cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zora Neale Hurston: Retrieving Folk Memory in Mules and Men

Harlem Renaissance writer and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston is known for her project of cultural retrieval through the study of African American folklore in the Southern states, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, especially, and the Caribbean. Eatonville, Florida, where she spent her childhood years, was the epicenter of her folkloric and cultural understandings. Mules and Men, the first study of African American folk traditions by an African American, retrieves a wide range of folklore materials, especially folktales, which constitute the collective memory of certain residents of Florida and Louisiana in the early decades of the twentieth century. Of the many topics covered in Mules and Men, the work can be understood in its treatment of religion, women and relationships, slavery, and language. Also, Hurston’s fictional works show a reliance on folklore and the foundational experience in Eatonville. She employs vernacular with a few strategic interests, one, to construct narratives that are centered on social, familial, and interpersonal relationships, such as marital situations; the other, to codify, performing the role of the anthropologist who collects folklore materials, but also realizes that vernacular voices had a level of authenticity. Hurston joined the academic circle of ethnographers and formed her own ethnological self, observing the relationships between men and women as they show gender and power considerations.
Yes-Associated Protein (Yap) Is Up-Regulated in Heart Failure and Promotes Cardiac Fibroblast Proliferation

Left ventricular (LV) heart failure (HF) is a significant and increasing cause of death worldwide. HF is characterized by myocardial remodeling and excessive fibrosis. Transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein (Yap), the downstream effector of HIPPO signaling pathway, is an essential factor in cardiomyocyte survival; however, its status in human LV HF is not entirely elucidated. Here, we report that Yap is elevated in LV tissue of patients with HF, and is associated with down-regulation of its upstream inhibitor HIPPO component large tumor suppressor 1 (LATS1) activation as well as upregulation of the fibrosis marker connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Applying the established profibrotic combined stress of TGFβ and hypoxia to human ventricular cardiac fibroblasts in vitro increased Yap protein levels, down-regulated LATS1 activation, increased cell proliferation and collagen I production, and decreased ribosomal protein S6 and S6 kinase phosphorylation, a hallmark of mTOR activation, without any significant effect on mTOR and raptor protein expression or phosphorylation of mTOR or 4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1), a downstream effector of mTOR pathway. As previously reported in various cell types, TGFβ/hypoxia also enhanced cardiac fibroblast Akt and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which was similar to our observation in LV tissues from HF patients. Further, depletion of Yap reduced TGFβ/hypoxia-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and Akt phosphorylation at Ser 473 and Thr308, without any significant effect on TGFβ/hypoxia-induced ERK1/2 activation or reduction in S6 and S6 kinase activities. Taken together, these data demonstrate that Yap is a mediator that promotes human cardiac fibroblast proliferation and suggest its possible contribution to remodeling of the LV, opening the door to further studies to decipher the cell-specific roles of Yap signaling in human HF.
Comparison of DNA fragmentation and color thresholding for objective quantitation of apoptotic cells

Apoptosis is a process of cell death characterized by distinctive morphological changes and fragmentation of cellular DNA. Using video imaging and color thresholding techniques, we objectively quantitated the number of cultured CD4+ T-lymphoblastoid cells (HUT78 cells, RH9 subclone) displaying morphological signs of apoptosis before and after exposure to gamma-irradiation. The numbers of apoptotic cells measured by objective video imaging techniques were compared to numbers of apoptotic cells measured in the same samples by sensitive apoptotic assays that quantitate DNA fragmentation. DNA fragmentation assays gave consistently higher values compared with the video imaging assays that measured morphological changes associated with apoptosis. These results suggest that substantial DNA fragmentation can precede or occur in the absence of the morphological changes which are associated with apoptosis in gamma-irradiated RH9 cells.
Chemistry of the genus sequoia—VI: On the cyclitols present in heartwood of sequoia sempervirens

Abstract The heartwood of California coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, has been shown to contain myo-inositol and (+)-inositol in addition to the previously reported sequoyitol and pinitol. The possible taxonomic relevance of cyclitol composition is discussed.
The low voltage TFET demands higher perfection than previously required in electronics

Tunneling Field Effect Transistors (TFETs) have the potential to achieve a low operating voltage by overcoming the thermally limited subthreshold swing of 60mV/decade, but results to date have been unsatisfying. Unfortunately, TFETs have only shown steep subthreshold swings at low currents of a nA/µm or lower while we would like a mA/µm. To understand this we need to consider the two switching mechanisms in a TFET. The gate voltage can be used to modulate the tunneling barrier thickness and thus the tunneling probability as shown Fig. 1(a). Alternatively, it is possible use energy filtering or density of states (DOS) switching as illustrated in Fig. 1(b). If the conduction and valence band don't overlap, no current can flow. Once they do overlap, current can flow.
How articulate virtual labs can help in thermodynamics education: a multiple case study

There are few examples of innovative educational practice in thermodynamics courses. This paper describes the use of CyclePad-an articulate virtual laboratory for creating and analyzing thermodynamics cycles-in thermodynamics classes at three different schools. Student surveys show that from working with the program they increased their understanding of thermodynamics, learned some problem solving strategies and found certain calculations to be faster and easier. By working with a computer-based tool, instructors were able to assign problems which were more realistic than text book problems. Of the three schools, the school with the greater computer resources had an easier time implementing the software. The school with the most constraints on its curriculum was less able to take advantage of the software.
Surgical aspects of liver disease.

