cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efforts To Expand the Genetic Alphabet: Identification of a Replicable Unnatural DNA Self-Pair

Six unnatural nucleotides featuring fluorine-substituted phenyl nucleobase analogues have been synthesized, incorporated into DNA, and characterized in terms of the structure and replication properties of the self-pairs they form. Each unnatural self-pair is accommodated in B-form DNA without detectable structural perturbation, and all are thermally stable and selective to roughly the same degree. Furthermore, the efficiency of polymerase-mediated mispair synthesis is similar for each unnatural nucleotide in the template. In contrast, the efficiency of polymerase-mediated self-pair extension is highly dependent on the specific fluorine substitution pattern. The most promising unnatural base pair candidate of this series is the 3-fluorobenzene self-pair, which is replicated with reasonable efficiency and selectivity.
Incisionless Hartmann’s procedure: an innovative minimal access technique for surgical treatment of sigmoid volvulus in debilitated patients with faecal incontinence

Sigmoid volvulus requires decompression and subsequent surgical correction, and is often seen in debilitated patients. In an effort to decrease the physiological burden of surgery in these high-risk patients, we report an innovative minimal access technique for the definitive treatment of decompressed sigmoid volvulus in patients with concomitant faecal incontinence. A retrospective chart review of a series of two consecutive patients who had undergone a minimal access Hartmann’s procedure (HP) between November 2005 and October 2006 was performed. A single skin incision of ≤4 cm at the proposed colostomy site was used to identify, exteriorize, divide, and resect the redundant mesosigmoid and sigmoid colon. The same incision was used to mature the end-colostomy. No other incisions were created, and no laparoscopy or laparoscopic instruments were used. Perioperative clinical parameters and outcomes are reported. Patient 1 was a 94-year-old male, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 4, who underwent a HP via a 4-cm skin incision under general anaesthesia in 150 min with a length of inpatient stay of 5 days. Patient 2 was an 83-year-old female, ASA class 3, who underwent a HP via a 3-cm skin incision under conscious sedation in 83 min, with a length of inpatient stay of 4 days. Estimated blood loss was <50 cm3 for both patients, both patients had bowel function and were tolerating oral feeds upon discharge, and there was no perioperative morbidity or mortality in either patient at 30 days. Incisionless HP appears feasible in treating sigmoid volvulus and faecal incontinence in debilitated patients.
The variations of neutral wind shears in the E-region as deduced from blanketing ES

Abstract Using the equations of the wind shear theory of sporadic- E and the ionosonde measured values of fbE S and f 0 E , it is shown possible to deduce the ‘effective wind shears’ (in the E -region) defined as U′ eff = U′ ( kv i m i α ) − , where v i , m i , and α are the collision frequency, mean mass and recombination coefficient, respectively, of the ions forming into E S layers, and k is a constant, and U′ is the vertical shear of the eastward neutral wind. Using the above method, the daily, seasonal and solar cycle variations of these ‘effective wind shears’ are obtained at nine stations. Daily and seasonal variations of large amplitude, and also smaller but significant solar cycle variations are present at all stations, thereby indicating a strong solar control of these ‘effective wind shears.’ In addition, a latitudinal change in the occurrence times of the maximum wind shears is observed. Assuming that the variations in v i and α are small, and assuming further that internal gravity waves are the source of the wind shears, two possible interpretations of the results are discussed. In one, the variations in the (wave) propagation conditions in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere are considered to cause the deduced wind shear variations. In the second, the possibility of gravity waves being generated by non-linearities in tidal winds is considered, and in such a case, the variations in the tidal wind amplitudes can cause corresponding variations in the strength of the gravity wave shears.
Laparoscopic staging and tumor ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma in Child C cirrhotics evaluated for orthotopic liver transplantation.

Background: Surgical resection and liver transplantation remain the only treatments that offer cure for hepatoma, but are limited to those with early stage disease. Prelisting radiological staging is not always definitive. In this study, we sought to delineate the role of laparoscopy for clarification of staging in advanced cirrhotic patients when radiological assessment during evaluation for orthotopic liver transplants (OLTx) is equivocal. Methods: Over a 3-year period, 18 patients with advanced liver insufficiency being evaluated for OLTx listing underwent laparoscopic staging when the following criteria were met: (1) lesion(s) with indeterminate size/borders, (2) an indeterminate number of lesions, or (3) lesion(s) and alpha-fero protein (AFP) less than 100 ng/ml. Patients underwent exploratory laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasound with biopsy, with or without ablation of lesion(s). Results: Laparoscopic staging was initiated in 18 patients; four of the first six patients were converted to open procedures. Twelve patients were restaged as a result of the procedure: six down-staged and six up-staged. Stage changes were based on laparoscopic visualization of advanced disease in two, ultrasonographic clarification of tumor size/number in seven, and biopsy in three. Twelve of the 14 laparoscopic procedures included laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation while one received ethanol ablation. One patient required 2 units of red blood cells. One patient died on postoperative day 7 because of gastrointestinal bleeding. Four of the six down-staged patients underwent liver transplant, and pathological staging of the explants agreed with laparoscopic staging in all cases. Conclusion: Laparoscopic staging for HCC in advanced cirrhosis can clearly characterize tumor burden when preoperative radiological assessment is equivocal.
Increased PAK6 expression in prostate cancer and identification of PAK6 associated proteins.

