cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics, satisfaction, and perceptions of patients receiving ambulatory healthcare from osteopathic physicians: a comparative national survey.

A national telephone survey was conducted in 1998 using random-digit dialing and the first Osteopathic Survey of Healthcare in America (OSTEOSURV-I) instrument to determine patients' satisfaction with their healthcare, as well as their perceptions of osteopathic medicine. Of the 1106 respondents, 243 (22.0%) had received medical care from an osteopathic physician, and another 307 (27.8%) claimed to be aware of osteopathic physicians. Patients of osteopathic physicians reported the highest levels of satisfaction in 8 of the 11 elements studied when compared with patients of allopathic physicians, chiropractors, and nonphysician clinicians other than chiropractors. Respondents perceived osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to be beneficial for musculoskeletal disorders (P < .001). In addition, respondents perceived that healthcare services provided by osteopathic physicians were similar to those provided by allopathic physicians (P < .001), but not to those provided by chiropractors (P = .01). A total of 97.9% of current patients of osteopathic physicians agreed with the statement that osteopathic physicians practiced in their local community, compared with 80.6% of former patients of osteopathic physicians and 67.8% of patients who had never visited osteopathic physicians (P < .001). In general, the most favorable perceptions of osteopathic medicine were reported by current patients of osteopathic physicians, followed by former patients of such physicians. The least favorable perceptions came from patients who had never been patients of osteopathic physicians. The perception that OMT should be covered by health insurance was significantly associated with the use of osteopathic physicians (odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 6.7, among patients who had ever been to an osteopathic physician). The results of our survey suggest that greater access to osteopathic services, including OMT, is desirable and that promotional efforts aimed at encouraging the use of osteopathic medical services among the general population are warranted.
A converse to Dye's theorem

Every non-amenable countable group induces orbit inequivalent ergodic equivalence relations on standard Borel probability spaces. Not every free, ergodic, measure preserving action of F 2 on a standard Borel probability space is orbit equivalent to an action of a countable group on an inverse limit of finite spaces. There is a treeable non-hyperfinite Borel equivalence relation which is not universal for treeable in the ≤ B ordering.
Capitalism and African Business Cultures

Scholars and practitioners once commonly linked `African cultureÂ´ to a distinctive `African capitalismÂ´, at odds with genuine capitalism and the demands of modern business. Yet contemporary African business cultures reveal that a capitalist ethos has ta
Newt epidermal cell migration over collagen and fibronectin involves different mechanisms

Effects of the synthetic peptides, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS), the amino acid sequence representing the fibroblast attachment site in fibronectin, and Arg-Gly-Glu-Ser (RGES), on collagen- and fibronectin-mediated migration in newt epidermal cells were compared. When RGDS at 50 micrograms ml-1 was included in the incubation medium of skin explants, migration in fibronectin-coated dishes was almost totally blocked. In type I collagen-coated dishes, this concentration of RGDS also inhibited migration, but to a lesser degree than on fibronectin. With 250 micrograms ml-1 of RGES in the medium, the reverse was true. Here, migration on collagen was practically non-existent, while migration on fibronectin was affected only moderately. Collagen-mediated migration was sensitive to RGDS even when the peptide was added after migration on the coated substratum was well underway. At a coating concentration of 10 micrograms ml-1 CB3, a cyanogen bromide fragment of the collagen alpha 1(I) chain, which contains no RGD sequences, was as good a migration substratum as intact collagen applied at the same coating concentration. At lower concentrations intact collagen was somewhat better than equivalent concentrations of CB3. The presence of RGDS in the medium throughout an experiment inhibited migration in CB3-coated dishes in a manner similar to its effect in dishes coated with collagen. On both substrata there appeared to be a peptide-sensitive and a peptide-insensitive component to migration. The inhibitory effect of RGES on CB3-mediated migration was also similar to its effect in collagen-coated dishes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A focal-spot diagnostic for on-shot characterization of high-energy petawatt lasers

An on-shot focal-spot diagnostic for characterizing high-energy, petawatt-class laser systems is presented. Accurate measurements at full energy are demonstrated using high-resolution wavefront sensing in combination with techniques to calibrate on-shot measurements with low-power sample beams. Results are shown for full-energy activation shots of the OMEGA EP Laser System.
A concise algorithm for detection of vibration from Fourier domain OCT

Optical interferometry using Fourier domain OCT (FD-OCT) can image structures using vibration as the contrast mechanism. An A-scan measurement of light reflected from a tissue at a position x,y yields an intensity spectrum, I(λ), which is sequentially acquired over a short time period, 88 ms, to yield 1000 spectra at equally spaced time points, I(λ,t), while an audio frequency of sound pressure is imparted to the tissue to induce vibration. Analysis converts I(λ,t) into displacement Δz(z,t) of tissue structures along the z axis. Fourier analysis converts Δz(t) at each z into a vibration spectrum, and the amplitude of vibration at the driving audio frequency is specified. This process is repeated for each x position at a given y, to yield an image of vibration amplitude, A(z,x) [nm]. Hence, vibration amplitude becomes the contrast mechanism. This method is not a new idea, but a derivative of Doppler OCT. This report simply provides a concise algorithm in MATLAB for students wishing to implement vibration measurements using FD-OCT. An example shows the vibration of the ossicles of the middle ear viewed through the intact tympanic membrane.
Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase in depressed patients and the effect of electroconvulsive shock treatment.

Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity was studied in unipolar and bipolar depressed patients who were free of medication and in normal controls. No significant difference was found. A second group of depressed patients were studied during a course of electroconvulsive shock treatment (ECT). A small, but significant, increase in DBH activity was found 5 min after a single modified convulsion, suggesting release of DBH into the circulation. Also a small, but significant, increase in the baseline level of DBH activity was found at the ninth treatment compared to the first treatment. A single electroconvulsive shock administered to rats produced a significant elevation of both plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine at 1 and 5 min post convulsion and a significant, but smaller, elevation of plasma DBH at 5 min post convulsion in adrenalectomized rats.
A functional analysis of the primate masticatory system and the origin of the anthropoid post-orbital septum

Study of the dry weights of primate and non-promate masticatory musculature reveals a significant relationship between the Anterior Temporalis/Masseter ratio and the relative development of the anterior dentition. Available dietary information demonstrates that species emphasizing incisal preparation of food have a high AT/M index; species emphasizing molar occlusion have a low AT/M index. Utilizing this information, a model is presented of the origin of the anthropoid post-orbital septum. Frugivory or extensive incisal preparation of food is causally related to the development of the post-orbital septum, because diet can then create selection pressures for an increasingly tendinous and enlarging anterior segment of the temporalis muscle which requires additional bony areas of orgin in the anterior temporal fossa. Cenozoic climatic oscillations leading to increasing seasonality may have been the triggering element in this model, because seasonality creates periods in which the availability of fruit is relatively predictable.
Modulated periodic stokes waves in deep water

Modulated deep-water 1D Stokes waves are considered experimentally and theoretically. Wave trains are modulated in a controlled fashion and their evolution is recorded. Data from repeated laboratory experiments are reproducible near the wave maker, but diverge away from the wave maker. Numerical integration of a perturbed nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation and an associated linear spectral problem indicate that under suitable conditions modulated periodic Stokes waves evolve chaotically. Sensitive spectral evolution in the neighborhood of homoclinic manifolds of the unperturbed nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation is found.
Sex Stratification, Technology and Organizational Change: A Longitudinal Case Study of AT&T.

Recent technological displacement in ATT questions of sex, race and class in technological displacement; and the role of women as a reserve labor army. Method: longitudinal analysis of changes in ATT interviews; participant observation; technical reports; and corporate publications. Conclusions: 1)Technological displacement affected both management and nonmanagement women. Most seriously affected were white women's employment and those occupations traditionally considered as appropriate to minority women. The best 1972 predictor of occupational decline by 1976 was not a management/worker classification but the number of minority women formerly employed at that level. Further, affirmative action placed more men in traditionally women's work than the reverse. 2) Some research suggests that a transformation from mass- to process-production technologies raises the skill level and reduces alienation among workers. In the case of AT&T, higher skill level among workers reflected the displacement of women's work. 3) Women did appear to serve as a reserve labor army during this period of technological change. 4) Technology is best conceptualized as an intervening rather than an independent variable. Here, management rationally selected its technology, with sex and race stratification in the labor force facilitating rapid technological change. 5) Observations of sex stratification in families and unions suggest that analysis of the linkages between home and work roles is crucial in understanding problems of a divided labor force.
DR-SNUCA: An energy-scalable dynamically partitioned cache

Multicore processors have become ubiquitous across many domains, such as datacenters and smartphones. As the number of processing elements increases within these processors, so does the pressure to share the critical on-chip cache resources, but this must be done energy-efficiently and without sacrificing resource guarantees. We propose a scalable dynamic cache-partitioning scheme, DR-SNUCA, which provides an energy-efficient way to reduce resource interference over caches shared among many processing elements. Our results show that DR-SNUCA reduces system energy consumption by 16.3% compared to associatively partitioned caches, such as DNUCA.
Lenalidomide-induced upregulation of CXCR4 in CD34+ hematopoietic cells, a potential mechanism of decreased hematopoietic progenitor mobilization.

Lenalidomide-induced upregulation of CXCR4 in CD34 + hematopoietic cells, a potential mechanism of decreased hematopoietic progenitor mobilization
Asian Legal Revivals: Lawyers in the Shadow of Empire. By Yves Dezalay and Bryant Garth. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. 304 pp. $27.50 paper.

