cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Massive necrotizing fasciitis following bellow-knee arterial surgery - A therapeutic challenge.

Introduction. Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare, progressive bacterial infection of superficial fascia followed by secondary subcutaneous tissue necrosis. We pressented a patient with massive fulminant lifethreatening necrotising fasciitis after bellow-knee femoro-popliteal vein bypass grafting successfully treated by antibiotics, surgical debridement and final skin reconstruction using the Tierch method. Case report. A 61-year-old patient was ad-mitted to the Vascular Surgery Clinic for below-knee femoro-popliteal bypass grafting. He complained of intermittent claudication in the left leg after 50 m, ankle brachial indexes were 0.45 on the left and 1.0 on the right side. Femoropopliteal below-knee bypass grafting was done using the autologous great saphenous vein. In the very next day, initial signs of skin infection appeared including local inflammation, erythema, swelling and cellulitis restricted to saphenectomy site. These changes had rapidly spread in the following days on the deep tissue of the whole upper and lower leg, including the groin and with clinical signs of life-threatening systemic infection. Immediate surgical debridement was done followed by extensive wound packing and wide spectrum antibiotics administration for the next 33 days when final skin reconstruction by the Tierch method was performed. Interesting point is that this entire time wound swab was sterile. Conclusion. In the presented case immediate surgical debridement, wide spectrum antibiotics administration and consistent wound packing gave satisfactory results in this life-threatening systemic infection. Wound swab is not always a reliable indicator of the infection while clinical findings and surgeons’ experience are of great significance in rapid reaction to this rare surgical complication.
Metal ion-mediated reduction in surface entropy improves diffraction quality of crystals of the IRAK-4 death domain

Interleukin-1 receptor–associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4) is an essential component of innate immunity in mice and humans. IRAK-4 is a bipartite protein composed of a death domain (DD) that mediates molecular recognition, and a catalytic kinase domain. Structure determination of the proteolytically stable, soluble IRAK-4 DD was hampered by poor diffraction quality. Addition of manganese (II) chloride to the crystallization solution produced significant improvements in diffraction, and the structure has been determined to 1.7-A resolution. Examination of the IRAK-4 DD crystal structure reveals a single manganese ion coordinated to surface residues lysine-21 and aspartate-24. Coordination of the manganese ion resulted in a reduction in the surface entropy at this region of the molecule, by generating a contact-forming and conformationally homogenous surface patch. Prior studies have shown that surface entropy reduction by mutation of surface residues with large flexible side chains (i.e., Lys and Glu) to smaller side chains results in the production of diffraction-quality crystals. The intrinsic high surface entropy of Lys residues can also be decreased by reductive methylation. Our results suggest that screening of manganese ions as a crystallization additive may also facilitate ordered crystallization by reduction of surface entropy. Given the quick and inexpensive nature of screening, this technique is likely to be amenable to high-throughput methods such as those employed by Protein Structure Initiatives.
IA Channels Encoded by Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 Regulate Circadian Period of PER2 Expression in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

Neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian pacemaker in mammals, display daily rhythms in electrical activity with more depolarized resting potentials and higher firing rates during the day than at night. Although these daily variations in the electrical properties of SCN neurons are required for circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior, the mechanisms linking changes in neuronal excitability to the molecular clock are not known. Recently, we reported that mice deficient for either Kcna4 (Kv1.4(-/-)) or Kcnd2 (Kv4.2(-/-); but not Kcnd3, Kv4.3(-/-)), voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channel pore-forming subunits that encode subthreshold, rapidly activating, and inactivating K(+) currents (IA), have shortened (0.5 h) circadian periods in SCN firing and in locomotor activity compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In the experiments here, we used a mouse (Per2(Luc)) line engineered with a bioluminescent reporter construct, PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE (PER2::LUC), replacing the endogenous Per2 locus, to test the hypothesis that the loss of Kv1.4- or Kv4.2-encoded IA channels also modifies circadian rhythms in the expression of the clock protein PERIOD2 (PER2). We found that SCN explants from Kv1.4(-/-)Per2(Luc) and Kv4.2(-/-) Per2(Luc), but not Kv4.3(-/-)Per2(Luc), mice have significantly shorter (by approximately 0.5 h) circadian periods in PER2 rhythms, compared with explants from Per2(Luc) mice, revealing that the membrane properties of SCN neurons feedback to regulate clock (PER2) expression. The combined loss of both Kv1.4- and Kv4.2-encoded IA channels in Kv1.4(-/-)/Kv4.2(-/-)Per2(Luc) SCN explants did not result in any further alterations in PER2 rhythms. Interestingly, however, mice lacking both Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 show a striking (approximately 1.8 h) advance in their daily activity onset in a light cycle compared with WT mice, suggesting additional roles for Kv1.4- and Kv4.2-encoded IA channels in controlling the light-dependent responses of neurons within and/or outside of the SCN to regulate circadian phase of daily activity.
Contemporary World Issues: An Interactive Approach to Reading and Writing

