cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous broadcast revisited

Simultaneous Broadcast protocols allow different parties to broadcast values in parallel while guaranteeing mutual independence of the broadcast values. In this work, we study various definitions of independence proposed in the literature by Chor, Goldwasser, Micali and Awerbuch (FOCS 1985), Chor and Rabin (PODC 1987) and Gennaro (IEEE Trans. on Parallel and Distributed Systems, 2000), and prove implications and separations among them.In summary, we show that each definition (generalized to allow arbitrary input distributions) is characterized by a class of "achievable" input distributions such that there is a single protocol that simultaneously meets the definition for all distributions in the class, while for any distribution outside the class no protocol can possibly achieve the definition. When comparing sets of achievable distributions, the definition of Gennaro is the most stringent (followed by the Chor and Rabin one, and Chor, Goldwasser, Micali and Awerbuch as the most relaxed) in the sense that it is achievable for the smallest class of distributions. This demonstrates that the definitions of Gennaro, and Chor and Rabin are of limited applicability.Then, we compare the definitions when restricted to achievable distributions. This time the results of our comparison rank the definitions in the opposite order, with the definition of Chor, Goldwasser, Micali and Awerbuch as the strongest one (followed by Chor and Rabin, and then Gennaro) in the sense that security according to the stronger definitions implies security according to the weaker ones. We also give examples showing that the implications are strict, i.e., there are input distributions such that a protocol can meet the weaker definition, but fail to satisfy the stronger. The separation between the definitions of Gennaro and Chor and Rabin is particularly strong, as we show that there is a single protocol that is simultaneously secure according to Gennaro under any achievable input distribution, but does not satisfy the definition of Chor and Rabin for any non-trivial distribution. In particular, the separation holds for the special case of the uniform input distribution originally considered by the authors in their papers.
The Permeability of Skin and Oral Mucosa to Water and Horseradish Peroxidase as Related to the Thickness of the Permeability Barrier

The permeability of porcine skin and keratinized and nonkeratinized oral mucosa to tritium-labeled water and horseradish peroxidase (HRPO) was determined using perfusion chambers. Small blocks from each tissue were also incubated with HRPO and the extent of penetration visualized microscopically; this enabled measurements to be made of the thickness of the permeability barrier to this water-soluble tracer. Results obtained after inverting the oral mucosa in the chambers or adding metabolic inhibitors indicated that both compounds diffuse across the tissue. The permeability constants derived directly in the study showed that skin was less permeable than oral mucosa and that the floor of the mouth was significantly more permeable than all other regions. When these constants were normalized in terms of a standard permeability barrier thickness and the different tissues compared, the values obtained for skin were again less than those of the oral regions but, of these, the buccal mucosa was significantly higher. The difference in permeability between epidermis and keratinized oral epithelium may be due to differences in the volume density of membrane-coating granules known to exist between the tissues; differences between the oral mucosal regions may reflect differences in the nature of the intercellular barrier material.
Determination of the spin-lattice relevant for the quaternary magnetic oxide Bi4Cu3V2O14 on the basis of tight-binding and density functional calculations.

The quaternary magnetic oxide Bi4Cu3V2O14 consists of Cu4O8 triple chains made up of corner-sharing CuO4 square planes. To determine its spin−lattice, the spin exchange interactions of Bi4Cu3V2O14 ...
The production of ultra high activity 11C-labeled hydrogen cyanide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane via the reaction (XV)

Abstract The use of N2O2 or N2H2 pressurized gaseous systems as targets in proton bombardment makes use of the 14 N(p,α) 11 C reaction and allows the facile, quantitative production of H11CN, 11CO2, 11CO or 11CH4 as needed. A system is described for the production of “carrier-free”, high activity (up to 2 Ci) H11CN in an on-line process in the effluent gas stream from a cyclotron target. The target gas is a mixture of 94·5% nitrogen, 5·5% hdrogen, run at a total pressure of 11 atmospheres. The primary products are converted to 11CH4 in over 95 per cent yield by radiolysis in the target, and this, along with NH3 which is concurrently produced radiolytically, is converted quantitatively to “carrier-free” H11CN over platinum wire held at 1000°C. The radiation processes and dosimetry studies involved in the system are discussed. The product is available for use as gaseous H11CN, or in base or carrier sodium cyanide, within 10–12 min after the end of an irradiation. It has been used as such in animal studies and also in the production of carrier-free dopamine-11C and norepinephrine-11C at levels up to 30 mCi at the time of delivery for medical use. An identical target, using tank N2 with trace O2 impurity as the target gas, can be used to produce “carrier-free” 11CO2 at similar activity levels, and from this 11CO or 11CH4 can be made either on-line or by a rapid catalytic reduction.
Impact of Communication on Preventive Services Among Deaf American Sign Language Users

