cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inflammation in Atherosclerosis-No Longer a Theory.

Background Inflammation links to atherosclerosis and its complications in various experimental investigations. Animal studies have implicated numerous inflammatory mediators in the initiation and complication of atherosclerosis. Numerous studies in humans have shown associations of biomarkers of inflammation with cardiovascular events provoked by atheromata. Inflammatory status, determined by the biomarker C-reactive protein, can guide the allocation of statin therapy to individuals without elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations to prevent first ever adverse cardiovascular events. Content Until recently, no direct evidence has shown that an intervention that selectively limits inflammation can improve outcomes in patients with atherosclerosis. A recent study, based on decades of preclinical investigation, treated patients who had sustained a myocardial infarction and whose LDL was well-controlled on statin treatment with an antibody that neutralizes interleukin-1 beta. This trial, conducted in over 10 000 individuals, showed a reduction in major adverse cardiac events, establishing for the first time the clinical efficacy of an anti-inflammatory intervention in atherosclerosis. Two large subsequent studies have shown that colchicine treatment can also prevent recurrent events in patients recovering from an acute coronary syndrome or in the stable phase of coronary artery disease. These clinical trials have transformed inflammation in atherosclerosis from theory to practice. Summary Much work remains to optimize further anti-inflammatory interventions, minimize unwanted actions, and refine patient selection. This long road from discovery in the laboratory to successful clinical trials represents a victory for medical science, and opens a new avenue to reducing the risk that remains despite current treatments for atherosclerosis.
Effects of co-incubation of LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages on leptin production by 3T3-L1 adipocytes: A method for co-incubating distinct adipose tissue cell lines

Abstract Adipose tissue is a major endocrine organ capable of releasing inflammatory adipokines. Inflammatory adipokine release is linked to the changes occurring in adipose tissue in the overfed state, where tissue remodeling results in hypertrophic adipocytes that recruit monocytes to infiltrate the tissue and take on an inflammatory phenotype. As the proportion of inflammatory macrophages increases there is a concurrent increase in release of macrophage-specific inflammatory mediators, further contributing to the inflamed state and setting an inflammatory loop between the macrophages and adipocytes. Although most inflammatory adipokines are released by macrophages, adipocytes can also release immunomodulatory adipokines, such as leptin. The objective of this research was to determine if co-incubation of activated macrophages with mature adipocytes, using Transwell inserts, affected leptin release by mature adipocytes. We also examined if there were differences in the amount of cell-secreted products quantified in cell-conditioned media collected from macrophage-containing (Transwell insert) and adipocyte-containing (well) compartments. Mature adipocytes (differentiated 3T3-L1 murine fibroblasts) were co-incubated with control and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated (0.01 μg/ml) murine macrophages (RAW264.7), and nitric oxide, interleukin-6, and leptin levels were quantified in the cell-conditioned media from the two compartments. Activation status of the macrophages did not affect leptin release by the adipocytes. We observed higher amounts of leptin in wells compared to Transwells. Nitric oxide and interleukin-6 levels were similar between Transwells and wells, suggesting that these adipokines are traveling through the Transwell inserts and reaching equilibrium between the two compartments. There was a weak negative relationship between nitric oxide release by macrophages and leptin release by adipocytes. Our results suggest that co-incubating activated macrophages and adipocytes using Transwell inserts can result in distinct microenvironments in the different cellular compartments and that separate sampling of these compartments is required to detect the subtle signaling dynamics that exist between these cells.
Quantitative time-of-flight MR angiography for simultaneous luminal and hemodynamic evaluation of the intracranial arteries

PURPOSE To report a quantitative time-of-flight (qTOF) MRA technique for simultaneous luminal and hemodynamic evaluation of the intracranial arteries. METHODS Implemented using a thin overlapping slab 3D stack-of-stars based 3-echo FLASH readout, qTOF was tested in a flow phantom and for imaging the intracranial arteries of 10 human subjects at 3 Tesla. Display of the intracranial arteries with qTOF was compared to resolution-matched and scan time-matched standard Cartesian 3D time-of-flight (TOF) MRA, whereas quantification of mean blood flow velocity with qTOF, done using a computer vision-based inter-echo image analysis procedure, was compared to 3D phase contrast MRA. Arterial-to-background contrast-to-noise ratio was measured, and intraclass correlation coefficient was used to evaluate agreement of flow velocities. RESULTS For resolution-matched protocols of similar scan time, qTOF portrayed the intracranial arteries with good morphological correlation with standard Cartesian TOF, and both techniques provided superior contrast-to-noise ratio and arterial delineation compared to phase contrast (20.6 ± 3.0 and 37.8 ± 8.7 vs. 11.5 ± 2.2, P < .001, both comparisons). With respect to phase contrast, qTOF showed excellent agreement for measuring mean flow velocity in the flow phantom (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.981, P < .001) and good agreement in the intracranial arteries (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.700, P < .001). Stack-of-stars data sampling used with qTOF eliminated oblique in-plane flow misregistration artifacts that were seen with standard Cartesian TOF. CONCLUSION qTOF is a new 3D MRA technique for simultaneous luminal and hemodynamic evaluation of the intracranial arteries that provides significantly greater contrast-to-noise ratio efficiency than phase contrast and eliminates misregistration artifacts from oblique in-plane blood flow that occur with standard 3D TOF.
PEEK Versus Titanium Static Interbody Cages: A Comparison of 1-Year Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes for 1-Level TLIFs.

