cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peripheral Blood “Endothelial Progenitor Cells” Are Derived From Monocyte/Macrophages and Secrete Angiogenic Growth Factors

Background— Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been isolated from peripheral blood and can enhance angiogenesis after infusion into host animals. It is not known whether the proangiogenic effects are a result of such events as endothelial differentiation and subsequent proliferation of EPCs or secondary to secretion of angiogenic growth factors. Methods and Results— Human EPCs were isolated as previously described, and their phenotypes were confirmed by uptake of acetylated LDL and binding of ulex-lectin. EPC proliferation and surface marker expression were analyzed by flow cytometry, and conditioned medium was assayed for growth factors. The majority of EPCs expressed monocyte/macrophage markers such as CD14 (95.7±0.3%), Mac-1 (57.6±13.5%), and CD11c (90.8±4.9%). A much lower percentage of cells expressed the specific endothelial marker VE-cadherin (5.2±0.7%) or stem/progenitor-cell markers AC133 (0.16±0.05%) and c-kit (1.3±0.7%). Compared with circulating monocytes, cultured EPCs showed upregulati...
A fatty-acid synthesis mechanism specialized for parasitism

Most cells use either a type I or type II synthase to make fatty acids. Trypanosoma brucei, the sleeping sickness parasite, provides the first example of a third mechanism for this process. Trypanosomes use microsomal elongases to synthesize fatty acids de novo, whereas other cells use elongases to make long-chain fatty acids even longer. The modular nature of the pathway allows synthesis of different fatty-acid end products, which have important roles in trypanosome biology. Indeed, this newly discovered mechanism seems ideally suited for the parasitic lifestyle.
Fabrication and Hot Switching Behavior of Electroplated Gallium Spheres for MEMS

Liquid metal microscale switches, often using mercury, are sometimes used in place of solid-solid contact switches because of the ability to minimize damage from switching and the ability to make good contacts for electrical and thermal conductivity. However, mercury has potential health and safety problems, and is difficult to use at high frequency (kHz) operation due to poor adhesion between the liquid-solid contacts. One alternative to the mechanical and chemical problems of a liquid mercury switch is using soft metals, such as gallium or tin, as a solid metal sphere for switches that can melt at moderate temperatures. Ga micro-spheres for switching operations were deposited on a substrate consisting of photolithographically patterned W films on SiO2 and Si substrates by electroplating, and the applicability for use in a microscale switch was investigated by characterizing the macro structure, hardness, and electrical performance during switching. The resistivity of the electroplated Ga droplets was similar to the theoretical value for pure Ga, and suggests that the electrodeposited Ga will be suitable for a solid MEMS switch. The hardness of the Ga sphere was 5.7 MPa. This suggests a maximum of ∼40 micron-Newton can be applied to each 50 micron-meter radius Ga contact in the current configuration for switching applications. When the Ga spheres were investigated for electrical performance during hot switching, the resistance increased over six switching cycles, but the original lower resistivity was recovered after a 393 K thermal reflow process.
Multiple glomus tumors presenting as an aesthetic abnormality.

Glomus tumors are benign soft-tissue neoplasms. Commonly found in the digits, glomus tumors can rarely arise in extradigital locations and may result in misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis. Plastic surgeons should therefore include glomus tumors in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with painful, red- or blue-colored extradigital lesions. The authors present a rare case of extradigital glomangioma tumors of the right and left thigh in a 35-year-old woman. This case report describes an atypical presentation of multiple glomus tumors and reviews diagnostic and treatment modalities. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Developing inclusive outreach activities for students with visual impairments

Despite advances in assistive technology, relatively few visually impaired students participate in university-level computing courses. Significant factors in this under representation include lack of relevant precollege preparation, lack of role models, access to resources, and the highly visual nature of modern computing. This paper describes the development of inclusive activities and materials for use in a summer workshop for precollege students with visual impairments. All activities utilized commercial technologies in the areas of robotics and programming using Lego Mindstorms NXT. The workshop activities are designed to provide a foundation in computing that encourages students to pursue computing in high school and beyond. In addition to activity design, initial results and lessons learned from the summer workshop will be presented.
Buccal mucosa graft for laryngotracheal reconstruction in severe laryngeal stenosis

Abstract Objective An operative technique is described as a salvage treatment for severe subglottic and supraglottic laryngeal stenosis. In addition to expansion of the laryngeal framework with an anterior cartilage graft, as used in a classical laryngotracheal reconstruction, the scar tissue obliterating the airway lumen is excised and a mucosal graft is placed to reconstruct the inner lining of the airway. The graft is harvested from buccal mucosa. Methods The operative technique is outlined. Three cases, 2 paediatric and one adult, with complete or near complete laryngeal stenosis are presented where this operative technique was employed. In all patients several surgeries had been performed previously which were unsuccessful. Results In all 3 patients a patent airway was achieved with decannulation of the tracheostomy in the 2 paediatric patients. Conclusions In patients with severe subglottic or supraglottic airway stenosis where other surgeries have failed, excision of endoluminal scar tissue and placement of a buccal mucosal graft, in addition to conventional laryngotracheal reconstruction, is a promising technique. In revision cases of subglottic stenosis cricotracheal resection might not be an option because of scarring from previous surgeries. This operation is an alternative, which allows an increase in the airway lumen by excising the scar tissue then re-lining the exposed internal lumen. The buccal mucosa reduces granulation formation and re-stenosis.
Prevalence and risk factors for oncogenic human papillomavirus infections in high-risk mid-adult women.

