cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leeches (Annelida: Hirudinida) Parasitizing Fish of Lake St. Clair, Michigan, U.S.A.

Abstract In order to identify leech species prevalent in Lake St. Clair, Michigan, U.S.A,. and understand their effect on fish hosts, fish were collected during May 2006 and 2007 from Anchor Bay, Lake St. Clair in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin. Throughout the study, 2,117 fish from 21 species were examined for the presence of leeches. Overall, 1,064 leeches were collected from 165 individual fish and identified morphologically. Hosts included the channel catfish, freshwater drum, northern pike, northern shorthead redhorse sucker, quillback sucker, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, and yellow perch. Leeches attached to hosts had a prevalence of 7.79%, with a mean intensity of 6.45 leeches/infected fish and an abundance of 0.50 leeches/examined fish. Collected leeches were identified as Actinobdella pediculata (Glossiphonidae), Placobdella montifera (Glossiphonidae), and Myzobdella lugubris (Piscicolidae), which was the most commonly occurring species. The freshwater drum had the highest prevalence, m...
Effect of insulin and leucine on protein turnover in rat soleus muscle after burn injury.

Abstract To investigate the effects of thermal injury on muscle protein turnover, net protein breakdown and incorporation of leucine into protein was measured in vitro in rat soleus at 3 days following a 3 sec burn to one hindlimb. The weight gain and food consumption of the burn injured animals was similar to that of unburned animals. However, the burn caused an 11% decrease in soleus muscle weight and protein content. The levels of ATP, phosphocreatine, and the phosphocreatine/creatine ratio were all normal. Net protein breakdown from the burn-injured muscle was elevated 35% while the incorporation of leucine into protein was unchanged. Thus the increase in protein breakdown in the muscle from the burned region appears to be responsible for the loss in muscle protein. Leucine oxidation was also stimulated by burn. Since protein turnover and leucine oxidation in the contralateral muscle of the burned animal was identical to those from unburned animals, the effects appear to result from direct thermal injury to the muscle from the burned hindlimb rather than from systemic alterations in the metabolic or endocrine environment. In addition, a physiological concentration of insulin (100 μU/ml) was found to stimulate incorporation of leucine into protein and inhibit net proteolysis to the same extent in soleus from burned and unburned limbs. While lower insulin concentrations need to be tested, there appears to be no evidence for insulin resistance with respect to protein turnover under these conditions.
Antimicrobial activities of human β-defensins against Bacillus species

Natural defences in the human body function to protect us from numerous environmental toxins and exposure to potential harmful biological agents. An important frontline defence is antimicrobial peptides. These peptides occur at environmental interfaces and serve to limit bacterial invasion. There has been little work comparing specific peptides as potential antimicrobial compounds. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of peptides from the human beta-defensin (HBD) family against four species of Bacillus, chosen as models for Bacillus anthracis, a potential bioweapon. The impact of peptide concentration, sequence and protein binding was evaluated on their biological activity. The results indicated that HBD-3 was the most biologically active against Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, whilst HBD-2 was found to be most active against Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of the peptides was directly related to peptide concentration and indirectly related to albumin concentration (i.e. protein binding).
Investigation of the Multixenobiotic Resistance Mechanism in the Freshwater Fishes Western Mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, and Bluegill Sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus

The purpose of the study was to evaluate multixenobiotic resistance mechanism expression as a biomarker for contaminant exposure in freshwater fishes. Exposure to a known mammalian inhibitor (verapamil, 10 μM) and inducer (rhodamine 123, 3 μM) on the transport protein P-glycoprotein (Pgp) was investigated in the liver of the western mosquitofish and bluegill sunfish. No differences in the activity or expression of Pgp were measured in either species using a fluorometric accumulation assay and western blot analyses. The preliminary results from this study indicate that this detoxification mechanism may not be a sensitive indicator of contaminant exposure in certain teleost species.
Structure of branch points in replicating DNA: Presence of single-stranded connections in λ DNA branch points☆

Abstract Replicating λ DNA molecules can be isolated from Escherichia coli shortly after phage infection. During the first round of replication λ DNA has a double-branched circular structure and frequently single-strand connections are observed at the branch points. A study has been made of the single-strand connections to branch points to obtain information about the molecular fine structure at the growing point during replication. The results are consistent with models which allow replication along both DNA strands but which require DNA synthesis only in the 5′ to 3′ direction. A model is presented which requires two sites of DNA synthesis to be associated with each branch point.
The Personal Spelling Dictionary: An Adaptive Approach to Reducing the Spelling Hurdle in Written Language.

How students with written language problems can benefit by using a personal spelling dictionary
Candida utilis NAD+ kinase: purification, properties and affinity gel studies.

