cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reactions of SiF5− with atmospheric trace gases: ion chemistry for chemical ionization detection of HNO3 in the troposphere

Abstract The reactions of SiF5− with a series of trace atmospheric species were studied using the flowing afterglow technique at 293 K. SiF5− reacts at the collision rate by fluoride transfer with HI and SO3. SiF5− reacts rapidly with HNO3 to primarily form a strongly bound cluster ion. SiF5− also forms more weakly bound cluster ions with HCO2H, HCl, CH3CO2H, and H2O. SiF5− was found to be unreactive with HBr, N2O5, HO2NO2, NO2, ClONO2, O3, SO2, CH3NO3, CH3C(O)O2NO2, CO2, H2O, and NH3. These results demonstrate that SiF5− is an excellent reagent ion for the selective detection of HNO3 in ambient air with a chemical ionization mass spectrometer.
Overall moduli of solids with microcracks: Load-induced anisotropy

Abstract For a linearly elastic brittle solid containing microcracks that may be closed or may undergo frictional sliding, a general method is developed for estimating the overall instantaneous moduli which depend on the loading conditions. When the cracks are all open and when they are randomly distributed, then the overall response is isotropic. The moduli for this case have been obtained by B udiansky and O'C onnell (1976). On the other hand, when some cracks close, and when some closed cracks undergo frictional sliding, then the overall response becomes anisotropic and dependent on the loading conditions, as well as on the loading path. The self-consistent method is used to estimate the overall moduli. The effects of crack closure and loadinduced anisotropy are included. Several illustrative examples are worked out, showing the important influence of the load path on the overall response when crack closure and frictional sliding are involved.
Quantitative gel-permeation chromatography without standards

Abstract Samples of motor oils are studied using gel-permeation chromatography and refractive index detection. When two eluents of similar properties but different refractive indices are used in succession, two distinct chromatograms are obtained for the same analyte. This information can be used to predict the volume fraction, the mole fraction, and the refractive index of each fraction of the analyte as it elutes from the column. The procedure does not involve complete separation of the components, identification of the components, or knowing the physical properties of the components of the analyte.
Hybrid Computational Methods for Analysis of AFM Indentation on Mechanically Heterogeneous Samples

Micro-heterogeneity of biological tissue arises from the multiplicity of components that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the constituent cells. Components that have distinct mechanical properties will fundamentally impact the distribution of mechanical stress in the local cellular environment, ultimately determining how physical forces are transferred between macro and micro scales [1]. Atomic force microscope (AFM) indentation is well suited for probing heterogeneities in cell and tissue micromechanics [2], though subsequent data analysis assumes a mechanically homogeneous substrate. While some constituents can be experimentally isolated before testing, reconstructing the equivalent properties of the composite material remains a challenge. When experimental deconstruction is not possible, computational methods can provide an alternative solution. Herein, we introduce a hybrid method of indentation analysis that utilizes Eshelby’s homogenization theory [3] in conjunction with finite element modeling, to computationally deconstruct the material properties of the underlying components within a mechanically heterogeneous sample.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Residential probation: A seven-year follow-up study of halfway house discharges

Nonexperimental studies of halfway houses have generally focused on isolating correlates of resident success or failure in the program, with minimal attention given to whether correlates of in-program success/failure are also predictive of postprogram performance. Moreover, the question of how successful program completion relates to postprogram recidivism has received little attention. This study analyzes predictors of successful discharge and recidivism over a seven-year period following the discharge of 156 subjects from a probation halfway house known as the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program (KPEP). Findings reveal that while relatively few residents received successful discharges from KPEP, those who did were less likely to recidivate than those who received unsuccessful discharges. Additionally, despite various controls, African-American subjects were significantly more likely to have rearrest records over seven years. The findings are discussed in the context of the halfway house literature, and their implications are considered.
Spatially regularized T1 estimation from variable flip angles MRI

Purpose: To develop efficient algorithms for fast voxel-by-voxel quantification of tissue longitudinal relaxation time (T1) from variable flip angles magnetic resonance images (MRI) to reduce voxel-level noise without blurring tissue edges. Methods: T1 estimations regularized by total variation (TV) and quadratic penalty are developed to measure T1 from fast variable flip angles MRI and to reduce voxel-level noise without decreasing the accuracy of the estimates. First, a quadratic surrogate for a log likelihood cost function of T1 estimation is derived based upon the majorization principle, and then the TV-regularized surrogate function is optimized by the fast iterative shrinkage thresholding algorithm. A fast optimization algorithm for the quadratically regularized T1 estimation is also presented. The proposed methods are evaluated by the simulated and experimental MR data. Results: The means of the T1 values in the simulated brain data estimated by the conventional, TV-regularized, and quadratically regularized methods have less than 3% error from the true T1 in both GM and WM tissues with image noise up to 9%. The relative standard deviations (SDs) of the T1 values estimated by the conventional method are more than 12% and 15% when the images have 7% and 9% noise, respectively. In comparison, the TV-regularized and quadratically regularized methods are able to suppress the relative SDs of the estimated T1 to be less than 2% and 3%, respectively, regardless of the image noise level. However, the quadratically regularized method tends to overblur the edges compared to the TV-regularized method. Conclusions: The spatially regularized methods improve quality of T1 estimation from multiflip angles MRI. Quantification of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI can benefit from the high quality measurement of native T1.
Erratum to: Bucolic and arcadian themes in South Asia: recent works on labor, indigeneity, and productions of nature

