cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Microvascular Variations in Pre- and Posttreatment of Retinoblastoma Tumors.

Introduction The purpose of this study is to describe variations in microvasculature before and after treatment of treatment-naive lesions and during consolidation therapy of retinoblastoma lesions using an investigational portable optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) system. Methods This study is a single-center, prospective, observational case series. Recruited subjects were either undergoing surveillance for retinoblastoma or had newly detected retinoblastoma. Nine tumors from 7 eyes in 6 patients were included. During exams under anesthesia, the tumors were imaged with an investigational portable OCTA system. OCTA images were analyzed to assess vascular changes before and after treatment. Results In all 6 presented cases, OCTA imaging revealed distinctive vascular patterns, such as dilated feeder arteries and draining veins, disorganized and complex branching patterns, irregular vessel calibers, and dilation and tortuosity of vessels. After treatment, OCTA imaging revealed decreased intrinsic tumor vascularity and reduced dilation of draining and feeder vessels. Tumor relapse demonstrated prominent vascularity (n = 1) that resolved on repeat OCTA after transpupillary thermotherapy treatment. Type 2 (n = 1), 3 (n = 6), and 4 (n = 1) tumor regression patterns were seen in our patients after treatment, and OCTA findings were consistent with a previously published report. Interestingly, in one of the presented cases, OCTA demonstrated clear feeder, draining, and intrinsic tumor vessels that were not as evident on fluorescein angiography. Conclusions OCTA may offer a noninvasive and sensitive technique to evaluate the vasculature of both the tumor and the surrounding retina in retinoblastoma. With additional research and development into its use in patients with retinoblastoma, OCTA may one day be useful in assessing treatment response and residual tumor activity.
Viscoelastic Testing in Traumatic Brain Injury: Key Research Insights.

Abstract The role of viscoelastic testing in the evaluation and management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a subject of ongoing exploration. This review highlights four key publications that provide significant insights into this subject. Holcomb et al. provided early evidence of the relationship between thromboelastography (TEG) and conventional coagulation tests (CCTs). Later, Samuels et al. used TEG to identify a unique coagulopathy phenotype in TBI characterized by a notable absence of fibrinolytic abnormalities. Dixon et al. built upon these findings by exploring the application of TEG in the context of antifibrinolytic administration, noting a similar lack of effect on LY30. Finally, Guillotte et al. demonstrated the utility of TEG-PM in assessing platelet dysfunction in TBI. While these studies provide key early support for the utility of viscoelastic testing in the TBI, further exploration is needed to define evidence-based guidelines for clinical application.
Traumatic Injury in Athletics: Dialog with Collegiate Coaches

The purpose of this chapter is twofold (1) to provide some general information on the psychology of injury, specifically emphasizing the issue of fear of injury in athletes; and (2) to explore the collegiate coaches’ perspective regarding the causes and consequences of sport-related injuries including traumatic brain injuries. Several predisposing factors for development of fear of injury were identified, including gender, classification of injury in terms of its severity, and the number of previous injuries. These findings were shared with several collegiate coaches via personal interviews. Coaches’ perspective and views on injury are described including the discussions of various notions regarding the causes and consequences of injury, including traumatic brain injuries in collegiate athletics. Clearly, as evidenced by coaches’ responses, more education and knowledge about the causes, symptoms and long-term disabilities as a result of traumatic brain injury are needed to identify athletes at risk and to prevent brain injury in athletics.
Network security improvement with isolation implementation based on ISO-17799 standard

In these years, many researchers proposed the way -- to isolate the computers with sensitive information from outside attackers or unauthorized users. The Taiwan government has ruled the importance of network isolation in several policies, such as "The Handling Implementation Program of Information Security Emergency Incidents for government departments" and "The Responding Protocol of Notifying Information Security Events in Executive Yuan and its Departments." However, there are few materials available for implementing network isolation. In ISO-17799, there is no implementation guidance for practicing network isolation but auditing network physical isolation. This paper provides the implementation guidance of network isolation with some logical isolation techniques and management polices.
Conformational Changes in Aspartate Transcarbamylase: I. STUDIES OF LIGAND BINDING AND OF SUBUNIT INTERACTIONS BY CIRCULAR DICHROISM SPECTROSCOPY

Abstract In native aspartate transcarbamylase, the binding of carbamyl phosphate and succinate perturbs certain tyrosine residues which are not perturbed under the same conditions in the isolated catalytic subunit. These results, obtained using circular dichroism difference spectroscopy, suggest that the participation of tyrosyl residues in the allosteric transition relates to homotropic interactions between substrate binding sites. Association of isolated regulatory and catalytic subunits renders tyrosyl residues inaccessible to solvent, as judged by ultraviolet absorption difference spectra. Thus, since this association process regenerates cooperativity, both the introduction of conformational constraints by subunit association and the expression of allosteric interactions by ligand binding produce tyrosyl perturbations. It is concluded, therefore, that tyrosyl residues may be involved in the stereochemical mechanism of allosteric interactions in this enzyme. Circular dichroism features which are identical for ligand binding both with aspartate transcarbamylase and with the isolated catalytic subunit are carbamyl phosphate and succinate perturbations of tryptophanyl transitions. These tryptophanyl perturbations are, therefore, inherent features of ligand binding in the presence or absence of allosteric interactions and may result from the presence of tryptophan in the active site region.
Early origins of health disparities: material deprivation predicts maternal evening cortisol in pregnancy and offspring cortisol reactivity in the first few weeks of life.

