cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supportive Therapy in COPD

Supportive therapy in COPD includes long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) and patient support groups as two cornerstones in a comprehensive program of care known as pulmonary rehabilitation. The rich history of LTOT dating to the early 1960s and bolstered by excellent controlled clinical trials of the 1970s, along with additional advances, provided an effective therapy which improved both the quality and length of life in patients with COPD. Many patients with oxygen gain insight into coping with advanced COPD through patient support groups. The need for more cosmetically pleasing oxygen delivery systems to the nose, and future directions in providing oxygen in the home, remain challenges.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 Silencing Restores Taxol Sensitivity in Drug Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Drug resistance is an obstacle to the effective treatment of ovarian cancer. We and others have shown that the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway is a novel potential target to overcome drug resistance. The purpose of this study was to validate IGF2 as a potential therapeutic target in drug resistant ovarian cancer and to determine the efficacy of targeting IGF2 in vivo. An analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data in the serous ovarian cancer cohort showed that high IGF2 mRNA expression is significantly associated with shortened interval to disease progression and death, clinical indicators of drug resistance. In a genetically diverse panel of ovarian cancer cell lines, the IGF2 mRNA levels measured in cell lines resistant to various microtubule-stabilizing agents including Taxol were found to be significantly elevated compared to the drug sensitive cell lines. The effect of IGF2 knockdown on Taxol resistance was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Transient IGF2 knockdown significantly sensitized drug resistant cells to Taxol treatment. A Taxol-resistant ovarian cancer xenograft model, developed from HEY-T30 cells, exhibited extreme drug resistance, wherein the maximal tolerated dose of Taxol did not delay tumor growth in mice. Blocking the IGF1R (a transmembrane receptor that transmits signals from IGF1 and IGF2) using a monoclonal antibody did not alter the response to Taxol. However, stable IGF2 knockdown using short-hairpin RNA in HEY-T30 effectively restored Taxol sensitivity. These findings validate IGF2 as a potential therapeutic target in drug resistant ovarian cancer and show that directly targeting IGF2 may be a preferable strategy compared with targeting IGF1R alone.
Comparative study of reaction centers from purple photosynthetic bacteria: Isolation and optical spectroscopy.

Reaction centers from two species of purple bacteria, Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodospirillum centenum, have been characterized and compared to reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodobacter capsulatus. The reaction centers purified from these four species can be divided into two classes according to the spectral characteristics of the primary donor. Reaction centers from one class have a donor optical band at a longer wavelength, 865 nm compared to 850 nm, and an optical absorption band associated with the oxidized donor at 1250 nm that has a larger oscillator strength than reaction centers from the second class. Under normal buffering conditions, reaction centers isolated from Rb. sphaeroides and Rs. rubrum exhibit characteristics of the first class while those from Rb. capsulatus and Rs. centenum exhibit characteristics of the second class. However, the reaction centers can be converted between the two groups by the addition of charged detergents. Thus, the observed spectral differences are not due to intrinsic differences between reaction centers but represent changes in the electronic structure of the donor due to interactions with the detergents as has been confirmed by recent ENDOR measurements (Rautter J, Lendzian F, Lubitz W, Wang S and Allen JP (1994) Biochemistry 33: 12077–12084). The oxidation midpoint potential for the donor has values of 445 mV, 475 mV, 480 mV and 495 mV for Rs. rubrum, Rs. centenum, Rb. capsulatus, and Rb. sphaeroides, respectively. Despite this range of values for the midpoint potential, the decay rates of the stimulated emission are all fast with values of 4.1 ps, 4.5 ps. 5.5 ps and 6.1 ps for quinone-reduced RCs from Rs. rubrum, Rb. capsulatus, Rs. centenum, and Rb. sphaeroides, respectively. The general spectral features of the initial charge separated state are essentially the same for the four species, except for differences in the wavelengths of the absorption changes due to the different donor band positions. The pH dependence of the charge recombination rates from the primary and secondary quinones differ for reaction centers from the four species indicating different interactions between the quinones and ionizable residues. A different mechanism for charge recombination from the secondary quinone, that probably is direct recombination, is proposed for RCs from Rs. centenum.
Preparation of multiatom entangled states through dispersive atom-cavity-field interactions.

