cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal fractionation of ethylene polymers in packaging applications

Abstract In the past 5 years, new ethylene copolymers have found their way into a wide variety of applications. The new polymers have a unique combination of properties not typically found in conventional elastomeric or thermoplastic ethylene polymers. The characterization of these polymers by new and improved analytical techniques is of great interest. We describe a thermal fractionation method which sorts the crystalline ethylene sequence lengths of the polymer into groups. The ethylene lengths are estimated using melting points of known hydrocarbons. Three statistical terms are introduced to describe ethylene sequence length distribution: the arithmetic mean L n , the weighted mean L w and the broadness index L w L n . We demonstrate the technique by comparing ethylene polymers produced with different catalyst systems, decipher ethylene components in unidentified ethylene blends and track changes in crystalline fractions with grafting.
Cytology of metastatic prostate cancer following orchiectomy and antiandrogen therapy: A diagnostic challenge

Androgen deprivation therapy induces apoptosis and decreases both cell proliferation and angiogenesis in prostate adenocarcinoma. The molecular alterations following androgen ablation translate into unique cytologic features in both primary and metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma. We describe the cytologic appearance of metastatic prostate carcinoma following both surgical castration and androgen deprivation therapy. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:499–502. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Increased Enamel Hypoplasia and Very Low Birthweight Infants

Birth cohort studies of developmental defects of enamel (DDE) and early childhood caries (ECC) in very low birthweight (VLBW) and normal birthweight (NBW) infants are rare. In this birth cohort of 234 VLBW and 234 NBW infants, we report the incidence of ECC and DDE at 8 and 18-20 mos of corrected age. Infant medical and maternal socio-demographic data were abstracted from medical records at birth. Dental assessments for ECC and DDE (enamel hypoplasia, demarcated and diffuse opacities) were completed at 8 and 18-20 mos. The incidence of hypoplasia was significantly higher in VLBW compared with NBW infants (8 mos, 19% vs. 2%; 18 mos, 31% vs. 8%). The incidence of ECC (International Caries Detection and Assessment System: ICDAS ≥ 2) was 1.4% (8 mos) and 12% (18-20 mos) and was similar between the VLBW and NBW groups. At both ages, using a beta-binomial regression model to control for potential confounders (maternal and infant characteristics), we found increased risk for enamel hypoplasia among the VLBW infants compared with the NBW infants. African Americans had a lower risk for enamel hypoplasia at 18-20 mos. The VLBW infants should be monitored for ECC due to the presence of enamel hypoplasia.
Exercise, self-efficacy, and mobility performance in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis

Objective. To examine changes in mobility-related self efficacy following exercise and dietary weight loss interventions in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to determine if self efficacy and pain mediate the effects of the interventions on mobility task performance. Methods. The Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial was an 18-month, single-blind, randomized, controlled trial comparing the effects of exercise alone, dietary weight loss alone, a combination of exercise plus dietary weight loss, and a healthy lifestyle control intervention in the treatment of 316 overweight or obese older adults with symptomatic knee OA. Participants completed measures of stair-climb time and 6-minute walk distance, self efficacy for completing each mobility task, and self-reported pain at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months during the trial. Results. Mixed model analyses of covariance of baseline adjusted change in the outcomes demonstrated that the exercise dietary weight loss intervention produced greater improvements in mobility-related self efficacy (P 0.0035), stair climb (P 0.0249) and 6-minute walk performance (P 0.00031), and pain (P 0.09) when compared with the healthy lifestyle control intervention. Mediation analyses revealed that self efficacy and pain served as partial mediators of the beneficial effect of exercise dietary weight loss on stair-climb time. Conclusion. Exercise dietary weight loss results in improved mobility-related self efficacy; changes in these taskspecific control beliefs and self-reported pain serve as independent partial mediators of the beneficial effect of exercise dietary weight loss on stair-climb performance.
Urothelial Cancer With Occult Bone Marrow Metastases and Isolated Thrombocytopenia

Bladder cancer rarely presents clinically with a myelophthisic picture from diffuse bone marrow infiltration especially in the absence of detectable skeletal metastases. A 75-year old man presented with newly diagnosed urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder. Pathology from transurethral resection of bladder tumor demonstrated muscle-invasive disease. Pre-therapy imaging including CT abdomen/pelvis, CXR and bone scan demonstrated liver lesions concerning for metastatic disease but no skeletal metastases. Labs were notable for isolated thrombocytopenia, hypercalcemia and acute kidney injury prompting hospitalization. Hematologic work-up including bone marrow aspiration and biopsy revealed diffuse infiltration of the bone marrow by urothelial cancer. The case illustrates the importance of fully investigating otherwise unexplained clinical findings in patients with clinically localized urothelial cancer prior to curative intent surgery.
Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor of Adverse Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis

Background: Most acute pancreatitis risk scoring systems use total white blood cell counts (WBC) as one of the risk factors. The value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to pr
The Role of Schemas in Reading Text: A Real-Time Examination.

