cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patellar mobility and lower limb kinematics during functional activities in individuals with and without patellar tendinopathy.

Abstract Study design Case-control. Objective To examine whether patients with patellar tendinopathy (PT) display greater patellar mobility and different lower body kinematics than patients without PT. Background PT is a common overuse condition of the patellar tendon that can cause pain and impair function. Subjects with overuse knee problems display different hip and knee functional mechanics, specifically valgus collapse. Patellar hypermobility has not been specifically studied as a possible risk factor for PT. Methods 11 patients with PT and 11 controls without PT, age 18 to 40, were studied. Using a patellofemoral arthrometer (PFA), maximal lateral and medial patellar displacement was measured. 3-D motion analysis was performed to determine lower extremity joint motions during single-leg step down and drop vertical jump tests. Results Patients with PT had significantly increased lateral patellar mobility compared to controls (12.21 ± 3.33 mm vs. 9.19 ± 1.92 mm, P = .017). PT patients showed significantly greater peak hip adduction with both drop vertical jump (2.7° ± 6.3° vs. -5.6° ± 4.2°; P = .003) and step down (17.0° ± 3.8° vs. 12.5° ± 4.4°, P = .024). PT patients demonstrated increased peak ankle external rotation with drop vertical jump (−21.1° ± 5.9° vs. −14.8° ± 5.5°, P = .023) and step down (−15.6° ± 5.5° vs. −9.0° ± 6.0°, P = .017). Conclusions Patients with PT exhibit increased lateral patellar mobility, hip adduction, and ankle external rotation. The effects of increased patellar mobility deserve further study in the development, management, and prevention of PT.
Sex Objects: How Self-Objectification Undermines Political Efficacy and Engagement

Women are significantly less politically engaged than men at both the mass and elite levels. More recent scholarship has found that structural factors and standard predictors of political behavior ...
Foreign Policy Interpretive Lenses and State Migration Law: Realism, Isolationism and Liberalism Thought, and U.S. Immigration Policy

This interdisciplinary article argues that Foreign Policy (FP) interpretive lenses (IL’s) — heuristics oft used in International Studies disciplines to examine statecraft — are a useful and underappreciated tool for comparative state migration policy and legal analysis. IL’s have value as conceptual tools for scholars in examining state migration law and policy, and as accessible analytical frameworks that can be taught to nonprofessional audiences to assist them with seeing beyond preconceived bias when examining immigration. This article lays ground in the area by painting with broad brushstrokes how three IL’s — realism, isolationism, and liberalism — can be used as lines of inquiry into shedding new insight into state migration law, including historical U.S. immigration policy cases from the eighteenth through twentieth centuries.
Demystifying Smart Cities: Practical Perspectives on How Cities can Leverage the Potential of New Technologies: by Lisdorf, Anders, New York, Springer Science, 2019, 232 pp. $39.99, ISBN 978-1-4842-5376-2

While there are numerous books on the impact of information technology (IT) on organizations, fewer books have focused on IT’s impact on cities across the globe. Cities can be considered macro-orga...
Information search and efficiency of consumer choices of new cars : country‐of‐origin effects

The country‐of‐origin (CO) literature has traditionally focused on consumer product evaluations which are presumed to occur during the evaluation of alternative stages of the consumer buying decision process, where knowledge about product attribute information is either provided or assumed. Purchase behaviour has also mostly been measured by purchase intention. Examines the CO effects by incorporating the amount of prepurchase information search and the post‐purchase efficiency of choice measured by the amount of loss buyers incur for not choosing the same or higher quality car at a lower price. Shows that while CO did not affect the amount of pre‐purchase search, it had a significant impact on the efficiency of consumer choices.
Correctness of fault-tolerant cluster-based beacon vector routing for ad hoc networks

In this paper, correctness is proven for a new clustering method and fault-tolerant routing approach to beacon vector routing. The correctness is proven through termination, liveness, and safety properties. The complexity of the proposed algorithms is analyzed. The clustering approach provides load balancing between clusters, and organizes beacon placement which reduces the number of hops for packet transmissions. The fault-tolerant routing approach improves significantly the percentage of successful packet transmission attempts, and reduces flooding in the network, in the presence of multiple simultaneous faults.
Effect of dietary mannanoligosaccharide and sodium chlorate on the growth performance, acute-phase response, and bacterial shedding of weaned pigs challenged with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium

A 28-d experiment evaluated the growth, acute-phase response, and bacterial shedding patterns in pigs (n = 96; initially 6.8 +/- 1.3 kg) fed mannanoligosaccharides (MANNAN) and sodium chlorate (CHLORATE) before and after oral challenge with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (ST). The negative control diet contained no antimicrobial (CON), and the positive control contained carbadox (CARB; 55 ppm). Test diets contained (as-fed basis) MANNAN (1,500 ppm) or CHLORATE (800 ppm). Pigs were fed diets for 14 d and then given ST orally. Pigs fed CARB had greater ADG over the entire study than pigs from other treatments (P < 0.05). During wk 1 to 2, before ST challenge, feed intake (as-fed basis) was lower for pigs fed MANNAN and CHLORATE than pigs fed CARB (P < 0.05). During the final 2 wk, pigs fed CARB had greater feed intake than pigs on other treatments (P < 0.05). Gain/feed was greater for pigs fed CARB in the 2 wk before ST (P < 0.05); however, in wk 3 to 4 after ST, gain/feed was reduced for CON pigs compared to pigs on other treatments (P < 0.05). Serum IGF-I was decreased at 2 and 4 d after ST (P < 0.001), and, overall, IGF-I was greater in pigs fed CARB than CON or CHLORATE (P < 0.05). Serum haptoglobin concentrations were greater (P < 0.001) for all treatments at d 6 compared with d 13 after ST. Overall, haptoglobin was greater for MANNAN than for CARB and CHLORATE (P < 0.05) and tended to be increased (P < 0.06) relative to CON. Interleukin-6 was not affected by treatment or day post-ST challenge. Fecal shedding of salmonellae organisms was less for CHLORATE (P < 0.05) than all other treatments at 7 d after ST. Shedding scores decreased from d 7 to 14 after ST (P < 0.05) for the CON, CARB, and MANNAN treatments. We conclude that feeding MANNAN and CHLORATE before acute enteric disease challenge may support improved gut function as evidenced by improved gain/feed, and that CHLORATE may decrease bacterial shedding. But neither MANNAN nor CHLORATE enhanced growth relative to the absence of dietary antimicrobials, nor was either treatment as effective as CARB following ST challenge.
A Game-Playing Fuzzy Logic Controller for Semi-Active Suspensions

The idea of controlling physical systems with artificially-intelligent control methods has great appeal, and has been investigated heavily in the past. At the very least, they offer the chance to control effectively systems that are highly nonlinear and/or time-varying. This paper describes attempts to fuse game-playing theory and binary-decision-tree pattern recognition methods to build a fuzzy logic parametric controller for a semi-active suspension system. The goal of the controller is to minimize (or defend against) the maximum possible transfer of road interaction forces to the vehicle. Simulation results show that the resulting system can provide the desired control actions to handle smoothly the irregularities in the road profile and the many nonlinearities inherent in the suspension system.
Immunofluorescence microscopy of cilia and flagella.

Publisher Summary Aim of this chapter is to review the application of methods for immunofluorescence staining of motile ciliated and flagellated cells. Presented are fixations and sample preparation protocols that are routinely employed when using a previously untested antibody or studying a particular cell type for the first time. Also presented is a strategy for the simultaneous localization of two separate antigens, as well as nuclear DNA staining in the same cells. Chemical fixation, with aldehydes or treatment with cold methanol and/or acetone, is commonly employed to immobilize the antigen of interest. Because antibody probes are large molecules, preparative steps typically involve cell permeabilization to allow access to structures of interest. This step may also extract components that otherwise could contribute to unwanted levels of background labeling, possibly reducing “soluble” pools of the antigen itself. To aid in subsequent manipulations, cells are typically immobilized onto a coverglass. Highest-purity reagents and deionized water are to be used throughout. The various reagents and solutions are provided. Immunofluorescence of ciliated and flagellated cells has been described, that is, immobilization of cells and fixation—cold methanol and aldehyde—permeabilization, reduction of free aldehydes, blocking, labeling, and mounting. Under labeling, there is antibody labeling and double labeling. In double labeling it is necessary to use primary antibodies raised in different species (that is, rabbit and mouse) and the appropriate secondary antibodies conjugated to distinct fluorochromes to achieve the desired discrimination between the two primary targets. The mounting medium used is nonfluorescent, should resist evaporation, and should be formulated to reduce fading of the fluorochrome. An epifluorescent microscope, equipped with the appropriate excitation and barrier filters for each of the fluorochromes used, is required. The best result, in terms of image brightness, is obtained with the lowest magnification and highest-numerical-aperture oil immersion objective necessary to image the structure.
Volunteers who work with survivors of rape and battering: Motivations, acceptance, satisfaction length of service, and gender differences

This study reports on a survey of female and male volunteers in rape crisis centers and shelters for battered women concerning various aspects of their volunteer experiences. We found that for both men and women the psychic or altruistic reasons for volunteering (i.e., to help others) were most important, followed by the political motivation of helping to stop the problem of rape or battering. We also found that women rate both of these motivations more highly than men. Female volunteers also held more liberal attitudes towards women's rights and roles, though men's responses also tended toward the liberal side of the scale. Both men and women felt highly accepted and satisfied wilh their volunteer experience, but few variables in the study explained the variance in men's or women's feelings of acceptance or satisfaction. Among the more useful findings were that men's satisfaction with their volunteer experience is highly related to their feelings of acceptance by staff members. Many of the volunteers rep...
Effects of air injection on a turbocharged Teledyne Continential Motors TSIO-360-C engine

A turbocharged fuel injected aircraft engine was operated over a range of test conditions that included that EPA five-mode emissions cycle and fuel air ratio variations for individual modes while injecting air into the exhaust gas. Air injection resulted in a decrease of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide while exceeding the maximum recommended turbine inlet temperature of 1650 F at the full rich mixture of the engine. Leanout tests indicated that the EPA standards could be met through the combined use of fuel management and air injection.
A randomized pilot trial of a telephone-based couples intervention for physical intimacy and sexual concerns in colorectal cancer.