A technique based on a dispersive atom--cavity-field interaction is proposed for preparing two or more atoms in macroscopically separated entangled states. After suitably prepared atoms interact with the cavity field a subsequent measurement on this field projects the atoms onto the entangled states. Two-particle entangled states are discussed as well as a three-particle state of the type proposed by Greenberger, Horne, and Zeilinger. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Georg von Békésy: visualization of hearing.

Georg von Bekesy received the Nobel Prize in 1961 for his research on the functioning of the auditory system. In psychoacoustics, Bekesy both extended and perfected the lines of research begun by von Helmholtz in the 19th century. First in his native Hungary and later at Harvard, Bekesy used novel and imaginative devices and methods to observe and model the functioning of the inner ear. He also explored the nature of sensory inhibition by which the nervous system sharpens sensory transitions.
On exact and asymptotic unavailability expressions for standby components and systems

Exact analytical expressions have been derived for time-dependent and asymptotic average unavailabilities of simple series and parallel standby systems that are periodically inspected or tested. Special emphasis is on the effects of incomplete testing and common-cause failures, extending and challenging some earlier results. Examples illustrate a generic approach for analysing systems with a variety of failure modes, in a recursive fashion. Reference is made to earlier works published in specialist meetings, making a more complete collection of results known to a wider audience.
The Transporter Classification Database

The Transporter Classification Database (TCDB; http://www.tcdb.org) serves as a common reference point for transport protein research. The database contains more than 10 000 non-redundant proteins that represent all currently recognized families of transmembrane molecular transport systems. Proteins in TCDB are organized in a five level hierarchical system, where the first two levels are the class and subclass, the second two are the family and subfamily, and the last one is the transport system. Superfamilies that contain multiple families are included as hyperlinks to the five tier TC hierarchy. TCDB includes proteins from all types of living organisms and is the only transporter classification system that is both universal and recognized by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It has been expanded by manual curation, contains extensive text descriptions providing structural, functional, mechanistic and evolutionary information, is supported by unique software and is interconnected to many other relevant databases. TCDB is of increasing usefulness to the international scientific community and can serve as a model for the expansion of database technologies. This manuscript describes an update of the database descriptions previously featured in NAR database issues.
Interactions between Small Heat Shock Protein Subunits and Substrate in Small Heat Shock Protein-Substrate Complexes

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are dynamic oligomeric proteins that bind unfolding proteins and protect them from irreversible aggregation. This binding results in the formation of sHSP-substrate complexes from which substrate can later be refolded. Interactions between sHSP and substrate in sHSP-substrate complexes and the mechanism by which substrate is transferred to ATP-dependent chaperones for refolding are poorly defined. We have established C-terminal affinity-tagged sHSPs from a eukaryote (pea HSP18.1) and a prokaryote (Synechocystis HSP16.6) as tools to investigate these issues. We demonstrate that sHSP subunit exchange for HSP18.1 and HSP16.6 is temperature-dependent and rapid at the optimal growth temperature for the organism of origin. Increasing the ratio of sHSP to substrate during substrate denaturation decreased sHSP-substrate complex size, and accordingly, addition of substrate to pre-formed sHSP-substrate complexes increased complex size. However, the size of pre-formed sHSP-substrate complexes could not be reduced by addition of more sHSP, and substrate could not be observed to transfer to added sHSP, although added sHSP subunits continued to exchange with subunits in sHSP-substrate complexes. Thus, although some number of sHSP subunits within complexes remain dynamic and may be important for complex structure/solubility, association of substrate with the sHSP does not appear to be similarly dynamic. These observations are consistent with a model in which ATP-dependent chaperones associate directly with sHSP-bound substrate to initiate refolding.
Relationship of Death Anxiety Scale Factors to Subjective States.

