cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peripheral blood CD34 count in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia: a prospective evaluation of prognostic value in 94 patients

Summary In a prospective study, peripheral blood (PB) CD34 count, bone marrow histology and other clinical parameters were concurrently evaluated in 94 patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) and the study cohort followed for a minimum of 3 years. Median PB CD34 count was 0·0547 × 109/l (range 0–5·345 × 109/l) with 86% of the patients displaying above normal levels (>0·005 × 109/l). In a multivariate analysis, only leucocyte count and PB blast percentage correlated with PB CD34 count in an independent and consistent fashion. After a median follow up of 41 months from PB CD34 analysis, 43 patients (46%) have died with a projected 5-year survival of 50%. In a univariate analysis, PB CD34 count above 0·1 × 109/l correlated significantly with shortened survival, leukaemic transformation and clinical progression. However, such statistical significance was lost during multivariate analysis, which identified only anaemia and leucocytosis as independent risk factors for shortened survival. Furthermore, sequential analysis of PB CD34 count was performed in 53 patients and 43% of those who progressed clinically did not display a concomitant rise in their PB CD34 count. The current prospective study does not support an independent prognostic value for PB CD34 count in MMM.
Failure of PTFE infrainguinal revascularization : Patterns, management alternatives, and outcome

This review identifies the causes of PTFE infrainguinal bypass graft failure and compares the results of management alternatives. In 322 infrainguinal reconstructions 111 failures occurred over a ten year interval (1978–1988). Sixty-four percent of all failures occurred within the first year, most within the first six months due to severity or progression of distal disease (56%), which suggests that patient selection is an important factor. Only 8% of cases had intimal hyperplasia as a cause of failure without evidence of distal disease progression, and all occurred within the first twelve months. Progression of inflow disease occurred in 25% of instances and was most commonly seen as progression of iliac disease in patients operated upon to relieve claudication and thrombosis of inflow reconstructions in limb salvage patients. Infection was the cause of failure in 5.5% of failed grafts (1.8% of the series) and was associated with multiple reoperations. Management consisted of conservative treatment in 15 cases, with amputation resulting in seven (46%) of these. Operative treatment consisted of (A) thrombectomy with or without patch (N=56); (B) extension with vein (N=12); (C) replacement with vein (N=11); or (D) extension or replacement with PTFE (N=17). Primary patency and limb salvage of secondary procedures at 30 months after the reoperation was (A) 40%/45%; (B) 32%/43%; (C) 55%/72%; and (D) 30%/38%, respectively. Patients in Group C (replacement with vein) had an 88% 30-month patency when this was the first procedure after the failure, with limb salvage in all cases. We conclude that vein replacement after failure of a PTFE bypass is the best management alternative and is best done as the first attempt following failure.
Eb welding of nitrogen-strengthened stainless steels

Abstract The intrinsic ability of electron-beam (EB) welding to produce high-quality, low-distortion, deep penetration, single-pass welds makes the process an ideal candidate for fabricating many of the large, thick-section components of Tokamak-type fusion devices. In addition to equivalent quality and mechanical properties compared to those for conventional arc-welding processes, EB welding offers substantial reductions in welding, as well as weld repair time. Toward this end, the EB weldability of two nitrogen-strengthened austenitic stainless steels, 304N and Nitronic 33, was evaluated. Parameters were developed for both alloys in thicknesses of one-half to two inches. Base-metal and EB-welded tensile, fatigue and Charpy impact strengths were evaluated and compared to one another, as well as to conventional arc-welded material. No significant nitrogen depletion or mechanical property degradation was observed in either EB-welded alloy. EB welding techniques were also developed and demonstrated for welding circumferential joints in large (8-ft-diameter) vacuum vessel segments and rectangular flangereinforced penetrations. These joints are typical of those found on the Princeton TFTR, thus demonstrating that EB welding represents a technically feasible and sound approach for fabricating large Tokamak components.
Education on the move

Recent advances in educational research are an indication of things to come. The author, dean of the School of Education at the University of Delaware, proposes certain positive steps that could lead to even more significant progress in the future.
Oxidation of Manganous and Ferrous Metalloporphyrins by Dioxygen in Aqueous Solutions

Abstract The stoichiometry and rate of oxidation with dioxygen of tetra-( p -sulfonatophenyl)-porphinatomanganese(II) and the bisimidazole tetra( p -sulfonatophenyl)porphinato-iron(II) were studied in aqueous solutions at neutral pH. The stoichiometry for both complexes was determined; two molecules of metalloporphyrin reacted with dioxygen to produce the +3 oxidation state of the metalloporphyrins and hydrogen peroxide. The rate law for the oxidation of Mn(II)-TPPS is rate = k ′[Mn(II)-TPPS][O 2 ], with k ′ at 26.5° of 2.6 × 10 5 M −1 sec −1 . The rate law for the oxidation of Fe(II)-TPPS in the presence of imidazole is with k ″ = 10,100 sec −1 . Some possible mechanisms consistent with these data are discussed.
Methods for the study ofin vitro immunization of mouse spleen cells

