cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Biomechanical and Histological Examination of Different Surface Treatments of Titanium Implants for Total Joint Replacement

The objective of this study was to evaluate biomechanically and histologically the effectiveness of different surfaces-specifically, smooth, textured, and plasma-sprayed porous surfaces-on titanium implants in achieving stable fixation for total joint replacements. Hollow cylindrical metal plugs (5 to 6 mm in diameter) with different surfaces were implanted in the femora of two dogs. After five months of implantation, pull-out tests were carried out on these cylinders. The ultimate shear strengths were 11.54 ′ 2.96, 3.17 ′ 0.81, and 1.04 ′ 0.32 N/m 2 for the plasma-sprayed, textured, and smooth surfaces, respectively. As expected, the smooth cylinders showed the minimum pull-out strengths and the porous-coated ones the maximum. Histological examination showed maximum bony ingrowth in the plasma-sprayed group and moderate growth in the textured group. Our results suggest that a textured surface or a porous coating (plasma spray) on titanium implants could significantly improve the long-term stability of uncemented total joint replacements.
Minimization of permuted Reed-Muller Trees for cellular logic programmable Gate arrays

The new family of Field Programmable Gate Arrays, CLI6000 from Concurrent Logic Inc realizes the truly Cellular Logic. It has been mainly designed for the realization of data path architectures. However, introduced by it new universal logic cell calls also for new logic synthesis methods based on regularity of connections. In this paper we present two programs, exact and approximate, for the minimization of Permuted Reed-Muller Trees that are obtained by repetitive application of Davio expansions (Shannon expansions for EXOR gates) in all possible orders of variables in subtrees. Such trees are particularly well matched to both the realization of logic cell and connection structure of the CLI6000 device. It is shown on several standard benchmarks that the heuristic algorithm gives good quality results in much less time than the exact algorithm.
GIS and ITS Traffic Assignment: Issues in Dynamic User-Optimal Assignments

Dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) is at the heart of much ITS research. Assigning traffic, whether for planning purposes or for real time route guidance, is a difficult problem. Recent advances in user-optimal dynamic traffic assignment have built on the methods developed for static user-optimal assignments. Since assignment models are complex, they will not use many of the network analysis functions found in commercial GIS packages. Custom software will have to be developed. In this paper we explore the problems faced in solving static and dynamic assignments and relate those problems to information that is likely to be based in a traffic control center’s GIS database. Because of the size of the problem and the need for faster-than-real-time analysis, how and when data is transferred between a GIS to analysis modules is important. Further, many approaches for GIS software design and spatial data handling, such as OOP and dynamic segmentation, may impose too much overhead to be of much use in time-sensitive ITS applications.
Filter Design Using a New Field-Programmable Analog Array(FPAA)

We present a voltage mode switched-capacitor Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) to be used to implement various filter structures. The FPAA consists of uniform configurable analog blocks (CABs) allowing implementation of different functions. Each CAB consists of two back-to-back connected inverting and non-inverting strays-insensitive switched-capacitor integrators. The interconnection between CABs is implemented by switched and unswitched capacitor networks. The internal structure of CABs and the interconnection between different CABs are configured by user-programmable digital control signals. The functionality of the FPAA is demonstrated through embedding of different types of filters along with simulation results.
Auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo method for strongly paired fermions

We solve the zero-temperature unitary Fermi gas problem by incorporating a BCS importance function into the auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo method. We demonstrate that this method does not suffer from a sign problem and that it increases the efficiency of standard techniques by many orders of magnitude for strongly paired fermions. We calculate the ground-state energies exactly for unpolarized systems with up to 66 particles on lattices of up to ${27}^{3}$ sites, obtaining an accurate result for the universal parameter $\ensuremath{\xi}$. We also obtain results for interactions with different effective ranges and find that the energy is consistent with a universal linear dependence on the product of the Fermi momentum and the effective range. This method will have many applications in superfluid cold atom systems and in both electronic and nuclear structures where pairing is important.
The sorption of metal complex species by anion exchange resin—I: Verification of the theoretical treatment of ion exchange equilibria based on the partition of an uncharged complex species

The theory of Marcus and Coryell for the sorption of metals by anion exchange resins has been examined. The treatment of ion exchange data as a partition of an uncharged metal complex appears to be valid, provided corrections are made for the variation of the conditional formation constants of the complexes with ionic strength. The systems lead-nitric acid-60% isopropyl alcohol-water, silver-nitric acid-80% isopropyl alcohol-water and cadmium-hydrochloric acid-water all gave linear plots of the logarithm Dmass with the logarithm of the fraction of metal in the uncharged complex form. The results of this study indicate that unless distribution measurements are made at constant ionic strength, the determination of formation constants in either the resin or solution phases cannot be made with certainty.
Weight-based administration of dalteparin in obese patients.