U The academic writing needs of limited English proficiency (LEP) students have been difficult to define and problematic to address (Spack, 1988). Instructive practices borrowed from nativespeaker classrooms do not automatically solve the problems of the ESL student. In most writing classes, earlier pattern-centered approaches, such as controlled composition or the teaching of rhetorical patterns, have given way to process-centered approaches that focus on the writer's cognitive processes and often emphasize self-generated topics. But is this enough? Students in academic settings need to go beyond their personal knowledge base. Finding the link between a learner's background knowledge and experience and the academic requirements of different disciplines has been a demanding challenge, especially for teachers of ESL. Choosing topics that are culturally accessible and sufficiently weighty for use with university students is likewise a daunting task, given that many LEP students specialize in subject areas (such as engineering or physics) containing arcane or specialized vocabularies. Fortunately, a new text, Contemporary World Issues, provides ESL teachers with a variety of readings and exercises that siuccessfully address these areas of pedagogical difficulty. Contemporary World Issues is a reading-based, integrated skills textbook for upper intermediate or advanced students of ESL who will be doing academic work in English. The 12 units, each of which can generate up to eight hours of class time, are organized in a fixed format based on a reading passage. The units are not graded, and can be completed in any order. Each thematic unit is based on authentic materials intended to appeal to language learners of many different backgrounds. Topics include the following: About the Computer, Hugs are Better than Drugs, Money for Guns and Money for Butter, and Refugees: A Fact of Life? Each unit begins with a Background section that incorporates a variety of imaginative and interactive activities designed to induce content schemata and to preview key concepts and vocabulary. This is followed by a Pre-Reading section: More traditional in its approach, it leads the student to focus on skimming, scanning, and predicting before encountering the text as a whole. The Reading section is subdivided so that the student reads for a purpose, later discussing or using information to complete a task, such as filling in a graph. A Vocabulary Study exercise is also included in the
Turbo-like codes for distributed joint source-channel coding of correlated senders in multiple access channels

We consider an AWGN multiple access channels in which two correlated senders transmit information to a common receiver. In order to reduce the required transmission power, each one of the senders is encoded independently using a concatenation of two LDGM codes. The joint decoder consists of two decoders, which exchange extrinsic information to exploit the correlation between the senders. Different interleaving schemes are investigated and analyzed. The resulting performance is very close to the theoretical limits obtained when separation between source and channel coding is assumed. Little performance degradation is observed when the correlation parameter and the noise variance are unknown at the decoder site, since they can be estimated jointly with the decoding process.
What the Best College Teachers Do

What makes a great teacher great? Who are the professors students remember long after graduation? This book, the conclusion of a fifteen-year study of nearly one hundred college teachers in a wide variety of fields and universities, offers valuable answers for all educators. The short answer is—it’s not what teachers do, it’s what they understand. Lesson plans and lecture notes matter less than the special way teachers comprehend the subject and value human learning. Whether historians or physicists, in El Paso or St. Paul, the best teachers know their subjects inside and out—but they also know how to engage and challenge students and to provoke impassioned responses. Most of all, they believe two things fervently: that teaching matters and that students can learn.
Once Upon a Kingdom: Myth, Hegemony, and Identity

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Isidore Okpewho Year: 1998 Pages: xiii + 252 Publisher: Indiana University Press Prices: $39.95 US (hard cover). Prices: $19.95 US (soft cover).
Determination of Amino Acids at a Silver Oxide/Silver Phosphate Electrode and the Analysis of Structure‐Response Relationships

When a silver electrode is conditioned in a solution of 0.5 M sodium hydroxide with added sodium phosphate and using a dual pulse (500 mV/750 mV vs. Ag/AgCl), a stable silver(I)/silver(II) oxide surface is formed. It has been previously shown that various moieties react with the silver(II) oxide in a chemical oxidation at the outer surface of the oxide layer. This is then followed by re-oxidation of the silver with the generation of current at approximately 500 mV relative to the silver/silver chloride electrode. Previously we found the need to remove carbon dioxide from the base and condition the electrode in a solution containing phosphate ion in order to provide mechanical stability to the oxide layer. We have previously shown this electrode to be applicable to the detection of a variety of carbohydrates. The applicability of the silver oxide/silver phosphate electrode to the post-chromatographic amperometric detection of amino acids was investigated. Calibration studies of amino acids representative of the various classes demonstrated good sensitivity and linearity in the 1–100 μM range. Responses of amino acids were measured using glucose as an external standard, in order to correct for variability of the oxide layer. Relative responses of the amino acids ranged from 3 down to 0.1. Correlation with structure suggested the importance of absorption in determining the rate of oxidation. Comparison of arginine with n-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester indicated that side chains as well as the backbone amino group can be oxidized. A Levitch plot of alanine was shown to be linear from approximately 30 to 300 radians per second spin rate at a scan rate of 50 mV per second. Application to post-chromatographic detection was demonstrated.
Oxidation‐Induced Contraction and Strengthening of Boron Fibers