BACKGROUND The epidemiology of high-risk (hr) human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in mid-adult women with new sex partners is undefined. METHODS We analyzed baseline data from 518 25- to 65-year-old women online daters. Women were mailed questionnaires and kits for self-collecting vaginal specimens for polymerase chain reaction-based hrHPV testing. Risk factors for infection were identified using Poisson regression models to obtain prevalence ratios (PRs). RESULTS The prevalence of hrHPV infection was 35.9%. In multivariate analysis restricted to sexually active women, the likelihood of hrHPV infection was associated with abnormal Papanicolaou test history (PR = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-1.84), lifetime number of sex partners >14 (compared with 1-4; PR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.13-4.02 for 15-24 partners; and PR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.00-3.64 for ≥25 partners), male partners with ≥1 concurrent partnership (PR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.05-1.71), and male partners whom the subject met online (PR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.08-1.79). Age was inversely associated with infection only in women who were sexually inactive (PR = 0.67 per 5-year age difference, adjusted for Papanicolaou history and lifetime number of partners). Compared with sexually inactive women, the likelihood of infection increased with increasing risk level (from low-risk to hr partners; P < 0.0001 by trend test). In multivariate analysis, infection with multiple versus single hrHPV types was inversely associated with ever having been pregnant (PR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.46-0.90) and recent consistent condom use (PR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32-0.97), and positively associated with genital wart history (PR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.03-1.99). CONCLUSIONS Measures of both cumulative and recent sexual history were associated with prevalent hrHPV infection in this hr cohort of mid-adult women.
Alternative Grafts in Anterior Cervical Fusion.

Abstract Objective The present retrospective study was conducted to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes in patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF) using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) cages, or allograft. Methods We retrospectively reviewed cases of ACDF using allograft in 20 patients, and CFRP in 19 who had sequential radiographs before and after surgery, and at 1 year. Results There were no apparent significant differences between the 2 groups in age ( p =0.057), gender ( p =0.635), or complications ( p =0.648). At 12 months, there were no cases of construct failure, and fusion appeared to have been achieved in patients of both groups. Lordosis was increased significantly in both groups after surgery ( p p =0.025 in CFRP), and was maintained up until 1 year ( p p =0.05 in CFRP) without a difference between groups ( p =0.721). Anterior interbody height was significantly increased ( p p >0.21). This increase in height was greatest in magnitude immediately after surgery, and declined with the passage of time. There was no detectable health-related quality of life difference between allograft and CFRP group after surgery ( p >0.05). Conclusion The present study demonstrates that CFRP cages appear to have comparable fusion rates, restoration of lordosis and disc space height, and complication rates to patients who undergo ACDF with allograft.
Evaluation of thermal denuder and catalytic stripper methods for solid particle measurements

The objective of this study was to compare two methods that are used to separate the solid and volatile components of an aerosol: the thermal denuder (TD) and catalytic stripper (CS). We challenged the TD and CS with atmospheric and laboratory generated aerosols. Laboratory generated particles were composed of tetracosane, tetracosane and sulfuric acid, and dioctyl sebacate and sulfuric acid. These compositions were chosen because they roughly simulate the composition of nanoparticles found in Diesel exhaust. The TD method produced semi-volatile particle artifacts due to the incomplete removal of evaporated compounds that nucleated and formed particles and solid particle artifacts that formed during treatment of the aerosol by the TD. Our results suggest that the differences in these methods will lead to different conclusions regarding the presence or absence, size, and concentration of solid particles in Diesel exhaust.
Elastic properties of polycrystalline TiB2, ZrB2 and HfB2 from room temperature to 1300 °K☆

Abstract The Young's, shear, and bulk moduli of polycrystalline TiB2, ZrB2, and HfB2 were determined from 298 ° to 1300 °K by the sonic resonance technique. All three of these moduli decreased by about 9% over the temperature range considered. The Young's and shear moduli were fitted to Wachtman's empirical equation. The theoretical Soga-Anderson equation was applied to the bulk modulus-temperature data and found to fit the data within 1% despite the variation of the Soga-Anderson constant, δ, with temperature. The Gruneisen constant, γ, was found to remain invariant with temperature while the Poisson's ratio increased with increasing temperature. Debye temperatures were computed from the measured Young's and shear moduli.
Determination of Acetaminophen and Phenacetin in Porcine Microsomal Samples

