cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-the-spectacle-lens telescopic device for low vision

Spectacle mounted telescopic systems have been prescribed for visual impairment, providing magnified images of objects at farther distances. Typically, bioptic telescopes are mounted toward the top of spectacle lenses or above the frame with the telescope eyepiece positioned above the eye's pupil. This allows the wearer to alternate between the magnified narrow field of view available through the eyepiece and the unmagnified wide view through the carrier lens using head motion. The main obstacles to acceptance are the obvious appearance, limited field of the smaller Galilean telescopes, and weight of the larger Keplerian telescopes. We designed a spectacle-mounted wide-field Keplerian telescope built completely inside the spectacle lens. The design uses embedded mirrors inside the carrier lens for optical pathway folding and conventional lenses or curved mirrors. The small size of the ocular and its position with additional mirror tilt enable the user to view the magnified field simultaneously and above the unmagnified view of the uninterrupted horizontal field that is important for user's safety. This design enables the construction of cosmetic telescopes that can be produced as a commodity lens blank and surfaced to include the patient prescription. These devices may be also of utility in military and civilian use.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Non-Contact Dimensional Measurements by Optical and Electronic Techniques

Accurate dimensional measurements of products during processing are a major requirement in many industries. Because of high heat radiation, rapid motion, or other factors a noncontact measurement system is desirable. Systems have been developed using a combination of closed-circuit television and special optical techniques together with special purpose computers and associated readout devices. A typical application is a system for measuring the length of red hot steel I-beam blanks.
Meta-analysis of P300 normative aging studies

The theoretical and empirical backgrounds for the utility of the P300 event-related potential (ERP) as a measure of cognitive aging are summarized. P300 latency data from 32 different normative aging studies are then reviewed and assessed with meta-analytic procedures. Evaluation of moderator variables indicates that sample characteristics, stimulus factors, and task conditions contribute significantly to the "normal" change in peak latency that occurs with aging. These findings are critiqued in the context of previous reports, and implications are outlined for future applications of ERPs to normative aging. It is concluded that P300 latency can provide useful information about cognitive aging but that specific variables must be considered to obtain more precise results.
New Approach for Modeling Hybrid Pressure Swing Adsorption–Distillation Processes

A new methodology for modeling hybrid pressure swing adsorption (PSA)–distillation processes has been developed. This new approach involves two parts. Part I determines if energy savings are possib...
Further studies in man of hsw1n1 influenza viruses

Two subpopulations of antigenically different Hsw1N1 influenza viruses, cloned from 'swine' New Jersey virus 1976, were individually inoculated into antibody-free volunteers. One clone contained a haemagglutinin so far seen only in swine viruses prevalent in 1971 and after, the other a haemagglutinin of earlier strains dating back to a least 1957. Each of the viruses was infectious for man and intermediate in human virulence between a wild human virus and swine pathogens of 1966 and 1967, which had earlier been tested in man. Antigenically comparable clones segregated from viruses recovered in Wisconsin from a pig and a human contact, respectively, were also infectious for man; however, they were less virulent than their New Jersey counterparts. Differences between the Wisconsin clones themselves were small, but there was an indication of a relationship between human passage. and human virulence. There was no evidence of inherently greater human virulence in the newer Hsw1N1 serotype as compared with the earlier serotype. Hence, recent detection of swine influenza-like viruses in man is unlikely to be the consequence of a host-range mutation concurrent with an antigenic mutation. We believe that the Hsw1N1 viruses recovered from the human influenza outbreak at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and from recent single human infections were wholly derived from enzootic swine viruses that underwent limited human adaptation through man-to-man passage.
Theory of the photodisintegration of the deuteron and n—p capture

Synopsis The photodisintegration of the deuteron and the n-p capture in the medium energy range is investigated by considering the final state interactions including tensor coupling exactly. The electric transitions are treated in all multipole orders, assuming the validity of the Siegert theorem. Of the magnetic transitions, only the magnetic dipole spin flip transition is taken into account. For the photodisintegration, the angular distribution and polarization of the outgoing nucleons are given for arbitrary polarized radiation. In the n-p capture, the angular distribution and polarization of the -rays are given for an arbitrarily polarized neutron beam. The formulas are specialized for El, E2 and M1 spin flip transitions.
Competitive Federalism and Race to the Top Application Decisions in the American States

The Race to the Top (RTTT) program, announced by the Obama Administration in 2009, represented the largest competitive grant in the history of U.S. education. Despite the amount of money available ...
Reassessment of digoxin and other low-dose positive inotropes in the treatment of chronic heart failure

