cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feature selection for improved phishing detection

Phishing --- a hotbed of multibillion dollar underground economy --- has become an important cybersecurity problem. The centralized blacklist approach used by most web browsers usually fails to detect zero-day attacks, leaving the ordinary users vulnerable to new phishing schemes; therefore, learning machine based approaches have been implemented for phishing detection. Many existing techniques in phishing website detection seem to include as many features as can be conceived, while identifying a relevant and representative subset of features to construct an accurate classifier remains an interesting issue in this particular application of machine learning. This paper evaluates correlation-based and wrapper feature selection techniques using real-world phishing data sets with 177 initial features. Experiments results show that applying an effective feature selection procedure generally results in statistically significant improvements in the classification accuracies of --- among others --- Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression and Random Forests, in addition to improved efficiency in training time.
How Great a Separation

Tapping recent findings from cognitive science and ethology, Suddendorf searches for what sets humans apart from other animals.
Norepinephrine-induced Sustained Myocardial Adaptation to Ischemia is Dependent onα1-Adrenoceptors and Protein Synthesis ☆

The authors have shown that stimulation of cardiacα1-adrenoceptors confers immediate cardioprotection in the isolated rat heart against post-ischemic dysfunction, and have recently demonstrated thatin vivotreatment of rats with norepinephrine (NE) induces cardiac heat shock protein 72 and myocardial adaptation to ischemia 24 h after treatment. To characterize the delayed myocardial adaptive response induced by NE further, the present study examined its time course and effects of adrenoceptor antagonism and protein synthesis inhibition on this adaptive response during optimal myocardial protection. Rats were treated with NE (3.1μmol/kg, i.p.) or normal saline (0.4 ml, i.p.), and hearts isolated at 2, 4, 24, 72 and 168 h after injection. Isolated hearts were subjected to 25 min of normothermic global ischemia and 40 min of reperfusion by the Langendorff technique, and left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) was assessed. There was no difference in baseline LVDP among groups. Post-ischemic LVDP recovered to 44.7±2.1 mmHg in pooled saline control. LVDP was significantly improved in hearts isolated at 4, 24 and 72 h after injection of NE (66.3±3.8, 68.6±2.7 and 72.6±8.3 mmHg, respectively,P 0.05vcontrol) while propranolol pretreatment (3.4μmol/kg, i.p.) had no effect (post-ischemic LVDP 67.3±3.7 mmHg,P 0.05vcontrol). In conclusion, administration of NE to rats can induce delayed and sustained cardioprotection against post-ischemic myocardial dysfunction. NE-induced myocardial adaptation to ischemia at 72 h is mediated byα1-adrenoceptors and appears to require protein synthesis.
Dictionary of Business and Management

This article presents a review of the book “Dictionary of Business and Management,” by Jerry M. Rosenberg.
Shock Wave in Glass

During tests with an experimental high-speed camera developed at the National Research Laboratories1, the photographs reproduced herewith (Fig. 1) were taken of a shock wave travelling through glass. The pictures indicate that the wave must travel through the glass at a speed of more than 18,500 ft. per sec.
Metamaterial sensors for infrared detection of molecular monolayers

Optical nanoantennas are analogs of radio-frequency antennas for light. In this work, we first describe how the optical nanoantennas are similar to their RF counterparts in some ways and differ from them in some other aspects. We also focus on the use of split ring resonator based metamaterials, which are essentially optical antennas with a C-shaped compact geometry. We also discuss how they can be used in sensing applications for the infrared detection of a monolayer of molecules with zeptomoles per resonator sensitivity.
Southeast Asian Refugees and Maternity Care: The Oakland Experience

: A county hospital obstetric and nurse-midwifery service to Southeast Asian refugee families is described, including outreach to bring women into care, translators, and cultural and social adaptations of families and care-givers. The major concerns are diseases coexistent with pregnancy, diet, and financing care. Families often prefer the birth room.
Wintertime mesopause region vertical winds from Resolute Bay

[1] Vertical neutral winds in the upper mesosphere-lower thermosphere, measured by observing the hydroxyl (OH) airglow using a wide-angle Michelson Interferometer from Resolute Bay (74°N), over the course of three Arctic winters, are presented. The measurement of vertical winds, which span 3 to 4 months during the 1995–1996, 1996–1997, and 2000–2001 winters, are unique and allow for a variety of studies on the mechanisms associated with vertical winds in the mesosphere; specifically the influences of both geomagnetic activity and the polar vortex. In this study it is observed that (1) these vertical wind measurements are consistent with other studies of vertical winds from high latitude sites using different instrumentation, (2) the amplitude of vertical winds are not sensitive to Ap index at the measurement location, and (3) the daily variance of vertical winds are moderately correlated to the position of the stratospheric polar vortex as revealed by diagnostics of stratospheric assimilated data at the 10 hPa level. These results should help enhance our understanding of the mechanisms that determine the magnitude and variability of vertical neutral winds at high latitudes.
Very low defect remote hydrogen plasma clean of Si (100) for homoepitaxy

