cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of hydrodynamic dispersion on phosphatase reactions in a soil column

Abstract Columns of artificially-prepared soil crumbs were perfused with solutions of p-nitrophenyl phosphate and rates of hydrolysis of this substrate as catalyzed by soil phosphatase were measured. Hydrolysis proceeded by a zero-order or by a first-order reaction at high and low concentrations of substrate, respectively. Steady-state concentrations of substrate and products from the columns can be described essentially in terms of plug flow kinetics with but minor corrections for hydrodynamic dispersion. Values of the zero and first-order rate constants corrected for dispersion are 3 and 9 per cent greater, respectively, than those assuming plug flow kinetics. The apparent value of the first-order rate constant is about 70 percent higher than the true value because of electrostatic repulsion between the negatively-charged substrate and the soil particles.
Genomics and Hypertension: Concepts, Potentials, and Opportunities

We are at the beginning of a biological revolution, spurred on by the Human Genome Project and associated studies. Within the next few years, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) representing all sequences expressed in humans will be determined and their genomic positions will be defined (STSs). The discovery of all the variants in the human genome that contribute to the genetic diversity of the human population will result in the construction of dense polymorphic maps. The rapid growth of the EST, STS, and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) databases, coupled with impressive technological advances, will surely have a dramatic effect on biomedical research. In this review, we will examine the recent advances in genetics and genomics and place these within the context of medical research and patient care, with an emphasis on studies in the cardiovascular system.
Venom Neutralization by Rattlesnake Serum Albumin

The blood serum of the eastern diamond back rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) neutralizes lethal doses of C. adamanteus venom in mice. The protective capacity of the serum is associated with the serum albumin, rather than the immunoglobulin fraction of the blood. Neither the serum nor its albumin fraction form precipitin bands on immunophoresis against venom.
In The ‘Know’: E-Resource Knowledge Base Management and Best Practices. A Report of the ALCTS CCS Electronic Resources Interest Group Meeting. ALA Midwinter Meeting, Boston, January 2010

E-resource knowledge base management was the topic at the ALCTS CCS Electronic Resources Interest Group panel discussion presented at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston, on Saturday, January 16, 2...
Enantiomeric Composition of Nicotine in Smokeless Tobacco, Medicinal Products, and Commercial Reagents

The enantiomeric composition of nicotine in 18 smokeless tobaccos, 3 strains of tobacco leaf, 8 pharmaceutical products, and 4 commercial reagents was determined. The relative amount of the minor enantiomeric component, (R)-(+)-nicotine, ranged from ∼0.1% to ∼1.2% of the total nicotine in all samples. In some cases it appears that (R)-(+)-nicotine may be considered one of the five most common alkaloids in tobacco products. The highest level of (R)-(+)-nicotine was found in a commercial transdermal patch. The extraction and purification processes used in obtaining commercial (S)-(−)-nicotine supplies from tobacco do not appear to decrease the amount of (R)-(+)-nicotine present. Chirality 10:587–591, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of ASML ATHENA alignment system on Intel front-end processes

An evaluation of the ASML ATHENA alignment system was performed using marks placed in the scribeline of an Intel test chip used for 130 nm node processing. Exposures were performed using two ASML scanners at IMEC at the isolation, gate, contact and first metal layers, with extreme process splits performed at Intel at critical steps in between. The splits were arranged as factorials in order to evaluate the process sensitivity of the alignment system. The modeled overlay terms with the largest sensitivities are discussed. In addition, data taken by the scanners on various mark/recipe combinations is analyzed to provide insight into overlay optimization and potential alignment system limitations.
Analysis of minimal functions of simian virus 40. I. Oncogenic transformation of Syrian hamster kidney cells in vitro by photodynamically inactivated SV40.

SV40 was photodynamically inactivated in the presence of Toluidine blue 0 by irradiation with white light for different periods of time. Different functions of SV40 were inactivated at different rates. The most sensitive function was the capacity of the virus to replicate followed by the capacity to induce T antigen and cell DNA synthesis. The transformation capacity was the most resistant. No evidence was obtained that the survival of transformation activity after large decrease in infectivity was due to multiplicity reactivation. Syrian hamster kidney cells transformed in vitro by photodynamically inactivated SV40 had the same properties as those transformed by control virus. They showed identical morphology, were T-antigen positive, contained the same number of SV40 DNA genome equivalents integrated in their DNA and were oncogenic when inoculated into adult hamsters.
Differential contributions of magnocellular and parvocellular pathways to the contrast response of neurons in bush baby primary visual cortex (V1).

How neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of primates process parallel inputs from the magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is not completely understood. To investigate whether signals from the two pathways are integrated in the cortex, we recorded contrast-response functions (CRFs) from 20 bush baby V1 neurons before, during, and after pharmacologically inactivating neural activity in either the contralateral LGN M or P layers. Inactivating the M layer reduced the responses of V1 neurons (n 5 10) to all stimulus contrasts and significantly elevated ( t 5 8.15, P , 0.01) their average contrast threshold from 8.04 (6 4.1)% contrast to 22.46 (6 6.28)% contrast. M layer inactivation also significantly reduced ( t 5 4.06, P , 0.01) the average peak response amplitude. Inactivating the P layer did not elevate the average contrast threshold of V1 neurons (n 5 10), but significantly reduced ( t 5 4.34, P , 0.01) their average peak response amplitude. These data demonstrate that input from the M pathway can account for the responses of V1 neurons to low stimulus contrasts and also contributes to responses to high stimulus contrasts. The P pathway appears to influence mainly the responses of V1 neurons to high stimulus contrasts. None of the cells in our sample, which included cells in all output layers of V1, appeared to receive input from only one pathway. These findings support the view that many V1 neurons integrate information about stimulus contrast carried by the LGN M and P pathways.
Relationship of predation potential to mortality of Calanus finmarchicus on Georges Bank, northwest Atlantic

Based on 29 cruises on Georges Bank between January and June, conducted as part of the U.S. Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics program, we describe seasonal and spatial variability of early life history mortality for the planktonic copepod Calanus finmarchicus and relate mortality to an index of predation potential from a suite of suspension-feeding predators. Emphasis is placed on the earliest life history phase wherein peak mortality occurs. Instantaneous mortality rates for a combined egg-through-nauplius-3 stage show a recurrent seasonal pattern of a modest elevation in January followed by a seasonal peak in May of all 5 study yr. Spatial differences exist in mortality rates, with a higher probability of mortality on the southern flank in winter and a pronounced seasonal maximum on the bank crest in May. Three hypotheses associated, respectively, with egg hatching success, advection, and invertebrate predation were evaluated to account for the seasonal and spatial mortality patterns. Variations in egg-hatching success are inconsistent with the observed seasonal patterns of loss. Off-bank advection, particularly on the southern flank, appears to be the dominant loss term in January. Apart from this winter period, egg mortality is associated with predation potential. Comparison of an index of daily rates of egg loss with an index of consumption rates of eggs by suspended hydroids, hydromedusae, and five species of planktonic copepods show general agreement between mortality and predation in both seasonal variation and spatial patterns. Of the predator taxa, late copepodid and adult C. finmarchicus, supplemented by planktonic hydroids, appear to have the largest quantitative predation effect.
Measurement in Cross-Cultural Psychology A Review and Comparison of Strategies

Notions of equivalence in cross-cultural measurement were related to the abstraction-concreteness and the universality-cultural difference continua. Various methods proposed for attaining satisfactory measurement were reviewed and compared within this framework. Each strategy has its own merits and shortcomings. Moreover, the level of cross-cultural equivalence presupposed, the type of equivalence demonstrated and/or improved, and the equivalence assumptions doubted or explicitly rejected are different for different strategies. It was suggested that the strategies are complementary to each other. More than one strategy should be employed and combined for more meaningful and precise measurement.
The Macular Hole: Histopathologic Studies

Objective To delineate the light and electron microscopic features of tissue removed at the time of macular hole surgery. Methods The ocular fluid specimens were concentrated using Millipore filters and stained with a modified Papanicolaou and the periodic acid–Schiff stains in 697 cases. In 92 cases, surgically isolated tissue was processed and examined by electron microscopy. Results The findings in the specimens studied by the Millipore filter technique included vitreous strands; cellular fragments in 108 cases (13.3%); fibrocellular fragments in 75 (9.2%); and fragments of internal limiting lamina (ILL) of the retina in 104 (12.8%). Findings in the 92 specimens with tissue studied by electron microscopy included native vitreous collagen in 48 cases (52.2%); new collagen in 6 (6.5%); native and new collagen in 1 (1.2%); ILL of the retina in 54 (58.7%); and a variety of cells in 22.5% of cases, including fibrocytes, myofibrocytes, fibrous astrocytes with and without myoblastic features, Mueller cells, retinal pigment epithelium with and without myoblastic features, and inflammatory cells. The organization of the tissue elements included a cellular layer along one surface of a layer of cortical vitreous in 18 cases, cortical vitreous along the inner surface of the ILL of the retina in 10, and cortical vitreous sandwiched between the ILL of the retina and a layer of cells in 9. Conclusions Tangential traction induced by fluid movements affecting the cortical vitreous is a major factor in the pathogenesis of idiopathic macular holes. Cellular proliferation is a secondary change seen in 22.2% of cases.
Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Multiple System Atrophy