Background We previously developed and piloted a telephone-based intimacy enhancement (IE) intervention addressing sexual concerns of colorectal cancer patients and their partners in an uncontrolled study. The current study tested the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the IE intervention in a randomized, controlled trial. Methods Twenty-three couples were randomized to either the four-session IE condition or to a wait list control condition and completed sexual and relationship outcomes measures. The IE intervention teaches skills for coping with sexual concerns and improving intimacy. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed through enrollment and post-treatment program evaluations, respectively. Effect sizes were calculated by comparing differences in average pre/post change scores across completers in the two groups (n = 18 couples). Results Recruitment and attrition data supported feasibility. Program evaluations for process (e.g., ease of participation) and content (e.g., relevance) demonstrated acceptability. Engaging in intimacy-building activities and communication were the skills rated as most commonly practiced and most helpful. For patients, positive effects of the IE intervention were found for female and male sexual function, medical impact on sexual function, and self-efficacy for enjoying intimacy (≥.58); no effects were found on sexual distress or intimacy and small negative effects for sexual communication, and two self-efficacy items. For partners, positive IE effects were found for all outcomes; the largest were for sexual distress (.69), male sexual function (1.76), communication (.97), and two self-efficacy items (≥.87). Conclusions The telephone-based IE intervention shows promise for couples facing colorectal cancer. Larger multi-site intervention studies are necessary to replicate findings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perpetuation of stem cells in the eye

In adult tissues, cell numbers are maintained through a subpopulation of cell termed stem cells, characterised in part by a high capacity of self-renewal, slow cell cycle, and resistance towards differentiation. Stem cells are capable of asymmetric division and able to maintain their position in a particular microenvironment or niche. In the cornea, epithelial stem cells are believed to reside in the basal cell layer of the limbal epithelium. We consider the question of how stem cells are perpetuated in the limbus without entering the pathway of terminal differentiation. This perpetuation could presumably be the result of extrinsic properties of the limbal zone creating a 'stem cell niche', or of intrinsic properties of the cells. For example, limbal basal cells contain four- to fivefold higher levels of epidermal growth factor receptor than central corneal basal cells, suggesting that high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor help maintain the limbal basal cells in an undifferentiated stem cell state.
Consequences of mRNA wardrobe malfunctions.

As mRNAs are generated, they are clothed with proteins to form messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs), which are then actively remodeled during various steps of gene expression. Franks et al. (2010) now show that mRNP remodeling is required even for the death of an mRNA.
Agrin Binds to β-Amyloid (Aβ), Accelerates Aβ Fibril Formation, and Is Localized to Aβ Deposits in Alzheimer's Disease Brain

Agrin is an extracellular matrix heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) well known for its role in modulation of the neuromuscular junction during development. Although agrin is one of the major HSPGs of the brain, its function there remains elusive. Here we provide evidence suggesting a possible function for agrin in Alzheimer's disease brain. Agrin protein binds the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta (1-40) in its fibrillar state via a mechanism that involves the heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains of agrin. Furthermore, agrin is able to accelerate Abeta fibril formation and protect Abeta (1-40) from proteolysis, in vitro. Supporting a biological significance for these in vitro data, immunocytochemical studies demonstrate agrin's presence within senile plaques and cerebrovascular amyloid deposits, and agrin immunostained capillaries exhibit pathological alterations in AD brain. These data therefore suggest that agrin may be an important factor in the progression of Abeta peptide aggregation and/or its persistence in Alzheimer's disease brain.
Electrostatic Particle-in-Cell Simulation Technique for Quasineutral Plasma

We have developed a simulation method withbothelectrons and ions represented as particles-in-cell, in which the electrostatic field is determined from the requirement of quasineutrality rather than from Poisson's equation. This approach permits self-consistent calculation of the potential, in quasineutral situations where statistical fluctuations in the charge density frustrate the use of Poisson's equation. Time steps may be orders of magnitude longer than the plasma period, and mesh cells orders or magnitude longer than the Debye length, since electron plasma oscillations do not appear in the model and the Debye length is essentially set to zero. The simulation technique correctly represents kinetic features such as electron and ion Landau damping. The method is demonstrated by application to several simple test problems, including free expansion of a plasma, and linear and nonlinear ion sound. In the case of a plasma with strongly magnetized electrons, we apply the technique to determine the parallel electric field and parallel transport within the plasma. Quasineutral techniques for representing cross-field transport, and edge effects in bounded plasmas, will be discussed in subsequent publications.
Precision Integrated Power and Attitude Control System (IPACS) in the Presence of Dynamic Uncertainty