Objectives Maternal hypothalamic pituitary adrenal-axis function regulates production of the stress hormone cortisol, which during pregnancy can cross the placenta and have lasting impacts on fetal growth and development. This article provides a preliminary test of the hypothesis that a woman's socioeconomic status (SES) predicts her cortisol during pregnancy and her offspring's cortisol during the early postnatal period among an ethnically diverse sample in Auckland, New Zealand to evaluate whether differences in cortisol contribute to the intergenerational inheritance of health disparities within this population. Methods Maternal saliva samples were collected at waking and prior to sleep on 2 days in late pregnancy (34–36 weeks gestation; N = 55), and a subset of offspring saliva was collected before (N = 48) and 20 min after a standard vaccination at 6 weeks of age (N = 19). SES was quantified using a locally validated index of material deprivation, the NZ Deprivation Index for individuals (NZiDep). Results We found that, after controlling for ethnicity and other covariates, women with higher NZiDep scores had significantly higher evening but similar morning cortisol, consistent with a pattern of chronic strain. Infants of women reporting greater material deprivation had elevated cortisol response to vaccination. Conclusions These findings suggest that maternal SES experience impacts maternal cortisol in pregnancy and offspring cortisol reactivity soon after birth, with potential long-term effects on offspring biology and health. Additional research is needed to clarify how biological and behavioral factors in both the prenatal and postnatal period facilitate this relationship. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:723–730, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Young Stellar Jets and Outflows in the Massive Star Forming Complex W5

W5 is an active region of star formation located at ∼ 1.9 kpc in the Perseus spiral arm within Cassiopeia. We have surveyed W5 in the optical (Hα, [S II], and i filters), and at 1.1 mm. Our surveys cover several square degrees. Several highly collimated stellar jets have been discovered, along with other interesting outflows and Herbig-Haro objects. We have obtained optical spectra with the ARC APO 3.5 m telescope at various position angles for several of these jets and outflows, revealing jet velocities of ∼ 200 km s − 1.
Cloud Computing: A Qualitative Study and Conceptual Model.

“Cloud computing” is the new buzz term in the IT industry. Many practitioners have already adopted the technology or are in the process of adopting it. Yet, there is no methodological research investigating the adoption process. This paper reviews articles and interviews published mostly in practitioner journals to develop a theoretical framework that help us to better understand the cloud computing phenomena. As such, the framework provides a stepping stone for future cloud computing studies.
The Role of the Hypothalamus in the Maintenance of Energy Balance and Peripheral Glucose Control

Body adiposity is a regulated parameter designed to maintain adequate energy stores. Body adiposity is regulated via hormonal signals that reflect energy balance that are termed adiposity signals. Both leptin and insulin appear to act as adiposity signals since plasma levels reflect energy balance status they cross the blood–brain barrier where they can interact with specific receptor populations in multiple areas of the central nervous system including the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Numerous neurochemical systems have been identified as being able to influence energy intake and/or energy expenditure and thereby could mediate the effects of adiposity signals to influence food intake and body weight. These neurochemical systems can be divided into two groups. One set are “anabolic” effectors that when activated result in increased food intake, decreased energy expenditure, and the accumulation of additional body fat. The other set are “catabolic” effectors that when activated result in decreased food intake, increased energy expenditure, and the loss of body fat. Current models of energy balance regulation posit that adiposity signals inhibit anabolic effectors while stimulating catabolic effectors such that deviations from neutral energy balance are alleviated. A variety of the specific neuropeptide systems that act as anabolic and catabolic effectors are discussed. Keywords: body weight; body fat; adipose; leptin; insulin; arcuate nucleus; neuropeptide Y; melanocortins; ghrelin; agouti-related protein
Sleep deprivation and cognitive testing in internal medicine house staff.