In the original publication of the article, the first sentence of the article has been published incorrectly. The correct sentence is mentioned below: Raymond Williams, in The Country and the City, makes a poignant remark on the resurgence of rural thematics in nineteenth century English literature (1973): ‘‘for the country-house, while it retained its emotional hold, was indeed a proper setting for an opaqueness that can be penetrated in only a single dimension: all real questions of social and personal relationship left aside except in their capacity to instigate an instrumental deciphering. In very recent times it had been leased again as a centre for criminal planning or espionage or the secret police’’ (p. 250).
The kallikrein-kinin and the renin-angiotensin systems have a multilayered interaction.

Understanding the physiological role of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) has been hampered by not knowing how the proteins of this proteolytic system, when assembled in the intravascular co...
Working memory and expertise in simultaneous interpreting

This study describes an experiment that aimed to determine if performance differences exist in simultaneous interpreting by individuals with similar general cognitive abilities, but different skills specific to the task of simultaneous interpreting. Professional interpreters’ performance in simultaneous interpreting from English into Mandarin was compared to that of two groups of student interpreters, beginners and advanced. The results showed that the professional interpreters who were not different from students in their general working memory capacity outperformed student interpreters.This difference was attributed, at least in part, to the development of specific skills in managing competing demands on limited cognitive resources. One important domain-specific skill observed in this study is the ability to select more important ideas from the speech input under conditions where stringent task demands jeopardize completeness and accuracy of the output.Professional interpreters’ generally superior performance is discussed withinthe descriptive framework of working memory theory.
Expressing pipeline parallelism using TBB constructs: a case study on what works and what doesn't

Task-based libraries such as Intel's Threading Building Blocks (TBB) provide higher levels of abstraction than threads for parallel programming. Work remains, however, to determine how straightforward it is to use these libraries to express various patterns of parallelism. This case study focuses on a particular pattern: pipeline parallelism. We attempted to transform three representative pipeline applications - content-based image retrieval, compression and video encoding - to use the pipeline constructs in TBB. We successfully converted two of the three applications. In the successful cases we discuss our transformation process and contrast the expressivity and performance of our implementations to existing Pthreads versions; in the unsuccessful case, we detail what the challenges were and propose possible solutions.
FTIR Spectroscopy of Nitric Oxide Adsorption on Pd/Al2O3: Evidence of Metal-Support Interaction

Abstract Automotive three-way catalysts containing Pd as the only precious metal have certain advantages over current formulations consisting of various mixtures of Pt, Pd, and Rh. In this study, the adsorption of NO on 2 wt% Pd/Al 2 O 3 was investigated using infrared spectroscopy. Bands for NO on Pd were assigned to linear (1753-1750 cm −1 ), twofold bridged (1615-1599 cm −1 ), and threefold bridged (1580-1572 cm −1 ) adsorption modes. For Pd supported on alumina, linear NO was favored on the reduced catalyst while two- and threefold bridged NO were favored on the oxidized catalyst. Upon heating, a decrease in the linear form was accompanied by increases in the two- and threefold bridged forms up to the highest temperature measured (300°C). This result may indicate a conversion of the linear to bridged adsorption modes upon heating. NO adsorption on pure alumina revealed a band near 1807 cm −1 attributable to weak, linear adsorption. This band increased drastically upon oxidation of the Pd/Al 2 O 3 catalyst, indicating enhanced NO adsorption on alumina due to the presence of palladium. Conventional spillover from Pd to alumina was ruled out. The increased intensity is explained by adsorption of NO on alumina sites involved in a metal-support interaction brought about by catalyst oxidation. NO adsorption on La-promoted Pd/Al 2 O 3 was less than on the unpromoted catalyst. Possible explanations are an increase in NO dissociation and coverage of Pd by the modifier.
Hawthorne’s reception of Byron

Among the many references to Byron in the Twice-Told Tales and Mosses from an Old Manse, the most elaborate and entertaining are found in “P.’s Correspondence,” first published in the Democratic Review, April 1845. References to Byron in “The Seven Vagabonds” (1833), “Passages from a Relinquished Work” (1834), “Sketches from Memory” (1835), “A Virtuoso Collection” (1842), “The Procession of Life” (1843), “Earth’s Holocaust” (1844), contribute further to the critique of Byron and provide a matrix for analyzing the Byronic elements in The Scarlet Letter (1850) and more especially in The Marble Faun (1860). This essay draws from the novels and tales, as well as the letters, in constructing a coherent account of Hawthorne’s reception of Byron. Key elements in his reception were Byron’s struggle against his Calvinist background; his violation of moral standards; his representations of forbidden love and the noble outlaw with a guilty past; his exile in Italy and his conjuring of Italian intrigue. These are also key elements in Hawthorne’s own tales and novels, especially those written during Hawthorne’s stay in Rome and Florence from 1857 to 1859.
Predictive model to protect satellites from space weather

