cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The in vitro production of antibodies to mitochondrial antigens by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 7 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and 7 healthy control subjects were studied for their ability to produce antibodies to mitochondrial antigens in vitro. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected by lymphapheresis and cultured with or without pokeweed mitogen for 10 days. The culture supernatants were then tested for antibodies to mitochondrial antigens by both immunofluorescence microscopy and a microtiter ELISA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 5 of 7 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis but from none of the healthy controls produced antibodies to mitochondrial antigens spontaneously (without pokeweed mitogen stimulation). In contrast, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 6 of 7 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and from 6 of 7 control subjects synthesized detectable levels of antibodies to mitochondrial antigens after stimulation with pokeweed mitogen. In general, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the primary biliary cirrhosis patients produced higher titers of antibodies to mitochondrial antigens in culture than cells from healthy controls. Furthermore, the antibodies to mitochondrial antigens reactivity produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of primary biliary cirrhosis patients exhibited a specificity for the M2 mitochondrial antigen which is present on the inner membrane of mitochondrial cristae and which is closely associated with a mitochondrial ATPase activity. In contrast, the antibodies to mitochondrial antigens reactivity produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy controls appeared to be directed at a broader range of mitochondrial antigens. These findings indicate that, inpatients with primary biliary cirrhosis, there is a marked expansion of B lymphocyte clones that produce an antibody to a specific mitochondrial antigen.
Inherited Variations of Human Serum α1-Antitrypsin

The normal serum alpha(1)-antitrypsin migrates as a three banded patternwhen separated electrophoretically in starch gel with a sodium acetateethylenediaminetetraacetic acid buffer of pH 4.95. The results obtained when certain inherited variants of the serum alpha(1)-antitrypsin are separated electrophoretically suggest that the previously described variations in the region preceding the albumin band represent inherited variations of the serum alpha(1)-antitrypsin.
Unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation: marrow or umbilical cord blood?

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) can be curative for selected malignant and nonmalignant diseases.[1][1], [2][2], [3][3], [4][4], [5][5], [6][6], [7][7], [8][8], [9][9], [10][10], [11][11], [12][12], [13][13] However, utilization and success of HCT are limited by several obstacles, primarily
Artistic Contrivance and Religious Communication

Remarks to the effect that a correct answer depends upon a correct question —that from a misleading question there can result only a misleading answer—are common today. In fact, one might suspect that such common concentration on finding the right questions has something to do with what seems to be an uncommon lack of answers. This concentration on the importance of asking the right questions can be applied to the interpretation of biblical literature. For here, certainly, the questions asked are often decisive. They guide the inquiry by setting the terms of the search and, in this sense, they determine at least the kind of answers that will be given. Further, they often disclose the presuppositions with which one is working.
The action of structural analogues of γ-aminobutyric acid on binding sites in mouse brain

Nineteen structural analogues of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the anxiolytics buspirone and diazepam were tested for their ability to modify GABA function in vitro. Each compound was added to the GABA receptor binding assay, the flunitrazepam receptor binding assay, the sodium-dependent GABA binding assay, and the assay for GABA aminotransferase. It was anticipated that some of these analogues would substantially affect several of these assays. The most interesting compound to emerge was phenylthiohydantoic acid. This not only inhibited GABA receptor binding (Ki = 121 μM) but also stimulated flunitrazepam binding and inhibited the activity of GABA aminotransferase. In light of the evidence that a reduced GABA function can be a factor in anxiety, phenylthiohydantoic acid has the potential to be a GABA-mimetic and thus be useful in the treatment of anxiety.
Placental defects are associated with male lethality in bare patches and striated embryos deficient in the NAD(P)H Steroid Dehydrogenase-like (NSDHL) Enzyme.

Abstract NSDHL is a 3β-hydroxysterol dehydrogenase that is involved in the removal of C-4 methyl groups in one of the later steps of cholesterol biosynthesis. Mutations in the Nsdhl gene are associated with the X-linked male lethal mouse mutations bare patches (Bpa) and striated (Str), as well as with most cases of human CHILD syndrome. To begin to examine the pathogenesis of these disorders, we have determined that affected male embryos for several Nsdhl alleles die in midgestation, between E10.5 and 13.5, while the majority of affected male embryos for the most severe allele, NsdhlBpa1H, die prior to E9.5. Although no consistent anomalies were identified in affected male embryos themselves, the labyrinth layer of the fetal placenta was always thinner, with fewer fetal vessels and decreased proliferation of labyrinth trophoblast cells. X-inactivation is non-random in females in most lineages of the rodent placenta with preferential inactivation of the paternal X chromosome. For primary defects involving these extraembryonic lineages, heterozygous females with a mutant maternal X chromosome would be expected to have an identical placental phenotype to that found in affected male embryos. We hypothesize that abnormalities in cells of the allantoic mesoderm that undergo random X-inactivation and form the endothelial lining of the fetal vessels of the labyrinth are associated with the male lethality, perhaps through disruption of an as yet unidentified signaling pathway.
The Impact of Surface Flux– and Circulation-Driven Feedbacks on Simulated Madden–Julian Oscillations

