cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
963-20 MM-LDL Induced Monocyte Binding to HAEC is Mediated by Alpha-4 Chain of VLA-4 but not by VCAM-1

One of the early events in atherosclerosis is adhesion and transmigration of mononuclears into the subendothelium of large arteries. This localized mononuclear recruitment is probably caused by specific leucocyte adhesion molecules expressed by the endothelial cells at these sites. Oxidized LDL has been found to be present in fatty streaks and is suspected to be the cause of progression to a complicated lesion. It has been recently suggested that this selective adhesion of mononuclears is mediated by VCAM-1 expressed by the endothelial cells. Our group has shown that mildly oxidized LDL (MM-LDL) and not highly oxidized LDL (OX-LDL) induces a selective mononuclear binding to human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) in culture (12). In our effort to further characterise the molecules involved in this adhesion we treated HAEC with MM-LDL for 6 hours and found an increase in monocyte binding by 158 monos/field + 13 (177%) over background binding. An adhesion blocking VCAM-1 antibody (4B9) did not inhibit MM-LDL induced monocyte binding. However a blocking antibody to the alpha 4 chain of VLA-4(L25.3) significantly reduced this binding to 24 monos/field + 7 (26.6%) over the background binding. An antibody to the beta 1 chain of the VLA 4 (PSD2) reduced this binding to 75 monos/field + 5 (93.9%) over the background. The antibody to beta 2 integrin (TS1/18) had no effect on this binding. These data suggest that MM-LDL induced monocyte binding to HAEC is mediated by the alpa 4 chain of the monocyte VLA-4 integrin, the endothelial ligand for which remains to be determined.
Characterization of the role played by antigen challenge in the suppression of in vivo humoral immunity by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p -dioxin (TCDD)

The goal of these studies was to characterize the role played by antigen challenge in 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced immunosuppression. The effects of single exposure to TCDD (4.2, 14, and 42 μg/kg) in B6C3F1 mice on the reverse plaque assay (RPA; no sensitization) and the sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibody response were compared. While the RPA was suppressed in a dose-dependent fashion with significance at the two highest doses, a much more dramatic effect was noted with the primary anti-SRBC response: a suppression was noted at the lowest dose, which was comparable to that observed with the highest dose in the RPA. Subsequent studies compared the RPA in B6C3F1 (Ah-high responder) and DBA/2 (Ah-low responder) mice after both single and repeated exposure to identical cumulative doses of TCDD (4.2, 14, and 42 μg/kg). The repeated exposures consisted of 14 consecutive daily treatments of 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 μg/kg. The results indicated only a slight difference in the effects of TCDD in the two strains after single exposure, and even less difference after repeated exposure. Moreover, administering TCDD on different days relative to the SRBC challenge indicated a suppression in both strains when given 1, 2, or 3 days before antigen challenge, on the day of antigen challenge, or 1 or 2 days after antigen challenge. The only day of administration where the suppression was attenuated was 3 days after antigen challenge. These results confirm an important relationship between antigen challenge and TCDD exposure on immunosuppression.
Actin-binding cellular proteins inside human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Host proteins are incorporated both on and inside human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions. To identify cellular proteins inside HIV-1, virion preparations were treated by a protease-digestion technique that removes external host proteins, allowing for the study of the proteins inside the virus. Treated HIV-1 preparations were analyzed by immunoblot, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and protein sequence analyses. These analyses identified several cellular proteins inside HIV-1: elongation factor 1alpha, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, HS-1, phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein, Pin1, Lck, Nm23-H1, and the C-terminal tail of CD43. Several of these proteins were found as fragments of their full-sized proteins that appear to be generated by our protease treatment of the virions, the HIV-1 protease, or a cellular protease. Recent advances in cell biology and biochemistry have identified some of these proteins as actin-binding proteins. These results support the hypothesis that actin filaments are incorporated into the virion and may provide additional clues for the understanding of the interaction between viral and cellular proteins during assembly and budding.
Transmission of mycobacterium tuberculosis to and from children and adolescents

Abstract Although adult-type pulmonary tuberculosis frequently arises from a long-dormant infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, children usually develop tuberculosis as a direct complication of the initial infection. Adults with pulmonary tuberculosis frequently are infectious, but children with typical primary tuberculosis—enlarged hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes with or without bronchial obstruction and subsequent atelectasis—rarely, if ever, transmit the organism to others. This article reviews the pathophysiology of pediatric tuberculosis and the published evidence concerning transmission of M tuberculosis to and from children and adolescents. Children with congenital tuberculosis or older children with the characteristics of adult-type tuberculosis should be considered potentially infectious. However, there is no evidence that children with primary-type tuberculosis infect other individuals. Recommendations are made concerning the handling of children with suspected tuberculosis and their family members in pediatric healthcare settings. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
Meeting the nation's health objectives: Special project grants

