cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of La3+ to distinguish activity of the plasmalemmal Ca2+ pump from Na+/Ca2+ exchange in arterial myocytes

Abstract La 3+ was tested for its ability to distinguish external Na + (Na o )-independent Ca 2+ efflux via the plasma membrane (PM) Ca 2+ pump from Na o -dependent Ca 2+ efflux via Na + /Ca 2+ exchange. Fura-2 loaded cultured rat aortic myocytes were used with digital imaging to measure the cytosolic free Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+ ] cyt ) and to monitor La 3+ entry. At a La 3+ concentration ([La 3+ ] o ) of 0.25 mM, but not at lower concentrations, La 3+ entered the cells; 0.01 mM verapamil blocked this entry. Transient increases in [Ca 2+ ] cyt were evoked by unloading the sarcoplasmic reticulum with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) + caffeine (CAF) in Na,Ca-free medium (to inhibit Ca 2+ extrusion via Na + /Ca 2+ exchange and Ca 2+ influx). La 3+ (0.03–0.25 mM with verapamil) augmented the Ca 2+ transients and slowed Na o -independent [Ca 2+ ] cyt recovery in a dose-dependent manner (IC 50 ∼ 0.01 mM La 3+ ). This La 3+ -sensitive recovery was apparently mediated by the PM Ca 2+ pump. The effects of La 3+ were reversible: [Ca 2+ ] cyt returned promptly toward base line when La 3+ was washed out in Na,Ca-free medium containing CPA + CAF. Reintroduction of extracellular Na + during [Ca 2+ ] cyt recovery ([La 3+ ] o = 0.06–0.25 mM) significantly speeded recovery, indicating that the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger was not inhibited by [La 3+ ] o ≤ 0.25 mM. The La 3+ -sensitive (Na o -independent) and Na o -dependent [Ca 2+ ] cyt recovery rates were comparable. In Na + -loaded cells, ≤ 0.25 mM La 3+ also did not affect Na + /Ca 2+ exchange mediated Ca 2+ influx. In medium containing Na + and Ca 2+ , 0.125 mM La 3+ abolished the serotonin (5-HT) evoked plateau responses that resulted from Ca 2+ entry via Ca 2+ channels. In Na,Ca-free medium, but not Ca-free medium, however, La 3+ converted 5-HT evoked Ca 2+ transients into sustained responses. We conclude that low [La 3+ ] o (0.06–0.25 mM) inhibits the PM Ca 2+ pump, but spares Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger mediated Ca 2+ influx and efflux in arterial myocytes.
Phenotypic plasticity across 50MY of evolution: drosophila wing size and temperature.

Abstract We studied the response in wing size to rearing at different temperatures of nine strains of Drosophila representing six species. The species varied in their natural habitats from tropical to temperate and one cosmopolitan. The evolutionary divergence of the species spans 50 million years. While some quantitative differences were found, all species responded to temperature very similarly: females increased an average of ∼11% and males ∼14% when reared at 19 °C compared to 25 °C. The phenotypic plasticity in wing size in response to temperature appears to be a fixed trait in Drosophila across long evolutionary time and diverse ecological settings. This likely reflects the close relationship between wing area (and thus wing loading) and insect body mass that is a crucial factor for flight regardless of ecology and is, thus, maintained across long evolutionary time.
Chaos, noise, and tails on the I-V curve steps of rf-driven Josephson junctions.

We report the first experiments and digital and analog simulations which demonstrate the existence of chaotic regions in the I-V curves of dc- and rf-current-biased Josephson junctions. These junctions were formed of crossed Pb strips and were shunted with Au resistors. Chaos appears as negatively going tails on the trailing edges of the rf-induced steps; these tails, which may be as large as 50% of the voltage step width, have not previously been reported. The parameters for the occurrence of these tails center at ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{c}$=4, \ensuremath{\Omega}=\ensuremath{\omega}/${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}$=0.15, ${i}_{\mathrm{rf}={I}_{\mathrm{rf}/{I}_{c}}}$=1.04, ${I}_{c}$=3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{5}$ A/${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ at 4.2 K. The thermal noise of the shunting resistor was emulated by a Gaussian spectrum. The presence of such noise dramatically alters the substeps, spikes, and bifurcations predicted for zero temperature. With only small amounts of noise, such complexities disappear, and are replaced by a smooth tail on the step accompanied by broadband noise. There is good agreement between the experiments on a real junction, simulations with a phase-locked loop, and numerical calculations with a digital computer.
Crossing borders: Claudio Magris and the aesthetic of the other side:

Claudio Magris is a writer of the frontier and of liminal places. This article explores the various dimensions that the border acquires in his work at a cultural, linguistic, philosophical and existential level. It focuses in particular on the image of the border as a barrier and a bridge, and on the poetics of ‘the other side’. Through an analysis of Magris’s major works of fiction and literary criticism, it individuates the relevance of geographical time, placed in dialogue and often in contrast to historical time, and investigates Magris’s geo-cultural, geo-literary, geo-historical and geo-linguistic approaches to his idea of culture. The last section of the article is devoted to the novel Un altro mare (1991; A Different Sea, 1993) and to the discussion of how the cultural heritage of the Hapsburg Empire reaches deeply, as a liminal cultural space, into the contemporary world.
Two Traces of Two-Step Eudoxan Proportion Theory in Aristotle: a Tale of Definitions in Aristotle, with a Moral

In a classic paper, Wilbur Knorr [1978] presents an account of a pre-Euclidean proportion theory which he attributes to Eudoxus. This theory is characterized by the fact that in a proof that two magnitudes a and b have the same ratio as magnitudes c and d, the case where a and b are commensurable is treated first (for generality, 'a determinate case' ), and the case where they are incommensurable is then derived from the commensurable case by a reductio ad absurdum (for generality, an indeterminate case). It remains a significant question whether there are compelling contemporary traces of the theory.1 Arguments using proportions or mentioning proportion theory are ubiquitous in Aristotle and can furnish us with important evidence for early proportion theory. I shall argue that two traces, each nigh incoherent on its own, when taken together constitute such evidence in Aristotle's corpus, as well as evidence for a more general technique of proof by determinate and indeterminate cases. These examples both afford us with evidence for Knorr' s interpretation and reveal that Aristotle sometimes treats definitions operationally, where the definition is an effective procedure for constructing a problem. This procedure may be a non-necessary method, i.e., where, at least for some cases, the constuction may be achieved by other means. It may even be demonstrated and restricted, i.e., where the definition applies directly only to a subclass of the definiendum and where the other cases are then reduced to this subclass. For Aristotle, definitions that reveal essence are connected to demonstration. However, the fact that for Aristotle such real definitions could be operational and restricted and that such 'demonstrated' real definitions occur in his own use of mathematics, I suspect, will come as news. In fact, Aristotle had the conceptual apparatus to conceive of the definition of 'same ratio' as an undemonstrated definition of the restricted case, or as a basic theorem proving the restricted case, or as a fundamental theorem which reveals how to work from the restricted definition to all other cases, or as a generalization of all cases taken individually to the kind taken as a whole based on the fundamental theorem.
Use of on-site bioreactors to estimate the biotransformation rate of N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol (N-EtFOSE) during activated sludge treatment

Abstract Accurate rates are needed for models that predict the fate of xenobiotic chemicals and impact of inhibitors at full-scale wastewater treatment plants. On-site rates for aerobic biotransformation of N -ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol ( N -EtFOSE), a fluorinated repellent, were determined by continuously pumping mixed liquor from an aeration basin into two well-mixed acrylic bioreactors (4-L) operated in parallel. Known masses of N -EtFOSE and bromide were continuously added to the reactors. Reactor effluents were then monitored for bromide, N -EtFOSE, and metabolites of N -EtFOSE. Of the six transformation products reported in batch studies, only N -ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetate ( N -EtFOSAA) was detected in the effluents. Bromide addition to the reactors enabled rate estimates despite variations in flow rate. Pseudo-second order rate coefficients for the N -EtFOSE biotransformation to N -EtFOSAA, predicted using a dynamic model of the reactor system, were k = 2.0 and 2.4 L g −1 VSS d −1 for the two reactors, which are slower than the rates previously obtained using batch reactors. Given the relatively slow rate of N -EtFOSE transformation, its sorption and volatilization may be important in wastewater processes. The methodology used in this study should be suitable for similar on-site rate assessments with other contaminants or inhibitors.
Resonance in the electron impact excitation intensities of the inner-shell states of N2

Abstract By using incident electrons of low energy we have observed a resonance structure in the excitation intensities of the inner-shell (1 s ) −1 (2 p π) 1,3 Π states of N 2 . The ratio of these excitation intensities shows a resonance structure for incident electron energies between 418 and 419 eV. This resonance, which is about 17.5 eV above the excitation threshold of these states, is the analogue of the shape resonance in NO, the equivalent core molecule of N K * 2 .
Kinetics of bias stress and bipolaron formation in polythiophene

Studies of the kinetics of the bias-stress effect are reported for regioregular poly(thiophene) thin-film transistors. We associate the bias-stress effect with bipolaron formation, based on the observation that the stressing rate is proportional to the square of the hole concentration. The bipolaron formation rate is measured as a function of temperature, and the thermal dissociation rate is also deduced from the data. We discuss the hole capture process and suggest that tunneling through the Coulomb barrier dominates. The temperature dependence of bipolaron formation and recovery kinetics leads to a maximum in their formation at about $220\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, and we also find other changes in the electrical properties near this temperature. A separate bias-stress effect is observed to operate at much longer time scales and might be associated with a different population of bipolarons.
User interface designs to support the social transfer of web search expertise