Digoxin and other low doses of drugs that have inotropic properties may have an important role to play in the therapy of patients with chronic heart failure. There is convincing evidence that digoxin is effective in relieving the signs and symptoms of heart failure due to systolic dysfunction. While earlier results with some of the other agents have been disappointing, recent data suggest that a reevaluation of these agents is necessary. There is now compelling evidence that lower doses of these agents may be clinically useful without necessarily having any significant hemodynamic effects. The recent experience with vesnarinone is especially promising in showing that therapy with these agents may improve survival in addition to improving clinical status. It is becoming recognized that hemodynamic activity should not necessarily be a prerequisite for clinical utility for these agents. The neuroendocrine and electrophysiologic effects of many of these agents, including digitalis, remain incompletely characterized and may play an important role in their therapeutic benefit. It appears that certain drugs that have inotropic properties may be effective only when their inotropic effects are not readily demonstrated. Further research into the appropriate mechanisms of action and proper dosing of these drugs may lead to a renewed interest in the use of positive inotropes for chronic heart failure.
Treatment of glaucoma secondary to ICE syndrome

Abstract Iridocorneal Endothelial (ICE) Syndrome refers to a group of three similar entities consisting of a combination of abnormalities to the corneal endothelium and iris. Approximately 50% of all patients who present with an ICE syndrome will later develop secondary angle closure glaucoma which is often refractory to conventional therapy. The following case report presents a patient with essential iris atrophy and secondary angle closure glaucoma. The clinical features of the disease, mechanisms of secondary glaucoma, and management strategies will be discussed.
Flux comparisons between sediments and sediment traps in the eastern tropical Pacific: Implications for atmospheric C02 variations during the Pleistocene1

Regeneration rates of labile elements and biogenic components were measured at two sites in the Guatemala Basin by comparing fluxes of material caught in sediment traps to fluxes of that preserved in the sediments. From 95 to 99% of the N, P, organic C, CaCO3, opal, and Br reaching the sea floor are regenerated at the two sites. For elements bound largely in refractory phases (e.g. Al, Sc, Ti, and Fe), the particle-associated flux to the bottom is within 20% of the accumulation rate in the sediment. The two MANOP sites, about 800 km apart, have similar fluxes of organically associated N, P, and C, reflecting similar and relatively high primary productivity. There is a marked contrast in the opal/carbonate fluxes which leads to differences in CO2 cycling at the two locations. At least 95% of the total particulate organic carbon and >97% of the total particulate phosphate are regenerated at <1,500-m depth in the oceans. In contrast, much of the CaCO3 is destroyed at the sea floor. By a simple three-box ocean model we show that the recycling and storage depths of organic C, CaCO3, and P can be important factors in the control of the CO2 content of the atmosphere. We suggest that Pleistocene CO2 variations were due in part to global increases in upwelling during glacial periods with synchronous increases in total oceanic productivity and differences in diatom vs. carbonate productivity.
Classification and feature selection with human performance data

We investigate the utility of a novel form of prior, namely the accuracies with which humans categorize briefly displayed images. Such information reflects the complexity of an image for the visual system and carries information about the features important for categorization. We incorporate the prior in an SVM framework, by biasing the decision boundary towards examples difficult for humans, and by learning a suitable kernel. We focus on the task indoors vs. outdoors using a variety of histogram and interest point features. We observe improvement in classification especially for the indoor class when gist features are used.
Induction of AIDS-like disease in macaque monkeys with T-cell tropic retrovirus STLV-III

The T-cell tropic retrovirus of macaque monkeys STLV-III has morphologic, growth, and antigenic properties indicating that it is related to HTLV-III/LAV, the etiologic agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans. Four of six rhesus monkeys died within 160 days of STLV-III inoculation with a wasting syndrome, opportunistic infections, a primary retroviral encephalitis, and immunologic abnormalities including a decrease in T4+ peripheral blood lymphocytes. These data show that an immunodeficiency syndrome can be produced experimentally in a nonhuman primate by an agent from the HTLV-III/LAV group of retroviruses. The STLV-III-macaque system will thus provide a useful model for the study of antiviral agents and vaccine development for human AIDS.
Subunit Structure and Amino‐Acid Composition of Crystallized Human‐Muscle Glycogen Phosphorylase

The subunit structure and molecular weight of the a and b forms of human muscle glycogen phosphorylase were investigated. 1 Electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate gave a molecular weight of 94 500 for the monomer. When studied at 1 mg/ml and 20 °C by high-speed sedimentation equilibrium, sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and specific activity-concentration dependence, both a and b forms of the human enzyme were found to exist as dimers. 2 A slight association of human phosphorylase a was observed in the high-speed sedimentation equilibrium values of the z-average molecular weight (262000 for Mmacr;zvs 188000 daltons for Mmacr;w). Some association of the a enzyme was also detected by schlieren sedimentation velocity when the enzyme was studied at 5 mg/ml. 3 Human phosphorylase b could be fully associated to tetramer at 20 °C when Pi, Mg2+ and AMP were added but not in the presence of NaF and AMP which were found to be effective in tetramerizing rabbit phosphorylase b. 4 Another important difference from rabbit phosphorylase was the significantly lower proline content of the enzyme from human muscle.
A Triplex Fault Tolerant Digital Control