We discuss a remote hydrogen plasma cleaning technique which is effective at removing carbon, nitrogen and oxygen from a silicon surface that has been pretreated with a wet chemical clean and a final dilute HF dip. It has been found that for best results, air exposure of the wafer after the HF dip must be minimized, as the ability of the H plasma clean to remove oxygen seems to be reduced on wafers which have been exposed to air for several hours. The atomic H supplied by the clean also results in different hydrogen terminated surface reconstructions depending on the substrate temperature. We observe a (1 × 1) RHEED pattern at clean temperatures below 190° C which is believed to be due to disordered silicon monohydride and dihydride termination, a (3 × 1) pattern between 200 and 280° C, corresponding to ordered monohydride and dihydride coverage, transitioning to a (2 × 1) pattern around 300° C due to monohydride termination. A dilute HF dip produces a (1 × 1) pattern due to disordered (3 × 1) cells,i.e. disordered monohydride and dihydride coverage. The passivating effects of the dilute HF dip and of the remote hydrogen plasma clean have also been discussed. The two processes have been found to result in similar hydrogen coverage of the wafer surface which in turn results in similar surface passivation. Both the dilute HF dip and thein situ remote H plasma clean have been found to protect the wafer from contamination for up to 15 min in ambient air and for an indefinite period under vacuum.
The role of entrained sediments in sea ice in the distribution of aluminium and iron in the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean

Abstract The distribution of reactive Al and Fe was determined in surface water samples collected by hand from ice floes and by shipboard rosette at 28 stations occupied during the 1994 US–Canadian Arctic Ocean Section. The data show significant variations in the concentration of both species over short spatial scales superimposed on a general trend of higher values in the Canada Basin and lower values in the Eurasian Basin. Detailed examination of the distributions indicates that the highest concentrations correspond to regions in which shipboard observations indicate the presence of significant amounts of sea-ice containing entrained sediments “dirty ice”. In many of these regions, strong vertical gradients in trace element concentrations are also observed. The observed correlation of high trace element concentrations and dirty ice suggests that ice-rafted sediment may be an important transport mechanism for supplying reactive trace elements such as Al and Fe to the surface waters of the central Arctic Ocean. Input of this sedimentary material through seasonal ice melt into strongly stratified surface waters leads to enrichment of properties in near surface layers which may have biogeochemical consequences for organisms living on the undersides of ice floes. Extreme concentration gradients in the upper 1–2 m though are likely to be missed or destroyed by conventional shipboard rosette sampling.
Data-based predictive control with multirate prediction step

Data-based predictive control is an emerging control method that stems from Model Predictive Control (MPC). MPC computes current control action based on a prediction of the system output a number of time steps into the future and is generally derived from a known model of the system. Data-based predictive control has the advantage of deriving predictive models and controller gains from input-output data. Thus, a controller can be designed from the outputs of complex simulation code or a physical system where no explicit model exists. If the output data happens to be corrupted by periodic disturbances, the designed controller will also have the built-in ability to reject these disturbances without the need to know them. When data-based predictive control is implemented online, it becomes a version of adaptive control. One challenge of MPC is computational requirements increasing with prediction horizon length. This paper develops a closed-loop dynamic output feedback controller that minimizes a multi-step-ahead receding-horizon cost function with multirate prediction step. One result is a reduced influence of prediction horizon and the number of system outputs on the computational requirements of the controller. Another result is an emphasis on portions of the prediction window that are sampled more frequently. A third result is the ability to include more outputs in the feedback path than in the cost function.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE FINE STRUCTURE OF DICTYOCHA FIBULA EHRENBERG. II. THE PROTOPLAST1

SUMMARY Dictyocha fibula in exponential phase cultures displays a range of morphological variants of which the “sunburst” is most common. In this form, the perinuclear cytoplasm (perikaryon) contains an average of 72 dictyosomes, assorted vesicles, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and ribosomes. Cytoplasmic processes, globose to irregular, extend on fine cytoplasmic strands from the perikaryon into an extensive, viscous wall, structureless in electron micrographs except for scattered electron-opaque leaflets near the perikaryon. Mitochondria with tubular cristae occur within the globose process and occasionally within the connecting strands. Chloroplasts, with 3-disk lamellar bands and with pyrenoids not crossed by lamellae, are confined to the cytoplasmic processes in the sunburst from. A structure which may be the “flagellum” occasionally occurs attached to the perikaryon. However, no flagellar structures containing microtubules, nor flagellar root structures, have been found.
Josephson behavior in granular NbN weak links

A substrate step technique has been used to fabricate superconducting NbN weak links of length ∼750 A, width ∼1.5 μm. The film in the weak‐link region is less than 100 A thick, and shows evidence of being granular. These devices have very high resistance (as much as 30 Ω), are quite rugged, and show almost ideal Josephson response to microwave radiation at 70 GHz. A vortex flow model is expected to apply because of the small coherence length in the weak‐link material. However, the well‐known resistively shunted junction model is found to be a significantly better predictor of device behavior.
Phosphate-induced Stimulation of Acceptorless Respiration in Corn Mitochondria.

