cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impression creep of LiF single crystals

Abstract Impression creep tests of LiF single crystals at 600–750[ddot]C and under punching stresses of 4-30 MN/m2 are reported. Both temperature and stress dependences are comparable with those of conventional compression creep tests under similar conditions. These dependences give a power law stress exponent of 4–5 and an activation enthalpy of 52 kcal/mole. A finite element numerical analysis shows consistency between the measured impressing velocity and the conventional power law constitutive equation assumed for the plastic deformation of each element. The dislocation structure developed under the punch as revealed by etch pits indicates that the depth of the plastic zone is comparable to the punch diameter.
A strong renewal theorem for generalized renewal functions in the infinite mean case

LetF(x) be a nonarithmetic c.d.f. on (0, ∞) such that 1 —F(x)=x−αL(x), whereL(x) is slowly varying and 0≤α≤1. Leta(x) be regularly varying with exponent β≥1. A strong renewal theorem (of Blackwell type) for generalized renewal functions of the form\(G(t) \equiv \sum\limits_{n = 0}^\infty {a(n) F^n (t)} \) is proved here, thus extending the recent work of Embrechts, Maejima and Omey [1] and that of Erickson [4].
Dementia after stroke is a predictor of long-term survival.

The aim of this study was to determine whether dementia after stroke adversely influences long-term survival.Subjects were 251 patients > or = 60 years of age with ischemic stroke who were given neurological, neuropsychological, and functional examinations 3 months after hospitalization and were followed up prospectively. Using criteria modified from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-R, dementia was found in 66 (26.3%) patients at the 3-month baseline examination. Life-table methods were used to estimate mortality rates in the groups with and without dementia after 1 to 5 years of follow-up, Kaplan-Meier curves to estimate the cumulative proportion surviving with and without dementia, and Cox proportional-hazards analysis to compute the relative risk of mortality associated with dementia at baseline, after adjusting for other potential predictors of stroke mortality.The mortality rate was 19.8 deaths per 100 person-years with dementia compared with 6.9 deaths per 100 person-yea...
The T cell cometh: interplay between adaptive immunity and cytokine networks in rheumatoid arthritis.

The etiology of autoimmunity in humans remains poorly defined, and animal models provide a unique opportunity to study potential autoimmune mechanisms. A novel model of autoimmune inflammatory arthritis results from a point mutation in the ζ-associated–protein of 70 kDa (ZAP-70), which causes abnormal thymic T cell selection and survival of autoreactive clones. Although the resulting clinical and pathologic abnormalities are clearly T cell–dependent, macrophage and fibroblast cytokines such as IL-1 and TNF-α are required for full expression of the disease. The studies of Hata et al. raise the intriguing possibility that traditional proinflammatory cytokine networks represent common effector mechanisms in inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Hence, effective therapeutic interventions can target either unique etiologic pathways related to adaptive immune responses or shared terminal mechanisms.
Pole term and gauge invariance in deep inelastic scattering

In this paper the authors reconcile two contradictory statements about deep inelastic scattering (DIS) in manifestly covariant theories: (1) the scattering must be gauge invariant, even in the deep inelastic limit, and (2) the pole term (which is not gauge invariant in a covariant theory) dominates the scattering amplitude in the deep inelastic limit. An ``intermediate'' answer is found to be true. They show that, at all energies, the gauge dependent part of the pole term cancels the gauge dependent part of the rescattering term, so that both the pole and rescattering terms can be separately redefined in a gauge invariant fashion. The resulting, redefined pole term is then shown to dominate the scattering in the deep inelastic limit. Details are worked out for a simple example in 1+1 dimensions.
Expression of genes containing the IgH enhancer in non-lymphoid cells.

Abstract Nuclear run-on experiments were used to verify the hypothesis that extinction of expression of Ig synthesis in L cell × myeloma hybrids occurs at the transcriptional level. Both the H chain enhancer and promoter have been shown to be the targets for extinction in myeloma × T cell hydrids. To examine the expression of genes containing the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IgH) enhancer in stably transfected non-B cells, we used a vector with two selectable markers, one of which (gpt providing resistance to mycophenolic acid) either lacks an enhancer or contains the IgH enhancer, the other (neo providing resistance to G418) contains an SV40 enhancer. Stable transfectants of both myeloma (J558L) and L cells selected using G418 were tested to determine if they are also mycophenolic acid resistant. When the IgH enhancer is positioned 3' to the gpt gene, transfected J558L are mycophenolic acid resistant whereas stably transfected L-cells are mycophenolic acid sensitive. However, when large numbers of L cell transfectants are exposed to mycophenolic acid for a prolonged period, resistant subclones emerge. When the 700-bp IgH enhancer fragment was used, the majority of the subclones examined had amplified the vector, between 3 and 38 copies; when a 400-bp subfragment was used no change in the integrated genes was seen. In both cases, in the mycophenolic acid resistant subclones, increased accumulation of gpt and neo mRNA is seen. However, the gpt specific transcripts are heterogeneous in size whereas the neo transcripts are of a discrete size. The heterogeneity of the gpt transcripts results at least in part from heterogeneous initiation. When HXM-resistant L cell subclones are fused to the γ2b, k myeloma 4T001, extinction of Ig production occurs; therefore these cells are still capable of negatively regulating Ig expression. These results are discussed from the standpoint of both cis and trans regulatory elements and factors in non-lymphoid cells.
Model for Inactivation of α‐Amylase in the Presence of Salts: Theoretical and Experimental Studies