IN THE care of infants with prolonged jaundice, the surgeon is particularly concerned with those suspected of having obstruction of the extrahepatic ducts. In 1927, Ladd was the first to correct successfully congenital atresia of the bile duct system. At that time, and for some time afterwards, there was great enthusiasm and hope that a considerable number of infants with signs of obstructive jaundice could be helped. Unfortunately, events have not proved this to be so. According to various reports, only 2 to 3 per cent of infants with clinical obstructive jaundice prove to have an atresia of the extrahepatic duct system which is amenable to surgery. To select these few patients who have atresia of the extrahepatic duct out of the large number of jaundiced infants is a difficult task. Formerly, it was common practice to subject all these infants to extensive surgical exploration at 6 to 8 weeks of age to be sure that no correctable lesion was overlooked. Gellis was the first to call attention to the fact that these explorations, particularly in infants under 3 months, were not without hazard. Among the cases he reviewed there were some deaths directly attributable to the diagnostic explorations. Consequently, it has become common practice to delay exploration on these infants until they are 5 to 6 months of age. This practice seems reasonable to circumvent the problem of deaths after exploration, for this hazard is a great deal less after the infants are 6 months or more of age.
Networking wireless sensors

1. Introduction 2. Network deployment 3. Localization 4. Time synchronization 5. Wireless characteristics 6. Medium access and sleep scheduling 7. Sleep-based topology control 8. Energy-efficient and robust routing 9. Data-Centric networking 10. Transport reliability and congestion control 11. Conclusions.
Survey of the sensitivity of microorganisms to rubratoxin B.

Of the 133 microorganisms tested, Tetrahymena pyriformis and Volvox aureus were the most sensitive to rubratoxin B, being inhibited at 25 and 50 μg/ml, respectively.
Optimal DC microgrid power apportionment and closed loop storage control to mitigate source and load transients

This paper considers the optimal management of an N source, DC microgrid with time-varying sources and loads. Optimality is defined as minimizing the amount of power lost through the boost converters that connect the N sources to the DC bus. The optimal power apportionment strategy is part of an overall grid management system that also includes control laws that manage bus voltage and boost currents using distributed energy storage. The performance of an optimal power apportionment strategy is compared to an existing, alternate approach using a three source simulation for both source and load step transients. The optimal power apportionment strategy is shown to use less power while maintaining bus voltage in the presence of both load and source transients. Since the optimal solution requires information exchange between all the sources, there is an opportunity for malicious attack. The ability of the strategy to maintain the desired bus voltage in the presence of an uncommunicated source failure is also presented.
Comparison of single and multiple dwell position methods in MammoSite high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy planning

The purpose of this study is to dosimetrically compare two plans generated using single dwell position method (SDPM) and multiple dwell position methods (MDPM) in MammoSite high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy planning for 19 breast cancer patients. In computed tomography (CT) image-based HDR planning, a surface optimization technique was used in both methods. Following dosimetric parameters were compared for fraction 1 plans: %PTV_EVAL (planning target volume for plan evaluation) coverage, dose homogeneity index (DHI), dose con-formal index (COIN), maximum dose to skin and ipsilateral lung, and breast tissue volume receiving 150% (V150[cc]) and 200% (V200[cc]) of the prescribed dose. In addition, a plan was retrospectively generated for each fraction 2-10 to simulate the clinical situation where the fraction 1 plan was used for fractions 2-10 without modification. In order to create nine derived plans for each method and for each of the 19 patients, the catheter location and contours of target and critical structures were defined on the CT images acquired prior to each fraction 2-10, while using the same dwell-time distribution as used for fraction 1 (original plan). Interfraction dose variations were evaluated for 19 patients by comparing the derived nine plans (each for fractions 2-10) with the original plan (fraction 1) using the same dosimetric parameters used for fraction 1 plan comparison. For the fraction 1 plan comparison, the MDPM resulted in slightly increased %PTV_EVAL coverage, COIN, V150[cc] and V200[cc] values by an average of 1.2%, 0.025, 0.5 cc and 0.7cc, respectively, while slightly decreased DHI, maximum skin and ipsilateral lung dose by an average of 0.003, 3.2 cGy and 5.8 cGy, respectively. For the inter-fraction dose variation comparison, the SDPM resulted in slightly smaller variations in %PTV_EVAL coverage, DHI, maximum skin dose and V150[cc] values by an average of 0.4%, 0.0005, 0.5 cGy and 0.2 cc, respectively, while slightly higher average variations in COIN, maximum ipsilateral lung dose and V200[cc] values by 0.0028, 0.2 cGy and 0.2 cc, respectively. All differences were too small to be clinically significant. Compared to the MDPM, the SDPM combined with a surface optimization technique can generate a clinically comparable fraction 1 treatment plan with a similar interfraction dose variation if a single source is carefully positioned at the center of the balloon catheter.
What we don't know can hurt us: Nonresponse bias assessment in birth defects research.

