cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lithospheric stress patterns: A global view

The present-day lithospheric stress state is the result of a variety of forces that act on and within the tectonic plates forming the Iithosphere. Knowledge of this stress state provides important constraints on forces acting at a variety of scales and, hence, helps to solve scientific problems of interest to a wide spectrum of scientists and engineers. Six years of effort by scientists from all over the world (listed at end of article) brought together under the International Lithosphere Program (ILP) of the joint International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics/International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGG/IUGS) Interunion Commission on the Lithosphere culminated in the July 1992 publication of the World Stress Map and nineteen accompanying research papers in a special issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth (volume 87, number B8). Figure 1 shows a reduced version of the published 1:40,000,000 color map.
OUTPATIENT RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY: IMPACT OF STANDARD PERINEAL APPROACH ON PATIENT OUTCOME

Purpose: As managed care becomes more prevalent, urologists must critically evaluate the economic aspect of and patient satisfaction with urological practice patterns. We have previously reported the advantages of radical perineal prostatectomy, which decreases hospitalization and morbidity, and provides a more rapid return to normal activity, translating into cost savings. We have since evaluated the satisfaction of patients who underwent outpatient radical prostatectomy with and without laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection.Materials and Methods: We evaluated the charts of 250 consecutive patients who underwent outpatient radical perineal prostatectomy with less than 24 hours of hospitalization from 1992 to 1997. Complications, pain management, blood transfusion, and bowel and urinary dysfunction were assessed. Validated quality of life questionnaires were mailed to 200 patients several months postoperatively and a 62% response rate was achieved.Results: Mean followup in the series was 30 months. In...
The pattern of sarcomere lengths through the left ventricular free wall: differences between open and closed-chest rats.

Sarcomere lengths were measured with an optical microscope at five sites through the free wall of the open-chest rat left ventricle. After pentobarbital anesthesia the hearts were arrested with 5 mM cadmium chloride and 0.9% saline and fixed with formaldehyde solution. Serial sections (250 μm thick) were cut from endocardium to epicardium with a freezing microtome. Selected sections were sonified, mixed with a gelatin-water solution, and placed on a glass slide. There was a progressive increase in mean sarcomere lengths with increasing intraventricular pressures though the sarcomeres did not significantly exceed their optimum length. There was a distinct and statistically significant difference in the pattern of sarcomere lengths through the ventricular wall between our previous closed-chest study and the present open-chest study. In these open-chest animals, there was an almost linear pattern of increasing sarcomere lengths from endocardium to epicardium over the range of semiphysiologic diastolic intraventricular pressures (6, 12, and 24 cm H2O − 0.59, 1.18, 2.35 kPa). These results appear to caution against extrapolations on ventricular function derived from open-chest studies to the normal physiologic conditions.
Reducing Test Anxiety While Increasing Learning: The Cheat Sheet

Student learning is greatly enhanced by studying prior to an exam. Allowing students to prepare a cheat sheet for the exam helps structure this study time and deepens learning. The crib sheet is well defined: one double-sided page of notes. An award for the best and most creative cheat sheet allows the instructor to appreciate the students' efforts. Using the cheat sheet also reduces student anxiety during testing.
Statistics of fracture of composite materials under multiaxial loading

Abstract A brittle fracture model is developed for composite structures with continuous aligned fiber reinforcement. Statistical data from the fracture of uniaxial coupons and information from a stress analysis are used to predict the fracture statistics of a brittle composite structure. The structure is divided into physically plausible subvolumes: these subvolumes must be large enough to contain the typical fracture-inducing flaw, thus minimizing element interactions, and small enough to have an approximately constant stress state within the volume. Probabilistic forms of various macroscopic fracture theories are applied to compute the subvolume reliabilities; the reliability for a subvolume is scaled according to its volume using a weak link model. These subvolume reliabilities are then combined to yield the structure reliability in a process analogous to numerical integration. The macroscopic fracture theories considered include the maximum stress, which leads to the principle of independent action, and the interactive maximum distortion energy criterion. The developed model is used to predict fracture statistics for a short off-axis specimen which experiences substantial stress concentrations because of its end constraints. Using data for a glass-epoxy system, the convergence of the method is illustrated by a progressive refinement of the maximum element size. The strength degradation induced by the geometric constraint is determined to be essentially constant. Results of the interactive and non-interactive criteria are compared for a graphite-epoxy system, demonstrating the conservatism of interactive criteria. The short off-axis specimen results show the potential effect of an improper test design on an anisotropic material.
Development and structure of the phloem tissue. II.