According to a previous report, only the smaller anions, like chlorides,that readily fit into the anion binding site of alpha-amylase can cause an increased stability (relative to enzymes in aqueous solution), and the anions that are too large to fit into the binding site should have no effect on the enzyme. Even though the results on large benzoate ions are consistent with the above postulate, much larger citrate ions from sodium and potassium citrate show stabilization at moderate salt concentrations and follow an expected trend of low stability only at large salt concentrations. The citrate ions from ammonium citrate exhibit very little to almost no stabilization. In addition, low to moderate concentrations of NaCl that provide a large stability to the enzyme show almost no stability in the presence of EDTA. We put forward an inactivation model that involves a reversible dissociation of the anion bound to the protein, followed by a reversible inactivation step of calcium ion dissociation and an irreversible denaturation step of apoenzyme.
Frequency translation via four-wave mixing Bragg scattering in Rb filled photonic bandgap fibers

We demonstrate frequency translation at microwatt pump power levels in Rubidium vapor confined to a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber using four-wave mixing Bragg scattering. The 5S1/2→5D3/2 two-photon transition in Rb85 is employed for the four-wave mixing process. Using continuous-wave pump beams at 780 and 795 nm, a weak signal beam at 776 nm is translated to a wavelength of 762 nm with a 21% conversion efficiency at pump powers of 300 μW.
Deformation of porous aggregates of calcite and quartz using the isostatic hot-pressing technique

The creep strength of porous and fully dense solids can differ in substantial ways, and thus it is of geologic interest to investigate the effect of porosity on the deformation of earth materials. In our experiments, porous monomineralic aggregates of both quartz and calcite were isostatically hot-pressed for various lengths of time under pressures of up to 600 MPa and temperatures of up to 800°C for calcite and 1250°C for quartz. Densities achieved were 0.993 theoretical for calcite and 0.89 for quartz. The apparent activation energy for hotpressing was 40 kcal/mole ± 20 for quartz and 5 kcal/mole for calcite. The mechanisms of densification for quartz under these experimental conditions appeared to contain a substantial diffusional component, although this was not proven conclusively. The addition of water as a pore fluid substantially increased the densification rate. Some of the calcite samples showed rapid decreases in the final densities reached at higher temperatures, which were interpreted as having been caused by decarbonation as a result of the lithostatic load and the low CO2 pressure in the pore space. This decarbonation occurred at substantially lower temperatures than would be expected if the sample were fully dense. Both these experiments and previously published discussions of hot-pressing seem to indicate that the densification rate will be strongly affected by the porosity present, and that it will be very difficult to predict the creep deformation properties of porous earth materials using theory or experiments on fully dense minerals alone.
Unsteady motions of degrading or aging linearized elastic solids

Abstract Many structures are made of concrete and steel. The response characteristics of such structures that are exposed to the environment change due to its impact such as oxidation due to moisture. Usually the structural element “degrades” in that the load bearing capacity decreases; it also decreases due to “aging”. On the other hand, chemicals are infused into biological systems in order to enhance their strength. Thus far, not much attention has been paid to studying such problems. In this investigation, we study the response of a linearized elastic solid whose material properties change due to the diffusion of a chemical.
Problems and pitfalls of electroglottography

Summary The popularity and usefulness of the electroglottograph (EGG) has increased remarkably since its introduction over a decade ago. It has been used to measure fundamental frequency of phonation, fundamental frequency perturbation, details of the vocal fold vibratory cycle, as well as to provide an indication of laryngeal vertical movement. It has also been used with a variety of speech and voice disorders. The EGG is not without its limitations and problems. Some of these are found in the electronic designs of specific instruments, whereas other problems are related to subject characteristics, the placement of the electrodes, electrode symmetry, and subject/instrument interaction. This article explores some of these concerns, primarily from the perspective of two individuals who have used the EGG extensively with children, men and women, voice patients, stutterers, and neurologically impaired persons. Some of the concerns to consider and pitfalls to avoid in the interpretation and measurement of EGG signal are discussed.
Intrahippocampal Scopolamine Impairs Both Acquisition and Consolidation of Contextual Fear Conditioning

