cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Value of Procalcitonin in Transplant Patients Receiving Immunosuppressant Drugs: A Retrospective Electronic Medical Record-Based Analysis.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate concentrations of procalcitonin (PCT) in transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressive therapy compared with nonimmunosuppressed patients. METHODS We analyzed a data set of 9,500 inpatient encounters to compare levels of PCT and other biomarkers of infection (C-reactive protein [CRP], WBC count, and absolute neutrophil count [ANC]) between immunosuppressed and nonimmunosuppressed cohorts. We also assessed the correlation between PCT and clinical variables in immunosuppressed patients. RESULTS Patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs had significantly higher levels of maximal and minimal PCT compared with the nonimmunosuppressed patients (P < .0001 and P = .0019, respectively). However, CRP levels, WBC count, and ANC were significantly lower in immunosuppressed patients compared with the nonimmunosuppressed patients (P = .0003, P < .0019, and P = .0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our results from real-world data demonstrated that PCT dynamics remain intact despite immunosuppressive therapy, in contrast to other biomarkers such as CRP, WBC, and ANC. In addition, higher PCT levels are associated with systemic infections and reflect disease severity.
A Case-Control Study Evaluating the Impact of Dedicated Palliative Care Training on Critical Care Interventions at the end of Life.

Many patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are at high risk of dying. We hypothesize that focused training sessions for ICU providers by palliative care (PC) certified experts will decre...
On the equivalence between two perturbation techniques in fluid dynamics

The hydrodynamic equations governing the propagation of waves in one dimension are solved by successive approximations. Secular terms appear in a regular perturbation analysis, which limit the practical usefulness of such an approach. Two singular perturbation methods are described to remedy the presence of singularities. It is shown that the Poincare-Linghthill-Kuo method and the method of characteristics are equivalent at least to first order in the amplitude of the perturbed velocity.
Disposition of inorganic mercury in pregnant rats and their offspring

Environmental toxicants such as methylmercury have been shown to negatively impact fetal health. Despite the prevalence of inorganic mercury (Hg2+) in the environment and the ability of methylmercury to biotransform into Hg2+, little is known about the ability of Hg2+ to cross the placenta into fetal tissues. Therefore, it is important to understand the handing and disposition of Hg2+ in the reproductive system. The purpose of the current study was to assess the disposition and transport of Hg2+ in placental and fetal tissues, and to test the hypothesis that acute renal injury in dams can alter the accumulation of Hg2+ in fetal tissues. Pregnant Wistar rats were injected intravenously with 0.5 or 2.5 μmol kg−1 HgCl2 for 6 or 48 h and the disposition of Hg2+ was measured. Accumulation of Hg2+ in the placenta was rapid and dose-dependent. Very little Hg2+ was eliminated during the initial 48 h after exposure. When dams were exposed to the low dose of HgCl2, fetal accumulation of Hg2+ increased between 6 h and 48 h, while at the higher dose, accumulation was similar at each time point. Within fetal organs, the greatest concentration of Hg2+ (nmol/g) was localized in the kidneys, followed by the liver and brain. A dose-dependent increase in the accumulation of Hg2+ in fetal organs was observed, suggesting that continued maternal exposure may lead to increased fetal exposure. Taken together, these data indicate that Hg2+ is capable of crossing the placenta and gaining access to fetal organs in a dose-dependent manner.
Regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene expression. Insulin induction of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and differentiation of 30A5 preadipocytes require prior cAMP action on the gene.

Abstract 30A5 preadipocytes, derived from 10T1/2 mouse fibroblasts, can be induced to differentiate into adipocytes by hormone treatment. In this paper, we introduce a modified procedure to induce differentiation of 30A5 cells by pretreatment with cAMP for a brief period or by a "nutrition deprivation" pretreatment, followed by incubation in medium containing insulin. These procedures accelerate the differentiation of the preadipocytes, so that the cells are fully differentiated within 4 days instead of the 7-8 days normally required. This differentiation is accompanied by the early induction of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). ACC catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the biogenesis of long chain fatty acids. To analyze the relationship between cAMP and insulin action in the induction of ACC and cell differentiation, we identified the DNA sequences in promoter II of the ACC gene necessary for the action of insulin and cAMP. Chimeric genes between different fragments of the ACC promoter and the promoterless chloramphenicol transacetylase (CAT) gene were constructed, and stable clones containing these chimeric genes were obtained. By analyzing the CAT activities in these stable clones, we established that insulin action in inducing ACC and cell differentiation requires prior treatment of cells with cAMP and the presence of specific DNA regions in the ACC promoter for cAMP action. Stable clones containing a chimeric gene which consists of DNA sequences in promoter II that are required for insulin action, thymidine kinase promoter, and the CAT gene did not respond to insulin. However, when the DNA sequences required for cAMP action were placed in this chimeric gene, it responded to insulin upon prior treatment of 30A5 cells with cAMP. Thus, cAMP and insulin, whose physiological actions generally appear to be antagonistic, are synergistically interacting in the induction of ACC and the differentiation of 30A5 cells.
The Pediatric Internet

