cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photochemical oxidation and changes in molecular composition of organic aerosol in the regional context

[1] This paper presents evidence that condensed-phase organic compounds are significantly oxidized in regional air masses and in locations affected by regional transport, especially during the summer. The core of the paper examines a large data set of ambient organic aerosol concentrations for removal of reactive compounds relative to less-reactive compounds. The approach allows visualization of both photochemistry and mixing of emissions from multiple sources in order to differentiate between the two phenomena. The focus is on hopanes and alkenoic acids, important markers for motor vehicle and cooking emissions. Ambient data from Pittsburgh, PA and the Southeastern United States contain evidence for significant photochemical oxidation of these compounds in the summertime. There is a strong seasonal pattern in the ratio of different hopanes to elemental carbon consistent with oxidation. In addition, measurements at rural sites indicate that hopanes are severely depleted in the regional air mass during the summer. Alkenoic acids also appear to be photochemically oxidized during the summertime; however, the oxidation rate appears to be much slower than that inferred from laboratory experiments. The significance of photochemistry is supported by rudimentary calculations which indicate substantial oxidation by OH radicals and ozone on a time scale of a few days or so, comparable to time scales for regional transport. Oxidation is non-linear; therefore it represents a very substantial complication to linear source apportionment techniques such as the Chemical Mass Balance model.
QTL With Pleiotropic Effects on Serum Levels of Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase and Osteocalcin Maps to the Baboon Ortholog of Human Chromosome 6p23-21.3†

Bone ALP and OC are under partial genetic control. This study of 591 pedigreed baboons shows a QTL corresponding to human 6p23–21.3 that accounts for 25% (bone ALP) and 20% (OC) of the genetic variance. A gene affecting osteoblast activity, number, or recruitment likely resides in this area. Bone ALP and OC are under partial genetic control. This study of 591 pedigreed baboons shows a QTL corresponding to human 6p23–21.3 that accounts for 25% (bone ALP) and 20% (OC) of the genetic variance. A gene affecting osteoblast activity, number, or recruitment likely resides in this area. Introduction: Serum levels of bone alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) reflect osteoblast activity. Both of these measures are under partial genetic control. Genetic effects on bone ALP have not been previously localized to chromosomal regions in primates, nor has the degree to which genetic effects are shared (pleiotropic) between bone ALP and OC been studied. Materials and Methods: We applied variance components methods to a sample of 591 adult pedigreed baboons to detect and quantify effects of genes that influence bone ALP and that have pleiotropic effects on bone ALP and OC. A univariate linkage analysis was conducted for bone ALP. Bivariate linkage analyses were conducted in areas for which the bone ALP results presented here and a previous univariate OC linkage analysis showed evidence for linkage on the same chromosome for both bone ALP and OC. Results: A quantitative trait locus (QTL) for serum levels of bone ALP is evident on the baboon ortholog of human chromosomal region 6p (LOD 2.93). Thirty-seven percent (genetic correlation [ρG] =0.61) of the genetic variance in bone ALP and OC is caused by pleiotropic effects of the same gene(s). Bivariate linkage analysis revealed a QTL in the region corresponding to human chromosome 6p23–21.3, with the strongest evidence for bivariate linkage near D6S422 (LOD =2.97 at 22 cM from our pter-most marker). D6S422 maps to 20.4 Mb in the human genome. The QTL-specific heritability (h2) is 0.25 and 0.20 for bone ALP and OC, respectively. Conclusions: This first formal test for shared genetic effects on two serum markers of osteoblast activity indicates that a significant pleiotropic effect on bone ALP and OC levels, and thus on bone formation, is detectible. The fact that this region corresponds to one on mouse chromosome 13 that has repeatedly yielded QTLs for BMD should encourage more intensive study of the effect of genes in this region on bone maintenance and turnover.
Laboratory pressure reaction apparatus

A laboratory reactor which can be readily built at low cost is described. It provides convenient control of pressure, temperature, and agitation and permits removal of samples under pressure. The reactor has been used to study hydrogenation of 0.5–1.0 kg samples of edible oils at pressures up to 53 psi and temperatures up to 121 C. This equipment should be useful in studying a variety of other reactions of interest to oil chemists.
Photoproduction of V 1 Centers in KBr Crystals

KBr crystals have been irradiated with monochromatic light of a wavelength of 190 millimicrons at liquid nitrogen temperature. When an electric field is applied to the crystal and its temperature subsequently raised, a burst of current is observed at --- 150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, which corresponds to the destruction of ${V}_{1}$ centers. Evidence is presented that $F$ centers and ${V}_{1}$ centers are created simultaneously by absorption of photons in the tail of the fundamental band of the crystal.
A simple three-dimensional real-time cellular array

We build a three-dimensional array of unreliable cellular automata that can simulate a universal Turing machine (more generally, a one-dimensional universal iterative array) reliably. This is the first reliable real-time simulation. The encoding is simple repetition, and no decoding is needed. The construction is based on Toom's work.
On finite element methods for plasticity problems

