cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Power Law Versus Exponential Form of Slow Crack Growth of Advanced Structural Ceramics: Dynamic Fatigue

The life prediction analysis based on an exponential crack velocity formulation was examined using a variety of experimental data on glass and advanced structural ceramics in constant stress-rate ("dynamic fatigue") and preload testing at ambient and elevated temperatures. The data fit to the strength versus In (stress rate) relation was found to be very reasonable for most of the materials. It was also found that preloading technique was equally applicable for the case of slow crack growth (SCG) parameter n > 30. The major limitation in the exponential crack velocity formulation, however, was that an inert strength of a material must be known priori to evaluate the important SCG parameter n, a significant drawback as compared to the conventional power-law crack velocity formulation.
Computational Code For Conjugate Heat Transfer Problems: An Experimental Validation Effort

A coupled finite volume/boundary element method was previously developed to solve the transient conjugate problem of convective heat transfer over and conduction heat transfer within a solid body. In this approach, the flowfield and forced convection heat transfer external to the body is resolved by numerically solving the time dependent Navier-Stokes equations using a finite volume method, while the temperature field within the body is resolved by numerically solving the heat conduction equation using a boundary element method. The boundary discretization utilized to generate the computational grid for the external flowfield provides the boundary discretization required for the boundary element method. Coupling of the to fields is accomplished by enforcing interface continuity of heat flux and temperature. Transient heat transfer data needed to verify the code was obtained in a series of experiments reported herein. Details of the experimental setup and test conditions are provided. Numerical results have thus far shown very good agreement with obtained experimental data.
Production transfer within multinational enterprises and American wages

Abstract This paper tests whether the transfer of production stages within US-headquartered multinational enterprises (MNEs) from US parents to foreign affiliates has contributed to within-industry shifts in US relative labor demand toward the more-skilled. There are two main empirical results. First, there is evidence of MNE transfer during the past 20 years. Second, regression analysis does not support the MNE hypothesis. MNE transfer tends to have small, imprecisely estimated effects on US relative labor demand. This finding is inconsistent with models of MNEs in which affiliate activities substitute for parent unskilled-labor-intensive activities.
Early-stage glottic carcinomas: effect of tumor location and full-length involvement on local tumor recurrence after radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: To correlate tumor location along the vocal cord with local control in stage I and II glottic carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients with stage I and 18 patients with stage II glottic cancer were irradiated with 4-MV x rays. Most patients received a total of 64-66 Gy, at a dose of 1.8-2.0 Gy/d. RESULTS: In stage I tumors, local-control probability was 96% +/- 2 (standard deviation); in stage II tumors, 67% +/- 15. When stages I and II were considered together, tumors that involved the full length of the vocal cord were more likely to recur (P = .069). In stage I tumors, treatment with < 2.0 Gy/d was statistically significantly (P = .038) associated with local recurrence. CONCLUSION: Poor outcome after irradiation could not be predicted with involvement of either the anterior commissure or posterior third of the vocal cord. Risk of tumor recurrence increased with full-length involvement, and in stage I tumors, with a daily fraction < 2.0 Gy.
Exercise Testing in Nonatherosclerotic Heart Disease Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Valvular Heart Disease, and Arrhythmias

Exercise testing first appeared in the medical literature in 1938.1 Since then, exercise testing has achieved an established place in the armamentarium of tests available to the physician for evaluating patients with known or suspected cardiac disease. In clinical practice, the application of exercise testing is often combined with cardiac imaging. This is reflected in recently available appropriate use criteria for myocardial perfusion imaging and stress echocardiography.2,3 However, exercise testing as a standalone test without imaging still has value in properly selected patients. The latest iteration of guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) concerning exercise testing is dominated by diagnostic or prognostic assessments of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease applications.4 Less prominent are those applications that pertain to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), valvular heart disease, and arrhythmias including pacemakers, all of which are the subject of this review. In the latest version of the ACC/AHA guidelines for exercise testing published in 2002,4 HCM is listed as a relative contraindication. However, in the ACC/European Society of Cardiology (ESC) expert consensus document on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy published in 2003,5 an abnormal exercise systolic blood pressure response is listed as a risk factor for sudden cardiac death in HCM. The exercise testing guidelines raise the issue of safety. Several reported series address this issue. The University of Minnesota group6 has exercised >3000 HCM patients over a period of 10 years with only 1 potentially fatal event, ie, exercise-induced sustained ventricular tachycardia that was successfully terminated with electric cardioversion. In addition, the Cleveland Clinic7 reported on 263 consecutive HCM patients who underwent exercise stress testing. Major complications occurred in 0.04% and minor events occurred in 23%. Major complications consisted of sustained ventricular tachycardia requiring direct-current cardioversion in 1 patient. Minor complications consisted of mild …
The Impact of Aging and Chronic Disease on Use of Hospital and Outpatient Services in a Large HMO: 1971–1991