The purpose of this article is to encourage and motivate the nursing community to become active partners with the US Public Health Service in meeting the health objectives for the nation by the year 2000. The three major public health goals to be achieved during the 1990s are identified. The Special Project Grant Program in the Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, United States Public Health Service, is described as an opportune resource for nurses to use in their search for funds to demonstrate the ability and capacity of nursing to promote health and prevent disease in this nation's high-risk and underserved populations. Several descriptions of highly successful grants, funded by the Division of Nursing's Special Project Grant Program, are featured as motivating examples of creative and original endeavors by nursing to assist in meeting this nation's health objectives during the 1990s.
Optimal penal codes in nearly symmetric Bertrand supergames with capacity constraints

Abstract Previous work has demonstrated that optimal penal codes are security level penal codes in symmetric Bertrand supergames with capacity constraints. This paper demonstrates that the result is robust to perturbations in the symmetry assumptions: as long as firms' discount factors, marginal costs, and capacity constraints are not too dissimilar, optimal penal codes are ‘almost always’ security level penal codes.
Performance Of Diffraction Lenses In Planar Optical Waveguides

We will present (a) the designs of diffraction lenses that will give reasonable angular field of view and low noise as well as high efficiency and (b) the performance limitations imposed by the maximum ▵n and the minimum periodicity.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dental development of the Taung skull from computerized tomography

Just over 60 years ago, Dart's description and analysis of the Taung child's skull1 triggered an intellectual revolution about human origins. Recently, several authors have suggested that one of the most significant hominid-like traits of australopithecines, delayed maturation, may not after all be valid2–4. This is a radical departure from Mann's5 classic study of australopithecine maturation and palaeodemography based on dental eruption patterns. The resolution of this debate has important implications for the history of the biological and social evolution of the human species. In view of the controversies generated by recent studies6, and particularly because the Taung skull is the type specimen of Australopithecus africanus, we have investigated the relevant anatomy of the Taung 'child' using computerized tomography. We conclude that the Taung 'child' shows some important dental maturational affinities with great apes, although as Dart1 noted, other hominid-like features are clearly present.
Polarization density matrix for heavy QQ production in hadron colliders

Abstract We derive the polarization density matrix for the heavy quark-antiquark pair produced by gluon fusion or quark annihilation. These formulas are applied to find the angular correlations of the W+W- pairs from ultra-heavy Q Q decays.
Relationship of abnormalities in dental and skeletal development in the osteopetrotic (os) rabbit

Osteopetrosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by reduced bone resorption of heterogenous cause. The rabbit mutation is lethal and exhibits ultrastructural aberrations in osteoclasts and osteoblasts together with hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia and failure to be cured by bone marrow transplantation. We have studied dental abnormalities in mutants from birth to 3 wk using radiographic, cytologic and autoradiographic methods. Radiographs show hypoplasia of most teeth in mutants. The maxillary incisor is smaller and more curved and the mandibular incisor thin and straight compared to normal littermates. The first 3 molars in both arches are unerupted and of distorted shape while the last 2 are less affected. Microscopically areas of ankylosis of mutant incisors and the first 3 molars were commonly encountered even at birth. Osteoclasts were numerous. Autoradiograms of 3H-proline incorporation showed strong periosteal and weak endosteal labeling of bone in both mutants and normal littermates. Dentin labeling in mutant incisors and molars was not less than that in normal rabbits and sites of ankylosis in mutants exhibited labeling. These data indicate that osteopetrotic rabbits exhibit major aberrations in shape and eruption of incisors and most molars and that these effects are not due to lack of dentin formation. Early ankylosis, perhaps secondary to congenital reduction of bone resorption, appears to be the major cause of the dental abnormalities which are less severe in the youngest (posterior) teeth.
On the distribution of friction-induced heat in the dry sliding of metallic solid pairs

We present an expression for the partition of friction-induced heat between two rubbing members. The expression stems from a variable conductivity solution of the heat equation and incorporates the influence of the thermal capacity of the sliding pair on heat distribution. The current formulation yields matching predictions to those of constant conductivity expressions in the case of sliding materials with similar properties.
Detection of Interactions among Localized Pitting Sites on Stainless Steel Using Spatial Statistics

