cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a high-throughput cone-and-plate apparatus for the application of defined spatiotemporal flow to cultured cells.

The shear stresses derived from blood flow regulate many aspects of vascular and immunobiology. In vitro studies on the shear stress-mediated mechanobiology of endothelial cells have been carried out using systems analogous to the cone-and-plate viscometer in which a rotating, low-angle cone applies fluid shear stress to cells grown on an underlying, flat culture surface. We recently developed a device that could perform high-throughput studies on shear-mediated mechanobiology through the rotation of cone-tipped shafts in a standard 96-well culture plate. Here, we present a model of the three-dimensional flow within the culture wells with a rotating, cone-tipped shaft. Using this model we examined the effects of modifying the design parameters of the system to allow the device to create a variety of flow profiles. We first examined the case of steady-state flow with the shaft rotating at constant angular velocity. By varying the angular velocity and distance of the cone from the underlying plate we were able to create flow profiles with controlled shear stress gradients in the radial direction within the plate. These findings indicate that both linear and non-linear spatial distributions in shear stress can be created across the bottom of the culture plate. In the transition and “parallel shaft” regions of the system, the angular velocities needed to provide high levels of physiological shear stress (5 Pa) created intermediate Reynolds number Taylor-Couette flow. In some cases, this led to the development of a flow regime in which stable helical vortices were created within the well. We also examined the system under oscillatory and pulsatile motion of the shaft and demonstrated minimal time lag between the rotation of the cone and the shear stress on the cell culture surface. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013;110: 1782-1793.
Identification of a 90 000-Dalton cell surface glycoprotein with elevated expression in human hepatoma cells.

Abstract We describe a human-specific cell surface glycoprotein of molecular size 90 000-dalton (90K) and isoelectric point 5 defined by a monoclonal antibody prepared using human hepatoma-mouse hepatoma hybrid cells with a limited number of human chromosomes (6, 7, 14, 20, 21, and X) as immunogens in syngeneic mice. While detectable on cultured human cells of diverse origin, expression of the 90K protein is elevated in hepatoma cells. Moreover, a protein of identical molecular size and slightly more acidic isoelectric point is present in hepatoma culture supernatant. We sought to determine the identity of the 90K protein by comparing it to two hepatoma-expressed, major histocompatibility complex-linked proteins of similar molecular size, the α-chain of C4 and factor B; this comparison was also prompted by the presence of human chromosome 6 in the immunizing hybrids. We find no evidence, however, for these proteins being related. Melanoma-associated antigenic determinants carried by proteins of similar molecular size have been reported, and the possible relation of these proteins to the 90K protein is discussed.
Tapping the Potential of Teacher Read‐Alouds in Middle Schools

Many educators recommend reading aloud to students, but little is known about the nature of teacher read-aloud practices beyond elementary school. This article describes a survey of 141 middle school teachers in one U.S. school district. Eighty-six percent of the teachers reported reading aloud to their students; however, teachers defined reading aloud in a variety of ways, including reading announcements and instructions. Many of the reasons teachers gave for reading aloud (e.g., modeling, making texts accessible, supporting comprehension, reinforcing content) were supported by research. The preponderance of reasons indicated an emphasis on efferent purposes for reading, which emphasize learning information from text. Teachers most often read aloud chapter books and textbooks; few mentioned nonfiction books, picture books, newspapers, or magazines. The most common reason teachers gave for not reading aloud was that it was inappropriate for their subject area, and several indicated that they never thought about reading aloud. The authors suggest an increased emphasis on helping teachers become aware of the multiple benefits and purposes of reading aloud and offer practical suggestions for finding texts and implementing read-alouds in all subject areas.
Miocene paleosols and habitats of Proconsul on Rusinga Island, Kenya

Abstract Early Miocene (18 Ma) volcaniclastic deposits of the Hiwegi Formation on Rusinga Island include at least six distinct kinds of paleosols, representing different parts of former ecosystems. Four localities (R1 site of L. S. B. Leakey, nearby site of Pickford, R106 of M. Leakey, and Kaswanga site of Walker) for articulated or cranial material of two species of Proconsul are all in the same kind of paleosol. These are here called Chuodho paleosols, and represent woodlands early in ecological succession of streamsides. Proconsul heseloni is best known from the lower Hiwegi and Kiahera Formations, and was replaced in the same habitat by P. nyanzae in the geologically younger middle Hiwegi Formation. In contrast, articulated skeletons of Dendropithecus macinnesi were found in another kind of paleosol (here called Tek), representing dry upland forest including hackberries ( Celtis rusingensis ). Other paleosols represent other kinds of early successional vegetation, woodland and dambo grassy woodland. Paleoclimate was dry (300-650 mm mean annual precipitation) and mildly seasonal. The paleosols formed along braided streams on outwash and airfall ash of a carbonatite-nephelinite volcano. The Hiwegi Formation accumulated during the building of this volcano about 18 million years ago.
Solubility and crystal structure of N-(1-deoxy-β-d-fructopyranos-1-yl)-l-histidine monohydrate (‘d-fructose-l-histidine’)

