cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Greedy search and a hybrid local optimization/genetic algorithm for tree-based inverse scattering

A genetic programming-based geometry optimization method for inverse scattering that uses a tree data structure to encode Boolean combinations of convex shapes has recently been shown to outperform other genetic algorithm-based techniques. Nonetheless, the genetic algorithms are still inefficient for inverse scattering. This letter treats the inefficiency with local search techniques. First, an implementation using greedy search is discussed. Next, a local search method is added to the genetic algorithm used in the previous approach. Numerical results show that the number of function evaluations necessary to image conducting cylinders can be reduced by several orders of magnitude. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 822–825, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23222
Flexible transparent metal/polymer composite materials based on optical resonant laminate structures.

Suitable design of periodic metal/polymer composite materials is shown to facilitate resonant tunneling of light at absorbing wavelengths and to provide a means to significantly reduce optical absorption losses in polymer-based metallodielectric composite structures. The conditions for resonant tunneling are established based on the concept of “photonic band edge alignment” in 1D-periodic systems. For the particular case of a four-layer gold/polystyrene laminate structure, it is shown that the matching of the lower band edge of the 1D-periodic structure with the plasma frequency of the metal component facilitates the increase of optical transmission by about 500% as compared to monolithic film structures of equal total thickness. The effect of sheet thickness on the optical properties of thin metal films is determined and shown to be an important prerequisite for the reliable prediction of resonant metallodielectric structures. The resonant 1D-periodic metal/polymer heterostructures are shown to retain th...
Investigation of Bond Strength in Centrifugal Lining of Babbitt on Cast Iron

The quality of the bond between Babbitt metal and a cast iron substrate was evaluated for centrifugal casting and static casting using the Chalmers bond strength method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of three different centrifugal casting parameters, the speed of revolution, the pouring rate, and the cooling rate, was investigated. The bond strength and the microstructure at the bond interface were predominantly affected by the cooling rate, with a fast cooling rate resulting in better properties. The speed of revolution and the pouring rate only had a small effect on the bond strength, with faster revolution and faster pouring rate resulting in slightly better bonds.
Communication in the Perioperative Setting

Poor communication in the perioperative setting contributes to an unsafe OR culture and affects patient safety and employee engagement, decision making, productivity, morale, and retention. Communication breakdowns can lead to surgical delays, patient inconvenience, and serious errors. Simplification and standardization of communication processes and the use of effective communication skills (eg, clear verbal communication, awareness of the effects of nonverbal communication, use of listening and conflict management skills) are ways to improve OR interactions and minimize or prevent errors.
Modeling and analysis of gas capture from sealed sections of abandoned coal mines

Abstract All coal mines eventually complete their economic life, stop production, and are abandoned completely. Ventilation shafts and access drifts of these mines are usually sealed by plugging with concrete to isolate the mine environment from the outside atmosphere (surface) and also to prevent unauthorized access to old workings. Although large areas of access to the mine can be isolated, the void space left behind can never be isolated from surrounding coal and other formations. The void spaces act as a huge sink and start accumulating gas, perhaps groundwater as well, over time to form a methane reservoir. Understanding methane emission into old workings from surrounding strata, and the leakage characteristics of in-place mine seals, and analyzing gas production potential from such areas can improve ventilation designs in mines operating in similar settings, and can also enable the possibility of using abandoned mine methane (AMM) as an energy source. To meet these objectives, data acquired from different sources and utilized in the context of flow modeling and reservoir simulation, along with productions of AMM wells, can be invaluable tools. However, modeling of abandoned mines for gas emission and capture may not be an easy task. The difficulties in estimating spatial variability in various properties of the surrounding coal and mine environment, the complex geometry of the mine boundary and its details, and the initial conditions at the time of abandonment and when analysis begins all add to the challenge. In this paper, a reservoir modeling study that aims to characterize methane extraction from an abandoned room-and-pillar mine in the Springfield coal, Indiana, is demonstrated. The analyses related to interactions of surrounding coal with the abandoned mine environment were performed though history matching, initially, of two AMM wells drilled into two sealed sections. Analyses were then extended to evaluate different well locations to understand potential changes in gas emission from the coal, as well as leakage from the seals. Data required for establishing a detailed reservoir environment were obtained from mine maps, analysis of well productions by using a composite model, and by geostatistical modeling of point-wise data to create property maps. Results showed that wells drilled in larger sealed sections of the mine and away from previous workings performed better. Furthermore, the location of the well in the sealed section can be important as locations close to surrounding coal can have a better chance of promoting more gas in-flow from the coal seam, whereas locations close to the seal can take advantage of leakage through the seal and can benefit from higher rates of the gas contributed from other parts of the mine. Since gas emissions from coal and leakage through seals vary with the pressure differential, simulations of AMM can also be used in ventilation design of mines operating in similar settings as estimates and thus can also help improving safety of mines with quantified understanding of leakage.
Anorexia of aging: can we decrease protein energy undernutrition in the nursing home?