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a sporadic, adult onset, relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by autonomic abnormalities associated with parkinsonism, cerebellar dysfunction, pyramidal signs, or combinations thereof. Treatments that can halt or reverse the progression of MSA have not yet been identified. MSA is neuropathologically defined by the presence of α-synuclein-containing inclusions, particularly in the cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes (glial cytoplasmic inclusions, GCIs), which are associated with neurodegeneration. The mechanisms by which oligodendrocytic α-synuclein inclusions cause neuronal death in MSA are not completely understood. The MSA neurodegenerative process likely comprises cell-to-cell transmission of α-synuclein in a prion-like manner, α-synuclein aggregation, increased oxidative stress, abnormal expression of tubulin proteins, decreased expression of neurotrophic factors, excitotoxicity and microglial activation, and neuroinflammation. In an attempt to block each of these pathogenic mechanisms, several pharmacologic approaches have been tried and shown to exert neuroprotective effects in transgenic mouse or cellular models of MSA. These include sertraline, paroxetine, and lithium, which hamper arrival of α-synuclein to oligodendroglia; rifampicin, lithium, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which inhibit α-synuclein aggregation in oligodendrocytes; riluzole, rasagiline, fluoxetine and mesenchymal stem cells, which exert neuroprotective actions; and minocycline and intravenous immunoglobulins, which reduce neuroinflammation and microglial activation. These and other potential therapeutic strategies for MSA are summarized in this review.
Influenza Virus Primes Mice for Pneumonia From Staphylococcus aureus

Superinfections from Staphylococcus aureus following influenza are an increasing concern. We assessed several laboratory and clinical strains in a mouse coinfection model with influenza virus. A methicillin-resistant USA300 clone and several recent clinical strains from patients with necrotizing pneumonia caused high mortality following influenza virus infection in mice. Both viral and bacterial lung titers were enhanced during coinfections compared with single infections. However, differences in titers did not correspond with differences in disease outcomes in a comparison of superinfections from a highly pathogenic strain with those from a poorly pathogenic strain. These strains did differ, however, in expression of Panton-Valentine leukocidin and in the degree of inflammatory lung damage each engendered. The viral cytotoxin PB1-F2 contributed to the negative outcomes. These data suggest that additional study of specific bacterial virulence factors involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation and lung damage during coinfections is needed.
Semiparametric estimation of yield loss due to mistiming of crop operations

Abstract In agricultural economics, estimating parametric production functions is a common technique in the analysis of the economics of crop cultivation. However, when the timing of farmwork is included as an input factor, the parametric estimation approach can be inappropriate. This paper proposes a semiparametric regression method in this case.
Stress Dependence of the E1 and E1 + Δ1 Transitions in InSb and GaSb

A double-beam wavelength modulation technique has been used to measure the effect of static uniaxial compression along the [111] and [001] directions on the E1 and E1 + Δ1 peaks of the reflection spectrum of InSb and GaSb. The splitting of these peaks under [111] stress and the absence of a splitting for [001] stress confirms the Λ symmetry of the corresponding critical points. From the magnitude of the stress-induced splittings and shifts of these peaks the hydrostatic and shear deformation potentials of the corresponding gaps have been determined. Der Einflus einer einachsigen Spannung auf die E1 und E1 + Δ1 Reflektionsmaxima von InSb und GaSb wurde untersucht. Fur die Messungen wurde ein Spektrometer mit Wellenlangenmodulation benutzt. Diese Maxima zeigen eine Aufspaltung unter [111]-Spannung, die die Λ-Symmetrie der entsprechenden Ubergange bestatigt. Die Deformationspotentiale dieser Ubergange wurden aus den Grosen der spannungserzeugten Aufspaltungen und Verschiebungen hergeleitet.
Dielectric and hydraulic response of selected forest canopies at the BOREAS test sites in Canada

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) is a multidisciplinary field and remote sensing study the goal of which is to obtain an improved understanding of the interactions between the boreal forest biome and the atmosphere in order to clarify their roles in global change. The two principal BOREAS field sites, both located within Canada, are located in the southern boreal ecotone, encompassing Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, and in the northern boreal ecotone near Thompson, Manitoba. This paper presents a very brief synopsis of measurements that were performed at the BOREAS experiment sites to examine the dielectric and hydraulic properties of several tree species within these sites. The authors installed instrumentation designed to allow characterization of the hydraulic response of the vegetation in five stands within the BOREAS area. The five selected stands were: (1) Old Black Spruce, (2) Old Black Spruce, (3) Old Aspen, (4) Old Jack Pine and (5) Young Jack Pine. Within each stand, xylem water flux and bole temperature were monitored in several trees. Microclimate and transpiration measurements were supplemented with mid-canopy air temperature and relative humidity observations to allow calculation of mid-canopy vapor pressure deficit. Also, soil temperature was monitored at various depths to obtain temperature profiles. These measurements were obtained continuously in most of the stands throughout most of 1994. Xylem water potential was also monitored at various times throughout the season. This work has especial importance for radar remote sensing.
A novel combinatorial approach to the development of beta titanium alloys for orthopaedic implants

