cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilateral Duplication of the Foramen Spinosum: Implications for the Surgical Management of Neurofibromatosis Type II and Intracranial Aneurysms

The foramen spinosum (FS) is located within the middle cranial fossa of the sphenoid bone. The FS has been observed to transmit the middle meningeal artery (MMA). Unilateral duplication of the FS has been reported to occur in between 0% and 6% of human crania. This report documents a rare occurrence of an asymmetrical bilateral duplication of the FS in a male cranium. Neurofibromatosis type II and intracranial aneurysms often require bilateral surgeries involving the FS and MMA; therefore, the asymmetrical bilateral duplication of the FS may be disorienting to the surgeon. Knowledge of the bilateral duplication of the FS may prevent adverse surgical events, including intracranial hemorrhage. Research was supported by funding from the WV Research Challenge Fund [HEPC.dsr.14.13].
Cyber War Games: Strategic Jostling Among Traditional Adversaries

Cyber warfare has been simmering for a long time and has gradually morphed into a key strategic weapon in international conflicts. Doctrines of several countries consider cyber warfare capability as essential to gain strategic superiority or as a counterbalance to military inferiority. Countries are attempting to reach consensus on confidence building measures in cyber space while racing with each other to acquire cyber weaponry. These attempts are strongly influenced by the problem of clear attribution of cyber incidents as well as political imperatives. Game theory has been used in the past for such problems in international relations where players compete with each other and the actions of the players are interdependent. Problems in cyber warfare can benefit from similar game theoretic concepts. We discuss in this book chapter the state of cyber warfare, the key imperatives for the countries, and articulate how countries are jostling with each other in the cyber domain especially in the context of poor attribution and verification in the cyber domain. We present game theoretic models for a few representative problems in the cyber warfare domain.
Molecular systematics of Selenops spiders (Araneae: Selenopidae) from North and Central America: implications for Caribbean biogeography

The Caribbean region includes a geologically complex mix of islands, which have served as a backdrop for some significant studies of biogeography, mostly with vertebrates. Here, we use the tropical/subtropical spider genus Selenops (Selenopidae) to obtain a finer resolution of the role of geology in shaping patterns of species diversity. We obtained a broad geographic sample from over 200 localities from both the islands and American mainland. DNA sequence data were generated for three mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene for eleven outgroup taxa and nearly 60 selenopid species. Phylogenetic analysis of the data revealed several biogeographic patterns common to other lineages that have diversified in the region, the most significant being: (1) a distinct biogeographic break between Northern and Southern Lesser Antilles, although with a slight shift in the location of the disjunction; (2) diversification within the islands of Jamaica and Hispaniola; (3) higher diversity of species in the Greater Antilles relative to the Lesser Antilles. However, a strikingly unique pattern in Caribbean Selenops is that Cuban species are not basal in the Caribbean clade. Analyses to test competing hypotheses of vicariance and dispersal support colonization through GAARlandia, an Eocene–Oligocene land span extending from South America to the Greater Antilles, rather than over-water dispersal. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 101, 288–322.
Bacteriophage T4 transfer RNA. I. Isolation and characterization of two-phage-coded nonsense suppressors.

Abstract Two phage-coded nonsense suppressors, psufa+ and psub+, have been isolated and characterized. Both were isolated as pseudo-wild type revertants of phage strains which carry multiple amber mutations. psua+ is an amber suppressor which occurs at a frequency of 10−11 to 10−12 and is indistinguishable from wild type phage in its growth on both B and K strains of Escherichia coli bacteria. psub+ may be either an amber or an ochre suppressor, which occurs at a frequency of 10−7 to 10−10 and makes small plaques on B strains, but grows very poorly or not at all on K strains. Phage with the characteristics of psua+ occur in populations of psub+ phage at a frequency of 10−4. Both suppressors insert serine in response to the amber codon at an efficiency of about 45%. psua+ and psub+ map less than 0.3 map units apart and are located between genes e and 57 about 8 map units from gene e. That psua+ and psub+ insert the same amino acid and map so close together suggests that they result from different mutations within the same gene. On the basis of their initial frequencies of appearance and the frequency of psub+ mutation to psua+, we speculate that psua+ is derived from wild type by two base changes and that psub+ is a one-base-change intermediate.
Cytotoxicity of momordin-folate conjugates in cultured human cells.

