cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Excitation field synthesis as a means for obtaining enhanced axial resolution in fluorescence microscopes

For fundamental reasons, fluorescence microscopes are more limited in axial, as opposed to transverse, resolution. By giving the excitation field a particular axial structure, this limitation can be partially alleviated, as in confocal scanning or two-photon scanning, or even in optical sectioning microscopy in cases where the object occupies only a small part of the field of view. Standing-wave fluorescence microscopy (SWFM) is a direct imaging method in which the specimen is excited by a 3-D field of planar interference fringes oriented parallel to the object focal plane of the microscope. By shifting the position of the nodal planes of this field relative to the specimen, structures that are normally obscured under uniform excitation become resolved. We demonstrate that, in very thin biological specimens, this optical subsectioning increases axial resolution by an order of magnitude, to 0.04 μm. In comparison to confocal scanning, SWFM resolves fine axial structure with more than 10-fold greater speed, and with similarly-reduced photobleaching. We also discuss the more general case of excitation field synthesis (EFS), in which standing wave fields differing in node spacing can be overlapped or time-multiplexed in the specimen so that the average field is non-periodic and peaked at the object focal plane. A transfer function model is given to show that for weakly-refractive specimens of arbitrary thickness, such as single cells or cell monolayers, EFS should lead to a fivefold improvement in axial resolution.
Outcomes after hospitalization in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE The outcomes of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who undergo hospitalization have not been well characterized. We sought to determine the frequency of all-cause and respiratory-related hospitalizations and to evaluate their impact on the subsequent course and survival of patients with IPF. METHODS The records of patients with IPF evaluated at a tertiary center were examined for the cause and duration of hospitalization. Data on subsequent patient outcomes were collated. RESULTS The IPF cohort consisted of 592 patients, 25.3% of whom were hospitalized subsequent to their IPF diagnosis. A respiratory-related cause accounted for 77.3% of these hospitalizations. The median transplant-free survival for all patients was 23.3 months (interquartile range [IQR], 7.6-63.6 months) from the time of consultation. Transplant-free survival after hospital admission was much lower for patients with a respiratory hospitalization compared with those with a nonrespiratory hospitalization (median survival, 2.8 months [IQR, 0.63-16.2 months] vs 27.7 months [IQR, 7.4-59.6 months]; P = .0004). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that both all-cause and respiratory-related hospitalizations were strongly associated with mortality after adjusting for baseline demographics. Among patients with a respiratory hospitalization, 22.4% died while in the hospital, whereas 16.4% eventually went on to lung transplantation. CONCLUSIONS Hospitalizations are common events in patients with IPF. Most hospitalizations are respiratory-related and are associated with high in-hospital mortality and limited survival beyond discharge. Both all-cause and respiratory hospitalizations are associated with mortality, and therefore, either could be used as an end point in IPF clinical trials.
Synthesis, characterization, and electrochemistry of diruthenium(III,II) and monoruthenium(III) complexes containing pyridyl-substituted 2-anilinopyridinate ligands.

Reaction of the metal−metal bonded complex Ru2(O2CCH3)4Cl with 2-anilino-4-methylpyridine leads to the (3,1) isomer of the diruthenium(III,II) complex Ru2(ap-4-Me)4Cl, 1 while the same reaction with 2-anilino-6-methylpyridine gives the monoruthenium(III) derivative Ru(ap-6-Me)3, 2. Both compounds were examined as to their structural, electrochemical, and UV−visible properties, and the data were then compared to that previously reported for (4,0) Ru2(2-Meap)4Cl and other (3,1) isomers of Ru2(L)4Cl with similar anionic bridging ligands. ESR spectroscopy indicates that the monoruthenium derivative 2 contains low-spin Ru(III), and the presence of a single ruthenium atom is confirmed by an X-ray structure of the compound. The combined electrochemical and UV−vis spectroelectrochemical data indicate that the diruthenium complex 1 is easily converted to its Ru24+ and Ru26+ forms upon reduction or oxidation by one electron while the monoruthenium derivative 2 also undergoes metal-centered redox processes to give R...
Interpersonal Accuracy of Interventions and the Outcome of Cognitive and Interpersonal Therapies for Depression.

Objective: The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the interpersonal accuracy of interventions in cognitive therapy and interpersonal therapy as a predictor of the outcome of treatment for patients with major depressive disorder. Method: The interpersonal accuracy of interventions was rated using transcripts of treatment sessions for 72 patients who were being treated with cognitive or interpersonal therapy for major depressive disorder through the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (Elkin et al., 1989). Interpersonal accuracy of interventions was assessed by first identifying core conflictual relationship themes for each patient and then by having judges rate therapist intervention statements for the extent to which each statement addressed each component of the patient-specific interpersonal theme. Results: Using early-in-treatment sessions, statistically significant interactions of interpersonal accuracy of interventions and treatment group in relation to outcome were evident. These findings included significant interactions of treatment group with accuracy of interventions in the prediction of subsequent change of depressive symptoms and social adjustment from Week 4 to Week 16, with higher levels of interpersonal accuracy associated with relatively poorer outcomes for patients receiving cognitive therapy but relatively better outcomes for patients in interpersonal therapy. Conclusion: The process of interpersonal and cognitive therapies may differ in important ways. Accurately addressing interpersonal themes may be particularly important to the process of interpersonal therapy but not cognitive therapy.
Stark effect of Z1 and Z2 centers in KC1

