cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostate cancer metastatic to the planum sphenoidale presenting as sequential bilateral vision loss

Metastasis to the anterior cranial fossa from solid tumors is very unusual. We describe a 72-year-old male with history of locally advanced prostate cancer who presented with sequential bilateral vision loss, initially misdiagnosed and mistreated as giant cell arteritis. Neuroimaging eventually revealed an extra-axial soft tissue mass in the planum sphenoidale exerting a pressure effect on the cisternal segments of the optic nerves. He underwent surgical excision of the mass to try to improve his vision. Biopsy results confirmed high grade metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate. He was started on high dose glucocorticoids and radiation therapy and his visual symptoms improved. Patients with metastatic prostate cancer can develop cranial nerve deficits secondary to metastatic involvement of the skull base. Early recognition and appropriate therapy is essential to prevent permanent neurological impairment.
Screening-Based Chemical Approaches to Unravel Stem Cell Biology.

Cell-permeable compounds provide a convenient and efficient approach to manipulate biological processes. A number of compounds controlling stem cell self-renewal, survival, differentiation, and reprogramming have been identified through high-throughput/content screens. Using these powerful chemical tools, strategies have been developed to direct human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) differentiation to functional cells. Recently, hPSC-derived cells and organoids are used to model human diseases, which can be adapted to a high-throughput/content platform for chemical screens. The identified compounds provide novel tools for decoding the signaling pathways regulating disease progression and candidates for facilitating future drug discovery. Moreover, humanized mouse models carrying hPSC-derived cells enable an innovative system to evaluate the long-term in vivo efficacy of drug candidates on human cells. In summary, screening-based chemical approaches not only expedite strategy development of controlling stem cell fates, but also provide powerful tools for dissecting the molecular mechanisms regulating disease progression.
Radiographic manifestations of abnormal bone and mineral metabolism in end‐stage renal disease

Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) refers to a broader clinical syndrome that develops as a systemic disorder due to CKD, manifested by abnormalities in bone and mineral metabolism and/or extraskeletal calcification. In addition to serum biomarkers, imaging is a main tool in assessing extraskeletal calcification in CKD patients.
A Case for Heterogeneous Network-on-Chip Based H.264 Video Decoders

The design of a heterogeneous network-on-chip (NoC) based H.264 video decoder is proposed. A thorough investigation using a system simulator developed as the combination of a cycle accurate NoC simulator together with complete implementations of all the video decoder modules is presented. The target hardware platform is a multicore system-on-chip, where the cores were designed for specific functions that correspond to the modules of the video decoder. Because such cores have different sizes and aspect ratios, a heterogeneous NoC is employed to facilitate the communication between modules. This is different from the reference case of a homogeneous NoC based hardware platform, where all cores are general purpose processors with the same area and where the NoC is a regular mesh NoC. The investigation looks at the impact of core sizes and floorplan for a given technology node as well as at the performance variation across several technology nodes.
Failure (at any stage) and the role of mechanical circulatory support in hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Abstract Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) options in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) may be limited due to size, anatomy, device and center limitations. This review aims to describe the various MCS options available to HLHS and other single ventricle heart failure patients, and review the outcomes of those devices in children after each stage of single ventricle surgical palliation.
A Statistical Analysis of Electronic Instant Messaging Consequences in Networks

Instant messaging (IM) is a form of electronic message transmission in wireless, mobile and wired networks, where the message becomes immediately available to the recipients. Despite its widespread use and popularity, this technology can have certain consequences on people and ultimately the society where they live in. To understand some of these consequences, this paper investigates possible correlations between IM and some behavioral outcomes using real data collected from 500 graduate students. More specifically, the connection between IM-related afflictions and reported guilt are studied and established here, by conducting correlation and regression analyses. The main aim is examining the associations between IM usage and intimacy, self-reported addiction, as well as self-reported guilt. Our findings using collected data indicate a strong positive correlation between IM usage and self-reported guilt, as well as IM addiction and IM guilt. Findings underscore the significance of further research on IM usage in modern societies. The results are of interest to application developers and service providers to revise their IM tools designs to minimize negative consequences on the users; businesses and organizations and schools to optimize their performance and productivity, and healthcare professionals to treat people suffering from IM overuse and its consequences.
Polar or Charged Residues Located in Four Highly Conserved Motifs Play a Vital Role in the Function or pH Response of a UPF0118 Family Na +(Li +)/H + Antiporter

