cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black Male Disproportionality in the Criminal Justice Systems of the USA, Canada, and England: a Comparative Analysis of Incarceration

The USA, Canada, and England are remarkably similar in that black men are disproportionately represented in their respective criminal justice systems. While this topic generates considerable research interest in the respective countries, there has been no comparative analysis of the systems specific to black male disproportionality in incarceration. Using critical race theory as a conceptual framework, this paper is such an analysis. One important finding of the analysis is that the convergent antecedents to the disproportionality are war on drug policies and accompanying law enforcement actions that disproportionately target young black men from economically disadvantaged urban communities.
Regulation of medial prefrontal cortex dopamine by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate/kainate receptors

Abstract In the medial prefrontal cortex, repeated cocaine produces tolerance of the extracellular dopamine response to subsequent cocaine injection. These studies characterized the influence of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate/kainate receptors on the medial prefrontal cortex dopamine response to acute cocaine, amphetamine and potassium chloride as a first step to assess whether these receptor subtypes may be candidates for mediating dopamine tolerance after repeated cocaine. Local infusion of 10 μM 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) produced an approximate 40% increase in dopamine levels in the medial prefrontal cortex, while a 30 μM dose did not alter basal levels infused over a 3-h period. Thus, 30 μM CNQX was chosen for the remaining experiments, and was infused for 1 h prior to and during all in vivo treatments. Local medial prefrontal cortex infusion of the 30 μM dose blocked the small increase in dopamine levels elicited by systemic saline injection (maximum of 26%), as well as the much larger increase in response to acute cocaine injection (maximum of 340%). Local infusion of D -amphetamine (3 and 30 μM) through the probe increased dopamine to 300 and 600% of basal levels, respectively. Co-infusion of CNQX partially blocked the response for the first 40 min, but dopamine levels recovered by 60 min later. Local infusion of 100 mM potassium chloride elicited a 600% increase in dopamine levels, which was attenuated approximately 50% by CNQX co-infusion. Potassium-stimulated release of dopamine was also measured in vitro in medial prefrontal cortical and striatal tissue. By 30 s after potassium addition, dopamine levels increased to 800% above baseline in the medial prefrontal cortex, and this increase was blocked by the presence of 30 μM CNQX. In contrast, potassium-stimulated dopamine release in striatal tissue was approximately 250% above basal levels, with no effect of CNQX on dopamine release. Locomotor behavior collected during dialysis experiments demonstrated that increased activity induced by local infusion of potassium chloride was severely attenuated by co-infusion of 30 μM CNQX, while no effects of this drug were found for cocaine-elicited behavior. These results suggest a potent influence of glutamate via α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate/kainate receptors on extracellular dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex, and these receptors may regulate dopamine release through a presynaptic mechanism. The findings may help elucidate the role of medial prefrontal cortex dopamine–glutamate interactions in drug abuse and stress- and drug-precipitated psychosis.
Effect of Gamma Radiation on Stability of Silver-Silver Chloride and Mercury-Calomel Commercial Reference Electrodes

Abstract Electrochemical potential measurements of materials in radioactive waste environments will be important in determining if the materials have a propensity for stress corrosion cracking (SCC...
Serious infections caused by enteric gram-negative bacilli--mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and implications for therapy of gram-negative sepsis in the transplanted patient.

The Enterobacteriaceae (eg, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp.) are common causes of intraabdominal, respiratory tract, and bloodstream infections in transplant recipients. Antibiotic resistance in these organisms is increasing. The major mechanism of resistance to cephalosporins is beta-lactamase production. The most important beta-lactamases are the inducible group 1 cephalosporinases, which are resistant to beta-lactamase inhibitors, and the plasmid-mediated extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). Organisms producing these beta-lactamases also may be resistant to quinolones and aminoglycosides by different mechanisms. A worrying recent development has been the detection of plasmid-mediated carbapenemases, which can inactivate antibiotics such as imipenem and meropenem. In general, third-generation cephalosporins should be avoided in the therapy of serious infections in transplant recipients because of the common occurrence of cephalospo-rinases in the Enterobacteriaceae. Antibiotic options are becoming more limited as the prevalence of resistance mechanisms in gram-negative bacilli increases.
Disparities in Cognitive Functioning by Race/ethnicity in the Baltimore Memory Study