Abstract There is increased concern about the effects of sleep deprivation on physician performance. We administered four standard tests of cognitive function to 23 university hospital house staff. Each physician served as his or her own control, and the tests were administered at rest, after a night on call, and after a night of sleep for recovery. The study was designed so that normal learning would minimize any deterioration in the post-on-call test performance. Statistically significant deterioration occurred in 3 of the 4 tests after a night on call. Even physicians acclimated to sleep deprivation on a regular, every-third-or-fourth-night basis showed functional impairment. The results have implications for patient care under conditions where house staff are stressed by sleep deprivation and prolonged fatigue.
The canonical correlations of matrix pairs and their numerical computation

This paper is concerned with the analysis of canonical correlations of matrix pairs and their numerical computation. We first develop a decomposition theorem for matrix pairs having the same number of rows which explicitly exhibits the canonical correlations. We then present a perturbation analysis of the canonical correlations, which compares favorably with the classical first order perturbation analysis. Then we propose several numerical algorithms for computing the canonical correlations of general matrix pairs; emphasis is placed on the case of large sparse or structured matrices.
Modified subtotal‐Lothrop procedure for extended frontal sinus and anterior skull‐base access: a case series

Background The endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure (EMLP) is well established for resistant frontal sinus disease and anterior skull base (ASB) exposure. However, this technique may be unnecessarily aggressive by removing avoidable sinonasal structures in select cases. Previously, in a cadaveric study, we proposed a modification of the EMLP, termed the modified subtotal-Lothrop procedure (MSLP), to access the ASB and to address complex frontal sinus disease, for which access to the bilateral frontal sinus posterior table is required. This study provides a step-by-step description of this technique, and presents our experience in 5 patients who underwent this approach. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed at a tertiary referral center on all patients undergoing endoscopic ASB resection and complex frontal sinus surgeries between May 2011 and May 2013. Of 8 patients identified who underwent an MSLP, 5 had at least 1-year follow-up. Results All patients underwent successful ASB exposure via the MSLP without complications and preservation of one frontal sinus recess. Adequate access to the bilateral posterior frontal sinus table was achieved in all cases. A patent frontal sinus drainage pathway could be assessed endoscopically after a mean follow-up of 18.6 (range, 12–27) months. Conclusion The MSLP is a feasible approach for exposure of the ASB and accessing complex frontal sinus pathology. This modification provides adequate ASB exposure and surgical maneuverability similar to the EMLP, while preserving one frontal sinus recess. This modification was successful in providing adequate exposure and maneuverability as well as maintaining frontal sinus patency in this small cohort.
Medicare Part B Claims for Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation, 1998 to 2004

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to examine the volume and rate of Medicare Part B claims for chiropractic spinal manipulation longitudinally from 1998 to 2004. Methods A descriptive retrospective analysis was performed on Medicare part B claims from 1998 to 2004 using the Medicare Part B Standard Analytical Variable Length File . Using a 5% random sample of Medicare part B claims, the total number of claims were determined for chiropractic spinal manipulation procedures, and the rate of chiropractic spinal manipulation procedures per 1000 beneficiaries. Results From 1998 through 2003, the number of chiropractic spinal manipulation claims increased by 38% (from 824 249 total claims in 1998 to 1 133 872 in 2003) followed by a 24% decline from 2003 to 2004. The rate of total chiropractic spinal manipulation claims rose 29% from 649 claims per 1000 beneficiaries per year in 1998 to a high of 839 claims per 1000 beneficiaries per year in 2003 and then declined by 25% to 632 claims per 1000 beneficiaries per year in 2004. Conclusion Medicare Part B claims for chiropractic spinal manipulation increased significantly from 1998 to 2003 and then abruptly declined from 2003 to 2004. Estimates for 2004 are at variance with earlier published estimates.
“Diversity Writing” and the Liberal Discourse on Multiculturalism in Mainstream Newspapers

Competing visions of diversity and national identity come to the fore as news organizations try to redefine the service function of journalism in the face of current demographic trends. This discourse analysis of award-winning stories in the “diversity writing” category of the annual competition sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors identifies narrative strategies employed by journalists to mediate ethnic, class, and racial tensions in the United States. It is argued here that such narratives construct a liberal discourse of multiculturalism and reinforce a model of national integration that sanctions plurality in the sphere of private choice, while promoting a public culture defined by a set of values associated with European-American, middle-class experiences, but presented as an inclusive model of “Americanness.”
Quantum Gelfand-Levitan equations for the multicomponent nonlinear Schrödinger model with supermatrices

Abstract The quantum Gelfand-Levitan equations for the multicomponent nonlinear Schrodinger model with supermatrices are derived, and the commutation relations for scattering data operators which are needed for calculating Green functions and correlation functions are given.
Meningitis Due to Neisseria mucosa: Case Report and Review

Neisseria mucosa is a species of gram-negative cocci that has a characteristic mucoid, adherent colonial morphology and includes pigmented and nonpigmented morphotypes. The ability of N. mucosa to reduce nitrates distinguishes it from other Neisseria species. N. mucosa is part of the normal human nasopharyngeal flora and infrequently causes human infections, including meningitis. We report a unique case of a patient with a cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection due to N. mucosa and review five other reports of cases of meningitis caused by this organism. Seven additional previously reported cases of presumed N. mucosa meningitis have been excluded from this review on the basis of the current criteria for identification of the organism. In the reports of established cases, female infants and children who often had predisposing conditions predominate. Although the outcome for such patients has been favorable, no clinical or laboratory findings are helpful in distinguishing meningitis due to N. mucosa from that due to other bacteria.
Sorption of ferric iron from ferrioxamine B to synthetic and biogenic layer type manganese oxides

