cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the postoperative visit after routine inguinal hernia repair: A prospective randomized trial

Abstract Treatment of pediatric patients undergoing routine inguinal hernia repair usually includes a postoperative clinic visit. We prospectively assessed the necessity for the traditional postoperative visit. One hundred patients undergoing a routine inguinal hernia repair were randomly selected to receive either a follow-up visit at 4 weeks or a detailed instruction sheet and no follow-up visit. Parents were given a telephone questionnaire to determine overall satisfaction with their child's care and the usefulness of the follow-up visit or instruction sheet. Forty-seven of 50 parents of patients randomly assigned to a follow-up clinic visit (FU) and all 50 parents in the no follow-up group (NFU) completed the questionnaire. Sixty-eight percent of the FU group found the follow-up visit "helpful" and 59% found it "necessary." Fifty-six percent would have been satisfied with a telephone call instead of a visit. In the NFU group only 4% thought a follow-up visit would have been "helpful" and 4% thought a visit was "necessary." Ninety-six percent found the postoperative instruction sheet "helpful." There was no difference between groups in overall satisfaction with the care received as assessed on a 5-point scale (4.7 FU group v 4.7 NFU group). Accurate postoperative instruction and open access to follow-up when required is as effective as the traditional postoperative clinic visit for patients who have undergone routine inguinal hernia repair.
Hydrocarbons in oil residues on beaches of islands of Prince William Sound, Alaska

Abstract Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were measured on oil residues from beaches on six islands in Prince William Sound, Alaska. In addition to altered products from the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989, we also found, at two widely separated locations, residues that are similar to each other but chemically distinct from the spilled oil. Terpanes, steranes, monoaromatic steranes, and carbon isotopic compositions of total extracts were most useful in correlating the altered products of the spilled oil. These same parameters revealed that the two non-Valdez samples are likely residues of oil originally produced in California. The results indicate that oil residues currently on the beaches of this estuary have at least two quite different origins.
Differential response of arteries and vein grafts to blood flow reduction.

Abstract Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of blood flow on the dimensions and cellular composition of normal arteries and freshly placed vein grafts (VG). Methods: Bilateral jugular vein interposition grafts were placed in the common carotid arteries of 12 New Zealand white rabbits, and blood flow was reduced on one side by external carotid artery ligation. Shear stress, tangential stress, vessel dimensions, and smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation of reduced-flow arteries and VG were compared with these measures in contralateral controls (CON). Results: A sustained reduction in blood flow was documented at 4 weeks (13 ± 4 ml/min reduced-flow vs 21 ± 4 ml/min CON; p 2 reduced-flow vs 13.6 ± 2.5 dynes/cm 2 CON; p = NS). All VG underwent a marked postimplantation hyperplasia in intima and media, but the major effect of flow reduction on VG dimensions occurred in the intima. Intimal thickness in reduced-flow VG was 60% greater than that in control VG (57 ± 12 μm vs 35 ± 5 μm; p = 0.05), and intimal area was 70% greater than that in controls (0.83 ± 0.24 μm 2 vs 0.48 ± 0.08 μm 2 ; p > 0.05). Smaller differences were found in medial thickness (74 ± 4 μm reduced-flow vs 63 ± 4 μm CON; p = 0.02) and medial area (1.03 ± 0.36 μm 2 reduced-flow vs 0.84 ± 0.22 μm 2 CON; p = 0.05). Intimal SMC volume in reduced-flow VG was 37% greater than that in control VG ( p = 0.07). Tangential stress in VG equaled that in ipsilateral arteries, whereas shear stress in VG remained much lower than that in arteries. Conclusion: In this model, arteries and VG responded to flow reduction by wall thickening, but the mechanism differed. Arteries underwent medial remodeling, lumen caliber reduction, and shear stress normalization, whereas VG responded by an upward modulation of the proliferative response that follows graft placement. These data support a primary role for tangential stress and a secondary role for shear stress in determination of VG dimensions. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:563-70.)
Hiring Welfare Recipients: Employer Practices and Experiences

ABSTRACT We examine employer hiring practices and experiences related to hiring former welfare recipients in Wisconsin. Data for this analysis were collected from phone surveys of a stratified random sample of 1,266 Wisconsin employers. We conduct analyses of previous and anticipated demand for employers that have hired or are planning to hire welfare recipients. We find a relatively high level of previous and prospective demand for hiring former welfare recipients. Most employers report that the chances for promotion are either good or excellent, but about one-third of the employers said that the chances were fair or poor. The most serious problem reported by employers with hiring former welfare recipients is with absenteeism and tardiness, with one-half of the employers reporting a problem. The starting salary for the average welfare hire is $12,743 per year. About one-third of the recent hires, however, are working part time (less than 35 hours per week). Employers in Milwaukee with a large number of w...
Protein Expression Under Pressure