Abstract 1. 1. NAD+kinase (ATP:NAD+ 2′ phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.23) has been purified to apparent enzymic homogeneity on Blue Sepharose CL-6B. 2. 2. The molecular weight of the active specie is about 260,000 as determined by PAGE and gel chromatography. Protein staining (PAGE) revealed minor bands with molecular weight values of 40,000, 140,000 and 550,000. Subunit studies (SDS-PAGE) gave evidence of a single band of molecular weight ∼32,000. 3. 3. On the basis of the release patterns of this enzyme from several affinity gels, an elution diagram is proposed as a device to assess the contribution of any of the several displacing agents that can be used to manipulate the desorption of a (enzyme) ligate from an immobilized ligand.
Bone pain in metastatic cancer of prostate

The characteristics of bone pain in metastatic cancer of the prostate were studied in 23 patients. The pain may be continuous or intermittent, show diurnal variations, and be migratory. The effects of activity, rest, and alcohol vary in different individuals. Relief of bone pain by analgesic medications is unsatisfactory. Aspirin-containing compounds are often more effective than narcotics for pain relief. The effects of external beam irradiation for palliation of pain are unpredictable.
DEFECTIVE IMMUNOREGULATION IN CHILDREN WITH PERSISTENT MIDDLE EAR EFFUSION

Otitis media and middle ear effusions (MEE) are most common clinical problems in early childhood for which an estimated one million tympanostomies are performed each year in the US. Although many factors have been associated with MEE (age, sex, genetics, otitis media, socioeconomic status, feeding style, atopy or hypersensitivity, a certain bacteria and viruses), a defective immunoregulatory mechanism in the host may also contribute to the pathogenesis. During the past 2 years, we have evaluated immune function in 78 randomly selected children who underwent tympanostomy for persistent MEE. The T-cell subset ratio (OKT-4/OKT-8) was reduced (below 1.25) in 30%. In 8 children, generation of T-cell growth factor (IL-2) by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) was evaluated and found to be decreased in all; below 50 units (normal 50-180 units). The mitogenic response to PHA stimulation was normal in most cases. The subsets of lymphocytes were examined in the tonsils from those patients who underwent tonsillectomy at the time of tympanostomy. The tonsillar lymphocytes had an increased ratio of T-4/T-8 and an increased proportion of B-cells as compared to the matched PBL. Imbalance of T-cell subsets and decreased production of IL-2 indicate a defective immunoregulatory function in some of these children, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of persistent MEE. (Supported in part by USPH grant DE-05505).
The Apollo 15 space syndrome.

To the Editor: With the permanent space station planned for the near future and with the recent surge of interest regarding manned missions to Mars, the potential for life-threatening risks looms dead ahead. In 1971 on the Apollo 15 lunar mission, astronauts Irwin and Scott both experienced severe pain and edema of the fingertips.1 In addition, the mission was considered an “anomaly” since it was the first during any space mission distinguished by significant arrhythmias, more severe in Irwin’s case with a brief loss of consciousness during an episode of bigeminy after return to the command module.2 Twenty-one months later, Irwin experienced a myocardial …
Poly(ortho ester) nanoparticle-based targeted intraocular therapy for controlled release of hydrophilic molecules.

Development of an efficient intraocular drug delivery nanosystem remains the most difficult challenge to attain a prolonged therapeutic effect at the site of drug action. The purpose of this work w...
Direction giving and following in the service of wayfinding in a complex indoor environment

We examined how sense of direction, descriptive feature content, and gender relate to direction giving and following during wayfinding in a complex indoor environment. In Experiment 1, participants provided directions to destinations. Participants with a good sense of direction provided more distances, marginally more correct descriptions, and marginally fewer straight references than those with a poor sense of direction. In Experiment 2, participants rated the effectiveness of these directions. Directions that were rated highly contained more descriptive features than did directions that were rated less highly. In open-ended responses, positive mentions of landmarks and negative mentions of cardinal descriptors were frequent. In Experiment 3, participants navigated faster when following the worst-rated directions than when following the best-rated directions.
Further validation of a general approximation for impact penetration depth considering hypervelocity gouging data

A first-order approximation of penetration depth is developed for use in engineering design. A survey of available penetration data is used to construct a one-dimensional approach for estimating the geometry of a crater resulting from high-energy impact. The results are generalized to allow approximations to be made using existing experimental data without the requirement for laboratory testing. This approach for penetration depth approximation is validated using the hypervelocity gouging data from the Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) and hypervelocity gouging impact tests conducted by the authors.
Highlighting gyroscopic motion in crystals in 13C CPMAS spectra by specific isotopic substitution and restricted cross polarization

