cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ability of the Fry method to characterize pressure-solution deformation

Abstract The applicability of the Fry method to marker distributions deformed by pressure-solution is examined. Four types of pressure-solution deformation were modeled. They differ by the spacing of the dissolution surfaces relative to the distance between marker centers, the amount of volume loss, and whether or not markers in contact with dissolution surfaces are dissolved completely. The results show that the Fry method correctly characterizes each type of deformation, but without additional information, such as the amount of volume loss, it can be used only where the deformation is constant volume and where dissolution surfaces are more closely spaced than marker centers.
Long-term administration of dexfenfluramine to genetically obese (ob/ob) and lean mice: Body weight and brain serotonin changes

The weight-reducing and brain 5-HT-depleting properties of dexfenfluramine (DFEN) or dexnorfenfluramine (DNOR) were measured in genetically obese (ob/ob) and lean mice. These agents were infused for 14 days via osmotic minipumps to mice fed either a low fat or a moderate fat diet. Weight loss was observed in only the obese mice, with DNOR more potent than DFEN. At the end of 14 days, neither agent caused a consistent change in either plasma glucose or corticosterone concentrations, although some effects of diet and differences between batches of mice were apparent. The levels of brain 5-HT, or of paroxetine binding that correlates with 5-HT level, were reduced by 24 mg DFEN/kg/day, a decline that persisted for at least 14 days after the end of treatment. Plasma and brain concentrations of DFEN and DNOR were measured on the last day of pump function. DNOR accounted for about 30% of the total drug + metabolite content, a ratio comparable to that in human plasma. Brain concentrations exceeded plasma by 10-fold at 6 mg DFEN/kg/day and by 17-fold at 24 mg DFEN/kg/day. The levels were higher in mice fed the moderate-fat compared with the low-fat diet. Depletions in brain 5-HT parameters were found only in the high-dose groups, and at brain total levels above about 20 microM.
Short latency somatosensory evoked potentials: Studies in patients with focal neurological disease

Abstract In non-cephalic reference recordings, the scalp recorded short latency evoked potentials to median nerve stimulation in normal subjects consist of 3 positive potentials followed by a negative potential. The sources of these potentials have not been precisely defined. Therefore, these potentials were recorded in 31 patients with focal lesions of the nervous system. Recordings were evaluated for (a) the presence or absence of these potentials and (b) peak latency differences between components. The results were compared with similar data obtained on 25 normal control subjects. Only the first positive potential was recorded with stimulation ipsilateral to the lesion in one patient with unilateral C 5 −T 1 root avulsion. This indicates that this potential arises in stimulated peripheral nerve fibers. The second potential, although not consistently recorded in normal subjects, had an abnormally prolonged interpeak latency in 2 patients with cervical cord and medullary lesions. Therefore, it seems that it arises in the central nervous system, either in spinal cord or lower brain stem. The third potential was absent in 2 patients with medullary lesions and its interpeak latency was prolonged in 2 patients with brain stem lesions. It was recorded in 3 patients with thalamic lesions in whom subsequent potentials were absent. This suggests that this potential arises primarily in brain stem pathways. The negative potential was absent in 2 patients with cerebral lesions which did not appear to involve the thalamus which suggests that it arises in the thalamocortical radiations or cerebral cortex. Short latency evoked potential abnormalities correlated more with impairment of proprioception than with disturbances in appreciation of pain and temperature.
Making a Referral to Alcoholics Anonymous

ABSTRACT This article describes the manifold factors involved in the process regarding a counselor's sending a client to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Pastoral counselors and mental health advocates need to educate themselves on the types of AA meetings available within one's local community. In addition, it is advisable to explore the reputation for recovery each AA club has before making a referral. Clergy should be aware of the spiritual experience in recovery and the dynamics which promote conversion. Diversity in group style, ethnic mix and the type of meeting should be considered.
A model for effective staff deployment in the revitalized mental hospital.

In mobilizing their resources and extending their operations into the community, mental hospitals need to prepare unit program directors for their new roles. A condition for quality programming is precise location of the responsibility and accountability for all decisions. A necessary precondition for this is an adequate organizational structure. This paper describes such a structure—a basic echelon level design-for the unitized hospital.
Effect of calcification and formalin fixation on in vitro distensibility of human femoral arteries

To determine the effect of calcification on the distensibility of human arteries, we measured changes in lumen cross-sectional area as a function of pressure in excised segments of calcified and noncalcified human femoral arteries with the use of intravascular ultrasound. Cross-sectional area at zero pressure was greater in calcified artery segments (22.1 +/- 4.4 mm2) compared with noncalcified arteries (18.9 +/- 2.4 mm2). Calcified arteries were significantly less distensible than noncalcified arteries (2.5-fold). To assess the validity of mechanical tests of fixed arteries, pressure-area relations were also obtained after formalin fixation: mean unstressed cross-sectional area decreased significantly in noncalcified arteries (24%) but did not change significantly in calcified arteries. Formalin fixation decreased distensibility significantly (68%) in noncalcified arteries but not in calcified arteries. These results indicate that decreased lumen size and increased rigidity are induced by formalin fixation in noncalcified arteries but not in calcified arteries, and that this is attributable to the lower distensibility of calcified arteries before fixation. Because histologic examination is commonly used to evaluate severity of lumen narrowing in studies of atherosclerosis, this differential effect of formalin fixation may cause calcified arteries to appear less severely obstructed than noncalcified arteries.
Epigenetic Regulation of Retrotransposons within the Nucleolus of Drosophila