We have shown previously that macromolecules can be nondestructively delivered into cultured cells via folate receptor-mediated endocytosis if the macromolecules are conjugated to folic acid prior to addition to receptor-bearing cells (Leamon, C.P., and Low, P. S. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 88, 5572-5576). Although an intracellular destination of the folate-linked proteins could be easily documented, the spatial resolution of the earlier data was insufficient to evaluate whether any endocytosed material was delivered into the cytosol. To resolve this issue, a folate-toxin conjugate was constructed using the impermeable ribosome-inactivating protein, momordin. Diminution of [3H]leucine incorporation into newly synthesized protein was then employed as a quantitative measure of the entry of the toxin into the cytosol. In studies with both HeLa and KB cells, cellular protein synthesis was found to be inhibited in a time- and concentration-dependent manner by the momordin-folate conjugate, but not by the underivatized toxin. IC50 values centered around 10(-9) M for the folate-linked samples. These observations provide direct evidence that folate conjugates not only reach the cytosol, but do so in a functionally active form.
Ontogenetic variability of chill tolerance in larval Artemia salina: I. Single type cryoprotectants

Abstract Chill tolerance was determined for various larval stages of Artemia salina with and without the addition of single cryoprotective agents (glycerol, glucose, sucrose and dimethylsulfoxide). Synchronous cultures of larvae were removed from the batch culture at post-hatch intervals (0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h) and instantaneously exposed to solutions at −1°C for 10, 30 or 90 min intervals. Survival of larvae placed in freezing solutions without cryoprotectant (control group) varied with larval age. In zero-hour post-hatch controls larval survival decreased linearily with increasing exposure time. Each older stage (control group), however, was insensitive to the duration of −1°C exposure. The addition of cryoprotectant to the chilled solutions radically modified survival patterns and yielded results dependent on age, cryoprotectant concentration, and exposure time. Survival in cryoprotectant solutions sometimes exceeded 200% of survival in control solutions. Three hour post-hatch specimens were generally most tolerant to chilling in cryoprotectant solutions, while 12 h nauplii were least tolerant. The significance of these results for the development of cryogenic larval banking techniques is discussed.
Interaction of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-activated macrophages and neoplastic cells in vitro: I. Conditions of binding and its selectivity

Abstract The initial interaction in vitro between Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-activated, peritoneal macrophages from C57B1/6J mice and two nonadherent neoplastic targets (P815 and EL-4) was found to represent firm physical binding of the targets to the macrophages. Binding between the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin macrophages and the EL-4 or P815 targets was greater than that between these two targets and inflammatory macrophages elicited by thioglycollate broth or between lymphocytes and either type of macrophage. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin MΦ also selectively bound three other neoplastic targets (P388, L1210, and RBL-5). The binding, which rose progressively for 60 min of cocultivation at 37 °C, was linear with respect to both the number of interacting targets and macrophages and required the presence of divalent cations and trypsin-sensitive structures on the macrophages. Binding was temperature dependent and required living, metabolically active macrophages. H-2 differences between targets and activated MΦ were not required for binding and did not prevent it. Finally, binding of the P815 targets to the Bacillus Calmette-Gueŕin MΦ could be saturated by the addition of excess targets.
Domination Cover Pebbling: Graph Families

Given a configuration of pebbles on the vertices of a connected graph G, a pebbling move is defined as the removal of two pebbles from some vertex, and the placement of one of these on an adjacent vertex. We introduce the notion of domination cover pebbling, obtained by combining graph cover pebbling with the theory of domination in graphs. The domination cover pebbling number, psi(G), of a graph G is the minimum number of pebbles that must be placed on V(G) such that after a sequence of pebbling moves, the set of vertices with pebbles forms a dominating set of G, regardless of the initial configuration of pebbles. We discuss basic results and determine psi(G) for paths, cycles and complete binary trees.
Validation of parameteric directional MIMO channel models from wideband FDTD simulations of a simple indoor environment

Accurate modeling of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels is an important research area, since capacity computations and algorithmic assessment depend on accurate channel models. We assess the specularity of the indoor channel through wideband two-dimensional (2D) finite-difference time-domain simulations of a simplified environment. The geometry presents a lower bound on how diffuse the environment is, since the inclusion of furniture, duct work, and rough walls likely reduces channel specularity. These results suggest that parametric models may still be very useful for indoor MIMO modeling, even though diffuse scattering is present.
SITAR: a scalable intrusion-tolerant architecture for distributed services - a technology summary

SITAR (Scalable Intrusion-Tolerant Architecture for Distributed Services) is a proposed architecture for protecting generic classes of services built from commercially off-the-shelf (COTS) components, such as Web based services and DNS services. SITAR uses both proactive as well as reactive methods to mitigate the effects of compromises from external attacks and accidental faults. In addition, the SITAR project explores analytical and measurement-based evaluation methods for quantitative assessment of operational security. Ultimately, the architecture strives to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Electrical resistivity as quantum chaos

Abstract The physics of quantum transport is re-examined as a problem in quantum chaos. It is proposed that the “random potential” in which electrons in dirty metals move is not random at all, but rather any potential inducing the electron motion to be chaotic. The Liapunov characteristic exponent of classical electron motion in this potential is identified with the collision rate 1/ T appearing in Ohm's law. A field theory for chaotic systems, analogous to that used to describe dirty metals, is developed and used to investigate the quantum Sinai billiard problem. It is shown that a noninteracting degenerate electron gas moving in this potential exhibits Drude conductivity in the limit h → 0 .
Relationship between automated total nucleated cell count and enumeration of cells on direct smears of canine synovial fluid.