The temperature-dependent exchange rate and signal coalescence in the 13C CPMAS NMR spectrum of a crystalline molecular gyroscope are exposed by specifically deuterating the overlapping static carbons.
Small Scale Biosynthesis and Purification of Gram Quantities of Chorismic Acid

Abstract This paper details improvements in the biosynthetic method of purification of chorismic acid using Klebsiella pneumoniae 62–1.1 New growth and accumulation conditions yielded 4 L of accumulation medium containing approximately 0.5 g/L of chorismate from 2 L of bacterial growth. Improvements in the handling and extraction procedures produced yields of approximately 2 g of 75 to 90% chorismic acid. A new recrystallization procedure yielded chorismic acid 97% pure by weight (using e275 = 2630 M−1cm−1), and 99.8% pure by enzymatic conversion. These results represent a three-to five-fold increase in yield over average published values.
Feral Hogs: Invasive Species or Nature's Bounty?

Invasive species have been identified as an international conservation crisis. Federal land managers have been mandated to control invasive species on their lands and to restore native species. Such action can have consequences for local communities that have incorporated the non-native species into their culture and economy. Previously managed by local stockmen as free-ranging livestock, feral hogs are now perceived by conservation professionals and advocates as an invasive species that threatens native plants and animals. We use the public scoping process associated with a proposed feral hog (Sus scrofa) management plan for a National Park Service managed biological preserve to examine how the scientific conceptualization of hogs as an invasive species undermines traditional claims to natural resources. We then offer some potential models of how elements associated with traditional stockmen culture might augment scientific management.
A class of translation planes admitting elations which are not translations

We are interested in the extent to which finite t ranslat ion planes can be characterized by the central collineations, other than those with axis 1r162 which they admit . While the class of known translat ion planes is ve ry large, there still is a shortage of kinds of examples. Lff~C~BU~G [2] has shown t h a t in the case of the planes associated with the Suzuki groups, each affine line is the axis of a non-trivial elation. There have been no known examples of t ranslat ion planes of odd order in which more than one point at infinity is on the axis of a non-trivial elation which is no t a translation. The construct ion we give here gives examples of planes with this property. We have shown in [5] tha t , for characteristic greater t han 3, two elations of a t ranslat ion plane which are not translations and have different centers mus t generate a group isomorphic to S L (2, u) for some u. I n our case, the eollineation group has a subgroup isomorphic to GL (2, u) and contains homologies as well as translations. Essentially the same construct ion gives examples of planes which are no t semifield planes in which a single point at infinity is the center of elations which are not translations.
Chestnut: history and ecology of a transformed species

Aim The character and distribution of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) populations in New England are analysed to identify the extent to which the introduced chestnut blight and historic land use practices have affected chestnut distribution and life history. Location The study focuses on chestnut in Connecticut and Massachusetts but includes analysis of data related to other Castanea species in North America and Europe. Methods The ecology and palaeoecology of chestnut is investigated using a range of techniques, including examination of the growth form of chestnut trees in plantations located away from blight, mapping of chestnut sprouts and blight-killed trees at various locations, anatomical examination of chestnut stems, analysis of early forestry practices, identification of changes in the relative abundance of chestnut pollen in Holocene lake sediments and comparison of American chestnut with other Castanea species. Results Examination of chestnut sprouts surviving in the former range of that species shows that most sprouts originated from suppressed seedlings and that environmental factors severely limited the survival of sprouts from large blight-killed trees. Palynological data show that chestnut was either present in very low populations or entirely absent from New England and only became abundant after about 2500 years ago. All factors suggest that chestnut abundance is related to the natural disturbance cycle, while human-induced transformations of the landscape and the introduction of chestnut blight have further transformed the character of chestnut in New England. Main conclusions Most surviving chestnut sprouts in New England forests represent old seedlings that have continued to re-sprout since establishment before the introduction of blight nearly 100 years ago. The growth form of these sprouts ensures a minimal substrate of bark tissue for blight establishment so that blight has a relatively minor effect on seedling–sprout survival. The identification of modern chestnut sprouts as old seedlings indicates that the observed distribution of sprouts in New England woodlands is strongly influenced by land use conditions and especially field abandonment at the time when chestnut blight arrived from its point of introduction.
Including HCI and user experience (UX) methodologies in computing curriculum (abstract only)