Abstract The intent of this study is to measure the total contribution of individual wind- and moist flux–induced feedback mechanisms on the generation and maintenance of simulated Madden–Julian oscillations (MJOs). This task is accomplished through the use of an idealized GCM that is also employed to examine the impact of sea surface temperatures on the robustness of the MJO signal. Among the mechanisms investigated are Conditional Instability of the Second Kind (CISK), Wind Induced Surface Heat Exchange (WISHE), and the feedback due to specific humidity differences between the surface and the boundary layer. A series of numerical experiments was conducted in which one or more of these feedbacks were suppressed. The resulting structure and periodicity of the simulated mode was analyzed using eigenvector and spectral analysis methods. The relative phases of surface wind, turbulent flux, and boundary layer moisture anomaly fields were then contrasted. It was found that the model produced a far stronger sig...
Model Observers for Complex Discrimination Tasks: Assessments of Multiple Coronary Stent Placements

As an important clinical task, evaluating the placement of multiple coronary stents requires fine judgments of distance between stents. However, making these judgments is limited by low system resolution, noise, low contrast of the deployed stent, and stent motion during the cardiac cycle. We use task performance as a figure of merit for optimizing image display parameters. In previous work, we described our simulation procedure in detail, and also reported results of human observers for a visual task involving discrimination of 4 gap sizes under various frame rates and number of frames. Here, we report the results of three spatial model observers (i.e. NPW, NPWE, and PWMF) and two temporal sensitivity functions (i.e. transient and sustained) for the same task. Under signal known exactly conditions, we find that model observers can be used to predict human observers in terms of discrimination accuracy by adding internal noise.
Design of partial nulls for testing of fast aspheric surfaces

Standard interferometric testing of aspheric surfaces makes use of a null optic that is matched exactly to the surface under test. This leads to part specific null lenses having to be designed, manufactured and tested for every aspheric surface to be tested. This paper discusses design issues associated with testing a range of fast aspheric optical surfaces with a single partial- or pseudo-null lens. Collecting the light that is reflected from a range of fast aspheric surfaces becomes one of the major design concerns. The partial null should also provide a reduction in the wavefront slope. The slope of the wavefront, or more specifically the fringe frequency created by the interference of the test and reference wavefronts, must not exceed the maximum measurable fringe frequency of the detector used in the system. Furthermore, since the null condition has been removed from the interferometer, light no longer travels the same path to and from the test surface. This situation leads to retrace errors introduced into the test wavefront by the interferometer. These errors must be calibrated as part of the measurement process in order to recover the aspheric test surface. The ability of the system to be calibrated must be considered in the design of the partial null.
Holocene windward reef-flat history, Enewetak Atoll

The Enewetak windward reef flat is composed of two petrographically distinct pavement types, neither of which appears to reflect the composition of the contemporary surficial biological community. Stratigraphic, petrographic, and radiocarbon analyses indicate a rapid build-up of reef structure followed by a period of erosion. The results are most consistent with a sea level that (1) reached the present level by about 4000 yr B.P. (or earlier), (2) was more than 1 m higher than at present during the period 3500 to 2000 yr B.P., and (3) fell to the present level within the past 2,000 yr.
Short-form versions of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories.

The MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) are a pair of widely used parent-report instruments for assessing communicative skills in infants and toddlers. This report describes short-form versions of the CDIs and their development, summarizes newly available normative data and psychometric properties of the instruments, and discusses research and clinical applications. The infant short form (Level I, for 8- to 18-month-olds) contains an 89-word checklist for vocabulary comprehension and production. The two parallel versions of the toddler short form (Level II, Forms A and B, for 16- to 30-month-olds) each contain a 100-word vocabulary production checklist and a question about word combinations. The forms may also be useful with developmentally delayed children beyond the specified age ranges. Copies of the short forms and the normative tables appear in the appendices.
INDUSTRIAL TAX EXEMPTION IN PUERTO RICO

DURING THE PAST TEN YEARS the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has lifted itself above the horizon of almost universal poverty. This economic metamorphosis is principally attributable to an embryonic industrial revolution in the form of an influx of mainland United States manufacturing firms. To the degree that industrialization is the corporeal substance of Puerto Rico's recovery, industrial tax exemption is viewed on the island as its principal spiritual progenitor. That so much credit is given to industrial tax exemption will come as a surprise to those who are familiar with the history of this fiscal device on the mainland United States, where it is viewed as ineffective, perverse, inequitable, and even unethical. How industrial tax exemption can be so universally maligned in public finance literature, and yet gain congenial and widespread support in Puerto Rico has served as the raison d'etre for a comprehensive inquiry into the industrial tax exemption program on the island. This new assessment appears to have timely social significance, moreover, because of the paramount interest within recent years in raising the level of living of underdeveloped areas. Industrialization is an integral part of many developmental programs, and this raises the issue of the desirability of using subsidies in order to attract capital from the more advanced countries. This study indicates that tax exemption in Puerto Rico has served as an effective inducement in attracting mainland capital. But the aggregate cost of the tax subsidy, on the other hand, has been inordinately high. The principal cost-incurring disadvantages of tax exemption are: (1) The direct revenue loss is sizable, but is largely concealed and indeterminate. (2) Tax exemption lacks selectivity to a marked degree. (3) The administration of tax exemption is difficult and burdensome. (4) Tax exemption tends to become permanent and to proliferate to other taxable areas of the economy as well as to other political areas. (5) Tax exemption frustrates the achievement of a fair distribution of the tax load. What emerges as a policy conclusion for Puerto Rico is that the shortcomings of the tax subsidy
FORAMINIFERA USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MIOCENE POLYCHAETE WORM TUBES, MONTEREY FORMATION, CALIFORNIA, USA