A simple, quick, and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of phenacetin and acetaminophen in porcine hepatic microsome samples is described. Chromatography was performed...
Color-based features for registering image time series

Change detection is a important problem which plays a crucial role in many applications like environmental monitoring and city planning. The goal of change detection is to detects changes in specific features within certain time intervals. In this paper, we develop an automated method for detecting changes in urban areas over a period of time using lines and colors as features. Our proposed algorithm consists of two steps. In the first step, we detect corresponding lines between two images taken over different periods of time and we match them using our search algorithm. To be specific, first we use the Hough transform to detect lines. In the second step, we use colors to detect the changes over static and dyanmic objects. In a test of the method using aerial images over the our university campus area, we obtained reasonably good pose recovery and detection of scene changes.
Superconductivity of Nb/Cu superlattices

Abstract The superconducting transition temperature T c of Nb/Cu superlattices has been investigated as a function of layer thickness. The dependence of T c above 300 A layer thickness agrees well with proximity effect theory with no adjustable parameters. Below 300 A, the data in conjunction with current proximity theory shows that T c of Nb decreases with layer thickness. This is interpreted as changes in the electronic density of states due to a decrease in the mean-free path.
Nonlinear interaction of a relativistic electron beam with electromagnetic waves

Abstract The self-consistent nonlinear interaction of an electron beam with electromagnetic waves is described with a Lagrangian action, specialized for a free-electron laser with an electromagnetic wiggler. The approximations and the averaging over the wiggler period are made on the action, thereby preserving the Hamiltonian structure of the equations.
Artificial Neural Networks in Pharmaceutical Research, Drug Delivery and Pharmacy Curriculum

The purpose of this work was to review the applications of ANN, Artificial Neural Networks, in the pharmaceutical research, drug delivery systems, and pharmacy curriculum. With the advent of the computers and their applications in biosciences, significant changes are under way in the research processes and it is crucial for the research laboratories and pharmacy schools to be aware of the benefits of bioinformatics methods such as ANNs. Literature survey was conducted to assess the scope of applications of ANNs in the pharmaceutical research and the ability of ANNs to provide new areas of professional opportunities to the Pharmacy students. Our literature survey results indicated that ANNs can be very useful in many aspects of pharmaceutical research including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics modeling, optimization of dosage and drug delivery systems. ANNs can be taught as a part of the PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) curriculum to equip the students for quick and effective formulation design and optimization of pharmaceutical doses. In this work, we have successfully summarized the applications of ANNs in pharmaceutical research and found that ANNs play an increasingly important role in pharmaceutical research and education.
Sparing effect of A-methopterin and guanazolo in mice infected with virus of lymphocytic choriomeningitis.

Abstract An antifolic, a-methopterin, and an antipyrimidine, guanazolo, prolonged or spared the lives of certain mice infected with doses of LCM virus that were uniformly fatal to untreated mice. A-methopterin was more effective than guanazolo, and both were more potent in (C × DBA)F 1 than in Swiss mice under the conditions of these experiments. Infection was not eradicated by the drugs as used, and surviving mice had prolonged periods of viremia. Those tested were found to develop specific immunity.
Refining a Fortunato Amontillado

In his brief explication of Edgar Allan Poe's “The Cask of Amontillado,” Bruce Kirkham references Poe's “delight in allusions and word play” and then suggests that “[o]f all the names in the tale, ...
Integrated Bus Information System: Vehicle Procurement Resource for Transit

West Virginia University, under contract to the Federal Transit Administration, has developed two tools to evaluate the pollutant emissions, green-house gases, and fuel economy of transit buses: a searchable database of transit vehicle emission data and a transit fleet emission inventory model. These tools, complemented by a transit vehicle life-cycle cost model developed by West Virginia University, Battelle, and Transit Resource Center for the Transportation Research Board, provide an interactive, approachable, and reliable method for users, primarily transit agencies, to evaluate overall fleet emissions and fuel consumption for optimization of fleet configuration and operation. These tools will be made available through an online website called the Integrated Bus Information System (IBIS). This paper describes development of the transit fleet inventory model and comparison with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) MOBILE6 and MOVES (motor vehicle emission simulator) emission inventory models....
Thinking Creatively About Religion: Belief‐Related Differences

Writers (Chisholm, 1996) and theorists (Fateux, 1995a, 1995b) have discussed the relationship between religion and creativity, however, until the present, empirical studies examining this relationship have not been done. The current study used a psychometric approach to investigate the relationships among religiosity, religious motivation and creative thought about religious issues for two different religious groups. Results showed few relationships between self-perceived religiosity, religious motivation and religious creative thought. A comparison between two religious populations showed that the Mormon group scored higher in religiosity and religious motivation, but lower in creativity than the non-Mormon group. Future studies need to expand this type of work to other religious groups, and focus more on gender and age-related differences related to religious creativity.
The Design of a Computer Graphics Training Program

Competence, productivity, and trainee confidence are the major goals of an in-house computer graphics training program for company-specific applications.
1H and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance studies of spermine binding to the Z-DNA form of d(m5CGm5CGm5CG)2. Evidence for decreased spermine mobility.