With a growing awareness of the importance of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and User Experience (UX) Design and Research in industry, many departments are examining ways to integrate this topic into their curriculum. What are the best ways to do this? Should HCI and UX be integrated into existing courses such as event-driven programming or mobile computing? Or should it be a separate course that integrates visual design, psychology and ergonomics? How important is this topic to students looking for internships and entry-level jobs? At what levels should these topics be taught in the curriculum? This is important as there is a growing demand in industry for User Experience specialists due to an increased focus on software quality and product success. A major complaint of employers is that this skill is lacking in many college graduates. Teaching computing students how to incorporate UX into the design and development process helps to address this critical need. This BOF will let participants share their ideas and learn from their peers. Some of the discussion leaders led a similar lively and enthusiastic discussion at SIGCSE 2013. Discussion spanned the role of HCI in the participants? various curricula; modules versus dedicated courses; projects versus standalone assignments; and textbooks, tools, and other pedagogical materials. Bringing together new and previous participants will bring new insights and expansion of these, including discussions of our recent experiences and lessons learned, as well as the broaching of new topics such as the roles of non-computing courses in HCI education.
Definition of a responder in clinical trials for functional gastrointestinal disorders: report on a symposium.

On 10 and 11 September 1998, about 125 participants met at a symposium in Vienna, Austria, with the goal of determining whether a consensus could be developed on the definition of responders in clinical trials in the functional gastrointestinal disorders. Present at this meeting were representatives of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Robert Prizont, MD, and John Senior, MD*), a representative of the Japanese International Motility Society (Kei Matsueda, MD, PhD), academic investigators from around the world, and representatives of several pharmaceutical companies currently engaged in the development of therapeutic compounds for the functional gastrointestinal disorders. The discussion centered primarily on the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the functional gastrointestinal disorder for which there is the largest development program underway. However, the discussion also addressed the measurement of outcomes in functional constipation. This conference was sponsored by the Multinational Working Teams to Develop Diagnostic Criteria for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (MWT). Over a two year period, the executive committee of the MWT held a series of informal meetings with representatives of the FDA, and on one occasion, with a representative of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products. During these meetings, representatives of the regulatory groups indicated that there was a need for a more broad-based consensus on the best ways of defining responders in clinical trials. The MWT organized this conference …
The strategic inconsistency of Paretian liberalism

In this paper, the problem of the Paretian liberal is cast as a preference revelation game whose outcome function satisfies Gibbard's libertarian condition and strong Pareto optimality. Strategic consistency requires that the equilibrium of the game agree with the sincere outcome. It is shown that, whether viewed in a cooperative or non-cooperative context, the liberal social choice function is strategically inconsistent. This result suggests that, from a strategic standpoint, a different resolution of the liberal paradox is desirable.
End-Capped Associative Polymer Chains between Nanospheres: Attractions in Ideal Solutions

We calculate equilibrium configurations of telechelic associative polymer chains without excluded volume interactions between flat plates and curved surfaces, obtaining analytical expressions for flat plates and numerical results for chains between two spheres. Ideal chains with strongly but reversibly adsorbed terminal groups produce an attraction of O(kT) per chain for planar surfaces as opposed to ≪ kT per chain in marginal and good solvents at high densities. Our numerical results for two spheres yield a weaker repulsion and an attraction of shorter range than predicted by the Derjaguin approximation based on the flat plate solution. These effects are due to deflection of chains out of the gap at close separations.
Increased Mr 60,000 Protein Phosphorylation is Correlated with Neocortical Neurofibrillary Tangles in Alzheimer's Disease

Increased Mr 60,000 protein phosphorylation has been found in the cytosol fraction of brain tissue from Alzheimer's disease patients. A correlation between this biochemical change and the morphologic abnormalities found in Alzheimer's disease was sought. Three neuropathologic features were studied: neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques, findings characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, and gliosis, a non-specific change. The number of tangles correlated well with the extent of Mr 60,000 protein phosphorylation (p less than 0.001); but the number of plaques did not. To investigate the possibility that gliosis causes the increased Mr 60,000 protein phosphorylation, cases of Pick's disease and multi-infarct dementia were also studied. The levels of Mr 60,000 protein phosphorylation in these cases were comparable to those seen in normal controls. These findings suggest that the increased Mr 60,000 protein phosphorylation is closely related to diseased, tangle-bearing neurons and is not directly related to neuritic plaque formation or secondary gliosis.
Expansion of a Northern Snakehead Population in the Potomac River System