The Sun is expected to reach solar maximum this year, heralding a peak in sunspot activity and, within a few years, an increase in geomagnetic storms. Within the past decade, the number of satellites in orbit has soared; these satellites form the technological backbone of an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars per year. As of May 2012, nearly 1000 satellites occupied orbits around the Earth, with the bulk of these in either geosynchronous or low Earth orbits. Many currently active satellites, however, were launched in the past few years and are flying with new technologies that have been as yet untested in the harsh conditions presented by the peak of the solar cycle. Shifts in satellite construction techniques, including a reliance on off-the-shelf components rather than those designed to be hardened against radiation, mean that some modern equipment may remain vulnerable to solar activity. What's more, societal dependencies on the information provided by satellites, including the Global Positioning System time stamps used to drive automatic high-frequency stock market trading, mean that the potential consequences of satellites being damaged by solar activity have increased.
Modulation of Pancreatic Polypeptide Secretion by Pancreatico-Biliary Juice

The only apparent physiological action of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) in man is the inhibition of pancreatic and biliary secretions. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that there exists a feedback loop whereby pancreatico- biliary secretions modulate and/or stimulate PP release into the circulation. We first compared the plasma PP response to an iv infusion of secretin (2 U/kg bolus and 0.125 U/kg infusion over 30 min), with and without simultaneous aspiration and perfusion of the duodenum with normal saline, in 10 healthy subjects. Constant washout of the duodenum with normal saline (10 ml/min) reduced the integrated PP response (IPPR) to iv secretin from 5.7 ± 1.2 to 2.2 ± 0.5 ng-min/ml. In a separate set of experiments in 6 healthy subjects, intraduodenal perfusion of pancreatico-biliary juice did not reduce the plasma PP response to secretin stimulation (IPPR = 5.9 ± 0.9 ng-min/ml). Perfusion of the duodenum with pancreatico-biliary juice alone stimulated the release of PP into the c...
Electrospray ionization/tandem quadrupole mass spectrometric studies on phosphatidylcholines : the fragmentation processes

We applied low-energy collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry to study the fragmentation pathways of the [M + H]+ and [M + Li]+ ions of phosphatidylcholine (PC), generated by electrospray ionization (ESI). It is revealed that the fragmentation pathways leading to loss of the polar head group and of the fatty acid substituents do not involve the hydrogens attached to the glycerol backbone as previously reported. The pathway for formation of the major ion of m/z 184 by loss of the polar head group from the [M + H]+ precursor of a diacyl PC involves the participation of the α-hydrogen of the fatty acyl substituents, whereas the H+ participates in the loss of fatty acid moieties. The α-hydrogens of the fatty acid substituents also participate in the major fragmentation processes, including formation of [M + Li-RxCO2H]+ and [M + Li-59-RxCO2H]+ ions for the [M + Li]+ ions of diacyl PCs, when subjected to low-energy CAD. These fragmentation processes are deterred by substitution of the fatty acyl moieties with alkyl, alkenyl, or hydroxyl groups and consequentially, result in a distinct product-ion spectrum for various PC, including diacyl-, plasmanyl- plasmenyl-, and lyso-PC isomers. The α-hydrogens of the fatty acyl substituents at sn-2 are more labile than those at sn-1. This is reflected by the preferential loss of the R1CO2H over the R2CO2H observed for the [M + Li]+ ions of diacyl PCs. The spectrum features resulting from the preferential losses permit identification and assignment of the fatty acid moieties in the glycerol backbone. The new fragmentation pathways established by tandem and source CAD tandem mass spectra of various PC molecules, including deuterium-labeling analogs, were proposed. These pathways would clarify the mechanisms underlying the ion formations that lead to the structural characterization of PC molecules.
Sequence-Specific Capture of Protein-DNA Complexes for Mass Spectrometric Protein Identification

The regulation of gene transcription is fundamental to the existence of complex multicellular organisms such as humans. Although it is widely recognized that much of gene regulation is controlled by gene-specific protein-DNA interactions, there presently exists little in the way of tools to identify proteins that interact with the genome at locations of interest. We have developed a novel strategy to address this problem, which we refer to as GENECAPP, for Global ExoNuclease-based Enrichment of Chromatin-Associated Proteins for Proteomics. In this approach, formaldehyde cross-linking is employed to covalently link DNA to its associated proteins; subsequent fragmentation of the DNA, followed by exonuclease digestion, produces a single-stranded region of the DNA that enables sequence-specific hybridization capture of the protein-DNA complex on a solid support. Mass spectrometric (MS) analysis of the captured proteins is then used for their identification and/or quantification. We show here the development and optimization of GENECAPP for an in vitro model system, comprised of the murine insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) promoter region and FoxO1, a member of the forkhead rhabdomyosarcoma (FoxO) subfamily of transcription factors, which binds specifically to the IGFBP1 promoter. This novel strategy provides a powerful tool for studies of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions.
Calcineurin inhibition ameliorates structural, contractile, and electrophysiologic consequences of postinfarction remodeling.