The Baltimore Memory Study is a cohort study of the multilevel determinants of cognitive decline in 50-70-year-old randomly selected residents of specific city neighborhoods. Prior studies have demonstrated that cognitive function differs by race/ethnicity, with lower scores in minorities than in whites, but the underlying basis for these differences is not understood. Studies have differed in the rigor with which they evaluated and controlled for such important confounding variables as socioeconomic status (SES), health-related behaviors, comorbid illnesses, and factors in the physical environment. The goal of this study was to describe differences in neurobehavioral test scores by race/ethnicity, before and after control for a four-dimensional measure of SES and health-related behaviors and health conditions, in a cross-sectional analysis of first visit data. Random samples of households in the study area were selected until enrollment goals were reached. Among the 2,351 persons on whom eligibility was determined, 60.8% were scheduled for an enrollment visit; of these, 1,140 (81.3%) were enrolled and tested. These study participants were 34.3% male and 65.7% female and were from 65 Baltimore, Maryland, neighborhoods. After adjustment for age, sex, and testing technician, there were large and statistically significant differences in neurobehavioral test scores by race/ethnicity, with African-American scores lower than those for whites, for both men and women. After adjustment for individual SES (educational status, household income, household assets, and occupational status), the average difference declined by 25.8%. After additional adjustment for SES, health-related behaviors and health conditions, and blood lead, the average difference declined another 10%, but large differences persisted; African Americans had test scores that averaged 0.43 standard deviation lower than those for whites across all neurobehavioral tests. These differences were present in all cognitive domains, including tests that would not be characterized as susceptible to differential item functioning by race/ethnicity, suggesting that the results are not due to race/ethnicity-associated measurement error.
Gastric xanthelasma in a patient after partial gastrectomy

Gastric xanthelasma is a benign condition that must be differentiated from early carcinoma. The first descriptions of this condition appeared in the literature >100 yr ago but, to date, no adequate photographs of the gross endoscopic appearance have been published. With the hope of increasing awareness of this condition, we report a case of gastric xanthelasma in a patient with previous partial gastrectomy and review the existing literature. We also present photographs with the typical endoscopic characteristics of the lesion.
Limits on local Lorentz invariance in mercury and cesium

We report bounds on local Lorentz invariance (LLI) violation in Cs and Hg. The limits are obtained through the observation of the spin-precession frequencies of ${}^{199}$Hg and ${}^{133}$Cs atoms in their ground states as a function of the orientation of an applied magnetic field with respect to the fixed stars. We measure the amplitudes of the dipole couplings to a preferred direction in the equatorial plane to be 19(11) nHz for Hg and 9(5) \ensuremath{\mu}Hz for Cs. The upper bounds established here improve upon previous bounds by about a factor of 4. The improvement is primarily due to mounting the apparatus on a rotating table. Bounds are established on several terms in the standard model extension including the first bounds on the spin couplings of the neutron and proton to the $z$ direction: ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{b}}_{z}^{n}l7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}30}$ GeV and ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{b}}_{z}^{p}l7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}29}$ GeV.
Characterizing Small-scale Migration Behavior of Sequestered CO2 in a Realistic Geologic Fabric

Abstract For typical field conditions, buoyancy and capillary forces grow dominant over viscous forces within a few hundred meters of the injection wells resulting in remarkably different fluid migration patterns. Reservoir heterogeneity and fluid properties are principal factors influencing CO 2 migration pathways in the buoyancy/capillarity regime. We study the effect of small-scale heterogeneity on buoyant migration of CO 2 in this regime. Capillary channel flow patterns emerge in this regime, as characterized by invasion-percolation simulations in a real meter-scale 2D geologic domain in which sedimentologic heterogeneity has been resolved at sub-millimeter resolution. As the degree of heterogeneity increased in synthetic media, CO 2 migration patterns exhibited a spectrum of structures, from ‘dispersed’ capil lary fingers with minimal rock contact to back-filled’compact’ distributions of saturation with much larger storage efficiency.
Autophagy as an immune effector against tuberculosis

The now well-accepted innate immunity paradigm that autophagy acts as a cell-autonomous defense against intracellular bacteria has its key origins in studies with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an important human pathogen and a model microorganism infecting macrophages. A number of different factors have been identified that play into the anti-mycobacterial functions of autophagy, and recent in vivo studies in the mouse model of tuberculosis have uncovered additional anti-inflammatory and tissue-sparing functions of autophagy. Complementing these observations, genome wide association studies indicate a considerable overlap between autophagy, human susceptibility to mycobacterial infections and predisposition loci for inflammatory bowel disease. Finally, recent studies show that autophagy is an important regulator and effector of IL-1 responses, and that autophagy intersects with type I interferon pathology-modulating responses.
A pneumatic vortex angular rate sensor-Analysis and experiments

The performance characteristics of a vortex-type pneumatic angular rate sensor are presented. The porous coupling, used in all other vortex rate gyros, was replaced by a series of vanes and viscous coupling. A new pickoff system comprised of two spherical elements is introduced. The experimentally determined differential-pressure outputs compared favorably well with those predicted theoretically. Furthermore, the elimination of the porous coupling, the use of vanes and viscous coupling, and more importantly, the use of spherical pickoff elements have resulted in the increase of the sensor output, in the decrease of noise, in the elimination of the null-signal, and in the increase of the range of linearity of the sensor.
The design of an adjustable, three dimensional slider crank mechanism

Abstract This paper presents a technique for the design of an adjustable spatial slider crank mechanism to be used as a variable displacement pump or compressor. The design method considers velocity fluctuation, force transmission effectiveness and mechanism geometric proportions. An example application is provided.
Interactions between sympathetic vasoconstrictor outflow and C nociceptor-induced antidromic vasodilatation