Unusual concentrations of foraminiferal tests interpreted to be the remnants of worm tubes occur in the Miocene Monterey Formation near Carmel and Mission Viejo, California. Lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations firmly establish their ages as late middle Miocene near Carmel and early late Miocene at Mission Viejo. The foraminifera indicate deposition occurred at bathyal depths. Surrounding strata are fine-grained, thin bedded and lack heavy bioturbation, features typical of the siliceous facies of the upper Monterey Formation and indicative of disaerobic conditions. The foraminiferal concentrations are arranged in tube-like shapes similar to those constructed by some modern marine worms. Because agglutinated worm tubes readily disaggregate after the worm’s death, very few tubes have been found in the fossil record. In addition, although some modern worms construct their tubes using foraminiferal tests, the fossil record of this phenomenon to date is represented by a single specimen from the Lias (Lower Jurassic). The fossil tubes from the Miocene of California have closest affinity with the polychaete worm genus Pectinaria , which includes Recent species living at littoral to abyssal depths. Foraminiferal tests were likely the predominant sand-sized particles available to worms in the Miocene environments, thus the worms likely did not purposefully select foraminiferal tests. Low-oxygen conditions might have enhanced the potential for tube preservation, but subsequent leaching at the Carmel localities removed most calcareous test material from the sediment.
Ethnicity, Ethnic Identity, Self-Esteem, and At-Risk Eating Disordered Behavior Differences of Urban Adolescent Females

The purpose of this study was two-fold: to determine the relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem as dimensions of one's self-concept; and to determine if differences exist among one's ethnicity, ethnic identity, and/or self-esteem when examining at-risk eating disordered behaviors. A total of 893 urban adolescent females completed three behavioral subscales: the Eating Disorder Inventory, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and Phinney's Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure. As hypothesized, ethnic identity was significantly associated with self-esteem to form one's self-concept. When compared to Mexican American and White females, only Black females who were in the higher ethnic identity and self-esteem categories had significantly lower at-risk eating disordered scores. Our findings suggest eating disorder status in Mexican American and White females may not be associated as much with ethnic identity as with other acculturation and self-concept factors. Further, this study demonstrated ethnicity, self-esteem, and ethnic identity play significant roles in eating disorder risks.
Textile Antennas and Sensors for Body-Worn Applications

This letter presents novel body-worn antennas and medical sensors based on embroidered conductive polymer fibers (e-fibers) on textiles. This technology offers attractive mechanical and RF performance when compared to traditionally flat and rigid antennas and circuits. The e-fibers are composed of high-strength and flexible polymer cores that incorporate conductive metallic coatings. They are readily embroidered onto regular textiles and can also be laminated on to polymer dielectric substrates. The RF characteristics of the e-fiber textiles were evaluated using microstrip transmission line (TL) structures. They exhibited an insertion loss of only 0.07 dB/cm at 1 GHz and 0.15 dB/cm at 2 GHz. Prototype body-worn multiband/wideband antennas and medical sensor were constructed to demonstrate their efficiency and comparable performance to that of copper. All designs were fabricated with high precision and resolution down to 0.5 mm.
Energy-efficient markov chain-based duty cycling schemes for greener wireless sensor networks

To extend the lifetime of a wireless sensor network, sensor nodes usually duty cycle between dormant and active states. Duty cycling schemes are often evaluated in terms of connection delay, connection duration, and duty cycle. In this article, we show with experiments on Sun SPOT sensors that duty cycling time (energy) efficiency, that is, the ratio of time (energy) employed in ancillary operations when switching from and into deep sleep mode, is an important performance metric too. We propose a novel randomized duty cycling scheme based on Markov chains with the goal of (i) reducing the connection delay, while maintaining a given time (energy) efficiency, or (ii) keeping a constant connection delay, while increasing the time (energy) efficiency. Analytical and experimental results demonstrate that the Markov chain-based scheme can improve the performance in terms of connection delay without affecting the time efficiency, or vice versa, as opposed to the trade-off observed in traditional schemes. We extend the proposed duty cycling scheme to a partially randomized scheme, where wireless nodes can switch into active state beyond their schedules when their neighbors are active to anticipate message forwarding. The analytical and experimental results confirm the relationship between connection delay and time efficiency also for this scheme.
Positive staining of protein molecules for electron microscopy.