We prove an error estimate for an incremental finite element method for obtaining approximations to the stresses in an elastic-perfectly plastic body. We also comment on the limit load problem.
A Computing Approach Using Probabilistic Neural Networks for Instantaneous Appraisal of Rear-End Crash Risk

Computing and information technology has markedly increased the capabilities to collect, store, and analyze freeway traffic surveillance data. The most common forms of such data are collected using underground loop detectors. In the recent past the potential of using this data for identification of crash-prone conditions has been explored. In this paper, application of probabilistic neural networks (PNN) is explored to identify conditions prone to rear-end crashes on the freeway. PNN is a neural network implementation of the well-documented Bayesian classifier. In this research rear-end crashes observed on the Interstate-4 corridor in Orlando, FL, are divided into 2 groups based on average traffic speeds observed around the crash location prior to crash occurrence. Using decision tree-based classification it was noted that although the 2 groups of crashes have comparable frequencies, traffic conditions belonging to one of the groups (characterized by a low-speed traffic regime) are comparatively rare on the freeways. Hence, if those conditions are encountered on the freeway in real time, then conditions may be considered prone to rear-end crashes. As conditions belonging to the other group of rear-end crashes (characterized by a medium-to-high speed regime) are more commonly observed on the freeway, PNN-based classification models are developed for this group. The rear-end crashes along with a sample of randomly selected noncrash cases were used to calibrate the classifiers. The output layer of the PNN models was modified to provide a measure of crash risk, instead of binary classification based on an arbitrary threshold. A desirable threshold on this output may be established to separate crash-prone conditions from "normal" freeway traffic.
Comparison of EUV spectral and ion emission features from laser-produced Sn and Li plasmas

Planar slabs of pure Sn and Li were irradiated with 1064 nm, 9 ns Nd:YAG laser pulses. The resulting plasmas were evaluated with an absolutely calibrated extreme ultraviolet (EUV) power tool, a transmission grating spectrograph, a pinhole camera, and a Faraday cup. These diagnostic tools have allowed us to determine EUV conversion efficiency (CE), EUV spectral emission features, EUV-emitting plasma size, and the kinetic energies and fluxes of ions at various laser intensities for both Sn and Li plasmas. The maximum estimated CE values for Li and Sn plasmas are 1 ± 0.1 % and 2 ± 0.2 %, respectively. The Li2+ Lyman-α line and Sn8-13+ lines generate the in-band emissions of Li and Sn. The intensity of Li2+ lines was found to increase with laser intensity. However, the Sn unresolved transmission array (UTA) showed remarkable changes with at higher laser intensities, including the appearance of a spectral dip. EUV plasma images showed that Sn plasmas take on a conical shape, as opposed to the hemispherical shape of Li plasmas. Ion debris analysis showed the kinetic energies for Li ions are less than that of Sn ions under similar conditions. Moreover, the kinetic spread of Li ions has been found to be narrower compared to the kinetic energy distribution of the Sn ions. We also compared the ion flux emitted by Sn and Li plasmas.
Multiple pulmonary nodules: a complex case of Wegener’s granulomatosis

Wegener’s granulomatosis is a granulomatous vasculitis that can present with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. This disease entity predominantly affects the respiratory tract and the kidneys. Two forms of Wegener’s granulomatosis have been recognized: systemic and limited. It has not been established if the two forms represent separate disease entities or different stages of the same condition. In the limited form of Wegener’s granulomatosis there is no immediate threat to the function of vital organs and there is no evidence of glomerulonephritis. Environmental factors that could serve as triggers for the activation of Wegener’s granulomatosis have not been clearly defined. We report a case of a 78- year old male who was found to have bilateral pulmonary nodules on pre-operative chest X-ray and was diagnosed with the limited form of Wegener’s granulomatosis. The patient developed Clostridium difficile infection, and shortly after that active glomerulonephritis, a manifestation of systemic Wegener’s granulomatosis.
Factors associated with clinically significant head injury in children involved in motor vehicle crashes

Objective: Head injury is the most common cause of death for child occupants in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). The morbidity associated with nonlethal MVC-related head injuries is of great clinical consequence as well. The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency of, and risk factors for, clinically significant head injury (CSHI) in child occupants in MVCs. Methods: A large, child-specific crash surveillance system linking insurance claims data to telephone survey data was utilized. Qualifying crashes involved model year 1990 or newer vehicles in crashes with one or more child occupants (age 4 to 15 years) occurring in 15 U.S. states. Data were accrued between March 2000 and December 2007. A probability sample of crashes was selected for telephone survey with the driver of the insured vehicle. A clinically significant head injury, as reported by the child's parent using a validated survey, included concussions, skull fractures, and intracranial hemorrhages. Multivariate logistic regression was u...
Amoeboid microglia expressing GD3 ganglioside are concentrated in regions of oligodendrogenesis during development of the rat corpus callosum