An investigation was conducted to measure and understand the physical and mechanical effects that occur in boron fibers during and after thermal treatment in a controlled oxygen argon gaseous mixture. Of principal concern was the optimization of this treatment as a secondary processing method for significantly improving fiber tensile strength. Strengthening was accomplished by an oxidation induced axial contraction of the fiber and a resulting axial compression of strength limiting flaws within the fiber's tungsten boride core. Various physical observations were used to develop mechanistic models for oxidation, contraction, and flow formation. Processing guidelines are discussed for possibly exceeding the 5.5 GN/sq m strength limit and also for achieving fiber strengthening during application of boron containing diffusion barrier coatings.
Estimating a Small Open-Economy Model for Egypt: Spillovers, Inflation Dynamics, and Implications for Monetary Policy

This paper estimates a small open-economy model for Egypt to analyze inflation, output dynamics and monetary policy during the period 2005-2010. The interest rate channel is found to be relatively weak in Egypt, complicating the use of interest rates as the immediate target of monetary policy. However, the paper also finds a significant level of persistence in the policy rate, making monetary policy pro-cyclical. More active use of interest rate policy is expected to improve domestic debt markets, and a gradual move towards inflation targeting can help support a successful disinflation strategy for Egypt.
A power-aware digital feedforward neural network platform with backpropagation driven approximate synapses

This paper proposes a power-aware digital feedforward neural network platform that utilizes the backpropagation algorithm during training to enable energy-quality trade-off. Given a quality constraint, the proposed approach identifies a set of synaptic weights for approximation in a neural network. The approach selects synapses with small impact on output error, estimated by the backpropagation algorithm, for approximation. The approximations are achieved by a coupled software (reduced bit-width) and hardware (approximate multiplication in the processing engine) based design approaches. The full-chip design in 130nm CMOS shows, compared to a baseline accurate design, the proposed approach reduces system power by ∼38% with 0.4% lower recognition accuracy in a classification problem.
Complexity in biological structures and systems

Complexity and related concepts are important for understanding life processes as revealed in the new high-throughput data streams. Formal analysis of complexity is less advanced in biology than in certain other fields, including mathematics, physics, and computer science. This article offers an introduction to complexity for biologists, with emphasis on explaining the concepts and results from other fields applicable to understanding living systems at the molecular level. Many of the questions raised are subjects of current research. Keywords: systems biology; randomness and entropy of sequences; protein structure; network structure and dynamics; computational complexity; predictability; chaos
WISC FACTOR STRUCTURE FOR NORMAL NEGRO PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN

In order to estimate the dimensionality of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, factor analysis was applied to a 30 by 30 intercorrelation matrix of the WISC and four reference tests. The 10 standard WISC subtests, except Coding, were split into two, three, or four parts to yield as many variables as possible. Ss, were 111 Negro pre-school children; mean age, 6 yr. 1 mo.; the mean full scale IQ was 84. Evidence is presented supporting 10 statistically significant orthogonal dimensions. Not all factors are perfectly congruent with the subtest structure of the WISC or concordant with the results of prior factorizations of the WISC at the pre-school level. There is no factor for Block Design apart from Picture Arrangement. The Digit Span subtest splits involve three different WISC factors, two are from the performance section of the test and one is from the verbal section. Coding is involved in only one factor; Manipulation of Areas, one of the non-verbal reference tests. At least 7 of the 10 signif...
The rise and fall of levonorgestrel implants: 1992–1996

Abstract Objective: To assess shifts over a 4-year period in attitudes of low-income US women regarding use of levonorgestrel implants. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was administered at two different points in time to English-speaking women of reproductive age seeking gynecologic or obstetric care in southeast Texas. The first survey, administered to 762 women in 1992, elicited information on demographic and reproductive characteristics, as well as exposure to information on implants and attitudes regarding use of this method. This same survey was administered again in 1995–1996 to 502 women. χ2, Student t, or Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests were used to evaluate shifts in attitudes and perceived barriers to use across the 4-year period. Results: Women portrayed less positive attitudes about levonorgestrel implants when surveyed in 1995–1996 as compared with 1992. Most notably, they appeared less appreciative of the convenience associated with implant use and more concerned with potential side effects. Nulliparous and parous women surveyed in 1995–1996 were significantly less likely than those surveyed in 1992 to state that they would consider using this method for birth control (P Conclusion: This study documents the decline in popular perceptions of levonorgestrel implants among low-income English-speaking women over the 4-year period following the introduction of this contraceptive method to the US market.
Multimode dynamic response of railway bridge superstructures to high-speed train loads

High-speed passenger trains can cause destructive vibrations on bridge structures. The possibility of resonance is particularly related to the bridge superstructure’s natural frequency and the freq...
Energy-based efficiency of mechanized solid state actuators