This article is concerned with how people process text in the presence or absence of a relevant schema. In particular, we focus on the effects of schema availability and concept repetition on both on‐line integration and memory for text. Subjects were required to read “vague” texts (like Bransford and Johnson's, 1972, well‐known “washing clothes” story) and their reading time for each sentence in each text was recorded. Half the texts were preceded by a title that activated a relevant schema, whereas the other half were presented without relevant schemas. Overall, reading time per sentence was substantially longer when reading without a schema than with one. The amount of extra time needed to read a sentence when no schema was available was the same at all points in the story. Also, when no schema was available reading time per sentence decreased with the number of repeated concepts in the sentence, whereas when a schema was available concept repetition had little effect. These results, along with the fin...
A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight

Tree nuts and peanuts are good sources of many nutrients and antioxidants, but they are also energy dense. The latter often limits intake because of concerns about their possible contribution to positive energy balance. However, evidence to date suggests that nuts are not associated with predicted weight gain. This is largely due to their high satiety value, leading to strong compensatory dietary responses, inefficiency in absorption of the energy they contain, a possible increment in resting energy expenditure, and an augmentation of fat oxidation. Preliminary evidence suggests that these properties are especially evident when they are consumed as snacks.
193-nm lithography and resist reflow for the BEOL

This paper presents data obtained in developing a lithography process for the metal and via levels using a first generation 193 nm stepper and first generation 193 nm photoresist. For the line/space levels, process windows obtained using chrome on glass (COG) and phase shift masks are presented. The effect of print bias (wafer - mask dimension) on process window is shown. At 280 nm pitch, process windows for COG and phase shift masks are compared. When using a phase shift mask to print 245 nm pitch, thinner resist is shown to increase the process window. Results are shown for printing 245 nm pitch with a COG mask. For contact hole and via levels, a resist reflow process was investigated with the same resist used for the line/space levels. In this process contact holes are printed larger than required and then reduced in size by heating the resist and causing it to flow. The results obtained with different mask dimensions and different wafer critical dimension (CD) targets are discussed. Results show that a process could be developed for printing 150 nm contact holes with 400 nm depth of focus at 5% exposure latitude. Finally, the through-pitch behavior as a function of reflow bake temperature is shown. Although the more isolated vias tend to show more shrinkage than the nested vias, it is shown that the deviation in size through pitch can be controlled by adjusting the mask dimension.
4‐Ethyl‐8‐methyl‐6‐phenyl‐1‐(phenyl­sulfon­yl)‐1H,6H‐pyrrolo[3,4‐f]indole‐5,7(1H,6H)‐dione

The title mol­ecule, C25H20N2O4S, is a rare example of the 1H,6H-pyrrolo[3,4-f]indole ring system, and shows the tricyclic fused ring system to be essentially planar.
Feuding and social change in Morocco

In Morocco, before the French protectorate, harmony and balance in human relationships were predicated upon conflict. Feuding and occasional bloodshed formed an integral part of social patterns, prefigured by custom, confirmed by ever-present dangers, and accepted as tradition. It was this constant prospect of conflict which: (1) offered the individual Moroccan a sense of assurance concerning the likely behavior of other men; (2) secured the clan group its cohesive character in the struggle for survival; and (3) produced, in the European imagination, an imprint of Moroccan society as inherently chaotic and, even, anarchic. Rather than constituting a pathological condition, however, conflict in pre-1912 Morocco was fundamentally integrative at the local level, socially sanctioned, and economically imperative. Since regional and tribal concerns prevailed over any integrative national consciousness or loyalties during this period, it was the clan organization and, upon infrequent occasion, the broader tribal edifice which provided functional continuity and solidarity to rural Morocco. It also was among clan groups that conflict most frequently erupted. It is this level of rural Moroccan society which the author proposes to examine to illustrate his contention that
The Structure of Community Organizational Networks

Organizational networks in a medium-size midwestern community are examined. Smallest space analysis is used to describe the money, information, and support flows among a wide range of formal organizations. Actors central to these networks are described in detail, and path analysis is used to examine the relationships between organizations' resources, interests, centrality, and influence in community affairs. Organizations which control the most funds and are more dependent on the community for money and legitimacy tend to be more central in each network. Organizations' technology also affects their centrality. However, resources and local dependencies have only an indirect effect on organizations' influence in the community. These effects are mediated by actors' centrality in the three resource networks. Centrality has the strongest direct effect on influence of all variables used in the analysis.
Inducible Reduction in Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A Gene Expression Inhibits Established Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression in Mice