In recent study we demonstrated expression of the platelet-derived growth factor alpha receptor (PDGFR alpha) in cells of the early oligodendrocyte lineage that were identified as either GD3 ganglioside + oligodendrocyte progenitors or O4 sulfatide+ preoligodendrocytes. We also identified a subpopulation of GD3 immunoreactive cells that did not express mRNA for the PDGF receptor. The distinct large amoeboid morphology of these cells was characteristic of cells in the macrophage lineage rather than in the oligodendrocyte lineage. To determine if the GD3-positive but PDGFR alpha mRNA-negative cells were in the macrophage lineage, we compared the spatial and temporal expression patterns of GD3 ganglioside and ED1, a macrophage-specific antigen. Analysis prenatally indicated that at embryonic day 15, ED1+ and GD3+ cell populations resided in the subpial connective tissue. At embryonic day 21, these two populations were seen in a region extending from the lateral ventricle through the subventricular and intermediate zones. In this study we report that these large, round, GD3 immunoreactive cells have the same cell morphology and anatomical distribution as the ED1 immunoreactive cells. Both cell populations contained pyknotic nuclei within their cytoplasm. Furthermore, the GD3+/PDGFR alpha- cells appear to be involved in clearing cellular debris in regions of gliogenesis. These data suggest that this subpopulation of GD3 immunoreactive cells belongs to the microglia/macrophage lineage.
Cloud Stabilization of Orange Juice by High Pressure Processing

High pressure processing (HPP) was investigated as a means to preserve cloud in freshly squeezed orange juice. Cloud loss is a major quality defect in orange juice, and methods of preserving cloud without the extreme temperatures used in commercial pasteurization are desirable. Pressures from 500 to 900 MPa were investigated at dwell times of 1 sec, 1 min and 10 min. Higher pressures and longer processing times were more effective at preserving cloud, while all treatments yielded a microbially stable product. A 90-day shelf life under refrigeration conditions could be achieved using pressures of 700 MPa and higher combined with treatment times of 1 min.
Synthesis of Crystalline Skutterudite Superlattices Using the Modulated Elemental Reactant Method

A series of samples ((AB)x(CD)y)z were prepared containing both short repeat units (AB and CD) and long repeat units ((AB)x(CD)y), where the short repeat units were designed to have the composition appropriate to form □M4Sb12 skutterudites (M = Fe, Co, or Ir; □ = vacancy, La, or Y). X-ray diffraction and reflectivity were used to follow the evolution of the films from amorphous, layered materials to crystalline skutterudite superlattices as a function of annealing temperature and time. In all cases, the short repeat units interdiffused and crystallized the expected skutterudite, while the long repeat period persisted after annealing. The skutterudites crystallize with random crystallographic orientation with respect to the substrate. The observed splitting of the peaks in the high-angle diffraction data from the IrSb3/CoSb3 sample indicates the formation of a novel superlattice structure with each grain having a random crystallographic orientation of the skutterudite lattice with respect to the superlatti...
AN ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY FOR NEURON-SPECIFIC ENOLASE IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID

Abstract A direct (as opposed to competitive) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed to detect neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Most common methods of evaluating NSE levels have utilized radioimmunoassay. These are highly sensitive, but cannot be employed in laboratories not equipped or licensed for the use of radioisotopes. The EIA developed here shows sensitivity within the physiological range of values for CSF-NSE (>1 ng/ml) and can be used in laboratories with appropriate densitometric scanning capabilities. The assay was applied to CSF samples obtained from patients with a variety of diagnoses at the time of surgical intervention for their respective disorders. While there were no diagnostically significant differences between the levels of NSE in CSF from patients with different neurological disorders utilized in the development of this procedure, we were able to differentiate between marginally different levels of NSE. We conclude that we have developed a safe, fast, reliable, and sensitive assay for NSE in the CSF that can be used to study NSE levels in a variety of neurological cases.
Saturation of red: A prothetic continuum

A battery of procedures was used to scale the saturation of colors produced by mixtures of red and gray papers. By direct magnitude estimation, the apparent saturation was found to grow as the1.7 power of the percentage of red in the mixture. The power law was confirmed by the cross-modality matching of loudness to saturation. The inverse continuum, paleness, was also scaled. Saturation appears to be a prothetic continuum because the category scale is curved and the subjective size of the jnd increases as saturation increases.
Ballistic field-effect transistor with negative-effective-mass current carriers in the channel

We consider a ballistic field-effect transistor with channel current carriers having a negative effective mass section in their dispersion relation. Such a device is suggested as an effective generator of terahertz-range oscillations. A gate potential controls the generator regime (including oscillation frequency, amplitude, turning on and off).
Comparing fungal band formulations for Asian longhorned beetle biological control.