An adaptive robust integrated power and attitude control system (IPACS) is presented for a variable speed control moment gyroscope (VSCMG)-actuated satellite. The developed IPACS method is capable of achieving precision attitude control while simultaneously achieving asymptotic power tracking for a rigid-body satellite in the presence of uncertain friction in the VSCMG gimbals and wheels. In addition, the developed controller compensates for the effects of uncertain, time-varying satellite inertia properties. Some challenges encountered in the control design are that the control input is premultiplied by a nonsquare, time-varying, nonlinear, uncertain matrix and is embedded in a discontinuous nonlinear. Globally uniformly ultimately bounded attitude tracking and asymptotic power tracking results are proven via Lyapunov stability analyses, and simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the controller.
Management of Gout: A 57-Year-Old Man With a History of Podagra, Hyperuricemia, and Mild Renal Insufficiency

Gout is an ancient disease. Despite significant advances in the understanding of its risk factors, etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment, millions of people with gout experience repeated attacks of acute arthritis and other complications. The incidence of gout is increasing, most likely reflecting increasing rates of obesity and other lifestyle factors, including diet. Comorbid conditions that often accompany gout, including chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus, present challenges for the management of gout. Using the case of Mr R, a 57-year-old man with a history of podagra, hyperuricemia, and mild renal insufficiency, the diagnosis and treatment of gout are discussed. For those with moderate to severe gout, urate-lowering treatment can eliminate acute attacks of arthritis and prevent complications. In the near future, it is likely that new risk factors for gout will be identified and new ways of preventing and managing this common disease will become available.
The onset of roughness effects in the transitionally rough regime

Abstract Understanding the relationship between a surface’s topography and its hydraulic resistance is an important, yet elusive, goal in fluids engineering. Particularly poorly understood are the flow conditions at which a given surface will begin to show the effects of roughness in the form of increased wall shear stress above that of the hydraulically smooth wall. This phenomenon is the focus of the present study. The results from a small scale fully-developed turbulent channel flow facility are presented for a hydraulically smooth wall and three types of rough surfaces (a sandpaper surface, two ship bottom paints and painted surfaces smoothed by sanding). Experiments were conducted over a Reynolds number (ReH) range of 5800–64,000 based on the channel height and the bulk mean velocity. The onset of roughness effects occurs for the sandpaper surface at k rms + ∼ 1 or k s + ∼ 5. This value of k s + and the shape of the roughness function in the transitionally rough regime agree rather well with the results of Nikuradse (1933) for uniform sand. The frictional resistance of the two painted surfaces agree within experimental uncertainty despite a factor of two difference in krms. The onset of roughness effects occurs at a maximum peak to trough roughness height, k t + , of ∼10. Painted surfaces sanded with progressively finer sandpaper (60–220 grit) show roughness effects for k rms + ∼ 0.5–0.7 or k t + ∼ 9, while the 400 grit sandpaper displays hydraulically smooth conditions over the entire Reynolds number range. The roughness scale that best predicts the onset of roughess effects is kt, indicating that the largest roughness features have the most influence in determining when a surface ceases to be hydraulically smooth. It is also of note that the roughness functions for the marine paint and painted-sanded surfaces do not exhibit either Nikuradse or Colebrook-type behavior.
Dynamic Binary User-Splits to Protect Cloud Servers from DDoS Attacks

Several overlay-based solutions have been proposed to protect network servers from DoS/DDoS attacks. The common objective in the existing solutions is to prevent the attacking traffic from reaching the servers by hiding the location of target server computers. The recent evolutions in DDoS attacks, especially in the increase in the number of bots involved in a DDoS attack and in the degree of control such bots have to the hijacked host computers, cause serious threats to the overlay-based solutions. We designed and assessed the potential of the new overlay-based security architecture that addresses the recent evolutions in DDoS attacks. The new security architecture, called "Dynamic Binary User-Splits (DBUS)", is designed to protect cloud servers (a) when their legitimate users convert to DoS/DDoS attackers or (b) when DDoS attacks are launched from the legitimate users' host computers that are hijacked by DDoS coordinators. DBUS copes with the situations by sieving attacking traffic from the hijacked legitimate users' host computers using dynamic binary user splits over the migrating entry points to an overlay network. Our discrete event driven simulation suggested that DBUS will efficiently sieve DDoS attacking hosts in many different situations, when a small number of attacking hosts hide behind a large legitimate user group, or when a stampede of DDoS attacking hosts occupy the majority of incoming traffic, without requiring a large number of migrating entry points. We also found that how quickly each migrating entry point can detect excess traffic is a key to keep convergence delay short.
Review of Spectral Graph Theory: by Fan R. K. Chung