BACKGROUND PAK6 is a member of the p21-activated kinase (PAK) family of serine/threonine kinases that was originally cloned from prostate cancer (PCa) cells as an androgen receptor interacting protein, but its cellular distribution and functions have not been established. METHODS An affinity purified rabbit anti-PAK6 antiserum was generated to assess PAK6 protein expression. PAK6 associated proteins were identified by immunopurification of 3xFlag-tagged PAK6 followed by LC/MS/MS. RESULTS We confirmed that PAK6 protein is expressed in prostate and breast cancer cell lines. PAK6 expression in LNCaP PCa cells was not directly androgen regulated, but was markedly increased when the cells were cultured for 6–8 weeks in steroid hormone depleted medium. By immunohistochemistry, PAK6 was weakly expressed in normal prostate epithelium. Its expression was increased in primary and metastatic PCa, and was further increased in tumors that relapsed after androgen deprivation therapy. LC/MS/MS identified IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) and protein phosphatase 1B (PP1B) as candidate PAK6 interacting proteins, and these findings were confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that PAK6 contributes to PCa development and progression after androgen deprivation therapy, and that it may play roles in the regulation of motility and in stress responses. Prostate 68: 1510–1516, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comment on “Righting the balance: Gender diversity in the geosciences”

To say that the fraction of geoscientists who are women is too small, as a recent Forum (Eos, 5 August 2003, p. 292) did, is mathematically equivalent to saying that the complementary set, male geoscientists, is too large. Does this mean that many of the male geoscientists should be eliminated? A similar article in Science [Mervis, 2002] proposed that Title IX should be used in science as it was in college athletics, when a comparable quota requirement forced the elimination of a large fraction of the male athletes in order to reach a male/female ratio less than one.
Criteria for negating the influence of gravity on flow boiling critical heat flux with two-phase inlet conditions

Abstract This study explores the complex flow boiling CHF mechanisms encountered at different orientations relative to Earth’s gravity when the fluid is supplied as a two-phase mixture. Using FC-72 as working fluid, different CHF regimes are identified for different orientations, mass velocities and inlet qualities. Low mass velocities are shown to produce the greatest sensitivity to orientation, while high mass velocities greatly reduce this influence, especially for high inlet qualities. It is also shown that the influence of orientation can be negated by simultaneously satisfying three separate criteria: overcoming the influence of gravity perpendicular to the heated wall, overcoming the influence of gravity parallel to the heated wall, and ensuring that the heated wall is sufficiently long to ensure liquid contact. These criteria are combined to determine the minimum mass velocity required to negate gravity effects in both terrestrial and space applications. Exceeding this minimum is of paramount importance to space systems since it enables the implementation of the vast body of published CHF data, correlations and models developed from terrestrial studies for design of thermal management systems for space applications.
PATIENTS WITH TRANSTHYRETIN (TTR) AMYLOIDOSIS HAVE A HIGHER MYOCARDIAL EXTRACELLULAR VOLUME (ECV) FRACTION THAN AL AMYLOID AS ASSESSED BY CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE (CMR) IMAGING: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

Cardiac Amyloidosis (CA) is uncommon but has high morbidity and mortality. Biopsy remains the cornerstone of management. CMR is important in diagnosing CA but its ability to distinguish between CA subtypes has not been studied. Patients diagnosed with amyloidosis from 1/2005 to present were
Far ultraviolet resonance raman spectroscopy: New capability and applications in the vacuum ultraviolet region

Abstract The development and performance of laser techniques for obtaining resonance Raman spectra in the far ultraviolet region will be described. Examples of spectra with radiation as short as 141.2 nm are presented. The utility of this technique as a method for providing valuable new information about excited electronic states and high energy vibrational transitions is illustrated with several examples. The prospects for extension of this technique to even shorter wavelengths and the generation of tunable radiation in this region will be discussed with emphasis on the use of β-barium borate for harmonic generation.
Editorial: Thanks to Our Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are essential to the quality of our Journal. In a year that saw considerable media coverage on journals that got it wrong [1–3], we would like to thank the people who make it possible for us to do a good job on behalf of patients with musculoskeletal illnesses and injuries around the world: Our reviewers.
Inhibition of Na+ channels ameliorates arrhythmias in a drug-induced model of Andersen-Tawil syndrome