The modem morphological concept of the phloem is that of a tissue containing highly specialized elongated enucleate cells with permeable cytoplasm arranged in longitudinal rows and forming anastomosing strands together with the parenchymatous members of the phloem. These specialized cells—that is, the sieve-tube elements or their counterparts—are intimately connected with each other. In most plants these connections are localized in wall areas occupied by the sieve-plates or by similar structures comparable to highly developed simple-pits. The connecting strands, although varied in size, are larger than ordinary plasmodesmata and are usually associated with variable amounts of callose in the wall region that they traverse. The parenchyma cells show different degrees of ontogenetic and physiologic relation to the sieve-tube elements. The companion-cells of angiosperms are most closely associated. with the sieve-tube elements; then follow the albuminous cells of gymnosperms and finally the phloem parenchyma and ray cells. When the sieve-tube reaches maturity its protoplast is in a premortal state. The element is, therefore, rather short-lived. The companion and albuminous cells die at the same time as the sievetubes.
Effect of influent oxygen concentration on the GAC adsorption of VOCs in the presence of BOM

Abstract Two rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) were conducted in combination with a large column adsorber to determine if the small columns could predict the performance of a large column. The adsorbate solution consisted of three volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the presence of background organic matter (BOM). Landfill leachate was used as the BOM source. Dissolved molecular oxygen was used as a parametric viriable in the column studies to determine its influence on the breakthrough behavior of the adsorbate solution. The RSSCT, designed according to the assumption of no dependency of the intraparticle surface diffusion coefficient on the activated carbon particle size, accurately predicted the performance of the large column under anoxic conditions (absence of molecular oxygen), but failed to predict its performance under ambient (8 mg 1−1 dissolved oxygen) or oxic conditions (30 mg 1−1 dissolved oxygen). The RSSCT, designed according to the assumption of a linear dependency of the intraparticle surface diffusion coefficient on the activated carbon particle size, accurately predicted the performance of the large column under oxic and ambient conditions, but failed to predict its performance under anoxic conditions. The presence of molecular oxygen in the test environment resulted in an increased adsorption of the BOM on the GAC surface, which in turn, decreased the capacity of the VOCs due to competitive effects.
Parathion-induced suppression of humoral immunity in inbred mice

Abstract Numbers of IgM plaque-forming cells (PFC) were reduced by 65% in C57B1/6 mice given parathion 2 days after immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The immunosuppressive dose (16 mg/kg, p.o.) caused signs of cholinergic poisoning and 20% mortality. Survivors appeared to have recovered fully from the cholinergic crisis at the time of immunologic assay. However, these animals had reduced tissue cholinesterase (ChE) activities and decreased numbers of nucleated spleen cells. Immunosuppression was apparent on day 4 but not on day 3 or days 5–8 of the primary IgM response. Reduction of serum hemagglutinin titers coincided with reduction of the number of splenic PFC. A lower dose of insecticide (4 mg/kg, p.o.) did not produce signs of poisoning and was not immunosuppressive. The number of 8-day IgG PFC was reduced by 45% when parathion (16 mg/kg, p.o.) was given 6 days after immunization, but not when parathion was given 2 days after immunization. The data suggest that cholinergic stimulation and/or the associated toxic chemical stress may be involved in parathion-induced immunosuppression.
Conditional averages in convective turbulence

Abstract Two exact results are presented for the thermal dissipation in a Rayleigh-Benard geometry. The first result expresses the conditional dissipation at each value of θ within the entire volume of the system in terms of the thermal flux and the PDF for θ. The second gives the conditional dissipation in a region of the cell in terms of the conditional flux into the region. These results are used to argue that the observed stretched exponential PDF in the central region must be connected with the behavior near the boundary.
Conservation of Shannon's redundancy for proteins.

The fundamental question of the randomness or non-randomness of protein sequences is studied utilizing information theory. Information parameters for random protein sequences are derived utilizing Monte Carlo methods. Real sequence parameters are compared with the random standards for sequences of a specific length.
Endoscopic management of frontal sinus disease.

Depending on the pathologic process, the treatment of frontal sinus disease has consisted of obliteration or ablation of the sinus, or restoration of drainage into the nose. Intranasal endoscopic enlargement of the frontal recess and ostium, and removal of disease from the medial aspect of the frontal sinus offers a minimally invasive alternative to previous operations in selected patients. To better understand the indications, limitations, and potential problems with this operation, our experience with endoscopic frontal sinusotomy in 36 patients over a 30-month period is reported. During the follow-up period, 21 patients had complete resolution of all symptoms, 11 patients were improved but had at least one episode of sinusitis or headache post-operatively, and 3 patients were worse, 2 of whom required frontal sinus obliteration for control of disease. Although endoscopic frontal sinusotomy appears to be a useful alternative to traditional frontal sinus procedures in selected patients, the reader is cautioned that such surgery is technically difficult and has not yet stood the test of time required of any frontal sinus operation.
Microwave underground propagation and detection

