cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous arterial closure in peripheral vascular disease: a prospective randomized evaluation of the Perclose device

Abstract Background Patients with peripheral vascular disease have been excluded from initial studies of percutaneous suture-mediated closure devices (SMCD) despite representing a significant proportion of those requiring endovascular intervention. We sought to determine whether these devices could be safely used in patients with peripheral vascular disease. Methods Patients were stratified into two groups and five subgroups on the basis of indication for arteriography, and they were prospectively randomized at the end of the procedure to receive either the SMCD or manual compression. Ankle-brachial index was determined and duplex ultrasound scanning of the accessed femoral artery was performed, before and after the procedure. Ultrasound data included peak systolic velocity, minimum intraluminal vessel diameter, and presence or absence of calcified plaque. Time to hemostasis, ambulation, and discharge were recorded, and major or minor complications were noted. Results Of 102 patients included in the study, 52 patients were randomized to receive the SMCD. There was no difference in ankle-brachial index, minimum intraluminal vessel diameter, or peak systolic velocity in the accessed vessel after closure with SMCD or manual compression. Time to hemostasis, ambulation, and discharge was significantly less in the SMCD group ( P = .001). Presence of calcified plaque was not associated with complications ( P = .146). In the SMCD group, hemostasis was achieved with 49 of 52 devices (94.2%). There were six complications (5.9%), two of which were major and required operative intervention. All complications were hemorrhagic and not occlusive. There was no difference in overall complication rate between SMCD (7.7%) and manual compression (4.0%) groups ( P = .678). No infection was noted in any of the 102 patients. Conclusions Suture-mediated percutaneous arterial closure can be safely performed in patients with peripheral vascular disease, even in the presence of calcified plaque. This closure technique enables shorter time to hemostasis, ambulation, and hospital discharge. There are observed differences in minor, but not major, complication rates for MC versus percutaneous arterial closure in patients with peripheral vascular disease, but these differences did not achieve statistical significance in this small series.
Defining vascular signatures of malignant hepatic masses: role of MDCT with 3D rendering.

Multidetector CT (MDCT) provides new opportunities for hepatic tumor characterization. By coupling high-resolution isotropic datasets with advanced post-processing tools, maps of tumor vascularity can be generated to elucidate characteristic findings. This two-part review describes a range of benign and malignant liver masses, with emphasis on IV contrast-enhanced MDCT features and vascular signatures that can be identified on 3D vascular mapping.
Obesity in exercising, hypophagic rats treated with monosodium glutamate.

Abstract Two experiments employing 32 female and 28 male rats, respectively, were performed in order to assess the effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on locomotor activity levels, as well as the consequences of such activity on the known obesity that follows MSG injections. In both sexes activity levels of MSG-treated animals were not significantly different from those of controls. Obesity developed in both sexes despite normal activity levels and hypophagia. Vaginal smears and autopsy data indicated that the female reproductive system was severely disturbed while no apparent anomalies were noted in the males. Skeletal growth arrest was evident in both sexes at 130 days of age. The data are interpreted in the context of the hypopituitarism of the MSG animal. A sexual dimorphism in both MSG and intact animals was noted as regards the food intake-activity interaction: spontaneously active females ate significantly more than nonactive females, while there was no such difference in males.
The Practice of Sport Psychology: A Youth Coaches' Perspective

This research qualitatively documents youth sport coaches' perspectives of sport psychology and sport psychology consultants (SPCs) in the United Kingdom. Youth coaches are a unique population yet to be examined, despite their significance to the development of athletes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight coaches who held a minimum of ten years experience with youth performers of a county to national level. Participants represented American football, hockey, soccer, and track and field. Inductive analysis identified twenty-four higher order themes, resulting in eight general dimensions: Role of sport psychology and SPCs, a sport psychologist's clientele, perceived work for sport psychologists, perception of where sport psychology belongs, expected characteristics of SPCs, professional accountability, and the facilitators and barriers of sport psychology. Results indicate youth coaches' support for the field of sport psychology, but the barriers SPCs face within youth sport are discussed....
Sedation and Analgesia to Facilitate Mechanical Ventilation

Regardless of age, health care professionals have a professional and ethical obligation to provide safe and effective analgesia to patients undergoing painful procedures. Historically, newborns, particularly premature and sick infants, have been undertreated for pain. Intubation of the trachea and mechanical ventilation are ubiquitous painful procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit that are poorly assessed and treated. The authors review the use of sedation and analgesia to facilitate endotracheal tube placement and mechanical ventilation. Controversies regarding possible adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes after sedative and anesthetic exposure and in the failure to treat pain is also discussed.
Functional and molecular identification of pH‐sensitive K+ channels in murine urinary bladder smooth muscle