In this issue of the Journal, we are publishing a review article by Belle et al1 demonstrating that undernutrition in nursing homes is extremely common. Using the Minimum Data Set 2.0 definition of weight loss of 5% or more in 1 month or 10% or more in 6 months had a prevalence of 6% to 15%. In the United States for the first 3 quarters of the Minimum Data Set 3.0,2e4 the national average for residents who lost too much weight was 7.2%. Studies using the MiniNutritional Assessment5,6 reported a prevalence in general of 20% to 39% of malnutrition and approximately half of the residents being at risk for malnutrition. The MiniNutritional Assessment also detects frailty, leading to a potential overestimation of undernutrition.7e10 Studies reporting poor oral intake had a range of 3% to 77%. The average prevalence of eating disabilities ranged from 11% to 36%. Also in this issue is a study from Landi et al10 finding that in a large study of Italian nursing homes, 12% suffered from anorexia. Those who were anorectic had double likelihood of death compared with those who were not anorexic. Potentially reversible problems of drugs, depression, and chewing difficulties were identified as possible causes in the group with anorexia.
A prospective, population-based epidemiologic study of status epilepticus in Richmond, Virginia

This report presents the initial analysis of a prospective, population-based study of status epilepticus (SE) in the city of Richmond, Virginia. The incidence of SE was 41 patients per year per 100,000 population. The frequency of total SE episodes was 50 per year per 100,000 population. The mortality rate for the population was 22%, 3% for children and 26% for adults. Evaluation of the seizure types for adult and pediatric patients demonstrated that both partial and generalized SE occur with a high frequency in these populations. Based on the incidence of SE actually determined in Richmond, Virginia, we project 126,000 to 195,000 SE events with 22,200 to 42,000 deaths per year in the United States. The majority of SE patients had no history of epilepsy. These results indicate that SE is a common neurologic emergency.
On the formation and stability of the enzymically active complexes of heavy meromyosin with actin.

Abstract The increase in enzymic activity, obtained upon addition of excess F-actin to one mole of heavy meromyosin, equals that obtained upon addition of a concentrated solution of heavy meromyosin to one mole of G-actin monomeric units (in the form of F-actin). It is concluded that the molar ratio of heavy meromyosin to G-actin in the resulting enzymically active complex is one to one. Two actin preparations suggested the formation of a 1:2 active complex in addition to the 1:1. Probably both subfragment-1 units of heavy meromyosin can bind to G-actin units in the F-actin filaments, both being activated to the same extent. The values of the apparent association constants for the reactions resulting in the formation of the two types of complexes and of the kinetic constant for the subsequent reactions resulting in ATP hydrolysis are determined. The same type of analysis is applied to other authors' data. The stochiometry of myosin to actin binding in actomyosin, and possible applications to muscle contraction are discussed.
Velocity and density of water with dissolved CH4 and CO2

We have investigated velocity and density of degassed water (H2O) with dissolved CH4-CO2 in temperature ranged from 25°C to 200°C and pressure ranged from 20MPa to 138MPa. Pressure effect shows the same trends as that on degassed water. Temperature effect on velocity of water with dissolved CO2 shows a minor modification: dissolved CO2 causes an increase of velocity when temperature is lower than 60°C, but a decrease of velocity with higher temperature. With more dissolved CO2, the temperature effect on velocity appears to increase. Higher GWR also causes a higher density. The effect of GWR on density tends to decrease with increasing temperature. Velocity of degassed water can be decreased by saturated CH4 about 1~2 %, which can be ignorable, and by saturated CO2 about 5%, which may be resolvable seismically. Preliminary models have been developed to predict velocity and density of H2O-CH4-CO2 miscible mixtures.
Low extracellular magnesium ions induce lipid peroxidation and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B in canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle: possible relation to traumatic brain injury and strokes.

Abstract The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that administration of low extracellular levels of magnesium ions ([Mg 2+ ] o ) to primary cultured cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells will cause lipid peroxidation, degradation of IκB-α, and activation of nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB) in cultured cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells. Low [Mg 2+ ] o (0, 0.15, 0.3 and 0.48 mM) resulted in concentration-dependent rises in malondialdehyde (MDA) in as little as 3 h after exposure to low [Mg 2+ ] o , rising to levels 3–12×normal after 18–24 h; the lower the [Mg 2+ ] o , the higher the MDA level. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays and specific antibodies, low [Mg 2+ ] o caused two DNA-binding proteins (p50, p65) to rise in nuclear extracts in a concentration-dependent manner. High [Mg 2+ ] o (i.e. 4.8 mM) downregulated p50 and p65. Using a rabbit antibody, IκB phosphorylation (and degradation) was stimulated by low [Mg 2+ ] o (in a concentration-dependent manner) and inhibited by a low concentration of the NF-κB inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate. These new biochemical and molecular data indicate that low [Mg 2+ ] o , in concentrations found in the blood of patients, after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and diverse types of strokes, can elicit rapid lipid peroxidation and activation of NF-κB in cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells. The present results, when viewed in light of other recently published data, suggest that low [Mg 2+ ] o -induced lipid peroxidation and activation of NF-κB play important roles in TBI and diverse types of strokes.
Aggressive behavior of delinquent, dependent, and “normal” white and black boys in social conflicts ☆

