cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arrays of atmospheric pressure microplasma jets: He/O 2 and Ar jets into air

Summary form only given. Atmospheric-pressure microplasma jets are finding increasing use in biomedical applications to controllably deliver radical fluxes to tissue. A typical plasma jet consists of a capillary tube having a diameter of less than a few mm through which noble gases or mixtures with a molecular gas flow. An electrode, excited using sinusoidal or high-voltage pulses, produces a plasma in the flowing gas, resulting in a luminous plume that extends for up to several cm. Plasma plumes are formed by propagation of ionization waves (IWs) through the tubes and then through the gas phase channel formed by the noble gas injected into the surrounding air. The luminous fronts of the IWs have been termed plasma bullets. For plasma jets having a single aperture, the plasma plume covers only a few mm2, which may not be optimum for large area applications. One remedy is to group jets together to form an array of jets1. In this talk, we discuss results from a computational investigation of small arrays of 2-5 microplasma jets whose tubes either touch or are separated by air. The investigation was conducted with the modeling platform nonPDPSIM. An atmospheric pressure He/O2 = 99.8/0.2 mixture was flowed through the tubes into humid room air (N2/O2/H2O = 79.5/20/0.5). We found that the properties of the plasma plume depend on air diffusing into the jets of He/O2 (and vice-versa). He jets from tubes that touch quickly merge into a single stream, which gets narrower with flow distance as air diffuses into the jets. The separated tubes maintain more unique He channels for longer flow distances. The plasma bullets are typically confined to regions which have a high He/O2 mole fraction as the ionization rate in the air dominated regions is too low to sustain the bullet. With synchronized negative pulses applied to pin electrodes of all the tubes, simultaneous plasma bullets are initially produced. Due to the negative space charge of the bullets, the heads of the IWs initially repel each other. Once the bullets emerge into the He/O2 jets, the bullets tend to converge into regions of higher He/O2 mole fraction, being guided by the “dielectric walls” of the non-ionizing air. For three widely spaced tubes, the bullets interact through photoionization from their neighbor. As a result, the center bullet accelerates. Interaction of jets of He and Ar into humid air will be also discussed.
Oral misoprostol versus intravaginal prostaglandin E2 for preinduction cervical ripening: a randomized trial

Abstract Objective: To compare orally administered misoprostol with intravaginal prostaglandin E 2 (dinoprostone vaginal suppository) for cervical ripening and labor induction. Methods: Patients presenting with medical or obstetric indications for labor induction whose Bishop score was 6 or less were randomly allocated to receive either 50 μg of oral misoprostol or 4 mg of dinoprostone. If adequate cervical ripening or active labor did not ensue, repeat doses of each medication were administered every 4 hours. A maximum of six doses of either oral misoprostol or dinoprostone was permitted; intravenous oxytocin was subsequently administered. Results: Among the 60 enrolled patients, the mean interval from start of induction to delivery was similar between the misoprostol and dinoprostone groups (1,495 ± 119 versus 1,692 ± 242 minutes, P = 0.47). Vaginal delivery occurred within 24 hours in 46% of those administered oral misoprostol, compared with 37% of those who received dinoprostone ( P = 0.5). A similar number of medication doses was administered in each group (2.6 ± 0.3 for misoprostol, 2.9 ± 0.3 for dinoprostone; P = 0.4). No statistically significant differences existed between the two groups with respect to tachysystole, uterine hyperstimulation, or fetal heart rate changes. Conclusions: Oral administration of misoprostol is an effective alternative to intravaginal prostaglandin E 2 for preinduction cervical ripening.
Formate dehydrogenase molybdenum and tungsten sites--observation by EXAFS of structural differences.

Abstract Preliminary EXAFS data has been collected on the molybdennum ( K -edge) in C. pasteurianum formate dehydrogenase and the tungsten ( L III -edge) in C. thermoaceticum formate dehydrogenase. In the presence of dithionite, the tungsten enzyme was devoid of W = O bonds, and exhibited average W-(O, N) and W-S bond lengths of 2.13 ± 0.03 A and 2.39 ± 0.03 A, respectively. In sharp contrast, the C. pasteurianum molybdenum site has three Mo = O bonds with an average bond lengths of 1.74 ± 0.03 A. It is also the first molybdenum enzyme found lacking Mo-S bonds, and does not appear to be redox active in the presence of formate or dithionite. Model compounds WO 2 (8-hydroxyquinoline) 2 = WO 2 (ox) 2 , and WO 2 (8 mercaptoquinoline) 2 = WO 2 (tox) 2 , were also examined. Respective predicted bond lengths for WO 2 (ox) 2 and WO 2 (tox) 2 were W = O of 1.71, 1.73 A; W-N of 2.31,2.29 A; W-O or W-S of 1.92 or 2.40 A, with estimated uncertainties of ±0.03 A.
UV-LIGA microfabrication of 220 GHz sheet beam amplifier gratings with SU-8 photoresists

