cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calorimetric and optical characterization of sickle cell hemoglobin gelation.

Abstract We have used two techniques to characterize the gelation of deoxyhemoglobin S, a high sensitivity heat-flow calorimeter to measure the heat of gelation and a simple light-transmission method to measure the optical birefringence resulting from the alignment of deoxyhemoglobin S fibers in the gel. A theory for the interpretation of the birefringence measurements is presented. We combine the results of the calorimetric and optical measurements with those of sedimentation experiments to obtain enthalpy changes for gelation. The enthalpy change obtained from scanning and isothermal calorimetric measurements (0.25 m -potassium phosphate, 0.05 m -sodium dithionite, pH 6.9) varies from 4000 to 2200 cal mol −1 hemoglobin between 16 and 25 °C. There is a large apparent heat capacity change of −130 to −190 cal deg. −1 mol −1 . The apparent enthalpy change estimated from solubility measurements and birefringence melting experiments is 2200 ± 500 cal mol −1 in qualitative agreement with the calorimetric results. Analysis of the time dependence of the calorimetric and optical progress curves at 20 °C leads to a rough estimate of 1800 to 4000 and −800 to 1500 cal mol −1 hemoglobin for the enthalpies of polymerization and alignment of fibers, respectively. The small magnitude of the observed enthalpy change is in accord with the view that no large conformational change takes place in the deoxyhemoglobin S molecule upon gelation.
Microstructure and microsegregation in Al-rich Al–Cu–Mg alloys

Abstract Microstructure and microsegregation in two directionally solidified Al alloys, Al–3.9Cu–0.9Mg and Al–15Cu–1Mg (in wt%), were investigated for cooling rates between 0.78 and 0.039 K/s. Transverse and longitudinal sections were examined to exhibit dendritic microstructures. Fractions of solids formed were determined using quantitative image analysis and solute redistribution in the primary phase was determined using area scans. The model employed to calculate microsegregation is based on the Scheil model but including solid-state diffusion, dendrite arm coarsening and undercooling of the dendrite tip and the formation of eutectic. The model-calculated results were found to be in good agreement with the experimentally determined concentration distributions in the primary α phase and the amounts of phases formed. It was found that the dendrite morphology was best described by a cylindrical arm geometry and that the accuracy of the phase diagram could have a significant influence on the microsegregation predictions. For the alloy with low copper content, two types of embedded droplets were observed.
Beyond Arterial Stenosis: Walking Disability in PAD Patients Is Related to Arterial Endothelial Function

METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of PAD patients (N=100) presenting to a vascular surgery clinic. All patients received ABIs and brachial artery flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent, vasodilation (FMD) to assess arterial EF. PAD severity was assessed by the clinical Rutherford score. Demographic, biochemical and physiologic parameters were entered into regression equations to determine association with disease severity.
Message From the Immediate Past President of SOPHE: Inaugural SOPHE Summit on Eliminating Health Disparity

It has been 20 years since the 1985 Secretary’s Task Force Report on Black and Minority Health was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1985). That report concluded that there was an excess of 60,000 deaths among Blacks and other minorities that could have been avoided had the playing fields been even. Subsequent publications have indicated that the number of excess deaths among African Americans has increased to 80,000 (Heisler, Rust, Pattillo, & Dubois, 2005). The disparities in diseases and death tell a story of persistent inequity in society. The focus on excess death has resulted in a focus on clinical intervention to prevent death. Although such a focus is warranted, a critical area of inequity that has yet to receive the same level of attention as clinical intervention is the social environment that creates conditions that promote vulnerability to diseases that account for excess deaths. This negligence in not focusing on the social environmental factors contributing to persistent health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States was the impetus for the SOPHE Inaugural Summit on Health Disparities in August 2005. Eleven years ago in 1995, SOPHE published its first Research Agenda in Health Education (Clark & McLeroy, 1995). The goal of that document was to help the health education profession frame its research priority for the future. The 2005 SOPHE summit marked 20 years after the Secretary’s Task Force Report on Black and Minority Health and 10 years after the publication of SOPHE’s first research agenda. These two research documents derived from two historical moments of health education and public health inquiry and converged to guide the profession to reframe an agenda for future research in health education in order to optimize the impact that the field has on reducing health disparities. In 2005, SOPHE invited some 85 researchers and practitioners to its Inaugural Summit to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. The SOPHE summit represented a historical trajectory for affirming and recommitting ourselves to a research agenda for the profession. Although the summit focused our attention on those disparities relating to racial and ethnic minorities, this agenda actually
Social information processing in child psychiatric populations

This study examined three kinds of social information-processing deficits in child psychiatric populations. The deficits studied were response decision biases, hostile attributional biases, and cue-utilization deficiencies. Subjects were diagnosed as hyperactive/aggressive (H/A) (n = 24), exclusively hyperactive (n = 14), exclusively aggressive (n = 14), psychiatric control (n = 23), and normal control (NC) (n = 60) boys according to procedures suggested by Loney and Milich (1982). They were administered several tasks to solicit information-processing patterns. The H/A group was found to be deficient in all three areas assessed, relative to the NC group. They were also deficient in response decisions and cue-utilization, relative to the other three groups of psychiatrically referred boys. Discriminant function analyses demonstrated that the H/A group displayed a distinct processing pattern. These results were found to be relevant to the study of behavior disorders, to social information processing theory, and to intervention efforts with these boys.
Retrospective review of 120 celect inferior vena cava filter retrievals: experience at a single institution.