Which is more conserved across species—the concentrations of proteins or the concentrations of the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that encode them? When examining orthologous genes, it's protein concentrations that are more similar to each other. This observation was first made in worm and fly ( 1 ), and later for eight organisms ranging from bacteria to yeast, plant, and human ( 2 ). However, because the measurement platforms, data sets, and cell samples were heterogeneous in these studies, it has been difficult to separate possible biological trends from technical artifacts. On page 1100 of this issue, Khan et al. ( 3 ) show that the biological trend is very real. The authors show that protein concentrations from identical cell types across three primate species are under stronger evolutionary constraints than the respective mRNA expression levels.
Cine despolitizado de principio de siglo: Bar El Chino y El abrazo partido

Luego del retorno de la democracia, el cine argentino experimento un renacimiento que se hizo evidente, durante la decada de 1980, internamente, en el apoyo que merecio del publico local y, en el p...
independent and combined effects of aerobic exercise and Pharmacological strategies on serum triglyceride concentrations: a Qualitative Review

Elevated fasting and postprandial serum triglyceride concentrations are associated with cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Aerobic exercise reduces serum triglyceride concentrations in the presence or absence of weight loss. Although pharmacological interventions are often used in combination with aerobic exercise to achieve target triglyceride concentrations, information on the combined effects of aerobic exercise and lipid-modifying agents on serum triglycerides is limited. This review examines the independent and combined effects of both interventions on serum fasting and postprandial triglyceride concentrations from the available literature. Reductions in serum triglycerides after aerobic exercise are associated with an increase in skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity and a decrease in hepatic triglyceride and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) synthesis and secretion. Lipid-modifying agents such as niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, and statins also decrease fasting and postprandial triglycerides by increasing lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and/or decreasing VLDL synthesis. When combined, lipid-modifying agents may reduce fasting and postprandial triglyceride secretion to an extent in which aerobic exercise cannot provide any additional benefit. These observations indicate that aerobic exercise and pharmacological strategies reduce serum triglycerides by similar mechanisms, which may attenuate the triglyceride-lowering capacity of the concordant treatment.
Comprehensive analysis of host gene expression in Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus-infected Spodoptera frugiperda cells

Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is the best-studied baculovirus and most commonly used virus vector for baculovirus expression vector systems. The effect of AcMNPV infection on host cells is incompletely understood. A microarray based on Spodoptera frugiperda ESTs was used to investigate the impact of AcMNPV on host gene expression in cultured S. frugiperda, Sf21 cells. Most host genes were down-regulated over the time course of infection, although a small number were up-regulated. The most highly up-regulated genes encoded heat shock protein 70s and several poorly characterized proteins. Regulated genes with the highest score identified by functional annotation clustering included primarily products required for protein expression and trafficking in the ER and golgi. All were significantly down-regulated by approximately 12h post-infection. Microarray data were validated by qRT-PCR. This study provides the first comprehensive host transcriptome overview of Sf21 cells during AcMNPV infection.
Kinetics of assimilation of multiple substrates in dispersed growth systems

Abstract 1. (1) Equations predicting substrate removal and sludge production could be derived by including a substrate utilization factor, maintenance coefficient and a specific death rate constant. 2. (2) In mixed substrate metabolism, growth yield and specific growth rates were controlled by the concentration of that component substrate which allows the minimum generation time and maximum biomass yield in comparison to the other substrates. 3. (3) The assimilation and effluent concentration of non-growth controlling substrates of the mixture could be described by equations incorporating uptake parameters analogous to the constants of the Michaelis-Menten equation. 4. (4) The introduction of a less efficient substrate like galactose into processes treating highly biodegradable substrates like glucose caused deterioration of effluent quality of high rate activated sludge processes. However, no such adverse effect was observed when the reactor was operated at detention times higher than 4 h as employed in conventional practice. 5. (5) Due to higher maintenance energy requirements in mixed substrate metabolism, a larger fraction of the assimilated substrate is completely oxidized. Consequently, sludge productions per unit mass of mixed substrate COD removed were less at all detention times than those obtained for single substrate metabolism.
A quantitation of lactate dehydrogenase non-linearity.

Abstract It was the objective of this study to quantitate the non-linearity seen in the lactate dehydrogenase reaction and relate these findings to the wide variation between reported values from various sources. Data are based upon two sample groupings: 1200 routine samples and 200 selected elevated specimens ranging from 200 to 2000 I.U. (LD-L). This sample population demonstrated a rate of activity decrease ranging from 2% to 13% per minute, dependent upon activity level.
Effect of transverse shear and material orthotropy in a cracked spherical cap