Abstract It has been found that protein stained with p -chloromercuriphenyl sulphonic acid followed by counter-staining with uranyl acetate is visible in the electron microscope. Furthermore, individual particles have been observed that are somewhat similar in appearance and size to particles observed in shadowed preparations of the same material. The possible usefulness of this reagent to stain proteins and in studies on individual molecules is discussed.
Sleep tendency during extended wakefulness: insights into adolescent sleep regulation and behavior

Sleep tendency (latency to sleep onset) was examined during extended waking in prepubertal and mature adolescents to determine whether sleep pressure is lower near bedtime in the latter group. Participants were nine prepubertal (pubertal stage Tanner 1, mean age 11.1 years, SD+/-1.3 years, five males) and 11 pubertally mature adolescents (Tanner 5, 13.9+/-1.2 years, three males). They spent 10 nights at home on an identical fixed 10-h sleep schedule followed by a 36-h constant routine with sleep latency tests at 2-h intervals using standard polysomnography. Saliva was collected to assess dim-light melatonin onset (DLMO) phase. DLMO was earlier in the Tanner 1 (mean clock time=20:33 hours, SD=49 min) than Tanner 5 group (21:29 hours+/-42 min). Sleep latency compared at a 'critical period' spanning 12.5 (20:30 hours clock time) to 18.5 h (02:30 hours) after waking did not differ at 20:30 hours, but was shorter for the Tanner 1 group at 22:30 hours (Tanner 1=9.2+/-6.3 min; Tanner 5=15.7+/-5.8 min), 00:30 hours (Tanner 1=3.6+/-1.7 min; Tanner 5=9.0+/-6.4 min), and 02:30 hours (Tanner 1=2.0+/-1.7 min; Tanner 5=4.3+/-3.2 min; trend). These differences were apparent controlling for circadian phase by partial correlation. Sleep tendency after 14.5, 16.5, and 18.5 h awake was lower in mature versus prepubertal adolescents, supporting our hypothesis that a developmental change of intrinsic sleep-wake regulation may provide physiologically mediated 'permission' for later bedtimes in older adolescents.
Characterization of Erwinia Populations from Nursery Retention Ponds and Lakes Infecting Ornamental Plants in Florida

Water shortages in Florida are occurring due to intense utilization of the aquifer system by municipalities and agriculture, and because of continued deficits in annual rainfall. Water districts therefore, are, recommending the use of recycled irrigation water, stormwater runoff, reclaimed municipal sewage water, and lakes for agricultural use. With recycled water, however, there is potential for both introducing and concentrating plant pathogens. In Florida, Erwinia soft-rot bacteria (synonym Pectobacterium) cause extensive crop losses in ornamental plant production. To determine Erwinia spp. population levels, samples were taken monthly for 1 year from four hypereutropic lakes and eight nursery retention ponds. Seventy-seven Erwinia strains were collected by both direct plating and by an enrichment process. With the direct plating method, 0 to 29 CFU/ml were detected on sodium polypectate medium. Significantly higher populations of Erwinia were detected in retention ponds of nurseries that were actively reutilizing their water. Erwinia strains were identified to species by fatty acid analysis and biochemical tests. Strains were further characterized by repetitive element-polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) and compared with 120 strains of Erwinia collected from ornamentals over a 17-year period in Florida. Using rep-PCR, most strains were clustered into two heterogeneous populations of E. chrysanthemi and E. carotovora subsp. carotovora in a 1:2 and a 1:4 ratio for isolates from ornamentals and from water, respectively. Within each population of E. chrysanthemi and E. carotovora, genetically different subpopulations could be identified that contained high percentages of Erwinia strains from water sources. Even though genetic differences exist, 99% of the strains from water sources were found to be pathogenic on dieffenbachia. Without water treatment of irrigation and stormwater runoff, there is a potential for both introducing and concentrating Erwinia populations within these water sources.
Effects of Processing Parameters on the Morphology of Precipitated Manganese Oxide Powders

It is desirable that the surface area of catalytic materials can be controlled by adjusting the processing parameters. In this paper we report that the morphology of precipitated manganese oxide powders after 500 °C calcination is affected by the volume ratio between the manganese nitrate precursor and ammonium hydroxide and also by the concentration of the precursor solution. When a large amount of ammonium hydroxide (nominal concentration of NH4OH in the final suspension greater than 4 N) was used, the synthesized powder had plate-like particles with higher specific surface area compared to spherical particles made by a small amount of ammonium hydroxide (nominal concentration of NH4OH less than 1 N). Thinner plates were synthesized from the system with lower nominal concentration of Mn(NO3)2, resulting in even higher specific surface area. The surface area differences between these powders synthesized by different conditions decreased as the calcination temperatures increased from 500 to 900 °C because...
Aerial electrostatic-charged sprays for deposition and efficacy against sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) on cotton.