Microfabrication techniques have been developed using ultraviolet photolithography (UV-LIGA) with SU-8 photoresists to create advanced sheet beam amplifier circuits for the next generation of vacuum electron traveling wave amplifiers in the 210–220 GHz (G-band) frequency regime. We describe methods that have led to successfully fabricated millimeter wave circuits, including applying ultra-thick SU-8 photoresist layers on copper, copper electroforming solutions, and the challenging removal of the SU-8 photoresists. A table of experimental liquid SU-8 removal chemistries and results is also presented.
Synthesis of combined main-chain/side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers via self-assembly

Three combined main-chain/side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers (MCSCLCPs) were prepared via hydrogen bonding or ionic interactions. The first MCSCLCP, PyHQ12−7CNCOOH, was prepared via hydrogen bonding between the pendent nonmesogenic pyridyl group in a main-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (PyHQ12) and the carboxylic acid group (−COOH) in mesogenic 8-[(4-cyano-4‘-biphenyl)oxy]octanoic acid (7CNCOOH). The second MCSCLCP, PABP−AA, was prepared via hydrogen bonding between the nonmesogenic azopyridyl group in the side chain of a main-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (PABP) and the carboxylic acid group (−COOH) in nonmesogenic p-anisic acid (AA). The third MCSCLCP, PABP−TSA, was prepared via ionic interactions between the nonmesogenic azopyridyl group in the side chain of PABP and the sulfonic acid group (−SO3H) in nonmesogenic p-toluenesulfonic acid (TSA). The presence of hydrogen bonds in self-assembled PyHQ12−7CNCOOH and PABP−AA and the presence of ionic interactions in PABP−TSA were confirmed using Four...
Infrared laser irradiation of dental enamel using submicrosecond laser pulses with and without an applied water layer: effect on bond strength to restorative materials

Previous studies have shown that during IR laser irradiation at CO 2 and Er:YAG laser wavelengths, residual particles of fused non-apatite calcium phosphate phases accumulate that may inhibit adhesion to restorative materials. A layer of water added to the enamel surface before ablation prevents the accumulation of such phases. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of laser pulse duration and wavelength with and without the added water layer on the bond strength of composite to laser prepared enamel surfaces. The surfaces of bovine enamel were irradiated by three lasers systems: a 0.5-μs Er:YSGG laser. a 25-μs Er:YAG laser and a 5-μs TEA CO 2 laser operating at 9.6-μm. A motion control system and a pressurized spray system incorporating a microprocessor controlled pulsed nozzle for water delivery, were used to ensure uniform treatment of the entire surface. There was no significant reduction in the shear-bond strength of enamel to composite for the shorter erbium laser pulses if a water-spray was not used, in contrast to previous results for the 200-μs free-running Er:YAG laser in which the water-spray resulted in significantly higher bond-strengths. Shear-bond strengths for both erbium laser systems were significantly higher than for the CO 2 laser irradiated samples and the negative control (no acid-etch) but significantly lower than the positive control group (phosphoric acid-etch). The application of the water-spray markedly influenced the surface morphology for all three laser systems with the most uniform surface preparation being produced by the 25-μs Er:YAG laser and the 5-μs CO 2 laser with the water-spray.
The Perils of Counterinsurgency: Russia's War in Chechnya

years, Russian troops have been embroiled in a counterinsurgency war in Chechnya, the second war they have fought in that small Caucasus republic since the mid-1990s. The arst war, from December 1994 to August 1996, ended when Russian and Chechen ofacials signed a peace agreement at Khasavyurt in the neighboring Republic of Dagestan. The Khasavyurt accord, which led to the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechen territory and three years of quasi independence for the republic, stipulated that the two parties would resolve the anal status of Chechnya by the end of 2001. Before any negotiations about this matter could be held, however, a series of events beginning with deadly incursions by Islamic extremists from Chechnya into Dagestan in August 1999 culminated in a large-scale resumption of aghting between Russian federal forces and Chechen guerrillas—aghting that has continued ever since. This article assesses Russia’s counterinsurgency operations during the latest war in Chechnya. The article begins by looking brieoy at the geographic and military context of the war, the events that precipitated the renewed aghting, and the early results of the conoict. It then examines the tactics used by Chechen guerrillas and the responses by Russian soldiers and security forces. The article considers why Russian troops and police, who outnumber the rebels by more than afty to one, have been unable to eliminate armed resistance in an area as small as Chechnya. It also highlights the growing emphasis the Chechens have placed on terrorist attacks both inside and outside the North Caucasus. The anal section provides a net evaluation of Russian efforts. The Perils of Counterinsurgency
An Interactive Derivation Viewer

This work describes the Interactive Derivation Viewer (IDV) tool for graphical rendering of derivations that are written in the TPTP language. IDV provides an interactive interface that allows the user to quickly view various features of the derivation. A particularly novel feature of IDV is its ability to provide a synopsis of a derivation by identifying interesting lemmas within a derivation, and hiding less interesting intermediate formulae. IDV is deployed online as part of the SystemOnTPTP interface, thus providing ready access via any web browser.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTOR CONSISTENCY IN THE EVALUATION OF FRESHMAN ENGLISH THEMES