Abstract The Prisoner's Dilemma Game was modified by giving an option to the subject after every seventh iteration of the game of taking $10 from a dummy other than at a cost to himself of 2, 5, 8, or $11. A 4 × 3 × 2 orthogonal design was used, with one dimension representing the four opportunity cost levels. The second dimension consisted of adjudicated delinquent, adjudicated dependent, and “normal” preadolescent boys of 10–13 years of age. The third dimension was race. Each subject played 50 trials against a dummy, who played a preplanned 50% cooperative strategy. It was found that black subjects cooperated more and won less than white subjects. There were no differences related to frequency of exercising the option of punishing the “other.” Only analyses based on the cue of the dummy's cooperation yielded differences in aggression. When the dummy had cooperated on the trial preceding the option, black subjects were more aggressive than white subjects, dependents were more aggressive than delinquents, and delinquents were more aggressive than “normals.” White subjects were more sensitive to the costs of using their power than were black subjects, and “normals” were more sensitive to costs than delinquents. Dependent children were not affected by opportunity costs. A cue-personality-aggression hypothesis was used to interpret the data.
The relationship of board member diversity to organizational performance

Wider diversity in board member characteristics has been advocated as a means of improving organizational performance by providing boards with new insights and perspectives. With data from 240 YMCA organizations, a board diversity index was constructed and compared to multiple measures of board member diversity. Results revealed higher levels of social performance and fundraising results when board members had greater occupational diversity. Gender diversity compared favorably to the organization's level of social performance but a negative association surfaced for level of funds raised. The diversity in board member age groupings was linked to higher levels of donations.
Marine tephrochronology of the Mt. Edgecumbe Volcanic Field, Southeast Alaska, USA

Abstract The Mt. Edgecumbe Volcanic Field (MEVF), located on Kruzof Island near Sitka Sound in southeast Alaska, experienced a large multiple-stage eruption during the last glacial maximum (LGM)–Holocene transition that generated a regionally extensive series of compositionally similar rhyolite tephra horizons and a single well-dated dacite (MEd) tephra. Marine sediment cores collected from adjacent basins to the MEVF contain both tephra-fall and pyroclastic flow deposits that consist primarily of rhyolitic tephra and a minor dacitic tephra unit. The recovered dacite tephra correlates with the MEd tephra, whereas many of the rhyolitic tephras correlate with published MEVF rhyolites. Correlations were based on age constraints and major oxide compositions of glass shards. In addition to LGM–Holocene macroscopic tephra units, four marine cryptotephras were also identified. Three of these units appear to be derived from mid-Holocene MEVF activity, while the youngest cryptotephra corresponds well with the White River Ash eruption at ∼ 1147 cal yr BP. Furthermore, the sedimentology of the Sitka Sound marine core EW0408-40JC and high-resolution SWATH bathymetry both suggest that extensive pyroclastic flow deposits associated with the activity that generated the MEd tephra underlie Sitka Sound, and that any future MEVF activity may pose significant risk to local population centers.
Comparison of three multiscale vessel enhancement filters intended for intracranial MRA: initial phantom results

Vessel enhancement filtering has been proposed by a number of researchers as a preprocessing step to improve the vessel detail obtained in maximum intensity projection (MIP) images of 3D MRA data. In this paper we compare the performance of three proposed vessel enhancement filters as a function of contrast, signal-difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR) and vessel size. Filters were applied to simple digital phantoms where the signal, background and noise characteristics were known and could be precisely controlled.
Approval plans, discipline change, and the importance of human mediated book selection

This study examines holdings of 21 members of the Association of Research Libraries for books reviewed in American Historical Review. The study asserts that approval plans are inadequate for collecting from small publishers or from scholarship that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Although approval plans increase efficiency in collection development, the need for expert selection cannot be overstated. Results indicated that small publisher's books were less likely to be in libraries than university press publisher's books, and that history monographs are frequently classified outside disciplinary boundaries, and are therefore invisible to approval plans that define disciplines based on classification systems.
The Nature of Transnational Networks: Wild and Complex

NGOs and Transnational Networks: Wild Cards in World Politics. By William E. DeMars Pluto Press, 2005. 256 pp., $80.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-7453-1906-8), $25.95 paper (ISBN: 0-7453-1905-X). The growing number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and transnational networks—and their reported impact around the world—have spawned considerable research and debate about the role that these networks play in areas such as global politics and development. The majority of what we read is bifurcated into two camps. The first camp supports the notion that NGOs are important global actors (see, for example, Kaldor 2003). The second camp devalues their influence (see, for example, Mearsheimer 1994/1995). NGOs and Transnational Networks: Wild Cards in World Politics , by William DeMars, gives us another option. Specifically, DeMars argues that NGOs are quite influential—but not in the ways that their organizers and the general public understand them to be. In laying out his argument, DeMars provides the reader with an interesting walk through the origins of transnational NGO networks and the modern day pressures that both drive them and complicate our efforts to understand what they are and what they do. In an attempt to improve the ways in which we study NGOs and transnational networks and the influence they have, DeMars offers extensive theoretical work in what he describes as both a structural and a political view of such groups. His efforts integrate a broad range of ideas put forward by international relations scholars from the 1970s onward. …
The Roman army and the Roman religious year

