cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetically Transmitted Renal Diseases in Children: A Saudi Perspective

A significant number of renal diseases in children occur as a result of genetic susceptibility. It is believed that such diseases, particularly those with an autosomal recessive transmission, may be more common in places with a high rate of consanguineous marriages as in the Middle East including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Although a comparison of the published literature from the KSA with that from other countries outside the region support such a possibility, too few studies have been published from the region to definitely answer the question. Preliminary observations indicate that the children in the Kingdom probably have a higher incidence of polycystic kidney disease, familial juvenile nephronophthisis, congenital urological anomalies and familial nephrotic syndrome. It is reasonable to speculate that whereas some diseases may be common, others may be rare because of a low gene frequency in the local population.
Trends in characteristics of cardiovascular clinical trials 2001-2012.

Background Efficient conduct of clinical trials is essential for the timely generation of critical medical knowledge. Methods We systematically assessed size, duration, enrollment rates, and geographic distribution of randomized cardiovascular trials published between 2001 and 2012 in the 8 highest-impact journals in general medicine and cardiology. Results Of the 1,224 trials, 27.0% were conducted in North America, 36.5% in Western Europe, and 7.7% in other countries, and 28.8% were multiregional. Trials enrolled a median of 452 patients (interquartile range 167-1,530) in 20 sites (2-76). Median duration was 2.1 (1.3-3.3) years, with an estimated enrollment rate of 1.1 (0.5-3.5) patients/site per month. Between 2001-2003 and 2009-2012, the proportion of North American trials decreased from 34.5% to 25.7% ( P = .006), whereas that of multiregional trials (from 26.0% to 30.3%; P = .046) and trials conducted in other countries (from 4.6% to 10.3%; P = .012) increased. Over time, trials involved more patients (from 400 to 500 [median]; P = .032) and sites (from 20 to 22; P = .049), multiregional trials involved more countries (from 12 to 18; P = .031), and enrollment rate declined from 1.2 to 0.9 patients/site per month ( P = .017). The proportion of trials meeting their primary end point ("positive") decreased from 69% to 57% ( P Conclusions From 2001 to 2012, cardiovascular clinical trials have become larger, more global, and less likely to meet their primary end point. Enrollment rates have declined, requiring more sites and regions.
Finding the density of a membrane from nodal lines

We solve an inverse nodal problem for a rectangular membrane using two different algorithms, the ratio method and the method of parameter identification. The algorithms use nodal positions and the corresponding natural frequencies to construct a piecewise constant approximation to the density distribution of the membrane. Both algorithms are numerically implemented using numerically simulated data.
Ecdysteroids in adults, ovaries and eggs of Xyleborus ferrugineus (Coleoptera:Scolytidae)

Abstract Free ecdysteroids in the extract of various aged males, females and embryos, and of ovaries of different aged females were estimated by radioimmunoassay. Such ecdysteroids were present during all stages of ovarian development and their titre peaked (534 pg/mg body wt) at day 6 in the cycle, the time of major yolk deposition and initial ovulation. Ovaries did not contain the whole body complement of free ecdysteroids; however, they showed a cyclical pattern of titre that coincided with cycles of oocyte maturation and ovulation. The observed cyclical decline in these free steroids in ovaries was approximately two egg equivalents. Such ecdysteroids were present during all phases of embryonic development and peaked at 362 pg/mg egg wt in embryos that had undergone gastrulation and germ band extension. Free ecdysteroid content in males showed no significant peak at any stage of development.
The changing dynamics of regionalism in South Korea's elections

One of the most persistent areas of discussion regarding South Korea's party and election systems is the continued elevation of regional personalities over political institutions. We seek to pour new wine into old bottles, however, by challenging a seldom‐considered assumption in Korean studies; that regionalism has exerted constant pressures across regime, province, and personality. There is a void in studying how transition to democracy has affected the dominance of personality‐based regionalism in Korean politics. We investigate democratization's impact on this phenomenon by examining the provincial distribution of legislative and presidential voting from 1971–2002. We employ a new indicator for personality‐based disproportionality, apply it to election outcomes at the provincial level, and find that the electoral impact of regionalism has changed over time across regimes, provinces, and political personalities. We find that regional voting disproportionality 1) increased immediately after transition; ...
Diffusion modulation of the fMRI signal: early investigations on the origin of the BOLD signal.

Abstract The early 1990s was a very special period for functional MRI (fMRI). Many original concepts were formed during that period which helped set up the foundations for modern neuroimaging development. I was fortunate to be in graduate school at the time. I was even more fortunate to be enrolled in one of the pioneer groups in fMRI at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and witnessed some of the early fMRI experiments taking place in the lab. Under the daily influence and steady guidance by the extraordinarily talented researchers there, I also began my own work on the contrast mechanisms of fMRI. In particular, I was developing diffusion weighted strategies to investigate the origin of the functional signal using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast. Our results, that there was significant BOLD signal in large veins and their vicinities at low field strengths (e.g. 1.5 T), played an immediate role in moving fMRI applications to higher fields (3 T and above) where small vessels (e.g. capillaries) contribute more significantly to improve the neuronal specificity of the BOLD signal. This manuscript gathers some of my own recollections concerning this particular development.
Teaching of Limit and Derivative Concepts in Beginning Calculus by Combinations of Inductive and Deductive Methods.