Abstract In recent years there has been a significant thrust directed towards the development of novel implant alloys based on β-Ti. Two recently developed and promising biocompatible β-Ti alloys are Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta and Ti–29Nb–4.6Zr–13Ta. While both these alloy compositions, based on the quaternary Ti–Nb–Zr–Ta system, are promising, there is still a tremendous scope for improvement in terms of alloy design in this and other systems via optimization of alloy composition and thermo-mechanical treatments. Here a novel combinatorial approach has been used for the development of implant alloys with optimized compositions and microstructures. Using directed laser deposition, compositionally graded alloy samples based on the Ti–Nb–Zr–Ta system have been fabricated. These samples have been heat-treated to affect different microstructures in terms of the volume fraction and distribution of the α phase in the β matrix as a function of composition. Subsequently, composition-specific indentation-based hardness and modulus information has been obtained from these samples to construct a database relating the composition and microstructure to the mechanical properties. These databases have been used to train and test fuzzy-logic based neural-network models for predicting the mechanical properties. The trained models have also been used to predict the influence of different alloying additions on the hardness and modulus. These predictions have subsequently been verified by detailed experimental characterization, shedding light on the factors influencing the strength and modulus in these alloys. Such modeling approaches for the development of novel implant alloys can be highly beneficial since they offer the possibility of identifying promising compositions without the necessity for extensive experimental test cycles.
Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Antigen 2 Is a Specific Marker of Type I IFN-Producing Cells in the Naive Mouse, but a Promiscuous Cell Surface Antigen following IFN Stimulation

Type I IFN-producing cells (IPC) are sentinels of viral infections. Identification and functional characterization of these cells have been difficult because of their small numbers in blood and tissues and their complex cell surface phenotype. To overcome this problem in mice, mAbs recognizing IPC-specific cell surface molecules have been generated. In this study, we report the identification of new Abs specific for mouse IPC, which recognize the bone marrow stromal cell Ag 2 (BST2). Interestingly, previously reported IPC-specific Abs 120G8 and plasmacytoid dendritic cell Ag-1 also recognize BST2. BST2 is predominantly specific for mouse IPC in naive mice, but is up-regulated on most cell types following stimulation with type I IFNs and IFN-γ. The activation-induced promiscuous expression of BST2 described in this study has important implications for the use of anti-BST2 Abs in identification and depletion of IPC. Finally, we show that BST2 resides within an intracellular compartment corresponding to the Golgi apparatus, and may be involved in trafficking secreted cytokines in IPC.
Variation in exposure levels for high hazard frequently monitored agents.

Assumptions about the underlying distribution of occupational exposures are important to the practice of industrial hygiene. They affect decisions on exposure monitoring strategies, the interpretation of monitoring results, and the degree of protection provided by occupational exposure limits and action levels. However, there is little published data validating these assumptions. Strict exposure limits for three highly hazardous agents, asbestos, beryllium, and ionizing radiation, led to frequent monitoring of occupational exposure levels. Consequently, sets of hundreds to thousands of exposure measurements are available for analysis. Statistical analysis of these data sets indicates that within-worker variation, as measured by geometric standard deviation (GSD), tend to be higher than is generally assumed for occupational exposures. The success of health protection programs in identifying and controlling predictable sources of exposure through frequent monitoring is offered as a possible explanation for ...
Statistical verification of two non-linear real-time UAV controllers

We present a versatile statistical verification methodology and we illustrate different uses of this methodology on two examples of nonlinear real-time UAV controllers. The first example applies our statistical methodology to the verification of a computation time property for a software implementation of a high-performance controller as a function of controller state variable values. The second example illustrates our statistical verification methodology applied to finding verifiably safe flight envelopes for a class of maneuvers, again as a function of controller state variable values. We compare our approach to verification with other statistical techniques used for estimating execution times and controller performance. We close with candidate topics for future work.
Avida: a software platform for research in computational evolutionary biology

