cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffuse near-infrared spectroscopy prediction of healing in diabetic foot ulcers: a human study and cost analysis.

Wound size reduction has been the standard benchmark for determination of efficacy for diabetic ulcer treatments but due to interclinician error and difficulty measuring irregular wound shapes, this method is unreliable with a positive predictive value of less than 60%. Diffuse near-infrared spectroscopy (DNIRS) uses 70-MHz modulated light in the diagnostic window (650-900 nm) noninvasively to quantify levels of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin in the wound bed, which when measured over time, can show a trend toward or away from healing based on the changes in oxy-hemoglobin concentration from week to week. In this study, DNIRS was used to monitor 24 human diabetic foot ulcers longitudinally over the course of 20 weekly or biweekly measurement sessions. In just 4 weeks, the DNIRS system has an 82% positive predictive value (sensitivity of 0.9 and specificity of 0.86; p < 0.002). These data indicate that it could be possible to predict healing in 4 weeks using DNIRS, which can provide objective guidance toward the continuation of costly treatments. Discontinuing ineffective treatments after 4 weeks could have potentially saved over $12,600 per patient, based on the treatment regimen of patients in this study.
EXTENDING SODIUM FAST REACTOR DRIVER FUEL USE TO HIGHER TEMPERATURES

Calculations of potential sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel temperatures were performed to estimate the effects of increasing the outlet temperature of a given fast reactor design by increasing pin power, decreasing assembly flow, or increasing inlet temperature. Based upon experience in the U.S., both metal and mixed oxide (MOX) fuel types are discussed in terms of potential performance effects created by the increased operating temperatures. Assembly outlet temperatures of 600, 650 and 700 °C were used as goal temperatures. Fuel/cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) and fuel melting, as well as challenges to the mechanical integrity of the cladding material, were identified as the limiting phenomena. For example, starting with a recent 1000 MWth fast reactor design, raising the outlet temperature to 650 °C through pin power increase increased the MOX centerline temperature to more than 3300 °C and the metal fuel peak cladding temperature to more than 700 °C. These exceeded limitations to fuel performance; fuel melting was limiting for MOX and FCCI for metal fuel. Both could be alleviated by design ‘fixes’, such as using a barrier inside the cladding to minimize FCCI in the metal fuel, or using annular fuel in the case of MOX. Both would also require anmore » advanced cladding material with improved stress rupture properties. While some of these are costly, the benefits of having a high-temperature reactor which can support hydrogen production, or other missions requiring high process heat may make the extra costs justified.« less
Ecomorphology and disease: cryptic effects of parasitism on host habitat use, thermoregulation, and predator avoidance

Parasites can cause dramatic changes in the phenotypes of their hosts, sometimes leading to a higher probability of predation and parasite transmission. Because an organism's morphology directly affects its locomotion, even subtle changes in key morphological traits may affect survival and behavior. However, despite the ubiquity of parasites in natural communities, few studies have incorporated parasites into ecomorphological research. Here, we evaluated the effects of parasite-induced changes in host phenotype on the habitat use, thermal biology, and simulated predator-escape ability of Pacific chorus frogs (Pseudacris regilla) in natural environments. Frogs with parasite-induced limb malformations were more likely to use ground microhabitats relative to vertical refugia and selected less-angled perches closer to the ground in comparison with normal frogs. Although both groups had similar levels of infection, malformed frogs used warmer microhabitats, which resulted in higher body temperatures. Likely as a result of their morphological abnormalities, malformed frogs allowed a simulated predator to approach closer before escaping and escaped shorter distances relative to normal frogs. These data indicate that parasite-induced morphological changes can significantly alter host behavior and habitat use, highlighting the importance of incorporating the ubiquitous, albeit cryptic, role of parasites into ecomorphological research.
The effect of in vitro methadone administration on trophoblast tissue opioid receptors and mediated responses

Summary Term placental villus tissue explant culture was shown to be a suitable model system for investigating the effect of chronic administration of methadone on opioid receptors binding sites and mediated responses. The viability of villus tissue in culture was determined over a period of six days by glucose utilization, hCG, and hPL release, LDH activity, and morphological examination by light microscopy. All parameters demonstrated that both non-treated and methadone treated tissue remained viable for the duration of culture. A loss of 80% of opioid binding sites was observed after one day of culture in methadone-treated and non-treated tissue. However, both tissues maintained their responsiveness to opioids. After two days of culture, a further but slight decrease in the number of opioid receptor binding sites was observed in both non-treated and treated tissue. At the same time, methadone-treated tissue lost its responsiveness to opioids, whereas non-treated tissue retained it. The observed decrease in the number of opioid binding sites could be due to either a decrease in affinity or in Bmax for the ligand used, or both. The presence of similar number of opioid binding sites in cultured tissues but with the loss of responsiveness after two days in treated tissue only suggests a shift in the concentration response curve to the right.
Analyzing the impact of computational heterogeneity on runtime performance of parallel scientific components