Specifying a graph is equivalent to specifying its adjacency relation, which may be encoded in the form of a matrix. This suggests that study of the adjacency matrix from a linear-algebraic point of view might yield valuable information about graphs. In particular, any invariant associated to the matrix is also an invariant associated to the graph, and might have combinatorial meaning. Spectral graph theory is the study of the relationship between a graph and the eigenvalues of matrices (such as the adjacency matrix) naturally associated to that graph. This book looks at the subject from a geometric point of view, exploiting an analogy between a graph and a Riemannian manifold: Chung defines the Laplacian of a graph, a matrix closely related to the adjacency matrix, in analogy with the continuous case and studies the eigenvalues of this Laplacian.There are several reasons that these eigenvalues may be of interest. On the purely mathematical level, the eigenvalues have the advantage of being an extremely natural invariant which behaves nicely under operations such as Cartesian product and disjoint union. From a combinatorial point of view, the eigenvalues of a graph are related to many other more "discrete" invariants. From a geometric point of view, there are many respects in which the eigenvalues of a graph behave like the spectrum of a compact Riemannian manfiold. For the computationally-minded, the eigenvalues of a graph are easy to compute, and their relationship to other invariants can often yields good approximations to less tractible computations.
Stimulation of renin secretion in dogs by theophylline.

Abstract Theophylline ethylenediamine was administered systemitically to normal, propranolol-treated and phenoxy-benzamine-treated dogs. In each group, plasma renin activity (PRA) rose significantly following theophylline administration: in the normal, propranolol-treated and in some of the phenoxybenzamine-treated dogs, this increase occured in the absence of significant changes in blood pressure or plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, sodium or potassium. In some dogs, phenoxybenzamine administration elevated plasma epinephrine concentration and this increase was associated with a small increase in PRA. In these animals, the increase in PRA following theophylline injection was significantly greater than in dogs with normal plasma epinephrine concentration, suggesting that theophylline potentiated the renin response to epinephrine. These results support the concept that β-receptor stimulation increases the rate of renin secretion and that this effect is mediated via the formation of cyclic AMP.
Novel flow injection strategies for study and control of matrix interferences by inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry is ideally suited for use with flow injection because of its virtually simultaneous multi-elemental and multi-isotope capabilities. Here, novel flow injection strategies are employed for characterizing matrix interferences, as a diagnostic tool for detecting interferences and as a method for calculating the dilution factors necessary to overcome interferences. Gradient dilution flow injection allows rapid characterization of interferences and avoids problems that arise in steady-state evaluations, such as orifice clogging and baseline drift. Unfortunately, more severe matrix effects are obtained with this technique than in steady-state experiments. In addition, by calculating analyte ratios across the flow injection profile, it is possible to diagnose interference effects as well as to determine the dilution factors necessary for alleviating the interference. However, at this time, this ratio technique is not completely effective, as it is limited by element-specific dispersion curves. Unlike conventional interference approaches that are often time-consuming, these methods offer efficient alternatives for evaluating and possibly avoiding matrix effects.
24-nor-5β-chol-22-enes derived from the major bile acids by oxidative decarboxylation

Abstract The preparation of 24-nor-5β-chol-22-enes from formyloxy-5β-cholanic acids by oxidative decarboxylation with lead tetraacetate is described. NMR data is presented with other physical constants for the norcholenes derived from cholic, chenodeoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, hyodeoxycholic, and deoxycholic acids. The facile synthesis of these norcholenes demonstrates the applicability of the formyloxy protecting group to oxidative decarboxylations in the bile acid series.
Percutaneous intervention for chronic total occlusion of the internal iliac artery for unrelenting buttock claudication.

Internal iliac artery stenosis or occlusion has been documented to cause hip pain, erectile dysfunction, and buttock claudication. Endovascular repair for patients with significant stenosis has been well documented, but chronic total occlusion revascularizations have not been reported in the literature. The reluctance to attempt percutaneous intervention may be in part due to the extensive collateralization that forms to this vessel, or fear of complications such as wire perforation in a vessel that has a tortuous route with multiple bifurcations. This report describes two cases of patients with unrelenting buttock claudication that completely resolved after percutaneous intervention of unilateral chronic total occlusions of the internal iliac artery. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The 2008 Presidential Campaign: Political Cynicism in the Age of Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube

Considerable research over the years has been devoted to ascertaining the impact of media use on political cynicism. The impact of the Internet has been difficult to assess because it is not a single monolithic medium. For example, the 2008 presidential campaign was the first presidential campaign in which popular social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube were widely available to voters. Therefore, the campaign offered the first opportunity to explore the influence of these social media on political cynicism. In this study, we examined whether the use of such social media influenced political cynicism. We also considered the influence of user background characteristics (e.g., self-efficacy, locus of control, political orientation, demographics, and influence of family and friends), motives for using social media for political information, and users’ elaboration on political content. Several individual differences were stronger predictors of political cynicism than was social media use...
Toward improving human islet isolation from younger donors: rescue purification is efficient for trapped islets.