Several researchers have noted the variability among teachers in the grading of essays. Previous research has not attempted, however, to compare separate institutional settings. Because the regular English composition course at public two‐year colleges is transferable to four‐year public colleges, a comparison of the grading predilections of English faculty from both settings was undertaken. Each instructor was asked to mark and grade a set of five themes (the instrument). Means and standard deviations were determined, and ANOVA indicated the grading differences between the two settings were significant at the .05 level on all five themes and the grand total means. Though relatively consistent among themselves, community college instructors (N=19) were more than a letter grade more lenient than university instructors (N = 17) when all grades from each setting, referred to as the grand total mean, were averaged. University graders were most consistent on what they considered the two worst themes, whereas c...
Stability of two-layer poiseuille flow of Carreau-Yasuda and Bingham-like fluids

Abstract In this paper we present the linear stability analysis of the interface between two non-Newtonian inelastic fluids in a straight channel driven by a pressure gradient. Two rheological models of non-Newtonian behavior are studied: (a) Bingham-like fluids and (b) Carreau-Yasuda fluids. For each rheological model, the linearized equations describing the evolution of small two-dimensional disturbances are derived and the stability problem is formulated as an eigenvalue problem for a set of ordinary differential equations of the Orr-Sommerfeld type. Discretization is performed using a pseudospectral technique based on Chebyshev polynomial expansions. The resulting generalized matrix eigenvalue problem is solved using the QZ algorithm. The results on the onset of instability are presented in the form of stability maps for a range of zero-shear-rate viscosity ratios, thickness ratios, power-law constants, material time constants, Yasuda constants, apparent yield stresses and stress growth exponents. Increasing the stress growth exponents or apparent yield stresses of the viscoplastic fluids has a stabilizing effect on the interface. For shear thinning fluids, increasing the zero-shear-rate viscosity ratio or shear thinning of the fluids destabilizes the interface. The effect of other parameters can be stabilizing or destabilizing depending on the flow configuration and wavelength.
Controllability and stabilizability properties of delay systems

This paper is concerned with System Properties of a class of systems described by functional differential equations of the delay-type. Some results on controlability are presented for a very general class. For linear time invariant delay-systems the above results are put in a more concrete form using spectral decompositions. In this framework, conditions for state and output stabilizability are derived. These conditions constitute the main result of the paper. Detailed proofs and more extensive comments may be found in [1] [2].
Artificial photosynthesis processes as a means of producing biofuels

The transition to a sustainable and scalable energy system will require the development of new carbon-neutral fuel technologies. Artificial photosynthesis seeks to meet this need by mimicking the biological energy conversion process, producing biofuels from sunlight. While the process of photovoltaic conversion has existed for almost two centuries, the idea of artificially co-opting and engineering the biological process has been a relatively recent advancement brought about by the exposed molecular workings of cellular-based energy conversion and storage. The following report examines the benefits and limitations of the current artificial photosynthesis strategies developed for storing solar energy as biofuel.
A New Method for Feature Selection and Gear Defect Detection

This paper presents a new method for gear defect detection. Firstly, the feature subset that describes a gear health state is generated, followed by two sub-steps: (I) features that are robust to data noise are extracted from the collected data utilizing the information-theoretical concept of entropy; (II) the optimal feature subset for gear defect detection is selected using a wrapper approach. Secondly, patterns of the feature subsets that describe the most current gear health states are grouped into a health-map, using the self-organizing map (SOM) method. This health-map shows a clear clustering of healthy and faulty gears, and can be used as a reference for future gear health evaluation. An industrial case study is presented that shows the effectiveness of the presented method.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Identifier protection in a distributed operating system

Donnelley and Fletcher recently presented a scheme to protect capabilities in a distributed operating system.1 This scheme uses public-key encryption to ensure that capabilities cannot be stolen in a form useful to the thief nor forged by an unauthorized process or user. Unfortunately, security and efficiency considerations make currently available public-key encryption techniques unattractive.
Oscillator strengths for singly ionized nitrogen

Abstract Results of semiempirical open-shell model potential calculations for oscillator strengths in N + are presented. We consider states with principal quantum numbers for the valence electron up to 12 and orbital angular momentum quantum numbers up to 4.
Measurement of Protein Stability in Sterile Concentrated Milk

Abstract Gold sols were used to determine stability of protein to Ca ++ by adding 0.5ml of 0.01 to 0.02% protein solution to 10ml of gold sol, followed by 1.0ml of m CaCl 2 . Optical densities were determined at 535m μ after 1 hr. Reference protein solutions served as standards. Stable milk proteins had higher optical densities than the unstable ones. α -Casein lost its stability to Ca ++ and noncasein and nonprotein N increased during storage. Losses of gold sol stabilities of sterile κ -casein at zero time, and at 35C for 30 days, and at 65C for 4 and 8 days were 37, 62, 77, and 84%, respectively; whereas, by the CaCl 2 -centrifugal method they were 31, 55, 78, and 83%, respectively. κ -Casein restored to concentrated milk stability that was decreased by heating. Concentrated milk coagulated with rennet lost about 60% of its stability to Ca ++ , whereas about 30% was lost during gelation of concentrated milk at 35C storage. Changes in protein structure which affect protection of the gold sol may be detected with 5m NaCl instead of m CaCl 2 . The gold sol and CaCl 2 -centrifugal methods agreed for determining stability of milk proteins.
Application of the Measured Equation of Invariance Approach to Electromagnetic Scattering by Penetrable Bodies