Abstract Experiments were conducted with the fungal entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum to determine the feasibility of using agar-based fungal bands versus two new types of oil-formulated fungal bands for Asian longhorned beetle management. We investigated conidial retention and survival on three types of bands attached to trees in New York and Pennsylvania: standard polyester fiber agar-based bands containing fungal cultures, and two types of bands made by soaking either polyester fiber or jute burlap with oil-conidia suspensions. Fungal band formulation did not affect the number or viability of conidia on bands over the 2-month test period, although percentage conidial viability decreased significantly with time for all band types. In a laboratory experiment testing the effect of the three band formulations on conidial acquisition and beetle survival, traditional agar-based fungal bands delivered the most conidia to adult beetles and killed higher percentages of beetles significantly faster (median survival time of 27 d) than the two oil-formulated materials (36–37 d). We also tested the effect of band formulation on conidial acquisition by adult beetles kept individually in cages with a single band for 24 h, and significantly more conidia (3–7 times) were acquired by beetles from agar-based bands compared to the two oil formulations.
Mentoring and Coaching Rural School Leaders: What Do They Need?

This study explores the types of principal mentoring/coaching programs delivered in Wyoming school districts, USA, and the areas of need perceived by principals at different levels of experience. Some formalized district principal mentorship programs existed in larger school districts but these mainly targeted beginning principals. Most of the mentorship that occurred was informal. Priority topics for mentoring and coaching beginning and experienced principals identified were, in the area of professional socialization, data driven decision‐making and instructional leadership, and in the area of organizational socialization, working with difficult faculty members and working with difficult parents.
Phase resetting and coupling of noisy neural oscillators

A number of experimental groups have recently computed Phase Response Curves (PRCs) for neurons. There is a great deal of noise in the data. We apply methods from stochastic nonlinear dynamics to coupled noisy phase-resetting maps and obtain the invariant density of phase distributions. By exploiting the special structure of PRCs, we obtain some approximations for the invariant distributions. Comparisons to Monte-Carlo simulations are made. We show how phase-dependence of the noise can move the peak of the invariant density away from the peak expected from the analysis of the deterministic system and thus lead to noise-induced bifurcations.
Structure, dynamics, and electronic properties of diamondlike amorphous carbon.

An amorphous carbon network generated by quenching high-density high-temperature liquid carbon using tight-binding molecular-dynamics simulation is found to contain a large fraction of tetrahedral bonding sites. Investigations of the structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of the theoretical model provide fresh insights into the microscopic structure of diamondlike amorphous carbon films produced in ion-beam deposition experiments.
Structure-activity relationships of sulfonamide drugs and human carbonic anhydrase C: modeling of inhibitor molecules into the receptor site of the enzyme with an interactive computer graphics display.

We have analyzed the molecular interaction of 28 sulfonamide inhibitors with human carbonic anhydrase C (HCAC) using an interactive computer graphic display. Small aromatic sulfonamides gain most of their inhibitory power towards HCAC from the interaction of hydrogen bond acceptors at the para or meta positions with hydrophilic residues of the enzyme. Additional coordinated water molecules stabilize the complexes of heterocyclic sulfonamides (i.e., thiophenes, 1,3-thiazoles, and 1,3,4-thiadiazoles) with HCAC. We propose two different modes of binding of the heterocyclic ring with respect to the active site cleft: the heterocyclic sulfur atom of a 3,4-unsubstituted thiophene approaches the oxygen atom of a coordinated water molecule (sulfur “out”), whereas in 3,4-unsubstituted 1,3,4-thiadiazoles, the sulfur is in contact with a hydrophobic part of the receptor site (sulfur “in”). This proposal is consistent with crystallographic evidence. Sulfonamides with two aromatic or heterocyclic rings also interact with a hydrophobic pocket of the enzyme located >10 A away from the active site metal Zn2+. We also discuss the possibility that the relative inactivity of thiazide diuretics is due to the steric interaction of the ortho chlorine atom with the enzyme receptor cavity.
A Maximal Function Approach to Christoffel Functions and Nevai’s Operators

Let μ be a compactly supported positive measure on the real line, with associated Christoffel functions λn(dμ,⋅). Let g be a measurable function that is bounded above and below on supp[μ] by positive constants. We show that λn(g dμ,⋅)/λn(dμ,⋅)→g in measure in {x:μ′(x)>0} and consequently in all Lp norms, p<∞. The novelty is that there are no local or global restrictions on μ. The main idea is a new maximal function estimate for the “tail” in Nevai’s operators.
Animal phobias versus claustrophobias : exteroceptive versus interoceptive cues