R2 retrotransposable elements exclusively insert into a conserved region of the tandemly organized 28S rRNA genes. Despite inactivating a subset of these genes, R2 elements have persisted in the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) loci of insects for hundreds of millions of years. Controlling R2 proliferation was addressed in this study using lines of Drosophila simulans previously shown to have either active or inactive R2 retrotransposition. Lines with active retrotransposition were shown to have high R2 transcript levels, which nuclear run-on transcription experiments revealed were due to increased transcription of R2-inserted genes. Crosses between R2 active and inactive lines indicated that an important component of this transcriptional control is linked to or near the rDNA locus, with the R2 transcription level of the inactive parent being dominant. Pulsed-field gel analysis suggested that the R2 active and inactive states were determined by R2 distribution within the locus. Molecular and cytological analyses further suggested that the entire rDNA locus from the active line can be silenced in favor of the locus from the inactive line. This silencing of entire rDNA loci represents an example of the large-scale epigenetic control of transposable elements and shares features with the nucleolar dominance frequently seen in interspecies hybrids.
Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus: Successful treatment with the 585 nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) is a benign hyperplasia of the epidermis of unknown cause that most commonly occurs on the lower extremities.lf The lesion usually appears in early childhood and is persistent and pruritic. Treatments for ILVEN have been associated with high rates of recurrence and/or scarring. This is the first report of successful treatment of ILVEN with the 585 nm pulsed dye laser.
Carbachol-stimulated Transactivation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase in T84 Cells Is Mediated by Intracellular Ca2+, PYK-2, and p60 src

Abstract Ca2+-dependent agonists, such as carbachol (CCh), stimulate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in T84 intestinal epithelial cells. This pathway constitutes an antisecretory mechanism by which CCh-stimulated chloride secretion is limited. Here, we investigated mechanisms underlying CCh-stimulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation. Thapsigargin (TG, 2 μm) stimulated EGFR and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in T84 cells. Inhibition of either EGFR or ERK activation, with tyrphostin AG1478 (1 μm) and PD 98059 (20 μm), respectively, potentiated chloride secretory responses to TG, as measured by changes in short-circuit current (I sc) across T84 cells. CCh (100 μm) stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation and association of the Ca2+-dependent tyrosine kinase, PYK-2, with the EGFR, which was inhibited by the Ca2+ chelator, BAPTA (20 μm). The calmodulin inhibitor, fluphenazine (50 μm) inhibited CCh-stimulated PYK-2 association with the EGFR and phosphorylation of EGFR and ERK. CCh also induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p60src and association of p60src with both PYK-2 and the EGFR. The Src family kinase inhibitor, PP2 (20 nm-20 μm) attenuated CCh-stimulated EGFR and ERK phosphorylation and potentiated chloride secretory responses to CCh. We conclude that CCh-stimulated transactivation of the EGFR is mediated by a pathway involving elevations in intracellular Ca2+, calmodulin, PYK-2, and p60src. This pathway represents a mechanism that limits CCh-stimulated chloride secretion across intestinal epithelia.
SIMILARITY CLASSES FOR NILPOTENT OPERATORS OVER DEDEKIND DOMAINS

Abstract Let R be a commutative Dedekind domain, and let V denote a finitely generated torsion-free module over R. Let gl(V) denote the R-module endomorphisms of V, N(V) ⊆ gl(V) the set of nilpotent endomorphisms, and GL(V) the automorphisms of V. We construct a canonical filtration and invariant ideals associated to elements of N(V) to study several GL(V)-invariant properties of N(V), under the similarity action (g, L)↦gLg−1, L ∈ N(V), g ∈ GL(V). We use these invariants to give a finite determinacy criterion for the similarity of nilpotent endomorphisms N(V).
A 30-Year Experience in the Management of Primary Carcinoma of the Vagina: Analysis of Prognostic Factors and Treatment Modalities