Within a set of food-related Amadori compounds, crystalline N-(1-deoxy-beta-D-fructopyranos-1-yl)-l-histidine monohydrate (Fru-l-HisxH(2)O) has an unusually low solubility in water, which we determined as 0.21 g/100 g at 25 degrees C. The majority of the other fructose-amino acid conjugates have solubilities exceeding 100 g/100 g in water at this temperature. We report the crystal structure data on Fru-l-HisxH(2)O. The conformation of the carbohydrate is the normal (2)C(5) pyranose chair. Bond lengths and valence angles compare well with the average values from a number of pyranose structures. All hydroxyl and carboxyl oxygen atoms, all nitrogen atoms and the water molecule are involved in an extensive hydrogen bonding, which forms a network of infinite chains with small antidromic rings.
MERCURY: MAGNETIC FIELD AND INTERIOR

Present-day knowledge about the planetary magnetic field and interior of Mercury is reviewed. Radar observations are discussed which delineated the correct rotation rate of Mercury (58.646 days) and the planet's 3:2 spin-orbit resonance. The data obtained in Mariner 10 magnetic-field observations during the first and third encounters with Mercury are examined in detail, and theoretical studies of the planet's interior are summarized, including both steady-state models and those describing the thermal evolution of the planet. Two possible source mechanisms for the observed intrinsic planetary magnetic field are evaluated: an active dynamo and a passive paleomagnetic field frozen into the planet's outer layers at an earlier epoch. It is noted that neither the available magnetic-field data nor models of the planetary interior permit one to distinguish uniquely between the two mechanisms. The spin-orbit commensurability of Mercury is explained in the framework of the solar tides induced in the body of the planet, a nonaxisymmetric moment of inertia, and the highly eccentric orbit of the planet.
Systematic analysis of tobacco treatment interventions implemented in worksite settings

AbstractIntroduction: Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The purpose of this investigation was to systematically analyze smoking cessation interventions conducted in worksite settings. Methods: Three researchers conducted a search of CINAHL, MEDLINE, ERIC and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection databases, independently. Eligibility of articles was evaluated by the following criteria: (1) primary research; (2) tobacco/smoking treatment interventions; (3) implemented in worksite settings; (4) conducted in the United States and abroad; (5) used a quantitative design; (6) published between March 2009 and January 2013 (based on articles published after a similar review). Results: A total of 12 articles satisfied the inclusion criteria. Nine programs reported a positive effect on tobacco/smoking treatment. Seven of the interventions were theory-based, with six of these applying the transtheoretical stages of change model. Four of the programs included pharmaco...
Women on boards of directors and firms' social performance: A meta-analysis

Numerous studies have found that firms with more female directors have higher social performance -- however, this positive association may reflect reverse causality. Because existing theory is too ...
On moralizing and hidden agendas: the pot and the kettle in political bioethics.

Henry et al. (2007) present a cogent analysis of the use of propranolol in preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They express a wide range of unanswered questions regarding this use of propranolol and criticize the report of the President’s Council on Bioethics (2003) on pharmacologic memory suppression on grounds of its obviously conservative agenda. The authors’ greatest concern is the “overmedicalization” of bad memories and the pharmaceutical industry’s encouragement and exploitation of this phenomenon. They argue their case clearly and persuasively, until their unjustified criticisms of the drug industry cast them in the role of pot to the Council’s kettle.
Constructivist Frameworks in Chemistry Education and the Problem of the "Thumb in the Eye"

The vibrant controversy over constructivism is an important one in chemical education. One aspect of this arises from the presence of multiple meanings of constructivism, in particular when it is associated with philosophy of science or with pedagogy. Because constructivism has multiple meanings, it is possible to distinguish multiple positions, in which someone can be “for” or “against” either or both of “philosophical constructivism” and “pedagogical constructivism”. This paper explores the consequences of having different positions available. Specific examples of individuals from the science and chemical educational community are examined to make the analysis more concrete. Clearer definition and a practice of respecting boundaries when writing and interpreting may lead to more productive work over time.
FRACTOGRAPHY AND ITS ROLE IN FRACTURE INTERPRETATION

Fundamental understanding of fracture requires accurate interpretation of fractography. Examples are drawn from recent work on titanium aluminide alloys based on both Ti3Al and TiAl. Although the fracture mode in these alloys is often characterized as “cleavage”, in reality the fracture surfaces are neither entirely cleavage-like, nor do the “cleavage” regions generally correspond to the classical description of cleavage. Implications of such fractographic observations, and of model fracture calculations, are discussed. Needs for further work to clarify fracture processes are also identified.
Glacial surface temperatures of the southeast Atlantic Ocean.