Siderophores are biogenic chelating agents produced in terrestrial and marine environments that increase the bioavailability of ferric iron. Recent work has suggested that both aqueous and solid-phase Mn(III) may affect siderophore-mediated iron transport, but scant information appears to be available about the potential roles of layer type manganese oxides, which are relatively abundant in soils and the oligotrophic marine water column. To probe the effects of layer type manganese oxides on the stability of aqueous Fe–siderophore complexes, we studied the sorption of ferrioxamine B [Fe(III)HDFOB+, an Fe(III) chelate of the trihydroxamate siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFOB)] to two synthetic birnessites [layer type Mn(III,IV) oxides] and a biogenic birnessite produced by Pseudomonas putida GB-1. We found that all of these predominantly Mn(IV) oxides greatly reduced the aqueous concentration of Fe(III)HDFOB+ at pH 8. Analysis of Fe K-edge EXAFS spectra indicated that a dominant fraction of Fe(III) associated with the Mn(IV) oxides is not complexed by DFOB as in solution, but instead Fe(III) is specifically adsorbed to the mineral structure at multiple sites, thus indicating that the Mn(IV) oxides displaced Fe(III) from the siderophore complex. These results indicate that layer type manganese oxides, including biogenic minerals, may sequester iron from soluble ferric complexes. We conclude that the sorption of iron–siderophore complexes may play a significant role in the bioavailability and biogeochemical cycling of iron in marine and terrestrial environments.
Procalcitonin and the role of biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of sepsis.

Abstract Sepsis and severe sepsis cause significant morbidity and mortality among populations worldwide; the rapid diagnosis poses a considerable challenge to physicians in acute care settings. An ideal biomarker should allow, with high diagnostic accuracy, for an early and rapid recognition of sepsis. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a recently rediscovered biomarker that fulfills many of these requirements, especially in comparison to “older” and commonly used biomarkers, and that has demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy for a variety of infections, including sepsis. While blood cultures are still considered the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of bacteremia and sepsis, and are perhaps one of the most important functions of the clinical microbiology laboratory, PCT provides important information in early stages of sepsis as well as during antimicrobial treatment. In fact, PCT can be useful for antimicrobial stewardship and its utilization may safely lead to significant reduction of unnecessary antimicrobial therapy. However, PCT is also less than a universal and perfect biomarker, as it can also be increased in noninfectious disease conditions. Laboratories and clinicians must appreciate the complexity of diagnostic algorithms for sepsis and understand the particular information that biomarkers, such as PCT, can offer. In that context, it is necessary to not only recognize the importance of critical clinical awareness and thorough physical patient examination, but also to understand traditional microbiological methods and the need for highly sensitive biomarker assays in order to facilitate an early diagnosis and goal-directed therapy in patients suspected of sepsis. This review is intended to provide additional information for clinicians and microbiologists to better understand the physiology and diagnostic utility of procalcitonin for sepsis and other infectious disease conditions.
Bioethics and the breakdown of the bicameral mind: Sacks and Luria revisited.

Since antiquity, individuals have attempted to relate mental processes to circumscribed areas of the brain. In 1935 the neurologist Wilder Penfield purported to know, “the humming of the mind's machinery, and where words come from,” after he electrically stimulated areas of the exposed human cortex. Recent theories have suggested a functional separation of the dominant and the nondominant hemispheres, the right brain/left brain concept of thought and personality. One author has even proposed that human consciousness and modern civilization developed when the bicameral mind broke down, and the left brain achieved mastery over the right nondominant temporal lobe. Compared to these mechanistic approaches to brain function and human personality, the Russian neurologist, Alesandr Romanovich Luria, and his American follower, Oliver Sacks, have developed a more intellectually satisfying and clinically useful approach which relies on a fuller understanding of the doctor-patient dialogue and the clinical tale. An analysis of Luria's writing about language reveals that mechanistic approaches to language are inadequate; a review of the work of several well-known poets confirms that knowing what a poem means involves more than a recital of its localized contents. Similarly, an examination of three of Sack's clinical tales suggests that even those patients who are grossly awry on a synaptic level can be understood on a personal level to be worthy of respect and even honor. “Man is to himself the most wonderful object in nature; for be cannot conceive what the body is, still less what the mind is, and least of all how a body should be united to a mind. This is the consummation of his difficulties, and yet it is his very being.” Blaise Pascal,, (11,72)
Micromechanics of plastic deformation and phase transformation in a three-phase TRIP-assisted advanced high strength steel: Experiments and modeling