Background Andersen-Tawil syndrome (ATS1)-associated ventricular tachycardias (VTs) are initiated by frequent, hypokalemia-exacerbated, premature ventricular activity (PVA). We previously demonstrated that a guinea pig model of drug-induced ATS1 (DI-ATS1) evidenced increased arrhythmias from regions with high Na + /Ca 2+ -exchange expression. Objective Therefore, we hypothesize that reduced cytosolic Na + entry through either cardiac isoform of or tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive Na + channels during DI-ATS1 can ameliorate arrhythmia burden. Methods DI-ATS1 was induced with 10 μM BaCl 2 and 2 mM extracellular K + . Ca 2+ transients and conduction velocity (CV) were optically mapped with indo-1 and di - 4 - ANEPPS, respectively, from Langendorff-perfused guinea pig ventricles. Results Nonselective Na + channel blockade with 1 μM flecainide reduced amplitude (Ca A ), slowed left ventricular CV, reduced tissue excitability, and abolished the incidence of VT while decreasing the incidence of PVA relative to DI-ATS1. Selective, TTX-sensitive Na + channel blockade with TTX (100 nM) during DI-ATS1 decreased Ca A and decreased the inducibility of VTs and PVA relative to DI-ATS1 without slowing CV. Ranolazine altered Ca A , left ventricular CV, tissue excitability, and reduced inducibility of VT and PVA in a concentration-dependent manner. None of the aforementioned interventions altered diastolic Ca 2+ levels or Ca 2+ transient decay time constant. Conclusions These data suggest that cytosolic Na + entry and its modulation of Ca 2+ handling are necessary for arrhythmogenesis. During the loss of inward-rectifier K + current function, not only Na + /Ca 2+ -exchange dominance but Na + flux may determine arrhythmia burden. Therefore, selective inhibition of TTX-sensitive Na + channels may offer a potential therapeutic target to alleviate arrhythmias during states of Ca 2+ overload secondary to loss of inward-rectifier K + current function without compromising the excitability reserve.
The role of protein binding of trivalent arsenicals in arsenic carcinogenesis and toxicity

Three of the most plausible biological theories of arsenic carcinogenesis are protein binding, oxidative stress and altered DNA methylation. This review presents the role of trivalent arsenicals binding to proteins in arsenic carcinogenesis. Using vacuum filtration based receptor dissociation binding techniques, the lifetimes of unidentate (<1s), bidentate (1-2min) and tridentate (1-2h) arsenite containing peptide binding complexes were estimated. According to our experimental data some of the protein targets to which arsenite may bind in vivo include tubulin, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP-1), thioredoxin reductase, estrogen receptor-alpha, arsenic(+3)methyltransferase and Keap-1. Arsenite binding to tubulin can lead to several of the genetic effects observed after arsenic exposures (aneuploidy, polyploidy and mitotic arrests). Among many other possible arsenite binding sites are rat hemoglobin, the DNA repair enzyme xeroderma pigmentosum protein A (XPA), and other C2H2, C3H and C4 zinc finger proteins including members of the steroid receptor superfamily (e.g. glucocorticoid receptor). Macromolecules to which arsenite does not bind to include calf thymus DNA, mixed Type II-A histones and bovine H3/H4 histone. Although all six tested arsenicals released iron from ferritin, radioactive arsenite did not bind to the protein horse ferritin.
Procedure language access to proposed american national standard database management systems

Abstract Network and relational database standards are under development by technical committee X3H2 of the American National Standards Institute. This paper is an overview of the procedure language interface to these proposed standards. It introduces the basic structures and operations of each data model, focuses on the procedure language interface as a facility for database access from external languages, and discusses various alternatives for use of the database language standard with existing standard programming languages. The paper contains example application programs of each access alternative and concludes with a discussion of basic requirements for application of the standard specifications to distributed database processing in an open systems environment.
In vitro phosphorylated bovine milk fat globule membrane proteins

Abstract Incubation of the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) with [γ-32P]ATP, in the presence of protein phosphatase inhibitors and MgCl2 and/or MnCl2, led to protein phosphorylation within this membrane. Analysis of the 32P-labeled proteins of bovine MFGM, by SDS PAGE and autoradiography, showed at least 15 radioactive bands with relative molecular masses in the range of 10 to 200 kDa. Bovine MFGM had four bands (66–67, 51, 33, and 24 kDa) labeled more intensively than others. Calcium could not substitute for Mg2+ and Mn2+ in the phosphorylation reaction. Genistein (100 μmol/L) reduced protein phosphorylation by 50 to 70%, whereas daidzein and heparin did not. The 66–67 and 15 kDa in vitro phosphorylated bovine MFGM proteins were butyrophilin and fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP), respectively. Phosphoamino acid analysis of 32P-labeled 66, 51, and 15 kDa polypeptide acid hydrolyzates revealed radiolabeled phosphotyrosine, -threonine, and -serine in the 66 kDa protein, radiolabeled phosphotyrosine and -threonine in the 51 kDa protein, and radiolabeled phosphotyrosine in the 15 kDa protein. FABP appeared to be in a complex with its putative kinase. The analysis of in vitro phosphorylated human MFGM revealed 13–15 radioactive protein bands in the range of 20 to 200 kDa. The 65 and 50 kDa radiolabeled bands were prominent in all five individual samples of human MFGM analyzed. FAK, insulin β-subunit receptor, c-src60 and MAPK, were detected in the bovine and human MFGM using Western immunoblotting. MAPKAPK was also found in the bovine MFGM.
Adaptive Blind Source Separation in Underwater Wireless Speech Communication