Spatial point pattern analysis methods @A Population Perspective-Statistical Ecology , Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston ~1998!; Statistics for Spatial Data, Wiley-Interscience Publications, New York ~1993!; Statistical Analysis of Spatial Point Patterns, 2nd ed., Arnold Publishers, London ~2003!; Spatial Statistics, John Wiley & Sons, New York ~1981!# were used to characterize the spatial patterns of pitting sites on AISI 316 stainless steel. Populations of artificial pitting sites were generated ~e.g., clustered, anti-clustered, random, or periodic ! to test the ability of the selected spatial statistics methods to characterize these patterns. Experimental pitting patterns on AISI 316 stainless steel analyzed by the same methods indicated that interactions occur between micrometer scale pits over multiple micrometer distances. Spatial statistics results indicated that positive ~e.g., clustering of pit sites! occur between pitting sites when they are grown potentiodynamically. Processes associated with the acid/halide pitting mechanism have been shown to promote interactions between pit sites that give rise to such spatial patterns @J. Electrochem. Soc., 151, B233 ~2004!; Paper presented at The Electrochemical Society Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, Oct 20-25, 2002; Electrochem. Solid-State Lett., 3 ,2 71~2000!; J. Electrochem. Soc., 149, B163 ~2002!; Science, 305, 1133 ~2004!#. Positive interactions were eliminated by stirring, indicating that local acid/halide accumulation was the source of positive interactions.
Generations Learning Together

(1997). Generations Learning Together. Journal of Gerontological Social Work: Vol. 28, No. 1-2, pp. 79-91.
Molecular Geometry of Androsterone

THE structure of androsterone, C19H30O2 (Fig. 1), the first male sex hormone to be discovered, was determined recently by High1 by vector coincidence methods. The space group of this compound is P21; the unit cell constants are a = 9.56 A, b = 7.90 A, c = 11.78 A, = 111.36°, Z = 2, and the measured density equals 1.164 g cm−3. High's atomic positional parameters have been used to calculate the quantitative geometry of the androsterone molecule as follows. The final monoclinic fractional co-ordinates (x, y, z) were converted to Cartesian coordinates in A (p, q, r) using the expressions p = a0x + c0z cos β, q = b0y, and r = c0z sin β, where a0, b0 and c0 are taken in the Donnay setting (a0 = 11.78 A, b0 = 7.90 A, c0 = 9.56 A). The Cartesian A co-ordinates were used, in turn, to compute a series of ‘best’ planes (Table 1) to which various geometrical features of the molecule could be referred, namely, the root mean square distances of atoms from the ‘best’ planes (Table 2), the perpendicular distance of individual atoms from the ‘best’ planes (Table 3), and the angles between the ‘best’ planes and various sub-portions thereof (Table 4). The ‘best’ plane calculations were performed on an IBM 1620 computer using the ‘best’ plane ‘Fortran’ programme of Harris and Harker2.
On the relation between the deep circulation and the Gulf Stream

Abstract A kinematic argument is used to estimate the direction and amplitude of the recirculating gyre in the deep water associated with the Gulf Stream. The model consists of two layers separated by the thermocline. In the region between Cape Hatteras and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland the depth of the bottom increases offshore, so the thickness of the lower layer also generally increases offshore. The exception is in the region of the Gulf Stream near the foot of the Continental Rise where the thermocline deepens so abruptly that the thickness of the lower layer decreases locally offshore. The amplitude and shape of a freely circulating gyre of uniform potential vorticity in the lower layer are determined by the horizontal distribution of its thickness (pattern of isopachs), and are compared to those inferred by other authors from observations. A similar argument is used to explore the manner in which the Deep Western Boundary Current crosses under the Gulf Stream at Cape Hatteras.
A second Ewing's sarcoma translocation, t(21;22), fuses the EWS gene to another ETS–family transcription factor, ERG

The t(11;22)(q24;q12), present in 85% of Ewing's sarcoma and related tumours, fuses the EWS gene from chromosome 22q12 and the ETS family member, FLI-1. This results in the expression of a chimaeric protein containing the amino-terminal portion of EWS fused to the ETS DNA-binding domain of FLI-1. We have identified a second Ewing's sarcoma translocation, t(21;22)(q22;q12), that fuses EWS to a different ETS family member, the ERG gene located on band 21q22. Identical EWS nucleotide sequences found in the EWS/FLI-1 fusion transcripts are fused to portions of ERG encoding an ETS DNA-binding domain resulting in expression of a hybrid EWS/ERG protein. These findings suggest that fusion of EWS to different members of the ETS family of transcription factor genes may result in the expression of similar disease phenotypes.
Kainic acid and 3-Nitropropionic acid induced expression of laminin in vascular elements of the rat brain