BACKGROUND Nonresponse bias assessment is an important and underutilized tool in survey research to assess potential bias due to incomplete participation. This study illustrates a nonresponse bias sensitivity assessment using a survey on perceived barriers to care for children with orofacial clefts in North Carolina. METHODS Children born in North Carolina between 2001 and 2004 with an orofacial cleft were eligible for inclusion. Vital statistics data, including maternal and child characteristics, were available on all eligible subjects. Missing ‘responses’ from nonparticipants were imputed using assumptions based on the distribution of responses, survey method (mail or phone), and participant maternal demographics. RESULTS Overall, 245 of 475 subjects (51.6%) responded to either a mail or phone survey. Cost as a barrier to care was reported by 25.0% of participants. When stratified by survey type, 28.3% of mail respondents and 17.2% of phone respondents reported cost as a barrier. Under various assumptions, the bias-adjusted estimated prevalence of cost as barrier to care ranged from 16.1% to 30.0%. Maternal age, education, race, and marital status at time of birth were not associated with subjects reporting cost as a barrier. CONCLUSION As survey response rates continue to decline, the importance of assessing the potential impact of nonresponse bias has become more critical. Birth defects research is particularly conducive to nonresponse bias analysis, especially when birth defect registries and birth certificate records are used. Future birth defect studies which use population-based surveillance data and have incomplete participation could benefit from this type of nonresponse bias assessment. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:603–609, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comprehensive Annotation of Physcomitrella patens Small RNA Loci Reveals That the Heterochromatic Short Interfering RNA Pathway Is Largely Conserved in Land Plants

Many plant small RNAs are sequence-specific negative regulators of target mRNAs and/or chromatin. In angiosperms, the two most abundant endogenous small RNA populations are usually 21-nucleotide microRNAs (miRNAs) and 24-nucleotide heterochromatic short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Heterochromatic siRNAs are derived from repetitive regions and reinforce DNA methylation at targeted loci. The existence and extent of heterochromatic siRNAs in other land plant lineages has been unclear. Using small RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of the moss Physcomitrella patens, we identified 1090 loci that produce mostly 23- to 24-nucleotide siRNAs. These loci are mostly in intergenic regions with dense DNA methylation. Accumulation of siRNAs from these loci depends upon P. patens homologs of DICER-LIKE3 (DCL3), RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE2, and the largest subunit of DNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE IV, with the largest subunit of a Pol V homolog contributing to expression at a smaller subset of the loci. A MINIMAL DICER-LIKE (mDCL) gene, which lacks the N-terminal helicase domain typical of DCL proteins, is specifically required for 23-nucleotide siRNA accumulation. We conclude that heterochromatic siRNAs, and their biogenesis pathways, are largely identical between angiosperms and P. patens, with the notable exception of the P. patens-specific use of mDCL to produce 23-nucleotide siRNAs.
Characterizing neighborhood pedestrian environments with secondary data

Commonly used measures of the pedestrian environment rely on field data collection and subjective judgments. This study develops objective measures of the pedestrian environment that use secondary data or plans for proposed neighborhoods and still correlate well with accepted subjective measures. Data to estimate these measures, describing network design, sidewalk availability and building accessibility, were collected for a sample of neighborhoods in the Chicago area using both common secondary sources and subjective field surveys. Linear regression was used to estimate judgmental indices with the laboratory data as independent variables. The measures developed can be substituted for subjective field measures to reduce costs with minimal loss in accuracy and to characterize walkability of proposed neighborhood designs.
Differential Functional Response in the Posteromedial Cortices and Hippocampus to Stimulus Repetition During Successful Memory Encoding

The reduction of neural activity in response to repeated stimuli, repetition suppression, is one of the most robust experience-related cortical dynamics known to cognitive neuroscience. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies during episodic memory encoding have demonstrated repetition suppression in the hippocampus and this reduction has been linked to successful memory formation. An emerging body of functional imaging evidence suggests that the posteromedial cortex, in addition to the medial temporal lobes, may have a pivotal role in successful episodic memory. This area typically deactivates during initial memory encoding, but its functional changes in response to repetitive encoding remain poorly specified. Here, we investigate the repetition-related changes in the posteromedial cortex as well as the hippocampus while the participants underwent an fMRI experiment involving repetitive encoding of face-name pairs. During the first encoding trial of face-name pairs, significant activation in the hippocampus was observed. The second and third encoding trials demonstrated a repetition suppression effect in the hippocampus, indicated by a stepwise decrease of activation. In contrast, the posteromedial cortex demonstrated significant deactivation during the initial encoding trial of face-name pairs. The second and third encoding trials demonstrated a stepwise decrease of deactivation, repetition enhancement, with activity at or above baseline levels in the final encoding trial. These findings demonstrate that hippocampus repetition suppression as well as posteromedial repetition enhancement is related to successful encoding processes and are discussed in relation to the default mode hypothesis as well as potential implications for understanding late-life amnestic disorders.
Automated detection of Salmonella spp. in foods