Background Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users face communication and language barriers that limit healthcare communication with their providers. Prior research has not examined preventive services with ASL-skilled clinicians. Purpose The goal of this study was to determine whether provider language concordance is associated with improved receipt of preventive services among deaf respondents. Methods This cross-sectional study included 89 deaf respondents aged 50-75 years from the Deaf Health Survey (2008), a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey adapted for use with deaf ASL users. Association between the respondent's communication method with the provider (i.e., categorized as either concordant-doctor signs or discordant-other) and preventive services use was assessed using logistic regression adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. Analyses were conducted in 2010. Results Deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to report a greater number of preventive services (OR=3.42, 95% CI=1.31, 8.93, p=0.0122) when compared to deaf respondents who reported having a discordant provider even after adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. In unadjusted analyses, deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to receive an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR=4.55, p=0.016) when compared to respondents who had a discordant provider. Conclusions Language-concordant patient-provider communication is associated with higher appropriate use of preventive services by deaf ASL users.
Technical Services and Tenure: Impediments and Strategies

SUMMARY Although the appropriateness of faculty status for technical services librarians serving in academic libraries is often debated, these librarians usually share the same personnel status as other librarians in the same institution. The success of technical services librarians in achieving tenure is explored, along with perceptions about the relative ease with which they may attain it. Possible impediments to success are identified, with special focus on the portrayal and evaluation of the practice of librarianship, as distinct from scholarly or service pursuits. Strategies for countering these impediments are suggested.
Reconstitution of Human DNA Polymerase δ Using Recombinant Baculoviruses: THE p12 SUBUNIT POTENTIATES DNA POLYMERIZING ACTIVITY OF THE FOUR-SUBUNIT ENZYME *

Eukaryotic DNA polymerase delta is thought to consist of three (budding yeast) or four subunits (fission yeast, mammals). Four human genes encoding polypeptides p125, p50, p66, and p12 have been assigned as subunits of DNA polymerase delta. However, rigorous purification of human or bovine DNA polymerase delta from natural sources has usually yielded two-subunit preparations containing only p125 and p50 polypeptides. To reconstitute an intact DNA polymerase delta, we have constructed recombinant baculoviruses encoding the p125, p50, p66, and p12 subunits. From insect cells infected with four baculoviruses, protein preparations containing the four polypeptides of expected sizes were isolated. The four-subunit DNA polymerase delta displayed a specific activity comparable with that of the human, bovine, and fission yeast proteins isolated from natural sources. Recombinant DNA polymerase delta efficiently replicated singly primed M13 DNA in the presence of replication protein A, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and replication factor C and was active in the SV40 DNA replication system. A three-subunit subcomplex consisting of the p125, p50, and p66 subunits, but lacking the p12 subunit, was also isolated. The p125, p50, and p66 polypeptides formed a stable complex that displayed DNA polymerizing activity 15-fold lower than that of the four-subunit polymerase. p12, expressed and purified individually, stimulated the activity of the three-subunit complex 4-fold on poly(dA)-oligo(dT) template-primer but had no effect on the activity of the four-subunit enzyme. Therefore, the p12 subunit is required to reconstitute fully active recombinant human DNA polymerase delta.
Evolution of surgical management of early-stage endometrial cancer

Objective We sought to examine the evolution of surgical care for early-stage endometrial cancers and factors affecting use of laparoscopy. Study Design Women with surgically managed early-stage endometrial cancer were divided into 2 groups corresponding to before and after addition of faculty with formal fellowship training in laparoscopic staging and access to a robotic surgery platform. Results In all, 502 women were identified. Laparoscopic management increased from 24-69% between time periods ( P P P = .001). A traditional "straight stick" technique was performed in 72% of laparoscopic cases during the later period. Laparoscopy patients had lower estimated blood losses and shorter hospital stays (each P Conclusion Addition of faculty with formal fellowship training in laparoscopic staging and access to a robotic surgery platform shifted management of early-stage endometrial cancer toward laparoscopy.
The prevalence and documentation of impaired mental status in elderly emergency department patients