The measured equation of invariance (MEI) concept for the numerical solution of time-harmonic electromagnetic wave scattering by perfectly conducting bodies in unbounded regions is extended to handle 2-D penetrable scatterers. The MEI is essentially a numerically derived discrete equation which is satisfied by the fields scattered by a specific scatterer independently of the excitation. It is demonstrated that the development of an MEI for penetrable scatterers is as straightforward as for the case of perfectly conducting ones, and can be used as an accurate localized truncation condition in conjunction with finite-element/finite-difference grids that conform to the scatterer and extend only a few cells away from its boundary. >
The Ethic of Exigence: Information Design, Postmodern Ethics, and the Holocaust

Compared to ethics in technical writing, ethics in design has received less attention. This lack of attention grows more apparent as document design becomes ‘‘information design.’’ Since Katz discerned an ‘‘ethic of expediency’’ in Nazi technical writing, scholars have often framed technical communication ethics in categorical terms. Yet analyses of information design must consider why arrangements of text and graphics have symbolic potency for given cultures. An ‘‘ethic of exigence’’ can be seen in an example of Nazi information design, a 1935 racial-education poster that illustrates how designers and users co-constructed a communally validated meaning. This example supports the postmodern view that ethics must account for naturalized authority as well as individual actions.
On-line knowledge-based simulation for FMS: a state of the art survey

Simulation modeling has been widely used to study many aspects of FMS design, planing and control. Yet, simulation modeling still offers other capabilities that are proven to be effective for the on-line control of FMS. An example of it is the training of neural nets off-line, so that it will later control the decision making process when the FMS is in operation. if the neural net runs out of knowledge, it turns back to a simulation model to learn new situations. In this paper, we review the various ways in which on-line knowledge-based simulation for FMS has been approached. This paper represents the early stages of on-going research efforts at Florida International University.
Did Meditating Make Us Human

Campfire rituals of focused attention created Baldwinian selection for enhanced working memory among our Homo sapiens ancestors. This model is grounded in five propositions: the emergence of symbolism occurred late in the archaeological record; this emergence was caused by a fortuitous genetic mutation that enhanced working memory capacity; a Baldwinian process where genetic adaptation follows somatic adaptation was the mechanism for this emergence; meditation directly affects brain areas critical to attention and working memory; and shamanistic healing rituals were fitness-enhancing in our ancestral past. Each proposi tion is discussed and defended. Supporting evidence and potential future tests are presented.
Optimization-Based Feedback Control for Pedestrian Evacuation From an Exit Corridor

The evacuation of pedestrians is the most important task when a building is subjected to a significant level of threat that compromises occupant safety. However, very few studies have dealt with the problem of controlling pedestrian evacuation in real time. Due to modern developments in sensor technology and computational facilities, it now seems possible to attempt a real-time controlled evacuation by instructing pedestrians to adjust their velocities according to an algorithm to effect an efficient evacuation. This paper deals with the development of such a control algorithm for an exit corridor where high congestion can be expected during evacuation. To accommodate the possible variation in the pedestrian density along the length, the corridor is divided into several sections. Using the conservation of pedestrian mass, ordinary differential equations that define the pedestrian flow in all sections are developed. For the system of state-space equations that define the flow in all the sections of the corridor, an optimization-based feedback control scheme is developed, which ensures the maximum input discharge subject to tracking the critical state and boundedness of the control variables. Simulation results are obtained, which indicate the superior performance of the controlled flow over the uncontrolled flow. The proposed flow control is also applicable to the regulation of vehicular traffic on a long section of a freeway in urban areas that receives input at several ramps along its length.
Atmospheric Mining in the Outer Solar System

Atmospheric mining in the outer solar system has been investigated as a means of fuel production for high energy propulsion and power. Fusion fuels such as Helium 3 (3He) and hydrogen can be wrested from the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune and either returned to Earth or used in-situ for energy production. Helium 3 and hydrogen (deuterium, etc.) were the primary gases of interest with hydrogen being the primary propellant for nuclear thermal solid core and gas core rocket-based atmospheric flight. A series of analyses were undertaken to investigate resource capturing aspects of atmospheric mining in the outer solar system. This included the gas capturing rate, storage options, and different methods of direct use of the captured gases. Additional supporting analyses were conducted to illuminate vehicle sizing and orbital transportation issues. While capturing 3He, large amounts of hydrogen and 4He are produced. With these two additional gases, the potential for fueling small and large fleets of additional exploration and exploitation vehicles exists. Additional aerospacecraft or other aerial vehicles (UAVs, balloons, rockets, etc.) could fly through the outer planet atmospheres, for global weather observations, localized storm or other disturbance investigations, wind speed measurements, polar observations, etc. Deep-diving aircraft (built with the strength to withstand many atmospheres of pressure) powered by the excess hydrogen or helium 4 may be designed to probe the higher density regions of the gas giants. Outer planet atmospheric properties, atmospheric storm data, and mission planning for future outer planet UAVs are presented.
Autonomous bed‐sediment imaging‐systems for revealing temporal variability of grain size