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is a novel zinc metalloproteinase implicated in cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether a reduction in PAPP-A expression in the adult affects the progression of established atherosclerotic plaque. Apolipoprotein E-null mice were fed a high-fat diet for 5 weeks to initiate early-stage plaque development before tamoxifen-inducible, Cre recombinase-mediated excision of the floxed PAPP-A gene. High-fat feeding was continued, and after 10 weeks the aorta and brachiocephalic artery were harvested for atherosclerotic plaque analyses of overall burden and morphology, respectively. An inducible decrease in PAPP-A gene expression significantly inhibited atherosclerotic plaque progression as assessed by a 70% reduction in plaque burden in the aorta (P = .012) without an effect on the elevated circulating levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in this model. Furthermore, this reduction in PAPP-A prevented the development of advanced plaque with necrotic cores and buried fibrous caps in the brachiocephalic artery. These data indicate PAPP-A as a potential target to limit progression of established atherosclerotic plaque.
Successful production application of 3-D amplitude variation with offset: The lessons learned

Amplitude variation with offset (AVO) analysis was successfully performed on a 3‐D prestack seismic volume. Important conclusions were that AVO results could improve field development and production, that 3‐D AVO results were more useful than 2‐D AVO results, and that reliable AVO results could be generated on land.The AVO results were used to help develop an infill drilling program to increase production. AVO information lowered the risk of finding hydrocarbons by helping to identify seismic events that had a higher probability of being gas‐saturated sands. The 3‐D seismic survey covered known gas zones and potential new reserves. The AVO calibration work showed that positive AVO gas responses (classes 2 and 3) were observed for 90% of the zones associated with known production. One 15‐ft‐thick gas reservoir below seismic resolution did not give a positive AVO anomaly. A well drilled to an untested zone displaying a positive AVO anomaly encountered commercial quantities of gas. Production from this new z...
Continuous growth model for interface motion during alloy solidification

Abstract A model is developed that predicts the steady state velocity of a planar interface and the chemical composition of the growing phase in terms of the interface temperature and the composition of the parent phase at the interface. The model is applied to solidification of a two-component melt. Solute partitioning is treated by a previously developed continuous growth model for solute trapping. The interface velocity is found by generalizing the driving force in a velocity-vs-driving force function used for solidification of one-component melts. Two different ways of generalizing the driving force are used, with and without the inclusion of a “solute drag” term. Predictions are made both with and without solute drag for an ideal solution and for AgCu, a simple eutectic system in which the terminal phases have the same crystal structure. In both cases, a transition from diffusion-controlled to diffusionless solidification and a falling interface temperature occur as the interface velocity increases. In the model without solute drag, significantly less interfacial undercooling is predicted than in the model with solute drag. The relationship to previous theoretical work, especially to the continuum treatments of Baker and Cahn, and to pertinent experiments is discussed.
Survivable ATM Group Communications Using Disjoint Meshes, Trees, and Rings

This paper examines the potential benefits of providing survivability to ATM group communications based on the extension of circuit-switched restoration techniques. Specifically I compare the feasibility and cost of using disjoint dedicated backup route sets established by the VC Mesh model, shared multicast trees, and rings. Results show promise for further development of self-healing survivable rings.
Medium access control via nearest-neighbor interactions for regular wireless networks

This paper studies medium access control (MAC) protocols for regular wireless networks, where only nearest-neighbor interactions are involved. Each station chooses a state in the current time slot, which determines whether it transmits or not, based on its own state and the states of all its nearest neighbors in the previous time slot. The dynamics of the network follow that of a Markov Chain of Markov Fields, which is shown to converge to a stationary distribution for certain types of interactions. It is found that this type of protocols can achieve the optimal one-hop broadcast throughput in regular wireless networks. In case each station can only distinguish between transmitting and idle neighbors, the interactions of the network can be described using the Ising model in statistical mechanics. For this case, a MAC protocol is designed that can achieve a throughput close to the optimum.
A COMPLEX PATTERN OF POPULATION STRUCTURE IN THE NORTH PACIFIC GIANT OCTOPUS ENTEROCTOPUS DOFLEINI (WÜLKER, 1910)