The Internet is a set of rules for computer communications that has created easy access to electronic mail, electronic mailing lists, and the World Wide Web. The "pediatric Internet" consists of a growing collection of Internet resources that deal specifically with the health care of the young. Locating this information, judging its quality, and determining its appropriate use presents difficulties, but the ubiquity of the Internet makes it imperative for child health professionals to learn the skills necessary to access and provide information via this medium. The Internet will be used increasingly for scientific publishing, the original purpose of the World Wide Web. This article presents basic definitions for the Internet, some characteristics of the pediatric Internet, guidance on how to locate information, and what the future of the pediatric Internet holds.
Partisanship and Voter Confidence, 2000-2012

To what degree is voter confidence in election procedures driven by satisfaction with the outcome of an election, as opposed to trust in government or objective features of the polling place, such as voting technology? Using approximately 30 national surveys over the past decade, we find a consistent relationship between voting for the winner and confidence in election administration. This confidence varies as a function of question wording and electoral context. Respondents are more confident in the quality of the vote count locally than nationally. They are responsive to electoral results at the state and national levels in forming their judgments. And, rather than being influenced by different types of voting technology, respondents lose confidence by virtue of change itself.
Memory synthesis for low power ASIC design

In this paper we describe a multi-module, multiport memory design procedure that satisfies area and/or energy constraints. Our procedure consists of using ILP models and heuristic-based algorithms to determine (a) the memory configuration with minimum area, given the energy bound, (b) the memory configuration with minimum energy, given the area bound, (c) array allocation such that the energy consumption is minimum for a given memory configuration (number of modules, size and number of ports per module). The results obtained by the heuristics match well with those obtained by the ILP methods.
A Modular and Scalable Simulation Tool for Large Wireless Networks

This paper describes a modular and scalable simulation environment, called GloMoSim, to evaluate end-to-end performance of integrated wired and wireless networks. GloMoSim has been implemented on sequential and parallel computers and can be used to simulate networks with a large number of nodes. It is designed as a set of library modules, each of which simulates protocols within a specific layer of the communication stack. Common APIs have been specified between neighboring layers on the protocol stacks. The modularity facilitates the study of the interaction between layers as well as the evaluation and comparison of different layers. The parallel structure of the simulator enables the scaling to large network sites without compromising the accuracy. Two sets of experiments (parallel scaling; TCP and MAC layer interaction) illustrate the features of the GloMoSim platform.
A model of the changes in denatured state structure underlying m value effects in staphylococcal nuclease

Hydrogen exchange kinetics were measured on the native states of wild type staphylococcal nuclease and four mutants with values of mGuHCl (defined as dDeltaG/d[guanidine hydrochloride]) ranging from 0.8 to 1.4 of the wild type value. Residues within the five-strand beta-barrel of wild type and E75A and D77A, two mutants with reduced values of m GuHCl, were significantly more protected from exchange than expected on the basis of global stability as measured by fluorescence. In contrast, mutants V23A and M26G with elevated values of mGuHCl approach a flat profile of more or less constant protection independent of position in the structure. Differences in exchange protection between the C-terminus and the beta-barrel region correlate with mGuHCl, suggesting that a residual barrel-like structure becomes more highly populated in the denatured states of m- mutants and less populated in m+ mutants. Variations in the population of such a molten globule-like structure would account for the large changes in solvent accessible surface area of the denatured state thought to underlie m value effects.
Oviposition behavior of Neodiprion merkeli (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) in two-needle and three-needle fascicles of slash pine

The spatial arrangement of needle fascicles on slash pine shoots consisted of 21 fascicles in a spiral that turned around the shoot eight times before repeating itself. This cyclic unit was used to map the distribution of narrow, non-egg-bearing slits (“probes”) and egg-bearing pockets made by female Neodiprion merkeli Ross in the foliage of one large, heavily infested shoot. Females exhibited a strong apical response in reference to growth flushes on the shoot and a 5:1 preference for accepting the needles of two-needle rather than three-needle fascicles for oviposition. In 47 lightly infested shoots, the mean number of eggs laid per needle was 30% greater in needles from two-needle fascicles but increased with increasing needle width for two- and three-needle fascicles. The incidence of single probes unaccompanied by oviposition in the same needle was 28 times higher in needles from three than two-needle fascicles, a difference attributed to the relatively narrow flat-side width of needles available for oviposition in some three-needle fascicles.
Mass distribution for thermal-neutron-induced fission of 229Th

Abstract The yields of 36 fission products were determined either by radiochemistry or γ-ray spectrometry in the 229Th(nth, tF) reaction. The yields indicate considerable fine structure in the asymmetric peaks of the mass distribution and a small peak in the region of mass symmetry. The present yields are compared with those of previous works and a composite mass distribution is deduced. Characteristics of the distribution are the mean light mass, 87.90 ± 0.11; mean heavy mass, 140.08 ± 0.07; average number of neutrons emitted per fission, 2.02 ± 0.13; and peak-to-valley ratio ( 144 Ce 115 Cd ), 438 ± 46.
Tracheotomy in infants and young children: The changing perspective 1970–1985

