cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential localization of G proteins in the opossum vomeronasal system.

Gi2α and Goα proteins were immunohistochemically localized, respectively, to the rostral and caudal accessory olfactory bulb of Brazilian opossums. In the vomeronasal organ, Gi2α- and Goα-immunoreactive neurons were located in the middle and basal layers, respectively, of the sensory epithelium. Both G protein antibodies stained the microvillar surface of the epithelium and the nerve bundles in the subepithelial mucosa.
The effectiveness of fenitrothion and malathion as grain protectants under bulk storage conditions in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract Fenitrothion at 2.5, 5.0 and 6.0 ppm was compared with malathion at 12.0 and 18.0 ppm for the protection of bulk wheat in vertical bin silos, and 10 ppm fenitrothion was compared to 18.0 ppm malathion in horizontal bulk depots. In both types of storage the persistence of the insecticides could be correlated with the temperature and moisture content of the grain. Under the conditions of silo storage, both protectants remained effective against Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus granarius and secondary pests for as long as 19 months. Under the more severe conditions of horizontal bulk storage the higher applications were effective for only 6–7 months. Fenitrothion at one half the application rate of malathion appears to give equivalent protection against the deterioration of stored wheat caused by attack from stored product insect pests.
Interfacial polycondensation. I. The formation of surface graft polymers on wool

By means of interfacial polycondensation, ultrathin coatings of polyamides, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyesters, polycarbonates, and various copolymers can be formed on the surface of a substrate. If the substrate contains reactive groups (such as NH2, OH, NCO, COCl, etc.), graft polymer is formed. The graft polymer is not removed by extensive extraction with good solvents for the polymer. In contrast, if wool is used as a substrate and is acetylated prior to the polymerization (to block the grafting sites), the thin coating of polymer is readily extracted. Digestion of the treated wool with enzymes that react with the wool, but not with the grafted coating, permits a characterization of the grafted polymer; amino acid analysis of the residue from the enzyme digestion provides evidence that the grafting sites on the wool are probably the free amino and hydroxyl groups located in the N-terminal amino acids or internal amino acids containing these groups in their side chain.
SIDEBAND DAMPING OF WATER WAVES OVER A SOFT BED

The Benjamin & Feir sideband instability of gravity waves over a rigid bed is extended here to the case of wave propagation over a compliant bed. The bed is assumed elastic with inhomogeneous properties, following some vertical stratification profile. The elastic stiffness at the mudline is assumed very small, as is typically the case for upper-stratum gel-like marine mud, so that its effect is assumed comparable in magnitude with that of wave nonlinearity. It is then shown that through the sideband instability, the carrier gravity wave would lose energy to sideband oscillations. These sidebands will be shown to be contaminated with small-amplitude, but very short elastic shear waves. These shear waves will interact with the viscous boundary layer at the bed-water interface, and thus significantly enhance the viscous damping of wave energy in the boundary layer.
Variations research. The physician perspective.

Early research on variations in clinical practice highlighted substantial differences in the rate at which various surgical procedures were done in different locations.1 Since then, the focus of variations research has expanded to include the analysis of variations in other aspects of the content of care, such as the rate of hospital admissions for particular diagnoses, the length and cost of such hospital stays, the frequency with which patients are seen in physicians' offices for particular clinical problems, and the rate at which primary care physicians refer patients for specialty and subspecialty evaluations. These types of variations analyses
Alcohol versus mechanical epithelial debridement: Effect on underlying cornea before excimer laser surgery

Abstract Purpose: To determine the effects of 70% isopropyl alcohol used for corneal debridement on surface smoothness, stromal keratocytes, and ease of epithelial removal. Setting: Cornea Research Laboratory, University of Rochester, and Excimer Laser Laboratory, Genesee Valley Eye Institute, Rochester, New York, USA. Methods: Rabbit corneas were de-epithelialized mechanically or with 70% alcohol. The rabbits were split into groups and evaluated immediately or after a 50 μm deep excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy. All tissue was evaluated and compared in terms of surface smoothness parameters, loss of keratocytes, and inflammatory response to de-epithelialization. Results: Computerized laser interferometric microscopy showed no between-group difference in the surface smoothness parameters. There was a marked absence of keratocytes in the superficial 25% of the corneal stroma. The loss of keratocytes was significantly higher ( P P Conclusion: The use of 70% isopropyl alcohol applied for 2 minutes for epithelial removal did not enhance the quality of the subsequent excimer laser procedure. In contrast, isopropyl alcohol increased the inflammatory response, and it may have damaging effects on keratocytes. We would not advocate the use of 70% isopropyl alcohol as administered in our study to remove corneal epithelium before excimer laser surgery.
‘May Piece Be with You’: A Typological Examination of the Fear and Victimization Hypothesis of Adolescent Weapon Carrying