Dura-Europos on the Euphrates has given us many surprises, and not the least of them was that from this outpost we should acquire a Feriale, or list of days with prescribed offerings, and that these holy days should be exclusively Roman, Imperial, or military. After preliminary publications by Rostovtzeff, under whose guidance the whole work has proceeded, the text was edited by Robert O. Fink, Allan S. Hoey and Walter F. Snyder with a commentary indispensable to students of Roman religion and Imperial history.
New Techniques for Quantitative NDE

Retirement-for-cause, as well as other strategies for structural component utilization based on the expected lives of individual parts, requires nondestructive measurement techniques to evaluate flaw severity. Ideally, a technique should estimate failure-related flaw parameters as accurately as possible, as well as the variances in these estimates. This paper discusses the development of such a capability for the case of ultrasonics. A review of the basic methodology used to establish such capabilities will be presented, followed by a detailed discussion of specific techniques which have been developed.
Impaired delay eyeblink conditioning in amnesic Korsakoff's patients and recovered alcoholics.

The performance of amnesic Korsakoff patients in delay eyeblink classical conditioning was compared with that of recovered chronic alcoholic subjects and healthy normal control subjects. Normal control subjects exhibited acquisition of conditioned responses (CRs) to a previously neutral, conditioned tone stimulus (CS) following repeated pairings with an unconditioned air-puff stimulus, and demonstrated extinction of CRs when the CS was subsequently presented alone. Both amnesic Korsakoff patients and recovered chronic alcoholic subjects demonstrated an impairment in their ability to acquire CRs. These results indicate that the preservation of delay eyeblink conditioning in amnesia must depend on the underlying neuropathology of the amnesic syndrome. It is known that patients with amnesia caused by medial temporal lobe pathology have preserved conditioning. We have now demonstrated that patients with anmesia caused by Korsakoff's syndrome, as well as recovered chronic alcoholic subjects, have impaired conditioning. This impairment is most likely caused by cerebellar deterioration resulting from years of alcohol abuse.
Chronic hyperprolactinemia reduces peripheral β-adrenergic responsiveness in male rats

The MtTW15 prolactin (PRL) secreting adenoma elevated serum PRL concentrations over controls within 5 weeks after tissue implantation. This treatment resulted in a significant reduction of peripheral beta-adrenergic responsiveness as assessed by three different parameters. Isoproterenol-induced thirst was significantly attenuated in the MtTW15 rats. The decrease in the thirst response was proportional to the increase in serum PRL. Unanesthetized heart rates of both groups were not significantly different before isoproterenol was administered. However, following administration of the beta-adrenergic agonist the heart rate response in rats with elevated PRL was significantly attenuated when compared to the controls. Elevation of serum PRL virtually abolished the elevation of tail skin temperature response associated with administration of isoproterenol. Collectively, these results suggest hyperprolactinemia reduces peripheral beta-adrenergic responsiveness; however the mechanism for this reduced response remains to be elucidated.
Scheduling Parallel Computations

A model for parallel computations is given as a directed graph in which nodes represent elementary operations, and branches, data channels. The problem considered is the determination of an admissible schedule for such a computation; i.e. for each node determine a sequence of times at which the node initiates its operation. These times must be such that each node, upon initiation, is assured of having the necessary data upon which to operate. Necessary and sufficient conditions that a schedule be admissible are given. The computation rate of a given admissible schedule is defined and is shown to have a limiting value 1/p where p is a parameter dependent upon the cycles in the graph. Thus, the computation cannot proceed at a rate exceeding 1/p. For g ≥ p, the class of all periodic admissible schedules with period g is characterized by the solution space of a certain system of linear inequalities. In particular, then, the maximum computation rate of 1/p is attainable under a periodic admissible schedule with period p. A class of all-integer admissible schedules is given. Finally, an algorithm is given for the determination of the number of initiations of each node in the graph defining a parallel computation. An example for a system of difference equations is given in detail.
Nuclear matter radii in the tin isotopes

Abstract Polarization angular distributions for 16 MeV protons elastically scattered from isotopes of tin have been measured to complement the previously measured 16 MeV proton elastic differential cross-section data of Makofske et al. Standard optical-model analysis of the cross section and polarization data was used to yield nuclear matter rms radii for the isotopes examined. In addition differences between pairs of data sets were examined to determine differences in matter rms radii between pairs of isotopes to an apparent accuracy of better than 0.01 fm. The optical-model analysis combined with existing data on charge radii yielded a separation between neutron and proton rms radius of about 0.5 fm.
A General Christoffel-Darboux Type Formula