STUDY DESIGN This was a retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE This study evaluates the patient-reported Health Related Quality of Life outcomes and radiographic parameters of patients who underwent a single level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with either a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or titanium interbody cage. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Spinal stenosis with instability is a common diagnosis that is often treated with interbody fusion, in particular transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Titanium and PEEK interbody cage properties have been extensively studied to understand their effect on fusion rates and subsidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted from a single, high volume, academic hospital. Health Related Quality of Life outcomes were obtained from Outcomes Based Electronic Research Database and electronic medical record chart review. Subsidence was defined as a loss of 2 mm or more in the anterior or posterior disk height. Spinopelvic alignment parameters measured were sacral slope, pelvic tilt, pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis, segmental lordosis, and pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch. Fusion rates were assessed by the Brantigan-Steffee criteria. RESULTS The study included a total of 137 patients (108 PEEK, 29 titanium). Overall, no significant changes were noted between the 2 groups at 3 month or 1-year follow-up. Perioperatively, patients did report improvement in all outcome parameters within the PEEK and titanium groups. No significant difference was noted in subsidence rate between the 2 groups. Segmental lordosis significantly increased within the PEEK (+4.8 degrees; P<0.001) and titanium (+4.6 degrees; P=0.003) cage groups, however no difference was noted between groups. No significant difference was noted in fusion between the PEEK and titanium cage cohorts (92.6% vs. 86.2%; P=0.36). CONCLUSION Overall, while PEEK and titanium cages exhibit unique biomaterial properties, our study shows that there were no significant differences with respect to patient-reported outcomes or radiographic outcomes between the 2 groups at the 1-year follow-up time point. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
Conceptualizing an Ecological Model of Google Search and Twitter Data in Public Health

More and more Internet users are engaging in health-related online activities such as online search for health information or sharing experience in online communities. Geo-tagged and time-stamped data generated from these online activities could inform public health practitioners of the population’s information needs, opinions, attitudes, and behaviors on specific health issues, and health status, becoming an important source of public health surveillance. The heterogeneity and multi-facet nature of social media and search data requires an ecological view to guide big data analysis, interpretation, and visualization. In our work, we recognize the complexity and dynamics of big data, and the efforts of previous scholars in collecting, cleaning/filtering, analyzing, and modeling big data—especially, Google search and Twitter data for public health surveillance. Through eight propositions, we construct an ecological model of Google Search and Twitter data for public health surveillance by differentiating message sources, goals, content, and geo- and time-stamped information. This model monitors public attention of health issues by analyzing information flow from celebrities, media, organizations, blogs, to consumers, who react, by retweeting or searching online. In addition, it detects diseases by examining consumers’ reports of personal experiences on Twitter and online search.
Optimization of Experimental Parameters and Chemometrics Approach to Identify Potential Volatile Markers in Seven Cucumis melo Varieties Using HS–SPME–GC–MS

Volatile compounds produce the aroma of fruits such as melons (Cucumis melo) and therefore play a key role in fruit quality. Here, we optimized experimental parameters to evaluate the effect of blending time, extraction temperature and time, different fibers, sample weight, different columns, and salt on the volatile composition of melons was performed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). In general practice, samples are queued up for GC–MS analysis at room temperature (25 °C) for 12–24 h; during this time, the volatile concentrations in samples may vary. To address this, we examined the effect of storage at 4 and 25 °C for 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h on samples with and without salt added. Overall, the addition of salt to the sample enhanced the volatile concentration in the headspace and helped preserve the sample at 4 and 25 °C without any significant changes up to 72 h. Our results showed that blending the sample for 1 min, the addition of 1 mL 30% NaCl in a 1 g sample, followed by the adsorption of volatiles with 50/30 µm divinylbenzene/Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) coated 2-cm SPME fiber, and extraction at 80 °C for 30 min were optimal for the detection of melon volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These optimized conditions were employed for the analysis of VOCs from seven melon varieties. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and variable importance on projection (VIP) analyses were performed to identify markers responsible for melon variety discrimination. A total of twenty volatile compounds with VIP > 1.4 are considered as potential markers for the separation of melon varities studied. The combination of HS–SPME–GC–MS and chemometric classification offers a valuable tool for the identification of type-specific volatile markers in melons.
UFO: A UniFied TransfOrmer for Vision-Language Representation Learning