The purpose of the research was to compare the teaching of the limit and derivative concepts by inductive and deductive methods to advanced high school students in Chicago suburbs. An analysis of variance design was used in three studies comprising the experiment: comparison of inductive and deductive teaching of 1.) the limit concept, 2.) the derivative concept, and 3.) the four combined inductive and deductive combinations of the limit and derivative concepts. Programmed units were used to remove any variation in classroom teachers’ methods. The results of the study favored a deductive derivative approach, although correlation of experimental variables showed that a student’s prior mathematical knowledge was the best predictor of success in either unit taught by either method.
Old wine in new bottles: decanting systemic family process research in the era of evidence-based practice

Social cybernetic (systemic) ideas from the early Family Process era, though emanating from qualitative clinical observation, have underappreciated heuristic potential for guiding quantitative empirical research on problem maintenance and change. The old conceptual wines we have attempted to repackage in new, science-friendly bottles include ironic processes (when "solutions" maintain problems), symptom-system fit (when problems stabilize relationships), and communal coping (when we-ness helps people change). Both self-report and observational quantitative methods have been useful in tracking these phenomena, and together the three constructs inform a team-based family consultation approach to working with difficult health and behavior problems. In addition, a large-scale, quantitatively focused effectiveness trial of family therapy for adolescent drug abuse highlights the importance of treatment fidelity and qualitative approaches to examining it. In this sense, echoing the history of family therapy research, our experience with juxtaposing quantitative and qualitative methods has gone full circle-from qualitative to quantitative observation and back again.
The Rôle of the Liver in Acute Polycythaemia: the Mechanism Controlling the Red Corpuscle Content of the Blood

i.e., if and only if the original conjugate net is isothermally conjugate. We may state our result as follows: A necessary and sufficient condition that a conjugate net of curves on a surface be isothermally conjugate is that at each point of the surface the pair of axis tangents, the pair of associate conjugate tangents, and the pair of anti-ray tangents be pairs of the same involution. By means of the various nets of curves defined in the course of the above interpretation, we have been enabled to deduce a number of properties of isothermally conjugate nets. We have included this more extended discussion in a longer paper, which is a sequel to the one on conjugate nets to which reference has already been made.
Structure of von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (ADAMTS13), a metalloprotease involved in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is associated with acquired or congenital deficiency of a plasma von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease (VWFCP). Based on partial amino acid sequence, VWFCP was identified recently as a new member of the ADAMTS family of metalloproteases and designated ADAMTS13. The 4.6-kilobase pair cDNA sequence for VWFCP has now been determined. By Northern blotting, full-length VWFCP mRNA was detected only in liver. VWFCP consists of 1427 amino acid residues and has a signal peptide, a short propeptide terminating in the sequence RQRR, a reprolysin-like metalloprotease domain, a disintegrin-like domain, a thrombospondin-1 repeat, a Cys-rich domain, an ADAMTS spacer, seven additional thrombospondin-1 repeats, and two CUB domains. VWFCP apparently is made as a zymogen that requires proteolytic activation, possibly by furin intracellularly. Sites for Zn2+ and Ca2+ ions are conserved in the protease domain. The Cys-rich domain contains an RGDS sequence that could mediate integrin-dependent binding to platelets or other cells. Alternative splicing gives rise to at least seven potential variants that truncate the protein at different positions after the protease domain. Alternative splicing may have functional significance, producing proteins with distinct abilities to interact with cofactors, connective tissue, platelets, and von Willebrand factor.
Bayesian image reconstruction with a hyperellipsoidal posterior in x-ray fiber diffraction

The structure completion problem in x-ray fiber diffraction is addressed from a Bayesian perspective. The experimental data are sums of the squares of the amplitudes of particular sets of Fourier coefficients of the electron density. In addition, a part of the electron density. In addition, a part of the electron density is known. The image reconstruction problem is to estimate the missing part of the electron density. A Bayesian approach is taken in which the prior model for the image is based on the fact that it consists of atoms, i.e., the unknown electron density consists of separated sharp peaks. The posterior for the Fourier coefficients typically takes the form of an independent and identically distributed multivariate normal density restricted to the surface of a hypersphere. However, the electron density often exhibits symmetry, in which case, the Fourier coefficient components are not longer independent or identically distributed. A diagonalization process results in an independent multivariate normal probability density function, restricted to a hyperspherical surface. the analytical form for the mean of the posterior density function is derived. The mean can be expressed as a weighting function on the Fourier coefficients of the known part of the electron density. The weighting function for the hyperellipsoidal and hyperspherical cases are compared.
Smart phone-the choice of client platform for mobile commerce

