cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A clarification of the complex spectrum observed with the ultraviolet circular dichroism of ethidium bromide bound to DNA

Ethidium bromide intercalation strongly effects the circular dichroism spectrum of DNA in the region of 230-300 mu, in a complex manner. In this report we present a study that quantitizes the relationships of the circular dichroism spectrum in the region of 230-300 mu and the ethidium bromide induced optical activity centered around 308 mu. We present evidence of two hidden cooperative bands that are probably the negative counterparts of the 308 mu band and 330 mu shoulder positive cooperative bands. The hidden band is quantitatively characterized. We confirm that the direct effect of ethidium bromide on the DNA spectrum is simply linearly proportional to the amount of intercalated dye. We also observe that the ethidium bromide enters freely when there is a molecule intercalated for every 3 sites, but that the intercalation is more difficult when the molecule intercalates at every second site.
Condensation of Lignins with Coniferyl Alcohol in Alkaline Aqueous Solutions

Abstract The condensation of coniferyl alcohol with dissolved lignins of low molecular weight (LMWL) has been investigated. In aqueous sodium hydroxide (soda), sodium hydroxide - sodium sulfide (kraft) or sodium hydroxide - anthraquinone (soda-AQ) solutions, lignin preparations were heated and molecular weight distributions of the resultant condensation products were estimated. When coniferyl alcohol dissolved in soda and kraft liquors was heated, self-condensation was observed, mainly to form oligomers with only a small proportion of the reaction products characterized by molecular weights greater than about 1000. When mixtures of LMWL and coniferyl alcohol were heated in sodium hydroxide solutions, condensation reactions occurred and progressed further with increased temperature and concentration of coniferyl alcohol. In contrast to results with sodium hydroxide solutions, heating in kraft liquors gave rise to a higher proportion of the oligomer fraction and a smaller proportion of higher molecular weig...
Patient Satisfaction Associated With Correct Identification of Physicians’ Photographs

Objective To determine whether placement of photographs of physicians in hospital rooms improves patients' satisfaction with their medical care. Patients and Methods This is a prospective, controlled study of 224 patients admitted to general internal medicine services in a teaching hospital. The intervention consisted of photographs (8 × 10 in) of attending and resident physicians displayed in the patients' rooms. Before dismissal, patients completed a survey that required them to match names with photographs of physician caregivers and included patient satisfaction questions. The primary outcome was whether patients who had photographs in their hospital room would correctly identify more physicians than those with no photographs in their room. Results The presence of photographs on the hospital wall was associated with a significant improvement in the number of physicians identified correctly (odds ratio [OR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47–2.27; P P =.03) and with the way in which physicians addressed questions regarding medical care (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.05–1.44; P =.05). Conclusions Patients who had photographs of their physicians on the wall of their hospital room were able to identify correctly a larger number of physicians on their team compared with patients who had no photographs. Patient satisfaction was related to the number of physicians' photographs that patients could identify correctly.
Maps, politics and data sharing: a Palestinian puzzle

Palestinian towns and cities are being left out of the online mapping revolution. The puzzle of why this is occurring, despite formal street names, GIS expertise and a lack of obvious political/security factors, is likely to be solved by increased sharing by Palestinian governments, international organizations and map makers. An analysis of data collected through interviews, emails and media reports, provides the basis for recommendations to enhance data sharing in support of improving development and accessibility of online maps.
The effect of cholesterol‐lowering agents on hepatic and plasma cholesterol in Niemann‐Pick disease type C

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) is a neurovisceral lipidosis characterized by defective intracellular trafficking of cholesterol and lysosomal accumulation of unesterified cholesterol, believed to be an offending metabolite. We studied the effect of cholesterol-lowering agents on hepatic and plasma cholesterol levels in NP-C by randomly assigning 25 patients with NP-C to one of five treatment regimens containing different combinations of cholestyramine, lovastatin, nicotinic acid, or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Unesterified cholesterol content was measured in liver biopsies before and after 4 months' treatment. All drug regimens except DMSO alone reduced hepatic and plasma cholesterol levels. Toxicity was limited and did not prevent any patient from completing the study. The combination of cholestyramine, lovastatin, and nicotinic acid lowered cholesterol levels in liver and blood with minimal side effects. A controlled clinical study will be necessary to determine if this regimen influences the rate of neurologic progression.
Improvement of interstitial cystitis symptoms and problems that developed during treatment with oral IPD-1151T.