By use of the organic mercurial mersalyl to block phosphate transport, it has been shown that only a small fraction of the respiratory increase of corn mitochondria in response to additions of inorganic phosphate is due to energy expended in phosphate accumulation. Most of the respiratory release occurs from accelerated turnover of the coupling mechanism with internal phosphate in an oligomycin-sensitive reaction. Addition of ADP to mersalyl-blocked mitochondria depletes internal phosphate in ATP formation and respiration declines. Arsenate produces the same responses as phosphate but is more effective in respiratory release. Inhibition of the ADP-ATP antiporter with atractyloside shows that the increased respiration with internal phosphate is not due to turnover of ADP acceptor through exogenous ATPase. Use of valinomycin to facilitate movement of K + greatly accelerates the rate of phosphate swelling, but there is no consistent correlation between respiration and swelling. In the absence of phosphate, valinomycin dramatically releases respiration with only trivial swelling. The data indicate that loose coupling in due only fractionally to energy expenditure in ion transport. An explanation consistent with the observations can be derived by assuming that both a high energy intermediate (I ∼ X) and a proton motive force—or its electrochemical equivalent—arise at coupling sites.
Multiple priming of lexically ambiguous and unambiguous targets in the cerebral hemispheres: The coarse coding hypothesis revisited

The coarse coding hypothesis postulates that the cerebral hemispheres differ in their breadth of semantic activation, with the left hemisphere activating a narrow, focused semantic field and the right weakly activating a broader semantic field. In support of coarse coding, studies investigating priming for multiple senses of a lexically ambiguous word have reported a right hemisphere benefit. However, studies of mediated priming have failed to find a right hemisphere advantage for processing distantly linked, unambiguous words. To address this debate, the present study made use of a multiple priming paradigm in which two primes either converged onto the single meaning of an unambiguous, lexically associated target (LION-STRIPES-TIGER) or diverged onto different meanings of an ambiguous target (KIDNEY-PIANO-ORGAN). In two experiments, participants either made lexical decisions to lateralized targets (Experiment 1) or made a semantic relatedness judgment between primes and targets (Experiment 2). In both tasks, for both ambiguous and unambiguous triplets we found equivalent priming strengths and patterns across the two visual fields, counter to the predictions of the coarse coding hypothesis. Priming patterns further suggested that both hemispheres made use of lexical level representations in the lexical decision task and semantic representations in the semantic judgment task.
They Didn't Teach Me Anything, But I Learned a Lot

We often are far too concerned with teaching and not nearly concerned enough with learning.
On Energy-Secrecy Trade-Offs for Gaussian Wiretap Channels

This paper investigates physical-layer security-energy trade-offs from an information theoretic perspective. The metric of partial secrecy is introduced as the amount of distortion that can be guaranteed at the eavesdropper, and three different channel models are proposed to capture various transmission strategies to achieve partial secrecy. It is shown that a range of secrecy-energy operating points can be achieved with an appropriate allocation of power resources between private and nonprivate data substreams.
The Barriers to High-Quality Inpatient Pain Management: A Qualitative Study

The current literature suggests deficiencies in the quality of acute pain management among general medical inpatients. The aim of this qualitative study is to identify potential barriers to high-quality acute pain management among general medical inpatients at an urban academic medical center during a 2-year period. Data are collected using retrospective chart reviews, survey questionnaires, and semistructured, open-ended interviews of 40 general medical inpatients who have experienced pain during their hospitalization. Our results confirm high prevalence and disabling impacts of pain and significant patient- and provider-related barriers to high-quality acute pain management. We also identify unique system-related barriers such as time delay and pain management culture. Efforts to improve the pain management experience of general medical inpatients will need to address all these barriers.
Differences between the Surface Precipitation Estimates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar and Passive Microwave Radiometer Version 7 Products

AbstractWith 15 yr of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observations, the passive microwave radiometers [TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI)] and the precipitation radar (PR) report a close geographical distribution of annual precipitation between 36°S and 36°N. However, large discrepancies between PR and TMI precipitation retrievals are also found over several specific regions, such as central Africa, the Amazon, the tropical east Pacific, and north Indian Ocean. To understand these discrepancies, the PR near-surface and the TMI surface precipitation retrievals are compared at both pixel and precipitation system levels using collocated pixels and a precipitation feature database from 1998 to 2012. Over land, the TMI overestimates precipitation in deep and intense convective systems, but misses significant amounts of warm rainfall in shallow systems. Over the ocean, because of the partial beam filling of large footprints of the lower-frequency sensors, the TMI reports a larger precipitation area than...
Disentangling adolescent pathways of sexual risk taking.

