cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Raloxifene prevents skeletal fragility in adult female Zucker Diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats.

Fracture risk in type 2 diabetes is increased despite normal or high bone mineral density, implicating poor bone quality as a risk factor. Raloxifene improves bone material and mechanical properties independent of bone mineral density. This study aimed to determine if raloxifene prevents the negative effects of diabetes on skeletal fragility in diabetes-prone rats. Adult Zucker Diabetic Sprague-Dawley (ZDSD) female rats (20-week-old, n=24) were fed a diabetogenic high-fat diet and were randomized to receive daily subcutaneous injections of raloxifene or vehicle for 12 weeks. Blood glucose was measured weekly and glycated hemoglobin was measured at baseline and 12 weeks. At sacrifice, femora and lumbar vertebrae were harvested for imaging and mechanical testing. Raloxifene-treated rats had a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes compared with vehicle-treated rats. In addition, raloxifene-treated rats had blood glucose levels significantly lower than both diabetic vehicle-treated rats as well as vehicle-treated rats that did not become diabetic. Femoral toughness was greater in raloxifene-treated rats compared with both diabetic and non-diabetic vehicle-treated ZDSD rats, due to greater energy absorption in the post-yield region of the stress-strain curve. Similar differences between groups were observed for the structural (extrinsic) mechanical properties of energy-to-failure, post-yield energy-to-failure, and post-yield displacement. These results show that raloxifene is beneficial in preventing the onset of diabetes and improving bone material properties in the diabetes-prone ZDSD rat. This presents unique therapeutic potential for raloxifene in preserving bone quality in diabetes as well as in diabetes prevention, if these results can be supported by future experimental and clinical studies.
Localization expansions. I. Functions of the ``background'' configurations

Expansions of the type described in the inductive hypothesis (H.5) in the paper [1] are constructed for local functions of the “background” configurations, i.e., solutions of the variational problems studied in the previous paper [3]. A main part of this construction is a further analysis of a local structure of the solutions.
Ontogenesis of nerve growth factor and epidermal growth factor in submaxillary glands and nerve growth factor in brains of immature male mice: correlation with ontogenesis of serum levels of thyroid hormones.

Summary: Using specific and sensitive radioimmunoassays for nerve growth factor (NGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), we studied the developmental profile of NGF and EGF concentrations in male mouse submaxillary gland (SMG) from 2–60 days of age. We measured NGF concentrations in mouse cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and brain stem from ages 2–32 days. In addition, we assessed mouse serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels in seperate groups of animals ranging from 5–50 days of age. Mean SMG EGF content and concentration exceeded that of NGF between 2 and 18 days of age. At all subsequent ages, however, mean NGF and EGF content and concentration were similar. SMG NGF and EGF content were low at 2 days of age, decreased slightly through 8 days of age, and increased exponentially after 11 days of age with three phases of increase being apparent for both proteins. In the first phase, mean SMG NGF and EGF contents increased 2.4− and 2.3-fold respectively between 11 and 18 days of age. A second phase of increase was noted between 18 and 32 days when NGF and EGF increased 9845− and 7805-fold respectively. In phase three (32–60 days of age) more modest increases of 6.5-fold in mean NGF and EGF content were noted. Cerebellar NGF concentrations increased from 681 to 2241 pg/mg protein between ages 2 and 15 days and subsequently fell to a plateau level of 1304 pg/mg protein by age 18 days. Cerebral cortical NGF concentrations increased steadily from 251 to 1383 pg/mg protein between ages 2 and 32 days, whereas brain stem NGF concentrations maintained a plateau averaging 1100 pg/mg protein. Serum T4 concentrations in the mouse increased dramatically from 2.5 μg/dl at 5 days to a maximum of 8.1 μ/dl at 15 days, thereafter decreasing to a nadir 4.4 μ/dl by 40 days. Serum T3 concentrations followed a similar pattern, rising from 25 ng/dl on postnatal day 5 to 93 ng/dl on day 15, with a subsequent decline to 63 ng/dl by day 30. These results indicate a correlation between the increase in serum thyroid hormone levels in the mouse and the increases in SMG NGF and EGF levels and brain NGF levels between 5 and 32 days. Speculation: We and others have demonstrated that thyroid hormones increase brain NGF concentrations and stimulate submaxillary gland NGF and EGF synthesis. The present results are compatible with the hypothesis that the early increase in circulating thyroid hormone concentrations in the mouse play an important role in the increase in cerebral and cerebellar NGF levels during the first 3 wk and the increase in SMG NGF and EGF concentrations between 11 and 32 days of age. The known increase in mouse serum testosterone to adult male levels between 4–12 wk of age may be a factor in the late increase in NGF and EGF elevations after 32 days of age.
Relationships among visual figure-ground perception, word recognition, IQ, and chronological age.