Abstract The micromechanics of plastic deformation and phase transformation in a three-phase advanced high strength steel are analyzed both experimentally and by microstructure-based simulations. The steel examined is a three-phase (ferrite, martensite and retained austenite) quenched and partitioned sheet steel with a tensile strength of ~980 MPa. The macroscopic flow behavior and the volume fraction of martensite resulting from the austenite–martensite transformation during deformation were measured. In addition, micropillar compression specimens were extracted from the individual ferrite grains and the martensite particles, and using a flat-punch nanoindenter, stress–strain curves were obtained. Finite element simulations idealize the microstructure as a composite that contains ferrite, martensite and retained austenite. All three phases are discretely modeled using appropriate crystal plasticity based constitutive relations. Material parameters for ferrite and martensite are determined by fitting numerical predictions to the micropillar data. The constitutive relation for retained austenite takes into account contributions to the strain rate from the austenite–martensite transformation, as well as slip in both the untransformed austenite and product martensite. Parameters for the retained austenite are then determined by fitting the predicted flow stress and transformed austenite volume fraction in a 3D microstructure to experimental measurements. Simulations are used to probe the role of the retained austenite in controlling the strain hardening behavior as well as internal stress and strain distributions in the microstructure.
Smoking, Drugging and Drinking in Top Rated TV Series

An analysis of the top ten prime time fictional series from the 1979–80 television season indicates a near complete absence of smoking and illicit drug incidents. By contrast, the offering and cons...
PTSD and Substance Use Disorder Among Veterans: Characteristics, Service Utilization and Pharmacotherapy

Objective: While there has been considerable concern about veterans with dually diagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid substance use disorders, a national study of clinical characteristics, service utilization, and psychotropic medication use of such veterans in Veterans Affairs (VA) has yet to be conducted. We hypothesized that veterans having both PTSD and substance use disorder would have lower socioeconomic status, greater medical and psychiatric comorbidity, higher medical service utilization, and more psychotropic pharmacotherapy fills. Methods: National VA data from fiscal year 2012 were used to compare veterans with dually diagnosed PTSD and substance use disorder to veterans with PTSD without substance use disorder on sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric and medical comorbidities, mental health and medical service utilization, and psychotropic pharmacotherapy. Comparisons were based on bivariate and Poisson regression analyses. Results: The sample included all 638,45...
Does ethical relativism destroy morality

Refutation de la these defendue par W. T. Stace et B. Blanshard qui accusent le relativisme ethique de detruire la moralite.
Strain rate change transients during cyclic deformation of copper

In the present study, the authors have undertaken to apply the strain rate change method to mechanically probe the mechanisms of cyclic deformation in copper. The goals of this work were twofold: to carefully explore differences in results obtained under conventional displacement control with those recorded under plastic strain control and to apply the formalism for monotonic deformation described above to cyclic deformation. To achieve these goals, it has been necessary to utilize computed-variable servo-hydraulic control to develop a new test technique incorporating strain rate change tests performed during low cycle fatigue. Plastic strain is used as the control variable to ensure a constant plastic strain rate between pre-determined plastic strain limits.
The Two-Semester Thesis Model: Emphasizing Research in Undergraduate Technical Communication Curricula:

This article addresses previous arguments that call for increased emphasis on research in technical communication programs. Focusing on the value of scholarly-based research at the undergraduate level, we present New Mexico Tech's thesis model as an example of helping students develop familiarity with research skills and methods. This two-semester sequence serves as a capstone experience for students' writing, designing, editing, and presentation skills. It also involves members of our corporate advisory board and provides an opportunity to teach students to understand and apply research methods to unique projects, skills we argue will benefit students no matter what environments they enter upon graduation.
Image processing on the massively parallel processor

A review of the massively parallel processor (MPP) is provided. The MPP, a single instruction, multiple data parallel computer with 16K processors being built for NASA by Goodyear Aerospace, can perform over six billion eight-bit adds and 1.8 billion eight-bit multiplies per second. Its SIMD architecture and immense computing power promise to make the MPP an extremely useful and exciting new tool for all types of pattern recognition and image processing applications. The SIMD parallelism can be used to directly calculate 16K statistical pattern recognition results simultaneously. Moreover, the 16K processors can be configured into a two-dimensional array to efficiently extract features from a 128x128 subimage in parallel. The parallel search capability of SIMD architectures can be used to search recognition and production rules in parallel, thus eliminating the need to sort them. This feature is particularly important if the rules are dynamically changing. Finally, the MPP's computing power and extreme flexibility will allow the development of new techniques for scene analysis - realtime scene analysis, for example, in which the sensor can interact with the scene as needed.
Transitions in Wetting Behavior Between Liquid Ag–CuO Alloys and Al2O3Substrates

