cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin resistance in patients with essential hypertension can occur in the absence of microalbuminuria

This study was initiated to see if the presence of resistance to insulin-mediated glucose disposal, glucose intolerance, and hyperinsulinemia in healthy patients with hypertension was dependent upon the coexistence of microalbuminuria. For this purpose we compared these variables in 68 individuals: 34 patients with hypertension and 34 normal volunteers. The two groups were similar in terms of age, gender distribution, body mass index, and ratio of waist to hip girth. Furthermore, although four patients with hypertension satisfied the criteria for microalbuminuria, as compared to one normal volunteer, the urinary albumin excretion (UAE) rates were similar in the two groups (8.07 +/- 1.08 v 7.67 +/- 1.12 micrograms/min). Despite the similarities, both the plasma glucose and insulin responses to a 75 g oral glucose challenge were significantly higher (P < .01) in those with high blood pressure. In addition, the steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations at the end of a 180 min continuous infusion of somatostatin, insulin, and glucose was significantly higher in those with hypertension (156 +/- 13 v 107 +/- 10 mg/dL, P < .01). Since the steady-state plasma insulin levels were also somewhat higher in those with hypertension, the higher SSPG values indicate that these individuals were relatively insulin resistant as compared to the control population. Finally, UAE rates were not correlated with either the plasma glucose or insulin responses to oral glucose or to the SSPG concentrations--either in the entire group of 68, or when the 34 patients in each group were considered separately. These results demonstrate that insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and hyperinsulinemia can occur independently of microalbuminuria in patients with hypertension.
A SIMD Solution for the Quadratic Assignment Problem with GPU Acceleration

In the Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP), n units (usually departments, machines, or electronic components) must be assigned to n locations given the distance between the locations and the flow between the units. The goal is to find the assignment that minimizes the sum of the products of distance traveled and flow between units. The QAP is a combinatorial problem difficult to solve to optimality even for problems where n is relatively small (e.g., n = 30). In this paper, we solve the QAP problem using a parallel algorithm that employs a 2-opt heuristic and leverages the compute capabilities of current GPUs. The algorithm is implemented on the Stampede cluster hosted by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at the University of Texas at Austin and on a GPU-equipped server housed at Texas State University. We enhance our implementation by fine tuning the occupancy levels and by exploiting inter-thread data locality through improved shared memory allocation. On a series of experiments on the well-known QAPLIB data sets, our algorithm, on average, outperforms an OpenMP implementation by a factor of 16.31 and a Tabu search based GPU implementation by a factor of 58.61. Given the wide applicability of QAP, the algorithm we propose has very good potential to accelerate the discovery in scholarly research in Engineering, particularly in the fields of Operations Research and design of electronic devices.
High-resolution electrophoresis of urinary glycosaminoglycans: An improved screening test for the mucopolysaccharidoses

Abstract A monodimesional electrophoresis method is used to produce characteristic patterns from glycosaminoglycans isolated from the urine of mucopolysaccharidoses patients and normal individuals. Resolution of keratan sulfate, heparan sulfate, two dermatan sulfate species, chondroitin 4-sulfate, and chondroitin 6-sulfate result from their different electrophoretic mobilities in barium acetate buffer and solubilities in ethanol. Excellent discrimination between normal, Hurler-Hunter, Sanfilippo, Morquio, and Maroteaux-Lamy syndromes are provided by densitometric estimations of the approximate relative proportion of glycosaminoglycan types. This method is suitable for routine screening of large numbers of samples to provide a guide to the nature of the enzyme deficiency in the mucopolysaccharidoses.
Exercise Stress Testing in Evaluation of Aortocoronary Bypass Surgery Report of 123 Patients

Graded exercise treadmill tests (ET) were performed on 123 patients who had undergone aortocoronary bypass surgery. All had angina preoperatively (preop) and 77% were in Class III or IV for angina. Postoperatively (postop), 68% were free of angina. Eighty-three patients had ST-segment changes of 0.1 mV or greater during stress preop (positive), 38 of which (46%) converted to electrocardiographically negative postop. Among the 30 patients (36%) remaining positive during stress postop, 19 (63%) were angina free despite ST-segment depression during stress. Among the 17 patients with negative ET preop, there were no conversions to positive postop. Twenty-three patients had undetermined ET preop; 13 remained undetermined postop, 4 were positive and 6 were negative. Patients experiencing a perioperative myocardial infarction more frequently had a negative postop ET. Among 27 selected patients undergoing postop angiography, there was good correlation between relief of symptoms and successful myocardial revascularization. This study demonstrates that dramatic improvement in angina after aortocoronary bypass surgery can be objectively substantiated in most patients. Subjective symptoms of angina are frequently absent during myocardial ischemia postop, emphasizing the importance of exercise testing in objective evaluation of surgical results.
Intraalveolar bubbles and bubble films. I. formation and development during the first 48 hours of extrauterine life in rabbits.