Abstract The binding of spermine to the d(m 5 CGm 5 CGm 5 CG) duplex has been studied by proton and phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance techniques in order to investigate the mobility and nature of spermine bound to the resulting Z -DNA complex. A characterization of the B to Z transition as a function of increasing spermine concentration demonstrated doubling of the non-exchangeable proton and the phosphorus peaks at a ratio of about 1:1 (spermine/duplex) and a re-simplification of the spectrum at 2:1 (spermine/duplex) where about 90% or the DNA was fully converted into the Z -form. However, some of the Z -DNA proton chemical shifts differed between the 1:1 and 2:1 titration points. Since these differences involved primarily the exchangeable terminal imino and amino protons, they could result from end effects. Discrepancies were generally not observed with the non-terminal proton shifts nor with the phosphorus shifts. These proton and phosphorus chemical shift changes are fully consistent with a, B to Z transition. Complexed spermine peaks appear about 0.1 parts per million upfield from the uncomplexed form. The spermine and both the B and Z -DNA hexamer signals are noticeably broadened at the 1:1 ratio but the remaining signals re-sharpen at the 2:1 ratio. Both one-dimensional and two-dimensional studies revealed negative nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) contacts between each spermine proton. Therefore, spermine has a longer correlation time than that observed for unbounded spermine. These results are contrasted with the positive NOE contacts observed for the B -DNA-spermine complexes reported by Wemmer et al. using the dodecamer d(CGCGAATTCGCG) 2 and reported here using the hexamer d(ATGCAT) 2 . While the mobility of spermine in the Z -DNA complex is significantly less than that of the B -DNA complex, no clear evidence of intermolecular spermine-DNA proton NOE contacts is observed.
Between-game rule learning in dissimilar symmetric normal-form games

Abstract Rule learning posits that decision makers, rather than choosing over actions, choose over behavioral rules with different levels of sophistication. Rules are reinforced over time based on their historically observed payoffs in a given game. Past works on rule learning have shown that when playing a single game over a number of rounds, players can learn to form sophisticated beliefs about others. Here we are interested in learning that occurs between games where the set of actions is not directly comparable from one game to the next. We study a sequence of ten thrice-played dissimilar games. Using experimental data, we find that our rule learning model captures the ability of players to learn to reason across games. However, this learning appears different from within-game rule learning as previously documented. The main adjustment in sophistication occurs by switching from non-belief-based strategies to belief-based strategies. The sophistication of the beliefs themselves increases only slightly over time.
Zonal immobilization of proteins.

Abstract A gel matrix that can be used in sequence to separate proteins and then immobilize them was obtained by incorporating into agarose an aldehydic ligand with readily controllable reactivity. The gel was prepared by etherifying agarose with glycidol and subsequently oxidizing with periodate. It provided an inert matrix equivalent to ordinary agarose for separating proteins at neutral or acidic pH, but rapidly absorbed them through formation of stable alkyl amine linkages on exposure to either alkaline or concentrated NaCNBH 3 . Thus, the protein could be fixed without use of denaturants. The ability to array proteins electrophoretically on an immobilizing substrate opens new possibilities for analysis of complex mixtures by providing means for carrying out affinity binding assays in relation to physical properties of the protein, and for performing multiple tests of composition without loss or spread.
Entrepreneurship Economic Development and Quality of Life in Third-World Countries

This article deals with perhaps the greatest problem of our time, the ever increasing world’s neglected and ignored poor. I argue here that economic development can be cultivated by endogenously from the bottom up (implemented through entrepreneurship) and that the economic output to be exported globally. Unique characteristics of entrepreneurs and their contribution to the economy can make it possible for third world countries to grow their economies faster and provide economic means to enhance social, health, and environmental well-being (basic dimensions of quality of life), along with products and services that the poor need in these countries. Developing countries need to develop entrepreneurial cultures for economic growth and enhanced quality of life. But, sheer presence and positive performance is not totally adequate since the above mentioned dimensions are only necessary but not sufficient conditions.
Quantum Transport in Nanotube-Based Structures

Using state of the art quantum calculations, we have studied the electronic and transport properties of a variety of nanotube-based structures relevant for the design of nanoscale electronic devices. We have investigated the conductance of carbon nanotubes under mechanica distortions such as bending, defects and tube-tube contacts, and analyzed the behavior of carbon nanotube-metal contacts with the aim of explaining the anomalously large contact resistance observed in nanotube devices. Our results provide a clear interpretation of recent experimenta findings and suggest avenues for the use of carbon nanotubes in electromechanical systems.
Hodgkin's Disease and Granuloma Annulare