We have reviewed some of our experiences in developing techniques for studying the functions of the cells of the immune system. It is quite clear that much remains to be done. Improvements in the culture system are needed to permit cells to be grown for longer durations and at lower cell concentrations. The important effects of fetal calf serum should be defined. More sophisticated methods for separating cells into distinct functional populations must be developed. New assays for identifying other functions of the cells, particularly a method for directly assaying the number of precursor cells in a population, are needed. When these techniques are applied to the study of immune cells, further facts should be learned which will permit the development of significant, testable hypotheses on the function and relationships of the cells of the immune system.
A tobacco-free campus ambassador program and policy compliance.

AbstractObjective: Assess impact and feasibility of a Tobacco-Free Ambassador Program on campus policy compliance. Participants: Trained Ambassadors made 253 visits to campus sites over 15 months to observe and/or approach violators. Methods: Policy violators were observed at 23 locations during Wave 1 (April–June 2012) and/or Wave 2 (April–June 2013). For locations with at least 5 visits, average violators per visit were compared between the 2 waves using a paired t test. Attributes of violators were summarized. Cigarette butts were collected over 3-day periods in 4 campus hotspots during each wave. Personnel time and cost to implement the program were determined. Results: There were declines in observed violators per Ambassador visit and number of cigarette butts over time. Rate of violators per visit declined from 5.47 to 1.93, a 65% decrease. Personnel time was equal to 1.5 full-time equivalents annually. Conclusions: The Ambassador Program was a feasible and potentially effective strategy to increase...
Cross section measurements for neutron-induced reactions off C, Al, SiO2, Si and Au producing relatively short-lived radionuclides at neutron energies between 70 and 160 MeV

Abstract A systematic study was made to measure many cross sections for relevant neutron-induced reactions. This study was motivated by the need to better understand cosmic ray interactions with extraterrestrial materials. The major constituents of meteorites and lunar rocks include oxygen, silicon, and aluminum. The primary aim was to measure cross sections for neutron-induced reactions producing long-lived radionuclides (e.g. 14 C) and stable isotopes (e.g. Ne isotopes) but the irradiation conditions allowed cross sections for many reactions producing relatively short-lived radionuclides (e.g. 22 Na) to be well measured. Monitor foils used in the irradiations included C, Al, and Au. Quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams were produced by bombarding Be targets with 80, 120 and 160 MeV proton beams at iThemba LABS, South Africa. Two identical target stacks were irradiated in beam lines at 0° and 16° to the incident proton beam direction. The yield at an unique neutron energy was obtained by subtracting the yield measured at 16° (after suitable normalization) from that measured at 0°. The cross sections for the following reactions: 27 Al(n,x) 22,24 Na; nat C(n,x) 7 Be; 197 Au(n,x) 194,196 Au; SiO 2 (n,x) 22 Na and nat Si(n,x) 24 Na are reported.
Combinatorics of saturated secondary structures of RNA.

Following Zuker (1986), a saturated secondary structure for a given RNA sequence is a secondary structure such that no base pair can be added without violating the definition of secondary structure, e.g., without introducing a pseudoknot. In the Nussinov-Jacobson energy model (Nussinov and Jacobson, 1980), where the energy of a secondary structure is –1 times the number of base pairs, saturated secondary structures are local minima in the energy landscape, hence form kinetic traps during the folding process. Here we present recurrence relations and closed form asymptotic limits for combinatorial problems related to the number of saturated secondary structures. In addition, Python source code to compute the number of saturated secondary structures having k base pairs can be found at the web servers link of bioinformatics.bc.edu/clotelab/.
Standard enthalpies of formation of some thulium alloys by high temperature direct synthesis calorimetry.

The standard enthalpies of formation of some Thulium alloys in the binary systems of Tm–X (where X=C, Si, Ge, Sn, B, Ga) have been determined by high temperature direct synthesis calorimetry at 1373±2 K. The following values of ΔHfo in kJ/mol of atoms are reported: TmC2=−31.5±2.5; TmSi=−86.1±2.3; Tm5Si3=−76.1±2.3; TmSi2=−64.9±2.8; Tm5Ge3=−91.3±1.9; Tm5Sn3=−72.8±2.1; TmB2=−30.6±3.0; TmGa3=−48.5±2.0. The results are compared with earlier experimental data, with available data for the corresponding compounds of neighbouring lanthanide elements and with predicted values from the semi-empirical model of Miedema and co-workers [Niessen et al., Calphad 1983;7:51–70].
Development of Integrated System for Biomimetic CO2 Sequestration Using the Enzyme Carbonic Anhydrase

The enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, is the biological catalyst responsible for the interconversion of CO2 and bicarbonate in living organisms. The present research is aimed at the development of a CO2 scrubber that can be used to reduce CO2 emissions from, for example, fossil-fuel-burning power plants. In this system, the enzyme works as a catalyst to accelerate the rate of CO2 hydration for subsequent fixation into stable mineral carbonates, the counterions for which may be supplied from such sources as brines from saline aquifers, waste brines from desalination operations, or seawater. Proof of principle has already been demonstrated. One of the requirements for the enzyme will be that it must be able to function in the presence of other chemical species likely to be present in the industrial application. The present results show excellent enzyme activity in the presence of low levels of SOx and NOx (that might be expected from flue gases) and also in solution representative of seawater. The effects of SOx ...
Normal Modes of the Global Oceans—A Review

This paper deals with the normal modes of the global oceans. More specifically, it reviews some of the work done in association with the modeling, detection, and application of the barotropic, basin-wide normal modes. The paper presents some results obtained by means of the Proudman-Rao method. The fields of tidal synthesis from a set of normal modes, and paleotides, in the context of normal modes and the evolution of the Earth-Moon system, are surveyed as well. Works associated with the detection of normal modes are discussed also. The paper closes with an analysis of possible future developments.
Dual left anterior descending coronary artery: Angiographic description of important variants and surgical implications

Twenty-three cases of an anatomic variant of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) are described. This variant is termed "dual LAD" and consists of two branches which supply the usual distribution of the LAD. One branch (short LAD) terminates in the proximal aspect of the anterior interventricular sulcus (AIVS). A second, longer branch has a variable course outside the AIVS and returns to the AIVS distally. The long LAD arose from the LAD proper in 21 cases and from the RCA in two cases. The initial course of the long LAD was on the epicardial surface of the left ventricle (17 cases), right ventricle (three cases), or within the interventricular septum (three cases). Recognition of these variants is important for correct surgical identification of the short and long LADs.
Silver Nanoshells: Variations in Morphologies and Optical Properties

The production of silica core-silver shell nanoparticles (silver nanoshells) by three different chemical methods is described. Each method produces a silver outer layer with a unique morphology, ranging from smooth and uniform, to rough on the 2−5 nm length scale, to spiky with extremely sharp, needlelike protrusions extending outward from the surface of the nanoparticle. The nanoshells produced by each growth method were studied using transmission electron microscopy and UV−vis spectroscopy. In particular, one reduction method produced silver nanoshells with smooth and highly uniform morphologies whose optical extinction corresponded quantitatively to Mie scattering theory for a silica core-silver shell nanostructure.
Enhancing Justice and Sustainability at the Local Level: Affordable Policies for Urban Governments*

Abstract There are creative, affordable ways to address community development and also achieve goals of environmental sustainability. Approximately thirty case studies, based on interviews and usually also site visits, were completed during 2005. The case studies examined community gardening and urban agriculture, the greening of publicly controlled urban electricity and bus agencies, reuse centers and local business associations in the United States. Policy recommendations for city governments that emerged from the case studies are summarized here. There are many opportunities for financially pressed cities to assist the development of ‘just sustainability’ projects with minimal financial commitments. They can do so by rechannelling the purchasing decisions of public agencies, building partnerships with community organizations and developing the small business sector. *This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under the grant ‘Sustainable Technology, the Politics of De...
THE TRANSITION STATE OF THE PHOSPHORYL-TRANSFER REACTION CATALYZED BY THE LAMBDA SER/THR PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE

The catalytic reaction of the Mn2+ form of the native bacteriophage λ phosphatase and the H76N mutant was studied with the substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate using heavy atom isotope effects and pH-...
Mercy, death, and politics: An analysis of executions and commutations in New York State, 1935–1963

This study focuses on the 249 executions and the 49 commutations not based upon any policy per se of the New York State governors between the years 1935 and 1963. Clemency is an inherently political decision. Therefore, it is expected that groups which are disfavored or viewed as dangerous (blacks, males, felony murderers, and non-youthful offenders) will register higher execution rates than favored groups. Contingency tables and logistic regression analyses offer partial support in that offender race and age are significantly related to final disposition.
Retarded Stomatal Closure by Phenylmercuric Acetate

Excised leaves of Nerium oleander, which were treated with phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) 11/2 h before excising, transpired faster than untreated excised leaves. Similarly, PMA-treated oleander plants transpired more than untreated plants in the dark. These effects were due to retarded stomatal closure caused by PMA. Measurements of stomatal apertures on disks of Vicia faba leaves kept in the dark, and of diffusive resistance to water vapor from Phaseolus vulgaris leaves, confirmed that PMA retards stomatal closing as well as stomatal opening. However, day-time reductions in transpiration by PMA greatly exceed night-time increases in water loss. The mechanisms of stomatal movement, as affected by PMA, are discussed. PMA may conceivably decrease the permeability of guard cell membranes to solutes, thereby retarding all stomatal movements that are osmotically induced.
An explanation of asymmetric upper extremity blood pressures in supravalvular aortic stenosis: the Coanda effect.

