cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The eight-ball eyeball: grade IV hyphema.

A 31-year-old woman presented with left eye pain and vision loss after being hit in the eye by a cigarette lighter. Exam revealed a globe protrusion encased by conjunctiva at the inferior limbus (Fig. 1), elevated intraocular pressures (IOP) (> 50 mmHg), and grade IV hyphema. Computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed anterior globe rupture (Fig. 2). She received an alpha agonist, a beta blocker, steroids, cycloplegics, and a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor before undergoing open globe repair.1,2 Figure 1 External eye examination. The cornea appeared completely black (blue arrow) after the initial injury. The anterior rupture (red arrow) appeared two weeks later and prompted the patient to come to the emergency room. The protrusion occurred inferior ... Figure 2 Sagittal view of CT scan showing area of anterior rupture encased by a thin layer of overlying conjunctiva (red arrow). This area corresponds to the protrusion seen at the inferior limbus of the left eye in Figure ​Figure1.1. The lighter layer ... Post-traumatic hyphema is an ophthalmologic emergency that can result in permanent vision loss. Accumulation of blood in the anterior chamber causes trabecular meshwork obstruction, thereby elevating IOP. Hyphema with increased IOP can result in corneal blood staining, reduced corneal transparency, and vision loss.1 Other complications of traumatic hyphema include endophthalmitis from penetrating trauma and optic nerve damage via elevated IOPs. Hyphemas are graded by the percentage of the anterior chamber (AC) filled with blood, and range from Grade I (blood occupying <1/3 of the AC) to Grade IV (blood occupying 100 % of the AC, or “eight-ball eye”).1,2 Unfortunately, the patient’s postoperative visual acuity was limited to light perception. Since only 50 % of patients with Grade IV hyphemas recover to 20/50 visual acuity, her long-term prognosis is poor.
Inhibition of atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor-negative mice by sesame oil.

Diet has profound effects on the development of atherosclerosis. Fatty acid composition, antioxidants, and other components such as lignans have major effects on the atherosclerotic process. Sesame oil has both mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid constituents in equal proportions. In addition, it also has high levels of numerous antioxidants and inducers of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. The objective of this study was to determine the anti-atherosclerotic effects of sesame oil. In this study, male low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR) –/– mice were fed atherogenic diet or atherogenic diet reformulated with the same level of sesame oil (sesame oil diet). Plasma lipids and atherosclerotic lesions were quantified after 3 months of feeding. Sesame oil-containing diet significantly reduced the atherosclerotic lesion formation and plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels in LDLR –/– mice. These findings suggest that sesame oil could inhibit atherosclerosis lesion forma...
Asset Pricing in China's Domestic Stock Markets: Is There a Logic?

China's stock markets have grown rapidly since their inception and have become an increasingly important emerging market for international investors. However, there are few systematic studies on how asset prices are formed in Chinese domestic equity markets; popular financial media even depict the market as irrational. In this paper, we study the asset pricing mechanism in the nascent Chinese stock markets, with the objective of identifying variables that capture the cross-sectional variation in average stock returns. We focus on the effects of various market imperfections in China. We find that while the market risk (beta) is not priced, there is a significantly negative relationship between firm-specific risk and expected returns. Chinese investors are willing to pay a significant premium for more liquid stocks or for dividend-paying stocks. Furthermore, investors value local A-shares more if there are offshore counterparts (e.g., B- and H- shares) for foreigners, implying that a Chinese firm with a foreign shareholder base has a lower cost of capital, ceteris paribus. Lastly, as with U.S. and other mature markets, firm size and the book-to-market ratio are systematically related to stock returns. Given market imperfections, stocks are priced rather rationally in China, despite the widespread perception to the contrary.
Cystoid macular edema in the era of ocular hypotensive lipids.

Abstract PURPOSE: To review cystoid macular edema in relationship with ocular hypotensive lipids and to present recommendations for use in eyes at increased risk of cystoid macular edema. DESIGN: Focused literature review and authors' clinical experience. METHODS: Cystoid macular edema in association with cataract surgery, epinephrine therapy, and ocular hypotensive lipid therapy is reviewed. RESULTS: Cystoid macular edema may be associated with a variety of therapeutic interventions, predominantly in eyes at increased risk with open or absent posterior lens capsule and ocular inflammation. Based primarily on experience with latanoprost, the association between ocular hypotensive lipids and cystoid macular edema, even in high-risk eyes, although present, appears to be low. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the low incidence of cystoid macular edema associated with latanoprost therapy, the authors feel that after maximal tolerable medical therapy and with proper precautions, the use of an ocular hypotensive lipid is an acceptable alternative to filtration surgery in high-risk eyes.
Structure and Dissemination of a Chromosomal Insertion Element Encoding Macrolide Efflux in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Macrolide resistance associated with macrolide efflux (mef) has rapidly increased in Streptococcus pneumoniae. We defined the genetic structure and dissemination of a novel mefE-containing chromosomal insertion element. The mefE gene was found on the 5' end of a 5.5- or 5.4-kb insertion designated as the macrolide efflux genetic assembly (mega), which is found in > or =4 distinct sites of the pneumococcal genome. The element was transformable and conferred macrolide resistance to susceptible S. pneumoniae. The first 2 open-reading frames (ORFs) of the element formed an operon composed of mefE and a predicted adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette homologous to msrA. Convergent to this efflux operon were 3 ORFs with homology to stress response genes of Tn5252. Mega was related to the recently described mefA-containing element Tn1207.1 but lacked the genes necessary for transposition and had unique termini and insertion sites. In metropolitan Atlanta, macrolide resistance due to mega rapidly increased in S. pneumoniae by clonal expansion and horizontally by transformation.
Is Airway Smooth Muscle the “Missing Link” Modulating Airway Inflammation in Asthma?