Scientific simulations modeling complex physical phenomena exhibit varying degrees of spatiotemporal and computational heterogeneity, which can pose significant challenges in algorithmic efficiency and runtime performance. Addressing these challenges often requires an understanding of application behavior and the impact of heterogeneity on the simulation, especially when analytical approaches are not feasible. Runtime calibration is used to analyze the impact of computational heterogeneity on the performance of two different load balancing strategies applied to two different problems of 2-D methane-air combustion using different chemistry models. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that such empirical approaches are inevitable in component-based scientific computations, where performance is determined by the problem characteristics and the particular connectivity of components in the simulation code, none of which are known before runtime.
Stability and Performance of a Population Pharmacokinetic Model

This study aimed to determine the stability (in terms of covariate selection) of a population pharmacokinetic model and evaluate its performance in the absence of a test data set. Data from 88 full-term infants, 11 of whom were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive, taking an antiinfective agent were analyzed using exploratory data analysis methods and the nonlinear mixed-effects modeling (NONMEM) program to obtain the final population pharmacokinetic model. The stability of the population pharmacokinetic model was tested using the nonparametric bootstrap approach in four steps: 1) with the base pharmacokinetic model, 100 bootstrap replicates of the original data were generated by sampling with replacement; 2) ascertainment that each bootstrap data replicate was described by the basic structural model using the NONMEM objective function; 3) generalized additive modeling (GAM) applied to empiric Bayesian estimates for covariate selection at alpha = 0.05 and a frequency (f) cutoff value of 0.50; and 4) NONMEM population model building using covariates selected in the third step with alpha = 0.005. Performance of the population pharmacokinetic model was evaluated using 200 additional bootstrap replicates of the data by fitting the model obtained in step 4 to them. Parameters obtained were compared with those obtained in the model stability step, and improved prediction error, a measure of predictive accuracy as an index of internal validation, was computed. The reciprocal of serum creatinine (RSC; f = 0.73) and HIV (f = 0.70) were selected by GAM as predictors of clearance (Cl). The population pharmacokinetic model obtained without the determination of model stability included RSC as a predictor of Cl, but the final model from the model stability step included both HIV and RSC as predictors of Cl. Final population pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained with this model fitted to the original data; however, the 95% confidence interval on the HIV status regression coefficient included zero, indicating no significance. The mean parameter estimates obtained with the additional 200 bootstrap replicates of data were within 15% of those obtained with the final model at the regression stability step. Bootstrap resampling procedure is useful for evaluating the stability and performance of a population model by repeatedly fitting it to the bootstrap samples when there is no test data set.
Traditional craniofacial resection

Tumors of the sinonasal region and anterior skull base present diagnostic and surgical challenges. Access to and exposure of the tumor tends to be difficult because of the delicate neurovascular structures that occupy this area, including the brain and the orbital contents. The diagnosis and treatment of tumors in this region have improved with advances in diagnostic imaging, anesthesia, surgical navigation, and regional and free-tissue reconstruction. Unfortunately, due to the insidious onset and progression of vague symptoms, patients usually present with advanced disease. Craniofacial approaches are designed to improve tumor exposure permitting complete resection of large tumors that would otherwise be very difficult to resect from an isolated approach. The aim of this article is to describe both the surgical approaches and methods of resection for tumor of the anterior skull base.
Nikolsky's sign: a novel way to evaluate damage at the dermal-epidermal junction.

Background/aims: Sulfur mustard (2,2′-dichlorodiethyl sulfide, HD) is a potent vesicating (blistering) agent. Cutaneous exposure causes the destruction of basal cells and leads to a separation at the dermal-epidermal junction. To evaluate the efficacy of candidate antivesicant compounds, suitable animal models are needed. A tape stripping method and the Dermal Torque Meter (DTM) have been used in novel applications to evaluate for the Nikolsky's sign in the hairless guinea pig. The Nikolsky's sign is the separation and loss of the epidermis from the dermis when the skin is pressed with a sliding or twisting motion. The purpose of this study was to find an objective, reproducible, and quantitative method that could be used as an end-point to evaluate the degree of damage at the dermal-epidermal junction following cutaneous HD vapor exposure. Methods: Hairless guinea pigs were exposed to saturated HD vapor (1.4 mg/l) for time intervals between 2 and 9 min using 14-mm vapor cups. At 24 h post-exposure, both tape stripping (fabric carpet tape) and a DTM were used to produce the Nikolsky's sign in animals under anesthesia. Using the tape stripping method, 15-mm disks of tape were applied to each skin site. After 5 s the tape was peeled off. The D T M was used to apply a horizontal twisting motion to the skin. The parameters included a 15-mm center disk, a ring gap of 1 mm, a torque of 30 mNm, and a 5-s cycle time. A cyanoacrylate adhesive was used to secure the center disk and guard ring to the skin. The loss of the epidermis was determined by visual observation and confirmed by histopathological examination. The standard D T M unit was modified to use multiple center disk/guard ring assemblies so that several sites on each animal could be evaluated at the same time. Results: The mean (±S E M) percent incidence of positive Nikolsky's sign observations using the tape stripping method for HD vapor exposures of 3,5,7, and 9 min was 0,50 (±16), 94 (±6.2), and 100, respectively. The mean (±S E M) percent incidence of positive Nikolsky's sign observations using the D T M method for HD vapor exposures of 2, 3, 4, and 5 min was 0, 25 (±7.1), 91 (±2.9), and 96 (±2.3), respectively. Conclusions: The Nikolsky's sign produced by the tape stripping method and the D T M were useful in evaluating damage at the dermal-epidermal junction following cutaneous HD vapor exposures. These methods have the potential to replace histopathology as an end-point for routine screening procedures designed to evaluate the efficacy of antivesicant compounds.
Effects of prebiotics on nutrient digestibility of a soybean-meal-based diet by red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus)