Calcineurin Inhibition and Postinfarction Remodeling.Introduction: After myocardial infarction (MI), the heart undergoes an adaptive remodeling process characterized by hypertrophy of the noninfarcted myocardium. Calcineurin, a Ca2+– calmodulin-regulated phosphatase, has been shown to participate in hypertrophic signal transduction. Methods and Results: We investigated the effects of calcineurin inhibition by cyclosporin A on key structural, contractile, and electrophysiologic alterations of post-MI remodeling. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: (1) sham-operated; (2) sham + cyclosporin A; (3) post-MI (left anterior descending coronary artery ligation); and (4) MI + cyclosporin A. Cyclosporin A (25 mg/kg/day) was initiated 2 days before surgery and continued for 30 days. Hypertrophy was evaluated by echocardiography and by changes in membrane capacitance of isolated myocytes from noninfarcted left ventricle (LV). The effects of cyclosporin A on hemodynamics and cardiac dimensions were investigated, and changes in diastolic function were correlated with changes in protein phosphatase 1 activity and the basal level of phosphorylated phospholamban. The effects of cyclosporin A on Kv4.2/Kv4.3 genes expression and transient outward K + current (Ito) density also were evaluated. One of 12 rats in the post-MI group and 2 of 12 rats in the post-MI + cyclosporin A group died within 48 hours after MI. There were no late deaths in either MI group. There was no evidence of heart failure (lung congestion and/or pleural effusion) in the two groups 4 weeks post-MI. Calcineurin phosphatase activity increased 1.9-fold in post-MI remodeled LV myocardium, and cyclosporin A administration resulted in an 86% decrease in activity. There were statistically significant decreases of LV end-diastolic pressure, LV end-diastolic diameter, and LV relative wall thickness in the post-MI + cyclosporin A group compared with the post-MI group. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in LV end-systolic diameter or peak rate of LV pressure increase between the two post-MI groups. Protein phosphatase 1 activity was elevated by 36% in the post-MI group compared with sham, and this correlated with a 79% decrease in basal level of p16– phospholamban. In the post-MI + cyclosporin A group, the increase in protein phosphatase 1 activity was much less (18% vs 36%; P < 0.05), and the decrease in basal level of p16-phospholamban was markedly ameliorated (20% vs 79%; P < 0.01). The decreases in mRNA levels of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 and Ito density in the LV of the post-MI + cyclosporin A group were significantly less compared with the post-MI group. Conclusion: Our results show that calcineurin inhibition by cyclosporin A partially ameliorated post-MI remodeled hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, decrease in basal level of phosphorylated phospholamban, down-regulation of key K + genes expression, and decrease of K + current, with no adverse effects on systolic function or mortality in the first 4 weeks after MI.
Photoelastic Stress Analysis of Bonded Lap Shear Joints Having Thermoplastic Adherends

Abstract The effects of substrate stiffness and modulus on joint strength and stress distribution were investigated for a series of nylon substrates bonded with an epoxy adhesive. Substrate stiffness and modulus were controlled by the level of glass filler in the resin. Single lap shear samples having both identical (“self-bonded”) and dissimilar (“cross-bonded”) substrates were investigated. For the self-bonded samples, lap shear strength was found to increase with increasing substrate modulus and stiffness. The strengths of the cross-bonded samples were intermediate to the strengths of the corresponding self-bonded samples. Photoelastic techniques were used to observe stress patterns in the lap joints during testing. One type of stress pattern was observed for all self-bonded samples regardless of substrate stiffness. Two patterns, one for the stiff substrate and one for the more flexible substrate, were observed for cross-bonded samples. The photoelastic analysis agreed qualitatively with predictions o...
μ -Mesonic Molecules. II. Molecular-Ion Formation and Nuclear Catalysis

The methods developed in the preceding paper are applied to the study of the behavior of $\ensuremath{\mu}$ mesons in liquid hydrogen. Numerically evaluated energy eigenvalues for the bound states of the various molecular-ion configurations are presented. Phase shifts and cross sections for the scattering of mesonic atoms from hydrogen and deuterium are given. It is shown that in the neighborhood of 0.2 ev the scattering of ($d\ensuremath{\mu}$) atoms from protons exhibits a Ramsauer-Townsend effect with an anomalously small cross section occurring in this region. The existence of this effect provides an explanation for the appearance of "gaps" in the experimental observation of the catalytic process. The rate of exchange of mesons from protons to deuterons in pure deuterium is calculated along with the rates of formation of the ${(p\ensuremath{\mu}p)}^{+}$, ${(p\ensuremath{\mu}d)}^{+}$, and ${(d\ensuremath{\mu}d)}^{+}$ molecular ions. It is shown that the predominant mechanism for the formation of the molecular ions is dipole electron ejection. These results are shown to be in agreement with available experimental data. A semiphenomenological treatment of the ($\mathrm{pd}$) nuclear reaction is also given. A rough estimate of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-emission process indicates that the dominant mode of emission is from the singlet proton spin states.
Does your brain use the images in it, and if so, how?