OBJECTIVES: To examine overall and diagnosis-specific trends in the use of inpatient and outpatient medical services (1970–1988) among older members of a large HMO. DESIGN: Two cohorts of approximately 3000 persons aged 65 or older in 1971 and 1980 were compared for hospital and outpatient utilization during 9-year follow-up periods (1971–79 and 1980–88). All subjects were evaluated for vital status throughout the follow up period as well. PARTICIPANTS: All 6057 subjects were members of the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in 1971 or 1980. The study sample was sex-age stratified (65–69, 70–79, 80+) at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Data on demographics, outpatient health services utilization, categories of outpatient utilization and disease diagnoses were obtained from membership lists or medical chart review; inpatient utilization, including admitting and discharge diagnosis, length of stay, and number of hospital days was assessed from computerized hospitalization records. RESULTS: Hospital discharge rates (sex-age adjusted) increased by 12% between cohorts, with the largest increases at the oldest ages. There was a 25% increase among women and a 9% increase among men. Length of stay decreased by 20%. Hospitalization for ischemic heart disease decreased by 17%. Congestive heart failure (CHF) discharge rates (sex-age adjusted) were 92% higher in the 1980–88 cohort. For diagnoses related to nursing home institutionalization and frailty, discharge rates were significantly higher in the 1980–88 cohort: pneumonia (+ 34%), urinary tract infections (+ 104%), dehydration (+ 110%), osteoarthritis (+ 64%), syncope (+ 246%), leg cellulitis (+ 70%). In-hospital survival improved, but overall percent of readmissions also increased by 4%; readmissions for CHF increased by 13% and those for conditions of frailty by 120%. Overall outpatient visits increased by 17%. Use of laboratory tests (+ 57%) and outpatient surgeries (+ 99%) increased for all age strata in 1980–88 compared with 1971–79. CONCLUSIONS: While overall outpatient and inpatient utilization has largely decreased over the past 30 years, as a result of economic factors and improved treatments for some major diseases, there has been an increase in utilization among older people. Hospitalization for diagnoses associated with end-stage cardiovascular disease (CHF), musculoskeletal disease, frailty and iatrogenic aspects of institutionalization are clearly increasing substantially. The largest impact of aging on health care may be the result of institutionalization and its sequelae. Improved treatment for cardiovascular disease may also be leading to increased utilization at later stages in the disease process.
Antiretroviral therapy-associated serious and life-threatening toxicities

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when HIV/AIDS had become the leading cause of death in 25- to 44-year-old persons in the United States, it was acceptable to prescribe newer antiretroviral therapy such as zidovudine, which has significant bone marrow toxicities but can potentially improve patient survival. Although current antiretroviral therapy is not likely to eradicate HIV-1 infection, the advances in the use of combination antiretroviral therapy (including protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) have dramatically improved the overall survival, immune status, and productivity of HIVinfected individuals in developed countries. Instead of prevention and treatment of HIV-associated complications, many of the patients’ clinic visits are focused on finding strategies to manage and prevent antiretroviral therapyassociated complications. Because only a few HIV-infected persons fulfilling stringent inclusion criteria were included in premarketing clinical trials and because the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) accelerated approval process for antiretroviral therapy requires only 24-week safety and efficacy data, newly emerging and previously unrecognized adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy continue to surface when these drugs are administered to a larger patient population for a longer duration. Unfortunately, some of these adverse effects can be unpredictable and serious, and, if not recognized early and managed aggressively, can lead to fatality. This article reviews four of the most serious, life-threatening toxicities associated with antiretroviral therapy.
Fracture and embolization of a peripherally inserted central venous catheter

A case is presented of the fracture and embolization of a peripherally inserted central venous catheter. This novel complication is discussed in the context of patients in alternate care settings with emphasis on retrieval of the embolized catheter fragment, morbidity of catheter embolization, and precautions against inadvertent fracture in the home care setting.
Formally certified stable marriages

We present an implementation of the Gale-Shapley stable matching algorithm in the Coq proof assistant. The resulting program is guaranteed to terminate and provides a proof of the stability of the matchings that it produces. While proofs of the algorithm's termination and correctness exist on paper, our purpose was to investigate the process of developing a completely formalized proof for an executable implementation. The stages of our development are presented as a series of refinements to an initial version of the program. We suggest that the incremental approach we demonstrate is a reasonable model to follow in developing formalized correctness proofs for complex algorithms.
Lc-11 (Hunt B, Jones) as a mutually exclusive specificity to Lc-1,2, and 3 in the main human leukocyte group.