Abstract A population of northern snakeheads Channa argus was documented in the Potomac River system in 2004. The expansion of this population was monitored from 2004 to 2006. Boat electrofishing mean catch per unit effort increased significantly each year from 0.2 fish/h in 2004 to 6.1 fish/h in 2006 (analysis of variance [ANOVA]: P = 0.01). Reported angler catches (N = 24) during 2006 equaled the combined total of the two previous years. Mean total length (TL) and weight (W) in 2006 were 475 mm (SD = 146) and 1,381 g (SD = 1,009), respectively, and maximum size increased each year. The weight-length relationship for all years combined was log eW = −5.21 + 3.07·log e TL (r 2 = 0.996, n = 348). Natural reproduction was confirmed by the location of a nest, and eight year-classes were estimated based on otolith interpretations. Total annual mortality was estimated to be 38%. Trends in female gonadosomatic index and otolith daily ring counts of age-0 fish suggested protracted or repeat spawning from May to S...
Antecedents and consequences of variations in girls' maturational timing

Abstract The antecdents and consequence of variation in girls' physical development are reviewd. Girls' development is highlighted because research on antecedents addresses genetic and environmental influences on menarcheal age variations, and because findings on the behavioral consequences of tempo variations have been less consistent for girls than for boys. Implications for adolescent health care are considered, particularly for the early maturing girl.
SIMPLE GROUPS ACTING ON TRANSLATION PLANES

We discuss the possibility of finite simple groups acting as collineation groups on finite translation planes of odd order with special attention paid to the sporadic simple groups. We assume such a group acts irreducibly (in the vector space sense) on the plane. It is shown that if the characteristic of the plane does not divide the order of the group, then the group cannot be one of eleven sporadic simple groups. Also, if one of the Mathieu groups acts irreducibly on a finite translation plane then it is either M11 or M23.
Fully phase encrypted image processor

A fully phase image encryption technique that uses the double random-phase encoding method is presented. The performance of this fully phase encryption is compared with that of amplitude-based encryption in the presence of noise. Analytic bounds on the mean squared error for the decrypted images are obtained. The accuracy of the theoretical error bounds is confirmed by comparing them with the mean squared errors obtained by using numerical and statistical methods for actual images. Fully phase-based encryption shows better performance than amplitude-based encryption with respect to the mean-squared-error metric.
Democracy and Difference: Reflections on the Metapolitics of Lyotard and Derrida*

However sudden and momentous be the events which have just taken place so swiftly, the author of this book can claim that they have not taken him by surprise. This work was written fifteen years ago with a mind constantly preoccupied by a single thought: the thought of the approaching irresistible and universal spread of democracy throughout the world. On reading it again, one finds on every page a solemn warning that society is changing shape, that mankind lives under changing conditions, and new destinies are impending.l
Vancomycin‐Induced Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis

Vancomycin is well recognized as causing the nonallergic skin reaction known as red man syndrome; however, it is rarely suspected as causative in the setting of an immune-mediated skin reaction. We describe a 76-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of penicillin and sulfa allergies who was transferred to our medical center while receiving vancomycin for treatment of persistent methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia. After admission, the patient's pacemaker was explanted; cultures from the pacemaker grew MSSA. Based on the culture data and her allergy to penicillin, vancomycin was continued. On day 4 of therapy, the patient developed a papular rash with small blisters on her distal upper extremities. Furosemide, which she was receiving intermittently to maintain fluid balance, was initially suspected as the likely cause. Furosemide was withheld; however, the rash worsened and spread to her neck and torso. Results of skin biopsy confirmed a severe leukocytoclastic, necrotizing small-cell vasculitis that met the criteria for a hypersensitivity vasculitis associated with drug therapy. Five days after discontinuation of vancomycin, the vasculitis was resolving and continued to resolve throughout the remainder of her hospitalization. Furosemide was readministered without worsening of the vasculitis. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated that the likelihood of vancomycin being the cause of the vasculitis was probable (score of 5). Clinicians should be aware of vancomycin as a potential cause of small-vessel vasculitis.
Middle range theories of social systems

The high abstractions found in social systems theory often defy falsification. As a result the stature of these abstractions is problematic. It is argued that several analytical biases provide false positive evidence supporting systems theory. False positives are likely when nouns exceed verbs in theoretical language, the analogy of thermostats is used indiscriminately, phenomenology of causation is ignored, need-specific interdependencies are neglected, organizational routines are mistaken for feedback systems, and when a more coarse-grained analysis is done of effects than of origins. Each of these biases leads to an overestimation of the abundance and tightness of couplings among events. Awareness of biases favoring false positives should result in interdependence being treated as a variable rather than a constant and to specification of conditions under which systems theory does and does not apply. With these changes, social systems theory would become a discrete confirmed theory that applies to limited ranges of data, consolidates segregated hypotheses, and is itself available for consolidation with other apparently discrete theories.
Detection of Junin virus by the polymerase chain reaction