Abstract An automated method to detect salmonellae in foods was developed and tested in food samples intentionally contaminated with the test organisms. Liquid eggs, shell eggs, dry eggs, skim milk and chicken were spiked with Salmonella enteritidis , S. typhimurium or S. newport to yield 2 to 25 CFU per 25 g or ml of sample. Following pre-enrichment in universal pre-enrichment broth at 42°C for 6 h (eggs and milk) or 16 h (chicken), Salmonella cells were captured by immunomagnetic beads coated with Salmonella antibody (Vicam, Watertown, MA). The beads were transferred to selective liquid media containing carbohydrate (dulcitol or xylose), amino acid (lysine or ornithine), and H 2 S indicator, and incubated at 42°C in the BioSys instrument (MicroSys, Ann Arbor, MI). Salmonella positive samples were identified by black discoloration of the media during incubation, while negative samples remained colorless. These color changes were recorded by the instrument. All the artificially contaminated samples tested positive within 15–18 h, while control samples remained negative during 24 h incubation. The results agreed with standard identification procedures. A total of 24 h was required to detect 2 to 25 CFU of the pathogen in 25 g or ml of eggs and milk, and up to 36 h in chicken, compared to 72 h in the standard methods.
Sociocultural Adjustment to School and Academic Achievement

This study describes the sociocultural, personal and interactional context in which a young Mexican male adolescent participates. The interrelations between these factors reveal the difficulties which some Mexican immigrant students confront in their acculturation process and the affects of those influences on their academic achievement. The acculturation process referred to here assumes that an immigrant student can acquire a new language and culture while maintaining his own culture. This paper postulates that a student's academic failure and success depends upon a complex set of interrelated factors which must be understood in order to design effective educational intervention programs. The intervention approach presented here attempts to build upon the knowledge of the student's experience and to provide a resocializing model for high-risk students.
Comparison of drug-eluting versus bare metal stents on later frequency of acute myocardial infarction and death.

In clinical trials of highly selected patients, drug-eluting stents (DESs) decreased restenosis but not the rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or death. Whether DES use has an affect on the rate of AMI or death in unselected patients is uncertain. Bare metal stents (BMSs) were placed in 1,164 consecutive patients in the year before the introduction of DESs. DESs were subsequently placed in 1,285 consecutive comparable patients at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Early and late clinical outcomes were compared. Propensity score analysis was used to adjust outcomes for baseline differences. Patient and procedural characteristics of the 2 groups were similar, with an overall incidence of 72% for acute coronary syndromes (p = NS). At 9 months, target vessel revascularization (2.8% vs 8.6%, p
Frame‐shift mutations in NAD(P)H flavin oxidoreductase encoding gene (frxA) from metronidazole resistant Helicobacter pylori ATCC43504 and its involvement in metronidazole resistance

Metronidazole is a critical ingredient for combination therapies of Helicobacter pylori infection, the major cause of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. It has been recently reported that metronidazole resistance from H. pylori ATCC43504 is caused by the insertion of a mini-IS605 sequence and deletion of sequences in an oxygen insensitive NAD(P)H nitroreductase encoding gene (rdxA). We also found that an additional gene (frxA) encoding NAD(P)H flavin oxidoreductase in the same strain was truncated by frame-shift mutations. To assess whether the frxA truncation is also involved in metronidazole resistance, metronidazole sensitive H. pylori strains ATCC43629 and SS1 were transformed by the truncated frxA gene cloned from strain ATCC43504. All transformed cells grew on agar plates containing 16 μg ml−1 of metronidazole. The involvement of the frxA gene in metronidazole resistance was also confirmed by insertion inactivation of frxA and/or rdxA genes from strain ATCC43629 and one metronidazole sensitive clinical isolate H. pylori 2600. In addition, the frxA gene cloned from the H. pylori 2600 showed metronidazole nitroreductase activity in Escherichia coli and rendered ordinary metronidazole resistant E. coli to metronidazole sensitive cell. These results indicate that the frxA gene may also be involved in metronidazole resistance among clinical H. pylori isolates.
Recent water temperature trends in the Lower Klamath River, California

Abstract Elevated water temperatures have been implicated as a factor limiting the recovery of anadromous salmonids in the Klamath River basin. This article reviews evidence of a multidecade trend of increasing temperatures in the lower main-stem Klamath River above the ocean and, based on model simulations, finds a high probability that water temperature has been increasing by approximately 0.5°C/decade (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.42–0.60°C/decade) since the early 1960s. The season of high temperatures that are potentially stressful to salmonids has lengthened by about 1 month over the period studied, and the average length of main-stem river with cool summer temperatures has declined by about 8.2 km/decade. Water temperature trends seem unrelated to any change in main-stem water availability but are consistent with measured basinwide air temperature increases. Main-stem warming may be related to the cyclic Pacific Decadal Oscillation, but if this trend continues it might jeopardize the recovery of...
Characterization of a human acute phase protein found in association with rubella virus infection.