Abstract Electric field modulation of Z1 and Z2 center absorption was measured in KC1: Sr. The obtained Stark spectrum for quadratic field modulation and preliminary measurements on linear field modulation of electrically aligned Z1 centers are interpreted by a specific inversion asymmetric center model, which accounts for several other experimental observations too.
Spinal and supraspinal changes in opioid mRNA expression are related to the onset of pain behaviors following excitotoxic spinal cord injury.

Abstract Excitotoxic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes anatomic, physiologic and molecular changes within the spinal cord and brain. Intraspinal injection of quisqualic acid (QUIS) produces an excitotoxic injury that leads to the onset of behavioral syndromes, believed to be related to the clinical condition of chronic pain. The opioid system, classically involved in the suppression of pain transmission, has been associated with the onset of pain-related behaviors and changes in spinal opioid peptide expression have been demonstrated in various models of SCI and chronic pain. Recently, changes in opioid peptide expression have been demonstrated in both spinal and supraspinal areas following excitotoxic SCI. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine changes in opioid peptide gene expression as they relate to the onset of pain behaviors following excitotoxic SCI. Male, Long–Evans rats were given an intraspinal injection of 1.2 μl of 125 mM QUIS and allowed to survive for 10 days, a duration sufficient for the development of pain-related behaviors. Animals were assessed daily for the presence of excessive grooming behavior, i.e. self-directed biting and scratching resulting in damage to superficial and deeper layers of the skin. Animals were also tested for thermal hypersensitivity using a cold plate apparatus on days 5, 7, and 10 following QUIS injection. After sacrifice, quantitative in situ hybridization was performed on regions of the spinal cord surrounding the lesion site as well as whole brain sections through various levels of the thalamus and cortex. Spinal preproenkephalin (PPE) and preprodynorphin (PPD) expression was significantly increased in animals that developed excessive grooming behaviors vs. those that did not. For PPE, this difference was seen bilaterally, in areas of cord caudal to the site of injury. For PPD, this difference was seen only ipsilateral to the site of injection, rostral to the site of injury. In addition, PPE expression in the anterior cingulate cortex and PPD expression in the contralateral parietal cortex were significantly higher in grooming vs. non-grooming animals. These results support previous conclusions that both spinal and supraspinal regulation of endogenous opioid peptide expression plays a role in the response to or onset of post-SCI pain. These results also suggest that the opioid peptides are regulated independently and serve different functions in response to SCI.
Spatial configuration of deoxyribotrinucleoside diphosphates in aqueous solution

The detailed conformational features and dynamics of the naturally occurring deoxyribotrinucleoside diphosphates d-TpTpT and d-TpTpC have been investigated at 20 degrees C and 80 degrees C in aqueous solution by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The observed NMR parameters indicate that the conformational properties of the trimers are very similar to those of the constituent dimers and monomers, i.e., the monomers and dimers conserve their intrinsic conformational features when they become incorporated into oligomers. Model building indicate that the distant shieldings can originate from spatial configurations in which the central nucleotidyl unit is bulged out and the w'1w1, w'2w2 occupy /g+g+, g+g+/ domains.
Avian cellular homolog of the qin oncogene.

Abstract We have isolated chicken cDNA clones of the c-qin gene, the cellular counterpart of the v-qin (Chinese for "avian") oncogene of avian sarcoma virus 31. There are several differences between the cellular and the viral qin sequences: (i) two nonconservative amino acid substitutions in the Qin coding region; (ii) a truncation in the carboxyl terminus of the viral protein due to a premature stop codon; (iii) a partial Gag sequence fused to the amino terminus of viral Qin; and (iv) eight cell-coded amino acids which link the cellular Qin coding domain to the viral Gag domain. We have also characterized the expression pattern of c-qin in chicken embryos by in situ hybridization and by Northern blot analysis. c-qin is abundantly expressed in the developing brain, and this expression is restricted to the telencephalon of early embryos.
Distal and Proximal Colon Adenomas

To the Editors: In the report of their prospective study of whether distal colonic hyperplastic polyps are a marker for proximal adenomatous polyps in symptomatic patients, Provenzale and colleague...
COMPARISON OF THE DIAGNOSTIC ACHIEVEMENT BATTERY AND WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN-REVISED: A PILOT STUDY