The research in this study develops an analysis technique for mechanized solid-state actuators. The methodology's strength stems from the fact that it can be applied to a single solid-state actuator or an actuator that is coupled to a compliant mechanism (mechanized). The technique couples the actuator to any compliant mechanism and it takes into account interactions between the mechanized actuator and its load. Thus the methodology can be applied to a myriad of loaded systems. The analysis technique is rooted in thermodynamics and thus can be expanded to a wide range of systems (piezoelectric, electrohydraulic, electrostrictive, magnetostrictive, etc.). The methodology uses energy transfer as a medium to develop analytical relationships between input parameters and output parameters. Results of the technique are consistent with existing energy-based techniques and experimental data.
Substituent Effects of Ligands on Asymmetric Induction in a Prototypical Palladium-Catalyzed Allylation Reaction: Making Both Enantiomers of a Product in High Optical Purity Using the Same Source of Chirality

The substituent effects of the ligands 1 through 8 play a crucial role in determining the enantioselectivity in the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylation reaction between 1,3-diphenylprop-2-en-...
Effect of Bovine Pericardial Strips on Air Leak After Stapled Pulmonary Resection

Background. Surgical procedures for emphysema have been proposed and in many settings resulted in significant improvement in dyspnea and function. The most prevalent surgical problem in all series is prolonged postoperative air leak. Methods. One hundred twenty-three patients undergoing stapled thoracoscopic unilateral lung volume reduction operation were prospectively randomized to receive either no buttressing of their staple lines or buttressing of all staple lines with bovine pericardial strips. Results. The two groups were comparable in preoperative risks and in the severity of their emphysema. Postoperative complications were identical in the two groups with respect to pneumonia, empyema, and wound infection; however, there was a significant difference in the duration of postoperative air leaks. Those
Gerontechnology Companion: Virutal pets for dementia patients

As the population of older adults, ages 65 and older, rises from 39.6 million in 2009 to approximately 72.1 million by 2030, there is a need to meet this aging imperative and develop age sensitive services. Technology is seizing the opportunity to make a difference in the quality of life of these individuals. With the introduction of user friendly tablets and interactive applications the geriatric populous, their families and the medical community can benefit from programs such as the Gerijoy Companion. The companion application utilizes a touch screen tablet's microphone and video camera to enhance the experience of the elder. The companion can be installed on any android device that has Wi-Fi or GSM compatibility. Using a consistent internet connection, every action and conversation an elder has with the companion is recorded inside a database in order to create a long lasting relationship with the elder. The companion can save lists of emergency numbers to be contacted if the need arises. More importantly, the person on the other side of the tablet can visually identify whether the elder has experienced any physical heads injuries. Caregivers and family members can participate by uploading photos into their elder's account or submitting important information the live person, the “Gerijoy helper” may need to know. Currently, the research being conducted is with community dwelling older adults who live alone and are experiencing loneliness, depression, and / or a decline in cognitive abilities related to some form of dementia including Alzheimer's disease. A complete health history is recorded along with an initial depression and cognitive assessment. A follow-up assessment of depression and cognition is taken at a later date to secure information on the progress of the individual related to their use of the Gerijoy Companion. This data will be compiled to confirm the benefits of this application. Through conversation and photographs, the elder client can remain grounded in reality; this may slow down the progression cognitive deficits that are associated with dementia and depression. Gerijoy has already made a significant impact in the quality of life for the seniors who have participated in the program, family members and caregivers have expressed that their loved ones quality of life has improved. The elder clients' disposition and attitudes became happier as they made more contact with the community and their families. The need for technology to enhance the life of the geriatric population is a great opportunity for the future an d we are doing our part to make a difference now and in the future.
Remodeling of mechanical junctions and of microtubule-associated proteins accompany cardiac connexin43 lateralization

Background Desmosomes and adherens junctions provide mechanical continuity between cardiac cells, whereas gap junctions allow for cell-cell electrical/metabolic coupling. These structures reside at the cardiac intercalated disc (ID). Also at the ID is the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) complex. Functional interactions between desmosomes, gap junctions, and VGSC have been demonstrated. Separate studies show, under various conditions, reduced presence of gap junctions at the ID and redistribution of connexin43 (Cx43) to plaques oriented parallel to fiber direction (gap junction "lateralization"). Objective To determine the mechanisms of Cx43 lateralization, and the fate of desmosomal and sodium channel molecules in the setting of Cx43 remodeling. Methods Adult sheep were subjected to right ventricular pressure overload (pulmonary hypertension). Tissue was analyzed by quantitative confocal microscopy and by transmission electron microscopy. Ionic currents were measured using conventional patch clamp. Result Quantitative confocal microscopy demonstrated lateralization of immunoreactive junctional molecules. Desmosomes and gap junctions in lateral membranes were demonstrable by electron microscopy. Cx43/desmosomal remodeling was accompanied by lateralization of 2 microtubule-associated proteins relevant for Cx43 trafficking: EB1 and kinesin protein Kif5b. In contrast, molecules of the VGSC failed to reorganize in plaques discernable by confocal microscopy. Patch-clamp studies demonstrated change in amplitude and kinetics of sodium current and a small reduction in electrical coupling between cells. Conclusions Cx43 lateralization is part of a complex remodeling that includes mechanical and gap junctions but may exclude components of the VGSC. We speculate that lateralization results from redirectionality of microtubule-mediated forward trafficking. Remodeling of junctional complexes may preserve electrical synchrony under conditions that disrupt ID integrity.
Plausibility and verb subcategorization in temporarily ambiguous sentences : Evidence from self-paced reading