In a study of 118 educable mentally handicapped children (IQ 45 to 85), significant differences in visual figure-ground perception were found between achievers who showed no word recognition and those who showed word recognition. Visual figure-ground perception was related to IQ and chronological age.
SELECTIVE "STAINING" FOR ELECTRON MICROGRAPHY : THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL SALTS ON INDIVIDUAL BACTERIAL CELLS.

The physical basis of contrast and image formation in electron micrography is considered in relation to the possibility of recording selective chemical effects on cell components. A technology of selective microchemical analysis, equivalent to differential staining, is suggested as practicable in electron micrography. Electron pictures of bacteria after exposure to salts of heavy metals have shown the bacterial inner protoplasm, but not the cell walls, to be selectively darkened; shrinkage, coagulation, or escape of protoplasm from the injured cells may result and be recorded in the electron micrographs. Recording of the action of germicidal agents on individual bacterial cells is indicated as one promising field of application of microchemical analysis with the aid of the electron microscope.
A generalization of max flow--min cut

We present a theorem which generalizes the max flow--min cut theorem in various ways. In the first place, all versions of m.f.--m.c. (emphasizing nodes or arcs, with graphs directed or undirected, etc.) will be proved simultaneously. Secondly, instead of merely requiring that cuts block all paths, we shall require that our general cuts be weight assignments which meet paths in amounts satisfying certain lower bounds. As a consequence, our general theorem will not only include as a special case m.f.--m.c., but also includes the existence of integral solutions to a transportation problem (with upper bounds on row and column sums) and its dual.
The Reality Deck--an Immersive Gigapixel Display

The Reality Deck is a visualization facility offering state-of-the-art aggregate resolution and immersion. Its a 1.5-Gpixel immersive tiled display with a full 360-degree horizontal field of view. Comprising 416 high-density LED-backlit LCD displays, it visualizes gigapixel-resolution data while providing 20/20 visual acuity for most of the visualization space.
Understanding ethnic disparities in the use of total joint arthroplasty: application of the health belief model.

Objective The Health Belief Model holds promise in understanding patient-related factors that may explain disparities in the use of total joint arthroplasty (TJA). We examined whether patients' health beliefs differ between African Americans and whites. Methods In a primary care clinic setting, 691 African Americans and whites with at least a moderately severe degree of osteoarthritis (OA) completed the Arthritis-related Health Belief Instrument. The instrument has 4 scales: perceived benefits of TJA, perceived barriers to obtaining TJA, perceived severity of arthritis, and perceived susceptibility of arthritis to worsen. Results The sample (40% women) consisted of 263 (38%) African Americans and 428 (62%) whites who were similar with respect to education, amount of insurance coverage, number of comorbidities, and self-report OA severity score. The African American group was younger, had less men, had more participants who reported an annual income <$15,000, and had a higher body mass index than whites. After controlling for confounders, African Americans were almost 50% (odds ratio [OR] 0.60, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.42–0.86, P = 0.005) as likely as whites to perceive that TJA is beneficial or helpful for their arthritis. Furthermore, African Americans were 70% (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.18–2.44, P = 0.004) more likely than whites to recognize barriers (e.g., risky, etc.) to TJA. Race was not associated with either the perceived severity or the perceived susceptibility of arthritis to worsen. Conclusion Among patients with at least moderately severe OA, African Americans were significantly less likely than whites to perceive the benefits of TJA and more likely to recognize barriers to TJA.
An overview of the history of indigenous peoples: self-determination and the United Nations

This paper reflects on the entire consultation and drafting process that resulted in the recent proclamation of the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) UN General Assembly (GA) resolution 61/295. It discusses the problems the drafters of the declaration faced, including those concerning the definition of the terms ‘indigenous’ and ‘peoples’. It also reviews the formal positions of all the parties concerned in an attempt to explain the new meaning of indigenous peoples' right to self-determination, which was one of the main stumbling blocks of the declaration. It is the conviction of this author (hereinafter UN Chairperson-Rapporteur) that the right to self-determination, as contained in Article 3 of the above-mentioned resolution 61/295, should be duly implemented by all concerned for the benefit of the states, indigenous peoples and the global community as a whole.
Andreev scattering and the Kondo effect

We examine the properties of an infinite-$U$ Anderson impurity coupled to both normal and superconducting metals. Both the cases of a quantum dot and a quantum point contact containing an impurity are considered; for the latter, we study both one and two-channel impurities. Using a generalization of the noncrossing approximation which incorporates multiple Andreev reflection, we compute the impurity spectral function and the linear-response conductance of these devices. We find generically that the Kondo resonance develops structure at energies corresponding to the superconducting gap, and that the magnitude of the resonance at the Fermi energy is altered. This leads to observable changes in the zero-bias conductance as compared to the case with no superconductivity.
Micromachining Characteristics of NiTi Based Shape Memory Alloy Using Femtosecond Laser