Abstract Canine osteoarthritis is a common disorder seen in veterinary clinical practice and causes considerable morbidity in dogs as they age. Synovial fluid analysis is an important tool for diagnosis and treatment of canine joint disease and obtaining a total nucleated cell count (TNCC) is particularly important. However, the low sample volumes obtained during arthrocentesis are often insufficient for performing an automated TNCC, thereby limiting diagnostic interpretation. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether estimation of TNCC in canine synovial fluid could be achieved by performing manual cell counts on direct smears of fluid. Fifty-eight synovial fluid samples, taken by arthrocentesis from 48 dogs, were included in the study. Direct smears of synovial fluid were prepared, and hyaluronidase added before cell counts were obtained using a commercial laser-based instrument. A protocol was established to count nucleated cells in a specific region of the smear, using a serpentine counting pattern; the mean number of nucleated cells per 400 × field was then calculated. There was a positive correlation between the automated TNCC and mean manual cell count, with more variability at higher TNCC. Regression analysis was performed to estimate TNCC from manual counts. By this method, 78% of the samples were correctly predicted to fall into one of three categories (within the reference interval, mildly to moderately increased, or markedly increased) relative to the automated TNCC. Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement was good to excellent. The results of the study suggest that interpretation of canine synovial fluid samples of low volume can be aided by methodical manual counting of cells on direct smears.
Comparison of McCarthy General Cognitive Indexes and Stanford-Binet IQs for Educable Mentally Retarded Children.

15 Educable Mentally Retarted children, aged 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 yr., were tested on the McCarthy Scales of Children's abilities and the Stanford-Binet (1972 norms). All children were tested over a 6-mon. period in public schools located in Northeast Georgia. Since 8 of the 15 children obtained General Cognitive Indexes below the norms presented in the McCarthy manual, extrapolated scores were assigned to increase the precision of the comparison. Although the two scores correlated significantly, the mean Index with IQ was significantly lower than the mean IQ for this sample of educable mentally retarded children. The implications of the findings were discussed.
Bioenergetic properties of mitochondria from flight muscle of aging blowflies.

Mitochondria from flight muscles of senescent blowflies, Phormia regina, are ultrastructurally deformed. The bioenergetic properties of mitochondrial preparations from these aged insects have been examined. The State 3 rates of oxidation with pyruvate + proline and α-glycerolphosphate are significantly decreased in mitochondria from old blowflies, compared to those from mature blowflies. The State 4 rates of oxidation are not changed with age. The respiratory control ratios are significantly lower in the mitochondria from senescent blowflies. No change with age is found in phosphorylation efficiency (ADPO ratio). Thus, the morphological degeneracy and loss of cytochrome oxidase activity that have been observed in mitochondria from aged blowflies is correlated with an impaired respiratory capacity. The decrease in State 3 rates of oxidation of both pyruvate and α-glycerolphosphate, substrates that enter the electron transport pathway at site 1 and site 2, respectively, suggests that the defect observed in aging is associated with the respiratory chain. These findings demonstrate a correspondence between a decrease in the bioenergetic capacity of the flight muscle and a decline in the ability of the aged insect to fly. The apparent Km values for ADP and Pi in the oxidation of pyruvate + proline by flight muscle mitochondria are considerably greater than the values calculated for the oxidation of α-glycerolphosphate. This requirement for high concentrations of ADP and Pi for the maximal rate of oxidation of pyruvate + proline may be explained by the action of these effectors at the dehydrogenase level. The decrease in State 3 rates of oxidation of both substrates with mitochondria from aged blowflies is not due to a decrease in the affinity of the system for ADP and/or Pi.
Responses of type II pneumocyte antioxidant enzymes to normoxic and hyperoxic culture.