Purpose: To evaluate retrospectively the safety and retrievability of the Celect IVC filter. Materials and Methods: All patients undergoing Celect filter placement and retrieval during the period 2007‐2012 were assessed for complications and retrievability. Results: Of 620 patients who underwent Celect filter placement, 120 presented for removal. The indwelling time in these patients was 158.1 days 103.0 (range, 2‐518 d). There were 106 filters (88.3%) removed; 14 filters were left in situ for the following reasons: filter embedment (n ¼ 6), caval occlusion (n ¼ 3), retained thrombus (n ¼ 2), large floating thrombus in IVC (n ¼ 2), or tilt 4151 (n ¼ 1). With filters in place, five patients developed new pulmonary embolism (PE), and two others presented with severe abdominal pain. The available 115 pairs of placement and removal cavagrams suggested limb penetration in 99 cases (86.1%), intracaval migration 42 cm in 5, secondary tilt 4151 in 8, filter deformity in 10, retained thrombus within filters in 12, and IVC occlusion in 3. Among 38 available computed tomography (CT) scans, 9 scans (24%) showed asymptomatic limb penetration to the duodenum (n ¼ 6), aortic wall (n ¼ 2), or kidney (n ¼ 1). No filter fracture was found. Conclusions: This study showed a high penetration rate for Celect IVC filters, including penetrations that were symptomatic or involved adjacent structures. Penetration appears to correlate with indwelling time, suggesting that the filter should be removed as soon as PE protection is no longer indicated. Although most of the filters were removed, 5.8% of retrievals were unsuccessful because of technical failure.
Stroke: Geometry is destiny for carotid atherosclerotic plaques

The geometry of carotid arteries, both normal and narrowed, produces flow characteristics that predict the location of atherosclerosis and the site of plaque rupture. A recent study has shown that the upstream carotid plaque undergoes profound biochemical and apoptotic changes that are closely linked to the development of stroke symptoms.
Global contraction of planetary bodies due to despinning: Application to Mercury and Iapetus

Abstract We extend previous work on the global tectonic patterns generated by despinning with a self-consistent treatment of the isotropic despinning contraction that has been ignored. We provide simple analytic approximations that quantify the effect of the isotropic despinning contraction on the global shape and tectonic pattern. The isotropic despinning contraction of Mercury is ∼93 m (T/1 day)−2, where T is the initial rotation period. If we take into account both the isotropic contraction and the degree-2 deformations associated with despinning, the preponderance of compressional tectonic features on Mercury’s surface requires an additional isotropic contraction ≳1 km (T/1 day)−2, presumably due to cooling of the interior and growth of the solid inner core. The isotropic despinning contraction of Iapetus is ∼9 m (T/16 h)−2, and it is not sensitive to the presence of a core or the thickness of the elastic lithosphere. The tectonic pattern expected for despinning, including the isotropic contraction, does not explain Iapetus’ ridge. Furthermore, the ridge remains unexplained with the addition of any isotropic compressional stresses, including those generating by cooling.
Sexual responses of pullets to selection for mating behavior in male chickens

Abstract Bidirectional selection for number of completed matings in cockerels has resulted in lines differing in the sexual behavior of males. No correlated responses, however, were observed in the sexual behavior of S12, S13 and S14 generation pullets. The sexual behavior of females was measured as courtings elicited, crouches, avoidances, and crouches per court. Interactions of male line by female line were not significant for any of the criteria measured.
Somatic epidermal stem cells can produce multiple cell lineages during development.

It has been demonstrated that several types of somatic stem cells have the remarkable capacity to differentiate into other types of tissues. We demonstrate here that stem cells from the skin, the largest organ of the body, have the capacity to form multiple cell lineages during development. Using our recently developed sorting technique, we isolated viable homogenous populations of somatic epidermal stem and transient amplifying cells from the skin of 3-day old transgenic mice, who carried the enhanced green fluorescent protein transgene, and injected stem, TA, or unsorted basal epidermal cells into 3.5-day C57BL/6 blastocysts. Only the stem-injected blastocysts produced mice with GFP+ cells in their tissues. We found GFP+ cells in ectodermal, mesenchymal, and neural-crest-derived tissues in E13.5 embryos, 13-day-old neonates, and 60-day-old adult mice, proving that epidermal stem cells survived the blastocyst injection and multiplied during development. Furthermore, the injected stem cells altered their epidermal phenotype and expressed the appropriate proteins for the tissues into which they developed, demonstrating that somatic epidermal stem cells have the ability to produce cells of different lineages during development. These data suggest that somatic epidermal stem cells may show a generalized plasticity expected only of embryonic stem cells and that environmental (extrinsic) factors may influence the lineage pathway for somatic stem cells. Thus, the skin could be a source of easily accessible stem cells that are able to be reprogrammed to form multiple cell lineages.
New insights into clostridial neurotoxin–SNARE interactions

Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) has achieved a dichotomous status in modern medicine; it is both a versatile treatment for several neurological disorders and a lethal poison responsible for causing the neuroparalytic syndrome botulism. The extent of paralysis largely depends on the dosage of toxin received. The toxins block neurotransmitter release by delivering their Zn(2+)-dependent protease components to the presynaptic side of chemical synapses. These highly specialized enzymes exclusively hydrolyze peptide bonds within SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleiamide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins. Recently, the structural basis for the highly specific interaction between BoNT/A and its target SNARE, SNAP-25 (synaptosomal-associated protein of 25kDa), was elucidated. New details regarding the nature of the toxin-SNARE interactions could be exploited for novel inhibitor design.
Sulphur-containing amino acids are agonists for group 1 metabotropic receptors expressed in clonal RGT cell lines

Comparison of the pharmacological effects of a range of sulphur-containing amino acids on human mGluR1alpha and mGluR5a has been undertaken. cDNAs of each mGluR were transfected into a Syrian hamster tumour cell line AV12-664 that was previously transfected with the rat glutamate-aspartate transporter protein (GLAST). The L-isomers of cysteine sulphinic acid (CSA), homocysteine sulphinic acid (HCSA), cysteic acid (CA) and serine-O-sulphate (SOS) stimulated PI hydrolysis in human mGluR1alpha and mGluR5a cells with full agonist effects. D-CSA, the only active D-isomer, was a partial agonist for mGluR5a whereas L-sulphocysteine (S-CYS) showed weak agonist-like effects at high concentrations on both mGluR1alpha and mGluR5a. L-Homocysteic acid was inactive on both mGluR1alpha and mGluR5a cells. Treatment of mGluR cultures with glutamate pyruvate transaminase did not alter the potencies of the S-amino acids on PI hydrolysis responses. Inhibitor constants (Ki) obtained for L-HCSA, L-CSA, L-CA and L-SOS in [3H]glutamate receptor binding studies with mGluR1alpha cells indicated that L-HCSA, L-CSA, L-CA and L-SOS can bind specifically to mGluR1 with L-HCSA showing the highest affinity. These results confirm that certain endogenously produced S-amino acids may interact directly with group 1 mGluRs.
A fast and interactive heat conduction simulator on GPUs

Abstract GPU offers a number of unique benefits to scientific simulation and visualization. Its superior computing capability and interoperability with graphics library are two of those that make GPU the platform of choice. In this paper, we present a fast and interactive heat conduction simulator on GPUs using CUDA and OpenGL. The numerical solution of a two-dimensional heat conduction equation is decomposed into two directions to solve tridiagonal linear systems. To achieve fast simulation, a widely used implicit solver, alternating direction implicit (ADI) is accelerated on GPUs using GPU-based parallel tridiagonal solvers. We investigate the performance bottleneck of the solver and optimize it with several methods. In addition, we conduct thorough evaluations of the GPU-based ADI solver performance with three different tridiagonal solvers. Furthermore, our design takes advantage of efficient CUDA–OpenGL interoperability to make the simulation interactive in real-time. The proposed interactive visualization simulator can be served as a building block for numerous advanced emergency management systems in engineering practices.
Second-Order Preferences and Instrumental Rationality

A second-order preference is a preference over preferences. This paper addresses the role that second-order preferences play in a theory of instrumental rationality. I argue that second-order preferences have no role to play in the prescription or evaluation of actions aimed at ordinary ends. Instead, second-order preferences are relevant to prescribing or evaluating actions only insofar as those actions have a role in changing or maintaining first-order preferences. I establish these claims by examining and rejecting the view that second-order preferences trump first-order preferences. I also examine and reject the view that second-order preferences give additional normative force to an agent’s preferred first-order preferences. I conclude by arguing that second-order preferences should be integrated into an agent’s object-level preference ordering, and by explaining how best to make sense of this integration.
Check your ego, but don't leave it at the door

We’re all too aware of how CEO hubris is stamped on business failures—from Parmalat, Swissair, and Vivendi in Europe to Enron and WorldCom in the United States to the National Kidney Foundation in Singapore. Very often, hubris is the handiwork of egotistical and reckless leaders of business and state. We hear about the downfall of these individuals on almost a daily basis, and you probably have no trouble conjuring your favorite example of an executive whose excessive ego and stubborn pride has resulted in financial and professional disaster.
The Topcross Progeny Tests of Sires Used for Inbreeding in Poultry