Several reports suggest that islets isolated from younger donor pancreata are of better quality for clinical islet transplantation. The relative inefficiency of the continuous gradient purification process (CGP) is one of the major obstacles to the utilization of these younger donor pancreata. This study demonstrates the benefits of utilizing an additional purification step, rescue gradient purification (RGP), to recover trapped islets and examines the possible superiority of these rescued islets. Seventy-three human islet isolations purified by RGP following CGP were divided into two groups based on age, and the isolation results were retrospectively analyzed (group I: age 40). The quality of islets from both CGP and RGP were assessed by beta-cell fractional viability (beta FV) and ADP/ATP ratio. Significant increases in the percent islet recovery from RGP and the percent trapped islets in group I compared to group II were observed. Donor age correlated negatively to the percent islets recovered from RGP (R = 0.440) and to the percent of trapped islets (R = 0.511). RGP islets had higher beta FV and better ADP/ATP ratio compared to CGP islets. In conclusion, RGP improved the efficiency in the purification of trapped islets, which often come from younger donor pancreata. The better quality of beta-cells in RGP islets encourages us to perform RGP, considering the higher quality as well as the quantity of remaining islets.
Blind and ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy in children

Percutaneous biopsy of the liver is the most commonly used procedure to obtain tissue for histopathological assessment of liver disease. Although, intuitively, image-guided liver biopsy might be expected to reduce the risk of bleeding, haematoma caused by a penetrating injury of a branch of the hepatic artery or portal vein, and puncture of the gallbladder, no trial has been large enough to show reduced mortality or morbidity with US guidance, and the mechanisms by which the use of US can reduce the risk of bleeding remain speculative. To compare the mortality and morbidity of blind liver biopsy with that of US-guided liver biopsy. A retrospective review of our experience of 140 procedures over a 16-month period. In the blind group, biopsy was unsuccessful in ten children (95% CL 7.3–25.4); no tissue was obtained in eight children and an inadequate sample was obtained in two. Three children (95% CL 9.2–14.7) suffered significant haemorrhage (indicated by a drop in haemoglobin of >20 g/l) with intrahepatic (n=1) and subcapsular (n=2) haematomas detectable by US after biopsy. An adequate sample was obtained in all children in the US-guided group. There were no complications requiring treatment in either group. Our results showed a significant difference in the complication rate between liver biopsy undertaken with US guidance and liver biopsy performed blind (P=0.002).
Temperature and burnup reactivities and operational lifetime for the submersion-subcritical, safe space (S∧4) reactor

Abstract The He–Xe gas-cooled, S ∧ 4 reactor has a sectored, Mo–14%Re solid core for avoidance of single point failures in reactor cooling and Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) energy conversion. The reactor core is loaded with UN fuel and each of its three sectors is thermal-hydraulically coupled to a separate CBC loop and radiator panels. The solid core minimizes voids, and the BeO reflectors are designed to easily disassemble upon impact, ensuring that the bare S ∧ 4 reactor is sufficiently subcriticial when submerged in wet sand or seawater and flooded with seawater, following a launch abort accident. Spectral shift absorber (SSA) additives in the core and thin SSA coatings on the outer surface of the core can also be used to ensure subcriticality in such an accident. This paper investigates the effects of various SSAs (Re, Ir, Eu-151, B-10 and Gd-155) on the temperature and burnup reactivity coefficients and the operating lifetime of the S ∧ 4 reactor at a steady thermal power of 550 kW. The calculations of the burnup, reactivity feedback coefficient used a mixture of the top 10 light and top 10 heavy fission products plus Sm-149 and are performed for isothermal reactor core and reflector temperatures of 1200 and 900 K. In this fast spectrum space reactor, SSAs markedly increase fuel enrichment and decrease the burnup reactivity coefficient, but only slightly decrease the temperature, reactivity feedback coefficient. With no SSAs, the UN fuel enrichment is lowest (58.5 wt.%), the temperature and burnup reactivity coefficients are the highest (−0.2709 ¢/K and −1.3470 $/at.%), and the estimated operating lifetime is the shortest (7.6 years). The temperature and burnup reactivity coefficients decrease to −0.2649 ¢/K and −1.0230 $/at.%, and the operating lifetime increases to 8.3 years when rhenium additives are used. With europium-151 and gadolinium-155 additions, fuel enrichment (91.5 and 94 wt.%) and operating lifetime (9.9 and 9.8 years) are the highest and both the temperature reactivity feedback coefficient (−0.2382 and −0.2447 ¢/K) and the burnup reactivity coefficient (−0.9073 and −0.8502 $/at.%) are the lowest.
Enroll me!: a portable device to facilitate homeless student enrollment

We are designing an information transfer device to expedite the enrollment of homeless children to schools. Homeless children change schools often, seriously disrupting their educational experience. Our design uses existing, familiar technology to unobtrusively facilitate the enrollment process for both the school staff and the homeless parents.
Educational and psychological perspectives on Hispanic children from Hispanic journals: A view from Latin America