In this paper, we propose a single UniFied transfOrmer (UFO), which is capable of processing either unimodal inputs (e.g., image or language) or multimodal inputs (e.g., the concatenation of the image and the question), for vision-language (VL) representation learning. Existing approaches typically design an individual network for each modality and/or a specific fusion network for multimodal tasks. To simplify the network architecture, we use a single transformer network and enforce multi-task learning during VL pre-training, which includes the image-text contrastive loss, image-text matching loss, and masked language modeling loss based on the bidirectional and the seq2seq attention mask. The same transformer network is used as the image encoder, the text encoder, or the fusion network in different pre-training tasks. Empirically, we observe less conflict among different tasks and achieve new state of the arts on visual question answering, COCO image captioning (cross-entropy optimization) and nocaps (in SPICE). On other downstream tasks, e.g., image-text retrieval, we also achieve competitive performance.
Optical burst and packet switching

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses optical burst switching (OBS) and optical packet switching (OPS) technologies and examines their roles in future optical networks, covering the roles of optical circuit, burst, and packet switching systems in optical networks, as well as their respective benefits and trade-offs. OPS and OBS technologies seek powerful combinations of the vast optical bandwidth and the agile subwavelength granularity by switching and routing packets and bursts directly in the optical layer. OBS offers best-effort burst transport and switching with one-way signaling so that high network utilization for bursty traffic can be achieved. OPS requires fast switching speeds (in the nanosecond range) to be effective. Recent advances in optical header (label) processing and optical switching led to asynchronous and variable-length OPS with contention resolution in wavelength, time, and space domains at nanosecond switching speeds. Unlike electronic packet switching routers, optical routers can exploit the wavelength domain to greatly reduce the buffer requirement and to discard store-and-buffer architecture involving packet processing in the data plane. A description is given of the networking architecture/protocols, systems, and technologies pertaining to optical burst and packet switching. Optical label switching technology is introduced, which provides a unified platform for interoperating optical circuit, burst, and packet switching techniques. In addition to the reduced complexity and power requirements in optical label switching (OLS) routers resulting from significantly reduced high-speed electronic processing in the data plane, further advances in integrated optoelectronic technologies may eventually allow chip-scale integration of OLS routers for the agile, robust, and high-performance Internet in the future.
THE AFL–CIO'S ROAD TO UNION CITY: A BOLD PLAN TO MOVE UNIONS TO THE LEFT

The article comments on the goal of a major program of the AFL-CIO and the activist role of Leftists within the federation.
The Deeper Roles of Mathematics in Physical Laws

Many have wondered how mathematics, which appears to be the result of both human creativity and human discovery, can possibly exhibit the degree of success and seemingly-universal applicability to quantifying the physical world as exemplified by the laws of physics. In this essay, I claim that much of the utility of mathematics arises from our choice of description of the physical world coupled with our desire to quantify it. This will be demonstrated in a practical sense by considering one of the most fundamental concepts of mathematics: additivity. This example will be used to show how many physical laws can be derived as constraint equations enforcing relevant symmetries in a sense that is far more fundamental than commonly appreciated.
Kinematic Modelling of NGC 3379

Giant elliptical galaxies are now known to be supported by anisotropic pressure rather than by rotation (cf. Binney, 1981). This anisotropy can be derived from observable quantities for spherical systems as was shown by Binney and Mamon (1982) in their study of M87. We investigate here the velocity anisotropy of the El galaxy NGC 3379, a giant elliptical whose surface brightness constitutes an excellent illustration of the rl/4 law.
Straight Baselines in International Law: A Call for Reconsideration

Transcript of seminar on April 22, 1988, reconsidering straight baselines in international law, chaired by W. Michael Reisman and reported by Gayl S. Westerman.
Discovery and Evaluation of Aggregate Usage Profiles for Web Personalization

Web usage mining, possibly used in conjunction with standard approaches to personalization such as collaborative filtering, can help address some of the shortcomings of these techniques, including reliance on subjective user ratings, lack of scalability, and poor performance in the face of high-dimensional and sparse data. However, the discovery of patterns from usage data by itself is not sufficient for performing the personalization tasks. The critical step is the effective derivation of good quality and useful (i.e., actionable) “aggregate usage profiles” from these patterns. In this paper we present and experimentally evaluate two techniques, based on clustering of user transactions and clustering of pageviews, in order to discover overlapping aggregate profiles that can be effectively used by recommender systems for real-time Web personalization. We evaluate these techniques both in terms of the quality of the individual profiles generated, as well as in the context of providing recommendations as an integrated part of a personalization engine. In particular, our results indicate that using the generated aggregate profiles, we can achieve effective personalization at early stages of users' visits to a site, based only on anonymous clickstream data and without the benefit of explicit input by these users or deeper knowledge about them.
The receptive field is dead. Long live the receptive field