This retrospective study of 100 cases of primary carcinoma of the vagina treated at Magee-Women's Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh from 1962 to 1992 analyzes disease and treatment-related prognostic factors and treatment results. Fifty percent of patients had previous hysterectomies prior to the diagnosis of vaginal cancer. The tumor was limited to one-third of the vaginal canal in 64 patients, but involved more than one-third of the canal in 36 patients. Treatment consisted of surgery in 40 patients, radiation therapy in 47 patients, and surgery plus radiation therapy in 13 patients. With a median follow-up of 11.2 years, the 5-year actuarial disease-free survival (DFS) was 67% for Stage I (23 patients), 53% for Stage II (58 patients), 0% for Stage III (9 patients), and 15% for Stage IV (10 patients). Using univariate and multivariate analysis, treatment with surgery, disease limited to one-third of the vaginal canal, and FIGO Stage I and II disease were significantly favorable prognostic factors for DFS. Treatment with surgery was superior to radiation therapy alone in Stage II patients (P = 0.00004). There appeared to be a selection bias in Stage II patients, as the more unfavorable cases were treated with radiation therapy. Although radiation therapy will often be the treatment of choice, excellent results and limited morbidity accompany selected cases surgically resected.
Effect of ultraviolet inactivation and photoreactivation on the induced synthesis of β-galactosidase by Escherichia coli

Abstract The inactivation of the synthesis of induced β-galactosidase by cells of Escherichia coli by ultraviolet irradiation is described. Synthesis of enzyme can be preferentially restored by photoreactivation. Examination of crude cell extracts by zone electrophoresis revealed the presence of a particle-bound enzyme that did not migrate in the electric field. The particle-bound enzyme is shown to exist only as long as inducer is present. The significance of these observations with respect to the possible mechanism of enzyme synthesis is discussed.
Structural Variations in the Aggregation Pathways of Normal and Pathological Huntingtin-Like Peptides

The current challenge in the amyloid field is to obtain structural information on the progression of associated aggregation pathways, relate them to the cause of disease, and specifically point to the species truly responsible for neurotoxicity. Huntington's disease (HD) is linked to the aggregation of mutant huntingtin (htt) peptide, which contains an abnormally long polyglutamine (polyGln) repeat that leads to the formation of fibrils with stable, β-sheet rich structures. Analogous to other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, mature htt fibrils are thought to be overall protective while the earlier smaller intermediates are proposed to be toxic to neuronal cells. We performed time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments to monitor the structural kinetics for htt peptides having polyGln repeats in the normal (22 Glns) and pathological (42 Glns) range. In addition to observing the expected faster aggregation rate for longer polyGln repeats, we find distinct conformational differences between normal and pathological htt. We also present, for the first time, three-dimensional structures of intermediates formed at the earliest stages of htt aggregation as detected by SANS and obtained using ab initio shape reconstruction methods. Finally, we are able to investigate the internal structure of the mature fibrils, where the mass-per-length of pathological htt fibrils is considerably less than normal htt fibrils. These findings provide the first steps toward characterizing the oligomers formed by htt peptides and illustrate the utility of SANS for identifying different aggregate intermediates formed in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Gene Fitness Landscapes of Vibrio cholerae at Important Stages of Its Life Cycle

Vibrio cholerae has evolved to adeptly transition between the human small intestine and aquatic environments, leading to water-borne spread and transmission of the lethal diarrheal disease cholera. Using a host model that mimics the pathology of human cholera, we applied high density transposon mutagenesis combined with massively parallel sequencing (Tn-seq) to determine the fitness contribution of >90% of all non-essential genes of V. cholerae both during host infection and dissemination. Targeted mutagenesis and validation of 35 genes confirmed our results for the selective conditions with a total false positive rate of 4%. We identified 165 genes never before implicated for roles in dissemination that reside within pathways controlling many metabolic, catabolic and protective processes, from which a central role for glycogen metabolism was revealed. We additionally identified 76 new pathogenicity factors and 414 putatively essential genes for V. cholerae growth. Our results provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the biology of V. cholerae as it colonizes the small intestine, elicits profuse secretory diarrhea, and disseminates into the aquatic environment.
Synthesis and characterization of aluminum oxide–boron carbide coatings by air plasma spraying

Abstract Aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 )–boron carbide (B 4 C) composites have been proposed for use as cutting tools as well as in high temperature applications due to their high hardness and fracture toughness. The air plasma spraying method was used to fabricate the composite coatings of Al 2 O 3 and B 4 C. Three different Al 2 O 3 :B 4 C composition ratios of 90:10, 80:20, and 70:30 by weight were plasma sprayed on plain carbon steel substrates. The effect of B 4 C content on microstructure, hardness, porosity and thermal diffusivity of the coatings were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microhardness testing, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the flash diffusivity method. The plasma spray parameters were optimized in order to achieve a theoretical density of approximately 90%.
Measurement of sialyl transferase activity and serum glycoproteins in malignant and benign (hyperparathyroid) hypercalcemia