Abstract THE performance of his topcross progeny should give the best estimate of the breeding worth of an inbred male used for this purpose. Since inbreeding increases homozygosity, the value of topcrossing might be increased by mating the best cross-progeny tested males with their sisters. No previous tests using cross-progeny tested sires for inbreeding in poultry have been found in the literature. In an attempt to increase egg production, Hays (1935), Waters (1938), Maw (1942), Knox (1946), and Dudley and Pease (1948) topcrossed inbred males on randombred females of the same breed and variety as the males. This was done despite the established fact that heterosis in plants usually is increased by crossing diverse genetic materials. Most of these experiments resulted in no significant increase in egg production of topcross progeny over randombred progeny kept as controls. Topcrossing of inbred males of one breed on randombred females of another breed was …
Photonic mm-wave local oscillator

A millimeter wave source derived from a phase modulated optical signal has been developed. The spectral purity and phase control of the phase of the source allowed it to be used as a local oscillator with an astronomical millimeter wave interferometric array. The phase and amplitude stability of the correlated signals of the array are comparable to that produced by Gunn based local oscillators. The system is explained in the following article first as a simple open loop system and then as a more complex closed loop device where the phase is controlled. A mathematical description is given which predicts system behavior. The telescope correlator output graphs show phase and amplitude stability.
Medical Students' Interviews with Older Adults:An Examination of Their Performance

During a geriatrics/gerontology curriculum designed to develop positive attitudes toward older adults, promote understanding about the psychosocial aspects of normal aging, and provide experience with intergenerational communication, students in a combined BA/MD degree program participated in learning activities that focused on interacting with and interviewing older adults. This article describes medical students' performance during an intergenerational interview, examines differences between students' self-assessments and evaluators' ratings of students' performance, and presents statistical relationships among communication apprehension, situation anxiety, competence, and performance. Data analysis indicates that the majority of students demonstrated competent intergenerational interviewing skills during their standardized communication assessment. The discussion elaborates on the study findings, acknowledges limitations, and addresses practical implications of the study.
Effect of Tool Edge Geometry on Workpiece Subsurface Deformation and Through-Thickness Residual Stresses for Hard Turning of AISI 52100 Steel

Abstract An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the effect of tool cutting edge geometry on workpiece subsurface deformation and through-thickness residual stresses for finish hard turning of through-hardened AISI 52100 steel. Polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) inserts with “up-sharp” edges, edge hones, and chamfers were used as the cutting tools in this study. Examination of the workpiece microstructure reveals that large edge hone tools produce substantial subsurface plastic flow. Flow is not observed when turning with small edge hone tools or chamfered tools, and the workpiece microstructure appears random for these cases. Examination of through-thickness residual stresses shows that large edge hone tools produce deeper, more compressive residual stresses than are produced by small edge hone tools or chamfered tools. Explanations for these effects are offered based on assumed contact conditions between the tool and workpiece.
Space-frequency coded OFDM for underwater acoustic communications

This work proposes an adaptive receiver for the space-frequency block coding scheme, in which Alamouti coding is applied over the carriers of an OFDM system with the aim of obtaining transmit diversity in an underwater acoustic channel. The receiver relies on the assumption that the channel transfer function does not change much over two consecutive carriers, and that the channel is slowly time-varying. Building on these assumptions we propose an adaptive channel estimation method based on Doppler prediction and time-smoothing, which effectively reduces the pilot overhead. System performance is demonstrated using real data transmitted over a shallow water channel in the 10–15 kHz acoustic band from a vehicle moving at 0.5–2 m/s, using QPSK and a varying number of carriers ranging from 64 to 1024. Results demonstrate a uniform gain over the single-transmitter case.
Segregation and stability of a binary granular heap

We measure stability of two-dimensional granular mixtures in a rotating drum and relate grain configurations to stability. We use two types of grains which differ in both size and shape, with the larger grains reaching a larger average angle before an avalanche. In our mixtures, the smaller grains cluster near the center of the drum, while the larger grains remain near the outer edge, a pattern suggesting that grain size rather than avalanche angle determines the segregation behavior. One consequence of the size segregation is that the smaller grains heavily influence the stability of the heap. We find that the maximum angle of stability is a non-linear function of composition, changing particularly rapidly when small grains are first added to a homogeneous pile of large grains. We conclude that the grain configuration within the central portion of the heap plays a prominent role in stability.
Systematics and Herpetology in the Age of Genomics