In this article, we present a theoretical foundation for proposing smart phone as the choice of client platform for mobile commerce (M-Commerce). After describing smart phone's great market potential and its popularity in telecom world, we provide the details of system requirements and the ideal characteristics of the client platform from system viewpoint and from benchmark metrics aspect. Although the current smart phone design still has some way to go before its becoming an ultimate platform, the improvement in smart phone design and the technological advances will reach the stage of its being used as M-Commerce platform over the next few years. We thus advance the notion of smart phone as the choice of client platform in M-Commerce world, pending resolving some technical issues. We believe the theoretical foundation proposed in this paper provides a sound framework for designing smart phone ideally suited for its use in M-Commerce.
A phenomenological interpretation of two-step uptake behaviour by zeolites

Abstract A semi-analytical interpretation to explain two-step uptake behaviour, previously observed for self-exchange in molecular sieve zeolites, is presented. By analysing the qualitative behaviour of several simplistic models, we argue that transport from bulk fluid phase to the super cages then to the sodalite cages cannot be simply diffusion or kinetically controlled. A proposal is put forth that the second step may be regulated by some mechanism involving a threshold level concentration in the super cages.
B cells expressing CD5 are increased in Sjögren's syndrome.

In this investigation of B cells expressing the CD5 (Leu-1) cell surface marker, we found increased numbers of these cells in 13 of 19 patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) (68%), as well as in the rheumatoid arthritis patients. The percentage of B cells that demonstrated increased expression of CD5 was 46% in SS patients, 47% in rheumatoid arthritis patients, 24% in systemic lupus erythematosus patients, and 26% in normal subjects. Over a 2-year period, CD5 expression on B cells was a stable finding in several patients, except for 2 who required either steroid therapy or combined chemotherapy and irradiation for malignant lymphoma. Both of these patients had clinical remissions and their levels of CD5+ B cells returned to normal. The first patient had a clinical picture of SS/systemic lupus erythematosus overlap, associated with polyclonal B cell activation and decreased production of interleukin-2 in response to stimulation with phytohemagglutinin. These cellular immune abnormalities returned to normal after the institution of corticosteroids. Our observations suggest a relationship between the CD5+ B cell abnormality and disease activity. The results are discussed in relation to immunoregulatory properties of CD5+ B cells in autoimmune mice and the characteristic predisposition to malignant lymphoma among SS patients.
A novel, non-nested reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for the detection of the t(15;17) translocation: A comparative study of RT-PCR cytogenetics, and fluorescence In Situ hybridization

Background : The development of a rapid and simple reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay is described that identifies the promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML-RAR α ) hybrid messenger RNA (mRNA), a characteristic feature of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods and Results : Randomly primed complementary (cDNA) is synthesized from leukocyte RNA and amplified in the presence of Taq Gold in 2 separate reaction tubes containing primer pairs specific for intron 3 (ber 3, long [L] form mRNA transcript) and intron 6 (ber 1, short [S] form)/exon 6 (ber 2, variant [V] form) breakpoints in PML, respectively. The different sized produets generated from each RNA transcript (S, L, or V forms) are readily and unambiguously distinguishable after agarose gel electrophoresis without the need for either nested PCR or hybridization. The sensitivity of the assay is 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000. The separate amplification of a β 2 -microglobulin transcript controls for adequate RNA and cDNA preparation. The newly developed assay was used clinically for the evaluation of 78 patients with APL. It was rapid and more sensitive than cytogentic karyotyping, both for the diagnosis of APL and the assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) after therapy. RT-PCR detected PML-RAR α mRNA in all cases positive for the t(15;17) translocation by cytogenetics. However, as many as 50% and 80% of the diagnostic specimens and the specimens for MRD assessment, respectively, that were positive by RT-PCR were negative by cytogenetics. The ratio of cases with L-form to S-form PML-RAR α fusion transcript was 2:1, whereas 3 cases (10%) had fusion sites in exon 6 of the PML gene (V forms). In addition, approximately 50% of the patients were diagnosed morphologically with microgranular M3V-type leukemia, but no significant correlation with PML breakpoints was found. Conclusion : The current assay is rapid, sensitive, and specific without using nested PCR or hybridization.
Testing the multilateral version of purchasing power parity: an application to Burma and Jordan under the SDR peg, 1981—5

This paper derives the multilateral version of the classical purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis, as it applies to the determination of the price level in a small open economy under a basket peg arrangement. This is tested under the assumption of constant market clearing as well as that of slow price adjustment in the non-traded good sector. The result based on Burma and Jordan, the currencies of which were pegged to the Special Drawing Right (SDR) during 1981–5, supports the validity of the hypothesis, namely, that the price level in such an economy is determined by the currency share-weighted average of the price levels in those countries whose currencies are included in the chosen basket.
TEMPERATURE SELECTION AND THERMOREGULATORY PRECISION OF BISEXUAL AND PARTHENOGENETIC CNEMIDOPHORUS LIZARDS FROM SOUTHERN TEXAS, U.S.A.