Abstract Study objective: We sought to determine the prevalence of mental status impairment in elderly emergency department patients and to assess documentation of and referrals by emergency physicians for mental status impairment after discharge from the ED. Methods: We performed a prospective, observational study of a convenience sample of 297 patients 70 years or older presenting to an urban teaching hospital ED over a 12-month period. Patients were screened with the Orientation-Memory-Concentration examination for cognitive impairment and the Confusion Assessment Method for delirium. Documentation, dispositions, and referrals were abstracted from chart review. Results: Two hundred ninety-seven of the 337 eligible patients were enrolled. Seventy-eight of the 297 (26%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 21% to 31%) patients had mental status impairment; 30 (10%; 95% CI 7% to 14%) had delirium; 48 (16%; 95% CI 12% to 20%) had cognitive impairment without delirium; 17 (6%; 95% CI 3% to 9%) screened positive on both examinations. Only 22 (28%; 95% CI 19% to 40%) of the 78 patients had any documentation of mental status impairment by the emergency physician. Specific mention of delirium, cognitive impairment, or an acceptable synonym was noted in 13 (17%; 95% CI 9% to 27%). Of 34 (44%; 95% CI 32% to 55%) patients with mental status impairment discharged home, only 6 (18%; 95% CI 7% to 35%) had plans documented by the emergency physician to address impairment. Eleven (37%; 95% CI 20% to 56%) of the 30 patients with delirium were discharged home. Sixteen (70%; 95% CI 47% to 87%) of the 23 patients with cognitive impairment who were discharged home had no prior history of dementia; these patients were less likely to have specialized assistance with care (13%; 95% CI 4% to 27%) than those with known dementia (58%; 95% CI 28% to 85%). Conclusion: Impaired mental status is common among older ED patients. Lack of documentation, admission, or referral by emergency physicians suggests a lack of recognition of this important problem. [Hustey FM, Meldon SW. The prevalence and documentation of impaired mental status in elderly emergency department patients. Ann Emerg Med. March 2002;39:248-253.]
A simple procedure for separating the subunits of ovine and bovine pituitary interstitial cell stimulating hormone

Abstract A simple, effective procedure for separating ovine or bovine interstitial cell stimulating hormone into their subunits has been described with a yield of 70–80%. The β subunit isolated by the new procedure behaves differently from that obtained by the countercurrent distribution method, and is in a more native state. In addition, full biological activity is consistently restored upon recombination of the subunits isolated by the new procedure.
People and Parliament in the European Union: Participation, Democracy, Legitimacy. By Jean Blondel, Richard Sinnott, and Palle Svensson. Oxford: Clarendon, 1998. 287p. $70.00.

This book seeks to explain why participation rates in elections to the European Parliament (EP) are low and declining. Turnout has fallen from 66% in 1979 to 59% in 1994-20- 40% below levels in national elections. This is a critical issue, the authors insist, because low turnout confirms pervasive doubts that the European Union (EU) is "democratically legitimate." Behind this lies the central question of this era in modern European history, namely, whether a transnational policy with a common discourse and shared institutions can form.
Influence of surface waves on measured and modeled irradiance profiles

Classical radiative transfer programs are based on the plane-parallel assumption. We show that the Gershun equation is valid if the irradiance is averaged over a sufficiently large area. We show that the equation is invalid for horizontal areas of the order of tens of meters in which horizontal gradients of irradiance in the presence of waves are much larger than vertical gradients. We calculate the distribution of irradiance beneath modeled two-dimensional surface waves. We show that many of the features typically observed in irradiance profiles can be explained by use of such models. We derive a method for determination of the diffuse attenuation coefficient that is based on the upward integration of the irradiance field beneath waves, starting at a depth at which the irradiance profile is affected only weakly by waves.
Maternal handling during pregnancy reduces DMBA-induced mammary tumorigenesis among female offspring

The present study investigated whether handling of pregnant rats would affect mammary tumorigenesis in their female offspring. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected daily with 0.05 ml of vehicle between days 14 and 20 of gestation or were left undisturbed. Handling did not have any effects on pregnancy or early development of the offspring. The female offspring were administered 10 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) at the age of 55 days. The rats whose mothers were handled during pregnancy had a significantly reduced mammary tumour incidence when compared with the offspring of non-handled mothers. Thus, on week 18 after DMBA exposure, 15% of the handled offspring had developed mammary tumours, whereas 44% of the non-handled offspring had tumours. No significant differences in the latency to tumour appearance, in the size of the tumours or in their growth rates were noted. Daily handling performed during post-natal days 5 and 20 produced similar data to that obtained for prenatal handling; on week 18 after DMBA exposure, the mammary tumour incidence among the post-natally handled rats was 22% and among the non-handled rats 44%. Possible deviations in hormonal parameters were also studied in adult female rats exposed in utero to handling. The onset of puberty tended to occur later among the handled offspring, but no differences in the uterine wet weights or serum oestradiol levels between the groups were noted. In conclusion, maternal handling reduced the offspring's risk to develop mammary tumours, and this effect was independent of the oestrogenic environment at adulthood. We propose that handling of a pregnant rat reduces mammary tumorigenesis in her offspring by means of changing the morphology of the mammary gland, the pattern of expression of specific genes and/or immune functions.
Fields and Streams: Stream Restoration, Neoliberalism, and the Future of Environmental Science

In 2012, Robert Allen (R. A.) Dickey won the Cy Young award, the highest honor for a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Dickey was the first to win the award by throwing knuckleballs, an enormously difficult to master, quixotic pitch thrown without spin that moves through the air in ways normal pitches don't. When done well, a knuckleball shows the nuanced skill of an unusual pitcher and systemic weakness in hundreds of big-league hitters, who rarely face such a pitch.
Menninger: The Family and the Clinic