Lesions of the dorsal hippocampus have been shown to disrupt both the acquisition and the consolidation of memories associated with contextual fear (fear of the place of conditioning), but do not affect fear conditioning to discrete cues (e.g., a tone). Blockade of central muscarinic cholinergic receptor activation results in selective acquisition deficits of contextual fear conditioning, but reportedly has little effect on consolidation. Here we show for the first time that direct infusion of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist, scopolamine, into the dorsal hippocampus produces a dose-dependent deficit in both acquisition and consolidation of contextual fear conditioning, while having no impact on simple tone conditioning.
Tenogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells via a combinatory effect of aligned chitosan–poly-caprolactone nanofibers and TGF-β3

Tendon injury occurs frequently and tendon repair is limited by its poor self-healing. The current tissue engineering approach for treating tendon injuries has showed limited success, largely due to the lack of scaffolds with suitable structural and biological properties, and suitable growth factors for differentiation of stem cells into tendon cells. This study investigated if the combination of environmental and biological cues from aligned chitosan–poly-caprolactone (C–PCL) combined with TGF-β3 growth factor can efficiently and rapidly direct the tenogenic differentiation of primary human bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). C–PCL nanofibers were prepared to have the anisotropic nanostructure, and mechanical and biological properties similar to those of the native tendon extracellular matrix (ECM). The tenogenic commitment of BMSCs was assessed using cell morphology, and gene and protein expressions. BMSCs grown on uniaxially aligned C–PCL nanofibers in a medium containing TGF-β3 displayed an elongated morphology along nanofiber orientation, upregulated expressions of marker genes, and increased collagen production associated with tenogenic differentiation as compared to control substrates. Significantly, this tenogenic microenvironment induced the transcription of tenogenic markers in 5 days and production of a large amount of Collagen I in 10 days, more effective and faster than existing scaffolds combined with growth factors. This research reveals that a combinative effect of aligned C–PCL nanofibers and TGF-β3, as environmental and biological cues, can lead to rapid, effective BMSC differentiation into tenogenic progenitors, offering a potential strategy for managing tendon disorders.
Alignment as Biological Inspiration for Control of Multi Agent Systems

In this chapter, a framework for the evolution of an MAS under alignment strategy is developed. This novel idea comes from the hypothesis that natural biological swarms do not perform peer-to-peer communication to sustain the group behavior as a collective. The group evolution is more likely based on what each individual agent perceives of its nearby agent’s behavior to control its own action. Most available engineering swarms rely on local interaction, where an individual agent requires precise state information of its neighboring agents to evolve. Here, agents of an MAS are considered as particles of a continuum (deformable Body) transforming under a homogeneous mapping. Using the key property of homogeneous transformation that two crossing straight lines in an initial configuration translate as two different crossing straight lines, agents can evolve collectively without peer-to-peer communication.
Volumetric motion tracking of the left ventricle of the heart from tagged MRI by a B-spline solid model

Accurate delineation of the volumetric motion of Left- Ventricle (LV) of the heart from magnetic resonance imaging is an important area of research. We have built a system that takes tagged short-axis (SA) and long-axis (LA) image sequences as input, fits a 3D B-spline solid model to the LV of the heart by matching 3 sequences of solid knot planes to 3 sequences of tag planes, and volumetrically tracks the LV deformations. The formulation described in this article is more efficient than our previously proposed B-spline solid work. The advantage of the B-spline solid is that each LV myocardial point is uniquely indexed by a solid point, simplifying displacement reconstruction. The output of the system is a 3D solid that accurately captures the volumetric LV motion and provides a 3D motion field. The concept of registering and fitting the solid's knot planes to the LV tag planes is novel. In order to outline the myocardium from the solid, two B-spline surface models are used to fit the endocardial and epicardial walls. The generated motion fields follow the ground-truth motion fields closely.
Phytotoxicity of the Fungicide Metalaxyl and Its Optical Isomers.

Metalaxyl is a systemic fungicide commonly used in citrus production to control Phytophthora root rot and foot rot. When applied as a drench, injury was observed on newly planted, young citrus trees. The visual injury symptoms ranged from light- to bright-yellow leaves. It was learned that the commercial formulation of metalaxyl contained various isomers and that these isomers may vary in phytotoxic effects on citrus leaves. The objective of this study was to determine the difference in herbicidal activity between the two optical isomers of metalaxyl on pepper plants and citrus leaves. The phytotoxicity of the fungicide metalaxyl and its optical isomers (CGA76538, S+; CGA76539, R-) was determined using a pepper seedling growth bioassay and by measuring protein synthesis as estimated by the incorporation of 14C-leucine by citrus mesophyll cells. The two isomers and metalaxyl differed in their herbicidal activity to pepper plants and citrus cells. Pepper seedlings treated with R- had significantly higher mean fresh weight than plants treated with metalaxyl or S+ at 0.1, 1.0, 10.0, and 100 ppm. Protein synthesis, as measured by the inhibition of 14C-leucine incorporation by citrus mesophyll cells, also was inhibited more by metalaxyl and the S+ isomer than by the R- isomer. After 30 min of incubation at 100 μM, the R- isomer inhibited 14C-leucine incorporation by 29%, whereas incorporation of 14C-leucine in the metalaxyl and the S+ isomer treatments was higher (46 and 81%, respectively). Similarly, the highest 14C-leucine uptake at 60 min was obtained by R- at all concentrations. The assays showed that the R- and S+ isomers differ in their biological activity as expressed by weight loss of pepper plants and inhibition of protein synthesis and that the S+ isomer is responsible for the phytotoxicity of metalaxyl. The findings in this study show that the phytotoxicity of metalaxyl was due to the presence of the S+ optical isomer. Removal of this isomer from metalaxyl has enabled the continued use of this fungicide for control of foot rot and root rot in citrus.
Formation and stability of aluminum-based metallic glasses in Al-Fe-Gd alloys