Advances in experimental techniques, including behavioral paradigms using rich stimuli under closed loop conditions and the interfacing of neural systems with external inputs and outputs, reveal complex dynamics in the neural code and require a revisiting of standard concepts of representation. High-throughput recording and imaging methods along with the ability to observe and control neuronal subpopulations allow increasingly detailed access to the neural circuitry that subserves neural representations and the computations they support. How do we harness theory to build biologically grounded models of complex neural function?
In situ cell-by-cell imaging and analysis of small cell populations by mass spectrometry.

Molecular imaging by mass spectrometry (MS) is emerging as a tool to determine the distribution of proteins, lipids, and metabolites in tissues. The existing imaging methods, however, mostly rely on predefined rectangular grids for sampling that ignore the natural cellular organization of the tissue. Here we demonstrate that laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI) MS can be utilized for in situ cell-by-cell imaging of plant tissues. The cell-by-cell molecular image of the metabolite cyanidin, the ion responsible for purple pigmentation in onion (Allium cepa) epidermal cells, correlated well with the color of cells in the tissue. Chemical imaging using single-cells as voxels reflects the spatial distribution of biochemical differences within a tissue without the distortion stemming from sampling multiple cells within the laser focal spot. Microsampling by laser ablation also has the benefit of enabling the analysis of very small cell populations for biochemical heterogeneity. For example, with a ∼30...
Critical Exponents in Percolation via Lattice Animals

We examine the percolation model on $\mathbb{Z}^d$ by an approach involving lattice animals and their surface-area-to-volume ratio. For $\beta \in [0,2(d-1))$, let $f(\beta)$ be the asymptotic exponential rate in the number of edges of the number of lattice animals containing the origin which have surface-area-to-volume ratio $\beta$. The function $f$ is bounded above by a function which may be written in an explicit form. For low values of $\beta$ ($\beta \leq 1/p_c - 1$), equality holds, as originally demonstrated by F. Delyon. For higher values ($\beta > 1/p_c - 1$), the inequality is strict. We introduce two critical exponents, one of which describes how quickly $f$ falls away from the explicit form as $\beta$ rises from $1/p_c - 1$, and the second of which describes how large clusters appear in the marginally subcritical regime of the percolation model. We demonstrate that the pair of exponents must satisfy certain inequalities. Other such inequalities yield sufficient conditions for the absence of an infinite cluster at the critical value (c.f. cite{techrep}). The first exponent is related to one of a more conventional nature in the scaling theory of percolation, that of correlation size. In deriving this relation, we find that there are two possible behaviours, depending on the value of the first exponent, for the typical surface-area-to-volume ratio of an unusually large cluster in the marginally subcritical regime.
Cows, ground surface potentials and earth resistivity

The "stray voltage" problem on dairy farms is discussed briefly. By reference to published literature it is shown that a "step voltage" (SV), i.e., a potential difference between front and hind hooves of a dairy cow, much less than the often quoted threshold value of 0.5 V, when applied for long periods of time, could possibly affect cow health and milk production. Values as low as approximately 10 mV could conceivably be significant. A measurement program carried out on 19 representative Minnesota dairy farms during the summer of 1997 is described. Nine farms had above average (HP) and 10 below average (LP) milk production. Results show that SV was 4.2 times higher on the LP than HP. However, only three farms had SV greater than 9 mV, and low milk production on these farms could possibly be due to absence of recommended vaccinations rather than high SV. Soil resistivity rho measured in the farm fields was 3.4 times larger on the LP than on HP. The possible origin of SV in relation to electric distribution systems within and to farms is discussed. Relations between SV and rho are analyzed. Conditions are specified under which SV in the barn must be related to rho measured in the field, rather than the rho of the concrete floor of the barn. It is suggested that laboratory research is necessary to establish the significance for cow health and milk production of long term exposure to low SV levels.
A novel approach using pulmonary artery catheter-directed rapid right ventricular pacing to facilitate precise deployment of endografts in the thoracic aorta