Background: The efficacy of aerial electrostatic-charged sprays was evaluated for spray deposit characteristics and season-long control of sweet potato whitefly (SWF), Bemisia tabaci Genn. biotype B (aka B. argentifolii Bellows & Perring), in an irrigated 24 ha cotton field. Treatments included electrostatic-charged sprays at full and half active ingredient (AI) label rate, uncharged sprays and conventional sprays applied with CP nozzles at full label rate with several different insecticides. Results: Spray droplet size was significantly smaller for electrostatic-charged sprays than for conventional sprays in top- and mid-canopy locations. The seasonal mean numbers of viable eggs and live large nymphs on cotton treated with electrostatic-charged sprays were comparable with those on cotton treated with conventional applications. Lethal concentration (LC50) for adults for electrostatic-charged sprays was comparable with that for conventional sprays. Conclusion: The amenability of electrostatic-charged sprays to a wide array of pesticides with different chemistries should be a useful tool in combating insect resistance. Results reported here suggest that the potential exists for obtaining increased efficacy against whiteflies using an electrostatic spray charging system, and that additional research will be required to improve charge-to-mass (Q/M) ratio in order to increase deposition of pest control materials to the lower surfaces of cotton leaves where the whiteflies reside. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Residual stresses in alumina–zirconia laminates

Abstract Significant residual stresses can arise in hybrid ceramic laminates during the densification and cooling processing cycles. The densification stresses in alumina–zirconia laminates were calculated assuming the layers to be linear viscous with data obtained by cyclic loading dilatometry. These stresses placed the zirconia layers in biaxial tension and even at 1 MPa or less, they were sufficient to cause a type of linear cavitation damage. The methodology was also applied to asymmetric laminates, successfully predicting their observed curling behaviour. Thermal expansion mismatch stresses arise during cooling, again placing the zirconia layers in residual biaxial tension and leading to the formation of transverse (channelling) cracks. The stresses were calculated using both elastic and viscoelastic formulations and were confirmed with indentation measurements. Additions of alumina to the zirconia layers were effective in reducing both sources of residual stress and allowed crack formation during processing to be avoided. Residual stresses were also shown to improve mechanical performance.
Arsenic contamination in New Orleans soil: temporal changes associated with flooding.

Abstract The flooding of New Orleans in late August and September 2005 caused widespread sediment deposition in the flooded areas of the city. Post-flood sampling by US EPA revealed that 37% of sediment samples exceeded Louisiana corrective screening guidelines for arsenic of 12 mg/kg, but there was debate over whether this contamination was pre-existing, as almost no pre-flood soil sampling for arsenic had been done in New Orleans. In this study, archived soil samples collected in 1998–1999 were location-matched with 70 residential sites in New Orleans where post-flood arsenic concentrations were elevated. Those same locations were sampled again during the recovery period 18 months later. During the recovery period, sampling for arsenic was also done for the first time at school sites and playgrounds within the flooded zone. Every sample of sediment taken 1–10 months after the flood exceeded the arsenic concentration found in the matched pre-flood soils. The average difference between the two sampling periods was 19.67 mg/kg (95% CI 16.63–22.71) with a range of 3.60–74.61 mg/kg. At virtually all of these sites (97%), arsenic concentrations decreased substantially by 18 months into the recovery period when the average concentration of matched samples was 3.26 mg/kg (95% CI 1.86–4.66). However, 21 (30%) of the samples taken during the recovery period still had higher concentrations of arsenic than the matched sample taken prior to the flooding. In addition, 33% of samples from schoolyards and 13% of samples from playgrounds had elevated arsenic concentrations above the screening guidelines during the recovery period. These findings suggest that the flooding resulted in the deposition of arsenic-contaminated sediments. Diminution of the quantity of sediment at many locations has significantly reduced overall soil arsenic concentrations, but some locations remain of concern for potential long-term soil contamination.
Functional Derivatives of [4‐Amino‐N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxybenzidene)‐1,2‐phenylenediaminato][N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxybenzidene)‐1,2‐phenylenediaminato]zirconium(IV), Zr(adsp)(Rdsp), for Use as Pendent Groups

Abstract The objective of this research was to prepare a variety of functional group derivatives of the eight‐coordinate complex [4‐amino‐N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxybenzidene)‐1,2‐phenylenediaminato][N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxybenzidene)‐1,2‐phenylenediaminato]zirconium(IV), Zr(adsp)(dsp), for use as pendent groups on polymers. The synthetic method involved reaction of the free ligands di‐2‐hydroxybenzylidene‐4‐nitro‐N,N′‐phenylenediamine [H2(ndsp)] and a functional group derivative of di‐2‐hydroxybenzylidene‐N,N′‐phenylenediamine [H2(Rdsp), R = methyl, 3‐methoxy, 5‐methoxy, cyano, pyridyl nitrogen, and 3‐fluoro substituents] with zirconium tetra‐n‐butoxide in 1:1:1 mole ratio, followed by column separation on silica gel and hydrogenation of the nitro group to amino group using hydrogen gas over Pd/C catalyst. The order of the latter two steps was chosen to affect the best column separation. Elemental analyses, physical data, FT‐IR, and NMR spectral data for six new Zr(adsp)(Rdsp) complexes are reported. Eleven new Zr(ndsp...
Microsurgical Devices by Pop-Up Book MEMS