In this article, based on Blind Source Separation (BSS) often used in the cocktail party problem, a new online BSS algorithm SIRP-NG is developed. Utilizing on the Information Maximization principle and the Infomax algorithm, it uses Spherically Invariant Random Process (SIRP) to model the univariate band-limited speech signals used in telephone and underwater wireless communications. The Meijer G function is used to simplify the derivation of the Natural Gradient (NG) algorithm for updating the weight matrix of the unmixing neural network. Simulation results showed significant improvement in terms of the signal-to-interference ratio criterion. For the more complex multipath propagation channels, Time-Frequency Domain BSS algorithm is discussed.
Photochemical reaction of diaryliodomium salts with dimethylaniline

Abstract A solution of 4,4′-dimethyldiphenyl iodonium tetrafluoroborate and N,N-dimethylaniline in acetonitrile is irradiated by UV light to give iodotoluene, toluene, 4-4′-methylenebis(N,N-dimethylaniline) crystal violet, methyl violet.
Secondary Household Transmission of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus among an Urban and Rural Population in Kenya, 2009–2010

Background In Kenya, >1,200 laboratory-confirmed 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) cases occurred since June 2009. We used population-based infectious disease surveillance (PBIDS) data to assess household transmission of pH1N1 in urban Nairobi (Kibera) and rural Lwak.
An autostereoscopic display

We present a display device which solves a long-standing problem: to give a true stereoscopic view of simulated objects, without artifacts, to a single unencumbered observer, while allowing the observer to freely change position and head rotation.Based on a novel combination of temporal and spatial multiplexing, this technique will enable artifact-free stereo to become a standard feature of display screens, without requiring the use of special eyewear. The availability of this technology may significantly impact CAD and CHI applications, as well as entertainment graphics. The underlying algorithms and system architecture are described, as well as hardware and software aspects of the implementation.
Existence of solutions for semilinear elliptic equations with indefinite linear part

We study equations on RN, Lu = W(x)u p −1 uLu = f(u), where L is an indefinite Schrodinger operator, 0 ⩽ W(x) → 0 as× → ∞, and subcritical nonlinearities. We prove existence of solutions uϵH1(RN) via an inversion to a “dual” variational problem.
The Effect of a Nonabsorbed Oral Antibiotic (Rifaximin) on the Symptoms of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Trial

Background Alterations in gut flora may be important in the pathophysiology of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Objective To determine whether the nonabsorbed antibiotic rifaximin is more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms in adults with IBS. Design Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Setting 2 tertiary care medical centers. Participants 87 patients who met Rome I criteria for IBS and were enrolled from December 2003 to March 2005. Interventions Participants who met enrollment criteria were randomly assigned to receive 400 mg of rifaximin 3 times daily for 10 days (n = 43) or placebo (n = 44). Eighty participants completed rifaximin therapy or placebo, and follow-up data were available for at least 34 participants per study group at any time point thereafter. Measurements A questionnaire was administered before treatment and 7 days after treatment. The primary outcome was global improvement in IBS. Patients were then asked to keep a weekly symptom diary for 10 weeks. Results Over the 10 weeks of follow-up, rifaximin resulted in greater improvement in IBS symptoms (P = 0.020). In addition, rifaximin recipients had a lower bloating score after treatment. Limitations The major limitations of the study were its modest sample size and short duration and that most patients were from 1 center. Conclusions Rifaximin improves IBS symptoms for up to 10 weeks after the discontinuation of therapy.
Micromechanical theory and uniaxial tensile tests of fiber reinforced cement composites

The mechanism of fracture arrest in brittle-matrix composites with strong, long fibers is analyzed by using the inclusion method. The maximum stress contribution of the matrix in composites is discussed in this paper. A critical volume fraction of fibers fc is theoretically derived. If the volume fraction f is less than fc, then debonding between fibers and matrix occurs before the crack propagates through the whole section. If f is greater than fc, then no debonding occurs before the crack propagates through the whole section. The value of fc depends on the matrix and fiber properties and the bond character of the interface. To verify the analytical predictions, experiments on fiber reinforced cement composites subjected to uniaxial tension were conducted. The results of the theoretical predictions were also compared satisfactorily with other published experimental data.
Higher Fees Paid to US Physicians Drive Higher Spending for Physician Services Compared to Other Countries