Objective Controlled hypotension is critical for precise deployment of endografts in the thoracic aorta and for safe balloon dilation after deployment. We describe a novel approach to rapid right ventricular pacing using a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) that is placed during the procedure for hemodynamic monitoring. Methods The study included 27 patients (20 men and seven women), with a mean age of 74 years, who underwent endograft placement in the thoracic aorta with PAC-directed rapid right ventricular pacing. Hemodynamic parameters, accuracy of deployment, complications related to rapid right ventricular pacing and PAC placement, presence of endoleaks, and postoperative complications were evaluated. Results PAC-directed rapid right ventricular pacing was performed during endograft deployment and balloon dilation after deployment without technical difficulty. Each patient underwent a median of two pacing episodes (range, 1-4). The length of each pacing episode was a mean of 11 seconds (range, 8-14 seconds). Mean pacing rate was 170 ± 15 beats/min, which achieved an average mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 42 ± 8 mm Hg. After pacing cessation, the recovery time of MAP to prepacing levels was Conclusions PAC-directed rapid right ventricular pacing is an effective method of inducing hypotension, enabling precise thoracic endograft deployment and safe balloon dilation after deployment. However, despite these advantages, the technique may be contraindicated in patients with severe valvular or ischemic heart disease.
An Artist Photographs the Visual Witness of Grave Images

‭I have always been drawn to the wildness and beauty of the rural cemeteries in Southern Colorado where I grew up. Widowed at a young age, I decided to photograph all of the cemeteries in the San Luis Valley—burial plots, private and public, Pentecostal, Penitente, Protestant, and Catholic—to explain to myself and to others the mysteries of death, and faithful hope. I found a shared sorrow in the grave images in the cemeteries, and I was comforted. I then sought to offer comfort to others through my art—photographs, digital prints, and artist’s books. This article describes my experiences of the grave markers. I have coined the term “grave images,” at the heart of which is a simplicity that creates a powerful expressive form that carries the Holy. The grave artisans of the San Luis Valley in their myriad approaches—in sandstone carving, in concrete forming, in their alchemy of transforming ordinary materials into extraordinary ones—show their adept ability to visualize and transmit the Divine into material form. The mountain desert cemeteries are a sacred space filled with objects that reflect Divine realities and remind us of what lies beyond our prosaic life in this physical world.‬
PORTS: a method for dynamic interprogram communication and job control

Without communication mechanisms, a program is useless. It can neither obtain data for processing nor make its results available. Thus every programming language has contained communication mechanisms. These mechanisms have traditionally been separated into five categories based on the entity with which communication is established. The five entities with which programs can communicate are physical devices (such as printers, card readers, etc.), terminals (although a physical device, they have usually been treated separately), files, other programs, and the monitor. Corresponding to each of these categories are one or more communication mechanisms, some of which may be shared with other categories.
Gamete activity in mating strains of Chlamydomonas eugametos.

The gamete activity of compatible mating strains of the isogamous, heterothallic species Chlamydomonas eugametos was investigated. Gamete activity was optimum within 4 h after flooding of agar slants and was maintained over a 24-h period. When male and female mating strains were mixed in proportions of 1:4, 2:3, 1:1, 3:2, and 4:1, the results based on zygote yield, indicated the strains exhibited different degrees of gamete activity. The male strain consistently showed less gamete activity than the female strain in a variety of culture conditions.
Work in progress - the role of engineering colleges in providing technological literacy

This paper addresses some of the most important questions regarding the role of engineering colleges in providing technological literacy programs throughout national-level colleges and universities. While addressing the issues of technological literacy is of utmost importance at the national level and has been encouraged by influential groups such as the National Association of Engineers (NAE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other national agencies, the process of how to achieve it is still under debate. Engineering colleges seem to be natural places for leading these activities. However, engineering faculty in general are not generally used to teaching non-engineering students. This paper addresses challenges and discusses how to make such programs effective by involving other faculty from non-engineering disciplines.
A predictable pattern of daily activity by the pocket gopher Geomys bursarius

Abstract Abstract. Because subterranean mammals live in a microhabitat buffered from environmental extremes, it is often assumed that their daily activity patterns are weakly structured at best. The daily activity (time outside the nest) of a natural population of plains pocket gophers, Geomys bursarius, was examined using radiotelemetry. A bimodal pattern of activity was observed in which gophers were most likely to be active at night (2200-0600 hours) and in early afternoon (1300-1700 hours). Total daily activity averaged 400 min/day. Activity-bout length varied with time of day. Morning bouts were the shortest, afternoon bouts the longest, and bouts at night were of intermediate length. The overall pattern of activity was best explained as a mechanism for avoiding burrow temperature extremes. Gophers would have conserved energy by remaining in their nests in the morning when the burrows were coolest, and may have reduced the risk of hyperthermia by avoiding activity in the late afternoon when burrows were warmest. Because an endogenously controlled circadian metabolic rhythm has never been demonstrated in pocket gophers, the observed pattern of activity was probably environmentally induced. The results suggest that the subterranean microhabitat may require efficient use of both time and energy by its mammalian inhabitants.
Corporate Social Responsibility as an Organizational Attractiveness for Prospective Public Relations Practitioners