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the authors aimed to describe the pathways of risk within sexual risk taking, alcohol use, and delinquency, and then identify how the trajectory of sexual risk is linked to alcohol use and delinquency. Risk trajectories were measured with adolescents aged 15–24 years (N = 1,778). Using Latent Class Growth Analyses (LCGA), models indicated that the majority of adolescents engaged in sexual risk and alcohol use. In joint trajectory analyses, LCGA revealed six risk taking classes: sex and alcohol, moderate risk taking, joint risk taking, moderate alcohol, alcohol risk, and alcohol and delinquency experimentation. Editors’ Strategic Implications: School administrators and curriculum designers should pay attention to the study’s findings with respect to the need for prevention programs to target early adolescents and integrate prevention messages about alcohol use and sexual risk taking.
AMORPHIZATION OF HYDRIDED Fe2Er-SINGLE-CRYSTALS TRIGGERED BY A LATTICE INSTABILITY

Specific heat measurements at constant concentration of hydrided, initially single-crystalline Fe2Er powder samples exhibit a lambda-type anomaly during the transition from the crystalline to the amorphous state. The logarithmic temperature-dependence of the specific heat results from local fluctuations in the crystalline phase, rather than thermally activated lattice defects. This is suggestive of an instability underlying the “melting” transition to a glass that has been predicted if vitrification occurs in the vicinity of the extrapolated triple point between crystal, liquid and glass.
Quality upgrading and restrictive hiring practices in unionized jobs

Most previous work has suggested that unionized employers upgrade labor quality of new hires, but has been silent on the behavior of unions when they control hiring. In this paper, it is argued that unions also have the incentive to upgrade quality, but to an extent less than or equal to upgrading by employers. Empirical support for this argument is provided using data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of young men and young women, in conjunction with an industry measure of union control over hiring. Years of schooling and worker IQ measure labor quality.
“REAL SPANISH:” HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE IDEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION OF A (FOREIGN) LANGUAGE

This paper provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the complex relationality between foreign language education and the historical production and reproduction of language ideologies. It is argued that the construct of real Spanish is legitimated and invested with authority and authenticity with respect to the Native Standard Language, a constellation of hegemonic ideologies of language, (non)standardness, and (non)nativeness. This paper explores the recontextualization of native standard Spanish as a presumptively real language used by real speakers within the emerging ideologies, practices, and institutions of modernity, imperialism, and colonialism in Europe and the Americas. Drawing on critical approaches that recognize the role of standardization in constructing inequalities in changing global, national, and local contexts, this paper questions the prevailing assumption of standards that informs the teaching and learning of Spanish in the United States. A tentative proposal is outlined for explori...
Carbamylcholine-induced rapid cation efflux from reconstituted membrane vesicles containing purified acetylcholine receptor

Membrane preparations containing essentially only the four polypeptides considered to constitute the acetylcholine receptor are purified from Torpedocalifornica electroplax. Treatment of these membranes with 2% (wv aqueous sodium cholate followed by removal of all insoluble matter results in a solubilized purified receptor preparation that can be reassociated with phospholipids during dialysis to remove the detergent. Such reconstituted receptor is shown to retain the capability of translocating 22Na+ across the membrane in response to carbamylcholine binding in a highly reproducible manner. The dose response for this effect is similar to that observed for the original electroplax membrane preparation and the carbamylcholine induced signal is completely blocked by α-bungarotoxin.
Simultaneous Presence of Cationic and Reduced Gold in Functioning MgO-Supported CO Oxidation Catalysts: Evidence from X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Gold clusters on the surface of MgO powder (calcined at 673 K) were prepared from adsorbed [Au(CH3)2(acac), where acac is C5H7O2] and characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). One sample initially contained gold predominantly in the form of clusters approximated as Au6 on the basis of the EXAFS data showing first- and second-shell Au−Au coordination numbers of 4.0 ± 0.4 and 1.0 ± 0.1, respectively. The other sample initially contained larger clusters, with an average diameter of about 30 A (containing about 100 atoms each, on average), as shown by the EXAFS first- and second-shell Au−Au coordination numbers of 9.4 ± 0.9 and 3.5 ± 0.4, respectively. The samples, in each of the three gases CO, O2, and He and in the presence of CO + O2 during CO oxidation catalysis, were investigated by EXAFS spectroscopy and XANES in a cell that was also a flow reactor. Data obtained during steady-state CO oxidation indicate the presen...
NCCLS perspectives in changing susceptibility breakpoints for antimicrobial drugs