Serum sialyl tranferase activity (STA) and protein bound carbohydrate were measured in hypercalcemic patients with surgically documented hyperparathyroidism (n = 15) or with cancer without skeletal metastases (n = 10). Precipitable protein-bound sialic acid and hexosamine, but not neutral hexoses or fucose were significantly (P less than 0.025) increased 40% and 21% respectively, in the perchlorate treated sera of cancer patients. Measurements of some specific serum glycoproteins by radial immunodiffusion assay were also different (P less than 0.05). Mean seromucoid protein was almost twice as great in the group with cancer (P less than 0.005), but four of these values overlapped those from the patients with hyperparathyroidism. The mean STA was 21.1 (range, 9.0-46.8) activity units in the patients with the cancer and 9.2 (range 1.0-17.8) in the patients with hyperparathyroidism (P less than 0.005). Six of the patients with cancer had values above the upper limit of the group with hyperparathyroidism. A discriminant function generated from these data correctly classified all the patients with hyperparathyroidism and 70% of those with cancer. Measurements of seromucoid and STA deserve further consideration as a way to discriminate some cases of hypercalcemia.
Infrared system for intraoperative digitization of laser and surgical instruments

In neurosurgery localization is the process of matching the imaging data generated by an imaging modality such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging with the patient's brain during surgery. This process is done intraoperatively using several methods. Using infrared signals is one of these methods. In this paper we describe a system that uses infrared as a tool to determine a position in three-dimensional space. We also describe a computer-based neurological image data acquisition and correlation system that assists the neurosurgeon with preplanning, simulation, and optimization of the ~mrgical procedures and shows the safest approach to J.esions. We describe localization in laser resection procedures for bot.h contact (NdYAG) and non-contact (C02 ) lasers.
The growth of resonant tunneling hot electron transistors using chemical beam epitaxy

A systematic growth study of InGaAs/AIA5/InGaAsP resonant tunneling hot electron transistors (RHETs) was performed using chemical beam epitaxy (CBE). The resonant tunneling hot electron transistors studied consist of a highly strained AIAs/1n075Ga525As/AIA5 double barrier structure and an undoped InP collector barrier with 1.1 and 1.2 gm InGaAsP graded layers. These quaternaries were lattice matched to InP within 2.6x iO~ and showed an averaged full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 6 meV from low temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The effects of growth interrupt were studied using PL, X-ray diffraction and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements, It was found that excessive growth interrupt induced high oxygen accumulation (8x io’~ cm 3) at the heterojunction and reduced the intensity of PL spectra. Moreover, for the growth of tunneling heterostructures, low substrate temperature, appropriate growth interrupts and use of hydride drying filters and high purity hydrides were helpful to improve device performance. The highest peak-to-valley current ratio (PVR) observed was 12.7, and maximum base transport ratio was 0.98 at 80 K. Furthermore, some digital functions such as flip-flop gate and exclusive NOR were demonstrated using a single RHET.
Some new algorithms for recursive linear estimation and related problems

The paper is an outline of a talk that will survey some algorithms that have recently been developed for linear estimation in dynamical systems with time-invariant parameters. The algorithms have potential numerical advantages and in particular require less effort than the Kalman filter. Special cases of the algorithms are closely related to certain early (1947) work in astrophysics by So Chandrasekhar and in estimation by N. Levinson. The algorithms can be used to solve several other problems beside estimation. Furthermore, they are closely related to algorithms for minimal realization and for system inversion.
SPIDER SIZE AND GUARDING OF OFFSPRING AFFECT PARAPHIDIPPUS AURANTIUS (ARANEAE, SALTICIDAE) RESPONSE TO PREDATION THREAT

We tested the hypothesis that the response of Paraphidippus aurantius (Lucas 1833) (Salticidae) to a simulated threat of predation would depend on a combination of spider size and repro- ductive status. In ponderosa pine forests of Colorado we located nests with spiders of varying sizes that were either adult female spiders guarding offspring or juvenile female and male spiders. To simulate a predator threat we applied a disturbance to the sides of spider nests using repeated puffs of air expressed from a rubber bulb or by blowing. We recorded the threat intensity (number of puffs) required to displace spiders from their nests, and then monitored the immediate responses of spiders to this threat. The threat intensity required to displace spiders guarding offspring was 2.3 times that of non-guarding spiders, and guarding spiders fled less than half as far as non-guarding spiders. Spider size had no effect on the threat intensity required for displacement, but larger spiders fled further than small ones. We then destroyed nests and monitored the long term responses of the spiders. Nests containing offspring were constructed with 4.6 times the mass of silk as those without offspring. When spiders rebuilt their nests, spider tenure in rebuilt nests did not differ between guarding spiders and non-guarding spiders. Spider size was nega- tively related to nest tenure for non-guarding spiders, but there was no such relationship for guarding spiders. These results suggest that both the short term and long term outcomes of interactions between P. aurantius and other predators may be influenced by a combination of spider size and offspring guarding behavior.
Administration of 100% oxygen does not hasten resolution of symptomatic spontaneous pneumothorax in neonates.