Argentine hemorrhagic fever is an often fatal human disease caused by Junin virus, an RNA-containing virus and member of the Arenavirus family. This virus was detected in vitro by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure. A pair of Junin virus-specific PCR DNA oligonucleotide primers and an oligonucleotide probe were designed from a known portion of the viral RNA sequence. RNA was isolated from Junin virus-infected monkey kidney cells and used to produce complementary DNA (cDNA) by reverse transcription. A DNA segment, 151 +/- 24 bp long, was amplified from this cDNA and characterized by agarose gel electrophoresis and Southern blot hybridization with the Junin virus-specific DNA probe. Sensitivity experiments showed that Junin virus could be detected with nanogram quantities of RNA isolated from virus-infected cells. The rapid and sensitive assay described here may contribute towards the development of a procedure for the early diagnosis of Argentine hemorrhagic fever.
A two-state cell damage model under hyperthermic conditions: theory and in vitro experiments.

The ultimate goal of cancer treatment utilizing thermotherapy is to eradicate tumors and minimize damage to surrounding host tissues. To achieve this goal, it is important to develop an accurate cell damage model to characterize the population of cell death under various thermal conditions. The traditional Arrhenius model is often used to characterize the damaged cell population under the assumption that the rate of cell damage is proportional to exp(−Ea/RT), where Ea is the activation energy, R is the universal gas constant, and T is the absolute temperature. However, this model is unable to capture transition phenomena over the entire hyperthermia and ablation temperature range, particularly during the initial stage of heating. Inspired by classical statistical thermodynamic principles, we propose a general two-state model to characterize the entire cell population with two distinct and measurable subpopulations of cells, in which each cell is in one of the two microstates, viable (live) and damaged (dead), respectively. The resulting cell viability can be expressed as C(τ, T) = exp(−Φ(τ, T)/kT)/(1+exp(−Φ(τ, T)/kT)), where k is a constant. The in vitro cell viability experiments revealed that the function Φ(τ, T) can be defined as a function that is linear in exposure time τ when the temperature T is fixed, and linear as well in terms of the reciprocal of temperature T when the variable τ is held as constant. To determine parameters in the function Φ(τ, T), we use in vitro cell viability data from the experiments conducted with human prostate cancerous (PC3) and normal (RWPE-1) cells exposed to thermotherapeutic protocols to correlate with the proposed cell damage model. Very good agreement between experimental data and the derived damage model is obtained. In addition, the new two-state model has the advantage that is less sensitive and more robust due to its well behaved model parameters.
Analytical Model of Corneal Surgery

We present a model of the human cornea in order to study the changes in its shape resulting from surgical operations (e.g., radial keratotomy). A simple closed-form solution is given for a thin linearly elastic spherical shell model of the cornea. We assume axisymmetry and isotropy in the shell surface. The surgery is modeled by permitting Young's modulus and shell thickness to depend on position. The analytical nature of the solution permits principal shell curvatures to be explicitly calculated. The model is used to investigate the effect of surgery on corneal flattening and the associated sensitivity to intraocular pressure changes.
Superconducting detectors for photon and particle spectroscopy: Criteria for transitions to normal state

Abstract The nonequilibrium state produced when a high energy (>1 keV) quanta interacts with a superconducting solid is the physical basis for many new detectors. The most common approaches magnetically monitor the phase of small “grains” (SGDs) or monitor transients in the quasiparticle tunneling current in voltage-biased Josephson junctions (TJDs). While the former requires transitions to the normal state for its signal, the latter's energy resolution is degraded by excursions in the order parameter. To facilitate detector design, this article quantifies how the choices of sample material, bath temperature and field bias combine to influence the magnitude and spatial extent of the thermal excursion. Extensive tables of materials parameters are included. A wide range of inherent effects including the magnetic field dependent latent heat of the transition are discussed in the context of the limitations they produce on the operating energy range and size of proposed SGD detectors. Superheated initial conditions are not considered because the need for automatic resetting in astrophysical X-ray spectroscopy. Of the 23 elemental superconductors, we show that as SGDs only 5 have maximum grain sizes larger than 10 μm and only 3 are usable for photons with energies above 100 keV. Alpha particle detectors will be restricted by conceptually equivalent physics. Only by using inhomogeneous initial states or local, rather than global, transitions may these restrictions on bolometric detectors be lessened.
Assessing the Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Management of Gravid Patients at Risk for Placenta Accreta