Purpose: We examined the efficacy of Suplatast Tosilate ‡ (IPD-1151T), a new immunoregulator that suppresses helper T cell mediated allergic responses, including IgE production and eosinophilic inflammation for treating patients with interstitial cystitis.Materials and Methods: A total of 14 women (average age 43.7 years) with interstitial cystitis, which was nonulcerative in 13 and ulcerative in 1, were treated with 300 mg. IPD-1151T orally daily for 12 months. All patients received laboratory assessments, including hematology (eosinophils and CD20 positive cells) and serum chemistry (IgE, and interleukin-4 (IL-4) and 5, and immunohistochemical analyses of urine leukocytes (CD45RO positive cells as a T cell marker) before treatment. These parameters were also measured 4 and 12 months after continuous treatment. The voiding chart, and interstitial cystitis symptom and problem indexes were evaluated before and after IPD-1151T treatment.Results: IPD-1151T treatment for 1 year resulted in a significantly inc...
Lipid Domains in Bicelles Containing Unsaturated Lipids and Cholesterol

We have created a stable bicelle system capable of forming micrometer-scale lipid domains that orient in a magnetic field, suitable for structural biology determination in solid-state NMR. The bicelles consisted of a mixture of cholesterol, saturated lipid (DMPC), and unsaturated lipid (POPC), a mixture commonly used to create domains in model membranes, along with a short chain lipid (DHPC) that allows formation of the bicelle phase. While maintaining a constant molar ratio of long to short chain lipids, q = ([POPC]+[DMPC])/[DHPC] = 3, we varied the concentrations of the unsaturated lipid, POPC, and cholesterol to observe the effects of the components on bicelle stability. Using 31P solid-state NMR, we observed that unsaturated lipids (POPC) greatly destabilized the alignment of the membranes in the magnetic field, while cholesterol stabilized their alignment. By combining cholesterol and unsaturated lipids in the bicelles, we created membranes aligning uniformly in the magnetic field, despite very high ...
Protein degradation: The ins and outs of the matter

In eukaryotic cells, nascent membrane or secretory proteins are translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum through the Sec61p translocation channel; recent evidence suggests that, if they fail to achieve a native conformation, they are translocated back into the cytosol by the same route and degraded by the proteasome.
Sintering Carbides by Means of Fugitive Binders

A method of sintering carbides has been evolved that permits fabrication of dense, strong pieces having accurate dimensions and containing no residual binder metal. To aid in sintering, a small percentage of a binder such as cobalt or nickel, or their oxides, is added, but this is later removed by volatilization during the high-temperature vacuum sintering operation. The method has been applied to tungsten carbide, tantalum carbide, and columbium carbide. The good mechanical properties of the products are cited as evidence for the carbide-skeleton theory advanced to account for the high strength of cemented carbides.
Electrostatic compensation restores trafficking of the autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa E150K opsin mutant to the plasma membrane

Rhodopsin is the rod photoreceptor G protein-coupled receptor responsible for capturing light. Mutations in the gene encoding this protein can lead to a blinding disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which is inherited frequently in an autosomal dominant manner. The E150K opsin mutant associated with rarely occurring autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa localizes to trans-Golgi network membranes rather than to plasma membranes of rod photoreceptor cells. We investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying opsin retention in the Golgi apparatus. Electrostatic calculations reveal that the E150K mutant features an overall accumulation of positive charges between helices H-IV and H-II. Human E150K and several other closely related opsin mutants were then expressed in HEK-293 cells. Spectral characteristics and functional biochemistry of each mutant were analyzed after reconstitution with the cis-retinoid chromophore. UV-visible spectra and rhodopsin/transducin activation assays revealed only minor differences between the purified wild type control and rhodopsin mutants. However, partial restoration of the surface electrostatic charge in the compensatory R69E/E150K double mutant rescues the plasma membrane localization of opsin. These findings emphasize the fundamental importance of electrostatic interactions for appropriate membrane trafficking of opsin and advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa due to the E150K mutation.
Transfer of Training Efficacy in U.S. Food Safety Accreditation

Abstract The unprecedented growth of the number of people served by the foodservice industry raises the need for greater sanitary awareness for today's culinary professionals. Addressing this, a U.S. national study was conducted to measure the impact of food safety accreditation on health inspection scores. Although a positive connection was established between certified managers in charge and their enhanced knowledge of food safety, surprisingly, no statistically significant correlation was found between accreditation and improved health inspection scores. This indicates that training may not be transferring into improved sanitary practice in foodservice operations. Causes for this lack of transfer of training as well as strategies to improve future accreditation training efforts are suggested.
Supramolecular assembly of a biomineralizing antimicrobial peptide in coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulations.