The interaction between orthodromic sympathetic vasoconstrictor and antidromic vasodilator effects of C-fiber stimulation was studied in normal human volunteers. Excitation of C fibers was achieved through administration of intermittent painful intraneural microstimulation to upper limb nerves, while recording cutaneous thermal emission profiles in the projected fields of cutaneous sensation. During initial stimulation, when both systems are co-activated, skin temperature decreased. Temperature increased after termination of the stimulus. Eventually, temperature decreased again upon renewed stimulation. Thus, sympathetic vasoconstriction was found to override the antidromic vasodilator effect induced by stimulation of C nociceptors. When interpreting abnormal deviations of skin temperature in patients with peripheral nerve disorders, the dynamic interplay between opposing vasomotor effects driven by sympathetic and somatic systems must be taken into consideration.
Theoretical structure factors for selected oxides and their effects in high-resolution electron-microscope (HREM) images.

A reasonably detailed analysis of the effects of charge redistribution on both X-ray and electron structure factors as well as for high-resolution electron-microscope images are presented for a series of light-element oxides. The charge redistribution leads to differences of 2–3% for the X-ray structure factors and 5–7% for electron structure factors in the 0–0.5 A−1 region. There are detectable changes in images of about 10% of the contrast, somewhat dependent upon the alignment of atom columns, specimen thickness and defocus. These studies suggest that charge redistribution may be detectable using a Cc-limited aberration-corrected microscope with a specimen thickness of about 50 A.
Azathioprine and steroids are not more effective in decreasing multiple sclerosis intra–blood-brain-barrier IgG synthesis than steroids alone

Intra-blood-brain-barrier IgG synthesis rates and oligoclonal IgG banding patterns were examined in 9 patients with multiple sclerosis who were treated with azathioprine and steroids for 2 to 4.5 years. The IgG synthesis rates of 5 patients were significantly decreased from the pretreatment mean values 1 month after treatment, and their synthesis rates remained at the decreased levels throughout treatment. However, among the remaining 4 patients, the rates exceeded the pretreatment means. This continuous suppressive effect of the combined azathioprine and steroids upon the IgG synthesis rate was similar to that of steroids, suggesting that azathioprine and steroids in combination were not more effective in reducing intra-blood-brain-barrier IgG synthesis than steroids alone. Oligoclonal IgG patterns in all cerebrospinal fluid samples were not significantly altered during the study.
Measurement of Single-Molecule Resistance by Repeated Formation of Molecular Junctions

The conductance of a single molecule connected to two gold electrodes was determined by repeatedly forming thousands of gold-molecule-gold junctions. Conductance histograms revealed well-defined peaks at integer multiples of a fundamental conductance value, which was used to identify the conductance of a single molecule. The resistances near zero bias were 10.5 +/- 0.5, 51 +/- 5, 630 +/- 50, and 1.3 +/- 0.1 megohms for hexanedithiol, octanedithiol, decanedithiol, and 4,4' bipyridine, respectively. The tunneling decay constant (betaN) for N-alkanedithiols was 1.0 +/- 0.1 per carbon atom and was weakly dependent on the applied bias. The resistance and betaN values are consistent with first-principles calculations.
Local Difference of Gaussian Binary Pattern: Robust Features for Face Sketch Recognition

Automatic recognition of face sketches is a challenging problem with application in criminal investigations. We propose a method that allows face sketch recognition across modalities called Local Difference of Gaussian Binary Pattern (LDoGBP). LDoGBP is based on the fact that the sketches are similar to their corresponding photos even though they are prone to shape distoration. This similarity between sketch and photo is captured and used for recognition across modalities. In this method, the face image characteristics are captured in the Difference of Gaussian (DoG) representation of the image patches. The Local Binary Pattern(LBP) corresponding to the DoG representation is then generated. These histograms are concatenated to generate the feature vector corresponding to input image. These feature vectors are compared using Earth Mover's Distance for recognition. Experiments on the CUFS(Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Face Sketch Database) and CUFSF (CUHK Face Sketch FERET Database) datesets prove the effectiveness of this feature in Face Sketch Recognition.
Production of Large Amounts of Plant Tissue by Submerged Culture

The growth rate of plant tissue cultures is substantially increased through the use of a large-volume carboy system. Aeration is considered to be the most important factor. With this system, yields of a pound or more of tissue can be obtained within 2 weeks.
Sulfur-induced changes in the W(001) surface core level shift

Abstract Photoemission from the W(001) W 4 f 7 2 core level has been studied as a function of adsorbed atomic sulfur using synchrotron radiation at 71 eV. The W 4 f 7 2 feature associated with the clean surface is rapidly attenuated as the sulfur coverage is increased. Two new peaks resulting from the interaction of surface tungsten with the adsorbed sulfur appear. The binding energy of the shifted surface peaks is related to the increased coordination of the first layer tungsten atoms as they bond to the adsorbate and to a chemical shift induced by the sulfur. The intensities of the surface peaks are correlated with the structure of the sulfur overlayer.
Direct Raman evidence for a weak continuous phase transition in liquid water.