To compare the effectiveness of 100% oxygen therapy vs oxygen treatment with targeted pulse oximetry in the management of symptomatic small to moderate spontaneous pneumothorax (SP). In total, 100% oxygen treatment for SP has been a common practice in neonatology, albeit there is little evidence to validate its efficacy. A retrospective chart review of 83 neonatal records with the diagnosis of pneumothorax was conducted. Infants <35 weeks gestation, those with large pneumothoraces requiring chest tube drainage and/or ventilatory support were excluded. Data gathered included demographics, vital signs, treatment information and clinical indicators of resolution of symptoms. In total, 45 neonates with SP were included in the study. Groups were similar for gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, gravidity, parity, gender, race, pneumothorax size and location. Patients in the 100% oxygen therapy group received a significantly longer oxygen treatment (21.3 vs 8 h, P<0.001), required longer intravenous fluid treatment (48.6±29.9 vs 31.3± 18.8 h, P=0.03) and were delayed in reaching full feeds (44.1±25.7 vs 29.5±18.8 h, P=0.03) compared with the oxygen-targeted treatment group. Time to first oral feeding, time to resolution of tachypnea and length of stay were similar in both groups. There are no clinically significant advantages to using 100% oxygen in the treatment of symptomatic small to moderate SP. In fact, it may result in longer exposure to unnecessary oxygen treatment and toxicity. Oxygen should be reserved for those who are hypoxic and adjusted to comply with accepted saturation levels in neonates.
Differential Tolerance Is Induced in T Cells Recognizing Distinct Epitopes of Myelin Basic Protein

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is induced by T cell-mediated immunity to central nervous system antigens. In H-2u mice, EAE is mediated primarily by T cells specific for residues 1-11 of myelin basic protein (MBP). We demonstrate that differential tolerance to MBP1-11 versus epitopes in MBP121-150 is induced by expression of endogenous MBP, reflecting extreme differences in stability of peptide/MHC complexes. The diverse MBP121-150-specific TCR repertoire can be divided into three fine specificity groups. Two groups were identified in wild-type mice despite extensive tolerance, but the third group was not detected. Activated MBP121-150-specific T cells induce EAE in wild-type mice. Thus, encephalitogenic T cells that escape tolerance either recognize short-lived peptide/MHC complexes or express TCRs with unique specificities for stable complexes.
Recent Developments in the Clinical Assessment of Personality Disorders

Each of the latest editions of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has given special attention to the diagnosis of personality disorders. However, the assessment of personality disorders is among the most problematic and controversial of the mental disorders. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the major issues in the assessment of personality disorders, and to provide suggestions for their resolution. Issues that are covered include the differentiation of personality disorders from other mental disorders, from other personality disorders, and from normal personality functioning. We also discuss alternative instruments for the assessment of personality disorders, focusing in particular on various self-report inventories and semistructured interviews.
High-Currrent Regulated Supply, Combining Transistors and Magnetic Amplifiers, for the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron

Circuits are shown and design criteria given for a current-regulated power supply which is typical of 19 supplies of four types built for the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron. These supplies range from 6.25 to 34 kw with current ratings from 250 to 1200 amp. Current regulation and ripple of 1 part in 104 are obtained by separate ac and dc feedback circuits driving a bank of parallel power transistors in series with the load. The dissipation of the transistor bank is limited by a third feedback circuit, which drives a saturable reactor in the power supply to maintain a constant voltage across the transistor bank. The output can be varied from zero to maximum by setting a reference potentiometer which is supplied by a Zener reference with a low temperature coefficient. Plug-in circuits in the feedback networks allow versatility; any regulator can be used with a wide variety of magnets of varying time constants. A modular transistor bank simplifies construction and maintenance.
Characterization of DBPm, a plant protein that binds to DNA containing 5-methylcytosine

Abstract A protein (DBPm) has been isolated from nuclear extracts of soybean seeds, cauliflower florets, corn seed, wheat germ, and pea hypocotyl, seeds, apices, roots, and leaves that specifically binds to double-strand DNA containing 5-methylcytosine residues. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays, non-methylated duplex DNAs competed only slightly, while methylated DNAs were strong competitors. Specific binding still occurred after partial proteolysis of DBPm, but not after heating at 45°C. By ultraviolet light-crosslinking and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration, the size of pea seed DBPm was estimated to be in the range 70–90 kDa. From equilibrium binding studies the equilibrium constant for binding of pea seed DBPm to a 34 bp duplex deoxyoligonucleotide containing 12 5-methylcytosine residues was 1.2 · 10 9 M −1 . The binding properties of DBPm make it a good candidate for a plant protein capable of mediating the effects of DNA methylation on the activity of some plant genes.
Fabrication of porous NiTi shape memory alloy structures using laser engineered net shaping.