Reliability is becoming more important as turbomachinery applications become more complex and as competition becomes more intense. This paper describes a fault tolerant control system that offers the needed reliability. Both the hardware and software are discussed. An application of the control on a Westinghouse 501 gas turbine is noted.Copyright © 1987 by ASME
Alfvénic Resonances on Ultraviolet Spicules

We consider the propagation of small-amplitude torsional Alfven waves on spicule-like structures seen at UV and EUV wavelengths. We assume that such UV spicules have densities an order of magnitude lower than chromospheric spicules. Extending the earlier analysis of Sterling & Hollweg, we find that UV spicules can act as resonance cavities, whereby Alfven waves of preferred frequencies have strong transmission into the structures. The resonance cavity forms because of the sharp changes in Alfven velocity between the photosphere/chromosphere and the UV spicule at the UV spicule's base and between the UV spicule and the corona at the top of the UV spicule. For a canonical UV spicule residing on a magnetic flux tube of strength B0 = 40 G with length L = 10,000 km and density ρ = 1.0 × 10-14 g cm-3, we predict a fundamental resonance period of about 35 s, some 3 times shorter than for a corresponding chromospheric spicule. Velocities along the length of the UV spicule vary from about 30 to 150 km s-1, increasing with height along the structure. Longer UV spicules have longer resonance periods and lower rotational velocities, and stronger magnetic fields result in shorter resonance periods and higher velocities. The same qualitative parameter dependencies also hold for chromospheric spicules. Damping flattens out the velocity amplitude's profile along the structure and reduces the maximum velocity but does not appreciably change the periods of the resonances.
Gene expression profiling of dysplastic differentiation in cervical epithelial cells harboring human papillomavirus 16.

Abstract Molecular events occurring with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated dysplastic differentiation of cervical epithelial cells are largely unknown. This study used differential display PCR to identify expression changes between nondifferentiating monolayer and differentiated organotypic (raft) cultures of W12 keratinocytes. These cells were originally derived from a clinical biopsy of HPV 16-positive dysplastic cervical epithelium and retain high-risk HPV 16 and the ability to differentiate, albeit with dysplastic morphology. Using this model system we identified 84 genes with changed expression during dysplastic differentiation. Most (70/84, ≈80%) were down-regulated with differentiation, consistent with a restriction of expression during terminal differentiation. Twenty-two genes had no known function and 6 novel expressed sequence tags were identified among this group. Of the 62 genes with known functions, 25 belonged to transcription-, translation-, and posttranslation-related categories and 30 had functions associated with neoplastic initiation/progression, calcium signaling, epithelial differentiation, and structure remodeling. Some of the genes with altered expression identified in this model of dysplastic differentiation may be useful biomarkers for early detection of cervical neoplasia and other HPV-associated oropharyngeal and anogenital cancers.
A path-oriented knowledge representation system: Defusing the combinatorial explosion

LIMAP is a programming system oriented toward efficient information manipulation over fixed finite domains, and quantification over paths and predicates. A generalization of Warshall's Algorithm to precompute paths in a sparse matrix representation of semantic nets is employed to allow questions involving paths between components to be posed and answered easily. LIMAP's ability to cache all paths between two components in a matrix cell proved to be a computational obstacle, however, when the semantic net grew to realistic size. The present paper describes a means of mitigating this combinatorial explosion to an extent that makes the use of the LIMAP representation feasible for problems of significant size. The technique we describe radically reduces the size of the search space in which LIMAP must operate; semantic nets of more than 500 nodes have been attacked successfully. Furthermore, it appears that the procedure described is applicable not only to LIMAP, but to a number of other combinatorially explosive search space problems found in AI as well.
Collaborative Teaching over the Internet

This article presents a description of a method to integrate Internet technology into classroom instruction. Two classes, one located in a state university in California and the other located in a state university in Pennsylvania, were linked via the Internet into a collaborative learning environment. Gophers, listservs, the World Wide Web (WWW), and usenet groups were used to post course syllabi, collaborative course expectations, and sample student research papers. Course content differed for both groups: one emphasized leadership and motivation theory and the other emphasized research design. Students from each class had to collaborate on a joint research project that tested one of the leadership or motivation theories. The assets and liabilities of this approach as well as observations about developing collaborative learning experiences are discussed.
Determining the band alignment of TbAs:GaAs and TbAs:In0.53Ga0.47As

We propose and systematically justify a band structure for TbAs nanoparticles in GaAs and In0.53Ga0.47As host matrices. Fluence-dependent optical-pump terahertz-probe measurements suggest the TbAs nanoparticles have a band gap and provide information on the carrier dynamics, which are determined by the band alignment. Spectrophotometry measurements provide the energy of optical transitions in the nanocomposite systems and reveal a large blue shift in the absorption energy when the host matrix is changed from In0.53Ga0.47As to GaAs. Finally, Hall data provides the approximate Fermi level in each system. From this data, we deduce that the TbAs:GaAs system forms a type I (straddling) heterojunction and the TbAs:In0.53Ga0.47As system forms a type II (staggered) heterojunction.
Uncertainty Avoidance as a Moderator of the Relationship between Perceived Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction

The extent to which members of different cultures vary in their reactions to uncertainty can have a major impact on how perceived service quality affects customer satisfaction. This article addresses the issue of cultural differences in the context of business-to-business relationships. A study involving 303 Spanish, German, and Swedish business-to-business customers reveals that clients from cultures with a high degree of uncertainty avoidance were less satisfied than low-uncertainty avoidant clients when, as a result of a service defect, their service expectations were not met. In light of the tolerance zone concept, the finding suggests a narrower range of acceptable outcomes for high-uncertainty avoidance cultures. Important management implications of this study relate to service quality efforts, which should be explicitly designed to reflect intercultural differences in operations planning and training of service personnel.
The Arabidopsis 14-3-3 Multigene Family

The 14–3–3 proteins are ubiquitous eukaryotic proteins and are encoded by a gene family in many species. We examined the 14–3–3 gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana and found that it contains 10 members. Four new cDNAs, GF14[epsilon], GF14[kappa], GF14[mu], and GF14[nu], and two new genomic clones of GF14[phi] and GF14[upsilon] were isolated and characterized. Together with the six previously described 14–3–3 isoforms in Arabidopsis, they constitute a complete family of 10 distinct 14–3–3 proteins of 248 to 268 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of two ancient, distinct 14–3–3 gene classes in Arabidopsis and other plants. The [epsilon] forms diverged early from the other plant isoforms, and plant 14–3–3 genes displayed a different evolutionary course from that of mammals.
Intuitive Psychologist or Intuitive Lawyer? Alternative Models of the Attribution Process

The notion that humans commonly commit a "fundamental attribution error" by overattributi ng causality to persons rather than situations rests on a particular model of the attribution process. That model is a scientific analysis of causality. Using insights from legal reasoning, the present article contrasts the scientific model, "intuitive psychologizing," with an alternative view of attributions as sanctioning decisions, or "intuitive lawyering." It is suggested that sanctioning attributions rest on a different rational decision rule that tests whether the actor could have done otherwise. Kelley's model of the attribution process appears to be fundamentally a scientific analysis, whereas Jones and Davis's model appears to be fundamentally a sanctioning analysis. The supposed error of overattributi ng to persons is in fact an error only within the first type of model and may be perfectly rational within the second. Given that we are not always sure how experimental subjects interpret the situation or the questions they answer, further exploration of human use of "intuitive lawyering" as well as "intuitive psychologizing" is an important issue for future attribution research.
What do we know about the natural outcomes of preterm labour? A systematic review and meta-analysis of women without tocolysis in preterm labour.

Background Current knowledge of the natural outcomes of untreated women in preterm labour is both incomplete and outcomes vary significantly between the available studies. The aim of this study was to systematically review outcomes of preterm labour without tocolysis and determine if outcome variation could be accounted for by differences in study populations. Such data could potentially assist in the interpretation of intervention trials that do not include a no-treatment arm. Methods Included studies reported outcomes of women in clinically diagnosed preterm labour without tocolytic treatment between 1950 and 2011. Studies that were limited to preterm prelabour rupture of membranes, recurrent preterm labour or in which the women without tocolysis represented a potentially biased subgroup, or were not tocolysed because of contraindications were excluded. Study quality, design, and population characteristics were abstracted. Outcomes included pregnancy prolongation and the proportion of women undelivered at 48–72 h, 7 days, and term. Study characteristics associated with differing odds of preterm birth were explored through logistic regression. Results Three hundred and eighty-five citations were initially identified, of which 26 were included encompassing 1383 women. The percentage of patients who were undelivered at 48–72 hours was 62.8%, at 7 days 53.4% and 40.4% delivered at term, though the range was very wide. Characteristics associated with decreased odds of delivery were not consistent among reported outcome measures. Conclusions Most women without tocolysis do not deliver within 7 days, although the range is very wide. The majority of this variation is unrelated to reported differences in study design or reported population characteristics.
Electron transport in rectifying semiconductor alloy ramp heterostructures

The electron transport properties of AlGaAs ramp diodes are investigated using a physical model which combines current transport through the heterostructure bulk with current across the abrupt heterointerface in a fully self-consistent numerical approach. Transport at the abrupt material discontinuity is described by thermionic and thermionic-field emission processes, whereas transport in regions of smoothly varying alloy composition is modeled by diffusion-drift mechanisms. Several devices whose bandgaps are graded over several thousand angstroms have been fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and tested at room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. The experimentally observed rectification properties are compared with the simulated results over a wide range of DC bias. Through appropriate choice of alloy composition and doping profiles, majority carrier devices based on internal (bulk) barriers may be realized. >
Domesticated birds as a model for the genetics of speciation by sexual selection.