The spread of resistance to many antimicrobial agents in various microbial species has been highlighted by the World Health Organisation and many government agencies around the world. The reasons for this increase and spread are complex and are discussed. A number of surveillance studies has monitored the increase in resistance among isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae to various important classes of antimicrobials. These results are discussed with particular reference to penicillins, macrolides and fluoroquinolones. Although there is evidence that in vitro resistance to macrolides and more recently to fluoroquinolones may be associated with a reduced clinical efficacy, there is no such clear association with resistance to β-lactams and lack of clinical efficacy in non-meningeal infections. Resistance or susceptibility to an antimicrobial agent is based on breakpoints and these are set in the US by the National Committee of Clinical and Laboratory Standards. In response to these recent clinical studies showing that non-meningeal pneumococcal infections with strains classified as resistant in vitro still responded well to treatment with various β-lactams, new breakpoints have been set. Results are presented showing that using these breakpoints, the levels of resistance to the third generation cephalosporins, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime against a range of non-meningeal pneumococcal isolates were lower than those obtained using the previous breakpoints. The excellent pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of these agents are believed to contribute to their good activity in the clinic.
Inhibition of brain glutamate decarboxylase by 2-keto-4-pentenoic acid, a metabolite of allylglycine.

— 2-Keto-4-pentenoic acid, a potent inhibitor of brain glutamate decarboxylase (Orlowskiet al., 1977) was prepared by oxidative deamination of l-allylglycine with snake venom l-amino acid oxidase. In the presence of glutamate the keto acid is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme with respect to glutamate; its Ki is 2.4 ± 10−6m. After preincubation of brain glutamate decarboxylase with 2-keto-4-pentenoic acid in the absence of glutamate, a slow and incomplete reactivation is obtained by prolonged dialysis, Sephadex gel-filtration, and dilution, suggesting the formation of a slowly dissociating enzyme-inhibitor complex and partial inactivation of the enzyme. In vivo inhibition of brain glutamate decarboxylase after administration of allylglycine is maximal after 2-8 h with activity returning to normal after 16 h. The inhibition of the enzyme after administration of d-allylglycine was greatest in the cerebellum and the medulla-pons area, the sites of the highest activity of d-amino acid oxidase. These results are interpreted as strongly supporting the postulate that allylglycine-induced inhibition of brain glutamate decarboxylase is due to the in vivo formation of 2-keto-4-pentenoic acid.
Model based video segmentation for vision augmented interactive games

This paper presents an architecture and algorithms for model based video object segmentation and its applications to vision augmented interactive game. We are especially interested in real time low cost vision based applications that can be implemented in software in a PC. We use different models for background and a player object. The object segmentation algorithm is performed in two different levels: pixel level and object level. At pixel level, the segmentation algorithm is formulated as a maximizing a posteriori probability (MAP) problem. The statistical likelihood of each pixel is calculated and used in the MAP problem. Object level segmentation is used to improve segmentation quality by utilizing the information about the spatial and temporal extent of the object. The concept of an active region, which is defined based on motion histogram and trajectory prediction, is introduced to indicate the possibility of a video object region for both background and foreground modeling. It also reduces the overall computation complexity. In contrast with other applications, the proposed video object segmentation system is able to create background and foreground models on the fly even without introductory background frames. Furthermore, we apply different rate of self-tuning on the scene model so that the system can adapt to the environment when there is a scene change. We applied the proposed video object segmentation algorithms to several prototype virtual interactive games. In our prototype vision augmented interactive games, a player can immerse himself/herself inside a game and can virtually interact with other animated characters in a real time manner without being constrained by helmets, gloves, special sensing devices, or background environment. The potential applications of the proposed algorithms including human computer gesture interface and object based video coding such as MPEG-4 video coding.
Modeling an interoperable multimodal travel guide system using the ISO 19100 series of international standards

The ISO 19100 series of international standards are not just standards for data exchange format (e.g. spatial data transfer standard) or a metadata; rather, they provide a pool of standardized methodologies and standardized conceptual schemas to specify geographic information in a uniform way in order to achieve the full spectrum of interoperability during geospatial processing. We propose a canonical model approach based upon the ISO 19100 series of international standards as a feasible and effective conceptual framework for the development of an interoperable GIS or its application. This paper applies the proposed approach to modeling a specific GIS application, multimodal travel guide system (MTGS) to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach. Based upon functional requirements of the MTGS, we show how application schemas for the MTGS in Unified Modeling Language (UML) can be efficiently and effectively developed both by the reuse of the standardized schemas of the ISO 19100 series and by the extension of the standardized schemas in accordance with the rules of application schemas in ISO 19109. We lastly demonstrate how the MTGS UML application schemas can be successfully implemented as platform neutral encodings, i.e., ISO 19136 -- Geography Markup Language (GML), for interoperable information exchanges.
Ex vivo delivered stromal cell-derived factor-1α promotes stem cell homing and induces angiomyogenesis in the infarcted myocardium