We describe a remotely operated video microscope system, designed to provide high-resolution images of seabed sediments. Two versions were developed, which differ in how they raise the camera from the seabed. The first used hydraulics and the second used the energy associated with wave orbital motion. Images were analyzed using automated frequency-domain methods, which following a rigorous partially supervised quality control procedure, yielded estimates to within 20% of the true size as determined by on-screen manual measurements of grains. Long-term grain-size variability at a sandy inner shelf site offshore of Santa Cruz, California, USA, was investigated using the hydraulic system. Eighteen months of high frequency (min to h), high-resolution ( μm) images were collected, and grain size distributions compiled. The data constitutes the longest known high-fre quency record of seabed-grain size at this sample frequency, at any location. Short-term grain-size variability of sand in an energetic surf zone at Praa Sands, Cornwall, UK was investigated using the ‘wave-powered’ system. The data are the first high-frequency record of grain size at a single location of a highly mobile and evolving bed in a natural surf zone. Using this technology, it is now possible to measure bed-sediment-grain size at a time-scale comparable with flow conditions. Results suggest models of sediment transport at sandy, wave-dom inated, nearshore locations should allow for substantial changes in grain-size distribution over time-scales as short as a few hours.
Stimulation of glucose transport in Clone 9 cells by insulin and thyroid hormone: Role of GLUT-1 activation

Thyroid hormone (T3) and insulin are both shown to stimulate glucose transport in Clone 9 cells, a rat liver cell line in which the utilization of glucose is limited by transport rate and in which only the GLUT-1 transporter isoform is expressed. Pre-treatment of these cells with T3 moreover substantially enhances the stimulatory effect of insulin such that at maximally effective hormone concentrations the effects of T3 and insulin on glucose transport are more than additive and indeed nearly multiplicative, suggesting that the mechanisms mediating the enhancement of glucose transport differ between the two hormones. Cell surface biotinylation followed by Western-blot analysis of plasma membrane fractions showed that the stimulatory effects of T3 and insulin on glucose transport, whether acting singly or in combination, exceed the attendant increases in the abundance of GLUT-1 in the plasma membrane. It is suggested that activation of GLUT-1 molecules pre-existing in the plasma membrane plays a major role in mediating the stimulatory effects of T3 and insulin on glucose transport in this cell line.
Modeling the dynamics of neural codes in the olfaction of the Manduca-sexta moth

The Anntenal Lobe (AL) is the olfactory processing unit in insects, composed of projection neurons (PNs) and local neurons (LNs) [1]. It has been demonstrated that the AL reformats the sensory input information that it receives into spatiotemporal firing patterns exhibited by the PNs [2,3]. In many insects the LNs are mainly inhibitory which suggests that the inhibition is responsible for shaping the input into a robust pattern [4]. The robustness of the pattern is expressed as follows: over several applications of the same odor the projection of the data recorded from the PNs onto a few dominant firing patterns results in a robust low dimensional trajectory. This trajectory appears to be similar to a trajectory that converges to a stable unique fixed point [5]. In this work, we resolve several open questions raised by [5,6]. Specifically, we study how interactions between the LNs and PNs permit creation of robust and spatiotemporal codes. We further propose a simple model that mimics the dynamics of the AL and the dynamics of mixtures of odors. Our work is a combination of theoretical analysis and experimental studies. Theoretically we consider a network of excitatory-inhibitory firing units that has a similar structure to the AL. By proposing to project the dynamical equations of the network onto given orthogonal spatial patterns, we derive the conditions on the interactions between the inhibitory and excitatory population such that the network will support a unique stable fixed point. The analysis is based on requiring that the inhibitory neurons will suppress inputs that are not associated to specific odors (noise and unknown patterns) but being neutral to the given spatial patterns. These conditions allow us to prescribe the connections between PNs and LNs and do not require specific symmetries (in contrast to Hopfield networks). Experimentally we record the dynamics of PNs in the AL of the Manduca Sexta moth both for inputs that are single odor or mixtures of two odors. Extracting the spatial patterns (first PCA mode) obtained from experiments with single odor inputs we calibrate the network. We are able to establish similarity between the model dynamics and experimental projections and thus validate our theoretical construction. Once the model is calibrated we test it against experiments with inputs that are different ratios of two odors revealing similar dynamics. To test the importance of inhibition, conjectured to be responsible for existence of a stable fixed point, we repeat the experiments in which the inhibition is blocked by a drug. Results demonstrate that the robustness of the dynamics is destroyed.
Peripheral S-Phase T Cells in HIV Disease Have a Central Memory Phenotype and Rarely Have Evidence of Recent T Cell Receptor Engagement