BACKGROUND Aeration of mature lungs at birth depends on formation of intraalveolar bubbles and bubble films (Scarpelli 1978. Pediatr. Res., 12:1070-1076). Bubbles establish immediately structural stability and pulmonary gas exchange. Given that air spaces are cleared in minutes of fetal liquid (the initial substrate for bubble formation), in formation possible beyond this period? If so, is this related to early development of pulmonary function and structure? METHODS Mature, spontaneously breathing rabbit pups at 1-10 min and 1, 3, 8, 24, and 48 h after vaginal birth were anesthetized, trachea was occluded at "resting volume" (approximately functional residual capacity), and lungs were rapidly exposed to preserve in vivo intrapulmonary status. The entire lung was examined by stereomicroscopy. Other determinations included resting volume, lung wet weight, volume-pressure curves, histological sections, lung dry weight, tissue hydroxyproline (OH-Pro), and lavage phospholipids (PL). Bubble mobility in situ was tested. Bubbles were released into bathing liquid by incision of peripheral units and monitored over time. RESULTS Pup activity and gross appearance of the lungs, together with septal thinning, secondary septal development, clearance of intraluminal liquid, increasing tissue OH-Pro, and PL distribution indicated normal postnatal development. Each aerated unit examined at resting volume (all lobes, all ages) contained intraalveolar bubbles. Transition to free gas exclusively in conducting airways and bubbles/bubble films in peripheral gas exchange units occurred within 1 h. Bubbles appeared to be exclusively within alveoli at 4 h and thereafter. Bubbles persisted and new bubbles were formed during subsequent inflation to maximal volume and deflation to atmospheric pressure (P0). Volume of intact lungs at P0 was maintained by the counterforce of rigid bubble films against tissue retraction. When bubbles were released either at resting volume or at P0, the bubble-free loci became airless. Constant size and stability of released bubbles support preferential incorporation of surfactants into bubble films and constant "near-zero surface tension" (Scarpelli 1978. Pediatr. Res., 12:1070-1076). CONCLUSIONS We show the ubiquitous presence of intraalveolar bubbles and bubble films in vivo throughout the first 48 h of postnatal life. Bubble film rigidity sustains aeration and prevents collapse, while low surface tension of the films facilitate liquid removal from the air spaces. Bubbles in situ are stable and, within apparent limits, mobile; after birth they are quickly restricted to the alveolar spaces, leaving airways bubble free.
The leaky sink: persistent obstacles to a forest carbon sequestration program based on individual projects

Abstract One strategy for mitigating the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is to expand the size of the terrestrial carbon sink, particularly forests, essentially using trees as biological scrubbers. Within relevant ranges of carbon abatement targets, augmenting carbon sequestration by protecting and expanding biomass sinks can potentially make large contributions at costs that are comparable or lower than for emission source controls. The Kyoto protocol to the framework convention on climate change includes many provisions for forest and land use carbon sequestration projects and activities in its signatories' overall greenhouse gas mitigation plans. In particular, the protocol provides a joint implementation provision and a clean development mechanism that would allow nations to claim credit for carbon sequestration projects undertaken in cooperation with other countries. However, there are many obstacles for implementing an effective program of land use change and forestry carbon credits, especial...
“Pictures Out of Sunshine”: Daguerreotypy as the Agent of Change in THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES

From the time Louis Jacques Monde Daguerre perfected his technique of photographically capturing images on metal plates in 1839, photography's mix of art and science carried an aura of mystery, as ...
Linear Atrial Ablations in a Canine Model of Chronic Atrial Fibrillation Morphological and Electrophysiological Observations

Background —To test the hypothesis that susceptibility to sustained atrial fibrillation may be decreased by creation of linear atrial ablations, we established a canine model of chronic atrial fibrillation and used a novel catheter design to create atrial ablations. Methods and Results —Chronic atrial fibrillation was induced in 16 dogs by creation of mitral regurgitation and rapid pacing of the atria. Temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablations were attempted along empirically derived, preselected atrial target sites in 11 dogs (ablation group), and a sham procedure was performed in 5 dogs (control group). Follow-up electrophysiology study and pathological examination were conducted 13±5 days after the initial procedure. Immediately after ablation, sustained atrial fibrillation could be initiated in 1 of 9 surviving ablation dogs and 5 of 5 controls ( P =.004). Four dogs died within 24 hours of the procedure. Permanent pacing was required in 4 dogs. At follow-up, 0 of 7 ablation dogs and 5 of 5 controls had atrial fibrillation ( P =.001). Furthermore, 2 of 7 ablation dogs had sustained atrial tachycardias, one of which was successfully ablated. Pathological examination demonstrated frequent incomplete lesion sets and discontinuous lesions. Conclusions —In this model, a reduction in the susceptibility to sustained atrial fibrillation can be achieved by long linear atrial ablations created with specially designed coil electrode catheters. Complete lesion continuity was not required to achieve a therapeutic effect.
Converged quantum-mechanical calculations of electronic-to-vibrational, rotational energy transfer probabilities in a system with a conical intersection