To identify adequately children in need of special services, the evaluator searches for instruments which assess abhty and achievement in chddren with unique backgrounds, including ethnic minorities and the culturally diverse groups (Whorton & Morgan, 1990). The Diagnostic Achievement Battery (Newcomer & Curtis, 1984) is an individual measure of academic skill development for children aged 6 to 15 years in listening, speaking, reading, writing, mathematics, spoken language, and written language. According to the authors, the test was developed to (1) identify children who have significant academic deficits and need appropriate remediation, (2) identify component academic strengths and weaknesses, (3) document progress, and (4) serve as a measure in researching academic achievement in elementary children. The achievement battery may also be appropriate for use with chddren who have unique backgrounds. According to Sattler (1988). achievement tests, such as those which measure reading, arithmetic, wr~ting, and spelling skills, are more culture-bound than intelligence tests. Yet both types of evaluation are necessary to identify children in need of special education services. Swanson and Watson (1982) outline several criteria which should be met before an instrument may be classified as culturally fair, including predictive validity across cultures or populations, minimized use of one language or reading, representation of the target population in the norming sample, no penalty by time, subjects given the opportunity to learn presented material, and content of the items familiar to all groups. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) (Wechsler, 1974) has been suggested as a vahd measure of cognitive abihty for culturally varied children (Sattler, 1988). The achievement battery may not satisfy each of these criteria, yet might be useful in the identification of pupils requiring special services based on predictive validity.
Electrokinetic flow control in microfluidic chips using a field-effect transistor

A field-effect transistor is developed to control flow in microfluidic chips by modifying the surface charge condition. In this investigation, zeta potential at a particular location is altered locally by applying a gate voltage, while zeta potential at other locations is maintained at its original value. This non-uniform zeta potential results in a secondary electroosmotic flow in the lateral direction, which is used for flow control in microgeometries. Here, microchannel structures and field-effect transistors are formed on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using soft lithography techniques, and a micro particle image velocimetry technique is used to obtain high resolution velocity distribution in the controlled region. The flow control is observed at relatively low gate voltage (less than 50 V), and this local flow control is primarily due to current leakage through the interface between PDMS and glass layers. A leakage capacitance model is introduced to estimate the modified zeta potential for the straight channel case, and excellent agreement is obtained between the predicted and experimental zeta potential results. This leakage-current based field-effect is then applied to a T-channel junction to control flow in the branch channel. Experiments show that the amount of discharge in the branch channel can be controlled by modulating gate voltage.
Atomic-Scale Quasi-Particle Scattering Resonances in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

Low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy of the high transition temperature (high-T-c) cuprate Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta reveals the existence of large numbers of identical regions with diameters of about 3 nanometers that have a relatively high density
Participation of multiple calcium channel types in transmission at single climbing fiber to Purkinje cell synapses

The sensitivity of synaptic transmission to antagonists of different calcium channels was examined at the powerful climbing fiber synapse between neurons from the inferior olive and cerebellar Purkinje cells. In rat brain slices, climbing fibers were activated with extracellular electrodes, and synaptic currents were recorded with whole-cell patch clamp. Dihydropyridines did not discernibly affect synaptic strength. omega-Conotoxin GVIA, a potent antagonist of N-type calcium channels, reduced synaptic currents by an average of 29%. omega-Agatoxin-IVA, a high affinity blocker of P-type calcium channels, reduced synaptic strength by an average of 77%. Together, the two toxins virtually eliminated synaptic transmission (91% inhibition). These results indicate that omega-agatoxin-IVA-sensitive calcium channels play an important role in transmission at the climbing fiber synapse. They also suggest that in single climbing fibers, release is evoked by at least two pharmacologically distinct calcium currents, one sensitive to omega-agatoxin-IVA, the other to omega-conotoxin GVIA.
The Effect of Decreasing Response Options on Students' Evaluation of Instruction

This study examined the statistical effect of changing from a 10-point to a 5-point response scale on students' evaluation of instruction. Participants were 5,616 students enrolled in classes offered by the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs at a large Western university, who completed both the old evaluation (10-point response) and the new evaluation (5-point response). On average, students used a greater range of points on the scale for the 5-point scale (32 percent) than on the 10-point scale (19 percent). The effects of changing the response scale are discussed.
An atomistic study of solid/liquid interfaces and phase equilibrium in binary systems

A semiempirical Lennard-Jones/Embedded Atom Method model is used to capture real materials’ behavior through the introduction of many-body forces. By means of molecular dynamics (MD) calculations, the model is used to study the dependence of the solid/liquid interface velocity on temperature and composition. Based on the MD results, the free energies and the chemical potentials in the solid and liquid phases are calculated to produce the phase diagrams. These calculations illustrate the consequences of differences in energy and size between the components on the phase diagrams. An asymmetry in velocity between solidification and melting is found. Slowing of the interface velocity by solutes during solidification is demonstrated.
Public Opinion and the Politics of America's Obesity Epidemic