(April 1, 2003, Note). On page 685, the last sentence of the first paragraph of the Results section should read as follows: ``Overall, 11 patients received dalteparin as a twice-daily regimen (mean daily dose, 202.8 units/kg; range, 196-240 units/kg) and 10 received a once-daily regimen (mean daily dose, 196.5 units/kg; range, 170-215 units/kg).'' In Figure 1 on the same page, the data point at dalteparin 170 units/kg/day should be at 202 units/kg/day (with the same anti-Xa activity).
Rhythmic spacing and origin of pools and riffles

Quantitative analysis of the spacing of pools in bedrock and alluvial stream channels in California, Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina suggest that the tendency for streams to meander in the vertical (or third) dimension, as in the horizontal plane, is a fundamental characteristic of many streams that is independent of material type. Simple linear-regression and correlation models reveal that approximately 70% of the variability of the spacing of pools can be explained by the variability of channel width. Analysis of the spacing of 251 pools in eleven streams, utilizing the Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness of fit test and one-way analysis of variance suggests that the hypothesis that the data from bedrock and alluvial channels are from the same population cannot be rejected at the 0.05 level of significance. Morphologic maps and field observations of stream channels incised in sandstone, limestone, metavolcanic rock, and syenite suggest that although these streams have much in common with alluvial stream channels, there exist considerable differences in certain aspects of channel morphology. This results because bedrock control of morphology locally may be more significant than the effects of general processes that tend to produce rhythmic channel forms such as pools and riffles. However, local controls tend to mask rather than destroy the effects of more general processes that produce the third dimension of meandering streams.
Dynamics of Water Droplets in a Counterflow Field and their Effect on Flame Extinction

Abstract The effect of fine-water droplets in extinguishing steady, laminar counterflow methane–air nonpremixed flames is investigated here, using a numerical approach. A new two-phase model using a hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian formulation for the gas-droplet flow is developed as part of this work. A key feature of the model developed is that it can avoid the singularity associated with the droplet number density equation in a consistent manner by using a Lagrangian equation for droplet flux fraction. The gas phase is described by a detailed model involving full chemical kinetics and transport, whereas droplet evaporation and heat transfer are modeled assuming quasisteady conditions. Application of the model to several monodisperse sizes of water droplets, ranging from 5–50 μm, revealed an interesting nonmonotonic dependence of the flame extinction strain rate on droplet size. This phenomenon is attributed to the droplet dynamics in the counterflow field considered here and to the resulting nonmonotonic heat sink associated with mass evaporation observed at the oxygen-consumption or radical production layer of the flame.
In-beam spectroscopy and microscopic calculations in the A = 60−80 region

Abstract High spin states in 68 Ge and 72 Se have been studied via 46 Ti(68 MeV 25 Mg, 2p) 68 Ge and 47 Ti(95 MeV 28 Si, 2pn) 72 Se reactions with the Holifield heavy ion tandem. Gamma-gamma coincidence experiments were carried out in the spin spectrometer and the close geometry Compton-suppressed Ge ball. In 68 Ge the three known bands built on 8 + states were found to exhibit crossing transitions, and other new bands were discovered to feed into them. In 72 Se only a single positive-parity yrast band is seen to have high spins. Detailed microscopic model calculations have been carried out for 68 Ge and 72 Se.
The phylogenetic significance of strepsirhinism in Paleogene primates

Two lines of evidence reviewed here argue against the recent proposal that strepsirhinism is an apomorphous feature in primates, shared only by adapiforms and lemuriforms. These are (1) the presence of strepsirhinism in several extant taxa of nonprimate mammals, including Tupaiidae, Tenrecidae, Erinaceus,and Didelphis,and (2) the inferred presence of strepsirhinism not only in adapiforms, but also in all plesiadapiforms and omomyids for which the relevant anatomical regions are known. Therefore, strepsirhinism cannot be invoked as an adaptive innovation underlying the initial strep-sirhine/haplorhine dichotomy. Likewise, the apparent retention of strepsirhinism in omomyids suggests either that the haplorhine oronasal configuration of extant tarsiids and anthropoids was acquired independently or that tarsiids and anthropoids form a clade to the exclusion of omomyids.
THE USE OF FOREST STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION FOR INTERPRETING VEGETATION-ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIPS

Species structural and functional characteristics are used in concert with forest composition to examine links between the physical environment and vegetation along an elevational transect of thirty forest stands in Yosemite National Park, California. The structural/functional approach promotes communication by allowing direct analysis and presentation of ecologically significant information. Patterns of leaf persistence, shade tolerance/twig thickness, and windthrow susceptibility are related to changes along the altitudinal gradient as an illustration of the interpretive capabilities of the technique.
Effects of Polysaccharides on Rennet Coagulation of Skim Milk Proteins

Abstract The effects of commercially available polysaccharides on rennet coagulation of milk were investigated. Polysaccharide material from a slimy strain of Lactococcus lactis was examined. Clotting time was measured using a rolling bottle method and a Formagraph. The Formagraph also indicated the rate of curd firming and final curd firmness. Clotting time was reduced, curd formation rate increased, and curd firmness reached a maximum with addition of low methoxyl pectin. Xanthan reduced curd formation rate and decreased gel firmness. The polysaccharide from L. lactis produced results similar to low methoxyl pectin.
Cryo-Injury and Biopreservation