The purpose of the present research was to determine the relationships between the factors of Templer's Death Anxiety Scale and a number of measures of subjective state. Previous research had demonstrated that the Death Anxiety Scale correlates more highly with subjective state measures, especially anxiety and depression, than with other variables. The present research sought to provide a more refined perspective. The most salient finding was that in a general population, Factor I was essentially unrelated to anxiety and depression in contrast to the positive correlations provided by Factors II, III, and IV. Factor I, whose items directly assess an uncomplicated fear of death and dying, was conceptualized as fear of death. The other factors, whose items pertain to obsessional thinking regarding death and its ramifications, were collectively conceptualized as death anxiety.
Thecoma of the ovary

T HE origin of tumors of the granuIosa and theta ceIIs of the ovary is stiII a matter of debate. It is not even certain that these tumors are two distinct entities. For that reason, it seems wise to pubIish any cases that may serve to clear up the problem. The case under discussion was a fibromatous tumor of the right ovary. The tumor extract contained a substance whose reaction was simiIar bioIogicaIIy to estrogen, that is, it caused an enIargement of the uterus in the mouse test.
A practical automated polyp detection scheme for CT colonography

A fully automated computerized polyp detection (CPD) system is presented that takes DICOM images from CT scanners and provides a list of detected polyps. The system comprises three stages, segmentation, polyp candidate generation (PCG), and false positive reduction (FPR). Employing computer tomographic colonography (CTC), both supine and prone scans are used for improving detection sensitivity. We developed a novel and efficient segmentation scheme. Major shape features, e.g., the mean curvature and Gaussian curvature, together with a connectivity test efficiently produce polyp candidates. We select six shape features and introduce a multi-plane linear discriminant function (MLDF) classifier in our system for FPR. The classifier parameters are empirically assigned with respect to the geometric meanings of a specific feature. We have tested the system on 68 real subjects, 20 positive and 48 negative for 6 mm and larger polyps from colonoscopy results. Using a patient-based criterion, 95% accuracy and 31% specificity were achieved when 6 mm was used as the cutoff size, implying that 15 out of 48 healthy subjects could avoid OC. One 11 mm polyp was missed by CPD but was also not reported by the radiologist. With a complete polyp database, we anticipate that a maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) classifier tuned by supervised training will improve the detection performance. The execution time for both scans is about 10-15 minutes using a 1 GHz PC running Linux. The system may be used standalone, but is envisioned more as a part of a computer-aided CTC screening that can address the problems with a fully automatic approach and a fully physician approach.
Molecular genetics of X-linked mental retardation: a complex picture emerging.

Mental retardation or intellectual disability is a heterogeneous group of disorders of the human brain affecting 2–3% of the general population. It is becoming evident that a large proportion of mental retardation is genetically determined, which means that it can be molecularly defined and thus precisely diagnosed. Building knowledge and understanding about molecular processes leading to ‘malfunction of human brain’ will clearly bring benefits to patient management, disease prevention and ultimately disease treatment and will also assist in tackling much harder questions of the molecular basis of human cognitive ability. In this review the current knowledge of the molecular genetics of X-chromosome-linked mental retardation and its nonspecific forms in particular is discussed, together with limitations affecting diagnosis and likely new approaches that need to be implemented.
Coupled gel electrophoresis-agar diffusion method for the detection of tumor antigens

Abstract A gel electrophoretic method coupled with agar diffusion has been devised for detecting tumor antigens in human colon tissue. Separation of the antigens is achieved on duplicate electrophoretic gels. One gel is used for the location of the antigens by protein staining and the other gel is used for assaying of the antigenicity by agar diffusion against homologous antiserum. Analysis of perchloric acid extracts of colon tumors by this coupled method revealed the presence of carcinoembryonic antigen and two additional glycoprotein antigens. Analysis of KClHCl tumor extracts revealed two new tumor antigens.
Weighted similarity measure heuristics for the group technology machine clustering problem

Heuristique de mesure de similitudes ponderees appliquee au probleme du groupement des machines en cellules dans la technologie de groupe
Structural gate decomposition for depth-optimal technology mapping in LUT-based FPGA designs