OBJECTIVE To examine the role of pH-sensitive K+ channels in setting the resting membrane potential in murine bladder smooth muscle, as bladder contractility is influenced by the resting membrane potential, which is mainly regulated by background K+ conductances. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using conventional microelectrode recordings, isometric tension measurements, patch-clamp recordings, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, we assessed bladder smooth muscle cells and tissues. RESULTS Acidic pH (pH 6.5) depolarized the resting membrane potential of murine bladder smooth muscles and increased muscle tone and contractility. The pH-induced changes were not abolished by neuronal blockers or classical K+-channel antagonists. Lidocaine (1 mm) and bupivacaine (100 µm) mimicked the effects of acidifying the external solution, and in the presence of lidocaine no further increase in contractility was induced by reducing the pH to 6.5. Voltage-clamp experiments on freshly dispersed bladder myocytes showed that pH 6.5 decreased the outward current. Pre-treatment of bladder myocytes with the classical K+ antagonists tetraethylammonium (10 mm), 4-aminopyridine (5 mm), glibenclamide (10 µm) or apamin (300 nm) did not inhibit the effects of low pH on outward current. However, treatment with lidocaine (1 mm) abolished the effects of acidic pH on outward current. RT-PCR showed the expression of the acid-sensitive K+ channel (TASK)-1 and TASK-2 gene transcripts in murine bladder, and immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed TASK-1 and TASK-2 channel expression and distribution in smooth muscle tissues and cells. CONCLUSION TASK channels are expressed in bladder smooth muscle and contribute to the basal K+ conductances responsible for resting membrane potential.
Development of SAR scene modeling tools for ATR performance evaluation

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image modeling tools are of high interest to Automatic Target Recognition algorithm evaluation because they allow the testing of ATR's over a wide range of extended operating conditions (EOCs). Typically, extended operating conditions include target aspect, target configuration, target obscuration, and background terrain variations. This paper discusses enhancements to the legacy XpatchES model and the development of a new integrated SAR prediction toolset for targets in realistic 3-D terrain settings. The prediction toolset includes 2-D and 3-D visual target configuration and scene layout capabilities, a terrain elevation profile interface, and scattering center based on- line target prediction. The toolset allows the insertion of synthetic target chips into both measured and synthetic background models. For the synthetic background case a 3-D terrain model is used to accurately compute local slope, shadowing and layover effects. Additionally, natural clutter returns are modeled from a statistical database derived from measured data. Model enhancements and sample imagery are presented.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Virtual Molecular Design of an Environment-Responsive Nanoporous System

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to explore a “smart” nanoporous system that can open and close in response to environmental conditions. The dynamic pore sizing capability is produced by a rod-globule transition in comb polymer molecules that are anchored to the inside of a nanometer-scale pore. The simulations indicate that changing the solvent quality can produce a significant change in pore opening, which in turn can be used to selectively trap large molecules while allowing smaller molecules to diffuse freely through the pore. The simulation results suggest that nanoporous systems of this type could be designed to respond to changes in environmental conditions such as pH, temperature, and solute concentration, with a variety of potential applications including smart drug delivery, controlled chemical release, ultrafiltration, and as molecular sieves.
Defensive spines: Inverse relationship between coefficients of variation and size'

Coefficients of variation for spine lengths are not constant over a range of mean values, but show an inverse rclal ion ship with sample means. The nearly hyperbolic relationship is evident in selection experiments, in seasonal samples from a single lake, and in widely dispersed geographic samples. The observed inverse relationship could indicate an interesting developmental property (e.g. that smaller, rudimentary spines are more variable than larger functional ones) or could reflect one of several possible statistical artifacts or properties. Detailed examination of Bosmina suggests that the strong inverse trend arises from a combination of biological and statistical properties; it is not an artifact of measurement error, although measurement error contributes to inflation of small values. Small spines are inherently more variable than longer spines, and the latter have more uniform component parts. Moreover, there are several alternative arrangements of components that sum to the same length and hence that achieve nearly equivalent fitness value. These alternative arrangements lower part-whole correlations within the population. The two statistical properties that contribute to observed trends include a version of the central limit theorem and measurement error. The percentage variation of a character which is the sum of a number c}f randomly varying parts will be considerably less (roughly as the inverse square root of the number of parts) than the mean percentage variation of the parts themselves. Thus a statistical property of large numbers contributes to the observed inverse trend. In addition, coefficients of variation as fractions are especially sensitive to measurement error, so that precise measurements. are recommended for small defensive spines.
Griseofulvin causing hyperhemopexinemia and hepatic proliferation in mice: an in vivo and in vitro study.