Heightened proliferation and death of T lymphocytes may play a key role in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pathogenesis; however, the mechanism that mediates this effect and the phenotype of the proliferating T cells have not been clearly determined. We assessed S-phase cell frequencies and phenotype by ex vivo bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and flow-cytometric analysis in a group of 35 HIV-infected individuals. Frequencies of S-phase T cells were increased in HIV disease and were related to plasma HIV RNA levels but not to CD4 cell, total T cell, or total lymphocyte counts. S-phase cells were phenotypically defined as “central memory” cells (CD45RO + CD62L + CCR7 + ). Although activated (CD38 + ), S-phase cells lacked CD69 expression, rarely expressed CD25, and were not overrepresented among HIV-specific cells, as might have been expected if these cells had recently been activated by HIV antigens. Thus, in HIV infection, central memory T cells may be highly susceptible to bystander mechanisms of immune activation, leading to S-phase entry.
The Y14 protein communicates to the cytoplasm the position of exon–exon junctions

We recently described an RNA-binding protein, Y14, that binds preferentially to spliced mRNAs and persists in the cytoplasm. Y14 is part of a multi-protein complex that also contains the mRNA export factor TAP. This suggests that splicing imprints the mRNA with a unique set of proteins that communicate the history of the transcript to the cytoplasm. Here, using microinjection of pre-mRNAs into Xenopus oocyte nuclei followed by immunoprecipitation of RNase-fragmented mRNAs from the cytoplasm, we show that Y14 is stably bound to sequences immediately upstream of exon–exon junctions. This feature appears to be unique to Y14. Using monoclonal antibodies that we produced against Aly/REF, another component recently reported to be an mRNA export factor, we show that Aly/REF is associated with spliced mRNAs in the nucleus but is not detectable on mRNAs in the cytoplasm. Thus, we propose that the splicing- dependent binding of Y14 provides a position-specific molecular memory that communicates to the cytoplasm the location of exon and intron boundaries. This novel mechanism may play an important role in post-splicing events.
THE CORRUPT STATE: THE CASE OF ROME RECONSIDERED

This mighty state remarkable for the smallness of its origin, as well as for the greatness to which it attained, has by the splendour of its national exertions … or by its internal revolution and reverses of fortune ever been a principal object of interest to all the more enlightened nations of the western world…. To know it well is to know mankind. There is merit in attempting to promote the study of this subject even if the effect should not correspond with the design.
Ongoing visual analog score display improves Emergency Department pain care

The study purpose was to test two methods of pain assessment and display: ongoing (11 times over 2 h) visual analog scale (VAS) determination with data tabulation in the ED chart (Tabulation group), and similar VAS assessments with display of the information at the head of the ED bed (Graph group). A Control group had initial and 2-h VAS ascertainments charted (not graphed). Tertiary-care university-affiliated ED patients were randomized into the three groups and pain care outcomes assessed. Compared to Controls, those in the Graph group had the following findings (p < 0.05): 1) treating physicians more likely aware of initial and final VAS scores, 2) earlier analgesia, 3) likelier perception (by patients and physicians) that VAS was useful and likelier patient perception that pain care was adequate. Tabulation group results were intermediate to those of Control and Graph patients. The data support further investigation of VAS display as a means of improving ED pain assessment.
Dual role of PKC in modulating pharmacomechanical coupling in fetal and adult cerebral arteries

This study tested the hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) has dual regulation on norepinephrine (NE)-mediated inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins (1,4,5)P3] pathway and vasoconstriction in cerebra...
Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Micrococcus, which, when limited in its extent and activity, causes acute suppurative inflammation (phlegmon), produces, when more extensive and intense in its action on the human system, the most virulent forms of septicaemia and pyaemia.1 In an elegant series of clinical observations and laboratory studies published in 1880 and 1882, Ogston described staphylococcal disease and its role in sepsis and abscess formation.1,2 More than 100 years later, Staphylococcus aureus remains a versatile and dangerous pathogen in humans. The frequencies of both community-acquired and hospital-acquired staphylococcal infections have increased steadily, with little change in overall mortality. Treatment of these infections . . .
The Viability of the Organism of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Glycerol

In 1924 Spencer and Parker1 showed that certain tissues from guinea-pigs infected with Rocky Mountain spotted fever might remain infectious for as long as ten months in a medium of 100% glycerol when kept at a temperature of -10 C. Testicle was found to be more favorable than spleen or liver; brain tissue was not tested. Of the 12 cases reported, nine were positive and three were negative. In an effort to repeat and extend the original work, the experiments herein described were undertaken with the direction and advice of Dr. Wolbach.
Evaluation of methods and protocols for hemoglobin screening of prospective whole blood donors.