Functionally uncharacterized UPF0118 family has been re-designated as autoinducer-2 exporter (AI-2E) family since one of its members, Escherichia coli YdgG, was identified to function as an autoinducer-2 exporter. However, it’s very likely that AI-2E family members may exhibit significantly distinct functions due to low identities between them. Recently, we identified one member of this family designated as UPF0118 to represent a novel class of Na+(Li+)/H+ antiporters. In this study, we presented that UPF0118, together with its homologs, should represent an independent group of AI-2E family, designated as Na+/H+ Antiporter Group. Notably, this group shows five highly conserved motifs designated as Motifs A to E, which are not detected in the majority of AI-2E family members. Functional analysis established that polar or charged residues located in Motif A to D play a vital role in Na+(Li+)/H+ antiport activity or pH response of UPF0118. However, three basic residues located in Motif E are not involved in the function of UPF0118, although the truncation of C terminus resulted in the non-expression of this transporter. Therefore, we propose that E179-R182-K215-Q217-D251-R292-R293-E296-K298-S307 located in Motifs A to D can be used for signature functional motifs to recognize whether AI-2E family members function as Na+(Li+)/H+ antiporters. Current findings positively contribute to the knowledge of molecular mechanism of Na+, Li+ transporting and pH response of UPF0118, and the functional prediction of uncharacterized AI-2E family members.
A study of 14 primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma cases into their pathology features and relevance with clinical manifestations

Objective To summarize the morphological and immunohistological and clinical manifestatical features of primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL). Methods We analyzed retrospectively the morphological and immunohistological and clinical data of 14 cases with PC-ALCL and summarized their features. Results Fourteen cases of PC-ALCL were studied. Thirteen cases were followedup in which all cases were alive. There were 11 cases in common type which showed medium to large-sized cells with predominant pleomorphism, 2 cases in immunoblastic type and 1 case in small cell type. Immunohistochemical staining showed that more than 75 % tumor cells expressed CD30 in every case.Conclusion PC-ALCL is an uncommon subtype of lymphoma with an good prognosis. It is characterized by cutaneous nodules, the inflitartion of medium to large-sized cells and the diffuse expression of CD30. Key words: PC-ALCL; Morphology; Immunohistochemistry; WHO classification; Clinical manifestations; Prognosis
Review of Due Process and International Terrorism: An InternationalLegal Analysis by Roza Pati

This book review examines “Due Process and International Terrorism: An International Legal Analysis,” by Roza Pati. Professor Pati’s book, which surveys the international standards governing due process in criminal matters during times of emergency and applies them to the United States, is both a strong call for continued enforcement of core humanitarian and human rights protections as well as an acknowledgment of the extraordinary threat posed by terrorist activities. Although Professor Pati’s book is an important contribution to our understanding of the limits of due process, the review contends that its analysis might have gone even further. Admittedly, international law provides only minimum standards. Nonetheless, it is precisely in the grey areas beyond minimum standards where guidance is most needed. The review also considers what Professor Pati’s analysis of limits on rights in emergency might illustrate about the permissible limitations on rights during states of normalcy.
Classics revisited: “Mammals on mountaintops: nonequilibrium insular biology” (The American Naturalist, 105: 467–478, 1971), by James H. Brown:

James H. Brown’s “Mammals on mountaintops: nonequilibrium insular biogeography,” published in 1971 in The American Naturalist, documented distributional patterns of small mammal species in the moun...
Effects of Proximity to Multifamily Housing on Property Values in Little Rock, Arkansas, 2000–2016

A common form of not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) activism is resistance to multifamily housing. Although NIMBY activism often targets both market-rate and subsidized multifamily development, studies of ...
Comparative assessment of manual chart review and ICD claims data in evaluating immunotherapy-related adverse events

The aim of this retrospective study was to demonstrate that irAEs, specifically gastrointestinal and pulmonary, examined through International Classification of Disease (ICD) data leads to underrepresentation of true irAEs and overrepresentation of false irAEs, thereby concluding that ICD claims data are a poor approach to electronic health record (EHR) data mining for irAEs in immunotherapy clinical research. This retrospective analysis was conducted in 1,063 cancer patients who received ICIs between 2011 and 2017. We identified irAEs by manual review of medical records to determine the incidence of each of our endpoints, namely colitis, hepatitis, pneumonitis, other irAE, or no irAE. We then performed a secondary analysis utilizing ICD claims data alone using a broad range of symptom and disease-specific ICD codes representative of irAEs. 16% (n = 174/1,063) of the total study population was initially found to have either pneumonitis 3% (n = 37), colitis 7% (n = 81) or hepatitis 5% (n = 56) on manual review. Of these patients, 46% (n = 80/174) did not have ICD code evidence in the EHR reflecting their irAE. Of the total patients not found to have any irAEs during manual review, 61% (n = 459/748) of patients had ICD codes suggestive of possible irAE, yet were not identified as having an irAE during manual review. Examining gastrointestinal and pulmonary irAEs through the International Classification of Disease (ICD) data leads to underrepresentation of true irAEs and overrepresentation of false irAEs.
Cognitive and behavioral coping in response to wildlife disease: The case of hunters and chronic wasting disease

The transactional model of stress and coping (TMSC) provides a conceptual framework for understanding adaptations to stressors like chronic wasting disease (CWD). Understanding hunter response to s...
Conservative Islamic factions vs. secular nationalists: toward a civil contestation in democratic Indonesia