Rationale and Objectives The role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of placenta accreta remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incremental benefit of MRI after ultrasound (US) for a large cohort of gravid patients at risk for a placenta accreta. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of outcomes in women with risk factors for a placenta accreta between November 1995 and February 2008 was performed. Inclusion criteria were high-risk women with abnormal placenta implantation on US or operative diagnosis of placenta accreta, with or without a prenatal MRI. Delivery mode, diagnosis, and transfusion requirements were compared. Results Ranging in age from 19 to 43 years, with zero to five prior cesarean sections, 139 women met inclusion criteria. The MRI was performed in 28.7% (40/139). US, MRI, and operative diagnoses were highly correlated ( P P P Conclusion This study fails to demonstrate that the incremental use of MRI for placenta accreta changes delivery mode in stratified analysis. Patients who underwent both US and MRI were most likely to have a cesarean hysterectomy delivery, and required more blood products, suggesting that undergoing tests may be indicative of an abnormal and at risk patient population.
The kinetics of zinc(II) incorporation into fifty-five free base porphyrins in DMF: structure-reactivity correlations

Abstract The kinetics of zinc(II) incorporation into fifty-five free base porphyrins of varying charges and structures were investigated in dimethylformamide at 25 °C. The rate law is the same as found by Tanaka and co-workers (Bull Chem. Soc. Jpn., 57 (1984) 204) for tetraphenylporphyrin. One interpretation is that Zn(II) forms a complex with the free base porphyrin H2P and in a k1 pathway, the coordinated Zn(II) enters the porphyrin, while in a k2 route, a second zinc is needed to produce the final product. While little correlation is found between the rate constants and overall porphyrin peripheral charge, k2 varies over a 26 000 fold range for uncharged species. The replacement of hydrogens by two bulky substituents in the ortho-phenyl positions of tetraphenyl type porphyrins leads to a 200–500 fold decrease in k2, and such ortho groups might inhibit porphyrin ring deformation. Phenyl rings substituted in the para position by groups such as −NH2,−OCH3 and −OH produce more reactive porphyrins that if such substituents are present in the meso-phenyl positions, indicating electron donation to the porphyrin ring by resonance effects. This implies coplanarity between at least one phenyl ring and the porphyrin plane in a distorted metal-porphyrin activated complex. Mercury(II) markedly catalyzes the Zn(II)/ H2P reactions through the very rapid formation of Hg(II)P, which is 104 times more reactive with Zn(II) than H2P itself. The predeformed octabromo-tetramesitylporphyrin metallates ∼4 × 103 times faster than the tetramesitylporphyrin.
Gli3-deficient mice exhibit cleft palate associated with abnormal tongue development.

Palatogenesis depends on appropriate growth, elevation, and fusion of the palatal shelves and aberration in these processes can lead to palatal clefting. We observed a high incidence of palate clefting in mice deficient in Gli3, known for its role as a repressor in the absence of Shh signaling. In contrast with several current mouse models of cleft palate, Meckel's cartilage extension, cranial neural crest migration, palatal shelf proliferation, apoptosis, and key signaling components mediated by Shh, Bmp, Fgf, and Tgfβ, appeared unaffected in Gli3−/− mice. Palatal clefting in Gli3−/− mice was consistently associated with tongue abnormalities such as failure to flatten and improper positioning, implicating a critical role of Gli3 and normal tongue morphogenesis for timely palatal shelf elevation and joining. Furthermore, Gli3−/− palatal shelves grown in roller cultures without tongue can fuse suggesting that the abnormal tongue is likely an impediment for palatal shelf joining in Gli3−/− mutants. Developmental Dynamics 237:3079–3087, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Contracting for Services in U.S. Military Operations

When the United States deploys its forces around the world, an increasingly important part of its operations falls to personnel outside the uniformed U.S. military per se. Increasingly, the U.S. military has been using what some call contractors, others call private military and security companies, and still others call mercenaries. In this chapter, I will briefly describe the private security industry and the larger global market for force of which it is a part; then I will discuss some of the benefits and risks the United States faces with its increasing use of private forces.
Auditing the Semantic Completeness of SNOMED CT Using Formal Concept Analysis

Objective: This study sought to develop and evaluate an approach for auditing the semantic completeness of the SNOMED CT contents using a formal concept analysis (FCA)- based model. Design: We developed a model for formalizing the normal forms of SNOMED CT expressions using FCA. Anonymous nodes, identified through the analyses, were retrieved from the model for evaluation. Two quasi- Poisson regression models were developed to test whether anonymous nodes can evaluate the semantic completeness of SNOMED CT contents (Model 1), and for testing whether such completeness differs between 2 clinical domains (Model 2). The data were randomly sampled from all the contexts that could be formed in the 2 largest domains: Procedure and Clinical Finding. Case studies (n 4) were performed on randomly selected anonymous node samples for validation. Measurements: In Model 1, the outcome variable is the number of fully defined concepts within a context, while the explanatory variables are the number of lattice nodes and the number of anonymous nodes. In Model 2, the outcome variable is the number of anonymous nodes and the explanatory variables are the number of lattice nodes and a binary category for domain (Procedure/Clinical Finding). Results: A total of 5,450 contexts from the 2 domains were collected for analyses. Our findings revealed that the number of anonymous nodes had a significant negative correlation with the number of fully defined concepts within a context (p 0.001). Further, the Clinical Finding domain had fewer anonymous nodes than the Procedure domain (p 0.001). Case studies demonstrated that the anonymous nodes are an effective index for auditing SNOMED CT. Conclusion: The anonymous nodes retrieved from FCA-based analyses are a candidate proxy for the semantic completeness of the SNOMED CT contents. Our novel FCA-based approach can be useful for auditing the semantic completeness of SNOMED CT contents, or any large ontology, within or across domains.
Designing feedback algorithms for controlling the periodic motions of legged robots