Recently, health policy experts have sounded the warning about the severe health and economic consequences of America's growing obesity epidemic. Despite this fact, obesity has not yet entered America's political consciousness and we have little information about what average Americans think of obesity or whether they support obesity related policies. The nascence of the obesity epidemic presents an interesting opportunity to examine public opinion at the beginning of an issue's evolution. Using unique survey data collected by the authors, this paper presents the first examination of public attitudes towards obesity and obesity policy. We find that, contrary to the views of health experts, most Americans are not seriously concerned with obesity, express relatively low support for obesity-targeted policies, and still view obesity as resulting from individual failure rather than environmental or genetic sources. Given the absence of elite discourse on this problem, we also find that typical determinants of policy preferences, such as ideology or partisanship, are not good predictors of attitudes on obesity policy. Rather, with a low valence issue like obesity, the public relies on prior awareness, policy heuristics, and causal explanations to inform their opinions. The implications of these findings for obesity policy and research on public opinion are discussed.
Bandwidth-intensive FPGA architecture for multi-dimensional DFT

Multi-dimensional (MD) Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is a key kernel algorithm in many signal processing algorithms, including radar data processing and medical imaging. Although there are many efficient software solutions, they are not suitable for applications that require fast response time. In this paper we focus on FPGA-based implementation of MDDFT. The proposed architecture is based on a decomposition algorithm that takes into account FPGA resources and the characteristics of off-chip memory access, namely, the burst access pattern of the Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM). The architecture can support 2D, 3D, and even higher dimensional DFT with high performance. It has been implemented on a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA platform and its performance for 2D and 3D DFT measured and analyzed.
Predisposition to atherosclerosis by infections: role of endothelial dysfunction

BACKGROUND: Several microorganisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that infections may predispose to atherosclerosis by inflicting endothelial injury. METHODS AND RESULTS: Of 375 patients undergoing coronary angiography, 218 had assessment of endothelial function using intracoronary acetylcholine (ACH) and of endothelium-independent function with sodium nitroprusside and adenosine. Immunoglobulin-G antibody titers to cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis A virus, and herpes simplex virus-1 were measured. Pathogen burden was defined as the number of positive antibodies. Although positive serology to individual pathogens tended to be associated with increased incidence of coronary arteriosclerosis (CAD), the pathogen burden correlated with the presence of CAD, even after adjustment for risk factors (OR 1.3; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.6, P=0.018). Moreover, the severity of CAD was independently associated with the pathogen burden (P=0.001). Pathogen burden was an independent predictor of endothelial dysfunction, determined as the percent change in coronary vascular resistance in response to ACH (P=0.009) but not the responses to sodium nitroprusside or adenosine. Pathogen burden was also an independent determinant of endothelial function in the subgroup with angiographically normal coronary arteries. CONCLUSIONS: The immunoglobulin-G antibody response to multiple pathogens (pathogen burden) is an independent risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and the presence and severity of CAD. Endothelial dysfunction provides the crucial link by which pathogens may contribute to atherogenesis.
Teaching Java security to enhance cybersecurity education

Java is a widely used programming language. How to use Java to develop secure applications is critical. In order to effectively teaching knowledge of Java security we have developed a course module titled “Java Security”. This paper presents the content of this module and reports our teaching experiences. This module has been successfully taught in COMP 360 Programming Languages class in fall 2012 in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina A&T State University. Our experience exhibits that teaching this module help students not only understand the Java security features, but also gain significant knowledge of safe programming practice. Students' survey and feedback reflected that this module is very valuable in their educational experience. This module could be taught in junior and senior classes of software engineering, computer science and information technology.
Proving atomicity: an assertional approach

Atomicity (or linearizability) is a commonly used consistency criterion for distributed services and objects. Although atomic object implementations are abundant, proving that algorithms achieve atomicity has turned out to be a challenging problem. In this paper, we initiate the study of systematic ways of verifying distributed implementations of atomic objects, beginning with read/write objects (registers). Our general approach is to replace the existing operational reasoning about events and partial orders with assertional reasoning about invariants and simulation relations. To this end, we define an abstract state machine that captures the atomicity property and prove correctness of the object implementations by establishing a simulation mapping between the implementation and the specification automata. We demonstrate the generality of our specification by showing that it is implemented by three different read/write register constructions: the message-passing register emulation of Attiya, Bar-Noy and Dolev, its optimized version based on real time, and the shared memory register construction of Vitanyi and Awerbuch. In addition, we show that a simplified version of our specification is implemented by a general atomic object construction based on the Lamport’s replicated state machine algorithm.
Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS2)-deficient mice: a novel model to study autonomic nervous system function

in this issue of The American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology , Gross and colleagues ([2][1]) present hemodynamic experiments in a novel murine knock-out model in which the gene for a regulator of G protein signaling was functionally inactivated ([7][2]).
Non-linear response of carbon dioxide and methane emissions to oxygen availability in a drained histosol