A detailed record of sea surface temperature from sediments of the Cape Basin in the subtropical South Atlantic indicates a previously undocumented progression of marine climate change between 41 and 18 thousand years before the present (ky B.P.), during the last glacial period. Whereas marine records typically indicate a long-term cooling into the Last Glacial Maximum (around 21 ky B.P.) consistent with gradually increasing global ice volume, the Cape Basin record documents an interval of substantial temperate ocean warming from 41 to 25 ky B.P. The pattern is similar to that expected in response to changes in insolation owing to variations in Earth's tilt.
Potentiation of bromobenzene-induced pneumotoxicity by phenobarbital as determined by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis.

ABSTRACTBromobenzene produces pulmonary, renal and hepatic damage in the rat. Phenobarbital potentiates bromobenzene-induced hepatotoxicity. Studies were initiated to determine if phenobarbital potentiates the pulmonary damage produced by bromobenzene. In a dose ranging study, adult male rats were treated daily for 4 days with phenobarbital (80 mg/kg, ip) and on the fifth day were dosed with 0, 2, 3, or 4 mmoles/kg, ip, bromobenzene. In a larger study phenobarbital was given for 4 days (80 mg/kg, ip), and bromobenzene (3.3 mmoles/kg, ip) was given on the fifth day. Pulmonary damage was assessed 24 hours later in the first study and 12 hours later in the second study by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis (BALF), microsomal mixed function oxidase measurements and histopathological evaluations. BALF biochemical markers employed were γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and total protein. Phenobarbital treatment greatly enhanced bromobenzene-induced GGT and LDH release into the lava...
Spin waves in a random two-dimensional antiferromagnet

The authors show that recent inelastic neutron scattering measurements on the low temperature magnetic excitations in the planar Heisenberg random antiferromagnet Rb2Mn0.5Ni0.5F4 may be well understood by using a numerical technique involving the time integration of the equations of motion for the system.
Further Normative Data on a Frostig Subtest, Eye-Hand Coordination:

Scores on the eye-hand coordination subtest of the Frostig for 360 males and females from age 3 to 39 confirmed the Frostig standardization scores through age 7.
Rethinking government policies for growing farmers.

First paragraphs: "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking that created them." At no time have these oft-quoted words of Albert Einstein been more appropriate than in addressing the problems of today's farmers. Between 1940 and 1990, with the industrialization of agriculture, the number of farms in the U.S. dropped from more than six million to just over two million. This drop in the number of farms has since leveled off, but the ability of farms to support farm families has continued to decline. Over the past couple of decades, around 90 percent of farm family income has come from nonfarm sources. In spite of all of the political rhetoric about supporting family farms, government farm programs have consistently subsidized the industrialization of agriculture. As a consequence, farm programs have contributed both directly and indirectly to the demise of family farms. Subsidized, standardized, routinized, and simplified farm management has effectively coerced or forced fewer farmers on larger farms to produce more food at ever lower economic costs. However, these same strategies are directly responsible for the lack of agricultural sustainability. We can’t solve the ecological, social, or economic problems of agriculture today with the same kind of thinking that created them....
The use of biomechanical orthodontic treatment concepts for removable appliances in maxillofacial prosthodontics. Part I: Review of prosthesis design principles

Maxillary cuspids are commonly included in ablative block resections in maxillectomy patients. Although the remaining incisors are poor abutments for interim or definitive obturators, they must be used if adequate retention and support is to be achieved. Orthodontic biomechanical concepts for removable appliances offer solutions for the treatment of these patients. The proper application of these concepts can improve retention, support, and force distribution to the anterior teeth and is particularly useful in younger patients when long-term maintenance of teeth is critical. The purpose of this article is to describe the rationale for this approach and its application to interim and definitive Aramany Class I and II obturators.
Nonlinear dynamics of sub-10 nm flying height air bearing slider in modern hard disk recording system

Abstract This paper presents an experimental and analytical study of nonlinear dynamics of air bearing slider in modern hard disk recording system. Proximity recording sliders used for commercial hard disk drive were deployed for the experimental investigation. Flying height oscillation signal of the sliders in various proximity regimes (nano-meter level) were measured by using ultra-precision laser doppler vibrometer (LDV), and processed by using Matlab for time–frequency analysis and phase plot analysis. From the experimental results, it was found that two kinds of nonlinear oscillations exist in the system: the slider–disk contact-induced nonlinearity and the air bearing inherent nonlinearity. Primary resonance, superharmonic resonance and sub-harmonic resonance due to the nonlinearity were observed. A numerical–analytical model incorporating the nonlinear features of both slider air bearing oscillation and slider contact vibration was developed to quantitatively estimate spectral signatures. Direct numerical simulations were also carried out to simplified model to obtain phase plots. The analytical and numerical results agree with the experimental results well. It was shown that both the contact vibration and air bearing oscillation render the system to exhibit complex nonlinear features. Particularly, phase plots can be used to identify the slider–disk contact vibration and air bearing nonlinear oscillation, the former is characterized by “sharp corner” when the non-contact phase transferring to contact phase, and latter is characterized by “smooth corner” due to stiffness–softening feature of air bearing.
Workers' and Community Participation and Democratic Control in Cuba:

This article is a historical and current analysis and description of the evolution of worker, community, and popular participation and democratic control in Cuba since 1958. It contains: (a) an ana...
Supplies from developing countries: Optimal order quantities under loss risks☆

Abstract When raw material suppliers of a global supply chain are situated in developing countries, not only will there be long lead times but there could also be a possibility of material losses in transit. The magnitude of the losses will be uncertain and can be significant. We consider the optimization of order quantity decisions in such situations. The long lead times imply that we need to take into account the uncertainty in finished goods demands for which the raw materials are to be ordered. The order quantities have to be optimized carefully as they determine the “real options” that become available later in production plans. Using data from the plywood industry and using stochastic programming we demonstrate a method for solving such problems. The method combines simulation and optimization. An interesting observation we make is that the optimal order quantity of a material need not be monotonic in expected loss of that material. In addition, we offer explanations as to why the expected loss need not be monotonic.
Trace-element analysis by X-ray fluorescence with an external proton beam

Abstract Proton-induced X-ray fluorescence was performed with 3 MeV protons passed through thin foils onto samples in air, allowing wet samples to be studied easily.
Silane Adsorption Behavior, Microstructure, and Properties of Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane-Modified Colloidal Silica Coatings

Abstract The adsorption of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPS) onto silica colloids (20 nm diameter) suspended in an isopropanol/water solution was studied and related to the microstructure and properties of coatings prepared from the suspensions.29Si NMR results indicate an adsorption limit of ∼2.2 GPS monomer or repeat units per nm2of silica surface after 24 h in suspension. For coatings dried at 100°C, FTIR data show that surface silanols are further consumed as GPS is added beyond the adsorption limit in the suspension. The increased adsorption after drying may be related to enhanced reaction at the higher temperature and to drying-induced deposition onto the surfaces. Coating microstructures consist of randomly packed silica colloids with varying amounts of siloxane polymer filling the pores, depending on the amount of silane added. The critical cracking thickness of the coatings increased dramatically when the amount of silane added was sufficient to fill the porespace. Abrasion resistance of the coatings improved gradually with GPS content, but deteriorated when the GPS content was far in excess of that needed to fill the pores. Hardness measured by nanoindentation showed a similar trend as abrasion resistance.
The electric field and global electrodynamics of the magnetosphere: Review and Quadrennial Report to the IUGG

The conception of the electrodynamics of the quiet-time magnetosphere obtained during the last four years of magnetospheric study is presented. Current understandings of the open magnetosphere, convective plasma flows in the plasma sheet, the shielding of the inner magnetosphere from the convective magnetospheric electric field, the space charge produced when injected electrons drift towards dawn and injected ions drift towards dusk, the disruption of the flow of the Birkeland current by plasma instabilities and the shielding of the convective electric field by the dayside magnetopause are discussed. Attention is also given to changes of magnetic field line topology magnetic storms and substorms. Unresolved questions and new tools which may play a role in the further understanding of magnetospheric electrodynamics and the role of the magnetospheric electric field are presented.
Beliefs in Internal-External Control of Reinforcement and Participation in Group and Individual Sports:

Three groups of 30 12- to 15-yr.-old males, students of California junior high schools, matched for age and IQ, were tested on the Rotter I-E Scale. Group A (school basketball players) were conside...
A morphological and chemical analysis of geographical variation in Tilia L. of eastern North America

A statistical analysis of morphological variation and a Chromatographic analysis of flavonoid variation were performed to determine taxonomic relationships among the species ofTilia of eastern North America. No apparent morphological discontinuities were seen between populations within the sample area although two characters (involving leaf pubescence and gland length) showed definite patterns of geographical variation. Flavonoid patterns showed definite differences between northern and southern populations with an intermediate zone in the Smoky Mountain region. The continuous nature of the morphological and flavonoid variation suggested that the genus as represented in eastern North America should be regarded as one species,Tilia americana L.
Arson and Murder in Kate Chopin's AT FAULT

Kate Chopin's 1890 novel At Fault has received the least attention of her two long narratives, becoming known as her “other novel.” Previous discussions of Chopin's work have been dominated by them...
Control of cation movements in liver mitochondria by a cytoplasmic factor