This paper describes how Indonesia’s presidents have delt with Islamist and secular nationalist political contestation since the preparation of Indonesian independence and how the current president compares. Soekarno’s initial reliance on civil discourse ended in his autocratic decree that banned the Indonesia’s most powerful Islamic party ( Masyumi ). Soeharto’s initial iron-fist approach ended up meeting some Islamic demands. B.J. Habibie helped transformed Indonesia through a democratic election in 1999, but the leader of the winning party, Megawati was defeated in the parliament that elected a pluralist Muslim cleric, Gus Dur. Gus Dur’s administration, ended by the central axis, suggests that liberal democratic processes cannot be applied in an increasingly conservative Muslim majority country. Megawati lost, partly because she is a female president unpopular among the Islamists, while SBY was sympathetic toward the Islamist’s demands, enhancing the “conservative turn.” Jokowi has used discursive and legal approaches to promote Pancasila in challenging the hardline Islamic demands, enabling him to ban HTI and FPI and to implement the speech freedom-limiting laws, leading to criticisms and the decline in the 2020 Indonesia's Democracy Index. Jokowi’s expansion of these laws to maintain unity and stability may be deemed an “authoritarian turn,” but I argue that it may be more appropriately called “the Pancasila turn.” In framing and analyzing Jokowi’s laws as a Pancasila turn, I am arguing in this paper that this lays the foundation for a more equal, civil, and democratic contestation.
Interstate Comparison of Environmental Performance using Stochastic Frontier Analysis: The United States Case Study

Environmental performance of the U.S. States is investigated for the period of 1990 - 2007 using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). The SFA accounts for both efficiency measure and stochastic noise affecting a frontier. The frontier is formed using indicators of GDP, energy consumption, population, and CO2 emissions. For comparability, all indicators are expressed as ratios to total. Statistical information of the Energy Information Agency of the United States is used. Obtained results reveal the bell - shaped dynamics of environmental efficiency scores. The average efficiency scores rise from 97.6% in 1990 to 99.6% in 1999, and then fall to 98.4% in 2007. The main factor is insufficient decrease in the rate of growth of CO2 emissions with regards to the growth of GDP, population and energy consumption. Data for 2008 following the research period allow for an assumption that the environmental performance of the U.S. States has improved in the last years.
Clinical Use of a Mutual Information-Based Automated Image Registration System for Conformal Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

In this paper we describe the clinical use of an in-house mutual information-based image registration system for improving target volume definition in conformal radiotherapy treatment planning. This system enables a clinician to delineate clinical and anatomic structures on magnetic resonance and nuclear medicine imaging studies and have these structures geometrically mapped to the x-ray CT study used for treatment planning. This system requires very little user interaction and can accommodate a wide range of anatomic sites. These factors combined with consistent accuracy at the sub-voxel to voxel level have improved the overall quality and physician confidence in the delineation of target volumes and surrounding healthy tissues.
Mental Health Occupational Therapy: Trends in Literature and Practice

This article briefly reviews the history of ideas and practice in psychosocial occupational therapy. It then reports the results of two studies which examined present-day perspectives as reflected in occupational therapy literature and the actural practices of psychosocial therapists. The first study was based on a review of mental health-related articles in AJOT and OTMH; the second represented secondary analyses of a survey of psychosocial occupational therapists. The findings of both studies suggest that psychosocial occupational therapists have not adopted a single theoretical orientation in their practice.
Advances in amorphous silicon waveguides for nonlinear optical signal processing

High nonlinearity, low or negligible two-photon absorption, and CMOS-compatibility make hydrogenated amorphous silicon an attractive platform for integrated nonlinear optical signal processing devices. Recent nonlinear optical demonstrations are discussed as well as material property investigations.
Topological Quantum Field Theory as Topological Quantum Gravity

We discuss a special case of the gauge theory to string theory correspondence in the Euclidean version of the theories, where exact results are available. We show how the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant in SU(n) Chern-Simons theory on S 3 is related via conifold transition to the all-genus generating function of the topological string amplitudes on a Calabi-Yau manifold. This result can be thought of as an interpretation of TQFT (Topological Quantum Field Theory) as TQG (Topological Quantum Gravity).
New Class of Conditional Colicin-tolerant Mutants

A new class of temperature-dependent tol mutants of Escherichia coli expresses tolerance to colicins only after growth at higher temperatures. Colicin sensitivity or tolerance, acquired by growth at 30 or 41 C, respectively, is not lost upon incubation at the other temperature in the presence of chloramphenicol. The kinetics of conversion from sensitivity to tolerance and vice versa have been analyzed. In one instance, the tol VIII temperature-dependent phenotype was due to the modifying role of a str-r mutation on the suppression of a tol VIII amber mutant by the suppressor mutation suII. The bearing of the present findings on the role of the tol genes is discussed.
Subjunctive and Interpassive “Knowing” in the Surveillance Society