This study viewed students majoring in public relations as prospective public relations practitioners and explored their perceptions about corporate social responsibility (CSR) as their job attraction condition. The results showed that the students perceived CSR to be an important ethical fit condition of a company. One of the significant findings is that CSR can be an effective reputation management strategy for prospective employees, particularly when a company’s business is suffering. In examining the effect of CSR efforts on attitudinal and behavioral outcomes, person–organization (P–O) fit appeared to serve as a mediator between CSR performances and organizational attractiveness.
Hexadecimal counting? Use your fingers

The purpose of the note is to show how 'natural' the hexadecimal number system is and how one can count in this system using fingers at least as effortlessly as in the decimal system. The system uses the joints and tips of the four fingers of one hand.
System performance and energy consumption improvement methodology by delay adjustable synchronizer

We propose a novel synchronizer and design methodology which control the probability of metastability quantitatively by a tunable delay and relax the data rate constraint due to the conventional synchronizer. They improve system performance and reduce energy consumption. We applied our synchronizer and methodology for two types of designs, a digital signal processor and a microprocessor. The former design consists on a unidirectional data flow by the asynchronous interface. Our methodology improves system performance by 43% and reduces total energy consumption by 37%. The latter design consists on CPU core whose frequency is fixed, and the system performance depends on the operating speed of the core. Even such a design, our methodology reduces total energy consumption by 9% keeping the same system performance. In addition, both designs have no area penalty.
IDIOPATHIC, RELAPSING, MINIMAL CHANGE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME OF CHILDHOOD |[lpar]|IRMCHNS|[rpar]|: CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE EFFICACY RELATED TO PREDNISONE RESPONSE PATTERN

Twenty-three children with IRMCHNS received Cyclophosphamide for eight weeks in a single dose of 2 mg/kg/day. Patients ware divided according to their Prednisone response pattern: (a) steroid dependent (SD)-- relapse occurred while Prednisone was being tapered, and (b) frequent relapser (FR)--at least three relapses in six months or four within a year, each occurring after Prednisone had been completely tapered.
Resonant magnetic perturbation effects on pedestal structure and ELMs

The plasma transport processes by which externally applied resonant magnetic field perturbations (RMPs) mitigate or suppress edge-localized modes (ELMs) in low-collisionality tokamak H-mode plasmas are explored. Experimental data from DIII-D indicates the dominant RMP-induced transport occurs at the pedestal top where electron temperature gradient scale lengths increase up to 3 times more than density gradient scale lengths. The increases scale approximately with the square of the strength of the RMPs. Since flow screening is predicted to inhibit magnetic island formation and magnetic stochasticity, a plasma transport model that does not depend on stochasticity is apparently needed. Thus, a basic magnetic-flutter-based cylindrical screw-pinch model theory of plasma transport is developed. A key attribute of this new model is that while RMP-induced radial magnetic perturbations can be significantly reduced on rational surfaces by flow screening, they induce spatial magnetic flutter away from them and thereby can cause substantial radial plasma transport. The plasma transport predictions of this spatial flutter model are compared with the DIII-D transport data.
Adapting simulated behaviors for new characters

This paper describes an algorithm for automatically adapting existing simulated behaviors to new characters. Animating a new character is difficult because a control system tuned for one character will not, in general, work on a character with different limb lengths, masses, or moments of inertia. The algorithm presented here adapts the control system to a new character in two stages. First, the control system parameters are scaled based on the sizes, masses, and moments of inertia of the new and the original characters. Then a subset of the parameters is fine-tuned using a search process based on simulated annealing. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, we animate the running motion of a woman, child, and imaginary character by modifying the control system for a man. We also animate the bicycling motion of a second imaginary character by modifying the control system for a man. We evaluate the results of this approach by comparing the motion of the simulated human runners with video of an actual child and with data for men, women, and children in the literature. In addition to adapting a control system for a new model, this approach can also be used to adapt the control system in an on-line fashion to produce a physically realistic metamorphosis from the original to the new model while the morphing character is performing the behavior. We demonstrate this on-line adaptation with a morph from a man to a woman over a period of twenty seconds. CR Categories: I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three Dimensional Graphics and Realism: Animation—; G.1.6 [Numerical Analysis]: Optimization—; I.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling—Physically-Based Modeling
Pollutant scavenging from plumes: a modeling case study from the ASARCO smelter

Abstract Rainfall pollutant-concentration data collected around the ASARCO copper smelter plume in Tacoma, Washington, were examined with a Gaussian plume scavenging model employing multicomponent reaction kinetics. The plume model includes below-cloud scavenging and chemical reactions. From the model results, several important pathways for pollutant transfer and reaction in this plume environment were identified. The relative importance of the various mechanisms depends on factors such as distance from the source, height, and raindrop size. At distances where the SO 2 concentration in the air is the greatest, rapid oxidation by hydrogen peroxide was predicted to occur, followed by significant depletion of the aqueous H 2 O 2 . For raindrops in which the aqueous H 2 O 2 was depleted, oxidation by ozone was predicted to be an important SO 2 oxidation mechanism. The trace metal catalyzed oxidation of SO 2 was also determined to have possible significance in this environment.
Interaction between chemoreceptive modalities of odour and irritation