Femtosecond laser micromachining (FLM) is a relatively new and promising technology for the micromachining of a wide spectrum of engineering materials with micron and submicron size features. The interaction mechanism of femtosecond laser pulses with matter is not the same as that found in traditional lasers. This manuscript presents a detailed study of the ablation characteristics of a nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy in air with femtosecond laser pulses. The single- and multishot ablation threshold fluence and the incubation coefficient (predicting the extent to which accumulation could take place in a material) are evaluated. In addition, morphological changes, such as the emergence of a ripple pattern, are discussed along with the identification of gentle and strong ablation phases. This study provides for the understanding and characterization of NiTi micromachining using FLM technology, which could aid in the identification of new applications for smart materials in the macro-, nano-, and microelectromechanical system domains using this technology.
High-Power V-Band InGaAs/InP Photodiodes

InGaAs/InP-modified uni-traveling carrier photodiodes with cliff layer were designed and fabricated for V-band (50-75 GHz) applications. The devices were flip-chip bonded on AlN submounts for efficient heat dissipation. A high-impedance transmission line was designed to compensate for the parasitic capacitance and enhance the bandwidth. Devices with 3-dB bandwidths of 50 and 65 GHz demonstrated high-output RF power of 20.3 and 15.9 dBm, respectively.
Pulmonary artery stents: Past, present and future

Abstract Stents can be used to treat many forms of congenital heart disease, however, the majority of use remains in the pulmonary arterial system. Initial experimental work in the 1990's proved that stents were an effective means for treating pulmonary artery stenosis. Subsequent experience demonstrated ways to overcome the limitations of small children, bifurcating stenoses, jailed side branches and the ways to cope with potential complications. We review the use of stents to rehabilitate the pulmonary arterial tree and outline the acute and long-term results. Finally, we discuss the potential improvements and opportunities with bioabsorbable stents and other future directions for bare metal stents as well.
A Response to Gananath Obeyesekere

In her review of my book, Medusa's Hair. An Essay on Personal Symbols and Religious Experience (JAS 42, no. 2 [19831: 442-44), Margaret Trawick Egnor takes issue with my use of psychoanalysis in the study of cultural symbols. She says that she is a "non-Freudian" and also a skeptic as far as psychoanalysis is concerned (p. 443). Yet she ends up by psychoanalyzing the author. In relation to one of my informants, Sada Sami, Egnor says: "In this rare personage he [Obeyesekerel quickly learns to see a 'myth dreamer,' a 'Gawain,' a 'Saint George,' a 'Perseus cutting off Medusa's head with its swarms of snake hair,' and finally a conqueror of 'his father, a huge monster who will not permit him to take on a new office.' Yet none of these grandiose appellations fits at all the man that Obeyesekere describes. Rather it seems that, in his vision of this informant, the anthropologist has found himself." The implication is clear: it is myself that I present in my informant, and it is my hang-up with my father that I describe. Much of this is Egnor's own invention. In my book I state clearly that Sada Sami is not an inventor of myths, "the evidence does not warrant such an inference" (p. 190). He is a myth dreamer, someone who dreams myths from a preexisting repertoire, and I gave two examples of his myth dreams. As for identifying him with other wellknown heroes of myth, my text reads as follows: "One cannot but be struck by the similarity of Sada Sami's adventures with other heroes of myth-Perseus cutting off Medusa's head with its swarms of snake hair, or Gawain's encounter with the Green Knight, or Saint George's with the dragon. {Thesel were also probably spiritual adventures like Sada Sami's but narrated as if they were real" (p. 190). Similarity is not identity, and the intention of the chapter, and the preceding one, was to show that myths often derive from dreams as dreams derive from myths. The "grandiose appellations" given to Sada Sami are Egnor's, not mine. Egnor's review is full of similar distortions of my position, but I think one must protest when a professional review has sunk to the level of a gratuitous psychoanalysis of the author.
Investigation of thermally oxidised silicon surfaces using metal-oxide-semiconductor structures

Abstract The results of a comprehensive study of the overall electrical characteristics of thermally oxidised silicon surfaces are presented, and interpreted on the basis of a simple physical model of the MOS structure. Extreme care was taken throughout this study to insure the validity, significance and reproducibility of the quantities measured. It is shown that the charge in the surface states is constant over a wide range of variation of the surface potential, and that this charge is positive for both n and p-type oxidised silicon. The density of surface state charge is about 2 × 1011 cm−2, and is essentially unaffected by a twenty-fold variation in the oxide thickness and by a 250-fold variation in the concentration of boron in the p-type samples. The effects of measurement frequency, illumination and temperature on the space charge capacitance of an inverted surface were investigated. This capacitance was shown to follow one of three simple models depending on the measurement frequency and the rate of generation of minority carriers.
Molecular biology of demosponge axial filaments and their roles in biosilicification.