The causes and correlates of adolescent weapon carrying have received considerable scholarly attention. One common explanation of adolescent weapon carrying, the “fear and victimization hypothesis,” identifies the fear of victimization as a motivating force behind this behavior. Empirical studies of this explanation, however, have produced mixed results. One potential source of this ambiguity is the myriad data and measurement issues that have arisen in prior studies of the topic. The current study addresses many of these limitations through the use of panel data from over 1,100 youth across the United States. Through a typological approach, results support a multiple pathways framework for explaining adolescent weapon carrying, as the perceived risk of victimization is positively associated with weapon carrying for those youth who report both victimization and offending experiences. For those youth who are “pure offenders,” fear of victimization is inversely related to weapon carrying, while the perceive...
Inflammation and the two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia

The high societal and individual cost of schizophrenia necessitates finding better, more effective treatment, diagnosis, and prevention strategies. One of the obstacles in this endeavor is the diverse set of etiologies that comprises schizophrenia. A substantial body of evidence has grown over the last few decades to suggest that schizophrenia is a heterogeneous syndrome with overlapping symptoms and etiologies. At the same time, an increasing number of clinical, epidemiological, and experimental studies have shown links between schizophrenia and inflammatory conditions. In this review, we analyze the literature on inflammation and schizophrenia, with a particular focus on comorbidity, biomarkers, and environmental insults. We then identify several mechanisms by which inflammation could influence the development of schizophrenia via the two-hit hypothesis. Lastly, we note the relevance of these findings to clinical applications in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of schizophrenia.
Both Dietary Fish-Oil Supplementation and Aspirin Fail to Inhibit Atherosclerosis in Long-term Vein Bypass Grafts in Moderately Hypercholesterolemic Nonhuman Primates

Background Aortocoronary vein bypass grafts are vulnerable to late atherosclerotic occlusion. Conventional platelet inhibitor therapy provides early but not persistent protection against graft failure. Evidence suggests that consumption of marine foods may reduce cardiovascular disease, possibly because of the unique long-chain unsaturated ω-3 fatty acids present in these foods. We hypothesized that dietary fish-oil supplementation would protect against atherosclerosis in vein bypass grafts. Methods and Results Thirty-three moderately hypercholesterolemic cynomolgus macaques were divided into four groups: control, control+aspirin, fish oil, and fish oil+aspirin. Each control group received olive oil as placebo to equalize calorie and fat consumption with that of the fish-oil groups. Both oils were in ethyl ester form, with the fish oil providing 0.88 g/d eicosapentaenoic acid. The aspirin dose was 40 mg/d. Cephalic vein grafts were interposed bilaterally in the carotid arteries and excised for analysis at...
Expression of functional receptor-coupled TRPC3 channels in DT40 triple receptor InsP3 knockout cells.

The TRPC3 channel, an intensively studied member of the widely expressed transient receptor potential (TRP) family, is a Ca2+-conducting channel activated in response to phospholipase C-coupled receptors. Despite scrutiny, the receptor-induced mechanism to activate TRPC3 channels remains unclear. Evidence indicates TRPC3 channels interact directly with intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs) and that channel activation is mediated through coupling to InsP3Rs. TRPC3 channels were expressed in DT40 chicken B lymphocytes in which all three InsP3R genes were deleted (DT40InsP3R-k/o). Endogenous B-cell receptors (BCR) coupled through Syk kinase to phospholipase C-γ (PLC-γ) activated the expressed TRPC3 channels in both DT40w/t and DT40InsP3R-k/o cells. The diacylglycerol (DAG) analogue 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG) also activated TRPC3 channels independently of InsP3Rs. BCR-induced TRPC3 activation was blocked by the PLC enzymic inhibitor, U-73122, and also blocked by wortmannin-induced PLC substrate depletion. Neither U-73122 nor wortmannin modified either OAG-induced TRPC3 activation or store-operated channel activation in DT40 cells. Cotransfection of cells with both G protein-coupled M5 muscarinic receptors and TRPC3 channels resulted in successful M5 coupling to open TRPC3 channels mediated by PLC-β. We conclude that TRPC3 channels are activated independently of InsP3Rs through DAG production resulting from receptor-mediated activation of either PLC-γ or PLC-β.
Bioethics and graduate medical education: the great match.

Given the money, prestige and power at stake in high-level sports, ethical lapses are hardly surprising. Nor are the rules, people, and organizations we entrust to punish infractions and ensure fair play. Similarly, the high stakes involved in medical education invite ethical slips. Yet, there are not only few referees in this all-important “game,” but also the subject itself has been almost entirely off-limits in the academic literature. Ethics involves the application of values and moral rules to human actions. In recent decades, bioethics literature has generally concentrated on the relationship between healthcare providers and patients, resource allocation, and scientific integrity. Some attention has been paid to ethical issues related to graduate medical education, but this has centered primarily on teaching methods and topic selection. Although ethics are central to the lives of medical students and academic medical institutions, bioethicists have written little about the issues surrounding the fundamental processes of specialty selection and residency application.
An iterative parallel workload balancing framework for direct condensation of substructures