In theory, even populations occupying identical environments can diverge in sexually selected traits, as a consequence of different mutational input. I evaluate the potential of this process by comparing the genetics of breeds of domesticated birds to what is known about the genetics of differences among species. Within domesticated species there is a strong correlation of time since domestication with the number of breeds. Descendants of the rock dove, Columba livia (the oldest domesticate) show differences in courtship, vocalizations, body shape, feather ornaments (crests and tails) and colors and color patterns. When nine other domesticated species are included there is a striking hierarchy, with more recent domesticates having a nested subset of these traits: the youngest domesticated species have breeds distinguished only by color. This suggests that selection of new, visible, mutations is driving the process of breed diversification, with mutations that appeal to the breeder happening the most frequently in color. In crosses among related species, color, feather ornaments and many vocalizations and displays show both intermediate dominance and pure dominance. Although the number of loci affecting each of these traits is typically unknown, limited evidence of the genetics of species’ differences suggests that some differences are due to the substitution of single genes of major effect. While neither the genetics of breeds nor the genetics of species provide a perfect model for the genetics of speciation, similarities between the two are sufficiently striking to infer that major, visible, mutations can provide the impetus underlying new directions of sexual selection.
Effects of intervalley scattering on noise in GaAs and InP field-effect transistors

The results of a dynamic analysis of electron transport in GaAs and InP have been used to determine the effects of device cooling, channel length, and frequency of operation on the noise performance of FET's made of these materials. Noise temperature of the material as a function of electric field is first obtained by an analysis that models intervalley scattering using a Monte Carlo calculation method. Noise figure of the intrinsic device is then obtained using a gradual-channel analysis. The validity of such an analysis is discussed. Both GaAs and InP FET's should exhibit very good low-noise performance, with the intrinsic InP device somewhat noisier than the GaAs device at equivalent values of f/f T . For GaAs the intrinsic noise figure can be considerably reduced as the device is cooled, but for InP, cooling from 300 to 77 K should leave intrinsic noise figure almost unchanged.
Performance of packed columns: Part VIII. Liquid flow patterns and velocities in packed beds

To develop a basis for a better understanding of the behavior of the liquid phase in packed columns, liquid velocities and flow patterns were studied at several typical points in a column packed with 1.0-in. porcelain Raschig rings with a high-speed photographic technique. Liquid velocities were found to fluctuate rapidly with time. Laminar flow predominates, but mixing occurs at junctions between pieces of packing. A complex model is required to describe the behavior of the liquid phase in packed columns.
Titan Cell Production Enhances the Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans

Infection with Cryptococcus neoformans begins when desiccated yeast cells or spores are inhaled and lodge in the alveoli of the lungs. A subset of cryptococcal cells in the lungs differentiate into enlarged cells, referred to as titan cells. Titan cells can be as large as 50 to 100 μm in diameter and exhibit a number of features that may affect interactions with host immune defenses. To characterize the effect of titan cell formation on the host-pathogen interaction, we utilized a previously described C. neoformans mutant, the gpr4Δ gpr5Δ mutant, which has minimal titan cell production in vivo. The gpr4Δ gpr5Δ mutant strain had attenuated virulence, a lower CFU, and reduced dissemination compared to the wild-type strain. Titan cell production by the wild-type strain also resulted in increased eosinophil accumulation and decreased phagocytosis in the lungs compared to those with the gpr4Δ gpr5Δ mutant strain. Phagocytosed cryptococcal cells exhibited less viability than nonphagocytosed cells, which potentially explains the reduced cell survival and overall attenuation of virulence in the absence of titan cells. These data show that titan cell formation is a novel virulence factor in C. neoformans that promotes establishment of the initial pulmonary infection and plays a key role in disease progression.
An efficient reservation MAC protocol with preallocation for high-speed WDM passive optical networks

Wavelength division multiplexing passive optical networks (WDM PONs) can dynamically offer each end user a unique optical wavelength for data transmission as well as the possibility of wavelength reuse and aggregation, thereby ensuring scalability in bandwidth assignment. In this paper, we propose a new byte size clock (BSC) reservation MAC scheme that not only arbitrates upstream transmission and prevents optical collisions, but also varies bandwidth according to demand and priority, reduces request delay using pre-allocation and delta compression, and handles the addition/reconfiguration of network nodes efficiently. The new access scheme exploits both WDM and TDM to cater for both light and heavy bandwidth requirements and supports both Ethernet and ATM packets without segmenting or aggregating them. Our proposed protocol is not only backward compatible with APON and EPON, but also provides a better utilization of the access link in terms of the throughput and delay. In addition, the amount of pre-allocated bandwidth can be minimized using delta compression, which in turns reduces the latency due to the request and grant mechanism. We analyzed, evaluated, and simulated the performance and practicality of the proposed scheme.
Expanding the genetic code: selection of efficient suppressors of four-base codons and identification of "shifty" four-base codons with a library approach in Escherichia coli.