This paper presents the Raman depolarization ratio of degassed ultrapure water as a function of temperature, in the range 303.4−314.4 K (30.2−41.2 °C). The pressure of the sample was the vapor pressure of water at the measurement temperature. The data provide a direct indication of the existence of a phase transition in the liquid at 307.7 K, 5.8 kPa (34.6 °C, 0.057 atm). The minimum in the heat capacity, Cp, of water occurs at 34.5 °C, 1.0 atm (J. Res. Natl. Bur. Stand. 1939, 23, 1971). The minimum in Cp is shallow, and the transition is a weak-continuous phase transition. The pressure coefficient of the viscosity of water changes sign as pressure increases for temperatures below 35 °C (Nature 1965, 207, 6202). The viscosity minimum tracks the liquid phase transition in the P, T plane where it connects with the minimum in the freezing point of pure water in the same plane (Proc. Am. Acad. Arts Sci. 1911−12, 47, 4413). Previously we argued (J. Chem. Phys. 1998, 109, 73794) that the minimum in the pressure...
Heavy-fermion systems in magnetic fields: The metamagnetic transition.

Heavy fermions have a large number of low-lying excitations. Antiferromagnetic superexchange typically favors low-spin arrangements for the ground state. A magnetic field favors high-spin arrangements over low-spin arrangements. The transition from a low-spin ground state to a high-spin ground state, as a function of magnetic field, passes through a range where there is a peak in the many-body density of states. This range qualitatively describes the metamagnetic transition.
Trends in Follow-up and Preventive Care for Colorectal Cancer Survivors

Background As cancer patients transition from treatment to survivorship, the responsibility of primary care providers (PCPs) versus oncology specialists is unclear.
Predictors of Recurrence in Surgical Stage II Endometrial Adenocarcinoma

Abstract Objective. A retrospective review of surgical stage II endometrial carcinoma was performed to evaluate clinical course, treatment, recurrence rate, and survival. Methods. A list of patients with clinical and surgical stage II endometrial carcinoma was obtained through the tumor registry and from the pathology department from 1988 to 1996. Data were collected on all cases of patients with endometrial carcinoma meeting stage II criteria by FIGO surgical staging. Variables including stage, histology, grade, lymph vascular space invasion (LVI), type and extent of surgery, radiation type and amount, smoking, menstrual status, parity, and age were evaluated for their predictive ability of disease recurrence. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine the potential predictors of time to relapse univariately and multivariately. Results. Of patients identified, 65 underwent primary surgical staging. Only adenocarcinomas were included. Mean follow-up time was 4.7 years (range 0.2–9.6 years). Postoperative radiation was given to 85.7% of patients. There were 10 patients (15.4%) with recurrence of disease with a mean time to recurrence of 25 months. Five-year disease-specific survival was 93%. The only significant predictor of time to relapse was LVI ( P = 0.002) in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion. This retrospective review suggests that primary surgery followed by postoperative radiation therapy gives excellent results in surgical stage II disease. LVI appears to be a strong predictor of disease recurrence regardless of postoperative radiation therapy. It is difficult to draw conclusions about the type and amount of radiation given because recurrence rate is so low; however, it is reasonable to continue adjuvant radiation especially in cases where LVI is identified.
Waveguide mode solution using a hybrid edge element approach

A hybrid edge element approach for the computation of waveguide modes is presented. The electric field is decomposed into its transverse and longitudinal components, which are modeled in terms of two-dimensional edge elements and scalar nodal elements, respectively, thereby satisfying the Dirichlet boundary condition at the perfect electric conductor boundaries and dielectric interfaces. Failure to do so results in the generation of spurious modes. This approach allows for the modeling of a three-dimensional field quantity over a two-dimensional boundary, namely the waveguide cross section. Another approach, the method of moments, serves as an excellent means of verifying the results obtained through use of hybrid edge elements. A comparison of the results obtained from both techniques are presented, along with the associated field plots obtained from the hybrid edge element approach for several geometries.
A model for the non-steady-state temperature behaviour of thermoelectric cooling semiconductor devices

A simple, easily applied model describing the non-steady-state temperature behaviour of thermoelectric cooling semiconductor devices is derived from consideration of the heat flows arising from thermal conductivity, the Peltier effect and Joule heating in a typical thermoelectric cooling device. The derived model is tested by comparison with the measured performance of a thermoelectric cooling device constructed for this study. The model is shown to accurately predict device behaviour to a statistical confidence limit of 99% for the given device criteria and experimental conditions.
The Episode of the Roman Standards at Jerusalem