A recent case of a patient with Hodgkin's disease, seminoma of the testicle, and widespread granuloma annulare (GA) raised the possibility of an association between Hodgkin's disease and GA.1We describe here two patients with Hodgkin's disease in whom GA developed. Report of Cases Case 1.— A 57-year-old woman had, in the spring of 1976, a large glandular swelling in the right inguinal area. A biopsy specimen showed Hodgkin's disease of the nodular sclerosing type. Staging evaluation included lymphangiography; abdominal exploration determined that she had stage IIB disease. While undergoing radiotherapy, an enlarged supraclavicular node developed, which, on biopsy, showed the nodular sclerosing pattern. The cancer stage was changed to IIIB. From October 1976 to March 1977, she was treated with intermittent combined chemotherapy (mechlorethamine hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate [Oncovin], procarbazine hydrochloride, and prednisone) (MOPP). She had remained free of evidence of Hodgkin's disease since that time. In September 1979,
Computing free bases for projective modules

The QuillenSuslin package for Macaulay2 provides the ability to compute a free basis for a projective module over a polynomial ring with coefficients in Q;Z; or Z=p for a prime integer p. A brief description of the underlying algorithm and the related tools are given.
Effect of clamp versus anastomotic-induced ischemia on critical ischemic time and survival of rat epigastric fasciocutaneous flap.

Background. There are many models used to explore ischemic-related phenomena. The rat epigastric fasciocutaneous flap model is the one most commonly used. Critical ischemic time is the maximum ischemic insult that tissue can undergo and still remain viable. Experimentally, ischemia is induced either by clamping the vascular pedicle or by dividing the pedicle then performing microvascular arterial and venous anastomosis. We sought to determine what effect the different methods of inducing ischemia have on the critical primary ischemic time and, thus, flap survival. Methods. A right 3 cm x 6 cm groin flap based on the inferior epigastric vessels was raised in each rat. Ischemic times of 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours were induced either by placing temporary occlusion clamps on each vessel of the vascular pedicle (island pedicle group) or by ligation and division of the pedicle with subsequent microvascular anastomosis (free flap group). Survival was assessed at 7 days. Results. The primary ischemic time at which one half of free flaps are predicted to die was calculated to be 7.60 hours, compared with 6.09 hours for the island pedicle flaps (p <.05). Conclusions. Fasciocutaneous flaps undergoing ligation and anastomosis are more resistant to ischemia than are those undergoing clamping of the pedicle. Possible etiologic factors responsible for this experimental finding are discussed.
Three-Dimensional Discrete Element Models for Asphalt Mixtures

The main aim of this paper is to develop three-dimensional (3-D) microstructure-based discrete element models of asphalt mixtures to study the dynamic modulus from the stress-strain response under compressive loads. The 3-D microstructure of the asphalt mixture was obtained from a number of two-dimensional (2-D) images. In the 2-D discrete element model, the aggregate and mastic were simulated with the captured aggregate and mastic images. The 3-D models were reconstructed with a number of 2-D models. This stress-strain response of the 3-D model was computed under the loading cycles. The stress-strain response was used to predict the asphalt mixture's stiffness (modulus) by using the aggregate and mastic stiffness. The moduli of the 3-D models were compared with the experimental measurements. It was found that the 3-D discrete element models were able to predict the mixture moduli across a range of temperatures and loading frequencies. The 3-D model prediction was found to be better than that of the 2-D model. In addition, the effects of different air void percentages and aggregate moduli to the mixture moduli were investigated and discussed.
Synergistic Interactions Between α1- and α2-Adrenergic Receptors in Activating 3H-Inositol Phosphate Formation in Primary Glial Cell Cultures

Norepinephrine (NE)-stimulated 3H-inositol phosphate (3H-InsP) formation in primary glial cell cultures is thought to be due to alpha 1-adrenergic receptor activation. Surprisingly, the alpha 1-selective agonists phenylephrine and methoxamine showed only 12-21% of the intrinsic activity of NE in activating this response. Although the alpha 2-selective agonist UK 14,304 was itself inactive, inclusion of UK 14,304 increased the response to the alpha 1-selective agonists by about threefold. This increase was concentration-dependent and occurred at all time points examined. 6-Fluoro-NE and alpha-methyl-NE mimicked the effect of NE in glial cultures, although with lower potencies. However, several partial agonists were ineffective in activating this response, in both the presence and absence of UK 14,304. Synergistic interactions were not observed for alpha 1-mediated responses in slices of rat cerebral cortex, either for formation of 3H-InsPs or potentiation of isoproterenol- or adenosine-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation. Both UK 14,304 and phenylephrine inhibited NE-stimulated 3H-InsP formation in concentrations similar to those necessary to activate this response directly. These results suggest that NE activates 3H-InsP formation in primary glial cultures by synergistic actions on both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors. The agonists UK 14,304 and phenylephrine also can act to inhibit the response to NE competitively.
Function fields of generalized brauer-severi varieties