The elastostatic problem for a relatively thin-walled spherical cap containing a through crack is considered. The problem is formulated for a specially orthotropic material within the confines of a linearized, shallow shell theory. The theory used is equivalent to Reissner's theory of flat plates and hence permits the consideration of all five physical conditions on the shell boundaries separately. The solution of the problem is reduced to that of a pair of singular integral equations and the asymptotic stress state around the crack tips is investigated. The numerical solution of the problem is given for an isotropic shell and for two specially orthotropic shells. The results indicate that the material orthotropy as well as the shell curvature and thickness may have a considerable effect on the stress intensity factors at the crack tips.
Does Parental Mood or Efficacy Mediate the Influence of Environmental Chaos Upon Parenting Behavior

Using repeated observational and questionnaire data from 57 infants and their parents, lower parental efficacy perceptions and higher parental negative mood states were evaluated as potential mediators to explain the adverse influence of environmental chaos on parenting. Factor analysis revealed noise- and crowdingchaos dimensions in the home. Higher scores on both chaos dimensions were related to less responsive and stimulating parenting. Home chaos was generally unrelated to parental ratings of distressed mood, but parents reported a lower sense of efficacy as noise level in home increased. However, our data did not support predicted links between measures of parenting and efficacy. The overall pattern of results indicates that neither parental mood nor efficacy appears to mediate relations between home chaos and parenting behavior. Within the framework of Bronfenbrenner’s (1989) ecological perspective, the microsystem represents the basic starting point for contextual analysis of child‐environment transactions. For the early years of life, the home environment is the principal microsystem in which the child’s social and cognitive development takes place. The home environment can be subdivided into social and physical microsystems. Most of the research on the home environment of infants and toddlers involves the social microsystem, with specific reference to the dynamics of caregiver activities, beliefs, and interpersonal relations as the core phenomena of interest (Bradley, 1999; Wachs, 1992). However, contextual analysis indicates that the physical microenvironment, the setting in which parent‐child interactions take place, can also act to influence
Radiographic findings of femoroacetabular impingement in National Football League Combine athletes undergoing radiographs for previous hip or groin pain.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of radiographic findings of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in elite football players with a history of hip pain or groin injury who underwent radiographs. Methods We performed a retrospective review of athletes undergoing hip radiography at the National Football League Combine from 2007 to 2009. Radiographs were obtained in athletes with a history of hip pain or injury. Anteroposterior pelvis and frog-lateral radiographs were obtained in 123 hips (107 players) that met our inclusion criteria. Radiographic indicators of cam-type FAI (alpha angle, head-neck offset ratio) and pincer-type FAI (acetabular retroversion, center-edge angle, acetabular inclination) were recorded. Findings were correlated with clinical factors (previous groin/hip pain, position, race, and body mass index). Results The most common previous injuries included groin strain (n = 57) and sports hernia/abdominal strain (n = 21). Markers of cam- and/or pincer-type FAI were present in 94.3% of hips (116 of 123). Radiographic evidence of combined cam- and pincer-type FAI was the most common (61.8%, 76 hips), whereas isolated cam-type FAI (9.8%, 12 hips) and pincer-type FAI (22.8%, 28 hips) were less common. The most common deformities included acetabular retroversion (71.5%) and an abnormal alpha angle (61.8%). A body mass index greater than 35 was associated with the presence of global overcoverage (46.2% v 17.3%, P = .025). Conclusions Radiographic indicators of FAI are very common among athletes evaluated at the National Football League Scouting Combine subjected to radiographic examination for the clinical suspicion of hip disease. Elite football athletes with significant or recurrent pain about the hip should be evaluated clinically and radiographically for FAI, because pain from FAI may be falsely attributed to or may be present in addition to other disorders. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Eulerian dispersion modeling with WRF-LES of plume impingement in neutrally and stably stratified turbulent boundary layers

Abstract The vast range of space-time scales associated with turbulent flow adjacent to rugged terrain is especially problematic to predictive dispersion modeling in atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs) partly due to the presence of non-linear flow features (e.g., recirculation zones, diffusion enhancement, etc.). It has been suggested that in such ABLs, explicitly modeling large turbulent eddies, through large-eddy simulation (LES), may help to curtail predicted concentration errors. In this work, passive scalars were introduced into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) LES model for the purpose of simulating scalar plume interaction with an isolated terrain feature. Using measurements from the Cinder Cone Butte (CCB) field campaign, we evaluate the ability of WRF-LES to realistically simulate the impingement of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) plumes onto CCB in both neutrally and stably stratified environments. Simulations reveal relatively accurate scalar trajectories with respect to thermal stability, including complex patterns such as plume splitting below the hill dividing streamline. Statistical accuracy varied with case study, but for the neutral case we recorded greater than 50% of predicted 1 h averaged surface concentrations within a factor of 2 of the observations. This metric, along with several others, indicates a performance accuracy similar to, or slightly better than, alternative Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes models. For the stably stratified case, the spatial distribution of surface concentrations was captured well; however, a positive concentration bias was observed which degraded quantitative accuracy scores. The variable accuracy of the WRF-LES model with respect to thermal stability is similar to what has been observed in regulatory analytical models (i.e., concentration under predictions in neutral environments and concentration over predictions in stable environments). Possible sources of error and uncertainty included the omission of mesoscale wind meandering (i.e., realistic boundary conditions) and sub-grid turbulence parameterization.
Neglected treatment research in bipolar disorder: a congressional mandate would help