The detection of buried targets has been a problem of significant interest for decades, with microwave-based sensing constituting an important tool. In this paper, we review the basic issues that characterize microwave-based subsurface sensing. Issues considered include the use of microwaves in the context of an airborne synthetic aperture radar, as well for radars deployed close to the air-soil interface. Rough-surface induced clutter is also discussed. Particular examples are presented for detection of land mines and unexploded ordnance.
Mapping of the classical kinetic balance equations onto the Pauli equation

Here we find a mapping onto the Pauli equation of the first two balance equations derived from the classical Boltzmann equation. The essence of this mapping, which we previously used to obtain the particular case of the Sturm–Liouville operator known as Schrodinger's equation, consists of applying a Fourier transform to the momentum coordinate of the distribution function. This procedure introduces a natural parameter η with units of angular momentum. The main difference between the two cases is the conditions imposed on the probability distribution function, a difference most clearly understood at the level of the hydrodynamic equations generated in the first steps of the mapping. The case leading to the Sturm–Liouville operator corresponds to an irrotational flow, while here the ansatz leading to the Pauli equation corresponds to a fluid with non-zero vorticity. In the context of fluid dynamics, the magnitude of the angular momentum associated with the vorticity is η/2. To perform the mapping we follow the standard technique common in hydrodynamic problems, namely writing the Lagrangian for the Euler equations with the corresponding constraints expressed in terms of the Clebsch variables.
A complete calibration procedure for time domain network analyzers

A complete calibration procedure for a fast sampling oscilloscope has been developed. This calibration makes it possible to use time-domain-reflected, time-domain-transmitted (TDR-TDT) systems at a quantitative level as a time-domain network analysis (TDNA) system. The data acquisition and calibration programs are implemented on a personal computer. All measurements are achieved in the time domain; the errors are corrected in the frequency domain, after Fourier transform. The bandwidth of the system extends from DC to 20 GHz. A whole calibration is achieved in a time comparable to LRL calibration on a classical network analyzer. >
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to complicated gastroduodenal ulcer disease in liver transplant patients taking sirolimus

Sirolimus is emerging as a popular immunosuppressive agent for patients undergoing solid organ and pancreatic cell transplantation. Here, we report the clinical courses of three patients receiving sirolimus who developed aggressive gastroduodenal ulcer disease. One patient died from massive gastrointestinal bleeding, and ulcers in the other two patients healed only after discontinuation of sirolimus. We propose that the mechanism underlying this severe ulcer diathesis, and poor ulcer healing, was linked to the well-known inhibitory effects of sirolimus on wound healing. We propose that sirolimus should be used carefully (or even withheld) in patients with known or previous ulcer disease, and further that it should be used prudently and/or in conjunction with aggressive prophylaxis therapy in those at risk for ulcer disease.
Ebola Virus: a Clear and Present Danger

An epidemic of Ebola virus disease is occurring in Western Africa on a scale not seen before, particularly in the countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The continued spread is facilitated by insufficient medical facilities, poor sanitation, travel, and unsafe burial practices. Several patients diagnosed with Ebola virus disease in Africa have been evacuated to the United States for treatment, and several other patients have been diagnosed in the United States. It is important for laboratories to be aware of available tests, especially those granted emergency use authorization, as hospitals prepare protocols for the diagnosis and management of high-risk patients.
Not getting to goal: the clinical costs of noncompliance.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is characterized by significant prevalence and cost in the managed care setting. Despite overwhelming evidence in favor of statin use for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), medication compliance to these agents remains suboptimal, as it does in other disease states. OBJECTIVE: To establish the benefits of statin therapy in cardiovascular disease, demonstrate the current lack of compliance to lipid-lowering agents, and present potential interventions to improve medication compliance. SUMMARY: As evidenced by a consistent body of clinical trial data, intensive LDL-C reduction plays a critical role in the mitigation of cardiovascular risk. Yet, the effectiveness of lipid-lowering strategies is offset to a significant degree by both physician and patient factors that limit goal attainment. Despite extensive evidence demonstrating the benefits of lipid-lowering therapy, many patients are still not getting to goal because the transition from physician awareness to clinical practice is lagging. Patient noncompliance to therapy also limits goal attainment, thus resulting in poor health outcomes and increasing managed care costs. CONCLUSION: To overcome the issues surrounding LDL-C goal attainment, interventions designed to increase goal attainment should be based not only on the conclusions of clinical trials but also on successful patientand provider-focused behavioral strategies. Interventions for improving adherence to lipid-lowering medication will provide an opportunity to decrease morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization associated with cardiovascular disease.
THE STRUCTURE AND FORMATION OF CILIA AND FILAMENTS IN RUMEN PROTOZOA.

