delivered for management of glottic papillomatosis and leukoplakia. Treatment of glottic lesions was achieved successfully in all cases with titration endpoints identical to the transnasal approach. Conclusions: For patients who cannot tolerate transnasal passage of a flexible channeled laryngoscope during office-based laser laryngeal surgery, an attractive alternative to surgery under general anesthesia is the transoral technique. This approach does not rely on distal chip endoscopes and can be performed with existing equipment in an office setting.
The Pediatrician's Dilemma: Respecting Parental Autonomy Versus Protecting Vulnerable Children.

Since the advent of the Baby Doe regulations, pediatricians have been caught in a dilemma: balancing parents' rights to decide what is in their child's best interest with the duty of care for child...
Music Library Association Conference 2013: Incorporating Faculty Collaboration, Active Learning, and Hands-On Experience into Music Library Instruction to Improve Student Learning Outcomes

The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Music Library featured many sessions on music library instruction. One session focused on music librarian experiences with incorporating faculty collaboration, in-class activities, active learning, and hands-on experience into library classroom instruction in order to improve student information literacy.
Finding forced trends in oceanic oxygen

Anthropogenically forced trends in oceanic dissolved oxygen are evaluated in Earth system models in the context of natural variability. A large ensemble of a single Earth system model is used to clearly identify the forced component of change in interior oxygen distributions and to evaluate the magnitude of this signal relative to noise generated by internal climate variability. The time of emergence of forced trends is quantified on the basis of anomalies in oxygen concentrations and trends. We find that the forced signal should already be evident in the southern Indian Ocean and parts of the eastern tropical Pacific and Atlantic basins; widespread detection of forced deoxygenation is possible by 2030–2040. In addition to considering spatially discrete metrics of detection, we evaluate the similarity of the spatial structures associated with natural variability and the forced trend. Outside of the subtropics, these patterns are not wholly distinct on the isopycnal surfaces considered, and therefore, this approach does not provide significantly advanced detection. Our results clearly demonstrate the strong impact of natural climate variability on interior oxygen distributions, providing an important context for interpreting observations.
Heparin cofactor II activity in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation and hepatic failure.

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is a glycoprotein in human plasma which inactivates thrombin rapidly in the presence of heparin or dermatan sulfate. We have developed a functional assay for HCII in which inhibition of thrombin by plasma is determined in the presence of dermatan sulfate. The assay is specific for HCII by the following criteria: (a) under the conditions of the assay, 125I-thrombin forms complexes in plasma which comigrate with the thrombin-HCII complex during sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS- PAGE); (b) activity detected by the assay is decreased in plasma absorbed with monospecific antibodies against HCII; and (c) purified antithrombin III (ATIII) is unreactive in the assay system. Addition of Polybrene to the assay permits determination of HCII activity in samples containing less than or equal to 12 U/mL of heparin. The range of HCII concentrations in normal individuals is 1.2 +/- 0.4 mumol/L (mean +/- 2 SD, n = 34). HCII activity was determined in 54 consecutive patients undergoing evaluation for the possibility of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Ten of the 11 patients with documented DIC had decreased HCII activity as compared with only 7 of the 43 patients without DIC (chi 2 = 19.3, P less than .0001). The concentrations of HCII and ATIII varied in parallel in most of the patients tested. A significant correlation between decreased HCII activity and decreased serum albumin concentration was also observed in these patients and in eight additional patients with hepatic failure in the absence of DIC. We conclude that HCII activity is decreased in many patients with DIC and hepatic failure.
Dilatancy and premonitory variations of P, S travel times

abstract Nur9s (1972) explanation of the observed premonitory decrease in the travel-time ratio of shear and compressional waves, ξ, in terms of dilatancy is modified by considering the anisotropic characteristics of dilatant rock in the focal region. The expected change in ξ is influenced by the orientation and type of geologic fault as well as the geometry of source and observation points. The shear wave will in general split into two components traveling with somewhat different velocities.
Determinants and Consequences of Nonprofit Debt Ratings