Abstract 1. 1. Temperature selection and thermoregulatory precision of male and female Cnemidophorus gularis and females of two clonal complexes of the parthenogenetic species Cnemidophorus laredoensis (LAR-A and LAR-B) in a linear thigmothermal gradient were measured over a 24-h period. 2. 2. All four groups of Cnemidophorus selected similar mean T b s over the 24-h period. 3. 3. Male and female C. gularis and LAR-A selected higher T b s during some hours of photophase than during some hours of scotophase. 4. 4. The pattern of temperature selection during photophase by LAR-A and LAR-B differed in ways that parallel the differences in the diel activity cycle of these two parthenogens. 5. 5. Cnemidophorus gularis is a more precise thermoregulator than either clonal complex of C. laredoensis .
Trocar fixation during endoscopic surgery in infants and children.

The slipping of trocars is a major problem, especially in pediatric laparoscopic surgery. Although the suturing of a trocar, along with its valve housing, to the fascia or skin is common, this technique only serves to prevent the trocar from being pulled out. We have found that the simple procedure of winding a ±1-cm broad tape several times around the base of the trocar, which has been sutured to the fascia or skin, will prevent the trocar from being pushed in, even during lengthy operations. The tape that we use is derived from sterile disposable drapes and is therefore not only readily available but also an inexpensive solution to a chronic problem.
A literature review of articles assessing the productivity of accounting faculty members

Abstract Many studies have assessed the research productivity of accounting faculty members, often using tools taken from such other fields of business such as economics and marketing. Many decision-makers including departmental administrators, Deans, Salary-Review and Promotion and Tenure Committees, and alumni use these results to make critical decisions. These studies often use three methods to assess faculty research productivity: ‘counting’ articles written, surveying faculty members or administrators, and using citation analysis. After analyzing how other studies assess the quantity and quality of journals and publications, the researchers present some characteristics that should be included in future studies of this important topic. The results of this literature review should help decision-makers make more informed conclusions when relying on studies that assess their colleagues' research productivity.
An intercomparison of two chamber methods for the determination of emission of nitric oxide from soil

Abstract Two chamber-based methods for measurement of emission of NO from soil have been compared. One method measured NO by conversion to NO2 with a CrO3 converter and NO2 detection by luminol chemiluminescence. The other technique detects NO directly via NO/ozone chemiluminescence. The techniques were tested with a glass manifold system by addition of NO and other trace gases into a flowing zero air gas stream; water vapor was also added to the carrier gas in some cases. A second set of tests involved the simultaneous determination of NO concentrations from a chamber placed over the soil. Finally, flux measurements were made independently from common plots and from different plots within the same field. The luminol system was unaffected by the presence of ammonia, methylamine, acetonitrile and nitrous oxide, but had a lower response to NO in the presence of water vapor. The decrease was 7% at a relative humidity of 50%, and about 3% at a relative humidity of 23%. The NO/ozone chemiluminescence system was not influenced by any of the species doped into the gas stream. The simultaneous chamber data also showed a decreased response from the luminol system that was consistent with the humidity effect observed in the manifold tests. The average of independently measured flux values from common plots agreed reasonably well. However, the overall site mean flux determined by the luminol system was 74% of that of the NO/ozone system due to a larger data set from the luminol system. This comparison demonstrates that flux spatial heterogeneity can overwhelm analytical uncertainties, and that large sample sizes are needed to accurately characterize field fluxes.
An evaluation of a full-time work study program for undergraduates

The present study examined the effects of combining full-time on-the-job learning with full-time course work for a group of 26 students enrolled in the University Year for Action Program. Results indicated that, although students perceived the agency learning environments much more positively than parallel classroom learning environments, participating in the program had relatively little impact on variables such as concept knowledge and moral judgment, which were hypothesized as relevant outcome dimensions. Students' direct evaluations of their year-long experience provided information which has been used in modification of the program.
Endogenous swimming rhythms of juvenile blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, as related to horizontal transport

Abstract The blue crab Callinectes sapidus settles and metamorphoses in areas of aquatic vegetation in estuaries. Crabs in the first–fifth instar stages (J1–5) then emigrate from these areas by walking on the bottom or pelagic dispersal throughout estuaries. The present study was designed to characterize the timing of this migration pattern relative to the light–dark and tidal cycles. Field sampling in Pamlico Sound, NC, USA indicated that J4–5 juveniles were most abundant in the water column during the night. J4–5 juveniles were collected from Pamlico Sound in an area near Oregon Inlet that has semi-diurnal tides, a Mid-Sound area where tides are weak, and on the West side where regular tides do not occur. Crabs from all three sites had a circadian rhythm in which they swam up in the water column during the time of darkness in the field. Peak swimming consistently occurred at about 0300 h, but was not related to the timing of the tidal cycle. Similar results were obtained for juvenile crabs from an adjacent estuary having semi-diurnal tides. Dispersal at night reduces predation by visual predators, and allows early juvenile blue crabs to disperse planktonically from initial settlement sites.
Properties of open-cell porous metals and alloys for orthopaedic applications.