The large oligotrich rumen protozoa Diplodinium ecaudatum and Ophryoscolex caudatus have been studied by electron microscopy during interphase and division. The structure of mature cilia is contrasted with that seen during their formation particularly in a tuft where development lags and is arrested. Here the shaft is only a few micra long and is composed of filaments that have circular cross-sections not in the typical circular arrangement. In their diameter and appearance the filaments are similar to filaments associated with the nuclei during division. The macronucleus has within it randomly directed filaments, while the micronucleus contains well aligned filaments and other arrangements typical of an intranuclear mitotic process. An extranuclear filament system is also present and is elaborated during division. The infraciliary filament system is particularly elaborate in these organisms. Filaments ranging from 14 to 22 mµ have been observed with some tendency for a bimodal distribution in diameters of 15 and 21 mµ. Formation of such filaments has been observed and consists of an initial orientation of very fine elements followed by filament formation. The observations are discussed in relation to filament involvements in cell movements. The concepts are discussed that filaments are metastable structures and that the transitions from one state to another are functionally significant.
Concept of PIRO as a new conceptual framework to understand sepsis.

Objective To define and introduce the PIRO model for categorizing sepsis in infants and children. Design A summary of the literature published during the 5 yrs since this concept has been formulated, along with a consensus opinion of experts in the field of sepsis and septic shock. Results The imprecision and intrinsic heterogeneity of the patient population defined as septic has prompted the introduction of a new sepsis classification system known as PIRO. PIRO stands for predisposition, infection, response, and organ dysfunction. It is hoped that by defining the septic process through a detailed analysis of each of its component parts, the development of sepsis will be better understood. This may contribute to improved therapeutic interventions for sepsis in the future. Conclusions The PIRO model is a conceptual framework for understanding sepsis that has many favorable attributes. The PIRO model should be directly tested in both the research laboratory and in clinical trial designs to determine the practical value and clinical relevance of this new classification scheme for sepsis.
Molecular mechanisms driving respiratory syncytial virus assembly

Respiratory syncytial virus is a single-stranded RNA virus in the Paramyxoviridae family that preferentially assembles and buds from the apical surface of polarized epithelial cells, forming filamentous structures that contain both viral proteins and the genomic RNA. Recent studies have described both viral and host factors that are involved in ribonucleoprotein assembly and trafficking of viral proteins to the cell surface. At the cell surface, viral proteins assemble into filaments that probably require interactions between viral proteins, host proteins and the cell membrane. Finally, a membrane scission event must occur to release the free virion. This article will review the recent literature describing the mechanisms that drive respiratory syncytial virus assembly and budding.
Comparison of continuous and interrupted suture techniques in microvascular anastomosis

We evaluated the efficacy of the continuous suture technique (CST) in arteries and veins with varying external diameters (ED). In study 1 a direct end-to-end anastomosis was performed in 5 groups of animals (n = 15 in each group): group 1, rabbit carotid artery (ED, 1.8-2.0 mm); group 2, rabbit femoral artery (ED, 1.4-1.6 mm); group 3, rat femoral artery (ED, 0.7-0.9 mm); group 4, rabbit femoral vein (ED, 2.0-2.2 mm); and group 5, rat femoral vein (ED, 1.0-1.2 mm). In study 2 a graft from the femoral vein was interposed into the carotid artery, with a ratio of the diameter of graft to artery of 1.3:1 in the rats (group 6, n = 12) and 1:1 in the rabbits (group 7, n = 12). In each animal the vessel on one side was repaired using CST and the opposite vessel using the interrupted suture technique. Vessel samples were harvested 1, 2, and 4 weeks after anastomosis. The CST significantly reduced anastomosis time by up to 47% in arteries and 41% in veins. Bleeding time and blood loss were also significantly reduced with CST. Similar results were found in study 2. The total thrombosis rate was 8%, but no significant patency difference was noted between the CST and the interrupted suture technique in any vessel category. We conclude that the CST is a reliable and time-saving procedure in microvascular anastomosis of arteries with diameters greater than 0.7 mm and of veins with diameters greater than 1.0 mm.
Regulation of calcium clock‐mediated pacemaking by inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptors in mouse sinoatrial nodal cells