Abstract We present quantum-mechanical transition probabilities for the process Na(3p2P) + H2(v0 = 0, j0 = 0,2) → Na(3s2S) + H2(v′, j′) with zero total angular momentum where v0, j0, v′, and j′are initial and final vibrational and rotational quantum numbers. These calculations involve two coupled potential energy surfaces at a total energy of 2.431 eV, and the excited state has energetically accesible geometric configurations with HH internuclear distances 2.7 times larger than the H2 equilibrium internuclear distance - which makes converged quantum-mechanical calculations very difficult. Covergence is demonstrated by obtaining the same results using two entirely different methods - R matrix propagation and the outgoing wave variational principle.
Sputter deposition of SiC coating on silicon wafers

A study is conducted of the effect of substrate temperature during coating on the properties of coated SiC films on Si wafers, using a scratch test technique. While specimen temperature during coating has little effect on deposition rate, it significantly affects the durability of the coating. Scratch test damage to both film coating and substrate decreased with increasing deposition temperature, perhaps due to the rapid diffusion of the deposited atoms.
A Trmm-Calibrated Infrared Rainfall Algorithm Applied Over Brazil

The development of a satellite infrared technique for estimating convective and stratiform rainfall and its application in studying the diurnal variability of rainfall in Amazonia are presented. The Convective-Stratiform. Technique, calibrated by coincident, physically retrieved rain rates from the Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), is applied during January to April 1999 over northern South America. The diurnal cycle of rainfall, as well as the division between convective and stratiform rainfall is presented. Results compare well (a one-hour lag) with the diurnal cycle derived from Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere (TOGA) radar-estimated rainfall in Rondonia. The satellite estimates reveal that the convective rain constitutes, in the mean, 24% of the rain area while accounting for 67% of the rain volume. The effects of geography (rivers, lakes, coasts) and topography on the diurnal cycle of convection are examined. In particular, the Amazon River, downstream of Manaus, is shown to both enhance early morning rainfall and inhibit afternoon convection. Monthly estimates from this technique, dubbed CST/TMI, are verified over a dense rain gage network in the state of Ceara, in northeast Brazil. The CST/TMI showed a high bias equal to +33% of the gage mean, indicating that possibly the TMI estimates alone are also high. The root mean square difference (after removal of the bias) equaled 36.6% of the gage mean. The correlation coefficient was 0.77 based on 72 station-months.
Nonlinear control of particulate processes with input constraints

Proposes a general methodology for the analysis and control of spatially-homogeneous particulate processes with input constraints based on population balances. The proposed method is successfully applied to a continuous crystallizer.
The effect of isotope selection on the prostate-specific antigen response in patients treated with permanent prostate brachytherapy

Abstract Purpose: To assess the difference in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response kinetics in patients undergoing either 125I or 103Pd permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB). Methods and Materials: Between 1997 and 1999, 333 patients underwent PPB as monotherapy. Forty-eight patients received a 125I implant, and 285 received a 103Pd implant. Biochemical relapse-free survival was defined by the Kattan modification of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus, based on three PSA increases. In addition, the time to reach a PSA threshold of ≤1.0 ng/ml was noted. Log-rank testing was performed, and multivariate analysis was used to evaluate those variables associated with biochemical freedom from recurrence. Results: With a mean 36-month follow-up, the actuarial biochemical relapse-free survival at 4 years was 86.8%. No significant difference in biochemical relapse-free survival was noted between patients treated with 125I and 103Pd (p = 0.417). Multivariate analysis failed to identify isotope as an independent variable to predict for biochemical relapse-free survival. The mean time for patients treated with 103Pd to reach the threshold PSA value was 10.2 weeks, whereas it was 22 weeks for 125I (p = 0.014). When the median time to reach the PSA threshold of ≤1.0 ng/ml was used to calculate the percentage of delivered dose for each isotope relative to the prescribed dose, there was no significant difference noted between 125I (84%) and 103Pd (94%) (p = 0.86). Conclusions: Isotope selection does not appear to influence biochemical relapse-free survival in patients treated with monotherapy PPB. There was a significant difference (p = 0.014) in time to reach a PSA threshold of ≤1.0 ng/ml noted between 125I and 103Pd. However, the percentage of delivered dose relative to the time to reach the threshold was the same between 125I and 103Pd. This information is important for during patients their post-PPB period.
Herbal Therapy Use by Perimenopausal Women