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) plays a central role in regulating bronchomotor tone in patients with asthma. New evidence, however, suggests that ASM may also orchestrate and perpetuate airway inflammation by promoting the recruitment, activation, and trafficking of inflammatory cells in the airways. This review addresses the immunomodulatory function of ASM and highlights how such function may have therapeutic implications in the management of asthma.
Epidemiological Evidence for the Disruption of Ionized Calcium Homeostasis in the Elderly

Ionized calcium (Ca2+), phosphate, albumin, total calcium, and pH measurements taken from participants in a large population-based epidemiological study were examined to determine the change in physiological variation with age for persons over 43 years old. Only Ca2+ showed a statistically significant increase in SD with age (p < 0.0001). The Ca2+ coefficients of variation (CV) increased from 2.92% in the youngest age group (43-54 years) to 3.69% in the oldest age group (75-86 years of age). In females, the increase in Ca2+ variability was nearly complete by age 55. Males also showed a significant (p = 0.006) increase in SD between the 43-54 age group and the 55-64 age group, however, Ca2+ variability did not plateau after age 55 in men as it did in women. In the 43-54 (p = 0.04) and 55-64 (p = 0.03) age group men showed significantly better physiological control of Ca2+ than women. Phosphate showed a slight decrease in CV with age. These data suggest that Ca2+ homeostasis is disrupted in the same age groups that are most vulnerable to osteoporosis.
A 9-Bit Bipolar Polarization-Switching Digital-to-Analog Converter Based on Ferroelectric Capacitors

This paper describes a new kind of integrated ferroelectric devices that is used for data conversion. This data conversion technique utilizes polarization as a novel D/A conversion medium. Along with the architecture proposed for polarization-switching digital-to-analog converter (PDAC), its circuit implementation is presented. A 9-bit bipolar PDAC based on off-chip ferroelectric capacitors was prototyped and tested. At a conversion rate of 20 kHz, the INL and DNL of the prototype were −0.85 LSB and 1.05 LSB, respectively.
Progressive Damage Detection/Diagnosis on Composite Using Electromechanical Impedance Spectroscopy

Electromechanical impedance approach infers the structural dynamic characteristics at relatively high frequencies by using self-sensing piezoelectric wafer elements. Structural damage can be detected by comparing structural dynamic responses of damaged and undamaged structures. This paper presents an ongoing effort using piezoelectric wafer sensors to measure structural electromechanical impedance response under tensile loading and quantitatively correlate the measurements with damage progression. The purpose is not only to develop a better understanding of the damage progression in composite materials, but also to establish a relationship between electromechanical impedance measurements with local material damage progression. Multi-physics finite element codes are used to simulate the electromechanical resonance of a free piezoelectric wafer sensor to better understand the effect of electromechanical transduction. The effects on impedance measurement from bonding layer degradation and PWAS degradation are also studied. Our study confirms that the EMI changes are related to very small amount material or structural changes, indicating that electromechanical impedance spectroscopy offers a potential for detection of the progression of small damage at the material level.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Structure-specific endonucleolytic cleavage of nucleic acids by eubacterial DNA polymerases

Previously known 5' exonucleases of several eubacterial DNA polymerases have now been shown to be structure-specific endonucleases that cleave single-stranded DNA or RNA at the bifurcated end of a base-paired duplex. Cleavage was not coupled to synthesis, although primers accelerated the rate of cleavage considerably. The enzyme appeared to gain access to the cleavage site by moving from the free end of a 5' extension to the bifurcation of the duplex, where cleavage took place. Single-stranded 5' arms up to 200 nucleotides long were cleaved from such a duplex. Essentially any linear single-stranded nucleic acid can be targeted for specific cleavage by the 5' nuclease of DNA polymerase through hybridization with an oligonucleotide that converts the desired cleavage site into a substrate.
SC08 broader engagement offers mentoring and travel assistance grants