Asian Legal Revivals: Lawyers in the Shadow of Empire. By Yves Dezalay and Bryant Garth. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. 304 pp. $27.50 paper.In Asian Legal Revivals, Dezalay and Garth turn their powerful Bourdieuan analytic lens to a new region of the world. The book reflects many of the themes developed in their 2002 book, The Internationalization of the Palace Wars, which concerned the contests for epistemic and material power in Latin America. These themes include the importance of colonial legacies, the deployment of family capital across generations, and the state as a site of contestation among professional fields. The players in this contest are knowledges (law, economics, administration) but are also families, professions, and networks. Their story traces how particular groups seek to advance law as a legitimating device, succeeding to various degrees in different Asian post-colonial contexts. Throughout, they emphasize the dual nature of law, the so-called "double game" in which law both serves empire and facilitates resistance to it; lawyers advance a conceptual distinction between politics and markets that benefits them materially and symbolically.The book reflects a deeply external point of view on law in Asia, as captured by the use of "Empire" in the title. Law is conceived of as purely colonial in origin. Unusually, for a book on Asian law, there is no attempt to grapple with indigenous traditions of law and politics, which are sidestepped in part through case selection. Indeed, the authors refer to the colonial encounter as the "geneses of law" in Asia (p. 2), implicitly de-centering the legacies of robust pre-colonial Chinese and Japanese legal traditions.Instead, the case studies focus on seven former colonies: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. Four of these, of course, were British colonies, and there is a good deal of weight put on the American colony of the Philippines, foreshadowing broader American regional influence during the Cold War. (The former French colonies of Indochina are omitted.)The book begins by tracing the history of law in European state-building, beginning in Renaissance Italy, and the colonial export of these models. A chapter on the Philippines highlights America's reluctant "anti-imperialist" imperialism. In the countries with the longest encounter with Anglo-American colonialism, India and the Philippines, law became deeply embedded in the state and administration. …
On the gamma factors attached to representations ofU(2,1) over ap-adic field

In this paper we complete the local non-archimedean theory of Rankin-Selberg convolutions forU(2,1) that was suggested by S. Gelbart and I. Piatetski-Shapiro in [G,PS,1]. In addition, we prove two fundamental properties of the gamma factors (Theorem 6.3) which allow us to give a new proof of a strong multiplicity one theorem forU(2,1).
Proton auroral intensifications and injections at synchronous altitude

[1] In sudden flux increases at synchronous altitude the lower energy channels often show progressively more delay or dispersion. It is usually assumed that the dispersion is caused by a simultaneous injection of particles of all energies at some location, and by the subsequent drift of these particles to the synchronous altitude measurement site “downstream” of the injection event. In this paper we present a method for timing and locating the injections from proton auroral precipitation inferred by the Lyman α emission data from the IMAGE FUV instrument. We compare the timing of the proton flux increases observed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory synchronous altitude satellites to the time delay predicted by a model describing the longitudinal drift of particles in the magnetosphere. We present comparisons for eleven substorm particle injections and find that the observed azimuthal drift times are reasonably consistent with those calculated by a simple model using the Tsyganenko 89 magnetic and Volland electric field models as input. This consistency supports the concept that the proton auroral intensification at substorm onset and the proton injection in the magnetosphere occur at the same magnetic local time (longitude).
The Agonist Activity of Tamoxifen Is Inhibited by the Short Heterodimer Partner Orphan Nuclear Receptor in Human Endometrial Cancer Cells

Short heterodimer partner (SHP) is an orphan nuclear receptor that interacts with ERα and ERβ and inhibits E2-induced transcription. We examined how SHP affects tamoxifen’s estrogen agonist activity in endometrial cells. We report that SHP interacts with 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) or E2-occupied ERα in a temperature-dependent manner in vitro. In transient transfection assays, SHP inhibited 4-OHT-stimulated reporter gene activity from an estrogen response element (ERE) in ER-positive RL95-2 but not in HEC-1A human endometrial carcinoma cells transfected with ERα or ERβ. SHP inhibited E2-induced transcriptional activity in ERα- or ERβ-transfected HEC-1A or Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells. SHP inhibition of E2 activity was greater for ERα than ERβ from the nonpalindromic ERE in the pS2 gene promoter in Chinese hamster ovary-K1 but not HEC-1A cells. Thus, ER subtype, cell type, and ERE sequence influence SHP repressor activity. An ERα mutant lacking activator function-1 showed reduced inhibition by SHP. In glu...
The Effect of Strain Rate on Damage Mechanisms in a Glass/Polypropylene Composite:

Changes in damage accumulation and energy absorption were studied as a function of strain rate in a glass reinforced polypropylene composite during uniaxial ten sile testing. The polypropylene matrix was reinforced with long discontinuous glass fibers, and was manufactured using a du Pont proprietary wet-forming process. Acoustic emission monitoring was combined with mechanical testing and microscopic observation to study details of the damage accumulation process. Maximum stress, strain at maximum stress, and energy absorption capability all increased with increasing strain rate. Mechanical re sponse, acoustic emission signatures and micrographs of the fracture surfaces all showed a strain rate dependent transition in failure mechanism. Results show that the "apparent" fiber-matrix interface properties changed as a function of strain rate, and were closely coupled to the balance between the time scale of fiber pull-out and the characteristic time scale of resin deformation. Also, a systematic change in t...
Modeling of internal contaminant deposition on a cold instrument sensor

A model is developed to predict the deposition of contaminants on the CCD sensors of the Wide Field Planetary Camera to determine expected performance parameters. Contaminant deposition due to internal instrument sources is considered as is the mechanism of transport to the CCDs themselves. The Contamination Analysis Program (CAP) model considers deposition and reemission kinetics, nodal containment sources, and internodal shape factors related to line-of-sight transport. Indirect transport is also accounted for in the CAP model by considering the effect of diffuse reflection at internodal exchanges. The effective total transport factors for each node-to-node exchange is precalculated to reduce the effective number of nodes and reducing run time of the CAP program. The method is applied to four distinct conditions and is found to be suitable for the analysis of internal self-contamination. Cold traps, venting, and vacuumlike design are factors which are found to be important for cold-sensitive sensors.
Contrast-induced nephropathy: Protective role of fenoldopam

1. Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) often occurs after contrast media-related procedures and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The acute renal failure observed after administration of contrast media is usually transient but, in some cases, it can be severe enough to lead to permanent renal damage with life-long dialysis. 2. Except for saline hydration, no other treatment has been shown to have a consistent benefit in protecting against CIN. Despite sound physiological and pharmacological bases, intravenous infusion of fenoldopam does not prevent CIN. 3. Initial studies have shown the safety of and favourable results with direct infusion of fenoldopam into the renal arteries using the Benephit renal infusion system (FlowMedica-AngioDynamics, Latham, NY, USA). These results are encouraging and suggest that intrarenal delivery of fenoldopam has an advantage in patients with a high risk of developing CIN. 4. A randomized controlled study comparing intrarenal fenoldopam with placebo is warranted.
Nonwastefulness of interior iterative procedures

Abstract An algorithm parametrized by sequences of matrices {Ai} and {Bi} is presented. The concept of wastefulness of the algorithm on a class b of constrained optimization problems is introduced. Then it is proved that the algorithm is nonwasteful on b if and only if the matrices Ai are positive multiples of the identity matrix and the matrices Bi are positive semidefinite.
The effective foot length ratio: A potential tool for characterization and evaluation of prosthetic feet

The purpose of this technical note is to introduce the effective foot length ratio (EFLR) as a possible measurement tool for evaluation of prosthetic feet. The EFLR multiplied by 100 provides the percentage of a foot that is effectively used during a walking step and may have clinical implications for step length and limb loading on the contralateral side. Prosthetic feet were manually rolled over a force platform while maintaining a constant level of force representative of a user’s weight. Effective foot lengths were measured by finding the distance from the heel of each prosthetic foot to the center of pressure in foot-based coordinates at a loading angle that represented the approximate shank angle at opposite heel contact during walking. The effective foot lengths were then normalized by overall foot length to determine the EFLR. EFLRs from 15 prosthetic feet used clinically during the 1990s are presented along with an estimate of the EFLR of the physiologic ankle–foot system. All prosthetic feet had EFLRs lower than the corresponding physiologic system, although some had ratios close to the physiologic system. The EFLRs for the prosthetic feet were between 0.63 and 0.81, whereas the EFLR estimated for the physiologic system was 0.83.
Targeted cardiac expression of soluble Fas prevents the development of heart failure in mice with cardiac-specific expression of MCP-1.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays a crucial role in initiating coronary heart disease by recruiting monocytes/macrophages to the vessel wall. Transgenic mice with cardiac-specific expression of MCP-1 manifest cardiac inflammation and develop heart failure. The pathways mediating the detrimental effects of MCP-1 expression have not been defined. We postulate that the Fas ligand (FasL) derived from the infiltrating mononuclear cells causes death of cardiac cells resulting in the development of heart failure. Here, we tested this hypothesis by determining whether inhibition of FasL function through cardiac-specific expression of soluble Fas (sFas) would rescue the MCP-1 transgenic mice from developing heart failure. We generated mice with cardiac-specific expression of sFas and double homozygous transgenic mice that express both MCP-1 and sFas. Cardiac-specific expression of sFas in MCP mice, in fact, inhibited apoptosis of infiltrating mononuclear cells, normalized circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and prevented macrophage activation as well as production of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in the hearts. sFas expression resulted in restoration of cardiac structure, preservation of cardiac function, and a significant prolongation of survival of MCP mice. These results demonstrate that FasL released from infiltrating mononuclear cells plays a critical role in the detrimental effects of MCP-1 expression, and suggest that Fas/FasL signaling represents a novel therapeutic target for heart failure.
Reaction of malformin with sulfhydryl compounds