One hundred fifty-three children 3 years of age or younger who had tracheotomies performed during the past 15 years are reviewed. During this time, short-term endotracheal intubation for airway obstruction from acute infections and long-term intubation for patients on ventilators have replaced early tracheotomy for these conditions. The number of tracheotomies decreased during each of three 5-year periods, from 73 to 55 to 25, respectively. Improvements in medical management resulted in prolonged survival of children with multiple abnormalities and resulted in more prolonged tracheotomies. Early complications occurred in 12% of patients and late complications occurred in 26%. In spite of changes in the indications, basic fundamentals of pediatric tracheotomy management remain unchanged.
BCL-2 and p53 expression in clinically localized prostate cancer predicts response to external beam radiotherapy.

AbstractPurpose: Clinicians have long been hampered by the inability to distinguished patients with localized prostate cancer who will and will not respond to radiotherapy. In a significant proportion of patients therapy fails as determined by increasing posttreatment serum prostate specific antigen (PSA). We evaluated the expression of 2 key regulators of apoptosis, bcl-2 and p53, relative to treatment outcomes in patients who received external beam radiotherapy for clinically organ confined carcinoma of the prostate.Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for bcl-2 and p53 on pretreatment needle biopsies was performed in 54 patients who were treated with radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. Expression was scored using strict criteria. Nadir PSA less than 1 ng./ml. after therapy was considered a successful treatment response.Results: There was a predominance of stage T1c cancer (74%) with a mean Gleason score of 6.9 and an average pretreatment PSA of 25.3 ng./ml. Overall 54% of the pat...
Spin‐1/2 quantum field theory in nonstatic space‐times. I. Construction of states

The problem of constructing states for a Hermitian spin‐ (1)/(2) quantum field in a nonstatic background geometry is considered and the solution corresponding to the extremization of the total energy at an initial time is obtained.
A new design approach for a high‐transimpedance and low‐noise optoelectronic integrated lightwave receiver with 24‐GHz bandwidth

This article illustrates how the bandwidth of a high-transimpedance optoelectronic integrated circuit amplifier, involving a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), can be improved by incorporating the concept of emitter RC-network shunt peaking often used in common-emitter voltage amplifiers. In the IC amplifier considered, the bandwidth has been shown to increase, with shunt peaking from 17.2 to 24 GHz, with no change of the equivalent input noise current (=2.3 pA/√Hz), arising mainly due to the input transistor's base current and the feedback resistor. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy Stationary Fuel Cell Program

Abstract The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy's (FE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), in partnership with private industries, is leading a program for the development and demonstration of high efficiency solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and fuel cell/turbine hybrid power generation systems for near-term distributed generation markets, with emphasis on premium power and high reliability. NETL is partnering with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in developing new directions for research under the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) initiative to develop and commercialize modular, low cost, and fuel flexible SOFC systems. Through advanced materials, processing and system integration research and development (R&D), the SECA initiative will reduce the fuel cell cost to $400 kW−1 for stationary and auxiliary power unit markets. The SECA industry teams and core program have made significant progress in scale-up and performance. Presidential initiatives are focusing research toward a new hydrogen economy. The movement to a hydrogen economy would accomplish several strategic goals, namely that SOFCs have no emissions, and hence figure significantly in DOE strategies. The SOFC hybrid is a key part of the FutureGen plant, a major new DOE FE initiative to produce hydrogen from coal. The highly efficient SOFC hybrid plant will produce electric power while other parts of the plant could produce hydrogen and sequester CO2. The produced hydrogen can be used in fuel cell cars and for SOFC distributed generation applications.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR-Potential Hazards of Neuromuscular Blocking Agents in the Treatmentof Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Comment on: “NeuromuscularBlockers in Early Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome”

While the mechanisms responsible for the adjusted mortality benefit reported by Papazian et al. remain speculative, it is highly likely that lower transpulmonary pressures (TPPs) in the cisatracurium group were responsible for some portion of the reported benefit. This is suggested by the three-fold incidence of pneumothorax in the placebo group compared to the cisatracurium group despite no difference in plateau pressures between the groups. This complication is significant in its own right, and probably serves as a marker for less obvious barotrauma at the alveolar level.
Experimental Transplantation of Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells on Collagen Substrates

We studied the use of human retinal pigment epithelial cells cultured on a collagen support as a potential transplantation therapy to replace diseased or damaged retinal pigment epithelium. Using a transvitreal approach, we transplanted human retinal pigment epithelial cells attached to either a sheet of noncross-linked or cross-linked type I collagen into the subretinal space of New Zealand white rabbits, whose eyes lack pigment. Animals were killed after six weeks, and the eyes were fixed for light microscopy. The results demonstrated that, in eyes receiving the noncross-linked collagen support, a layer of pigmented donor retinal pigment epithelium was visible within the subretinal space, with a normal-appearing retina and no evidence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy or graft rejection. We believe this method may be applicable to replace dysfunctional retinal pigment epithelial cells in humans.
Pseudosimilarity and cancellation of modules