The Coanda effect, the tendency of a jet stream to adhere to a wall, was investigated as an explanation of the unequal pressures in the upper extremities in patients with supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS). Of 56 patients with SVAS reviewed, 48 had unequal blood pressures in the upper extremities. The average difference was 18 mm Hg systolic. Although 11 of the 20 patients in the control group (valvular aortic stenosis) had some blood pressure asymmetry, the average difference was 3.5 mm Hg systolic. In valvular aortic stenosis, the velocity of the jet is quickly dissipated beyond the stenotic orifice, preventing any sustained high-velocity stream. However, the smooth, annular narrowing of SVAS creates a "step" between the orifice and the ascending aortic wall which enhances the natural affinity of a jet for a boundary wall and conserves the kinetic energy of the jet stream. In most patients with SVAS, the high-velocity stream is along the right aortic wall, causing disproportionately high pressure in the right arm.
Chromium(VI) binding to functionalized silica/water interfaces studied by nonlinear optical spectroscopy.

Organic adlayers can significantly alter the interactions of environmentally relevant surfaces with their surroundings. We present the first second harmonic and broadband sum frequency generation (SHG and BBSFG) study that illustrates how organic surface functional groups can control the mobility of the priority pollutant chromium(VI) in soil: Cr(VI) binds to ester- and acid-functionalized surfaces but not to alkane-functionalized surfaces. The implications with respect to toxic metal transport across organic adlayers at liquid−solid interfaces are that aqueous Cr(VI) can be retained by polar groups common in biopolymers but not by hydrophobic groups common in surfactants.
Coherent control of the polarization of ultrafast terahertz pulses

The polarization of ultrafast terahertz pulses generated in a laser induced plasma can be controlled by the relative phase of the fundamental and the second harmonic optical fields.
Anterior exposure of the thoracic spine

Spinal operation via an anterior thoracic approach is becoming increasingly common, and the thoracic surgeon is now being called upon to provide exposure for orthopedic and neurosurgical colleagues. We report experience with 126 such patients from 1982 through 1993. There were 61 male and 65 female patients (mean age, 39.0 years; range, 14 to 77 years). Indications were trauma in 45 patients (36%), spinal deformity in 42 (33%), cancer in 15 (12%), disc disease in 12 (10%), and infection in 12 (10%). Operative incisions included 22 (17%) right and 14 (11%) left thoracotomies, 33 (26%) right and 56 (44%) left thoracolumbar approaches, and one (1%) sternotomy. A prior spinal operation had been performed on 31 patients (25%), and 56 (44%) had a subsequent posterior spinal operation. Instrumentation was used in 38 (30%) and bone grafts in all but 6 patients. A neurologic deficit was present in 69 patients (55%) preoperatively and was improved in 67 patients postoperatively. Operative mortality was 3.2% (4 patients) due to myocardial infarction, stroke with pneumonia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and malignant biliary obstruction. Univariate and multivariate risk analysis were performed. Only the diagnosis of osteomyelitis proved to be a significant (p = 0.0002) indicator of operative mortality, with 3 of 12 such patients dying (25%). These results suggest that anterior spinal exposure via thoracic approach is a major operation with considerable perioperative risk. Patients with osteomyelitis appear to be at increased risk for operative mortality.
On the resonant response of a weakly damped, non-linear oscillator

Abstract The resonant response of a weakly damped, sinusoidally forced, non-linear oscillator is calculated through a variant of the method of harmonic balance on the hypothesis that the solution of the governing differential equation is close to that for free oscillations. Analytical conditions for breaking of the resonance curve (amplitude vs. frequency) and of the symmetry of the response are derived for an oscillator with a soft spring and compared with those obtained by harmonic balance. The results are applied to swinging oscillations of the pendulum and confirmed by numerical simulation. It is concluded that the conventional harmanic-balance approximation is reliable over the stable segments of the resonance curve, but that it may not provide a satisfactory approximation to the symmetry-breaking bifurcation.
Effect of post-exercise supplement consumption on adaptations to resistance training

Objective: Athletes are interested in nutritional manipulations that may enhance lean tissue gains stimulated by resistance training. Some research demonstrates that acute consumption of food containing protein causes superior muscle protein synthesis compared to isoenergetic foods without protein. This benefit has not been verified in longer-term training studies. We compared body composition and muscle function responses to resistance training in males who consumed a carbohydrate or a multi-macronutrient beverage following each training session.Methods: Nineteen, untrained men (18–25 years) consumed either a milk (MILK) or a carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHO) drink immediately following each workout during a 10 week resistance training program. Muscle strength (1RM for seven exercises), body composition (DXA scan), fasted, resting concentrations of serum total and free testosterone, cortisol, IGF-1, and resting energy expenditure (REE) were measured prior to and at the end of training.Results: Resistance tr...
Two-port stacked piezoelectric aluminum nitride contour-mode resonant MEMS