We investigated the population structure of the North Pacific giant octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini (Wulker, 1910) in Alaskan waters. Octopuses were collected from five locations (Dutch Harbor (DH; n ¼ 45), Kachemak Bay (KB; n ¼ 45), Prince William Sound (PWS; n ¼ 18), Glacier Bay (GB; n ¼ 33), and Stephen's Passage (SP; n ¼ 39)). All samples were sequenced at the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) locus of the mitochondrial genome. We identified two major mtDNA haplogroups. Sequence divergence ranged from 0.2 to 2.9%. Haplotypes were not distributed evenly among the sampled populations, producing an enigmatic pattern of population structure. We observed no genetic differen- tiation between DH, KB and GB, or between PWS and SP. FST was extremely high for all other pair- wise comparisons, ranging from 0.871-0.948. We did not observe an isolation-by-distance pattern or a strong clinal gradient in haplotype frequencies, as typically detected in other marine species. Strong genetic drift, serial bottlenecks or sweepstakes events may contribute to the pattern observed. The high level of sequence divergence observed at the COI locus could also suggest cryptic species within the E. dofleini complex, with limited geographical overlap of populations and gene flow. Additional samples were contributed by researchers from British Columbia (n ¼ 1), Seaside, Oregon (n ¼ 4), Neah Bay, Washington (n ¼ 2), Puget Sound, Washington (n ¼ 1), and Kodiak Island, Alaska (n ¼ 2)) While sample sizes were low for these locations, prompting their exclusion from population based analyses, all individuals were of the predominate haplotype found in Alaska.
U-PAS: A user-friendly ADC simulator for courses on analog design

A simulator with a graphical user interface has been developed for the analysis and design of pipelined analog-to-digital converters. The user can enter parameters such as resolution per stage, number of pipelined stages, input and clock frequencies, input amplitude, op amp nonlinearity, capacitor mismatch, and comparator offset. The simulator then computes various static and dynamic properties of the system such as residue plots, differential and integral nonlinearity profiles, output spectrum, and input-referred noise. Available as an executable code, the simulator can run on various platforms.
Kinetics of Nickel Ferrite Formation

The rate of nickel ferrite formation is influenced by the milling technique and in the case of wet milling by the type of liquid media used. The reactivity of different types of α-Fe2O3 of spherical shape decreases with an increase of the surface area ratio of α-Fe2O3 to NiO. The particle shape of the iron oxides also affects their reactivity; cubical α-Fe2O3 has the least reactivity in the formation of nickel ferrite. The validity of Jander's equation in ferrite formation is reviewed. Based on present findings the rate of ferrite formation is best represented by the equation dx/dt= (a-x)/t, in which x is the percentage of ferrite formed, t the time, and a the kinetic isothermal reaction rate coefficient which is related to the surface area ratio of the reacting oxides. The application of the foregoing equation to the formation of magnesium ferrites from data found in the literature is also satisfactory.
Interactive multi-scale exploration for volume classification

Filter banks are a class of signal processing techniques that can be used to reveal the local energy of a signal at multiple scales. Utilizing such filtering allows us to consider local texture and other data characteristics, and permits volume classification and visualization that cannot be accomplished easily using conventional, transfer function-based methods. Our filter bank approach increases the dimensionality, and thus, the complexity of the classification task. We have therefore developed an interactive user interface for specifying and visualizing these higher dimensional classifiers, which enables volume data exploration and visualization in a filter-bank space. We demonstrate that this technique is particularly effective for the classification of noisy data, and for classifying regions that are difficult to approach using conventional methods.
The Requirement of Presynaptic Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors for the Maintenance of Locomotion

Spinal circuits known as central pattern generators maintain vertebrate locomotion. In the lamprey, the contralaterally alternating ventral root activity that defines this behavior is driven by ipsilateral glutamatergic excitation (Buchanan and Grillner, 1987) coupled with crossed glycinergic inhibition (Buchanan, 1982; Alford and Williams, 1989). These mechanisms are distributed throughout the spinal cord. Glutamatergic excitatory synapses activate AMPA and NMDA receptors known to be necessary for the maintenance of the locomotor rhythm. Less is known of the role and location of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), although group I mGluRs enhance transmitter release at giant synapses in the lamprey spinal cord, whereas group II/III receptors may inhibit release. In this study we show that group I mGluR antagonists block fictive locomotion, a neural correlate of locomotion, by acting at the presynaptic terminal. Under physiological conditions, synaptically released glutamate activates presynaptic group I mGluRs (autoreceptors) during the repetitive activation of glutamatergic terminals. The resulting rise in [Ca2+]i caused by the release from presynaptic intracellular stores is coincident with an enhancement of synaptic transmission. Thus, blocking mGluRs reduces glutamate release during the repetitive activity that is characteristic of locomotion, leading to the arrest of locomotor activity. We found the effects of group I mGluRs on locomotion to be inconsistent with a postsynaptic effect on the central pattern generator. Consequently, the activation of metabotropic glutamate autoreceptors is necessary to maintain rhythmic motor output. Our results demonstrate the role of presynaptic mGluRs in the physiological control of movement for the first time.
Capture of Organic Vapors Using Adsorption and Electrothermal Regeneration