Organic-rich wetland soils in the histosol soil order represent the largest soil carbon (C) pool globally. Carbon accumulation in these ecosystems is largely due to oxygen (O2) limitation of decomposition. Increased O2 availability from wetland drainage and climate change may stimulate C decomposition overall and affect the balance of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) greenhouse gas release. Characterizing relationships, including non-linearity, between soil O2 and C gas emissions is therefore critical to predict the partitioning and rate of C release from histosols under greater O2 availability. We varied gas-phase O2 concentration from 0.03 to 20 % in incubations of a sapric histosol and measured resulting CO2 and CH4 emissions. Efflux of CO2 increased and CH4 emissions decreased at higher O2 concentrations, and rates were best described by log-linear model fits. The non-linear response of CO2 and CH4 emissions to O2 concentration indicates that moist, C rich histosols may be highly sensitive to increases in O2 availability, even below concentration thresholds typically classified as anoxic.
How Ready Is Higher Education Faculty for Engaged Student Learning? Applying Transtheoretical Model to Measure Service-Learning Beliefs and Adoption

This study examined service-learning (SL) beliefs and participation among faculty in different stages of involvement to develop tailored resources and support. A representative sample of 1,200 faculty members at a major public university in Southeast United States was recruited. The study used the transtheoretical model (TTM) as an innovative way to group SL involvement into five stages: unaware (U), pre-contemplation (PC), contemplation (C), preparation (Prep), and action and maintenance (A/M). Perceived benefits and barriers at different levels were assessed. The distribution among faculty who completed the online survey (n = 450, 60% males) across stages was 20% (U), 31% (PC), 16% (C), 10% (Prep), and 23% (A/M). Analyses showed significant differences on the 4 SL beliefs, F(3, 358) ranged from 7.05 to 78.31, all p< .001, across stages. This study provides the first valuable empirical data to support the application of TTM to the SL arena and identified salient variables influencing faculty involvement across stages.
Myeloid differentiation factor 88 is required for cross-priming in vivo.

We describe a role for myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in the induction of functional CTLs in vivo, in response to exogenously administered Ag, using a heat shock fusion protein, hsp65-P1, as a model Ag. CD8 T cells transferred into MyD88-deficient animals produce normal numbers of CD8 effector cells that have normal activation marker profiles after immunization with hsp65-P1. However, these CD8 T cells produced significantly less IFN-γ and showed reduced killing activity. This reduction in activation of functional CTLs appears to be unrelated to Toll-like receptor 4 function, because in vitro hsp65-P1-experienced Toll-like receptor 4-deficient dendritic cells (DCs), but not MyD88-deficient DCs, activated CD8 T cells to a similar extent to wild-type DCs. We identify a cross-presentation defect in MyD88-deficient DCs that, when treated with hsp65-P1 fusion protein, results in surface display of fewer SIYRYYGL/class I MHC complexes. Thus, MyD88 plays a role in the developmental maturation of DCs that allows them to prime CD8 T cells through cross-presentation.
Cold storage of segmental canine pancreatic grafts for 24 hours.

Abstract The feasibility of cold storage of pancreatic segments for 24 hr was studied in a dog autograft model. Two groups of dogs were studied. In Group 1 n = 9) the tail of the pancreas was removed with its vascular pedicle, flushed with lactated Ringer's solution, and immediately transplanted intraperitoneally to the left iliac vessels. The pancreatic duct was left open. The grafts in Group 2 ( n = 9) were flushed and stored at 4°C in Collins solution for 23 to 25 hr prior to transplantation. Total pancreatectomy was performed in all animals at the time of transplantation. Seven animals in Group 1 and five animals in Group 2 underwent intravenous glucose tolerance tests (0.25 g/kg) on the seventh postoperative day. Mean glucose values at all time points were not significantly different. Mean (±SEM) K values were 1.36 ± 0.12% for Group 1 and 1.24 ± 0.17% for Group 2. Serum insulin concentrations (basal and peak) increased from 7 ± 1 to 30 ± 4 μU/ml in Group 1 and from 11 ± 2 to 35 ± 6 μU/ml in Group 2 during glucose tolerance testing, a similar response. In all dogs of both groups surviving for over 1 week, plasma glucose was in the normal range (71–146 mg/dl) immediately after transplantation and stayed within physiologic limits (65–155 mg/dl) throughout the follow-up period (1–10 months). Two dogs in each group died of vascular complications that were clearly secondary to technical difficulties at the time of transplantation. Two dogs in Group 2 died of complications (one peritonitis, one respiratory failure) in which the transplant may have been a contributing factor. Histologic and electron microscopic studies of stored grafts from biopsies taken before, during, and after 24 hr of cold storage and transplantation showed normal pancreatic architecture, no changes in islets, and minimal changes in the exocrine pancreas. In acinar cells a dilation of the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and an increase in mature and immature zymogen granules could be demonstrated. Six hours after transplantation the acinar cells looked normal, showing that the morphologic manifestations of injury were reversible. We conclude that 24 hr cold storage in Collins solution at 4°C is a reliable method for preservation of pancreatic grafts. If this technique can be applied to human pancreases, it will simplify the logistical aspects of clinical pancreas transplantation.
Schelling points on 3D surface meshes