Avida is a software platform for experiments with self-replicating and evolving computer programs. It provides detailed control over experimental settings and protocols, a large array of measurement tools, and sophisticated methods to analyze and post-process experimental data. We explain the general principles on which Avida is built, as well as its main components and their interactions. We also explain how experiments are set up, carried out, and analyzed.
Additive Manufacturing and Characterization of René 80 Superalloy Processed Through Scanning Laser Epitaxy for Turbine Engine Hot-Section Component Repair

This article demonstrates single-pass fabrication of thick, crack-free deposits of Rene 80, a high gamma-prime “non-weldable” superalloy, atop like-chemistry substrates through scanning laser epitaxy (SLE), a metal powder bed-based laser additive manufacturing (AM) technique. Microstructural investigations and processing zone identification are presented. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy reveal the segregated dendritic microstructure with the presence of finer carbides and primary γ′ particles. Transmission electron microscopy reveals a bimodal distribution of finer secondary γ′ particles in the deposit region. Microindentation hardness measurements show an increase in the hardness value by 25% in the deposit region compared to the cast substrate due to microstructural refinement. In addition to the achievement of metallurgical continuity across the interface and improved hardness in the deposit, the crack-free deposits obtained here for Rene 80 represent one of the few successes reported for a non-weldable alloy of its kind. The results presented here illustrate the significant potential of SLE for the AM-based repair of existing and AM-based construction of entirely new gas turbine hot-section components utilizing powders of high γ′ nickel-based superalloys that have long been known to have high tendency for cracking under the processing conditions associated with traditional welding, joining, and cladding approaches.
Amelioration of graft versus host disease by galectin-1

Graft versus host disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Galectin-1, a mammalian lectin that modulates T cell function and apoptosis, has been shown to be immunomodulatory in animal models of autoimmune disease. We investigated the efficacy of galectin-1 in a murine model of graft versus host disease and found that 68% of galectin-1-treated mice survived, compared to 3% of vehicle-treated mice. Galectin-1-treated animals also had reduced inflammatory infiltrates in tissues compared to animals treated with vehicle alone. Galectin-1 did not affect engraftment of donor hematopoietic cells. However, galectin-1-treated animals demonstrated increased cellularity in bone marrow and spleen with increased numbers of splenic B cells and CD4 T cells compared to those animals treated with vehicle alone. Galectin-1 treatment also significantly improved reconstitution of normal splenic architecture following transplant. Production of type I cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ was reduced in splenocytes derived from galectin-1-treated transplanted mice when compared to animals treated with vehicle alone, while production of the type II cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10, was similar between the two groups of animals. Although splenocytes from galectin-1-treated transplanted animals responded to both third party antigens and leukemic challenge, host alloreactivity was significantly reduced when compared to cells from vehicle-treated animals. These results demonstrate that galectin-1 therapy is capable of increasing survival and suppressing the graft versus host immune response without compromising engraftment or immune reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Maladaptation and natural selection.

ABSTRACT The transformations George Williams initiated in evolutionary biology seem so blindingly obvious in retrospect that they spur the question of why he saw what no one else did. While most humans are prone to see only what theory predicts, Williams sees in bold relief whatever does not fit. Not an adaptationist or an anti‐adaptationist, Williams is better described as a maladaptionist. The challenge of finding evolutionary explanations for apparent maladaptations has been overlooked with casualness akin to that once typical for group selection. Suboptimal traits tend to be dismissed as illustrations of the weakness and stochastic nature of selection compared with mutation and drift. A closer look suggests that such constraints are only one of six possible kinds of explanations for apparently suboptimal designs: mismatch, coevolution, tradeoffs, constraints, reproductive advantage at the expense of the individual, and defenses that are aversive but useful. Medicine has asked proximate questions at ev...
Amplitude-variation-with-offset and prestack-waveform inversion: A direct comparison using a real data example from the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming, USA

ABSTRACTRecent advances in seismic data acquisition and processing allow routine extraction of offset-/angle-dependent reflection amplitudes from prestack seismic data for quantifying subsurface lithologic and fluid properties. Amplitude-variation-with-offset (AVO) inversion is the most commonly used practice for such quantification. Although quite successful, AVO has a few shortcomings primarily due to the simplicity in its inherent assumptions, and for any quantitative estimation of reservoir properties, they are generally interpreted in combination with other information. In recent years, waveform-based inversions have gained popularity in reservoir characterization and depth imaging. Going beyond the simple assumptions of AVO and using wave equation solutions, these methods have been effective in accurately predicting the subsurface properties. Developments of these waveform inversions have so far been along two lines: (1) the methods that use a locally 1D model of the subsurface for each common midpo...
Risk and safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: report and suggested guidelines from the International Workshop on the Safety of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, June 5–7, 1996

Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and useful tool for investigating various aspects of human neurophysiology, particularly corticospinal function, in health and disease. Repetitive TMS (rTMS), however, is a more powerful and potentially dangerous modality, capable of regionally blocking or facilitating cortical processes. Although there is evidence that rTMS is useful for treating clinical depression, and possibly other brain disorders, it had caused 7 known seizures by 1996 and could have other undesirable effects. In June 1996 a workshop was organized to review the available data on the safety of rTMS and to develop guidelines for its safe use. This article summarizes the workshop’s deliberations. In addition to issues of risk and safety, it also addresses the principles and applications of rTMS, nomenclature, and potential therapeutic effects of rTMS. The guidelines for the use of rTMS, which are summarized in an appendix, cover the ethical issues, recommended limits on stimulation parameters, monitoring of subjects (both physiologically and neuropsychologically), expertise and function of the rTMS team, medical and psychosocial management of induced seizures, and contraindications to rTMS. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
A new scheme on privacy-preserving data classification

We address privacy-preserving classification problem in a distributed system. Randomization has been the approach proposed to preserve privacy in such scenario. However, this approach is now proven to be insecure as it has been discovered that some privacy intrusion techniques can be used to reconstruct private information from the randomized data tuples. We introduce an algebraic-technique-based scheme. Compared to the randomization approach, our new scheme can build classifiers more accurately but disclose less private information. Furthermore, our new scheme can be readily integrated as a middleware with existing systems.
Practical photonic beamforming

The impetus for future array antenna systems has revolved around the demands for increased capabilities in array antennas including larger arrays higher power and better angular resolution, wide bandwidths, reconfigurability and higher operating frequencies. In order to move microwave photonics technology for array antennas beyond the proof-of-concept phase and to compete with alternate approaches, the community must be quicker to grasp the systems issues involved. This paper surveys some of the photonics techniques for optical control of array antennas, addresses the system-level issues for technology insertion and discusses some of the competing technologies.
Perceived barriers in the use of ultrasound in developing countries

Background Access to ultrasound has increased significantly in resource-limited settings, including the developing world; however, there remains a lack of sonography education and ultrasound-trained physician support in developing countries. To further investigate this potential knowledge gap, our primary objective was to assess perceived barriers to ultrasound use in resource-limited settings by surveying care providers who practice in low- and middle-income settings.
Reference sequence (RefSeq) database at NCBI: current status, taxonomic expansion, and functional annotation

The RefSeq project at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) maintains and curates a publicly available database of annotated genomic, transcript, and protein sequence records (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/refseq/). The RefSeq project leverages the data submitted to the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) against a combination of computation, manual curation, and collaboration to produce a standard set of stable, non-redundant reference sequences. The RefSeq project augments these reference sequences with current knowledge including publications, functional features and informative nomenclature. The database currently represents sequences from more than 55,000 organisms (>4800 viruses, >40,000 prokaryotes and >10,000 eukaryotes; RefSeq release 71), ranging from a single record to complete genomes. This paper summarizes the current status of the viral, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic branches of the RefSeq project, reports on improvements to data access and details efforts to further expand the taxonomic representation of the collection. We also highlight diverse functional curation initiatives that support multiple uses of RefSeq data including taxonomic validation, genome annotation, comparative genomics, and clinical testing. We summarize our approach to utilizing available RNA-Seq and other data types in our manual curation process for vertebrate, plant, and other species, and describe a new direction for prokaryotic genomes and protein name management.
Ultrasound-Guided Intercostobrachial Nerve Block for Intercostobrachial Neuralgia in Breast Cancer Patients: A Case Series

This case series describes 3 cases in which ultrasound-guided intercostobrachial perineural injection was used for intercostobrachial neuralgia, a common cause of postmastectomy pain syndrome. All cases had undergone modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Two cases developed axillary and unilateral chest wall pain. The third case initially presented with axillary pain and lateral shoulder pain 1 year out from radical mastectomy. After a cervical epidural steroid injection, her lateral shoulder pain resolved, but she continued to have residual chest wall paresthesia. It was at this time, we decided to treat with an intercostobrachial nerve perineural injection. Injury to the intercostobrachial nerve is thought to be a common cause of postmastectomy pain. In our case series, all patients had pain relief after the intercostobrachial perineural injection. There is a relative dearth of published information on the treatment of postmastectomy pain and more specifically intercostobrachial neuralgia. We review the anatomy of the intercostobrachial nerve and its variants, etiologies of intercostobrachial neuralgia, and current indications and methods of an intercostobrachial perineural injection.
Insulin stimulates the tyrosine dephosphorylation of docking protein p130cas (Crk-associated substrate), promoting the switch of the adaptor protein Crk from p130cas to newly phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1