Abstract This paper reports on design, fabrication and experimental testing of a new class of two-port stacked piezoelectric aluminum nitride contour-mode micromechanical resonators that can be used for RF filtering and timing applications. This novel design consists of two layers of thin film AlN stacked on top of each other and excited in contour-mode shapes using the d 31 piezoelectric coefficient. Main feature of this design is the ability to reduce capacitive parasitic feedthrough between input and output signals while maintaining strong electromechanical coupling. For example, these piezoelectric contour-mode resonators show a quality factor of 1700 in air and a motional resistances as low as 175 Ω at a frequency of 82.8 MHz. The input to output capacitance has been limited to values below 80 fF, therefore simplifying signal detection even at high frequencies.
Epidemiology of exercise and sleep

Although exercise is widely believed to improve sleep, experimental evidence has found acute and chronic exercise to exert only modest effects on subsequent sleep. However, these studies are limited in that they have primarily used good sleepers (floor/ceiling effects). In contrast to experimental studies, epidemiologic studies have consistently reported significant positive associations between self-reported exercise habits and better self-reported sleep. This association has been confirmed across a wide range of demographics. Nonetheless, epidemiologic studies on this topic have also had limitations. They have often assessed exercise and sleep using instruments of dubious validity. Moreover, the studies have generally not included clinical diagnoses of sleep disorders. Thus, the clinical relevance of these findings is unclear. In addition, possible alternative explanations for the association of exercise and improved sleep have often not been controlled (e.g. bright light, other healthy behaviors). This review will focus on these epidemiologic studies. We will review and critique representative survey and epidemiologic studies of exercise and sleep and discuss directions for future research in this area.
Movement toward a novel activity monitoring device

Although polysomnography is necessary for diagnosis of most sleep disorders, it is also expensive, time-consuming, intrusive, and interferes with sleep. Field-based activity monitoring is increasingly used as an alternative measure that can be used to answer certain clinical and research questions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of a novel activity monitoring device (Fitbit) compared to both polysomnography and standard actigraphy (Actiwatch-64). To test validity, simultaneous Fitbit and actigraph were worn during standard overnight polysomnography by 24 healthy adults at the West Virginia University sleep research laboratory. To test inter-Fitbit reliability, three participants also wore two of the Fitbit devices overnight at home. Fitbit showed high intradevice reliability =96.5–99.1. Fitbit and actigraph differed significantly on recorded total sleep time and sleep efficiency between each other and polysomnography. Bland–Altman plots indicated that both Fitbit and actigraph overestimated sleep efficiency and total sleep time. Sensitivity of both Fitbit and actigraphy for accurately identifying sleep was high within all sleep stages and during arousals; specificity of both Fitbit and actigraph for accurately identifying wake was poor. Specificity of actigraph was higher except for wake before sleep onset; sensitivity of Fitbit was higher in all sleep stages and during arousals. The web-based Fitbit, available at a markedly reduced price and with several convenience factors compared to standard actigraphy, may be an acceptable activity measurement instrument for use with normative populations. However, Fitbit has the same specificity limitations as actigraphy; both devices consistently misidentify wake as sleep and thus overestimate both sleep time and quality. Use of the Fitbit will also require specific validation before it can be used to assess disordered populations and or different age groups.
Enhancing security through hardware-assisted run-time validation of program data properties

The growing number of information security breaches in electronic and computing systems calls for new design paradigms that consider security as a primary design objective. This is particularly relevant in the embedded domain, where the security solution should be customized to the needs of the target system, while considering other design objectives such as cost, performance, and power. Due to the increasing complexity and shrinking design cycles of embedded software, most embedded systems present a host of software vulnerabilities that can be exploited by security attacks. Many attacks are initiated by causing a violation in the properties of data ( e.g., integrity, privacy, access control rules, etc.) associated with a "trusted" program that is executing on the system, leading to a range of undesirable effects.In this work, we develop a general framework that provides security assurance against a wide class of security attacks. Our work is based on the observation that a program's permissible behaviorwith respect to data accesses can be characterized by certain properties. We present a hardware/software approach wherein such properties can be encoded as data attributes and enforced as security policies during program execution. These policies may be application-specific (e.g., access control for certain data structures), compiler-generated (e.g., enforcing that variables are accessed only within their scope), or universally applicable to all programs (e.g., disallowing writes to unallocated memory). We show how an embedded system architecture can support such policies by (i) enhancing the memory hierarchy to represent the attributes of each datum as security tags that are linked to it through its lifetime, and (ii) adding a configurable hardware checker that interprets the semantics of the tags and enforces the desired security policies. We evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed architecture in enforcing various security policies for several embedded benchmarks. Our experiments in the context of the Simplescalar framework demonstrate that the proposed solution ensures run-time validation of program data properties with minimal execution time overheads.
Antigen Specific Down Regulation of Murine Collagen Induced Arthritis: T Suppressor Cell Circuits in Arthritis Immunotherapy