Cultured type II pneumocyte responses to in vitro normoxia (95% air: 5% CO2) or hyperoxia (95% O2:5% CO2) were quantified. Normoxic culture (0 to 96 h) of rabbit type II cells resulted in enhanced cell-monolayer protein and DNA content. During this same time, cellular activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px) decreased. Compared to cultures maintained in normoxia, hyperoxic exposure of cultures resulted in decreased cell-associated protein and DNA content. Exposure to hyperoxia also resulted in cytotoxicity as demonstrated by elevated cellular release of DNA, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and preincorporated 8-[14C]adenine. Cellular catalase and GSH Px activities in hyperoxic cells decreased similarly to normoxic controls. In contrast, cellular SOD activity in hyperoxic cells decreased less than in normoxic cultures. Cellular SOD activity in hyperoxic cultures, when normalized for cellular protein, but not DNA, was greater than normoxic values after 24 to 96 h of exposure. Unlike the decrease in cellular antioxidant enzymes during normoxic and hyperoxic culture, cellular LDH activity increased during both these exposures. Cellular LDH activity in 24 to 96 h hyperoxia-exposed cells increased to a lesser extent than normoxic controls. The extent of depression in LDH activity was dependent on whether the activity was normalized for cellular protein or DNA. Type II pneumocytes, which normally undergo hyperplasia and hypertrophy during hyperoxia in vivo, exhibited oxygen sensitivity in vitro. Exposure of type II cells to hyperoxia in vitro resulted in alterations in cellular SOD and LDH activities, but recognition of such changes were dependent on whether enzymatic activities were normalized for cellular DNA or protein.
Tuned Damping of an Air-Mounted Isolation System

Air mounts can provide the highest degree of isolation of any type vibration isolator. Soft-mounting, and thus high level of low-frequency isolation, with system natural frequency as low as 1 Hz can be achieved. Due to their construction, air mounts have negligible damping. Although, this almost undamped nature of air mounts enhances the high-frequency isolation, provisions should be made to address the lack of isolation resulting in excessive body displacements around the resonant frequencies, especially when the system is exposed to shock inputs. While the addition of viscous damping to the air mount is proposed in the literature but it is not recommended in most applications. This is because it deteriorates the mount’s high-frequency isolation performance. Instead, it would be highly desirable to add tuned damping to the mounted system at its resonant frequency (ies). The challenge in doing so, is realizing a damper tunable to a very low frequency and yet not be prohibitively large. A novel tuned damping mechanism is proposed in this paper. It adds damping to an air mount only at the resonant frequency (ies), via a bi-fluid Helmholtz resonator. In an illustrative example the mechanics and mathematics (modeling) of a one and three degree of freedom air mounted systems equipped with a tuned damper, as well as the tuning of such damper are discussed. The example also demonstrates the effectiveness of the air mount with the tuned damper.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The Globalization of Care

The purpose of this article is to theorize a concept of global citizenship that challenges feminized neo-colonialism. Migrant Filipina domestic workers are creating such a notion out of their experiences and struggles at a number of interconnected levels. We demonstrate the value of a relational approach to rights by showing how Kant’s right to hospitality is transformed as it is actualized within the context of feminized neo-colonial relations of care. We show how Kant’s right to hospitality can frame world citizenship as an anti-colonialist practice and how feminized neo-colonial relations of care in turn reshape this right and the practice of world citizenship. Our overall argument is that in order to dismantle feminized neo-colonial relations of care, world citizenship must be embedded in a multi-layered notion of citizenship. Our argument differs from Kant’s notion of citizenship because his notion is genderbiased, since servants and women have world citizenship, but are excluded from state citizensh...
Molecular Mode of Action of a Covalently Inhibiting Peptidomimetic on the Human Calpain Protease Core

Calpain is a nearly ubiquitous Ca2+-activated proteolytic enzyme whose precise physiological function is unknown. However, aberrant Ca2+ homeostasis in the course of cellular injuries and certain diseases of the CNS appears to activate calpain, in turn promoting the degradation of key cytoskeletal and membrane proteins. Hyperactive calpain has also been implicated in various aging phenomena and diseases of late life. Therefore, calpain is considered a potential therapeutic target in preventing degenerations of many kinds. Despite its potential medicinal importance, known structural information about μ-calpain is limited to that from the rat enzyme. We have determined the crystal structure of the human μ-calpain protease core (hμI-II) containing a Gly213Ala mutation and covalently inactivated by a peptidomimetic (ZLLYCH2F) at 2.0 A resolution. The methylene carbon of the inhibitor is bound to Cys115. Additional hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions between active site residues and the inhibitor, in...
Multi-class, multi-residue analysis of pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and novel flame retardants in fish using fast, low-pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-class, multi-residue method for the analysis of 13 novel flame retardants, 18 representative pesticides, 14 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 7 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners in catfish muscle was developed and evaluated using fast low pressure gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC/MS-MS). The method was based on a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) extraction with acetonitrile and dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) clean-up with zirconium-based sorbent prior to LP-GC/MS-MS analysis. The developed method was evaluated at 4 spiking levels and further validated by analysis of NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) 1974B and 1947. Sample preparation for a batch of 10 homogenized samples took about 1h/analyst, and LP-GC/MS-MS analysis provided fast separation of multiple analytes within 9min achieving high throughput. With the use of isotopically labeled internal standards, recoveries of all but one analyte were between 70 and 120% with relative standard deviations less than 20% (n=5). The measured values for both SRMs agreed with certified/reference values (72-119% accuracy) for the majority of analytes. The detection limits were 0.1-0.5ng g(-1) for PCBs, 0.5-10ng g(-1) for PBDEs, 0.5-5ng g(-1) for select pesticides and PAHs and 1-10ng g(-1) for flame retardants. The developed method was successfully applied for analysis of catfish samples from the market.
2,4-cis-4,5-cis-4,5-Dihyroxypipecolic acid—a naturally occurring imino acid from Calliandra pittieri