In this note we provide a general expression for multivariable stable polynomials that reduces to Christoffel-Darboux type formulas. As a result we obtain new proofs for existing Christoffel-Darboux formulas based on Schur complements. In some cases we are able to refine existing results.
Matchings and Canonical Forms for Symmetric Tensors

Abstract Let V be a q -dimensional vector space. Fix a set B of q ( q −1) monomials in S p ( V ) of the form x I where i k >0 for all k . The generic element of S p ( V ) is conjugate under a suitable linear transformation to an element with support off of B . We prove this by showing the existence of a perfect matching with a unique weight in a certain weighted bipartite graph. Such a perfect matching corresponds to the non-vanishing of an appropriate determinant.
Update in craniofacial surgery.

In the past, surgeons attempting to differentiate craniofacial and maxillofacial surgical procedures would use arbitrary anatomic boundaries. For example, surgical procedures involving anatomy above the inferior orbital rim would be considered by some to be craniofacial, while those below would be classified as maxillofacial. These comparisons often created confusion and did nothing to adequately describe the subspecialty of craniofacial surgery. Later, a more appropriate definition evolved, describing craniofacial operations as those procedures requiring a transcranial approach for access to the upper facial skeleton. Despite this distinction, however, craniofacial surgery represents an extension of the original scientific principles and traditional techniques of maxillofacial surgery. Maneuvers such as the creation of osteotomies, repositioning of skeletal components, and application of rigid fixation were initially developed for the correction of maxillofacial problems and later applied to the upper facial skeleton as part of craniofacial procedures. My first exposure to craniofacial surgery was during a lecture given by the late Dr. Victor J. Matukas, then Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dean of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry. He described the original work of Tessier that resulted in the creation of the subspecialty of craniofacial surgery and shared his own experiences treating children with craniosynostosis and craniofacial dysostosis syndromes. Dr. Matukas
Optical coherence tomography based on high-speed scanning MEMS mirror

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system based on a high-speed microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror is presented. This scanning mirror has high-speed performance because it was actuated by vertical comb drive. The size of mirror was 600 mm x 600 mm and the resonant frequencies were between 3.5 kHz to 8 kHz. In the test of scanner itself, it was operated linearly and scanned up to 30 degree angle. The MEMS mirror also provides 2-axis scanning while occupying a very small volume with extremely low power consumption. In our study, it was integrated with conventional fiber based OCT system. Via 2-axis lateral scanning, combined with an axial scan, a volume (2 mm x 2 mm x 1.4 mm) image of tissue, including a cancerous region, from a hamster cheek pouch was obtained. The axial and lateral resolution of images are 10 mm and about 20 mm respectively.
Incidence and Risk Factors for 30-Day Postdischarge Mortality in Patients With Vascular Disease Undergoing Major Lower Extremity Amputation

Background Our goal was to analyze the incidence and risk factors for 30-day postdischarge mortality in patients with vascular disease undergoing major lower extremity amputation. Methods We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program data set from the years 2005 to 2009 for amputations with vascular disease diagnosis codes. We analyzed in-hospital mortality and postdischarge mortality by year of the study and relative to length of hospital stay. Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification level 5, do-not-resuscitate status, disseminated cancer, and emergent operations were excluded to highlight risk among patients more likely to survive. We compared risk factors for each mortality group using separate multivariate logistic regressions. Results Our query resulted in 6,188 patients with mean age of 67 ± 14 years; of these, 39.1% were female. Thirty-day mortality was 7.6%; 4.2% in-hospital mortality and 3.4% postdischarge mortality. After postoperative day 14, the majority of deaths were after discharge and the daily death risk was almost constant until postoperative day 30 at around 2.1 per 1000 survivors. The postdischarge death rates were consistent across the 5 years of the study (χ 2 : p = 0.59), despite the fact that median hospital length of stay decreased from 12 to 9 days (Kruskal–Wallis: p 1.2 mg/dL, dialysis, serum bilirubin level of >1.0 mg/dL, black race (protective), systemic inflammatory response syndrome, steroid use for chronic condition, impaired sensorium, alcohol abuse, recent weight loss, and dyspnea. Conclusions Patients with vascular disease undergoing major amputation are at high risk for postdischarge mortality. This risk is not associated with recent decrease in hospital stay. Systemic comorbid risk factors were identified, thus highlighting the need for adequate medical management of these patients in the 30 days after the operation. Coordination of postdischarge care to ensure management of systemic illness could potentially improve outcomes.
Effects of steric constraint on chromium(III) complexes of tetraazamacrocycles, 4: Comparison of the trans-difluoro-complexes of tet a, 1,4-C2-cyclam, and 1,11-C3-cyclam