One shortcoming of metals and alloys used to fabricate various components of orthopaedic systems, such as the femoral stem of a total hip joint replacement and the tibial plate of a total knee joint replacement, is well-recognized. This is that the material modulus of elasticity (E′) is substantially larger than that of the contiguous cancellous bone, a consequence of which is stress shielding which, in turn, has been postulated to be implicated in a cascade of events that culminates in the principal life-limiting phenomenon of these systems, namely, aseptic loosening. Thus, over the years, a host of research programs have focused on the synthesis of metallic biomaterials whose E′ can be tailored to match that of cancellous bone. The present work is a review of the extant large volume of literature on these materials, which are called open-cell porous metals/alloys (or, sometimes, metal foams or cellular materials). As such, its range is wide, covering myriad aspects such as production methods, characterization studies, in vitro evaluations, and in vivo performance. The review also includes discussion of seven areas for future research, such as parametric studies of the influence of an assortment of process variables (such as the space holder material and the laser power in the space holder method and the laser-engineered net-shaping process, respectively) on various properties (notably, permeability, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance) of a given porous metal/alloy, innovative methods of determining fatigue strength, and modeling of corrosion behavior.
Can in situ measurements of mantle electrical conductivity be used to infer properties of partial melts

[1] Constraints on bulk conductivity from magnetotelluric measurements and petrological analyses of late Quaternary peridotite xenoliths from the southern Sierra Nevada allow evaluation of models commonly used to relate electrical conductivity to the physical and chemical state of the upper mantle. In these models, two conductive melts (basalt and sulfide) are embedded in a resistive matrix. Bounds on the amount of sulfide (0.06–0.4%) and the bulk conductivity (0.03–0.1 S/m) place constraints on the degree of interconnection between the melts. Because the sulfide melt is very conductive, even a small fraction of well-connected melt results in a bulk conductivity larger than 0.1 S/m. Similarly, completely disconnected melts result in bulk conductivities much less than 0.03 S/m. The only models which matched both the bulk conductivity and sulfide bounds consisted of a small fraction (<1%) interconnected basalt melt with a discontinuous sulfide phase. Such a texture is observed in laboratory experiments with much larger sulfide melt fractions, but has not been reported for small melt fractions. A variant of the Hashin-Shtrikman model and a hybrid model consisting of cascaded Hashin-Shtrikman calculations were successful in matching the magnetotelluric and petrologic constraints. With a model that appropriately simulates the melt interconnectivity, we suggest that electrical conductivity may be used to infer in situ melt properties in the mantle.
Laser-direct writing of single mode and multi-mode polymer step index waveguide structures for optical backplanes and interconnection assemblies

Abstract A laser direct writing (LDW) method is implemented as a cost efficient polymer waveguide (WG) fabrication method for prototyping large substrates for optical backplanes and optical interconnection assemblies. The LDW setup utilizes a 3-axis air-bearing motion platform to reduce WG fabrication error to within ±0.15 μm. A UV laser diode coupled single mode fiber with a focusing lens module is capable of LDW WGs at both multimode (50 μm) and single mode (6 μm) dimensions. Correlation between LDW parameters and fabricated WG dimensions using Dow Corning ® OE-4140 UV-Cured Optical Elastomer ( n core = 1.5142, n clad = 1.5064) is discussed theoretically and confirmed experimentally for both applications. A theoretical model is developed and utilized for producing LDW multi-mode (0.04 dB/cm, λ = 850 nm) and single mode (0.55 dB/cm, λ = 1310 nm) WGs. Measured propagation losses of LDW WGs are comparable to losses of photolithographic multi-mode (0.04 dB/cm @ 850 nm) and single mode (0.59 dB/cm @ 1310 nm) WG builds. LDW multi-mode and single mode WG radial bend and crossing losses are evaluated for advanced optical communication channel routing capabilities and do not exhibit significant deviations from photolithographic-manufactured WG device loss.
Another look at Banuazizi and Movahedi's analysis of the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Critiques A. Banuazizi and S. Movahedi's assessment of the simulated prison study (C. Haney et al, 1973). Evidence indicates that the passivity, depression, helplessness, and psychological dysfunction displayed by the prisoners was not just a good performance in response to perceived experimental demand. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)
Molecular Orbital Studies of Zinc Oxide Chemical Vapor Deposition: Gas-Phase Hydrolysis of Diethyl Zinc, Elimination Reactions, and Formation of Dimers and Tetramers

The chemical vapor deposition of zinc oxide thin films can be carried out with diethyl zinc and water vapor. The present study uses molecular orbital methods to examine complexes of one and two mol...
Anharmonicity of the nuclear matter ground state