Key points Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3 Rs) modulate pacemaking in embryonic heart, but their role in adult sinoatrial node (SAN) pacemaking is uncertain. We found that stimulation of IP3 Rs accelerates spontaneous pacing rate in isolated mouse SAN cells, whereas inhibition of IP3 Rs slows pacing. In atrial-specific sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX) knockout (KO) SAN cells, where the Ca(2+) clock is uncoupled from the membrane clock, IP3 R agonists and antagonists modulate the rate of spontaneous Ca(2+) waves, suggesting that IP3 R-mediated Ca(2+) release modulates the Ca(2+) clock. IP3 R modulation also regulates Ca(2+) spark parameters, a reflection of ryanodine receptor open probability, consistent with the effect of IP3 signalling on Ca(2+) clock frequency. Modulation of Ca(2+) clock frequency by IP3 signalling in NCX KO SAN cells demonstrates that the effect is independent of NCX. These findings support development of IP3 signalling modulators for regulation of heart rate, particularly in heart failure where IP3 Rs are upregulated. Abstract Cardiac pacemaking initiated by the sinus node is attributable to the interplay of several membrane currents. These include the depolarizing 'funny current' (If ) and the sodium-calcium exchanger current (INCX ). The latter is activated by ryanodine receptor (RyR)-mediated calcium (Ca(2+) ) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Another SR Ca(2+) release channel, the inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate receptor (IP3 R), has been implicated in the generation of spontaneous Ca(2+) release in atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes. Whether IP3 R-mediated Ca(2+) release also influences SAN automaticity is controversial, in part due to the confounding influence of periodic Ca(2+) flux through the sarcolemma accompanying each beat. We took advantage of atrial-specific sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX) knockout (KO) SAN cells to study the influence of IP3 signalling on cardiac pacemaking in a system where periodic intracellular Ca(2+) cycling persists despite the absence of depolarization or Ca(2+) flux across the sarcolemma. We recorded confocal line scans of spontaneous Ca(2+) release in WT and NCX KO SAN cells in the presence or absence of an IP3 R blocker (2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, 2-APB), or during block of IP3 production by the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122. 2-APB and U73122 decreased the frequency of spontaneous Ca(2+) transients and waves in WT and NCX KO cells, respectively. Alternatively, increased IP3 production induced by phenylephrine increased Ca(2+) transient and wave frequency. We conclude that IP3 R-mediated SR Ca(2+) flux is crucial for initiating and modulating the RyR-mediated Ca(2+) cycling that regulates SAN pacemaking. Our results in NCX KO SAN cells also demonstrate that RyRs, but not NCX, are required for IP3 to modulate Ca(2+) clock frequency.
An improved inversion for FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC ionosphere electron density profiles

An improved method to retrieve electron density profiles from Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) data is presented and applied to Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) observations. The improved inversion uses a monthly grid of COSMIC F region peak densities (NmF2), which are obtained via the standard Abel inversion, to aid the Abel inversion by providing information on the horizontal gradients in the ionosphere. This lessens the impact of ionospheric gradients on the retrieval of GPS RO electron density profiles, reducing the dominant error source in the standard Abel inversion. Results are presented that demonstrate the NmF2 aided retrieval significantly improves the quality of the COSMIC electron density profiles. Improvements are most notable at E region altitudes, where the improved inversion reduces the artificial plasma cave that is generated by the Abel inversion spherical symmetry assumption at low latitudes during the daytime. Occurrence of unphysical negative electron densities at E region altitudes is also reduced. Furthermore, the NmF2 aided inversion has a positive impact at F region altitudes, where it results in a more distinct equatorial ionization anomaly. COSMIC electron density profiles inverted using our new approach are currently available through the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research COSMIC Data Analysis and Archive Center. Owing to the significant improvement in the results, COSMIC data users are encouraged to use electron density profiles based on the improved inversion rather than those inverted by the standard Abel inversion.
High-Quality Draft Genome Sequences of 28 Enterococcus sp. Isolates

The enterococci are low-GC Gram-positive bacteria that have emerged as leading causes of hospital-acquired infection. They are also commensals of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy humans and most other animals with gastrointestinal flora and are important for food fermentations. Here we report the availability of draft genome sequences for 28 enterococcal strains of diverse origin, including the species Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium, E. casseliflavus, and E. gallinarum.
Thermally stable high moment FeCo/IrMn soft underlayers for perpendicular media

High-moment FeCo/IrMn exchange-coupled multilayer films were demonstrated to have outstanding characteristics as soft underlayers for perpendicular media. However, their thermal stability was not sufficient to maintain the single-domain condition above 75/spl deg/C. Here, it is reported that an underlayer of /spl beta/-Ta (200) considerably enhanced the texture in IrMn [111] and FeCo [110] films. An improved structure was found to be glass/Ta(20 nm)/Cu(20 nm)/IrMn(10 nm)/[FeCo(50 nm)/IrMn(10 nm)]/sub 4//FeCo(25 nm), which showed significantly enhanced thermal stability without deterioration in other characteristics. There was no irreversible reduction in the exchange-bias field after the thermal cycle, an increase in the maximum temperature T/sub max/ to maintain the single-domain condition of the exchange-bias field greater than the coercivity from 75/spl deg/C to 150/spl deg/C, and an increase in the blocking temperature from 175/spl deg/C to above 250/spl deg/C. Annealing at 225/spl deg/C with an orienting field parallel to the pinned direction further enhanced the single-domain condition, resulting in an increase in T/sub max/ from 150/spl deg/C to 220/spl deg/C.
Arch vessel injury: geometrical considerations. Implications for the mechanism of traumatic myocardial infarction II