The story of the Menninger Clinic is the story of the Menninger family. The two cannot be separated, according to historian Lawrence Friedman, for one cannot be understood without the other. Friedman should know. He is the only scholar granted full, unrestricted access to the Menninger archives and the personal papers of founder Karl and Will Menninger. In this study of the Menningers and their clinic, Friedman lifts the public relations veil to reveal the story behind the public success: the reciprocal influence of the family upon the clinic and the clinic upon the family. Friedman has taken extraordinary time and care in researching this study. The resulting book is neither expos nor hagiography. Nor is it a narrow institutional history. It is, instead, a finely wrought historical study based upon a decade of research in more than a dozen archives, including the vast Menninger archive. "Menninger" is the first study of a major American psychiatric center based on full, unrestricted access to archival materials. It also incorporates information gleaned from extensive interviews with members of the Menninger family as well as interviews with more than one hundred people important in the clinic's history. Not only does Friedman examine the dynamics of the Menninger family close up, but he also steps back for a larger view of the Menningers' role in the history of psychiatry.
Synthesis and characterization of poly(pyridinium salt)s with oxyalkylene units exhibiting amphotropic liquid–crystalline and photoluminescence properties ☆

Abstract Several novel poly(pyridinium salt)s with oxyalkylene moieties in the main chain with bulky organic counterions (tosylate and triflimide) were prepared by either the ring-transmutation polymerization of phenylated bis(pyrylium tosylate) salt with a series of oxyalkylene containing diamines in dimethyl sulfoxide on heating for 48 h or the metathesis reaction of the corresponding tosylate polymers with lithium triflimide in methanol. Their chemical structures were determined by elemental analysis and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, and their polyelectrolyte behavior in dimethyl sulfoxide was determined by solution viscosity measurements. Their weight average molecular weights were in the range 14,000–22,000 and polydispersity indices were in the range 1.20–1.70 as determined by gel permeation chromatography. They were characterized both for their thermotropic and lyotropic liquid–crystalline properties by using differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. Since these polymers exhibited liquid–crystalline phase both in the melt and in solution, they can be appropriately classified as amphotropic class of ionic polymers. Their light-emitting properties were also determined by using spectrofluorometry.
Thermodynamic Properties of Air at Pressures to 2000 MPa

A new formulation for the thermodynamic properties of standard dry air at pressures to 2000 MPa has been developed. This formulation, which can be used at temperatures from the freezing liquid line to 2000 K, is based on comprehensive experimental measurements of densities, heat capacities and sound speeds at lower pressures and temperatures and on the use of corresponding states to calculate the properties of air from nitrogen data at high pressures and temperatures. The experimental and calculated properties were then used in a regression analysis to develop a fundamental equation for standard air with a nominal mole fraction composition of 0. 78 N2+0. 21O2+0. 01 Ar. In the range from the solidification point to 873 K at pressures to 70 MPa, the estimated uncertainty of density values calculated with the fundamental equation for the vapor is ±0. 1%; the uncertainty in calculated liquid densities is ±0. 2%. The estimated uncertainty of calculated heat capacities is ±1%, and that for calculated speed of sound values is ±0. 2%. At temperatures above 873 K and 100 MPa, the estimated uncertainty of calculated density values is ±0. 5%.
1.61-approximation for min-power strong connectivity with two power levels

Given a directed simple graph $$G=(V,E)$$G=(V,E) and a cost function $$c:E \rightarrow R_+$$c:E?R+, the power of a vertex $$u$$u in a directed spanning subgraph $$H$$H is given by $$p_H(u) = \max _{uv \in E(H)} c(uv)$$pH(u)=maxuv?E(H)c(uv), and corresponds to the energy consumption required for wireless node $$u$$u to transmit to all nodes $$v$$v with $$uv \in E(H)$$uv?E(H). The power of $$H$$H is given by $$p(H) = \sum _{u \in V} p_H(u)$$p(H)=?u?VpH(u). Power Assignment seeks to minimize $$p(H)$$p(H) while $$H$$H satisfies some connectivity constraint. In this paper, we assume $$E$$E is bidirected (for every directed edge $$e \in E$$e?E, the opposite edge exists and has the same cost), while $$H$$H is required to be strongly connected. Moreover, we assume $$c:E \rightarrow \{A,B\}$$c:E?{A,B}, where $$0 \le A < B$$0≤A
ISABELLE Superconducting Power Distribution System

A superconducting power distribution system has been designed which in addition to powering main magnet windings, will provide power for both individual and series connected magnet trim and correction windings. The proposed design utilizes two main and 42 trim superconducting leads arranged in two busses, which are routed through the magnets and their interconnectors. Since these leads must be maintained at cryogenic temperature, they are all located within the primary coolant system. The ISABELLE configuration, which is essentially a hexagon with rounded corners, can be divided into six essentially identical sextants. The portion of magnet lattice in the curved part of the sextant is called the regular bending section, while the magnet lattice in the straight areas at the end of the arcs is called the matching section. At the end of the matching regions are located lead pots, where superconducting leads penetrate the cryogenic environment and connect to normal conductors which span the experimental areas. In addition, at each of three locations within the curve, there is a provision for a twelve lead "minipot" penetration. Quality assurance associated with correctly connecting 40 leads at each of the many magnet interconnectors is not a trivial problem. A combination of positive lead identification, complete wiring instructions for each interconnection, visual inspections, individual magnetic testing and progressive system testing will be used to assure that proper connections are made.
Ionic polishing of fused silica and glass