Several recent articles have highlighted the great need for more treatment research in bipolar disorder. A study by Nierenberg et al. not only reported minimal effectiveness of add-on lithium to ex...
On treatment selection in the face of uncertainty in expert systems

Abstract We look into the issue of selecting the appropriate treatment given a diagnosis in an environment in which there is some uncertainty in the effectiveness of a treatment for a diagnosis. We look at the ‘easiest first rule’ as a method of implementing possible treatments.
Educational imposters and fake degrees

Abstract We develop a sociological context for understanding the phenomenon of falsely claimed educational credentials and analyze national data that cast light on the incidence of false degrees. We find that about 6% of Bachelor's degrees and 35% of Associate's degrees are falsely claimed. Most individuals who falsely claim degrees have attended the college in question. Many have nearly completed the required credits, but claim a degree without having finished. The socio-demographic profile of persons falsely claiming credentials is consistent with Merton's theory of innovative deviance, but not with the theory of status inconsistency.
Influence of hydrocarbon fuel structural constitution and flame temperature on soot formation in laminar diffusion flames

A systematic study of soot formation along the centerlines of axisymmetric laminar diffusion flames of a large number of liquid hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon blends, and transportation fuels were made. Measurements of the attenuation of a laser beam across the flame diameter were used to obtain the soot volume fraction, assuming Rayleigh extinction. Two sets of hydrocarbon blends were designed such that the molecular fuel composition varied considerably but the temperature fields in the flames were kept pratically constant. Thus it was possible to separate the effects of molecular structure and the flame temperature on soot formation. It was quantitatively shown that the smoke height is a lumped measure of fuel molecular constitution and hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. Hydrocarbon fuel molecular constitution was characterized by six carbon atom types that can be obtained, for complex hydrocarbon mixtures like transportation fuels, from proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) measurements. Strong attenuation of the laser beam was observed at heights very close to the burner rim, where soot was not expected to exist with fuels containing hydrocarbons with boiling point temperatures higher than approximately 440 K. Visible flame profiles along the flame length were shown to have good self-similarity. Kent's model for diffusion flames was modified to include the effects of differences in flame temperatures and molecular diffusivities between fuels. The line-of-sight average maximum soot volume fractions were shown to be related to hydrogen-to-carbon ratio (which determines the adiabatic flame temperature for a set of given initial conditions) and fuel molecular constitution. An analysis based on the present data provided an assessment of the degree of contribution of different carbon atom types to the maximum soot volume fractions. It was shown that, when the temperature effect due to hydrogen-to-carbon ratio is eliminated, the methyl (CH3) and the CH2 group carbons contribute more to maximum soot fraction than the aromatic ring and olefinic carbons.
Flow and solute transport around injection wells through a single, growing fracture

Abstract During deep-well injection of liquids, the formation around an injection well is often fractured due to an imbalance between the injection pressure and the minimum horizontal rock stress opposing fracturing. The resulting fractures can grow during injection, which may span over several months to years. Earlier studies reported on solute transport in a single fracture in low permeability fractured media, assuming that transport into the formation perpendicular to the face of the fracture is mediated by diffusion alone. This may be valid for flow under natural gradients through fractured formations of low permeability. In contrast, due to the high rates of injection through a fractured injection well, both advection and dispersion play an important role in the spread of contaminants around a fractured injection well. We present a model for the flow and reactive solute transport profiles around fractured injection wells, through a single, two-winged vertical fracture created by injection at high rates and/or pressures and growing with time. The fracture, of constant height and infinite conductivity, serves as a line source injecting fluids into the formation perpendicular to its face via a uniform leak-off, resulting in an elliptical water flood front confocal with the fracture. Flow and solute transport within the elliptical flow domain is formulated as a planar (two-dimensional) transport problem, described by the advection–dispersion equation in elliptical coordinates including retardation and 1st order radioactive nuclear decay processes. Results indicate that transport at early times depends strongly on location relative to the fracture. Retardation has a more pronounced influence on transport for the cases where advection is significant; whereas 1st order radioactive nuclear decay process is independent of advective velocity. Flow and transport around an injection well with a vertical fracture exhibits important differences from radial transport that neglects the presence of the fracture, and also from transport from a fracture of constant length. The model and findings presented have applications in the calculation of the fate and transport of contaminants around fractured injectors and modeling the resulting contaminant plumes down stream of the wells. Further, the model also serves as a basis for modeling enhanced remediation of contaminated rock via injection well fracturing, a recently demonstrated technology.
Structural properties of the minimum cut of partially-supplied graphs