One of the great handicaps confronting the student of Christian origins is the paucity of specific information about Palestine in the period of Jesus and the early Church. The student can learn much that has an indirect bearing upon Palestine by acquainting himself with the history and antiquities of Syria, Transjordan and Egypt. He can obtain an adequate picture of the general course of events in Palestine itself from Josephus, and can recreate the outlines of its changing scene and changing conditions by piecing together many bits of unrelated information from earlier and later periods. But when it comes to strictly contemporary Palestinian remains and specific contemporary Palestinian events, he has to admit that his knowledge is regrettably limited and fragmentary. The cities, the towns, the public buildings, the private houses and their household effects in the Palestine of the days of Jesus and his apostles are known only imperfectly and vaguely, in the main from literary sources. The complete excavation of even one site with datable contemporary strata would clarify the picture tremendously. For a knowledge of contemporary events our most productive source is still Josephus, and from the allimportant procuratorship of Pontius Pilate, 26–36 A.D., Josephus has only three episodes to narrate. They are the episode of the standards, the episode of the new aqueduct, and the episode of the sacred vessels supposedly buried on Mt. Gerizim.
Stability analysis of stitched composite plate system with delamination under hygrothermal pressure

In this study, a very recent stitched composite structure made of fiber reinforced polymers is analyzed. This composite structure is modeled by two specially orthotropic adhesively bonded, delaminated and stitched plates under in-plane compressive and shear loads and internal hygro-thermal pressure acting on delamination surfaces of plates which are considered as identical simply supported plates. While the adhesive layer between plate layers is modeled by mechanical linear normal and shear springs, stitches are modeled by discrete bilinear normal springs for the first time in the literature. In the stitch modeling, it is assumed that they can carry only normal loads because they are very thin and also initial imperfections are included with the parameter of looseness because of the fact that the stitching yarns are slack initially. The mathematical model of the problem is solved by Rayleigh-Ritz method. After strain energies of plates, the adhesive layer and stitches and energy potentials for external loads such as compressive normal loads, shear loads and internal hygro-thermal pressure are expressed, sine series as shape functions for plate vertical deflections satisfying simply supported boundary conditions are applied. Then, minimizing them gives deflections for the given loading. The stability condition is obtained as an eigenvalue problem to give critical buckling loads and corresponding mode shapes as well. Results are presented as plots of deformed shapes of the system and tables of parametric studies showing effects of changing parameters on stitch stresses and displacements, critical buckling loads and corresponding mode shapes.
Random lasing from weakly scattering media; spectrum universality in DOO-PPV polymer films

Abstract When films of a π -conjugated polymer are optically excited above a certain threshold intensity, then the emission spectrum acquires a multimode finely structured shape, which depends on the position of the excitation spot. We demonstrate that the power Fourier transform (PFT) of the emission spectrum exhibits a certain peak-like structure, which also depends on the excitation spot. Our intriguing observation is that averaging of the individual PFTs does not lead to a structureless curve, but rather yields a series of distinct transform peaks. We develop a simple theory that explains the presence of peaks in the average PFT and predicts their shape.
Phyllodes tumors of the breast.

Phyllodes tumor is a rare fibroepithelial neoplasm of the breast with a very variable, but usually benign, course. Formerly known as cystosarcoma phyllodes, the designation “phyllodes tumor” with appropriate qualification regarding malignant potential based on pathologic features is now the agreed-upon term. The most important diagnostic distinction is from fibroadenoma—phyllodes tumors require complete excision with free margins even when pathologic features suggest benignity because of a proclivity to local recurrence. The most important component of therapy is wide surgical excision, and mastectomy is necessary only when free margins cannot be achieved without it. Involvement of axillary nodes is rare, and axillary dissection is not indicated. The role of radiation therapy and chemotherapy is not established and has not been studied in randomized trials due to the rarity of the tumor. At present, there is no consensus that patients with high-grade phyllodes tumors of the breast will benefit from either of these modalities.
Transbuccal delivery of 2', 3'-dideoxycytidine: in vitro permeation study and histological investigation

Abstract Permeation of 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (ddC), an ionic compound, through buccal mucosa was investigated in this in vitro study to identify the major permeation barrier within the epithelium of buccal mucosa and explore the feasibility of transbuccal delivery of ddC. In vitro permeation of ddC across porcine buccal mucosa was conducted in isotonic McIlvaine buffer solution (IMB) using in-line flow through diffusion cells at 37 °C. Sodium glycodeoxycholate (GDC) was used as the permeation enhancer in the permeation enhancement studies. Light microscopy was used in the histological studies of buccal tissue. The steady-state flux of ddC permeating through buccal mucosa increased linearly (R2=0.96, P
Modification of a Commercial Carbon Rod Flameless Atomizer to Accept Graphite Tubes

Flameless atomization is becoming accepted as a complementary technique to conventional flames for use in atomic absorption spectroscopy. Commercial nonflame atomizers have become available and depend upon electrothermal heating of a graphite rod,1 a graphite tube,2,3or a tantalum ribbon4 to atomize the sample. Detection limits in the microgram per liter range can be expected with these devices. A recent review article discussed three of the flameless atomizers that are commercially available.5
A continuum theory of plane strain cyclic flaw growth in structural materials with applications to service life cycle analysis and subcritical flaw growth experimental philosophy