Summary. The specificity Lc-11, defined by properly adsorbed Hunt serum (Hunt B), or by the monospecific serum Jones, reveals a completely mutually exclusive relationship to Lc-1, 2, and 3 of the main (HL-A) leukocyte group, when tested against 290 random Caucasian donors and 56 negro donors. Jones antiserum was produced by planned immunization directed towards producing a specificity of this nature. A structural relationship of the various human leukocyte factors is proposed which is strictly analogous to the Rh system in man or the B blood group system in cattle. A number of criteria are set forth, the fulfillment of which would reinforce this interpretation.
Neurocognitive Aspects of Medication Adherence in HIV-Positive Injecting Drug Users

Cognitive deficits are associated with nonadherence to HIV medications. HIV-positive injecting drug users (IDUs) are at particular risk for nonadherence and cognitive barriers to adherence specific to this population should therefore be identified. The present study assessed the relation of three domains of cognitive functioning, executive functions, memory, and psychomotor speed, to self-reported antiretroviral adherence in a sample of HIV-positive IDUs. Depression, use of alcohol, heroin, cocaine/crack, or marijuana in the last week were also included in the models. Logistic regression analyses showed that only psychomotor slowing was significantly associated with nonadherence. Executive functions, memory, depression, and active alcohol and substance use were unrelated to adherence. No other studies to date have exclusively linked psychomotor slowing to nonadherence in HIV infection. Psychomotor slowing among our study sample was severe and suggests that when evident, such slowing may be a valuable determinant for antiretroviral adherence among IDUs.
Auto anti-N--an additional example.

This report is about an 85-year-old man with carcinoma of the urinary bladder who was type MN and had an antibody with N specificity. Absorption and elution studies proved this example of anti-N to be an autoantibody. Its optimal reactivity at low temperature and 2-mercaptoethanol reduction indicated antibody activity to be associated with an IgM globulin. The antibody failed to react with ficin treated cells. Both direct and indirect antiglobulin tests were negative. There was no clinical evidence of immune hemolysis in this patient. The serologic characteristics of the antibody were constant from discovery until the patient's death due to metastatic neoplasm ten weeks later.
Regulation of tumor cell mitochondrial Homeostasis by an organelle-specific Hsp90 chaperone network

Molecular chaperones, especially members of the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) family, are thought to promote tumor cell survival, but this function is not well understood. Here, we show that mitochondria of tumor cells, but not most normal tissues, contain Hsp90 and its related molecule, TRAP-1. These chaperones interact with Cyclophilin D, an immunophilin that induces mitochondrial cell death, and antagonize its function via protein folding/refolding mechanisms. Disabling this pathway using novel Hsp90 ATPase antagonists directed to mitochondria causes sudden collapse of mitochondrial function and selective tumor cell death. Therefore, Hsp90-directed chaperones are regulators of mitochondrial integrity, and their organelle-specific antagonists may provide a previously undescribed class of potent anticancer agents.
Emendation of the Genus Demaniella Steiner, 1914 (Nematoda: Diplogasterinae), With Observations On the Biology of D. Basili N. Sp

Structure of the lips, labial papillae, and cheilorhabdions in the genus Demaniella is described and the genus is redefined to include these details. A new species, D. basili, is described which is characterized by the presence of 10 caudal papillae and by the absence of a proximal cap on the gubernaculum. Duration of the life cycle of this nematode in bacterial-amoebic cultures varied from 41/2-5 days at 30°C to 18-20 days at 10°. Populations derived from 5 females and 10 males exceeded 48,000 after 2, 4, and 5 weeks at 30°, 25°, and 20°, respectively.
A reduction-graph model of precedent in legal analysis

Legal analysis is a task underlying many forms of legal problem solving. In the Anglo-American legal system, legal analysis is based in part on legal precedents, previously decided cases. This paper describes a reduction-graph model of legal precedents that accounts for a key characteristic of legal precedents: a precedent's relevance to subsequent cases is determined by the theory under which the precedent is decided. This paper identifies the implementation requirements for legal analysis using the reduction-graph model of legal precedents and describes GREBE, a program that satisfies these requirements.
Bridge diagnostics via vibration monitoring

In this paper nondestructive damage detection (NDD) in large/complex structures is demonstrated via simulating vibration monitoring of such structures. The theory of NDD for truss type structures is formulated. To examine the feasibility of the theory, a finite element model of a 3-D truss structure, which consists of sixteen bays and includes 246 elements, is developed to simulate damage. Four damage cases are simulated numerically. The cases range from the structure being damaged in one location to the structure being damaged in three locations. For the given modal parameters, this study reveals very good results for small aounts of damage as well as large damage.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Solid-phase synthesis and biochemical studies of O-boranophosphopeptides and O-dithiophosphopeptides

Signal transduction cascades maintain control over important cellular processes such as cell growth and differentiation by orchestrating protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Specific cont...
tele-present wind