SYNOPSIS: We use a comprehensive sample of over 400 nonprofit organizations that received a bond rating from Moody's or S&P between 1997 and 2010 to investigate the types of nonprofits that purchase a rating and the association between ratings and donations. Compared to organizations without ratings, our results indicate that bond ratings are purchased by larger organizations and those with more debt. We also find evidence that donors' use of information provided by bond ratings is limited to hospitals and universities. This result likely occurs because donors to hospitals and universities are more aware of debt ratings than donors to other nonprofit organizations. An implication is that nonprofits in other industries should consider disseminating bond rating information directly to potential donors as part of their fundraising efforts.
Neurofibroma with aberrant tactile corpuscles

This report describes an unusual plexiform neurofibroma from a child with von Recklinghausen's disease that was characterized by the presence of numerous aberrant tactile corpuscles in both the original and recurrent tumor. The individual corpuscles appeared to be composed of combination of a Pacinian exterior and a meissnerian interior. This neoplasm is discussed in relation to previous reports of Pacinian neurofibromas.
Inter-Element Stabilization for Linear Large-Deformation Elements to Solve Coupled CFD/CSD Blast and Impact problems

In this work a stabilized large deformation element suitable for real coupled fluid/solid simulations is presented. The element uses a mixed interpolation (Q1/P0): Standard continuous tri-linear finite element (FE) functions for the kinematic variables (displacements, velocities and accelerations), and a constant pressure per element (piecewise discontinuous pressures). It is well known that this type of element may show spurious pressure modes (chessboard mode) when is used to approximate incompressible fields (i.e. plastic flow, incompressible fluids, etc,). The mathematical explanation for such a behavior is the element inability of fulfilling the BB condition (the element is not div-stable). However, in Codina et al., the P1/P0 element is stabilized by means of a variational multiscale method (VMS), and it is used to solve the Stokes problem (incompressible flow equations at very low Reynolds number). Following the ideas of the cited reference, the authors of this work added to the standard large-deformation Lagrangian FE (Galerkin) formulation, a stabilization contribution which is only evaluated over the inter-element boundaries. Such a term enforces in a weak manner the pressure continuity and, in that way, it adds control over the inter-element pressure jumps (in general this procedure may be used to stabilize elements with discontinuous pressures). The method is clearly consistent: At the continuous level the pressures are continuous and the new term enforces such continuity at the discrete level. The stabilized IEOSS-Q1/P0 solid element (Inter-Element Orthogonal Subgrid-Scale Stabilized Q1/P0 element) was embedded into an efficient FE scheme to deal with large deformation problems. Others main ingredients of the formulation are: Some phenomenological material models (concrete, steel, sand, rock, etc,) to deal with damage and fracture of structures, a general contact algorithm which uses bin technology to perform the nodeface searching operations in a very efficient manner, and a cracking procedure to deal with the topology changes due to crack propagation and fragment formation. All the schemes, contact included, have been fully parallelized and coupled using a loose-embedded procedure with the well-established CFD (computational fluid dynamics) code FEFLO. Several real 3D coupled CFD/CSD cases, two of them with experimental comparison, are presented to validate the scheme.
Incidental Diagnosis of MEN1 Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient Presenting With Obstructive Jaundice and Abdominal Pain

A 16-year-old adolescent boy presented with obstructive jaundice and was incidentally found to have a well-differentiated pancreatic endocrine neoplasm upon endoscopic ultrasound. The discovery of this tumor led to further investigation and the eventual diagnosis of MEN1 syndrome. The diagnosis of MEN1 can prove difficult, and lack of treatment has been shown to lead to early mortality. One must maintain clinical suspicion for this disease in the evaluation of patients presenting with suspicious lesions of unknown etiology, especially those involving the pancreas, anterior pituitary, and parathyroid glands.
Tonal-Atonal Classification of Music Audio Using Diffusion Maps.