Higher health care prices in the United States are a key reason that the nation’s health spending is so much higher than that of other countries. Our study compared physicians’ fees paid by public and private payers for primary care office visits and hip replacements in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We also compared physicians’ incomes net of practice expenses, differences in financing the cost of medical education, and the relative contribution of payments per physician and of physician supply in the countries’ national spending on physician services. Public and private payers paid somewhat higher fees to US primary care physicians for office visits (27 percent more for public, 70 percent more for private) and much higher fees to orthopedic physicians for hip replacements (70 percent more for public, 120 percent more for private) than public and private payers paid these physicians’ counterparts in other countries. US primary care and orthopedic physicians...
Packet Loss Measurement and Control for VPN based Services

Provisioning QoS enabled VPN services over packet switched networks is increasingly important for service providers. Prior works usually adopted the proactive service admission approach, but little attention has been given to the control of QoS parameters after the service has been instantiated. This paper proposes a packet loss measurement and rate-based feedback control system that maintains preset packet loss targets for instantiated VPN services in the provider's backbone network. Specifically, the system utilizes the measurement and estimation of packet loss probability as the feedback signal, and then applies a pole placement technology to design the controller for throttling ingress customers' traffic. Through a number of experiments, the transient and steady state performance of the controller is evaluated. The numeric results show that, under appropriately selected control gains, it is possible to maintain the network operation within a prescribed loss range
Prayer and Healing: A Case Study

This article examines the relationship between prayer and healing and its relationship to holistic health. The apparent healing that results from prayer mystifies researchers. Numerous theories may be offered as to the mechanism by which this healing occurs. The belief of the praying person in the power of the prayer itself may stimulate healing, as the placebo effect suggests. The relaxation response and the sense of self-efficacy gained through the act of praying may enhance the immune system. Despite these explanations of the mechanisms through which prayer promotes healing, there some-times exists a facet of prayer and healing that defies rational explanation and seems to suggest the existence of a higher power. A case is presented that explores assistance from a higher power as a potential explanation for the healing.
The Electric Vehicle Company: A Monopoly that Missed

Attempts to monopolize the automobile industry began early in its history but were never successful because the industry possessed characteristics which made monopolization exceptionally difficult. The first of these efforts provides an illuminating example of business failure resulting from avoidable errors of judgment. The Electric Vehicle Company began its operations on the assumption that the electric automobile was going to be the dominant type; when this became demonstrably a bad guess, the company tried to compensate by using the Selden patent to collect royalties from the manufacturers of gasoline automobiles. This scheme likewise misfired, and the company collapsed into bankruptcy. The scheme also brought disaster to the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, which abandoned a very promising position of leadership in the automobile field in order to participate in a highly speculative enterprise.
Low Power Embedded Software Optimization Using Symbolic Algebra

The market demand for portable multimedia applications has exploded in recent years. Unfortunately for such applications, current compilers and software optimization methods often require designers to do part of the optimization manually. Specifically, the high-level arithmetic optimizations and the use of complex instructions are left to the designers' ingenuity. In this paper, we present a tool flow, SymSoft, that automates the optimization of power-intensive algorithmic constructs using symbolic algebra techniques combined with energy profiling. SymSoft is used to optimize and tune the algorithmic level description of an MPEG Layer III (MP3) audio decoder for the SmartBadge (Maguire et al, 1998) portable embedded system. We show that our tool lowers the number of instructions and memory accesses and thus lowers the system power consumption. The optimized MP3 audio decoder software meets real-time constraints on the SmartBadge system with low energy consumption. Furthermore, the performance improves by a factor of 7.27 and the energy consumption decreases by a factor of 4.45 over the original executable specification.
Compact instrument for fluorescence image-guided surgery

Fluorescence image-guided surgery (FIGS) is an emerging technique in oncology, neurology, and cardiology. To adapt intraoperative imaging for various surgical applications, increasingly flexible and compact FIGS instruments are necessary. We present a compact, portable FIGS system and demonstrate its use in cardiovascular mapping in a preclinical model of myocardial ischemia. Our system uses fiber optic delivery of laser diode excitation, custom optics with high collection efficiency, and compact consumer-grade cameras as a low-cost and compact alternative to open surgical FIGS systems. Dramatic size and weight reduction increases flexibility and access, and allows for handheld use or unobtrusive positioning over the surgical field.
Ill-posedness of the Hydrostatic Euler and Navier–Stokes Equations

We prove that the linearization of the hydrostatic Euler equations at certain parallel shear flows is ill-posed. The result also extends to the hydrostatic Navier–Stokes equations with a small viscosity.
Loss of PHD Prolyl Hydroxylase Activity in Cardiomyocytes Phenocopies Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Background Ischemic cardiomyopathy is the major cause of heart failure and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The degree of left ventricular dysfunction in this setting is often out of proportion to the amount of overtly infarcted tissue and how decreased delivery of oxygen and nutrients leads to impaired contractility remains incompletely understood. The PHD prolyl hydroxylases are oxygen-sensitive enzymes that transduce changes in oxygen availability into changes in the stability of the HIF transcription factor, a master regulator of genes that promote survival in a low oxygen-environment.
The Effects of Area Health Education Centers on Primary Care Physician‐to‐Population Ratios from 1975 to 1985*