While there are many ways to develop search expertise, I maintain that most members of the general public do so in an inefficient manner. One reason is that, with current tools, is difficult to observe experts as a means of acquiring search expertise in a scalable fashion. This calls for a redesign of computer-mediated communication tools to make individual search strategies visible to other users. I present a research agenda to investigate this claim, which draws upon theories of social learning. I use design-based research to build novel systems that enable imitation-based learning of search expertise.
Hemodynamic and Renal Responses to Chronic Hyperinsulinemia in Obese, Insulin-Resistant Dogs

Abstract We previously reported that chronic hyperinsulinemia does not cause hypertension in normal insulin-sensitive dogs. However, resistance to the metabolic and vasodilator effects of insulin may be a prerequisite for hyperinsulinemia to elevate blood pressure. The present study tested this hypothesis by comparing the control of systemic hemodynamics and renal function during chronic hyperinsulinemia in instrumented normal conscious dogs (n=6) and in dogs made obese and insulin resistant by feeding them a high-fat diet for 6 weeks (n=6). After 6 weeks of the high-fat diet, body weight increased from 24.0±1.2 to 40.9±1.2 kg, arterial pressure rose from 83±5 to 106±4 mm Hg, and cardiac output rose from 2.98±0.29 to 5.27±0.54 L/min. Insulin sensitivity, assessed by fasting hyperinsulinemia and by the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique, was markedly reduced in obese dogs. Insulin infusion (1.0 mU/kg per minute for 7 days) in obese dogs elevated plasma insulin from 42±12 μU/mL to 95 to 219 μU/mL but failed to increase arterial pressure, which averaged 106±4 mm Hg during control and 102±4 mm Hg during 7 days of insulin infusion. Hyperinsulinemia for 7 days in obese dogs elevated heart rate from 116±8 to 135±7 beats per minute but caused no significant changes in cardiac output, in contrast to normal dogs (n=6), in which marked increases in cardiac output (31±5% after 7 days) and decreases in total peripheral resistance occurred during chronic insulin infusion. Thus, chronic hyperinsulinemia did not raise blood pressure in obese dogs even though they were resistant to the metabolic and vasodilator effects of insulin. These observations provide no evidence that hyperinsulinemia causes hypertension, even in the presence of insulin resistance, in obese dogs.
Management of Aneurysmal Disease of the Aorta

Aneurysm of the aorta is largely a disease of the elderly. The incidence/prevalence of the disease has steadily increased in recent times, mainly because of the increase in awareness among patients/physicians and better imaging modalities. Early diagnosis and treatment of this disease holds the key to success and plays a part in prevention of catastrophic complications. With advancements in endovascular and surgical innovations, repair of aneurysmal disease has made significant progress, translating into better survival and long-term benefits. However, with significant morbidity and mortality associated with this disease, there is still a need for further research.
The influence of salespersons’ customer orientation on buyer‐seller relationship development

This article reports the results of a theoretically‐based, empirical study which incorporates the paradigm of relationship marketing. Using a sample of organizational buyers, this study examines the influence of salesperson customer‐oriented behavior on the development of buyer‐seller relationships. Integral to this investigation, a measure of buyer‐seller relationship development is generated and evaluated for its reliability and validity. Findings from this study indicate a strong and significant influence between the customer‐oriented behavior of salespeople and the development of customer relationships. The results of this study and the discussion of the implications begin to provide valuable understanding into the antecedents of relationship development and relationship management. The results of this study and their implications for salespeople, managers, and researchers are discussed along with limitations and recommendations for future research.
A Descriptive Comparison of Ultrasound- guided Central Venous Cannulation of the Internal Jugular Vein to Landmark-based Subclavian Vein Cannulation

Objectives: The safest site for central venous cannulation (CVC) remains debated. Many emergency physicians (EPs) advocate the ultrasound-guided internal jugular (USIJ) approach because of data supporting its efficiency. However, a number of physicians prefer, and are most comfortable with, the subclavian (SC) vein approach. The purpose of this study was to describe adverse event rates among operators using the USIJ approach, and the landmark SC vein approach without US. Methods: This was a prospective observational trial of patients undergoing CVC of the SC or internal jugular veins in the emergency department (ED). Physicians performing the procedures did not undergo standardized training in either technique. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse events defined as hematoma, arterial cannulation, pneumothorax, and failure to cannulate. Physicians recorded the anatomical site of cannulation, US assistance, indications, and acute complications. Variables of interest were collected from the pharmacy and ED record. Physician experience was based on a self-reported survey. The authors followed outcomes of central line insertion until device removal or patient discharge. Results: Physicians attempted 236 USIJ and 132 SC cannulations on 333 patients. The overall adverse event rate was 22% with failure to cannulate being the most common. Adverse events occurred in 19% of USIJ attempts, compared to 29% of non–US-guided SC attempts. Among highly experienced operators, CVCs placed at the SC site resulted in more adverse events than those performed using USIJ (relative risk [RR] = 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05 to 3.39). Conclusions: While limited by observational design, our results suggest that the USIJ technique may result in fewer adverse events compared to the landmark SC approach. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:416–422 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Generation of Radicals on a Metal Surface from Photoinduced Dissociation of Physisorbed Molecules: CH2 from H2CO on Ag(111)