This study presents a workload balancing framework which diffuses the condensation time imbalances of substructures in a homogeneous computing environment. The structure is initially partitioned in such a way that the number of substructures is equal to the number of processors. Then, the estimated condensation time imbalance of the initial substructures is adjusted by iteratively transferring nodes from the substructures with slower estimated condensation times to the substructures with faster estimated condensation times. Examples which illustrate the applicability and efficiency of this framework are presented. In these examples, the effect of utilizing different repartitioning and equation numbering algorithms are investigated.
Translating Tradition: studies in American Jewish history

Translating Tradition: studies in American Jewish history Ira Robinson Academic Studies Press, 2008 xi + 327 pp., $70.00, ISBN-10 1934843067 Translating Tradition: Studies in American Jewish Histor...
Calculated rotational transition probabilities for the A−X system of OH

Transition probabilities have been calculated as a function of vibrational and rotational level for the A2Σ+−X2πi system of the hydroxyl molecule. The wavefunctions are obtained from RKR calculations. The electronic transition moment is constructed by adding a small hyperbolic tail at large internuclear distance r (taken from an ab initio calculation) to a linear form at small r; this linear form was validated in earlier studies by laser-excited fluorescence measurements, calculations, and an examination of literature data. The results show, as anticipated, a variation in transition probability with rotatinaal quantum number J, the degree of which varies with vibrational band. The widely used results of Anketell and Learner, based on an inferior form of the transition moment, are accurate to within about 10% for the range J = 0−20 within a given vibrational band, although not from band to band.
Coronal and sagittal plane correction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a comparison between all pedicle screw versus hybrid thoracic hook lumbar screw constructs.

Study design This was a retrospective cohort study using a previously matched convenience sample of 34 patients. Objective This study sought to determine the relative corrective benefits of these 2 types of constructs in the correction of coronal and sagittal curves in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). In addition, the 2 constructs were compared for coronal and sagittal balance. Summary of background information Recent clinical research suggests that thoracic pedicle screw constructs (all-screw constructs) are more effective than hybrid lumbar screw thoracic hook constructs (hybrid constructs) in correcting spine deformity. Methods The sample consisted of patients with AIS who underwent isolated posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation. Seventeen patients underwent fusion using all-screw constructs, and 17 underwent fusion with hybrid constructs; preoperative and postoperative radiographs and measurements were compared. Results There was no significant difference observed when comparing the 2 groups, although there was a trend toward better correction of the main thoracic curve in the all-screw construct group (P = 0.089). In the all-screw group, mean thoracic kyphosis decreased from 29.6 degrees to 19.4 degrees (P = 0.012). Sagittal balance changed in the hybrid group from -21.2 mm to 8.2 mm, and in the all-screw group changed from -28.8 mm to 1.5 mm. The major curve in the hybrid group improved from 54.06 degrees to 20.25 degrees and improved from 54.88 degrees to 15.06 degrees in the all-screw group. Conclusions There was no statistically significant difference comparing the 2 groups, although a trend was observed toward better correction of the main thoracic curve in the all-screw construct group. The all-screw group demonstrated a significant decrease in kyphosis, which was not seen in the hybrid group. Hybrid constructs were comparable to all-screw constructs in the correction of coronal plane deformity and sagittal balance.
Multiple reference subband adaptive noise canceler for hands-free cellular phone applications

Abstract This paper presents the development of adaptive noise cancelation systems for improving the intelligibility of speech transmitted in hands-free cellular phones. Both periodic and random noise cancelation techniques are developed. A narrow band noise cancelation technique, which generates the reference signal internally, thereby achieving selective cancelation of harmonics for reducing the speech distortion is proposed. The theory and design issues of subbands are explored and their application to noise cancelation is verified. A multiple channel subband adaptive noise canceler is developed to deal with the multipath, multisource nature of the noise present in the car and its effectiveness was verified through computer simulations, which were carried out using real transfer functions estimated by an HP3563A Control Systems Analyzer.
Assignment of the NMR spectra of benzo[b]triphenyleno[1,2‐d]thiophene through the application of zero quantum proton—proton correlation combined with proton‐detected long‐range multiple quantum heteronuclear chemical shift correlation

Assignment of the congested proton and carbon NMR spectra of heterocyclic benzo[b]triphenyleno[1,2-d]thiophene was accomplished through the concerted application of several two-dimensional NMR experiments. The inherent insensitivity of homonuclear zero quantum coherence to magnetic field inhomogeneity was used to advantage in disentangling the heavily overlapped proton NMR spectrum. Direct heteronuclear pairings were established using heteronuclear correlation with broad band homonuclear vicinal proton decoupling. Limited sample availability and solubility precluded complete establishment of long-range heteronuclear correlations by conventional means. Proton-detected long-range heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence did, however, provide sufficient long-range heteronuclear correlations to complete the assignment. A comparison of the data obtained from COSY and zero quantum experiments is presented; the ability of each to establish proton connectivities is discussed. Sensitivity limitations inherent in the conventional long-range optimized heteronuclear chemical shift correlation experiment are contrasted with the advantages of the proton-detected long-range heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation experiment. Practical limitations of the latter are considered.
Observed and calculated RF values of several synthetic peptides in paper chromatography