The present study examined the effects of four prebiotic compounds on nutrient and energy digestibility of soybean-meal-based diets by red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). The experimental diets contained 40% crude protein of which approximately half was provided by soybean meal with the remainder from menhaden fish meal. The four prebiotics GroBiotic®-A (a mixture of partially autolysed brewers yeast, dairy ingredient components and dried fermentation products), mannanoligosaccharide (MOS), galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) and inulin were individually added to the basal diet at 1% by weight. A diet with all its protein provided by menhaden fish meal was also included as a control. This control diet had the highest apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) values – 87% for protein, 87% for lipid, 78% for organic matter and 83% for energy. The basal soybean-meal-based diet supplemented with GroBiotic®-A, GOS and MOS had significantly (P<0.05) increased protein (82%, 82%, 82% respectively) and organic matter ADC values (69%, 64%, 66% respectively), compared with the basal diet (69% for protein and 49% for organic matter). However, the lipid ADC values were significantly decreased for fish fed with the diets supplemented with inulin, GOS and MOS (63%, 61%, 61% respectively) compared with the basal diet (77%) but not for those fed GroBiotic®-A (82%). Energy ADC values were also increased in fish fed with the GroBiotic-A®, GOS and MOS diets (73%, 70%, 72%), compared with the basal diet (57%); however, fish fed with the inulin diet had an energy ADC value (54%) similar to that of fish fed with the basal diet. Thus, the present study is the first to demonstrate that nutrient and energy digestibility of soybean-meal-based diets by red drum can be enhanced with prebiotic supplementation.
Mycotic aneurysm of the tibioperoneal trunk: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract Peripheral mycotic aneurysms can occur when septic emboli lodge in either the lumen or the vasa vasorum of a peripheral vessel. Such aneurysms have become rare after the widespread use of aggressive antibiotic treatment for bacterial endocarditis. We report the case of a large mycotic aneurysm of the tibioperoneal trunk 18 months after an episode of Streptococcus viridans bacterial endocarditis. Treatment included complete resection of the aneurysmal sac with restoration of circulation to the posterior tibial artery with a reversed saphenous vein graft. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a mycotic aneurysm of the tibioperoneal trunk reported in the English literature. It also represents the first case in which a mycotic aneurysm of an infrapopliteal vessel was managed successfully with restoration of circulation. (J Vasc Surg 1992;16:71–4.)
A modern series of acute aortic occlusion

Objective Acute aortic occlusion (AAO) is a rare condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The most recent large series was published over 15 years ago and included patients from the 1980s. Previous studies reported up to 50% of AAOs are caused by embolization, with a mortality rate approaching 50%. We reviewed our recent experience with AAOs to identify current etiologies and outcomes in a contemporary series of patients with AAOs. Methods Current Procedural Terminology codes and data from a prospectively maintained vascular surgical database were used to identify patients with acute occlusion of the native aorta between 2005 and July 2013. AAOs secondary to trauma, dissection, or graft occlusion were excluded. Results We identified 29 patients with AAOs treated at our institution. Twenty-three patients were transferred from referring hospitals with a mean transfer time of 3.9 hours (range, 0.5-7.5 hours). Twenty-two presented with occlusion below the renal arteries and seven with occlusion extending above the renal arteries. Resting motor/sensory lower extremity deficits were noted in 17 patients. Eight patients presented with complete paraplegia. Etiology was felt to be aortoiliac thrombosis in 22 cases, embolic occlusion in 2, and indeterminate in 5. Surgical revascularization was performed in 26 cases (extra-anatomic bypass in 18, thromboembolectomy in 5, and aortobifemoral bypass in 3 patients. Three patients had no intervention. Acute renal failure developed in 15 patients and rhabomyolysis in 10 patients. Fasciotomy was performed in 19 extremities. Nine extremities were amputated in six patients. Overall mortality was 34% with a 30-day mortality of 24% and a postprocedure mortality of 15%. Conclusions AAO is an infrequent but devastating event. The dominant etiology of AAOs is now thrombotic occlusion. Despite advances in vascular surgery and critical care over the past 2 decades, associated morbidity and mortality remain substantial with high rates of limb loss, acute renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, and death. Mortality may be improved with expeditious extra-anatomic bypass.
Structure-Activity Correlations with Compounds Related to Abscisic Acid