Abstract Externally added Ca 2+ above 20 n moles Ca 2+ / l mg tochondrial protein causes ejection of Mg 2+ and K + from liver mitochondria suspended in sucrose-Tris medium. Energy dependent Ca 2+ uptake or retention of K + in mitochondria depends on bound Mg 2+ . A trace amount of a cytoplasmic factor counteracts the Mg 2+ and K + labilizing effect of Ca 2+ and causes rapid uptake of Ca 2+ . Uncoupling agents inhibit the effect of the cytoplasmic factor while oligomycin but not aurovertin mimic its effect on Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ but not on K + . The cellular role and mode of action of the cytoplasmic factor is interpreted in terms of regulation of energy transfer.
The electrochemical aspects of some biochemical systems (XIII) the induction of β-galactosidase

Abstract The coulokinetic technique which has previously been demonstrated to be a useful approach for investigating metabolic behavior and the effects of antimetabolites on normal metabolism has now been found suitable for kinetic studies related to enzyme Induction. In this report the electrical response obtained as a result of the induction of β-galactosidase in E. coli by lactose is correlated with the formation of this hydrolytic enzyme as determined by chemical assay. The effects of chloramphenicol on the electrical characteristics of this induction was investigated. From the data obtained it was found that an ‘induction factor’ of 1 μA/min is equivalent to the formation of 0.61 β-galactosidase units/min. The electrical response's of E. coli (harvested in the stationary phase of their cycle after growth on glucose and lactose) where permitted to metabolize glucose and lactose are also presented.
Analysis of Factors Leading to Posttraumatic Pulmonary Insufficiency

Abstract Clinical and pathological data on all trauma patients (113) on whom a postmortem examination was performed between January, 1975, and July, 1976, were analyzed to determine the factors leading to posttraumatic pulmonary insufficiency (PTPI) defined as treatment-resistant lung failure. Fifty-nine patients died within 3 days of injury; 28 had suffered hemorrhagic shock and received massive fluid therapy (>10 liters). While mechanical ventilation was used more often in those patients suffering from shock ( p p > 0.08). The three factors associated with late PTPI were sepsis ( p p p Most patients suffering from shock do not have pulmonary failure, and modern ventilatory support is adequate treatment for the usually mild respiratory dysfunction they experience. The combination of mild pulmonary edema and mechanical ventilation may lead to gram-negative pulmonary infection manifest as PTPI.
Stable arrays of resonant bubbles in a 1‐MHz standing‐wave acoustic field

As observed microscopically, bubbles in a standing‐wave acoustic field move to the pressure nulls and oscillate, in elliptical orbits, about a common axis. The orbits of individual bubbles are equally spaced about 100 μm apart along the axis, forming a linear array. These arrays form in tap water for peak pressure amplitudes of 10–20 bar, but persist at levels as low as 1.5 bar. The 7‐μm diameter of the bubbles is approximately the theoretical size for resonant air bubbles in water driven at the 986 kHz frequency of the field. The radius of the orbits is approximately inversely proportional to the pressure gradient at the pressure null, with proportionality constant 0.25 bar. In a simplified model of the orbit phenomenon the expected proportionality constant is given by (2)1/2ps, where ps is the threshold pressure amplitude for rectified diffusion and has the value 0.18 bar. Calculations of ps, based on current theories for rectified diffusion, are in substantial agreement with the this value. The period ...
Effect of Storage Temperature, Equilibration Time, and Buffers on Survival of Tritrichomonas foetus in the Presence of Glycerol at Freezing Temperatures*

Tritrichomonas foetus survives when frozen in the presence of 1 M glycerol after growth in cysteine-peptone-liver-maltose (CPLM) medium. In the present study, survival upon storage was better in a chest-type freezer at a constant −21°C than in an upright freezer from which were recorded cyclic temperature fluctuations between −23 and −25° or in a dry-ice chest with a nominal temperature of −72°. By the use of special thermocouples inside the freezing tubes, it was found that the temperature fluctuated between −22 and −24° in the chest-type freezer, between −19 and −30° in the upright freezer, but rising as high as -2° when the door was opened and samples were removed, and markedly in the dry-ice chest as the dry ice melted and was replaced, sometimes rising to as high as −27°. The poorer survival in the latter 2 freezers was considered due to temperature fluctuation. When equilibration with glycerol was carried out at room temperature, survival upon subsequent freezing was better following rapid equilibration (glycerol added all at once; equilibration time, 1 hour) than following slow equilibration (1/6 of the final amount of glycerol added each hour for 6 hr.; equilibration time, 7 hr.). Survival was extremely poor following either rapid or slow equilibration in the refrigerator (4°). Since T. foetus can grow indefinitely at 37° in the presence of 10% glycerol and since it is protected by glycerol when frozen, there is a critical zone near 4° in which glycerol appears to be toxic. Buffering the storage medium to pH's 6.3 to 7.1 with glycyl-glycine increased survival upon freezing, but buffering to the same pH's with triethanolamine had no significant effect upon survival, and buffering to pH's 7.1 to 7.5 with phosphates decreased survival upon freezing.
Cost analysis of magnetic resonance cholangiography in the management of inoperable hilar biliary obstruction