Objective Perimenopausal women may be following a trend toward using herbal remedies for their symptoms. Herbal use can affect medical decision making because herbal side effects can mimic medical conditions and herbs can interact with pharmacotherapeutics. Yet, health care providers may not be asking patients about their use of herbals. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of herbal use in a sample of perimenopausal women and to explore disclosure of use to their clinicians. Design Descriptive survey of herbal use utilizing responses from a questionnaire. Setting Health food grocery, located in the southeastern United States. Participants A convenience sample of 40 women, ages 40 to 65 years. Main Outcome Measures Menopause symptoms, perceived efficacy of hormone or herbal therapy, herbs used, sources of information about herbs, and discussion with health care providers about herbal use. Results Two thirds of the women had used herbs for perimenopausal symptoms. Herb users had experienced more menopausal symptoms than nonusers and had more side effects from hormone therapy. Herb users relied on information about herbs from alternative health care providers, whereas nonusers relied on popular media and peers. Overall, less than half were asked by their health care providers about herbal use. Furthermore, nearly half expressed dissatisfaction with the information given by providers about herbs. Although black cohosh was the most frequently used herb, ginseng and gingko were perceived to be the most effective. Conclusion Providers need to become informed about herbal therapy for perimenopausal symptoms to tailor care to the needs, preferences, and philosophies of their patients.
Update to the guidelines for selection of lung-transplant candidates

Lung transplantation (LT) for treatment for end stage lung disease is becoming increasingly available, and can improve survival and quality of life for some patients. Because of limited availability of donor organs and because of limited post-transplant survival of recipients, appropriate selection of candidates is invariably important. Since the revision of the 2006 international guidelines for selection of lung-transplant recipients, new literature has continued to improve our understanding of the effect of non-pulmonary comorbidities on disease-specific prognosis. By applying this new understanding to evaluation of potential lung-transplant recipients, we can best ensure optimum allocation of the limited resource of donor organs to recipients that are most likely to benefit from LT. This article will review the most recent literature on lung transplant candidate selection to provide an updated framework for optimum allocation of this limited resource.
Improving cycler prescriptions in peritoneal dialysis through informatic profiling

Cycler-based dialysis is the most common form of peritoneal dialysis in the United States of America, accounting for more than two thirds of patients on the modality. The advent of modern cyclers has enhanced the accessibility of therapy-delivery data. Cyclers have transformed peritoneal dialysis from an unobserved home therapy into an observable home therapy on many levels. We will discuss 3 of these levels herein. The ability to profile prescription behavior at a population level with attention to fill volume, number of cycles used per night, and total time on the cycler will be analyzed. Insights into the dynamics of flow during cycler therapy and the concept of transition point will then be explored. Finally, we will review the impact on patient care of making the delivery of the dialysis prescription easily observable to the medical team. It is our contention that these 3 levels of profiling offer practical lessons to enhance delivery of care for patients on cycler-based peritoneal dialysis.
CF2XCF2X and CF2XCF2• Radicals (X = Cl, Br, I): Ab Initio and DFT Studies and Comparison with Experiments

1,2-dihalotetrafluoroethanes (CF_2XCF_2X, X = I, Br and Cl) and halotetrafluoroethyl radicals (CF_2XCF_2•, X = I, Br, and Cl) have been studied by ab initio molecular-orbital techniques using restricted Hartree−Fock and Density functional theory (DFT-B3PW91). For the optimized HF geometries, we carried out local MP2 calculations to account for electron correlation effects. Each CF_2XCF_2X molecule and CF_2XCF_2• radical has two conformational minima (anti and gauche) and two rotational transition structures in the rotational energy surface along the C−C bond. The rotational barriers of the radicals are smaller than those of the parent molecules due to the absence of the nonbonded interaction between two halogen atoms. In contrast, the conformational energy difference between two stable rotamers (anti and gauche) of each radical is larger than that in the corresponding parent molecules. This stabilizing effect on the anti conformers of the radicals is rationalized in terms of hyperconjugation between the radical center and the σ^*(C−X) molecular orbital. The dissociation energies for breaking the first and second C−X bonds of CF_2XCF_2X were also calculated and compared with available experimental data. The CF_2XCF_2• radicals show dramatically different behavior compared with haloethyl radicals (CH_2XCH_2•). The CF_2XCF_2• radical has two minima and two saddle points, whereas CH_2XCH_2• radical has only one minimum and one saddle point in the rotational energy surface. In addition, the bridged structures are not stable for CF_2XCF_2• radicals in contrast with CH_2XCH_2• radicals. The origin of these differences is attributed to differences in the environment of the radical center. The calculated structures of the CF_2ICF_2• radical were used in interpreting a recent experimental observation (Cao et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 1999, 96, 338) and are compared with quantitative results from a new experiment (Ihee et al. Science 2001, 291, 458) using the ultrafast electron diffraction technique.
Immunoglobulin g antibody-mediated enhancement of measles virus infection can bypass the protective antiviral immune response.