Abstract 2,4- cis -4,5- cis -4,5-Dihydroxypipecolic acid has been isolated from the leaves of Calliandra pittieri . This is the third dihydroxypipecolic acid isomer isolated from Calliandra and the first report of this compound from a natural source.
Petrologic evidence for Jurassic, island-arc–like basement rocks in the southwestern Transverse Ranges and California Continental Borderland

The southwesternmost Transverse Ranges region, which includes Santa Cruz Island, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the margins of the Los Angeles Basin, is underlain in part by Jurassic igneous and metamorphic rocks. These are the 162-m.y.-old mafic Willows Plutonic Complex, the >141 -m.y.-old metavolcanics of the Santa Cruz Island Schist, and the late Oxfordian to early Kimmeridgian metasediments of the Santa Monica Formation. The area is also underlain by amphibolites, greenschist-facies metabasites, and “saussurite gabbros” of uncertain affinities and unknown ages. The major-, minor-, and trace-element geochemistry of the Willows Plutonic Complex and the Santa Cruz Island Schist indicates that they are fragments of one or more island-arc plutonic/volcanic complexes. Rare-earth element modeling suggests that plutonic and meta-volcanic rocks could have been consanguineous. Saussurite gabbros are geochemically similar to altered portions of the Willows Plutonic Complex. Metavolcanic Santa Cruz Island Schist samples and volcanogenic metasandstone from the Santa Monica Formation contain relict igneous amphiboles compositionally indistinguishable from hornblendes in the Willows Plutonic Complex. The maximum pressures (3 kbar) and temperatures (550 °C) of Santa Monica Formation recrystallization are consistent with P/T estimates which are based on the mineral chemistry of the calc-alkaline amphibolites; both may be products of the thermal regime of a silicic pluton emplaced at shallow depths. The contact metamorphism may be related to regional chlorite- to biotite-zone metamorphism of the Santa Monica Formation; the latter, like the regional albite + chlorite + pistacitic epidote ± actinolitic amphibole-producing metamorphism of the Santa Cruz Island Schist, did not obliterate relict structures and minerals. The Willows Plutonic Complex, Santa Cruz Island Schist, and Santa Monica Formation are probably fragments of one or more Jurassic, island-arc igneous-sedimentary terranes, parts of which have undergone low-pressure greenschist- to amphibolite-facies metamorphism. The greenschist- and amphibolite-facies basement rocks from the northern and northeastern margins of the Los Angeles Basin have petrologic and geochemical affinities with these island-arc-like rocks. The saussurite gabbros of the California Continental Borderland are indistinguishable from altered portions of the Willows Plutonic Complex; both are probably genetically related.
Reduced utilization and cost of primary care clinic visits resulting from self-care education for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Objective To determine the extent to which the cost of an effective self-care intervention for primary care patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) was offset by savings resulting from reduced utilization of ambulatory medical services. Methods In an attention-controlled clinical trial, 211 patients with knee OA from the general medicine clinic of a municipal hospital were assigned arbitrarily to conditions of self-care education (group E) or attention control (group AC). Group E (n = 105) received individualized instruction and followup emphasizing nonpharmacologic management of joint pain. Group AC (n = 106) received a standard public education presentation and attention-controlling followup. A comprehensive clinical database provided data concerning utilization and cost of health services during the following year. Results Only 25 subjects (12%) were lost to followup. The 94 subjects remaining in group E made 528 primary care visits during the year following intervention, compared with 616 visits by the 92 patients remaining in group AC (median visits 5 versus 6, respectively; P < 0.05). Fewer visits translated directly into reduced clinic costs in group E, relative to controls (median costs [1996 dollars] $229 versus $305, respectively; P < 0.05). However, self-care education had no significant effects on utilization and costs of outpatient pharmacy, laboratory, or radiology services over the ensuing year. The cost per patient to deliver the self-care intervention was estimated to be $58.70. Conclusion Eighty percent of the cost of delivering effective self-care education to the knee OA patients in this study was offset within 1 year by the reduced frequency and costs of primary care visits. For >50% of patients receiving the intervention, the savings associated with fewer primary care visits exceeded the cost of self-care education.
Report of the ASHP Ad Hoc Committee on Ethnic Diversity and Cultural Competence