The small scale of microsurgery poses significant challenges for developing robust and dexterous tools to grip, cut, and join sub-millimeter structures such as vessels and nerves. The main limitation is that traditional manufacturing techniques are not optimized to create smart, articulating structures in the 0.1–10 mm scale. Pop-up book MEMS is a new fabrication technology that promises to overcome this challenge and enable the monolithic fabrication of complex, articulated structures with an extensive catalog of materials, embedded electrical components, and automated assembly with feature sizes down to 20 microns. In this paper, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept microsurgical gripper and evaluate its performance at the component and device level to characterize its strength and robustness. 1-DOF Flexible hinge joints that constrain motion and allow for out-of-plane actuation were found to resist torsional loads of 22.8±2.15 N·mm per mm of hinge width. Adhesive lap joints that join individual layers in the laminate structure demonstrated a shear strength of 26.8±0.53 N/mm2. The laminate structures were also shown to resist peel loads of 0.72±0.10 N/mm2. Various flexible hinge and adhesive lap components were then designed into an 11-layered structure which ‘pops up’ to realize an articulating microsurgical gripper that includes a cable-driven mechanism for gripping actuation and a flexural return spring to passively open the gripper. The gripper prototype, with final weight of 200 mg, overall footprint of 18 mm by 7.5 mm, and features as small as 200 microns, is able to deftly manipulate objects 100 times is own weight at the required scale, thus demonstrating its potential for use in microsurgery.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Measurement of surface impedance at microwave frequencies

A technique for measuring the surface impedance of a plane stratified media at microwave frequencies is given, and preliminary tests are made for a variety of situations ranging from capacitive impedances to surfaces, which display a purely inductive reactance. The technique utilises a modulated scatterer to measure the elliptically polarised electric field of a TM wave propagation over the surface.
Perspectives From Nurse Leaders and Chief Information Officers on Health Information Technology Implementation

To enhance the limited empirical evidence in the literature, the authors developed new knowledge and information on the basis of implementation experiences (e.g., strategic planning, goals, outcomes, barriers, mistakes) of hospital executives with actual health information technology (HIT). The authors asked why hospital leaders implement HIT and how they do so, and then applied the answers to the theoretical framework of change management and leadership. The authors accomplished this through a qualitative research study design. Various employees from different levels of the organizational chart provide their perspectives, allowing the authors to examine internal trends related to HIT. The authors examined external trends through a comparative analysis of healthcare markets.
Management of Fusarium wilt of banana: A review with special reference to tropical race 4

Banana (Musa spp.) is an important cash and food crop in the tropics and subtropics. Fusarium wilt, which is also known as Panama disease, is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). It is one of the most destructive diseases of this crop, and has a relatively wide host range. Its greatest impact was on the early ‘Gros Michel’-based export trades. Resistant cultivars of the Cavendish subgroup were used to replace ‘Gros Michel,’ but are now succumbing to a new variant of the pathogen, tropical race 4 (TR4). Although TR4 is only found in the Eastern Hemisphere, it threatens global export and small-holder production of the Cavendish cultivars. Management of this disease is largely restricted to excluding the pathogen from non-infested areas and the use of resistant cultivars where Foc is established. The perennial production of this crop and the polycyclic nature of this disease hinder the development of other management strategies. Measures that are effective against annual or short-lived hosts of these diseases are usually ineffective against Fusarium wilt of banana. Effective biological, chemical and cultural measures are not available, despite a substantial, positive literature on these topics. Critical evaluations of, and realistic expectations for, these measures are needed. Better resistance is needed to this disease, especially that that is caused by TR4.
Hardware-assisted replay of multiprocessor programs

Shared-memory parallel programs can be highly non-deterministic due to the unpredictable order in which shared references are satisfied. However, deterministic execution is extremely important for debugging and can also be used for fault-tolerance and other replay-based algorihtms. We present a hardware/software design that allows the order of memory and the CPU''s. This log can then be used along with hardware and software control to replay execution. Simulation of several parallel programs shows that our device records no more than 1.17 MB/second for an application exhibiting fine-grained sharing behavior on a 16-way multiprocessor consisting of 12 MIP CPU''s. In addition, no probe effect on performance degradation is introduced. This represents several orders of magnitude improvement in both performance and log size over purely software-based methods proposed previously.
The Equilibrium and Free Surface Sublimation Pressures of Oriented Single Crystals of Bismuth Telluride