Concentrations of hemopexin, a porphyrin-binding serum protein synthesized exclusively in the liver, increased significantly and concomitantly with levels of erythrocyte and liver protoporphyrin and coproporphyrin in mice made porphyric with 1% griseofulvin in the feed. Liver weights of porphyric mice increased remarkably. In comparision with controls, the ratio of the weight of normal to porphyric livers was at 10 days 1:2.1, at 21 days 1:2.8, and at 46 days 1:3.8. This increase in liver size was accompanied by increased cell division. The hepatic hyperplastic tissue fragments survived in vitro for several weeks and could be subcultured. The cultured cells, like those of the original liver, showed intense protoporphyrin fluorescence in the cytoplasm.
Water-induced reconstruction that affects mobile ions on the surface of calcite.

Time-sequenced contact-force micrographs show that the (1014) calcite cleavage surface reconstructs in humid air through pit formation and film growth. After 8 h at 80% relative humidity (RH), 50% to 80% of the surface is covered by islands that are flat-topped and 1-nm high. The lateral growth rates of individual islands are 4.2 ± 0.4 nm min-1 in the 441 direction and 1.8 ± 0.4 nm min-1 in the 481 direction, resulting in islands having distinct major and minor axes. On some samples, a contiguous, 1.5-nm-high film rapidly grows between the islands and the pits. The areal expansion rate of the film is 500 times faster than that of the islands. Gaps between the contiguous film and the islands expand and contract, which suggests that mass is exchanged between them and that both are loosely bound. Complementing the topographic images, polarization heights are simultaneously measured by polarization-force microscopy. The polarization heights of the islands and the contiguous film are −6 to −10 nm and −4 to ...
The large deflection of thin plates with overhang

This investigation concerns the application of a special method of successive approximations to the solution of a practically motivated, nonlinear problem of the bending of a uniformly loaded circular plate supported on a concentric circle. Numerical results are obtained for a range of plate-radius/support-radius ratios, and the former are found to be in good agreement with the results of experiments.
Graphene nanoelectronics: Overview from post-silicon perspective

Since its discovery in 2004, graphene, a two-dimensional (2D) crystal of sp²-bonded carbon arranged in a honeycomb lattice, has rapidly emerged as an intriguing material for a broad spectrum of applications in nano-devices. Given its exceptional carrier transport characteristics, excellent thermal conductivity, and robust electro-mechanical behavior, graphene could be potentially used in applications such as radio-frequency transistors, “post-copper” on-chip interconnects, transparent electrodes, sensors, and flexible/3D carbon electronics.
Clinical and pathologic features of H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism.

The majority of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases have been ascribed to the classical form of the disease. Htype and L-type BSE cases have atypical molecular profiles compared to classical BSE and are thought to arise spontaneously. However, one case of H-type BSE was associated with a heritable E211K mutation in the prion protein gene. The purpose of this study was to describe transmission of this unique isolate of H-type BSE when inoculated into a calf of the same genotype by the intracranial route. Electroretinograms were used to demonstrate preclinical deficits in retinal function, and optical coherence tomography was used to demonstrate an antemortem decrease in retinal thickness. The calf rapidly progressed to clinical disease (9.4 months) and was necropsied. Widespread distribution of abnormal prion protein was demonstrated within neural tissues by western blot and immunohistochemistry. While this isolate is categorized as BSE-H due to a higher molecular mass of the unglycosylated PrP Sc isoform, a strong labeling of all 3 PrP Sc bands with monoclonal antibodies 6H4 and P4, and a second unglycosylated band at approximately 14 kDa when developed with antibodies that bind in the C-terminal region, it is unique from other described cases of BSE-H because of an additional band 23 kDa demonstrated on western blots of the cerebellum. This work demonstrates that this isolate is transmissible, has a BSE-H phenotype when transmitted to cattle with the K211 polymorphism, and has molecular features that distinguish it from other cases of BSE-H described in the literature.
The genesis of cystic fibrosis lung disease

Cystic fibrosis (CF), as Bals et al. discuss in the other Perspective in this issue (1), is one of the most thoroughly understood genetic diseases. Thus it is frustrating that CF lung disease has been refractory to the onslaught of molecular/cellular research that has clarified so many other aspects of CF. But after many false starts, recent experiments are finally beginning to crack the shell of ignorance that surrounds CF lung disease. A series of innovative experiments, mainly from two laboratories, has revealed fascinating new aspects of normal and CF lung biology. Yet despite the care and resourcefulness of each group, their findings generate sharply contrasting views of CF lung disease that lead to opposite treatment strategies! Fortunately, this controversy is generating more light than heat and is illuminating the field to the ultimate benefit of CF clinical care.
Effect of neurotransmitter reuptake blockers on tonic immobility in chickens