The Snowden affair marked not a switch from ignorance to informed enlightenment, but a problematisation of knowing as a condition. What does it mean to know of a surveillance apparatus that recedes from your sensory experience at every turn? How do we mobilise that knowledge for opinion and action when its benefits and harms are only articulable in terms of future-forwarded “as if”s? If the extent, legality and efficacy of surveillance is allegedly proven in secrecy, what kind of knowledge can we be said to “possess”? This essay characterises such knowing as “world-building”. We cobble together facts, claims, hypotheticals into a set of often speculative and deferred foundations for thought, opinion, feeling, action. Surveillance technology’s recession from everyday life accentuates this process. Based on close analysis of the public mediated discourse on the Snowden affair, I offer two common patterns of such world-building or knowing. They are (1) subjunctivity , the conceit of “I cannot know, but I must act as if it is true”; (2) interpassivity , which says “I don’t believe it/I am not affected, but someone else is (in my stead)”.
A self-consistent mechanism for slow dynamic deformation and tsunami generation for earthquakes in the shallow subduction zone

[1] Dynamic pore pressure changes in the overriding wedge above a shallow-dipping plate interface significantly affect the rupture dynamics of shallow subduction zone earthquakes and their tsunamigenesis. For a wedge on the verge of Coulomb failure everywhere including the basal fault, the dynamic pore pressure increase due to up-dip rupture propagation leads to widespread yielding within the wedge, which is greatly enhanced by the shallow dip of the fault. The widespread yielding reduces the stress drop, slip velocity, slip, and rupture velocity, giving rise to prolonged rupture duration, thus explaining many anomalous features of shallow subduction zone earthquakes. Significant inelastic seafloor uplift occurs in the case of a shallow fault dip, with the largest uplift located landward from the trench. Integrating this physical mechanism with existing seismic, geodetic, and tsunami observations can provide new insights into earthquake dynamics and deformation processes in shallow subduction zones.
Crack formation in TiN films deposited on Pa-n due to large thermal mismatch

Abstract Advanced metallization requires stringent demands on the properties of dielectric materials and the respective conducting metals used. These include low dielectric constant, negligible water take up, chemical inertness, low temperature deposition, as well as compatibility with current integrated circuits manufacturing, low resistivity, and high electromigration resistance. To meet future integration requirements, Pa-n as the low κ-dielectric material and silver or copper as the low resistive metals are being studied. The issues of metal diffusion and adhesion are important for successful operation and long-term reliability. The diffusion barrier, titanium nitride has been well studied and is an accepted material in current industrial manufacturing. In this study, TiN was deposited using DC magnetron sputtering to minimize the thermal budget constrains associated with Pa-n. In situ four-point probe analysis was used to measure the resistivity of TiN and to elucidate the discontinuity in the films during thermal annealing. In situ X-ray analysis was performed to determine the coefficient of linear thermal expansion, which was then used to determine thermal stresses in TiN and Pa-n films. During the annealing, the hard and brittle TiN film did not comply with ductile Pa-n due to the thermal mismatch. This large tensile stress opposes the pre-existing compressive stress present upon deposition, and eventually exceeds the TiN fracture strength at approximately 150°C resulting in crack formation.
Developing a hands-on undergraduate parallel programming course with pattern programming (abstract only)

Parallel programming has been taught for many years but has recently taken on greater significance with introduction of multicore and many-core processors. Still, most teaching has followed a traditional path of focusing on learning low-level tools such as MPI. This workshop introduces a new educational approach based upon first selecting a computational pattern and then using higher-level tools to create parallel executable code. A pattern programming framework has been developed to create a distributed application that avoids the need to use low-level routines. The framework self-deploys on distributed computers, clusters, and individual multicore computers. Several patterns have been implemented including workpool, pipeline, synchronous and iterative all-to-all, and stencil. The first pattern covered is the widely applicable workpool pattern and other patterns will be introduced. The workshop will describe how the approach can be used in the undergraduate curriculum and will provide hands-on experiences to participants. In our approach, students focus upon computational strategies. Programming is much easier and less likely to be flawed. Each workshop participant will receive a flash drive with all software and documentation pre-loaded for use in the workshop and afterwards in their classes. Laptop required.
Hybrid Rotating Arc-Tube Furnace Device for Microsolution Analysis

A hybrid are-furnace system using a magnetically rotated, concentric-electrode are connected to a pyrolytic graphite tube furnace is described. The are is formed between a 5-mm-i.d. graphite tube anode and a W/Th wire cathode. A 0.9-kG magnetic field from a ceramic permanent magnet causes the are plasma to rotate at about 1.4 kHz, thus forming a diffuse plasma dome covering the end of the anode cylinder. A 10-mm-long ceramic tube connects the furnace to the are anode. The graphite anode and graphite furnace are housed in the same chamber. Rotation around a horizontal axis allows the system to quickly convert between a sample loading position and a plasma discharge position. Detection limits for various metallic elements are in the ppb and sub-ppb range. Design features and performance data are presented.
Saturation-resistant optical turbulence sensor