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of the trans -difluorochromium(III) complexes of the constrained macrocyclic ligands 1,4-C 2 -cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[10.2.2]hexadecane and 1,11-C 3 -cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[9.3.3]heptadecane is reported. Only trans complexes are formed, and the structures of both trans -[Cr(1,4-C 2 -cyclam)F 2 ]ClO 4 and trans -[Cr(1,11-C 3 -cyclam)F 2 ]ClO 4 are presented. The photochemical and photophysical behavior of the 1,4-C 2 -cyclam and 1,11-C 3 -cyclam complexes is compared with that of the corresponding tet a ( C - meso -5,7,7,12,14,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) complex. The constraint imposed by the additional bridging groups of 1,4-C 2 -cyclam and 1,11-C 3 -cyclam distorts the complexes away from both octahedral symmetry and centrosymmetry, as evidenced by the bond angles that deviate from ideal 90° and 180° values and by a significant distortion of the Cr(N 4 ) plane. This reduction in symmetry correlates with a monotonic increase in the extinction coefficients in going from the tet a to the 1,11-C 3 -cyclam, to the 1,4-C 2 -cyclam complex. These three complexes also exhibit large variations in their aqueous room-temperature excited state behavior; namely, the lifetimes of the 2 T 1g ( O h ) excited states are 30, 60, and 1.0 μs for the tet a, 1,11-C 3 -cyclam, and 1,4-C 2 -cyclam complexes, respectively. Studies of the excited-state lifetime of these complexes in acidified H 2 O/dimethyl sulfoxide over the temperature range between −30 and +95 °C suggest that the 1,4-C 2 -cyclam complex accesses a temperature-dependent relaxation mechanism at significantly lower temperatures than do the tet a or 1,11-C 3 -cyclam complexes. The emission behavior of these complexes is also solvent-dependent, consistent with established theories that the degree of splitting of the emitting 2 T 1g ( O h ) state varies with the hydroxylic nature of the solvent.
Endoscopic versus open saphenous vein harvest: the effect on postoperative outcomes

Abstract Background . Endoscopic vein harvest (EVH) has been promoted as a possible solution to the wound complications, incisional pain, and prolonged convalesce associated with open vein harvesting (OVH). The purpose of this study was to objectively compare the two techniques. Methods . One hundred patients were prospectively randomized to EVH or OVH. Primary outcomes were wound complications, pain (Medical Outcomes Study Pain Survey), and general health (SF-12). Secondary outcomes were operative times and patient preferences. Patients were assessed at hospital discharge, 3, and 6 weeks postdischarge. Results . No significant differences were detected in the primary outcomes: leg infection ( p = 0.75), incisional pain ( p = 0.74), physical health ( p = 0.84), mental health ( p = 0.47), and postoperative length of stay ( p = 0.74). However, patient preference for EVH was highly significant ( p Conclusions . EVH does not demonstrate significant differences compared with OVH. This, coupled with higher operating room costs, should limit its use until clinical benefit is shown. However, strong patient preference and demand for EVH overshadow equivocal clinical outcomes.
What do animals do all day?: The division of labor, class bodies, and totemic thinking in the popular imagination☆

Abstract This article uses relatively new methods of the analysis of qualitative data to investigate the socio-logical relation between animal species and occupation in the popular imagination, specifically in the world of children's literature, in order to test a claim that the class habitus that naturalizes the division of labor, erasing the contingent nature of class domination, does not simply arise via the internalization of objective social divisions into a subjective social vision, but rather begins with the application of a totemic logic which maps differences between people onto differences between animals, thereby exaggerating and naturalizing them. Children are evidently instructed in the reality of class bodies and the logic of social structure before they have any first-hand acquaintance with these social processes; indeed, by working the embodied relations of class domination into the role play and role learning of the pre-school years, we make it difficult for them to have any unmediated first-hand experience that would militate against these habitual distinctions.
On the cause of mental retardation in Down syndrome: extrapolation from full and segmental trisomy 16 mouse models

Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21, Ts21) is the most common known cause of mental retardation. In vivo structural brain imaging in young DS adults, and post-mortem studies, indicate a normal brain size after correction for height, and the absence of neuropathology. Functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) shows normal brain glucose metabolism, but fewer significant correlations between metabolic rates in different brain regions than in controls, suggesting reduced functional connections between brain circuit elements. Cultured neurons from Ts21 fetuses and from fetuses of an animal model for DS, the trisomy 16 (Ts16) mouse, do not differ from controls with regard to passive electrical membrane properties, including resting potential and membrane resistance. On the other hand, the trisomic neurons demonstrate abnormal active electrical and biochemical properties (duration of action potential and its rates of depolarization and repolarization, altered kinetics of active Na(+), Ca(2+) and K(+) currents, altered membrane densities of Na(+) and Ca(2+) channels). Another animal model, the adult segmental trisomy 16 mouse (Ts65Dn), demonstrates reduced long-term potentiation and increased long-term depression (models for learning and memory related to synaptic plasticity) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Evidence suggests that the abnormalities in the trisomy mouse models are related to defective signal transduction pathways involving the phosphoinositide cycle, protein kinase A and protein kinase C. The phenotypes of DS and its mouse models do not involve abnormal gene products due to mutations or deletions, but result from altered expression of genes on human chromosome 21 or mouse chromosome 16, respectively. To the extent that the defects in signal transduction and in active electrical properties, including synaptic plasticity, that are found in the Ts16 and Ts65Dn mouse models, are found in the brain of DS subjects, we postulate that mental retardation in DS results from such abnormalities. Changes in timing and synaptic interaction between neurons during development can lead to less than optimal functioning of neural circuitry and signaling then and in later life.
Selective low-dose streptokinase infusion in the treatment of acute transplant renal vein thrombosis.