Monte Carlo simulations are used to model the self-organizing behavior of the biomineralizing peptide KSL (KKVVFKVKFK) in the presence of phosphate. Originally identified as an antimicrobial peptide, KSL also directs the formation of biosilica through a hypothetical supramolecular template that requires phosphate for assembly. Specificity of each residue and the interactions between the peptide and phosphate are considered in a coarse-grained model. Both local and global physical quantities are calculated as the constituents execute their stochastic motion in the presence and absence of phosphate. Ordered peptide aggregates develop after simulations reach thermodynamic equilibrium, wherein phosphates form bridging ligands with lysines and are found interdigitated between peptide molecules. Results demonstrate that interactions between the lysines and phosphate drive self-organization into lower energy conformations of interconnected peptide scaffolds that resemble the supramolecular structures of polypeptide- and polyamine-mediated silica condensation systems. Furthermore, the specific phosphate–peptide organization appears to mimic the zwitterionic structure of native silaffins (scaffold proteins of diatom shells), suggesting a similar template organization for silica deposition between the in vitro KSL and silaffin systems.
Optimization of Heteronuclear Relayed Coherence-Transfer Spectroscopy

Abstract The effectiveness of the heteronuclear RELAY experiment is analyzed for a number of different spin systems. It is found that the sensitivity of the measurement strongly depends on the duration of the mixing period and on a proper choice for the sampling time in the t 1 dimension. Good agreement is found between theoretical evaluations and experimental results, obtained for samples of propanol and cyclosporin A.
Neurohypophysial function in the toad Bufo marinus.

Abstract A method for ureteral catheterization of the toad without need of surgical incision is described. Changes of ureteral urine flow and osmolality as well as the rate of bladder urine reabsorption were studied before and after the injection of hypertonic salt in the toad Bufo marinus. The role of the adeno- and neurohypophysis in contributing to the renal and bladder responses to this injection was examined in hypophysectomized toads. When measured 1–4 days after total hypophysectomy, the antidiuresis which occurs in the normal and adenohypophysectomized toad was not found in the totally hypophysectomized animal. During the first 7 days after operation, totally hypophysectomized toads could not increase the rate of bladder water reabsorption after hypertonic salt-loading. Loss of the adenohypophysis did not alter net water balance nor interfere with the water diuresis of the totally hypophysectomized toad. Severe hemorrhage caused a significant increase in the rate of bladder urine reabsorption, but this was much smaller than the effect caused by hypertonic salt. Loss of about 50% of the blood volume did not result in marked changes in heart rate or blood pressure, but did cause a rapid hemodilution. It is postulated that hemorrhage causes a redistribution of lymph which restores the vascular volume. A possible role of the neurohypophysis in regulating blood volume during dehydration is discussed.
Failure recovery of HLR mobility databases and parameter optimization for PCS networks

In PCS networks, new calls to a portable may be lost due to incorrect location information (due to either data corruption or outdated records) in the home location register mobility database. Such database failures can be recovered through the portable's registration when it initiates a call, through required registration (or deregistration for some systems) as it crosses the location area boundary, or through active location updates. In this paper we analyze the active location update scheme and failure restoration under several different mobile traffic distributions, propose a framework for the performance evaluation of this scheme, and present general analytical results for cost analysis. Through a systematic study, we show that there always exists an optimal choice of location update period to minimize the total cost, one that represents the tradeoffs between location update frequency and call losses. Our results can be used to provide design guidelines for active failure restoration of mobility databases in PCS networks.
Multiresolution molecular mechanics: A unified and consistent framework for general finite element shape functions

Abstract We present a general mathematical framework for the newly proposed energy-based concurrent atomistic/continuum method Multiresolution Molecular Mechanics (MMM) (Yang et al., 2013). The main features of the generalized framework are: (1) Consistency with the atomistic framework by directly employing the interatomic potential to calculate force and energy; (2) Simple procedure for analytically deriving the optimal summation rule for any given finite element shape function employed in the coarse-grained region. The procedure for obtaining the optimal summation rule is developed based on deriving and then fitting the atomic energy distribution within an element under the constraint of a given shape function. To validate the generalized framework, test problems including non-local harmonic and anharmonic models undergoing tensile, shear and bending deformations will be solved using linear, bilinear and quadratic elements, respectively. Results obtained using the proposed optimal summation rules for the different element types will be compared with Gauss quadrature for accuracy. Through error structure analyses, it is found that the proposed summation rule always outperforms Gauss quadrature, even when the latter employs more quadrature points than the former. It is argued that widely-used numerical quadrature techniques such as Gauss quadrature are not optimal for coarse-grained atomic energy approximation because they do not account for the discrete nature of the atoms. In contrast, the present summation rule is derived consistently from the underlying atomic energy distribution, and thus has better accuracy and smaller computational cost.
Research note: The accuracy of group majorities for disjunctive and conjunctive decision tasks☆☆☆

Abstract For complex group decision tasks which can be described in terms of establishing the truth value of conjunctive ( and ) or disjunctive ( or ) composite propositions, the advantage for group judgmental accuracy of disaggregating the decision task into separate individual evaluations of the truth value of each component atomic proposition in the composite is investigated. For true propositions it is shown that disaggregation is preferable for conjunctive tasks, but not for disjunctive tasks; while the reverse is true for false propositions.
A conceptual model of the effects of area studies training programs and a preliminary investigation of the model's hypothesized relationships