We define a generalized Brauer-Severi variety to be the projective Variety whose closed points correspond to rank m right ideals in a central simple algebra. We show that these varieties are forms of the Grassmann variety and their function fields are generic partial splitting fields for the associated algebras. The subgroup of the Brauer group split by the function field is calculated. Following Schofield and van den Bergh, we calculate the index of a simple ailgebra extended by the function field of a generalized Brauer-Severi variety associated with any other central simple algebra.
Individuals and Social Structure Contextual Effects as Endogenous Feedback

Treatments of contextual effects in the social science literature have traditionally focused on statistical phenomena more than on social processes. Typically, the existence of contextual processes...
Does my child really need to wear these glasses? a review of retinopathy of prematurity and long-term outcomes

Abstract Technological advances in neonatology create new challenges for patients, their families, and health care providers. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a condition frequently seen in the premature infant, remains one of these challenges. Physiological stressors cause abnormal growth of retinal blood vessels and may result in vision loss. Common long-term sequelae include myopia, strabismus, and amblyopia; visual difficulties range from minor, correctible deficits to blindness. While research related to ROP continues, the question regarding long-term outcomes is a difficult one to answer for those families in the midst of this life-long challenge.
Changes in Pulmonary Arterial and Femoral Arterial Blood Pressure upon Acute Exposure to Hypobaric Hypoxia in Broiler Chickens

An experiment was conducted to investigate the pulmonary arterial and femoral arterial pressure responses to acute hypobaric hypoxia. Twenty-four, 7-wk-old Hubbard x Hubbard male chickens were lightly anesthetized and catheters were introduced into the right femoral artery and the pulmonary artery. The birds were then placed in a hypobaric chamber, and blood pressure responses were monitored during acute (15 min) exposures to simulated altitudes of 2,000 and 4,000 m. The pulmonary artery pressure increased .7 and 4% during the first and second exposures to a simulated altitude of 2,000 m, whereas the femoral artery pressure decreased 6 and 8% during exposures to this altitude. The pulmonary artery pressure increased 7% on the first exposure and 23% (P < .05) on the second exposure to a simulated altitude of 4,000 m. The femoral arterial pressure decreased (P < .05) on both exposures to this altitude (29 and 24%, respectively). The initial femoral and pulmonary artery pressures and changes in these pressures upon exposure to hypobaric hypoxia were not consistently correlated with the characteristics of the electrocardiogram, packed cell volume, body weight, or the right:total ventricular weight ratio. These results indicate that acute hypobaric hypoxia elicits a hypotensive response in the systemic arterial circulation and a hypertensive response in the pulmonary arterial circulation of broiler chickens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Chick wing innervation. III. Formation of axon collaterals in developing peripheral nerves

Axon navigation during vertebrate limb innervation has been shown to be associated with position-dependent changes in size and complexity of the axon growth cones, and sometimes with bifurcation of terminal growth cones and axon branching (Hollyday and Morgan-Carr, companion paper). We have further examined axon branching and asked whether it extends to the projection of collaterals to different nerves. Injections of horseradish peroxidase or Dil were made into individual peripheral nerves in the wings of chick embryos at stages 28-35, and the trajectories of solidly labeled axons were traced proximally from the injection site in tissue sections. During stages when the peripheral nerves were first forming in the shoulder region, collaterals of retrogradely labeled axons were frequently observed to project into uninjected nerves proximal to the injection site. These two-nerve collaterals were formed by a small percentage of axons in a high percentage of the embryos studied and could occur in both motor and sensory axons. Two-nerve collateral projections were observed between nerves separated along both the proximodistal and anteroposterior axes of the limb, but they were limited in spatial extent to nerves supplying adjacent limb regions and were never seen between nerves projecting to widely disparate regions of the limb. Collaterals were not seen at the plexus projecting to both dorsal and ventral pathways. The apparent frequency of two-nerve collaterals was found to decline progressively from stage 28-29 to stage 32; no two-nerve collaterals were seen in the proximal wing at stage 33 and older. The mechanism of their elimination is presently unknown.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effect of drying and storing tung seeds on quality of the oil and milling characteristics of the seeds

1. Tung seeds, hulled but with most of the shells intact, were artificially dried at two temperatures in December and January and put in storage in bags in a well ventilated shed, along with similar seeds which had not been artificially dried. At bimonthly intervals tests on stored seeds were made on a commercial serew press. 2. The acid value of oil in the intact seeds put in storage at 10% moisture content early in December and late in January had risen only slightly, from 5 to 0.8–1.5, by the following April. 3. Intact seeds dried to about 10% moisture at temperatures of 158° F. and about 172° F. (155–190° F.) processed in the screw press as well the following April as they did when put in storage in early December, and there was no deterioration in the quality of the oil. 4. Intact seeds which were dried from 26% moisture to about 10% moisture in late January at 155–212° F. (the temperature remained at 212° F. for at least an hour) did not process efficiently after two months' storage, nor did the material stored at the same time without artificial drying. 5. Caution should be used in storing seeds for long periods after drying at temperatures approaching 212° F. or with high moisture contents (20% or above) until more experience is available.
Father participation in child care: A critical review.