We aimed to optimize non-viral transfection of human stromal cell derived factor (SDF-1α) gene into skeletal myoblasts (SkM) and, transplant these cells to establish transient SDF-1α gradient to favor extra-cardiac stem cell translocation into infarcted heart. Optimized conditions for transfection of SDF-1α gene into syngenic SkM were achieved using FuGene™6/phSDF-1α (3:2v/w, 4h transfection) with 125μM ZnCl2 (p<0.001). After characterization for transgene overexpression by immunostaining, ELISA, and PCR, the cells were transplanted in female rat model of myocardial infarction. Thirty-six rats were grouped (n=12/group) to receive 70μl DMEM without cells (group-1) or containing 1.5×106 non-transfected (group-2) or SDF-1α transfected SkM (group-3). On day-4 post-transplantation (in 4 animals/group), marked expression of SDF-1α/sry-gene (p=0.003), total Akt, phospho-Akt and Bcl2 was observed in group-3. The number of CD31+, C-kit+ and CD34+ cells was highest in group-3 hearts (p<0.01). Blood vessel density in group-3 was higher in both scar and peri-scar regions (p<0.001) as compared with other groups. Echocardiography showed improved indices of left ventricle contractile function and remodeling in group-3 (p<0.05) as compared with groups-1 and -2. We conclude that ex-vivo SDF-1α transgene delivery promotes stem and progenitor cell migration to the heart, activates cell survival signaling and enhances angiomyogenesis in the infarcted heart.
Gallstone abscess as a result of dropped gallstones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

INTRODUCTION With the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy we have seen a “disease of medical progress” (DOMP). Herein we report a complication that developed 7 years after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Parallel solution of linear systems with striped sparse matrices

Abstract The multiplication of a vector by a matrix and the solution of triangular linear systems are the most demanding operations in the majority of iterative techniques for the solution of linear systems. Data-driven VLSI networks which perform these two operations, efficiently, for certain sparse matrices are introduced. In order to avoid computations that involve zero operands, the non-zero elements in a sparse matrix are organized in the form of non-overlapping stripes, and only the elements within the stripe structure of the matrix are manipulated. Detailed analysis of the networks proves that both operations may be completed in n global cycles with minimal communication overhead, where n is the order of the linear system. The number of cells in each network as well as the communication overhead, are determined by the stripe structure of the matrix. Different stripe structures for the class of sparse matrices generated in Finite Element Analysis are examined in a separate paper.
U-46619 but not serotonin increases endocannabinoid content in middle cerebral artery: evidence for functional relevance.

Cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells express the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, and CB1 receptor agonists produce vasodilation of cerebral arteries. The purpose of this study was to determine whether v...
The Development of Movement of the Hind Leg of Amblystoma

The earliest movements of the hind leg are adduction and abduction, and they occur only with action of the trunk. At about the same time that this type of movement appears, or probably a little later, the hind leg elevates when the animal is rotated dorsally on its longitudinal axis on the side of the reacting limb. This movement of the hind leg is co-ordinated with elevation of the fore limb. This integrated action of fore and hind limbs with action of the trunk is a typical postural reaction and it occurs before a local reflex of the hind leg can be excited. Before local exteroceptive reflexes of the hind leg appear there occur also strong simultaneous abduction of both hind legs in coordination with elevation of the head and fore part of the trunk; the typical walking posture, i. e., flexure of the trunk with the adduction of the fore legs and abduction of the hind leg on the concave side while on the opposite side the fore leg is abducted and the hind leg adducted; and, at least in many cases, typical...
A HULLIAN CONSTANT AS AN INDEX OF INTELLIGENCE: TWO EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Following Clark Hull, it is widely considered that the asymptote of the learning curve represents motivational factors, but that rate of approach to asymptote (‘i’) represents associational factors. The suggestion that i may be a measure of intelligence was tested empirically in two studies. An initial exploratory study yielded a positive correlation between i and IQ. A more rigorous replication did not. The results are discussed briefly.
Crenation and cupping of the red cell: A new theoretical approach. Part I. Crenation

Abstract Crenation can be thought of as a surface instability caused by intrinsic precurvature of the membrane. Mathematical modeling, on the presupposition that the red blood cell is a thin shell consisting of a connected (coupled) bilayer having uniformly distributed elastic properties shows that crenation can be initiated by negative precurvature, that is, intrinsic curvature having its concavity directed towards the outside of the cell. This is contrary to the currently accepted view which attributes the effect to positive precurvature of an unconnected bilayer. Crenation and the biconcave shape can coexist in the red cell. This suggests that the bilayer must be connected even when the cell is crenated because the biconcave shape could not otherwise be maintained. The progressive development of crenation to more advanced stages, such as the echinocyte type III and the spheroechinocyte can be accounted for if the outer layer of the membrane is stressed beyond the range where strain is proportional to stress. This is consistent with the extremely small radius of curvature at the tips of the crenations. Certain small variations in the uncrenated biconcave shape of the red cell can be interpreted mathematically as due either to negative intrinsic curvature or to shear resistance. Since, however, a small amount of negative precurvature has been shown to be capable of inducing crenation, it is unlikely to be the cause of the variations in the biconcave shape. These must therefore be due to shear resistance. In the light of this new approach, membrane molecular models based on the assumption that crenation is due to positive precurvature need reconsideration.
Adiabatic domain wall motion and Landau-Lifshitz damping