Submonolayer formaldehyde (H2CO) has been photodissociated on Ag(111) at 35 K using nanosecond 287 nm laser pulses. The low temperature prohibits further bimolecular reactions of the dissociation p...
Antecedents and consequences of knowledge management strategy: the case of Chinese high technology firms

Built on the knowledge management and corporate growth literatures, this paper examines the antecedents of knowledge management strategy (KMS) and its consequences. Grounded by a resource-based view and corporate growth theory, results reveal that a firm's knowledge management strategy and strategic performance relate to long-term corporate growth. Technological turbulence also relates to the firm's use of knowledge management strategy. Environmental turbulence and learning orientation do not exert significant effects on knowledge management strategy. Learning orientation has an interacting effect on long term corporate growth, while environmental and technological turbulences do not. Implications for knowledge management practitioners are discussed.
Replication splitting and variance for simulating discrete-parameter stochastic processes

Previous results for stationary continuous-time processes concerning allocation of a fixed amount of simulation effort across independent replications are extended both to stationary and certain non-stationary discrete-time processes. In particular, in the presence of positive autocorrelation, variance is reduced if more short replications are designed. The magnitude, however, of the variance reduction is not great as long as the computation budget is not tight, suggesting that a good strategy is to design for a moderate number of replications in any case, which also mitigates potential bias problems.
Plasma-deposited diamondlike carbon and related materials

Diamondlike carbon (DLC) prepared by plasma-enhanced CVD is a metastable amorphous material characterized by attractive optical, electrical, chemical, and tribological properties. DLC films can be ...
An Analysis of Mental Workload in Pilots During Flight Using Multiple Psychophysiological Measures

Piloting an aircraft is a complex task that places demands on several aspects of a pilot's cognitive capabilities. Because of the multifaceted nature of flying, several measures are required to identify the effects of these demands on the pilot. Several psychophysiological measures were recorded so that a wider understanding of the effects of these demands could be achieved. Heart rate, heart rate variability, eye blinks, electrodermal activity, topographically recorded electrical brain activity, and subjective estimates of mental workload were recorded. Ten pilots flew an approximately 90-min scenario containing both visual and instrument flight conditions. To determine the reliability of the psychophysiological measures, the pilots flew the same scenario twice. The responses during the 2 flights were essentially identical. Cardiac and electrodermal measures were highly correlated and exhibited changes in response to the various demands of the flights. Heart rate variability was less sensitive than heart...
Magnetic alignment of aqueous CTAB in nematic and hexagonal liquid crystalline phases investigated by spin-1 NMR

Spin-1 NMR has been used to characterize the magnetically aligned nematic and hexagonal liquid crystalline phases of aqueous cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). A nematic/hexagonal biphasic region has been identified for the first time in this system. The nematic phase is characterized by an order parameter of smaller magnitude and greater temperature dependence. Magnetic alignment kinetic rates of the two phases differ greatly, with the nematic phase showing magnetic alignment much faster than the hexagonal phase. Equilibration has been monitored over time by measuring the change in quadrupole splitting as a function of temperature. As the sample equilibrates the temperature dependence of the splitting decreases logarithmically. This work also demonstrates how the phase and order of the liquid crystal can be manipulated during the early part of equilibration.
TEA Laser Induced Multiphoton Dissociation of Ethylene in a Collisional Regime: Model and Experiment.

The focused beam of a pulsed CO/sub 2/ TEA laser was used to photodissociate ethylene gas at total pressures of 100 to 300 torr. The laser pulse induces molecular hydrogen elimination to yield primarily C/sub 2/H/sub 2/ and H/sub 2/ in a large excess of helium to eliminate heating. An investigation was made of the dependence of product yield on wavelength, inert gas pressure, ethylene pressure and intensity. Photochemical yield was followed over a 10,000 fold range. Its dependence was investigated employing alternate methods of focusing the laser beam, one of which results in a constant volume geometry. A photometric method of characterizing this focal zone is described. A ''structureless'' computer model of the laser pumping process involving coupled rate equations and phenomenological absorption and stimulated emission coefficients is described. The model assumes rapid intramolecular energy transfer between the various vibrational modes throughout the entire vibrational manifold, and rapid equilibration of rotational states. The model includes stimulated emission and deactivating collisions, and predicts a product yield versus intensity dependence that does not exhibit threshold behavior in agreement with experiment. Calculated dependences of product yield on laser power for various parameters are given in order to relate the model to variousmore » photolysis experiments.« less
Characterization of the calcium response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in lactotrophs and GH cells.