Metallic glasses, a class of amorphous alloys made by rapid solidification, have been studied quite extensively for almost thirty years. It has been recognized for a long time that metallic glasses are usually very strong and ductile, and exhibit high corrosion resistance relative to crystalline alloys with the same compositions. Recently, metallic glasses containing as much as 90 atomic percent aluminum have been discovered independently by two groups. This discovery has both scientific and technological implications. The formability of these new glasses has been found to be unusual. Studies of mechanical properties in these new metallic glasses show that many of them have tensile strengths over 800 MPa, greatly exceeding the strongest commercial aluminum alloys. The high strengths of aluminum-rich metallic glasses can be of significant importance in obtaining high strength low density materials. Therefore, from both scientific and technological standpoints, it is important to understand the formation and thermal stability of these metallic glasses. Al-Fe-Gd alloys were chosen for a more-detailed study since they exhibit high tensile strengths.
The antiinflammatory activity of analogs of indomethacin correlates with their inhibitory effects on phospholipase A2 of rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Abstract The effect of the antiinflammatory agent sulindac sulfide, a sulfated analog of indomethacin and an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis in vitro, on the action of partially purified rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocyte phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) was examined. Sulindac sulfide produces a dose-dependent inhibition of this phospholipase A2 (I50 = 10 μM) that is still recognizable at 1 μM. This inhibition is of the noncompetitive type with an apparent K of 5 μM and in all aspects examined cannot be distinguished from the effects, recently reported (Kaplan, L., Weiss, J. and Elsbach, P. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 2955–2958), of indomethacin on the enzyme. In contrast, the pharmacologically inactive analogs sulindac sulfoxide and sulindac sulfone are without any inhibitory effect at 100 μM. Other antiinflammatory agents, including the steroids dexamethasone and hydrocortisone hemisuccinate, and the non-steroids acetylsalicyclic acid, sodium salicylate, sulfinpyrazone and quinacrine also do not inhibit the leukocyte phospholipase A2 at concentrations as high as 100 μM. Meclofenamic acid and flufenamic acid are weakly inhibitory (I50 = 100–500 μM). The apparent specificity of the inhibition of leukocyte phospholipase A2 by low concentrations of pharmacologically active analogs of indomethacin supports our contention that this effect may contribute to the effects of these agents on prostaglandin synthesis.
Inferior vena caval wall perforation on CT by celect and tulip filters: a single institution experience

Purpose Evaluate the perforation rates of Cook Celect and Gunther Tulip retrievable IVC filters on follow-up CT studies and compare with the perforation rate of permanent IVC filters. Materials and Methods Retrospective review of IVC filters placed at our institution between 1/1/2007 and 10/30/2010. Patients with ≥1 follow-up CT studies performed after infrarenal placement of a Celect or Tulip filter were included. The follow-up CT studies were independently evaluated by two observers for IVC perforation (filter leg extending > 3 mm beyond the IVC wall). Any discrepancies were resolved by an experienced Interventional Radiologist. The perforation rates were compared with literature perforation rates for permanent IVC filters (0-41%). Results 924 retrievable IVC filters were placed in 465 males (50.3%) and 459 females (49.7%) with average age of 60 years (range 16-105). Interobserver agreement was substantial with a Cohen’s kappa = 0.61. The perforation rates of Celect and Tulip filters were not significantly different (two proportion Z-test, p > 0.05). The perforation rates for the retrievable filters were comparable to the literature perforation rates of permanent filters at the first follow-up. The Celect and combined perforation rates were significantly higher than the highest permanent filter perforation rate in the literature (41%) at the last follow-up (one tailed binomial test, p Conclusion Our data show two retrievable IVC filters (Celect and Tulip) have similar perforation rates. There is a trend that the retrievable filter perforation rate increases with time from placement, from comparable to the literature perforation rates of permanent filters at the first follow-up (median 32 days) to higher than the literature perforation rate at the last follow-up (median 112 days). Reference ACR-SIR practice guideline for the performance of inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement for the prevention of pulmonary embolism. Revised 2010 (Resolution 46). Table 1
Creating partially deleted objects for perception research

Line drawings are commonly used in perception research. A basic strategy used in such research is to remove portions of the line drawings in order to determine what features of an object are important for recognition. However, it is important to monitor the amount of contour and type of information that are deleted when one is making partially deleted or fragmented objects. With the Image Fragmenting Program, researchers can use random or manual contour deletion strategies to create fragmented objects while controlling for the amount of contour removed from the images.
Marx and Schumpeter on Capitalism's Creative Destruction: A Comparative Restatement

Despite well-known differences, the respective visions of capitalism's future by Marx and Schumpeter show striking and neglected similarities. This is illustrated, first, by their strong focus upon capitalism's progressive and creative properties; second, by their analyses of capitalism's dysfunctional properties; and third, by their respective analyses of the creatively destructive character of institutional and attitudinal change in advanced capitalism.
Between Critique and Accommodation: Reflections on an EAP Course for Masters of Architecture Students.