A renal transplant recipient developed acute renal transplant vein thrombosis following surgery for a total hip replacement. As an alternative to standard surgical therapy, the patient was treated with selective intravenous low-dose infusion of streptokinase at doses of 5,000–20,000 units/h. The infusion was continued for 120 h with constant monitoring of PT, PTT, and fibrinogen levels. Therapy resulted in excellent preservation of renal function without complications. Low-dose selective infusion of streptokinase should be considered a potential alternative therapy for acute transplant renal vein thrombosis.
Evidence to suggest that cytosolic acetylcholine in rat hippocampal nerve terminals is not directly transferred into synaptic vesicles for release

Abstract Rat hippocampal minces were loaded with [acetyl 1- 14 C]acetylcholine ([ 14 C]ACh) in the presence of the “poorly penetrating” acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7; AChE) inhibitor echothiophate and the effect of high K + depolarization determined on the subcellular storage and release of [ 14 C]ACh and its metabolites. Results indicated that high K + did not augment the release of [ 14 C]ACh. Rather, it increased the release of [ 14 ]Clacetate while simultaneously reducing the level of [ 14 C]ACh in the cytosolic (S 3 ) fraction. When the identical experiment was performed with paraoxon, a “penetrating” AChE inhibitor, high K + still did not increase the release of [ 14 C]ACh. However, paraoxon prevented the K + -induced loss of [ 14 C]ACh from the cytosolic fraction as well as the K + -induced gain of [ 14 C]acetate in the release medium. When minces were loaded with [ 14 C]ACh in the presence of echothiophate and subsequently subjected to high K + depolarization in the absence or presence of vesamicol (AH5183; (−)-trans-2-[4-phenylpiperidino] cyclohexanol), a drug which blocks the refilling of synaptic vesicles with ACh, the amount of endogenous ACh released was reduced approximately 50%. Conversely, the amount of [ 14 C]ACh released was not reduced at all. These results suggest that cytosolic ACh is not directly transported into synaptic vesicles for release when hippocampal nerve terminals are depolarized. Rather, its hydrolysis is accelerated in response to depolarization. A working hypothesis explaining the importance of the depolarization-induced breakdown of cytosolic ACh to central ACh metabolism is presented.
Determination of Biodiesel and Triacylglycerols in Diesel Fuel by LC

A high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for quantifying blends of biodiesel (simple alkyl esters of fatty acids) in petrodiesel. The method uses a silica column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of hexane and methyl t-butyl ether. Separated components were quantitated using either an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) or UV detector. Precision of injection and linearity of response of the ELSD and UV detectors over a range of biodiesel-petrodiesel blends [1–30 v/v %] were established by use of standards. The method also can be used for quantitating similar levels of oils or fats (triacylglycerols) in petrodiesel.
Ras mediates the activation of phospholipase D by v-Src

We demonstrated previously that v-Src activates a phospholipase D (PLD) activity (Song, J., Pfeffer, L. M., and Foster, D. A.(1991) Mol. Cell. Biol. 11, 4903-4908) and that this activation is dependent upon a G protein(s) (Jiang, H., Alexandropoulos, K., Song, J., and Foster, D. A.(1994) Mol. Cell. Biol. 14, 3676-3682). An in vitro PLD assay was developed to study G protein involvement in v-Src-induced PLD activity. Maximal PLD activity in membranes isolated from v-Src-transformed cells was dependent upon both GTP and cytosol. In this report, we present three lines of evidence demonstrating that v-Src-induced PLD activity is mediated by Ras. First, a neutralizing Ras monoclonal antibody (Y13-259) inhibits PLD activity in membranes isolated from v-Src-transformed Balb/c 3T3 cells. Second, immobilized Ras protein depleted cytosol of the ability to stimulate PLD activity. This effect was dependent upon preloading immobilized Ras with GTP. Last, expression of a dominant negative Ras mutant in v-Src-transformed cells reduced PLD activity to the level observed in the nontransformed parental cells. These data establish a novel role for Ras in the regulation of PLD activity.
1738 OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA IN A 7-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO HAD A NEAR-SUDDEN INFANT DEATH (N-SIDS) EPISODE AT 6 WEEKS