This paper investigates "Schelling points" on 3D meshes, feature points selected by people in a pure coordination game due to their salience. To collect data for this investigation, we designed an online experiment that asked people to select points on 3D surfaces that they expect will be selected by other people. We then analyzed properties of the selected points, finding that: 1) Schelling point sets are usually highly symmetric, and 2) local curvature properties (e.g., Gauss curvature) are most helpful for identifying obvious Schelling points (tips of protrusions), but 3) global properties (e.g., segment centeredness, proximity to a symmetry axis, etc.) are required to explain more subtle features. Based on these observations, we use regression analysis to combine multiple properties into an analytical model that predicts where Schelling points are likely to be on new meshes. We find that this model benefits from a variety of surface properties, particularly when training data comes from examples in the same object class.
On the characterization of positive resistance networks by means of distance geometry

A metric characterization of (n+1)-terminal positive resistance networks is undertaken using concepts of distance geometry. Terminal weight numbers (TWN) and the network diameter are used in the characterization. Three structural constraints that must be obeyed by these quantities are stated. An interesting conclusion of the investigation is that Kirchoff's current law (KCL), by itself, does not suffice for a complete structural characterization and evaluation of an electrical network. It is shown that KCL must be combined with TWN for a complete structural network description. >
Application of Pauli--Villars Regularization and Discretized Light-Cone Quantization to a Single-Fermion Truncation of Yukawa Theory

We apply Pauli-Villars regularization and discretized light-cone quantization to the nonperturbative solution of (3+1)-dimensional Yukawa theory in a single-fermion truncation. Three heavy scalars, including two with negative norm, are used to regulate the theory. The matrix eigenvalue problem is solved for the lowest-mass state with use of a new, indefinite-metric Lanczos algorithm. Various observables are extracted from the wave functions, including average multiplicities and average momenta of constituents, structure functions, and a form factor slope.
Cardiac complications in pediatric patients on the ketogenic diet

Cardiac complications of the ketogenic diet, in the absence of selenium deficiency, have not been reported. Twenty patients on the ketogenic diet at one institution were investigated. Prolonged QT interval (QTc) was found in 3 patients (15%). There was a significant correlation between prolonged QTc and both low serum bicarbonate and high beta-hydroxybutyrate. In addition, three patients had evidence of cardiac chamber enlargement. One patient with severe dilated cardiomyopathy and prolonged QTc normalized when the diet was discontinued.
Diversity and abundance of orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Euglossini) in a tropical rainforest succession

Euglossine bee males are easily lured to chemical baits imitating natural fragrances gathered by bees, providing a widely applied measure for estimating the diversity and abundance of euglossines. In here, I report the composition of euglossine bees in three lowland rainforest habitats of Peru, a primary old forest, a reforested and managed forest, and a very disturbed forest. A total of 2,072 males of euglossine were collected, belonging to 33 species and four genera. Although a comparable diversity relative to other studies from the Amazonian region was found, no significant differences among the sampled areas were detected. Perhaps, the short time and low intensity surveys here used (< 3 months) were not good enough indicators of forest disturbance without additional data. Compared to other major studies on the euglossine bee fauna, Loreto is most similar to the species assemblage reported from lowland rainforest in Brazil (Manaus), central Peru (Panguana) and southern Peru (Tambopata).
Is Manufactured Owned Housing a Good Alternative for Low-Income Households? Evidence From the American Housing Survey

In terms of developing a housing policy that would improve the quality of housing for lower income households, it seems appropriate to explore the merits of an often-ignored alternative, namely manufactured owned housing. This article employs data from the American Housing Survey (AHS) collected between 1993 and 2001 to compare manu- factured owned housing with rented housing and traditional owned housing as a tenure alternative for low-income households. Our results contradict several preconceived notions regarding manufactured owned housing. For example, manufactured owned housing is found to be a low-cost housing alternative. Importantly, it is observed to have higher average quality rankings across both the neighborhood and structural dimensions of housing services than rented housing does (even when the sample is stratified by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location). Furthermore, those factors that contribute to lower structural quality or lower neighborhood quality, as well as changes in those quality measures over time, are similar between manufactured owned housing and traditional owned housing.
A Case Study on Wilson Disease

Wilson disease, also known as hepatolenticular degeneration, is a disorder in the liver that results in the improper metabolism of copper, which leads to accumulation of excessive amounts of this vital trace element in the liver, brain, eyes, and other organs. Although copper is essential for normal physiologic function, it can become toxic and life-threatening when too much is present within critical organs, especially the liver and the brain. There is no cure for Wilson disease, and patients affected with this disorder face a lifetime of treatment. Fortunately, the disease is very treatable if diagnosed before significant damage to the liver or brain occurs. This article presents a case study on Wilson disease and the role of sonography in helping diagnose and monitor patients with this condition.
Modeling the electromagnetic detection of buried cylindrical conductors