David Bowen's work is concerned with aesthetics that result from interactive, reactive, and generative processes as they relate to intersections between natural and mechanical systems. tele-present wind consists of a field of x/y tilting devices connected to thin, dried plant stalks installed in the gallery, and a dried plant stalk connected to an accelerometer installed outdoors. When the wind blows, it causes the stalk outside to sway. The accelerometer detects this movement, transmitting it in real time to the grouping of devices in the gallery. The stalks in the gallery space move in unison, based on the movement of the wind outside. Bowen says of his work, "I produce devices and situations that are set in motion to create drawings, movements, compositions, sounds, and objects based on their perception of and interaction with the space and time they occupy. The devices I construct often play the roles of both observer and creator, providing limited and mechanical perspectives of dynamic situations and living objects. The work is a result of the combination of a particular event and the residue left after the event." His work thus offers an imperfect and revealing transposition of data. "In some ways, the devices are attempting, often futilely, to simulate or mimic a natural form, system, or function. When the mechanisms fail to replicate the natural system, the result is a completely unique outcome. It is these unpredictable occurrences that I find most fascinating. These outcomes are a collaboration between the natural form or function, the mechanism, and myself. This combination can be seen as an elaborate and even absurd method of capturing qualified data. I see the data collected in this manner as aesthetic data."
Polymorphous ventricular tachycardia associated with a marked prolongation of the Q-T interval induced by amiodarone.

We report the case of a patient who developed a life-threatening polymorphous ventricular tachycardia ( PVT ) after six weeks of treatment with amiodarone. The Q-T interval was markedly prolonged at 0.86 second. The drug induction of PVT was strongly suggested by the fact that PVT resolved four days after withdrawal of amiodarone when the Q-T interval had shortened to 0.60 second; the arrhythmia has not recurred in the nine months of follow-up since then. Amiodarone, though a very effective antiarrhythmic agent, may induce serious PVT .
Potent induction of carcinogen defence enzymes with sulforaphane, a putative prostate cancer chemopreventive agent.

Potent induction of carcinogen defence enzymes with sulforaphane, a putative prostate cancer chemopreventive agent
Universally nonmeasurable subgroups of R

Simple proofs (by use of the axion of choice in one form or another) of the existence of subsets of the real line R that are not measurable with respect to the Lebesgue outer measure A can be found in almost any textbook that discusses measure theory. Some of these examples are actually subgroups of the additive group R. Indeed, no subgroup H of DR for which R/H is countably infinite can be A-measurable and such subgroups can be obtained by use of a Hamel basis (see [3]). A particularly illuminating discussion of A-nonmeasurability is given in [5]. In this note we modify a transfinite induction argument given by F. Bernstein
Hybrid 3D pre-bonding test framework design

We have proposed in this paper a hybrid wireless test framework for pre-bond testing of 3D-SICs. This framework exploits high data rate & low noise near field inductive coupling mechanism for test data transfer. Test stimuli for IP cores and test control for TSV BIST are wirelessly transmitted through the probe card. Test responses from IP cores and TSV BIST are relayed back to the probe card by WiPads. A scheduling heuristic was further proposed for parallel testing of TSVs and IP cores, achieving reasonably close testing times to LB.
General technique for communications protocol validation

A technique for the validation of protocols in communications systems is described. It can be used for systems composed of processes that can be modeled as finite directed graphs. The validation exhaustively exercises the interaction domain of a system and identifies all occurrences of a number of well-defined error conditions. The method can detect when individual processes have no predefined response to incoming messages, as well as system deadlocks and potential loss of messages due to overflow conditions.
Snapshots of Life: Perspectives of School-Aged Individuals with Developmental Disabilities:

The perspective of children with developmental disabilities regarding what is important is not fully understood due to limited means by which accurate data are collected. Many researchers rely upon...
Temporal separation between philopatric juvenile pikas and their parents limits behavioural conflict

Abstract Most juvenile pikas, Ochotoma princeps , in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado remain on the home ranges of their parents throughout the summer of their birth and eventually settle close to their natal home range. Because conflicts potentially exist between these philopatric young and their individually territorial parents, tests were done to see whether periods of juvenile activity on parental territories were independent of adult activity. Data were gathered with focal-animal sampling on a fully marked population of pikas during July and August in 1980 and 1981. Juvenile activity on the territory of a parent was dependent on parental activity; juveniles were most likely to be active when their parents were inactive. The temporal separation between parents and juveniles appears doubly advantageous in that it allows juveniles to avoid adult aggression and may facilitate their settlement nearby.
Delayed matching in the pigeon: Interference produced by the prior delayed matching trial