Various types of vascular injury have been reported in the medical literature; the isthmic part of the aorta is at particularly high risk of traumatic rupture. Early diagnosis results in better survival, justifying the search for potential risk factors and diagnostic tests. The aim of this research was to investigate the complex mechanism of blunt injury to the vascular wall with particular focus on the branching region of the vessels. Geometric peculiarities were investigated. Multi-phase equations have been used. The system of equations with certain boundary conditions was solved numerically by applying the finite-difference method with order of approximation equal to 0.0001. The degree of curvature (the Dean number) is highly informative about the shear stress on the external surface of the vessel. An important function of the blood flow on the external wall is to destroy rouleaux. The viscosity of phase 2 (f2) exceeds, by many times, the viscosity of phase 1 (f1). The major stress created by blood flow is expressed as the shear stress of f2. The volume fraction of rouleaux depends to a greater degree on the concentration of erythrocytes (expressed as the viscosity of the mixture) than on the shear stress. The peculiarities of rouleaux formation were assessed and their impact on the local shear stress and, therefore, on the internal wall was determined in relation to the erythrocyte concentration. The results of this research take into account certain geometrical peculiarities of the branching part of the vessel. The mathematical model created in this study will improve our understanding of the complex mechanism of blunt injury to the vascular wall and, therefore, conditions such as aortic rupture and traumatic acute myocardial infarction.
Modeled Impact of Anthropogenic Land Cover Change on Climate

Abstract Equilibrium experiments with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory’s climate model are used to investigate the impact of anthropogenic land cover change on climate. Regions of altered land cover include large portions of Europe, India, eastern China, and the eastern United States. Smaller areas of change are present in various tropical regions. This study focuses on the impacts of biophysical changes associated with the land cover change (albedo, root and stomatal properties, roughness length), which is almost exclusively a conversion from forest to grassland in the model; the effects of irrigation or other water management practices and the effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide changes associated with land cover conversion are not included in these experiments. The model suggests that observed land cover changes have little or no impact on globally averaged climatic variables (e.g., 2-m air temperature is 0.008 K warmer in a simulation with 1990 land cover compared to a simulation with poten...
An Examination of High-Frequency Cross-Selling

Cross-selling has been identified as an effective strategy for relationship marketing, with its ultimate objective of customer retention. Through a survey of 225 insurance agents, we seek to create a limited profile of the high-frequency cross-selling salesperson. The results show that those who are high-frequency cross-sellers perceive significantly more cross-selling incentives from their organizations, a higher level of commitment to cross-selling among their workgroup, as well as higher levels of cross-selling role clarity and self-efficacy. The results have managerial implications for sales managers engaged in cross-selling initiatives.
Intricate targeting of immunoglobulin somatic hypermutation maximizes the efficiency of affinity maturation

It is believed that immunoglobulin-variable region gene (IgV) somatic hypermutation (SHM) is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) upon deamination of cytidine to deoxyuracil. Patch-excision repair of these lesions involving error prone DNA polymerases such as polη causes mutations at all base positions. If not repaired, the deaminated nucleotides on the coding and noncoding strands result in C-to-T and G-to-A exchanges, respectively. Herein it is reported that IgV gene evolution has been considerably influenced by the need to accommodate extensive C deaminations and the resulting accumulation of C-to-T and G-to-A exchanges. Although seemingly counterintuitive, the precise placement of C and G nucleotides causes most C-to-T and G-to-A mutations to be silent or conservative. We hypothesize that without intricate positioning of C and G nucleotides the efficiency of affinity maturation would be significantly reduced due to a dominance of replacements caused by C and G transition mutations. The complexity of these evolved biases in codon use are compounded by the precise concomitant hotspot/coldspot targeting of AID activity and Polη errors to maximize SHM in the CDRs and minimize mutations in the FWRs.
A polymorphism in the interleukin-4 receptor affects the ability of interleukin-4 to regulate Th17 cells: a possible immunoregulatory mechanism for genetic control of the severity of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is now suspected to be driven by pathogenic Th17 cells that secrete interleukin (IL)-17 and can be regulated by IL-4. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), I50V, in the coding region of the human IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) is associated with rapid development of erosive disease in RA. The present study was undertaken to determine whether this SNP renders the IL-4R less able to transduce signals that regulate IL-17 production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were activated under Th17-stimulating conditions in the presence or absence of IL-4, and IL-17 production was measured by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry. Serum IL-17 was also measured by ELISA. Paired comparisons were performed using the two-tailed t-test. IL-4 receptor gene alleles were determined by polymerase chain reaction. In healthy individuals, IL-4 significantly inhibited IL-17 production by cells from subjects with the I/I genotype (P = 0.0079) and the I/V genotype (P = 0.013), but not the V/V genotype (P > 0.05). In a cross-sectional sample of patients with established RA, the magnitude of the in vitro effect of IL-4 was lower and was not associated with a specific IL-4R allele. Serum IL-17 levels were higher in RA patients than in healthy individuals, as was the percentage of CD4+ cells that produced IL-17. These results indicate that an inherited polymorphism of the IL-4R controls the ability of the human immune system to regulate the magnitude of IL-17 production. However, in established RA, this pattern may be altered, possibly due to secondary effects of both RA itself as well as immunomodulatory medications. Ineffective control of Th17 immune responses is a potential mechanism to explain why IL-4R is an important severity gene in RA, but this issue will require careful study of a cohort of new-onset RA patients.
Endogenous estradiol levels are associated with attachment avoidance and implicit intimacy motivation.