Antibodies to viral surface glycoproteins play a crucial role in immunity to measles by blocking both virus attachment and subsequent fusion with the host cell membrane. Here, we demonstrate that certain immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies can also enhance the entry of measles virus (MV) into monocytes and macrophages. Antibody-dependent enhancement of infectivity was observed in mouse and human macrophages using virions opsonized by a murine monoclonal antibody against the MV hemagglutinin (H) glycoprotein, polyclonal mouse anti-MV IgG, or diluted measles-immune human sera. Neither H-specific Fab fragments nor H-specific IgM could enhance MV entry in monocytes or macrophages, indicating involvement of a Fc γ receptor (FcγR)-mediated mechanism. Preincubation with an anti-fusion protein (anti-F) monoclonal antibody or a fusion-inhibitory peptide blocked infection, indicating that a functional F protein was required for viral internalization. Classical complement pathway activation did not promote infection through complement receptors and inhibited anti-H IgG-mediated enhancement. In vivo, antibody-enhanced infection allowed MV to overcome a highly protective systemic immune response in preimmunized IfnarKo-Ge46 transgenic mice. These data demonstrate a previously unidentified mechanism that may contribute to morbillivirus pathogenesis where H-specific IgG antibodies promote the spread of MV infection among FcγR-expressing host cells. The findings point to a new model for the pathogenesis of atypical MV infection observed after immunization with formalin-inactivated MV vaccine and underscore the importance of the anti-F response after vaccination.
Numerical dispersion and stability characteristics of time-domain methods on nonorthogonal meshes

The familiar finite-difference time-domain method for discretizing Maxwell's curl equations on orthogonal grids has been extended to nonorthogonal grids by a number of researchers. While it is difficult to determine the dispersion and stability characteristics of these methods when applied on arbitrary grids, analysis of the idealized but representative case of a uniform skewed mesh proves to be quite tractable in 2-D. This analysis demonstrates that numerical dispersion errors are small for well-resolved spatial wavelengths and that these methods converge to the continuous-space solution in the limit as the cell and time step sizes vanish. Grid anisotropy (variations in wave propagation speed as a function of the propagation angle relative to the mesh coordinates) increases as the mesh is skewed. In spite of this, there exist some angles where waves propagate through the skewed mesh with virtually no dispersion. This analysis also provides a stability limit for the time step size in terms of geometrical mesh quantities. >
Conservation genomics: disequilibrium mapping of domestic cattle chromosomal segments in North American bison populations.

Introgressive hybridization is one of the major threats to species conservation, and is often induced by human influence on the natural habitat of wildlife species. The ability to accurately identify introgression is critical to understanding its importance in evolution and effective conservation management of species. Hybridization between North American bison ( Bison bison ) and domestic cattle ( Bos taurus ) as a result of human activities has been recorded for over 100 years, and domestic cattle mitochondrial DNA was previously detected in bison populations. In this study, linked microsatellite markers were used to identify domestic cattle chromosomal segments in 14 genomic regions from 14 bison populations. Cattle nuclear introgression was identified in five populations, with an average frequency per population ranging from 0.56% to 1.80%. This study represents the first use of linked molecular markers to examine introgression between mammalian species and the first demonstration of domestic cattle nuclear introgression in bison. To date, six public bison populations have been identified with no evidence of mitochondrial or nuclear domestic cattle introgression, providing information critical to the future management of bison genetic resources. The ability to identify even low levels of introgression resulting from historic hybridization events suggests that the use of linked molecular markers to identify introgression is a significant development in the study of introgressive hybridization across a broad range of taxa.
Microwave backscatter and acoustic radiation from breaking waves

An experimental study of the microwave backscatter and acoustic radiation from breaking waves is reported. It is found that the averaged microwave and acoustic measurements correlate with the dynamics of wave breaking. Both the mean-square acoustic pressure and the backscattered microwave power correlate with the wave slope and dissipation, for waves of moderate slope (S < 0.28). The backscattered power and the mean-square pressure are also found to correlate strongly with each other. As the slope and wavelength of the breaking wave packet is increased, both the backscattered power and the mean-square pressure increase. It is found that a large portion of the backscattered microwave power precedes the onset of sound production and visible breaking. This indicates that the unsteadiness of the breaking process is important and that the geometry of the wave prior to breaking may dominate the backscattering. It is observed that the amount of acoustic energy radiated by an individual breaking wave scaled with the amount of mechanical energy dissipated during breaking. These laboratory results are compared to the field experiments of Farmet & Vagle (1988), Crowther (1989) and Jessup et al. (1990).
Cumulus entrainment, fine‐scale mixing, and buoyancy reversal