Mammalian cells appear to be naturally tolerant to cold temperatures, but the formation of ice when cells are cooled leads to a variety of damaging effects. The study of cryo-injury, therefore, becomes the study of when and how ice is formed both inside and outside the cell during cooling. Protectant chemicals are used to control or prevent ice formation in many preservation protocols, but these chemical themselves tend to be damaging. Cooling and warming rates also strongly affect the amount and location of ice that is formed. Through careful modification of these parameters successful cold preservation techniques for many cell types have been developed, but there are many more cell types that have defied preservation techniques, and the extension of cell-based techniques to tissues and whole organs has been very limited. There are many aspects to the damaging effects of ice in cells that are still poorly understood. In this brief article we review our current understanding of cellular injury and highlight the aspects of cellular injury during cryopreservation that are still poorly understood.
C3-5: Patient Use of a Secure Web Portal and LDL in Patients with Diabetes

Background/Aims Patient use of web portals to interact with their healthcare delivery system and healthcare providers could improve the quality and safety of care. Among patients with diabetes in a large integrated delivery system (IDS), we examined the association between patient use of the web portals and cholesterol test results.
Neonatal Chimerization with Human Glial Progenitor Cells Can Both Remyelinate and Rescue the Otherwise Lethally Hypomyelinated Shiverer Mouse

Summary Congenitally hypomyelinated shiverer mice fail to generate compact myelin and die by 18–21 weeks of age. Using multifocal anterior and posterior fossa delivery of sorted fetal human glial progenitor cells into neonatal shiverer × rag2 −/− mice, we achieved whole neuraxis myelination of the engrafted hosts, which in a significant fraction of cases rescued this otherwise lethal phenotype. The transplanted mice exhibited greatly prolonged survival with progressive resolution of their neurological deficits. Substantial myelination in multiple regions was accompanied by the acquisition of normal nodes of Ranvier and transcallosal conduction velocities, ultrastructurally normal and complete myelination of most axons, and a restoration of a substantially normal neurological phenotype. Notably, the resultant mice were cerebral chimeras, with murine gray matter but a predominantly human white matter glial composition. These data demonstrate that the neonatal transplantation of human glial progenitor cells can effectively treat disorders of congenital and perinatal hypomyelination.
The C. elegans mitochondrial K + ATP channel: A potential target for preconditioning

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is an evolutionarily conserved endogenous mechanism whereby short periods of non-lethal exposure to hypoxia alleviate damage caused by subsequent ischemia reperfusion (IR). Pharmacologic targeting has suggested that the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel (mK(ATP)) is central to IPC signaling, despite its lack of molecular identity. Here, we report that isolated Caenorhabditis elegans mitochondria have a K(ATP) channel with the same physiologic and pharmacologic characteristics as the vertebrate channel. Since C. elegans also exhibit IPC, our observations provide a framework to study the role of mK(ATP) in IR injury in a genetic model organism.
Is a General Theory of Life Possible? Seeking the Nature of Life in the Context of a Single Example

Is one of the roles of theory in biology answering the question “What is life?” This is true of theory in many other fields of science. So why should not it be the case for biology? Yet efforts to identify unifying concepts and principles of life have been disappointing, leading some (pluralists) to conclude that life is not a natural kind. In this essay I argue that such judgments are premature. Life as we know it on Earth today represents a single example and moreover there is positive evidence that it may be unrepresentative of life considered generally. Furthermore, as I discuss, the prototype for theorizing about life has traditionally been based on multicellular plants and animals. Yet biologists have discovered that the latter represent a rare, exotic, and fairly recent form of Earth life. By far the oldest, toughest, most extensive, and diverse form of life on our planet is unicellular, prokaryotic microbes, and there are reasons to suppose that this is almost certainly true elsewhere in the universe as well. If there are explanatorily and predictively powerful, biologically distinctive principles for life that can be gleaned from our insular example of life it is more likely that they will be found among the microbes. I discuss some provocative ways in which unicellular microbes differ from multicellular eukaryotes and argue that some of them just might provide us with key insights into the nature of life.
Acigona infusella, a Potential Biological Control Agent for Waterhyacinth: Observations in Argentina (with Descriptions of Two New Species of Apanteles by L. De Santis)

Larvae of the pyralid moth, Acigona infusella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), sporadically cause heavy damage to waterhyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, in Argentina, by tunneling in the petioles and crown. Larvae are heavily attacked by parasites and pathogens. In the field larvae attack only E. crassipes, E. azurea (Sw.) Kunth (anchored waterhyacinth), Pontederia cordata L. (pickerelweed), and P. rotundifolia L., all in the Pontederiaceae. At times, it is abundant on all these species. Handfed larvae also completed development and produced adults on sliced ears of corn and cut culms of rice, but they did not feed on any of the other 11 plant species tested. When larvae were placed on growing plants, 6 larvae survived 45 days on rice and 8 survived 13 days on corn, but none completed their development and pupated. In the laboratory females did not exhibit strong ovipositional specificity, and in the field they often oviposited on plant species taller than waterhyacinth. Acigona infusella has never been reported to feed on rice, corn, or any other beneficial plant in Argentina, even in areas where waterhyacinth grows nearby. Two new species of parasitoids of Acigona infusella, Apanteles fluitantis and Apanteles cordoi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), are described by Luis De Santis.
Cefoxitin and ciprofloxacin neurotoxicity and catatonia in a patient on hemodialysis.

Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric psychomotor syndrome common to mood, psychotic, and developmental disorders, as well as many medical illnesses, including exposure to or withdrawal from a variety of pharmacologic agents. While the incidence of catatonia due to a general medical condition is difficult to characterize, in the consultation psychiatry setting the incidence of catatonia has been found to range from 1.6 to 3 percent. The pro-convulsive activity of cephalosporin and quinolone antibiotics has been well documented in the literature. This pro-convulsive effect has been attributed in animal models to their antagonism at the a-subtypes of -aminobutyric acid (GABA-A) receptors. Likewise, GABA-A hypoactivity has been theorized as a possible mechanism in catatonia. Case reports have associated catatonia with antibiotics (such as azithromycin, and various quinolones, including ciprofloxacin). However, the association of catatonia and cephalosporins has not been reported. This case describes a patient who developed catatonia and myoclonus after exposure to cefoxitin. After she was switched to ciprofloxacin, her catatonia worsened.
A method to obtain a randomized control group where it seems impossible. A case study in program evaluation.

Randomization of program participants into control and experimental groups is often not feasible in field settings. The researcher's desire to evaluate a program with a rigorous experimental design is often incompatible with the objective of serving the expressed needs of the program participants. However, opportunities do arise when a randomized control group can be constructed without disregarding the participants'wish to be included in the treatment group. This article describes a method that uses the participants' compliance to program instructions as a means of classifying participants and, thereby, obtains a randomized control group for a subset of participants. A large smoking intervention project is used to illustrate two variations of this method.
Traumatized and inflamed--but resilient: glial aromatization and the avian brain.

Abstract This article is part of a Special Issue "Hormones & Neurotrauma". Steroids like estrogens have potent effects on the vertebrate brain, and are provided to neural targets from peripheral and central sources. Estradiol synthesized within the vertebrate CNS modulates neural structure and function, including the pathways involved in neuroprotection, and perhaps, neural repair. Specifically, aromatase; the enzyme responsible for the conversion of testosterone to estradiol, is upregulated in the avian and mammalian brain following disruption of the neuropil by multiple forms of perturbation including mechanical injury, ischemia and excitotoxicity. This injury induced aromatase expression is somewhat unique in that it occurs in astroglia rather than neurons, and is stimulated in response to factors associated with brain damage. In this review, we focus on the induction, expression and consequences of glial aromatization in the songbird brain. We begin with a review of the anatomical consequences of glial estrogen provision followed by a discussion of the cellular mechanisms whereby glial aromatization may affect injury-induced neuroplasticity. We then present the current status of our understanding regarding the inductive role of inflammatory processes in the transcription and translation of astrocytic aromatase. We consider the functional aspects of glial aromatization before concluding with unanswered questions and suggestions for future studies. Birds have long informed us about fundamental questions in endocrinology, immunology, and neuroplasticity; and their unique anatomical and physiological characteristics continue to provide an excellent system in which to learn about brain trauma, inflammation, and neuroprotection.
Combined nonenzymatic-enzymatic method for the synthesis of simple alkyl fatty acid esters from soapstock

Soapstock (SS) is a by-product of the extraction of oilseeds to produce edible oils. Annual U.S. production exceeds one-half million tons. A representative sample of SS consists of 45.1% water, 10.0% free fatty acids, 10.1% triglycerides, 1.8% diglycerides, 3.6% phosphatidylethanolamine, 2.2% phosphatidylinositol, 2.7% phosphatidylcholine, 14.0% solvent-insolubles and 10.5% other material, which was not characterized. A process has been developed that sequentially employs a nonenzymatic and an enzymatic step to convert the lipid-linked and the free fatty acids of SS to the esters of monohydric alcohols. The first step of the process employed alcohol and potassium hydroxide to transesterify the glyceride-and phosphoglyceride-linked fatty acids of the substrate. Because water inhibited the reaction, it was necessary that the SS be dried before use. Nonetheless, even with some batches of SS with water contents below 1% (weight basis), ester hydrolysis accompanied esterification. Each of five examined simple primary alcohols participated effectively in the transesterification reaction, which proceeded rapidly at room temperature and was essentially complete within 1 h. The average ratio of transesterification to hydrolysis in four examined small primary alcohols was 4:1. However, in methanol this value was 99:1 due to the virtual absence of hydrolysis. Significant transesterification by a secondary alcohol (isopropanol) did not occur at room temperature. The minimum effective molar ratio of alcohol to lipid-linked fatty acids was 20:1. The minimum effective concentration of KOH was between 0.10 and 0.15N. The efficiency of the transesterification reaction exceeded 90% of theoretical maximum. The second step of the process involves lipase-mediated esterification of the free fatty acids in the preparation that are not esterified by the alkaline transesterfication. Of four lipase preparations examined (Novo Lipozyme IM 20 and SP435, and Amano PS30 and CE), only SP-435 catalyzed significant esterification of the free fatty acids. The reaction was not catalyzed by heat-denatured enzyme. In the pH range between 6 and 13.5, the enzyme reaction proceeded best at pH 6, although also well at pH 7. The optimal water concentration was 0.70% (vol/vol). At an enzyme dosage of 1.1% (weight basis, relative to the dry weight of SS present) under optimal conditions and at 42°C, 63% of the free fatty acids in a post-alcoholysis mixture were enzymatically esterified. The addition of molecular sieves did not increase esterification, which was probably retarded by the high viscosities of the reactions. Under the optimal conditions identified here, the degree of conversion of the fatty acids in SS to simple alkyl esters by the combined reaction scheme was 81%. Opportunities exist for further optimization of these reactions.
Cystatin C in cerebrospinal fluid is not a diagnostic test for pain in humans.