Pigeons’ delayed matching performance on Trial n was examined as a function of whether the correct and incorrect comparison stimuli from Trial n−1 were maintained in the same role on Trial n (positive transitions), were reversed in role on Trial n (negative transitions), or were absent on Trial n (neutral transitions). Relative to neutral transitions, positive transitions did not significantly facilitate performance. Negative transitions, however, produced significant proactive interference on Trial n, and the magnitude of proactive interference was greater when the Trial n retention interval was 1 sec than when it was 0 sec. As the intertriai interval increased from 2 to 10 sec, the amount of interference dissipated. The results suggest that a prior delayed matching trial can serve as a significant source of forgetting but not a significant source of facilitation on an immediately following delayed matching trial.
High-fat diet induces cardiac remodelling and dysfunction: assessment of the role played by SIRT3 loss

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in obesity-induced cardiac impairment. SIRT3 is a mitochondrial protein associated with increased human life span and metabolism. This study investigated the functional role of SIRT3 in obesity-induced cardiac dysfunction. Wild-type (WT) and SIRT3 knockout (KO) mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks. Body weight, fasting glucose levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, myocardial capillary density, cardiac function and expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α/-2α were assessed. HFD resulted in a significant reduction in SIRT3 expression in the heart. Both HFD and SIRT3 KO mice showed increased ROS formation, impaired HIF signalling and reduced capillary density in the heart. HFD induced cardiac hypertrophy and impaired cardiac function. SIRT3 KO mice fed HFD showed greater ROS production and a further reduction in cardiac function compared to SIRT3 KO mice on ND. Thus, the adverse effects of HFD on cardiac function were not attributable to SIRT3 loss alone. However, HFD did not further reduce capillary density in SIRT3 KO hearts, implicating SIRT3 loss in HFD-induced capillary rarefaction. Our study demonstrates the importance of SIRT3 in preserving heart function and capillary density in the setting of obesity. Thus, SIRT3 may be a potential therapeutic target for obesity-induced heart failure.
Total globulins and lymphocyte count as markers of mortality in sepsis and septic shock

Introduccion: No existen estudios que demuestren si pacientes en sepsis o shock septico que presentan globulinas plasmaticas totales y/o recuento linfocitario plasmatico disminuidos, tendrian mayor mortalidad. Pacientes y Metodo: Estudio de cohorte prospectivo de 103 pacientes ingresados a la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, que cumplian criterios de sepsis o shock septico, seguidos diariamente en el Hospital Dr. Gustavo Fricke entre junio y noviembre de 2009. Resultados: Hubo asociacion entre mortalidad y recuento linfocitario medido a partir del tercer dia (valor p 0,05). El area bajo la curva ROC del recuento linfocitario medido al tercer dia fue 0,68 (IC 95% 0,530,82), con una sensibilidad de 75%, especificidad 52%, LR(+) 1,57 y LR(-) 0,48 para un punto de corte de 510 linfocitos/mm3, comportandose ademas como factor de riesgo independiente de mortalidad (OR 3,67, IC 95% 1,03-13,1). Discusion: El recuento linfocitario se asocia precozmente y en forma independiente al pronostico de mayor mortalidad en estos pacientes.
Minimalism and Bilingualism: How and Why Bilingualism Could Benefit Children with SLI.

We begin with the hypothesis that all people are “bilingual” because every language contains ingredients from several grammars, just as English exhibits both an Anglo-Saxon and a Latinate vocabulary system. We argue that the dominant grammar is defined by productivity and recursion in particular. Although current evidence is sparse, in principle, for a child who shows Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in a bilingual environment, richer modules in one grammar may help trigger more obscure modules in another language. Thus, if one language has a rich case system, it may help a child see an impoverished case system in another grammar. Examples from prepositional systems, wh-movement, recursive possessives and others are discussed. In general, a second language can be beneficial to the SLI child in the acquisition of both languages. Minimalism offers a level of abstraction where these cross-language connections can most naturally be stated.
Bargaining and Justice

My concern in this paper is with the illumination that the theory of rational bargaining sheds on the formulation of principles of justice. I shall first set out the bargaining problem, as treated in the theory of games, and the Nash solution, or solution F. I shall then argue against the axiom, labeled “independence of irrelevant alternatives,” which distinguished solution F, and also against the Zeuthen model of the bargaining process which F formalizes.
Distributed Clock Synchronization over Wireless Networks: Algorithms and Analysis

We analyze the spatial smoothing algorithm of Solis, Borkar and Kumar (2005) for clock synchronization over multi-hop wireless networks. In particular, for a model of a random wireless network we show that with high probability the error variance is O(1) as the number of nodes in the network increases. This provides support for the feasibility of time-based computing n large wireless networks. We also provide bounds on the settling time of a distributed algorithm
Margot Blum Schevill. Maya Textiles of Guatemala.