Abstract Two square matrices A and B over a ring are pseudosimilar if there exist X , Y , and Z satisfying XAY = B , ZBX = A , and XYX = XZX = X . Hartwig and Hall showed this is equivalent to similarity over a field. This result is extended to rings where free modules satisfy a cancellation property. These include rings R with R /rad R artinian (or more generally rings with one in the stable range) and polynomial rings over Dedekind domains. Furthermore, it is shown for commutative rings that if A and B are pseudosimilar, then diag( A, O m ) and diag( B, O m ) are similar for some m .
The economic return to college attendance for major league baseball players.

Using recently collected Major League Baseball free agent data, this study identifies a contract value premium for nonpitchers who attended college. Simultaneous equations and the more traditional earnings regressions are used to report results which support the implications of the human capital model and the schooling-earnings theory. The results also suggest that the labour market for baseball players may not be purely talent driven and that choosing college may slow down a player's accession to the majors.
A Comparison of Two Methods of Measuring Sex-Role Differentiation in Preschoolers

Summary To examine the consistency between two methods of measuring sex-role differentiation, 494 preschoolers were given five verbal-objective tests and their aggressive, dependent, and cooperative behaviors were observed in the naturalistic environments of their classrooms. Simple and multiple correlations were computed between the test scores and behaviors. Overall, the results indicated that although both observations and verbal-objective tests are sensitive to sex differences, they are not perfectly related, and therefore provide information about different aspects of sex-role differentiation.
Comments on 'Strategic Maneuvering in Mathematical Proofs'

In ‘‘Strategic Maneuvering in Mathematical Proofs,’’ Krabbe (2007) aims to show that argumentation theory, and specifically pragma-dialectics, can help us better understand the nature of mathematical proofs. Proofs are not always arguments, by Krabbe’s account, but he holds that ‘‘whenever in a proof the reasoning displays persuasive functions, the proof can be regarded as an argument.’’ In these cases, where proofs do have a persuasive function, their persuasive effectiveness may depend on strategic maneuvering, and this brings proofs within the scope of the recent extensions of pragma-dialectics that integrate rhetorical and dialectical principles. Agreeing with Krabbe’s overall point that proofs are often shaped by rhetorical considerations as well as dialectical ones, I wish to focus my own remarks on what an examination of proofs and proving might contribute to a broader understanding of argumentation. In contemporary argumentation theory, argumentation is assumed to have resolution of disagreement or difference of opinion as its characteristic purpose. In argumentative discourse, we drill down from disagreeing speech acts in search of contradictory source beliefs, and once the source of disagreement is identified and dispatched, argumentation typically returns to the original interactional business. The idea that argumentation is aimed at repair of disagreement is central to my own work (see my own article in this volume). The normal course of interaction is purposeful exchange of speech acts, from which an open-ended set of beliefs and intentions may be reconstructed by each participant. People search and examine these underlying beliefs and intentions when they need to in order to continue with a purposeful exchange. Whether as an expression of Gricean cooperativity (as argued by Jacobs and Jackson 1983) or as output from ‘a simple heuristic that makes us smart’ (as might be inferred from Gigerenzer et al. 1999; see also Jackson 1996),
Electronic structure and optical properties of a tin-encapsulated nickel porphyrazine compound

The recently synthesized metal-encapsulated porphyrazine compound, [Sn(t-Bu)2]4-star-Ni(porphyrazine)-S8, shows very interesting structural and optical absorption features compared with other metal-centered porphyrazines, e.g., metal phthalocyanines (Pc). Using self-consistent-field local density theory, we studied the ground-state and excited-state electronic structure of this molecule and compared it with its metal phthalocyanine analog NiPc. The theoretical optical spectra including oscillator strengths are in good agreement with experimental absorption and show that the characteristic transitions at the so-called Soret band in NiPc are red-shifted in the new compound. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Evaluation of high levels of lead in select Department of Defense plastic playground equipment

This paper provides information on evaluations of childhood lead exposures associated with Department of Defense (DOD) elementary schools and Army family housing and child development center (CDC) plastic playground equipment (PE). DOD has fully evaluated the elementary school plastic PE. Playground equipment similar to DOD school PE exists in military housing and CDCs throughout Europe. Surveys of plastic PE found six brands that contained high levels of lead. Absent federal standards for lead in dust on plastic PE, DOD applied a standard of 100 μg/ft_, based on the EPA / HUD clearance level for lead in dust on residential floors. Eleven percent of components tested in 73 schools exceeded the 100 μg/ft_standard. In 2001, EPA lowered this standard to 40 μg/ft_. There is still equipment present with lead levels between 40 μg/ft_and 100 μg/ft_. Lead-containing PE has also been identified within the United States. Army offices are working with Federal agencies and the services to determine the location of lead-containing PE within the United States and to establish consensus standards. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A paradox for significant freedom