Abstract This paper reviews research in the erosion of fused silica and glass in an effort to gain a better understanding of the ionic polishing process as applied to optical materials. Erosion rates depend on ion mass, ion energy, target temperature, angle of incidence, and target material, and can also depend on vacuum pressure. The paper also considers other effects that accompany ionic bombardment of insulators, such as nature of the eroded surface, contaminate films, surface layer alterations, secondary electron emission, and gas trapping and release.
Correlation of methane Raman ν1 band position with fluid density and interactions at the molecular level

The CH4 Raman ν1 symmetric stretching band position was measured at various temperatures and pressures over the range 1–600 bars and 0.3–22 °C. The ν1 symmetric stretching band shifts to lower wavenumbers with increasing pressure and/or decreasing temperature, and shows a systematic correlation with density over this same range. Ab initio calculations (MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ) show that the changes in peak shape and position reflect fundamental distortion of the methane structure as the density increases. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The structure of the pulmonary acinus in a child of six years and eight months.

So far as known this is the first portrayal of the detailed structure of a pulmonary acinus as seen both from within its cavities and from without. Some 200 serial sections (× 50) were traced upon transparent plastic plates and then viewed as translucent objects in packets of ten. This method was supplemented by wax-plate and graphic reconstructions of the whole and of its parts. The pulmonary acinus is a terminal bronchiole and all its branches. In this example there were three generations of respiratory bronchioles and from two to five generations of alveolar ducts ending in saccules. This acinus had a volume of 15.6 mm3, comparable to a cube measuring 2.5 mm on each side. The two halves (medial and lateral semiacini) interdigitated. Only the lateral, forming 53.4% of the whole, was analyzed in detail. It consisted of a roof having three portions with varying patterns (namely a proximal wing, a distal wing extending to the connective tissue septum, and a rudimentary lateral component); a septal portion resting on the septum and consisting of four pairs of alternating small and large clusters of alveolar ducts, to the lower half of which a cluster of vesicles was appended; and a paired lateral envelope of ducts which in one place communicated with an adjacent acinus, thereby revealing a third mode of collateral ventilation. This acinus, reconstructed over a period of three years, is replete with numerous variations such as dilated atria and saccules, supernumerary structures, recurrent ducts, irregular branches and differing lengths of airways. Thus, it records the “fight for space” in earlier periods of growth. Knowing the pattern of this particular acinus, it has been possible to calculate the rate of diffusion of gases between the terminal bronchiole and the peripheral saccules, and vice versa. Yet the impression persists that no two acini are alike in either proximal or distal portions; therefore, it is questionable whether diffusion of gases in the peripheral airways of the living individual are really subject to precise mathematical measurement.
Family Communication Patterns After Melanoma Diagnosis

To examine health communication in families after cancer diagnosis, we conducted qualitative interviews examining communication processes among recently diagnosed melanoma patients and one of their...
Assessing the internal consistency and temporal stability of advance directives generated by an interactive, online computer program

Objective Evaluate the internal consistency and temporal stability of advance directives (ADs) generated by an interactive, online computer program. Methods 33 participants completed the program at three visits, 2 weeks apart. Agreement rates were calculated for the General Wishes component of the AD. The test–retest method was used to examine the temporal stability of the Specific Wish for Treatment component which contains five clinical scenarios. Results General Wishes remained stable with 94% selecting the identical response at each visit. For the Specific Wish for Treatment scale , significant variations in test–retest correlations existed (ie, ρ=0.32–0.78, between time points 1 and 2); however within scenario, correlations did not significantly vary between time points. Temporal stability was lower in the Specific Wish for Treatment scale compared with General Wishe s (average ρ=0.59, between time points 1 and 2; and ρ=0.75, between time points 2 and 3). Conclusions ADs generated by an online decision aid demonstrate good temporal stability, with highest stability for General Wishes and moderate stability for Specific Wish for Treatment regarding medical treatments in specific clinical scenarios. Internal consistency for wish for treatment across all time points and scenarios was high (Cronbach α>0.90).
RE-Boronizing below Beta Transus Temperature on TC4 Titanium Alloy Surface

Ti6Al4V (TC4) slices were boronized with rare earth oxide (RE) addition in the agent at 950°C (below β phase transus of TC4). The morphology, phases, properties and structures of TC4 matrix and boride layers were studied. The results show that the boride layer on the surface of TC4 consists of TiB2 and TiB dual compounds. The boride layer is compact, uniform and less porous compared with that obtained at 1050°C (above β phase transus of TC4), and the hardness profile and brittleness of the layers are improved to a certain extent. Lower temperature boronizing can effectively prevent the growth of coarse β phase grains. Duplex microstructure is obtained in TC4 matrix, and the work piece distortion is reduced.
Self-Assembled β-Sheet Architectures for Bone-Tissue Engineering