For hundreds of years, the skeletal elements of marine and freshwater sponges have intrigued investigators with a diverse array of remarkably complex morphologies. Early studies of demosponge monaxonal megascleres revealed the presence of a central organic axial filament running their entire length. Until recently, however, the precise function of these axial filaments was largely unknown. The spicules from the temperate Eastern Pacific demosponge, Tethya aurantia, comprise approximately 75% of the dry weight of this species, facilitating the large-scale isolation and purification of the biosilica-associated proteins. Silicateins, the most abundant proteins comprising the axial filaments of these spicules, prove to be members of a well-known superfamily of proteolytic and hydrolytic enzymes and can be easily collected after silica demineralization with hydrofluoric acid. Consistent with these findings, the intact filaments are more than simple, passive templates; in vitro, they actively catalyze and spatially direct the hydrolysis and polycondensation of silicon alkoxides to yield silica at neutral pH and low temperature. Catalytic activity also is exhibited by the monomeric subunits obtained by disaggregation of the protein filaments and those produced from recombinant DNA templates cloned in bacteria. These proteins also can be used to direct the polymerization of organosilicon polymers (silicones) from the corresponding organically functionalized silicon alkoxides. Based on these observations, the silicateins are currently being used as models for the design of biomimetic agents with unique catalytic and structure-directing properties. The presence of axial filaments in a diversity of spicule types and the evolutionary implications of these findings are also discussed.
Current status of the total artificial heart

Although heart transplantation remains the gold standard for patients who remain in advanced heart failure despite optimal medical therapy, limited donor supplies allows for just >2000 transplant each year in the United States. Recent enthusiasm has developed for the role of mechanical circulatory support for this ever-growing population of sick patients. Although much attention has been directed toward ventricular assist devices, less information is available regarding the role of the total artificial heart. Indeed, efforts in this latter technology have allowed the relatively recent deployment of a variety of complete circulatory assist devices. The purpose of this article is to review the historical development, current use, and future role of total artificial hearts.
The forgotten science: a role for natural history in the twenty‐first century?*

to natural philosophers who sought to explain the workings of nature as worldly processes decipherable through rational analysis. Gilbert White, Carl Linne, Louis Agassiz, Charles Darwin, and Alfred R. Wallace, among others, looked to nature as the motivating force on earth and sought to better understand how the components of nature operated in a worldly setting, distinct from the mystical interventions of a deity. Many of these men were enthralled by the wonders of nature and were practicing naturalists. Certainly it was the physical beauty of birdlife and bird song that helped draw humankind into the study of nature then as it does today. Today, most practicing biologists grew up with a love of nature and, in many instances, it was this predilection that led them ultimately to the pursuit of science. I can trace my conversion from young citizen to novice naturalist in the late 1950s, when I saw, for the first time, a resplendent adult male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) high on a dead limb in a park in suburban Baltimore, Maryland. It was a warm summer's evening and my family was enjoying an evening picnic. Hearing the sound of the male's call, I looked up to see the striking red, black, and white of its plumage and was transported. My passion for woodpeckers was further fueled by the words and images in Arthur Cleveland Bent's Life Histories of North American
SU‐FF‐T‐88: Augmenting Lyman NTCP by Adding the Influence of Non‐Dose Variables Via Decision Trees: Application to Lung Radiation‐Pneumonitis Prediction

Purpose: Develop a model that augments the dose‐based parametric Lyman NTCP formulation using non‐parametric decision trees that can additionally account for the influence of non‐dose variables. Apply and test the model to predict Grade 2+ lungradiotherapy (RT) induced pneumonitis. Methods and Materials: The model was created by sequentially combining weighted sub‐models (prediction units) using a recent statistical “boosting” technique. Boosting progressively improves model accuracy with the addition of each prediction unit. Each prediction unit was composed of the sum of the Lyman NTCP (LNTCP) metric and a decision tree. Thus, shortcomings in the more rigidly parametric dose‐based LNTCP metric were compensated by decision trees, which selected specific dose and non‐dose features to further separate the injured‐uninjured populations. The database used to create the model consisted of 234 lungcancer patients treated with RT, of whom 43 were diagnosed with pneumonitis at followup. A realistic estimate of model predictive capability was obtained via 10‐fold cross‐validation. To facilitate dissemination, a simplified version of the complex model structure was extracted from the cross‐validation results. Results: The cross‐validated model Receiver Operating Characteristics area of 0.72 was significantly better than the corresponding LNTCP area of 0.63 (p=0.005). Important variables extracted by the simplified model were: LNTCP, sex, histology, chemotherapy schedule, and treatment schedule. For a given patient radiotherapytreatment plan, injury prediction was highest and lowest for the combinations [pre‐RT chemotherapy, once‐daily treatment, female sex] and [no pre‐RT chemotherapy, non‐squamous‐cell histology], respectively. Application of the simplified model to two example patients reveals that non‐dose variables can heavily influence radiation‐pneumonitis prediction (e.g., 3%–64% for various settings of non‐dose variables). Conclusions: Radiation‐pneumonitis prediction was significantly improved by adding the influence of non‐dose variables to Lyman NTCP. The simplified model has an easily interpretable architecture that combines Lyman NTCP with a single decision tree.
Barotropic Currents over the Continental Shelf