Activated-carbon-fiber cloth (ACFC) is an alternative adsorbent to granular activated carbon (GAC) for removing and recovering organic vapors from gas streams. Electrothermal desorption (ED) of ACFC provides rapid regeneration while requiring less energy compared to traditional regeneration techniques used with GAC. This paper provides proof-of-concept results from a bench-scale ACFC adsorption system. The automated system captured 1,000 ppmv of hazardous air pollutants/volatile organic compounds (HAPs/VOCs) from air streams and demonstrated the use of ED, using ac voltage, to recover the HAP/VOC as a pure liquid. The desorbed HAP/VOC condensed onto the inner walls of the adsorber and was collected at the bottom of the vessel, without the use of ancillary cooling. Seventy percent of the HAP/VOC was collected per cycle as condensate, with the balance being retained in the regenerated adsorber or recycled to the second adsorber. ED with in-vessel condensation results in minimal N\d2 consumption and short regeneration cycle times allowing the process to be cost competitive with conventional GAC-based adsorption processes. This technology extends the application of carbon adsorption systems to situations that were previously economically and physically impractical.
New interval methodologies for reliable chemical process modeling

The use of interval methods, in particular interval-Newton/generalized-bisection (IN/GB) techniques, provides an approach that is mathematically and computationally guaranteed to reliably solve difficult nonlinear equation solving and global optimization problems, such as those that arise in chemical process modeling. The most significant drawback of the currently used interval methods is the potentially high computational cost that must be paid to obtain the mathematical and computational guarantees of certainty. New methodologies are described here for improving the efficiency of the interval approach. In particular, a new hybrid preconditioning strategy, in which a simple pivoting preconditioner is used in combination with the standard inverse-midpoint method, is presented, as is a new scheme for selection of the real point used in formulating the interval-Newton equation. These techniques can be implemented with relatively little computational overhead, and lead to a large reduction in the number of subintervals that must be tested during the interval-Newton procedure. Tests on a variety of problems arising in chemical process modeling have shown that the new methodologies lead to substantial reductions in computation time requirements, in many cases by multiple orders of magnitude.
Reducing Employee Turnover Through the Use of Preemployment Application Demographics: an Exploratory Study

Understanding and managing employee turnover are important dimensions of the hospitality manager's job objectives. One way to improve our understanding of this nagging managerial problem is to better understand how selection techniques can influence turnover levels. In a series of regression analyses, different preemployment demographics are tested for their predictive strength. Education, work experience, and income potential were significant predictors. Ironically, the variables that are now legally restricted as hiring criteria-gender and age-showed no significant relationship to propensity to leave. Restaurant managers may want to closely examine preemployment applications for education level and the individual's area of study.
Sequential Estimation by Combined cost-Reference Particle and Kalman Filtering

Cost-reference particle filtering (CRPF) is a methodology for recursive estimation of hidden states of dynamic systems. It is used for tracking nonlinear states when probabilistic assumptions about the state and observations noises are not made. Recently, we have proposed a CRPF algorithm for systems with conditionally linear states that combines the use of Kalman filtering for the linear states and CRPF for the nonlinear states. We have shown that this combined method yields improved results over the standard CRPF. In this paper, we further extend that approach by relaxing some of the assumptions about the noises in the system. As a result, the only statistical assumption that remains is that the noises are stationary and zero mean. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method by computer simulations and compare it with standard CRPF, standard particle filtering (SPF), and marginalized particle filtering (MPF).
Approximation Algorithms for Problems Combining Facility Location and Network Design

We present approximation algorithms for integrated logistics problems that combine elements of facility location and transport network design. We first study the problem where opening facilities incurs opening costs and transportation from the clients to the facilities incurs buy-at-bulk costs, and provide a combinatorial approximation algorithm. We also show that the integer-programming formulation of this problem has small integrality gap. We extend the model to the version when there is a bound on the number of facilities that may be opened.
Intentional injury management and prevention in pediatric practice : Results from 1998 and 2003 american academy of pediatrics periodic surveys

Objective Intentional injuries are significant causes of pediatric morbidity and mortality in the United States. A 1998 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) survey identified child abuse, domestic violence, and community violence as concerns for pediatricians, although the majority of pediatricians also reported feeling unprepared to manage these issues. A second AAP survey in 2003 analyzed trends in pediatrician experience and attitudes related to these issues. Methods Surveys were sent to national random samples of AAP members in 1998 (n = 1629) and 2003 (n = 1603); response rates were 62% and 53%, respectively. Surveys measured pediatrician experience in the past 12 months in managing injuries caused by child abuse, domestic violence, and community violence. Attitudes regarding available resources and adequacy of training about intentional injury management were also collected. Trends between surveys were analyzed using chi2 analysis. Results The proportion of pediatricians who reported treatment of intentional injuries increased between surveys. The percentage of pediatricians who indicated that screening for domestic violence and community violence risk should be included in routine health visits increased from 66% to 72% and 71% to 77%, respectively. Confidence in ability to identify and manage injuries that were caused by domestic violence and community violence increased but remained low, whereas the proportion of pediatricians who expressed confidence in ability to identify child abuse decreased (65% vs 60%). Conclusions Despite overall improvement in acceptance of intentional injury prevention in routine care as well as confidence in intentional injury management, pediatrician confidence to identify and manage intentional injuries remains low.
Fractal Binding and Dissociation Kinetics of Prion Proteins on Biosensor Surfaces