Inhibition of cell expansion of excised embryonic axes of Phaseolus vulgaris was used to evaluate the growth-inhibiting activity of abscisic acid and related compounds. None of the 13 compounds tested was as active as abscisic acid. 4-Hydroxyisophorone, a substance representative of the abscisic acid ring system was essentially inactive; cis, trans-3-methylsorbic acid, a compound resembling the side chain of abscisic acid, had low activity; and cis, trans-β-ionylideneacetic acid was one-sixth as active. Loss of the ring double bond results in a drastic decrease in biological activity. Comparison of our results with those reported previously leads to the suggestion that the double bond of the cyclohexyl moiety may have an important function in determining the degree of activity of cis, trans-ionylideneacetic acids. Two modes of action are discussed. It seems possible that the ring double bond is involved in covalent bonding in binding of the abscisic acid analogue to macromolecules. This may require formation of an intermediate epoxide. It can also be argued that stereochemical differences between cyclohexane derivatives are important factors in determining the degree of biological activity.
1140 CEREBROSPINAL FLUID/BLOOD GLUCOSE RATIOS In PREMATURE AND FULL-TERM INFANTS

Low CSF glucose concentrations occur in inflammatory & malignant conditions which affect the CNS & during hypoglycemia. However, alterations in CSF glucose in newborn infants may be attributed to “physiologically” low blood glucose levels. Knowledge of the CSF/blood glucose ratio may aid in minimizing diagnostic errors, but this relationship has not been fully explored. Charts of 1100 neonates admitted to the HMC newborn ICU were reviewed; of these, 219 underwent 240 LPs with near simultaneous collection of blood for glucose determination. Spinal fluids were analyzed without regard to protein content, but specimens with RBC and WBC counts of > 5,000 & 50 cells/mm3, respectively, & with bacteriologically positive cultures were excluded. Results were tabulated according to post-conceptual age in weeks (mean ± S.D.):
The role of capital account controls in developing countries: lessons from Malaysia

The 1997‐1998 Asian financial crises underscored the dangers of open capital accounts in developing nations that have weak macroeconomic policies or poorly regulated financial systems. Most developing Asian countries responded to the crisis by adopting the orthodox remedies prescribed by the International Monetary Fund. These included liberalised capital accounts, floating exchange rates and tighter fiscal and monetary policies designed to restore investor confidence. Malaysia departed from this orthodoxy. In September 1998 it imposed controls on capital account transactions, pegged its currency to the US dollar, cut interest rates and reflated its economy. The literature suggests that even temporary capital account controls entail serious economic risks for developing countries. However, the undue hardships imposed by the IMF regimen suggest that it is time to re‐evaluate the role of currency controls in mitigating the destabilising effects of unfettered capital flows in developing countries that have poorly regulated financial systems. This article analyses the effectiveness of Malaysia’s 1998 capital controls by evaluating Malaysia’s post‐1998 economic progress. Its goal is to inform the debate concerning the benefit‐risk tradeoffs of currency controls in developing countries.
Expression of the Krüppel-type zinc finger protein rKr2 in the developing nervous system†

Zinc finger transcription factors of the Kruppel-class figure prominently in cell fate specification and differentiation in the nervous system. One of the Kruppel-type genes that was originally cloned from an oligodendrocyte library by virtue of its homology with the prototypic Kruppel motif is the rat rKr2 gene (Pott et al., 1995). In primary cultures of rat glial cells, the rKr2 protein was only present in the oligodendrocyte lineage, predominantly in progenitors. Ninety percent of A2B5(+) oligodendrocyte progenitors displayed rKr2 immunoreactivity, while most MBP(+) oligodendrocytes lacked detectable rKr2. A similar pattern was found in vivo, in which the peak expression of rKr2 in the oligodendrocyte lineage of rats coincided with the wave of progenitor proliferation in early postnatal life. The subventricular zone, a source of neuronal and glial progenitors, displayed intense staining for rKr2 at late embryonic and postnatal stages. In the adult, cells within the remnants of this germinal zone continued to express rKr2 protein strongly. Some populations of mature neurons also displayed rKr2 immunostaining. Astrocytes and microglia were not labeled with the polyclonal anti-rKr2 antibody in vitro or in vivo. At all developmental stages, the rKr2 protein was localized to the nucleus. The stage-specific expression pattern and the subcellular localization of rKr2 recommend a role for this Kruppel-type gene in the progression of neural stem cells and in the early development of the oligodendrocyte lineage.
Dynamic studies of the crack initiation and growth mechanisms in Al/SiCp composites