The study reported here examines wetting between Al2O3 and a series of Ag–CuO air braze filler metals. Based on in-situ contact angle measurements, two transitions in wetting behavior were identified in the composition range of 0–40 mol% CuO. The first transition occurs directly at the miscibility gap boundary composition (for a given temperature) of the Ag–CuO phase diagram and is attributable to the presence of two liquid phases, one of which is rich in copper oxide and preferentially wets the alumina substrate via the mechanism predicted by Cahn's critical point wetting theory. The second transition occurs at a filler metal composition that falls well within the miscibility gap for the Ag–CuO system and may occur due to the formation of a reaction product between the substrate and the molten filler metal, as denoted by small, discontinuous reaction regions.
Recovery Speed of Axial Flow Gas Blast Interrupter: Dependence on Pressure and dI/dt for Air anf SF6

The dependence of the recovery speed on the pressure and on dI/dt was obtained, for both air and SF6, in a model interrupter of axial flow type employing a Laval nozzle. The measurements were carried out for pressures extending from 100-600 psi (6.8-41 atm) and for dI/dt values ranging from 5-30 A/?s. For both gases the recovery speed was found to increase with pressure, varying as the first power for air and as the 1.4 power for SF6. A stronger than expected dependence on dI/dt was also found for both air and SF6, the recovery speed varying inversely as the square in each case.
Comparison of analgesic effect of locally and systemically administered ketorolac in mastectomy patients

Background: Ketorolac is a parenteral nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID). Two features have limited its clinical utility: tendency to elicit kidney failure and inability to produce complete analgesia. Because most NSAIDs are weak acids (pKa 3–5) and become concentrated in acidic tissues, such as injured and inflamed tissues, we hypothesized that local administration may enhance its analgesic efficacy while lowering the potential for systemic complications.
Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio

For decades now, scholars and politicians alike have argued that the concentration of poverty in city housing projects would produce distrust, alienation, apathy, and social isolation - the disappearance of what sociologists call social capital. But relatively few have examined precisely how such poverty affects social capital or have considered for what reasons living in a poor neighborhood results in such undesirable effects. This book examines a neglected Puerto Rican enclave in Boston to consider the pros and cons of social scientific thinking about the true nature of ghettos in America. Mario Luis Small dismantles the theory that poor urban neighborhoods are inevitably deprived of social capital. He shows that the conditions specified in this theory are vaguely defined and variable among poor communities. According to Small, structural conditions such as unemployment or a failed system of familial relations must be acknowledged as affecting the urban poor, but individual motivations and the importance of timing must be considered as well. Brimming with fresh theoretical insights, Villa Victoria is an elegant work of sociology that will be essential to students of urban poverty.
Adaptive cancellation of stationary interference in the presence of structured nonstationary interference

Adaptive linear cancellation of interference is a key technique for enhancing the performance of many current and planned radar and wireless communication systems. Present methods of cancellation have limited capability when the interference is strongly nonstationary. A maximum likelihood-based cancellation procedure is given for Gaussian interference with a partially known nonstationary covariance component. This procedure is designed for adaptive cancellation implemented by a systolic cascaded array and performs well in computer Monte Carlo experiments.
Progress in Developing Constitutive Equations for Inelastic Design Analysis

A summary is given of the constitutive equations that have been developed for use in design assessments of elevated temperature components of liquid metal fast breeder reactors. The discussion addresses representations of short-term (plastic) and long-term (creep) inelastic material responses. Attention is given to improved representations of the interactions between plastic and creep deformations. Most of the discussion is in terms of constitutive equations that make use of the concept of separating the total strain into elastic, plastic, and creep portions. Additionally, some discussion is given of progress being made toward establishing design equations based on unified measures of inelastic strain that do not distinguish different strain portions.
An analysis of experimental buying behavior

Consumer innovators have been studied in depth by marketing analysts; however, these early buyers may not be a homogenous group with respect to purchase patterns. This research indicates that some early buyers are experimenters and that they can be distinguished from adopters of certain procery products in terms of shopping strategies, shopping awareness, and demand for product newness.
Characteristics of A-150 Plastic Equivalent Gas in A-150 Plastic Ionization Chambers for (p-66 - Be-49) Neutrons

The evaluation of a gas mixture having an atomic composition similar to that of A-150 tissue-equivalent (TE) plastic has been extended to a high-energy neutron therapy beam. "A-150" gas, air, and methane-based TE gas were each flowed through A-150 plastic-walled ion chambers of different sizes and irradiated with p(66)Be(49) neutrons. A tentative value for W(A-150) of 27.3 +/- 0.5 JC-1 was derived for this beam. The W value of the A-150 gas mixture is compared to those of methane-based TE gas and of air for the p(66)Be(49) neutron beam as well as to corresponding values found in similar experiments using 14.8-MeV monoenergetic neutrons.
The black audience and the BET channel

This study investigated the black audience's viewership of and satisfaction with black‐oriented programs on the Black Entertainment Television channel. Demographics and racial‐orientation factors were hypothesized to predict BET program satisfaction. The results show that the younger and high racially oriented respondents tended to be heavier viewers of and more satisfied with the BET programs than black‐oriented programming on major network channels.
A Conserved WD40 Protein Binds the Cajal Body Localization Signal of scaRNP Particles