This chapter presents a fractal analysis for the binding and dissociation of C1q in solution to the PrP protein immobilized on a sensor chip surface. The analysis provides physical insights into the interactions of C1q and the PrP protein occurring on the sensor chip surface. The values of the binding and dissociation rate coefficient k and k d respectively, and the state of disorder or degree of heterogeneity (fractal dimension) on the sensor chip surface are provided for both the binding phase D f and the dissociation phase D fd . On the basis of the pre-factor analysis for fractal aggregates, quantitative (predictive) expressions are developed for the binding rate coefficient k as a function of the C1q concentration in solution; the fractal dimension D fd as a function of the C1q concentration in solution; the dissociation rate coefficient k d as a function of the fractal dimension D fd ; the affinity K=k/k d as a function of the ratio of fractal dimensions D f / D fd and also as a function of the C1q concentration in solution; the binding rate coefficient k 2 as a function of the fractal dimension D f2 ; and the affinity K 2 (=k 2 / k d ) as a function of the ratio of fractal dimensions D f2 / D fd . The expressions obtained for the binding rate coefficient for a single- and a dual-fractal analysis as a function of the fractal dimension indicate the high sensitivity of the binding and dissociation rate coefficient on the fractal dimension on the SPR biosensor surface. The fractal analysis provides unique physical insights into the interactions between C1q and the PrP protein, and the quantitative expressions developed for the C1q–PrP interactions should assist in the better control of the SPR biosensor performance parameters such as stability, sensitivity, and response time.
Tapering of the Cervical Spinal Canal in Patients with Chiari I Malformations

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Upper cervical spinal canal dimension may have a role in abnormal CSF dynamics in patients with Chiari I malformation. We attempted to measure spinal canal tapering from anteroposterior spinal canal dimensions in patients with Chiari I. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with Chiari I malformation, including 12 with syringomyelia and 7 patients with IS were identified from a local registry. Age- and sex-matched control subjects with cervical spine MR imaging findings reported as normal were selected from the PACS. The anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal was measured at C1-C7 on T2-weighted sagittal MR images. The taper ratio of the spinal canal was calculated with the regression line. Goodness of fit was calculated as R 2 . Differences between patients with Chiari I and other patients were tested for significance with Kruskal-Wallis tests and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Taper ratios averaged −0.6 ± 0.3 mm/level in the patients with Chiari and syrinx, −0.4 ± 0.2 mm/level (mean ± 1 SD) in the patients with Chiari without syrinx, and −0.3 ± 0.5 mm/level in the patients with IS; control groups had average taper ratios of −0.3 ± 0.2 mm/level. Mean R 2 equaled 0.43. Taper ratios in patients with Chiari and syringomyelia differed significantly from those in the control group ( P = .003). Taper ratios in the patients with Chiari without syrinx and in patients with IS did not differ significantly from their matched control groups ( P = .60 and 0.76, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Chiari I and a syrinx have steeper tapering of the upper cervical spinal canal than matched controls.
Diminished Diurnal Secretion of Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), But Not Corticosterone, in Old Male Rats: Possible Relation to Increased Adrenal Sensitivity to ACTH in Vivo*

The diurnal secretion of ACTH and corticosterone was examined in chronically cannulated young (3-4 months old), middle-aged (10-12 months old), and old (22-24 months old) Fischer 344 male rats. Plasma corticosterone in young rats increased from baseline concentrations of 78 +/- 5 to a maximum of 171 +/- 24 ng/ml at 1730 h and declined to basal levels by 1930 h. Middle-aged and old rats demonstrated a similar magnitude and time course of corticosterone release. However, comparison of the relative concentrations of ACTH released during the diurnal surge revealed that old rats secreted 35% less ACTH than young or middle-aged animals (P less than 0.05). Age-related changes in the sensitivity of the adrenal gland to a submaximal dose of ACTH were tested in dexamethasone-pretreated animals at 1100 and 1700 h in a separate experiment. Plasma corticosterone levels were significantly greater after ACTH administration (1 mIU/kg ACTHAR, iv) at 1700 h in both young and old rats compared to 1100 h values (P less than 0.05), and levels 20 min post-ACTH injection at 1700 h were significantly greater in old than young or middle-aged rats at the same time (P less than 0.05). These results demonstrate that 1) there are no age-related changes in the diurnal secretion of corticosterone in Fischer 344 male rats; 2) there is a decline in the peak level of ACTH during the diurnal surge of old compared to young animals; and 3) adrenal sensitivity to ACTH at 1700 h is greater in old compared to young or middle-aged rats. We hypothesize that the greater increase in adrenal sensitivity to ACTH is responsible for the maintenance of the corticosterone rhythm in the presence of diminished ACTH concentrations in older rats.
HIV population dynamics in vivo: implications for genetic variation, pathogenesis, and therapy