Abstract The overall purpose of this investigation was to examine heterogeneity among specific phobias. In particular, the goals were to compare features of fear responding between individuals fearful of claustrophobic situations and individuals fearful of spiders/snakes, and to compare their response to hyperventilation challenges. By so doing, specific predictions were tested in relation to a conceptual model of exteroceptive and interoceptive fear cues. Using a nonclinical sample, 19 subjects with spider/snake phobias, 18 nonphobies, and 9 subjects with claustrophobias were exposed on two separate occasions to a live tarantula or python, a small closet, and a hyperventilation challenge. Dependent measures included subjective anxiety, panic attacks, physical symptoms, cognitive symptoms (or, fear of symptoms) and heart rate. In addition, subjects completed a standardized self-report scale that measures fear of bodily symptoms of arousal. It was found that subjects with claustrophobia reported more physical symptoms and cognitive symptoms than did subjects with snake/spider phobias, in response to their fear-relevant stimulus. In addition, claustrophobic subjects were more fearful of hyperventilation challenges and reported more fear of bodily symptoms, than did snake/spider phobic subjects. Finally, subjects with claustrophobia were as fearful of hyperventilation as they were of their fear-relevant stimulus. Theoretical and empirical implications of these findings are discussed.
Solution-phase parallel synthesis with oligoethylene glycol sorting tags. Preparation of all four stereoisomers of the hydroxybutenolide fragment of murisolin and related acetogenins.

The principles of the oligoethylene glycol (OEG) mixture synthesis are illustrated with the synthesis of all four possible stereoisomers of a hydroxybutenolide fragment common to murisolin and many other acetogenins. Modified dimethoxybenzyl groups with varying numbers of OEG units (−CH2CH2O−) are used to protect alcohols and serve as codes for configurations at two stereocenters. The encoded isomers are carried through several steps in a sequence of mixing prior to the reaction and then demixing during the separation to give individual pure products. A new tagging scheme is introduced in which a stereocenter bearing a hydroxy group is given two different tags. These initially redundant tags then serve to encode the configuration of another (untagged) stereocenter by appropriate pairwise reactions of the tagged precursors. The experimental features (reaction, analysis, separation, and characterization) of OEG mixture synthesis are detailed and are compared to and contrasted with those of fluorous mixture ...
From the frontlines to the home front. The crucial role of military orthopaedic surgeons.

Approximately 33,000 American service members have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past six years1. Providing treatment as soon as possible after injury has saved lives and preserved optimal function for most of the personnel wounded in the conflicts. Forward surgical teams have performed this life and limb-saving work. Orthopaedic surgeons are essential members of these teams because the majority of service members who are wounded in action sustain musculoskeletal injuries2. From the onset of the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, orthopaedic surgeons from the Army, Navy, and Air Force have served in the surgical units providing this care. These facilities range in size from two-surgeon resuscitative surgical teams near forward combat operations (Figs. 1-A and 1-B) to sophisticated field hospitals (Fig. 2)3. Continuously manning these battlefield surgical teams and caring for the large numbers of service members with musculoskeletal injuries have created many logistic and personnel challenges for the armed forces. Fig. 1-A A U.S. Marine Corps Forward Resuscitative Surgery System (FRSS-3), a Level-II treatment facility, in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. The FRSS is manned by nine to ten personnel, including one general surgeon and one orthopaedic surgeon. Fig. 1-B The interior of an FRSS operating-room tent during surgery in Iraq. Fig. 2 An aerial view of the Air Force Theater Hospital, Balad, Iraq, a Level-III treatment facility. It is an eighty-five-bed trauma hospital manned by over 200 personnel, including a full complement of surgical specialists, a computed tomography scanner, a blood bank, and an intensive care unit. The goal of this article is to provide an overview of some of the background, challenges, and rewards relevant to service as an orthopaedic surgeon in today's armed forces. It includes a limited historical perspective on the important advances that …
Involvement of lactones in the formation of 6-hydroxydopa and 6-hydroxyhydrocaffeic acid during oxidation of dopa and hydrocaffeic acid

Detailed oxidation/reduction pathways that lead to the formation of 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenolic compounds during the oxidation of dopa, hydrocaffeic acid and N-acetyldopa are described. Data suggest that (i) oxidation of dopa, hydrocaffeic acid and N-acetyldopa results in the formation of their corresponding o-quinones, (ii) the o-quinones undergo intramolecular nucleophilic addition through the side chain carboxy group to form lactones under weak acid conditions, (iii) oxidation of the lactones produces their corresponding lactone-o-quinones, (iv) the lactone-o-quinones, once formed, undergo rapid hydrolysis that leads to the formation of 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinones (p-quinones) as relatively stable products and (v) reduction of the p-quinones results in the formation of their corresponding 6-hydroxydopa, 6-hydroxyhydrocaffeic acid and N-acetyl-6-hydroxydopa. Data suggest that 6-hydroxydopa also can be produced by direct hydrolysis of dopa-lactone.
Who needs a therapeutic phlebotomy

Many oncology practices treat patients with benign and malignant hematologic diagnoses. As a result, oncology nurses often are required to care for these patients. One common procedure nurses perform is therapeutic phlebotomy, where about 500 ml of blood is removed through a large-bore needle over 15-30 minutes. The procedure is ordered as a treatment for hereditary hemochromatosis, polycythemia vera, and secondary polycythemia. Before initiating the procedure, nurses must be aware of a patient's diagnosis, baseline hemoglobin, hematocrit, ferritin, and therapeutic end points. Reviewing these diagnoses will help nurses understand why phlebotomy is an important part of treatment.
Hospice care for the child with AIDS