Fifty-nine volunteers were screened, as if for blood donation, with the use of simultaneous fingerstick (FS), earlobe (EL), and venipuncture (VP) samples tested by copper sulfate density and two instruments for rapid assay, Statcrit® and HemoCue®. The “true” hemoglobin was determined on the venipuncture sample by cyanmethemoglobin assay. Eligibility (pass/fail) was established for each site/result with the use of standard and investigational cut-offs. Results were used to predict the performance of two-method protocols beginning with copper sulfate followed by FS or EL using Statcrit or HemoCue. Individually, the method sensitivities for hemoglobin below cut-off were low (12.5–62.5%) with the use of standard cut-offs. Assuming 5% prevalence of low hemoglobin, two-method protocols would inappropriately pass more than half of those with low hemoglobin, whereas the proportion of deferred donors with adequate “true” hemoglobin ranged widely (2.8–72.3%). For some methods, investigational cut-offs achieved improved sensitivity with no effect on specificity. Despite standard hemoglobin “requirements” for blood donation, the ability of the investigated methods to correctly classify donors is poor and varies considerably with method and protocol. With cut-offs as specified, the standards for FS and EL samples are not equivalent; the EL cut-offs are too low and the method is inherently less sensitive. Standardization may be better achieved by specifying both required hemoglobin and minimum performance for screening methods.
MODEL STUDY OF AN ISOLATED LIGHTHOUSE PLATFORM AT SEA (PRINCE SHOAL, QUEBEC)

Experiments on objects subject to wave forces have been made in the past, which led to formulae where the geometrical characteristics of the object are of primary importance. Other experiments, made on immersed objects, showed that the accelerative forces caused by wave impact are of the same order of magnitude as the drag forces associated with orbital velocities. In the case of a small free body completely immersed in a fluid and subject to a system of forces, other experiments showed that the fluid surrounding the body acquires a velocity while the flow field gains kinetic energy (Bef. 1). The acceleration of the object can be deduced from the pressure distribution around the body.
Treatment of amblyopia

Animal experiments have explored the structural and functional alterations of the afferent visual pathways in amblyopia and have emphasized the extraordinary sensitivity of the immature visual system to abnormal visual stimulation. The practical consequences of these experiments are obvious: early diagnosis of amblyopia and energetic occlusion therapy as early in life as possible. At the same time, measures must be taken to prevent visual deprivation amblyopia in the occluded eye. After successful treatment, alternating penalization with two pairs of spectacles is recommended. Pleoptics involves an enormous commitment in terms of time, personnel and costs. In view of the fact that the superiority of this treatment over occlusion therapy has yet to be proven, the current value of pleoptics appears dubious. Moreover, overtreated patients may end up with intractable diplopia. Diverging opinions exist with regard to the use of penalization as a primary treatment of amblyopia. We employ it only in special cases as an alternative to occlusion therapy. Visual deprivation in infancy caused by opacities of the ocular media, especially when they occur unilaterally, must be eliminated, and deprivation amblyopia must be treated without delay to regain useful vision. Brief periods of bilateral occlusion are recommended to avoid the highly amblyopiogenic imbalance between binocular afferent visual input. Future developments will hopefully include new objective methods to diagnose amblyopia in preverbal children and infants. The application of positron emission tomography is perhaps the first step in the direction of searching for new approaches to this problem.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Stabilization calculations of the low-lying temporary anions states of Be, Mg, and Ca

Abstract The stabilization method is used in conjunction with the equation-of-motion electron-attachment coupled-cluster method to calculate the complex energies of the 2 P temporary anion states of Be and Mg as well as of the 2 D temporary anions states of Mg and Ca. The calculated resonance parameters for the 2 P state of Mg − and 2 D state of Ca − agree well with experiment. Experimental results are not available for the 2 P anion of Be, but we note that our calculated resonance parameters of 2 P Be − , while in good agreement with the CI results of McNutt and McCurdy (1983), differ significantly from the results of two other recent theoretical studies.
Keeping Abreast of the Multiple Biological, Cultural, and Psycho-Social Barriers to Breastfeeding in Modern Society

Breastfeeding provides good-quality nutrition for babies and can be very beneficial for both mom and baby. However, modern women face many challenges in breastfeeding their babies that can be attributed to today’s ever-evolving cultural and psycho-social underpinnings. These multiple barriers to breastfeeding in today’s society hinder women from developing a good breastfeeding relationship with their babies. The various factors that prohibit initiation and prolonged breastfeeding however can be counteracted by examining the barriers to breastfeeding and finding reasonable methods for resolving the challenges. Twenty-first century women who desire to breastfeed can be successful at achieving their breastfeeding goals with greater support by society and by having more confidence in themselves.
Introduction to Basic and Applied Clinical Pharmacokinetics Using Interactive Lecturing and Case-Based Self-learning Modules

Abstract Introduction This interactive lecture and self-learning module (SLM) on pharmacokinetics was designed to transition students towards independent application of basic pharmacokinetics to cl...
Modeling and analysis of bistatic scattering from forests in support of soil moisture retrieval