: The purpose of this study was to explore how the primary care (PC) physician-to-population ratio changed from 1975 to 1985 in counties that were served by an Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in contrast to those counties that were not. The investigation attempted to determine whether any observed changes in this ratio were dependent upon either degree of urbanization or contiguity to a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). The data source for this study was the Area Resource File. Results indicated that: (a) irrespective of AHEC status, increased degree of urbanization across counties was associated with relatively more PC physicians in both 1975 and 1985; (b) PC physician-to-population ratios increased from 1975 to 1985 for all American Medical Association (AMA) county code categories, regardless of AHEC versus non-AHEC designation; (c) AHEC counties demonstrated greater (or equivalent) absolute improvement for all AMA county code categories except for several categories which represented more urbanized counties; (d) for the least urbanized counties in the AMA code, the percentage improvement in PC physician-to-population ratios for AHEC counties ranged from 3 to 5 percent higher than corresponding percentage improvement in ratios for non-AHEC counties; and (e) AHEC counties showed greater absolute and percentage improvement in PC physician-to-population ratios than did non-AHEC counties for counties not contiguous to SMSAs.
Computer Simulation of Final‐Stage Sintering: I, Model Kinetics, and Microstructure

A Monte Carlo model for simulating final-stage sintering has been developed. This model incorporates realistic microstructural features (grains and pores), variable surface difusivity, grain-boundary diffusivity, and grain-boundary mobility. A preliminary study of a periodic array of pores has shown that the simulation procedure accurately reproduces theoretically predicted sintering kinetics under the restricted set of assumptions. Studies on more realistic final-stage sintering microstructure show that the evolution observed in the simulation closely resembles microstructures of real sintered materials over a wide range of diffusivity, initial porosity, and initial pore sizes. Pore shrinkage, grain growth, pore breakaway, and reattachment have all been observed. The porosity decreases monotonically with sintering time and scales with the initial porosity and diffusivity along the grain boundary. Deviations from equilibrium pore shapes under slow surface diffusion or fast grain-boundary diffusion conditions yield slower than expected sintering rates.
Spectroscopic characterization and comparison between biologics, organics and mineral compounds using pulsed micro-hollow glow discharge

A new mode of operation – pulsed – is demonstrated for compound identification of solid materials in the form of dry powders. Both plasma and analytical utility are characterized spectroscopically. The acquired emission spectra provided molecular and elemental information. The microgram sample analysis capability and atmospheric pressure operation are demonstrated for benign and biological organics, a commercial fertilizer and other inorganic materials. The plasma temperature is estimated by spectral simulation of the NO (A2Σ+ → X2Π) bands, and the inferred temperature is 1300 °C. Atomic transitions from C (1P0 → 1S) and molecular bands from CH (B2Σ → X2Π) and CH (A2Δ → X2Π) were manifestly observed in the optical emission spectra of organic materials. Relative intensities of common spectral signatures could distinguish biological agents from common benign organic materials. High-resolution spectra were particularly useful in resolving and identifying atomic transitions such as Mg, Ca, Fe and Si for the inorganic materials. Such a detector system has the capability to rapidly sense hazards with the added advantage of portability.
Precise Decision Language

Howard (2004) proposes a "precise decision language" that aims to improve clarity of discussion and thought about decision making and decision modeling. While I applaud Howard's goals, I think it is important that our language be consistent with the terminology currently used in the many fields related to decision analysis. On these grounds, I argue against some of Howard's proposed changes.
A reuse-aware prefetching scheme for scratchpad memory

Scratchpad memory (SPM) has been utilized as prefetch buffer in embedded systems and parallel architectures to hide memory access latency. However, the impact of reuse pattern on SPM prefetching has not been fully investigated. In this paper we quantify the impact of reuse on SPM prefetching efficiency and propose a reuse-aware SPM prefetching (RASP) scheme. The average performance and energy improvements are 15.9% and 22.0% over cache prefetching, 12.9% and 31.2% over prefetch-only SPM management, 18.5% and 10% over DRDU [1] with SPM prefetching support.
Serum protein and casein concentration: effect on pH and freezing point of milk with added CO2

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of protein concentration and protein type [i.e., casein (CN) and serum protein (SP)] on pH (0 degree C) and freezing point (FP) of skim milk upon CO2 injection at 0 degree C. CN-free skim milks with increasing SP content (0, 3, and 6%) and skim milks with the same SP content (0.6%) but increasing CN content (2.4, 4.8, and 7.2%) were prepared using a combination of microfiltration and ultrafiltration processes. CO2 was injected into milks at 0 degree C using a continuous flow carbonation unit (230 ml/min). Increasing SP or CN increased milk buffering capacity and protein-bound mineral content. At the same CO2 concentration at 0 degree C, a milk with a higher SP or a higher CN concentration had more resistance to pH change and a greater extent of FP decrease. The buffering capacity provided by an increase of CN was contributed by both the CN itself and the colloidal salts solublized into the serum phase from CN upon carbonation. Skim milks with the same true protein content (3%), one with 2.4% CN plus 0.6% SP and one with 3% SP, were compared. At the same true protein content (3%), increasing the proportion of CN increased milk buffering capacity and protein-bound mineral content. Milk with a higher proportion of CN had more resistance to pH change and a greater extent of FP decrease at the same carbonation level at 0 degree C. Once CO2 was dissolved in the skim portion of a milk, the extent of pH reduction and FP depression depended on protein concentration and protein type (i.e., CN and SP).
Regional and Modal Variability in Effects of Gasoline Prices on U.S. Transit Ridership