The presence of spatial patterns of activity in the brain is suggestive of image-exploiting processes in vision and mental imagery, but not conclusive. Only behavioral evidence can confirm or disconfirm hypotheses about whether, and how, the brain uses images in its information-processing, and the arguments based on such evidence are still inconclusive.
ABO blood group glycans modulate sialic acid recognition on erythrocytes

ABH(O) blood group polymorphisms are based on well-known intraspecies variations in structures of neutral blood cell surface glycans in humans and other primates. Whereas natural antibodies against these glycans can act as barriers to blood transfusion and transplantation, the normal functions of this long-standing evolutionary polymorphism remain largely unknown. Although microbial interactions have been suggested as a selective force, direct binding of lethal pathogens to ABH antigens has not been reported. We show in this study that ABH antigens found on human erythrocytes modulate the specific interactions of 3 sialic acid-recognizing proteins (human Siglec-2, 1918SC influenza hemagglutinin, and Sambucus nigra agglutinin) with sialylated glycans on the same cell surface. Using specific glycosidases that convert A and B glycans to the underlying H(O) structure, we show ABH antigens stabilize sialylated glycan clusters on erythrocyte membranes uniquely for each blood type, generating differential interactions of the 3 sialic acid-binding proteins with erythrocytes from each blood type. We further show that by stabilizing such structures ABH antigens can also modulate sialic acid-mediated interaction of pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum malarial parasite. Thus, ABH antigens can noncovalently alter the presentation of other cell surface glycans to cognate-binding proteins, without themselves being a direct ligand.
Discussions on localization capabilities of MSL and MER rovers

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States has launched several rover missions for Martian surface exploration. The two most recent ones include the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission in 2003 and the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission in 2011. Both of these missions require highly accurate rover localization and navigation techniques to obtain precise rover traverse information in order to develop long-term science planning and execute daily operations. This paper discusses several localization and navigation techniques for the MER and MSL rovers by using satellites and the instruments on board the rovers, and compares their advantages and disadvantages. The techniques discussed include wheel odometry, visual odometry, incremental bundle adjustment, identifying rovers directly from high-resolution satellite images, and matching ground features between rover images and satellite images.
Is Television a Health and Safety Hazard? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of At-Risk Behavior on Primetime Television1

Twenty-four top-rated primetime television shows were observed weekly during 1997 and 1998 (242 episodes). The study examined behaviors of vehicle occupants; violence and risky sex; and use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Findings were compared to studies conducted in the mid-1980s and 1994. Characters in vehicles were unrestrained 74% of the time in 1998, compared to 73% and 78% in 1994 and 1986, respectively. Violence, risky sex, and substance use were shown in 47%, 29%, and 55%, respectively, of 30-min intervals observed in 1998. Similar data were recorded in 1994, with some negligible improvements. Results indicated that risky behaviors were rarely followed by punishing consequences, and irresponsible behaviors were modeled on primetime television. The relevance to social modeling and public health is discussed.
Critical Temperatures of Ising Lattice Films

Ising lattices consisting of $n=2, 3, 4, \mathrm{and} 5$ interacting plane square lattice layers are studied by hightemperature series expansions. Specifically, seven to nine terms of the zero-field susceptibility expansion have been obtained for (a) free-surface boundary conditions (in which each surface spin interacts with only five nearest neighbors); and (b) periodic boundary conditions (in which all spins interact equivalently with six nearest neighbors). Estimates of the critical temperatures ${T}_{c}(n)$ obtained by ratio and Pad\'e approximant techniques are presented. These results are consistent with the conjectures that ${T}_{c}(\ensuremath{\infty})\ensuremath{-}{T}_{c}(n)$ varies with thickness $n$, as ${n}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ with $\ensuremath{\lambda}=1$ in case (a) and $\ensuremath{\lambda}=\frac{1}{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{c}}\ensuremath{\simeq}1.56$ in case (b); but other, somewhat larger, values of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ are not excluded.
Defensive behavior of the black widow spider Latrodectus hesperus (Araneae: Theridiidae)

When threatened, the black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, emits an adhesive, viscous web, pulls the strand from its spinnerets with its fourth pair of legs, and spreads its appendages. This behavior positions the web over the delicate abdomen, increases the area of protection, and enables the spider to place the web onto the offender, if necessary.
Intraoperative CT: A Teaching Tool for the Management of Complex Facial Fracture Fixation in Surgical Training