Abstract It is well known that information about the structure of a graph is contained within its minimum cut. Here we investigate how the minimum cut of one graph informs the structure of a second, related graph. We consider pairs of graphs G and H , with respective Laplacian matrices L and M , and call H partially supplied provided that M is a Schur complement of L . Our results show how the minimum cut of H relates to the structure of the larger graph G .
Surface Micromachined Dielectrophoretic Gates for the Front-End Device of a Biodetection System

We present a novel separation device for the front-end of a biodetection system to discriminate between biological and non-biological analytes captured in air samples. By combining AC dielectrophoresis along the flow streamlines and a field-induced phase-separation, the device utilizes "dielectrophoretic gating "to separate analytes suspended in a flowing fluid based on their intrinsic polarizability properties. The gates are integrated into batch fabricated self-sealed surface-micromachined fluid channels. We demonstrate that setting the gate to a moderate voltage in the radio frequency range removed bacteria cells from a mixture containing non-biological particles without the need for fluorescent labeling or antibody-antigen hybridization, and also validate experimentally basic relations for estimating the gate performance.
Effect of T4 infection on initiation of protein synthesis and messenger specificity of initiation factor 3

Abstract No alteration in the messenger specificity of initiation factor 3 (IF-3) is observed upon T4 phage infection of several strains of Escherichia coli . IF-3 present in the 1.0 m NH 4 Cl washes of ribosomes from T4-infected cells supports the translation of f2 RNA and T4 late mRNA with the same degree of efficiency as the IF-3 in the ribosomal washes obtained from uninfected cells. At high concentrations the ribosomal washes obtained from T4-infected cells are more inhibitory for both f2 RNA- and T4 late mRNA-directed protein synthesis than the ribosomal washes from uninfected cells. Furthermore, this increased inhibition is also observed in the poly(U)-directed synthesis of polyphenylalanine. These data suggest that translational controls exerted at the level of IF-3 probably do not account for the alterations in protein synthesis observed upon T4 infection.
Escape from Flatland 2: complexity and promiscuity

Toxicity plays a major role in attrition in the clinic and promiscuity has been linked to toxicity. A number of molecular descriptors have been identified that contribute to promiscuity including ionization and logP. In this study we report on the relationship between complexity, as measured by two descriptors [fraction sp3 (Fsp3) where Fsp3 = (number of sp3 hybridized carbons/total carbon count) and chiral carbon count], and promiscuity as well as Cyp450 inhibition. We find that increasing complexity reduces promiscuity and Cyp450 inhibition. As an understanding of key property descriptors has helped the pharmaceutical industry to address some of the deficiencies of compounds as pertains to bioavailability, awareness of the descriptors that impact promiscuity should allow us to better address toxicity in the clinic.
Introduction to the Membrane Protein Reviews: The Interplay of Structure, Dynamics, and Environment in Membrane Protein Function

AbstractIn our review, we introduce an organizational scheme for membrane protein function. It is the relationship between structure, dynamics, and environment that endows the membrane and its constituents with remarkable sensitivity and robustness. Our understanding begins with landmark advances like those presented in the following chapters. Membrane proteins are notoriously difficult to study, and so the work presented here on the ADP/ATP carrier [Nury et al. (2)], rhodopsin [Palczewski (24)], and the cytochrome b 6 f complex [Cramer et al. (35)] represents incredible progress in this now blossoming field.
Falling behind? Understanding implementation science in future emergency department management strategies for geriatric fall prevention.

Recently published consensus guidelines for geriatric emergency departments (EDs)1 provide a significant milestone for the nascent subspecialty of geriatric emergency medicine, but real-world challenges reside between guidelines and bedside practice. In this issue of Academic Emergency Medicine, Tirrell et al.2 report a 1-year chart review of 350 randomly selected elderly patients presenting to an urban academic ED following falls. Their primary objective was to determine the extent to which the documented ED evaluation adhered to the Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines1 and the American Geriatric Society (AGS) guidelines. Only two of the 16 fall-risk evaluation items recommended by the guidelines were reported over 80% of the time: fall location and cause of fall. Most (13 of 16) were reported fewer than 50% of the time, and nine of these fewer than 25% of the time. Four patient-level characteristics were significantly associated with better guideline adherence: older age, more comorbid conditions, residing in an assisted living facility, and admission to either an inpatient or an observation unit. While these findings offer reassurance that individuals deemed at higher risk were more likely to undergo more comprehensive evaluations for falls, there is clearly a missed opportunity to perform more complete risk assessments that may provide critical secondary prevention for falls in individuals at lower risk.
American College of Chest Physicians Guidelines: Advantages and Disadvantages