A recent subtractive cDNA cloning study in rats demonstrated an unexpected increase in expression of the proteinase inhibitor, cystatin C in the spinal cord during acute peripheral inflammation, suggesting this protein may be involved in the pathogenesis of persistent pain. A subsequent study of 10 women suggested that prolonged labor pain resulted in increased cystatin C concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid, and that this could be used as a biomarker for pain. To confirm and extend these observations, we measured cystatin C concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid in 131 subjects: 30 normal volunteers without pain, 25 women at elective cesarean section without pain, 60 women in labor with severe pain, and 16 patients with chronic neuropathic pain and tactile allodynia. The median cystatin C concentration in normal volunteers, 2.2 μg/ml, was similar to that previously reported by multiple investigators, and cystatin C concentrations were increased in women in labor (3.9 μg/ml). However, contrary to the previous report, cystatin C concentrations in laboring women with pain did not differ from those of pregnant women without pain (3.7 μg/ml). There was no relationship between duration of painful labor and cystatin C concentration. Patients with neuropathic pain had similar cystatin C concentrations (2.4 μg/ml) to controls. Logistic regression analysis indicated that cystatin C concentrations could not be used to reliably predict the presence of pain in either acute or chronic settings. These data suggest that cystatin C concentration in cerebrospinal fluid is an unreliable diagnostic marker for pain in humans.
Delivery of class I and class II MHC-restricted T-cell epitopes of listeriolysin of Listeria monocytogenes by attenuated Salmonella

Abstract Using a Salmonella vaccine- Listeria infection model of intracellular infection, we studied the capacity of an attenuated strain of Salmonella carrying T-cell epitopes of listeriolysin (LLO) of L. monocytogenes to elicit epitope-specific T-cell responses. Class II (LLO 215–226) or class I (LLO 91–99) MHC-restricted T-cell epitopes of LLO were inserted within a central, hypervariable domain of the flagellin protein of an attenuated ΔaroA Salmonella dublin strain. T cells from Listeria -immunized mice were activated by lysates or heat-killed preparations of Salmonella construct expressing the LLO 215–226 epitope, indicating that LLO 215–226 is processed and presented to T cells when offered to antigen-presenting cells as part of a flagellin-epitope fusion protein. The chimeric flagellin genes were integrated into the chromosome of the flagellin-negative S. dublin strain to obtain stable expression of the epitopes. Immunication with the living, chromosomally integrated Salmonella construct carrying LLO 215–226 epitope as part of the flagellin protein generated T cells reactive with the corresponding LLO peptide, indicating that this chimera can stimulate a class-specific immune response in vitro . The effect of flanking residues on the processing and presentation of MHC class I LLO 91–99 epitope was studied using Salmonella vaccine strains that express chimeric flagellins containing one of three LLO 91–99 inserts: 91–99 (normal flagellin amino acids as flanking residues); KK91–99KK (Lys-Lys flanking residues); and AAA91–99AAA (Ala-Ala-Ala flanking residues). Spleen cells from mice immunized with the KK91–99KK flagellin chimeric Salmonella strain showed the greater CTL response indicating that Lys-Lys flanking residues are associated with enhanced immunogenicity, possibly by facilitating the proteolytic excision of the epitope in the endosomal compartment of antigen-presenting cells. A statistically significant decrease in the number of hepatic and/or splenic bacteria was achieved after Listeria challenge in mice immunized with Salmonella constructs expressing either MHC class II LLO 215–226 or class I LLO KK91–99KK flagellin chimera, showing that the immunogenicity of these constructs is associated with an epitope-specific increased resistance to infection.
Thermal Activation of Shape Memory Polymers Through Vascular Means