Abstract Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) acts via a G-protein-coupled receptor on lactotrophs to increase the intracellular free calcium ion concentration, [Ca 2+ ] i . The [Ca 2+ ] i response depends on both TRH concentration and the duration of TRH exposure. An initial, short-lived [Ca 2+ ] i spike results from release of Ca 2+ from intracellular stores, whereas a later sustained [Ca 2+ ] i increase, often characterized by [Ca 2+ ] i oscillations, results from an influx of extracellular Ca 2+ through both voltage-gated and non-voltage-gated, store-operated Ca 2+ channels. The initial spike phase predominates at high doses of TRH, whereas the plateau phase predominates at low doses. The mechanisms underlying the complex [Ca 2+ ] i response to TRH are discussed.
Critical Thermal Maxima of Wild and Domestic Strains of Trout

Abstract The slow growth and high mortality of hatchery-reared brown trout Salmo trutta and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss during summer in a stream that supported wild brown trout prompted us to compare the critical thermal maxima (CTMax) of wild and domestic strains of brown trout, brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, and rainbow trout. First, we tested the effects of electrofishing exposures on the CTMax of hatchery-reared brown trout. We compared the CTMax of three domestic strains of brown trout to determine possible genetic influences on upper temperature tolerance and then collected wild trout with electrofishing gear and compared their CTMax to that of the hatchery strains. There was no significant effect of electrical shocks on the CTMax of hatchery-reared brown trout, and CTMax differed significantly among these three domestic strains. Wild strains of all three species had significantly higher CTMax than did domestic strains; differences ranged from 0.5°C to 1.6°C. We tentatively conclude that ...
Compaction localization in porous rock

Experimental work on shear localization in porous sandstone led to the observation of nonuniform compaction. By analogy with shear localization, the process is referred to as compaction localization. To gain insight into the process of compaction localization, acoustic emission locations were used to define and track the thicknesses of localized zones of compaction during axisymmetric compression experiments. Zones of acoustic emission, demarcating the boundaries between the uncompacted and compacted regions, developed and moved parallel to the sample axis at velocities an order of magnitude higher than the imposed specimen shortening rate. Thus tabular zones of compaction were found to grow (thicken) in the direction of maximum compressive stress. These structures may form due to tectonic stresses or as a result of local stresses induced during production of fluids from wells, resulting in barriers to fluid (oil, gas, water) movement in sandstone reservoirs.
Lost in Translation: Methodological Considerations in Cross‐Cultural Research

In cross-cultural child development research there is often a need to translate instruments and instructions to languages other than English. Typically, the translation process focuses on ensuring linguistic equivalence. However, establishment of linguistic equivalence through translation techniques is often not sufficient to guard against validity threats. In addition to linguistic equivalence, functional equivalence, cultural equivalence, and metric equivalence are factors that need to be considered when research methods are translated to other languages. This article first examines cross-cultural threats to validity in research. Next, each of the preceding factors is illustrated with examples from the literature. Finally, suggestions for incorporating each factor into research studies of child development are given.
Differentiating party and date hubs in protein interaction networks using semantic similarity measures

Protein-protein interactions are fundamental to the biological processes within a cell. In the scale-free, small-world network typically modeled by protein interaction networks, hubs play a key role in maintaining the network structure. From the biological perspective, hubs are expected to be functionally essential proteins, participating in critical interactions of biological processes. Hubs can be classified into two different categories, party hubs (intra-module hubs) and date hubs (intermodule hubs), which vary in the timing and place of their associations with their interacting partners. This paper introduces a novel measure for identifying and differentiating party and date hubs in a protein interaction network. Our approach is based on the semantic similarity measure integrated with Gene Ontology data. Combined with the centrality measures of degree, betweenness, and closeness, we demonstrate that this measure detects potential party hubs and date hubs that match the confirmed party and date hubs with high accuracy.
Impacts of Land-use Management on Small Mammals in the Adirondack Park, New York

We examined the response of small-mammal communities to human disturbance along a gradient from wilderness to managed forest to rural residential development in the Adirondack Park of northern New York. Our objectives were to determine if small-mammal community composition and structure differed among sites along a gradient of human impact and to relate changes in small-mammal community composition to habitat changes along the gradient. We sampled small mammals with track tubes on 10 replicates each of old growth, managed forest, and areas of residential development in the central Adirondacks. We estimated differ- ences in species composition, abundance, diversity, evenness, and community structure, and identified habitat variables associated with differences in these mea- sures. We used canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) to examine the relationship between patterns in small-mammal community composition and sampled habitat variables. Some small-mammal species demonstrated a numerical response to increasing human impact on the landscape, with abundance of total small mammals, eastern chipmunk, and Sorex species highest in old growth and declining in managed forests and areas of residential development. Differences among man- agement types were reflected more strongly in total abundance and community structure than through indices of richness and diversity, which did not differ among management types. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that 32% of the variability in the small-mammal community could be explained by habitat character- istics and that variables describing availability of coarse woody debris, as well as presence of shrubs in the understory, may create conditions favorable to many small- mammal species in these habitats.
A finite element study of the effect of diametral interface gaps on the contact areas and pressures in uncemented cylindrical femoral total hip components