This research was undertaken to investigate the effects of two neurotransmitter reuptake blockers, nisoxetine and fluoxetine, on the tonic immobility (TIl response. In Experiment 1, nisoxetine was found to significantly diminish both the duration of the TI response and the number of inductions needed to elicit it. These results were discussed in terms of the drug's effects on dopaminergic and/or serotonergic systems with the implication of possible competing locomotor response effects. Fluoxetine, in Experiment 2, was found to have no significant effect on either the duration of TI or the number of inductions needed to elicit it. Additional research with fluoxetine was suggested as necessary, with the possible use of an intraventric­ ular route for administration of the drug. The tonic immobility (TI) response is an unlearned response found in a wide variety of species (Ratner, 1967) . The reaction typically is induced by manually restraining an organism in an inverted position for a brief period of time ; this position may then endure for a period of time varying from a few seconds to several hours after termination of restraint, even among mem­ bers of the same species (Gallup, Nash, & Wagner, 1971). Response termination is distinguished by the organism's righting itself, and sometimes attempting to escape from the situation. The reaction in domestic fowl is character­ ized by tremors of the extremities, waxy flexibility, eye closure , decreased vocalizations, mydriasis, changes in heart and respiration rates, and decreased core tempera­ ture (for a review, see Gallup, 1974). Recent research on the neuropharmacology of TI has implicated a serotonergic mechanism in the mediation of the response , since a variety of manipulations thought to effect changes in central serotonergic function have been found to modify the duration of the response in chickens (Wallnau & Gallup, 1977). For example, increasing brain levels of serotonin (5·HT) by peripheral injection of tryptophan , the essential amino acid precursor of 5·HT, significantly potentiates duration of TI (Gallup , Wallnau, Boren, Gagliardi, Maser, & Edson, 1977). Conversely, dietary depletion of tryptophan suppresses response duration (Gallup et aI., 1977), theoretically due to a decrease in central levels of serotonin. In addition, a number of pharmacologic agents (e.g., iproniazid, pargy­ line, and imipramine) that increase synaptic levels of 5-HT exert corresponding increases in immobility duration (Harston, Sibley, Gallup, & ' Wallnau, 1976;
Permeability of Metals to Hydrogen

IT is well known that all the common metals are permeable to hydrogen at high temperatures. The accompanying table brings out the rather remarkable fact that, at 1,000° C., the permeability of the metals for which data are available only varies by a factor of about 10.
Infrared multiphoton dissociation in quadrupole ion traps

The development of new ion activation techniques continues to be a dynamic area of scientific discovery, in part to complement the tremendous innovations in ionization methods that have allowed the mass spectrometric analysis of an enormous array of molecules. Ion activation/dissociation provides key information about ion structures, binding energies, and differentiation of isomers, as well as affording a primary means of identifying compounds in mixtures. Numerous new activation methods have emerged over the past two decades in an effort to develop alternatives to collisional activated dissociation, the gold standard for providing structurally diagnostic fragmentation patterns. Collisional activated dissociation does not always offer sufficiently high or controllable energy deposition, thus rendering it less useful for certain classes of molecules, such as large proteins or macromolecular complexes. Photodissociation is one of the most promising alternatives and is readily implemented in ion trapping and time-of-flight mass spectrometers. Photodissociation generally entails using a laser to irradiate ions with UV, visible, or IR photons, thus resulting in internal energy deposition based on the number and wavelengths of the photons. The activation process can be extremely rapid and efficient, as well as having the potential for high total energy deposition. This review describes infrared multiphoton dissociation in quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry. A comparison of photodissociation and collisional activated dissociation is covered, in addition to some of the methods to increase photodissociation efficiency. Numerous applications of IRMPD are discussed as well, including ones related to the analysis of drugs, peptides, nucleic acids, and oligosaccharides.
In-Process Surface Normal Estimation for Raster Scanned Point Cloud Data

A method for in-process surface normal estimation from point cloud data is presented. The method enables surface normal estimation immediately after coordinates of points are measured. Such an approach allows in-process computational registration, used for collision and occlusion avoidance during dimensional inspection with high-precision point-based range sensors. The most commonly used sensor path for inspection with high-precision point-based range sensors is a raster scan path. A novel neighborhood identification approach for raster scanned point cloud data is presented. Quadratic polynomials are used to model the local geometry of the surface, from which the surface normal is estimated for the point. Implementation of the method through simulations and on a real part shows the normal estimation error to be within 0.1°.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Lineage promiscuity and plasticity in hematopoietic development