Abstract As the title suggests, this paper explores the competing pressures toward ESP accommodation to institutional exigencies and to a critical response to those exigencies. The locus of the discussion is the design and implementation of an EAP course for Master's of Architecture students in a major US university. Architectural professional education has been largely neglected in the expanding ESP literature, although the types of discourse that orchestrate professional training in this area have some interesting and unique features. We outline our attempts over 4 years to respond to these challenges and complexities, considering along the way both the practical constraints and the role of a critical pedagogy in EAP. Materials development was based in part on discoursal analysis of student presentations of their design studio work and on corpus linguistic analysis of the same material. The paper closes with some reflections on the lessons learnt.
Not Perfect, but Better: Primary Care Providers’ Experiences with Electronic Referrals in a Safety Net Health System

Background Electronic referrals can improve access to subspecialty care in safety net settings. In January 2007, San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) launched an electronic referral portal that incorporated subspecialist triage, iterative communication with referring providers, and existing electronic health record data to improve access to subspecialty care.
Interaction of impulsively generated vortex pairs with bodies

A vortex pair, impulsively generated from a planar nozzle, is shown to have a degree of vorticity concentration in good agreement with inviscid theory, providing well-posed initial conditions for interaction with basic types of bodies (cylinders and plates). The scale of these bodies ranges from the same order as, to over an order of magnitude smaller than, the scale (distance between centres) of the incident vortex pair. The fundamental case of a (primary) vortex pair symmetrically incident upon a very small cylinder shows rapid growth of a secondary vortex pair. These secondary vortices quickly attain a circulation of the same order as that of the corresponding primary vortices within a distance smaller than the lengthscale of the primary vortex pair. At this location the temporal variation of integrated vorticity of primary and secondary vortices attains a maximum simultaneously. This zero phase shift between arrival of vorticity maxima provides the basis for formation of counter-rotating primary-secondary vortex pairs, where both the primary and secondary vortices move at the same phase speed. Visualisation shows that the mode of secondary vortex formation is highly sensitive to the degree of symmetry of the initial encounter of the incident vortex pair with the body. The symmetrical mode of (in-phase) secondary vortex formation shows very rapid growth of large-scale secondary vortices; their development is relatively independent of the particulars of body shape and scale. On the other hand, the antisymmetrical mode takes two basic forms: large-scale secondary vortex formation, with the phase shift between their formation determined by the lengthscale of the body: and small-scale, antisymmetrical shedding of secondary vortices from the body occurring for a body lengthscale an order of magnitude smaller than that of the incidental vortex pair. Correspondingly, there are several types of distortion of the cores and trajectories of the primary (incident) vortices.
Talus: A simple way to remove cliffs in cache performance

Caches often suffer from performance cliffs: minor changes in program behavior or available cache space cause large changes in miss rate. Cliffs hurt performance and complicate cache management. We present Talus,1 a simple scheme that removes these cliffs. Talus works by dividing a single application's access stream into two partitions, unlike prior work that partitions among competing applications. By controlling the sizes of these partitions, Talus ensures that as an application is given more cache space, its miss rate decreases in a convex fashion. We prove that Talus removes performance cliffs, and evaluate it through extensive simulation. Talus adds negligible overheads, improves single-application performance, simplifies partitioning algorithms, and makes cache partitioning more effective and fair.
Thermally induced atmospheric pressure gas discharges using pyroelectric crystals

Using a heated pyroelectric crystal, an atmospheric pressure gas discharge was generated through the input of heat. When put through a change in temperature, the polarization of a pyroelectric can change significantly, creating a substantial electric potential at its surface. When configured with a grounded sharp counter electrode, a large inhomogeneous electric field forms in the interstitial gas to initiate a corona-like discharge. Under constant heating conditions, gaseous ions drifting to the pyroelectric accumulate and screen the electric field, extinguishing the discharge. By thermally cycling the pyroelectric, negative and positive discharges are generated during heating and cooling, respectively, with peak currents on the order of 80 nA. Time-integrated visualization confirmed the generation of both a corona-like discharge and a surface discharge on the pyroelectric. Parametric studies identified that thermal cycling conditions significantly influence discharge formation for this new atmospheric pressure discharge approach.
Antagonistic effects of reserpine on d-tubocurarine action on motor function of rabbits.