Advances in the understanding of biomineralization processes in a variety of organisms have revealed the critical role of three-dimensional scaffolding architectures to create a highly functionalized surface. These complex matrices function on a variety of length scales ranging from the macromolecular (10–100 nm) to the cellular (1–10mm) and larger. One dominant structural motif found in many of these architectures is macromolecules containing antiparallel s-pleated sheets. These “hints” from Nature have lead to the iterative design and development of a novel multipurpose platform technology based on a self-assembled periodic peptide architecture for use in bone-tissue engineering. Combining molecular modeling, structural biochemistry and synthetic techniques, we have produced a s-sheet hollow tube peptide nanoassembly. Such a synthetic approach allows for the template’s designed parameters of electrostatic, geometric and stereochemical complimentarily to match those of the desired biomineral. Consequently, these templates readily nucleate calcite. Future studies will investigate the in vitro osteoconductive and osteogenic properties of these templates.
Growth Detection Failures by the Nonradiometric Bactec MGIT 960 Mycobacterial Culture System

ABSTRACT Mycobacterial growth in liquid culture can go undetected by automated, nonradiometric growth detection systems. In our laboratory, instrument-negative tubes from the Bactec MGIT 960 system are inspected visually for clumps suggestive of mycobacterial growth, which (if present) are examined by acid-fast smear analysis. A 3-year review demonstrated that ∼1% of instrument-negative MGIT cultures contained mycobacterial growth and that 10% of all cultures yielding mycobacteria were instrument negative. Isolates from instrument-negative MGIT cultures included both tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacteria.
Efficient low-temperature thermophotovoltaic emitters from metallic photonic crystals.

We examine the use of metallic photonic crystals as thermophotovoltaic emitters. We coat silica woodpile structures, created using direct laser writing, with tungsten or molybdenum. Optical reflectivity and thermal emission measurements near 650 °C demonstrate that the resulting structures should provide efficient emitters at relatively low temperatures. When matched to InGaAsSb photocells, our structures should generate over ten times more power than solid emitters while having an optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency above 32%. At such low temperatures, these emitters have promise not only in solar energy but also in harnessing geothermal and industrial waste heat.
Neonatal alcohol exposure and early development of motor skills in alcohol preferring and nonpreferring rats.

Abstract It has been suggested that differential sensitivity to alcohol might influence the severity of effects seen in offspring following gestational alcohol exposure and data exist to support this contention. Previously, we found that neonatal alcohol treatment produced greater increases in activity at the time of weaning in alcohol preferring (P) than by alcohol nonpreferring (NP) rat lines. Whereas these lines were genetically selected for extremes in alcohol preference they also differ on “sensitivity” to alcohol. Neonatal exposure in rats is used to model human third trimester alcohol exposure and the present study examined motor skills in P and NP rats following such exposure. On postnatal days 4 through 7, P and NP rats received a daily dose of 6 g/kg in four administrations 2 h apart. The alcohol was delivered in a milk solution through an indwelling intragastric cannula. Artificially reared and normally reared controls were included in the study. At 21 and 43 days of age, rats were tested for abnormalities in gait by walking an inclined runway and for dysfunction in balance using the parallel bar test. Neonatal alcohol exposure increased falling from the bars and altered gait and these effects were similar in the P and NP lines. The parallel bar test was generally too difficult for the NP rats, limiting the utility of this test in trying to determine the effects of differential alcohol sensitivity. Thus, the present results suggest that neonatal alcohol exposure had equivalent effects on gait and balance, as measured by falling from parallel bars, in P and NP rats. These results contrast with our previous findings on activity in which P rats were more affected and argue that differential alcohol sensitivity may only influence certain behavioral outcomes.
The Division of Labor: Conceptualization and Related Measures

The division of labor refers to differences among members of a population in their sustenance activities and the related functional interdependence. It is proposed that the first dimension of the division of labor, sustenance differentiation, may be measured with data on occupational composition. Six alternative measures are presented and evaluated. Emphasis is placed on the attention each gives to the two aspects of sustenance differentiation: structural differentiation (number of classes) and distributive differentiation (distribution of individuals among the classes). The notion of a division of labor has had a strange history in the social sciences. In light of classical studies by Adam Smith (1776) and Emile Durkheim (1893), no economist or sociologist would question the importance of the phenomenon. But since these two classics did not engender a viable tradition of research and theory, there has been little progress in the conceptualization or measurement of the division of labor. (See the recent commentary by
Write-once-memory-code phase change memory