Previous research has shown a relationship between gasoline price and public transportation use. Although the magnitude, direction, and volatility of this relationship vary by mode, location, and system size, there can be no doubt that recent fuel price growth and fluctuation have affected most U.S. transit systems. The research presented here explores the relationship between transit ridership and fuel price, among other operational and external factors. This investigation found that after seasonal effects were removed from the ridership data series for 254 transit systems, the effect of gasoline price on bus patronage varies regionally, with the North Central and Midwest sections of the nation displaying trends that oppose conventional wisdom and differ from the rest of the country. Plausible reasons underlying these trends, including the regional effect of alternative fuels such as E85, are hypothesized and elaborated on by using federal data on ethanol availability and consumption.
A mathematical model study of contraceptive efficiency and unplanned pregnancies.

How effective are contraceptives in maintaining desired family size? A mathematical model designed to study fertility data (FERMOD) was given information pertinent to the typical American family, including probable age of marriage, number of children desired, fertility, etc. It was found that if 100 such couples rely on a contraceptive 95 per cent effective (such as the diaphragm or condom) after reaching a desired family size of 3 children, over 80 of them would have more children during the remaining 12 to 15 year period of fertile marriage. About 3 to 6 of these couples would end up with 7 children. If a 99 per cent effective method (such as the pill, perhaps the IUCD) was used, about 30 of these couples would end up with more children than planned. In the context of clinical realities of current contraceptive technology and the illegality of abortion as a means of regulating family size, these calculations are very persuasive toward favoring voluntary sterilization at some point after the family is considered complete, at least until better contraceptives come along.
Mercury vapor hollow cathode component studies

An experimental study of starting and operating characteristics of conventional hollow cathodes and of hollow cathodes without alkaline earth emissive materials demonstrated that the emissive mix is essential to obtain the desired cathode operation. Loss of the emissive mix by evaporation and chemical reaction was measured. New insert designs consisting of emissive mix supported on nickel and of barium impregnated porous tungsten were studied. Cathodes with a modified orifice geometry operated in a low voltage, 'spot' mode over a broad range of discharge current. Thermal degradation tests on cathode heaters showed the flame sprayed SERT II type to be the most durable at high temperatures. Thermal shock was observed to be a significant factor in limiting cathode heater life. A cathode having a barium impregnated porous tungsten tip and a heater which is potted in sintered alumina was found to have favorable operating characteristics.
Introduction to the Symposium: Faith-Based Organizations in Context

The literature on faith-based organizations (FBOs) includes few articles examining the larger religious context for faith-based nonprofits or the role of specific religions in FBO strategies. While articles on faith-based organizations or religious philanthropy are scattered throughout NVSQ, the last special issue on this topic (Milofsky & Cnaan Small Religious Nonprofits, Vol. 26, 1997) is more than 10 years old. This symposium brings together articles focusing on the policy and religious contexts that influence FBO behavior to understand the dynamic between government, communities, and their FBOs. As Milofsky (2008, p. 203) notes, organizations can only be understood “in relation to the communities in which they are embedded.” Most articles in this issue define FBOs as nonprofits founded by religious institutions with a primary function separate from worship. As such, we exclude congregations from our discussion, but some articles refer to FBOs attached to congregations or adjudicatories like a diocese such as Catholic Charities. This symposium came out of the Faith and Organizations Project, research fostered by FBO leaders outside of the policy context that influences most literature on this topic. A national research/practice initiative started in 2001 by a request from religious and FBO leaders from several faiths, the project focused on the relationship between faith communities and their nonprofits in a comparative framework. (see www.faithandorganizations.umd.edu). Originally, the symposium planned three articles from the Faith and Organizations Project by Schneider, Wittberg, and Sinha focusing on different aspects of the context for FBO action and supported by a literature review on FBOs. This symposium expands on that original concept by including Gocmen’s comparative article from Europe, which explores how the important relationship between church and state influences the role of FBOs in a particular national
Hydrogen Passivation and Reactivation of DX Centers in Se-Doped and Si-Doped AlGaAs - - A Comparison