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the possibility that reserpine might exhibit an action at the neuromuscular junction by observing its interaction with d -tubocurarine. It was found that the dose of d -tubocurarine to cause paralysis of the hind limbs in normal rabbits was 0.176 ± 0.008 mg/kg. However, after the animals received various doses of reserpine, the required dose of d -tubocurarine needed increased significantly. Since reserpine does not alter neuromuscular transmission, it is possible that reserpine increases the excitability of the end plate. Thus, a larger dose of d -tubocurarine is needed for hind limb paralysis.
The effect of matrix strength on void nucleation and growth in an alpha-beta titanium alloy, CORONA-5

This work was undertaken to examine the effect of increasing matrix strength at constant equiaxed microstructure on void nucleation and growth in the titanium alloy, CORONA-5, Ti-4.5Al-5Mo-1.5Cr. A martensite and a beta matrix were used in the as-quenched and the heat treated conditions. For each matrix, fine and coarse alpha sizes were produced and a third size of alpha was used for the as-quenched condition of the martensite series. The processing procedures produced an aligned alpha structure which was most pronounced in the fine structure. Void nucleation occurred in an aligned fashion and took place predominantly atα /martensite orα/β interfaces. An explanation is offered for the aligned nucleation in terms of nonuniform deformation of the banded structure which appeared most prominently after heat treatment to produce the coarser microstructure. An incubation strain was found for both types of matrices. The incubation strain increased for the interface in the following order: martensite/martensite,α /martensite, andα/ β. The incubation strain for martensite/martensite interfaces was relatively independent of the matrix strength. Void growth as a function of true strain was generally found to occur in two stages, a slow stage I and a more rapid stage II. Stage II growth occurred as a result of coalescence of voids growing toward one another from nearby particles. Stage II growth was more rapid for the martensite matrix than for theβ matrix. For the martensite matrix void growth rates could not be accounted for either on the basis of strength or strain hardening rates. However, the longest void growth rate was found to increase as the function λ N /d α L increased. λN is the interparticle spacing normal to the tensile axis and α L is the alpha particle size parallel to the tensile axis. For the beta matrix void growth rates increased with increasing yield s trength and decreased with increasing strain hardening. It was not possible to relate fracture strength to an extrapolated longest void at fracture as was done in earlier studies. This is explained in terms of the nonuniformity of fracture paths observed in the alloy.
Superstructural hierarchy developed in coupled high shear/high thermal gradient conditions of injection molding in nylon 6 nanocomposites

Abstract The spatial variation of the superstructure developed along and across the flow direction of injection-molded nylon 6 and its nanocomposites are presented using transmission polarized optical photomicrographs and micro-small-angle laser light scattering (SALS). At low mold temperature, 50 °C, the structure of unfilled nylon 6 is made up of steep structural gradient containing oriented threads at the surface surrounding undeformed spherulites in the interior. In nanocomposite samples, on the other hand, the development of complete spherulites is interrupted by high nucleation density caused by the presence of nanoparticles and shear amplification that occurs in small spaces between these particles. The latter phenomenon was found to be prevalent even at high mold temperatures where the cooling rates are greatly suppressed. In the structure gradient, polymer/nanocomposite samples show double shear regions near the surface surrounding the core regions that contain sheaves. The origin of complex superimposed SALS patterns is explained in terms of the short and long-range spatial correlations of these preferentially oriented sheaves and their optic axes.
A HEMT Monolithic Double Channel Attenuator with Broadband Characteristics and Wide Dynamic Range

Double Channel HEMT's are used as variable resistor elements in a bridged-T attenuator with broadband characteristics (0.5-12GHz), and wide dynamic range (12-16dB). A small insertion loss (2.8dB minimum) is obtained with the help of the heterojunction approach which results in smaller ON-channel resistances than MESFET technology.
Age and development-related changes in osteopontin and nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels in human kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells: Contrasting responses to hypoxia and reoxygenation

Osteopontin (OPN) encodes a secreted glycosylated phosphoprotein containing a GRGDS motif that can mediate cell attachment through the alpha v beta 3 integrin, and has recently been shown to down-regulate nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression. We report here that primary cultures of renal proximal tubule epithelial (PTE) cells prepared from human kidneys of different developmental stages and ages show a positive correlation between developmental age and the expression, at the mRNA level, of both OPN and constitutive NOS. However, OPN and NOS responded in different manners, as assessed by mRNA measurements, to hypoxia-reoxygenation injury. The OPN mRNA level, assessed by Northern blotting, increased slightly during 60 min of hypoxia and more substantially during subsequent reoxygenation of primary PTE cells derived from the kidneys of young but not of aged donors. The abundance of NOS mRNA, measured using a cDNA probe to the constitutive form of the enzyme, was enhanced during hypoxia in kidneys derived from humans of all ages, and then decreased during reoxygenation--possibly as the result of increased OPN expression. PTE cells from aged kidneys are more susceptible to cell death under hypoxic conditions that PTE cells from young kidneys. An investigation of the effect of an oxidant on OPN and NOS mRNA levels revealed that within 30 min of exposure to H2O2, NOS mRNA levels decreased simultaneously with an increase in OPN mRNA levels. Nitric oxide (NO), the product of NOS, is at low levels an important signal transduction molecule participating in the regulation of vascular tone and renal reabsorption; at high levels it is cytotoxic. We suggest that the diminished ability of cells from old kidneys to down-regulate NO production and to increase OPN expression after hypoxia-reoxygenation may contribute to their increased susceptibility to oxidant injury.
Relationships of the Musca domestica subspecies calleva and curviforceps (Diptera: Muscidae) in Rhodesia