In June 2003, the Board of Directors of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) established the Ad Hoc Committee on Ethnic Diversity and Cultural Competence as a result of a recommendation of the 2002 Council on Organizational Affairs. The Ad Hoc Committee comprises appointees
Endothelial Response to Venous Injury

• This investigation characterized venous endothelial healing after surgical manipulation. Procedures were performed on jugular and femoral veins in 21 mongrel dogs without systemic anticoagulation. Veins were harvested at varying intervals and vessel structure evaluated with light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy. Veins that were mobilized or stripped of adventitia demonstrated 25% to 50% endothelial loss at one hour. Endothelial damage was rapidly repaired with complete healing observed in some veins at 48 hours. Tourniquets and clamps resulted in prominent medial and endothelial injury at occlusion sites. Eighteen of 24 transected veins remained patent for the study period. Endothelial healing was unaffected by tension at anastomoses. These observations confirm that venous endothelium receives nutrition by luminal diffusion. The healing process of venous anastomoses is characterized by an early fibrin sleeve sealing the anastomotic site; endothelial bridging of defects can be noticeably delayed by excessive fibrin deposition. ( Arch Surg 114:1240-1248, 1979)
Modification of microstructure and texture of rennet curd by using a capsule-forming non-ropy lactic culture

Microstructural and textural characteristics of rennet curd made from rehydrated non-fat dried milk standardized to 40 g fat/l were compared with those of non-fat curd made with capsule-forming non-ropy lactic culture. Microstructure examination using confocal scanning laser microscopy indicated that the presence of a capsule-forming culture produced an open casein network with large pores. Distribution of fat globules was observed within the undisturbed casein structure after staining with a fluorescent lipophilic dye which was added to the milk before coagulation. Bacterial capsules and milk fat reduced curd tension and firmness of rennet curd to similar levels.
Episiotomy: What's the angle?

In part four of his treatise, The Law, Hippocrates states: “There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the first begets knowledge, the second ignorance.” In this issue of the Journal, Kalis and colleagues [1] provide scientific data concerning an important issue that has been debated for many years: whether the angle of mediolateral incision when the fetal head is distending the perineum is different from the angle of the wound after the neonate has been delivered. Although at first this may seem to be a semantic argument, it has great importance. When an episiotomy is needed, some clinicians choose a mediolateral rather than a midline episiotomy, primarily to reduce the chance of anal sphincter rupture since it is well established that midline episiotomy carries a higher risk of sphincter laceration. This is a highly relevant issue because sphincter lacerations increase the chance that a woman may suffer fecal incontinence. The angle at which an episiotomy can be made is a continuous variable. If we consider midline to be 0 degrees and a lateral episiotomy (never used today) to be 90 degrees, then it is theoretically possible to choose any angle from 0 to 90 degrees. Which angle should we choose? If a mediolateral episiotomy is performed to reduce anal sphincter injury, then this angle must be great enough that the incision and any potential subsequent tearing are far enough away from the anal sphincters that they are not injured. Statements quoted in Kalis et al. [1] suggest specific angles to be used when employing the mediolateral technique.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LARGE STRAIN METHODS FOR ASSESSING FAILURE CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED FOOD GELS

Vane rheometry was compared with uniaxial compression and torsion in evaluating the effects of strain rate on failure shear stress and deformation of soybean protein (tofu) and gellan gum gels. A Haake VT 550 viscotester was used for torsion and vane tests, and compression was performed with an Instron/MTS universal testing machine. Strain or angular deformation at failure was independent of strain rate in the three testing modes. In vane rheometry, failure shear stress increased with increasing low shear rates (< 0.100 s−1) and was rate independent at higher rates. This strain rate dependency was also evident in compression, varying with the material. For torsion, fracture stress appeared to be rate independent. Shear fracture stresses measured in torsion and compression were in good agreement at strain rates above 0.025 s−1 and 0.100 s−1 for tofu and gellan gels, respectively. Shear stresses from the vane method were lower than shear stresses of torsion and compression. Similar texture maps of the food gels studied were generated by plotting stress and strain or angular deformation values of the three testing methods. The findings validate the vane technique as an alternative to torsion and compression for rapid textural characterization of viscoelastic foods.
Assessing nursing home care quality through Bayesian networks