The remote detection of buried structures and tunnels is important to the mining, construction, and defense industries. It is often desirable to identify underground power lines, pipe lines, and utility tunnels which have distinctive electromagnetic cross sections. A computational model for the electromagnetic detection of buried conducting cylinders is described. The source of electromagnetic radiation is either current injection into the soil or a surface based magnetic dipole with possible extensions to airborne platforms. A frequency range of 5-100 kHz is considered. The target conductor is a cylinder buried directly in the soil or placed inside an insulating pipe. The receiver is a magnetic gradiometer held 1 m above the ground, separate from the transmitter. Typically, data are taken in ten point scans above and normal to the buried conductor. Cases where the target conductor is grounded at both ends, one end, or not at all are modeled. The scattered field and field gradient are computed at or above ground level and compared in magnitude and phase with the transmitted signal. Calculated results are compared with experimental tests. Essential factors affecting detection performance are frequency, dynamic range of reception, and proper data processing.
Rat hepatocytes attach to laminin present in liver biomatrix proteins by an Mg++-dependent mechanism

Laminin belongs to a family of proteins that contains at least seven variants. Together with fibronectin, it is the most important cell-adhesion protein. Recent data from various laboratories have suggested that liver sinusoidal laminins differ from Engelbert-Holmes-Swarm tumor laminin (laminin 1), because the former contain alpha 2 instead of alpha 1 chains. Therefore, we compared the adhesion of hepatocytes to laminin 1 and a matrix extracted with dilute acetic acid from liver biomatrix (LBP). We show that LBP contains laminin and that this extracellular matrix protein is the main adhesion protein. Close to 70% of the hepatocytes attach to LBP after 15 minutes of incubation at 37 degrees C. Cell adhesion was Mg++ and Mn(++)-dependent and Ca(++)- and insulin-independent. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid prevented cell adhesion in the presence of divalent cations. We show that synthetic cell-adhesion peptide sequences present in laminin 1 (RGD and YIGSR) or an antibody to the cell-binding domain (SIKVAV) of the alpha 1 chain do not prevent hepatocyte adhesion to LBP. We also show that the LBP has cell specificity; hepatocytes adhere to it preferentially when compared with other epithelial and mesenchymal cell lines. We suggest that because of the differences in chain composition of laminin 1 and liver sinusoidal laminins as well as the described differences in cell adhesion to the two substrata, further studies are needed to determine the actual composition of liver laminin and establish the chains and domains to which hepatocytes adhere.
Laminar flame speeds of nano-aluminum/methane hybrid mixtures

Abstract An existing flame speed bomb was utilized to study the fundamental phenomena of flame propagation through a uniformly dispersed aerosol with a relatively small mass of metal nanoparticles. The aerosol was dispersed with a burst of gas and then allowed to settle for at least 45 s, to ensure that the conditions inside the test chamber were quiescent and uniform. Extinction of the light from a HeNe laser was used so that the mass of suspended nano-particles with a fundamental size of 100 nm could be determined as a function of time prior to combustion, and the suspended mass of aluminum (up to 90 mg) was measured in situ during an experiment. A particle size distribution was measured as well, resulting in an average pre-combustion agglomeration size of 446.1 nm. Two series of experiments were performed with CH 4 fuel, both at stoichiometric conditions: one with the mixture in air and the second with the mixture in a 70/30 N 2 /O 2 mix. The results herein show a maximum decrease in flame speed, 5–7% for the baseline mixture, when nano-aluminum was introduced at the suspended masses utilized in the present study. For the 70/30 N 2 /O 2 mixture, the aluminum resulted in a maximum decrease of 5 cm/s from the baseline value of 80.5 cm/s; and in the air mixture, a 2 cm/s maximum decrease from 35.3 cm/s was observed. Simple modeling of the process extremes indicates that the observed decrease in flame speed is somewhere between the limits of simple particle heating with no particle reaction and the kinetics limit where the Al reacts in the gas phase. Interestingly, the trends qualitatively matched those of the kinetics model applied herein. It was also found that the addition of nanoparticles caused the flame to become unstable much sooner when compared to the baseline mixture of CH 4 /air.
Diagnostic Advances in Multiple Myeloma

There have been several advances in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) in recent years. Serum free light chains have improved the ability to diagnose light chain MM; however, there are still difficulties in the serologic diagnosis of MM in some cases, particularly IgA MM. A novel heavy/light chain assay is able to improve the accuracy of diagnosis in these cases. Free light chains may also improve the diagnosis of extramedullary disease in difficult cases such as disease involving the central nervous system, pleura, or ascites. Advances in imaging such as whole body low-dose computed tomography (CT) whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) have improved sensitivity in identifying lytic bone lesions, which would enable earlier treatment, and monitoring of osseous disease particularly in non- or oligosecretory disease. New techniques such as fused PET/MRI may further enhance the diagnosis of both bone lesions and extramedullary disease.
Puzzles of the “Wealth of Nations”