Abstract Malformin reacts with the sulfhydryl compounds, cysteine and β-mercaptoethanol, to form an insoluble 1:1 addition product. This reaction may explain the ability of thiol compounds to inhibit the activity of malformin and suggests reaction of malformin with thiol compounds in vivo .
Sexual dimorphism of the kidney in the NMRI mouse as shown by Dolichos biflorus agglutinin labelling.

Summary The histological affinity pattern of Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) in kidneys from mice (NMRI, Balb/c, CBA) and rats (Wistar) fixed by perfusion with formalin, Bouin, or HgCl2 was investigated with a horseradish peroxidase conjugate. The animals were examined from fetal stage to adulthood. Adult female NMRI mice exhibited constant DBA labelling, with DBA binding to cells of the proximal and collecting tubules. Moreover the vascular endothelium of the renal papilla was found to be DBA-positive in 50% of adult female animals. In contrast, there was only very little DBA binding in the kidneys of male adult NMRI mice. There was no sexual dimorphism in lectin labelling in kidneys from other strains of mice or from rats.
Microstructure Optimization of Sintered Fly Ash/Acid Composition for Use as Structural Thermal Insulation in Buildings

Cell size and shape and closed or open configurations were found to greatly influence the compressive strength, density, water absorption, and insulative properties of two sintered fly ash/acid materials. In one case, finely ground fly ash, mixed with a water/phosphoric acid solution and alumina, is sintered to produce an open microstructure consisting of a large number of small pores dispersed relatively uniformly throughout the material. The material has a density of 0.8 gm/cm3 (800 kg/m3), very low bending strength, a compressive strength of under 800 psi (5000 KPa), and thermal conductivity of .17 W/mK. In the second case, the material had a lower density of 0.52 gm/cm3 (520 kg/m3) a higher compressive strength of 800-1000 psi (5000-7000 KPa), and thermal conductivity of .11 W/mK. This con sisted of larger closed spherical cells mixed within the other material. In a third case, theoretical studies lead us to predict values of density (696 kg/m3), improved com pressive strength (6500-9100 KPa), thermal...
The Contributions Of O. F. Cook To Cultural Geography

(1970). The Contributions Of O. F. Cook To Cultural Geography. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 206-209.
Finite element analysis of induction machines

This paper presents the application of the finite element method for analyzing magnetic fields and predicting the performance of induction motors. Saturable magnetizing and leakage reactances are calculated using magnetostatic analysis. Locked rotor performance is predicted using eddy current diffusion analysis. Correlation with test data is also presented.
Enhanced ventricular untwisting during exercise: a mechanistic manifestation of elastic recoil described by Doppler tissue imaging.

Background— The cascade of events by which early diastolic left ventricular (LV) filling increases with exercise is not fully elucidated. Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) can detect myocardial motion, including torsion, whereas color M-mode Doppler (CMM) can quantify LV intraventricular pressure gradients (IVPGs). Methods and Results— Twenty healthy volunteers underwent echocardiographic examination with DTI at rest and during submaximal supine bicycle exercise. We assessed LV long-/short-axis function, torsion, volume, inflow dynamics, and early diastolic IVPG derived from CMM data. LV torsion and untwisting velocity increased with exercise (torsion, 11±4° to 24±8°; untwisting velocity, −2.0±0.7 to −5.6±2.3 rad/s) that was associated with an increase in IVPG (1.4±0.5 to 3.7±1.2 mm Hg). Untwisting in normal subjects occurred during isovolumic relaxation and early filling, significantly before long-axis lengthening or radial expansion. The clinical feasibility of this method was tested in 7 patients with hyper...
RNA segment 5 of broadhaven virus, a tick-borne orbivirus, shows sequence homology with segment 5 of bluetongue virus

Abstract The sequence of Broadhaven (BIRD) virus segment 5, the major genetic determinant of serotype, is 1658 nucleotides in length and contains a single open reading frame (ORF) having the coding capacity for a protein of Mr 52.5K. Comparison of the ORF of segment 5 of BIRD virus with published sequences of bluetongue virus (BTV) revealed 30% nucleotide homology and 31 % amino acid homology with the protein encoded by segment 5 of BTV serotype 10. Significant homology was not shown with segment 2 of BTV, the major genetic determinant of the BTV serotype. The sequences at the 3′ and 5′ ends determined for BIRD segment 5 were similar to the respective 3′ and 5′ regions of BTV. The sequence data provide evidence of an evolutionary relationship between two ecologically distinct groups of orbiviruses and demonstrate changes that have occurred in the functions of genetically related genomic segments.
Docosahexaenoic acid increases in frog retinal pigment epithelium following rod photoreceptor shedding.