Abstract We study below with the aid of linearized equations, but using a quadratic bottom friction law, the barotropic forced (aperiodic) response to wind stress or external pressure gradient of various simple continental shelf models. The frictionless response to longshore wind stress shows many of the characteristics of the classical “coastal jet” problem but is complicated by depth variations, mainly because of the generation of vorticity over a sloping bottom. Positive vorticity is generated where the depth increases to the left of the wind (in the Northern Hemisphere) and negative vorticity where the depth gradient is opposite. Thus, in a deep gulf separated from the open ocean by a shallow bank (in the Gulf of Maine, for example), a double-gyre circulation tends to be established. Friction places a definite limit on the maximum velocities which are produced by a storm of given intensity, the limit being more or less independent of depth. For typical shelf conditions the time of establishment of fri...
Comparison of trace elements in milk of four species.

The objective of this study was to compare trace elements in milks of four species. Milk samples of 4 ml or more were obtained from guinea pigs, dairy cattle, horses, and humans. The milks were analyzed for the trace elements Al, B, Ba, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Si, Sr, Ti, and Zn by inductively coupled argon plasma spectroscopy. Zinc ranged from more than 4 ppm in guinea pig milk to less than 2 ppm in mare milk. Strontium was over 1 ppm in the milk of guinea pigs and less than .1 ppm for the human. Iron ranged from over .7 ppm for the guinea pig to less than .2 ppm for the cow. Copper was over .5 ppm in guinea pig milk and only .05 ppm for cow milk. Boron ranged from .59 to .10 ppm, Si from .58 to .16 ppm, Al from .45 to .10 ppm; and Ba from .22 to .08 ppm in milks of the four species studied. Titanium ranged from a trace to .11 ppm. Lithium, Mn, and Mo all were less than .04 ppm. Milk Mn was surprisingly low relative to bodily needs.
Comparative lipid binding study on the cerebroside sulfate activator (saposin B).

Cerebroside sulfate activator (saposin B) is a small protein involved in glycosphingolipid metabolism. It binds certain membrane lipids, making them available to water-soluble enzymes. Defects in this protein are responsible for a form of metachromatic leukodystropy, a progressive neurodegenerative condition. The protein participates in the catabolism of a number of lipids but does show lipid binding selectivity. However, the basis of this selectivity is unclear. Here we assess the relative binding of a number of lipids compared to cerebroside sulfate (sulfatide). We utilize a competitive binding paradigm, in which the lipids compete for protein under favorable conditions and are then switched to a condition in which the complex is stable. This study is unique in that a single molecular species of the activator is employed, and an expanded selection of natural and semisynthetic membrane lipids is surveyed. No simple “binding rule” can be ascertained from these data, but ligands with longer and/or more complex lipoidal and polar adducts appear to be favored. J. Neurosci. Res. 63:82–89, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Special points for Brillouin-zone integrations

The efficiency of two different methods for obtaining "special" points useful for Brillouin-zone integrations of periodic functions is compared. We find that for some Bravais lattices (such as body-centered cubic and hexagonal), the method suggested by Monkhorst and Pack leads to different and sometimes less efficient point sets than those previously obtained by Chadi and Cohen. For a two-dimensional oblique lattice, special points twice as efficient as those suggested by Cunningham are given.
The Prevailing View

This column discusses the prevailing view--that is, the set of opinions, beliefs, and ideas about how specific actions lead to successful business outcomes. It looks at where the prevailing view's origins and how it shapes economic outcomes.
Solubility of calcium soaps of long-chain fatty acids in simulated intestinal environment.

Calcium soaps of long-chain fatty acids are often referred to as being insoluble. These soaps make up most of the fecal lipid in infants fed high calcium diets and are responsible for increased fat malabsorption in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency receiving enzymes and calcium carbonate antacids. We investigated the solubility of the calcium soaps of long-chain fatty acids in simulated human intestinal contents. Calcium soaps of the [14C]fatty acids of lauric (12∶0), palmitic (16∶0), stearic (18∶0), and oleic acids (18∶1) were synthesized. Individual soaps were incubated (1 hr at 37°C) in 140 mM NaCl solution containing 10 mM bile salts; 75% glycine conjugates (35% cholate, 25% chenodeoxycholate, 15% deoxycholate), and 25% taurine conjugates (12% cholate, 8% chenodeoxycholate, 5% deoxycholate) with 1.45 mM lecithin at various pHs ranging from 5.0 to 6.8. Soap solubility was assessed by analyzing the supernatant for radioactivity after centrifugation at 12,500g for 15 min. Fatty acids were uniformly more soluble than the respective calcium soaps. The solubility of the free fatty acid can be compared to its calcium soap by two methods: either as the total amount of fatty acid in solution or as the molar solubility of the fatty acid and the soap (a calcium soap molecule contains two fatty acid molecules). By molar solubility the free fatty acid was 13 times more soluble than the calcium soap, whereas comparison of the quantity of fatty acid in solution revealed an average of 6.5 times more free fatty acid than that present in the respective calcium soap. The solubility of the calcium soaps was negatively correlated with acid concentration [H+], carbon chain length (n), and fatty acid saturation. The solubility could be described by a multilinear regression (r=0.84) incorporating chain length and acid concentration as the independent variables; log soap solubility =−0.0379(n)−19298.2[H+]−0.074.
Effect of various growth regulators on shoot regeneration of sugarcane