Abstract Hospice care was established to provide palliative (i.e., noncurative) services for the dying and their families. The advent of the AIDS epidemic has posed a challenge to hospice care, particularly for the child dying of the disease, and has adapted to modified palliative services. Parents, with a child dying of AIDS, must deal with many issues of disclosing the disease status to the child, coping with the emotions of losing a child, and when and where to incorporate hospice services into the dying process. Optimizing home based hospice care involves; (1) Nutritional management, (2) Prevention of opportunistic infections, (3) Pain management, and (4) Protection of Non-HIV positive members of hospice care. For the dying, hospice strives to achieve a peaceful death and provide supportive intervention for the survivors.
Malic dehydrogenase and related enzymes in the culture form of Trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract 1. 1. A very active malic dehydrogenase has been found in homogenates of T. cruzi . 2. 2. Conditions for maximum activity of diphosphopyridine nucleotide reduction have been determined. 3. 3. Malic dehydrogenase is linked to cytochrome c reduction, indophenol reduction, and fumarate reduction presumably through flavoproteins. 4. 4. Fumarase having an optimum pH 7.8 is present. The activity is equivalent to 60.8 μl fumarate per mg dry weight per hour. This may not be maximal. 5. 5. Oxalacetate and iodoacetate inhibit malic dehydrogenase. 6. 6. Homogenates may be stored in air at 5 °C for several days. Only about 2% activity is lost per day. 7. 7. The activity of malic dehydrogenase in homogenates parallels the extent of cell rupture when isotonic KCl is used as suspending medium.
A comparison of alternative incentive structures for centrally planned economic systems

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of incentive compatibility in a centrally planned economy with a stochastic environment. A relatively decentralized planning procedure is analyzed in which the planner allocates certain scarce resources and enterprise managers make all other decisions. It is found that the New Soviet Incentive Model loses its desirable incentive properties when resource allocation is introduced. However, the traditional Soviet quota-bonus reward schemes can be modified to achieve incentive compatibility. The requisite modification consists in a specific formula for quota setting and in deletion of the lump-sum bonus for quota fulfillment.
Reading Katrina: Race, Space and an Unnatural Disaster1

Beneath the fleeting commotion of natural disaster, the events of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 revealed deep-rooted dynamics of racial and class inequalities. National media frenzy in the wake of the storm on the Gulf Coast reported on the plight of black poor populations, especially in New Orleans, as those worst impacted and also most neglected. The first part of this article elaborates on the contested concepts of “race” and “racism” in a contemporary context, in which popular visual and narrative representations inform contemporary racial discourses and the perpetuation, in turn, of a dominant neoconservative hegemony. A discursive reading, in part two, of emergent political and media narratives around Katrina reveals the processes and tropes operating to (re)construct “race” in dominant American culture. In this deconstructive analysis, the devastated urban space of New Orleans emerges as a physical as well as highly symbolic regime of knowledge in relation to which dehistoricized racial construc...
Racial Ideology, Model Minorities, and the "Not-So-Silent Partner:" Stereotyping of Asian Americans in U.S. Magazine Advertising

As one of the most visible and powerful media institutions of U.S. popular culture, advertising plays a central role in conveying and disseminating a dominant racial ideology. After establishing an...
Local strong-coupling pairing in d-wave superconductors with inhomogeneous bosonic modes

Recent local tunneling data indicate strong nanoscale inhomogeneity of superconducting gap in high temperature superconductors. Strong local nanoscale inhomogeneity in the bosonic scattering mode has also been observed in the same samples. We argue that these two inhomogeneities directly related to each other. To address local boson scattering effects, we develop a local strong coupling model of superconducting pairing in a coarse grained superconducting state. Each patch is characterized by local coupling to the bosonic mode as well as by local mode energy. We find that local gap value on each patch grows with the local strength of electron-boson interaction. At the same time local gap value decreases with the local boson mode energy, an observation consistent with the tunneling experiments. We argue that features in the tunneling spectrum due to boson scattering are consistent with experimentally observed spectra. We also address the $^{16}O$ to $^{18}O$ isotope substitution. Since both coupling constant and boson energy could change upon isotope substitution, we prove that interplay between these two effects can produce results that are very different from conventional BCS model.
Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell at High-Altitude Conditions