Abstract The correlation between the compression modulus and the skewness coefficient of the nuclear matter ground state implied by the breathing mode data is compared with predictions of the relativistic Hartree approximation (RHA). Retaining explicit dependence on the renormalization scale, μ, employed in the RHA, this correlation, together with other considerations, suggests a value for μ M ⋍ 1.2 .
Multiply sampled read-limited and background-limited noise performance

The newest 256 X 256 InSb arrays (CRC-590 and CRC-463 multiplexers) from Santa Barbara Research Center have reached a milestone in low noise performance. Using the Fowler-sampling technique to acquire data, we have achieved 10 - 13 e - multiply sample read-out (MSR) noise with the new arrays. With this remarkably low noise performance, background limited performance occurs at relatively small signal levels, viz. a few percent of full-well depth. The signal-to-noise capability of infrared detectors operating in both read noise and background limited performance is an important parameter for evaluating the efficacy of various data sampling methods. We conclude that both line-fitting and Fowler- sampling are the best sampling methods covering the whole performance regime, providing large improvement in the read-noise dominated regime and approaching CDS capability in the photon-noise dominated regime.
Coupled motion of grain boundaries in bcc tungsten as a possible radiation-damage healing mechanism under fusion reactor conditions

As a potential first-wall fusion reactor material, tungsten will be subjected to high radiation flux and extreme mechanical stress. We propose that under these conditions, coupled grain boundary (GB) motion, in some cases enhanced by interstitial loading, can lead to a radiation-damage healing mechanism, in which a large stress activates coupled GB motion, and the GB sweeps up the defects, such as voids and vacancies, as it passes through the material. The stress-induced mobility characteristics of a number of GBs in tungsten are examined to investigate the likelihood of this scenario.
Pathologic examination of the placenta and observed practice.

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the percentage of deliveries eligible for pathologic examination of the placenta and compare with observed practice using the College of American Pathologists’ (CAP) 1997 guidelines for examination of the placenta.METHODS:Records were reviewed from all live-birth deliveries 20
Geocaching: 21st-century Hide-and-Seek

Abstract This high-tech form of orienteering offers physical educators abundant opportunities for multidisciplinary lessons.
DATA-ROBUST DESIGN OF PID CONTROLLERS VIA INTERVAL LINEAR PROGRAMMING

Abstract In this paper, the problem of finding the set of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controllers that can robustly stabilize a system based on its frequency response has been solved. The model of the system is not necessary for this problem. A band of uncertainty is assumed in the frequency response of the plant. The controller is so designed that it can robustly stabilize this plant in the entire range of its uncertainties. Interval coefficient linear inequalities are used to arrive at the final result.
Glitter particles—an unusual source of trace evidence?

Abstract The potential of demonstrating contact through transfer of glitter particles is discussed. It was established that these are produced in sufficient variety to provide useful evidence. Simple microscopic comparison of their shape, size, and construction will allow separation of many forms, but discrimination may be increased by careful use of established analytical techniques such as infrared spectroscopy and microspectrophotometry.
Locomotion in Moles (Insectivora, Proscalopidae) from the Middle Tertiary of North America

The locomotion of proscalopid moles, an extinct group restricted to North America, differed from that of other animals. Analysis of a newly discovered and relatively complete and articulated skeleton shows that the digging technique of proscalopids involved a combination of motions that has not been observed in modern fossorial insectivores. The many anatomical peculiarities of proscalopids are related to their specialized digging technique and justify their assignment to a new family of insectivores, the Proscalopidae.
Restriction map, partial cloning and localization of 9S and 12S kinetoplast RNA genes on the maxicircle component of the kinetoplast DNA of Leishmania tarentolae.

Abstract We have constructed a restriction map of the maxicircle component of the kinetoplast DNA of Leishmania tarentolae for the enzymes Eco RI, Bam HI, Hae III, Hpa II, Sal I, Bgl II and Hin dIII. the 9 and 12S kinetoplast RNAs were localized on this map. Two fragments of this maxicircle molecule were cloned in the bacterial plasmid, pBR322, including a 4.4 · 10 6 dalton Eco RI/ Bam Hi fragment which contains the 9 and 12S RNA genes.
Mergers and Acquisitions: A Guide to Creating Value for Stakeholders

The article reviews the book “Mergers and Acquisitions: A Guide to Creating Value for Stakeholders,” by Michael A. Hitt, Jeffrey S. Harrison and R. Duane Ireland.
Personal identity and mental content

Abstract In this paper, I attempt to map out the ‘logical geography’ of the territory in which issues of mental content and of personal identity meet. In particular, I investigate the possibility of combining a psychological criterion of personal identity with an externalist theory of content. I argue that this can be done, but only by accepting an assumption that has been widely accepted but barely argued for, namely that when someone switches linguistic communities, the contents of their thoughts do not change immediately, but only after the person becomes integrated within the new linguistic community. I also suggest that recent work on personal identity, notably by Derek Parfit, has tacitly assumed internalism regarding mental content. I do not intend to argue for either externalism or a psychological criterion. My aim is merely to explicate the issues involved in making them compatible.
Basolateral Na+-H+ antiporter: Mechanisms of Electroneutral and Conductive Ion Transport