The equilibrium and free surface sublimation pressures of bismuth telluride were determined by the torsion‐effusion and torsion‐Langmuir techniques, respectively. Based on a least‐square fit, the expression for the equilibrium pressure in the temperature range of 722°–828°K was found to be: , where is the absolute temperature and the given uncertainties are the standard deviations. A similar treatment of the results of free surface pressure over basal plane oriented single crystals gave the following expression for the apparent total pressure in the temperature range of 741°–793°K: . Assuming the sublimation reaction , average third‐law enthalpies and activation enthalpies of sublimation at 298°K were found to be , respectively. Calculated values of the sublimation coefficient varied from 0.14 at 722°K to 0.39 at 828°K.
MR Imaging of Hip Arthroplasty Implants

Hip arthroplasty has become the standard treatment for end-stage hip disease, allowing pain relief and restoration of mobility in large numbers of patients; however, pain after hip arthroplasty occurs in as many as 40% of cases, and despite improved longevity, all implants eventually fail with time. Owing to the increasing numbers of hip arthroplasty procedures performed, the demographic factors, and the metal-on-metal arthroplasty systems with their associated risk for the development of adverse local tissue reactions to metal products, there is a growing demand for an accurate diagnosis of symptoms related to hip arthroplasty implants and for a way to monitor patients at risk. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has evolved into a powerful diagnostic tool for the evaluation of hip arthroplasty implants. Optimized conventional pulse sequences and metal artifact reduction techniques afford improved depiction of bone, implant-tissue interfaces, and periprosthetic soft tissue for the diagnosis of arthroplasty-related complications. Strategies for MR imaging of hip arthroplasty implants are presented, as well as the imaging appearances of common causes of painful and dysfunctional hip arthroplasty systems, including stress reactions and fractures; bone resorption and aseptic loosening; polyethylene wear-induced synovitis and osteolysis; adverse local tissue reactions to metal products; infection; heterotopic ossification; tendinopathy; neuropathy; and periprosthetic neoplasms. A checklist is provided for systematic evaluation of MR images of hip arthroplasty implants. MR imaging with optimized conventional pulse sequences and metal artifact reduction techniques is a comprehensive imaging modality for the evaluation of the hip after arthroplasty, contributing important information for diagnosis, prognosis, risk stratification, and surgical planning.
Systemic effects of thiamethoxam and chlorantraniliprole seed treatments on adult Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in rice.

BACKGROUND: Feeding assays using adult rice water weevils and foliage of plants treated as seeds with chlorantraniliprole and thiamethoxam at different rates were conducted to evaluate the systemic adulticidal and feeding effects. Dose – mortality relationships were determined for thiamethoxam seed treatments by combining leaf area lost due to feeding and insecticide residues analyzed by LC/MS/MS. Changes in adulticidal activity of thiamethoxam were also investigated by contrasting adult mortalities at the 5 – 6-leaf and tillering stages of rice. RESULTS: Adult weevil mortalities and leaf consumption rates on foliage were affected in thiamethoxam but not in chlorantraniliprole treatments when rice was at the 6 – 7-leaf stage. The LD50 for weevils feeding on thiamethoxam-treated rice at the 2 – 3-leaf stage was 447 pg insecticide weevil −1 (95% CL: 25 – 830 pg weevil −1 ) but was lower (142 pg weevil −1 ; 95% CL: 102 – 180 pg weevil −1 ) in experiments with 3 – 4-leaf-stage plants. Mortalities on leaves from 5 – 6-leaf-stage plants were consistently higher than on leaves from tillering plants. Thiamethoxam residues measured by ELISA increased with seed treatment rate and differed between plant stages. CONCLUSION: The LD50 values developed in this study are the first values for leaf-feeding insects on foliage of plants treated as seeds with thiamethoxam. The attrition of adulticidal activity of thiamethoxam in foliage of older plants may help to explain the reduced effectiveness of seed treatments against rice water larvae that is seen at later stages of rice growth in field studies. The differential activity of these two seed treatments on adults suggests that adult mortality contributes to the field efficacy of thiamethoxam but not to that of chlorantraniliprole. c � 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Torque and slip behavior of single-phase induction motors driven from variable-frequency supplies

Adjustable-frequency drives have not been widely used with single-phase induction motors. Computations show that, unlike the three-phase induction motor, the single-phase induction motor's slip is not constant with changes in frequency at a constant load torque. A constant volts-per-hertz law is found to provide nearly rated torque over a portion of the upper speed range, but the maximum available torque decays rapidly below about 50% of the base frequency. The behavior of the single-phase induction motor under variable-frequency operation is studied, providing insights to possible scalar control laws for optimizing performance at all speeds. Several possible open-loop control strategies are examined using computer simulations on a 0.5-hp single-phase induction motor. Experimental results show excellent agreement with the analysis and simulation. These experiments provide proof that an adjustable-frequency power supply can be used for speed control of the single-phase induction motor if the motor's unique operating characteristics are accounted for. >
Activation of NMDA receptors is required for the initiation and maintenance of walking-like activity in the mudpuppy (Necturus Maculatus).