Austin, TX Interested in understanding what supercomputing means? Want to learn how next-generation computing, networking and storage technologies help to solve our worlds challenges and problems? Do you want to be in a place that brings together scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, programmers, system administrators and managers to discuss, discover and innovate the path forward for computing? If so, the SC08 Broader Engagement initiative might just be for you.
On the throughput analysis of rate-based and window-based congestion control schemes

The existing TCP protocols contribute to the stability of the Internet by deploying window-based additive-increase multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) congestion control. However, the window-based congestion control is not favorable in the existence of long propagation delay and for real-time multimedia traffic. Thus, the rate-based congestion control has become an attractive alternative for the links with high delay and for multimedia flows. In this paper, an analysis of the rate-based generic AIMD congestion control scheme is presented. The analytical model is validated Via simulation experiments for a wide range of link conditions and the effects of rate-increase and decrease parameters on the performance are investigated. One important result of this analysis is that throughput performance of the rate-based schemes is inversely proportional to square-root of the propagation delay whereas that of the window-based schemes is known to be inversely proportional to the propagation delay itself. This result also justifies that the rate-based congestion control schemes have higher resilience to the high link delay than the window-based schemes.
Forecast calls for continued period of active hurricane seasons in the North Atlantic

“I have been designated as a representative of Chicken Little to tell you the sky is falling with regard to hurricanes.” So said William Gray professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University at a July 26 briefing on Capitol Hill. The briefing, sponsored by the Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus, the (U.S.) University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and the American Meteorological Society highlighted a new report about the current active hurricane period in the North Atlantic, as well as funding needs for hurricane research. “It is amazing the threat we appear to be in for in the next two to three decades, and how little realization of this [there] is with the government and with the general public,” said Gray a long-time forecaster of seasonal hurricane activity and co-author of a July 19 article in Science, “The Recent Increase in Atlantic Hurricane Activity: Causes and Implications.”
Integrin involvement in keratocyte locomotion

Keratocytes are useful in the study of locomotion because they move rapidly (up to 1 micron/second) while maintaining an almost uniform shape, speed and direction. The smooth gliding motion of the keratocyte requires a precise coordination between adhesion, contractility, and retraction. To ask what role integrins play in keratocyte adhesion and locomotion, either RGD peptides or an anti-β1 integrin mAb that binds to an ectodomain epitope and inhibits adhesion formation was added to the culture media of moving keratocytes. The response to these reagents depended on three interrelated factors: the dose of RGD/mAb, the apparent adhesion strength of the keratocyte to the substratum and the cell speed. High doses cause keratocytes to quickly and irreversibly round up. At intermediate RGD/mAb doses, keratocytes reestablish adhesion after treatment and briefly resume locomotion until partial detachment recurs. At the lowest doses, disruption of β1 integrin-mediated adhesion formation destabilizes the lamella, temporarily preventing lamellar extension and forward movement of the cell. With increasing culture time, there is an increase in apparent adhesion and a corresponding marked decrease in locomotory velocity. Under these conditions, high doses of RGD/mAb do not cause keratocytes to detach or even produce detectable lamellar instabilities. We postulate that RGD/mAb competitively inhibits new β1 integrin mediated adhesion formation that is required to support the rates of lamellar extension necessary for rapid locomotion. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 41:126–137, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Prolactin-Releasing and Release-Inhibiting Factor Activities in the Bovine, Rat, and Human Pineal Gland: In Vitro and in Vivo Studies

The effects of crude extracts of bovine, rat, and human pineal glands on prolactin (PRL) release were studied using an in vitro system. In addition, the effects of a known pineal constituent, arginine vasotocin (AVT), and crude bovine pineal extract (bPE) on PRL secretion were studied in vivo. Normal male rat hemipituitaries (HP), incubated with bPE (13 mg tissue/HP)released 200%, 150%, and 285% more PRL into the medium than did their corresponding untreated control halves incubated in either Medium 199 alone, hypothalamic extract, or cerebral cortical extract, respectively. HP incubated with either rat (6 mg of tissue/HP) or human (25 mg of tissue/HP) pineal extract released 110% and 75% more PRL, respectively, than did their corresponding untreated control halves. HP exposed to 10 mg tissue eq of either bovine pineal fraction A1 or bovine pineal fraction A3 released 88% and 63%, respectively, less PRL than did their corresponding untreated control halves incubated in Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate (KRB) medium. Quantitites of melatonin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), or estrogen, comparable to those found in the pineal, had no significant effect on PRL secretion in vitro. The iv injection of either bPE (90 mg tissue/rat) or AVT (10 mug/rat) into estrogen and progesterone-treated male rats resulted in a 40% and 138% increase, respectively, in plasma PRL titers, 10 min after injection, over pre-injection control levels. The per cent of increase in plasma PRL levels in these animals was significantly greater than that observed in control rats receiving either saline or cortical extract. The results suggest that crude extracts of pineal glands of three different species contain prolactin-releasing factor (PRF) activity which is probably not due to any endogenous melatonin, TRH, or estrogen that may be present. Conversely, two bovine pineal fractions, A1 and A3, appeared to exhibit prolactin-inhibiting factor (PIF) activity. We have concluded that the pineal gland may serve as an alternate or supplemental source of PRF and/or PIF.
Methodology for Obtaining a Representative Sample of Homeless Persons The Los Angeles Skid Row Study