The basolateral Na-H antiporter of the turtle colon exhibits both conductive and electroneutral Na+ transport (Post and Dawson. 1992. American Journal of Physiology. 262:C1089-C1094). To explore the mechanism of antiporter-mediated current flow, we compared the conditions necessary to evoke conduction and exchange, and determined the kinetics of activation for both processes. Outward (cell to extracellular fluid) but not inward (extracellular fluid to cell) Na+ or Li+ gradients promoted antiporter-mediated Na+ or Li+ currents, whereas an outwardly directed proton gradient drove inward Na+ or Li+ currents. Proton gradient-driven, "counterflow" current is strong evidence for an exchange stoichiometry of > 1 Na+ or Li+ per proton. Consistent with this notion, outward Na+ and Li+ currents generated by outward Na+ or Li+ gradients displayed sigmoidal activation kinetics. Antiporter-mediated proton currents were never observed, suggesting that only a single proton was transported per turnover of the antiporter. In contrast to Na+ conduction, Na+ exchange was driven by either outwardly or inwardly directed Na+, Li+, or H+ gradients, and the activation of Na+/Na+ exchange was consistent with Michaelis-Menten kinetics (K1/2 = 5 mM). Raising the extracellular fluid Na+ or Li+ concentration, but not extracellular fluid proton concentration, inhibited antiporter-mediated conduction and activated Na+ exchange. These results are consistent with a model for the Na-H antiporter in which the binding of Na+ or Li+ to a high-affinity site gives rise to one-for-one cation exchange, but the binding of Na+ or Li+ ions to other, lower-affinity sites can give rise to a nonunity, cation exchange stoichiometry and, hence, the net translocation of charge. The relative proportion of conductive and nonconductive events is determined by the magnitude and orientation of the substrate gradient and by the serosal concentration of Na+ or Li+.
The Order Parameter Susceptibility and Collective Modes of Superconductors

The spectrum of order parameter fluctuations of superconductors can be determined through the measurement of the wave-vector and frequency-dependent generalized susceptibility, or pair-field susceptibility. The determination of the pair-field susceptibility is conceptually similar to other susceptibility measurements. In the case of paramagnets at temperatures above a ferromagnetic transition, the susceptibility is determined by the linear response to a magnetic field. Because the superconducting order parameter is off-diagonal in number space, for superconductors there is no classical field analogous to a laboratory magnetic field. However, an effective field can be applied to a fluctuating superconductor across a tunneling barrier through the Josephson coupling of the rigid order parameter of a second superconductor well below its transition temperature. This leads to an observable dc contribution to the tunneling current that is a higher order, “incoherent” Josephson current. The magnitude of this current determines the susceptibility. Its frequency and wave-vector dependence are determined by the dc voltage across the junction and the dc magnetic field applied in the plane of the junction, respectively. In conventional superconductors near, but above their transition temperatures, measurements of the pair-field susceptibility have revealed a diffusive dynamics that can be described by a simple time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau equation. Measurements of the pair-field susceptibility below the transition temperature have revealed the existence of a gapless, propagating order parameter collective mode that becomes quickly overdamped as the temperature is reduced below Tc. The physics of these phenomena and the existing experiments will be reviewed. Opportunities for the application of these techniques to contemporary problems of high-temperature superconductors will be presented. Of particular interest are the possibilities for characterizing the nature of the pseudogap regime.
Effect of crystallinity and morphology on dielectric properties of PEEK at elevated temperature

Poly(aryl ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is one of the primary candidates for a high temperature capacitor dielectric as a result of its outstanding mechanical strength and thermal stability. However, its breakdown strength is unsatisfactory (~400 MV/m) and high field (>100 MV/m) volumetric resistivity at elevated temperature is largely unknown. In this work, the inter-relationship among crystallinity, morphology, breakdown strength, and volumetric resistivity of PEEK at elevated temperature is studied in order to gain insight to factors which adversely affect breakdown. This paper presents preliminary results of the study.
Both red and blond orange juice intake decreases the procoagulant activity of whole blood in healthy volunteers.

Abstract Aim Numerous epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to flavonoid-rich fruits has beneficial influence on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether intake of orange juice (OJ) could affect whole blood (WB) procoagulant activity. Methods 17 healthy subjects (aged 31 ± 1.5 SEM 10 males) were randomized to receive, according to a cross-over design, either red or blond OJ, enriched or free of anthocyanins, respectively. After one week run-in period on a controlled diet, the subjects were randomly allocated to receive either type of OJ for 4 weeks, with a 4-week wash-out period. Venous blood was collected on citrate before and at the end of each treatment period. WB was incubated with or without an inflammatory stimulus (tumor necrosis factor-α or bacterial endotoxin LPS). Procoagulant activity was evaluated by a one-stage clotting assay. Tissue factor (TF) and TF pathway inhibitor (TFPI) were measured in plasma by ELISA. Results Intake of either type of OJ caused a prolongation of unstimulated and stimulated WB clotting times, without any difference between the two treatments. Intake of OJ did not modify TF levels. On the contrary, an increase in circulating TFPI antigen was detected following either treatment. Conclusions Orange juice intake by healthy volunteers decreases procoagulant activity, possibly through mechanisms independent of its anthocyanin content.
Thymus-homing dendritic cells in central tolerance.