Small Cajal body (CB)-specific RNPs (scaRNPs) function in posttranscriptional modification of small nuclear (sn)RNAs. An RNA element, the CAB box, facilitates CB localization of H/ACA scaRNPs. Using a related element in Drosophila C/D scaRNAs, we purified a fly WD40 repeat protein that UV crosslinks to RNA in a C/D CAB box-dependent manner and associates with C/D and mixed domain C/D-H/ACA scaRNAs. Its human homolog, WDR79, associates with C/D, H/ACA, and mixed domain scaRNAs, as well as with telomerase RNA. WDR79's binding to human H/ACA and mixed domain scaRNAs is CAB box dependent, and its association with mixed domain RNAs also requires the ACA motif, arguing for additional interactions of WDR79 with H/ACA core proteins. We demonstrate a requirement for WDR79 binding in the CB localization of a scaRNA. This and other recent reports establish WDR79 as a central player in the localization and processing of nuclear RNPs.
Simulated acidic fog injures lettuce

Abstract Potted head lettuce, exposed to simulated acidic fog of pH 1.3 to 2.5 under controlled glasshouse conditions developed necrotic lesions on exposed leaves. Injury increased with acidity.
IN VIVO INCORPORATION OF l‐[14C]SERINE INTO PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND PROTEINS OF THE SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS OF DEVELOPING RAT BRAIN*

SUMMARY A study was conducted on the in vivo incorporation of l-[14C]-serine into the lipids and proteins of the various subcellular fractions of the developing rat brain before and during the stage of active myelination. The total radioactivity in the various fractions at 12 days of age was higher than that at 3 days, while the radioactive specific activity was reversed. The specific activities of the proteins and lipids were higher at 3 days of age with the exception of the subcellular fraction containing myelin. At both ages the lipids of the various cellular fractions had similar specific activities, a finding that suggests a common source for lipid biosynthesis. Incorporation of radioactivity into the various phospholipids was in the following order: phosphatidyl serine > phosphatidyl ethanolamine > phosphatidal serine > sphingomyelin and phosphatidyl choline. Of all the phospholipids, the plasmalogens increased most in total radioactivity during the period when meylination was most active. Serine-containing phospholipids appear to be most tightly bound to proteins. The brain mitochrondrial fraction contained most of the phosphatidyl serine decarboxylase activity with some activity in the nuclei. Biosynthesis of phosphatdyil ethanolamine through decarboxylation of phosphatidyl serine could take place in rat brain. Four unidentified radioactive metabolites were found in the acid-soluble fraction in addition to l-[14C]serine.
Assessment of trophic-level responses and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) production following nutrient treatment (1981–1986) of Bear Lake, Alaska

Abstract Bear Lake, located on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, was treated with nutrients (mainly nitrogen) during 1981–1986 to increase coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolt production through stimulating zooplankton, a known food source for juvenile coho salmon in Bear Lake. Nutrient additions increased seasonal mean total nitrogen concentrations by 145% and more than doubled the ratio of inorganic nitrogen to total phosphorus. Consistently higher seasonal mean chlorophyll a concentrations were not detected, but a significant increase in zooplankton density was detected during the period when juvenile coho salmon were absent (June–July), but not when juveniles were present (August–October) in the limnetic area of the lake. After treatment, a 25% average increase in the efficiency of Bear Lake to produce coho salmon smolt biomass was observed, and the composition of fingerlings that migrated as age-1 smolts increased by 30%. I believe the finding of no significant change in zooplankton density after nutrient treatment during August–October was due to expanded predation by juvenile coho salmon. From results of this nutrient enrichment experiment, it is clear that for a full understanding of trophic efficiency, further research is needed to integrate trophic-level dynamics with energy flow.
Diffusion-Limited Interfacial Electron Transfer with Large Apparent Driving Forces

The Re(I) coordination compounds fac-Re(deeb)(CO)3(X), where deeb is 4,4‘-(COOEt)2-2,2‘-bipyridine and X is I-, Br-, Cl-, or CN-, and [fac-Re(deeb)(CO)3(py)](OTf), where OTf- is triflate anion and py is pyridine, have been prepared, characterized, and anchored to nanocrystalline (anatase) TiO2. In regenerative solar cells with 0.5 M LiI−0.005 M I2 acetonitrile electrolyte, the Re(I) compounds convert absorbed photons into electrons efficiently. The rate of interfacial charge separation could not be time resolved, kcr > 108 s-1. Thermodynamically favorable recombination of the injected electron in TiO2 with the oxidized sensitizer requires milliseconds for completion. Charge recombination kinetics have been quantified on a 10-7-s and longer time scale and are insensitive to the Re sensitizer employed. The charge recombination kinetics have been contrasted with other sensitized TiO2 materials and are insensitive to an ∼960-mV change in apparent driving force. The results suggest that charge recombination is...
Asset Bubbles, Debt Deflation, and Global Imbalances