Recent efforts on the part of survey researchers to understand the characteristics and needs of homeless individuals have been hampered by factors which make it extra ordinarily difficult to draw representative samples of this population. To date, only one study (Rossi et al., 1987) has drawn a probability sample of homeless persons that includes unsheltered individuals. Because the design of the Rossi study can only accommodate a short interview and is best carried out in one night, additional designs that allow more lengthy interview protocols and data collection periods are needed. An effort to draw a probability sample of homeless adults in the inner-city area of Los Angeles resulted in a sampling design that meets these criteria. This article describes this design in detail.
Economic and policy issues in resource recovery from municipal solid wastes

Abstract Resource recovery is a recognized municipal solid waste management strategy for providing cost-effective services in an environmentally sound manner. In both Western Europe and Japan, resource recovery is widely practiced as a matter of policy. In the United States many individual states are now implementing policies to increase resource recovery efforts. The absence in many developing nations of a policy framework for such efforts has resulted in economically driven informal recycling activities that are often in conflict with efficient waste management practices. This paper reviews resource recovery policies and practices in Japan and the United States, examines the economic basis for resource recovery, and discusses an array of policy instruments that can be used to encourage resource recovery.
Functional adaptation in long bones: Establishing in vivo values for surface remodeling rate coefficients

In this paper we describe a computational means, based on beam theory, for application of the theory of adaptive elasticity to examples of real bone geometries. The results of the animal experiments were taken from the literature, and each documented the temporal evolution of a change in bone shape after a significant change in the mechanical loading environment of the bone. For each of these studies, we establish preliminary estimates of the in vivo values of the surface remodeling rate coefficients--the key parameters in the theory of surface remodeling. Our preliminary parameter estimates are established by comparison of published animal experimental results with surface remodeling theory predictions generated by the computational method.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum subverts tick salivary gland proteins

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a bacterium that is transmitted by Ixodes spp. ticks, in which it resides in salivary glands. Ticks inoculate the pathogen into hosts together with an array of salivary molecules that reduce host anti-tick inflammation. Sukumaran et al. recently showed that A. phagocytophilum uses a tick salivary protein, Salp16, to enhance its uptake from the host and into the salivary gland. Occupation and exploitation of tick salivary glands have implications for the maintenance and detection of A. phagocytophilum in its vector and early pathogen interactions with its hosts.
Mitral annular calcification is a predictor for incident atrial fibrillation

Abstract Background: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) has been associated with adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes and stroke in longitudinal and community-based cohorts. Prospective data are limited on its association with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: We examined the association between MAC and the long-term risk of AF over 16 years of follow-up in participants in the original cohort of the Framingham Heart Study who attended a routine examination between 1979 and 1981. MAC was assessed by M-mode echocardiography. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for incident AF. Results: Of 1126 subjects who had adequate echocardiographic assessment and were AF-free at baseline, 149 (13%) had MAC. There were 217 cases of incident AF (42 in subjects with MAC). The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate was 362 per 10,000 person-years in subjects with MAC compared with 185 per 10,000 person-years in those without MAC. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, MAC was associated with an increased risk of AF (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.2). This association was attenuated upon further adjustment for left atrial size (HR 1.4, 95% CI 0.9–2.0). Conclusions: The association between MAC and incident AF may be mediated partially through left atrial enlargement. These data suggest the importance of better understanding the mechanisms involved in cardiac valvular calcification.
Fault modeling and mapping for quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) designs

This paper addresses the issue of fault modeling and mapping between a design done at the CMOS gate-level and one done using QCA technology. Since QCA and CMOS gate-level defects differ completely, it is important to investigate the mapping between classical single stuck-at fault (SSF) modeling and QCA defect and failure modes. This paper suggests a methodology in which fault modeling for a QCA circuit can be inferred from the SSF modeling of its CMOS gate-level representation. Cadence NCLaunch was used for SSF modeling while QCADesigner was used for QCA circuit simulation and fault modeling.
Maternal barbiturate utilization and neonatal withdrawal symptomatology.

Infants born to mothers who receive barbiturates throughout pregnancy or throughout the last trimester may manifest symptoms similar in many respects to those characteristically seen in infants of mothers addicted to opiates during pregnancy. However, symptoms tend to begin at a later age in “barbiturate infants” and undernutrition at birth is not a feature. These factors may make detection of such infants in the nursery more difficult since symptomatology tends to begin after discharge from the nursery.
Continuous monitoring of a changing sample by multiplex gas chromatography.