This article demonstrates how Bayesian networks can be employed as a tool to assess the quality of care in nursing homes. For the data sets analyzed, the proposed model performs comparably to existing quantitative assessment models. In addition, a Bayesian network approach offers several uniques advantages. The structure and parameters of a Bayesian network provide rich insight into the multidimensional aspects of the quality of care. Bayesian networks can be used as a guide in implementing limited resources by identifying information that would be most relevant to an assessment. Finally, Bayesian networks provide a straightforward framework for integrating nursing home care quality research that is conducted in various locations and for various purposes.
Crystal dissolution kinetics and Gibbs free energy

Abstract The dependence of dissolution rates on the difference of Gibbs free energy is of critical importance for our understanding of crystal dissolution, reactive flow models and their applications to a variety of environmentally related problems. Here, we review experimental data generated with mineral powders and single crystals to develop a better understanding of apparent inconsistencies between otherwise internally consistent data sets. Additional information from direct surface observations and measurements with vertical scanning interferometry (VSI) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) of albite dissolution at 25, 150 and 185 °C may shed new light on this old but unsolved question. Our discussion is based on the importance of etch pit development, its ΔG dependence, and the pits’ role as a source for steps and step movement in the dissolution process. Results indicate that reaction history may be of critical importance in determining the overall reaction mechanism and its rate. Different rates are observed for systems having otherwise identical ΔGr acquired from increasing versus decreasing disequilibrium positions. In this context, we finally discuss the validity of the common application of transition state theory (TST) to elementary and overall reactions governing the dissolution process. In this discussion of crystal dissolution, we contrast TST applications with a stochastic, many-body treatment that has led to the development of a stepwave model. This discussion also focuses on the controversy caused by the rivalry between surface adsorption models and a probabilistic model that seeks to incorporate the full three-dimensional crystal structure.
Synthesis of chiral cyclopentenoids

Abstract A synthetic route has been developed from (−)-citronellal to methylcyclopentenoids which retain the chiral center. These cyclopentenoids should be valuable intermediates in the syntheses of several diterpenoids.
Cheyne-Stokes Respiration During Sleep in Congestive Heart Failure

Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) is a form of sleep-disordered breathing seen in approximately 40% of congestive heart failure patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 2 and Po 2 (increased central controller gain); (2) a decrease in total body stores of CO 2 and O 2 with resulting instability in arterial blood gas tensions in response to changes in ventilation (underdamping); and (3) an increased circulatory time. In addition, hyperventilation-induced hypocapnia seems to be an important determinant for the development of CSR. Mortality appears to be increased in patients with CSR compared to control subjects with a similar degree of left ventricular dysfunction. Therapeutic options include medically maximizing cardiac function, nocturnal oxygen therapy, and nasal continuous positive airway pressure. The role that other therapeutic modalities, such as inhaled CO 2 and acetazolamide, might have in the treatment of CSR associated with congestive heart failure has yet to be determined.
Decreased Interleukin-10 Production by Neonatal Monocytes and T Cells: Relationship to Decreased Production and Expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Its Receptors

The production of IL-10 by human neonatal blood mononuclear leukocytes(BML) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), antibodies to CD3, or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was measured. The production of IL-10 by neonatal BML cultured with LPS or TNF-α was ≈20 and ≈15%, respectively, of adult BML. The combination of human recombinant TNF-α and LPS failed to augment IL-10 production in neonatal BML. The decreased production of IL-10 by neonatal leukocytes was not due to an autocrine feedback mechanism because only low concentrations of IL-10 were found in newborn sera. A connection with TNF-α could not be ruled out, because TNF-α production by LPS-stimulated newborn BML and the expression of TNF-α receptors on newborn monocytes were reduced. Mean ± SD of concentrations of IL-10 in supernatants from adult and neonatal BML after stimulation with antibodies to human CD3 for 48 or 72 h were 914 ± 386 and 178 ± 176 pg/mL, respectively (p < 0.0001). In experiments with enriched populations of neonatal T cells, the addition of PMA failed to augment IL-10 production. This suggested that newborn T cells may be in a different state of activation than adult T cells Thus, IL-10 production in neonatal monocytes and T cells is reduced and this study suggests that the reduction may be secondary in part to regulatory processes involving TNF-α and its receptors.
Continuing to exercise choice after selecting a school: Insights into parent-decision making in local education markets in Nepal