. Field investigations on Musca domestica houseflies in Rhodesia demonstrate a greater degree of contact than previously reported between domestic M. d. curviforceps and feral M. d. calleva at their habitat interface. There was no evidence of any seasonal disappearance of hybrid flies; stable, intermediate, largely domestic populations are a feature of areas of sympatry. The existence of almost pure calleva feral populations in these areas was verified, though a slight degree of introgression with curviforceps was demonstrated for the first time. Gene-flow between the subspecies was studied and a new explanation for the one-way gene-flow, based on habitat choice of hybrid flies, is advanced. Frons ratio, widely used in distinguishing different forms of housefly, showed serious limitations as a taxonomic character. The ratio, intended as a size-adjusted measure of frons width, is not independent of size, and frons width and head width (shown to be a good measure of size) are at best weakly correlated. It was confirmed that the frons width of male calleva×curviforceps hybrids is stabilized at the fronJ width characteristic of curviforceps although laboratory breeding results indicate that intermediate frons widths are to be expected. The stabilization is due to selection for broader frons width in the domestic habitat. The nature of the selection is explained, and evidence is produced regarding its basis.
Organized Photobiology in the United States: The Prehistory*

In general, photobiology has been strangely neglected by investigators, planners and granting agencies. However, there were individuals and organizations that kept the subject of photobiology going in the absence of groups identified as photobiologists. We will emphasize only a few that can be tied to the history of the American Society for Photobiology (ASP), including mentors of some of the founding members of ASP. Notable organizations in the United States included the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory at Beltsville, MD, the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University located at Pacific Grove, CA, the Carnegie Institute Laboratory at Stanford, CA, the Illuminating Engineering Research Institute in New York City coordinating research among utilities and lamp manufacturers, the Photobiology Institute at Brandeis University with Albert Kelner and The Bureau of Standards in Washington, DC. The University of Minnesota had several investigators working on porphyrins and light sensitivity. Harold Blum was a multidisciplinary group by himself, his activities including writing a book on evolution and advising the French government on Paleolithic cave art! The Mayo clinic was a leader in UV therapy, including Goeckerman’s combined use of tar and UV light, a process believed by its users to work by some means other than photosensitization. Europe has long had a greater emphasis on physical and “spa” forms of treatment, and the dermatologists who came to the United States as refugees from Hitler brought the knowledge of UV therapy with them. Among these dermatologists were Stephen Rothman at Chicago, Rudolph Baer at New York University and Stephen Epstein at the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin. When Marshfield’s Epstein first talked about photoallergy he was received with some puzzlement. Rothman (1) is given credit for making American dermatology scientific and influenced many. C. B. van Niel was an inorganic chemist who became a microbiologist and worked at the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University at Pacific Grove, CA. He gave a summer
“There is a Culture Here”: Spectacle and the Inculcation of Folklore in Highland Bolivia

Every year, the Catholic Church of San Lucas organizes a festival of regional folklore. This festival is unusual in one respect: not only the performances, but also many of the audience are Quechua speaking campesinos, whose music and dance for religious fiestas constitute the “culture” which the folkloric performances are said to display. A folklore festival in which performers and audiences are nearly interchangeable calls for a reconsideration of theories which treat folkloric performances as a display of difference. By considering the relationship between the festival “texts” (music and dance) and their shifting “contexts” (fiesta vs. folklore festival), this article shows that the festivals do not simply represent local lifeways, but teach campesinos that they are the bearers of a “culture” whose value lies in being displayed. In this way, they are being prepared to take part in the new, pluri-ethnic pageant of Bolivian nationhood.
Speculation-aware thread scheduling for simultaneous multithreading

Efficient front-end thread scheduling for simultaneous multithreading, where priority given to a thread can be overridden if it suffers from an excessive amount of incorrectly speculated instructions, is presented. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme not only significantly reduces the number of wrong-path instructions but also improves the instruction throughput.
Barriers to glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes

Anderson BJ, McKay SV. Barriers to glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
A synthesis of tissue-preservation effects on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures

Stable-isotope analysis is a powerful method for characterizing flows of mass and energy through ecosystems. Long-term food-web studies using stable isotopes are valuable but rare because the requi...
Nonsuperoxide lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence from phospholipids and human saphenous veins