The optical measurement of atmospheric turbulence strength is often subject to the effects of scintillation saturation. In the saturation regime, the intensity variance no longer increases with turbulence strength. In some instances, the observed behavior with respect to turbulence strength shows a flattening of the variance followed by a shallow drop-off with further increases in turbulence. The Air Force Research Laboratory requires a robust instrument for determining path-integrated turbulence effects on a laser propagating over a 50 km path under a variety of clear-air atmospheric conditions and turbulence strengths. The approach described here is based on the measurement of the Mutual Coherence Function (MCF). The MCF doesn't saturate since it depends on the total wave structure function, a function consisting of a non-saturating phase term as well as the saturating log- amplitude term. The sensor itself is an interferometer which measures fringe visibility. In addition to a measure of turbulence strength, or C2n, the wave structure function itself can be determined. The latter feature is an especially important one for determining whether or not Kolmogorov statistics prevail.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Quantum theory of second harmonic generation

Starting from a phenomenological Hamiltonian, the quantum theory of second harmonic generation is discussed. An exact Fokker-Planck equation, which describes the quantum statistical properties of the pump mode and the second harmonic mode, is derived. This equation is solved in one case and some physical implications are discussed.
Occlusion rims with blocks of resin teeth

Summary A technique has been described that utilizes an occlusion rim containing a block of lower acrylic resin teeth for recording vertical and centric relations and for establishing esthetics. This technique makes it possible to arrange artificial teeth faster and with less effort than when using the usual wax occlusion rims. The incisal guidance and the protrusive record can be easily established.
On the relation between ENSO and global climate change

Two lines of research into climate change and El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) converge on the conclusion that changes in ENSO statistics occur as a response to global climate (temperature) fluctuations. One approach focuses on the statistics of temperature fluctuations interpreted within the framework of random walks. The second is based on the discovery of correlation between the recurrence frequency of El Nino and temperature change, while developing physical arguments to explain several phenomena associated with changes in El Nino frequency. Consideration of both perspectives leads to greater confidence in, and guidance for, the physical interpretation of the relationship between ENSO and global climate change. Topics considered include global dynamics of ENSO, ENSO triggers, and climate prediction and predictability.
Crystal symmetry, electron-phonon coupling, and superconducting tendencies in Li 2 Pd 3 B and Li 2 Pt 3 B

After theoretical determination of the internal structural coordinates in ${\mathrm{Li}}_{2}{\mathrm{Pd}}_{3}\mathrm{B}$, we calculate and analyze its electronic structure and obtain the frequencies of the two ${A}_{g}$ phonons (40.6 meV for nearly pure Li mode, 13.0 meV for the strongly mixed Pd-Li mode). Pd can be ascribed a $4{d}^{10}$ configuration, but strong $4d$ character remains up to the Fermi level. Small regions of flat bands occur at $\ensuremath{-}70\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ at both the $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ and $X$ points. Comparison of the Fermi level density of states to the linear specific heat coefficient gives a dynamic mass enhancement of $\ensuremath{\lambda}=0.75$. Rough Fermi surface averages of the deformation potentials $\mathcal{D}$ of individual Pd and Li displacements are obtained. While $⟨{\mathcal{D}}_{\mathrm{Li}}⟩$ is small, $⟨{\mathcal{D}}_{\mathrm{Pd}}⟩\ensuremath{\approx}1.15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}∕\mathrm{\AA{}}$ is sizable, and a plausible case exists for its superconductivity at 8 K being driven primarily by coupling to Pd vibrations. The larger $d$ bandwidth in ${\mathrm{Li}}_{2}{\mathrm{Pt}}_{3}\mathrm{B}$ leads to important differences in the bands near the Fermi surface. The effect on the band structure of spin-orbit coupling plus lack of inversion is striking, and is much larger in the Pt compound.
Short-term in vivo stability of endothelial-lined polyester elastomer and polytetrafluoroethylene grafts.

A fibronectin substrate will significantly enhance the strength of endothelial cell attachment on grafts constructed of polyester elastomer (PE) and polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE). This experiment was undertaken to determine the short-termin vivo stability of endothellum on these fibronectin coated surfaces. Eight mongrel dogs underwent bilateral carotid artery replacement with both graft materlals. All grafts were inoculated with 2,000 cells/mm2 using cultured autogenous venous endothelium labelled with Indium-111-oxine. The Indium-111 label in the grafts was measured immediately prior to implantation, after 1 hour ofin vivo perfusion, and at explantation after 24 hours. The percentage of inoculated cells attached to the grafts before perfusion was simillar for both materials, 93.3±3.0% versus 92.2±7.2%, for PE and e-PTFE respectively. All grafts were patent at one hour after implantation. PE grafts were found to have 93.8±3.9 % of the attached cells present at one hour while e-PTFE grafts had only 54.5 ± 10.8 % remaining, p<.001. After 24 hours, 5/8 (62.5%) e-PTFE grafts and 2/8 (25.0 %) PE grafts remained patent, p=.13. Of the patent grafts however, endothelial cell retention was still superior on the PE grafts with 78.0±0.6% of the attached cells remaining compared to only 24.5±6.1% on e-PTFE, p<.001. Occluded PE grafts had fewer cells remaining at 24 hours than patent ones, 78.0±0.6% versus 31.1±32.8%, respectively, p=.13. Histologically, patent PE grafts demonstrated nearly confluent endothelial monolayers while e-PTFE had patches of endothelial cells surrounded by, a platelet-fibrin carpet. We conclude that short-term patency appears to be determined by the extent of endothelial retention on PE but not e-PTFE.
Allele and species dependent contractile defects by restrictive and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-linked troponin I mutants