Hematopoiesis has provided a valuable model for understanding how genetic programs are established to decide cell fates in multipotent stem or progenitor cells. The identification of common myeloid and lymphoid progenitors has allowed us to directly assess the regulatory mechanisms of lineage commitment. Multiple genes of hematopoietic lineages, including transcription factors, are coexpressed in hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors, a phenomenon referred to as "lineage priming." The accessibility for multiple transcription factors promiscuously allows flexibility in cell fate commitments at the multipotent stages. The changes in the expression levels and timing of transcription factors can induce lineage conversion of committed cells, indicating that the regulation of transcription factors might be primarily critical for maintaining hierarchical hematopoietic development.
Histopathologic Overlap between Fibrosing Mediastinitis and IgG4-Related Disease

Fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) are two fibroinflammatory disorders with potentially overlapping clinical and radiological features. In this paper, we looked for histopathologic features of IgG4-RD and enumerated infiltrating IgG4-positive plasma cells within mediastinal tissue biopsies from FM patients. We identified 15 consecutive FM surgical mediastinal tissue biopsies between 1985 and 2006. All patients satisfied the clinical and radiological diagnostic criteria for FM. All patients had either serological or radiological evidence of prior histoplasmosis or granulomatous disease, respectively. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections of all patients were stained for H&E, IgG, and IgG4. Three samples met the predefined diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RD. In addition, characteristic histopathologic changes of IgG4-RD in the absence of diagnostic numbers of tissue infiltrating IgG4-positive plasma cells were seen in a number of additional cases (storiform cell-rich fibrosis in 11 cases, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in 7 cases, and obliterative phlebitis/arteritis in 2 cases). We conclude that up to one-third of histoplasmosis or granulomatous-disease-associated FM cases demonstrate histopathological features of IgG4-RD spectrum. Whether these changes occur as the host immune response against Histoplasma or represent a manifestation of IgG4-RD remains to be determined. Studies to prospectively identify these cases and evaluate their therapeutic responses to glucocorticoids and/or other immunosuppressive agents such as rituximab are warranted.
Effect of verapamil on retrograde atrioventricular nodal conduction in the human heart.

The electrophysiologic effects of intravenous verapamil (0.15 ml/kg) on retrograde atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction were studied in 17 patients who had no evidence of supraventricular reentrant tachycardia, demonstrable dual AV nodal refractory period curves or accessory pathways. Using the His bundle electrogram, incremental ventricular pacing and the ventricular ex-trastimulus (V2) technique, the ventriculoatrial (VA), retrograde His-Purkinje system (V2H2) and AV nodal conduction (H2A2) times were measured before and after treatment with verapamil. With incremental ventricular pacing during the control period, the cycle length that produced VA block ranged from 260 to 520 ms (mean ± standard deviation 337.0 ± 67.8 ms). After the administration of verapamil, VA conduction was abolished in 2 patients, and in 12 patients the mean ventricular pacing cycle length producing VA block increased from 305.0 ± 35.7 ms during the control period to 413.3 ± 66.8 ms (p The results show that verapamil exerts a depressant effect on retrograde AV nodal conduction in the majority of patients, including those with rapid conduction.
In Vitro Studies of the Protein Digestibility of Sorghum Grain

Abstract Two non-bird resistant grain sorghums exhibited higher in vitro protein digestibility values than two bird resistant varieties. Extraction of tannins from a bird resistant variety resulted in increased in vitro protein digestibility as compared to the non-extracted grain, whereas the extraction process had little influence on the protein digestibility of a low tannin non-resistant grain sorghum.
Scrambling equilibria of pairs of substituents between the dimethylsilicon and methylgermanium moieties

Equilibrium constants were determined for the scrambling of the pairs of substituents Cl/Br, Cl/I, Br/I, Cl/OCH3, Br/OCH3, Cl/OC6H5, Cl/SCH3 and Br/SCH3 between the (CH3)2Si and CH3Ge moieties. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance was used to assay the mixtures at equilibrium. In the halogen/halogen exchanges, the lower atomic weight halogen at equilibrium prefers association with the dimethylsilicon moiety. In the halogen/oxygen bonded substituent exchanges, halogens favor attachment to methylgermanium. The opposite is found for the exchange of halogen/sulfur-bonded substituents.
Variance associated with subject velocity and trial repetition during force platform gait analysis in a heterogeneous population of clinically normal dogs.

Abstract Factors that contribute to variance in ground reaction forces (GRF) include dog morphology, velocity, and trial repetition. Narrow velocity ranges are recommended to minimize variance. In a heterogeneous population of clinically normal dogs, it was hypothesized that the dog subject effect would account for the majority of variance in peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) at a trotting gait, and that narrow velocity ranges would be associated with less variance. Data from 20 normal dogs were obtained. Each dog was trotted across a force platform at its habitual velocity, with controlled acceleration (±0.5 m/s2). Variance effects from 12 trotting velocity ranges were examined using repeated-measures analysis-of-covariance. Significance was set at P
Ovarian cancer screening: potential effect on mortality.