The effects of oxygen concentration and ambient pressure on fuel cell performance are explored both in theory and in experiment For fuel cells in general the effect due to a change in oxygen concentration is shown to be fundamentally different than the effect due to a change in cathode pressure, even if partial pressure is held constant For a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a significant reason for this difference comes from the nature of mass diffusion processes in the fuel cell structure, which infers that there is an optimum fuel cell design (macroscale and microscale) for a given operating pressure and oxygen concentration. In the experimental work a proton exchange membrane fuel cell was subjected to varying atmospheric conditions from sea level to 53,500 ft (16,307 m) with results analyzed up to 35,000 ft (10,668 m). The results showed that at low current density operation a decrease in either cathode pressure or concentration led to an increase in irreversible losses associated with reaction kinetics (activation polarization) and confirmed the differing effects of cathode pressure and oxygen concentration. Consideration of all these effects enables both fuel cell- and system-level optimization of aeronautical fuel cell-based power systems. Copyright © 2006 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.
Pulmonary vessel segmentation utilizing curved planar reformation and optimal path finding (CROP) in computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for CAD applications

Vessel segmentation is a fundamental step in an automated pulmonary embolism (PE) detection system. The purpose of this study is to improve the segmentation scheme for pulmonary vessels affected by PE and other lung diseases. We have developed a multiscale hierarchical vessel enhancement and segmentation (MHES) method for pulmonary vessel tree extraction based on the analysis of eigenvalues of Hessian matrices. However, it is difficult to segment the pulmonary vessels accurately under suboptimal conditions, such as vessels occluded by PEs, surrounded by lymphoid tissues or lung diseases, and crossing with other vessels. In this study, we developed a new vessel refinement method utilizing curved planar reformation (CPR) technique combined with optimal path finding method (MHES-CROP). The MHES segmented vessels straightened in the CPR volume was refined using adaptive gray level thresholding where the local threshold was obtained from least-square estimation of a spline curve fitted to the gray levels of the vessel along the straightened volume. An optimal path finding method based on Dijkstra's algorithm was finally used to trace the correct path for the vessel of interest. Two and eight CTPA scans were randomly selected as training and test data sets, respectively. Forty volumes of interest (VOIs) containing "representative" vessels were manually segmented by a radiologist experienced in CTPA interpretation and used as reference standard. The results show that, for the 32 test VOIs, the average percentage volume error relative to the reference standard was improved from 32.9±10.2% using the MHES method to 9.9±7.9% using the MHES-CROP method. The accuracy of vessel segmentation was improved significantly (p<0.05). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the segmented vessel volume between the automated segmentation and the reference standard was improved from 0.919 to 0.988. Quantitative comparison of the MHES method and the MHES-CROP method with the reference standard was also evaluated by the Bland-Altman plot. This preliminary study indicates that the MHES-CROP method has the potential to improve PE detection.
Isolation and characterization of calmodulin from the motile green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Calmodulin, a calcium-binding protein with no known enzymatic activity but multiple, in vitro effector activities, has been purified to apparent homogeneity from the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and compared to calmodulin from vertebrates and higher plants. Chlamydomonas calmodulin was characterized in terms of electrophoretic mobility, amino acid composition, limited amino acid sequence analysis, immunoreactivity, and phosphodiesterase activation. Chlamydomonas calmodulin has two histidine residues similar to calmodulin from the protozoan Tetrahymena. However, unlike the protozoan calmodulin, only one of the histidinyl residues of Chlamydomonas calmodulin is found in the COOH-terminal third of the molecule. Chlamydomonas calmodulin lacks trimethyllysine but does have a lysine residue at the amino acid sequence position corresponding to the trimethyllysine residue in bovine brain and spinach calmodulins. The lack of this post-translational modification does not prevent Chlamydomonas calmodulin from quantitatively activating bovine brain phosphodiesterase. These studies also demonstrate that this unique calmodulin from a phylogenetically earlier eukaryote may be as similar to vertebrate calmodulin as it is to higher plant calmodulins, and suggest that Chlamydomonas calmodulin may more closely approximate the characteristics of a putative precursor of the calmodulin family than any calmodulin characterized to date.
A putative 5α-reductase inhibitor demasculinizes portions of the zebra finch song system

Abstract One model of the sexual differentiation of the zebra finch song system holds that both major metabolites of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E 2 ), act together to masculinize the song system. To test this model, we administered a putative inhibitor of 5 α -reductase (MK-434) to decrease the synthesis of DHT from testosterone (T) in hatchling zebra finches. We tested MK-434's inhibition of 5 α -reductase, 5 β -reductase, and aromatase in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, MK-434 significantly inhibited 5 α -reductase activity but also reduced the activities of 5 β -reductase and aromatase. In vitro, MK-434 was extremely effective in inhibiting 5 α -reductase in the rat prostate but only slightly inhibited 5 α -reductase in the zebra finch telencephalon, where it also reduced aromatase and 5 β -reductase activities. These results suggest that MK-434 might differentially influence the availability of androgenic and estrogenic substrates, depending on the relative abundance of these enzymes in brain. MK-434 demasculinized (decreased) the number and decreased the density of RA neurons but did not significantly affect any other sexually dimorphic aspect of the song system, including the volumes of RA, HVC, and Area X; the size of neural somata in lMAN, HVC, and RA; and the number of neurons in HVC and lMAN. The differential influence of MK-434 on sexually dimorphic characteristics suggests that the various sexually dimorphic characteristics of the song system (1) are sensitive to different hormones, depending on the characteristic; or (2) have different sensitivities to hormone levels, some being easily affected by slightly reduced hormone levels whereas others are not; or (3) have markedly different critical periods depending on the characteristic. Regardless of the reason(s) for differential effects on the sexually dimorphic characteristics of the song system, the data clearly suggest that steroid hormones play a role in the normal masculine development of the song system.
How Culture and Science Make Race "Genetic": Motives and Strategies for Discrete Categorization of the Continuous and Heterogeneous