This paper describes a write-once-memory-code phase change memory (WOM-code PCM) architecture for next-generation non-volatile memory applications. Specifically, we address the long latency of the write operation in PCM --- attributed to PCM SET --- by proposing a novel PCM memory architecture that integrates WOM-codes at the memory organization and memory controller levels. The proposed 2/3 WOM-code PCM architecture is able to reduce memory write (read) latency by 20.1% (10.2%) on average across general-purpose (SPEC CPU2006), embedded (MiBench), and high-performance (SPLASH-2) benchmarks. To further improve the write latency of WOM-code PCM, we propose a PCM-refresh approach that uses idle cycles to preemptively set PCM rows to the initial WOM-code state. Results show that WOM-code PCM with PCM-refresh can reduce memory write (read) latency by 54.9% (47.9%) on average across the benchmarks. Finally, to balance write latency improvements against WOM-code PCM overhead, we propose a WOM-code cached PCM (WCPCM) architecture that uses WOM-code PCM as the cache alongside conventional PCM main memory. For just 4.7% memory overhead, WCPCM reduces memory write (read) latency by 47.2% (44.0%) on average across the benchmarks.
Organic and Inorganic Contamination on Commercial AFM Cantilevers

It has been found that a common shipping and packaging material for commercial AFM cantilever tips, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), causes a thin layer of silicone oil contamination on AFM cantilever tips. Due to the similarity of elemental compositions between silicone oils and AFM cantilevers (both contain silicon and oxygen), it is difficult to detect such contaminants with the widely used surface characterization technique, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), since XPS provides mainly elemental and short-range chemical information. However, by using static time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), a technique that is extremely surface-sensitive, silicone oils on AFM cantilevers can easily be identified by their molecular fragments. A simple dip cleaning procedure using a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide (piranha solution) was found to be an easy and effective way to remove organic contamination, including silicone oils, from AFM cantilever tips. It has al...
The Cheetah: Native American

Two North American fossil species of large felids, hitherto regarded as Late Cenozoic pumas (mountain lion), are in fact closely related to the living cheetah, Acinonyx, of Africa and Eurasia. A new subgenus (Miracinonyx) is proposed for the American species. Cheetahs and pumas may have had a common ancestor in the Miocene of North America.
8-cm Engineering Model Thruster technology - A review of recent developments

Recent testing of the NASA Lewis Research Center/Hughes 8-cm Engineering Model Thruster (EMT) and Power Processing Unit has centered on two primary areas of investigation: integration of porous-tungsten dispenser-type cathode inserts into the thruster (replacing previous inserts of rolled-tantalum-foil design) and characterization of thruster operation with the new inserts. Characterization testing of the EMT and of the new cathodes has demonstrated acceptable thruster performance and cathode ignition parameters; the only perceived change in thuster performance has been that a small amount of cathode heater power is required to maintain nominal keeper voltages. Thermal modeling of the cathode structures has facilitated design revisions which reduce this power requirement.
Linkage and expression of the argininosuccinate lyase/δ-crystallin genes of the duck: insertion of a CR1 element in the intergenic spacer☆

Abstract δ-Crystallin is the major component of the lenses of most birds and reptiles. In the chicken there are two closely linked, tandemly oriented genes. Almost all of the δ-crystallin of the embryonic chicken lens is produced by the 5′ δ1 gene. This high lens activity has been attributed to an enhancer in intron 3. The 3′ δ2 gene encodes the enzyme argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) which is expressed at a low level in the chicken lens. Both chicken 8-crystallin genes are also expressed slightly in heart and brain, with ASL/δ2 predominating over δ1. In the duck (Anas platyrhynchos) , ASL/δ2-crystallin serves as both enzyme and crystallin, resulting in very high levels of ASL activity in the lens. Here we show by genomic cloning that the ASL/δ-crystallin locus is highly conserved between duck and chicken, with the two duck δ-crystallin genes closely linked in tandem. The 4.6 kbp intergenic spacer in the duck locus is 79% identical to the 4 kbp chicken spacer, except for the existence of a 615 by CR1 element, highly reiterated in the duck genome, 1.8 kbp upstream of the duck ASL/δ2 gene. The CR1 sequence is a truncated LINE element containing the 3′ half of an open reading frame for a retroviral pol-like reverse transcriptase. Sequence analysis revealed (i) that intron 3 of the duck ASL/δ2 gene is very similar (80%) to intron 3 of the chicken δ1 and ASL/δ2 genes, especially in the region of the chicken δ1 enhancer core (93% identical) and (ii) that the 3′ boundary of exon 2 of the duck ASL/δ2 gene has undergone a recent splice-site slippage event, resulting in a two amino acid insertion in the encoded polypeptide. Finally, reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction experiments established that both δ-crystallin genes are equally expressed to a high level in the embryonic duck lens; by contrast, both δ-crystallin genes produce a low amount of mRNA in the heart and brain of the embryonic duck, with the enzymatically active ASL/δ2 being preferentially expressed.
Opposing effects of human peripheral blood lymphocytes on the growth of cultured leukemia cell lines