A precipitating antigen, rho , was first detected in the blood of persons with rubella and in rubella virus-infected cell culture fluids (1). Partially purified antigens from both sources were examined and shown to have similar properties, although antigen from serum sedimented more heterogeneously, with estimated coefficients from 15 to 21 S, while that from culture fluids sedimented in the 11–14 S region. In each case, antigen was located in the s-1 zone after electrophoresis in agarose, and at a density of 1.305 g/ml after centrifugation in CsCl. Stability characteristics were typical of protein antigens. Immunofluorescent microscopy revealed that rubella virus induced the appearance of rho antigen scattered throughout the cytoplasm of infected cells. When cells containing antigen were exposed for 24 h to 5 µg/ml actinomycin D rho was no longer detectable, indicating the probable cellular origin of the antigen. Also, titers in medium of infected cultures showed a reduction after actinomycin treatment, but levels of the virus-specified antigen, iota , were relatively unaffected. Rho appears to be a protein common to man and many animals. In vitro, it was induced by rubella virus and by adenovirus. In vivo, rho titers were shown to be elevated after rubella virus infection and, to a lesser extent, after infection with certain other viruses. High titers were also demonstrated in women late in pregnancy and in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In man and the chimpanzee, the appearance and decline of rho in the blood after rubella virus infection were temporally similar to the patterns of CRP, although rho seemed to be a more sensitive indicator of infection. The data presented indicate that rho is a newly recognized acute phase protein inducible by certain virus infections and by other unidentified stimuli present prominently in pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis.
Consequences of preprocessing feature data for support vector machines

Support vector machines are classification algorithms based on quadratic programming that have been found to give excellent classification results on problems such as discriminating targets form backgrounds. A key capability of these algorithms is that they do not require a preprocessing step to determine feature vectors, yet preprocessing is still an important step in the classification process. We discuss the effects of preprocessing feature data on the support vectors and the classification results of support vector machines. We first give a short introduction to support vector machines. Several methods to preprocess the data before being sent to the support vector machine are discussed. Then the algorithm is applied a set of second- order stochastic textures defined by their covariance structure. The effect on the classification rate is then determined.
Expulsion of the sex chromosome from the spindle in spermatocytes of a mantid

1. In the primary spermatocytes of the mantid Humbertiella indica the separation of the centers during late prophase is accompanied by corresponding movements of the nuclear membrane. Center and membrane thus remain in close juxtaposition suggesting that some form of attraction operates between them. 2. Interpolar distances are subject to a series of changes definitely associated with the successive mitotic phases. At the initiation of spindle formation the distance between the centers is large; it decreases sharply until metaphase; then remains constant until mid anaphase; and progressively increases to an extreme degree during late anaphase and early telophase. 3. At first metaphase the autosomal bivalents orient in a typical equatorial plate, but the X chromosome lies out in the cytoplasm, spatially separated from the spindle body by a wall of mitochondria. 4. Expulsion of the X chromosome from the spindle is correlated with a delay in its kinetochore-center interaction. 5. The anaphase movement of the autosomes is associated with a progressive shortening of the chromosomal fibers during the entire anaphase, accompanied during late anaphase by an elongation of the spindle body. But in the case of the X chromosome shortening of the chromosomal fiber occurs only during late anaphase. 6. Subsidiary conclusions on the cytoplasmic origin of the chromosomal fiber of the X, the relation of the bouquet stage to the double polarization of late prophase, the non-chiasmate structure of the autosomal bivalents, and the absence of the premetaphase stretch stage are recorded.
Computational modeling of nanodroplet evaporation for scalable micro-/nano-manufacturing

This article focuses on the Molecular Dynamics (MD) modeling and simulation of a droplet-based scalable micro-/nano-manufacturing process. In order to aid precise control of the nanodroplet deposition on substrates, it is important to study its evaporation dynamics. Water and acetone are used as candidate fluids for the simulation based on the differences in their densities and volatilities. The MD simulations describe the effects of ambient conditions and fluid properties on the vaporization of the nanodroplets. Physical drop size reductions, volume slices at the cross section, and root mean square deviations are evaluated for different time scales and temperature ranges. The MD results show different evaporation rates and varied molecular dispersion patterns outside the droplet core region. These results are validated using standard molecular density values and a theoretical evaporation model for the respective fluids at given ambient conditions. This research provides a systematic understanding of drop...
Hyperplastic cardiac sarcoma recurrence.