Central tolerance is critical in establishing a peripheral T-cell repertoire purged of functional autoreactive T cells. One of the major requirements for effective central tolerance is the presentation of self and other innocuous antigens (Ags), including food, gut flora, or airway allergens, to developing T cells in the thymus. This seemingly challenging task can be mediated in some cases by ectopic expression of tissue-specific Ags by thymic epithelial cells or by entry of systemic blood-borne Ags into the thymus. More recently, thymic homing peripheral dendritic cells (DCs) have been proposed as cellular transporters of peripheral tissue-specific Ags or foreign innocuous Ags. The aim of this viewpoint is to discuss the three principal thymic DC populations and their trafficking properties in the context of central tolerance. We will first discuss the importance of peripheral DC trafficking to the thymus and then compare and contrast the three DC subsets. We will describe how they were characterized, describe their trafficking to and their microenvironmental positioning in the thymus, and discuss the functional consequence of thymic trafficking and localization on thymic selection events.
Use of endoscopic stents to treat anastomotic complications after bariatric surgery.

Background Complications after bariatric surgery often require longterm parenteral nutrition to achieve healing. Recently, endoscopic treatments have become available that provide healing while allowing for oral nutrition. The purpose of this study was to present outcomes of the largest series to date treating staple line complications after bariatric surgery with endoscopic covered stents. Study Design A retrospective evaluation was performed of all patients treated for staple line complications after bariatric surgery at a single tertiary care bariatric center. Acute postoperative leaks, chronic gastrocutaneous fistulas, and anastomotic strictures refractory to endoscopic dilation after both gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy were included. Results From January 2006 to June 2007, 19 patients (11 with acute leaks, 2 with chronic fistulas, and 6 with strictures) were treated with a total of 34 endoscopic silicone covered stents (23 polyester, 11 metal). Mean followup was 3.6 months. Immediate symptomatic improvement occurred in 90% (91% of acute leaks, 100% of fistulas, and 84% of strictures). Oral feeding was started in 79% of patients immediately after stenting. Resolution of leak or stricture after stent treatment occurred in 16 of 19 patients (84%). Healing of leak, fistula, and stricture occurred at means of 33 days, 46 days, and 7 days, respectively. Three patients (1 with leak, 1 with fistula, and 1 with stricture) had unsuccessful stent treatment. Migration of the stent occurred in 58% of 34 stents placed. Most migration was minimal, but three stents were removed surgically after distal small bowel migration. There was no mortality. Conclusions Treatment of anastomotic complications after bariatric surgery with endoscopic covered stents allows rapid healing while simultaneously allowing for oral nutrition. The primary morbidity is stent migration.
Linking ArcView™ and XGobi: Insight behind the Front End

Abstract This article presents aspects of the implementation of a bidirectional link between the Geographic Information System (GIS) ArcView™ and the interactive dynamic statistical graphics program XGobi. We describe the main functionality of the link, the underlying remote procedure call (RPC) mechanism, and internal data structures, and discuss topics such as security, concurrency, and linked brushing. We think that these topics are of particular interest to software authors intending to link similar software packages, and software users learning about strengths (and weaknesses) of the implementation of our link.
Low-temperature photoluminescence in In-doped CdMnTe/CdTe quantum wells and superlattices

Multiple quantum wells and superlattices of CdMnTe/CdTe were grown epitaxially on ZnCdTe using Pulsed Laser Evaporation and Epitaxy for Cd .85 Mn .15 Te doped with indium and high purity CdTe targets. Photoluminescence was measured in the 4-80 K temperature range. The use of different excitation wavelengths (488 nm and 623 nm) led to depth studies of the structures. In order to determine the degree of indium incorporation in the wells, the results from the multiple layer structures were compared with the photoluminescence from single layers deposited under similar conditions.
Supervising the Beginning Group Leader in Inpatient and Partial Hospital Settings

Abstract This paper provides a guide for supervisors in inpatient and partial hospital settings who train beginning group therapists in a variety of group modalities. It addresses basic issues facing the neophyte therapist, including structural aspects of the group, problematic member behaviors, and useful interventions that maximize member engagement and increase overall therapeutic effectiveness.
300 ps 4K read-only memory implemented with AlGaAs/GaAs HBT technology

A low-power mask-programmable 4 Kbit read-only memory with 300 ps access time is reported. The circuit is implemented in AlGaAs/GaAs HBT technology based on 1.4 mu m emitter width. Power dissipation for the circuit is less than 1.2 W, which has been minimised through the use of capacitively-coupled active pull-down circuitry. >