Abstract Serum tumor markers and ultrasonography are being investigated as possible ovarian cancer screening tests. Data from the United States on ovarian cancer incidence and survival were used to estimate the potential benefit on ovarian cancer mortality from screening tests of various sensitivities. A test with 80% sensitivity could reduce ovarian cancer mortality by 50% if all screening-detected cases were to experience current stage I survival rates; the benefit would be greatest among women aged 45 or older. For each cancer detected there would be at least 50 false-positive screening tests unless test specificity is >98%. If our most optimistic assumptions about screening could be met, then universal periodic screening of women aged 45 to 74 would result in about 5000 additional 5-year survivors of ovarian cancer annually. Uptake of existing screening tests is far less than universal; thus we would expect the impact of any ovarian cancer screening program to fall short of these projections. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1991;165: 502-5.)
A New Method for Feedback Stabilization of a Microwave Power Supply

A new method has been developed for the feedback stabilization of a microwave power supply, with the intent to reduce emission noise in microwave-induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MIP-AES). The control method would be applicable to any microwave generator whose output power is affected by the input ac line voltage. In the feedback process, the effective line voltage is adjusted by means of a controllable inductance placed in series with a variable transformer at the input of the generator. In turn, this inductance is controlled by selecting the dc current in the primary winding of an auxiliary transformer, so the inductance in its secondary winding is altered. The long-term stability of the feedback-controlled system is verified and the range of stabilization is examined. Noise in the power output of the microwave generator is shown to be reduced at frequencies below 1.5 Hz. Although stable microwave power generation does not necessarily result in stable emission from a microwave-induced plasma source, an emission-based feedback signal is shown to improve the stability.
What Will Diabetes Genomes Tell Us

A new generation of genetic studies of diabetes is underway. Following from initial genome-wide association (GWA) studies, more recent approaches have used genotyping arrays of more densely spaced markers, imputation of ungenotyped variants based on improved reference haplotype panels, and sequencing of protein-coding exomes and whole genomes. Experimental and statistical advances make possible the identification of novel variants and loci contributing to trait variation and disease risk. Integration of sequence variants with functional analysis is critical to interpreting the consequences of identified variants. We briefly review these methods and technologies and describe how they will continue to expand our understanding of the genetic risk factors and underlying biology of diabetes.
Stronger is not always better: could a bodybuilding dietary supplement lead to ALS?

Despite having been formally described almost 150 years ago (Charcot and Joffroy, 1869), the causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) remain a mystery. ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide, and is characterized by the degeneration of both upper and lower motoneurons. Most of the cases are sporadic (i.e. affecting individuals seemingly randomly), and only about 10% of cases can be traced to a family history. Even in sporadic cases, a (spontaneous) genetic cause cannot be ruled out, but most experts would argue today that the disease is probably caused by a combination of genetic predispositions and environmental factors. Indeed, it has been hypothesized that toxins, pollutants or even diet could induce ALS in some populations. For example, an indigenous population on the island of Guam, in the Pacific, was found to have an unusually high incidence of ALS (at one time almost 100 times higher than the general population, although it has been declining in the past decades) (Reed et al., 1987, Steele and McGeer, 2008). Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this high risk, including trace amounts of rare minerals in their environment (Purdey, 2004), or more recently their diet enriched in a special type of non-protein amino acid, beta-methylamino-L-alanine, found in the seeds of an indigenous tree (Bradley and Mash, 2009, Cox and Sacks, 2002).
Estimating the Extent of Racially Polarized Voting in Multicandidate Contests

We extend the standard ecological regression methodology for analysis of racial bloc voting in single-member districts in which there is one seat to be filled to cover multimember districts without...
Enuresis, fire setting, and animal cruelty: a useful danger signal in predicting vulnerability of adolescent males to assaultive behavior.

Current shifts in corrective and rehabilitation planning result in an emphasis upon primary prevention efforts involving early identification and intervention with vulnerable children who run high risk of serious adolescent and adult delinquency. A variety of observers have argued that the presence of a combination of observable problem behaviors documented in childhood is related to ego weakness and may have value as a predictor of explosive acting out in later life. The present study examines a number of institutionalized adolescent male delinquents whose recent history contains reference to a triad of behaviors (persistent enuresis, fire setting, and animal cruelty). Not only does the predictive validity of the triad appear to be supported, but the cases cited rank highest among overtly dangerous assaultive youth seen in the Southern California Youth Authority during the 12-month observation period. Presented is a summary of case history data supporting the hypothesis that the triad is a useful clinical tool in the prediction of violent behavior.
Failure mechanisms of laminated carbon-carbon composites—II. Under shear loads