Abstract The vertebrate retina conserves docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) during n-3 fatty acid deficiency. The mechanism of conservation is not known, although recycling of this fatty acid between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and retina is one possibility. We examined the role of the RPE in conservation of 22:6n-3 by quantitating the fatty acids and phospholipid molecular species (PLMS) in frog RPE before and after light-stimulated shedding of rod outer segments (ROS). RPE cells were dissociated with brush agitation and purified by a discontinuous ficoll density gradient. One hour after the light-induced shedding of ROS, the phagocytosed ROS tip and opsin content of RPE had increased. Simultaneously, the levels of 22:6n-3 and 22:6(n-3)-containing PLMS were increased in the RPE. Within 8 hr following the shedding event, 22:6n-3 in the RPE had returned to the dark level. These findings indicate that the phagocytosed ROS tips contain 22:6n-3 and that the RPE metabolizes these ROS tips and eliminates 22:6n-3 from the cell. Thus, the RPE is intimately involved in the metabolism of 22:6n-3 in the retina. The recycling of 22:6n-3 from the RPE to the retina is a possible means of conserving this important fatty acid in the retina.
Membrane solubilization by a hydrophobic polyelectrolyte: surface activity and membrane binding

We have previously observed that the hydrophobic polyelectrolyte poly(2-ethylacrylic acid) solubilizes lipid membranes in a pH-dependent manner, and we have exploited this phenomenon to prepare lipid vesicles that release their contents in response to pH, light, or glucose (Thomas, J. L., and D. A. Tirrell. Acc. Chem. Res. 25:336–342, 1992). The physical basis for the interaction between poly(2-ethylacrylic acid) and lipid membranes has been explored using surface tensiometry and fluorimetry. Varying the polymer concentration results in changes in surface activity and membrane binding that correlate with shifts in the critical pH for membrane solubilization. Furthermore, the binding affinity is reduced as the amount of bound polymer increases. These results are consistent with a hydrophobically driven micellization process, similar to those observed with apolipoproteins, melittin, and other amphiphilic alpha-helix-based polypeptides. The absence of specific secondary structure in the synthetic polymer suggests that amphiphilicity, rather than structure, is the most important factor in membrane micellization by macromolecules.
A reference model for simulating agile processes

Agile development processes are popular when attempting to respond to changing requirements in a controlled manner; however, selecting an ill-suited process may increase project costs and risk. Before adopting a seemingly promising agile approach, we desire to evaluate the approach's applicability in the context of the specific product, organization, and staff. Simulation provides a means to do this. However, in order to simulate agile processes we require both the ability to model individual behavior as well as the decoupling of the process and product. To our knowledge, no existing simulator nor underlying simulation model provide a means to do this. To address this gap, we introduce a process simulation reference model that provides the constructs and relationships for capturing the interactions among the individuals, product, process, and project in a holistic fashion---a necessary first step towards an agile-process evaluation environment.
Effect of caloric intake on western-style diet-induced intestinal tumors in a mouse model for hereditary colon cancer

Increased caloric intake has been associated with increased risk for cancer of the large intestine. We studied caloric intake effect on tumor formation in Apc1638 N/+ mice, a preclinical model for human familial adenomatous polyposis. Mice were fed a controlled AIN-76A diet or a new Western-style diet (NWD). Intestinal tumor development was evaluated after 6 mo of feeding 1) AIN-76A diet (fed ad libitum) vs. AIN-76A (caloric intake reduced 30%); 2) NWD (fed ad libitum) vs. NWD (caloric intake reduced 30%); and 3) AIN-76A (fed ad libitum) vs. NWD (paired-fed with NWD providing equal caloric intakes to AIN-76A). Intestinal tumor incidences were 78–100% with intergroup variation P > 0.05; however, tumor multiplicity responded differently to dietary treatment: 1) Tumor multiplicity was unchanged after AIN-76A (caloric intake reduced 30% vs. mice fed AIN-76A ad libitum); 2) tumor multiplicity was unchanged after NWD (caloric intake reduced 30% vs. NWD ad libitum); and 3) tumor multiplicity increased 130% after...
Projected survival benefit as criterion for listing and organ allocation in heart transplantation.