Abstract Literature from Hispanic journals on education and psychology on Spanish‐speaking Latin American children is summarised. Background information on Latin American countries is provided so as to establish a context for the educational and psychological literature. This literature review focuses on educational research and development and on the contributions of psychology to these two activities. Educational research in Latin America is a relatively recent activity and receives its support primarily from international and national organisations and professors from Latin American and North American Universities. Much research is descriptive and is part of a national planning effort; the research frequently examines basic demographic data and speculates as to possible causes of and remedies to problems. Emphasis often is placed on initiating new programmes thought to have a desirable social impact on large segments of the school age population and on the development and maintenance of community resou...
Seismic Numerical Modeling of a Six-Story Light-Frame Wood Building: Comparison with Experiments

The experimental seismic responses of a full-scale, six-story, light-frame wood apartment building were compared against the predictions from a numerical model developed for performance based seismic design applications. The accuracy of the as-design model was evaluated. A comparison was conducted for the overall building displacement profile, inter-story drifts, global hysteretic responses, and anchor tie-down system behavior for three seismic excitation test levels. While the numerical model was shown to be able to predict the seismic response of the test specimen with reasonable accuracy, this study specifically highlights challenges in the prediction of mid-rise wood frame buildings seismic response.
CONCANAVALIN A REACTIVITY AND CARBOHYDRATE STRUCTURE OF BLATTELLA-GERMANICA VITELLIN

Abstract The carbohydrate moiety of Blattella germanica vitellin has been investigated. A glycopeptide fraction obtained by protease digestion and gel filtration has a Man: GlcNAc ratio of approximately five and is enriched in aspargine and phosphate. Further structural characterization indicates only a single oligosaccharide species is present. It contains ten to eleven mannosyl units and is linked through a chitobiosyl-asparagine linkage to peptide. There are approximately twelve to sixteen of these oligosaccharide chains per mole of vitellin and they are located in the 100,000 mol. wt subunit. A mixture of glycopeptides derived from radiolabelled vitellogenin and unlabelled vitellin was digested with β N- acetyl glycosaminidase H and the oligosaccharides submitted to gel filtration. Coincident elution of radioactivity and carbohydrate suggests that no change occurs in the size of the oligosaccharide between the time the glycoprotein is secreted from the fat body and one day after its uptake by the oocyte. Experiments with Concanavalin A, anti Blattella antibodies and a number of ligands indicate (a) multiple lectin binding sites occur on vitellin, (b) a portion (but possibly not all) of the oligosaccharide chains of vitellin are located on the exterior of the vitellin molecule and (c) the oligosaccharide is not a determinant group of vitellin.
Inhibition by linoleic acid hydroperoxide of alveolar macrophage superoxide production: effects upon mitochondrial and plasma membrane potentials.

Abstract Linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LOOH) is a naturally occurring product of lipid peroxidation. Incubation of rat alveolar macrophages with LOOH produced alterations of membrane properties and function at concentrations of LOOH as low as 0.1 μ m . These included phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated superoxide production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and plasma membrane potentials. These effects were clearly separated from gross loss of structural integrity as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release, in terms of both time of incubation and concentration of LOOH. PMA-stimulated superoxide production measured 15 min after addition of 10 μ m LOOH was inhibited ≈50%; however, addition of this concentration of the hydroperoxide after PMA stimulation was without effect. Superoxide production was also measured in a cell-free system produced by incubation of alveolar macrophages with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Prior incubation of alveolar macrophages with LOOH, H 2 O 2 , or t -butyl hydroperoxide, under conditions that significantly inhibited superoxide production by the intact cells, did not produce inhibition of the NADPH-dependent superoxide generating system in the cell-free preparation. These results suggest that the effect of LOOH was upon signal transduction involved in the stimulation of superoxide production rather than on the NADPH oxidase itself. Measurements of membrane potential changes were made using the lipophilic ions, 3,3′-dipentyloxacarbocyanine (DiOC 5 (3)) and bis(3-phenyl-5-oxoisoxazol-4-yl)pentamethineoxonol (oxonol V). On the basis of their charge, DiOC 5 (3) fluorescence primarily reports mitochondrial potential and oxonol V absorbance reports plasma membrane potential. With 10 μ m LOOH, depolarization of the plasma and mitochondrial membranes appeared to occur within seconds. As prior depolarization depresses superoxide production, these hydroperoxide-induced changes in membrane potential may be responsible for decreased PMA-stimulated superoxide production.
Transport properties of rigid and flexible macromolecules by brownian dynamics simulation

The method of Ermak and McCammon [Ermak, D. L. & McCammon, J. A. (1978) J. Chem. Phys.69, 1352–1360] is used to simulate the Brownian dynamics of a system of identical, interacting beads. In the present study, we use the method to obtain transport coefficients for a variety of rigid and flexible structures modeled as arrays of spherical subunits. Constraints are enforced using the SHAKE algorithm or a modification, SHAKE-HI, that is described for the first time. In SHAKE-HI, hydrodynamic interactions between subunits are taken into account when the constraints are enforced. Use of SHAKE-HI yields transport coefficients that are in perfect agreement with those obtained by other methods. The primary advantage of the present method is its generality. We also propose that multistep Brownian dynamics may be important in simulating actual experiments (such as fluorescence depolarization) on well-defined model systems that possess an arbitrary degree of internal flexibility.
Optomechanical fiber gyroscope