Maya Textiles of Guatemala: The Gustavus A. Eisen Collection, 1902. MARGOT BLUM SCHEVILL. with. historical essay by CHRISTOPHER H. LUTZ. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1993. xiii. 295 pp. 150 color and 175 b/w illus., notes, bibliography, index. $65.00 (cloth), $29.95 (paper).
Heapviz: interactive heap visualization for program understanding and debugging

Understanding the data structures in a program is crucial to understanding how the program works, or why it doesn't work. Inspecting the code that implements the data structures, however, is an arduous task and often fails to yield insights into the global organization of a program's data. Inspecting the actual contents of the heap solves these problems but presents a significant challenge of its own: finding an effective way to present the enormous number of objects it contains.In this paper we present Heapviz, a tool for visualizing and exploring snapshots of the heap obtained from a running Java program. Unlike existing tools, such as traditional debuggers, Heapviz presents a global view of the program state as a graph, together with powerful interactive capabilities for navigating it. Our tool employs several key techniques that help manage the scale of the data. First, we reduce the size and complexity of the graph by using algorithms inspired by static shape analysis to aggregate the nodes that make up a data structure. Second, we introduce a dominator-based layout scheme that emphasizes hierarchical containment and ownership relations. Finally, the interactive interface allows the user to expand and contract regions of the heap to modulate data structure detail, inspect individual objects and field values, and search for objects based on type or connectivity. By applying Heapviz to both constructed and real-world examples, we show that Heapviz provides programmers with a powerful and intuitive tool for exploring program behavior.
INVESTIGATION OF A MEMS-BASED BOILER AND FREE PISTON EXPANDER FOR ENERGY HARVESTING

Initial investigations of a small-scale Free Piston Expander (FPE) are presented. In final form, the FPE will be a MEMS-based device capable of operation from low temperature waste heat sources. In this present study, a millimeter scale device is constructed and tested to yield insight into critical operational parameters.Different constructions and operating conditions are considered as are the effects on basic piston motion and performance. These include piston length and mass. In addition, different sealing and lubricating fluids are considered. Construction of this testbed device is via concentric copper tubing, allowing an effective baseline study of these determining parameters.Results show that, while thick lubricants seal well in a static test, piston motion is decreased in a dynamic test indicating leakages. By contrast, reduced viscosity lubricants dont seal as well in a static test, but yield increased piston motion in dynamic testing. This indicates effective sealing. The trends established by the study of varying viscosity lubricants hold true for pistons of increasing mass and length as well. A mixture of isopropanol and water performed well in these tests, and represented a low viscosity sealing fluid. Compared to conditions where no lubricant was used, maximum velocity was increased up to 50%. These results indicate that a thin, wetting fluid will be the best lubricant for the FPE, due to increased sealing and performance when in dynamic operation.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Improved paraffin sectioning with etched microtome knife edges.

Carbon steel microtome knives etched with 0.1 N HNO3 for 2 min display a very sharp cutting edge. Over a period of 3 yr no damage to the steel has been detected. The effect on paraffin sectioning was observed by comparing acid-treated knives with nonetched but well-sharpened ones. Sections of whole eyes cut with an etched blade showed approximately 15% less compression of the parffin matrix than those sectioned with an untreated knife. Tissues selected from routine autopsy material presented approximately 9% reduction in compression. As a result, excellent ribbons of sections could be cut from 5-7 μ and floated on water at 42—46 C with a minimum of folds or distortion. Etching improved sectioning when knife edges having bevel angles in a range of 31-39° were used, and also when the bevel was decreased to 20°, but the 20° edge gave impractically short service.
A survey of functional behavior assessment methods used by behavior analysts in practice

To gather information about the functional behavior assessment (FBA) methods behavior analysts use in practice, we sent a web-based survey to 12,431 behavior analysts certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Ultimately, 724 surveys were returned, with the results suggesting that most respondents regularly use FBA methods, especially descriptive assessments. Moreover, the data suggest that the majority of students are being formally taught about the various FBA methods and that educators are emphasizing the range of FBA methods in their teaching. However, less than half of the respondents reported using functional analyses in practice, although many considered descriptive assessments and functional analyses to be the most useful FBA methods. Most respondents reported using informant and descriptive assessments more frequently than functional analyses, and a majority of respondents indicated that they "never" or "almost never" used functional analyses to identify the function of behavior.
Where is Criminology? The Institutional Placement of Criminology Within Sociology and Criminal Justice

This article examines the institutional placement of graduate programs in criminology. Using Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences for 2004, 1994, and 1984, a sampling frame of programs that had "criminology" in the department/program or degree title was constructed. Data show that criminology was most commonly located in combined criminal justice/criminology departments, not in departments of sociology. Between 1984 and 2004, there was an increase in the number of criminology programs. An examination of seven departments, for which detailed information was available, offers insight into the decisions that shaped the institutional placement of the program as well as what the program or degree would be called.
Effects of O2 Concentration on the Rate and Selectivity in Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane Catalyzed by Vanadium Oxide: Implications for O2 Staging and Membrane Reactors