Abstract A quasi-experiment involving a Japan area studies training program was used to explore a conceptual model of the effects of area studies training programs on factors related to cultural adjustment. Training increased subjects' factual, conceptual and attributional knowledge. Associations were also found between knowledge changes and attitudinal change. The results suggest such programs may be a useful mechanism for building cultural awareness, but have limited effect on attitudes, behavioral intentions or perceptions of self-efficacy in the target culture.
Myeloperoxidase-mediated bioactivation of 5-hydroxythiabendazole: A possible mechanism of thiabendazole toxicity

Abstract Thiabendazole (TBZ), an antihelminthic and antifungal agent, is associated with a host of adverse effects including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and teratogenicity. Bioactivation of the primary metabolite of TBZ, 5-hydroxythiabendazole, has been proposed to yield a reactive intermediate. Here we show that this reactive intermediate can be catalyzed by myeloperoxidase (MPO), a neutrophil-bourne peroxidase. Using a cell viability endpoint, we examined the toxicity of TBZ, 5OH-TBZ, and MPO-generated metabolites in cell-based models including primary rat proximal tubule epithelial cells, NRK-52E rat proximal tubule cells, and H9C2 rat myocardial cells. Timecourse experiments with MPO showed complete turnover of 5OH-TBZ within 15 min and a dramatic leftward shift in dose–response curves after 12 h. After a 24 h exposure in vitro , the LC 50 of this reactive intermediate was 23.3 ± 0.2 μM reduced from greater than 200 μM from 5OH-TBZ alone, an approximately 10-fold decrease. LC 50 values were equal in all cell types used. Comparison of lactate dehydrogenase leakage and caspase 3/7 activity revealed that cell death caused by the reactive intermediate is primarily associated with necrosis rather than apoptosis. This toxicity can be completely rescued via incubation with rutin, an inhibitor of MPO. These results suggest that MPO-mediated biotransformation of 5OH-TBZ yields a reactive intermediate which may play a role in TBZ-induced toxicity.
Kinetics and Molecular Weight Control of the Polymerization of Acrylamide via RAFT

The reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of acrylamide (AM) was studied in order to establish reaction conditions which would provide optimal rates of monomer conv...
d-Glucaric Acid Esters/Lactones Used in Condensation Polymerization to Produce Hydroxylated Nylons—A Qualitative Equilibrium Study in Acidic and Basic Alcohol Solutions

Abstract Direct esterification of d-glucaric acid in acidic methanol solution produced a mixture of four esters/lactones: dimethyl d-glucarate (1), methyl d-glucarate 1,4-lactone (2), methyl d-glucarate 6,3-lactone (3), and d-glucaro-1,4:6,3-dilactone (4). The esters/lactones described in this study are activated forms of d-glucaric acid useful for condensation polymerization with diamines to produce hydroxyated nylons. Structures of the esterification products were determined using 1H NMR, 13C NMR and GC/MS techniques. Qualitative changes in equilibrium concentrations of the esters/lactones mixtures, as determined from 1H NMR spectral studies, were observed in acidic (methanol-d4/HCl) and basic (methanol-d4/triethylamine) alcohol solutions. Esterification of d-glucaric acid in ethanol produced ethyl esters/lactones mixtures which were observed to undergo changes in equilibrium composition in acidic and basic ethanol solutions comparable to those found with the methyl esters/lactones mixtures.
Deuterium concentration profiles in FeNiCo alloys electrochemically charged at room temperature

This study determined deuterium concentration vs depth profiles and examined the effect of trapping on these profiles in the γ' strengthened superalloy IN903 and related single phase alloy, Kovar, after electrochemical charging at room temperature. These two alloys are similar in that the matrix of solution treated and aged IN903 has the same nominal composition as Kovar. The deuterium concentrations vs depth profiles after charging in a IND2SO4 solution were measured with nuclear reaction analysis. Numerical solution of the partial differential equations for diffusion showed that the diffusivity determined from literature values for high temperature gas phase hydrogen permeation in IN903 described room temperature diffusion of electrochemically charged deuterium in Kovar. However, trapping occurred in IN903 and resulted in the near surface deuterium concentrations being higher and the depth of penetration being less in IN903 than in Kovar. Best fit solution of diffusion equations which include trapping terms were obtained for the IN903 data using a trap density of 0.006 atom fraction and a trap binding energy of 0.2 eV. This trap density corresponded to trapping at γ' precipitates. The analysis also showed that the effective surface fugacities during electrochemical charging approached 106atm.
Valuing rewards to others in a prisoner's dilemma game.