Abstract To supplement extensive information on peptides and amino acids, data were obtained on the paper-chromatographic behavior of 88 synthetic peptides and 29 amino acids in 15 solvent systems. Theoretical R F values were calculated for 46 peptides in 9 solvent system and were found to be in good agreement with the observed values.
Changes in the Living Arrangements of Older Women: An International Study

This study analyzes trends in the percentage of older women living alone in 21 European and North American countries over the period of 1960-1992. The general pattern is one of substantial annual increases in the percentage of elderly women living alone. This trend is shown to result mainly from demographic changes, with little evidence of a role for economic variables. The analysis suggests a reversal of the current trend in coming years, as mothers of postwar baby booms reach old age.
Access to national programs and needs for continuing education.

This paper describes the American Dental Association's ongoing efforts aimed at improving access to comprehensive dental care for special population groups. Primary attention is directed to the elderly population, a major priority of the Association's Access Program. In addition to highlighting the basic components of the Access Program, a review of some of the barriers affecting utilization of dental care by the elderly and programs designed to eliminate those barriers is provided. Finally, the author offers some thoughts regarding the need for appropriate continuing education activities directed to the general dentist on the topic of geriatric dentistry.
Design and implementation of the banyan interconnection network in TRAC

Over the past few years, owing to technological breakthroughs in building cheap, reliable and powerful microprocessors and relatively cheap LSI memories, interconnection networks have become the major hardware cost in design and implementation of the multiprocessor systems. This situation occurs from the fact that many more functions may be expected from the interconnection network (switch) than the establishment of simple bus connections. Even if only the communication links were considered, the complexity of some networks make their implementation prohibitive. An example of such a network is a crossbar whose complexity is 0(n**2) where n represents a number of resources which may be connected to another set of n resources. This switch provides a separate connection between each pair of resources (Figure 1). It has been empirically shown that implementation of a crossbar switch for a large n is very difficult and with a state-of-the-art technology practically infeasible for n>50.
Orally Active Isoxazoline GPIIb/IIIa Antagonists

Intravascular thrombosis is one of the most frequent pathological events and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in western civilization. Factors that stimulate thrombosis include vascular damage, stimulation of platelets, and activation of the coagulation cascade. Platelet adhesion, activation, and subsequent aggregation result in the exposure of phospholipid on the surface of platelets, which facilitates the activation of factors X and 11. Platelet activation and the resulting aggregation are associated with various pathological conditions, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular thromboembolic disorders such as unstable angina, myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis (2.9,12.13,15). The contribution of platelets to these disease processes stems from their ability to form aggregates or platelet thrombi as a consequence of arterial wall injury (2,9,12,13.15). Injury of blood vessel walls could occur either acutely or chronically through various pathophysiological processes. Platelets are activated by a number of activators or agonists that are released from within platelets or from the injured arterial walls, resulting in their subsequent adherence, release of granular contents, aggregation to the disrupted vessel surface, and the resultant formation of an occlusive thrombus in the lumen of the vessel (12,13,15). A number of agonists, generated at the interface between the vessel wall and circulating blood at the site of vascular injury, activate platelets. These include adenosine diphosphate (ADP), epinephrine, thromboxane A,, and thrombin, in the plasma, and components of the extracellular matrix such as collagen, in the subendothelium (2,15). Aspirin is standard therapy for long-term oral treatment of platelet hyperactivity, most notably in secondary prevention of myocardial infarction (MI). Aspirin is also the primary antiplatelet agent for use in conjunction with acute interventions that may cause plateletdependent thrombotic vessel occlusion, including percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or fibrinolytic treatment of acute MI. Aspirin is neither selective for platelets nor a potent antiplatelet compound, however, and is unable to interfere to any
Lactic Dehydrogenase Activity in Bovine Semen

Summary Lactic dehydrogenase (LD) activity has been determined in 43 samples of bovine semen from 23 bulls of the Aberdeen-Angus, Holstein-Friesian, Guernsey, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorn breeds. The mean activity value expressed as Berger-Broida units/milliliter of bovine semen was 2,026 ± 151 units. Correlation coefficient between LD units/milliliter of semen and 30–60 day nonreturn conception data was - .414 (P
New Failure Analysis Techniques for Beam Lead and Multi-Level Metal Integrated Circuits

The ultra-sonic probe was invented to go where conventional probes could never go and to do what conventional probes could never do. Special problems related to "isolation cuting" of titanium-platinum-gold interconnects are essentially eliminated. Electrical node probing through deep insulation glass on multi-level metal I/C's is now possible. In addition, the ultra-sonic probe makes possible a new, fast and accurate technique for measuring oxide thickness over selected circuit components. Isolation cutting, electrical node probing and glass thickness measurements are all techniques advanced in the "state-of-the-art" with the application of this new, simple, and low cost instrument.
Evaluating Speaking Skills in the Classroom: A Workshop for Teachers.