Every well-bred economist knows that a man named Adam Smith was born at Kirkcaldy in 1723, published a somewhat notable book in 1759 entitled The Theory of Moral Sentiments, and in 1776, when he was fifty-three years old, produced an extraordinary pair of volumes called An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Most young economists nowadays, I fear, do not read either work of the great Scotsman as we all once did—in the days when one could still take time to enjoy also the leisurely pace of Thackeray and Dickens, even Scott. Students who just skim the Wealth of Nations, or parts of it, would surely miss what has attracted my attention; and even scholars interested in Smith's economic principles would hardly perceive what I have in mind, namely, that he was noteworthy for his “unbounded benevolence,” as one near-contemporary described him, and that he was “slow to think evil” as a recent biographer alleges. Apparently it was out of this abounding good nature that Smith alluded to “the avarice and injustice of princes and sovereign states, abusing the confidence of their subjects”; that he took opportunity to mention “the conveyances of a verbose attorney”; and that, with a more sweeping serenity, he recorded an observation of “the over-weening conceit which the greater part of men have of their own abilities.” Biographers of Smith have been led to state that perhaps he was not as obviously religious as some of his contemporaries. He was perhaps a deist, even if he was a philosopher and a friend of Hume. John Rae reported that Smiths “opening prayers” at Glasgow were thought to “savour strongly of natural religion,” and occasioned no little shaking of heads. Perhaps, then, one might expect Smith to have been somewhat less charitable toward wearers of the cloth than he was toward other groups.
EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION OF SENESCENCE: AN ANALYSIS USING A "HETEROGENEITY" MORTALITY MODEL.

A long-term laboratory selection experiment has produced replicated populations of fruit flies that differ in mean life span by more than twofold. An analysis of age-specific mortality rates indicated that differences in mean life span have been achieved principally by evolution of patterns of senescence. These results provide empirical confirmation that senescence can be modified within species by appropriate forms of natural selection, which is a fundamental prediction of theories regarding the genetic basis and evolution of senescence. Mortality data were fit to a model that accounts for the leveling off of cohort mortality rates at older ages, but that does not necessarily imply that very old individuals cease to senesce.
Study of Silane Decomposition during the Combustion of Renewable Natural Gas

The decomposition of silane (SiH4), as a model silicon-containing trace compound in renewable natural gas (RNG), has been studied during RNG combustion at ambient pressure conditions, using the opposed-jet, flat-flame experimental configuration. Silane flame concentration profiles were obtained, which indicate that complete SiH4 oxidation occurs in the preflame and luminous flame regions. The laser-extinction technique was used to measure particle volume fractions in the flame, and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis by X-ray were used to study the morphology (size and shape) and the elemental composition of the particles formed. It was shown that pure solid silica (SiO2) particles are generated and carried out with the gaseous combustion products into the postflame region. The experimental data were modeled using two detailed SiH4 decomposition models, and the major SiO2 production channels have been identified for both these models via sensitivity and reaction path analyses. It w...
Caspase 2 and Caspase 3 Protein Levels as Predictors of Survival in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Because caspase activation is an essential step in programmed cell death (apoptosis) and cytotoxic drug-induced apoptosis is mediated by caspase 2 and caspase 3, we hypothesized that caspase 2 and 3 levels predict clinical outcome in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Using quantitative Western blot analysis, we studied the levels of nonactivated (uncleaved) caspase 2 and 3 in peripheral blood low-density cells from 185 patients with newly diagnosed AML. We also measured the level of activated (cleaved) caspase 3 in 41 randomly selected samples from the 185 patients. Finally, we analyzed the effect of caspase 2 and 3 levels and other prognostic variables on patient survival using a multivariate Cox model. We found that median levels of nonactivated caspase 2 and 3 were higher in AML than in normal peripheral blood cells (P < .001 and P <.02, respectively). There was no association between caspase level and either the percentage of peripheral blasts or any specific type of leukemia cell cytogenetic abnormalities. When the effect of each uncleaved caspase was considered individually, a high level of uncleaved caspase 3 (P = .04), but not of caspase 2 (P = .16), was associated with decreased survival. Conversely, a high level of cleaved caspase 3 denoted improved survival and correlated with the inactivation of the DNA-repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Thus, cleaved caspase 3 could stimulate the apoptotic cascade further, and lack of its activation likely caused an accumulation of the uncleaved caspase. Although uncleaved caspase 2 level per se had no prognostic significance, the interactive effect of high levels of both uncleaved caspase 2 and 3 denoted very poor survival (P < .001) and had the largest effect of all prognostic variables (P < .001; estimated relative risk, 2.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.59 to 3. 90). Taken together, caspase 2 and caspase 3 protein levels obtained at diagnosis may constitute a reliable prognostic factor in AML.