Abstract Failure mechanisms under both interlaminar and in-plane shear loading are determined for two-dimensional carbon-carbon composites by using a direct shear set-up. This set-up is applicable for both types of shear loading, “as manufactured” laminate thickness can be tested without the need to make long samples by gluing different pieces together. A detailed finite element analysis, which considers the microstructure of the composite shows that for woven laminates, the initial crimp angle morphology does not allow the composite to deform in a state of simple shear. In fact, normal tensile and compressive stresses of almost twice the magnitude of the peak shear stress are produced in the vicinity of the crimped bundles. Consistent with these predictions, we observed the shear fault following the crimp boundaries in 0°/90° and quasi-isotropic laminates. Therefore, experimental techniques which can secure a state of pure shear stress in aligned, unkinked, uniaxial fiber composites cannot do so in woven laminated composites.
The effect of stacking fault energy on the microstructural development during room temperature wire drawing in Cu, Al and their dilute alloys

The effect of stacking fault energy (SFE) on the evolution of microstructures during wire drawing at room temperature has been studied in pure aluminium, pure copper and Cu-2.2% Al andCu-4.5% Al alloys which covers a range of SFE values from 4 to 166 mJ m−2. The compositions are expressed in atomic parts per million by weight. The microstructures have been characterized from samples obtained by deforming rods of these materials to true wire drawing strain values of up to 1.47. A decrease in the SFE value changes the deformation mechanisms from the formation of cell structure and their size refinement in a high SFE material to the formation of deformation bands and deformation twins in a low SFE materials. The Cu-2.2% Al alloy deforms by deformation bands at low true strain values while deformation twins within the bands control the deformation mechanisms at higher true strain values. The alloy, Cu-4.5% Al, with the lowest SFE value deforms only by deformation twins even at low true strain values and the presence of overlapping and intersecting deformation twins are the dominating features as the rods are drawn to higher true wire drawing strains.
End user—IS design professional interaction—information exchange for firm profit or end user satisfaction?

Abstract In the present paper we argue that the interaction between the end user and IS design professional directly impacts the firm's profitability. A goal-driven (profit maximization) IS design strategy is set out and its implications for the end user-IS design professional interaction are detailed. It is shown that a structured information exchange between the two is necessary if the required searches are to be completed and profit maximization achieved.
The dangers of malware in a library computing environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to point out, to non‐technical library users, the hazards of using the library's public computers.Design/methodology/approach – The purpose of this paper is to articulate the dangers faced by library users, whether they be students, faculty, or staff. This paper is geared towards education and enlightenment of non‐technical users of public computers.Findings – There are many hazards to computing, both online and off. Most public computers are not well prepared to cope with worms, Trojans and other malware. There are remedies for a lot of the malware, but as in an arms race it is a matter of catching up with the latest weapon to be presented.Practical implications – Since public computers are so vulnerable to attack, library IT must be constantly vigilant for the menaces that are present. The paper shows how computers can be protected.Originality/value – If this can help save one computer's workload by making people aware of the dangers involved, the information is we...
Organic Photoconductors. IV. Sign of the Charge Carrier

If the energies of carriers in the conduction band and valence band of a dye can be determined with respect to the corresponding levels in cadmium sulfide, then the sign and magnitude of the photo‐emf developed at a junction between dye and cadmium sulfide can often be interpreted as indicating a transfer of carriers between conduction bands, conduction hence being due primarily to electrons; or as a transfer between valence bands, conduction thus being due to holes. In this way the majority carrier in several cationic dyes is shown to be electrons; in erythrosin, an anionic dye, holes; and in methyl chlorophyllide‐a, a non‐ionic dye, probably electrons.
Probabilistic Modeling of QCA Circuits Using Bayesian Networks

To push the frontiers of quantum-dot cellar automata (QCA) based circuit design, it is necessary to have design and analysis tools at multiple levels of abstractions. To characterize the performance of QCA circuits it is not sufficient to specify just the binary discrete states (0 or 1) of the individual cells, but also the probabilities of observing these states. We present an efficient method based on graphical probabilistic models, called Bayesian networks (BNs), to model these steady-state cell state probabilities, given input states. The nodes of the BN are random variables, representing individual cells, and the links between them capture the dependencies among them. BNs are minimal, factored, representation of the overall joint probability of the cell states. The method is fast and its complexity is shown to be linear in terms of the number of cells. This BN model allows us to analyze clocked QCA circuits in terms of quantum- mechanical quantities, such as steady-state polarization and thermal ratios for each cell, without the need for full quantum-mechanical simulation, which is known to be very slow and is best postponed to the final stages of the design process. We can also estimate the most likely (or ground) state configuration for all the cells and the lowest energy configuration that results in output errors. We validate the model with steady-state probabilities computed by the Hartree-Fock self-consistent approximation (HT-SCA). Using full adder designs, we demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast QCA circuit designs with respect to the variation of the output state probabilities with temperature and input. We also show how weak spots in clocked QCA circuit designs can be found using our model by comparing the (most likely) ground-state configuration with the next most likely energy state configuration that results in output error
Proneural Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Coordinately Regulate Cell Type Specification and cdk Inhibitor Expression during Development