Naturally occurring tRNA mutants are known that suppress +1 frameshift mutations by means of an extended anticodon loop, and a few have been used in protein mutagenesis. In an effort to expand the number of possible ways to uniquely and efficiently encode unnatural amino acids, we have devised a general strategy to select tRNAs with the ability to suppress four-base codons from a library of tRNAs with randomized 8 or 9 nt anticodon loops. Our selectants included both known and novel suppressible four-base codons and resulted in a set of very efficient, non-cross-reactive tRNA/four-base codon pairs for AGGA, UAGA, CCCU and CUAG. The most efficient four-base codon suppressors had Watson-Crick complementary anticodons, and the sequences of the anticodon loops outside of the anticodons varied with the anticodon. Additionally, four-base codon reporter libraries were used to identify "shifty" sites at which +1 frameshifting is most favorable in the absence of suppressor tRNAs in Escherichia coli. We intend to use these tRNAs to explore the limits of unnatural polypeptide biosynthesis, both in vitro and eventually in vivo. In addition, this selection strategy is being extended to identify novel five- and six-base codon suppressors.
Proposed prognostic scoring system evaluating risk factors for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after salvage radiation therapy.

Objective To update a previously proposed prognostic scoring system that predicts risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after salvage radiation therapy (SRT) for recurrent prostate cancer when using additional patients and a PSA value of 0.2 ng/mL and rising as the definition of BCR. Patients and Methods We included 577 patients who received SRT for a rising PSA after radical prostatectomy in this retrospective cohort study. Clinical, pathological, and SRT characteristics were evaluated for association with BCR using relative risks (RRs) from multivariable Cox regression models. Results With a median follow-up of 5.5 years after SRT, 354 patients (61%) experienced BCR. At 5 years after SRT, 40% of patients were free of BCR. Independent associations with BCR were identified for the PSA level before SRT (RR [doubling]: 1.25, P < 0.001), pathological tumour stage (RR [T3a vs T2] 1.21, P = 0.19; RR [T3b/T4 vs T2] 2.09, P < 0.001; overall P < 0.001), Gleason score (RR [7 vs <7] 1.63, P < 0.001; RR [8–10 vs <7] 2.28, P < 0.001; overall P < 0.001), and surgical margin status (RR [positive vs negative] 0.71, P = 0.003). We combined these four variables to create a prognostic scoring system that predicted BCR risk with a c-index of 0.66. Scores ranged from 0 to 7, and 5-year freedom from BCR for different levels of the score was as follows: Score = 0–1: 66%, Score = 2: 46%, Score = 3: 28%, Score = 4: 19%, and Score = 5–7: 15%. Conclusion We developed a scoring system that provides an estimation of the risk of BCR after SRT. These findings will be useful for patients and physicians in decision making for radiation therapy in the salvage setting.
Can N-acetylcysteine reverse the antiplatelet effects of clopidogrel? An in vivo and vitro study

Background The active metabolite of clopidogrel binds the P2Y 12 ADP receptor on the platelet surface via a disulfide bond. N -Acetylcysteine (NAC) is able to reduce disulfide bonds. We postulated that NAC might reverse clopidogrel's effect on platelets. Methods Two groups of patients were investigated. Group 1 included 11 patients with stable coronary disease who, after discontinuation of aspirin, received 14 days of clopidogrel, 75 mg/day. Bleeding time and whole-blood platelet aggregometry (with 5 μmol/L ADP) were compared before and after the 14 days. Patients were then treated with 6 g of NAC orally, followed by repeat measurement of bleeding time and aggregometry. In group 2, 14 patients were treated with clopidogrel (300 mg) and aspirin before a percutaneous coronary intervention. Blood was drawn 22 ± 3 hours later and divided into 2 samples. One was sent immediately for platelet-rich plasma aggregometry (using 5 and 2 μmol/L ADP, collagen, and arachidonic acid as agonists), thromboelastography, and aggregometry using the Plateletworks assay (Helena Laboratories, Beaumont, Tex). The other sample was treated with NAC (500 mg/L), after which these same platelet function tests were performed. Results In group 1, NAC therapy did not significantly change the bleeding time or results of aggregometry. In group 2, neither aggregometry nor the Plateletworks assay suggested reversal of inhibition by NAC. Conclusions These studies reveal that a large dose of NAC does not reduce inhibition of platelet aggregation by clopidogrel in vitro or in vivo.
Histone and histone fold sequences and structures: a database

A database of aligned histone protein sequences has been constructed based on the results of homology searches of the major public sequence databases. In addition, sequences of proteins identified as containing the histone fold motif and structures of all known histone and histone fold proteins have been included in the current release. Database resources include information on conflicts between similar sequence entries in different source databases, multiple sequence alignments, and links to the Entrez integrated information retrieval system at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The database currently contains over 1000 protein sequences. All sequences and alignments in this database are available through the World Wide Web at: http: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Baxevani/HISTONES/ .
Passiflora tacanensis, a new species of Passiflora subgenus Decaloba supersection Cieca from Mexico