Abstract The use of lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) for the detection of superoxide (O2·−) has grown in popularity due to an increased demand for a simple and specific system capable of measuring superoxide. In this study we report a lucigenin-CL signal emanating from human saphenous veins (SV) that was not inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lasted for more than 24 h. A larger CL-signal with similar properties was produced by saphenous veins that had been dehydrated. A similar, non-SOD-inhibitable lucigenin-CL was also produced with a variety of phospholipids and phosphatidic acid. The chemical moiety responsible for the phospholipid CL is oxygen dependent but remains unidentified because a variety of lipids and phosphate containing species failed to produce such a signal. These results suggest that the use of lucigenin as a specific CL enhancer for O2·− must be clearly discriminated with a specific O2·− inhibitor when used in biological systems.
Minimal model analyses of insulin sensitivity and glucose‐dependent glucose disposal in black and white Americans: a study of persons at risk for type 2 diabetes

. We have examined the impact of race and positive family history of type 2 diabetes on glucose/insulin dynamics and the two components of glucose disposal in healthy, first-degree relatives of black and white American patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are at a greater risk from the disease and their healthy control subjects. Seventeen black and 15 white relatives were studied. Twenty-two black people and 24 white people, without family history of type 2 diabetes, served as healthy control subjects. Standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and tolbutamide-modified frequent sampling intravenous glucose tolerance (FSIGT) tests were performed in each subject. Insulin sensitivity index (SI) and glucose effectiveness (SG) were calculated using the MINI-MOD method described by Bergman et al. Mean fasting and post-stimulation serum glucose levels were not significantly different in the black and white relatives. However, mean serum insulin responses to oral and/or intravenous stimulation were significantly greater in the blacks than whites, irrespective of positive family history of diabetes. The mean SI was significantly (P < 0·02) lower (52%) in the black (3·67±0·56) than the white [7·50±1·93 times 10-4 min-1 (mUl)-1] relatives. Comparing the healthy controls, the mean SI was significantly (P < 0·02) lower (51%) in black than white controls (4·84±0·78 vs. 9·71±1·27 times 10min-1(mUl)-1]. Mean SG and KG were greater (P < ·05) in the blacks than whites, irrespective of family history of diabetes. In summary, the present study demonstrates that non-diabetic black people manifest insulin resistant and hyperinsulinaemia, irrespective of family history of diabetes, when compared to white people. We speculate that these metabolic changes could play a potential role in the higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the black Americans.
The human reelin gene: Transcription factors (+), repressors (−) and the methylation switch (+/−) in schizophrenia

Abstract A recent report suggests that the down-regulation of reelin and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) mRNAs represents 2 of the more consistent findings thus far described in post-mortem material from schizophrenia (SZ) patients [reviewed in Torrey, E. F., Barci, B. M., Webster, M. J., Bartko, J. J., Meador-Woodruff, J. H., & Knable, M. B. (2005) . Neurochemical markers for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder amd major depression in postmortem brains. Biol Psychiatry 57, 252–260]. To study mechanisms responsible for this down-regulation, we have analyzed the promoter of the human reelin gene. Collectively, our studies suggest that SZ is characterized by a gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)-ergic neuron pathology presumably mediated by promoter hypermethylation facilitated by the over-expression of the methylating enzyme DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) 1. Using transient expression assays, promoter deletions and co-transfection assays with various transcription factors, we have shown a clear synergistic action that is a critical component of the mechanism of the trans-activation process. Equally important is the observation that the reelin promoter is more heavily methylated in brain regions in patients diagnosed with SZ as compared to non-psychiatric control subjects [Grayson, D. R., Jia, X., Chen, Y., Sharma, R. P., Mitchell, C. P., & Guidotti, A., et al. (2005). Reelin promoter hypermethylation in schizophrenia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102, 9341–9346]. The combination of studies in cell lines and in animal models of SZ, coupled with data obtained from post-mortem human material provides compelling evidence that aberrant methylation may be part of a core dysfunction in this psychiatric disease. More interestingly, the hypermethylation concept provides a coherent mechanism that establishes a plausible link between the epigenetic misregulation of multiple genes that are affected in SZ and that collectively contribute to the associated symptomatology.
Fabrication of a biosensor with embedded waveguides for sensing in microchannels

The fabrication and testing of a novel waveguide based biosensor for sensing in microchannels is presented. Unlike evanescent wave sensing, which has large intrinsic losses, an absorption based sensing scheme was introduced. The fabricated waveguide sensor has excellent transparency in the UV-Vis region of the spectra and is able to perform simultaneous detection of multiple analytes in microchannels. The optical interconnection to the device was achieved using self-aligned V-grooves etched on the silicon wafer using KOH etching. The fabricated device has applications in micro total analysis systems for measuring various analytes in the microchannels, tissue engineering for continuous measurement of the oxygen in the artificial scaffolds, and fluorescence-based measurement by attaching fluorescent dyes to the waveguide end face in the microchannel.