The American College of Chest Physicians use strict evidence-based medicine methodology to make recommendations regarding deep vein thromboses prophylaxis. The highest level recommendations (1-A) involve routine pharmacoprophylaxis for all total joint patients with protocols that are aggressive by the standards of many arthroplasty specialists. A high incidence of complications has been reported at some centers using 1-A protocols, whereas centers using less aggressive protocols have achieved low complication rates and are also successful in effectively minimizing the incidence of symptomatic thromboembolic events.
Design of athermalized proximity coupled (APC) synthetic green laser opto-electronic package for microprojector displays: Numerical modeling and experiments

Micro-projector based displays are proposed for information display for a number of consumer devices. These displays would provide larger images than existing fixed Liquid crystal displays. The two major components of micro-projector technology are the Light source and the Imaging technology. Three primary colors, red, blue and green are required to create full color images. The light sources in the projection technology would be semiconductor devices that emit these colors. These devices could be either light emitting diodes (LEDs) or lasers. To enable the laser based projection technology, red and blue lasers are commerically available. Native semiconductor green lasers are still in development. As an alternative, synthetic green light can be produced by passing 1060nm infra-red light emitted from a GaAs based semiconductor laser diode (LD) through second harmonic generation (SHG) crystal, thereby emitting the green light at 530 nm. The current research work proposes bringing the SHG structure in close proximity to the LD, thereby eliminating the use of any optics in between. The proximity coupling approach promises to reduce the number of package components and process cost significantly. This paper presents the mechanical package design, coefficient of thermal expansion based displacement estimates, thermal analysis wherein the thermal impedance is predicted and measured, thermo-mechanical analysis wherein the thermo-mechanical stresses and strains are predicted. Shock modeling has been done to understand the displacements of the waveguides during the shock event. Optical modeling is performed to estimate the coupling efficiency change as a function of lateral and longitudinal offset between the LD and SHG waveguides. Finally, an assembled package that generated green light using this design is presented.
Modeling of Multifunctional Voltage Source Converters for Shipboard Power Systems in the Virtual Test Bed

Multifunctional voltage source converters can significantly contribute to the flexibility of energy management in shipboard power systems. The ability to do more functions with a single device is desired, especially when there is an inadequate energy management resource, or unexpected demand that may appear as a result of battle damage or power system topology change. Despite the great number of different control strategies suggested for voltage source converters, nearly all use similar methods for generation of the reference signals. These methods of control design are not flexible. The paper suggests a new approach for the control architecture that allows flexible on-line reconfiguration of all possible voltage source converter functions. The aspects associated with the modeling of such converters in the virtual test bed (VTB) are discussed and simulation results are presented.
EC information security legislation: Where now?

Abstract The law firm, Cameron, Markby Hewitt together with management consultants Copper & Lybrand and a consortium of law firms around Europe recently completed a study relating to the harmonization of information security laws in the EC for DG-XIII of the European Commission. The study was part of the Commission's continuing security investigations programme — INFOSEC '92 and now, INFOSEC '93. Both programmes derive from a March 1992 Council Decision (92/242/EEC) which requires the Commission to prepare an Action Plan to develop strategies to protect information from accidental and deliberate threats. Wendy London reports.
Toward a Mobilization Conception of Democratic Representation

This article analyzes what I term “the dilemma of democratic competence,” which emerges when researchers find their expectations regarding democratic responsiveness to be in conflict with their findings regarding the context dependency of individual preferences. I attribute this dilemma to scholars' normative expectations, rather than to deficiencies of mass democratic politics. I propose a mobilization conception of political representation and develop a systemic understanding of reflexivity as the measure of its legitimacy. This article thus contributes to the emergent normative argument that political representation is intrinsic to democratic government, and links that claim to empirical research on political preference formation.
An overview of preventive strategies for pancreatic cancer

Cancer chemoprevention is defined as the use of specific chemical compounds to prevent, inhibit or reverse carcinogenesis. Chemopreventive intervention can occur throughout carcinogenesis. Many specific food components (e.g. calcium, selenium, folic acid) may also be suitable for chemopreventive use. Chemopreventive drugs are usually administered chronically and are expected to have low toxicity. A variety of mechanisms explain the actions of chemopreventive compounds including modification of carcinogen activation and cellular uptake, inhibition of aberrant signal transduction, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. As our understanding of carcinogenesis has developed, more specific pharmacologic targets are being selected, e.g. retinoid receptors or cyclo-oxygenases. Definitive, large-scale placebo-controlled randomized trials are necessary to determine the clinical efficacy of chemopreventive compounds. Recent examples include the striking effectiveness of tamoxifen in reducing the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk. Conversely, beta carotene increased the risk of lung cancer in those who continued to smoke and/or who were exposed to asbestos. The future development of predictive risk models that take into account gene-environment interactions will be of considerable value in deciding on specific chemopreventive interventions in those at increased risk by virtue of life style or occupational exposures.
Electrochemical measurements with glucose oxidase immobilized in polyacrylamide gel: Constant current voltametry