A nonlinear feedback control algorithm is developed for repetitive legged robotic locomotion whose global dynamic behavior can be encoded in a Poincare return map. Control synthesis is equivalent to the selection of a nonlinear feedback control law which properly shapes the return map. A method is presented for return map shaping in a neighborhood of a fixed point. In practice, this neighborhood can be quite large. The theory is illustrated with applications to a simplified model of Raibert's hopping machines. An added benefit is accurate control of hopping height above undulating terrain. >
RENAL CELL CARCINOMA MASQUERADING AS OBSTRUCTIVE UROPATHY

A case of renal cell carcinoma without renal vein involvement is presented in which the intravenous urogram demonstrated only a persistent nephrogram suggestive of obstructive uropathy.
The Effect Of Internal Waves On The Doppler Spectrum Of Microwaws Scattered From The Ocean Surface

This paper describes how a composite model, derived from the Kirchhoff approximation for computing the microwave backscatter cross section from the ocean surface, can be extended to include surface-motion effects. This extension enables one to calculate the autocovariance of the backscattered field and the associated Doppler spectrum. Such a time-dependent composite model is used to examine the variation of the Doppler spectrum produced by modulations in the surface-wave spectrum induced by internal waves. It is found that the computed Doppler spectra reflect the modulation structure found in direct measurements of the 2 D surface-wave spectrum. The results suggest that Doppler spectra can provide a useful probe of the ocean surface structure especially when direct measurements are not available.
Carotid Dissection: Pathophysiology of Stroke and Treatment Implications

To the Editor: The article by Lucas et al1 in the December 1998 issue of Stroke analyzed neuroradiological data in an attempt to provide a reasonable pathophysiological approach to the treatment of carotid artery dissection. It is suggested that documentation of an embolic etiology for ischemia and infarction would provide a reasonable background from which to use antithrombotic medication in an acute setting. On the other hand, a hemodynamic cause of ischemia or infarct could be considered refractory to the effects to agents such as standard heparin or its low-molecular-weight relatives. Is the pathophysiology of cerebral infarction in carotid artery dissection fundamentally different from that occurring in carotid and middle cerebral artery stroke in general? Is the presence of cortical or subcortical ischemia in carotid artery dissection a fundamentally different pathoanatomic sequence than would occur in the more common ischemic thromboembolic stroke syndromes? If embolic events as well as hemodynamic factors cause brain injury in either condition, the fundamental answer to both questions must be “no.” Each initiates a cascade of ischemic injury and potential tissue destruction. A number of authors have described the lack of benefit from heparin in acute or evolving/progressing stroke.2 3 Whether subcategories are present that may respond to acute heparinization is an ongoing area of interest, with specificity concerns similar to those considered for use of tissue plasminogen activator. Treatment …
A shaped-reflector high-power converter for a whispering-gallery mode gyrotron output

A dual-shaped dual-reflector synthesis technique is applied to the design of a quasi-optical antenna system in a high-power microwave application for which the primary radiator is not conveniently described as a point source (spherical constant-phase surface). In addition, the output beam is required to be focused, and neither the entrance nor the exit pupil is conveniently described as being circular. The synthesis technique developed is a generalization of a well-established method which has found widespread application in the design of dual-shaped reflectors for satellite communication, radio astronomy, etc. Removing the usual assumptions of point-source illumination and parallel-ray output, as well as circular entrance and exit pupils, however, leads to expressions which may find application in a broader class of shaped-reflector designs. A reflector system has been designed using the general synthesis procedure which we have developed. The system transforms the right-hand rotating TE/sub 15,2/ mode propagating in 50.8 mm (2 in) diameter circular waveguide at 110 GHz into the HE/sub 11/ mode in 31.8 mm (1.25 in) diameter corrugated waveguide. A brief description of the experimental verification of the device performance is given.