Etude realisee par la technique de deformation et microscopie electronique en transmission in situ. Etude d'alliages vieillis et non vieillis. On compare les mecanismes de rupture observes au microscope aux proprietes volumiques du materiau. Discussion des raisons possibles pour la faible ductilite des composites durcis par vieillissement
The Etiology of Rotator Cuff Disease and Treatment of Partial-Thickness Pathology

The rotator cuff is the most common source of shoulder pain and disability. The majority of rotator cuff injuries are caused by overuse, with the supraspinatus, a small tendon with a poor blood supply, most commonly affected. The major function of the rotator cuff is to stabilize the glenohumeral joint during active arm elevation by opposing the superior vector of the deltoid’s force. As long as the ability to actively elevate the arm is maintained, all rotator cuff injuries, including full-thickness tears, are candidates for nonsurgical management, the basis of which is strengthening of the rotator cuff and scapulothoracic stabilizers. Surgery should be considered for those patients who fail to improve after at least 3 months of nonsurgical management. Arthroscopic rotator cuff debridement without acromioplasty has short-term and long-term results equal to, if not superior to, subacromial decompression. Avoidance of iatrogenic injury to the coracoacromial arch, which is a secondary static stabilizer of the humeral head against anterosuperior migration, contributes to a low complication rate.
Secure Name Resolution for Identifier-to-Locator Mappings in the Global Internet

A recent trend in clean-slate network design has been to separate the role of identifiers from network locators. An essential component to such a separation is the ability to resolve names into network addresses. One challenge facing name resolution is securing the name resolution service. This paper examines the security of a clean-slate name resolution service suitable for mobile networking. We begin with a high-level threat analysis, and identify several types of attacks that may be used against name resolution services. We then present secure protocols that together form a secure global name resolution service. Specifically, we present a secure update protocol that allows users to update their network addresses as they migrate and that includes several checkpoints that prevents spoofing, collusion, stale identifiers and false identifier announcements. Since the primary function behind a name resolution service is to respond to address-lookup queries, we also present a secure query protocol. Finally, we address the security risks associated with IP holes that can arise in a global name resolution service.
Markov Chain Model Selection by Misclassified Model Probabilities

This study presents a probability measure based on model classification concept to evaluate the adequacy of Markov chain models with incomplete observations. We first define predictive indicators based on transition probabilities and use a square loss function to quantify the discrepancies between those predictive indicators and their correspondence transition probabilities. We then derive misclassified model probabilities from the distribution of the loss function and propose a decision rule to select proper Markov chain models. A simulation study shows that the proposed approach works well under different sizes of sample and different rates of missing data. We use an HIV cohort study to illustrate the usefulness of the method.
Blind Error-Free Detection of Transform-Domainwatermarks

In this paper we propose a new blind, error-free detection algorithm for watermarking in transform domains. The detection scheme uses linear decoding techniques from the theory of compressive sensing (CS), whose central idea is that a small number of non-adaptive linear projections of a sparse signal are sufficient for error-free reconstruction of the original signal. We use the fact that natural images are approximately sparse in the DCT or wavelet basis; with an extra step of sparsification or scaling of the coefficients we can decode both the original image and watermark with zero error, despite not knowing the host image. Besides being error-free, our proposed detection algorithm has low complexity compared to other blind algorithms. It can be extended to any transform-domain watermarking method, and also be used to watermark already compressed images.
Mechanical twinning and slip in experimentally deformed plagioclases

Mechanical albite and pericline twins were induced in seven feldspars, (Na, Ca) (Al, Si)4O8, in triaxial compression tests at 800° C, 8 to 10 kb confining pressure. Two were initially in a high temperature structural state (disordered) (An1, An59). Three (An32, An39, and An53) were slightly disordered, and two (An76 and An95) had the transitional and primitive anorthite structure, respectively. No microscopic twinning was detected in comparable tests on ordered albite and oligoclase (An1, An20), feldspars in the peristerite range (An11 An14) or in a low structural state labradorite (An51). Other deformational features include lamellae 60 to 80° from the c axis and (010) slip in the opposite sense for (010) twinning.
X chromosome imprinting and inactivation in the early mammalian embryo

Quantitative differences in X-linked gene expression between androgenetic (two paternal genomes), gynogenetic (two maternal genomes) and normal embryos provide clues into the roles of genomic imprinting and the X:autosome ratio in controlling X chromosome function during development. These data and many others can be accounted for by a new model of X-chromosome-inactivation (XCI). Expression of the Xist RNA from all paternal X chromosomes during development preimplantation leads to repression of genes near the X-chromosome-inactivation center (Xic). Other genes are repressed as a result of spreading of the inactivation, but only in embryos with at least two X chromosomes. XY androgenones are only deficient in expression of genes near the Xic and can form blastocysts, whereas XX androgenones completely inactivate both X chromosomes and die before the blastocyst stage. The X:autosome ratio regulates XCI solely by promoting the spread of inactivation away from the Xic on chromosomes that express Xist. Methylation of the maternal Xist gene is retained in extraembryonic tissues, so that gynogenones and parthenogenones cannot express Xist, do not undergo XCI in those tissues, and so have extraembryonic defects. This model should be relevant to understanding how aberrant X chromosome regulation might occur and how this might contribute to distortion of the X-chromosome-transmission ratio, sex ratio distortion, and disease.
Diffuse Reflectance Polarization Images of Turbid Media Affected by Glucose