Abstract Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a debilitating disease characterized by impaired ventricular filling, reduced ventricular volumes, and severe diastolic dysfunction. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by ventricular hypertrophy and heightened risk of premature sudden cardiac death. These cardiomyopathies can result from mutations in the same gene that encodes for cardiac troponin I (cTnI). Acute genetic engineering of adult rat cardiac myocytes was used to ascertain whether primary physiologic outcomes could distinguish between RCM and HCM alleles at the cellular level. Co-transduction of cardiac myocytes with wild-type (WT) cTnI and RCM/HCM linked mutants in cTnI's inhibitory region (IR) demonstrated that WT cTnI preferentially incorporated into the sarcomere over IR mutants. The cTnI IR mutants exhibited minor effects in single myocyte Ca 2+ -activated tension assays yet prolonged relaxation and Ca 2+ decay. In comparison RCM cTnI mutants in the helix-4/C-terminal region demonstrated a) hyper-sensitivity to Ca 2+ under loaded conditions, b) slowed myocyte mechanical relaxation and Ca 2+ transient decay, c) frequency-dependent Ca 2+ -independent diastolic tone, d) heightened myofilament incorporation and e) irreversible cellular contractile defects with acute diltiazem administration. For species comparison, a subset of cTnI mutants were tested in isolated adult rabbit cardiac myocytes. Here, RCM and HCM mutant cTnIs exerted similar effects of slowed myocyte relaxation and Ca 2+ transient decay but did not show variable phenotypes by cTnI region. This study highlights cellular contractile defects by cardiomyopathy mutant cTnIs that are allele and species dependent. The species dependent results in particular raise important issues toward elucidating a unifying mechanistic pathway underlying the inherited cardiomyopathies.
Co-local subgroups of abelian groups II

Abstract In [J. Buckner, M. Dugas, Co-local subgroups of abelian groups, in: Abelian Groups, Rings, Modules, and Homological Algebra, in: Lect. Notes Pure and Applied Math., vol. 249, Taylor and Francis/CRC Press, pp. 25–33] the notion of a co-local subgroup of an abelian group was introduced. A subgroup K of A is called co-local if the natural map Hom ( A , A ) → Hom ( A , A / K ) is an isomorphism. At the center of attention in [J. Buckner, M. Dugas, Co-local subgroups of abelian groups, in: Abelian Groups, Rings, Modules, and Homological Algebra, in: Lect. Notes Pure and Applied Math., vol. 249, Taylor and Francis/CRC Press, pp. 25–33] were co-local subgroups of torsion-free abelian groups. In the present paper we shift our attention to co-local subgroups K of mixed, non-splitting abelian groups A with torsion subgroup t ( A ) . We will show that any co-local subgroup K is a pure, cotorsion-free subgroup and if D / t ( A ) is the divisible part of A / t ( A ) = D / t ( A ) ⊕ H / t ( A ) , then K ∩ D = 0 , and one may assume that K ⊆ H . We will construct examples to show that K need not be a co-local subgroup of H . Moreover, we will investigate connections between co-local subgroups of A and A / t ( A ) .
Intra-Industry Specialization in Textiles and Apparel

This paper examines changes in intra-industry specialization indicators over the 1992-2004 period to assess potential for structural adjustment problems that may arise in U.S. textile and apparel p...
The transient nicotinic stimulation of tyrosine hydroxylase gene transcription in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells is independent of c-fos gene activation

Abstract The nicotinic agonist dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP) transiently stimulates tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene transcription in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells (Craviso et al., J. Neurochem. , 59 (1992) 2285–2296). The present studies examined the mechanism of this stimulation, exploring the hypothesis that c- fos - and/or cyclic AMP-related mechanisms are involved. As determined by nuclear run-on assay, exposure of chromaffin cells to DMPP (1 μM) induced c- fos and TH gene transcription fivefold and twofold, respectively. Nitrendipine (20 μM) blocked both responses, indicating a similar dependency of each on extracellular calcium. Both c- fos and TH gene transcription rates were also elevated by entry of calcium due to the presence of the calcium ionophore A23187 (5 μM). Comparison of the time dependence of the DMPP stimulation of c- fos and TH gene transcription revealed similar time courses. Both were rapid and transient, peaking within 10–30 min of nicotinic receptor occupancy and returning to control values by 1 h. This simultaneous activation of the TH and c- fos genes indicates that Fos induction cannot be responsible for the stimulation of TH gene transcription. This conclusion was further supported by a failure of anisomycin (100 μM) pretreatment of chromaffin cells, which blocked protein synthesis 99%, to have any effect on either the rapid stimulation of TH gene transcription or the length of time that the TH gene was activated by DMPP. Thus, neither Fos nor other high turnover-rate transcription factors appear to be responsible for the stimulation, or return to control level, of TH gene activity following nicotinic stimulation of chromaffin cells. In other experiments, treating chromaffin cells with a combination of maximally effective concentrations of DMPP and forskolin was found to produce no greater stimulation of TH gene transcription than either agent alone, suggesting that DMPP acts through the same mechanism as forskolin. Taken together, these results support the conclusion that the mechanism of TH gene activation in chromaffin cells by DMPP involves a cyclic AMP-dependent process and not the induction of transcription factors such as Fos.
Equity vs. Efficiency: Public Capital Investment in Ohio, 1988–1992