How is organismal biology changing in the era of genomics? Here, I discuss one example, the changes and trends in the systematics of reptiles and amphibians. The polymerase chain reaction, automated sequencing, and genomic tools now make it possible to apply a vast number of molecular characters to questions of phylogeny and species limits. At higher taxonomic levels, recent studies using these data have revealed some unexpected relationships, but also strong support for many traditionally recognized groups. At lower levels, molecular studies suggest that numerous species have been hidden by misleading taxonomy and morphological conservatism. However, the computational tools for analyzing multilocus data for phylogenetics and species delimitation are in need of further development, including greater integration with population genetics. Given current trends, much of reptile and amphibian phylogeny may soon be resolved. Although opportunities for tree-making by future systematists may shrink, opportunities for using phylogenies to address evolutionary and ecological questions should blossom.
The Application of Halstead’s Software Science Difficulty Measure to a Set of Programming Projects

The difficulty measure, as defined by Halstead [1], is shown to have useful applications in the measurement of certain properties in code implementations. This difficulty measure reflects the effort required to code an algorithm, to test it, to inspect and review it, and to understand it later when the code needs alterations.
Cystoid macular edema in retinitis pigmentosa patients without associated macular thickening.

AbstractPurpose: To describe the occurrence of cystoid macular edema (CME) in the setting of central foveal thickness (CFT) under 250 μm as measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods: Stratus OCT was used to measure CFT in a total of 90 eyes from 46 patients with RP. Cross-sectional OCT images were also evaluated for CME, which was defined as cystoid changes in the macula seen on at least two linear scans. Results: CME was identified in 13 of the 46 patients or in 22 of 90 eyes by OCT. In eyes with macular edema, CFT ranged from 224 to 718 μm (mean = 339 ± 137 μm). In eyes without macular edema, CFT ranged from 99 to 273 μm (mean = 184 ± 40 μm). Bilateral CME occurred in 9 of 13 patients (69%). CFT was considered “normal” in 7 of the 22 eyes (32%) with CME. Two patients had bilateral CME with normal CFTs, under 250 μm. Conclusion: We demonstrate the occurrence of CME in RP patients without associated thickening, which has not been described. This con...
Correlates of Depression in Adult Siblings of Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury

Using Pearlin’s stress process model, this study examined correlates of depression in 170 adult siblings of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Approximately 39% of adult sibling participants evinced Center for Epidemiologic Studies‐Depression (CES‐D; Radloff, 1977) scores indicating clinically significant depressive symptoms. Background characteristics found to be related to higher ratings of depression included being female and history of a pre-TBI depressive episode. In addition, results indicated that perceptions of more restrictions in valued family activities and less accessibility to social support were related to higher ratings of depression. Contrary to study hypotheses, an inverse relationship was found between subjective caregiving burden and depression. Practice and research implications of these findings are discussed.
Phase-error correction for multiple planes using a sharpness metric

Phase errors in multiple planes create an anisoplanatic (space-variant) blur in an image. We show how phase errors in multiple planes can be corrected with the use of a sharpness metric for heterodyne or holographic imaging. We derive the theoretical framework necessary for this anisoplanatic imaging situation. A digital simulation and results are presented. We demonstrate the success of this nonlinear optimization technique for phase errors in two planes.
BPAC: An adaptive write buffer management scheme for flash-based Solid State Drives

Solid State Drives (SSD's) have shown promise to be a candidate to replace traditional hard disk drives, but due to certain physical characteristics of NAND flash, there are some challenging areas of improvement and further research. We focus on the layout and management of the small amount of RAM that serves as a cache between the SSD and the system that uses it. Of the techniques that have previously been proposed to manage this cache, we identify several sources of inefficient cache space management due to the way pages are clustered in blocks and the limited replacement policy. We develop a hybrid page/block architecture along with an advanced replacement policy, called BPAC, or Block-Page Adaptive Cache, to exploit both temporal and spatial locality. Our technique involves adaptively partitioning the SSD on-disk cache to separately hold pages with high temporal locality in a page list and clusters of pages with low temporal but high spatial locality in a block list. We run trace-driven simulations to verify our design and find that it outperforms other popular flash-aware cache schemes under different workloads.
Preliminary Findings on the Effects of Topical Photoactivated Antimicrobial Methyl-δ-Aminolevulinic Acid on Murine Hearing Thresholds

This study evaluates the ototoxicity of a potential novel ototopical antimicrobial, photoactivated methyl-d-aminolevulinic acid (M-ALA). Ten CBA/J mice received intratympanic injections of 10 mM M-ALA and 640 nm light source illumination for 7 days, with contralateral ears receiving saline. Auditory-evoked brainstem response (ABR) thresholds (8, 16, 24, and 32 kHz) were determined preinjection and at 1, 30, and 90 days postinjection. Mean ABR thresholds were similar after intratympanic administration of M-ALA and saline (F ratio, 0.001; P = .971). ABR thresholds temporarily increased in both groups (F ratio, 28.52; P = .00) at day 1 postinjection of intratympanic treatments but returned to baseline at day 30 and 90. This temporary elevation was associated with tympanic membrane perforations and granulation tissue at the injection sites, which resolved by day 30 posttreatment. The preliminary findings indicate that intratympanic application of M-ALA with light activation over a 7-day course in a murine model does not produce measurable ototoxicity and is well tolerated.
Quantitatively resolving mixtures of isobaric compounds using chemical ionization mass spectrometry by modulating the reactant ion composition