People value rewards to others but discount those rewards based on social distance; rewards to a socially closer person are valued more than identical rewards to a socially more distant person (Jones and Rachlin, 2006). The concept of social discounting can explain cooperation and defection in two-player prisoner's dilemma (PD) games (Axelrod, 1980). The contingencies of a PD game are such that in any single game cooperation is costly to each player herself but beneficial to the other player. From the viewpoint of each player, the costs of cooperation are fully realized, but the benefits of cooperation are discounted by the social distance to the other player. The present experiment measured cooperation and defection in two PD-game conditions with differing reward magnitudes. In one (the 1-2-3-4 condition), the cost of cooperation exceeded its socially discounted benefit, and players were predicted to defect; in the other (the 1-2-9-10 condition), the discounted benefit of cooperation exceeded its cost, and players were predicted to cooperate. Over the course of repeated trials defection increased with the 1-2-3-4 condition but not with the 1-2-9-10 condition. Moreover, participants who rated their partners as closer, relative to random classmates, cooperated at higher rates – consistent with social discounting.
Classification of mammographic microcalcifications using wavelets

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women. Breast cancer can be detected earlier by mammography than any other non-invasive examination. About 30% to 50% of breast cancers demonstrate tiny granulelike deposits of calcium called microcalcifications. It is difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant cases based on an examination of calcification regions, especially in hard-to-diagnose cases. We investigate the potential of using energy and entropy features computed from wavelet packets for their correlation with malignancy. Two types of Daubechies discrete filters were used as prototype wavelets. The energy and entropy features were computed for 128 benign and 63 malignant cases and analyzed using a multivariate cluster analysis and a univariate statistical analysis to reduce the feature set to a `five best set of features.' The efficacy of the reduced feature set to discriminate between the malignant and benign categories was evaluated using different multilayer perceptron architectures. The multilayer perceptron was trained using the backpropagation algorithm for various training and test set sizes. For each case 40 partitions of the data set were used to set up the training and test sets. The performance of the features was evaluated by computing the best area under the relative operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the average area under the ROC curve. The performance of the features computed from the wavelet packets was compared to a second set of features consisting of the wavelet packet features, image structure features and cluster features. The classification results are encouraging and indicate the potential of using features derived from wavelet packets in discriminating microcalcification regions into benign and malignant categories.
Pollination thoroughness and maternal yield regulation in wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum (Brassicaceae)

Under conditions where resources are limited, there are often negative correlations between components of maternal yield, or between fruit and flower production. Pollination, in turn, may vary among individuals and influence total maternal expenditure. We examined the impact of variation in pollination thoroughness upon yield components and overall plant growth in wild radish (R. raphanistrum) plants grown in the greenhouse. Plants received different pollination treatments in which 0% to 100% of all flowers produced were hand-pollinated. Fruit set was increased by hand-pollination, but rarely exceeded 30%, even when more than 50% of the flowers were pollinated. Plants receiving more thorough pollination or having greater proportion fruit set produced significantly smaller seeds. Seed number per fruit was not influenced by pollination treatment. Mean values of yield components and interactions between components often varied among plants from different maternal families. Increasing pollination thoroughness also resulted in dramatic decreases in flower production. If male fitness is related to flower number, there may be a tradeoff between maternal fecundity and successful pollen export operating at the whole-plant level in this species.
Allelic variation linked to adenine phosphoribosyltransferase locus in mouse teratocarcinoma cell line and feral-derived mouse strains.

Southern blot analysis reveals two distinct adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT)alleles in the P-19 mouse teratocarcinoma cell line. One allele is identical to that observed in common laboratory mouse strains (Mus musculus domesticus).The restriction enzyme site variations between the two alleles occur in sequences located both upstream and downstream of the APRTgene, but not within it. Although the P-19 cell line was established from a C3H strain embryo (Mus musculus domesticus),a sixth generation ancestor of this embryo was a feral mouse (Mus musculus musculus).The restriction pattern of the variant APRTallele in P-19 is identical to that of a feral-derived Mus musculus musculusanimal, establishing the origin of this allele in the P-19 cell line. A third, distinct APRTallele was found in a Mus spretusferal-derived mouse. Exploiting the differences between the two APRTalleles in the P-19 cell line, we have demonstrated their sequential loss in APRT-deficient clones.
Calculated electronic properties and reflectivity of tantalum

A nonrelativistic band structure of the bcc transition metal tantalum has been calculated by an iterative empirical-pseudopotential method. Main peak locations in the density of occupied states agree to better than 0.3 eV with the results of two earlier augmented-plane-wave calculations, while the main peak in the density of unoccupied states is more than 1 eV lower than the main peak in either of the previous results. In the context of direct transitions, the constant-matrix-element approximation is shown to be generally valid for Ta. In addition, reflectivity spectra based on the $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}$-dependent, direct transition model, and the nondirect transition model have been calculated, and each spectrum is in comparably good agreement with the data of Weaver, Lynch, and Olson. Modulated reflectivity spectra have also been calculated according to both models, and the results suggest that measurements of this quantity might help to determine which of the two types of transitions---direct or nondirect---predominates in Ta. Finally, the calculated Fermi surface agrees well with the data of Halloran et al.
Hip-abductor fatigue and single-leg landing mechanics in women athletes.