The present article summarizes a series of experiments which have been performed to describe an antigen-specific suppressor cell pathway for the suppression of the erythema and edema associated with an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis, collagen induced arthritis (CIA). Initial studies utilized the adoptive transfer of splenic cell subpopulations to establish the presence of suppressor cells in lymphoid tissues of mice which were suppressed for collagen induced arthritis. Subsequent studies generated T cell hybridomas from animals which had been suppressed for collagen induced arthritis by a single injection of a large quantity of Type II collagen. The T cell hybridomas varied in their self surface expression of glycoproteins which are associated with genetically determined functions. The suppressor T cells generated, described a regulatory suppressor cell pathway comprised of at least afferent suppressor T cells and effector suppressor T cells. The cells act in an antigen-specific fashion with regard ...
Toward a tele-nanorobotic manipulation system with atomic scale force feedback and motion resolution

Steps toward the realization of a tele-nanorobotic manipulation system using a magnetically levitated hand controller coupled with a scanning tunneling microscope are discussed. With this system, it is possible to 'manually' probe surfaces at atomic scale, while 'feeling' the atomic-scale topography back in the operator's hand. Results for sputtered gold and graphite are presented. >
Tropical Moist Forest Management: The Urgency of Transition to Sustainability

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), an increasing number of citizens and foresters, and the vast majority of environmentalists, must surely realize that most current use of tropical moist forest is unsustainable. The environmental services of tropical forest, and the biodiversity which it harbours — the world's richest source — is being lost so rapidly that consumer boycotts and other trade constraints aim to reduce the rate of irreversible damage but have so far proved little-effective. On one hand, tropical moist deforestation benefits exceedingly few people, and then only ephemerally. On the other hand, such deforestation permanently impoverishes, deracinates, or sickens, millions of people, impairs local or global environmental services, and exacerbates global environmental risks. The World Resources Institute ranks logging as one of the top causes leading to deforestation.
Interactive three-dimensional holographic displays: seeing the future in depth

Computer graphics is confined chiefly to flat images. Images may look three-dimensional (3D), and sometimes create the illusion of 3D when displayed, for example, on a stereoscopic display [16, 13, 12]. Nevertheless, when viewing an image on most display systems, the human visual system (HVS) sees a flat plane of pixels. Volumetric displays can create a 3D computer graphics image, but fail to provide many visual depth cues (e.g. shading texture gradients) and cannot provide the powerful depth cue of overlap (occlusion). Discrete parallax displays (such as lenticular displays) promise to create 3D images with all of the depth cues, but are limited by achievable resolution. Only a real-time electronic holographic ("holovideo") display [11, 6, 8, 7, 9, 21, 22, 20, 2] can create a truly 3D computer graphics image with all of the depth cues (motion parallax, ocular accommodation, occlusion, etc.) and resolution sufficient to provide extreme realism [13]. Holovideo displays promise to enhance numerous applications in the creation and manipulation of information, including telepresence, education, medical imaging, interactive design and scientific visualization.The technology of electronic interactive three-dimensional holographic displays is in its first decade. Though fancied in popular science fiction, only recently have researchers created the first real holovideo systems by confronting the two basic requirements of electronic holography: computational speed and high-bandwidth modulation of visible light. This article describes the approaches used to address these problems, as well as emerging technologies and techniques that provide firm footing for the development of practical holovideo.
A Questionnaire of Musculoskeletal Injuries Associated With Manual Patient Lifting in Occupational Therapy Practitioners in the State of Ohio

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and type of musculoskeletal injury due to patient handling as well as to ascertain current safe patient handling practices in occupational therapy within the state of Ohio. A questionnaire focusing on safe patient handling issues was e-mailed to 1,113 occupational therapy practitioners in the state of Ohio, with an overall response rate of 26%. Sixty-four percent indicated they were required to transfer patients manually. Of these respondents, 8% indicated receiving an injury, 11% missed days away from work in connection with sustaining an injury, and 12% considered leaving the profession early due to patient handling concerns. The study demonstrated that this sample of occupational therapy practitioners was exposed to occupationally based high-risk situations regarding patient handling with moderate to high incidence rates for musculoskeletal injuries. Additional research is needed to ascertain the status of safe patient handling among occupational therapy practitioners nationwide.
SIOMICS: a novel approach for systematic identification of motifs in ChIP-seq data