According to one view about significant freedom a moral agent has significant freedom in doing A at a time t if an only if A is morally significant for the agent and the agent’s options at t are not logically entailed by any set of propositions describing facts or causal laws holding antecedent to t .A morally significant action is simply one that it would be right for the agent to perform and wrong for the agent not to perform, or vice versa. 1 Adam has significant freedom in keeping a promise, for instance, if the state of the universe prior to his action does not entail that Adam keeps his promise or that Adam breaks his promise. If U describes the total state of the universe holding up until time t in a world w then the general conditions of significant freedom in w are given in T0. 2 T0: S has significant freedom in doing A at t if and only if (i) A is morally significant for S at t and (ii) ∼� (U ⊃S does A at t )& ∼� (U ⊃ S does ∼ Aa tt). Many theists believe that T0 is true. But it is also widely believed that God – assuming that God is either omnipotent or all-powerful – has it within his power to create moral agents who have significant freedom. God creates a moral agent that has significant freedom in doing A at t if and only if A is morally significant for the agent and the agent’s options at t are not logically entailed by the largest state of affairs that God can strongly actualize. 3 If God strongly actualizes the largest state of affairs T, for instance, and Adam freely breaks his promise, then there is some world in which God strongly actualizes the (same) state of affairs T and Adam keeps his promise. If T is the largest state of affairs that God strongly actualizes in a world w then the general conditions of significant freedom in w are given in T1.
Isohormonal Therapy of Endocrine Autoimmunity

For most autoimmune disorders, the site (if any) of chronic immunization required for perpetuation of autoimmunity is unknown. However, one possible site is the target organ itself. If this were the case, feedback regulation of target cell activity might influence autoimmunity. Here, Nanette Schloot and George Eisenbarth review several recent studies suggesting that therapies that inhibit hormonal secretion of target endocrine organs, and/or modulate immunity by therapy with the isohormone, are associated with disease suppression.
Attenuation of angiotensin-induced water intake in estrogen-treated rats.

Abstract Chronic treatment with either estradiol benzoate (31 and 57 μg/kg/day) or ethynyl estradiol (30 and 72 μg/kg/day) attenuated the drinking responses of female rats to acute administration of either isoproterenol (25 μg/kg, SC) or synthetic angiotensin II (100 and 200 μg/kg, IP). While these studies do not rule out the possibility that attenuation of isoproterenol-induced drink in estrogen-treated rats may be associated with a defect in renin release, attenuation is also apparently associated with a reduced responsiveness to angiotensin II. This may be related to reduced permeability of angiotensin II at the level of the circumventricular organs of the brain; to hyporesponsiveness of receptors for angiotensin II mediating thirst in the central nervous system, or to mechanisms beyond the receptor that are responsible for the conscious behavioral changes which normally accompany angiotensin II-induced thirst.
Changes in airway permeability and responsiveness after exposure to ozone.

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between airway responsiveness and the permeability of histamine through the airways in conscious sheep after exposure to ozone (O3). Airway responsiveness was assessed by measuring the change from baseline in mean pulmonary flow resistance following a controlled 2-min inhalation challenge with 1% histamine, containing 200 μCi/ml of [3H]histamine. The rate of appearance of the [3H]histamine in the plasma during inhalation challenge was used to estimate airway permeability. To perturb the airways, conscious sheep were exposed to either 0.5 or 1.0 ppm O3 for 2 hr via an endotracheal tube. Airway responsiveness and airway permeability were measured prior to and 1 day after exposure. In six sheep exposed to 0.5 ppm O3, increased airway responsiveness and airway permeability were observed 1 day after exposure. Four of seven sheep exposed to 1.0 ppm O3 had enhanced airway responsiveness and airway permeability, while the remaining three sheep showed corresponding decreases in airway responsiveness and airway permeability. Since the O3-induced directional changes in airway responsiveness paralleled the directional changes in airway permeability in both the positive and negative directions, it was concluded that changes in airway responsiveness to inhaled histamine following exposure to O3 may be related to concomitant changes in airway permeability to this agent.
The Failure of Nomenclature: The Concept of "Orthodoxy" in the Study of Islam

In Euro-American Islamic Studies, the terms orthodox and orthodoxy have a history of imprecision and collusion in theological axe-grinding. Yet despite their oft-noted inadequacies, scholars continue to invoke and retool the terms with a perplexing persistence. The resilient reworking of the term has resulted in a marked indeterminacy which renders orthodoxy a liability rather than an asset in scholarly nomenclature. This paper examines the trajectory of orthodoxy in scholarly works on Islam, outlines its conceptual problems, and probes its place within the conceptual “religionization” of Islam. Special attention is paid to Talal Asad’s influential usage and revival of the term. Despite its newfound life, this paper concludes that orthodoxy remains as problematic as ever.
2'-C-Branched Ribonucleosides: Synthesis of the Phosphoramidite Derivatives of 2'-C-beta-Methylcytidine and Their Incorporation into Oligonucleotides.