In this paper we study structural gate decomposition in general, simple gate networks for depth-optimal technology mapping using K-input Lookup-Tables (K-LUTs). We show that (1) structural gate decomposition in any K-bounded network results in an optimal mapping depth smaller than or equal to that of the original network, regardless of the decomposition method used; and (2) the problem of structural gate decomposition for depth-optimal technology mapping is NP-hard for K-unbounded networks when K≥3 and remains NP-hard for K-boundeds networks when K≥5. Based on these results, we propose two new structural gate decomposition algorithms, named DOGMA and DOGMA-m, which combine the level-driven node-packing technique (used in FlowMap) and the network flow-based labeling technique (used in Chortle-d) for depth-optimal technology mapping. Experimental results show that (1) among five structural gate decompostion algorithms, DOGMA-m results in the best mapping solutions; and (2) compared with speed_up(an algebraic algorithm) and TOS (a Boolean approach), DOGMA-m completes, decomposition of all tested benchmarks in a short time while speed_up and TOS fail in several cases. However, speed_up results in the smallest depth and area in the following technology mapping steps.
Reliable supply of drinking water through use of high perfonnance B-10 “TWIN” permeators A one year case history at das island, UAE

Abstract The 4 billion US$ Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) project is well on its way to becoming a reality on Das Island, United Arab Emirates. The island is located off the Abu Dhabi coast and is surrounded by highly saline Arabian Gulf seawater. There is no source of fresh water on the island. To supply drinking water for the construction workers and process water for the concrete fabrication, the contractor, Chiyoda of Japan, 18 months ago specified a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant. Mechanical Equipment Company (MECO) of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA received the award for the seawater desalting plant after fierce competition, and selected the new PERMASEP * B-10 “TWIN” permeators from DuPont for the RO membrane system. This paper describes the first year performance.
Hermeneutic Institutionalism: Towards a New Synthesis

The deep methodological and substantive fragmentation of the social sciences has led to the development of theories that can think larger social wholes only at the cost of disfiguring reductionism. Any effort at creating new synthesizing frameworks must be able to integrate advances made in a wide variety of subfields, and therefore needs to reconsider the ontology of social life as a unifying basis. Given post-structuralist critiques, this has to happen in a critical fashion. Due to its anti-reductionist stance, the social hermeneutics of Vico and Herder offers a good starting point for an ontological re-orientation. However, since their work has also inspired highly problematic essentializations of culture/people as the principal way to connect everyday interaction and large-scale phenomena, a move that has been criticized for very good reasons, their social hermeneutics must be adjusted to the needs of our time. This paper proposes a renewed social hermeneutics that analyzes social life as a dense thicket of action-reaction effect flows mediated by discursive, emotive and sensory understandings. Wherever action-reaction effect flows are replicated in self-similar forms, institutions emerge. Since replication is contingent on stabilized understandings the question arises how understanding, a process, can come to be objectified as a transposable form. The answer provided here is that repeated validations in action, in comparison with other persons, and in mnemonic invocations pick out and actualize understandings as interpretative devices. But this means that the work of stabilization is deferred to another level, because stabilized understandings require enduring validation, which can only issue from institutionalized social environments. The enduring features of social life must therefore be thought of as the result of a process of institutiosis, in which institutionalized forms buttress each other. Features of institutiosis are identified, which lead to more or less stable arrangements.
Challenges and successes in the use of neutron activation analysis procedures for value assignment of animal serum and bovine liver Standard Reference Materials

Analyses for value assignment in the renewal Standard Reference Materials® SRM 1598a Animal Serum and SRM 1577c Bovine Liver included extensive characterization by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Conventional instrumental NAA procedures were complemented by pre-irradiation chemical separations for the determination of Al, V, Mn, and Cu, radiochemical separations for the determination of Ag, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Sb, and Se, and the use of (anti-) coincidence gamma-ray spectrometry systems for the instrumental determination of Ag, Cr, and Hg. The previous materials, SRMs 1598, 1577, and 1577b, were analyzed together with the new materials for quality control.
Versatile cyclic templates for assembly of axially oriented ligands.