Laminin is a glycoprotein component of the basement membrane and has been reported to be found in different areas of the nervous system including brain endothelial cells, Schwann cells and peripheral nerves. Although the in-vitro studies suggest that laminin plays an important role in growth and neurite extension of cultured neurons, localization of laminin in the brain has been controversial and inconsistent results have been reported. Recently, laminin immunoreactivity has been used as a marker for vascular elements in the brain. In this study, we have investigated the effect of two mechanistically different neurotoxins, kainic acid (KA), an NMDA agonist and 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), an inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration, on brain vascular elements revealed by laminin immunolabeling. We also explored whether administration of these two neurotoxic drugs correlate with the neuronal degeneration observed after neurotoxic insult by staining with Fluoro-Jade C dye. We have employed single immunolabeling to localize laminin in the brains. In KA treated rats, most of the laminin immunoreactivity is present in the piriform cortex, corpus callosum (myelinated tracts) amygdala, hippocampus, ventral thalamus and tenia tacta. In 3-NPA treated animals, laminin immunoreactivity was confined mostly to the striatum. In contrast, saline treated rats showed very little laminin immunolabeling around capillaries, arteries and in the meningeal membranes. To determine the effects of these neurotoxins on the integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB), endothelial brain barrier antigen (EBA) immunolabeling was also performed. In addition, we performed CD11b immunolabeling to evaluate the effect of 3-NPA and KA on the activation of microglia in the brain. CD11b was dramatically increased in KA and 3-NPA treated animals. We have also combined laminin immunolabeling with Fluoro-Jade C labeling to evaluate the spatio-temporal association of degenerating neurons and the expression of laminin containing microvessels. Areas which showed intense laminin immunolabeling following KA or 3-NPA exposure correlated with those exhibiting the greatest number of degenerating neurons observed after Fluoro-Jade C staining. EBA-laminin double immunolabeling demonstrated that the expressions of laminin were predominantly localized in the areas (cortex, thalamus and hippocampus) where EBA has been either reduced or is absent. Our results from these experiments demonstrate that vascular laminin expression increases after treatment with KA or 3-NPA, suggesting the occurrence of neovascularization. Microglia may also contribute to the neurotoxic induced neovascularization and neurodegeneration.
Analysis of close-contact melting heat transfer

Abstract The foremost characteristic of close-contact melting is that the source and the solid are continuously separated by a very thin melt film in which the flow is predominantly in one direction (i.e. along the thin film channel). This fact is used to formulate a mathematical model and develop a marching integration solution procedure for the model equations. As an example, the problem of melting under a descending, horizontal, cylindrical source at constant surface heat flux is solved. The results indicate that the heat transfer from the source to the solid is dominated by conduction across the thin melt layer. For this configuration, the effects of Stefan number and the relative density of the source on its velocity are investigated and reported. The predicted heat source velocity and its dependence on its relative density is in good agreement with the experiments.
Response of a soft-bottom harpacticoid community to stingray ( Dasyatis sabina ) disturbance

The recolonization by harpacticoid copepods of patches disturbed by stingrays [Dasyatis sabina (LeSeur)] feeding in a subtidal (2–3 m depth) site off the Florida gulf coast (Lat. 29°54.55′N, Long. 84°31.45′W) was followed. Samples from disturbed patches could no longer be distinguished from control samples in terms of numbers of harpacticoids 29 h after disturbance. No species became significantly disproportionately abundant during the recovery suggesting that small-scale natural disturbances are not an important organizing force in this community.
Major changes in radiology residency program requirements are coming.

1Department of Radiology, University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center, Campus Box A030, 4200 E. 9th Ave., Denver, CO 80262. Address correspondence to D. B. Larson. he Radiology Residency Review Committee (RRC) is proposing major revisions to the Program Requirements for Diagnostic Radiology Resident Education that could significantly impact resident education for years to come. Because these changes will likely impact the future of our specialty, they deserve the attention of radiologists at all levels of experience and training. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is a private, nonprofit council that evaluates and accredits medical residency programs in the United States. The Council has 27 different Residency Review Committees, one for each specialty. The Diagnostic Radiology RRC is made up of representatives from the American Board of Radiology (four members), the American College of Radiology (three members), and the American Medical Association (three members), and has one resident member. Each RRC evaluates all residency programs in its specialty by conducting site reviews to determine that the program fulfills the Program Requirements for Resident Education. Because those programs that fail to meet the Program Requirements risk losing their accreditation, changes in the program requirements must be taken very seriously by the individual programs. The RRC issued its proposed changes on October 26. Comments on the changes were accepted until mid-December. The effective date of the proposed revisions is July 1, 2007. Not all of the proposed changes can or should be addressed here, but some of the more substantial and/or controversial changes are highlighted below.
A high-throughput low-power fully parallel 1024-bit 1/2-rate low density parity check code decoder in 3-dimensional integrated circuits

A 1024-bit, 1/2 -rate fully parallel low density parity check (LDPC) code decoder has been designed and implemented using a 3D 0.18/spl mu/m fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) CMOS technology based on wafer bonding. The taped-out 3D decoder with about 8M transistors was simulated to have a high throughput of 2Gb/s and a low power consumption of only 430mW using 6.4/spl mu/m by 6.3/spl mu/m of die area. The 3D implementation is estimated to offer more than 10/spl times/ power-delay-area product improvement over its corresponding 2D implementation. This first large-scale 3D ASIC with fine-grain (5/spl mu/m) vertical interconnects is made possible by jointly developing a complete automated 3D design flow from a commercial 2D design flow combined with the needed 3D-design point tools.
Beauty and the Patriarchal Beast: Gender Role Portrayals in Sitcoms Featuring Mismatched Couples