The formation of buoyancy reversal due to entrainment of dry environmental air, and its implication for cumulus dynamics, are discusses. Concepts originating from laboratory experiments with reacting turbulent flows, and from numerical simulations of homogeneous and isotropic turbulence, are applied to distinguish between large-scale entraining eddies developing at the interface, subsequent development of smaller-scale motions, and final homogenization by microscale processes. The physics of the microscale homogenization by molecular diffusion and sedimentation of cloud droplets is discussed. It is shown that, as a result of droplet sedimentation, much smaller negative buoyancy (buoyancy undershoots) may be generated on cloud microscale as compared with the value predicted by a classical nonlinear mixing diagram of cloudy and cloud-free air. Highly idealized numerical experiments aimed at simulating the temporal evolution of a small convective cloud were performed with and without the effects of molecular mixing that results in buoyancy reversal. It is argued that these experiments provide two limiting cases, and that the dynamics of a real cumulus cloud is located somewhere between them. The major effect of buoyancy reversal as suggested by these experiments is to increase the intermittency associated with cloud evolution. The temporal variation of cloud-top height, maximum undraughts, and minimum downdraughts increases significantly when buoyancy reversal is allowed. It is argued that results of numerical experiments, together with other laboratory and theoretical studies, cast serious doubts on the concept of cumulus entrainment being driven by the cloud-top entrainment instability.
Identifying cause and effect relations between events in concurrent event-based components

Concurrent event-based components present characteristics that impose difficulties in understanding their dynamic behavior, mainly for interpreting the cause and effect relations between input and output events in component interactions. In this paper, we propose a technique to help in the process of understanding the dynamic behavior of concurrent event-based components. It checks the event trace (generated by monitoring the component execution) against a specification of the component communication protocol (even with a possibly incomplete or incorrect specification). The technique identifies and presents the more probable cause and effect relations between the component events, providing also a measurement related to this probability.
Total Hip Arthroplasty with Shortening Subtrochanteric Osteotomy in Crowe Type-IV Developmental Dysplasia

BACKGROUND: When surgeons perform total hip arthroplasty for hips with a high dislocation related to developmental dysplasia of the hip, obtaining long-term stable implant fixation and optimizing patient function remain challenges. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the results of cementless arthroplasty with a simultaneous subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy in a group of patients with Crowe type-IV developmental dysplasia of the hip. METHODS: In a retrospective study, we evaluated the results and complications of twenty-eight consecutive primary cementless total hip arthroplasties in twenty-four patients (twenty women and four men), all of whom had Crowe type-IV developmental dysplasia of the hip. The arthroplasty was performed in combination with a subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy and with placement of the acetabular component at the level of the anatomic hip center. The patients were evaluated at a mean of 4.8 years postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean Harris hip score increased from 43 points preoperatively to 89 points at the time of final follow-up (p < 0.01). Twelve (43%) of the twenty-eight hips had an early or late complication or a reoperation. Two (7%) of the twenty-eight subtrochanteric osteotomies were followed by nonunion. There was one instance of isolated loosening of the femoral stem. One acetabular component loosened, and one acetabular liner disengaged. Four hips dislocated postoperatively. All remaining components were well-fixed at the time of the last radiographic follow-up. No sciatic neurapraxic injuries were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Cementless total hip arthroplasty combined with a subtrochanteric femoral shortening osteotomy in patients with a high hip dislocation secondary to developmental dysplasia was associated with high rates of successful fixation of the implants and healing of the osteotomy site and a mean postoperative Harris hip score of 89 points. The complication rate, however, was substantially higher than that associated with primary total hip arthroplasty in patients with degenerative arthritis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. ORIGINAL ABSTRACT CITATION: “Total Hip Arthroplasty with Shortening Subtrochanteric Osteotomy in Crowe Type-IV Developmental Dysplasia” (2009;91:2213-21).
Photorefractive Optical Limiters

We consider the application of photorefractive beam fanning as an optical limiter. Results indicate that by focusing the incident laser light into the photorefractive crystal and by applying electric fields that limiting is possible at the 10μJ range with an optical density or O. D. of 3. These results are independent of the incident optical pulse width.
A method for investigating system matrix properties in optimization-based CT reconstruction

Optimization-based iterative reconstruction methods have shown much promise for a variety of applications in X-ray computed tomography (CT). In these reconstruction methods, the X-ray measurement is modeled as a linear mapping from a finite-dimensional image space to a finite dimensional data-space. This mapping is dependent on a number of factors including the basis functions used for image representation1 and the method by which the matrix representing this mapping is generated.2 Understanding the properties of this linear mapping and how it depends on our choice of parameters is fundamental to optimization-based reconstruction. In this work, we confine our attention to a pixel basis and propose a method to investigate the effect of pixel size in optimization-based reconstruction. The proposed method provides insight into the tradeoff between higher resolution image representation and matrix conditioning. We demonstrate this method for a particular breast CT system geometry. We find that the images obtained from accurate solution of a least squares reconstruction optimization problem have high sensitivity to pixel size within certain regimes. We propose two methods by which this sensitivity can be reduced and demonstrate their efficacy. Our results indicate that the choice of pixel size in optimization-based reconstruction can have great impact on the quality of the reconstructed image, and that understanding the properties of the linear mapping modeling the X-ray measurement can help guide us with this choice.
The Eye Sees What the Mind Knows: Student and Teacher Perspectives on Higher Education in China