In this paper, we describe two novel types of planar cyclic peptide templates for the facile addition of ligands that extend axially from the plane of the template ring. The first uses β-amino acids of alternating d- and l-chirality, since the insertion of the additional methylene group in the peptide backbone was predicted and subsequently shown by NMR and molecular modeling, to reorient ligands attached to amino acid side chain axially with respect to the template ring. A second contains alternating d- and l-amino acids with an achiral Gly residue interposed between each chiral amino acid. The inserted Gly residues also tend to reorient side chains axially rather than radially, as was demonstrated by NMR and molecular modeling. The axial orientation of attached ligands is intended to foster or allow interactions among attached ligands in situations in which this is desired. Two such situations that we consider are (1) development of immunological reagents with avidity effects and (2) modeling of oligome...
Optimal reproductive strategies in age‐structured populations of zooplankton

SUMMARY. We describe a model of zooplankton population dynamics that accounts for differences in mortality and physiology among animals of different ages or sizes. The model follows changes in numbers of individuals and changes in individual and egg biomass through time and it expresses mortality and net assimilation as functions of animal size. We investigated the effect of egg size, age at first reproduction, and size at first reproduction on the per capita growth rates of populations growing under different conditions. In the absence of predation or when exposed to vertebrate predators that prefer large prey, populations achieve maximum growth rates when animals hatch from small eggs and reach maturity quickly at small sizes. Populations exposed to invertebrate predators that concentrate on small animals may increase r in two different ways. One way is for animals to increase juvenile survivorship by hatching from large eggs and by shortening the juvenile period. An alternative strategy is for animals to hatch from small eggs and to postpone maturity until they grow beyond the range of sizes available to their predators. Certain life history strategies maximize r if animals continue to grow after they reach maturity. By growing larger, non-primiparous females are able to hatch larger clutches and thereby increase the overall rate of population growth. The model analysis shows how to assess age-dependent mortality rates from field data. The net rate of population increase and the age distribution of eggs together provide specific, quantitative information about mortality.
A Decision Theoretic Approach to the Angular Resolution and Parameter Estimation Problem for Multiple Targets

The problem of multiple-target resolution and parameter estimation is formulated in a decision theoretic context. The estimation portion of the problem is explicitly solved and experimentally implemented. The results show that it is possible to obtain accurate parameter estimates for targets separated as close as a quarter of a 3-dB beamwidth. This resolution was obtained for reasonable SNR's and with a system that utilized only commercially available components.
Association between infertility treatment and symptoms of postpartum depression.

Objective To examine the association between infertility treatment and subsequent symptoms of postpartum depression. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Women who delivered live-born infants from 2009–2010. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Odds of symptoms of postpartum depression. Result(s) Data were obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Data on infertility treatment were available for 16 states in which mothers were sampled 2 to 4 months after delivery to complete the standardized PRAMS questionnaire. Infertility treatment status was as reported on the birth certificate. Maternal mental health was obtained via the maternal questionnaire. Data were analyzed in Stata 12.0 with sample weights to produce population-based estimates. Among the 42,614 women who resided in states in which infertility treatment data were collected, infertility treatment status was missing for 2,277 (5.3%) women. Among the 40,337 eligible women, 12.9% reported feeling down, depressed or sad, and 6.0% reported feeling hopeless. These women were considered to have symptoms of postpartum depression. Even after adjustment for confounders, there was no independent association between infertility treatment status and symptoms of postpartum depression. In contrast, having a child admitted to neonatal intensive care, smoking, experiencing a higher number of stressors in the 12 months before delivery, and a history of having prepregnancy mental health care were associated with an increased odds of having symptoms of postpartum depression. Conclusion(s) In a population-based sample of U.S. women, conceiving with the help of infertility treatment did not increase the odds of experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression.
The Utility of Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy as a Localization Tool for Robotic Resection of Small Pulmonary Nodules