Estradiol has been linked with attachment and caregiving processes in humans and other mammals; however, relations between estradiol and personality constructs relevant to intimate relationships have not yet been explored. In the present sample of 100 adult participants (52 men, 48 women), we examined endogenous estradiol levels in relation to two personality constructs that predict comfort with and desire for close, intimate relationships—attachment style and implicit intimacy motivation. In both men and women, estradiol levels were predicted by an interaction between a dimension of attachment style—attachment avoidance—and implicit intimacy motivation. Specifically, the highest estradiol levels were observed among participants whose explicit traits support the expression of their implicit motives, that is, those characterized by both low avoidance and high intimacy motivation. Our findings provide novel evidence that endogenous estradiol levels are associated with relationship-relevant personality constructs in theoretically meaningful ways. These findings also highlight the importance of considering interactions between implicit and explicit personality constructs in the study of the biological bases of personality.
Telephone Interviewing: A Method to Reach Fathers in Family Research

Collecting data from fathers has been an ongoing problem for researchers interested in developing a comprehensive view of the mother-child relationship from data-producing samples of families. The sampling design for a recent pilot of an intervention addressing the mother-child relationship included multiple data sources. One component required obtaining data from fathers of school-age children whose mothers were in the treatment phase for early-stage breast cancer. It was anticipated that information provided by fathers would be a valuable addition for describing the quality of the mother-child relationship and providing an important adjunct to understanding how the mother’s cancer experiences influenced her relationship with her child. Telephone interviewing was selected as the method for collecting data from the fathers. Limitations and strengths of this method are discussed along with utilization of the method. Telephone interviewing of the fathers was subsequently incorporated into a full clinical tr...
Impact of Medico-Legal Practices on Mortality Statistics and Their Use in Comparative Research

Abstract Homicide data are the most valid and reliable of international crime data. However, assessing lethal intent is complicated, and we can thus question whether mortality statistics reflect lethal behaviors in the living, or are a mirror of the institutional systems that produce them. This question is central for those who study homicide comparatively. A mix-method examination of two medical examiners' offices—one in France, and one in the United States—reveals that definitional issues, regulatory factors, and organizational and medical procedures come into play in the determination of the manner of death. The comparative framework emphasizes the need to consider contexts beyond variables in criminological research—be they cultural, political, or institutional.
Outdoor RF spectral survey: A roadmap for ambient RF energy harvesting

In this paper, the results of outdoor RF spectral survey carried out in an urban area in Southern China are presented. The motivation of this work has been an attempt to record the dataset of ambient RF power radiated by the mobile base stations and Wi-Fi hotspots in the urban environment so as to select the frequency bands most suitable for the future ambient energy harvesting prototype design. RF spectrum survey was undertaken in the city center of Shunde, China, which is one of the most developed cities in Guangdong province. Typical places including shopping center square and a residential area have been considered in this survey. The ambient power level within the RF spectrum of 0.7 to 3 GHz has been measured to cover all the mobile frequency bands (2G, 3G and 4G) together with the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band. The survey results show that the available RF power levels of CDMA800, GSM900 and GSM1800 bands are the most promising for the ambient energy harvesting design and outdoor applications.
MediaMeter: A Global Monitor for Online News Coverage

This paper introduces MediaMeter, an application that works to detect and track emergent topics in the US online news media. What makes MediaMeter unique is its reliance on a labeling algorithm which we call WikiLabel, whose primary goal is to identify what news stories are about by looking up Wikipedia. We discuss some of the major news events that were successfully detected and how it compares to prior work.
Stability of Einstein-Maxwell-Kalb-Ramond Wormholes

This paper investigates a particular type of wormhole. The wormhole solutions studied are obtained by sewing together two static, spherically symmeric, charged black-hole metrics at their horizons. The charged wormholes are in a background Kalb-Ramond field, which is the source of the necessary tension in the gravitational field. The metric-tensor elements are studied by numerically solving Einstein's equations with stress-energy-tensor elements given by the combination of static electric and Kalb-Ramond fields. For a certain range of electric charge the tension is positive away from the wormhole throat, but the tension is negative near the throat, making it nontraversable. The wormholes are found to be quasistable against decay via gravitational instanton tunneling.
Breakup of /sup 16/O and /sup 20/Ne at 9 MeV/nucleon