In this paper we look at the problem of classifying music audio as tonal or atonal by learning a low-dimensional structure representing tonal relationships among keys. We use a training set composed of tonal pieces which includes all major and minor keys. A kernel eigenmap based method is used for structure learning and discovery. Specifically, a Diffusion Maps (DM) framework is used and its parameter tuning is discussed. Since these methods do not scale well with increasing data size, it becomes infeasible to use these methods in online applications. In order to facilitate on-line classification an outof-sample extension to the DM framework is given. The learned structure of tonal relationships is presented and a simple scheme for classification of tonal-atonal pieces is proposed. Evaluation results show that the method is able to perform at an accuracy above 90% with the current data set.
Percutaneous Tamponade of Inadvertent Transthoracic Catheterization of the Aorta

During routine placement of a subclavian central venous catheter for cancer chemotherapy, a sheath was inadvertently placed into the aortic arch, through the left lung. We describe a technique for transthoracic compression of the aortic injury using the sheath in conjunction with an occlusion balloon catheter.
Functional Adaptations of Transbilayer Proteins

Many important functions commonly attributed to surface membranes are carried out by membrane-associated proteins that are tightly bound to the lipid bilayer. This class of proteins, which are engineered to extend completely across the lipid bilayer, sometimes in the form of multiple membrane-spanning loops, are generally referred to as transbilayer proteins. Most of the molecules that function as receptors for different proteins also modify cell functions by regulating the rates of transport of different substances across the lipid bilayer. Both types of proteins have unique structural features which allow them to interact with the lipid bilayer. One set of proteins, the receptor type, serve as conduits of information across the bilayer, while the other set, the channel proteins, selectively modify this barrier. This essay will present some generalizations about both types of transbilayer molecules that may help us to understand how they function in the environment of the intact cell.
Mass screenings at mass participation events: MedFest at Special Olympics.

MedFest events offer preparticipation physical evaluations to Special Olympics athletes. This free service can occur as free-standing events or can take place during Special Olympics Games. The goals of MedFest are to screen for conditions that are potentially life threatening or disabling or may pr
Optimal Stop-Loss Limits under Non-Expected Utility Preferences

The question of the selection of optimal retentions for insurance contracts is an old problem which has been discussed by almost all prominent actuaries, e.g. Borch, Buhlmann, DeFinetti, Straub and many others. Most of the solutions are based on expected utility preference theory. Recently the work by Denneberg(1985/1990) has shown that non-expected utility preferences may lead to desirable functional premium calculation principles. It is the purpose of this note to illustrate the impact of this approach on the retention problem. Only a specific case study is presented and no attempt to obtain more general results was made so far. We assume the reader is familiar with Denneberg(1990).
Fabrication and Characterization of ZnO Langmuir–Blodgett Film and Its Use in Metal–Insulator–Metal Tunnel Diode

Metal–insulator–metal tunnel diodes have great potential for use in infrared detection and energy harvesting applications. The quantum based tunneling mechanism of electrons in MIM (metal–insulator–metal) or MIIM (metal–insulator–insulator–metal) diodes can facilitate rectification at THz frequencies. In this study, the required nanometer thin insulating layer (I) in the MIM diode structure was fabricated using the Langmuir–Blodgett technique. The zinc stearate LB film was deposited on Au/Cr coated quartz, FTO, and silicon substrates, and then heat treated by varying the temperature from 100 to 550 °C to obtain nanometer thin ZnO layers. The thin films were characterized by XRD, AFM, FTIR, and cyclic voltammetry methods. The final MIM structure was fabricated by depositing chromium/nickel over the ZnO on Au/Cr film. The current voltage (I–V) characteristics of the diode showed that the conduction mechanism is electron tunneling through the thin insulating layer. The sensitivity of the diodes was as high a...