ABSTRACT This workshop, which originated as part of a teacher-training program at the University of Tennessee and was presented at the Tennessee Foreign Language Teacher Association's Conference in the fall of 1985, is intended to help teachers establish goals and guidelines for assigning the “class participation” portion of a student's grade. The principal motive behind the workshop is to make teachers more aware of the need to set standards for oral proficiency in the classroom, to conduct their classes in such a way as to promote maximum oral participation by students, and to be as objective as possible in assigning class participation grades. It is not intended to solve the problems inherent in evaluating oral proficiency in the classroom setting, but merely to guide teachers in defining and formulating the standards by which students' performance is to be assessed.
Examination of the role of dopamine D2 and adrenergic α2 receptors in resurgence of food seeking

Resurgence refers to the reappearance of an extinguished operant behavior when reinforcement for an alternative behavior is also subsequently discontinued. Resurgence has been noted as a source of relapse to problem behavior following interventions involving alternative reinforcement, and has also been recently used as an animal model of relapse to drug seeking induced by reinforcement loss. Existing information about the neuropharmacology of resurgence is scarce, but suggests overlap between relapse observed in the resurgence model and relapse observed in reinstatement and renewal models. In the present experiment rats earned food pellets for pressing a target lever in Phase I. In Phase II lever pressing no longer produced food, but food was delivered for an alterative nose poke response. Finally in Phase III, neither response produced food deliveries. Prior to these Phase III sessions, separate groups of rats were injected with 0, 50, or 100 μg/kg of the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist raclopride or 0, 20, or 40 μg/kg of α2 agonist clonidine. Both doses of raclopride were effective in blocking resurgence, but there was evidence that the higher dose did so via motor rather than motivational impairment. Only the higher dose of clonidine blocked resurgence, but did so with no evidence of motor impairment. Raclopride significantly impacted extinction of the alternative poke at both doses tested, whereas clonidine had no effect at either dose. The results of the present study provide additional information about the neuropharmacology of resurgence, as well as additional evidence of overlap between resurgence, reinstatement, and renewal.
Freshwater snail vital rates affected by non-lethal concentrations of silver nanoparticles

Freshwater gastropods are widespread and common members of benthic communities that interact with other species and conspecifics. Anthropogenic activities are increasing the presence of chemical contaminants in aquatic systems, which have the potential to disrupt species interactions through acute toxic effects and low-exposure chronic effects on vital rates and behaviors of organisms. We determined the effects of the commonly used manufactured nanomaterial, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), on the survival, growth, reproduction, and behaviors of a common pulmonate gastropod, Physa acuta. Gastropod survival decreased in higher concentrations of AgNP (LC50 = 2.18 μg/l), but was enhanced when experimental containers included sediment (LC50 > 10 μg/l). Chronic exposures resulted in growth rates and size at first reproduction of snails declining in only the highest exposure concentration of 1 μg/l AgNP. Physa egg production was reduced by 50% when chronically exposed to 0.01 μg/l or greater AgNP. Physa crawled more rapidly when exposed to 0.01 μg/l AgNP and greater, indicating a stress response to higher AgNP concentrations. Physa exposed to 1 μg/l AgNP used near-surface habitats in a similar manner to those exposed to the threat of crayfish predation, indicating that the stress response to AgNP is similar in magnitude and direction to the threat of a predator. The sublethal effects reported here suggest that low but environmentally relevant concentrations of AgNP are likely to affect gastropod populations in many ways, potentially leading to measurable effects on communities and ecosystems.
Meltdown Showdown! Which Deicer Works Best?

There are several chemical deicers available to the homeowner for melting ice. The most common contain sodium chloride (rock salt) or calcium chloride as the active ingredient. Calcium chloride products usually cost more than sodium chloride products but are generally more effective at melting ice at lower temperatures. In this JCE Classroom Activity, students perform a series of tests with deicers to decide which works better at melting ice and then decide if calcium chloride deicer is worth the extra cost.
Electron diffraction and diffraction contrast imaging of thin organic films.