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid cv. CP 84-1198) embryogenic calluses were induced from young leaves cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with 13.6 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Five concentrations, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 μM, of five different growth regulators, 6-benzylaminopurine, kinetin, 6-γ,γ-(dimethylallylamino)purine, zeatin, and thidiazuron, were tested with or without 22.5 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid to compare their ability to induce regeneration from embryogenic callus. After 4 wk on medium, the percentage of shoot meristem induction was evaluated, and after 10 wk the total number of shoots produced, as well as the percentage of shoots greater than 1 cm in length, was obtained. Although it had the lowest percentage of elongated shoots, medium containing thidiazuron alone performed better than all other growth regulators tested, with the highest percentage of shoot induction and the largest number of shoots, particularly at a concentration of 2.5 μM.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Anonymous Online Communication: Legal Challenges and Communicative Recommendations

(2004). Benefits and Drawbacks of Anonymous Online Communication: Legal Challenges and Communicative Recommendations. Free Speech Yearbook: Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 127-141.
Tunable diode laser measurements of line widths in the nu1-fundamental band of (N-14)2(O-16) at atmospheric temperatures

A tunable diode-laser spectrometer and a low-temperature absorption cell have been employed to measure the N2-broadened and O2-broadened half-widths of rotational lines in the nu1 fundamental band of (N-14)2(O-16) at 185, 235, 263, and 295 K. The temperature dependence of the line widths has been observed to be practically identical, thereby leading to the suggestion that air-broadening would exhibit the same dependence.
Numerical modelling of chamfered bends and other microstrip junctions of general shape in MMIC

A full-wave analysis based on a spatial-domain moment method is obtained for finding two-dimensional current distributions and hence the scattering matrix for chamfered bends and other microstrip junctions of general shape in MMICs (monolithic microwave integrated circuits). The numerical simulation program can provide useful design information as well as physical insights for frequencies high in the millimeter-wave range. The analysis is applied to a right-angle single bend, with and without a chamfered corner, and a right-angle double bend. The scattering matrix for each case is deembedded from the current distribution obtained from the p-mesh model. The program can be run on an HP-300 workstation or a supercomputer depending upon the number of cells of the desired accuracy for a given problem. >
Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising: Content Analysis and Public Policy Implications

ABSTRACTThis study examined the content of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising in eight popular consumer magazines from 1992 to 1995. Researchers found dramatic increases in the frequency of such ads and greater numbers of ads for drugs that treat chronic ailments rather than life-threatening medical conditions. The study also explored the use of “brief summary” or “fair balance” disclosures by prescription drug advertisers. Marked decreases in the use of “institutional” ads and increases in product-specific, brand-name advertisements with lengthy FDA-mandated product warnings were also noted. A number of public policy issues and recommendations for future research are included.
VHDL Synthesis Using Structured Modeling

This paper describes the use of VHDL in a behavioral synthesis system. A structured modeling methodology is presented which suggests standard practices for writing VHDL descriptions which span a variety of design models. The VHDL Synthesis System (VSS) processes each of these input descriptions and produces a structural description of generic components.
External Defibrillation Failure Due to Antimicrobial Incise Drape

Antimicrobial incise drapes adhere to a patient's skin during surgery in an attempt to reduce surgical infections. We describe a patient undergoing repeated aortic valve replacement who experienced sudden ventricular fibrillation before median sternotomy. External defibrillation was unsuccessful on multiple attempts using several defibrillators. On removal of the incise drape from the patient's chest, external defibrillation was immediately successful. Increased transthoracic impedance can be caused by multiple factors and may prevent defibrillation. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an antimicrobial incise drape preventing defibrillation. If external defibrillation, cardioversion, or pacing is indicated intraoperatively, we recommend prompt removal of the antimicrobial incise drapes before electrode placement if the drapes overlay the intended pad position. Since this case, our institutional practice has now changed to placement of 2 external adhesive defibrillator electrodes onto the patient's skin lateral to the surgical field before incise drape application to allow for defibrillation.
Discussion of “Magnetostratigraphic confirmation of a much faster tempo for sea-level change for the Middle Triassic Latemar platform carbonates” by D.V. Kent, G. Muttoni and P. Brack [Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 228 (2004), 369 377]