Porous NiTi alloy samples were fabricated with 12–36% porosity from equiatomic NiTi alloy powder using laser engineered net shaping (LENS™). The effects of processing parameters on density and properties of laser-processed NiTi alloy samples were investigated. It was found that the density increased rapidly with increasing the specific energy input up to 50 J/mm3. Further increase in the energy input had small effect on density. High cooling rates associated with LENS processing resulted in higher amount of cubic B2 phase, and increased the reverse transformation temperatures of porous NiTi samples due to thermally induced stresses and defects. Transformation temperatures were found to be independent of pore volume, though higher pore volume in the samples decreased the maximum recoverable strain from 6% to 4%. Porous NiTi alloy samples with 12–36% porosity exhibited low Young's modulus between 2 and 18 GPa as well as high compressive strength and recoverable strain. Because of high open pore volume between 36% and 62% of total volume fraction porosity, these porous NiTi alloy samples can potentially accelerate the healing process and improve biological fixation when implanted in vivo. Thus porous NiTi is a promising biomaterial for hard tissue replacements. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009
Sexual Dimorphism in the Blood Pressure Response to Angiotensin II in Mice After Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Blockade

BACKGROUND The incidence of hypertension and progression of renal disease are greater in men than in women. Data suggest that there is a dimorphic response to angiotensin II (Ang II) in rats, with male rats exhibiting a greater increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) than females. However, during endogenous renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, female rats have a greater MAP response to Ang II. We tested whether female mice exhibit a greater MAP response to chronic Ang II during ACE inhibition. METHODS Twenty-week-old male and female C57BL/6J mice (n > or = 6/group), treated with enalapril (40 mg/kg/day in drinking water), were assigned to groups receiving either Ang II (800 ng/kg/min) or saline for 2 weeks. Enalapril treatment began 4 days before and continued throughout the experiment. RESULTS MAP was higher in male mice than female mice treated with enalapril and Ang II (male: 144 +/- 3 vs. female: 121 +/- 6 mm Hg, P < 0.05) and was not different between mice treated with enalapril alone (male: 99 +/- 3 vs. female: 100 +/- 3 mm Hg). F2-isoprostanes were not increased by Ang II; however, female mice had significantly higher levels than males. Renal cortical expression of catalase and Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) was not different between experimental groups. Urinary protein was higher in male mice when compared to females, but was not changed after treatment with Ang II in either group. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that there are species and sex-specific differences in the mechanism of the blood pressure response to Ang II, even during ACE inhibition.
Insights into the appropriate level of disaggregation for efficient time series model forecasting

This paper provides a potentially valuable insight on how to assess if the forecasts from an autoregressive moving average model based on aggregated data could be substantially improved through disaggregation. It is argued that, theoretically, the absence of moving average (MA) terms indicates that no forecasting efficiency improvements can be achieved through disaggregation. In practice, it is found that there is a strong correlation between the statistical significance of the MA component in the aggregate model and the magnitude of the forecast mean square error (MSE) decreases that can be achieved through disaggregation. That is, if a model includes significant MA terms, the forecast MSE improvements that may be gained from disaggregation could be substantial. Otherwise, they are more likely to be relatively small or non-existent.
A rapid micro-scale method for the extraction and analysis of protein in marine samples

A micro-scale method for the extraction and analysis of proteins in particulate material was developed by applying the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay together with a ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase (RuDPCase) as a new standard. The BCA assay was modified for the rapid analysis of particulate protein collected on filters, and provides several advantages over other methods currently in use. Firstly, it is not sensitive to free amino acids or chitin which may complicate other methods. Secondly, reagent and reaction products are highly stable, allowing greater precision. As the principal algal protein and a potentially important component of detritus, RuDPCase is proposed as a preferred standard for systems where photosynthetically-derived carbon is the principal input. The protein amino acid composition of the diatom Thalassiosira fluviatills, the prymnesiophyte Isochrysis galbana, the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp., suspended particulate and sediment trap material showed good agreement with the RuDPCase standard, supporting its use in algal protein assays. In a comparison of the BCA and modified Lowry assays, RuDPCase consistently exhibited a lower absorbance response than bovine serum albumin (BSA), suggesting that present field estimates of protein to date are conservative. The combination of the modified BCA assay and more appropriate protein standard should allow for more quantitative estimates of protein content in marine samples.
The life histories of American stepfathers in evolutionary perspective.

This paper presents an analysis of the characteristics of men who become stepfathers, and their subsequent fertility patterns and lifetime reproductive success. Because women who already have children are ranked lower in the marriage market than women without children, men who marry women with children (e.g., stepfathers) are likely to have lower rankings in the marriage market as well. Using retrospective fertility and marital histories from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), I show that men who become stepfathers have lower levels of education, less income, and are more likely to have been divorced before and to already have children, all characteristics that lower their rankings in the marriage market. Men with one or two stepchildren are just as likely to have children within a marriage as non-stepfathers, although men with three stepchildren show decreased fertility. Among men age 45 and older, stepfathers have lower lifetime fertility than non-stepfathers, although the difference disappears when men’s age at first marriage is controlled for. Additionally, stepfathers have significantly higher fertility than men who never marry. The results suggest that some men become stepfathers to procure mates and fertility benefits that they would otherwise have been unlikely to obtain; for these men, raising other men’s children serves as a form of mating effort.
Defending against cache consistency attacks in wireless ad hoc networks