Recent theory and measurements of the velocity of current-driven domain walls in magnetic nanowires have reopened the unresolved question of whether Landau-Lifshitz damping or Gilbert damping provides the more natural description of dissipative magnetization dynamics. In this paper, we argue that (as in the past) experiment cannot distinguish the two, but that Landau-Lifshitz damping, nevertheless, provides the most physically sensible interpretation of the equation of motion. From this perspective, (i) adiabatic spin-transfer torque dominates the dynamics with small corrections from nonadiabatic effects, (ii) the damping always decreases the magnetic free energy, and (iii) microscopic calculations of damping become consistent with general statistical and thermodynamic considerations.
Pulmonary hypertension and late gadolinium enhancement of the right ventricular insertion point and its clinical implications

Methods We evaluated 48 patients with suspected PH referred for CMR as part of their clinical assessment. Imaging was performed at 1.5T. Retrospectively gated cines of a left ventricular short axis stack were obtained using SSFP (TR 2.9 ms, TE 1.5 ms, flip angle 60°, temporal resolution ~40 ms). LGE images of the same views were obtained 10 minutes after infusion of Gd-DTPA (0.2 mmol/kg) using phase sensitive inversion recovery (TR 4.5 ms, TE 2.2 ms, TI 200-300 ms, flip angle 30°, PSIR flip angle 5°, voxel size 2 × 2 × 10 mm, sense 2). The cines were used to determine RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), end-systolic volume (RVESV), and ejection fraction (RVEF). Two readers blinded to hemodynamic, functional, and laboratory data jointly determined the presence of RVIP-LGE. A subgroup of these patients underwent right heart catheterization (n = 28) and exercise testing (n = 34). Continuous variables were reported as mean ± standard deviation. Groups (based on presence or absence of LGE) were compared using a t-test, with p-value < 0.05 being significant.
Swallow W. Busher's “Colonial Dynamics”

A humorous essay about alleged operations research studies done during the revolutionary war.
The production of floral oils by Monttea (Scrophulariaceae) and the function of tarsal pads in Centris bees

Plant species that secrete oil as their primary floral reward are rare and sporadically found in the angiosperms. We report here thatMonttea, a genus previously unsuspected of being an oil-plant, produces lipids from trichome elaiophores on the inside of the lower (anterior) lip. The discovery of the production of oils by species of this S. American genus explains the occurrence of unusual dual-function collecting structures in ArgentineCentris (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae) and explains the presence of oil-collecting bees in regions where oil-secreting flowers were previously thought to be absent. The behavior of these centridine pollinators onMonttea flowers parallels that of oil-collecting bees onDiascia (Scrophulariaceae) in S. Africa.
Enhanced length of stay management through monitoring of discharge planning parameters.

Traditional data collection in discharge planning programs has been largely retrospective, measuring the patient's length of stay and unnecessary hospital days at the point of discharge. Although the data collection is useful, it does not lend itself to corrective actions on a concurrent basis. Carney Hospital has developed a data base that monitors patient status daily in order to identify when a length of stay prob lem is developing and when corrective actions are succeeding.The Patient Tracking System is an interactive com puter report utilized by Continuing Care staff, Utili zation Review staff, and clinical managers on the patient care units. It is a caseload register that oper ates from the admission transfer discharge (A/T/D) system of the hospital and sorts inpatients by dis charge planning status, length of stay, discharge planning worker, and nursing unit. It is the basis for a weekly management review that identifies numbers of patients and average length of stay to date of key groups of patien...
Identification of multiprotein complexes containing DNA replication factors by native immunoblotting of HeLa cell protein preparations with T-antigen-dependent SV40 DNA replication activity.