Uncemented femoral total hip components rely entirely on contact with the prepared femur for their initial fixation. The contact areas and stresses between a straight tubular bone and a metal cylindrical prosthesis 12.5 cm long and 13 mm in diameter were calculated in a finite element model which includes uniform diametral gaps varying from 20 to 500 microns, using transverse loads from 100 to 2000 N. Frictionless three-dimensional contact elements were used between the bone and the prosthesis. Contact stresses were high and irregular in all cases, and the contact areas were small. Two regions of contact were apparent for lower loads and larger gaps. A third region of contact occurred near the distal tip of the implant at higher loads. This region of contact markedly increased the contact stresses at the distal tip of the prosthesis. A 20 microns overlap between bone and implant was modelled to assess a slight interference fit. The contact stress distribution in this case was markedly different from the stress distribution with a 20 microns diametral gap. The data collectively indicates that gaps of less than 20 microns between bone and implant can substantially change contact stress distributions.
Pulmonary responses in current smokers and ex-smokers following a two hour exposure at rest to clean air and fine ambient air particles

Background Increased susceptibility of smokers to ambient PM may potentially promote development of COPD and accelerate already present disease.
Data Flow and Dependence Analysis for Instruction Level Parallelism

Instruction-level parallel architectures present their own set of opportunities and needs, requiring the development of a new class of compiler optimization techniques. Dynamic single assignment is presented as a parallel program representation that permits programs, with cyclic control flow graphs, to be expressed in their maximally parallel form (i.e., with a minimal number of dependence arcs). Also, a data flow analysis technique is outlined that extends to subscripted references the full power of conventional techniques that normally only work with scalar variables. The focus is on the representation and analysis of programs containing subscripted references with an emphasis on innermost loops whose bodies contain arbitrary, acyclic control flow.
Ground based observations of X-ray sources a short review

Forty-five X-ray sources have been announced up to October 1968; five (possibly seven) of these have been identified convincingly with optical objects; seven more have very well determined positions and it may be hoped that they will be identified in the near future; of the remaining objects, eight have been observed in several flights and their existence is beyond doubt, although their location is poorly known, 23 have been observed only in one flight and for some of them it is still uncertain whether they are real or not. The identified sources belong to three categories: A, supernova remnants; B, sources whose optical counterparts are starlike objects having spectra resembling old novae; C, radiogalaxies (only Vir A = M87 belongs to this class). After a short critical discussion concerning the distribution of X-ray sources upon the sky and a comparison with the distribution of other known objects, a short review is given of optical observations of objects of class B.
Lower hippocampal volume predicts decrements in lane control among drivers with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Objectives: There are few methods to discern driving risks in patients with early dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We aimed to determine whether structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the hippocampus—a biomarker of probable Alzheimer pathology and a measure of disease severity in those affected—is linked to objective ratings of on-road driving performance in older adults with and without amnestic MCI. Methods: In all, 49 consensus-diagnosed participants from an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (15 diagnosed with amnestic MCI and 34 demographically similar controls) underwent structural MRI and on-road driving assessments. Results: Mild atrophy of the left hippocampus was associated with less-than-optimal ratings in lane control but not with other discrete driving skills. Decrements in left hippocampal volume conferred higher risk for less-than-optimal lane control ratings in the patients with MCI (B ¼� 1.63, standard error [SE] ¼ .74, Wald ¼ 4.85, P ¼ .028), but not in controls (B ¼ 0.13, SE ¼ .415, Wald ¼ 0.10, P ¼ .752). The odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for below-optimal lane control in the MCI group was 4.41 (1.18-16.36), which was attenuated to 3.46 (0.88-13.60) after accounting for the contribution of left hippocampal volume. Conclusion: These findings suggest that there may be a link between hippocampal atrophy and difficulties with lane control in persons with amnestic MCI. Further study appears warranted to better discern patterns of brain atrophy in MCI and Alzheimer disease and whether these could be early markers of clinically meaningful driving risk.
Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome during anesthesia: a report of 37 patients ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Study Objective Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction that manifests with muscle weakness, autonomic and bulbar dysfunction, and increased sensitivity to neuromuscular blocking drugs. The objective of this study is to review perioperative outcomes on a series of patients with LEMS. Design The medical records of surgical patients with LEMS from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. Setting Major academic hospital. Patients Surgical patients with LEMS. Measurements and Main Results Thirty-seven patients underwent 60 surgeries, with most performed to diagnose or treat lung malignancy (n = 31; 51.7%). Equal number of patients had LEMS associated with small cell lung cancer (n = 16; 43.2%) or an autoimmune process (n = 16; 43.2%), with the remainder having various malignancies. Neuromuscular blocking drug medications were used in 23 (38.3%) of cases, including 8 patients who were not treated for LEMS symptoms. Four patients (11%) had respiratory complications. Interestingly, 3 patients were either undiagnosed or not treated for LEMS at the time of perioperative complication, and developed weakness after use of neuromuscular blocking drugs. Conclusion Patients with LEMS have increased sensitivity to neuromuscular blocking drugs. The risk for the development of prolonged muscle weakness or postoperative respiratory failure after being exposed to neuromuscular blocking drugs is increased in patients with undiagnosed or untreated LEMS.
A Diagnostic Approach to Increase Reusable Dinnerware Selection in a Cafeteria