Constant current voltametry was shown to be a suitable method for evaluation of electrodes containing immobilized oxidative enzymes as catalysts. The half-cell potential for the oxdidation of D-glucose at constant pH was measured at a series of constant dc currents, using glucose oxidase immobilized in a polyacrylamide gel-platinum gauze matrix as catalyst. Over the range studied the potential versus current data were linear and could be extrapolated to give the open-circuit half-cell potential at zero current. The difference between the measured potential and the open-circuit potential at a constant current was indicative of the loss in useful voltage due to concentration gradients within or adjacent to the enzyme electrode assembly. The relationship between the open-circuit potential and the pH of the reaction mixture was linear with a slope of −0.056, in good agreement with the predicted slope of −0.061.
Idiopathic scrotal elephantiasis

Scrotal lymphedema (scrotal elephantiasis) is a condition that has historically been described in areas endemic to filariasis. We present a unique case of a 22-year-old man with idiopathic lymphedema isolated to the scrotum. After acquired causes of lymphedema were ruled out, the patient was treated with scrotectomy and scrotal reconstruction.
A Monte-Carlo study of image reconstruction for PET

The authors have developed a Monte Carlo program to simulate event generation of a positron-emission tomography (PET) scanner. They used it to study design parameters of a scanner and image reconstruction methods. Based on the experimental data, it is concluded that there is no need to decrease the detector size beyond a certain value because no further improvement is achieved. There should be a tradeoff as far as the filtering function is concerned, so that the resolution is as high as possible and the artifacts due to high-frequency noise are minimal. >
Values of psychiatric patients

What is important to emotionally disturbed patients? Does a schizophrenic with paranoid trends conceive of the good life in the same way that a normal person does? Here values of a group of patients are compared with those dominant in the culture in which they live. Comparisons are also made of values among persons with different types of disturbances—a quantitative study which parallels clinical observations of these patients. Investigating value patterns in emotionally disturbed persons may provide new insights into the characters of normal and above-normal persons.
What Teachers Take from Professional Development: Cases and Implications

In this article, we report on an 18-month longmathematics professional development projectwith elementary school teachers. Using a modelwe developed, three participant case studieswere analyzed with respect to not only theprofessional development milieu, but also howthese teachers interacted with the professionaldevelopment experience. In particular we foundthat having teachers reflect on new, authenticreform-oriented mathematics learningexperiences leads some teachers to take aninquiry stance concerning their own teaching,resulting in self-sustaining changes in theirmathematics instructional practices. Thisimplies that professional development forelementary mathematics teachers should includechallenging mathematics learning experiencescomplete with opportunities to reflect on personal and professional implications.
The Semantics of Search

This chapter explores the hypothesis that the terms from entire representations can be used as the sense of a URI. Furthermore, we show that this is not limited to Semantic Web documents, but extends to the hypertext Web. Based on this intuition, we investigate the possibility of using Semantic Web data to improve hypertext Web search. Using queries from a real-world search engine, we show that relevance feedback creates a ‘virtuous cycle’ between data gathered from the Semantic Web of Linked Data and web-pages gathered from the hypertext Web, and vice versa. Previous approaches have generally considered the searching over the Semantic Web and hypertext Web to be entirely disparate, indexing and searching over different domains. Semantic Web data can boost the performance of hypertext search, and vice-versa. From this empirical finding, we conclude that the sense of resource does can be composed of an entire representational nexus, from tags to Semantic Web data to hypertext.
Young adult women and correlates of potential adoption of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): results of a national survey

We examine potential use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among young adult women, based on nationally representative random-digit dial telephone household survey of 1,453 US African-American and white women. The hypotheses were generated based on Health Belief Model. Our analyses showed that, as compared to women of 30-45 years old, young women of 20-29 years old experienced stronger social influences on PrEP uptake. However, as compared to older women, young women did not report higher potential PrEP uptake or adherence, despite their greater risk of HIV. For PrEP to be an effective method of prevention for young adult women, interventions are needed to increase HIV risk awareness.
Experimental Approaches to Composite Tissue Allograft Transplants

Composite tissue allotransplantation has been recently introduced as a potential clinical treatment for complex reconstructive procedures, include traumatic injuries, cancer ablative surgeries, or extensive tissue loss secondary to burns. Composite tissue allografts (CTAs) consist of heterogeneous tissues derived from ectoderm and mesoderm, including skin, fat, muscle, nerves, lymph nodes, bone, cartilage, ligaments, and bone marrow, with different antigenicity. Thus, composite tissue structure is considered to be more immunogenic than solid organ transplants. While cartilage, ligaments, and fat present low antigenicity, bone, muscles, nerves, and vessels present moderate antigenicity, and skin is the component that develops the most severe rejection because of the abundance of dendritic cells within the epidermis and dermis. To study the mechanisms of CTA acceptance and rejection, different experimental models, strategies and different immunosuppressive protocols have used [1, 2].
Lipolysis in Burned Patients Is Stimulated by the β2-Receptor for Catecholamines