Acrolein (C(3)H(4)O) and 1-butene (C(4)H(8)) can both be individually detected by proton transfer chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CI-MS). However, because these compounds are isobaric, mixtures of these two compounds cannot be resolved since both compounds react with H(3)O(+) via a proton-transfer reaction to form a protonated molecule that is detected at a nominal mass-to-charge ratio of 57 (m/z 57). While both compounds react with H(3)O(+) only acrolein reacts to any significant extent with H(3)O(+)(H(2)O). Recognizing that the electrical potential applied to a drift tube reaction mass spectrometer provides a simple and effective means for varying the relative intensity of the H(3)O(+) and H(3)O(+)(H(2)O) reactant ions we have developed a method whereby we make use of this reactivity difference to resolve mixtures of these two compounds. We demonstrate a technique where the individual contributions of acrolein and 1-butene within a mixture can be quantitatively resolved by systematically changing the reagent ion from H(3)O(+) to H(3)O(+)(H(2)O) through control of the electric potential applied to the drift tube reaction region of a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer.
Phospholipid Hydrolytic Enzymes in a ‘Cesspool’ of Arterial Intimal Lipoproteins: A Mechanism for Atherogenic Lipid Accumulation

Most of the lipid in atherosclerotic fibrous plaques is extracellular. How does it get there? Hakala and coworkers1 describe in this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology a pathway involving enzymatic hydrolysis of phospholipids in LDL, leading to lipoprotein aggregation and fusion and hence, to accumulation of lipid droplets. The process is enabled and enhanced in the presence of arterial proteoglycans. This extracellular pathway should be distinguished from the commonly postulated cellular pathway involving uptake of modified LDL in macrophage foam cells, which subsequently die and leave the accumulated lipid in an extracellular location. Although macrophages and macrophage antigens can be found in the “necrotic,” lipid-rich core of plaques, several lines of evidence strongly suggest that most of the lipid derives not from dead foam cells but from the extracellular trapping and processing of LDL.2 The evidence can be sketched briefly as follows: (1) The earliest core regions are located deep within the intima of atherosclerotic fatty streaks (in the musculoelastic intimal sublayer) below the level of macrophage foam cells.3 4 (2) The lipid core, especially in smaller fibrous plaques, shows a markedly increased ratio of free to esterified cholesterol, whereas the hypothesis of foam cell death would predict more esterified cholesterol.3 4 5 (3) The fatty acyl pattern of core cholesteryl esters has more linoleate than oleate, similar to the pattern of plasma lipoproteins, but quite different from the oleate predominance of lesion foam cells.4 5 (4) Extracellular lipid droplets in human arterial intima tend to be associated with elastic fibers, are much smaller than foam cell lipid droplets, and sometimes appear in homogeneous fields that do not correspond to foam cell contours (eg, see Figure 9 in Guyton and …
Dynamic Analysis for Robot Arm Control

Explicit state equations provide detailed analytic insight into the dynamic behavior of a robot arm and facilitate the understanding of the control problem. The analytic strength of explicit state equations is exemplified for a given robot arm. In fact, for the quoted example, the explicit and exact state equations involve considerably less computation than the use of the known most efficient general-purpose computational algorithm for robot arm dynamics.
A comparison of wavelet transform features for texture image annotation

A comparison of different wavelet transform based texture features for content based search and retrieval is made. These include the conventional orthogonal and bi-orthogonal wavelet transforms, tree-structured decompositions, and the Gabor wavelet transforms. Issues discussed include image processing complexity, texture classification and discrimination, and suitability for developing indexing techniques.
Democracy, Political Stability and Economic Growth

This article investigates the interactions between democracy, political stability and economic growth. Two aspects of the study differentiate it from previous research. First, a simultaneous approach is adopted which combines the study of economic growth and political stability with that of economic growth and democracy. Secondly, a distinction is made between types of political instability, because different kinds of government change have different effects on economic growth and democracy. This analysis employs three-stage least-squares estimation, and utilizes aggregate data covering ninety-six countries from 1960 to 1980. The results indicate that democracy has a positive indirect effect upon growth through its impacts on the probabilities of both regime change and constitutional government change from one ruling party to another. In addition, the evidence indicates that the two kinds of political change mentioned above have significant and opposite effects on growth; that growth has a negative effect on regime change and a positive effect on the probability of the ruling party remaining in power; and that long-run economic growth tends to exert a positive effect upon democracy.
On the Logic of Common Belief