The current project tested a diagnostic approach to selecting interventions to increase patron selection of reusable dinnerware in a cafeteria. An assessment survey, completed by a sample of 43 patrons, suggested that the primary causes of wasteful behavior were (a) environmental arrangement of dinnerware options and (b) competing motivational variables. A functional relation between environmental arrangement and reusable product selection was demonstrated in a reversal design. However, the largest effect occurred as function of a multicomponent intervention involving environmental arrangement, employee involvement, and personal spoken prompts with motivational signs. The results support the use of informant assessments when designing community interventions.
Gender dimorphism of white matter integrity assessed by diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging in abstinent alcoholic men and women

Background Alcoholism is a debilitating disorder associated with widespread cognitive and neurological abnormalities. However, there is limited scientific literature evaluating gender-specific similarities and differences in microstructural white matter pathology associated with alcoholism. In our prior work, we used diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging to examine the integrity of white matter fiber tracts in the brains of abstinent alcoholic (ALC) men compared with nonalcoholic (NC) men. We found that ALC men had decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) within white matter fiber tracts connecting to frontal and limbic networks, primarily of the right hemisphere (Harris et al., 2008). In the current project, we sought to confirm our prior findings in abstinent ALC men and, additionally, examine whether different white matter abnormalities were present in abstinent ALC women. Methods As determined by our manual inspection, 60-direction high-quality diffusion tensor imaging images were acquired from 30 abstinent (at least 4 weeks) ALC participants (21 women) and 25 NC controls (17 women). Tract-based spatial statistics tools included in FSL 5.0 were used to analyze a tensor model that yielded regional FA values for each participant. To examine the effects of gender, we built a 2 X 2 ANOVA design with three planned comparisons of primary interest: ALC group-by-gender interaction, ALC women versus NC women, and ALC men versus NC men. Results We observed FA deficits in ALC men relative to NC men, with a similar effect size and variability as observed in our prior study. In contrast, ALC women displayed strikingly greater FA values compared to NC women in widespread white matter regions, including most principal long-association fiber tracts. Also, they had greater FA for local white matter architecture in the dorsolateral and ventral prefrontal regions, as well as the sublenticular extended amygdala. When controlling for multiple comparisons, the higher FA observed in ALC women remained significant. For many regions, groupby-gender interaction effects were observed. However, likely due to the small sample sizes for men, the interaction effects did not survive threshold-free cluster enhancement, the correction procedure for multiple comparisons used in these analyses. Conclusions These results suggest antithetical gender abnormalities in white matter tracts of ALC brains. Whereas abstinent ALC men displayed deficits consistent with our prior study, our new findings for abstinent ALC women demonstrated increased FA values. These distinct patterns of white matter abnormalities point toward a differential underlying neural basis for gender-specific propensity and/or sequelae to long-term alcoholism, and suggest implications for further investigation of possible gender-specific approaches to prevention and treatment.
PDP-11, structured assembly language programming

From the Publisher: 'Structured VAX Assembly Language Programming, Second Edition, ' provides a complete, up-to-date introduction to VAX programming and the fundamentals of VAX architecture. This book emphasizes sound, structured programming techniques that are modelled in a number of new program examples.
Intuitive knowing and embodied consciousness

This article explores the role of intuition as a preconscious embodied state and its implication for adult education.
Physical Information Theory Part II: Quantum Systems

The concept of information (by Shannon) is generalized for quantum statistical ensembles, and the consistent quantum-theoretical form of the entropy defect principle is obtained. The efect of the irreversiblility of quantummechanical measurements on information transmission is analyzed. For the ensemble of two pure quantum states, the optimal measurement procedure is found in the explicit form.
The impact of on-site attending radiologist overnight coverage on radiology resident learning: a preliminary assessment