The article investigates the primary imbalances in our global economy, which have brought us to the brink of depression. Putting the emphasis on structural changes in our credit system following it...
Strategic Choices: Examining the United States Military Response to the Chinese Anti-Satellite Test

The Chinese ASAT test resulted in a kill to a derelict satellite and the production of a debris field that now threatens other satellites in low earth orbit. More importantly, this event crossed a potentially dangerous threshold in the “weaponization” of space. Space assets are now perceived as more vulnerable than ever to direct attack or from accidental damage from orbital debris. This article focuses on the U.S. military response to the Chinese ASAT test. The U.S. military has three basic perspectives from which to react to ths test. First, it can prepare to act offensively to eliminate threats. Secondly, it can choose to develop and field defensive systems. Finally, it can engage in space security cooperation to protect U.S. and international space-based assets and defuse an arms race. The direction the U.S. military takes will ultimately be a function of larger U.S. government policy and national security decisions. On the eve of the election of a new U.S. administration, we find ourselves at a strat...
Influences of sex hormones on the loud and soft warbles of male budgerigars

Abstract Does a male's performance of loud and soft warble and his possession of active testes result coincidentally from the vocal stimulation by others in the flock or does one of these resultant features influence the occurrence of the other? This study investigates the influences of sex hormones upon the performance of loud and soft warble and the extent to which the vocal behaviour of other males may influence the vocal behaviour of males possessing different internal (hormonal) states. Each male's vocal behaviour was recorded while he was deprived of social vocal stimuli both before and during hormonal treatments. During treatments, the vocal behaviour of each male also was recorded while he could hear a taped 2-hour concert of loud warble performed by other males. Intact males were injected with either pregnant mare's serum (PMS), testosterone or placebo solutions. Oestradiol cypionate or PMS was administered to castrated males. The data show that (1) a male's threshold for performing loud warble with or without social vocal stimulation and his threshold for performing soft warble without social vocal stimulation are significantly lowered by androgens but are not solely influenced by gonadotropins. (2) Hearing the loud warble of other males seems to stimulate a male's performance of loud warble, but it does not seem to influence his performance of soft warble. (3) Two factors, androgens and the loud warble of other individuals, increase a male's tendency to perform loud warble; and these factors may complement each other in their action(s). (4) In the absence of social vocal stimulation, injections of oestradiol stimulate the performance of loud warble. However, oestradiol does not seem to provoke any definitive pattern of loud warble in response to the loud warble of other males. The status of loud and soft warbles as male sexual behaviours is briefly discussed.
Proapoptotic and survival signaling pathways plays a role in thrombospondin type I repeat mediated apoptosis in human microvascular endothelial cells

Abstract Introduction: 3 TSR/hTSP-1, a fragment of human thrombospondin is important in physiological and pathological angiogenesis. We investigated the molecular mechanisms for 3TSR/hTSP-1 mediated apoptosis in microvascular endothelial cells. Methods: Human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC, passages 6/7) were treated with recombinant 3TSR/hTSP-1, and camptothecin for 24 hours.Ten thousand cells were assayed with FACS (Becton Dickinson, FACS Calibur) and Cell Quest software. Caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase 3 activities in cell lysates were assayed (BD ApoAlert™ Caspase Fluorescent and Colorimetric Assay, BD Biosciences). Detection of cytochrome c release into the cytosolic cell fraction was performed using MBL cytochrome c kit. Activation of Akt was assayed by Western blot with phosphorylation specific Akt antibody (Cell Signaling Technolgy). Results: 3TSR/hTSP-1 induced up to 42% apoptosis at the concentration of 5 mM compared to 10% apoptosis seen in controls. 3TSR/hTSP-1 resulted in activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 which triggered the caspase cascade, resulting in activation of apoptosis executioner caspase-3 and apoptosis. 3TSR/hTSP-1 (2 mM) still demonstrated a potent apoptosis-inducing effect even in the presence of high concentrations of VEGF (50 ng/ml). 3TSR/hTSP-1 reduced endogenous Akt activity significantly, and partially attenuated the phosphorylation of AKT473 and cFLIP(L) expression stimulated by VEGF, which suggests modulation of cell survival through modulation of PI3kinase/Akt signaling. Conclusions: Extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways play an independent role in 3TSR/hTSP-1-mediated apoptosis in endothelial cells. Akt signaling is also involved in the regulation of 3TSR/hTSP-1-mediated apoptosis in microvascular endothelial cells cultured in low serum or stimulated by VEGF.
A supercongruence conjecture of Rodriguez-Villegas for a certain truncated hypergeometric function

Fernando Rodriguez-Villegas has been studying hypergeometric families of Calabi–Yau manifolds, and from his investigations he has found (numerically) many possible supercongruences. For example, he conjectures for every odd prime p that Image Here, we use the theory of Gaussian hypergeometric series, the properties of the p-adic Γ-function, and a strange combinatorial identity to prove this conjecture.