A high resolution study of the breakup of /sup 16/O and /sup 20/Ne has been made at 9 MeV per nucleon. The experimental configuration preferentially detects sequential breakup events. The dominant source of ..cap alpha..-/sup 12/C and ..cap alpha..-/sup 16/O coincidence events is the decay of excited states in /sup 16/O and /sup 20/Ne, respectively. The experimental technique and the reaction mechanism leading to sequential breakup are discussed.
Soft computing technique in prediction of pavement condition

This paper presents a soft computing technique using neuro fuzzy approach to predict the future pavement condition based on the current pavement age and current pavement condition. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) database for the asphalt pavement sections of Interstates and US routes was used to build the prediction model. Both grid partitioning and subtractive clustering based pattern recognition followed by back propagation learning algorithm was followed to build and optimize the models. The performances of both these models were compared with the conventional Markov chain method of pavement performance prediction. The study reveals that grid partitioning based model outperforms both the Markov chain model and the subtractive clustering based model.
Identifying and discriminating phase transitions along decaying shocks with line imaging Doppler interferometric velocimetry and streaked optical pyrometry

Ultrafast line-imaging velocity interferometer system for any reflector and streaked optical pyrometry are now commonly used to obtain high precision equation of state and electronic transport data under dynamic compression at major high energy density science facilities. We describe a simple way to improve distinguishing phase transformation signatures from other signals when monitoring decaying shock waves. The line-imaging capability of these optical diagnostics offers additional supporting evidence to the assignment of particular anomalies—such as plateaus or reversals—to the occurrence of a phase transition along the Hugoniot. We illustrate the discussion with two example datasets collected during laser driven shock compression of quartz and stishovite.
Dynamics near the tricritical point of a3He-4He mixture

By means of mode-mode coupling we compute damping constants near the tricritical point of a 3 He- 4 He mixture. Both on the coexistence curve and in the tricritical region we find : mass diffusion constant≈|−T t |+1/2, thermal diffusion constantDK T ∼|T−T t | −1/2 , and third viscosity∼|T−T t | −3/2 , whereT is the temperature andT t is the tricritical temperature. These results imply that damping constant of second sound∼|T−T t |S| −1/2 in the ordered phase.
Chicago-The City That Works

Chicago is Richard J. Daley and Richard J. Daley is Chicago—puckish, often provincial, mostly pragmatic, and above all—fiercely proud. As Len O'Connor observed of the Mayor, “Surely the nation has never seen his like before—nor is it likely to see anyone quite like him again.” The same may be said of Chicago, which Carl Sandburg called, “The City of Big Shoulders.” “Chicago has never been a genteel town,” notes political scientist Milton Rakove, author of the most recent haiography of the city's politics. “It has always been, and still is today, a lusty, brawling, sprawling city.” It is appropriate that political scientists gather in Chicago during our bicentennial celebration. Chicago is not only a significant link to our nation's past, but may well be our window to the future.Where Chicago's toughness, unsophisticated and unreformed demeanor may offend some, the city's abundance of excellent restaurants will quickly disarm even its most vehement critics. The city is unique and perhaps unparalleled among convention cities with respect to culinary offerings—variety, ambiance, price, and accessibility. For those more timid souls whose range of gastronomic inquiry is limited to within eight blocks of the Palmer House, let me suggest three mainstays of downtown dining. Berghoff, 17 W. Adams, is a traditional favorite of convention goers. It is an inexpensive German restaurant and brauhaus which specializes in Hungarian goulash, sauerbraten, and schnitzel. The Blackhawk, 139 N. Wabash, is another favorite of Chicagoans for luncheon and dinner with excellent prime beef and the house specialty, Boston scrod. For greater variety and a touch of French cooking, I suggest you try Binyon's at 327 W. Plymouth Court, located across the street from the Dirksen Federal Office Building.
The Combined Impact of Attention to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Environmental Worldview on Views About Nuclear Energy

A two-wave panel study with data collected before and after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was used to assess whether the accident changed views toward nuclear energy, a non–fossil fuel energy alternative. While the spill appears to have had little impact on mean attitudes toward nuclear energy, an interaction between environmental worldview and attention to oil spill news suggests the importance of exploring conditional relationships. Specifically, modeling suggests that only those without relatively pro-environmental worldviews became more positive about nuclear energy and nuclear decision makers when they paid more attention to oil spill news.
The effect of increasing service rates in a closed queueing network

In this paper we study the equilibrium behavior of the queue lengths in a product-form closed queueing network when the service rates at a subset of stations (nodes) are increased. Univariate and multivariate likelihood ratio orderings as well as multivariate stochastic ordering of the queue lengths are established to indicate the effect of increasing the service rates. Relations among these orderings are also developed.