We describe a strategy for the incorporation of a 2‘-C-branched ribonucleoside, 2‘-C-β-methylcytidine, into oligonucleotides via solid-phase synthesis using phosphoramidite derivatives. 4-N-Benzoyl-2‘-C-β-methylcytidine (2b) was synthesized by coupling persilylated 4-N-benzoylcytosine with 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-benzoyl-2-C-β-methyl-α-(and β)-d-ribofuranose (1) in the presence of SnCl4 in acetonitrile, followed by selective deprotection with NaOH in pyridine/methanol. The 3‘- and 5‘-hydroxyl groups were blocked as a cyclic di-tert-butylsilanediyl ether 3 by treatment with di-tert-butyldichlorosilane/AgNO3 in DMF. The 2‘-hydroxyl group was then protected as a tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether 4a by treatment with tert-butylmagnesium chloride followed by addition of tert-butyldimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate in THF. As an alternative to 2‘-silyl protection, the corresponding 2‘-O-tetrahydropyranyl ether 4b was prepared by treatment of 3 with 4,5-dihydro-2H-pyran in the presence of a catalytic amount of 10-camph...
Familial nephrotic syndrome with nephrocalcinosis and tubular dysfunction

Five children in two families, three boys in one family and two girls in another, had the onset of nephrotic syndrome in early infancy. The proteinuria and edema formation were not altered by steroid therapy. Growth retardation, renal osteodystrophy, and tetany appeared at an early age. Glycosuria, aminoaciduria, and renal tubular acidosis developed during the course of illness, and nephrocalcinosis was noted. A renal biopsy specimen from a child in each family showed glomerular proliferative changes, glomerular scarring, interstitial inflammation, and microcalcinosis, together with extensive tubular atrophy. Three of the five children have died so far, all at about 8 years of age. The similarity of the clinical course suggests that the children in each of these families has a distinct inherited disease, a form of familial nephrotic syndrome.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) mediates adaptive responses to hypoxia by activating the transcription of hundreds of target genes. The expression and activity of HIF-1 are oxygen-regulated, which provides a direct mechanism for transducing changes in cellular oxygenation to changes in gene expression. HIF-1 regulates the expression of genes encoding proteins that play key roles in mediating the switch to glycolytic metabolism, the induction of angiogenesis, and the production of survival factors that block ischemia-induced apoptosis. Induction of HIF-1 activity or administration of survival factors encoded by HIF-1 target genes may be of therapeutic benefit in patients with acute stroke.
338 EFFECT OF ISOXSUPRINE ON β-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS AND ADENYLATE CYCLASE IN FETAL RABBIT CARDIAC MEMBRANES

Isoxsuprine (ISX) has been used in mothers with premature labor. To examine the effect of chronic exposure of ISX on fetal myocardium, eight doses of ISX (3 mg/kg) were injected intramuscularly into pregnant rabbits between 24-27 days gestation. At 28 days, fetal cardiac membranes were examined for β-adrenergic receptors (βAR) by (-)[3H]dihydroalprenolol (DHA) binding and assayed for adenylate cyclase (AC) activity. There was no difference in mean fetal heart weights in saline and ISX treated groups. (-)[3H]DHA binding sites were rapid (t½<30 sec.), reversible (t½<90 sec.) and saturable with high affinity and low capacity. β-adrenergic agonists and antagonists competed for these sites and had characteristics of β1-subtype of βAR. Chronic ISX treatment led to a decrease in the mean ± SEM of maximal (-)[3H]DHA bound from 126±7 fmoles/mg (n=6) to 64% of the control value, 81±8 fmoles/mg (n=6 (p<.01), with no change in affinity (Kd=1.8±0.2 vs. 2.4±0.3 nM). In addition, AC stimulation by (-) isoproterenol (10 μM) was reduced from 66.1±4.2 pmoles cAMP/mg/15 min. (n=5) to 62% of the control response, 41.2±4.1 pmoles cAMP/mg/15 min. (n=5)(p<.01) with no change in the basal activity in fetal cardiac membranes (24.5±1.9 vs. 24 ±0.9 pmoles cAMP/mg/15 min.). Thus, chronic ISX exposure of rabbit fetuses downregulated the βAR density in fetal cardiac membranes at 28 days and was accompanied by diminution of the response of AC to isoproterenol stimulation.
Stable decompositions for some symmetric group characters arising in braid group cohomology

We prove that certain permutation characters for the symmetric group @S"n decompose in a manner that is independent of n for large n. This result is a key ingredient in the recent work of T. Church and B. Farb, who obtain a ''representation stability'' theorem for the character of @S"n acting on the cohomology H^p(P"n,C) of the pure braid group P"n.
Simple Numbers: ANOVA Example of Facilitating Student Learning in Statistics