Objective: To determine if the cardiovascular effects of excessive catecholamines could be selectively blocked in severely burned patients without adversely affecting protein or fat kinetics. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: A large tertiary care referral center in Galveston, Tex. Patients: Sixteen patients with greater than 40% body surface area burns. Interventions: Patients were randomly selected to receive propranolol hydrochloride, a nonselective β 1 - and β 2 -blocker, or metoprolol tartrate, a selective β 1 -blocker. Main Outcome Measures: Heart rate; rate-pressure product; rate of appearance of urea, glucose, and leucine; and leucine oxidation were measured before and after selective or nonselective β-adrenergic blockade. Results: Propranolol and metoprolol caused a significant decrease in heart rate, from a mean (±SD) of 143 ± 15 to 115±11 and from 147±17 to 120±9 beats per minute, respectively, during the 5-day study period. Neither the rate of appearance of urea nor the rate of urea production were significantly altered by propranolol or metoprolol therapy. Only propranolol produced a significant decrease ( P Conclusions: Selective β 1 -adrenergic blockade did not reduce lipolysis; however, a β 1 - and β 2 -adrenergic blockade significantly reduced lipolysis. Thus, the increased lipolysis, characteristic of severely burned patients, is caused by stimulation of the β 2 -adrenergic receptors for catecholamines. (Arch Surg. 1994;129:1301-1305)
Cyclobutadiene in Synthesis: endo‐Tricyclo[4.4.0.02,5]deca‐3,8‐diene‐7,10‐dione

Cyclobutadiene in synthesis: endo-tricyclo[4.4.0.02,5]deca-3,8-diene-7,10-dione product: endo-tricyclo[4.4.0.02,5]deca-3-8-dien-7,10-dione Keywords: annulation, carbocyclic-[M,N]; cyclization, free radical-carbenoid/nitrenoid; carbon monoxide
Mechanisms that lessen benefits of β-secretase reduction in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

The β-secretase enzyme BACE1 (β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1), which initiates amyloid-β (Aβ) production, is an excellent therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, recent evidence raises concern that BACE1-inhibiting approaches may encounter dramatic declines in their abilities to ameliorate AD-like pathology and memory deficits during disease progression. Here, we used BACE1 haploinsufficiency as a therapeutic relevant model to evaluate the efficacy of partial inhibition of this enzyme. Specifically, we crossed BACE1(+/-) mice with 5XFAD transgenic mice and investigated the mechanisms by which Aβ accumulation and related memory impairments become less sensitive to rescue by BACE1(+/-) reduction. Haploinsufficiency lowered BACE1 expression by ∼50% in 5XFAD mice regardless of age in concordance with reduction in gene copy number. However, profound Aβ plaque pathology and memory deficits concomitant with BACE1 equivalent to wild-type control levels remained in BACE1(+/-)·5XFAD mice with advanced age (15-18 months old). Therefore, BACE1 haploinsufficiency is not sufficient to block the elevation of BACE1 expression (approximately twofold), which is also reported to occur during human AD progression, in 5XFAD mice. Our investigation revealed that PERK (PKR-endoplasmic reticulum-related kinase)-dependent activation of eIF2α (eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2α) accounts for the persistent BACE1 upregulation in BACE1(+/-)·5XFAD mouse brains at 15-18 months of age. Moreover, BACE1 haploinsufficiency was also no longer able to prevent reduction in the expression of neprilysin, a crucial Aβ-degrading enzyme, in 5XFAD mice with advanced age. These findings demonstrate that partial BACE1 suppression cannot attenuate deleterious BACE1-elevating or neprilysin-reducing mechanisms, limiting its capabilities to reduce cerebral Aβ accumulation and rescue memory defects during the course of AD development.
Modeling of system reliability Petri nets with aging tokens

Abstract The paper addresses the dynamic modeling of degrading and repairable complex systems. Emphasis is placed on the convenience of modeling for the end user, with special attention being paid to the modeling part of a problem, which is considered to be decoupled from the choice of solution algorithms. Depending on the nature of the problem, these solution algorithms can include discrete event simulation or numerical solution of the differential equations that govern underlying stochastic processes. Such modularity allows a focus on the needs of system reliability modeling and tailoring of the modeling formalism accordingly. To this end, several salient features are chosen from the multitude of existing extensions of Petri nets, and a new concept of aging tokens (tokens with memory) is introduced. The resulting framework provides for flexible and transparent graphical modeling with excellent representational power that is particularly suited for system reliability modeling with non-exponentially distributed firing times. The new framework is compared with existing Petri-net approaches and other system reliability modeling techniques such as reliability block diagrams and fault trees. The relative differences are emphasized and illustrated with several examples, including modeling of load sharing, imperfect repair of pooled items, multiphase missions, and damage-tolerant maintenance. Finally, a simple implementation of the framework using discrete event simulation is described.