(1995). The Eye Sees What the Mind Knows: Student and Teacher Perspectives on Higher Education in China. Journal of College Reading and Learning: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 14-20.
Reversible chemochromic MoO3 nanoribbons through zerovalent metal intercalation

Molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO3) is a 2D layered oxide with use in electrochromic and photochromic devices owing to its ability to reversibly change color between transparent and light blue with electrochemical or hydrogen intercalation. Despite its significant application potential, MoO3 performance is largely limited by the destructiveness of these intercalation techniques, insignificant coloration, and slow color response. We demonstrate a reversible chemochromic method, using intercalation of zerovalent metals into α-MoO3 nanoribbons (Sn, ∼2 at. %; Co, ∼4 at. %), to chemically alter MoO3 from transparent white to a deep blue indigo, resulting in enhanced coloration and chemically tunable optical properties. We present two strategies to reversibly tune the color response of MoO3 nanoribbons. Chromism can be reversed (i) by complete oxidative deintercalation with hydrogen peroxide or iodine or (ii) through a temperature-driven disorder–order phase transition of the intercalated zerovalent metal.
Generation and applications of femtosecond X-rays from the Advanced Light Source

A new frontier in ultrafast science is the investigation of structural dynamics in condensed matter using time-resolved x-ray techniques. We report on the generation of tunable high-brightness femtosecond x-ray pulses from a synchrotron, and recent scientific applications.
Relational Commitment as a Mediator of Religiousness to Marital Quality

This study examined the relationship between religiousness, relational commitment, and marital quality, proposing that relational commitment would act as a mediator in the relationship between reli...
How to think with the head of another? The historical dimension of philosophical problems

In his autobiography, R.G. Collingwood describes thinking as a relation between question and answer. Embarking from the example of a particularly ugly statue, he formulates the conjecture that this...
Fluorescence cytophotometric analysis of megakaryocytic ploidy in culture: studies of normal and thrombocytopenic mice.

A system for the accurate and rapid measurement of the ploidy of cultured megakaryocytes derived from megakaryocytic colony-forming cells (CFU-M) has been developed. Thirty thousand murine marrow cells per milliliter were cultured for varying time periods in agar in the presence of horse serum and pokeweed mitogen-stimulated spleen cell- conditioned medium (PWM-SCM). To ensure the inclusion of all the megakaryocytic cells in the analysis, entire agar discs were transferred onto glass slides and dried. Cells of the megakaryocytic lineage were identified by staining for acetylcholinesterase (AchE) for two hours. Subsequently, the nuclei of the cells were stained using 1.7 X 10(-5) mol/L chromomycin A3, a specific DNA-binding fluorochrome. Megakaryocytic colonies (greater than or equal to 2 AchE+ cells) were located under transmission light. The fluorescence emission of each cell of the colony was then measured by a photometer interfaced with a computer. The mean fluorescence emission of about 20 random granulocytes per slide was used as a 2N standard. There was no significant cell loss, quenching of fluorescence by AchE staining, or overlapping of colonies or cells. Approximately 100 megakaryocytes per hour could be analyzed. Modal ploidy of cultured megakaryocytes increased from 2N to 32N between days 3 and 6 in culture. Varying concentrations of PWM-SCM from 5% to 20% did not affect the ploidy distribution when examined at day 5. The heterogeneity of the ploidy of cells within colonies increased continuously with increasing cell numbers per colony. Clonal analyses of mean ploidy and ploidy heterogeneity did not show distinct types or classes of colonies; rather, the data show that megakaryocytic colonies are structured as a continuum. An inverse correlation was found between the number of cells constituting the colonies and their mean DNA content. To determine if short-term in vivo exposure of CFU-M to a thrombocytopenic environment could affect the ploidy of their progeny, mice were given rabbit antimouse-platelet serum while control animals were given normal rabbit serum. Twenty-four hours after injection, marrow derived from these animals was cultured. At day 5, the ploidy distributions and ploidy heterogeneity were identical in both treated and control groups. Thus, factor(s) that promote CFU-M proliferation do not affect megakaryocytic endoreduplication, while stimuli that acutely influence megakaryocytic ploidy in vivo do not determine the ultimate ploidy potential of megakaryocytes derived from a CFU-M.
Effects of High Temperature Stress of the Whole Main Field Period on the Growth and Grain Yield Formation in the Late Stage of Hybrid Rice