Several recent reports indicate that the long, clinically latent phase that characterizes human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of humans is not a period of viral inactivity, but an active process in which cells are being infected and dying at a high rate and in large numbers. These results lead to a simple steady-state model in which infection, cell death, and cell replacement are in balance, and imply that the unique feature of HIV is the extraordinarily large number of replication cycles that occur during infection of a single individual. This turnover drives both the pathogenic process and (even more than mutation rate) the development of genetic variation. This variation includes the inevitable and, in principle, predictable accumulation of mutations such as those conferring resistance to antiviral drugs whose presence before therapy must be considered in the design of therapeutic strategies.
Abstract 2851: Intravenous Heparin For The Treatment Of Intraluminal Thrombus In Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and objectives: Current American Stroke Association/American Heart Association recommendations on the management of acute ischemic stroke do not recommend early use of heparin owing to increased risk of bleeding complications. However, for select patients, such as those with strokes associated with intraluminal thrombus, intravenous (IV) heparin might prove to be beneficial. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of acute ischemic stroke cases associated with intraluminal thrombus of intracranial and extracranial arteries in the corresponding vascular territories to identify patients in whom treatment with IV heparin resulted in near-complete or complete lysis of the thrombus. Imaging findings from computed tomographic (CT) perfusion and angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or digital subtraction angiography were used to describe the location of intraluminal thrombus immediately before and after treatment with IV heparin. Results: Eighteen patients with confirmed intraluminal thrombus by CT angiography (CTA) received treatment with IV heparin alone (median duration 3.5 days; range 1-8 days). The median NIHSS score was 2.5 (range 0-15) on admission and 1 (range 0-9) at discharge. Nine patients had complete lysis, and 9 patients had partial lysis of the thrombus with improved flow distal to the location of the thrombus. None of the patients developed intracranial hemorrhage. Conclusion: For strokes associated with intraluminal thrombus, IV heparin might prove to be an effective treatment strategy. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment with IV heparin in those patients.
Negotiating patriotism at the five points: Clay tobacco pipes and patriotic imagery among trade unionists and nativists in a nineteenth-century New York Neighborhood

Nineteenth-century American trade union and nativist rhetoric was rife with allusions to nationalist and patriotic sentiments, and symbols of the Republic were prominently displayed whenever these groups congregated. American trade union heraldry also incorporated these motifs, explicitly linking democratic imagery with group identity. The concepts of identity and ideology bound up with patriotic symbols are contentious by nature, however. Trade unions defined their own republican and patriotic ideals while nativists deployed the same symbols within a very different ideological framework, yet both groups laid claim to a patriotic identity. The process of defining and negotiating the nature of patriotism and American national identity is explored through a hermeneutic approach, using tobacco pipes recovered from New York City’s Five Points/Courthouse site. This study addresses the extent to which the rhetoric and ideology of these groups penetrated the daily lives of individuals, many of whom are otherwise absent from the historical record.
Attempts to Transmit Fowl Paralysis

The widespread occurrence of fowl paralysis and its high incidence in certain poultry flocks has led many investigators to attempt the experimental transmission of the disease. These attempts have yielded variable and conflicting results. Various agents have been held to be responsible for the disease?. The more recent work of some investigators has indicated that a filterable virus is the cause and that the disease may be transmitted by the inoculation of affected tissues or blood into normal chickens.2 Dalling and Warrack,3 on the basis of further experiments, have retracted their former statement4 and now do not believe the disease transmissible in this manner. Barber5 was unable to
Fabrication of Fine-Grained 3Y-TZP/β-Al2O3 Composites

Fine-grained 3Y-TZP/β-Al2O3 (-NaAl11O17) composites have been prepared by pressureless sintering of planetary-ball-milled 3Y-TZP and, β-Al2O3 powders. In the composites, β-Al2O3 particles with about 0.2-3μm in size were homogeneously dispersed in the TZP matrix with the grain size of-200 nm. The β-Al2O3 addition slightly improved Vickers hardness and fracture strength. Fracture toughness of the composite, however, was almost the same as that of the pure TZP and neither crack bridging nor crack deflection was observed for the composites. This result indicates that rather strong bonding may exist between 3Y-ZrO2 matrix and fine β-Al2O3 particles.
The use of calcium chelating agents and prostaglandin E to eliminate platelet and white blood cell losses resulting from hemoperfusion through uncoated charcoal, albumin-agarose gel, and neutral and cation exchange resins.