Results are presented from a study in which a continuously changed gaseous sample was monitored by multiplex gas chromatography (MGC), using the exponential dilution (ED) technique of Ritter and Adams (1976) to change the composition and concentration of a gaseous mixture in such a way as to imitate changes in the atmospheric gases sampled by a descending aircraft. A calibration of the MGC system was performed with four different rates of sample dilution, and the errors resulting from various degrees of change in the sample concentration were determined.
A National Snapshot of Satisfaction with Breast Cancer Procedures

Women with early-stage breast cancer face the complex decision to undergo one of three equally effective oncologic surgical strategies: breast-conservation surgery with radiation (BCS), mastectomy, or mastectomy with breast reconstruction. With comparable oncologic outcomes and survival rates, evaluations of satisfaction with these procedures are needed to facilitate the decision-making process and to optimize long-term health. Women recruited from the Army of Women with a history of breast cancer surgery took electronically administered surgery-specific surveys, including the BREAST-Q© and a background survey evaluating patient-, disease-, and procedure-specific factors. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to evaluate the effect of procedure type on breast satisfaction scores. Overall, 7,619 women completed the questionnaires. Linear regression revealed that women who underwent abdominal flap, or buttock or thigh flap reconstruction reported the highest breast satisfaction score, scoring an average of 5.6 points and 14.4 points higher than BCS, respectively (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.027, respectively). No difference in satisfaction was observed in women who underwent latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction compared with those who underwent BCS. Women who underwent implant reconstruction reported scores 8.6 points lower than BCS (p < 0.0001). Those with mastectomies without reconstruction or complex surgical histories scored, on average, 10 points lower than BCS (p < 0.0001). Women who underwent autologous tissue reconstruction reported the highest breast satisfaction, while women undergoing mastectomy without reconstruction reported the lowest satisfaction. These findings emphasize the value of patient-reported outcome measures as an important guide to decision making in breast surgery and underscore the importance of multidisciplinary participation early in the surgical decision-making process.
Ligand Exchange Reactions in the Formation of Diphosphine-Protected Gold Clusters

Ligand exchange reactions important in the formation of L3- and L5-protected gold clusters (L3 = 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane; L5 = 1,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane) are investigated at the molecular level. We establish that molecular complexes, [Au(PPh3)xL2-xn]+, in which Au+ is bound to at least one triphenylphosphine ligand (PPh3) act as precursors to cluster formation, while complexes in which Au+ is bound only to the diphosphine ligands do not. Ligand exchange reactions and ion equilibria were studied via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and a critical reaction was studied with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The displacement of one PPh3 by L3 on [Au(PPh3)2]+ was studied with transition path sampling calculations with Car−Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations. The experiments and simulations are in excellent agreement, and we demonstrate the applicability of these tools to chemical reactions involving ligand exchange.
Campus commons: Lessons from an outdoor classroom

Deborah Mixson-Brookshire shares an experience that opened her mind to the transformative nature of her ropes course work with students and reminded her why she does it.
Experimental measurements of the flow in a scramjet inlet at Mach 4

Wind-tunnel measurements have been carried out in a scramjet inlet model at a freestream Mach number of 4.00. Measurements included velocity profiles using a two-dimensional laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV), Mach number surveys, skin friction measurements with Preston probes, wall static pressure distributions, density profiles with a laser holographic interferometer, and qualitative shadowgraph photography. The effect of boundary-layer bleed on the viscous flow entering the inlet was also investigated. It was determined that bleeding off the boundary layer increased the inlet efficiency substantially.
Reply to comment: “Charge conjugation symmetry and the nonexistence of the photon's static magnetic field”

Abstract It is shown that the arguments of charge conjugation symmetry Ĉ used recently by Barron in an attempt to disprove the existence of the photon's magnetic field are erroneous.
The inequitable influence that varying accountability contexts in the United States have on teacher professional development

Teachers today operate in highly politicized accountability environments where quick results, typically measured by K–12 test scores, are demanded. Although focusing on student learning outcomes is critical, equally essential is assuring that teacher learning opportunities which can strengthen instruction are available to teachers. A decade ago, Boardman and Woodruff found that teaching in a ‘high-stakes’ environment led to more assessments, scripted curriculum decisions and a shift in professional development that emphasized preparation for and enhancing results on tests. This exploratory, descriptive case study sought to understand how teachers described professional development a decade later. We used purposeful sampling and qualitative methodology to better understand educator perceptions of professional learning within two different accountability environments in the United States. Using the insights of educators working in these environments, the research explored ‘How do teachers describe the influ...
THE OCCURRENCE OF INTERCALARY AND UNINTERRUPTED MERISTEMS IN THE INTERNODES OF TROPICAL MONOCOTYLEDONS