Abstract Context: Reduced hip-abductor strength and muscle activation may be associated with altered lower extremity mechanics, which are thought to increase the risk for anterior cruciate ligament injury. However, experimental evidence supporting this relationship is limited. Objective: To examine the changes in single-leg landing mechanics and gluteus medius recruitment that occur after a hip-abductor fatigue protocol. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty physically active women (age = 21.0 ± 1.3 years). Intervention(s): Participants were tested before (prefatigue) and after (postfatigue) a hip-abductor fatigue protocol consisting of repetitive side-lying hip abduction. Main Outcome Measure(s): Outcome measures included sagittal-plane and frontal-plane hip and knee kinematics at initial contact and at 60 milliseconds after initial contact during 5 single-leg landings from a height of 40 cm. Peak hip and knee sagittal-plane and frontal-plane joint moments during ...
Re-engineering global variables in Ada

This paper describes one method for identifying global variables in Ada procedures and adding them to the parameter list of appropriate procedures. Global variables, ones that are visible to the entire program, are considered harmful to the maintainability of software systems because of the side effects that can result. A tool has been developed based on the Ada Semantic Interface Specification (ASIS) that can be used to identify global variables and re-engineer Ada procedures. By adding global variables to the parameter lists of appropriate procedures, the variables can be removed from the globally visible data space and introduced into the local declaration space.
Synthesis of analogues of a flexible thiopyrylium photosensitizer for purging blood-borne pathogens and binding mode and affinity studies of their complexes with DNA.

Abstract A series of thio- and selenopyrylium analogues of 2,4-di(4-dimethylaminophen-yl)-6-methylthiopyrylium iodide were prepared in five steps from 4-dimethylaminophenyl-propargyl aldehyde and the corresponding lithium acetylide. When bound to DNA, all of the dyes absorb at wavelengths >600 nm, which avoids the hemoglobin band I maximum at 575 nm. The binding of the series of dyes to double-stranded DNA was examined spectrophotometrically and by isothermal titration calorimetry to determine binding constants, by a topoisomerase I DNA unwinding assay, by competition dialysis with [poly(dGdC)] 2 and [poly(dAdT)] 2 , and by ethidium bromide displacement studies to examine propensities for intercalation, and by circular dichroism studies. The dyes were found to show mixed binding modes.
A combination Verhoeff's elastic and Masson's trichrome stain for routine histology

A method for the combined staining of elastic, muscle and connective tissue for routine use in histopathology is described. The elastica, stained black by Verhoeff's technique, is contrasted with the muscle and connective tissue stained red and green or blue respectively by a modification of Masson's trichrome. Cell nuclei stain blue-black with Weigert's iron hematoxylin. The procedure takes approximately two hours and is most suitable for the study of vascular pathology in surgical and autopsy sections.
Sexual selection does not provide an adequate theory of sex differences in aggression

Our social role/biosocial theory provides a more adequate account of aggression sex differences than does Archer's sexual selection theory. In our theory, these sex differences arise flexibly from sociocultural and ecological forces in interaction with humans' biology, as defined by female and male physical attributes and reproductive activities. Our comments elaborate our theory's explanations for the varied phenomena that Archer presents.
Measuring Preschool Children's Attitude

Four phases of the development of the Preschool Attitude Scale (PAS) are reported. A total of 251 children (ages 3 to 5 years) were individually interviewed during the multiphase project with the goal of developing an age-appropriate measure to be used with preschoolers. The results indicate good reliability performance based on high coefficient alpha levels. In addition, the scale evidences predictive validity. The PAS is suggested as a tool for researchers interested in measuring young children's attitude.
The course of depressive symptoms in older adults with comorbid major depression and dysthymia.

Objective To examine the course of depressive symptoms in older patients with comorbid major depression and dysthymia. Design Secondary data analysis using both proportional hazards modeling and a repeated measures mixed model. Setting Clinical Research Center for the Study of Depression in Later Life conducted at Duke University. Participants Two hundred fifty inpatients and outpatients age 60 and older with major depression enrolled in a naturalistic treatment study and followed up for 10 years. Measurements The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to confirm a clinical diagnosis of major depression and to identify patients with comorbid dysthymia at the time of study enrollment. Patients were administered the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) every 3 months. For the proportional hazards models, partial remission was defined as a MADRS score Results A total of 34.8% of the patients had comorbid major depression and dysthymia at baseline enrollment. Compared with those with major depression alone, they had longer time to both partial (median number of days=175 versus 106) and full remission (median number of days=433 versus 244) from major depression. In the repeated measures mixed model predicting MADRS score over 3 years of follow-up and controlling for the effects of potential confounders, the effect of having comorbid dysthymia was not consistent over time, with patients with both disorders having higher predicted scores after initial response. Conclusions Older patients with comorbid major depression and dysthymia have a less favorable trajectory of recovery compared with those with major depression alone.
Race, Slavery, and the Law in Early Modern France