Inhaled vapours may stimulate both olfactory receptor cells and endings of the trigeminal nerve1. The trigeminal nerve often contributes a pungent, irritating attribute to odours. Many odorants exhibit some pungency when dilute and most become pungent when concentrated2 Because the trigeminal system commonly shares the chemosensory burden with olfaction, it is relevant to ask whether these anatomically distinct systems interact3–6. Two obscure psychophysical observations argue for an inhibitory influence of trigeminal over olfactory activity. Katz and Talbert observed that a vapour with both odour and pungency might lose odour at high concentrations, irritation masking odour7. The nineteenth century philosopher Alexander Bain, noting that concentrated carbon dioxide (carbonic acid) evokes pungency, remarked “if a current of carbonic acid accompanies an odour, the effect (odour) is arrested” (ref. 8). We have taken up Bain's forgotten observation and used carbon dioxide to endow otherwise benign concentrations of odorant with varying degrees of pungency. The experiments reported here reveal a strong mutual interaction between pungency and odour, occurring without attenuation even when irritant enters one nostril and odorant the other.
Constructing informed consent in ICT4D research

The field of Information and Communication Technology for Development includes participatory and action research pilots with a research and change agenda. Such ICT4D research does not fit traditional models for evaluating community risk and benefit. Looking at the history of informed consent and international development, uses of informed consent in development scenarios, and at efforts specific to ICTD research, we present how informed consent is currently addressed, as well as the inadequacy of adapting present academic informed consent models to development. Informed consent in ICT4D research provides academic rigor to the field, helps establish a fair, moral and candid relationship with the community to set expectations, and standards for other intervention-based research efforts. We suggest practical recommendations for models that contribute to community involvement and trust, while offering the target community an opportunity to negotiate their level of participation.
Consistency of arm and leg coordination measures.

Reliability and objectivity coefficients were computed for test items purportedly measuring arm and leg coordination. Data was collected from 96 resident high school students at Lincoln School, Simpsonville, Kentucky. Reliability coefficients ranged from .421 to .909. Objectivity coefficients ranged from .923 to .970, indicating high objectivity.
Agonist-dependent modulation of Ca2+ sensitivity in rabbit pulmonary artery smooth muscle

The effects of the stable thromboxane analogue U46619, the α 1-adrenergic agent phenylephrine and depolarization with high K+ on cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and force development were determined in rabbit pulmonary artery smooth muscle. Following stimulation with each of the excitatory agents, the time course of the [Ca2+]i/force relationship described counter-clockwise hysteresis loops with the rise and fall in [Ca2+]i leading, respectively, contraction and relaxation. The rank order of the force/[Ca2+]i ratios evoked by the different methods of stimulation was: U46619 > phenylephrine high K+. The difference between the actions of U46619 and phenylephrine was due to the lesser Ca2+-releasing and greater Ca2+-sensitizing action of U46619. Both U46619 and phenylephrine also released intracellular Ca2+ in intact (non-permeabilized) preparations. The effects of the two agonists on force, at constant free cytoplasmic [Ca2+] maintained with EGTA, were also determined in preparations permeabilized with staphylococcal α-toxin, in which intracellularly stored Ca2+ was eliminated with A23187. Sensitization of the contractile response to Ca2+ by agonists was indicated by the contractile responses of permeabilized muscles to U46619 and to phenylephrine, in the presence of constant, highly buffered [Ca2+]i. These contractions were inhibited by GDP[βS] and could also be elicited by GTP. We conclude that, in addition to changing [Ca2+]i, pharmacomechanical coupling can also modulate contraction by altering the sensitivity of the regulatory/contractile apparatus of smooth muscle to [Ca2+]i, through a G-protein-coupled mechanism.
How far will an account of ritualized behavior go in explaining cultural rituals

The theory of ritualized behavior should offer insight about cultural rituals. Considering ritualized behaviors' scripted actions and both the frequent absence of anxiety and the routinization of many cultural rituals, questions remain about how much and what precisely gets explained. Among religious rituals, ritualized behaviors arise more strikingly in special agent rituals, but that might be because they usually include novices.
Optimizing Broadband SBS Slow Light in an Optical Fiber

We describe how to optimize slow-light via stimulated Brillouin scattering in a room temperature optical fiber that is pumped with a spectrally broadened laser. Our recent experimental results on broadband SBS slow-light will be discussed.
Homolysis of weak Ti-O bonds: experimental and theoretical studies of titanium oxygen bonds derived from stable nitroxyl radicals.