Scientists, medical personnel, and others have recently re-asserted the equivalence of human genetic variation and social categories of "race". This essay identifies strong cultural and scientific motives for creating, defending, and deploying that equivalence. However, the essay employs visual depictions of human genetic variation and critical analysis of scientific and lay vocabularies to show that human genetic variation has a complex structure that cannot be directly fit into a simple category set of race terms. The essay suggests that efforts to equate patterns of human genetic variation and social terms for "race" rely on the rhetorical strategies of casuistic stretching and the deployment of a mediating term through a two-step argumentative structure. The essay closes by discussing the difficulties involved in implementing social policies based on this procrustean category system, utilizing the case of the "race-based" heart disease drug Bi-Dil.
Improvement of sternal closure stability with reinforced steel wires.

Background. Sternal dehiscence occurs when steel wires pull through sternal bone. This study tests the hypothesis that closure stability can be improved by jacketing sternal wires with stainless steel coils, which distribute the force exerted on the bone over a larger area. Methods. Midline sternotomies were performed in 6 human cadavers (4 male). Two sternal closure techniques were tested: (1) approximation with six interrupted wires, and (2) the same closure technique reinforced with 3.0mm-diameter stainless steel coils that jacket wires at the lateral and posterior aspects of the sternum. Intrathoracic pressure was increased with an inflatable rubber bladder placed beneath the anterior chest wall, and sternal separation was measured by means of sonomicrometry crystals. In each trial, intrathoracic pressure was increased until 2.0 mm of motion was detected. Differences in displacement pressures between groups were examined at 0.25-mm intervals using the paired Student’s t test. Results. The use of coil-reinforced closures produced significant improvement in sternal stability at all eight displacement levels examined (p < 0.03). Mean pressure required to cause displacement increased 140% (15.5 to 37.3 mm Hg) at 0.25 mm of separation, 103% (34.3 to 69.8 mm Hg) at 1.0 mm of separation, and 122% (46.8 to 103.8 mm Hg) at 2.0 mm of separation. Conclusions. Reinforcement of sternal wires with stainless steel coils substantially improves stability of sternotomy closure in a human cadaver model. (Ann Thorac Surg 2003;76:1631‐ 4) © 2003 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
High performance MPI design using unreliable datagram for ultra-scale InfiniBand clusters

High-performance clusters have been growing rapidly in scale. Most of these clusters deploy a high-speed interconnect, such as Infini-Band, to achieve higher performance. Most scientific applications executing on these clusters use the Message Passing Interface (MPI) as the parallel programming model. Thus, the MPI library has a key role in achieving application performance by consuming as few resources as possible and enabling scalable performance. State-of-the-art MPI implementations over InfiniBand primarily use the Reliable Connection (RC) transport due to its good performance and attractive features. However, the RC transport requires a connection between every pair of communicating processes, with each requiring several KB of memory. As clusters continue to scale, memory requirements in RC-based implementations increase. The connection-less Unreliable Datagram (UD) transport is an attractive alternative, which eliminates the need to dedicate memory for each pair of processes.In this paper we present a high-performance UD-based MPI design. We implement our design and compare the performance and resource usage with the RC-based MVAPICH. We evaluate NPB, SMG2000, Sweep3D, and sPPM up to 4K processes on an 9216-core InfiniBand cluster. For SMG2000, our prototype shows a 60% speedup and seven-fold reduction in memory for 4K processes. Additionally, based on our model, our design has an estimated 30 times reduction in memory over MVAPICH at 16K processes when all connections are created. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research work that presents a high-performance MPI design over InfiniBand that is completely based on UD and can achieve near identical or better application performance than RC.
3D Object Detection Based on Geometrical Segmentation

Objects are often occluded in cluttered real-world environments, but how to detect occluded objects effectively is seldomly studied. In this paper, we introduce an approach to identify and localize occluded objects by taking advantage of RGB-D data from a RGB-D camera, such as a Microsoft Kinect. Our approach identifies an object based on features of its geometrical surfaces obtained from segmentation rather than global features obtained from treating the object as a whole. Geometrical surfaces are segmented from the RGB-D data based on depth and surface normal continuity. Color and SIFT features are extracted to describe each surface. Experiments show that our approach can detect heavily occluded objects robustly and efficiently.