Hemoperfusion through adsorbents such as charcoal, cation exchange (e.g., AG 50W-X8) and uncharged (e.g., XAD-2) resins, and albumin-agarose gel (AAG) has been proposed for use in patients with hepatic failure. However, the loss of white blood cells and, particularly, platelets caused by each of these adsorbents remains a major deterrent to their clinical use. In vitro studies demonstrate that addition of citrate, ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA), or oxalate to heparinized human blood eliminated this loss of formed blood elements during hemoperfusion. The improvement in postperfusion platelet counts (per cent of preperfusion values) produced by citrate were XAD-2, 13 leads to 95 per cent; AG 50W-X8, 10 leads to 94 per cent; AAG, 17 leads to 94 per cent; and charcoal, 44 leads to 96 per cent. Prostaglandin E1 in high doses (5 mug/ml.) markedly reduced platelet losses. Lower doses were less uniformly effective. Three young rhesus monkeys were hemoperfused for 160 minutes with columns containing AAG, XAD-2, and charcoal. During the first 80 minutes, citrate and calcium were infused into the column inflow and outflow lines respectively. For all three adsorbents, average platelet counts in the monkeys (115 per cent) and column effluent (95 per cent) were unchanged from preperfusion control values during the first 80 minutes but fell promptly to 13 and 7 per cent, respectively, after the citrate infusion was stopped. Each of the monkeys tolerated the procedure without ill effects. Use of a system analogous to that described here may facilitate clinical application of the technique of hemoperfusion through a variety of adsorbents.
Landscape connectivity losses due to sea level rise and land use change

A fundamental problem in landscape ecology is understanding the isolating effects of different patterns of habitat loss and fragmentation on species and ecosystems. In the 21st century, urban development and sea level rise (SLR) are predicted to affect large areas of the United States, further exacerbating already fragmented and densely populated landscapes. Increasing or restoring habitat connectivity may ameliorate these effects, but the broad-reaching efforts required to assess current and future changes to connectivity, especially in low-lying areas vulnerable to SLR, are still under development. To address these issues, we strategically identified a small group of regionally significant species that represent a range of characteristics and ecological requirements useful for examining landscape connectivity. We used expert opinion to parameterize divergent species responses (i.e. resistance) to landscape features and to assess permeability of the landscape. From this, we estimated contemporary and future low-resistance habitat cores in the year 2100. We modeled six species for habitat connectivity using a multiscaled circuit theory-based approach and analysed them collectively to indicate landscape connectivity across the Southeastern United States. Using this approach, we were able to forecast changing connectivity patterns based on predicted urbanization and SLR. Our results suggest that there will be a 41% reduction in the number of low-resistance cores and a 35% decrease in mean area of remaining cores. In addition, current areas of high landscape connectivity will become more fragmented as future connectivity values indicate a more homogenized landscape structure. In the future landscape, pathways for connectivity are likely to move inland and northward as sea level and urbanization pressures increase. Our results may inform more comprehensive planning initiatives regionally or nationally, while simultaneously providing a multiscaled context for localized planning efforts.
A Comparison Study of Fixed and Mixed Effect Models for Gene Level Association Studies of Complex Traits

In association studies of complex traits, fixed-effect regression models are usually used to test for association between traits and major gene loci. In recent years, variance-component tests based on mixed models were developed for region-based genetic variant association tests. In the mixed models, the association is tested by a null hypothesis of zero variance via a sequence kernel association test (SKAT), its optimal unified test (SKAT-O), and a combined sum test of rare and common variant effect (SKAT-C). Although there are some comparison studies to evaluate the performance of mixed and fixed models, there is no systematic analysis to determine when the mixed models perform better and when the fixed models perform better. Here we evaluated, based on extensive simulations, the performance of the fixed and mixed model statistics, using genetic variants located in 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 kb simulated regions. We compared the performance of three models: (i) mixed models that lead to SKAT, SKAT-O, and SKAT-C, (ii) traditional fixed-effect additive models, and (iii) fixed-effect functional regression models. To evaluate the type I error rates of the tests of fixed models, we generated genotype data by two methods: (i) using all variants, (ii) using only rare variants. We found that the fixed-effect tests accurately control or have low false positive rates. We performed simulation analyses to compare power for two scenarios: (i) all causal variants are rare, (ii) some causal variants are rare and some are common. Either one or both of the fixed-effect models performed better than or similar to the mixed models except when (1) the region sizes are 12 and 15 kb and (2) effect sizes are small. Therefore, the assumption of mixed models could be satisfied and SKAT/SKAT-O/SKAT-C could perform better if the number of causal variants is large and each causal variant contributes a small amount to the traits (i.e., polygenes). In major gene association studies, we argue that the fixed-effect models perform better or similarly to mixed models in most cases because some variants should affect the traits relatively large. In practice, it makes sense to perform analysis by both the fixed and mixed effect models and to make a comparison, and this can be readily done using our R codes and the SKAT packages.