Adequate repair of complex facial fractures following polytrauma can be challenging for a young surgeon in training. Accurate fracture reduction requires precise knowledge of facial anatomy, consistent anatomic dissection for identification of facial fractures, and most importantly, a global perspective of the facial skeleton for proper symmetrical alignment of the bony structures. Authors have noted that reconstructive surgeons may be at the forefront of individual facets of surgery however they lack considerably behind other surgical specialties when it comes to surgical education. Intraoperative computed tomography (CT) is a recent development that may serve to improve surgical education; the use of an intraoperative CT provides immediate postreduction or intraoperative scans that make the surgeon aware of the need for extra maneuvers for optimal fracture reduction and fixation in real-time. Indeed, this technique may be utilized as a training tool to assist surgical residents in the diagnosis and confirmation of accurate surgical reduction of complex facial fractures. Temple and Ross noted that in current surgical training prorams residents acquire and develop their surgical skills inherntly with only sporadic periods of explicit teaching; as they rogress in their training, they are given increased responsibility nd eventually carry out procedures under supervision. This escribed method may not be ideal when approaching complex acial fracture cases because variability in trainees may prolong n already potentially difficult procedure to allow the young urgeons to better hone their skills. Based purely on observation of basic surgical skill, the attending surgeon must then
Bicalyx is a natural homeotic floral variant

INDUCED homeotic floral mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus1–3 are used to investigate the molecular mechanisms that establish floral organ identity. Here we describe bicalyx, a naturally occurring homeotic floral variant in Clarkia concinna (Onagraceae) that replaces petals with sepal-like structures. Typical C. concinna flowers have four sepals, four tri-lobed, bright pink petals, four stamens and a four-part ovary. Bicalyx flowers appear to have eight sepals, no petals and wild-type stamens and ovary with no reduction in fertility. All bicalyx organs on a plant are alike and have no developmental abnormalities, in contrast to many of the homeotic phenotypes described4–7. Bicalyx demonstrates that a large morphological difference governed by a simple genetic change can become established in a natural plant population and suggests that even homeotic genes play a role in the evolution of morphological diversity in plants.
The quest for the deciphering stone—“How do I study for this course?”: Suggestions on how to approach medical gross anatomy

Faculty are frequently asked, “How do I study for this course?” Many have formulated responses, but often there is little sharing of this wisdom among faculty, and students may receive different and often conflicting suggestions from each faculty member they encounter. Although most students believe their study problems are unique, we have found students encounter typical pitfalls as they “learn how to learn” gross anatomy. This paper will describe a six-step Suggested Learning Plan for a dissection course in gross anatomy and its rationale, as well as other pertinent advice our students have found beneficial in making the transition from failing or “just getting by” to doing well and feeling confident about gross anatomy.
Family planning and world health

The contribution of family planning to the improvement of world health is reviewed. Consideration is given to changing contraceptive technologies the ingredients of successful programs to lower fertility and the role of international assistance for population activities. (ANNOTATION)
Upstream pollution sources and coastal water quality protection in North Carolina

Abstract A watershed‐based approach to water quality management is necessary for protecting coastal water quality, but the relative importance of inland pollution sources on estuaries is often overestimated. This can lead to a misallocation of coastal water protection resources and ignorance of coastal zone pollution sources. This overestimation of upstream contributions is attributable to a failure to recognize that many estuaries have little or no inland drainage area, the confusion of basinwide pollutant loading with pollutant delivery to estuaries, the low delivery ratios for many pollutants within drainage basins, and disproportionately high pollutant delivery for sources within the coastal zone. Examples are given from North Carolina. As a general rule, resources expended on pollution control within or near the coastal zone will result in more coastal water quality improvement per unit effort than resources expended upstream.
A POTENTIAL MECHANISM FOR EPISODIC RECRUITMENT OF A CORAL REEF FISH

Most marine animals have complex life histories with dispersive larvae. Recruitment to marine populations should then result from larval production external to each population (i.e., an open population). However, it has been suggested that self-re- cruitment to these populations may also be important (i.e., a closed system). The contribution of these two sources of larval supply to recruitment were explored using the Hawaiian domino damselfish, Dascyllus albisella. Spawning and recruitment were monitored daily and weekly in the southeast section of Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, during 1992. Daily increment formation in the otoliths of this species was validated, and the spawning dates of arriving recruits were back-calculated using otolith rings. Since this section of Kaneohe Bay is sheltered, with a water exchange rate of only 26% per day, I predicted larvae would be retained (passively and behaviorally) after hatching; therefore recruitment from locally spawned larvae would be important. Contrary to my prediction, no self-recruitment was evident. Spawning times and back- calculated production of recruits did not overlap on a daily or seasonal basis. During the first half of the year, recruitment pulses were large and associated with rises in water temperature. During the latter half of the year, recruitment rates were lower and recruitment events were not associated with water temperature. Given the apparent absence of self- recruitment and the seasonal pattern of oceanographic currents in the Hawaiian Islands, recruitment episodes in the first half of the year may have originated from distinct repro- ductive episodes at upcurrent islands. Recruitment episodes in the latter half of the year may have resulted from a general increase in D. albisella spawning external to Kaneohe Bay.
The Essence of Essence