Cost analysis of magnetic resonance cholangiography in the management of inoperable hilar biliary obstruction
Rings of formal power series with homeomorphic prime spectra

LetR⊂T be domains, not fields, such that Spec(R)=Spec(T) as sets; that is, such that the prime ideals ofT coincide, as sets, with those ofR. It is proved that the canonical map Spec(T[[X]])→Spec(R[[X]]) is a homeomorphism. This generalizes a result of Girolami in caseR is a pseudovaluation domain with the SFT (strong finite type)—property andT is its associated valuation domain. The analogous property for polynomial rings is also characterized: Spec(T[X])→Spec(R[X]) is a homeomorphism if and only ifR/M⊂T/M is a purely inseparable (algebraic) field extension, whereM is the maximal ideal ofR.
Risk factors for intraoperative epithelial defect in laser in-situ keratomileusis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report intraoperative epithelial defects (IED) in eyes undergoing laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK). DESIGN: Consecutive interventional case series. METHODS: Retrospective review of 247 eyes (133 patients) that underwent primary LASIK by a single surgeon at an academic institution using the Hansatome microkeratome. Patient characteristics and variations in preoperative and operative technique were analyzed. The main outcome measure was occurrence of IED (defined as loose epithelium that is > 1 mm or cannot be stably repositioned or absent epithelium). Multivariate logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: Intraoperative epithelial defects occurred in 24 (9.7%) of 247 eyes. Intraoperative epithelial defects significantly increased with older age (odds ratio [OR] 2.39/decade; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46–3.92), thicker preoperative corneal thickness (OR 2.30/50 μm; 95% CI 1.24–4.28), and maintenance of suction ring vacuum during the reverse pass of the microkeratome (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.01–3.06). The preoperative and intraoperative eye-drop regimen (anesthetic, mydriatics, lubricants, and intraoperative tonometry) had a significant effect on IED risk (OR, 0.163 best vs worst regimen; 95% CI, 0.033–0.792). In patients undergoing bilateral LASIK, the incidence of IED is much higher in the second eye if the first eye developed an IED (57% vs 1%). CONCLUSIONS: Modifying the eyedrop regimen was the more effective technical approach to decrease the risk of IED. Age and corneal thickness are valuable patient characteristics for preoperative risk assessment. Intraoperative epithelial defects in the first eye is highly predictive of IED in the second eye of the same patient.
Excited-state dynamics in rigid media: evidence for long-range energy transfer.

In semirigid PEG-DMA550 films with the added anthracene derivatives PEG-An and Acr-An, energy transfer quenching of the metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited state Ru(bpy)32+* to give −3An occurs by both rapid, static, and slow, diffusional quenching processes. The appearance of −3An was verified by transient absorption measurements. The kinetics of the two quenching processes have been analyzed by a Stern–Volmer kinetic analysis. The data for static quenching are consistent with energy transfer quenching with a distance dependence consistent with Dexter (exchange) energy transfer. On the basis of this analysis Bohr radii were found to be 26 and 11 A for PEG-An and Acr-An, respectively. Evidence for triplet–triplet annihilation between triplet anthracene excited states in the films was obtained from the concentration dependences of excited-state decay. These results provide evidence for long-range energy migration between derivatized anthracenes in rigid, cross-linked PEG-DMA550 films.
Radio-Frequency Electronics: Circuits and Applications

This second, updated edition of the best-selling Radio-Frequency Electronics introduces the basic concepts and key circuits of radio-frequency systems. It covers the fundamental principles applying to all radio devices, from wireless single-chip data transceivers to high-power broadcast transmitters. This new edition is extensively revised and expanded throughout, including additional chapters on radar, digital modulation, GPS navigation, and S-parameter circuit analysis. New worked examples and end-of-chapter problems are included to aid and test understanding of the topics covered, as well as numerous extra figures to provide a visual aid to learning. Key topics covered include filters, amplifiers, oscillators, modulators, low-noise amplifiers, phase lock loops, transformers, waveguides, and antennas. Assuming no prior knowledge of radio electronics, this is a perfect introduction to the subject. It is an ideal textbook for junior or senior courses in electrical engineering, as well as an invaluable reference for professional engineers in this area.
Between the Academy and the Avant-Garde: Carl Einstein and Fritz Saxl Correspond