Abstract Passiflora tacanensis, a new species from southern Mexico, is described and illustrated. It was discovered during the course of a taxonomic revision of Passiflora subgenus Decaloba supersection Cieca and is assigned to that group of apetalous passion flowers. Passiflora tacanensis is known only from one fruiting herbarium specimen that was collected in southern Mexico on Volcan Tacana in a high mesophytic forest. It is distinguished from its closest relatives, P. coriacea, P. sexocellata, P. mcvaughiana, and P. xiikzodz, by its foliose stipules, leaves that lack laminar nectaries but possess petiolar nectaries, and wide seeds with a chalazal beak that is not well developed.
Endovascular surgery: Has it improved outcomes?

Key words: Aneurysms; Endovascular repair; Stents. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljs.v28i2.3199 The Sri Lanka Journal of Surgery 2010; 28(2):6-12
Interactive effects of ocean acidification and temperature on two scleractinian corals from Moorea, French Polynesia

This study tested the hypothesis that the response of corals to temperature and pCO 2 is consistent between taxa. Juvenile massive Porites spp. and branches of P. rus from the back reef of Moorea were incubated for 1 month under combinations of temperature (29.3 °C and 25.6 °C) and pCO 2 (41.6 Pa and 81.5 Pa) at an irradiance of 599 μmol quanta m−2 s−1. Using microcosms and CO2 gas mixing technology, treatments were created in a partly nested design (tanks) with two between-plot factors (temperature and pCO 2), and one within-plot factor (taxon); calcification was used as a dependent variable. pCO 2 and temperature independently affected calcification, but the response differed between taxa. Massive Porites spp. was largely unaffected by the treatments, but P. rus grew 50% faster at 29.3 °C compared with 25.6 °C, and 28% slower at 81.5 Pa vs. 41.6 Pa CO2. A compilation of studies placed the present results in a broader context and tested the hypothesis that calcification for individual coral genera is independent of pH, [HCO3 −], and [CO3 2−]. Unlike recent reviews, this analysis was restricted to studies reporting calcification in units that could be converted to nmol CaCO3 cm−2 h−1. The compilation revealed a high degree of variation in calcification as a function of pH, [HCO3 −], and [CO3 2−], and supported three conclusions: (1) studies of the effects of ocean acidification on corals need to pay closer attention to reducing variance in experimental outcomes to achieve stronger synthetic capacity, (2) coral genera respond in dissimilar ways to pH, [HCO3 −], and [CO3 2−], and (3) calcification of massive Porites spp. is relatively resistant to short exposures of increased pCO 2, similar to that expected within 100 y.
Elimination of discrete position sensor and current sensor in switched reluctance motor drives

Shaft position sensing is essential in switched reluctance motors (SRMs) in order to synchronize the phase excitation pulses to the rotor position. In order to implement closed loop torque control, current sensors are also unavoidable. These sensors can constitute a substantial portion of the total system cost and tend to reduce system reliability. A low-cost position-sensing scheme using stator inductance measurement is presented. An analog electronic technique can be applied to measure the inductance of a nonconducting phase by using a linear frequency modulated (FM) converter. The output of the FM converter is decoded to get the shaft position signal. The control functions and converter switching signals are processed in a low-cost microcontroller. The discrete current sensors for closed-loop operation have been eliminated by using MOS-gated power switches with integrated current sensing capability. The combination of the above two schemes resulted in a totally sensorless SR motor drive. >
Cohesive solutions of intersonic moving dislocations

A class of cohesive solutions of moving glide dislocations with intersonic speeds has been derived on the basis of the fundamental equation of a moving dislocation introduced by Weertman in conjunction with a proposed generalized Bilby–Cottrell–Swinden–Dugdale model. In this model we assume a straight weak path within an infinite elastic plate. Two length scales, namely the width (thickness) of the weak path and the material intrinsic length, which scales strain-gradient-induced hardening and energy dissipation, are taken into account by applying the traction–separation law for the decohesion of the weak path. Dislocations propagate along this weak path with a speed higher than the shear wave speed. The accumulation of these moving dislocations forms a macroscale crack growth with a cohesive zone ahead of the crack tip. Similar to the Bilby–Cottrell–Swinden–Dugdale model, the remote enforced stress and/or stress-rate boundary conditions are represented as an equivalent crack surface traction associated wi...
Press Enter to "Say": Using Second Life to Teach Critical Media Literacy

Abstract Online simulated environments directly affect the formation of individual subjectivities through the creation of player avatars. Thus, the power relationships that affect subjectivity formation need to be carefully examined by player-participants as belonging to a system with sometimes homologous, sometimes radically different actions and consequences. In this article, we argue that students need to develop critical awareness of their own subject formation and their positions in new media environments. Such awareness is a necessary component of new media literacy. We further contend that composition instructors can look to Second Life , a popular online simulated environment, as a dynamic text to engage students in questions regarding power, ethics, intellectual property, and community.
The Total Economic Costs Of Finance Faculty Replacement