Caching techniques can be used to reduce bandwidth consumption and data access delay in wireless ad hoc networks. When cache is used, the issue of cache consistency must be addressed, and maintaining strong cache consistency is desired in some strategic scenarios (e.g., battlefields). In these situations, the invalidation-based approach is preferred due to its low overhead. However, this approach may suffer from some security attacks. For example, malicious nodes (also called intruders) may drop, insert or modify invalidation messages to mislead receivers to use stale data or unnecessarily invalidate data that are still valid. In this paper, we first propose to employ the Invalidation Report (IR) based cache invalidation strategy to prevent intruders from dropping or modifying invalidation messages. Although digital signatures can be used to protect IRs, this has significantly high overhead in terms of computational and bandwidth overhead. To address this problem, we further propose a family of randomized grouping-based schemes for intrusion detection, damage recovery and intruder identification. Extensive analysis and simulations are performed to evaluate the proposed schemes. The results show that our solution can achieve a satisfactory level of security with low overhead.
Heat Transfer in Adhesively Bonded Honeycomb Core Panels

The Swann and Pittman semi-empirical relationship has been used as a standard in aerospace industry to predict the effective thermal conductivity of honeycomb core panels. Recent measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of an adhesively bonded titanium honeycomb core panel using three different techniques, two steady-state and one transient radiant step heating method, at four laboratories varied significantly from each other and from the Swann and Pittman predictions. Average differences between the measurements and the predictions varied between 17 and 61 percent in the temperature range of 300 to 500K. In order to determine the correct values of the effective thermal conductivity and determine which set of the measurements or predictions were most accurate, the combined radiation and conduction heat transfer in the honeycomb core panel was modeled using a finite volume numerical formulation. The transient radiant step heating measurements provided the best agreement with the numerical results. It was found that a modification of the Swann and Pittman semi-empirical relationship which incorporated the facesheets and adhesive layers in the thermal model provided satisfactory results. Finally, a parametric study was conducted to investigate the influence of adhesive thickness and thermal conductivity on the overall heat transfer through the panel.
Interactive Perspective Cut-away Views for General 3D Scenes

We present a technique that allows a user to look beyond occluding objects in arbitrary 3D graphics scenes. In order to control this form of virtual x-ray vision, the user interactively cuts holes into the occluding geometry. The user can rapidly define a cutout shape or choose a standard shape and sweep it over the occluding wall segments to reveal what lies behind them. Holes are rendered in the correct 3D perspective as if they were actually cut into the obstructing geometry, including border regions that give the cutout shape physical depth, simulating penetration of a physical wall that possesses some generic thickness.
Transitions between Elongated Conformations of Ubiquitin [M+11H]11+ Enhance Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange

Hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange reactions between different elongated conformations of [M + 11H]11+ ions of ubiquitin and D2O are studied by a combination of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry techniques. Three conformers (B, C, and D), resolved in the IMS separation, each exchange ∼27 hydrogens upon exposure to 0.06 Torr of D2O vapor for ∼35 to 40 ms. However, a region of the IMS spectrum that appears between the C and D states (corresponding to ions that undergo a structural transition during the mobility separation) undergoes substantially more exchanges (∼39 total sites, 44% more than the B, C, and D states). Selection and activation of the individual B, C, and D states reveals that the increased H/D exchange occurs during the transition between structures. Overall, these studies suggest a key process in establishing the maximum exchange levels involves structural transitions, which allow protected sites to be exposed for some fraction of the reaction time. Analysis of changes in ...
Using spatial correspondences for hyperspectral knowledge transfer: Evaluation on synthetic data

We describe a proof of concept for class knowledge transfer from a labeled hyperspectral image to an unlabeled image, captured with a different (hyper-/multi-spectral) sensor, when the spatial extents of the images partially overlap. By defining a set of spatio-spectral correspondences between the labeled source image and the unlabeled target image, we create a mapping between the images we can use to propagate labels from the source to the target image. This mapping allows us to classify the target image using the source labels without manually defining training labels in the target image. We evaluate the technique using state of the art synthetic hyperspectral imagery.
Hypnos: an ultra-low power sleep mode with SRAM data retention for embedded microcontrollers