Nurses have provided much of the impetus for including fathers in perinatal activities during the last decade. Little is known, however, about what happens to father participation in child care after the family leaves the hospital. The major difficulty in interpreting father participation research is that no two studies use the same definition or measure of father participation. Findings are therefore, difficult to integrate into a meaningful conceptual framework which could guide practice. The purpose of this paper is to review past studies of father participation, extract the definitions of father participation implied by the measures used, discuss the methodological problems of measuring father participation, and develop guidelines for future measures that might advance this body of research.
Supersymmetry breaking and vacuum energy on anti-de sitter space

This paper examines the connection between the vacuum energy and the spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry in anti-de Sitter space. It is shown that in any supersymmetric theory, when quantized on a classical anti-de Sitter background admitting Killing spinors, the supersymmetry is never broken by one-loop effects. The vacuum expectation value of the “bare” stress tensor is argued to be zero if and only if supersymmetry is unbroken. Consequently the bare vacuum stress energy always vanishes for such a theory. It is then shown that the renormalized stress-energy need not vanish and a simple prescription for its one-loop calculation is given. Since it is the renormalized energy which determines the quantum corrections to the curvature of the background anti-de Sitter space these corrections are also easily found. It is shown that these corrections vanish for any one-loop finite theory. For SO(N) gauged extended supergravity these corrections need not be zero but always tend to decrease the curvature of the AdS space.
Forecasting the demand for inpatient services for specific chronic conditions

While the proposed forecasting methodology has a well-established record in evaluating economic time-series, there is minimal, if any, use of this technique in projecting hospitalizations for specific chronic conditions. Using an established taxonomy of disease codes for alcoholism and alcohol abuse in a national inpatient database, a monthly time-series of hospitalizations was modeled. The model derived is both statistically adequate and accurate in forecasting future monthly demand for inpatient hospitalizations. This type of model specifications could be used by hospital planners and policy makers in evaluating monthly resources for specific chronic conditions.
Search for superconductivity in analogues of La2−xSrxCuO4: Sr2−xLnxVO4 (Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu)

Abstract We report the preparation, unit cell parameters, and electrical conductivity of ceramic samples of Sr 2− x Ln x VO 4 , in which there are formally (1+ x ) d-electrons per transition metal, in analogy with the (1+ x ) d-holes in the high temperature superconducting system La 2− x Sr x CuO 4 . For Ln=La, Ce, Nd and Eu, we find a wide range of solid solution for 0.4≤ x ≤1.. However, a complete solid solution for 0≤ x ≤1 is found only in the case of Pr. All compounds are found to be semiconducting below room temperature, with no evidence of superconductivity.
Time-resolved optical and infrared spectral studies of intermediates generated by photolysis of trans-RhCl(CO)(PR3)2. Roles Played in the Photocatalytic Activation of Hydrocarbons.

Described are picosecond and nanosecond time-resolved optical (TRO) spectral and nanosecond time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectral studies of intermediates generated when the rhodium(I) complexes trans-RhCl(CO)L2 (L = PPh3 (I), P(p-tolyl)3 (II), or PMe3 (III)) are subjected to photoexcitation. Each of these species, which are precursors in the photocatalytic activation of hydrocarbons, undergoes CO labilization to form an intermediate concluded to be the solvated complex RhCl(Sol)L2 (Ai). The picosecond studies demonstrate that an initial transient is formed promptly (<30 ps), which decays to Ai with lifetimes ranging from 40 to 560 ps depending upon L and the medium. This is proposed on the basis of ab initio calculations to be a metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state. Second-order rate constants (kCO) for reaction of the Ai with CO were determined, and these depend on the nature of L and the solvent, the slowest rate being for AI in tetrahydrofuran (kCO = 7.1 × 106 M-1 s-1), the fastest be...
Microwave Fields Determined From Thermal Patterns