The effects of high temperature stress of the whole main field period on the growth and grain yield formation in the late stage of hybrid rice were studied under the conditions of green house (HT) and natural field (CK) with five widely-used hybrids as the materials. The results showed that the yield traits including the number of effective panicles,the number of spikelets per panicle,seed setting rate and 1 000-grain weight were all decreased to a different extent under the conditions of high temperature stress for the whole main field period. Especially,the seed setting rate was greatly decreased and resulted in a heavy loss of grain yield. In addition,under high temperature stress,the LAI and net photosynthetic rate were also decreased to some extent,resulting in less dry matter production. The high temperature stress affected the translocation and transformation of dry matter in stems and sheaths,too. It was found that there was a significant positive correlation between the heat tolerant index of a variety and its translocation percentage,transformation percentage of dry matter in stems and sheaths after heading under high temperature conditions. The hybrids with a stronger heat tolerance maintained a higher transformation percentage of dry matter in stems and sheaths under the high temperature stress. Under the high temperature stress,the activity of SOD was enhanced and the soluble sugar and free proline contents were increased in booting stage,but the SOD activity,soluble sugar and free proline contents were rapidly lowered in grain filling stage; the MDA content kept increasing from booting to grain filling stage,resulting in a faster membrane lipid peroxidation in leaves,especially for those hybrids with poorer heat tolerance.
Reduction of Enteric Viruses by Blueberry Juice and Blueberry Proanthocyanidins

Blueberry and blueberry extracts are known for their health benefits and antimicrobial properties. Natural therapeutic or preventive options to decrease the incidences of foodborne viral illnesses are becoming popular and being researched. This study aimed to determine the antiviral effects of blueberry juice (BJ) and blueberry proanthocyanidins (BB-PAC, B-type PAC structurally different from A-type PAC found in cranberries) against the infectivity of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and human norovirus surrogates (feline calicivirus (FCV-F9) and murine norovirus (MNV-1)) at 37 °C over 24 h using standard plaque assays. Viruses at ~5 log PFU/ml were mixed with equal volumes of BJ (pH 2.8), neutralized BJ (pH 7.0), BB-PAC (1, 2, 4, and 10 mg/ml), malic acid (pH 3.0), or phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2) and incubated over 24 h at 37 °C. Each experiment was carried out in duplicate and replicated thrice. FCV-F9 titers were found to be reduced to undetectable levels with 1 and 2 mg/ml BB-PAC after 5 min, with 0.5 mg/ml BB-PAC after 1-h, and with BJ after 3-h. MNV-1 titers were reduced to undetectable levels after 3 h with 1, 2, and 5 mg/ml BB-PAC and after 6 h with BJ. HAV titers were reduced to undetectable levels after 30 min with 2 and 5 mg/ml BB-PAC, after 3 h with 1 mg/ml BB-PAC, and by ~2 log PFU/ml with BJ after 24-h. BB-PAC shows preventive potential against infection by the tested enteric viruses in a dose- and time-dependent manner, although further in vitro studies in model food systems and in vivo studies using animal models are warranted.
Planetary modernisms: provocations on modernity across time

Susan Stanford Friedman is a gifted cultural diplomat, a charismatic ambassador presenting to audiences outside the United States, and to East Asian scholars in particular, a polemically and winnin...
Why are Big Traders Big and Small Traders Small

In contemporary South Asia, traders in general, and grain traders in particular, are sometimes demonized, blamed by politicians for periodic food price rises. By contrast, they are also sometimes romanticized, particularly by foreign advisers enamoured of abstract market models. These caricatures of traders26 may obstruct our understanding of what traders actually do in real markets, what powers they have, and the range of practices involved in trading.
CallForFire: A Mission-Critical Cloud-Based Application Built Using the Nomad Framework

In this demo paper we describe CallForFire, a GIS-based mission-critical defense application that can be deployed in the cloud. CallForFire enables secure computation of enemy target locations and selection of firing assets. It is built using the Nomad framework, which enables the development of secure cloud-based applications. Our experimental results validate the feasibility of this application within the Nomad framework.
The representation of youth in the Islamic State's propaganda magazine Dabiq

The propaganda magazine of the terrorist group Islamic State (IS), entitled Dabiq, displays IS' utilization of different representations of youth to convert a new generation of jihadi fighters. This study analyzes why IS uses youth in its propaganda and what functions of discourse these representations serve. This article is a qualitative content analysis of the Dabiq magazines with direct reference to Henry Giroux's theory of the myth of childhood innocence, which portrays youths as passive victims. The evolution of representations of youth in Dabiq aligns with this myth, as the publications tend to give active and violent roles to youth in order to foster new social paradigms.