The effect of hydrogenation on DX centers was evaluated for both Si- and Se-doped AlxGa1−xAs (x=0.26 and 0.23). MBE-grown AlGaAs:Si and MOCVD-grown AIGaAs:Se epilayers were hydrogenated with either monatomic hydrogen or deuterium from a remote plasma at 250°C for lh. The passivation and subsequent reactivation kinetics were studied with C-V and DLTS techniques. Reactivation was investigated in the space-charge layer of Schottky diodes under different bias conditions. While the Group VI and Group IV deep donors respond similarly to passivation, they display significantly different reactivation kinetics, with thermal dissociation energies of 1.5 eV and 1.2 eV for Se-H and Si-H, respectively. These values are close to the energies previously determined for reactivation of the Si and Se shallow donors in both AlGaAs and GaAs. Therefore, they are not significantly dependent on the Al concentration (x ≤ 0.30) even for donors residing on the As sublattice. Our results are consistent with the Chang-Chadi model of DX centers.
Effect of Carbon Dioxide on Fertility of Cock Semen Incubated In Vitro at 41 C

Abstract The effect of various atmospheric CO2 concentrations on fertility of cock semen incubated in minimum essential medium (MEM) for 6 hr in vitro at 41 C was evaluated. Fertility following intravaginal insemination was 54, 87, and 78% for semen incubated in .03, 10, and 15% by volume CO2, respectively. No differences in hatchability of fertile eggs were observed between the semen treatments. Oxygen consumption values monitored at the beginning and end of the holding period were similar for semen incubated in 10% atmospheric CO2 but decreased for semen incubated in .03 and 15% CO2.
Evolution of the Structure Factor in Gelling Dense Colloidal Silica

A solution of 30 % by mass, 7 nm diameter, colloidal silica spheres has been studied during gelation using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). A peak in the static structure factor appears early at a wavevector q ≈ 0.1 nm −1 , and then grows in height and shifts to lower wavevectors as gelation proceeds. This is consistent with a cluster growth model in which this low- q peak in the structure factor indicates the presence of correlations between growing clusters. The peak continues to grow after the solution has visibly gelled indicating that the gel coarsens even after a stiff solid-like network has formed. The clear presence of cluster correlations at length scales only one order of magnitude larger than the particle size means that the usual fractal slope analyses are invalid in this system. We interpret the results by comparing the measured time evolution of the structure factor with computer simulations of Lennard-Jones particles quenched far below the critical line.
Natural Selection in Virulence Genes of Francisella tularensis

A fundamental tenet of evolution is that alleles that are under negative selection are often deleterious and confer no evolutionary advantage. Negatively selected alleles are removed from the gene pool and are eventually extinguished from the population. Conversely, alleles under positive selection do confer an evolutionary advantage and lead to an increase in the overall fitness of the organism. These alleles increase in frequency until they eventually become fixed in the population. Francisella tularensis is a zoonotic pathogen and a potential biothreat agent. The most virulent type of F. tularensis, Type A, is distributed across North America with Type A.I occurring mainly in the east and Type A.II appearing mainly in the west. F. tularensis is thought to be a genome in decay (losing genes) because of the relatively large number of pseudogenes present in its genome. We hypothesized that the observed frequency of gene loss/pseudogenes may be an artifact of evolution in response to a changing environment, and that genes involved in virulence should be under strong positive selection. To test this hypothesis, we sequenced and compared whole genomes of Type A.I and A.II isolates. We analyzed a subset of virulence and housekeeping genes from several F. tularensis subspecies genomes to ascertain the presence and extent of positive selection. Eleven previously identified virulence genes were screened for positive selection along with 10 housekeeping genes. Analyses of selection yielded one housekeeping gene and 7 virulence genes which showed significant evidence of positive selection at loci implicated in cell surface structures and membrane proteins, metabolism and biosynthesis, transcription, translation and cell separation, and substrate binding and transport. Our results suggest that while the loss of functional genes through disuse could be accelerated by negative selection, the genome decay in Francisella could also be the byproduct of adaptive evolution driven by complex interactions between host, pathogen, and thier environment, as evidenced by several of its virulence genes which are undergoing strong, positive selection.
Psychiatry and the history of the localization of psychological functions

The problem of the localisation of mental functions in the brain is historically analysed with special attention to its implications for psychiatry. The aim is not to discuss the historical details of the relationship between psychiatric models of madness and neurological models of brain functioning, but to cast some light on the broad intellectual and social framework within which the relationship became possible in the first place. It is argued that debates about the localizability of psychological processes are always more than just debates about structure-function correlation, and must in fact be ultimately understood as part of the much larger historical attempt within the natural sciences to "naturalize" man and his mind. Emphasis is laid on the extent to which different positions within the localisation debate have been influenced by unspoken social (political, religious) and philosophical factors, and questions are raised about the implications of this fact for modern neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry.
Catalase-dependent H2O2 consumption by cardiac mitochondria and redox-mediated loss in insulin signaling.

Catalase contributes to H2O2 consumption in cardiac mitochondria, particularly when mitochondria are compromised. Overexpression of catalase (50-fold) within mitochondria prevents diet-induced loss...