We investigate an axiomatization of the notion of common belief (knowledge) that makes use of no rules of inference (apart from Modus Ponens and Necessitation) and highlight the property of the set of accessibility relations that characterizes each axiom. Mathematics Subject Classification: 03B45, 68T25.
Congestion control schemes in prioritized ATM networks

One of the fundamental challenges facing broadband information transport is to determine congestion control strategies to support multiple classes of traffic in the future asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)-based broadband integrated services digital networks (B-ISDN). To accomplish this in a flexible and a cost-effective manner, priority classes for the different services are commonly used. The authors study priority queueing schemes implemented in a statistical multiplexer with shared and separate buffers, whose input consists of superposition of voice and data traffic. A performance comparison is given for two buffer access schemes: the common nested threshold cell discarding (NTCD) with single shared buffer and NTCD with multiple buffers (NTCD-MB). The arrival process to the multiplexer is approximated using a Markov modulated Poisson process (MMPP). It is shown that when implementing the NTCD-MB priority scheme, the parameters of the switching node can be adjusted in such away that the service quality is guaranteed for different classes of traffic. The improved performance as a result of implementing such scheme is investigated via simulations. >
Calcium signaling in rat pancreatic acinar cells: a role for Gαq, Gα11, and Gα14

Stimulus-secretion coupling in the pancreatic acinar cell is initiated by the secretagogues CCK and ACh and results in the secretion by exocytosis of the contents of zymogen granules. A key event i...
Premade vs. reactively formed compatibilizers for PMMA/PS melt blends

The efficiency of two compatibilization methods, adding premade copolymers versus in situ formation of copolymers, were compared by evaluating the minor phase size and size distribution. Premade diblock copolymers were formed by coupling amine terminal polystyrene (PS-NH2) with anhydride terminal poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA-An) in solution. Mid-functional PMMA was coupled with the PS-NH2 to form graft copolymers. The same block and graft copolymers were formed in situ during melt blending. After mixing, the particle size and distribution were analyzed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). While both methods compatibilized blends, in situ formation reduced the minor phase size further. For the reactive case, graft copolymers are slight better than the block ones. This is attributed to a greater capacity for reducing interfacial tension. For the premade case, block copolymers compatibilize better at low copolymer concentration while graft copolymers work better at high concentration. As the amount of block copolymers added into the blends increases, the number of micelles increases significantly. This is believed to be the reason why premade copolymers are less capable of compatibilizing blends than the reactively formed ones.
Learning frame relevance for video classification

Traditional video classification methods typically require a large number of labeled training video frames to achieve satisfactory performance. However, in the real world, we usually only have sufficient labeled video clips (such as tagged online videos) but lack labeled video frames. In this paper, we formalize the video classification problem as a Multi-Instance Learning (MIL) problem, an emerging topic in machine learning in recent years, which only needs bag (video clip) labels. To solve the problem, we propose a novel Parameterized Class-to-Bag (P-C2B) Distance method to learn the relative importance of a training instance with respect to its labeled classes, such that the instance level labeling ambiguity in MIL is tackled and the frame relevances of training video data with respect to the semantic concepts of interest are given. Promising experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Modelling the effects of the mountain pine beetle on snowmelt in a subalpine forest

The recent mountain pine beetle epidemic in the Colorado River Basin has resulted in widespread tree mortality in pine stands across the Colorado Plateau. Because of complex micro-scale (i.e. tree well scale) interactions between vegetation and snow processes, one of the most significant issues resulting from this epidemic is the potential hydrologic impacts of the effects of changing forest structure. Using SNTHERM, we conducted a comparative modelling scenario analysis of the snowpack along a transect between two trees over the course of the snow ablation season (28 February–30 June) under four forest stand conditions to assess changes in snowpack characteristics because of loss of canopy biomass. We found that the red phase scenario (intermediate phase of tree death) exhibited a 4-day earlier snow disappearance date than the living stand scenario and grey phase scenario (advanced phase of tree death), although the timing of isothermal conditions at 0 °C was identical. The modelled clearcut scenario snowpack became isothermal at 0 °C 10 days earlier than the living, red phase, or grey phase scenarios. The clearcut modelling scenario also exhibited the greatest homogenization of snow properties, and the spatio-temporal distribution of snow disappearance at the tree well scale was 70% as variable as the living, red phase and grey phase modelling scenarios. These results provide insight to the processes responsible for changing hydrologic dynamics in snow-dominated forest ecosystems with the onset of vegetation stress and death and may help inform future forest management strategies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
the hegemony of discontent