Abstract Kent et al. report on new magnetostratigraphic data obtained from the Middle Triassic Latemar carbonate platform (Dolomites, Italy). The result is important because it addresses the so-called ‘Latemar controversy,' and appears to corroborate radioisotope-dated ash beds in the Latemar platform indicating that the buildup must have taken place in 2–4 million years, but not the 9–12 million years of Milankovitch forcing inferred from cyclostratigraphic analyses. Unfortunately, Kent et al. omit basic information that runs contrary to the conclusion that the Latemar carbonates have yielded a primary paleomagnetic signal. Here, the missing details are supplied by “zooming in" on the chronostratigraphic interval that was investigated. In sum, Kent et al.'s results do not confirm a “faster tempo for sea level change" for the Latemar as much as raise questions about the magnetization of these carbonate rocks. There are also shortcomings in Kent et al.'s reappraisal of the cyclic content of the Cimon del Latemar (CDL) series that need clarification. Finally, the Latemar controversy is examined in the context of the distribution of time in Middle Triassic stratigraphy of the Dolomites.
Creating Imagined Communities: Development Communication and the Challenge of Feminism

The failures of the first three development decades have been well documented. In efforts to reduce failures communication scholars and practitioners have proposed strategies to increase recipient participation in projects. Their proposals have not been adequately implemented and many groups are still bypassed or even harmed by development efforts. Women are usually the most neglected in these groups. This essay draws on three areas of critical scholarship each initiated a little over 20 years ago to outline an expanded vision for development communication. Each in different ways addresses the failures of development programs under modernization. The first has been called women in development and emerged in part from the work of Danish economist Ester Boserup…The second area includes grass-roots critiques of development of which Paolo Freires 1970 book Pedagogy of the Oppressed is especially well- known…The third area political economy of communication initiated global discussions about uses of power in communication industries and systems. (excerpt modified)
Ring Oscillator Technique for MOSFET $CV$ Characterization

A technique for extracting small signal MOSFET gate capacitance as a function of bias voltage from measurements of circuit delay and power is described. This approach makes use of a ring oscillator with stages in which an independent bias voltage is applied to the gates of MOSFETs driven by an inverter. The square wave signal circulating around the ring oscillator, at a reduced power supply voltage, serves as a small signal excitation for the CV characterization. Gate charging times of order 40 ps enable capacitance measurement in the presence of the high parallel conductance of thin gate dielectrics. MOSFET parameters such as inversion and depletion capacitances and electrical channel length can be self-consistently compared with circuit power/performance, all derived as averages over hundreds of MOSFETs from the same test structure. This minimizes dependencies on layout, spatial and statistical variations, as well as other ambiguities that can exist when a variety of test structures is used to evaluate different MOSFET and circuit performance parameters. At <1 MHz, the frequency divided output is compatible with standard in-line test. Data from experimental partially depleted silicon-on-insulator hardware at the 65-nm CMOS technology node are presented.
Identification of high-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome using point-of-care echocardiography in the ED

Stratifying risk of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the emergency department (ED) remains a frequent challenge. When ST-elevation criteria are absent, current recommendations rely upon insensitive and time-intensive methods such as the electrocardiogram and cardiac enzyme testing. Here, we report on a series of cases, where emergency physicians used a simplified model for identifying regional wall motion abnormalities by point-of-care echocardiography in patients presenting with chest pain to the ED. With the use of a simplified model described herein, high-risk patients with ACS were identified rapidly in a cohort usually difficult to risk stratify.
Dosage Effects of a Drosophila Sodium Channel Gene on Behavior and Axonal Excitability

The effects of para mutations on behavior and axonal excitability in Drosophila suggested that para specifically affects sodium channels. This hypothesis was confirmed by molecular analysis of the para locus, which demonstrates that the encoded para product is a sodium channel polypeptide. Here we characterize the effects of altered para+ dosage on behavior and axonal excitability, both in an otherwise wild-type background and in combination with two other mutations: napts, which also affects sodium channels, and ShKS133, which specifically affects potassium channels. Whereas it was previously shown that decreased dosage of para+ is unconditionally lethal in a napts background, we find that increased dosage of para+ suppresses napts. Similarly, we find that para hypomorphs or decreased dosage of para+ suppresses ShKS133, whereas increased dosage of para+ enhances ShKS133). The electrophysiological basis for these effects is investigated. Other genes in Drosophila that have sequence homology to sodium channels do not show such dosage effects, which suggests that the para+ product has a function distinct from that of other putative Drosophila sodium channel genes. We conclude that the number of sodium channels present in at least some Drosophila neurons can be affected by changes in para+ gene dosage, and that the level of para+ expression can strongly influence neuronal excitability.
Skeletal Imaging and Management of Bone Disease