Diffuse reflectance polarimetry has been used to obtain images from tissue-simulating turbid media with different glucose concentrations to investigate the changes in the polarization patterns induced by glucose. The optical properties change as the concentration of glucose is varied in the medium. The polarization patterns are affected by the overall optical properties of the turbid medium under study. This approach has potential applications in actual biological tissues for rapidly determining glucose levels non-invasively.
Age-Related Cardiac Dysfunction in Transgenic Mice Carrying Actin E99K Mutation

To understand the mechanism underlying the apical hypertrophic cardiomypathy (AHCM)-causing mutation E99K in cardiac actin gene (ACTC), skinned papillary muscle fibers from 2- and 5-mo old E99K transgenic mice were subjected to sinusoidal length perturbations to study tension transients, and the results were compared with those from age-matched non-transgenic (NTg) mice.We found that 1) at the standard activation, fibers from 5-mo E99K mice produced slightly lower tension, significantly lower stiffness, and significantly lower rate constant of delayed tension (2πb), and lower magnitudes B and C than those from 5-mo NTg mice; but these differences were not found in 2-mo mice; 2) the basal stiffness at the relaxing state with or without BDM at both 1 and 100Hz showed a trend of an increase in 2-mo and a trend of a decrease in 5-mo E99K mice (without significance) compared to age-matched NTg mice, and the tension and stiffness at rigor state were not significantly varied among different mouse groups; 3) pCa-tension study showed increased pCa50 (Ca2+ sensitivity) in 5-mo E99K mice, with a bigger change in the 0 mM Pi solution (ΔpCa50=0.09, P=0.047) than in the 8 mM Pi solution (ΔpCa50=0.04, P=0.091). A trend (not significant) of an increase in pCa50 was also found in 2-mo E99K mice, and no difference with nH (cooperativity) in both 2-mo and 5-mo mice.We conclude that AHCM-causing ACTC E99K mutant resulted in alterations in biomechanical parameters depending on age: there were no changes in the observed parameters at 2 months, but more significant changes occurred at 5 months, which correlate well with the development of AHCM.
Using a person-environment fit model to predict job involvement and organizational commitment

Abstract Using a sample of registered nurses from a large urban hospital, this longitudinal study tested the applicability of a person-environment fit model for predicting job involvement and organizational commitment. The personal variables in this model were Protestant work ethic and growth need strength, and the environmental variable was perceived job scope. Prior to testing the person-environment fit model, the discriminant validity of job involvement and organizational commitment scales was empirically established through factor analysis. The results of this study indicated that the proposed person-environment fit model is useful for predicting job involvement, but not organizational commitment. Results and limitations of the study are discussed.
A multi-terminal DC to DC converter topology with power accumulation from renewable energy sources with unregulated DC voltages

The following paper details out a converter topology which can act as an accumulator of power from different renewable energy sources (RES). Due to the intermittent nature of power availability from RES the DC buses are assumed unregulated. The proposed topology decouples individual voltage sources and reduces unwanted circulation of reactive power between the busses due to mismatch in voltage levels, and at the same time accumulates the power and produces a regulated DC output. The magnetic design of the transformer core has been shown and the topology has been verified with hardware experimental results.
Thermal desorption spectroscopy of CO adsorption on epitaxial Cu(111)-Pd(111) thin film surfaces

Thermal desorption spectroscopy experiments of CO adsorbates on vacuum deposited, epitaxial (111)Pd and (111)Cu-(111)Pd bilayer films were carried out under uhv conditions. Auger electron spectroscopy and LEED measurements showed that Cu grows epitaxially on (111)Pd films formed on mica in layer growth mode. CO adsorption on (111)Cu-Pd bilayers occurs in decreasing amounts as the Cu overlayer thickens. Beyond approximately two monolayers (ML) Cu, no CO adsorbs. The saturation CO coverages decrease linearly by approximately 25% for every 1/2 ML Cu deposited. The desorption energy corresponding to the peak of the main desorption line decreased as the Cu and/or CO coverages increased. A simple relationship between Cu coverage and the temperature at the peak of the main CO desorption line for different CO coverages was derived from the data. The results show that thin Cu overlayers on Pd significantly affect the adsorption and desorption characteristics of CO on these thin film bilayers.
The splicing regulatory element, UGCAUG, is phylogenetically and spatially conserved in introns that flank tissue-specific alternative exons