A B S T R A C T The distribution of percent of dividing nuclei, parenchyma cell length, total cell number per internode, and total internode length were determined for successive internodes in the apex and growing vegetative internodes of 23 tropical species in 17 families of monocotyledons. Basal intercalary meristems (IM) were found in representatives of Commelinaceae, Cyperaceae, Flagellariaceae, Poaceae, Restionaceae, and Marantaceae. Uninterrupted meristems (UM) which are confined progressively to the upper region of the internode and are not isolated meristematic regions were found in the Costaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Philesiaceae, Smilacaceae, Agavaceae, Araceae, Arecaceae, Liliaceae, Pandanaceae, and Zingiberaceae. Both IM and UM were found in different species of Orchidaceae. The only morphological trait correlated with meristem type was presence of sheathing leaf bases in all species with IM. Both IM and UM are interpreted as extensions of the primary elongating meristem; the IM is disjunct, and the UM is continuous with it. The phytomer growth unit and the presence of internodal IM's cannot be applied generally to the monocotyledons. THE PRESENCE of localized regions of meristematic activity, intercalary meristems (IM)2, at the base of internodes is often cited by botanists as a general feature of monocotyledons. Internodal intercalary meristems are widespread in grasses, Poaceae, and occur in the Cyperaceae and Commelinaceae (see references in Discussion). However, there is a lack of published information about internode development in the other groups of monocotyledons, most of which are predominantly tropical. Tomlinson (1970) has pointed out that the common and often erroneous generalizations of the monocotyledons are based on economically important and predominantly temperate species of the Poaceae. In answer to his plea for more research on tropical representatives and in order to furnish needed data, we have undertaken the following survey of internode development in selected tropical monocotyledons. We will attempt to demonstrate the location of regions of meristematic activity in developing internodes, correlate these with morphological characters, and examine the taxonomic distribution of the types of internodal meristems.
Development and Health Care Needs of Lesbians

Lesbians have complained about the lack of awareness and sensitivity of their health care providers, resulting in unnecessary examinations and inappropriate focus on reproductive issues. This study attempted to identify psychosocial and health care needs of lesbians, to assess relationships with primary care providers and disclosure of sexual orientation, and to describe the chronologic features of a sexual identity and lifestyle. An anonymous, self-administered written questionnaire was distributed through a campus lesbian organization. Fifty-three women (median age 23 years) completed the questionnaire. Whereas 60% had disclosed their sexual orientation to their parents, only 31% had "come out" to their health care provider. Of participants who had disclosed their sexual preference to a provider, 27% reported a negative effect on their health care, 57% of participants who never had penile intercourse had annual Papanicolaou smears, and 16% felt pressured in the past to accept birth control from a physician. Lesbian sexuality was associated with several risk factors, such as childhood abuse (20%), alcohol or drug problems (39%), suicide attempts (27%), depression (49%), and physical or verbal abuse at school (34%). Average age of awareness of sexual orientation was 15 years, and average age of first homosexual activity was 17 years. Lesbians are at risk for depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts. Although most would like to confide in their physician, few do because of fears of negative reactions. Communication must be improved to better address their specific health care needs.
Some studies of glucose oxidase

Abstract A commercial preparation of glucose oxidase is shown to oxidize d -glucose, d -galactose, d -mannose, and d -xylose at relative rates which are pH dependent. The product of these reactions is the corresponding glyconic acid which in each case is identified as the crystalline γ-lactone and amide. Partial heat inactivation, fractional precipitation, and pH-optima studies indicate that the oxidation of each sugar is catalyzed by its respective oxidase. The enzyme preparation also showed amylase but not maltase activity.
Intelligent THz photonic processor for interconnection networks based on spike timing dependent plasticity

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a bio-inspired intelligent hybrid photonic processing devices for optical interconnection networks which is capable of performing complex processing of broadband signal as well as learning and adapting to changes.
Multiplicity of resonance neutron capture gamma rays

Abstract Measurements of the multiplicity of resonance neutron capture gamma rays are reported for 23 resonances of 15 nucleides in the range A = 110 to 198 by comparison with the known multiplicity for B10 (n, γ) Multiplicities of two resonances forming Eu152, two resonances forming Er168, three resonances forming Lu177 and two resonances forming Hf178 were not dependent on resonance energy within the limits of experimental uncertainty. Significant variations were found among the multiplicities of three resonances forming In116 and two resonances forming Sm150. There is some evidence that J = 3 for the 3.9-eV resonance forming Ho166. Direct measurements of the resonance J values are not yet available for comparison.
Identification and control of a flexible beam using modal domain sensor

The use of a distributed-effect, modal domain optical fiber sensor (MD sensor) as a component in an active control system to suppress vibrations in a flexible beam is discussed. The sensor model is integrated into the model for a flexible structure. Based on this system model, a control system with a dynamic compensator is designed to add damping to the low order modes of the flexible structure. To verify the modeling procedure, a cantilevered beam was instrumental with a piezoelectric actuator and an MD sensor. It is shown that experimental responses closely match simulated responses for both open loop and closed loop tests.
Millimeter Wave Imaging Radiometer With Optical Design Features