Staged-O2 introduction and the effects of O2 concentration on primary and secondary reactions were examined during oxidative dehydrogenation on V2O5/γ-Al2O3 containing predominately isolated monovanadates. Cofeed and staged-O2 introduction modes led to similar ethane dehydrogenation and combustion rates, despite significant differences in the average O2 concentrations, as expected from their zero-order O2 dependences. The rate of ethene conversion to COx, however, was lower when O2 coreactants were introduced gradually as ethane conversion increased. These effects reflect inhibition of homogeneous ethene combustion pathways, which in contrast with their heterogeneous counterparts show a positive dependence in O2. Axial O2 distribution using multiple injectors or membranes will therefore influence alkene yields only by decreasing homogeneous alkene oxidation rates. Homogeneous contributions are much smaller in large reactors, because catalyst-to-volume ratios are greater than those in laboratory reactors. ...
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Testing, Simulations, and Analysis

There has been increasing interests on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) recently. PHEV conversion kits for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are available on the market and the automotive industry is also investigating the use of PHEVs. This paper explains a method of classifying PHEVs and analyzes and compares testing results of two power-split PHEVs and simulation results of a series PHEV. Results and analysis of PHEV engine and battery are presented. Fuel and electrical energy is shown for different drive cycles and operating modes. Finally, the challenges on PHEV testing procedure are discussed.
HOS1, a Genetic Locus Involved in Cold-Responsive Gene Expression in Arabidopsis

Low-temperature stress induces the expression of a variety of genes in plants. However, the signal transduction pathway(s) that activates gene expression under cold stress is poorly understood. Mutants defective in cold signaling should facilitate molecular analysis of plant responses to low temperature and eventually lead to the identification and cloning of a cold stress receptor(s) and intracellular signaling components. In this study, we characterize a plant mutant affected in its response to low temperatures. The Arabidopsis hos1-1 mutation identified by luciferase imaging causes superinduction of cold-responsive genes, such as RD29A , COR47 , COR15A , KIN1 , and ADH. Although these genes are also induced by abscisic acid, high salt, or polyethylene glycol in addition to cold, the hos1-1 mutation only enhances their expression under cold stress. Genetic analysis revealed that hos1-1 is a single recessive mutation in a nuclear gene. Our studies using the firefly luciferase reporter gene under the control of the cold-responsive RD29A promoter have indicated that cold-responsive genes can be induced by temperatures as high as 19°C in hos1-1 plants. In contrast, wild-type plants do not express the luciferase reporter at 10°C or higher. Compared with the wild type, hos1-1 plants are less cold hardy. Nonetheless, after 2 days of cold acclimation, hos1-1 plants acquired the same degree of freezing tolerance as did the wild type. The hos1-1 plants flowered earlier than did the wild-type plants and appeared constitutively vernalized. Taken together, our findings show that the HOS1 locus is an important negative regulator of cold signal transduction in plant cells and that it plays critical roles in controlling gene expression under cold stress, freezing tolerance, and flowering time.
Accurate fully automated powder diffraction data using zero-background sample holders

An increasingly frequent used sample holder, the zero-background holder (ZBH), is evaluated for use in external standard calibration of powder patterns. The effectiveness of the ZBH calibration method is determined by comparison to the conventional internal- and external-standard calibration techniques. The three calibration methods are compared using the results of lattice parameter refinements of test powders, using Si as the standard. Several test materials were used in the evaluation which cover a wide range of absorption coefficients so sample transparency effects can be distinguished from sample displacement effects. Results of the calibrations clearly indicate that the ZBH method gives precision and accuracy comparable to the internal-standard method, and significantly better than the external-standard technique. In addition, the ZBH method yields substantially better results than the internal-standard method for materials with low absorption coefficients. Low-angle calibrations are also made on a ZBH using a proposed standard, silver behenate, which has peaks from 1.5° to 20° 2θ. These calibrations have shown that if care is not taken to establish a monolayer of powder on the ZBH crystal, significant errors in refined lattice parameters will result.
Alignment of distantly related protein structures

Motivation: Building an accurate alignment of a large set of distantly related protein structures is still very challenging. Results: This article presents a novel method 3DCOMB that can generate a multiple structure alignment (MSA) with not only as many conserved cores as possible, but also high-quality pairwise alignments. 3DCOMB is unique in that it makes use of both local and global structure environments, combined by a statistical learning method, to accurately identify highly similar fragment blocks (HSFBs) among all proteins to be aligned. By extending the alignments of these HSFBs, 3DCOMB can quickly generate an accurate MSA without using progressive alignment. 3DCOMB significantly excels others in aligning distantly related proteins. 3DCOMB can also generate correct alignments for functionally similar regions among proteins of very different structures while many other MSA tools fail. 3DCOMB is useful for many real-world applications. In particular, it enables us to find out that there is still large improvement room for multiple template homology modeling while several other MSA tools fail to do so. Availability: 3DCOMB is available at http://ttic.uchicago.edu/~jinbo/software.htm. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary Information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Testicular Recrudescence in the Male Black Bear (Ursus americanus): Changes in Testicular Luteinizing Hormone-, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone-, and Prolactin-Receptor Ribonucleic Acid Abundance and Dependency on Prolactin