Despite its appeal and popularity, the view that membership in a natural kind is essential to an individual is unsupported by the logic of essences and has no compelling reflective support. While the view has strong intuitive and empirical support this is insufficient to establish it. There are advantages to abandoning the view that kind membership is essential to individuals. One of these advantages is that it allows for a reconfiguring of the problem of material constitution in a way that removes much of the paradox.
A reappraisal of HAQ disability in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To investigate the course of self-reported disability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using the major self-report measure of functional impairment, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Methods. The course of HAQ disability was assessed in 32,525 observations (1,843 patients) in which the HAQ was administered. In addition, a subset of 2,189 visits from 50 patients, followed on average for 17 years, was studied to model the effect of disease duration on the course of HAQ disability in individual patients. Linear and fractional polynomial regression as well as smoothing algorithms were applied to the group of RA patients and then to the individual course of patients. Results. Group linear and nonlinear models of the effect of disease duration on HAQ disability were found to have 3 characteristics: 1) HAQ disability scores are high at disease onset rather than gradually increasing; 2) HAQ disability increases very slowly over time (0.03 units per year); and 3) all such models fit very poorly, explaining only 5% of the variance in HAQ disability scores. However, application of nonlinear models to individual patient courses (as opposed to groups of patients) explains 37% of the HAQ disability score variation. In some patients, the course of HAQ disability was either 1) chaotic (scores change without any pattern) or 2) determinable, but unrelated to time. When covariates were added to the group model, however, the course of HAQ disability became clearer, and 51% of the variance in the disability score could be explained, statistically, by pain, depression, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and disease duration. Conclusion. Individual RA patients have differing, characterizable courses: 1) nonlinear, 2) chaotic, or 3) non-time determined. The model that self-reported physical disability, as measured by the HAQ, occurs as a function of disease acting over time does not fit the data well and is an inadequate model. This discrepancy may also be the result of the patient's upward reappraisal of functional ability with increasing time. The predominant determinants of HAQ disability in RA are disease activity, pain, and psychosocial factors rather than structural abnormality. Although the HAQ is a useful clinical tool and a central measure of disease outcome, it measures both process and outcome, and usually more process than outcome. Individual patient models that include all that is known about the patient-the paradigm of clinical care-may be a more effective way to examine the course of RA than are conventional group-based models.
Crystallography, magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect in Gd4(BixSb1−x)3 alloys

Abstract A study of magnetic and thermal properties has been carried out on the alloys from the Gd 4 (Bi x Sb 1− x ) 3 series with x =0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1. All of the alloys are ferromagnetic below their respective Curie temperatures which vary from 266 K for x =0 to 332 K for x =1.0. The magnetocaloric effect calculated from the temperature and magnetic field dependencies of the magnetization and heat capacity is moderate when compared to that of other materials, which order in the same temperature range. Both the magnetic ordering and the magnetocaloric effect peak temperatures increase nearly linearly with the increasing Bi content. Experimental magnetocaloric effect data obtained from two different measurement techniques are in excellent agreement.
Fragmentation and embolization of a plastic-coated guidewire

We report a case of fragmentation and embolization to the pulmonary artery of sheared pieces of a recently introduced hydrophilic plastic-coated guidewire. The propensity for this to occur, the lack of initial recognition, and the ability to retrieve the fragments by catheter techniques are emphasized. As these guidewires are more frequently used, physicians should be aware of this potential complication.
Extracellular glutamine is a critical modulator for regulatory volume increase in human glioma cells

Abstract Mammalian cells regulate their volume to prevent unintentional changes in intracellular signaling, cell metabolism, and DNA integrity. Intentional cell volume changes occur as cells undergo proliferation, apoptosis, or cell migration. To regulate cell volume, cells use channels and transport systems to flux osmolytes across the plasma membrane followed by the obligatory movement of water. While essentially all cells are capable of regulatory volume decrease (RVD), regulatory volume increase (RVI) mechanisms have only been reported in some cell types. In this investigation, we used human glioma cells as a model system to determine conditions necessary for RVI. When exposed to hyperosmotic conditions through the addition of 30 mosM NaCl or sucrose, D54-MG and U251 glioma cell lines and glioma cells from acute patient biopsies shrunk transiently but were able to fully recover their original cell volume within 40–70 min. This ability was highly temperature sensitive and absolutely required the presence of low millimolar concentrations of l -glutamine in the extracellular solution. Other known substrates of glutamine transporters such as methyl-amino isobutyric acid (MeAIB), alanine, and threonine were unable to support RVI. The ability of cells to undergo RVI also required the presence of Na + , K + , and Cl − and was inhibited by the NKCC inhibitor, bumetanide, consistent with the involvement of a Na + /K + /2Cl − cotransporter (NKCC). Moreover, the expression of NKCC1 was demonstrated by Western blot. We concluded that regulatory volume increase in human glioma cells occurs through the uptake of Na + , K + , and Cl − by NKCC1 and is modulated by the presence of glutamine.
Very extended shapes in the A ∼ 156 mass region