Unique techniques are being utilized to develop self-contained imaging radiometers operating at single and multiple frequencies near 35, 95 and 183 GHz. These techniques include medium to large antennas for high spatial resolution, low-loss open structures for RF confinement and calibration, wide bandwidths for good sensitivity, plus total automation of the unit operation and data collection. Applications include: detection of severe storms, imaging of motor vehicles, and the remote sensing of changes in material properties. The radiometric imaging system of principal interest in this report makes use of both 35 and 95 GHz receivers, both vertical and horizontal polarizations, an elevation-over-azimuth antenna positioner, highly automated scanning and data acquisition routines, real-time TV display of scene being scanned, and immediate color display of recorded radiometric images. The RF sections make use of Rexolite lenses for low loss beam confinement, and use low loss reflective metallic surfaces for both Dicke chopping and calibration beam selection.
Time interleaved analog to digital converters: Tutorial 44

This tutorial has addressed the structure and basics of TIADCs, including errors, implementation concerns and possible solutions. While the past few years have shown a sharp increase in patents and industry participation, academic research around the world is still ongoing to improve performance while reducing computational complexity, particularly in the area of nonlinear mismatch correction and scalable correction schemes to handle massively interleaved structures. Reduction in this complexity is critical to reduce the cost of digital logic in post conversion correction structures as well as the power consumption of the overall TIADC system through the use of smaller, simpler post conversion components. TIADCs are currently used in the field for test and measurement as well as communications and other applications.
Chromosome translocation in peripheral neuroepithelioma.

PERIPHERAL neuroepithelioma (peripheral neuroblastoma) is an uncommon malignant tumor of the peripheral nervous system with a histologic appearance similar to that of classical childhood neuroblast...
Urinary diversion with use of ileal and sigmoid conduits

Two hundred eighteen patients underwent urinary diversion: 156 with ileal and 62 with sigmoid conduits. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding frequency of conduit morbidity or patient survival. The ileal conduit is preferred for urinary diversion with anterior exenteration, whereas the sigmoid conduit is preferable for urinary diversion with total exenteration.
NSF ATPase and α-/β-SNAPs Disassemble the AMPA Receptor-PICK1 Complex

Abstract AMPA receptor (AMPAR) trafficking is crucial for synaptic plasticity that may be important for learning and memory. NSF and PICK1 bind the AMPAR GluR2 subunit and are involved in trafficking of AMPARs. Here, we show that GluR2, PICK1, NSF, and α-/β-SNAPs form a complex in the presence of ATPγS. Similar to SNARE complex disassembly, NSF ATPase activity disrupts PICK1-GluR2 interactions in this complex. α- and β-SNAP have differential effects on this reaction. SNAP overexpression in hippocampal neurons leads to corresponding changes in AMPAR trafficking by acting on GluR2-PICK1 complexes. This demonstrates that the previously reported synaptic stabilization of AMPARs by NSF involves disruption of GluR2-PICK1 interactions. Furthermore, we are reporting a non-SNARE substrate for NSF disassembly activity.
New Directions in the History of Free Black Activism in the Antebellum North

Scholarship on the activism of free African Americans in the northern states before the Civil War developed in the wake of the Civil Rights revolution, and has recently exploded. The new scholarship challenges facets of the older interpretation, which was built on community studies and the history of black nationalism.
Mixing Processes Following the Final Stratospheric Warming

An investigation is made of the dynamics responsible for the mixing and dissolution of the polar vortex during the final stratospheric warmings. The dynamics and transport during a Northern Hemisphere final stratospheric warming are simulated via a GCM and an associated offline N2O transport model. The results are compared with those obtained from LIMS data for the final warming of 1979, with emphasis on the potential vorticity evolution in the two datasets, the modeled N2O evolution, and the observed O3 evolution. Following each warming, the remnants of the originally intact vortex are found to gradually homogenize with the atmosphere at large. Two processes leading to this homogenization are identified following the final warmings, namely, the potential vorticity field becomes decorrelated from that of the chemical tracer, and the vortex remnants begin to tilt dramatically in a vertical direction.
Current transformer performance with steady-state DC biasing

The accuracy of current transformers with steady-state dc biasing is estimated by considering a single-valued equivalent magnetizing characteristic and the core losses. Theoretical results confirmed by experimental measurements show that, for metering class transformers built with high-permeability cores, dc biasing level in excess of 0.5 percent rated rms current may cause unacceptable errors.
Laser surface modification of alumina: Integrated computational and experimental analysis

Abstract In this work, both computational heat transfer model and experimental investigations were used for understanding the evolution of microstructures of the laser processed alumina with a single laser track, subjected to various processing conditions (64–128×10 6 J/m 2 ). The influence of laser energy density on the change of surface temperature and cooling rate of laser processed alumina samples were extracted. Furthermore, the modeling results were correlated to determine the variation on the surface topography, grain size, and porosity formation. The results indicated that, by controlling the laser energy density, more multi-faceted grains were formed with less porosity.
Joint Frequency and Phasor Estimation Under the KCL Constraint