Imagine a relatively enormous isotropic, homogeneous, and linearly elastic material-environment system space characterized by Young~s modulus E, Poisson's ratio ~, and Ross's modulus R. The author postulates that R is the intrinsic measure of the subcritical flaw growth resistance of the hypothesized cracked material-environment system subjected to remote tensile stresses [1,2]. The central cracked rectangular parallelopiped under consideration is characterized by five length dimensions; L represents its length, B represents its breadth, T represents its thickness, 2a(t) represents the crack length which is a function of the time t, and 2po represents the crack surface separation distance everywhere except at the two blunted crack tips of the relatively long continuum crack border where Po represents the razor edge root radius. It is hypothesized that the five length dimensions which characterize the idealized finite cracked specimen configuration must satisfy the following four relations
Cabergoline therapy of growth hormone & growth hormone/prolactin secreting pituitary tumors.

Dopamine agonists have been used as adjunctive therapy for acromegaly for many years, but relatively few studies have assessed the efficacy of a newer agonist, cabergoline. Some data suggest that cabergoline may be more effective than bromocriptine, in particular for those patients whose tumors secrete both growth hormone and prolactin. In order to assess this possibility further, we have evaluated the biochemical response to cabergoline therapy in patients with acromegaly at our center. We describe first an unusual patient who presented with a pituitary macroadenoma secreting both GH and prolactin. At presentation he had elevated levels of growth hormone 6.0 μg/L, IGF-I, 722 ng/ml, and prolactin, 6000 ng/ml. Cabergoline therapy alone was highly effective in this patient and normalized his levels of all three hormones and his gonadal function as well as produced significant shrinkage of his pituitary tumor. Fourteen other patients with more typical, active postoperative acromegaly were administered cabergoline in a 6-month, open label, dose-escalation study. Mean baseline GH was 1.3 ± .23 ng/ml and fell to a nadir of 0.85 ± .18 ng/ml on cabergoline therapy (p = 0.03). Mean baseline IGF-I was 520 ± 45.2 ng/ml and fell to a mean nadir during cabergoline therapy of 368 ± 29.8 ng/ml (p = 0.0013). At the completion of the cabergoline therapy study period, however, mean IGF-I was 453 ± 46 ng/ml, not significantly lower than the baseline value (p = 0.11). No changes in tumor sizes occurred on cabergoline therapy. Eight of 14 patients achieved a normal IGF-I at some point during the 24 weeks study period, but the efficacy of cabergoline waned with time as only 3 of 14 (21%) of patients had a persistently normal IGF-I with up to 18 months of cabergoline therapy. Six patients had modest hyperprolactinemia at diagnosis (26–142 ng/ml) and 5 patients had positive immunohistochemical staining of their tumor for prolactin, but in neither of these small groups was cabergoline therapy more effective at normalizing IGF-I than in those patients with apparently pure GH secreting tumors. Three of 14 patients (21%) had side effects that limited therapy. A trial of cabergoline as adjunctive therapy may be considered in select patients with mild disease and small tumor residuals, but the expectation for biochemical control in these patients needs to be kept low, even for tumors that co-secrete GH and prolactin.
Congenital Corrected Transposition of the Great Vessels in a 58-Year-Old Man*

This is the case report of a 58-year-old living man with uncomplicated congenital corrected transposition of the great vessels proved by cardiac catheterization and selective cineangiocardiography. Only six patients (3 percent) have lived beyond the age of 40 years despite the theoretic speculation of a normal life span. Selective coronary arteriograms revealed that the left coronary artery supplied the anatomic right ventricle, and the right coronary artery the anatomic left ventricle.
Family history as a risk factor for pelvic organ prolapse

The aim of this study was to determine whether a family history of prolapse and/or hernia is a risk factor for prolapse. A cohort of 458 women seeking gynecological care was classified as exposed (family history) or unexposed (without family history). We used chi2 to assess confounding and logistic regression to determine risk. Nearly half (47.3%) of the 458 participants reported a positive family history. Of these, 52.5% had prolapse. This was significantly higher than the 28.9% rate of prolapse in women without a family history (p<0.001). The crude risk ratio for family history of prolapse and/or hernia and prolapse was 1.8 (95% CI 1.4-2.3). After adjusting for vaginal deliveries, incontinence, and hysterectomy, the risk of prolapse was 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.8) times higher in women with a family history of prolapse and/or hernia. Heredity is a risk factor for prolapse. History taking should include both male and female family members.
Chaotic Identities in Bernardo Carvalho's NINE NIGHTS

Despite attempts to compile such demographics as places, dates, and next of kin of the book's elusive subject, both of Bernardo Carvalho's narrators in Nine Nights learn eventually that such facts ...
Chlorophyll fluorescence quenching by xanthophylls