Thermal activation of shape memory polymers requires a heating mechanism that will achieve a temperature range that exceeds a minimum triggering temperature but does not overheat the material. In laboratory practice, ovens are typically used to achieve a uniform temperature during testing. In practical applications, active heating schemes must be utilized that are robust enough to handle changing environmental conditions. In this work, we analyze the intricacies of vascular heating and cooling methodologies for shape memory polymers operating in an open environment. Our methodology is based on analytical modeling of the steady state surface temperature of shape memory polymers that incorporate vascular channels. With the material properties and environmental conditions, the model is used to predict appropriate channel geometry for triggering the shape memory polymer. Thermography is used to verify the model predictions for real systems of shape memory polymers.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Cross-Cultural Considerations in Complex Peace Operations

Peace operations create the potential for culturally-based problems in interactions among different organizational actors and with local populations. Because it is impossible to catalog all of the different groups and cultures that may participate in peace operations, it is necessary to develop a general approach to culture and peacekeeping. The author presents a view of culture as a model for understanding and action, and describes some ways in which cultural models are manifest. Specific cultural differences between military and humanitarian participants in peace operations are discussed, as are areas of potential cultural concern for interaction with local populations. Suggestions about approaching these cross-cultural considerations are offered.
A novel reaction of reticulocyte peptide-chain elongation factor, EF2, with guanosine nucleotides.

Abstract The formation of phenylalanyl puromycin from phenylalanyl-tRNA, bound nonenzymically or enzymically to reticulocyte ribosomes, requires the peptide-chain elongation factor, EF2 2 , and GTP. However the GTP analogue, GDPCP, may replace GTP to a significant extent in this reaction. Other purine or pyrimidine nucleotides have little or no activity. Multistep experiments with either GTP or GDPCP indicate that binding of EF2 to the ribosome for subsequent peptide formation may be a portion of the activity of the EF2 (independent of the translocation reaction) during the elongation process. Neomycin inhibits the formation of phenylalanyl puromycin using either GTP or GDPCP in this system.
Why Centric Regions of Quinacrine-treated Mouse Chromosomes show Diminished Fluorescence

Rowley and Bodmer1 reported that the centric regions of quinacrine-treated mouse chromosome preparations show less fluorescence intensity than the remainder of the chromosome. They argued that because these centric regions contain a type of DNA that is richer in AT base pairs than unique sequence DNA, they would be expected to show diminished fluorescence according to the model proposed by Caspersson et al.2, according to which localised quinacrine fluorescence was attributed to the preferential binding of quinacrine mustard to the N-7 position of guanylyl residues in DNA. Thus, one would expect a relative paucity of guanylyl residues in the DNA of the centric regions to be associated with diminished fluorescence. It has since been shown3,4 that enhanced quinacrine fluorescence is due to AT base pairs, and studies of a series of GC-containing DNA polymers indicated that GC base pairs (or G alone) actually quenched fluorescence4. These observations did not explain why the centric regions of mouse chromosomes with their relatively greater abundance of AT base repairs show diminished quinacrine fluorescence.
Near-Real-Time Measurement of Sea-Salt Aerosol during the SEAS Campaign: Comparison of Emission-Based Sodium Detection with an Aerosol Volatility Technique

Abstract The first deployment of an emission-based aerosol sodium detector (ASD), designed to chemically characterize marine aerosols on a near-real-time basis, is reported. Deployment occurred as part of the Shoreline Environment Aerosol Study (SEAS) from 16 April to 1 May 2000 at Bellows Air Force Base on the east side of Oahu, where the University of Hawaii's Department of Oceanography maintains a tower for aerosol measurements. The instrument was operated in size-unsegregated mode and measurements were made that included two extended continuous sampling periods, each of which lasted for 24 h. During this time, the ASD was compared with measurements that used aerosol volatility coupled with optical particle counting to infer sea-salt size distributions. A reasonable agreement was obtained between the instruments when sampling in clean air, suggesting that under these conditions both approaches can provide reliable sea-salt distributions. The combination of these measurements suggested that sea salt was...
A Review of The Social Construction of Sexuality

InThe Social Construction of Sexuality, Steven Seidman considers the development of human sexuality within the context of contemporary American society. Marxism and feminism are two of the main soc...
Pathways and Mechanisms for Expulsion of Surgically Implanted Dummy Transmitters from Channel Catfish

Abstract Animals usually encapsulate artificial implants placed in the abdominal cavity, but some fish species are unique in exhibiting transintestinal expulsion of the implant. Gross and histological examination were used to study the mechanisms of expulsion of artificial implants from channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Silicone-rubber- or paraffin-coated polystyrene transmitter capsules (0.5% or 2.0% of the fish's body weight) were surgically implanted into the peritoneal cavity of 74 adult channel catfish. Within 23 d, 39 transmitters had been expelled: 14 through the intestine, 24 through the incision, and one through a lesion in the ventral body wall. Two fish died, but 33 fish retained transmitters for the duration of the experiments (14–23 d); at necropsy, four transmitters were free in the abdominal cavity, 11 had limited fibrous proliferation, 14 were fully encapsulated by fibrous connective tissue, and four were partly or fully in the intestinal lumen. A fibrous connective tissue capsule was p...
A possible age-related modification of phenylalanine transfer RNA from wheat tissue.