Abstract This paper analyzes how parents continue to engage with schooling after their initial selection, using parent survey and focus group data collected in two urbanized districts in Nepal in 2011. I find substantial heterogeneity within and between public and private schools in parental participation. In particular, the parents who chose smaller private schools had stronger engagement with the school and their children, were more likely to voice their concerns, and consequently were more satisfied. In contrast, parents in below average public schools were more likely to express dissatisfaction but had limited interactions with schools to remedy their concerns.
Integration of Music and Core Academic Objectives in the K–12 Curriculum: Perceptions of Music and Classroom Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine self-reports of in-service K–12 teachers before and after participation in a course structured to integrate music and core academic objectives. Participants completed a survey that addressed music experience, ability and attitude, teaching music objectives, and integrating music and academic objectives. Results indicated that teachers became more comfortable at the global thought of integrating music and core academic objectives, with a slight increase in confidence level in integrating music with reading, math, science, or social studies objectives.
The microtubular cytoskeleton of three dinoflagellates: an immunofluorescence study

The sub-thecal microtubular cytoskeleton of the dinoflagellatesAmphidinium rhynchocephalum, Gymnodinium sanguineum, andGymnodinium. sp has been investigated by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. In these cells, the majority of cytoskeletal microtubules lie in the anterior-posterior plane. These longitudinal microtubules clearly originate from one of two radially arranged microtubular bands that correspond in location with the anterior and posterior edge of the cingolar depression. Despite the morphological variability of these gymnodinioid dinoflagellates, our data indicate that the microtubular cytoskeleton perfectly reflects the spatial patterning of the epicone and hypocone in each cell.
A regional modeling study of the entraining Mediterranean outflow

[1] We have evaluated a regional-scale simulation of the Mediterranean outflow by comparison with field data obtained in the 1988 Gulf of Cadiz Expedition. Our ocean model is based upon the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and includes the Richardson number–dependent entrainment parameterization of Xu et al. (2006). Given realistic topography and sufficient resolution, the model reproduces naturally the major, observed features of the Mediterranean outflow in the Gulf of Cadiz: the downstream evolution of temperature, salinity, and velocity profiles, the mean path and the spreading of the outflow plume, and most importantly, the localized, strong entrainment that has been observed to occur just west of the Strait of Gibraltar. As in all numerical solutions, there is some sensitivity to horizontal and vertical resolution. When the resolution is made coarser, the simulated currents are less vigorous and there is consequently less entrainment. Our Richardson number–dependent entrainment parameterization is therefore not recommended for direct application in coarse-resolution climate models. We have used the high-resolution regional model to investigate the response of the Mediterranean outflow to a change in the freshwater balance over the Mediterranean basin. The results are found in close agreement with the marginal sea boundary condition (MSBC): A more saline and dense Mediterranean deep water generates a significantly greater volume transport of the Mediterranean product water having only very slightly greater salinity.
Circulating granulocyte and macrophage progenitor cells in primary and secondary myelofibrosis.

Summary. Patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and myelofibrosis secondary to carcinoma (SMF) were compared with regard to circulating granulocyte macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) using in vitro tissue culture techniques. Although increased numbers of CFU-GM had previously been well documented in PMF, few patients with the secondary variety had been studied. Our data indicate that there is an increase in circulating CFU-GM in patients with SMF but it is significantly lower than in those with PMF. It is suggested that in both conditions disruption of the marrow microvascular system results in a release of CFU-GM to the circulation. In PMF stem cell colonization of the spleen with its consequent myeloid metaplasia may be responsible for the additional increase in CFU-GM. The determination of CFU-GM numbers may provide additional data to help to distinguish PMF and SMF in atypical cases where the distinction is unclear.
Component-level testing updates for the infrared polarized scene-generator demonstrator

ABSTRACT Polarization signature information is becoming more useful as an added classifier in a variety of signature analysis applications. However, there are few infrared (IR) scene projection systems that provide the capability to inject target simulation images with polarization content into a seeker, or other imaging sensor. In a previous paper 1 we discussed experimental results for an infrared (IR) polarized scene generator (PSG) concept demonstrator. The concept demonstrator operated in ambient environmental conditions and displayed polarized scenes of resolved targets. The IR PSG demonstrator that is the goal of this research must be capable of testing sensor systems operating in cryogenic-vacuum (cryo-vac or CV) environments. The IR PSG must also be able to accurately project scenes with unre solved polarized targets. As part of the development process, several potential PSG components are being tested in ambient and liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ) environments to verify functionality and changes in behavior at ambient, vacuum, and cryovac conditions. This paper presents test data for several of the components. Components tested were an IR source, a polarizer, and motion control components. We also pr esent test data for an imaging polarimeter being developed to validate the PSG. Keywords: Polarization, infrared scene projection, target si mulator, imaging polarimeter, cryogenic, vacuum, polarizer