The identification of transcription factor binding motifs is important for the study of gene transcriptional regulation. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), followed by massive parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq) experiments, provides an unprecedented opportunity to discover binding motifs. Computational methods have been developed to identify motifs from ChIP-seq data, while at the same time encountering several problems. For example, existing methods are often not scalable to the large number of sequences obtained from ChIP-seq peak regions. Some methods heavily rely on well-annotated motifs even though the number of known motifs is limited. To simplify the problem, de novo motif discovery methods often neglect underrepresented motifs in ChIP-seq peak regions. To address these issues, we developed a novel approach called SIOMICS to de novo discover motifs from ChIP-seq data. Tested on 13 ChIP-seq data sets, SIOMICS identified motifs of many known and new cofactors. Tested on 13 simulated random data sets, SIOMICS discovered no motif in any data set. Compared with two recently developed methods for motif discovery, SIOMICS shows advantages in terms of speed, the number of known cofactor motifs predicted in experimental data sets and the number of false motifs predicted in random data sets. The SIOMICS software is freely available at http://eecs.ucf.edu/∼xiaoman/SIOMICS/SIOMICS.html.
Distributed Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks Using A Multiple Access Channel

Distributed detection in a one-dimensional (1-D) sensor network with correlated sensor observations, as exemplified by two problems-detection of a deterministic signal in correlated Gaussian noise and detection of a first-order autoregressive [AR(1)] signal in independent Gaussian noise, is studied in this paper. In contrast with the traditional approach where a bank of dedicated parallel access channels (PAC) is used for transmitting the sensor observations to the fusion center, we explore the possibility of employing a shared multiple access channel (MAC), which significantly reduces the bandwidth requirement or detection delay. We assume that local observations are mapped according to a certain function subject to a power constraint. Using the large deviation approach, we demonstrate that for the deterministic signal in correlated noise problem, with a specially chosen mapping rule, MAC fusion achieves the same asymptotic performance as centralized detection under the average power constraint (APC), while there is always a loss in error exponents associated with PAC fusion. Under the total power constraint (TPC), MAC fusion still results in exponential decay in error exponents with the number of sensors, while PAC fusion does not. For the AR signal problem, we propose a suboptimal MAC mapping rule which performs closely to centralized detection for weakly correlated signals at almost all signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values, and for heavily correlated signals when SNR is either high or low. Finally, we show that although the lack of MAC synchronization always causes a degradation in error exponents, such degradation is negligible when the phase mismatch among sensors is sufficiently small
The Columbian exchange : biological and cultural consequences of 1492

List of Illustrations Foreword (2002) Preface (2002) Foreword (1972) Preface (1972) The Contrasts Conquistador y Pestilencia Old World Plants and Animals in the New World The Early History of Syphilis: A Reappraisal New World Foods and Old World Demography The Columbian Exchange Continues Bibliography (1972) Bibliography (2002) Index
Qualitative content analysis of television news: Systematic techniques

A television news message is conveyed in words, voice, facial expression, visual symbols and camera techniques. The qualitative analysis of a news videotape begins with choosing analytical units that meet one's theoretical goals but which do not do violence to the nature of the content at hand. After a transcription of the verbal content is done, patterns in the script and in journalist-news source interactions can be identified. The analyst then listens for “tunes” in news speech which may, for instance, convey humor or skepticism. Television news relies on a visual symbolic code consisting of objects that suggest the topic at hand, of conventions for camera angle and distance, and of journalists' facial expressions. A complete qualitative analysis of the news message produces an exhaustive data matrix showing the juxtaposition of all message elements. This becomes the foundation for a rigorous, wholistic “account of accounts.”
(POP)Rh pincer hydride complexes: unusual reactivity and selectivity in oxidative addition and olefin insertion reactions

We report on the synthesis and reactivity of rhodium complexes featuring bulky, neutral pincer ligands with a “POP” coordinating motif, tBuxanPOP, iPrxanPOP, and tBufurPOP (tBuxanPOP = 4,5-bis(di-tert-butylphosphino)-9,9-dimethyl-9H-xanthene; iPrxanPOP = 4,5-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-9,9-dimethyl-9H-xanthene; tBufurPOP = 2,5-bis((di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl)furan). The (POP)Rh complexes described in this work are, in general, more reactive than their (PNP)Rh and (PCP)Rh analogues, which allows for the generation of several new species under relatively mild conditions. Thus, monomeric (POP)RhCl complexes oxidatively add H2 to form (POP)Rh(H)2Cl, from which the coordinatively unsaturated hydride complexes (POP)Rh(H)2+ and (tBuxanPOP)Rh(H) can be obtained. In the case of the new ligand tBufurPOP, a major kinetic product of the reaction with H2 is, surprisingly, the trans dihydride, i.e. trans-(tBufurPOP)Rh(H)2Cl; this is most likely attributable to reversible decoordination of one of the pincer coordinating groups, followed by addition of H2 to a highly reactive three-coordinate species. Ethylene is hydrogenated by (tBuxanPOP)Rh(H)2+ at 25 °C, but propylene is not, even at elevated temperatures. Ethylene undergoes insertion into the Rh–H bond of (tBuxanPOP)RhH; this reaction is reversible, allowing for an experimental determination of the equilibrium constant for this hydrometalation. The less bulky iPrxanPOP ligand affords a dihydride complex which functions as a modestly active alkane dehydrogenation catalyst, the first such example for a cationic pincer complex of any metal.
The differential effect of noise on creative task performance