A self-paced reading experiment investigated processing of sentences containing a noun-phrase that could temporarily be mistaken as the direct-object argument of a verb in a subordinate clause but actually constituted the syntactic subject of the main clause (often referred to as an early vs. late closure ambiguity). Subcategorization preference of the subordinate verb and plausibility of the syntactic misanalysis were manipulated. Elevated reading times occurred during processing of the temporarily ambiguous noun-phrase for those sentences where the noun-phrase was an implausible direct-object of the preceding verb, regardless of the verbs’ subcategorization preferences. Elevated reading times were observed for all sentence types following syntactic disambiguation. Subsequent correlational analyses showed that the verbs’ individual subcategorization preferences affected processing time on the critical noun-phrase and the syntactically disambiguating main verb.
Comment on “Oxygen isotope ratios (18O/16O) of hemicellulose-derived sugar biomarkers in plants, soils and sediments as paleoclimate proxy I: Insight from a climate chamber experiment” by Zech et al. (2014)

Abstract Zech et al. (2014) reported oxygen isotope ratios of stem hemicellulose for three species of plants grown at different temperatures and humidity. The authors did not consider temperature effects on biochemical fractionation during hemicellulose synthesis as an important determinant of the oxygen isotope ratio of hemicellulose. However, a closer examination of their data shows that, indeed, temperature has a significant effect on the oxygen isotope biochemical fractionation. Lower temperature has no effect on the proportion of oxygen isotope exchange with cell water, but it increases the biochemical fractionation of the exchange reaction. These results are consistent with previous observations.
Absence of enhanced superconductivity in double-barrier superconducting tunnel junctions: Measurements of lateral electric transport in the middle normal-metal layer

The lateral conductivity of the middle Al layer of a $\mathrm{Nb}∕\mathrm{Al}∕\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{O}}_{x}∕\mathrm{Al}∕\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{O}}_{x}∕\mathrm{Al}∕\mathrm{Nb}$ (SINIS) multiterminal device is studied as a function of the current injected perpendicular to the layers in a regime where a gap-difference-like feature is observed in the current-voltage characteristic. The response of the Al layer does not confirm an earlier reported observation of superconductivity in the Al far above its transition temperature [Blamire et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 220 (1991)].
DIRECT DETERMINATION OF NMR CORRELATION TIMES : ANALYSIS OF THE CD-CYDTA COMPLEX BY THE RELAXATION RATE RATIO METHOD

The relaxation rate ratio method (RRR) has been used to calculate molecular correlation times, τc, from the 13C and 113Cd relaxation rates of cadmium−cyclohexanediamine tetraacetate (CyDTA). The ra...
Healing at the Razor's Edge: Reflections on a History of Multicultural America.

Toward the close of "Clio, Canons, and Culture," Lawrence W. Levine's insightful and provocative 1993 presidential address to the Organization of American Historians, we were again reminded that "the United States has always been a multicultural, multiethnic, multiracial society, but in our own time these truths -and their implications for higher education -have become increasingly difficult to ignore." Concerning those educational implications, Levine said, "As the university becomes more open to and representative of the diverse peoples, experiences, traditions, and cultures that compose America, it has to enable its students to comprehend the nature of the society to which they belong, the history of groups and traditions they will interact with, the meaning of ideas and experiences they will inevitably encounter."' While developing his cogent argument and continuing the ongoing debate about the future of our past, Levine recalled the relentless quest for a new "master narrative" of our nation's history that was the magnificent obsession of our late colleague, Nathan Irvin Huggins, a quest cut short by his untimely death in 1989. Like many others, Huggins was concerned about our profession's continuing tendency to promulgate a "holy history" that told of the inevitable and progressive rise of a white-dominated, fundamentally righteous, and all-conquering nation. He was especially troubled that this establishment history had failed to face the destructive and distorting power of slavery and racism at the heart of the nation's life. But Huggins also called attention to all the "poor, powerless and inarticulate" Americans who had been marginalized or excluded by the old master narrative, a history that consistently failed to capture the painfully rich and diverse truth of the American experience.2
Unified Equivalent Circuit Model and Optimal Design of $V^{2}$ Controlled Buck Converters