Background Current policies for the selection of candidates and the allocation of hearts for transplantation give priority to patients at greatest risk if not transplanted. However, to achieve best use of the donated organs, it is necessary to estimate the net benefit associated with transplantation. Methods The survival benefit associated with being listed or not, with being transplanted or left on the waiting list, or with being transplanted or being denied the opportunity for a transplant can be estimated by means of time-to-event modeling of competing risks with intervening states. The data were obtained from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and describe the outcomes of listings from 1997 to June 1999. Our analyses assessed 9,059 heart transplantation candidates, who were followed for at least 1 and up to 2 years after listing. Results The probability of receiving a heart transplant does not increase with the probability of death while awaiting the transplant. It is comparable in the second and tenth deciles of risk (measured by the probability of death while awaiting a transplant) at 1 month after listing (15% vs 18%), but is considerably higher in the second decile at 6 months (53% vs 38%) and increasingly more so thereafter. The estimate of survival benefit stabilizes within 1 year of follow-up. Through the fourth decile of risk, the benefit of being placed on the waiting list is negligible at best, but becomes substantial (10%) for patients in the highest 2 deciles. Heart transplantation may reduce survival in the least ill patients but is clearly strongly beneficial for severely ill patients, offering reductions of 20 to 35 percentage points in probability of death when compared with remaining on the waiting list or not receiving a transplant at all. Conclusions Our analyses indicate that criteria other than severity of illness as measured by the probability of death are, in practice, dominant in the allocation of donated hearts for transplantation. High percentages of patients listed as well as those transplanted are not expected to undergo a substantial increase in probability of survival, and some are likely to be harmed. A survival benefit is anticipated only for severely ill patients. Estimation of the projected survival benefit of listing and of transplantation is feasible and may be used to prioritize patients and lead to the best use of donated organs.
Geometric approach for designing optical binary amplitude and binary phase-only filters

An analytic solution for real optimal filters is known, and the special case of optimal binary phase-only filters can be solved by a fast binning algorithm but no analytic solution is known. We establish a geometric solution for the design of optimal binary amplitude filters (OBAF’s) and optimal binary phase-only filters (OBPOF’s) for any object. The optimal filter is found in terms of maximizing the field strength at the origin in the correlation plane. We found that it is possible to construct a unique convex polygon by using an ordered set of phasors from the filter object’s Fourier transform. This process leads eventually to an exact solution for the filter-design problem. We show that the maximum distance across the polygon divides the phasors into two groups: For the OBAF, it determines the group that is passed or blocked; for the OBPOF, it determines which group is passed with a zero or a π phase shift. The shape of the convex polygon gives qualitative information on the criticalness and the tightness needed in the design process. It provides good insight into the binning-process algorithm and permits us to bound the error in the binning process. Design examples through computer simulation and applications in fingerprint identification are presented.
Quantitative characterization of porosity in laser welds of stainless steel

Standing-edge joints made by a continuous-wave Nd:YAG laser are examined in 304L stainless steel to advance understanding of the linkage between processing and microstructure in high-rate solidification events. Microcomputed tomography combined with traditional metallography has provided qualitative and quantitative characterization of welds in this material system of broad use and applicability. Pore presence and variability have been examined three-dimensionally for average values, spatial distributions and morphology, and related to processing parameters such as weld speed, delivered power and focal lens.
Perturbations in the Scientific Literature

Contrairement a l'artiste litteraire, l'ecrivain scientifique est sense transmettre l'information aussi precisement et clairement que possible. Cependant, quelques scientifiques ont reussi a introduire dans leur prose, des figures rhetoriques telles que l'anagramme, l'acrostiche, le calembour, la metaphore, la litote et le neologisme
Experimental sensor and actuator location procedure for control of dynamically complex smart structures

In choosing positions for sensors and actuators for structural control, the first step is usually to develop a model that describes the motion of the structure in response to an excitation. The next step depends on the type of sensors and actuators used. If displacement or acceleration sensors and shakers are used, the model serves as a guide to find locations on the structure where displacement is large for a given disturbance. If in-plane strain-based smart sensors and actuators are used, the model is used to identify locations with large in-plane strain. If the structure is relatively complex, there is a good chance that the initial model will not predict motion that agrees completely with the measured motion of the structure. This initial model is then typically adjusted so that the behavior it predicts agrees with a measured modal analysis of the structure. This process can be extremely time consuming, and while the reconciled modes often agree well with a modal analysis, there can be large errors with respect to in-plane strain. Prediction of in-plane is necessary for accurate location of smart sensors and actuators like piezoceramics. In this paper an experimental method is introduced which uses in-plane sensors to find good smart sensor and actuator locations to control acoustic excitation of a complex structure. Experimental results are also presented which demonstrate the proposed technique.
Picture Perception Lab: A program for picture perception experiments on the Macintosh II.