(1994). Race, Slavery, and the Law in Early Modern France. The Historian: Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 501-510.
The life cycle of thunderstorm gust fronts as viewed with Doppler radar and rawinsonde data

This paper presents the time-dependent analysis of the thunderstorm gust front with the use of Project NIMROD data. RHI cross sections of reflectivity and Doppler velocity are constructed to determine the entire vertical structure. The life cycle of the gust front is divided into four stages: (1) the formative stage; (2) the early mature stage; (3) the late mature stage; and (4) the dissipation stage. A new finding is a horizontal roll detected in the reflectivity pattern resulting from airflow that is deflected upward by the ground, while carrying some of the smaller precipitation ahead of the main echo core of the squall line. This feature is called a 'precipitation roll'. As determined from rawinsonde data, the cold air behind the gust front accounts for the observed surface pressure rise. Calculations confirm that the collision of two fluids produce a nonhydrostatic pressure at the leading edge of the outflow. The equation governing the propagation speed of a density current accurately predicts the movement of the gust front.
Upper-critical-field-temperature phase diagram of alkali-metal-intercalated C60 superconductors.

The temperature dependences of the upper critical field H c2 (T) were measured over a broad range for both K 3 C 60 and Rv 3 C 60 superconductors. We found H c2 (0) to be 28 T for K 3 C 60 and 38 T for Rb 3 C 60 corresponding to the Ginzburg-Landau coherence length of 34 and 30 A. The H-T phase diagrams do not show qualitative difference from the behavior of a conventional type-II superconductor
Neutron Induced Autoradiography and Pixe Analysis

We have used the TRIGA reactor and the Ion Beam Facility at Cornell to illustrate neutron induced autoradiography and PIXE analysis of known pigments in demonstration paintings made for our undergraduate course, ‘Art, Isotopes and Analysis’. A group of pigments were chosen containing elements with half-lives detectable by the neutron activation process. The pigments (suspended in a binding medium of linseed oil) were first painted on test swatches of acetate and their characteristic x-ray lines measured with a 5 Mev beam of protons directed through a thin Kapton film for external (in air) analysis (PIXE). Three layers of images, each painted with a different pigment, overlay one another. The painting is then taken to the TRIGA reactor for neutron activation. After activation, the painting is placed in contact with sheets of Polaroid type AR positive transparency film at different times after exposure. The gamma spectra during the sequence are also measured to provide identification of the ‘active’ isotopes during each film exposure.
Active optical 3D imaging for heritage applications

High-resolution 3D imaging and modeling is an important application in the heritage field. We describe several demonstration projects conducted in collaboration with museums and conservation agencies.
Some remarks on hydrofoil cavitation

This paper reviews numerical and experimental investigations of sheet/cloud cavitation carried out at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory and at two collaborating facilities (Versuchsanstalt Fur Wasserbau, Obernach, Germany and Osaka University, Japan) for more than a decade. Although significant advances have been made in the analysis of this flow several issues are still unresolved. The purpose of this paper is to examine the overall features of the problem, review the progress made to date and suggest avenues for new investigation.
Joel Chandler Harris and the Folklore of Slavery

Every historian addressing himself to the study of American slavery immediately confronts the paucity of sources. Significant documents written by slaves or former slaves are sufficiently scarce and difficult to work with that the slaves' view of slavery, in spite of recent publications, is still an underdeveloped area. In the almost fifteen years since Stanley Elkins stirred up swells of controversy by contending that slaves were characterized by a docile, childlike, ‘ Sambo ’ personality, historians have begun to employ concepts developed by psychologists, anthropologists, and sociologists and to examine previously neglected sources such as slave autobiographies and recollections. But even these attempts stop far short of a radical departure from approaches traditionally employed by American historians. Although slave songs have been of interest for decades, with some recent exceptions, they have yielded few significant or surprising insights.
Vascular Dysfunction and Ischemic Destruction of Tissue in Streptococcus pyogenes Infection: The Role of Streptolysin O–Induced Platelet/Neutrophil Complexes