A number of recent situation comedies on U. S. television depict smart, witty, and attractive women who are married to inept, overweight, and immature men. This textual analysis examines two examples of this type of show, The King of Queens (1998-2007) and According to Jim (2001-07), and compares them to older sitcoms. These shows discursively maintain patriarchy by consistently employing two contradictory story lines: the first positions women as physically and intellectually superior to their husbands, and the second restrains feminist ideals while reaffirming male dominance. The study demonstrates how contradictions within the narrative elements of plot, characterization, and setting sustain a repressive gender constellation. This textual structure, the humor of the show, and the popular myth of beauty and the beast work together to encourage viewers to accept patriarchy as a "natural" male trait and trivialize sexism as a laughing matter.
Transcatheter closure of coronary artery fistulae using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder.

Objective: The aim of this study is to report our experience using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder (ADO) for occlusion of significant coronary artery fistulae (CAF). Background: Transcatheter closure of CAF with coils is well described. Use of newer devices may offer advantages such as improved control of device placement, use of a single instead of multiple devices, and high rates of occlusion. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients catheterized for CAF from July 2002 through August 2005 was performed. Results: Thirteen patients with CAF underwent cardiac catheterization, of which a total of 6 patients had ADO placement in CAF (age, 21 days to 56 years; median age, 4.3 years and weight, 3.8 kg to 74.6 kg; median weight, 13.3 kg). An arteriovenous wire loop was used to advance a long sheath antegrade to deploy the ADO in the CAF. Immediate and short-term outcomes (follow-up, 3 months to 14 months; median follow-up, 8.5 months) demonstrated complete CAF occlusion in 5 patients and minimal residual shunt in 1 patient (who had resolution of right atrial and right ventricular enlargement). On follow-up clinical evaluation, all 6 patients had absence of fistula-related murmurs, and 2 previously symptomatic patients had resolution of congestive heart failure symptoms. Early complications included transient palpitations and atrial arrhythmia in the 2 oldest patients (52 and 56 years old). Conclusions: Use of the ADO is applicable for transcatheter closure of significant CAF. Advantages of using the ADO include the antegrade approach, use of a single device, and effective CAF occlusion. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Free Oscillations of Fluid on a Hemisphere Bounded by Meridians of Longitude

A precise calculation is presented of the normal modes of oscillation of an ocean of uniform depth which is bounded by two meridians of longitude separated by an angle of 180°. The calculation takes full account of the horizontal divergence of the motion, and so is applicable to both barotropic and baroclinic modes of oscillation.At small values of the parameter (defined fully in § 1) the calculation yields both the familiar gravity waves and also the nondivergent planetary waves computed in an earlier paper (Longuet-Higgins 1966). At large, positive values of e , corresponding to baroclinic waves, new types of oscillation appear in which the flux of energy is concentrated near the equator, the circuit being completed by Kelvin waves along the meridianal boundaries. The calculated frequencies are compared with asymptotic expressions derived from a recent beta-plane analysis by D. W. Moore. Solutions are also found corresponding to negative values of e . These must be included in a complete calculation of the response of the ocean to external forces. At small values of e these solutions resemble the planetary waves. At large (negative) values of e they represent almost-inertial motions concentrated near the poles, having a phase-velocity towards the east and an amplitude modulated so as to vanish at the boundaries. The calculations are relevant to the real ocean in so far as they show the kinds of oscillation that might be expected in any ocean basin including any section of the equator (or including a pole). They also indicate the degree of accuracy to be expected in computing the frequencies of the normal modes by beta-plane methods.
Diagenetic Changes of Organic Sediments in Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana: ABSTRACT