Picture Perception Lab (PPL) is a program for picture perception experiments. PPL capitalizes on the sophisticated drawing software available for the Macintosh computer by allowing the user to create stimulus images by using almost any drawing package. Through a series of user-friendly dialog boxes, PPL enables even nonprogrammers to develop, quickly and easily, tachistoscopelike vision experiments. The program allows a wide variety of experimental designs. Image exposure durations and subjects’ reaction times are precisely monitored with millisecond timing functions. Each image is drawn on the screen in a single 60-Hz refresh.
Yoshio Nishina and two cyclotrons

ABSTRACT Yoshio Nishina is often honored as ““a father of modern physics in Japan.”” By performing multiple roles as a competent researcher, a formidable teacher, and a shrewd organizer, he not only made a great contribution to the emergence of a research network that produced two Nobel prize winners in physics but also raised the level of Japanese physics overall. Among Nishina9s many contributions to the Japanese physics community, the construction and operation of two cyclotrons during the 1930s and 1940s were the most celebrated. In this paper I try to answer the following questions: why did Nishina start the construction of two cyclotron in the mid-1930s?; how did he secure the necessary financial support?; what were the original objectives of the machines, and how were they were actually used?; what difficulties did he meet and overcome in the construction and running of the cyclotrons?; how significant was the Berkeley connection in contributing to the construction and operation of the cyclotrons?; why did Nishina skip the construction of the medium size cyclotron (30––40 inches) and move directly from a small (26-inch) to a large one (60-inch)?; and how much did the cyclotron project influence the future path of Japanese physics? I argue that Nishina9s two cyclotrons, especially the larger one, should be considered as successful examples of reverse engineering, a hallmark of Japanese technology in the interwar period.
Moderating effects of coping on the relationship between stress and the development of new brain lesions in multiple sclerosis.

Objective—Many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) report that stress can trigger disease exacerbations. Considerable research has supported a relationship between stress and both clinical exacerbation and the development of new brain lesions. However, these relationships are not always consistent either within patients or across patients, suggesting the presence of moderators. This study examined the hypothesis that coping moderates the subsequent relationship between stress and the development of new brain lesions in MS. Methods—Thirty-six patients (mean age = 44.4; 22 women, 14 men) with relapsing forms of MS were assessed once every 4 weeks for 28–100 weeks. New brain lesions were identified using monthly Gd+ MRI. Stress was measured within 24 hours before MRI using a modified version of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale that assessed Conflict and Disruption in Routine. Coping was measured at baseline using the Coping with Health Injuries and Problems questionnaire, which produces four scales: distraction, instrumental, palliative, and emotional preoccupation. Data were analyzed using mixed effects logistic regression to account for within-subject correlations. Analyses were lagged such that stress assessments predicted new Gd+ MRI brain lesions 8 weeks later. Results—As reported previously, stress was significantly related to the development of new Gd+ brain lesions 8 weeks later (OR = 1.62, p = .009). Greater use of distraction was found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between stress and new Gd+ lesions (OR = 0.69, p = .037) such that greater use of distraction was associated with a decreased relationship between stress and new Gd+ lesions. Increased instrumental coping was marginally associated with a decreased relationship between stress and new Gd+ lesions (OR = 0.77, p = .081), while increased emotional preoccupation was marginally associated with an increased relationship between stress and new Gd + lesions (OR = 1.46, p = .088). There was no significant moderating effect for palliative coping (p = .27) and no significant main effects for any coping variables and the subsequent development of new Gd+ brain lesions (p values > .21). Conclusions—These findings provide modest support for the hypothesis that coping can moderate the relationship between stress and the MS disease activity. Several limitations in this study are discussed. While these findings suggest areas of potentially fruitful research, readers are cautioned that these are preliminary results; inferences regarding the clinical importance of these findings are premature.
Queue Length Dependent Priority Queues

Priority rules that are mixtures of pre-emption and postponable rules are analyzed. Whether a pre-emption occurs is made to depend on some factor in addition to priority class. A lower priority customer is pre-empted if and only if the queue length of higher priority customers is N, a decision parameter. The stochastic model without priorities is that of the M/G/1 queue. First moment expressions e.g., expected number of customers in the system in the steady state case are obtained for each priority class, using the concept of work conservation. A linear cost model is introduced which is a function of expected waiting time and expected number of pre-emptions. By considering a parametric class of rules determined by the decision parameter, the problem of finding an optimal rule is formulated.
A direct measurement of the quasiparticle trapping efficiency for a normal metal trap

Abstract We present preliminary measurements intended to directly probe the efficiency at which energy is transferred from quasiparticles in a large-area superconductor film to conduction electrons in a smaller, normal metal trap. Quasiparticle excitations are injected into a superconductor film by a normal-insulator-superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction. These excitations diffuse throughout the superconductor and are eventually trapped by an adjoining normal metal film. The power deposited in electrons in the trap is measured by a second NIS junction, where part of the metal trap forms the normal electrode. The efficiency of the trap is the ratio of absorbed to incident power. For an Al superconductor film and a Ag trap we measure a trapping efficiency of at least 10% near 100 mK.