Primary cardiac sarcomas are rare tumors with a median survival of 6–12 months. Data suggest that an aggressive multidisciplinary approach may improve patient outcome. We present the case of a male who underwent resection of cardiac sarcoma three times from the age of 32 to 34. This report discusses the malignant nature of cardiac sarcoma and the importance of postoperative multidisciplinary care.
Atherogenesis in perspective: hypercholesterolemia and inflammation as partners in crime.

A historical perspective on atherosclerosis allows us to reflect on the once controversial hypotheses in the field. Plaque formation was once thought to be dependent upon hypercholesterolemia alone, or solely in response to injury. More recently, inflammatory cascades were thought to be at the root of lesion development. A more realistic view may be that atherosclerosis is neither exclusively an inflammatory disease nor solely a lipid disorder: it is both.
A study of L-(14C)cystathionine metabolism in the brain, kidney, and liver of pyridoxine-deficient rats.

Abstract 1. 1. Intravenously administered [ 14 C]cystathionine is not transported into the brain as such in either B 6 -deficient or control rats. In the latter, metabolic degradation products do penetrate the brain and are incorporated into brain protein. After intracerebral injection of [ 14 C]cystathionine, radioactivity rapidly enters the blood. 2. 2. A large percentage of injected [ 14 C]cystathionine is concentrated in the kidney of B 6 -deficient rats, but not in the controls. Low levels of radioactivity are found in the liver, and the metabolism of either exogenous or endogenous cystathionine by this organ appears to be little affected by B 6 deficiency. On the basis of these data, the kidney is a more likely site of cystathionine degradation in rats than is the liver. 3. 3. Vitamin B 6 deficiency caused a reduction in the actvity of cystathionine synthase in all of the tissues studied. Cystathionine activity was reduced in the B 6 -deficient kidney and liver. Variations in the ratio of cystathionine sythase activity to cystathionine are insufficient to explain the steady state concentrations of cystathionine in normal and B 6 -deficient tissue.
The Use of Sign Language and Sign Systems in Facilitating the Language Acquisition and Communication of Deaf Students.

With a historical context as a foundation, the current trends, practices, and perspectives regarding the manual component of educating deaf children is examined, including Manually Coded English sy...
Natural variation in circulating testosterone does not predict nestling provisioning rates in the northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis

Behavioural transitions between territoriality and parental care are necessary for many seasonally breeding vertebrates. Among birds, such transitions can be mediated by the steroid hormone testosterone (T), resulting in a T-mediated behavioural trade-off. This theory is supported by many implantation studies with birds demonstrating that the administration of exogenous T during parental phases can negatively affect offspring care. However, little is known about relationships between naturally circulating levels of T and parental behaviour in wild bird populations. We examined covariation in circulating levels of T (before and after injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)) and nestling provisioning rates in male and female northern cardinals, Cardinalis cardinalis, a highly aggressive, biparental resident songbird. Results indicate that both sexes had detectable levels of initial T when providing parental care, but only males produced significantly higher elevations of T following GnRH injections. Furthermore, T levels (both initial and following GnRH injections) and nestling provisioning rates did not covary for either sex, and these measures were not correlated between members of breeding pairs. When results of this study are considered with prior work indicating that elevations in T might not be necessary to support male or female aggression in this species, it appears that relationships between circulating T and reproductive behaviour could be more complex for the cardinal than for many others birds similarly examined. Such findings warrant additional examination of interrelationships between T, aggression and other forms of parental care to assess whether this species engages in T-mediated behavioural trade-offs. Possible alternative mechanisms influencing behaviour in the cardinal and future directions for research are discussed.
Scale-up of agitated vessels gas-liquid mass transfer

Procedures are developed for predicting liquid film controlled mass transfer in gas sparged contactors with and without mechanical agitation. Mass transfer is shown to depend on mean bubble size. Bubble shape, motion, and interface fluctuations are all properties that are associated with bubble size, which, in turn, can be determined from the physical characteristics of the contacting system. Experimental measurements were made on CO2 stripping from aqueous solution with air in 0.00252, 0.0252, and 0.252 m3 tanks. The vessels were geometrically similar, fully baffled, and equipped with four flat-blade impellers and spargers. These measurements are used to evaluate earlier correlations and to develop improved scale-up procedures.
Regularity of the scattering trajectories in classical mechanics

We establish conditions under which all trajectories of a mechanical system have a regular scattering behavior. Applications to the many-body problems on the line and to the systems with exponential cone potentials are worked out.
‘Recessive’ species‐specific antigens in doves and pigeons

Summary Evidence is presented that recessive species-specific antigens are present in pigeons and doves as determined by antiserum absorptions with cells of the opposing parental and Fi birds. This confirms and extends earlier observations by M. R. Irwin and L. J. Cole and adds another species. A simple model is presented postulating a relationship between genes, enzymes, and ‘dominant and recessive’ antigens.
Intimate partner violence during pregnancy: victim or perpetrator? Does it make a difference?