Most sediments have been developed in association with some forms of biological activity. Thus the changes in distribution and the corresponding function of the organic matter in solubilization, complex formation, translocation, and subsequent recrystallization of secondary minerals must be considered in studying diagenetic processes during the post-deposition interval. An undisturbed core 120 ft long was obtained from the fresh-water environment of the Atchafalaya basin and studied. A deep boring from a brackish environment of the lower Mississippi delta was included for comparison. The organic matter in the sediments was hydrolyzed with 6N HCl for 12 hr; the clear hydrolysates separated were neutralized with NaOH. The soluble forms of total hydrolyzable-N, ^agr-amino ac d-N, hexosamine-N, and NH+4-N were determined quantitatively by a simple micro-steam distillation technique. The results showed that, in the Atchafalaya basin, the ^agr-amino acid-N was higher in lacustrine environments (145 µg/g at 30-ft and 81 µg/g at 120-ft depths) and lower in well-drained swamps (68 µg/g at 67-ft and 49 µg/g at 96-ft depths). The distribution of hexosamine-N ranged from 95 µg/g at 30-ft to 36 µg/g at 120-ft depths. In the lower Mississippi delta core, the ^agr-amino acid-N decreased sharply from 220 µg/g at the surface of a brackish-marsh environment to only 20 µg/g in a prodelta environment at a depth of 100 End_Page 531------------------------------ ft, whereas the hexosamine-N increased from 130 µg/g to 380 µg/g at the same levels. This suggests that the ^agr-amino acid and hexosamine compounds were well preserved even to 100-ft depth and that their distribution was related to the initial environments of deposition. It was also found that in the fresh-water environment the percent organic-C was nearly parallel with the percent of < 5µ fine clay and that the C/N ratio was related closely to the percent of total cementing minerals (such as FeCo3, MnCO3, CaCO3, Fe- and Mn-oxides) which accumulated with depth. In addition, organic-N was found in the nodules. This demonstrates one of the important roles of soluble organic matter in the translocation or diffusion and subsequent redepo ition or recrystallization of various minerals during the diagenetic process. End_of_Article - Last_Page 532------------
Case 14: An Unusual Capnograph Tracing

A 54-year-old (160 cm and 90 kg) woman is scheduled for right front temporal craniotomy for superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass. Her past history was significant for bilateral Moyamoya disease, atrial aneurysm, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. You perform a preoperative check of the anesthetic machine (Apollo, Drager Medical, Telford, PA) including a leak test. No abnormalities are found.
Massless and massive three-dimensional super Yang-Mills theory and mini-twistor string theory

We propose various ways of adding mass terms to three-dimensional twistor string theory. We begin with a review of mini-twistor space--the reduction of D=4 twistor space to D=3. We adapt the two proposals for twistor string theory, Witten's and Berkovits's, to D=3 super Yang-Mills theory. In Berkovits's model, we identify the enhanced R symmetry. We then construct B-model topological string theories that, we propose, correspond to D=3 Yang-Mills theory with massive spinors and massive and massless scalars in the adjoint representation of the gauge group. We also analyze the counterparts of these constructions in Berkovits's model. Some of our constructions can be lifted to D=4, where infinitesimal mass terms correspond to vacuum expectation values of certain superconformal gravity fields.
Distance learning versus being there

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported that "the boom in educational technology has not lived up to its promise of revolutionizing the classroom and making higher education more profitable" (Carnevale, 2004). The Chronicle later highlighted a study showing that "while the innovations have made courses more convenient, the spending [on IT in the classroom] has yet to have a large impact on learning" (Young, 2004). On the other hand, this same article states that "of the students surveyed, 76.1% said their experience using a course-management system was positive or very positive, with only 6.6% saying it was negative or very negative (17.3% were neutral on the issue)." So how effective is online versus traditional instruction? The author's personal observation is that his online students performed about as well as my traditional students on all their assignments, tests, and exercises. Different types of practice materials were available to the different classes, each appropriate to the teaching or learning situation in use. However, despite studies on instructional methods, there has never been a definitive answer to the question.
Cytokines and the Pathogenesis of Neuroborreliosis: Borrelia burgdorferi Induces Glioma Cells to Secrete Interleukin-6

Lyme disease is a multisystemic disease caused by a tickborne spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Neuroborreliosis is characterized by intrathecal production of antibodies specific for the spirochete. This suggests that spirochetal infection of the central nervous system produces conditions that support the maturation of B lymphocytes to immunoglobulin-secreting cells. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) stimulates B cell differentiation into antibody-secreting cells. The present study was undertaken to determine whether B. burgdorferi can stimulate cells of central nervous system origin to secrete IL-6. C6 rat glioma cells cultured with spirochetes induced secretion of IL-6 activity. Peak stimulation was achieved at 24 h with 25 spirochetes per glioma cell. Glioma cells were also stimulated to produce IL-6 by interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor. That very few spirochetes are found in Lyme disease patients suggests that biologic amplification factors derived from the organism or the host, or both, are responsible for the pathogenesis of this disease. IL-6 can now be added to the growing list of such factors.
A Solid State High Power Amplifier for Driving the SLC Injector Klystron

The SLC injector klystron RF drive is now provided by a recently developed solid-state amplifier. The high gain of the amplifier permits the use of a fast low-power electronic phase shifter. Thus the SLC computer control system can be used to shift the phase of the high-power RF rapidly during the fill time of the injector accelerator section. These rapid phase shifts are used to introduce a phase-energy relationship in the accelerated electron pulse in conjunction with the operation of the injector bunch compressor. The amplifier, the method of controlling the RF phase, and the operational characteristics of the system are described.
On the effects of phase jitter on QPSK lock detection