$V^{2}$ control has advantages of simple implementation and fast transient response and is widely used in industry for point-of-load applications. This control scheme is elegant when output capacitors with large RC time constant are employed, such as OSCON capacitors. However, in most cases using capacitors with small RC time constant, such as ceramic capacitors, instability problem will occur. Previous modeling methods including sampled-data modeling, discrete-time analysis, time-domain analysis, and describing function are all very mathematical and difficult to apply for practical engineers as little physical insight can be extracted. Up to now, no equivalent circuit model is proposed which is able to predict the instability issue and serve as a useful design tool for $V^{2}$ control. This paper proposes a unified equivalent circuit model which is applicable to all types of capacitors by considering the effect of capacitor voltage ripple. The equivalent circuit provides the physical insight of $V^{2}$ control as a nonideal voltage source, a dual concept of previous nonideal current source for current-mode control. The equivalent circuit model is a simple yet accurate complete model and is very helpful for design purpose. Optimal design guidelines for point-of-load applications are provided. The proposed equivalent circuit model is applicable to both variable frequency modulation and constant frequency modulation. The equivalent circuit model and design guidelines are verified with Simplis simulation and experimental results.
Circulating Immunoreactive Parathyroid Hormone Levels in Premature Infants and the Response to Calcium Therapy

Serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus levels were measured in 13 premature infants during the first 96 hours of life. Hypocalcemia at 12-24 hours of age was associated with a markedly elevated mean serum iPTH level. Six of the hypocalcemic infants received a continuous infusion of calcium while seven were not treated. In the untreated infants, the mean serum calcium remained in the hypocalcemic range while the serum iPTH progressively increased. By contrast, the mean serum calcium in the treated infants increased to 2.35 mmol/l at 96 hours of age and was accompanied by a decline in serum iPTH. At 72 and 96 hours, the mean serum iPTH was twofold greater in the untreated than in the treated infants. The results indicate that the parathyroid glands of premature infants respond to calcium signals and that a factor(s), other than parathyroid insufficiency, plays an etiologic role in the hypocalcemia of prematurity.
Methods for automated manufacturability analysis of injection-molded and die-cast parts

In this article, a mathematical framework to automatically evaluate the manufacturability of injection-molded and die-cast parts is presented. The framework includes an implemented mathematical algorithm to solve key outstanding challenges in feature recognition for manufacturability analysis of injection-molded and die-cast parts. A novel feature recognition method is developed that is based on decomposing the part into elemental cubes and then, making use of their individual manufacturability, the manufacturability of the part as a whole is evaluated. This article discusses a procedure to obtain a 3D binary representation of the solid model and develops feature recognition techniques to extract critical manufacturability information from this 3D binary array. The outstanding challenges addressed by the method presented include the finding of parting surfaces, parting lines, undercuts, holes, bosses, and finding the direction of mold closure in the context of injection-molded or die-cast parts. The algorithm is implemented using a combination of C++ code and Unigraphics solid modeling software. A short example is presented.
Adolescent exposure to nicotine impairs adult serial pattern learning in rats

In the present study investigating the effects of adolescent nicotine exposure on adult serial pattern learning, adolescent rats received daily i.p. injections of either 1.0 mg/kg nicotine or saline for 5 days per week for 5 weeks beginning on postnatal day 25 (P25), then were allowed 35 days drug free. Rats then began training on P95 as adults on a 24-element serial pattern composed of eight 3-element chunks. Adolescent exposure to 1.0 mg/kg nicotine produced persistent retardation of learning for the first element of each 3-element chunk of the pattern, that is, for chunk boundary elements, and transient retardation of learning for elements 2 and 3 of each chunk of the pattern, that is, for the within-chunk elements. Deficits at chunk boundaries were interpreted as deficits of phrasing cue discrimination learning whereas deficits for learning responses for elements within-chunks (elements 2 and 3 of chunks) were interpreted as deficits of rule learning. These results indicate that the effects of adolescent nicotine exposure on adult learning and cognitive capacity deserve further scrutiny.
Comparing surgical outcomes in obese women undergoing laparotomy, laparoscopy, or laparotomy with panniculectomy for the staging of uterine malignancy.

Background Limiting surgical morbidity while maintaining staging adequacy is a primary concern in obese patients with uterine malignancy. The goal of this study was to compare the surgical adequacy and postoperative morbidity of three surgical approaches to staging the disease of obese women with uterine cancer.
Embryonic cerebellar astroglia in vitro.

Abstract Three types of astroglia appear during cerebellar development — radial glia and Bergmann glia, which are thought to facilitate neuronal migration 16,22 and astrocytes, which are thought to compartmentalize mature granule neurons 15 . Cells resembling Bergmann glia and astrocytes have been described in cultures of cerebellar cells harvested from early postnatal cerebellum 9,10 . In this study, we have used cell-type specific antisera to visualize embryonic forms of cerebellar astroglia and their interaction with embryonic neurons in vitro. When cells were dissociated from mouse cerebellum on the thirteenth embryonic day (E13), 3 forms of cells were stained with antisera raised against purified glial filament protein (AbGF), all of which had more elongated processes and less complex shapes than astroglia from postnatal day 7. The vast majority of embryonic cerebellar neurons did not contact these immature forms of astroglia.
Solid-state structures of cis- and trans-1-cyclohexyl-2-phenyl-3-(p-toluyl)aziridines†‡