OCTOBER 139, Winter 2012, pp. 77–96. © 2012 October Magazine, Ltd. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Can we rethink art-historical discourse by recasting one of its most “academic” (to use a term of Bataille’s) or even “conservative” (to use a term of Carl Einstein’s) media, that of editorial correspondence? Moreover, what if we attempt to expand such correspondence from an epistolary exchange between two editors to a tentative conceptual agreement between the institutions that these two individuals represent? And what if the expressed objective of this correspondence—that is, the prospect of collaboration—ultimately fails: what form of intellectual or methodological affinities between the two parties might their aborted communication ultimately disclose? The following sequence of letters describes an interrupted exchange between the representatives of two well-known institutions, whose circles appeared momentarily to intersect only to become tangential shortly thereafter. This transitory connection and its textual vestiges—in letters, archival manuscripts, and printed articles—indicates that the original subject of this editorial correspondence was ultimately correspondence in and of itself: an epistemological system based on reflection and analogy—two terms that both correspondents exhaustively theorized in their writings yet failed to carry out in their institutional relations. Analogy, correspondence, similarity, likeness, resemblance, and similitude are terms that have been used to describe the survival of premodern mentalities within the heterotopias of mid-nineteenth and twentieth-century modernisms. But likeness produces more likeness, and a similar homology or uncritical automatism informs the literature that attempts to interpret these recurring analogies. In his critique of Baudelaire’s “Correspondences,” Paul de Man cautions that “[t]he transcendence of substitutive, analogical tropes” associated with certain metaphors of likeness occasionally states their “totalizing power” as they move “from analogy to identity and from simile to symbol and to a higher order of truth.”1 Unlike other analogical parallels within the histories of modern art, anthropology, and literature, the following exchange of letters constitutes a form of correspondence between an academic library and a purportedly avant-garde revue that is singular in the history of the two institutions. The brevity of this momentary encounter
Impact of bariatric surgery on quality of life, functional capacity, and symptoms in patients with heart failure.

Obesity is a risk factor for heart failure (HF), but the benefit of weight loss in HF is unknown. We assessed the effects of bariatric surgery (BSx) compared to non-operative treatment for morbid obesity on overall quality of life (QoL), functional capacity, and symptoms in 13 HF patients undergoing BSx and six HF patients treated without surgery. In the BSx group, median age was 62, body mass index (BMI) was 55 kg/m2, and 5/13 were males; in the non-operative group, median age was 69, BMI was 42 kg/m2, and 1/6 were male. Median follow-up was 4.3 and 2.7 years, respectively. At follow-up, BMI was less in the BSx group (35 vs 47 kg/m2, p < 0.001); QoL (p < 0.01), frequency of exertional dyspnea (p = 0.01), and leg edema (p = 0.04) improved only in the BSx group. BSx induced weight loss and improved QoL and symptoms in morbidly obese patients with HF.
Mutual friction between parallel two-dimensional electron systems.

Frictional drag between isolated two-dimensional electron gases separated by a thin barrier has been observed at low temperatures in GaAs/AlGaAs double-quantum-well structures. Separate electrical connection to the two electron systems allows the injection of current into one and the detection of a small drag voltage across the other. The drag voltage is a direct measure of the interwell momentum relaxation rate. Measurements of this rate are in qualitative agreement with calculations of an interwell Coulomb scattering model.
Gender and family therapy: Adding a bi-level belief systems component to assessment

This article proposes that most couples requesting therapy describe gender socialized patterns as part of their relationship issues. Adding a component to assessment derived from principles of strategic and systemic family therapies and post-modernist feminist psychology which examines the couple's gendered belief system context is described. The belief system context is identified as the family's epistemology about gendering at the family belief system and sociocultural belief system level contexts. Three dimensions of the gendered belief system and a method for assessing the functionality of the belief system are discussed.
Flux flow and flux cutting in type-II superconductors carrying a longitudinal current

A heuristic model of flux flow and vortex cutting that does not imply a buildup of longitudinal flux is given for type-II superconducting cylinders carrying a current in the presence of an axial magnetic field.
Intraspecific Vertical Stratification as a Mate-Finding Mechanism in Tropical Cockroaches

Cockroaches in a tropical forest stratify vertically both inter- and intraspecifically along micrometeorological gradients. At night, low wind speeds and unstable atmospheric conditions result in efficient vertical mixing of the air near the ground. Convective ascent of warm air imparts directionality to the pheromone- dispersion process. The occurrence of males at greater heights than pheromone- emitting conspecific females appears to be a mate-finding strategy.
Determination and Identification of p-Hydroxyamphetamine as the O,N-Diacetyl Derivative

Abstract Therapeutic solutions of hydroxyamphetamine hydrobromide, such as the ophthalmic solution U.S.P. and nasal solution, N.N.R. (N.N.D.), may be assayed gravimetrically by treating with acetic anhydride in the presence of bicarbonate and quantitatively isolating the OJV-diacetylhydroxyamphetamine thus formed. The properties of the readily crystallizable derivative serve to identify the parent substance.
Lumenal adenosine and AMP rapidly increase glucose transport by intact small intestine.