Objectives To differentiate between forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) (victim only, perpetrator only, or participating in reciprocal violence) and examine risk profiles and pregnancy outcomes. Design Prospective. Setting Washington, DC, July 2001 to October 2003. Sample A total of 1044 high-risk African-American pregnant women who participated in a randomised controlled trial to address IPV, depression, smoking and environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Methods Multivariable linear and logistic regression. Main outcome measures Low and very low birthweight, preterm and very preterm birth. Results Five percent of women were victims only, 12% were perpetrators only, 27% participated in reciprocal violence and 55% reported no IPV. Women reporting reciprocal violence in the past year were more likely to drink, use illicit drugs and experience environmental tobacco smoke exposure and were less likely to be very happy about their pregnancies. Women reporting any type of IPV were more likely to be depressed than those reporting no IPV. Women experiencing reciprocal violence reported the highest levels of depression. Women who were victims of IPV were more likely to give birth prematurely and deliver low-birthweight and very-low-birthweight infants. Conclusions We conclude that women were at highest risk for pregnancy risk factors when they participated in reciprocal violence and so might be at higher risk for long-term consequences, but women who were victims of IPV were more likely to show proximal negative outcomes like preterm birth and low birthweight infants. Different types of interventions may be needed for these two forms of IPV.
Ultrasonic reflection mode imaging of the nonlinear parameter B/A.II: Signal processing

The nonlinear acoustic interaction between a reflected single‐frequency sinusoid and a broadband pump waveform propagating in the opposite direction produces phase changes in the probe proportional to the nonlinear parameter B/A in the spatial region of interaction. The instantaneous phase change along the received probe can be expressed as the convolution of the pump waveform with the spatial distribution of B/A along the propagation path over which the pump and reflected probe interact. In theory, the phase modulated sinusoidal probe can be processed (phase detection and deconvolution) to produce an ‘‘A‐mode’’ representation of B/A. If the pump is an intense unipolar impulse and the probe a swept‐frequency sinusoid, then the pump interacts with the probe at each point along the propagation path at a unique frequency. Thus the phase modulation that carries information about the spatial distribution of B/A can be extracted from the phase spectrum by a simple Fourier transformation analogous to the space to frequency mapping so basic to magnetic resonance imaging. If the impulsive pump is replaced by another swept‐frequency sinusoid, then the phase change in the probe due to B/A at a particular point along the propagation path will be spread out for the duration of the pump along the probe. Passage of the received signal through an appropriate matched filter restores spatial coherence to the phase information in the probe so that it can be processed as if the pump were a broadbanded impulse. This approach suggests a means of approaching the design of effective pump waveforms that can resolve a wide range of spatial frequencies in (B/A)(x).
Immunological responses to Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin in two genetically divergent lines of chickens as influenced by major histocompatibility complex genotype

Chickens genetically selected for low (LA) or high (HA) antibody response to SRBC displayed a correlated change in MHC, so that LA chickens were 96% B13 and HA chickens were 96% B21. The LA line appears to be less susceptible to invasion by extracellular pathogens, whereas HA chickens are more resistant to infection by intracellular organisms. Resistance to Clostridium perfringens is one instance in which the lines do not follow their established trend of pathogen susceptibility, where during a clinical outbreak of necrotic enteritis, B21B21 genotypes experienced significantly less mortality than B13B13 genotypes. A study was carried out to assess immunological differences between LA and HA lines during exposure to C. perfringens α-toxin. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from each genetic line, cultured with or without lipopolysaccharide (4 h), and exposed to varying concentrations of α-toxin (1; 10; 100; and 1,000 U/L) for 2 and 4 h. Evaluation of cellular proliferation, percentage of cytotoxicity, and immunological gene expression was carried out in a series of experiments. Cells isolated from HA chickens had significantly increased proliferation than those from LA chickens at low toxin levels (1 and 10 U/L) and significantly decreased proliferation at high toxin levels (100 and 1,000 U/L). Following exposure to lipopolysaccharide, the percentage of cytotoxicity was higher for LA than HA cells. In both assays, HA cells displayed superior performance following lipopolysaccharide-stimulation. Gene expression analysis of immune transcripts by quantitative real-time PCR revealed significantly upregulated expression of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-8, IL-13 (2 h), IL-15, and CXCLi1 (4 h) in HA than LA chickens. Cells isolated from the LA line displayed significantly elevated expression of IL-2, IL-10, IL-13 (4 h), IL-16, IL-18, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), CXCLi1 (2 h), and lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-α factor (LITAF) compared with the HA line. Clearly, these 2 genetic lines display highly divergent immune responses in regards to C. perfringens toxin exposure.
Method for Creation of the Aortotomy Site for Saphenous Vein Grafts

Saphenous vein coronary artery bypass grafting requires a proximal anastomosis of the vein to the aorta. A variety of techniques have been described to create the aortotomy. We have developed a four-sided knife (Xcision Scalpel; patent pending, Research Medical, Inc, Midvale, UT) that facilitates the creation of a more uniform circular aortotomy. The purpose of this communication is to describe the knife and the technique for its use.
On the concept of equilibrium evaporation and the value of the Priestley-Taylor coefficient.