A 6-wk-old boy, the patient of Dr. Francis X. Lieb, was admitted to the hospital because of apnea. He was 38 wk gest., b wt 3490 g, with perinatal acidosis, hypoglycemia, prolongation of the Q-T interval on EKG. At 5 wk he cried out in his sleep, was irritable, had episodes of high-pitched cry, with his back arched and arms extended. At 6 wk at 6 AM he was found ashen, cold, unresponsive and limp, with periodic apnea. The BP was 76 mm Hg, the T 36.4°C (R). He required a ventilator. The blood pH: was 6.88 when the initial plasma magnesium (Mg) was 2.4 mEq/L (Hosp. normal, 1.6-2.2). As the pH normalized, the Mg decreased to 1.7, then 1.3 mEq/L. The blood glucose was 157 mg/dl; the spinal fluid showed 8 RBC, 0 WBC/hpf; the urine gave a pH of 5, ++ protein, tr. glucose, and abnormal sediment. Bacterial and viral cultures were neg. On days 4-5 he retained 99% of an IM Mg load of 0.49 mEq Mg/kg body wt and was treated with 0.4 mEq Mg/kg for 5 days. He began oral fluids on day 10 and progressed well until he developed Staph. aureus pneumonia at 1 mo, and required a tracheostomy. A plasma Mg was 2.0 mEq/L, and he retained 21% of an IM Mg load. After discharge he was readmitted for chronic lower respiratory problems and post-tracheostomy subglottic stenosis. He attended school. At 7 yr a nocturnal polysomnogram showed obstructive and mixed apnea. This report suggests: 1) A possible link between N-SIDS and the adult sleep apnea syndrome, a hypothesis of Guilleminault and Dement (Adv. Sleep Res. 1: 345, 1974) and 2) A possible role for Mg deficiency in the pathogenesis of N-SIDS.
The Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)/PTH-Related Peptide Receptor Mediates Actions of Both Ligands in Murine Bone*

PTH and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) have been shown to bind to and activate the same PTH/PTHrP receptor. Recent studies have demonstrated, however, the presence of additional receptors specific for each ligand. We used the PTHrP and PTH/PTHrP receptor gene knock-out models to investigate whether this receptor mediates the actions of both ligands in bone. The similar phenotype of the PTHrP (-/-) and PTH/PTHrP receptor (-/-) animals in the growth plate of the tibia suggests that this receptor mediates the actions of PTHrP. Electron microscopic studies have confirmed the accelerated differentiation and disordered organization of chondrocytes, with the accumulation of large amounts of dispersed glycogen granules in the cytoplasm of proliferative and maturing cells of both genotypes. The contrasting growth plate mineralization patterns of the PTHrP (-/-) and PTH/PTHrP receptor (-/-) mice, however, suggest that the actions of PTHrP and the PTH/PTHrP receptor are not identical. Studies using calvariae from PTH/PTHrP receptor (-/-) embryos demonstrate that this receptor solely mediates the ability of PTH and PTHrP to stimulate adenylate cyclase in bone and to stimulate bone resorption. Furthermore, we show that osteoblasts of PTH/PTHrP receptor (-/-) animals, but not PTHrP (-/-) animals, have decreased levels of collagenase 3, osteopontin, and osteocalcin messenger RNAs. The PTH/PTHrP receptor, therefore, mediates distinct physiologic actions of both PTH and PTHrP.
Measuring Canopy Coverage with Digital Imaging

Abstract Sampling plant canopies for their ability to intercept sunlight has traditionally been done with destructive or time‐consuming methods. Although nondestructive methods are available, they are either time consuming or subject to large variation. A commercially available software was utilized to analyze digital images of a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) canopy in an effort to quantify canopy coverage. Digital images were obtained from a vertical perspective using a stationary camera stand. Images were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop 4.0 (Adobe Systems, Inc., Seattle, WA) software. Using functions within the software, plant material in the image was separated from the soil and converted to black. The soil surface was converted to white. The resulting black and white image was analyzed with Javascript software developed at North Carolina State University that counts the black and white pixels in each image. The resulting percentage of black pixels in the image was termed percent ground cover for the c...
Vessel-based registration with application to nodule detection in thoracic CT scans

Volume registration is fundamental to multiple medical imaging algorithms. Specifically, non-rigid registration of thoracic CT scans taken at different time instances can be used to detect new nodules more reliably and assess the growth rate of existing nodules. Voxel-based registration techniques are generally sensitive to intensity variation and structural differences, which are common in CT scans due to partial volume effects and naturally occurring motion and deformations. The approach we propose in this paper is based on vessel tree extraction which is then used to infer the complete volume registration. Vessels form unique features with good localization. Using extracted vessel trees, a minimization process is used to estimate the motion vectors at vessels. Accurate motion vectors are obtained at vessel junctions whereas vessel segments support only normal component estimation. The obtained motion vectors are then interpolated to produce a dense motion field using thin plate splines. The proposed approach is evaluated on both real and synthetically deformed volumes. The obtained results are compared to several standard registration techniques. It is shown that by using vessel structure, the proposed approach results in improved performance.