In this letter, we consider the problem of joint off-nominal frequency and phasor estimation that incorporates Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL) as a constraint. We develop the constrained maximum likelihood (CML) and constrained weighted least-squares (CWLS) estimators for this problem and derive the corresponding constrained Cramer–Rao bound. The KCL constraint is shown to behave as a noise cancellation factor for the phasors estimation. We show that the KCL CML is based on the classical periodogram subtracting the average current periodogram. The results indicate significant performance improvement compared to the unconstrained maximum likelihood (ML) and unconstrained weighted least-squares (WLS).
Outcome of Children with Brain Stem Gliomas after Treatment with 7800 cGy of Hyperfractionated Radiotherapy A Childrens Cancer Group Phase 1/11 Trial

Background. Brain stem gliomas remain the childhood brain tumors most resistant to treatment. Treatments with hyperfractionated radiotherapy at doses as high as 7560 cGy have been fairly well tolerated. This study was undertaken to determine the toxicity and possible efficacy of hyperfractionated radiotherapy in children with brain stem gliomas using 100 cGy of radiation twice daily, to a total dose of 7800 cGy. Methods. Sixty-six children (mean age at diagnosis, 7.5 years) with diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas were treated. Patients were evaluated for potential toxicity of treatment, progression-free survival, survival, and response to treatment. Results. Objective response to treatment was documented in 20 of 58 (34%) evaluable patients, with 8 (14%) patients having a greater than 50% reduction in tumor size. Overall survival was 35% plus or minus 6% at 1 year and 11% plus or minus 6% at 3 years. Intralesional cystic/necrotic radiographic changes developed in nine patients 6 weeks after radiation, and three of these patients subsequently improved without antitumor intervention. Six of 14 autopsied patients had evidence of probable radiation-induced intralesional necrotic damage, and in 1, necrosis may have played a role in death. Thirty-three of 66 patients were treated with steroids for prolonged periods. Conclusions. The results of this treatment regimen demonstrate that hyperfractionated radiotherapy, as delivered in this study to a total dose of 7800 cGy, is relatively well tolerated, but may result in prolonged steroiduse dependency and possible radiation-associated damage. Objective responses to treatment were seen in 34% of patients, but these results were not better than those seen at lower doses of hyperfractionated radiotherapy. There is no evidence that radiation to 7800 cGy results in improved survival for patients with diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas.
Practical correlations for the thermal resistance of vertical enclosed airspaces for building applications

Abstract Many parts of the building envelope contain enclosed airspaces. The thermal resistance (R-value) of an enclosed airspace depends on the emissivity of all surfaces that bound the airspace, the size and orientation of the airspace, the direction of heat transfer through the airspace, and the respective temperatures of all surfaces that define the airspace. The 2009 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (Chapter 26) provides a table that contains the R-values for an enclosed airspace. The ASHRAE table is extensively used by modelers, architects and building designers in the design of building enclosures. This table provides R-values for enclosed airspaces for different values of the thickness of the airspace, effective emittance, mean airspace temperature, and temperature differences across the airspace. The effect of the airspace aspect ratio (height/thickness of airspace) on the R-value is not included in the ASHRAE table. However, in a recent study on the R-value of reflective insulations using a numerical simulation model, it was shown that the aspect ratio of the airspace can affect the R-value of the enclosed airspace. The numerical simulation model used in this study had been benchmarked against experimental data obtained using two standard test methods: ASTM C-518 and ASTM C-1363. In this paper, a numerical simulation study was conducted, that was based on previous work focused on enclosed airspaces, to investigate the effect of the aspect ratio on the R-value of vertical enclosed airspaces of different thicknesses and having a wide range of values for effective emittance, mean temperature, and temperature differences across the airspace. The R-values predicted from numerical simulation are compared with those provided in the ASHRAE table. Considerations were also given to investigating the potential increase in R-values of enclosed airspaces when a thin sheet is placed vertically in the middle of the airspace and whose surfaces have different values of emissivity. Finally, practical correlations are developed for determining the R-values of an enclosed airspace for future use by modelers, architects and building designers. The simplicity of these correlations suggests that these could be included in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals.
Influence of side groups on thermotropic behaviour of polyorganophosphazenes

Abstract Structural and morphological investigations of polyphosphazenes with different kinds of side groups have been made in an attempt to understand the T (1) thermotropic transitions. Solution grown crystals and cast films of phosphazene homopolymers were prepared and investigated by d.s.c., electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. It has been established that the T (1) and the T g values are roughly linearly related with the size of side groups. The interplanar distance expressed as d (100) δ in thermotropic state also show a linear relation with the side group dimensions. Polymorphic forms have been found for most polyphosphazenes that exhibit a T (1) temperature, the location of which is influenced by the side groups.