This article discusses the political significance of common sense, an issue originally broached by Gramsci. It has two objectives: first, to develop a theoretical concept of common sense that recognizes its emotional dimension; and second, to show that commonsense thought and feeling need not tranquilize a restive populace but can even incite violent, if contained, rebellion. The discussion is grounded in a detailed case study of an election and riot in the Brazilian city of Sao Luis. In Sao Luis, a profound ambivalence toward superiors pervades a common sense of power arising in the social domains of family, religion, and work. This volatile common sense of power is the cornerstone of Sao Luis' hegemony of discontent, a cognitive and emotional universe permitting ambitious politicians to mobilize popular outrage against rivals but thus far precluding challenges to the clientelistic structure within which political competition occurs. [Brazil, politics, hegemony, rebellion, common sense]
Biała emigracja: variegated mobility of Polish care workers

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes migration of Polish healthcare and eldercare workers since Poland's accession to the European Union. The research indicates that while many Polish doctors, nurses, and caregivers ‘left’ Poland, they did not necessarily ‘stay’ abroad. Contemporary Polish migration has become ‘liquid’ and has often taken on a form of ‘pendulum’ or ‘circular’ migration and, in some cases, transnational commuting, especially in the early years following Poland's accession to the EU. These patterns are particularly evident among healthcare and eldercare workers whose flexible working schedules or life stages allow for retaining employment positions and households in Poland while taking short-term or prolonged leave of absence to work abroad. The research also suggests that different migration patterns are related to the characteristics of the place of migrant origin and the geographic distance or proximity of the destination countries. Residents of border towns can easily commute to cities on the ot...
Introduction to the Symposium-Unsteady Aquatic Locomotion with Respect to Eco-Design and Mechanics

The importance of unsteadiness in the aquatic environment has come to the forefront in understanding locomotor mechanics in nature. The impact of unsteadiness, starting with control of posture and trajectories during aquatic locomotion, is ultimately expressed in energy costs, morphology, and fitness. Unsteadiness from both internal and external perturbations for aquatic animals is important at scales ranging from micro to macro to global.
"Self-regulated Cognition, Interpersonal Influence, and Recommendations for Board Appointments"

This study contributes to the literatures on corporate governance and leadership by enhancing our understanding of the micro- mechanisms by which corporate leaders gain interpersonal influence with...
Effects of Mold Inhibitors in Larval Diet on the Biology of the Cabbage Looper

When 7 mold inhibitors were tested alone and in combination in the larval rearing diet of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), effects on pupal weight, eclosion, adult deformity, oviposition, and egg viability through 4 generations were slight and variable. Ottasept® (3,5-dimethyl,4-chlorophenol) and sorbic acid at more than 1000 and 4000 ppm, respectively, were ovicidal when they were incorporated in the diet; when they were suspended in agar, sorbic acid at more than 750 ppm and Ottasept at 100 ppm were ovicidal by fumigant action alone. Butyl p -hydroxybenzoate incorporated in the diet caused 10–40% unsilked pupae. High concentrations of butyl p -hydroxybenzoate, methyl p -hydroxybenzoate, and sorbic acid lengthened the time required for larval development.
Urinary Procoagulant Excretion in Experimental Renal Disease

SummaryNephrotoxic agents temporarily alter the excretion of a procoagulant normally present in the urine. Agents producing tubular necrosis or inducing proteinuria without severe glomerular damage have the most pronounced effect.
The Ceramics of Huistla, a West Mexican Site in the Municipality of Etzatlán, Jalisco

Test excavations at the site of Huistla in Jalisco, Mexico, yielded a series of ceramic types which is similar to types or wares found in the coastal lowland strip of Nayarit and Sinaloa. These affiliations indicate an occupation during a period sometime between about A.D. 800 and 1200. A reappraisal of the Aztatlan complex, recently divided into a series of local phases by Kelley, Winters, and Grosscup, leaves the impression that, while subdivision of the complex is justifed in light of their new data, certain continuities in ceramic design styles between these phases still give substance to the Aztatlan complex.
Psychological management of postsurgical pain and patient adherence.

SUMMARY The advantages of proper management of postsurgical pain include fewer postoperative complications; increased early ambulation and mobilization; decreased opportunity for chronic pain syndromes to occur; shorter, less complicated rehabilitation; greater patient satisfaction; and increased patient adherence to prescribed regimens. In turn, greater adherence positively affects pain management and, therefore, patients’ satisfaction with their surgeon. A variety of approaches may be used for the management of acute pain, and the “psychological preparation” of the patient prior to surgery plays a significant role. Specific approaches include (1) cognitive-behavioral (such as diaphragmatic breathing, positive visualization rehearsal, and autogenic teaining); (2) hypnosis; (3) biofeedback; and (4) microelectrostimulation. Some of these approaches to pain management apply during surgery and the recovery and rehabilitation periods. Many of the approaches can be carried out relatively easily by the physician and his or her staff; in some cases, specialists, such as psychologists trained in behavioral medicine, are needed. Variables that affect patient adherence, both positively and negatively, include patient motivations, the nature and chronicity of the disorder, treatment variables, and the quality of the patient–doctor relationship. Physician behaviors may encourage or discourage patient adherence.