Adenosine modulates the intestinal functions of secretion, motility, and immunity, yet little is known about the regulation of nutrient absorption. Therefore, we measured the carrier-mediated uptak...
Database-aware semantically-smart storage

Recent research has demonstrated the potential benefits of building storage arrays that understand the file systems above them. Such "semantically-smart" disk systems use knowledge of file system structures and operations to improve performance, availability, and even security in ways that are precluded in a traditional storage system architecture.In this paper, we study the applicability of semantically smart disk technology underneath database management systems. For three case studies, we analyze the differences when building database-aware storage. We find that semantically-smart disk systems can be successfully applied underneath a database, but that new techniques, such as log snooping and explicit access statistics, are needed.
An innovation in paper receipts: the electronic receipt management system

The problem our team addresses is best communicated in the following question: Given the number of merchants, consumers, and financial institutions in the U.S., how can we build a record-keeping system that improves the usability, accessibility, and sustainability of consumer transaction records?
Reduction of porosity by pressure solution: Experimental verification

Under nonhydrostatic stress the porosity of water-saturated St. Peter sandstone has been reduced by more than 50 percent through pressure solution. The rate of porosity reduction is dependent on the pore fluid pressure. Hydrostatic pressure alone resulted in no porosity reduction, which indicates that shear stress is necessary for the reduction of porosity by pressure solution.
Generate Pareto optimal solutions of scheduling problems using normal boundary intersection technique

The problem of short-term scheduling under uncertainty is addressed in this paper through a multiobjective optimization framework that incorporates economic expectation, robustness, and flexibility in terms of demand satisfaction. In order to be able to identify Pareto optimal solutions, a new approach is applied which is based on normal boundary intersection (NBI) technique. The main advantage of this technique is that it avoids the selection of arbitrary parameters and generates a set of evenly distributed set of points independent of the scales of the objectives. Utilizing this idea, alternative schedules are generated that represent trade-off between the various objectives in the face of uncertainty. The approach is illustrated through three case studies and the special characteristics of the scheduling problems are discussed.
Transcriptome response of high- and low-light-adapted Prochlorococcus strains to changing iron availability

Prochlorococcus contributes significantly to ocean primary productivity. The link between primary productivity and iron in specific ocean regions is well established and iron limitation of Prochlorococcus cell division rates in these regions has been shown. However, the extent of ecotypic variation in iron metabolism among Prochlorococcus and the molecular basis for differences is not understood. Here, we examine the growth and transcriptional response of Prochlorococcus strains, MED4 and MIT9313, to changing iron concentrations. During steady state, MIT9313 sustains growth at an order-of-magnitude lower iron concentration than MED4. To explore this difference, we measured the whole-genome transcriptional response of each strain to abrupt iron starvation and rescue. Only four of the 1159 orthologs of MED4 and MIT9313 were differentially expressed in response to iron in both strains. However, in each strain, the expression of over a hundred additional genes changed, many of which are in labile genomic regions, suggesting a role for lateral gene transfer in establishing diversity of iron metabolism among Prochlorococcus. Furthermore, we found that MED4 lacks three genes near the iron-deficiency-induced gene (idiA) that are present and induced by iron stress in MIT9313. These genes are interesting targets for studying the adaptation of natural Prochlorococcus assemblages to local iron conditions as they show more diversity than other genomic regions in environmental metagenomic databases.
Case-based tutoring in virtual education environments

Virtual education environments are gaining popularity as tools to enhance student learning. These environments are often used to allow students to experience situations that would be difficult, costly, or impossible in the physical world. North Dakota State University (NDSU) provides students with environments to enhance their understanding of geology (Planet Oit), cellular biology (Virtual Cell), retailing (DollarBay), and history (Blackwood). In order to maximize the learning potential of each individual student, an ideal environment needs to provide customized lessons to that student based on his or her individual performance. One method to address this requirement is the use of case-based reasoning which is used to monitor student performance, track progress throughout an environment, compare the student to other students in the same environment, and create customized tutor dialogs to communicate this information to the student in the form of individual tutor lessons. An example of case-based lesson building software that meets the above requirements can be observed in the current DollarBay retailing environment at NDSU.
A new series representation for the radiation integral with application to reflector antennas

Given the true or any approximate current on a reflector, the radiated far-field is determined from a rapidly convergent series representation of the radiation integral. The leading term is a well-shaped J_{1}(x)/x beam pointing in a desired direction. Higher order terms provide perturbations to the leading term. The coefficients of the series are independent of the observation angles. Hence, once they are computed, the field may be determined very rapidly at large numbers of points. Initially, a suitable small angle approximation is made that places the radiation integral in the form of a Fourier transform on a circular disk. The theory is then extended such that the results are valid in both the near and the wide angle regions. Application to a rotationally symmetric paraboloid is presented herein. Other applications include the offset and dual reflectors and near- to far-field integrations. A modified form of the series can also be used for Fresnel zone computations.
THE VENOM OF THE MUD-DAUBER WASPS. I. SCELIPHRON CAEMENTARIUM: PRELIMINARY SEPARATIONS AND FREE AMINO ACID CONTENT.

Quantitative investigation of Sceliphron caementarium venom, obtained by electrical excitation of the wasp, has shown an unexpectedly small protein fraction of the dried venom. A few percent of the...