The purpose of this study is to estimate the total economic costs associated with filling a vacated finance faculty line. These economic costs include both explicit and opportunity costs associated with the production process. Hiring costs include explicit costs such as advertising the position and implicit costs such as the opportunity costs of faculty time spent in various search committee activities. In addition, the recent market for finance professors has included a significant mark-to-market salary component associated with replacing departed faculty with new hires. This paper utilizes survey data from recent finance faculty vacancies at AACSB International accredited schools to estimate the total hiring cost equation.
Evaluation of robotic tracking system for motion compensation in radiation therapy

In external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), one of the major challenges is to compensate for target motion induced by patient's respiration and organ motion. The accurate delivery of radiation to the moving targets (tumors) requires new innovative technologies and methods to avoid excessive irradiation of healthy tissue. Recently, we developed a tracking method for target motion compensations, which includes the real-time motion of the robotic treatment couch and a prediction algorithm to correct the motion trajectory for the latency of the mechanical components of the system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tracking system efficacy, using different tumor motion trajectories collected from real patients diagnosed with lung cancer.
Abstract 188: Loss of Renal Prolyl Carboxypeptidase in Mice With Chronic Kidney Disease

There are 26 million adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the U.S. and the incidence continues to increase. It is well documented that the activation of the renin angiotensin system and the elevated formation of angiotensin (Ang) II both contribute to renal pathophysiology in CKD. Emerging evidence suggests that the Ang II degrading protease prolyl carboxypeptidase (PCP) is renoprotective. Thus, we investigated protein expression and activity of renal PCP using immunofluorescence, western blot and mass spectrometry in a mouse model of CKD. Renal injury in male C57Bl6 mice was caused by constriction of the left renal artery using silver clips (2K1C-method). Blood pressure measurements by radiotelemetry revealed a significant increase of 36.1 ± 3.9 mm Hg in 2K1C animals compared with control animals 1 week after clip placement (p
Improved appearance rendering for photogrammetrically acquired 3D models

In this paper we present a technique for significantly improved rendering of objects scanned using photogrammetry techniques. We demonstrate the connection between photogrammetry and the unstructured lumigraph, a surface light field representation and rendering algorithm. We use our lumigraph rendering software to demonstrate improved results from photographically acquired cultural heritage artifacts. We discuss our improvements to the rendering of unstructured lumigraphs on modern hardware and offer this rendering tool as free, open source software.
Ethnic identity and attitudes toward state institutions: evidence of judicial legitimacy among the indigenous in Latin America

How does ethnic identity affect how an individual evaluates state institutions? Drawing on the US courts and political psychology literatures, we argue politically marginalized groups (e.g., the in...
An improved Alsynite trap for stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae).

The trapping efficiency for stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), of Alsynite plastic traps of a new cylindrical design was evaluated against Williams traps made of the same plastic. The cylindrical traps (30 cm diameter, 30 cm high) and Williams traps with two plastic panels (60 by 30 cm) were equally effective in trapping stable flies; however, the former had a greater trapping efficiency (flies per surface area) because of its lesser surface area. The new trap requires less and thinner (hence cheaper) Alsynite plastic and less adhesive than the Williams trap. It is equal to the Williams trap in trapping house flies, Musca domestica L.; thus there is no disadvantage associated with the unwanted attraction of the house fly. The diameter of the cylindrical trap directly affected the number of stable flies caught. Stable flies landed predominantly on the areas of the trap most protected from the wind.
E-056 Endovascular treatment of medically refractory cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background and purpose Cerebral vasospasm (CV) following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. We review our experiences using percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and intra-arterial (IA) verapamil infusion for treating medically refractory cases. Materials and methods Retrospective review of SAH patients admitted from July 2003 to January 2008. Results Of 546 patients admitted with SAH, 231 patients (42%) developed symptomatic CV and 189 patients (35%) required endovascular therapy. A total of 346 endovascular sessions were performed consisting of a single angioplasty, 286 IA verapamil infusions and 59 combined therapies. PTA was performed on 151 vessel segments and IA verapamil infused in 720 vessel segments. IA verapamil doses ranged from 2.0 to 30.0 mg per vessel segment and 3.0 to 55.0 mg per treatment session. Repeat treatments were necessary in 182 patients (96%) for persistent, recurrent or worsening CV. There were six treatment related complications (1.7%) of which two (0.6%) resulted in clinical worsening. No deaths were attributable to endovascular therapy. At follow-up, 115 patients (61%) had a good outcome and 55 patients (29%) had a poor outcome. Sixteen patients died from causes related to SAH while three died from other medical complications. Conclusion Endovascular treatments are an integral part of managing patients with medically refractory CV. In our experience, PTA and IA verapamil are safe with a very low complication rate but further studies are required to determine appropriate patient selection and treatment efficacy.