Nous avons emis l'hypothese que le blocage de l'activation des recepteurs N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) empeche l'initiation de l'activite de type marche et supprime l'activite rythmique en cours dans la preparation de moelle epiniere-membre anterieur du necture tachete. Les mouvements de type marche vigoureux du membre et le patron EMG rythmique alterne des flechisseurs et extenseurs du coude, caracteristique de la marche, ont ete declenches par la perfusion continue de la moelle epiniere avec une solution contenant du D-glutamate. La frequence de l'activite de type marche a ete dependante de la concentration de glutamate dans la preparation, dans une plage de 0,2 a 0,9 mmol/L. L'elevation des concentrations de potassium n'a pas induit d'activite de type marche. L'application de l'antagoniste selectif 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP-5) a cause un blocage dose-dependant de l'initiation et du maintien de l'activite de type marche induite par le D-glutamate. Un blocage complet de l'activite a ete obtenu lorsque la concentration d'AP-5 a atteint 20 μmol/L. De plus, l'application de L-701,324 (un antagoniste selectif du site glycine insensible a la strychnine des recepteurs NMDA) (1-10 μmol/L) a aussi cause un blocage complet de l'activite de type marche. A l'oppose, l'application de l'antagoniste du recepteur non-NMDA 6-cyno-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) (1-50 μmol/L) a induit une inhibition dose-dependante de la frequence de decharge mais n'a pas provoque de blocage complet. CNQX n'a provoque un blocage complet de l'activite rythmique qu'a une concentration aussi elevee que 100 μmol/L, probablement par une action non specifique sur le site glycine insensible a la strychnine des recepteurs NMDA. Ces resultats donnent a penser que l'activation des recepteurs NMDA est necessaire a l'initiation et au maintien de l'activite de type marche. Les recepteurs non-NMDA jouent un role important dans la modulation de l'activite de type marche chez le necture tachete.
Management of Foreign Exchange Risk: A Review Article

This paper reviews the literature on Foreign Exchange Risk Management (FERM) which has burgeoned during the last decade. Scholars' and practioners' emerging interest in Foreign Exchange Risk Management was spurred by the advent of fluctuating exchange rates in the early seventies as well as by the pronouncement of the infamous FASB Statement No. 8 in 1976 which laid down unambiguous guidelines for consolidating financial statements of multinational corporations. A normative (rather than a market) view of Foreign Exchange Risk Management is taken and accordingly the author reviews first the two key informational inputs necessary for any Foreign Exchange Risk Management program: forecasting exchange rates and measuring exposure to exchange risk. Available decision models for handling transaction and translation exposures are reviewed next. A concluding section identifies gaps in the existing literature and suggests directions for future research.
Psychiatry, religion, positive emotions and spirituality

This paper proposes that eight positive emotions: awe, love/attachment, trust/faith, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, joy and hope constitute what we mean by spirituality. These emotions have been grossly ignored by psychiatry. The two sciences that I shall employ to demonstrate this definition of spirituality will be ethology and neuroscience. They are both very new. I will argue that spirituality is not about ideas, sacred texts and theology. Rather, spirituality is all about emotion and social connection that are more dependent on the limbic system than the cortex. Specific religions, for all their limitations, are often the portal through which positive emotions are brought into conscious attention. Neither Freud nor psychiatric textbooks ever mention emotions like joy and gratitude. Hymns and psalms give these emotions pride of place. Our whole concept of psychotherapy might change, if clinicians set about enhancing positive emotions, rather than focusing only on the negative ones.
Activity Based Learning In A Freshman Global Business Course: Analyses Of Preferences And Demographic Differences

The present study investigates pre-business students’ reaction to Activity Based Learning in a lower division core required course entitled Introduction to Global Business in the business curriculum at California State University Chico. The study investigates students’ preference for Activity Based Learning in comparison to a more traditional lecture and exam format. It also investigates whether or not students’ with perceived interests in different aspects of business have preferences for activities that focus on different types of processes. It further analyzes whether or not gender and class standing play a significant role in these dynamics.
An Endocrinologic Approach to the Patient with Hirsutism

This review will focus on current concepts of the role of androgens in the pathogenesis of hirsutism, the etiology of androgen excess, the use of GnRH agonists as both diagnostic and therapeutic tools, and finally the place of antiandrogens in the treatment of hirsutism
Switching Social Contexts: The Effects of Housing Mobility and School Choice Programs on Youth Outcomes

Despite years of research, methodological and practical obstacles make it difficult to conclude whether policies aimed at improving schools and communities are effective for improving youth outcomes. To complement existing work, we assess research on the educational and social outcomes for comparable youth who change school and neighborhood settings through unique housing policy and school voucher programs. Research shows that housing programs have helped poor families move to much safer, less disadvantaged, and less segregated neighborhoods. Some housing programs have also provided early educational benefits for young people who relocated to less poor and less segregated neighborhoods, but these gains were not maintained in the long run. School voucher programs have helped disadvantaged youth attend higher-performing private schools in less segregated environments with more middle-class peers. Although some voucher programs have shown small positive effects, the results of others are less certain owing t...