Abstract Phenylalanine tRNA isolated from the non-growing, apical end of the first leaf of 8-day-old wheat shoots has much less capacity to participate in poly(U)-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis that does tRNAPhe similarly obtained from growing tissue at the basal end of the same leaf. This difference may be the result of a modification of the Y base of the tRNAPhe from the non-growing tissue, as indicated by fluorescence emission spectra, chemical excision studies, chromatography on benzoylated DEAE-cellulose and reversed-phase columns, and thin-layer chromatography of excised Y base.
Internet Use, Recreational Travel, and HIV Risk Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex With Men

Previous studies have documented higher rates of HIV risk behavior in gay and bisexual men traveling for leisure. Most of these studies collected data in high-risk tourist areas known for promoting alcohol and other substance use. The present study sampled a broader range of men by collecting data at a Gay Pride celebration, and asking participants about vacation experiences over the past 12 months. We also collected information about men’s use of the Internet to find sexual partners before they traveled. Overall, two-thirds of participants reported recreational travel in the previous year. Of these men, 17% reported having sex with a new partner during their most recent vacation. Forty-three percent of the respondents were sexually active during their vacation. Sexually-active participants reported a mean of 2.01 unprotected anal sex acts during their brief vacation stay (M = 6.2 days). Close to half of the sexually-active men reported having sex with a partner of unknown HIV status. Alcohol and drug use were associated with unprotected sex. Men who used the Internet to set up dates prior to travel reported significantly more sexual partners and were significantly more likely to report having sex with a new partner. Many gay and bisexual men on vacation report behaviors that may place their health at risk, including substance use and unprotected sexual activity. Interventions designed to reduce risk behaviors in this population are needed.
State Constitutions, Freedom of Expression, and Search and Seizure: Prospects for State Court Reincarnation

This article examines the decisions of ten state high courts in the areas of access to private property for expressive purposes and exclusion of the fruits of illegal searches and seizures. The analysis centers on two questions. First, are some states relying on their own constitutions to resolve individual rights issues while others continue to follow the United States Supreme Court's interpretation of the federal Constitution? Second, have the states that do rely on their own constitutions to resolve individual rights issues developed an independently based state constitutional jurisprudence, or have they simply attempted to circumvent decisions of the Burger Court? The authors find little evidence that the state high courts examined here have begun, as yet, to develop an independent approach to state constitutional analysis.
Antibacterial activity of combinations of iodine and human blood fractions.

Iodine was combined with whole citrated human blood and with several fractions of this material. Physical and bacteriostatic properties of these iodine compounds were determined and the results are reported.
Managing shared last-level cache in a heterogeneous multicore processor

Heterogeneous multicore processors that integrate CPU cores and data-parallel accelerators such as GPU cores onto the same die raise several new issues for sharing various on-chip resources. The shared last-level cache (LLC) is one of the most important shared resources due to its impact on performance. Accesses to the shared LLC in heterogeneous multicore processors can be dominated by the GPU due to the significantly higher number of threads supported. Under current cache management policies, the CPU applications' share of the LLC can be significantly reduced in the presence of competing GPU applications. For cache sensitive CPU applications, a reduced share of the LLC could lead to significant performance degradation. On the contrary, GPU applications can often tolerate increased memory access latency in the presence of LLC misses when there is sufficient thread-level parallelism. In this work, we propose Heterogeneous LLC Management (HeLM), a novel shared LLC management policy that takes advantage of the GPU's tolerance for memory access latency. HeLM is able to throttle GPU LLC accesses and yield LLC space to cache sensitive CPU applications. GPU LLC access throttling is achieved by allowing GPU threads that can tolerate longer memory access latencies to bypass the LLC. The latency tolerance of a GPU application is determined by the availability of thread-level parallelism, which can be measured at runtime as the average number of threads that are available for issuing. Our heterogeneous LLC management scheme outperforms LRU policy by 12.5% and TAP-RRIP by 5.6% for a processor with 4 CPU and 4 GPU cores.
Interactions of cryptosin with mammalian cardiac dihydropyridine-specific calcium channels

Abstract Cryptosin -a new cardenolide was found to be a potent inhibitor of cardiac Na+ and K+ dependent Adenosinetri-phosphatase (7). In experiments with dog heart ex vivo , development of inotropic and toxic effect correlated with changes in the cardiac dihydropyridine-specific calcium channels as measured by the binding of 3[H]PN 200-110. A significant change in the PN 200-110 binding was observed when guinea pig and dog heart sarcolemmal membranes were pre-incubated with cryptosin in vitro . Binding analysis of 3[H]PN 200-110 (Isradipine) -a 1,4-dihydropyridine analog with very specific calcium channel binding properties — in both in vitro and ex vivo studies were consistent and indicated a non-specific type of interaction of cryptosin with mammalian cardiac 1,4-dihydropyridine-specific calcium channels.
A BETTER ADDITIVE CONGRUENTIAL RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR

Roger L. Burford reported on a new additive congruential random number generator in the April, 1973 issue of Decision Sciences [1]. Burford claimed a number of advantages for the new generator, including a faster generation time than the commonly used multiplicative generators. This note describes an extensive examination of the Burford generator in comparison with the standard multiplicative generators recommended by Control Data Corporation [3] and IBM [2]. The results indicate that the multiplicative generators require much less computer time than the Burford additive generator. Further, the statistical validity of the Burford generator depends upon the initial numbers chosen for use.
Weakly-supervised relation classification for information extraction

This paper approaches the relation classification problem in information extraction framework with bootstrapping on top of Support Vector Machines. A new bootstrapping algorithm is proposed and empirically evaluated on the ACE corpus. We show that the supervised SVM classifier using various lexical and syntactic features can achieve promising classification accuracy. More importantly, the proposed BootProject algorithm based on random feature projection can significantly reduce the need for labeled training data with only limited sacrifice of performance.
Treating Gastritis, Peptic Ulcer Disease, and Dyspepsia in the Emergency Department: The Feasibility and Patient-Reported Outcomes of Testing and Treating for Helicobacter pylori Infection

Study objective Helicobacter pylori infection is a known cause of gastritis, dyspepsia, and peptic ulcer disease. Testing for infection is indicated in high-prevalence outpatient settings. The objective of this prospective cohort study is to examine the feasibility of a test-and-treat strategy in the emergency department (ED) setting. Methods During a 13-month period at an academic ED, symptomatic patients underwent a point-of-care urea breath test (BreathID; Exalenz Bioscience Inc., Modiin, Israel) during the ED visit. Research assistants abstracted treatment information from the electronic medical record. Patients who tested positive were prescribed triple-therapy medication. All enrollees were telephoned 2 weeks after the index ED visit to ascertain symptom resolution and treatment compliance. H pylori –positive subjects were asked to return to the ED for retest. Risk differences in patient and clinical characteristics were compared by H pylori infection status, and a paired t test was used to estimate differences in pain resolution at the ED visit and follow-up. Results Of the 465 symptomatic patients, 271 were eligible and 212 enrolled and were tested for H pylori . Forty-nine patients (23%) (95% confidence interval [CI] 18% to 30%) had a positive result, 33 of 49 (67%) (95% CI 53% to 79%) self-reported receiving the medication as prescribed at follow-up, 23 of 49 (47%) (95% CI 34% to 61%) were retested, and 20 of 49 (41%) (95% CI 28% to 55%) had a negative result. There was a significant reduction in pain severity, regardless of H pylori infection status. Conclusion A test-and-treat strategy is feasible in the ED setting and could benefit symptomatic patients.
Temperature insensitive all-fiber accelerometer using a photonic crystal fiber long-period grating interferometer

Fiber-optic accelerometers have attracted great attention in recent years due to the fact that they have many advantages over electrical counterparts because all-fiber accelerometers have the capabilities for multiplexing to reduce cabling and to transmit signals over a long distance. They are also immune to electromagnetic interference. We propose and develop a compact and robust photonic crystal fiber (PCF) Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) that can be implemented as an accelerometer for measurements of vibration and displacement. To excite core mode to couple out with cladding modes, two long-period gratings (LPGs) with identical transmission spectra are needed to be written in an endless single-mode PCF using a CO2 laser. The first LPG can couple a part of core mode to several cladding modes. After the light beams travel at different speeds over a certain length of the core and cladding, the cladding modes will be recoupled back to the core when they meet the second LPG, resulting in interference between the core mode and cladding modes. Dynamic strain is introduced to the PCF-MZI fiber segment that is bonded onto a spring-mass system. The shift of interference fringe can be measured by a photodetector, and the transformed analog voltage signal is proportional to the acceleration of the sensor head. Based on simulations of the PCF-MZI accelerometer, we can get a sensitivity of ~ 0.08 nm/g which is comparable with fiber Bragg grating (FBG) accelerometers. The proposed accelerometer has a capability of temperature insensitivity; therefore, no thermal-compensation scheme is required. Experimental results indicate that the PCF-MZI accelerometer may be a good candidate sensor for applications in civil engineering infrastructure and aeronautical platforms.
Ga self-diffusion in GaAs

Evidence is summarized which indicates that the self-diffusion of Ga in GaAs may proceed by either the vacancy or interstitialcy mechanisms. It is possible to switch between these mechanisms with a variation of either the Fermi level or As pressure. Self-diffusion appears to be associated with Ga vacancies with charge of -3 in n-type GaAs, and Ga interstitials with charge of +2 in p-type GaAs. For intrinsic GaAs, the commonly observed V-shape in the Ga diffusivity vs As pressure plot is found to be consistent with these two diffusion mechanisms. Simple calculations can be used to predict the near-equilibrium Ga diffusivity from a single intrinsic Ga diffusion coefficient, when defined at appropriate standard conditions. A new model is presented to link the rollover in Ga diffusivity and electron concentration at high donor concentrations.
Tregs served sunny-side up.

In this issue of Blood , Bastien and colleagues demonstrate that photopheresis purges donor T cells proliferating against host alloantigens in patients with GVHD after HSCT.[1][1] Photodepletion of these alloreactive lymphocytes concomitantly preserves and expands Tregs, which when reinfused into