The applications of electron diffraction and diffraction contrast electron microscopy with which to study the structure and dynamics of organic thin films are discussed. The techniques of making thin film deposits on substrates and of forming free-standing thin films over holes on the substrate are described. Selected area electron diffraction and diffraction contrast imaging techniques for thin film studies are elaborated, and examples are given. Methods to reduce radiation damage and environmental protection of the thin film specimen are outlined. The interpretation of electron diffraction and imaging data is given for three cases: (1) The effects of film tilting and molecular tilting (with respect to the film plane) are examined. (2) The detection of phase transition is illustrated. (3) The use of labels to mark film domains is shown together with the measurement of dynamic movement.
Fast approximate Karhunen-Loève transform with applications to digital image coding

The Karhunen-Loeve transform (KLT) is known to be the optimal transform for data compression. However, since it is signal dependent and lacks a fast algorithm, it is not used in practice. In this paper, a fast approximate Karhunen-Loeve transform (AKLT) is presented. This new transform is derived using perturbation theory of linear operators. Both the forward and inverse AKLT are analytically derived in closed forms. In addition, fast computational algorithms are developed for both the forward and inverse transforms. The order of computational complexity for the AKLT is N log2 N, which is the same as that of the DCT, the transform presently used in industrial practice. Performance comparisons reveal for a first-order Markov sequence that the AKLT performs better than the DCT in its energy compaction and signal decorrelation capabilities. Experiments on real images also demonstrate a definite superiority of the AKLT over the DCT when an adaptive scheme is used.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rigorous statistical mechanical results for one-dimensional bounded soft rod systems and for soft rod mixtures

Abstract We obtain the exact partition functions for modified soft rod systems, thus exploring mixing and end effects. A hypergeometric function appears in each partition function. For a soft and hard rod mixture, we exhibit the excess Helmholtz free energy of mixing in the thermodynamic limit. Using the centrally important integral I ( D, M′, L, b 1 ), closely related to the confluent hypergeometric function 1 F 1 , we have sketched the evaluation of the soft rod partition function in a form containing 1 F 1 rather than a Bessel function as derived earlier by us [6]. Again using I ( D, M′, L, b 1 ) but with altered indices, we have evaluated the partition function for soft rods with hard and soft boundaries in terms of the 1 F 1 function. We have recognized that the sum of these two partition functions, multiplied by N′ equals the partition function of a system of soft rods subject to periodic boundary conditions. Conceptually, then, periodic boundary conditions in the soft rod system are equivalent to imposition of either hard or soft boundary conditions. Additionally, we have noted that soft boundary conditions are equivalent to a two-phase system composed of a bound monolayer and a free bulk phase. Again using I ( D, M′, L, b 1 ), we have obtained the exact partition function of a mixture of hard and soft rods by a modification of the integral indices. In order to derive results of potential utility in solution theory, we have obtained the thermodynamic limit of this partition function, and have derived the excess Helmholtz free energy of mixing at constant number density and temperature. At high and low temperatures, this excess function assumes greatly simplified mathematical forms. Finally, we have obtained the exact partition function for a finite binary mixture of soft rods of different force constants, using I ( D, M′, L, b 1 ) to generate an intermediate result which led to a partition function containing a hypergeometric function. We hope that the results of this work, which demonstrated intriguing common features of functional form in the various partition functions, will be of evaluating approximate statistical mechanical theories, in the theory of solutions, and in the theory of small systems.
Oxygen, Oxidants, and Antioxidants in Wound Healing

A BSTRACT : Disrupted vasculature and high energy-demand by regenerating tissue results in wound hypoxia. Wound repair may be facilitated by oxygen therapy. Evidence supporting the mode of action of hyperbaric oxygen in promoting wound healing is sketchy, however. Topical oxygen therapy involves local administration of pure oxygen. The advantages of topical oxygen therapy include low cost, the lack of systemic oxygen toxicity, and possibility of home treatment. While this modality of wound care is of outstanding interest, it clearly lacks the support of mechanism-oriented studies. The search for mechanisms by which oxygen supports wound healing has now taken another step. Respiratory burst‐derived oxidants support healing. Oxidants serve as cellular messengers to promote healing. Although this information is of outstanding significance to the practice of oxygen therapy, it remains largely unexplored. The search for “natural remedies” has drawn attention to herbals. Proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins are a group of biologically active polyphenolic bioflavonoids that are synthesized by many plants. Proanthocyanidins and other tannins facilitate wound healing. A combination of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract and resveratrol facilitates inducible VEGF expression, a key element supporting wound angiogenesis. Strategies to manipulate the redox environment in the wound are likely to be of outstanding significance in wound healing.
Effects of Lead Acetate on Learning and Memory in Rats

Under the conditions employed lead acetate in toxic quantities had no significant effects on learning or memory in rats.
Stabilization of the nematic mesophase by a homogeneously dissolved conjugated polymer

A semi-conjugated iptycene polymer containing a special “crankshaft” backbone leading to superior solubility in a nematic LC medium was synthesized. The incorporation of this polymer in the LC leads to thermodynamic stabilization of the nematic mesophase. This effect is attributed to organizational coupling of the LC molecules to the polymer chains.
Fast polynomial transform and its implementation by computer