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of on-site attending radiologist overnight coverage on resident education during transition to 24/7 attending coverage. The study was exempted from IRB review. An anonymous survey was sent to 9 second year radiology residents who completed their first night call rotation (NC) with an attending radiologist (group 1) and 18 residents who completed their first NC prior to overnight attending coverage (group 2). This addressed anxiety level prior to NC, work pace, autonomy and confidence, and attending feedback, with responses graded on a five-point scale. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient. Diagnostic Radiology In-Training (DXITTM) exam scores were collected prior to and following completion of the NC rotation, and results were compared. Case volume before and after the transition was recorded. p value <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Eight out of nine residents in group 1 and 16 out of/18 residents in group 2 completed the survey. Group 1 was more likely to report working at a comfortable pace (p = 0.008) and receiving attending feedback (p = 0.004) than group 2. A non-significant trend towards reduced anxiety prior to NC was present in group 1 (p = 0.077). No difference in independence (p = 0.918), autonomy (p = 0.635), or confidence during (p = 0.431) or after NC (p = 1.00) was identified. DXITTM scores were not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.396). While overall case volume dictated by residents increased, fewer plain radiographs were dictated. Overnight attending coverage provides a more comfortable pace of study interpretation and increased attending feedback without decreasing resident independence or DXITTM scores. Plain radiograph interpretation may need to be further emphasized.
Large medical gantries

A combination of a Medical Gantry and Patient Positioning System is required to direct a particle therapy beam to a supine patient from a variety of angles. The requirements of beam direction and size for precision beam treatment result in stringent criteria for the magnetics and mechanical structure of the gantry. In this paper the requirements of large gantries for ion therapy will be discussed. A variety of ion beam gantries for beam energies up to and beyond 250 MeV have been designed, constructed and are being planned. The mechanical alignment requirements will be discussed and compared with actual performance where available. The beam optics requirements will also be discussed and compared amongst different gantry designs.
On the nature and origin of isolated olivine grains in carbonaceous chondrites

Abstract Many carbonaceous chondrites contain discrete olivine fragments that have been considered to be primitive material, i.e. direct condensates from the solar nebula or pre-solar system material. Olivine occurring in chondrules and as isolated grains in C3(0) chondrites has been characterized chemically and petrographically. Type I chondrules contain homogeneous forsterite grains that exhibit a negative correlation between FeO and CaO. Type II chondrules contain zoned fayalite olivines in which FeO is positively correlated with CaO and MnO. The isolated olivines in C3(0) chondrites form two compositional populations identical to olivines in the two types of porphyritic olivine chondrules in the same meteorites. Isolated olivines contain trapped melt inclusions similar in composition to glassy mesostasis between olivines in chondrules. Such glasses can be produced by fractional crystallization of olivine and minor spinel in the parent chondrule melts if plagioclase does not nucleate. The isolated olivine grains are apparently clastic fragments of chondrules. Some similarities between olivines in C3(0), C2, and Cl chondrites may suggest that olivine grains in all these meteorites crystallized from chondrule melts.
Using Artificial Neural Networks to Predict the Presence of Overpressured Zones in the Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma

Many sedimentary basins throughout the world exhibit areas with abnormal pore-fluid pressures (higher or lower than normal or hydrostatic pressure). Predicting pore pressure and other parameters (depth, extension, magnitude, etc.) in such areas are challenging tasks. The compressional acoustic (sonic) log (DT) is often used as a predictor because it responds to changes in porosity or compaction produced by abnormal pore-fluid pressures. Unfortunately, the sonic log is not commonly recorded in most oil and/or gas wells. We propose using an artificial neural network to synthesize sonic logs by identifying the mathematical dependency between DT and the commonly available logs, such as normalized gamma ray (GR) and deep resistivity logs (REID). The artificial neural network process can be divided into three steps: (1) Supervised training of the neural network; (2) confirmation and validation of the model by blind-testing the results in wells that contain both the predictor (GR, REID) and the target values (DT) used in the supervised training; and 3) applying the predictive model to all wells containing the required predictor data and verifying the accuracy of the synthetic DT data by comparing the back-predicted synthetic predictor curves (GRNN, REIDNN) to the recorded predictor curves used in training (GR, REID). Artificial neural networks offer significant advantages over traditional deterministic methods. They do not require a precise mathematical model equation that describes the dependency between the predictor values and the target values and, unlike linear regression techniques, neural network methods do not overpredict mean values and thereby preserve original data variability. One of their most important advantages is that their predictions can be validated and confirmed through back-prediction of the input data. This procedure was applied to predict the presence of overpressured zones in the Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma. The results are promising and encouraging.
Global reorientation and its effect on tectonic patterns on Ganymede

The basins of Ganymede are studied in order to examine the effects of global reorientation on the grooves and furrows of the satellite. An impact basin and the global reorientation of Ganymede were modeled. The damping time, the time for relaxation of tidal bulge, and the time for isostatic adjustment of craters are significant in calculating the duration and amount of global reorientation. The regional global control of groove orientation is examined; the data reveal that the tidal despinning and furrow formation created the reactivated zones of weakness in which the groove sets were formed. It is observed that the grooved terrain emplacement caused a 15 deg shift in the paleopole.