Abstract Calculations have been carried out in a four dimensional deformation space to investigate a possible observation of hyperdeformed nuclear shapes in 152 Dy and/or 153 Dy. The calculations suggest that the explanation of the experimental observations is not a hyperdeformed shape. An analysis of somewhat heavier nuclei shows minima characterized by rotational bands having moments of inertia ∼10–15% larger than that of the well known superdeformed band in 152 Dy.
Potent activity of soluble B7RP-1-Fc in therapy of murine tumors in syngeneic hosts.

We have characterized a receptor:ligand pair, ICOS:B7RP-1, that is structurally and functionally related to CD28:B7.1/2. We reported previously that B7RP-1 costimulates T cell proliferation and immune responses (Yoshinaga et al., Nature 1999;402:827-32; Guo et al., J Immunol 2001;166:5578-84; Yoshinaga et al., Int Immunol 2000;12:1439-47). We report that B7RP-1-Fc causes rejection or growth inhibition of Meth A, SA-1 and EMT6 tumors in syngeneic mice. Established Meth A tumors were rejected effectively with a single dose of B7RP-1-Fc, however, the treatment was less effective on larger tumors. Mice that rejected Meth A tumors previously by Day 30, also rejected a subsequent Meth A challenge on Day 60, without additional B7RP-1-Fc treatment, indicating a long-lived memory response. Tumor cells believed to be less immunogenic, such as P815 and EL-4 cells, were less responsive to this treatment. The EL-4 responsiveness to the B7RP-1-Fc treatment was enhanced, however, by pre-treatment of the mice with cyclophosphamide. As expected, T cells appeared to be targeted by B7RP-1-Fc treatment. Thus, the administration of soluble B7RP-1-Fc may have therapeutic value in generating or enhancing anti-tumor activity in a clinical setting.
Sex-specific QTL effects on variation in paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity in Mexican Americans

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1), a high-density lipoprotein-associated enzyme known to protect against cellular damage from toxic agents, may also have antioxidant properties. PON1 activity levels have been reported to differ by sex in human and animal studies with females exhibiting higher basal levels. We measured PON1 activity frozen serum for 1,406 individuals in over 40 extended pedigrees from the San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS). We used a maximum likelihood-based, variance decomposition approach implemented in SOLAR to test for genotype-by-sex (G x S) interaction on variation in PON1 activity and to determine if any of the four PON1 quantitative trait loci (QTL) previously reported by us for this population might account for sex differences in PON1 activity levels. The residual additive genetic correlation (rho(G) = 0.82) between males and females is significantly different from 1 (P = 0.009), suggesting that some of the genes that influence PON1 activity act differently in females and males or, possibly, that a different combination of genes influences this trait in each sex. In addition to the QTL at or near the PON structural locus on 7q21-22, three other potential QTLs were evaluated for sex-specific effects: one each on chromosomes 12, 17 and 19. The QTL on chromosome 17 (LOD = 2.32, P = 0.0003; flanked by microsatellite marker loci D17S974 and D17S969) shows a significant (P = 0.005) sex-specific effect on PON1 activity; accounting for 6% of the additive genetic variance in males and 20% in females. This study represents the first formal statistical genetic test for G x S interactions on normal quantitative variation in PON1 activity in humans.
Surgical site infection surveillance for neurosurgical procedures: A comparison of passive surveillance by surgeons to active surveillance by infection control professionals

ISSUE: Surveillance methods for surgical site infections (SSIs) range from patient self-reporting to active surveillance by infection control professionals (ICPs). Surgeon questionnaires surveying SSIs are typically suboptimal due to bias, lack of standardized criteria to diagnose infection, and poor response rate. Although concurrent surveillance of SSIs by ICPs at our medical center documented an incidence of 2.2 SSIs per 100 procedures, the neurosurgeons perceived a much higher rate of SSIs. PROJECT: The neurosurgeons provided a list of patients they had clinically identified with SSIs over a 7-month period. This list was compared with a line listing of SSIs independently identified by ICPs via concurrent surveillance utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions. RESULTS: During this period, 766 procedures were performed. Active surveillance by ICPs detected 17 infections (2.2/100 procedures). Of the 14 cases identified by the neurosurgeons, 3 did not meet the CDC definition of a nosocomial infection. The ICPs identified 6 SSIs not documented by the neurosurgeons. Compared to active surveillance by ICPs, the sensitivity and specificity of the neurosurgeons' identification of SSIs was 64% and 99.6%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 78.6%, and the negative predictive value was 99.2%. LESSONS LEARNED: An active surveillance program is necessary for accurate identification of SSIs. The primary problem with passive surveillance by surgeons is failure to capture cases; surgeons missed 36% of cases compared to active surveillance by ICPs.