Abstract Natural killing of two human leukemia cell lines (K562 and Molt 4) in a soft-agar, clonagenic assay was shown to be the result of two opposite yet concurrent processes: target cell colony stimulation and inhibition. The stimulatory effect was demonstrable when the effector lymphocytes and target cells were separated in contiguous agar layers, suggesting mediation by a soluble factor. Similarly, stimulation occurred when the effector lymphocytes and target cells were combined at low effector-target cell ratios that do not favor direct cell contact. Target colony inhibition was found to be dominant when large E:T ratios were employed. Both target-effector binding and natural killing were significantly reduced in medium devoid of divalent cations.
Effects of learned flavor avoidance on grooming behavior in rats

In Experiment 1, rats were conditioned to avoid saccharin in tapwater by pairing it with LiCl in carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) applied to the fur. Conditioned flavor avoidance (CFA) of saccharin was then assessed in drinking and grooming tests. In Experiment 2, rats were given saccharin CMC on their fur and NaCl in water (or vice-versa) as conditioned stimuli in a CFA paradigm. Two-choice tests (saccharin vs. NaCl) followed in drinking and grooming contexts. In Experiment 3, rats were given saccharin CMC on one flank and vehicle (CMC only) on the other. After grooming, animals were injected with LiCl and then given 2-choice tests, first between saccharin and water, then between saccharin-CMC and plain-CMC, and finally, between saccharin and water. Strong CFA was exhibited in drinking tests in all 3 experiments. This was not the case in grooming tests. Rats continued to groom when tastant was applied to only one flank (Experiment 1), and exhibited only weak CFA when a different tastant was applied to each flank (Experiments 2 and 3). We conclude that grooming can be directed to minimize the ingestion of noxious substances, but that such ingestion is not sufficiently reduced to affect the efficacy of grooming as a delivery method for unpalatable substances (e.g., rodenticides, chemosterilants). We speculate that grooming represents a weakness in rodents defenses against dietary poisoning, and that it might be used to deliver toxicants as part of crop protection schemes that make use of CFA.
Pragmatic functions of reported speech with jako in the Old Russian Primary Chronicle

This article, in an attempt to add to the growing literature on Old Russian reported speech, considers the pragmatics of jako recitativum, i.e. direct discourse introduced by the particle jako ‘that, how’, a multifunctional conjunction with a variety of subordinating uses. Through a detailed pragmatic and quantitative analysis of corpus data, I show that in the Old Russian Primary Chronicle, jako recitativum contrasts two conflicting points of orientation, the narrator’s and the speaker’s. By using the construction with jako, the narrator expresses a negative and/or distancing attitude towards the content of the speaker’s utterance. The contrast between reported speech with jako and reported speech without jako is shown to be more significant than the contrast between direct and indirect discourse.
Pathology of the intrapulmonary arteries and arterioles in coarctation of the aorta associated with patent ductus arteriosus.

Abstract This is a report of four cases wherein coarctation of the aorta and patent ductus arteriosus were associated. In two cases, in which the ages were 15 and 22 years, respectively, the coarctation was distal to the aortic mouth of the patent ductus arteriosus. In the other two cases, in which the ages were 23 months and 7 years, respectively, the aortic coarctation lay proximal to the aortic mouth of the ductus arteriosus. Changes of significant proportions involved the intrapulmonary arteries and arterioles in each case. In the first two cases the changes were most striking in the intrapulmonary arteries. These consisted of medial hypertrophy, fragmentation of the elastic laminae, adventitial fibrosis, and fibrous proliferation of the intima. The changes were associated with significant degrees of narrowing of the arterial lumina. Thrombi in various stages of organization were encountered in both cases. In one case there was hyalinization of the intimal and medial tissue. The arterioles showed scattered changes of severe degree. In general, the arteriolar walls were thickened, a change associated with relatively narrow lumina. In one of the first two cases there was evidence that the right ventricle had exerted sufficient pressure to force blood into the aorta, thus assuming the function of a systemic ventricle. In the second group of two cases the arteries of the lungs showed medial hypertrophy and adventitial fibrosis, changes associated with luminal narrowing. The arteriolar changes in these two cases were more striking than those in the first two cases. These changes likewise consisted of medial hypertrophy and adventitial fibrosis. In one case, in addition, intimal fibrous thickening of the arterioles was diffuse. In both of these cases the evidence suggested strongly that the descending aorta was supplied with blood by the right ventricle.
Usefulness of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T and Brain Natriuretic Peptide as Biomarkers of Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Myocardial fibrosis assessed by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is associated with cardiovascular events in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), but few data are available regarding the utility of biomarkers for detecting late gadolinium enhancement. The aim of this study was to examine serum levels of myoglobin, cardiac myosin light chain I, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), and creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme and plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in relation to late gadolinium enhancement in 53 patients with HC. Levels of hs-cTnT and BNP were higher in 23 patients with late gadolinium enhancement than in 30 patients without it (p