Summary This article advocates the use of simple data sets to help students gain a good intuitive grasp of ANOVA concepts.
Higher-order calculations in the real space dynamic renormalization group: One dimension

Abstract The application of real space dynamic renormalization group methods to the one-dimensional kinetic Ising model, discussed in an earlier paper, is extended to one order higher in perturbation theory than was done previously. It is shown that the treatment of short-range, local quantities is improved in going to higher order in the perturbation expansion, while that of the long-range properties remains largely unaffected. Arbitrariness in the real space mapping function and how it may be exploited to our advantage is duscussed. It is shown that the renormalized Hamiltonian continues to be characterized by one coupling through second order. We find that the single spin-flip kinetic Ising model generates at second-order new spin-flip mechanisms in the renormalized dynamical operator but that their effects are small (at most 2%) over the entire temperature range.
Aircraft installation & operational aspects of the Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS)

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an analysis done at Honeywell on the electromagnetic compatibility issues of installing an AeroMACS (Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System) Radio on aircraft equipped with other on-board Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) radios. This paper describes a typical aircraft radio frequency interference environment, analyzes the effect of the AeroMACS transmitter on other onboard receivers and the effect of other onboard transmitters on the AeroMACS receiver and summarizes the isolation requirements for installing AeroMACS radios on Aircraft.
A CAUTION AGAINST INTERPRETING AND QUANTIFYING OYSTER HABITAT LOSS FROM HISTORICAL SURVEYS

ABSTRACT Comparisons of historical surveys and fishery data have led to the popular belief that during the past century, more than 90% of oyster habitat has been lost through overfishing, disease, storms, and alterations to water quality and natural flow in the state of Georgia. Using handheld GPS computers, we conducted an on-the-ground inventory of living intertidal oyster reefs at four separate locations, and have concluded that previous surveys were not comprehensive or accurate enough to facilitate a reliable quantitative assessment of habitat loss. Alternatively, we have shown that intertidal oyster reefs are remarkably resilient and may occur in greater abundance today than when first documented in 1891. Rather than a collapse of oyster stocks, declining trends in fishery landings reflect the social and economic challenges associated with an unsustainable canning industry during the early 20th century. In addition, we challenge the axiom that the condition of existing intertidal reef habitat has de...
A quantitative model of the functional architecture of human striate cortex with application to visual illusion and cortical texture analysis

Anatomical and physiological data from lower primates, and psychophysical data from humans, is used to construct a quantitative model of the local and global map structure (functional architecture) of human striate cortex. A series of successful estimates deriving from this model are reviewed, including a prediction for the width of human ocular dominance columns, which has recently been verified. A variety of perceptual phenomena are then discussed, from the point of view of cortical, rather than retinal, topography. It is suggested that the striate cortex may be viewed as a "cyclopean retina" whose non-linear map structure, summarized in terms of a concatenated complex logarithmic pattern, suggests insights into the nature of the Mackay complimentary image, the Frazer spiral, fortification illusions, and the relationship of the second order statistics of a visual stimulus to pre-attentive (textural) segmentation. Finally, the nature of neuronal representation is considered in the context of recent models of perceptual and cognitive function. It is suggested that anatomical re-mapping at successive stages of the CNS may provide a conceptual alternative to conventional single cell and connectionist models, and offers a viable approach towards a "field" theory of vision.
Study of the effects of growth temperature and time on the alignment of Si quantum dots on hafnium oxide coated single wall carbon nanotubes

Abstract The alignment of quantum dots (QDs) has been a complicated exercise of combining lithography with deposition or growing QD superlattices. In this work, we demonstrate the aligned growth of epitaxial Si QDs on 1-dimensional (1-D) HfO 2 ridges. These ridges were created by the growth of HfO 2 thin film on single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) parallel to the substrate surface. The reason for the QD alignment on the HfO 2 thin film is in the strain that is built at the top of the 1-D ridges, which favors the formation of Si seeds over the surrounding flat HfO 2 area. Periodic alignment of Si QDs on the 1-D HfO 2 ridge was observed. A study over the effects of different growth conditions, such as growth temperature, and growth time is presented. The size of the QDs is found to be directly related to the size of the ridge.
Immunologic studies of human sarcomas: Additional evidence suggesting an associated sarcoma virus.