The performance of a QPSK (quadrature phase-shift keying) lock detector is described, taking into account the degradation due to carrier phase jitter. Such an analysis is necessary for accurate performance prediction purposes in scenarios where both the loop SNR is low and the estimation period is short. The derived formulas are applicable to several QPSK loops and are verified using computer simulations. >
Platelet-activating factor and solute transport processes in the kidney

We examined the hemodynamic and tubular transport mechanisms by which platelet-activating factor (PAF) regulates salt and water excretion. In anesthetized, renally denervated male Wistar rats, with...
Exclusion Limits on the WIMP Nucleon Cross-Section from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) employs low-temperature Ge and Si detectors to search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) via their elastic-scattering interactions with nuclei while discriminating against interactions of background particles. For recoil energies above 10 keV, events due to background photons are rejected with >99.9% efficiency, and surface events are rejected with >95% efficiency. The estimate of the background due to neutrons is based primarily on the observation of multiple-scatter events that should all be neutrons. Data selection is determined primarily by examining calibration data and vetoed events. Resulting efficiencies should be accurate to ∼10%. Results of CDMS data from 1998 and 1999 with a relaxed fiducial-volume cut (resulting in 15.8 kg days exposure on Ge) are consistent with an earlier analysis with a more restrictive fiducial-volume cut. Twenty-three WIMP candidate events are observed, but these events are consistent with a background from neutrons in all ways tested. Resulting limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon elastic-scattering cross section exclude unexplored parameter space for WIMPs with masses between 10–70 GeV/c2. These limits border, but do not exclude, parameter space allowed by supersymmetry models and accelerator constraints. Results are compatible with some regions reported as allowed at 3σ by the annual-modulation measurement of the DAMA Collaboration. However, under the assumptions of standard WIMP interactions and a standard halo, the results are incompatible with the DAMA most likely value at >99.9% confidence level (C.L.), and are incompatible with the model-independent annual-modulation signal of DAMA at 99.99% C.L. in the asymptotic limit.
A Common Information Space in Criminal Courts: Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Case Management Systems

The Los Angeles County criminal courts process about 600,000 cases per year, more than any other state court in the United States. This complex task is facilitated by large-scale, distributed case management computer-based systems. This paper presents results of a case study of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) systems in the criminal courts and how their implementation changes work practices. We studied the Trial Court Information System (TCIS), a case management system adopted for Los Angeles Criminal Courts, and computer-aided legal research (CALR) systems. We show how the work culture of judges and court clerks has an impact on attitudes regarding computer usage. Our results indicate that the use of TCIS to generate minute orders and reports has improved efficiency while creating a sense of deskilling for some court clerks. In addition, there is a dichotomy of computer use by judges - some completely integrate computers into work while others reject them.
Five-factor personality traits in patients with seasonal depression: treatment effects and comparisons with bipolar patients.

Background: Increasingly, the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality is being used to assess personality characteristics of patients with Axis I disorders. Recent study indicates that patients with the seasonal subtype of major depression (SAD) may differ meaningfully from other depressed patients. In the present study, we further examined this finding, with attention to the stability of personality characteristics across treatment. Methods: We used the NEO-FFM to assess the personality characteristics of two samples of depressed outpatients: patients with SAD and patients with bipolar disorder. Assessment was repeated in the SAD patients after light therapy. Results: Consistent with previous research, we found elevated scores on the Openness domain in the SAD patients. SAD patients also scored significantly lower on Neuroticism and significantly higher on the Conscientiousness and Extroversion domains than patients with bipolar disorder. Scores on the Openness domain remained elevated after treatment of SAD; this occurred in the context of significant decreases in Neuroticism and increases in Extroversion scores. Limitations: These results were obtained in a relatively small-sample study. Although our sample of bipolar patients were taking mood stabilizers, it is unlikely that medication effects could explain our results. Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with those reported by Bagby et al. (Major depression and the five-factor model of personality. J. Pers. Disord. 1995;9:224–234) and suggests that Neuroticism and Extroversion are the FFM domains most responsive to treatment for depression. Our results also suggest that elevations on the Openness domain do not change with treatment and may be an enduring characteristic of patients with SAD.
Electromagnetic Tensile Adhesion Test Method

A method is described for applying a known tensile stress to a thin-film structure without requiring any mechanical attachment to the film. The stress is developed by the interaction of an external magnetic field with an electric current through a suitably patterned specimen of the film to be evaluated. An apparatus for producing the required magnetic fields and electric currents is described, and procedures are given for preparing suitable test specimens using conventional electronic device fabrication technology. Results showing the use of this technique for measuring the adhesion of evaporated copper on thermally oxidized silicon are presented. The maximum stress which can be produced is limited by the available magnetic field, the fabrication of the test structure, and the heating effect of the current through this structure. These factors are discussed, and it is shown that useful stresses of at least 24 000 psi (165 600 kPa) are practical by the electromagnetic method.
Update on Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C)