We report a miniature mechanical gyroscope that utilizes optical means to detect rotation-induced displacements in a mechanical structure. It utilizes the Foucault pendulum principle used in some existing MEMS gyroscopes: a rotating reference frame induces a Coriolis force that oscillates the structure about an axis orthogonal to the driving-mode axis. The main difference with similar MEMS gyroscopes is that this rotation-induced oscillation is sensed using a pair of high-finesse fiber Fabry-Perot displacement sensors instead of a capacitive device. The drive axis is also driven by radiation pressure inside a set of auxiliary fiber Fabry-Perot cavities, making this device immune to electromagnetic interference. Calculations predict that a rotation sensitivity on the order of 1°/h/Hz 1/2 is achievable. We show that this structure solves several problems associated with MEMS gyroscopes utilizing electrostatic sensing methods.
Spectroscopy and dynamics of Er 3 + : Y 2 Si O 5 at 1.5 μ m

We present the results of detailed site-selective spectroscopy performed on the $^{4}I_{15∕2}\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}^{4}I_{13∕2}$ transition of ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ at $1.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$. New determinations of the $^{4}I_{13∕2}$ and $^{4}I_{15∕2}$ crystal-field-level structure for the two crystallographically inequivalent ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ sites have been made. The fluorescence dynamics of the metastable $^{4}I_{13∕2}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{1}$ excited state was investigated, showing exponential decays for ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ at both crystallographic sites with fluorescence lifetimes of $11.4\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ms}$ for site 1 and $9.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ms}$ for site 2. Exceptionally sharp inhomogeneous absorption lines of 180, 390, and $510\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MHz}$ were observed in 0.0015% ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$, 0.005% ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$, and 0.02% ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ crystals, respectively. The $g$-values for the lowest energy $^{4}I_{15∕2}$ $({\mathrm{Z}}_{1})$ and $^{4}I_{13∕2}$ $({\mathrm{Y}}_{1})$ doublets were measured to be 5.5 and 4.6 for site 1 and 15.0 and 12.9 for site 2 when the magnetic field was oriented along the crystal's ${\mathbit{D}}_{1}$ axis.
Art Worlds and Social Types

Becker contrasts the work worlds of integrated professionals, mavericks, naive artists, and folk artists.
Interlinguicity and The Alchemist

Ben Jonson animates The Alchemist with an intersection of languages. In this moral satire, he captures the layered dialects, specialized vocabularies, and social desires of London and holds them up for view. This essay examines the play’s negotiation of ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ modes of translation, also with reference to Shakespeare’s treatment of overlapping languages, and to the use of multiple languages in a contemporary Catholic treatise on translation, A Discoverie of the Manifold Corruptions of the Holy Scriptures. Jonson’s conclusion is that the friction between languages offers opportunities for cheats to thrive onstage and off, and that the predominant language of this world is sin, from which only lucid repentance can ‘translate’ us. His satire may stand on godly ground, but his insight is also useful for the current study of translated and adapted literature, particularly Shakespeare. Keywords: The Alchemist; Ben Jonson; William Shakespeare; interlinguicity; translation Shallow: It is well said, in faith, sir, and it is well said indeed, too. “Better accomodated” – it is good; yea, indeed is it. Good phrases are surely, and ever were, very commendable. “Accomodated” – it comes of “accommodo”. Very good, a good phrase. (2 Henry IV 3.2.63–66)Falstaff: This same starved justice hath done nothing but prate to me of the wildness of his youth and the feats he hath done about Turnbull Street; and every third word a lie… (2 Henry IV 3.2.277–279)Duchess of York: No word like “Pardon” for kings’ mouths so meet.York: Speak it in French, King: say “Pardonnez-moi”. (Richard II 5.3.116–117)
Convergence and divergence of neuroanatomic correlates and executive task performance in healthy controls and psychiatric participants.

Abstract The associations between brain matter volume in the cerebral cortex and set shifting and attentional control as operationalized by the Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST) and Condition Three of the Delis–Kaplan version of the Color Word Interference Test (CWIT) were investigated in 15 healthy controls and 16 heterogeneously diagnosed psychiatric patients with self-control problems using voxel based morphometry. Both groups underwent standardized magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological assessment. WCST and CWIT variables, and a composite, were regressed across the whole brain. Although CWIT performance levels were the same in both groups, neuroanatomic correlates for the psychiatric participants invoked the left hemisphere language system, but the bilateral dorsal attention system in the healthy controls. On its own, no neuroanatomic correlates were observed for the WCST. But when part of a composite with CWIT, neuroanatomic correlates in the dorsal attention system emerged for the psychiatric participants. Psychometric combinations of manifest executive task variables may best represent higher level latent neuro-cognitive control systems. Factor analytic studies of neuropsychological test performances suggest the constructs being measured are the same across psychiatric and non-diagnosed participants, however, imaging modalities indicate the relevant neural architecture can vary by group.