The interactions of the xanthophylls zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin and violaxanthin with chlorophyll, which are relevant for the chlorophyll fluorescence quenching in the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) process in green plants, are investigated by means of quantum chemical methods. In particular, we use a hybrid approach consisting of time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) and configuration interactions singles (CIS), since present-day TDDFT alone fails in describing relevant long-range charge-transfer states. Calculation of the energetically lowest excited states of a zea–chl dimer along the intermolecular distance coordinate shows that two mechanisms for chlorophyll fluorescence quenching are possible: quenching via excitation-energy transfer and electron-transfer quenching. The relevance of both mechanisms is discussed by comparison to corresponding anthera–chl and vio–chl dimers and the dependence of the mechanism on the geometrical arrangement of the dimers is illuminated. It is pointed out that the typical absorption band of the zeaxanthin radical cation can be used to experimentally determine whether a zea–chl dimer is present during NPQ.
Lipids and lipid management in diabetes

Cardiovascular disease is more prevalent in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and continues to be the leading cause of death among adults with diabetes. Although atherosclerotic vascular disease has a multi-factorial etiology, disorders of lipid metabolism play a central role. The coexistence of diabetes with other risk factors, in particular with dyslipidemia, further increases cardiovascular disease risk. A characteristic pattern, termed diabetic dyslipidemia, consists of increased levels of triglycerides, low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and postprandial lipemia, and is mostly seen in patients with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. This review summarizes the trends in the prevalence of lipid disorders in diabetes, advances in the mechanisms contributing to diabetic dyslipidemia, and current evidence regarding appropriate therapeutic recommendations.
Stability of the experimental anticancer agent [[(4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonyl]hydrazono]acetic acid (NSC-267213). I. Kinetics and mechanism of degradation

Abstract The degradation of [[(4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonyl]hydrazono]acetic acid (NSC-267213) was studied in buffered aqueous solution at pH 1.0–9.0. Degradation occurred rapidly with t90
Alkylation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in carbonaceous chondrites

Using microprobe laser-desorption, laser-ionization mass spectrometry (L 2 MS), we measured the distributions of alkylated and unalkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the free organic material of 20 carbonaceous chondrites. These meteorites represent a variety of meteorite classes and alteration histories, including CI, CK, CM, CO, CR, CV, and Tagish Lake. This work provides information on free organic compounds that is complementary to studies of the structure and composition of meteoritic macromolecular content. For the nine CM2 meteorites analyzed, we observe that higher relative abundances of alkylated PAHs correlate with more intense aqueous activity. We attribute this correlation to the differences in solubility and volatility between unalkylated and alkylated PAHs. Naphthalene and its alkylation series are more susceptible to the effects of aqueous exposure than the less-soluble PAH phenanthrene and its alkylated derivatives. These observations are consistent with the possibility of chromatographic separations on the meteorite parent bodies. We identify six CM2 meteorites with similar PAH distributions that may represent the original, unaltered organic composition of the parent body. Increased metamorphic intensity reduces the abundance of all PAHs. The thermally metamorphosed CK chondrites had no detectable levels of typical meteoritic PAHs. This observation might be explained either by a loss of PAHs caused by volatilization or by a significantly different organic content of the CK parent body. Copyright © 2005 Elsevier Ltd
End point and equivalence point: a tribute to John Lyman

Abstract Lyman's 30-year-old seawater titration is sufficiently precise to reveal a 4 micromolar discrepancy (theoretically supported) between observed end point and zero-alkalinity equivalence point. Accurate measure of alkalinity requires correction for the difference, either by assuming the constancy of relative proportions and multiplying the end-point alkalinity by 1.002, or by careful fitting of data far from the end point.
Effect of multiple axial grooves on the marginal adaptation of full cast-gold crowns

Twenty-seven crowns were fabricated on the standardized ivorine dies to determine the effect of multiple axial grooves. No grooves were placed on the control (group I). In groups II and III, respectively, two and four grooves were replaced. The mean value of the occlusal cement film thickness was used to appraise the vertical discrepancy (lack of seating) of the crown on the die. This value was obtained by averaging seven measurements of the occlusal cement film thickness taken at different areas. These measurements were recorded from the photomicrographs at x 100 magnification. There were significant differences between the control group and both test groups. Results of this study show that the presence of the grooves has an adverse effect on the seating of full cast-gold crowns.
Millimeter-Scale Thin Part Self-Assembly in the Fluidic Phase and its Sensitivity to Part Scaling

This paper presents a novel method to achieve high yield assembly of millimeter-scale thin silicon chips from an air-water interface. Surface functionalized silicon parts (1×1 mm2 with 100 μm thickness) assemble in preprogrammed hydrophilic locations on a wafer substrate with self-alignment. We optimize the process and design factors systematically using DOE (Design of Experiment) that leads to high yield (close to 100 %). This paper also presents an experimental and theoretical study of a high yield self-assembly process with programmable template. An analysis of the method is presented with an emphasis on the combined effect of substrate tilting angle and part size on fluidic assembly at an air-water interface. For 1×1, 3×3 and 5×5 mm2 parts with 100 μm thickness, the maximum substrate tilting angles are experimentally determined and the surface tension induced torques are calculated based on the developed model. The result indicates that there is a limit on the lateral size of the parts that can be assembled when we use one substrate tilting angle. Based on our analysis, we propose a novel method that is capable of assembling parts of higher lateral dimensions using parametric changes in substrate tilting angle.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Enhanced biosynthesis of extracellular matrix proteins and TGF-beta 1 by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid during cutaneous wound healing in vivo