Solid-state structures have been determined for cis- and trans-1-cyclohexyl-2-phenyl-3-(p-toluyl)aziridines using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The cis isomer crystallizes in the centrosymmetric monoclinic space group P21/c (No. 14), with a = 18.669(3)A, b = 5.709(1)A, c = 17.412(2)A, β = 96.29(1)° and Z = 4; the trans isomer crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric orthorhombic space group Pna21 (No. 33), with a = 17.089(2)A, b = 18.729(3)A, c = 5.749(1)A and Z = 4. Full-matrix least-squares refinement of the structural parameters led to the following final agreement factors: R1 (unweighted, based on F) = 0.040 and R2 (weighted, based on F) = 0.054 for the 2592 independent reflections of the cis isomer having 2θMoK¯α 3σ1, and R1 = 0.033 and R2 = 0.031 for the 1504 independent reflections of the trans isomer having 2θMoK¯α 3σ1. The statistically significant differences that exist between the two isomers for two bond lengths and ten bond angles (p < 0.05) appear to be the direct result of the p-toluyl group orientation with respect to the cyclohexyl and phenyl substituents. In the cis isomer it is anti with respect to the N-cyclohexyl group and cis with respect to the phenyl group, whereas in the trans isomer it is syn with respect to the N-cyclohexyl and trans with respect to the phenyl group. Three-ring to carbonyl hyperconjugation is correlated with stereoelectronic interactions in the trans isomer. Bonding, determined by X-ray and nmr studies, is discussed for the three-membered aziridine ring proper; while bonding, determined by X-ray studies, is discussed for substituents of the aziridine ring. These aziridinyl ketone compounds are of importance as potential mammalian DNA alkylating anti-tumor agents in solid-state solid-state systems. To date only a trans isomer has demonstrated this biological activity in tumor-bearing rats.
Marinobufagenin impairs first trimester cytotrophoblast differentiation.

Abstract Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific syndrome that is the leading cause of maternal death during pregnancy in the developed world. In preeclampsia, a combination of immunological, genetic and environmental factors can lead to altered cytotrophoblast (CTB) invasion of the uterine wall, a process that is critical for normal placental development and pregnancy maintenance. Marinobufagenin (MBG) is an endogenous inhibitor of the sodium pump Na + /K + ATPase, and increased plasma MBG is associated with hypertension, chronic renal failure and preeclampsia. In the present study, the effects of MBG on CTB differentiation and invasion were investigated utilizing the first trimester extravillous CTB cell line SGHPL-4. MBG significantly inhibited SGHPL-4 proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, growth factor-induced migration and invasion were significantly inhibited by MBG treatment. These findings demonstrate that MBG impairs CTB differentiation along the invasive pathway. Elucidating the mechanisms by which MBG impairs placental development may increase our understanding of fetal and maternal pathologies associated with preeclampsia.
Basic goodness and the hospital milieu.

I RETURN to Cincinnati all too infrequently. I have warm and nostalgic feelings for this department where, 15 yr ago, I embarked on my psychiatric career. I am proud to say that a good part of me has remained fixated on the Cincinnati Stage of Development. What I have carried with me from my psychiatric infancy is not only a basic repetoire of diagnostic and therapeutic skills but also, equally important, an outlook about people and their human qualities. I learned that in our desire to be scientific, we must not be cold and technological; in our attempt to use our clinical eye, we must not ignore our kind and compassionate heart. We did not have any courses or seminars on humanity; rather it was an attitude which, in large measure, stemmed from the broad humanity of Maurice Levine, our Chairman. He used to tell us that beneath the symptoms and defenses, beneath the anxieties, is a core of basic goodness. People are basically good! Think of it. What could Dr. Levine have meant? Certainly, he was not so naive as to think that people do not have aggressive or destructive impulses, that they will not lie, cheat, or murder. What he meant is that there is something noble or dignified about being human; that behind all that thought and behavior which we see as pathological is a human who is decent and worthwhile, with potential for good. In his last book,’ Dr. Levine developed the concept of creative ethicsethical standards based on mutuality, cooperation, respect, and the fostering of growth and development in others as well as in oneself. I see the reflection of the inner core of basic goodness in these standards. Now, how we will interact with people, the therapeutic techniques we think of, and the programs we devise, depend a good deal on how we view these people. Let me take an example from the field of education. James Herndon,2 trying to teach in an inner-city school, received the following advice from a consultant: “The best advice I can give you beginning teachers is hold out a carrot . . . If you want the goat to pull the cart, but he doesn’t want to, you hold a carrot out in front of him. He tries to reach the carrot because he does want it. In doing so, he pulls the cart. 1f (the consultant winked) you’ve attached the carrot to the cart . . . Teaching these children is like training animals. For each task you want them to do, you must offer them a carrot.” It is not uncommon for teachers to refer to their students as animals, hopefully trainable. And the carrot approach is only half of the technique-or often less than half. The other moiety is the stick: staying after school, going to the principal’s office, losing the opportunity to do what the child
Robust method for calculating temperature, pressure, and absorber mole fraction from broadband spectra