A fast polynomial transform (FPT) algorithm for computing two-dimensional cyclic convolutions on a general-purpose computer is demonstrated and compared with the FFT approach. An FPT program for two-dimensional convolutions written in FORTRAN is shown to be 20% faster than the conventional FFT algorithm. This higher speed advantage makes the FPT algorithm a candidate for many two-dimensional digital image filtering applications.
Mechanical behaviour in tension of cracked glass bridged by an elastomeric ligament

Abstract Mechanical behaviour of cracked glass bridged by an elastomeric ligament is central to properties of cracked glass/polymer laminates and other composites. We present a theoretical and experimental study of a glass/polymer/glass laminate with single aligned cracks in each glass plate, subjected to tensile loading. The test involves stable delamination at the interface between the polymer and substrate. The force required to maintain increasing strain rises to a steady state value. Crack propagation is accompanied by large polymer deformation. The polymer has been modeled as an isothermal hyperelastic material. Exact results in the limit of large crack extension relate the steady-state force to a measure of interfacial fracture energy and elastic material properties. These have been used to extract glass/polymer adhesion from experimentally measured steady-state force. Force–displacement relationships have also been derived for the limiting case of small crack lengths. Together, the results represent a force–displacement model for a cracked glass/polymer laminate, which can be used to build models for multiply cracked laminates. Finite element simulations of the experiment using cohesive elements to model the interface have been used to model the entire force–displacement response.
Creep and superplasticity in nanocrystalline materials: current understanding and future prospects

Abstract Nanocrystalline materials (nc-materials), which are characterized by a grain size in the range 1–100 nm, have emerged as a new class of materials with unusual structures. In recent years, creep and superplasticity in nc-materials have been the subject of a number of studies. In particular, experimental studies have focused on (a) whether grain boundary diffusion creep, which is expected to be dominant in coarse-grained materials at moderate temperature (0.4–0.6 T m ) and low stresses, becomes significant at low temperatures (for example, room temperature), and (b) whether micrograin superplasticity, which has been observed at high temperatures ( T >0.5 T m ) and moderate strain rates (10 −5 –10 −2 s −1 ), can be observed at low temperatures and high strain rates. A review of these studies shows that data obtained by different investigators are either not consistent in trend or too limited in scope. Various aspects characterizing these consistencies and limitations are identified. It is suggested that a number of issues need to be fully addressed in order to provide a better understanding of the deformation processes which control the behavior of nc-materials.
The influence of Duffy blood group on renal allograft outcome in African Americans.

Background African American patients demonstrate higher rates of acute allograft rejection and lower kidney-graft survival compared with white patients. Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) on red blood cells has been suggested to have an antiinflammatory role by acting as a chemokine sink. We investigated the relationship of Duffy blood group type to renal allograft outcome in African American patient population. Methods. A total of 163 African American kidney-transplant recipients were studied for Duffy blood group status. Patient outcomes were assessed at 6 to 42 months after transplantation and monitored for acute rejection episodes, graft function, and graft survival. Results. A total of 117 (71.8%) patients were Duffy (a-b-), 14 (8.6%) Duffy (a+b-), 21 (12.9%) Duffy (a-b+), and 11 (6.8%) Duffy (a+b+). No significant differences were observed among the groups with respect to median serum-creatinine values or the incidence of biopsy-confirmed acute-rejection episodes. Although only 15.4% of the patients had Duffy (a+) antigen, none lost their allograft during the study period, and Kaplan-Meier graft survival was not significantly different compared to Duffy (a-) group (log-rank test, P=0.12). Duffy (a-b-) patients demonstrated lower allograft survival compared with the other three groups, although statistical significance was not reached (log-rank test P=0.15). Delayed graft function (DGF) was strongly associated with graft failure for only Duffy (a-b-) patients (log-rank test P=0.003). Conclusions. Duffy (a-b-) patients have lower allograft survival in the presence of DGF. DARC may attenuate the inflammatory effects of DGF by acting as a chemokine sink, and DARC-negative patients may be more vulnerable to DGF.
Comments on "Numerical errors in the computation of impedances by FDTD method and ways to eliminate them" [with reply]

For original paper, see Fang and Xue, ibid., vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 6-8 (Jan. 1995). The original paper presents a new formula for the calculation of the characteristic impedance of transmission lines, Z/sub 0/, using the FDTD method. This formula eliminates the numerical errors due to the offset of voltages and currents in space and time. The commenters recalculate the two examples given and confirm the presented results. However, they point out that using the exact formula for the characteristic impedance yields a value of Z/sub 0/ = 50.2 /spl Omega/ for the stripline investigated. In response to the comments, the original authors analyze the variation of the numerical error with respect to the space step. >
Study on Multi-Alloy Ingots Produced Using Hot-Top DC Casting Approach