An infrared (IR) measurement technique is described which can be used to detect microwave fields, both continuous wave (CW) and pulsed. The technique involves placing a thin lossy detection screen material in the region over which the electromagnetic (EM) field is to be mapped. The fields are detected through the Joule heating that occurs when EM energy is absorbed by the screen material. When the surface temperature of the screen rises to 0.1 K or higher above the ambient temperature, the induced temperature distribution at the surface of the screen (which corresponds to the EM field intensities in the screen) can be detected by an IR scanning system via emitted thermal radiation. CW measurements by an IR measurement technique have been demonstrated and reported over the past several years. While the technique requires a minimum energy deposition for sufficient heating, the electrical parameters of the detection screen can be selected, such that the thermal mass of the screen is reduced, allowing a faster response. IR data acquisition to a high-speed memory has also been developed to store approximately 500,000 pixels of a two-dimensional IR image in less than three seconds. 5 This corresponds to thirty 128 x 128 frames of data with each pixel element represented as an 8-bit word, which correlates to the electric or magnetic field intensity at that location. As a diagnostic tool, this technique can be used to measure radiated fields and to support tests and evaluations of electronic systems in the presence of EM radiation, e.g., to determine the free-field environments around microwave sources, to determine the energy coupled into electronic circuits through partially shielded enclosures, and to verify hardening techniques. The near, far, and internal fields generated by a microwave horn can be mapped using a thin lossy screen. Apertures in enclosures can be identified by placing a resistive coating on the surface of the metal in the area suspected of containing an aperture. Examples of energy coupled into an electronic circuit and analysis of radiation from antennas are presented. The applications, advantages, and disadvantages of this new infrared technology are also discussed.
19.1 A 128Gb MLC NAND-Flash device using 16nm planar cell

The aggressive scaling of NAND Flash memory technology - one that is even outpacing Moore's Law - has enabled very rapid cost-per-bit reduction, resulting in an explosion of systems utilizing this versatile memory technology. From removable media and personal music players to smart phones, tablets, and now personal computers and data center applications employing client and enterprise solid state drives (SSDs), NAND technology is making solid-state memory-based storage affordable.
Studies of the Normal Human Placental Syncytiotrophoblast Membrane: A Combined Immunological and Physicochemical Approach*

: In view of the importance of the syncytiotrophoblast in the immunobiology of human pregnancy, the composition of this interface between fetus and mother was further studied by a combination of physicochemical and immunological approaches. Trophoblast membranes were solubilized using three classes of detergents: zwitterionic (sulfobetaine14), non-ionic (Triton X-100), and anionic (deoxycholate). Quantitative studies of protein released demonstrated the importance of dispersion of membranes into detergent, and optimum solubilization was then obtained at detergent:protein ratios of 1.3:1 for sulfobetaine, 2.5:1 for Triton X-100, and 4.4:1 for deoxycholate. Analysis of chaotrope-treated detergent-solubilized membrane components was performed by preparative isoelectric focusing followed by combined physicochemical and immunological methods. The results revealed three major proteins which were identified as placental alkaline phosphatase, albumin, and transferrin. Certain additional low molecular weight proteins were also evident; one of these components displayed physicochemical properties similar to those of actin, but none appeared to be recognized by conventional heteroantisera raised to trophoblast membrane. These findings and the results of further immunological analysis by affinity chromatography are consistent with the concept that human trophoblast may express limited immunogenicity due in part to the presence of large amounts of absorbed maternal serum components and limited expression of fetal proteins.
Application of carbon nanostructures—Energy to electronics

A wide variety of carbon nanostructures, from zero-dimensional fullerene through one-dimensional carbon nanotube to two-dimensional graphene, have attracted attention of scientific community worldwide for their exciting properties. Carbon-based nanomaterials have found applications in a vast field—electronics, sensors, biotechnology, energy, structural, etc. We have concentrated our effort in developing new engineering nanomaterials (graphene, carbon nanotubes) and their device applications in the field of energy generation and storage, nanoelectronics, and bio-electronic sensors. This article aims to capture those recent research efforts in synthesis and applications of carbonbased nanomaterials.
Methamphetamine-induced dopamine terminal deficits in the nucleus accumbens are exacerbated by reward-associated cues and attenuated by CB1 receptor antagonism

Methamphetamine (METH) exposure is primarily associated with deleterious effects to dopaminergic neurons. While several studies have implicated the endocannabinoid system in METH's locomotor, rewarding and neurochemical effects, a role for this signaling system in METH's effects on dopamine terminal dynamics has not been elucidated. Given that CB1 receptor blockade reduces the acute potentiation of phasic extracellular dopamine release from other psychomotor stimulant drugs and that the degree of acute METH-induced increases in extracellular dopamine levels is related to the severity of dopamine depletion, we predicted that pretreatment with the CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant would reduce METH-induced alterations at dopamine terminals. Furthermore, we hypothesized that administration of METH in environments where reward associated-cues were present would potentiate METH's acute effects on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and exacerbate changes in dopamine terminal activity. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry was used to measure electrically-evoked dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and revealed markers of compromised dopamine terminal integrity nine days after a single dose of METH. These were exacerbated in animals that received METH in the presence of reward-associated cues, and attenuated in rimonabant-pretreated animals. While these deficits in dopamine dynamics were associated with reduced operant responding on days following METH administration in animals treated with only METH, rimonabant-pretreated animals exhibited levels of operant responding comparable to control. Moreover, dopamine release correlated significantly with changes in lever pressing behavior that occurred on days following METH administration. Together these data suggest that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the subsecond dopaminergic response to METH.