In heavily duty-cycled embedded systems, the energy consumed by the microcontroller in idle mode is often the bottleneck for battery lifetime. Existing solutions address this problem by placing the microcontroller in a low power (sleep) state when idle, and preserving application state either by retaining the data in-situ in SRAM, or by checkpointing it to Flash. However, both these approaches have notable drawbacks. In-situ data retention requires the SRAM to remain powered in sleep mode, while checkpointing to Flash involves significant energy and time overheads. This paper proposes a new ultra-low power sleep mode for microcontrollers that overcomes the limitations of both these approaches. Our technique, Hypnos, is based on the key observation that the on-chip SRAM in a microcontroller exhibits 100% data retention even at a much lower supply voltage (as much as 10x lower) than the typical operating voltage of the microcontroller. Hypnos exploits this observation by performing extreme voltage scaling when the microcontroller is in sleep mode. We implement and evaluate Hypnos for the TI MSP430G2452 microcontroller and show that the MCU draws only 26nA in the proposed sleep mode, which is 4x lower than any existing sleep mode that preserves SRAM contents. Further, we show that a complete wireless sensing system using Hypnos only depletes battery capacity by 42.6nAh in an hour. By decreasing the average power consumption to such minuscule levels, Hypnos takes a significant step forward in making perpetual systems a reality through the use of energy harvesting.
Behavioral synthesis for testability

this paper, a synthesis for testability approach is resented. In this approach we select test points or gip-flops to be used in Test Point Insertion or Par- tial Scan to enhance circuit testability. The selection is based on circuit behavioral information rather than low level structural description. This allows Test Point Insertion or Partial Scan usa e on circuits described as interconnection of high levefmodules. In this pa er we also pro ose Test Statement Insertion as an aier; native to &st Point Insertion and to Partial Scan. The major advantage of using Test Statement Inser- tion is less pin count and lower test application time overhead than Test Point Inserti0.n and Partial Scan. Our tool has been implemented in a computer pro- gram.
Frequency‐wavenumber analysis of geothermal microseisms at Norris Geyser basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Microseisms were recorded by two separate arrays within 5 km of Norris Geyser basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The data were analyzed using frequency‐wavenumber (f-k) spectral techniques to investigate whether the microseisms are originating at the geyser basin and, if so, whether body waves emanating from a deep source could be distinguished from surface waves on the basis of phase velocity. Array aperture and seismometer spacing were systematically varied to examine a continuous wavenumber range of 0 to 100 cycles/km. Results from high‐resolution f-k analysis show that the microseisms indeed originate at the geyser basin in the frequency range 1.5 to 6.3 Hz with phase velocities of 1.1 to 2.5 and 2.0 to 4.0 km/sec on arrays southwest and east of the geyser basin, respectively. Although we could not distinguish between surface waves and body waves originating near the surface solely on the basis of phase‐velocity information, observed velocities clearly preclude the possibility that a deep hydr...
WORK-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND CHECKSTAND CONFIGURATION: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Supermarket checkers are known to be at risk of upper-extremity cumulative trauma disorders. Forty-two experienced checkers checked a standard “market basket” of items on an experimental checkstand. The counter height could be adjusted (high=35.5, low=31.5 inches), and the pre-scan queuing area length (between conveyor belt and laser scanner) could be set to “near” or “far” lengths. Each subject scanned under the high-near, high-far, low-near, and low-far conditions in random order. Seven ordinal symptom scales were used to describe comfort. Analysis showed that both counter height and queuing length had significant effects on symptoms. Furthermore, the height of the subject affected the degree and direction of the impact of the checkstand configuration differences. The study suggests that optimization of design may be experimentally evaluated, that modification of postural as well as frequency loading may be beneficial, and that adjustability for the individual may be advisable.
Do older Americans undergo stoma reversal following low anterior resection for rectal cancer

Abstract Objective For low-lying rectal cancers, proximal diversion can reduce anastomotic leak after sphincter-preserving surgery; however, evidence suggests that such temporary diversions are often not reversed. We aimed to evaluate nonreversal and delayed stoma reversal in elderly patients undergoing low anterior resection (LAR). Design SEER-Medicare-linked analysis from 1991–2007. Settings and participants A total of 1179 primary stage I–III rectal cancer patients over age 66 who underwent LAR with synchronous diverting stoma. Main outcome measures (1) Stoma creation and reversal rates; (2) time to reversal; (3) characteristics associated with reversal and shorter time to reversal. Results Within 18 mo of LAR, 51% of patients (603/1179) underwent stoma reversal. Stoma reversal was associated with age Conclusions Half of elderly rectal cancer patients who undergo LAR with temporary stoma have not undergone stoma reversal by 18 mo. Identifiable risk factors predict both nonreversal and longer time to reversal. These results help inform preoperative discussions and promote realistic expectations for elderly rectal cancer patients.
Public vs. private schools in developing countries : evidence from Colombia and Tanzania

The paper presents evidence on differences between public and private schools in Colombia and Tanzania on a number of indicators like cognitive achievement, unit cost and labor market outcomes. The findings are mixed, in the sense that in both countries, statistically controlling for student ability and socioeconomic background, private school students outperform their public school counterparts on academic achievement, whereas the reverse is true regarding achievement on specialized subject matter. One possible explanation of this finding is that parental pressure (social demand) on private schools makes them tacitly emphasize academic subjects which are viewed by their customers as leading to a higher level of opportunities after graduation.