A robust method is described for calculating temperature, mole fraction, and pressure from measured absorption spectra (absorption coefficients versus optical frequency). The key components to the method are smoothing, differentiation, spectral axis warping, and linear least-squares fitting. The method works best when spectra span a full rotational branch of the target molecule, but in principle it works for any spectral span. The examples presented assume a measured spectrum over the 7246.4-7518.8 cm−1 range, which encompasses the R branch of the v1+v3 band of H2O; however, the techniques should work for most measured spectra.
Duas faces do poder

Este artigo apresenta duas concepcoes de poder, a partir do exame e da critica de duas tradicoes de pesquisa. A tradicao sociologica, que originou a corrente elitista, postula a existencia do poder nas comunidades; a tradicao politologica, que originou a corrente pluralista, questiona a existencia de elites dirigentes em comunidades e instituicoes. O artigo argumenta que a tradicao elitista postula o que deve ser provado, ao passo que a pluralista esta correta em investigar se ha de fato grupos governantes nas sociedades, mas sua abordagem e restrita e deixa de lado um aspecto essencial da questao. Assim, os autores do artigo argumentam que, anteriormente a face visivel do poder, manifestada pelos individuos e grupos que tomam efetivamente as decisoes (ou que impoem os vetos), os pesquisadores devem prestar atencao a face invisivel do poder. Essa outra face consiste na capacidade que individuos ou grupos tem de controlar ou manipular os valores sociais e politicos (isto e, de “mobilizar vieses”), impedindo que temas potencialmente perigosos para seus interesses e perspectivas sejam objeto de discussao e deliberacao publica.
Inhibitory Effect of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on Nuclear Factor-κB Activation and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 Gene Expression in Septic Rats

Abstract Antioxidants are potent radical scavengers that protect against endotoxemia and septic shock in animal models. Using a rat model of peritonitis sepsis induced by cecal incision we studied the effect of the free radical scavenger dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on hepatic nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, hepatic intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) gene expression, serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) formation, and serum glucose concentration. Five groups of rats (N= 5) were treated as follows: (1) untreated control (Untreated), (2) sham operated with laparotomies (Sham), (3) pretreated with 6 ml/kg DMSO followed by sham operation (DMSO/Sham), (4) cecal incision (Sepsis), and (5) pretreated with DMSO followed by cecal incision (DMSO/Sepsis). In the DMSO/Sham group, DMSO did not affect NF-κB activation, ICAM-1 gene expression, and TNF formation. At 3 h postcecal incision, DMSO inhibited sepsis-induced hepatic NF-κB activation and hepatic ICAM-1 gene expression to control levels and suppressed serum TNF by 75%. In the late (6 h) septic phase, DMSO inhibited NF-κB activation (32%), ICAM-1 gene expression (27%), and TNF formation (71%). These findings suggest that the protective mechanism of antioxidants in septic rats may be partly due to the inhibition of NF-κB activation and NF-κB-mediated events.
Theory for thermodynamics and transport properties of Ce impurity systems

Abstract The magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, resistivity and thermopower of the degenerate Anderson impurity model with spin-orbit interactions are calculated by the 1/ N expansion. Within the Kondo regime, each property assumes a universal low-temperature scaling form. The mapping between Anderson and Coqblin-Schrieffer models is demonstrated. Resistivity results are consistent with experimental data for ( La , Ce)B 6 .
The Relationship between Developmental Tonal Aptitude and Singing Achievement among Kindergarten, First-, Second-, and Third-Grade Students.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between singing achievement and developmental tonal aptitude for students in kindergarten through third grade. In addition we investigated whether singing achievement differs according to grade level or school setting. Subjects (N = 162) were randomly selected kindergarten, first-; second-, and third-grade children from schools in two different school districts. Correlations between composite singing achievement scores and scores on the Primary Measures of Music Audiation-Tortal reflected no meaningful relationships between singing achievement and developmental tonal aptitude. Two-way analysis of variance revealed no significant interaction between school and grade. However, there were significant main effects for school and grade (p <. 001). With the exception of third-grade students, older students demonstrated greater singing achievement than younger students.
Wood decay: a submicroscopic view.

Typical patterns of decay in softwoods are shown by ultrastructural differences revealed by SEM. Illustrative micrographs are reproduced showing fungi and their effects. Brown rot fungi (e.g. Fomitopsis pinicolor) degrade cellulose leaving a lignin skeleton. White rot fungi (e.g. Coriolus versicolor and Hirschioporus abietinus) degrade both lignin and cellulose. White pocket rots (e.g. Phellinus pini) primarily degrade lignin; they have potential for use in paper making, or the production of animal feed.