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an inherited cardiomyopathy characterized by life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and slowly progressive ventricular dysfunction. Treatment for families with ARVD/C is directed toward prevention of sudden cardiac death, prevention or delay of disease progression, and adjustment to life with a lifelong chronic genetic disease. As there have been no randomized trials of ARVD/C treatments or screening regimens, treatment decisions are based on clinical expertise, results of retrospective registry-based studies, and understanding of pathologic mechanisms of disease. The first step for treatment is securing an accurate diagnosis through careful application of the diagnostic Task Force criteria. Following diagnosis in an index case, family members are screened. We advise affected individuals and gene carriers to dramatically reduce exercise and strongly recommend that ARVD/C patients discontinue competitive athletics. We generally recommend implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement in all probands who meet Task Force criteria, especially if they have a history of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), arrhythmogenic syncope, or frequent ventricular ectopy and/or nonsustained VT. We are more circumspect about recommending implantation of an ICD in a family member who has been diagnosed with ARVD/C through family screening, as these individuals are now being identified at a much earlier stage in their disease than was possible previously. Anti-arrhythmic medications and catheter ablation are used to decrease the frequency of ventricular tachycardia and associated implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapies. Epicardial ablation is offered if endocardial ablation fails or as part of an initial combined endocaridal/epicardial ablation strategy, depending on patient preference. We attempt to initiate beta-blocker therapy and therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors to limit structural progression and prevent ventricular arrhythmias. Unaffected family members are screened for disease onset regularly from adolescence through noninvasive cardiac testing. Support to families is provided through ongoing genetic counseling, patient-family web-based support, and in-person seminars for families.
Abdominal Wall Hernia Mesh Repair Sonography of Mesh and Common Complications

Objective The purposes of this study were (1) to review the sonographic in vitro and in vivo appearances of mesh for surgical repair of abdominal wall hernias, (2) to describe sonographic techniques and discuss the limitations of sonography in evaluation of mesh hernia repair, and (3) to illustrate common complications after mesh repair shown with sonography. Methods We identified interesting cases from the musculoskeletal sonographic database as well as from the teaching files of the authors, with surgical or other cross-sectional imaging corroboration. Results A compilation of the sonographic appearances of mesh used for anterior abdominal wall and inguinal hernia repair and complications diagnosable by sonography is presented. Conclusions Sonography can be effective for evaluation of mesh and complications after mesh repair of anterior abdominal wall and inguinal hernias.
Dynamic approximation of rectangular loops and aftereffect

This paper presents a new approach to model hysteresis and aftereffect phenomena. A dynamic approximation of rectangular hysteresis loops is employed that leads to the representation of the input-output relationship as a first-order dynamical system driven by white noise. Closed-form expressions are derived for the output of rectangular loops in terms of convolution-type integrals. The formalism allows one to circumvent some of the mathematical challenges associated with history-dependent switching of rectangular hysteresis loops driven by stochastic processes.
Energy-Aware Code Replication for Improving Reliability in Embedded Chip Multiprocessors

Embedded chip multiprocessors (ECM) present unique challenges in terms of both hardware design and software construction. One of these challenges is to balance out the often-conflicting demands of performance, power, reliability, and memory space consumption. Therefore, there is a clear need for optimization techniques that consider multiple factors and metrics at the same time. This paper explores the energy-aware reliability support for the ECM architectures, targeting in particular at array-intensive embedded applications and transient errors. More specifically, we propose a compiler-directed energy-aware code replication scheme for the ECM architectures.
Pulmonary Function Growth Velocity in Children 6 to 18 Years of Age

Pulmonary function growth rate varies with a child's stage of growth. Since attained pulmonary function reflects the cumulative effects of growth, insults, and repair, rate of growth may be a more sensitive indicator of a child's current pulmonary health status. The sample for analyses included 2,478 white boys and 2,785 white girls followed annually by questionnaire and spirometry. Empirically derived annual growth velocities, peak velocity (Vpk), and age at which peak velocity occurred (Agepk) were determined for height, FVC, FEV1, and FEF25–75 for each child. Mean velocity curves for height, FVC, FEV1, and FEF25–75, stratified by sex and Agepk of height (an indicator for early, middle, or late maturity) were produced as a function of age. The differences between Agepk of FVC, FEV1, and FEF25–75 and Agepk of height (i.e., the lag period) were compared by sex and by the indicator of maturity. Linear regression analyses were performed to investigate associations between Vpk and Agepk of height, as well as...
Constant weight and even weight codes for the on-off-keyed optical channel

Coding techniques for an on-off-keyed optical communication channel are discussed. The information theoretic limits of the photon channel with energy- and power-constrained optical on-off signaling are investigated. Constant-weight codes and even-weight codes are studied. A known result on the limiting behavior of Z-channels is shown to have an important bearing on the optimal performance of codes on the optical on-off channel. >