The docking protein p130(cas) (Crk-associated substrate) forms a stable complex with the adaptor protein CrkII in a tyrosine-phosphorylation-dependent manner. Insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrates results in the redistribution of CrkII between p130(cas) and insulin receptor substrate-1. A decrease in the association between CrkII and p130(cas) in response to insulin stimulation was detected in CHO cells stably expressing insulin receptor or insulin receptor substrate-1, and in L6 rat myoblasts. Along with the decrease in the association of CrkII with p130(cas), the amount of tyrosine-phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 co-precipitated with CrkII increased in all cell types studied. The insulin-induced decrease in the CrkII-p130(cas) association was further confirmed by Far Western Blot analysis with the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain of CrkII. Insulin regulates the association of CrkII with p130(cas) by tyrosine dephosphorylation of p130(cas) and co-ordinated tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1. Tyrosine-phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 serves as a docking protein for multiple adaptor proteins and competes with p130(cas) for CrkII.
NMR Determination of Hydrogen Bond Thermodynamics in a Simple Diamide: A Physical Chemistry Experiment

Variable temperature NMR spectroscopy is used to determine the ΔH° and ΔS° of hydrogen bond formation in a simple diamide. In this two- or three-day experiment, students synthesize N,N′-dimethylmalonamide, dimethylsuccinamide, dimethylglutaramide, or dimethyladipamide from methylamine and the corresponding diester (typically in 50% recrystallized yield) and record NMR spectra at temperatures between 200 and 313 K. Solutions of N-methylacetamide in concentrations between 1.00 mM and 13.1 M (neat) are prepared and their NMR spectra recorded to determine the chemical shift of the amide proton in the hydrogen-bonded (δB) and nonbonded (δN) limits. By using these data, the equilibrium constants, ΔH°, and ΔS° for the conversion of an open-chain diamide to a cyclic structure with an intramolecular hydrogen bond are determined.
Latinos as the “Living Dead”: Raciality, expendability, and border militarization

This essay proposes a model for analyzing the militarization of the US–Mexico border and, more specifically, the death toll that it has elicited. It counters existing critiques of border militarization that imply that the border death toll is a result of a scheme for labor exploitation associated with late global capitalism. This essay argues that while entrapment and exploitation account for the economic exploitability of Latin American immigrants and of Latinos writ large, the border death toll is more a reflection of the role that race has played in structuring modern nation states like the United States. The death toll, moreover, is largely the result of how Latinidad has been produced as an ethno-racial signifier of peril within the socio-logics of US sovereignty. To account for this condition, this essay introduces the term racial state of expendability.
CRT-808 Rates Of Vascular Access Use In Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Look Into The Next Generation

Vascular complications are a major source of morbidity and mortality associated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). As smaller delivery systems emerge we sought to identify differences in vascular access use. We analyzed all patients who had undergone TAVR in a single center from
Factor Invariance in the Measurement of Children's Manifest Anxiety:

Anxiety has been shown to be an important variable affecting an individual's performance ( 4 ) . In measuring anxiety, an important problem is the stability of the factors across populations. That true factor scores for individuals remain constant independent of the selection of tests or the sampling of individuals in a set of experiments is the definition of factor invariance. The purpose of this study was to determine the factor invariance of the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, which ( 1 ) has been adapted from the scale for adults ( 6 ) . It has 42 statements measuring manifest anxiety and 11 items for an L scale (tendency to falsify). The score on the Anxiety factor is derived by counting the number of "Yes" responses. The Lie score is determined by counting "Yes" responses on 9 items and "No" responses on 2 items. Kitano ( 3 ) reported Kuder-Richardson reliability of .86 for the Anxiety Scale and found significant differences between regular classes and special ones on adjustment as evidence for discriminant validity. For the present study, Ss were 611 pupils in Grades 4 through 7 of 2 elementary schools of a southeastern suburban school district. They participated in research to determine the effects on manifest anxiety of moving into a vastly different school environment with few interior walls, no windows, and much more open space ( 5 ) . The 53 individual dichotomous-item responses of the 611 pupils were factor analyzed by use of the BMD03M program ( 2 ) . Principal component solution and orthogonal rotation of the factor matrix were performed with three iteration cycles. Two factors were identified? Factor I consisted of the 42 items identified by the authors as the Anxiety Scale; this factor had an eigenvalue of 14.84 and accounted for 28.0% of the variance. Rotated factor loadings for individual Anxiety items ranged from .44 to .69 with a median of .59 and a mean of .59 by Fisher z-transformation. (Two items had the highest loadings: "I worry about what is going to happen;" "I feel that others do not like the way I do things.") Factor I1 consisted of the I 1 ]terns originally identified as the L scale; the eigenvalue was 3.51 and accounted for 6 6% of the variance. Factor loadings ranged from .34 to .82, with a median of .65 and a mean of .69 by Fisher z-transformation. The highest loading was on the item: "I am always nice to everyone." The factor structure for chis sample corresponded precisely to that of earlier samples ( 1 ) . That the test had factorial invariance for this sample and is homogeneous is apparent and may be considered as substantial evidence for its construct validity, as well as simple structure.
Tension and Bending Testing of an Integral T-Cap for Stitched Composite Airframe Joints

The Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) is a structural concept that was developed by The Boeing Company to address the complex structural design aspects associated with a pressurized hybrid wing body aircraft configuration. An important design feature required for assembly is the integrally stitched T-cap, which provides connectivity of the corner (orthogonal) joint between adjacent panels. A series of tests were conducted on T-cap test articles, with and without a rod stiffener penetrating the T-cap web, under tension (pull-off) and bending loads. Three designs were tested, including the baseline design used in large-scale test articles. The baseline had only the manufacturing stitch row adjacent to the fillet at the base of the T-cap web. Two new designs added stitching rows to the T-cap web at either 0.5- or 1.0-inch spacing along the height of the web. Testing was conducted at NASA Langley Research Center to determine the behavior of the T-cap region resulting from the applied loading. Results show that stitching arrests the initial delamination failures so that the maximum strength capability exceeds the load at which the initial delaminations develop. However, it was seen that the added web stitching had very little effect on the initial delamination failure load, but actually decreased the initial delamination failure load for tension loading of test articles without a stiffener passing through the web. Additionally, the added web stitching only increased the maximum load capability by between 1% and 12.5%. The presence of the stiffener, however, did increase the initial and maximum loads for both tension and bending loading as compared to the stringerless baseline design. Based on the results of the few samples tested, the additional stitching in the T-cap web showed little advantage over the baseline design in terms of structural failure at the T-cap web/skin junction for the current test articles.
Atmospheric Deposition of Indium in the Northeastern United States: Flux and Historical Trends.

The metal indium is an example of an increasingly important material used in electronics and new energy technologies, whose environmental behavior and toxicity are poorly understood despite increasing evidence of detrimental health impacts and human-induced releases to the environment. In the present work, the history of indium deposition from the atmosphere is reconstructed from its depositional record in an ombrotrophic bog in Massachusetts. A novel freeze-coring technique is used to overcome coring difficulties posed by woody roots and peat compressibility, enabling retrieval of relatively undisturbed peat cores dating back more than a century. Results indicate that long-range atmospheric transport is a significant pathway for the transport of indium, with peak concentrations of 69 ppb and peak fluxes of 1.9 ng/cm2/yr. Atmospheric deposition to the bog began increasing in the late 1800s/early 1900s, and peaked in the early 1970s. A comparison of deposition data with industrial production and emissions ...
Rotational energy transfer in H2 + H2

Abstract Quantum-mechanical close-coupling calculations for state-to-state cross-sections and thermal rate coefficients are reported for H 2 + H 2 collisions. Two recently developed potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the H 2 –H 2 system are applied, namely, the global potential surface from the work [A.I. Boothroyd et al., J. Chem. Phys. 116 (2002) 666], and a restricted, model surface from the work [P. Diep and J.K. Johnson, J. Chem. Phys. 113 (2000) 3480; P. Diep, J.K. Johnson, J. Chem. Phys. 112 (2000) 4465]. The low temperature limit is investigated. We found significant differences in cross-sections and corresponding thermal rate coefficients calculated with these two PESs.
Use of Intraluminal Stents in the Treatment of Carotid, Renal, and Peripheral Arterial Disease

Abstract Arterial disease involving renal, carotid, and lower extremity arteries [labeled as peripheral artery disease (PAD) for the purposes ofthis review] is increasing in frequency as the baby boomer generation ages and more patients are successfully treated for and survive longer with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). Until the introduction of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), surgery was the only option for treating limb ischemia, renal vascular hypertension, and carotid artery stenoses. The advent of catheter-based therapies has revolutionized therapeutic alternatives for patients with PAD. The advantages of percutaneous intervention compared with vascular surgery are reduced morbidity, diminished hospitalization time, rapid return to work, and significant cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, PTA may complement vascular surgery by increasing inflow and/or outflow so that difficult surgical procedures may be performed more successfully.
Accuracy of physician prognosis in heart failure and lung cancer: Comparison between physician estimates and model predicted survival:

Background:Anticipating adverse outcomes guides decisions but can be particularly challenging in heart failure.Aim:We sought to assess the accuracy and comfort of physicians in predicting prognosis...