Recent research on the role of public capital in the economy focuses primarily on assessing its economic, and sometimes spatial economic, impacts. Access to more detailed and disaggregate data than typically used in these analyses allows us to take a fresh perspective on the often conflicting goals of interregional equity and aggregate efficiency. Using the state of Ohio as a case study, and classic definitions of equity and efficiency, we assess the correspondence between distributions of infrastructure investment and the social/economic distress they are intended to alleviate. Traditional map and statistical analysis combined with a graphical device we call the variegated distribution plot reveals that, in both rates and levels, investment is highest in areas of greatest distress. Both patterns are consistent with equity-driven investment distributions.
Versatile Lidar for Atmospheric Studies, Including Plume Dispersion, Clouds, and Stratospheric Aerosol

Abstract A transportable scanning lidar for studying clouds, plume dispersion, and stratospheric aerosal at any of three wavelengths is described. A ruby laser transmits linearly polarized light of 694.3 nm wavelength at a maximum 0.8 s−1 pulse rate. The lidar can discriminate between parallel, orthogonal, or combined polarizations of backscatter in a multichannel receiver. The lidar can simultaneously operate at the frequency-doubled wavelength of 347.2 nm. A frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser, emitting at 532.0 nm and at a maximum pulse rate of 10 s−1, normally Performs mapping of plume structure. Range resolution, including receiver response, is less than 7 m. The sample interval is typically 3 m for plume experiments and 15 m for stratospheric aeroso1 profiles. Beam divergence is less than 1.0 mrad, and the receivers field of view is adjustable up to 6 mrad. The lidar's sensitivity can be altered over a wide dynamic range by selection of optical filters in the receiver and adjustments in the photomultipli...
A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR COMBUSTION REACTIONS INSIDE A REFRACTORY TUBE

Abstract A kinetic and thermal model has been developed for the evaporation and combustion of a single chain of uniformly sized droplets of hexane in a turbulent stream of air inside a refractory tube. A single global rate expression is utilized for the oxidation of hexane to CO and H20, but 44 reversible, free-radical mechanisms thereafter. Adiabatic flow is postulated for the post-flame zone and plug flow throughout. An integro-differential energy balance for the wall is avoided by the use of an experimental wall temperature profile for each set of conditions. The model is restricted to external conditions such that evaporation is completed prior to ignition. Calculated concentrations of NO are in good agreement with measured values for fuel-lean mixtures over a wide range of post-flame residence times. Calculated concentrations of CO are up to twice as high as experimental values but demonstrate the same dependence on residence time and equivalence ratio, suggesting that some of the individual rate con...
Modeling the active site in hemocyanin: Synthesis and reactivity of binuclear copper complexes

Abstract Binucleating ligands that provide three nitrogen donors, and in some cases a phenolate group, to each copper ion have been synthesized. Introduction of substituents to provide steric shielding of the presumed dioxygen-binding site in a previously-described complex prevents reaction of these new species with dioxygen. That these changes are not a direct consequence of steric effects is demonstrated by the synthesis of a Cu(II) derivative having a bridging acetate group. Thus, seemingly simple structural modifications of model systems for the hemocyanin active site may cause substantial changes in reactivity.
Variance reduction algorithms for parallel replicated simulation of uniformized Markov chains

We discuss the simulation ofM replications of a uniformizable Markov chain simultaneously and in parallel (the so-called parallel replicated approach). Distributed implementation on a number of processors and parallel SIMD implementation on massively parallel computers are described. We investigate various ways of inducing correlation across replications in order to reduce the variance of estimators obtained from theM replications. In particular, we consider the adaptation of Stratified Sampling, Latin Hypercube Sampling, and Rotation Sampling to our setting. These algorithms can be used in conjunction with the Standard Clock simulation of uniformized chains at distinct parameter values and can potentially sharpen multiple comparisons of systems in that setting. Our investigation is primarily motivated by this consideration.
Regional variations in endoplasmic reticulum in the vas deferens of normal and vasectomized rats