Rapid tissue destruction in group A streptococcal (GAS) necrotizing fasciitis/myonecrosis often necessitates extensive debridement to ensure survival. The mechanisms responsible for this fulminant process remain unknown; we hypothesized that toxin-induced ischemia contributes to necrosis. In a rat model, Doppler flowmetry was used to measure local blood flow at the site of the intramuscular injection of exotoxins from an invasive M-type 1 GAS, which caused a rapid, dose-dependent decrease in perfusion that was irreversible at the highest toxin concentration tested. Videomicroscopic results revealed that blood flow was impeded by occlusive intravascular cellular aggregates. Flow-cytometric results confirmed that GAS toxins induced the coaggregation of platelets and neutrophils, that this activity was attributable to streptolysin O, and that platelet/neutrophil complex formation was largely mediated by platelet P-selectin (CD62P). Strategies that target platelet adherence molecules may prevent vascular occlusion, maintain tissue viability, and reduce the need for amputation in necrotizing GAS infections.
Resource-aware video processing techniques for ambient multimedia systems

Ambient intelligence (AmI) is the inconspicuous presence of computing into every facet of our lives. AmI systems of the future will contain devices with highly limited resources in terms of processing power, memory, and battery lifetime. Contrary to this are the memory, power, and cycle-hungry video processing applications which are required to provide the level of utility demanded by users. The paper introduces the idea of processing a portion of a video frame with the intent of achieving high levels of video processing performance while reducing considerably the hardware requirements for that processing. The techniques we propose operate only on a portion of the video frame and optionally adjust that portion's size dynamically to match the video content reasonably well. Our results show that this technique can save roughly 75% in both memory and processing cycle requirements and up to 87% in energy consumption, while inducing less than 10% error in XY processing of the video frame
Pilot Testing the Augmentech Body Position Sensor on the Morbidly Obese Patient

The Augmentech Body Position Sensor (ABPS), a device for monitoring patient repositioning, was tested for use in morbidly obese patients. Specific aims were to: determine whether there was correspondence between data on patient turning and repositioning from the ABPS and data gathered through human observation; determine whether the ABPS is an acceptable instrument for measuring body movements in morbidly obese patients in terms of ease of use, comfort and ability to stay in place. A descriptive study was conducted. Data from the ABPS recording patients' body positions were compared with data from videotapes taken of the same patients during the same time period. The sleep center of a tertiary care facility in the southeastern United States was used. Ten participants with BMI ≥30 were selected from patients referred to the sleep center for polysomnography. Positioning the device on the patient's thigh, data were collected from midnight until discharge. Videotapes taken of the same patient during the same time period were examined for changes in body position over time. There was a strong correspondence between the videotaped data and the ABPS data. The device was comfortable and not irritating to the patient. The APBS can be a useful measure for determining changes in body position but further study should be undertaken to test other sites for placement.
Performance of multistage ATM switch architectures under nonuniform bursty traffic

A technique for the efficient analysis of multistage ATM switch architectures is presented. It is flexible in that it permits arbitrary switching element sizes, a full range of hardware speedup and backpressure between stages. The arriving traffic is assumed to be bursty and the authors do not assume homogeneity of all traffic sources. The flow of cells through the network is approximated as a fluid process, yielding computational complexity that depends only on the representation of the arrival and departure processes of a queue, independent of the number of buffers. Simulation results verify the accuracy of this approach. Finally, the analysis is used to examine the effect of nonhomogeneous traffic, as well as to present a comparison of the various modes of operation and implementation parameters of the multistage switch, providing insights on design trade-offs.
The Morse Homology Theorem

In this chapter we construct the Morse-Smale-Witten chain complex and prove that its homology coincides with the singular homology. For an interesting history of this complex we refer the reader to Bott’s colorful paper [26]. The story started with a Comptes Rendus Note of the French Academy of Sciences by Rene Thom in 1949 [145] and culminated with Witten’s paper in 1982 [153], where the boundary operator described here was explicitly written. The way Witten arrived at this boundary operator was through super-symmetric mechanics. Before, Morse and Smale’s work had already found the ideas required to make rigorous Witten’s “physicist’s” proof: these ideas have been explained in the preceeding chapters. This is why we call the resulting complex the Thom-Morse-Smale-Witten chain complex, or simply, the MorseSmale-Witten chain complex. In the literature it is sometimes called the Witten complex [26].
Infectious complications resulting from use of hemostatic puncture closure devices

Abstract Background: Femoral access site complications have increased as the fields of invasive cardiology, radiology, and endovascular surgery have emerged. In order to address one of these complications, hemorrhage, the hemostatic puncture closure devices were developed. Methods: Retrospective review of cardiac catheterizations performed at a single institution to investigate infectious groin complications related to use of the Perclose Prostar and Techstar devices. Results: Infectious groin complications were significantly higher in the Perclose group as compared with manual compression. Three patients had clinical and laboratory evidence of arterial infection whereas 2 had soft tissue infections. All 5 required operative intervention ranging from incision and drainage to arterial reconstruction. Hemorrhagic complications were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: The Perclose devices provide hemostasis after femoral artery catheterization similar to manual compression. However, infectious groin complications appear to be more common with these devices.