We present a bistatic forward scattering model at L-band and P-band for vegetated land covers including forests. In this model, the three major scattering categories of contribution include direct ground scattering, vegetation volume scattering, and the scattering due to the interactions between the vegetation layer and ground. All mechanisms are considered simultaneously in the bistatic scattering geometry, and treated using wave-based coherent models. The total bistatic radar scattering cross section (RCS) can be determined by superimposing the RCS for each of the stated contributions. This paper includes an overview of the model, cross section simulations from a forest, and a sensitivity analysis with respect to soil moisture for specular and backscatter observation directions.
After-Effects in Polycrystalline Cadmium

The torsional after-effect in polycrystalline cadmium is interrupted by an abnormal twisting when the film is removed by etching. This is accounted for by the pile-up of dislocations beneath anodic or other oxide films during the original twisting, and the relief of the residual stresses from these by elastic and plastic processes during etching.
Evaluation of Resistance Measurement Techniques in Carbon Black and Carbon Nano-tubes Reinforced Epoxy

Two different resistance measurement techniques are used in an epoxy material reinforced separately with carbon black (CB) micro-particles and carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of both the techniques and type of reinforcement on damage detection under uni-axial tensile loading. Two techniques, namely traditional four-point probe (FPP) and fourcircumferential ring probe (FCRP) are employed and a constant current is applied through outer probes. The resulting voltage drop between inner probes is measured using a commercial high resolution electrometer based system. Since current density distribution in both techniques is different, the measured change in resistance (both qualitatively and quantitatively) is also different. In addition to change in current density due to different techniques, the size of conductive reinforcement also has significant impact on both current distribution and further change in resistance. CB reinforced epoxy showed very high percentage change in resistance against CNTs reinforced epoxy for both techniques. It was identified that CNTs reinforced epoxy showed no significant difference for both FPP and FCRP methods. However, for CB reinforced epoxy, significant difference in percentage change in resistance was observed for both resistance measurement methods.
The Emergence of Environment—Behavior Research in Zoological Parks

Animal—environment research in the zoological park dates back to the turn of the 20th century. In 1896, Robert Garner proposed that enclosure design be based upon the scientific examination of biological and social behavior of an imals. There also is a tradition of informal investigations of the physical environment in designing for keeper safety and for solving problems involving human interaction with physical elements of zoological parks. However, systematic environment-behavior research within zoological parks has emerged only quite recently.
Evolving Understanding of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia: Implications for Future Treatment Paradigms

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a relatively uncommon hematologic malignancy that manifests as peripheral monocytosis, has varying degrees of bone marrow dysplasia, and is associated with poor outcomes. Despite a growing appreciation of the pathobiologic mechanisms driving CMML, current therapies have not clearly demonstrated any survival benefit. The complex pathobiology of CMML highlights the intricate aberrantly activated cellular pathways that influence disease phenotype and limit current treatment options. Understanding of these oncogenic pathways may provide novel mechanism-based treatment strategies that may ultimately offer better outcomes for patients. We reviewed the current diagnostic, prognostic, and molecular understandings, and we assessed the current and future treatment options for CMML.
High-power and short-duration ablation for pulmonary vein isolation: Safety, efficacy, and long-term durability.

Introduction PV reconnection is often the result of catheter instability and tissue edema. High-power short-duration (HP-SD) ablation strategies have been shown to improve atrial linear continuity in acute pre-clinical models. This study compares the safety, efficacy, and long-term durability of HP-SD ablation with conventional ablation. Methods and results In 6 swine, 2 ablation lines were performed anterior and posterior to the crista terminalis, in the smooth and trabeculated right atrium, respectively; and the right superior PV was isolated. In 3 swine, ablation was performed using conventional parameters (Thermocool-Smarttouch® SF; 30 W/30 seconds) and in 3 other swine using HP-SD parameters (QDOT-MICRO™, 90 W/4 seconds). After 30 days, linear integrity was examined by voltage mapping and pacing, and the heart and surrounding tissues were examined by histopathology. Acute line integrity was achieved with both ablation strategies; however, HP-SD ablation required 80% less RF time compared with conventional ablation (P ≤ 0.01 for all lines). Chronic line integrity was higher with HP-SD ablation: all 3 posterior lines were continuous and transmural compared to only 1 line created by conventional ablation. In the trabeculated tissue, HP-SD ablation lesions were wider and of similar depth with 1 of 3 lines being continuous compared to 0 of 3 using conventional ablation. Chronic PVI without stenosis was evident in both groups. There were no steam-pops. Pleural markings were present in both strategies, but parenchymal lung injury was only evident with conventional ablation. Conclusions HP-SD ablation strategy results in improved linear continuity, shorter ablation time, and a safety profile comparable to conventional ablation.
Seasonality and Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

ABSTRACTObjectives:Seasonal and geographic variations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) exacerbations have been described in adults, with inconsistent findings. We sought to determine whether disease activity in pediatric-onset IBD is associated with a seasonal pattern.Methods:We examined children