Abstract: The effect of an arousal manipulation on creativity task performance was investigated. Sixty, 80, and 100dB of noise were used to raise arousal levels in 72 undergraduates while they were individually assessed on creativity tasks. Two hypotheses were tested: The first was that noise would interfere with performance on creativity tasks, and the second was that high scorers would be resistant to this effect. Results supported the latter hypothesis. The noise‐induction appeared to have a differential effect. For highly original subjects, there was a curvilinear relationship between the noise and performance; this relationship was not reflected in the performance of subjects who scored low in originality. The major finding of this study was that research on the relationship between creativity and arousal may be difficult and misleading if the mediating role of individual differences in creativity are not considered.
A Bayesian approach to electromagnetic sounding in a marine environment

The problem of seafloor electromagnetic sounding is defined in terms of recovering the electrical conductivity profile beneath the seafloor from measurements of the electromagnetic field. From this viewpoint, electromagnetic sounding can be regarded as an inverse problem that infers parameters characterizing the environment. The propagation of the electromagnetic field in a multilayered marine environment is modeled by solving the Maxwell's equations and the boundary conditions for a horizontal electric dipole placed in seawater. Electromagnetic inversion represents a strongly nonlinear problem for which a direct solution is not available. A matched-field approach to this problem can be formulated based on Bayesian inversion theory, which provides environmental parameter estimates and their uncertainties. The goal of this paper is to investigate the matched-field inversion capability to recover the conductivity profile from measurements of the electromagnetic field.
Waves in the Overlying inversion of the Convective Boundary Layer

Abstract Large eddy simulations and a linear theory are used to examine the characteristics of waves trapped in the temperature inversion that bounds the convective boundary layer. These waves are important because they strongly affect the rate of entrainment and the fluxes of momentum and scalars across the interface. lie simulations show that the motions, at least on scales larger than the model grid size, are nearly linear and can be described well by the theory of Carruthers and Hunt. A simple linear model is used to relate the frequency of trapped waves in the inversion to the ratio of the pressure-temperature covariance and temperature variance. These quantities, which are easily obtained from the simulations, are used to estimate the structure of the waves. Comparisons of the wave properties are made between the theory, further simulations and observations, with good agreement.
Bridging the memory-storage gap

The Internet has become indispensable in the developing world. It has become an important tool for providing entertainment, for enabling and bettering human communication, for delivering effective education, for conducting research, for spreading news, and for organizing people to rally to various causes. However, today, only a third of the world's population has quality access to the Internet. The Internet has two primary hindrances for expansion. First, the high cost of network connectivity in developing regions and second, the high cost of establishing new data centers to reduce the load on the existing data centers. Fortunately, caches in various forms help address both these problems by storing reusable content near the clients. Despite their importance, today's caches are limited in their scale because of the trends in the evolution of current memory-storage technologies. The widening gap between memory and storage is limiting the performance of applications like caches. The ever-increasing amount of data and the need to access more of it quickly have further magnified the gap. Limited DRAM capacity of servers makes it difficult to obtain good in-memory hit-rates that are vital for avoiding high-latency disk accesses. This dissertation presents two new complementary methods (HashCache and SSDAlloc) to bridge this gap for caches that affect the performance of many applications including HTTP Web Proxy caches, wide area network accelerators, content distribution networks, and file backup services. First, we will develop HashCache, a novel method to drastically improve the memory efficiency of caches. By reducing the amount of memory needed for caching by up to 20 times, it reduces the cache's total cost of ownership. While HashCache makes more effective use of limited RAM in a system, SSDAlloc introduces a tier of new memory technology like NAND-Flash between RAM and disk to further bridge the gap. SSDAlloc removes the impediments to the integration of new high-capacity memory technologies like NAND-Flash into the memory hierarchy. SSDAlloc is a novel memory manager that helps applications like HashCache tier data transparently and efficiently between DRAM and NAND-Flash. With only a few modifications to an existing application, restricted to the memory allocation portions of the code, one can reap the benefits of new memory technologies. Additionally, with SSDAlloc, applications can obtain 90% of the raw performance of NAND-Flash, while existing transparent tiering mechanisms deliver only 6-30% of that. Furthermore, by cleverly discerning application behavior, SSDAlloc writes up to 32 times less data to NAND-Flash when compared to similar existing mechanisms. This greatly increases the reliability of NAND-Flash that has a limited lifetime unlike DRAM.
Missions, Matrices, and University Management: Reply

The article presents the reply of Professor Paul W. Hamelman to a critique of his article “Missions, Matrices, and University Management.” Hamelman suggests that certain objections brought up in th...