Testicular recrudescence in male black bears (Ursus americanus) is initiated in January and completed in May. The goals of this study in the black bear were to determine 1) if testicular abundance of LH-receptor (LHr), FSH-receptor (FSHr), and prolactin-receptor (PRLr) mRNA changes during recrudescence; 2) if these changes in mRNA abundance are associated with changes in serum LH, PRL, and testosterone (T) concentrations; and 3) if the spring increase in serum PRL concentrations is required for testicular recrudescence. Serum was obtained monthly from nine male bears for 2 yr, except in July and August. To suppress endogenous PRL, four bears were treated with Parlodel LAR, 50 mg per 70 kg body weight, monthly from January through May, whereas five bears served as controls. Testicular biopsies were obtained in January, March, and May and analyzed for LHr, FSHr, and PRLr mRNA abundance using reverse transcriptase-competitive polymerase chain reaction. The LHr and PRLr mRNA abundance was low in January, increased in March, and remained high in May, whereas the FSHr mRNA abundance remained constant. Serum concentrations of PRL and T increased in March, coincident with the increase in testicular LHr and PRLr mRNA abundance. Suppression of serum PRL concentrations during testicular recrudescence 1) prevented the increase in testicular LHr and PRLr mRNA abundance observed among control bears in March, 2) lowered serum T concentrations in March and April, and 3) resulted in reduced testis size in May. We conclude that testicular LHr and PRLr mRNA are seasonally regulated, and that PRL has a role in testicular recrudescence in the black bear.
A model system to assess key vascular responses to biomaterials.

PURPOSE To establish a reproducible laboratory test to evaluate prospective vascular biomaterials with respect to their thromboinflammatory properties by examining fibrinogen, platelet, and monocyte binding. Endothelial migration onto these surfaces was used as an index of vascular healing. METHODS To evaluate biomaterials for potential thrombogenicity and inflammation, binding assays of radiolabeled human fibrinogen, platelets, and monocytes were performed on standard pieces of vascular biomaterials, including metals and polymeric and ceramic-coated materials. Using an established in vitro endothelial cell migration model, the relative migration rate of cultured human aortic endothelial cells onto these vascular biomaterials was measured and compared. The fibrinogen, platelet, and monocyte binding results were combined along with the migration results to create an overall score of biocompatibility. RESULTS A significant direct relation of platelet and monocyte binding to the amount of adsorbed fibrinogen was observed. In contrast, migration rates of cultured human aortic endothelial cells onto the same biomaterial surfaces were found to be inversely related the amount of bound fibrinogen. Among the materials tested, stainless steel received the highest score of biocompatibility, while turbostratic carbon scored the lowest. CONCLUSIONS Fibrinogen, platelet, and monocyte binding levels, as well as endothelial migration rates onto vascular material surfaces, provide a basis for evaluating thrombogenicity, inflammatory potential, and endothelialization in the laboratory prior to in vivo testing.
Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and glycosaminoglycans replacement therapy

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a debilitating chronic disease characterized by discomfort or recurrent abdominal and pelvic pains in the absence of urinary tract infections. Its symptomatology includes discomfort, increased bladder pressure, sensitivity and intense pain in the bladder and pelvic areas, increased voiding frequency and urgency, or a combination of these symptoms. For these reasons, this pathology has a very negative impact on quality of life. The etiology of IC/BPS is still not well understood and different hypotheses have been formulated, including autoimmune processes, allergic reactions, chronic bacterial infections, exposure to toxins or dietary elements, and psychosomatic factors. The finding of an effective and specific therapy for IC/BPS remains a challenge for the scientific community because of the lack of a consensus regarding the causes and the inherent difficulties in the diagnosis. The last recent hypothesis is that IC/BPS could be pathophysiologically related to a disruption of the bladder mucosa surface layer with consequent loss of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). This class of mucopolysaccharides has hydrorepellent properties and their alteration expose the urothelium to many urinary toxic agents. It has been hypothesized that when these substances penetrate the bladder wall a chain is triggered in the submucosa. In order to improve the integrity and function of the bladder lining, GAG layer replenishment therapy is widely accepted as therapy for patients with IC/BPS who have poor or inadequate response to conventional therapy. Currently, Chondroitin sulfate (CS), heparin, hyaluronic acid (HA), and pentosan polysulphate (PPS), and combinations of two GAGs (CS and HA) are the available substances with different effectiveness rates in patients with IC/BPS. There are four different commercially available products for GAG replenishment including CS, heparin, HA and PPS. Each product has different concentrations and dosage formulations. Recently, a combination of CS and HA is the latest commercially available product with promising results.