Increasing evidence has supported the concept that many of the enzymes and factors involved in the replication of mammalian DNA function together as a multiprotein complex. We have previously reported on the partial purification of a multiprotein form of DNA polymerase from human HeLa cells shown to be fully competent to support origin-specific large T-antigen-dependent simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication in vitro. In an attempt to more definitively identify the complex or complexes responsible for DNA replication in vitro, partially purified human HeLa cell protein preparations competent to replicate DNA in vitro were subjected to native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose. The Native Western blots were probed with a panel of antibodies directed against proteins believed to be required for DNA replication in vitro. Apparent complexes of 620 kDa and 500 kDa were identified by monoclonal antibodies directed against DNA polymerase α and DNA polymerase δ, respectively. To detect epitopes possibly unexposed within the native multiprotein complexes, blots were also analyzed following denaturation in situ following treatment with detergent and reducing agent. The epitope or access to the epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody against DNA polymerase α was destroyed by exposure of the blots to denaturing conditions. In contrast, an epitope present on a very large complex of approximately 1000 kDa was recognized by a monoclonal antibody against proliferating cell nuclear antigen only following treatment of the native immunoblots with denaturing agents. Identification of these complexes will allow their further purification, characterization, and elucidation of their role in the replication of DNA. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Optimum lifting bodies in hypersonic viscous flow.

Abstract : The problem of minimizing the drag and maximizing the lift-to-drag ratio of power-law half-bodies in hypersonic viscous flow is considered. Emphasis is placed on obtaining optimum L/D for different prescribed conditions. Both two-dimensional and axisymmetric half-bodies, at zero angle of attack are treated. It is assumed that the body is slender, the shock is strong, and the ratio of specific heats is close to unity. In the two-dimensional case, the effect of removing the restriction to power-law shapes is examined. The result is a viscous generalization of the 'Newtonian chine strip.' For each of the lift cases treated, the maximum L/D is never increased very much over the corresponding value obtained for a straight surface. For a given value of freestream Mach number and Reynolds number, the absolute maximum L/D obtained from a viscous chine strip is only 6.5% greater than that obtained from a flat plate. (Author)
Electrochemical performance modeling of a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell for hydrogen energy

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive computational model for the proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer cells, which have attracted more attention for renewable energy storage and hydrogen production. A new ohmic loss model of a PEM electrolyzer cell has been developed and the influence of different operating conditions and physical design parameters on its performance has been investigated, including operating temperature, pressure, exchange current density, electrode thickness, membrane thickness and interfacial resistance. The interfacial resistance between the membrane and electrode has been found to play an important part for electrolyzer performance and an overpotential is increased significantly with the interfacial resistance. At a current density of 1.5 A/cm2, the performance loss due to the interfacial resistance between the membrane and electrode comprises 31.8% of the total ohmic loss. Thickness changes in either electrode or membrane also have significant impacts on the electrolyzer performance mainly due to their contributions to the diffusion overpotential and ohmic loss. Increasing the operating temperature will result in lower electrolyzer overpotential, while increasing the operating pressure will lead to higher electrolyzer overpotential, which is mainly controlled by the open circuit voltage. Results obtained from the present model will provide a comprehensive understanding of design parameter effects and consequently improve the design/performance in a PEM electrolyzer cell.
Promising Outcomes in Teen Mothers Enrolled in a School‐Based Parent Support Program and Child Care Center

Background: This study described a cohort of teen mothers and their children attending an urban high school with a parent support program and school-based child care center. Specific aims of the study were to describe maternal characteristics and outcomes, and child developmental and health outcomes. Methods: A volunteer sample of 65 adolescent mothers enrolled in the parent support program and their children were interviewed, surveyed, and assessed. Fifty-three mothers had children enrolled in the school-based child care center and 12 mothers had their children cared for by family members. Maternal characteristics assessed included self-esteem and depressive symptoms, social stressors and support, self-perceived parental competence, parent-child teaching interactions, and subsequent childbearing and maternal educational outcomes. Child outcomes included child developmental assessments and health outcomes. Results: About 33% of teen mothers were mildly to moderately depressed and 39% of the sample had experienced transitional homelessness. Social support networks were small; in the past 12 months, mothers experienced a mean number of 13.2 ± 11.9 negative life events. Maternal self-report measures and mother-child observation measures indicated positive levels of parental competence. Maternal educational outcomes were positive, and only 6% of mothers had subsequent childbirths within 2 years. The mean scores on developmental assessments of children fell within the normal range, although there were 7 children identified with developmental delays. Conclusions: For at-risk teen mothers, this parent support program and school-based child care setting appears to offer promising opportunities to help young mothers with parenting, avoid rapid subsequent pregnancies, and stay engaged with school, while their children are cared for in a close and safe environment.
Forbidden into Ne II observations of the galactic center Evidence for a massive black hole

The velocity field within two pc of the galactic center has been investigated by observing the forbidden Ne II 12.8 micron fine-structure emission from Sgr West. The velocity variation indicates that at least two of the features are large-scale flows of ionized gas. The flow along the southern arm continues all the way north to IRS 8, encircling the center of the galaxy in an arc of about 180 deg. Both the velocity and position along the northern arm are well fitted by a noncircular orbit with mass greater than 3.5 million solar masses within the orbital of about 0.5 pc. These data are taken as evidence for a central black hole of mass three to four million solar masses. A best estimate for the position of the central mass is coincident with IRS 16 NE.