Up to 90% of patients with multiple myeloma develop bone lesions. The lesions are purely osteolytic because of increased osteoclast activity and markedly suppressed or absent osteoblast activity. The "gold standard" for imaging myeloma bone lesions is the metastatic bone survey. However, plain radiographs are relatively insensitive and can only demonstrate lytic disease when 30% of trabecular bone loss has occurred. Technicium-99m bone scanning is not appropriate for evaluating myeloma patients since bone scans underestimate the extent of bone involvement in patients with myeloma. The limited reproducibility of bone surveys have led to the use of computerized tomography (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans to evaluate the extent of bone disease. CT scans are more sensitive than plain radiographs for detecting small lytic lesions, and MRI scans detect marrow involvement by the tumor. PET scans have been used to detect bone lesions in patients with myeloma, are more sensitive than plain radiographs, and have the same sensitivity as MRIs for detecting bone disease in the spine and pelvis. Treatment of myeloma bone disease involves treatment of the underlying malignancy and its manifestations. Current treatments that will be discussed include bisphosphonate therapy, kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty, radiation therapy, and novel agents to suppress osteoclastic bone resorption. In addition, complications with bisphosphonate therapy will be reviewed, in particular, osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with bisphosphonate therapy. As survival of myeloma patients increases, therapies to prevent the complications of aggressive myeloma bone disease become more important.
Constant current Power Transmission Line based power delivery network for single-ended signaling with reduced simultaneous switching noise

Due to the increasing operating frequency and power density, more current is being drawn from the power delivery network (PDN). For off-chip signaling, the drawn current flows through the signal transmission line outside the chip, and induces a return current on the reference plane. The power planes cause return path discontinuity (RPD), which induces power noise and coupling between the signal distribution network and the PDN. In this paper, a transmission line structure is proposed to replace the power plane and convey power supply from the voltage source to each integrated circuit (IC), which is called as Power Transmission Line (PTL). In this paper, proof of concept for the Constant Current Power Transmission Line (CCPTL) based single-ended signaling scheme is presented. The efficacy of using PTL is verified by measurement results.
A new model for force generation by skeletal muscle, incorporating work-dependent deactivation.

SUMMARY A model is developed to predict the force generated by active skeletal muscle when subjected to imposed patterns of lengthening and shortening, such as those that occur during normal movements. The model is based on data from isolated lamprey muscle and can predict the forces developed during swimming. The model consists of a set of ordinary differential equations, which are solved numerically. The model9s first part is a simplified description of the kinetics of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum and binding to muscle protein filaments, in response to neural activation. The second part is based on A. V. Hill9s mechanical model of muscle, consisting of elastic and contractile elements in series, the latter obeying known physiological properties. The parameters of the model are determined by fitting the appropriate mathematical solutions to data recorded from isolated lamprey muscle activated under conditions of constant length or rate of change of length. The model is then used to predict the forces developed under conditions of applied sinusoidal length changes, and the results compared with corresponding data. The most significant advance of this model is the incorporation of work-dependent deactivation, whereby a muscle that has been shortening under load generates less force after the shortening ceases than otherwise expected. In addition, the stiffness in this model is not constant but increases with increasing activation. The model yields a closer prediction to data than has been obtained before, and can thus prove an important component of investigations of the neural—mechanical—environmental interactions that occur during natural movements.
Endoscopic Approaches for the Treatment of Obesity Fact or Fiction

Obesity is a common medical problem that is growing in both numbers of patients and cost to the healthcare system. In addition, the disabilities associated with obesity can have significant impact on a patient’s quality of life. The interventions to date for treating obesity are generally divided into 2 categories: conservative (diet, exercise, behavioral management, and pharmacology) and surgical. The success rate of conservative management has been modest, at best. Surgical therapy, which can create enduring and significant weight loss in some situations, has its associated morbidity, mortality, and cost. Surgical therapy is not appropriate for someone seeking to lose a modest amount of weight. Internationally, endoscopic devices for obesity are available. Published reports have demonstrated some success in obtaining weight loss with these endoscopic devices. The most common is the intragastric balloon. Other endoscopic obesity devices are in development. These devices may play a role in weight loss the...
Policy Positions, Issue Importance, and Party Competition in New Democracies

This article examines the dynamics of vote redistribution after new party entry in the context of East European democracies. Contrary to the dominant institutional and sociological approaches, the author focuses on the (strategic) policy choices of the new contestants. The author argues that a new party's choice about where to place itself in relation to existing parties and which issues to emphasize can determine its electoral success or failure. Aggregate and individual-level analyses confirm this argument. The findings underline the importance of policy-based party competition in the region. As a broader theoretical contribution, the study underscores the relevance of issue importance, and not just party issue positions, in political competition.