The fine structure of the epithelium of different parts of the rat vas deferens was studied in normal rats and at intervals of up to nine months after vasectomy. The cytology of the columnar epithelial cells showed regional variations particularly in the type and extent of endoplasmic reticulum. Cells of the proximal part of the vas deferens were characterized by basal and perinuclear granular endoplasmic reticulum, a large Golgi apparatus, and numerous apical microvilli, vesicles, and vacuoles. In contrast, the columnar cells of the distal portion of the vas deferens contained large amounts of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, much of which assumed the form of large whorls of smooth membranes. In the distal segment the number of microvilli, vesicles, and vacuoles was less but mitochondria were more numerous than in the proximal part. Cells in the middle portion of the vas deferens showed some features of both proximal and distal parts. These structural characteristics, along with previous experiments, suggest that in the proximal portion of the vas deferens absorption of material from the lumen is an important function, while the cells of the distal part may synthesize steroids. Thus, these regional differences in ultrastructure probably reflect regional differences in function along the length of the vas deferens. After vasectomy the regional specializations were retained and did not appear to be altered. The possibility that this structural and functional sequence is significant for normal fertility and its relation to attempts to reconnect the vas deferens after vasectomy are considered.
Structural alterations in the amorphous-to-crystalline transformation of lead pyrophosphate.

The detailed structural changes that occur during the isothermal transition from a glass to a single-phase crystalline solid have been determined for the first time by use of the modern technique of high-performance liquid chromatography. Quantitative measurements of the evolution of the type and relative concentration of individual structural units present during the devitrification process were made on lead pyrophosphate glasses annealed below, at, and above the glass transition temperature.
Spectrum sensing in cognitive radio sensor networks: towards ultra low overhead, distributed channel findings

Cognitive radios can utilise the idle spectrum holes that are not occupied by the Primary Users (PUs) (i.e. licensed users) for temporary wireless communication tasks. A challenging issue is to efficiently reach global/regional views among the Secondary Users (SUs) on channel availability. The SUs need to exchange control messages on their spectrum sensing results. A traditional way is to send out 'raw' channel information from each individual node. It consumes much wireless communication bandwidth. This research proposes a new cognitive radio spectrum sensing scheme based on our proposed Spatially-Decaying, Time-Incremental (SDTI) updating algorithm. Our SDTI algorithm is based on the extension of Gossiping Updates for Efficient Spectrum Sensing (GUESS) scheme that adopts Flajolet-Martin (FM) aggregation to reduce data amount. Our SDTI automatically assigns weights to channel information based on the distance between a source node and an observing node. Further, distance nodes have less important information to the observing node.
People and nature: toward an ecological model of health promotion.

Striving for a healthier relationship among individuals, families, communities, nations, and the environment is imperative at a time in history when humankind can change the face of the earth in monumental ways. This dynamic health relationship, with an emphasis on the contributions of parks, recreation, and tourism to health promotion, is the subject of this article. A broader conception of health that moves beyond human physical and mental health to include familial, communal, national, international, and global ecological health is called for, and a more comprehensive ecological model of health promotion, including consideration of health from a holistic ecological perspective, is presented. New directions for leisure research based on an ecological orientation to health promotion conclude the article.
Pathogen-produce pair attribution risk ranking tool to prioritize fresh produce commodity and pathogen combinations for further evaluation (P3ARRT)

Foodborne disease outbreaks and cases associated with fresh produce have increased over the past decade. In developing approaches to prevent or reduce illnesses from consumption of contaminated produce, new tools are needed to identify and prioritize appropriate efforts. The purpose of this study was to develop a semi-quantitative risk ranking tool (Pathogen-Produce Pair Attribution Risk Ranking Tool, or P3ARRT) to rank the relative public health impact of pathogen-produce commodity combinations, based on explicit data-driven criteria. To identify candidate pathogen-commodity pairs, a database was created that included all published reports of fresh produce-associated outbreaks in the United States. A total risk score was calculated for each pathogen-commodity pair as the summation of nine criteria scores multiplied by the respective criteria weighting. A total of 53 pathogen-produce commodity pairs were included in the risk ranking, and based on scenario and sensitivity analyses, enterohemorrhagic E. coli in leafy greens consistently ranked first, followed by Salmonella spp. in tomatoes, and Salmonella spp. in leafy greens. The P3ARRT model provides a systematic, transparent, and customizable tool with which to prioritize produce pathogen-commodity pairs for further, more rigorous risk assessment modeling and evaluation efforts. The tool is available to the public at www.FoodRisk.org.
Barrier effects in the cognitive maps of children and adults

To study spatial representation, Kosslyn, Pick, and Fariello (Child Development, 1974, 45, 707–716) asked preschoolers and adults to learn toy locations in a room divided into quadrants. When asked to rank order the closeness of toys, preschoolers exaggerated distances between objects separated by opaque or transparent barriers; adults distorted across opaque barriers only. The findings were interpreted as showing that children's spatial representations may rely more than adults' on functional distance and/or that children may have more difficulty than adults keeping many objects in mind simultaneously (integrative processing capacity). The Kosslyn et al. procedure was repeated here with first graders and adults, using either rank ordering techniques or direct distance estimations. Interactions of age and barrier appeared for the rank ordering measure only. Children showed a greater tendency than adults to group their rankings by quadrant. With the distance estimation measure, adults were quantitatively more accurate than children, at least among males; barrier effects interacted with sex and distance, but not age. These findings suggest the importance of integrative processing capacity, and that different dependent measures may tap different processes.