In this paper, a new approach that using hot-top DC casting process to produce multi-alloy ingots is present. The different type and size of composite and cladding ingots (4045/3004/4045 three-layer composite ingots with section 630mm by 1500mm and 4045/3003 cladding ingot with Φ140mm/Φ110mm in diameter) are fabricated by this approach. The macro-morphologies and microstructures of the ingots, the temperature distribution and the element distribution in the interface zone were investigated, and the interface bonding strength was measured. The results show that the solid supporting layer formed on the cooling plates plays a key role in the casting process of composite ingots. The solid supporting layer can prevent the blending of two melts by resisting the impact of alloy melt, which ensures the stable casting process and casting high quality composite ingots, because the contact height is increased using hot-top DC casting. In addition, fabrication and properties of 4045/3004/4045 three-layer composite ingots with section 630mm by 1500mm are reported in detail.
The Impact of Obesity on Perioperative Resource Utilization after Elective Spine Surgery for Degenerative Disease

Study Design Retrospective case series. Objective To determine the effect of obesity on the resource utilization and cost in 3270 consecutive patients undergoing elective noninstrumented decompressive surgeries for degenerative spine disease at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 2005 and 2012. Methods Groups were assessed for baseline differences (age, gender, and American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] classification, procedure type, and number of operative levels). Outcome variables included the transfusion requirements during surgery, the total anesthesia and surgical times, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, standardized costs, as well as the ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS). Regression analysis was used to evaluate for strength of association between obesity and outcome variables. Results Baseline differences between the groups (nonobese: n = 1,853; obese: n = 1,417) were found with respect to age, ASA class, gender, procedure type, and number of operative levels. After correcting for differences, we found significant associations between obesity and surgical ( p p p p = 0.02) and requirement for postoperative ventilation ( p = 0.048) were significantly higher in obese patients. Finally, mean difference in total cost ($1,632, p Conclusion Obesity is associated with increased resource utilization and cost in patients undergoing a noninstrumented decompressive surgery for degenerative spine disease.
Synthesis and Characterization of Oriented Glyco-Capturing Macroligand

An oriented glyco-capturing macroligand was synthesized by site-specific immobilization of an O-cyanate chain-end-functionalized boronic acid containing polymer (boropolymer) onto an amine surface. The O-cyanate chain-end-functionalized boropolymer was synthesized by arylamine-initiated cyanoxyl-mediated free-radical polymerization in a one-pot fashion. The chain-end O-cyanate was confirmed by (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The specific carbohydrate-binding capacity of the boropolymer was evaluated by an alizarin red S assay. Oriented and covalent immobilization of the O-cyanate chain-end-functionalized boropolymer onto the amine-modified solid surfaces and its specific glyco-capturing capacity were confirmed by the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The oriented multivalent glyco-capturing ligand can be used for efficient carbohydrate and glycoconjugate purification and identification, and thus is expected to constitute a core strategy of glycomics and glycoproteomics and carbohydrate-sensing applications.
Multi-enzyme kinetic analysis of glycolipid biosynthesis

Gangliosides are acidic glycosphingolipids synthesized sequentially by a series of glycosyltransferases acting in parallel biosynthetic pathways. While most glycosyltransferases are highly specific, some, however, may catalyze equivalent steps in each pathway using different gangliosides as substrates (e.g. N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase, sialyltransferase-IV). A multi-enzyme kinetic analysis was developed on the condition that serial enzymatic reactions operate below substrate saturation. A multi-enzyme kinetic analysis enabled a simultaneous calculation of the Vmax/Km value of each enzyme derived from the equilibrium concentration of the respective substrate. Substrate concentrations [S] were determined by radioactive labelling of gangliosides in intact cells with the precursor sugars [14C]galactose and [14C]glucosamine, followed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography and autoradiography of the radiolabelled glycolipids. On the basis of Michaelis-Menten kinetics, Vmax/Km values were derived from [S] by a system of linear equations. The procedure was used to analyze the development of the glycolipid composition during differentiation of rat gliomaxmurine neuroblastoma (NG108-15) cells. The Vmax/Km values calculated by multi-enzyme kinetic analysis were consistent with the kinetic data obtained with solubilized enzymes. Application of multi-enzyme kinetic analysis to published data on the correlation of enzyme activities with ganglioside levels in various cell lines and tissues indicated the validity of this method for analysis of the glycolipid biosynthesis, in particular, of its initial steps. On the basis of the kinetic analysis, it is suggested that the cell lines can be divided into two groups with respect to the substrate pools of GM3 used by sialyltransferase-II and N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-I. The first group encompasses the majority of the neuroblastoma cell lines and the embryonic rat brain where the two enzymes share a common pool of GM3. In the second group, the two enzymes do not compete for the same pool of GM3, indicating a different subcellular localization of CMP-NeuAc:GM3 alpha2-8-sialyltransferase and UDP-N-acetylgalactosaminyl:GM3 N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase. In this study, the theory of a multi-enzyme kinetic analysis is discussed and its application to analysis of the glycolipid biosynthesis in neuroblastoma cells is demonstrated. A multi-enzyme kinetic analysis can be applied to other biosynthetic pathways and provides the advantage of analyzing kinetic data with intact cells or tissue samples.