Cell differentiation and cell cycle exit are coordinately regulated during development; however, the molecular logic underlying this regulation is not known. The Drosophila cdk inhibitor Dacapo (Dap) is one of the key cell cycle regulators that exhibit dynamic expression during development and contribute to the developmental regulation of the cell cycle. In this study, regulation of Dap expression during cell type specification was investigated. The expression of Dap in the R2 and R5 precursors of the developing eye and in the newly recruited leg disc femoral sense organ precursors was found to be controlled by the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling-regulated transcription factor Pointed (Pnt) and the proneural basic helix-loop-helix proteins Atonal (Ato) and Daughterless (Da). We show that Pnt, Ato, and Da regulate Dap expression directly through their respective binding sites precisely at the time when these transcription factors function to specify neural fates. These results show that Dap expression is directly regulated by developmental mechanisms that simultaneously control cell type specification. This is potentially a general mechanism by which the expression of key cell cycle regulators is coordinated with differentiation during normal development. The direct regulation of key cell cycle regulators by the differentiation factors ensures coordinated regulation of cell cycle and differentiation.
CALIPSO observations of stratospheric aerosols: a preliminary assessment

We have examined the 532-nm aerosol backscatter coefficient measurements by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) for their use in the monitoring of stratospheric aerosol. CALIPSO makes observations that span from 82° S to 82° N each day and, for each profile, backscatter coefficient values reported up to ~40 km. The possibility of using CALIPSO for stratospheric aerosol monitoring is demonstrated by the clear observation of the 20 May 2006 eruption of Montserrat in the earliest CALIPSO data in early June as well as by observations showing the 7 October 2006 eruption of Tavurvur (Rabaul). However, the very low aerosol loading within the stratosphere makes routine observations of the stratospheric aerosol far more difficult than relatively dense volcanic plumes. Nonetheless, we found that averaging a complete days worth of nighttime-only data into 5-deg latitude by 1-km vertical bins yields a stratospheric aerosol distribution that is fairly consistent with past measurements by spaceborne instruments. Based on comparisons with 2004 data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment, the derived values are close to expectation except in the tropics where they are larger by about a factor of 2. The cause of the difference in the tropics is not readily apparent but is most likely related to difficulties in the lidar calibration process currently found in the CALIOP data at tropical latitudes.
On the departure process of the split and match queue

Abstract In this paper we study the departure process from an exponential queuing system in which an arriving unit “splits” into two subunits to be served by two independent servers. After service is completed on each of the subunits the “matched” units leave the system. By exploiting the fact that the interval between any two departures of “matched” units can be viewed as a random variable with phase type distribution, expressions are obtained for the distribution of the interdeparture time and the lag 1 autocorrelation. Numerical results indicate that the departure stream of units behaves very similar to a Poisson process. Results from a simulation model, used to study the higher lag autocorrelations and tandem behavior of this system, provide further confirmation of this observation.
Agent interaction in distributed POMDPs and its implications on complexity

The ability to coordinate effectively is critical for agents to accomplish their goals in a multi-agent system. A number of researchers have modeled the coordination problem for multi-agent systems using decision theory. The most general models have proven to be extremely complex to solve optimally (NEXP-complete). Some of the more restricted models have been much more tractable, though still difficult (NP-complete). What is missing is an understanding about why some models are much easier than others. This work fills this gap by providing a condition that distinguishes between problems in NP and those strictly harder than NP. This condition relates to the quantity of information each agent has about the others, and whether this information can be represented in a succinct way. We show that the class of problems that satisfy this condition is NP-complete. We illustrate this idea with two interaction protocols that satisfy the condition. For those problems that do not satisfy this condition we demonstrate how our theoretical results can be used to generate an NP approximation of the original problem.
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Factors

Surface energies are the major factors determining behavior during liquid phase sintering. The minimum criteria for successful liquid phase sintering are i) a low temperature liquid, ii) solubility of the solid in the liquid, and iii) liquid wetting of the solid grains (1). These conditions result in a reduction in surface energy with liquid spreading. At high volume fractions of solid, the elimination of porosity and its associated surface energy requires shape accommodation on the part of the solid grains, which is dependent on solubility of the solid in the liquid. Furthermore the rate of microstructural coarsening during liquid phase sintering, as seen by the grain growth rate, increases with the solid-liquid surface energy. These factors lead to the conclusion that surface energy is the major driving force for densification.