In our previous study, we have shown that polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a double-stranded RNA, and a potent inducer of interferon, enhanced the wound healing in rats and mice. Increased levels of laminin and collagen, and greater influx of dermal fibroblasts were observed in poly I:C-treated wounds as compared to untreated wounds (Bhartiya et al., 1992, J. Cell. Physiol., 150:312-319). In this study, we have explored the mechanism of enhanced wound healing by poly I:C in rats. Poly I:C (1 mg/kg) in phosphate buffered saline was injected intraperitoneally 18 h prior to wound healing, and the animals were sacrificed on day 3 postwounding. Immunofluorescence studies showed increased expression of adhesion molecules that includes ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1;CD54) and VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule; CD 106) in poly I:C-treated wounds as compared to untreated control. Poly I:C treatment resulted in an increase in the mRNA levels of collagen type 1 (alpha), collagen III, laminin B1, and transforming growth factor-beta 1(TGF-beta 1) in wounds compared to untreated wounds as demonstrated by in situ hybridization and PCR analysis. These studies suggests that poly I:C upregulates the biosynthesis of adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix proteins (ECM), and TGF-beta 1 in the wound bed. Adhesion molecules and ECM play a major role in wound healing, and TGF-beta 1 has been known to be a potent wound healer. Therefore, the increased expression of these molecules may play a role in the enhanced healing by poly I:C observed in rats.
Expression of the cDNA for NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase as a catalytically active enzyme in Escherichia coli.

Abstract NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is a key enzyme involved in the catabolism of the prostaglandins. The cDNA for human placental 15-PGDH has been expressed in Escherichia coli as a catalytically active protein. The polymerase chain reaction was used to introduce restriction endonuclease sites at each end of the 15-PGDH coding sequence. The 15-PGDH DNA was then inserted into the bacterial expression plasmids pUC-18 and pUC-19 which contain the isopropyl-I-thio-β-D-galactopyranoside (IPTG) inducible lacZ promoter. Extracts from E. coli containing these expression plasmids exhibited 15-PGDH activity which was inducible with (IPTG). Crude extracts from E. coli expressing 15-PGDH activity were found to contain proteins of the predicted sizes in stained SDS-polyacrylamide gels and in Western blots using human placental 15-PGDH antiserum. The specific activity in E. coli extracts was several hundred-fold higher than that seen in extracts from human placenta.
An estimate of surface acidity in amorphous catalysts from temperature-programmed desorption measurements. a simple tool for catalyst characterization

Abstract Temperature-programmed desorption is shown to be a simple, catalyst characterization tool that affords a qualitative and quantitative index of the total strong acidity and strong acid site strength of amorphous, solid acid catalysts and provides a measure of the surface acidity related to a standard catalyst micro-activity test.
Parallel logic simulation on general purpose machines

Three parallel algorithms for logic simulation have been developed and implemented on a general-purpose shared-memory parallel machine. The first algorithm is a synchronous version of a traditional event-driven algorithm which achieves speedups of 6 to 9 with 15 processors. The second algorithm is a synchronous unit-delay compiled-mode algorithm which achieves speedups of 10 to 13 with 15 processors. The third algorithm is totally asynchronous with no synchronization locks or barriers between processors and the problems of massive state storage and deadlock that are traditionally associated with asynchronous simulation have been eliminated. The processors work independently at their own speed on different elements and at different times. When simulating circuits with little or no feedback, the asynchronous simulation technique varies between speeds one to three times faster than the conventional event-driven algorithm using one processor and depending on the circuit, achieves 10 to 20% better utilization using 15 processors. >
Analysis of macroscopic fractures in the Cajon Pass Scientific Drillhole: Over the interval 1829‐2115 meters

The orientation, distribution and apparent aperture of natural fractures intersecting the Cajon Pass research well were determined through analysis of borehole televiewer (BHTV) data over the interval 1829 to 2115 meters. Large open fractures have shallow inclinations and tend to be aligned striking roughly N15°E. There is no apparent relationship between these fractures and the current stress state, as measured by the analysis of wellbore breakouts and hydraulic fracturing experiments in the Cajon Pass well and as observed in other studies in the region. Temperature anomalies due to fluid flow into the well detected during a long-term permeability experiment occur at several of these fractures. Compressional, shear and Stoneley guided wave velocities are within the expected range for crystalline rocks and elastic-wave anomalies are associated with the larger fractures. Stoneley wave coherence is reduced where the fractures are hydraulically conductive.