Previous studies have identified UGCAUG as an intron splicing enhancer that is frequently located adjacent to tissue-specific alternative exons in the human genome. Here, we show that UGCAUG is phylogenetically and spatially conserved in introns that flank brain-enriched alternative exons from fish to man. Analysis of sequence from the mouse, rat, dog, chicken and pufferfish genomes revealed a strongly statistically significant association of UGCAUG with the proximal intron region downstream of brain-enriched alternative exons. The number, position and sequence context of intronic UGCAUG elements were highly conserved among mammals and in chicken, but more divergent in fish. Control datasets, including constitutive exons and non-tissue-specific alternative exons, exhibited a much lower incidence of closely linked UGCAUG elements. We propose that the high sequence specificity of the UGCAUG element, and its unique association with tissue-specific alternative exons, mark it as a critical component of splicing switch mechanism(s) designed to activate a limited repertoire of splicing events in cell type-specific patterns. We further speculate that highly conserved UGCAUG-binding protein(s) related to the recently described Fox-1 splicing factor play a critical role in mediating this specificity.
Developing and Using Cloze Materials to Teach Reading

Although better known as a testing device, the cloze technique can also be used to help word-byword readers acquire more mature reading strategies. In this article, suggestions are provided for creating and using cloze exercises which vary in difficulty and instructional focus. Recommendations are also made for introducing and directing cloze training.
Probabilistic aspects of particles transiting a trapping field: an exact combinatorial solution in terms of Gauss polynomials

The probabilistic aspects of a queue of particles transiting a trapping field is studied. In particular, the probability that thek-th transiting particle is absorbed, given that there are initiallyt traps, is obtained in closed form by combinatorial arguments in terms of Gauss polynomials (q-binomial coefficients). In addition the probability of survival of thek-th transiting particle is also evaluated, again in terms of Gauss polynomials. The analysis is general enough to allow the number of trapst to be a discrete random variable, although numerical calculations (in the form of tables) are confined tot being deterministic.
Reverse engineering technique to enhance software engineering education

This poster presents our experience incorporating reverse engineering techniques on software engineering education to enhance the productivity of students' team projects. In this approach, the students were provided with an existing working software by the instructor. They were asked to evaluate the software, use the knowledge from the software's behavior and the application domain to define the task scenarios that reflect the interaction pattern and the services that the system provides to its environment. Consequently, the extracted patterns were used to develop the architectural design of the software system and rebuild a modified version of the software.
Cardiac Device–Related Invasive Aspergilloma Assessed By Live/Real Time Three-Dimensional Transthoracic Echocardiography

Cardiac device-related infection caused by Aspergillus species is a rare finding associated with high mortality. Prompt recognition and treatment is imperative, but difficult as blood cultures are often negative and diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) provides incremental knowledge in the characterization of valvular vegetations. Here, we provide a detailed description of an invasive cardiac device-related infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus using 3DTTE. Findings described here highlight the role for 3DTTE in the prompt diagnosis of invasive cardiac Aspergillus infections as well as surgical planning in such cases.
Novel co-polymers of vinyl acetate and alkoxy ring-substituted 2-phenyl-1,1-dicyanoethylenes

Electrophilic tri-substituted ethylene monomers, alkyl ring-substituted 2-phenyl-1,1-dicyanoethylenes, RC6H4CH=C(CN)2 (where R is 2-OCH3, 3-OCH3, 4-OCH3, 2-OC2H5, 3-OC2H5, 4-OC2H5, 4-OC3H7, 4-OC4H9, 4-OC6H11), were synthesized by piperidine-catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and malononitrile, and characterized by CHN elemental analysis, IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR. Novel co-polymers of the ethylenes and vinyl acetate were prepared at equimolar monomer feed composition by solution co-polymerization in the presence of a radical initiator (ABCN) at 70°C. The composition of the co-polymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR, GPC, DSC and TGA. High T g of the co-polymers, in comparison with that of polyvinyl acetate, indicates a substantial decrease in chain mobility of the co-polymer due to the high dipolar character of the tri-substituted ethylene monomer unit. The gravimetric analysis indicated that the co-polymers decomp...
Optical and Magnetic Properties of ZnO:V Prepared by Ion Implantation

We report on the optical and magnetic properties of the magnetic semiconductor Zn(V)O fabricated by implantation of 195 keV 51V+ ions into bulk ZnO:Al grown by a hydrothermal technique. Two sets of the samples, containing N d –N a ∼ 1015 cm−3 and 1018 cm−3, were implanted to doses of 1 × 1015 cm−2, 3 × 1015 cm−2, and 1 × 1016 cm−2. The ion implantation was performed at 573 K. To remove irradiation-induced defects, the samples were annealed in air at 1073 K. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements of Zn(V)O films were carried out at temperatures from 10 K to 300 K. The effects of implantation dose and free carrier concentration on the magnetic properties of Zn(V)O were studied using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. Ferromagnetism has been observed in annealed highly conductive samples implanted to 1 × 1016 cm−2. The PL studies of ZnO bulk samples implanted with V+ have revealed that thermal annealing at 1073 K restores to a large extent the optical quality of the material. A new emission line centered at 3.307 eV has been found in the PL spectrum of the highly conductive samples implanted to the dose of 1 × 1016 cm−2, which is most probably due to complexes involving V ions.
Use of an Assessment Tool to Enhance Diabetes Educators' Ability to Identify Erectile Dysfunction:

An assessment tool to identify erectile dysfunction is useful to diabetes educators in recognizing patients with sexual dysfunction requiring further counseling, education, and treatment. Use of an assessment tool serves as a first step in creating dialogue between diabetes educators and patients living with undiagnosed erectile dysfunction. The assessment tool helps identify underlying causes of erectile dysfunction, its impact on psychological well-being, and identification of treatment and referral needs. The purpose of this article is to discuss the value of assessing erectile dysfunction as a component of comprehensive diabetes care. An example of an erectile dysfunction assessment tool developed in 1991 is presented.
The 38 K transition in TTF-TCNQ viewed as a percolation phenomenon☆

Abstract The d.c. conductivity, static dielectric constant and thermopower of TTF-TCNQ have been calculated for temperatures below 54 K within a self-consistent effective medium approximation. TTF-TCNQ is assumed to consist of small regions which are semiconducting and others which are highly conducting. The conducting regions have a large negative dielectric constant, a large d.c. conductivity and a negative thermopower; the semiconducting portions have a large positive dielectric constant, an activated d.c. conductivity and a large positive thermopower. The volume fraction of conductor increases from zero at T = 0 to unity at 54 K. The model is the first to reproduce the observed metal-insulator transition (e.g. the d.c. conductivity anomaly) near 38 K. The dielectric constant is calculated to rise initially with temperature and then become negative as the temperature increases above 38 K. The thermopower changes sign below 54 K and increases very rapidly at 38 K.
Crystallography of Real Waxes: Branched Chain Packing in Microcrystalline Petroleum Wax Studied by Electron Diffraction

Single-crystal electron diffraction patterns have been obtained from oriented samples of two commercial microcrystalline waxes. Their crystal structures, which are also expressed in oriented samples of pure methyl-branched n-paraffins, reveal a bridged lamellar structure reminiscent of low molecular weight linear polyethylene. An interdigitated lamellar packing is proposed that accommodates the methyl branches and nearby vacancies. A parallel study of n-alkyl derivatives of benzene and cyclohexane, on the other hand, reveal that naphthenic components adapt an oblique layer structure unlike the rectangular layer packing found for the petroleum waxes and the branched alkanes.
Enzymatic adaptation in ligaments during immobilization

Ligaments are a composite of fibroblasts and collagen in a proteoglycan matrix. Seventy-five percent of the organic solid is collagen and 23% is proteoglycan. Fibroblasts are responsible for the overall composition of the ligament, that is the synthesis and the degrada tion of macromolecular components. Like muscle and bone, ligaments are dynamic, undergoing hypertrophy with exercise and atrophy with immobilization. This paper reviews the structure and composition of liga ments and discusses the cellular events responsible for atrophy of ligaments with immobilization. As an exper imental model, one knee of New Zealand White rabbits was immobilized with a pin. After 2, 4, and 8 weeks of immobility, the medial collateral ligaments were isolated and enzyme analysis was performed. Gross and micro scopic changes were apparent after 2 weeks. As for enzyme changes, lactic dehydrogenase and malic de hydrogenase decreased in activity. The lysosomal hy drolases responsible for glycosaminoglycan degrada tion increas...
John Bartlett and Bioterrorism

Until 1997, the subject of bioterrorism was not discussed within the medical community and deliberately ignored in national planning efforts. Biological weapons were regarded as "morally repulsive." This complacency stemmed from a 1972 Biological Weapons Convention where all countries agreed to cease offensive biological weapons research. In the 1990s, however, the Soviet Union was discovered to have an extensive bioweapons program and a Japanese religious cult sought to launch an anthrax attack on Tokyo. Biological weapons such as smallpox and anthrax had the potential to cause a national catastrophe. However, little was done until John Bartlett in 1997 led a symposium and program to educate the medical community and the country of the need for definitive bioweapons programs. It was highly persuasive and received a final stimulus when the anthrax attack occurred in the United States in 2001.
Genetic dissection methods: designs used for tests of gene-environment interaction.

Abstract Given recent advances in the field of molecular genetics, many have recognized the need to exploit either study designs or analytical methods to test hypotheses with gene-by-environment (G×E) interactions. The partial-collection designs, including case-only, partial case–control, and case–parent trio designs, have been suggested as attractive alternatives to the complete case–control design both for increased statistical efficiency and reduced data needs. However, common problems in genetic epidemiology studies, such as, presence of G×E correlation in the population, population mixture, and genotyping error may reduce the validity of these designs. On the basis of previous simulation studies and empirical data and given the potential limitations and uncertainty of assumptions of partial-collection designs, the case–control design is the optimal choice versus partial-collection designs.