Titanium−oxygen bonds derived from stable nitroxyl radicals are remarkably weak and can be homolyzed at 60 °C. The strength of these bonds depends sensitively on the ancillary ligation at titanium. Direct measurements of the rate of Ti−O bond homolysis in Ti−TEMPO complexes Cp2TiCl(TEMPO) (3) and Cp2TiCl(4-MeO-TEMPO) (4) (TEMPO = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl, 4-MeO-TEMPO = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-methoxypiperidine-N-oxyl) were conducted by nitroxyl radical exchange experiments. Eyring plots gave the activation parameters, ΔH⧧ = 27(±1) kcal/mol, ΔS⧧ = 6.9(±2.3) eu for 3 and ΔH⧧ = 28(±1) kcal/mol, ΔS⧧ = 9.0(±3.0) eu for 4, consistent with a process involving the homolysis of a weak Ti−O bond to generate the transient Cp2Ti(III)Cl and the nitroxyl radical. Thermolysis of the titanocene TEMPO complexes in the presence of epoxides leads to the Cp2Ti(III)Cl-mediated ring-opening of the epoxide followed by trapping by the nitroxyl radical. The X-ray crystal structure of the Ti−TEMPO derivative, Cp2TiCl(4-M...
Effects of diffusion-limited mass transfer on metal underpotential deposition voltammograms

A simple method is presented to separate the DLMT effects from those of the actual adsorption isotherm in UPD experiments. The DLMT features of UPD are resolved explicitly in terms of C b, D, and v. The latter quantities are known variables of an experiment, and hence, the surface effects can be analysed by independently fitting f with the experimental voltammograms. This procedure of data analysis including DLMT can simplify tha task of choosing adsorption isotherms in UPD studies.
Electron beam and flashlamp initiation of a pulsed hydrogen fluoride chemical laser

Abstract Laser action was achieved in mixtures of N 2 F 4 -H 2 , N 2 F 4 -B 2 H 6 , and NF 3 -H 2 at a pressure range of 10–250 torr using a 1.4-MeV. 50-nsec pulsed beam of electrons to initiate the chemical reaction volumetrically. The laser emission, in the region 2.7 μ, is attributed to HF, a combustion product. Techniques and results are compared with flashlamp-initiated lasing of the same materials.
Therapeutic approaches to obesity.

Obesity in the United States has become a public health crisis, with one third of the US population having a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. Given the profound impact of obesity on cardiovascular disease (CVD), studies of lifestyle modification, pharmacotherapy, and surgical interventions must be reappraised to better define the roles of these approaches in preventing cardiovascular events. Recent clinical trials have attempted to quell the debate over macronutrient composition versus caloric restriction in the dietary approach to weight loss. Our interpretation of these results is that caloric reduction and adherence to diets are of greater consequence than the particular dietary content for weight reduction. For cardiovascular risk factor modification, however, specific macronutrient composition of the diet may have additional impact outside weight loss, although the ultimate relationship between various dietary macronutrients and clinical cardiovascular outcomes is unclear. Although pharmacotherapy has been used for decades to treat obesity, there currently are limited options and recurrent cautionary tales; therefore, we use these agents sparingly. Sibutramine, one of only two medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the long-term treatment of obesity, recently came under intense scrutiny because of a possible increase in cardiovascular events, and it now is contraindicated in patients with established CVD. Orlistat and its over-the-counter form, Alli (GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC), can induce modest weight loss but frequently are not tolerated because of unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects. Fortunately, there are new medications in phase 3 clinical trials that hold promise as potential alternatives for obesity treatment. Finally, bariatric surgery for morbid obesity refractory to lifestyle interventions has become considerably more common. Surgery can effectively reduce body weight and treat cardiovascular risk factors, particularly diabetes, with acceptable complication rates and should be considered a viable option for appropriate patients. Ongoing clinical trials will clarify the impact of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular events and mortality, as well as the role of surgery as a treatment option that may be considered earlier than currently recommended.
The US financial services sector and illegal aliens: financial institutions legally meeting consumer demands – or social responsibility challenged business practices?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss and evaluate the existing public and business policies which regulate and influence the operating procedures of USA, financial institutions qualifying prospective customers for their financial products and services. The specific focus of the paper is on the controversial issue of whether many of these financial institutions are recognizing forms of identification, such as the individual taxpayer identification number and foreign government‐issued documents, which are either inadequate for this purpose or inadequately secured as a legitimate form of identification.Design/methodology/approach – By reviewing key USA laws and regulations pertaining to the legal qualification of prospective customers, the author is able to evaluate (based on available evidence) the business practices engaged in by certain members of the financial services sector.Findings – The use of less secured forms of legal identification are allowing illegal aliens to gain access to a vari...