An analytical expression is derived for the Priestley-Taylor coefficient, a. This coefficient is generally interpreted as the ratio between the actual evaporation rate and the equilibrium evaporation rate. The derived expression is shown to be equal to the accepted value of 1.26 for typically observed atmospheric conditions and to be relatively insensitive to small changes in atmospheric parameters. A comparison is made between the new expression and data taken over an irrigated field in California. The concept of equilibrium evaporation is called into question and it is suggested that the Priestley-Taylor expression with a equal to 1.26 is a more accurate representation of evaporation under "equilibrium" wet surface conditions.
The in-process bond shear test: Its relationship to ball bond reliability and its application to the reduction of wirebond process variation

Abstract In this study, a strong relationship is found between in-process (post wirebond) bond shear test results on gold ball bonds and post-process, post-board mount wire pull results. The shear test results detect clear differences in shear strength and failure mode between two types of bond pad structures. Significant variation due to the level of ultrasonic power used in bonding was also found. The subsequent wire pull results obtained from units receiving full package assembly and simulated customer board mount agreed with the in-process shear findings of both pad structure and bonding process effects. The relationship between inprocess shear and ball bond reliability in a finished package may lead to many opportunities to improve package reliability by reducing variation in the wirebond process. As an example, an application of in-process shear results is provided that studies the effects of capillary changes on wirebond process variability.
Subcision for acne scarring: technique and outcomes in 40 patients.

Background Treatment of acne scars is a therapeutic challenge that may require multiple modalities. Subcision is a technique that has been anecdotally reported to be of value in treating so-called “rolling scars.” Objectives To assess the efficacy of subcision in the treatment of “rolling” acne scars. Methods A standard technique was developed for subcision. This was then applied to the treatment of rolling scars in patients, 40 of whom completed treatment and the prescribed follow-up. Six-month follow-up data were obtained from both patients and investigators. Results Subcision is associated with patient and investigator reports of approximately 50% improvement. Ninety percent of treated patients reported that subcision improved their appearance. The side effects of swelling, bruising, and pain are transient, but patients may have persistent firm bumps at the treatment site. Conclusions Subcision appears to be a safe technique that may provide significant long-term improvement in the “rolling scars” of selected patients. When complete resolution of such scars does not occur, combining subcision with other scar revision procedures or repeat subcision may be beneficial. MURAD ALAM, MD, NAYOMI OMURA, MD, AND MICHAEL S. KAMINER, MD, HAVE INDICATED NO SIGNIFICANT INTEREST WITH COMMERCIAL SUPPORTERS.
On notch-strengthening and crack tip deformation in cellular metals

Using an image analysis technique, the deformation field in double-edged cracked specimens of an open-cell aluminum foam has been measured. The measured deformation field is consistent with a simple model in which failure occurs by tensile yield of the uncracked ligament and localized shearing (over a distance of about one cell) at the crack tip. An expression for notch strengthening based on this model provides good agreement with experimentally observed notch-strengthening results for both open- and closed-cell foams.
Chemical kinetics in chemical vapor deposition: growth of silicon dioxide from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)

Abstract Chemical reactions in the gas-phase and on surfaces are important in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of materials for microelectronic applications. General approaches for modeling the homogeneous and heterogeneous kinetics in CVD are discussed. A software framework for implementing the theory utilizing the CHEMKIN suite of codes is presented. Specific examples are drawn from the CVD of SiO 2 using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). Experimental molecular beam reactive-sticking coefficient studies were employed to extract surface-reaction rate constants. Numerical simulations were used to analyze the molecular-beam experiments and low-pressure tube furnace data, illustrating the general modeling approach.
VLBI measurements of Caribbean and South American Motion

VLBI (very long baseline interferometry) measurements have been made during the 1990s at sites in the Caribbean (St. Croix, US Virgin Islands) and South America (Fortaleza, Brazil and Santiago, Chile) and the site velocities are now well determined. In the NUVEL-1A NNR frame, the VLBI velocity of St. Croix of 19.0±0.7 mm/yr at N72.3±2.0°E with respect to North America is significantly larger than the corresponding NUVEL-1A relative velocity of 11.4 mm/yr at N80°E. Fortaleza is in the stable portion of the South American plate in northeastern Brazil and its speed relative to the NUVEL-1A NNR South American plate velocity is only 1.2±0.7 mm/yr. Santiago has a horizontal velocity of 21.2±0.8 mm/yr at N70.7±2.2°E with respect to the NUVEL-1A NNR South American plate velocity and a vertical rate of 5.2±1.7 mm/yr. The strike-perpendicular horizontal component and the vertical component of this velocity are consistent with a simple elastic dislocation model of a locked South America-Nazca plate interface near Santiago.