Immunologic studies have revealed a high incidence of antibody to sarcomaspecific antigen(s), prepared from a human liposarcoma, in the serum of patients with various types of skeletal and soft tissue sarcoma. The sarcomaspecific antigen was found in tissue culture cells derived from different histologic types of sarcoma but not in normal fibroblasts obtained from sarcoma patients, nor in cells from nonsarcomatous malignancies. A possible relationship between the sarcoma antigen and an infectious agent was suggested by the fact that the antigen was common to different sarcomas and by the finding of a high incidence of antibody to the sarcoma antigen in close family members of the sarcoma patients. This relationship was confirmed by the demonstration that cell-free extracts derived from sarcoma tumors and filtered extracts from sarcomas in tissue cultures were capable of inducing the formation of the sarcoma-specific antigen in normal human cells. Attempts to relate the sarcoma antigen to antigens of known human viruses has thus far been unsuccessful. These studies demonstrate the presence of a filterable agent in human sarcomas capable of inducing a new sarcomaspecific antigen on normal human cells in tissue culture. There is no evidence to indicate whether or not this virus is related to the etiology of human skeletal and soft tissue sarcomas.
Identification of elastic fibres in the peripheral nerve

Abstract Traditional histological staining techniques, as well as elastin-specific antibodies and electron microscopy, have been used to assess the distribution of elastin within the peripheral nerve. The location of the elastin identified by the VerHoeff VanGiesen or Weigert stains has been shown to coincide with the unambiguous identification of elastin by immunospecific stains and electron microscopy. Elastin is located in all three connective layers of the peripheral nerve. Thick elastic fibres, consisting of amorphous elastin protein and microfibrils, are located consistently in the perineurium and, to a lesser extent, in the epineurium. The endoneurium contains small collections of elastic fibres widely distributed between the axons. Compared with collagen, the overall content of elastin, however, is small, suggesting that the visco-elastic properties of peripheral nerve may be due primarily to collagen.
Canyons with undulating walls

Channels incised into cohesive substrates commonly develop undulating walls characterized by regular, repetitive variations in channel width. Canyons with undulating walls are found in a variety of lithologic, climatic, and tectonic regimes, and are most commonly present downstream from a knick zone of active incision. Flume experiments and natural channel morphologic patterns lead us to infer that wall undulations are the remnants of breached, offset potholes or of sinuous longitudinal grooves formed during incision of the knick zone. Substrate characteristics seem to have little influence on these undulations. Using measurements from eight channels incised into the Navajo Sandstone of southern Utah, we found that intact rock strength, rock-mass strength, joint orientation and spacing, bedding, and porosity did not differ significantly between channel reaches with straight walls, undulating walls, and meanders. The wavelength and amplitude of wall undulations also did not correlate with any substrate characteristic. These results lead us to conclude that the primary control on formation of undulating walls is hydraulic processes. Along the study channels, deep, narrow reaches with undulating walls alternate with wider straight or meandering reaches. Using flume simulations and one- and two-dimensional hydraulic modeling, we found that the wall undulations act to reduce interreach (spatial) variability in energy expenditure, and to minimize energy expenditure within a reach. We propose that the wall undulations and flow hydraulics create a feedback whereby the wall undulations are preserved following knickpoint incision. The wall undulations then act to regulate downstream energy expenditure in a manner analogous to bedforms. This implies that generalized principles of uniform energy expenditure developed for alluvial channels may also apply at the reach scale to bedrock channels with relatively homogeneous substrates.
Microfluid Dynamics and Acoustics of Resonant Liners

It is known that most of the acoustic dissipation associated with a resonant liner takes place around the openings of the resonators. However, because the openings are physically very small, there has not been any direct experimental observation of the flow and acoustic fields in this region. As a result, current understanding of liner dissipation mechanisms are either completely theoretical or are based on experiments using much larger physical models. Inasmuch as large openings were used in these experiments, the true Reynolds numbers were unfortunately not reproduced. The flow around and inside a typical liner resonator under the excitation of an incident acoustic field is investigated by direct numerical simulation (DNS). There are two distinct advantages in using DNS. First, by the use of a carefully designed grid, even very small-scale features of the flowfield can be resolved and observed. Second, the correct Reynolds number can be imposed in the simulations. Numerical experiments reveal that at low sound intensity, acoustic dissipation comes mainly from viscous losses in the jetlike unsteady laminar boundary layers adjacent to the walls of the resonator opening. At high sound intensity, dissipation is due to the shedding of microvortices at the mouth of the resonator. The energy dissipation rate associated with the shedding of microvortices is found to be very high. Results of a parametric study of this phenomenon are reported.
Quality of fresh-cut purple-fleshed sweet potatoes after X-ray irradiation treatment and refrigerated storage

Summary The effect of X-ray irradiation on the quality of fresh-cut, refrigerated purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP) cubes was investigated. Packaged sweet potato cubes were treated with 0, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 Gy X-ray irradiation and stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 14 days. After 14 days, total aerobic bacteria counts were 4.1 and 3.2 log10 CFU g−1, and mould–yeast counts were 3.3 and 3.0 log10 CFU g−1 in 750 and 1000 Gy treated samples, respectively. Doses up to 1000 Gy did not affect the firmness, moisture content and anthocyanin content of PFSP cubes throughout storage. PFSP cubes' flesh colour did not change during the first week of storage, but lightness (L*) increased after 14 days. Also, irradiation doses at 750 and 1000 Gy decreased saturation (C*) significantly, producing duller flesh colour than controls. Results indicate that X-ray irradiation treatment at doses up to 1000 Gy can reduce microbial populations while maintaining the physical quality and anthocyanin content of PFSP cubes up to 14 days of storage.