Background Resection of small pulmonary nodules with minimally invasive techniques can be challenging when the lesions are not palpable. Localizing theses nodules by electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) techniques has not been well studied. Methods A review of our thoracic surgery database was performed for patients undergoing ENB localization of pulmonary nodules for robotic resection between August 2012 and April 2013. Results 19 patients were identified who underwent a combined localization with ENB and then da Vinci robotic lung resection. A transbronchial needle biopsy was performed in 14 patients followed by methylene blue dye marking on the pleural surface to localize the lesion. Five patients did not have a needle biopsy and underwent dye marking only. After dye marking, patients underwent robotic resection. Three patients who underwent transbronchial needle biopsy were found to have a diagnosis of malignancy and no diagnostic resection was needed. We proceeded directly to anatomic resection. Four patients had lesions too deep for a wedge resection, and a diagnostic segmentectomy was needed. The remaining 11 patients required a diagnostic wedge resection. The median time for the ENB portion of the procedure was 28 minutes. No adverse events were related to the placement of the dye marker, and no patients underwent conversion to an open procedure to localize the lesion. Conclusions We found ENB to be a safe and effective technique for localization of small pulmonary nodules with the diagnostic needle biopsy, possibly altogether negating the need for a wedge resection without adding significant time to the procedure.
Magnetically guiding and orienting integrated chemical sensors

Abstract Fluorescent microsensors for detecting pH and oxygen were positioned and oriented using magnetic tweezers. These multifunctional integrated microsensors were fabricated by physically linking together nano-components including magnetic nanoparticles, fluorescent nanoparticles, and metal hemisphere-shells. Two such microsensors are magnetic roll-shaped polystyrene particles with 120 nm fluorescent oxygen-sensing ormosil nanospheres that are physically pressed (“breaded”) into the roll surface, and 4–5 µm fluorescent microspheres that are capped with a 50 nm thick metal hemispherical shell. The magnetic tweezers consisted of an iron wire that was magnetized in an external magnetic field. Rotating this external field oriented and rotated the microsensors.
Sin and the economic analysis of the pastoral: A class act?

The Pastoral contains a non-Marxist class based non-traditional analysis of sinful acts in economic life. Data on poverty, income distribution, unemployment and economic problems are used to assert the existence of a marginalyzed, economically disenfranchised class, victims of the sinful self-serving actions of individuals influential in economic and political institutions. Economic scarcity, the reality of risk, conflicting policy goals, imperfect economic policy insights, mistaken choices, and the consequences of sinful acts for the sinner are ignored as possible causes of imperfect economic outcomes as the bishops advocate solutions through an expanded agenda of government programs and power.
Research and Application on Reports Function of Protection Equipment Management Information System

The main task of the protection equipment management information system is statistical analysis, which requires presenting the analytical results in the form of reports. Therefore, the statistical analysis module of the system contains the reports of Evaluation Code with complex business logic and stable structure, as well as common analysis reports with simple business logic and flexible structure. As the growth of the business complexity and the requirements for diversification, existing reporting mode cannot adapt to the system. The reports component using B/S architecture, which adopts the independent engine mechanism, has become the developing trend of statistical reports.
Identification of a motif in the C terminus of herpes simplex virus regulatory protein ICP4 that contributes to activation of transcription

Expression of most viral genes during productive infection by herpes simplex virus is regulated by the viral protein ICP4 (also called IE175 or Vmw175). The N-terminal portion of ICP4 contains well-defined transactivation, DNA binding, and dimerization domains that contribute to promoter regulation. The C-terminal half of ICP4 contributes to the activity of ICP4, but the functional motifs have not been well mapped. To localize functional motifs in the C-terminal half of ICP4, we have compared the relative specific activities of ICP4 variants in transient-transfection assays. Deletion of the C-terminal 56 residues reduces the specific activity more than 10-fold. Mutational analysis identified three consecutive residues (1252 to 1254) that are conserved in ICP4 orthologs and are essential for full activity, especially in the context of ICP4 variants with a deletion in the N-terminal transactivation domain. Recombinant viruses that encode variants of ICP4 with mutations in the N-terminal transactivation domain and/or the extreme C terminus were constructed. The phenotypes of these recombinant viruses support the hypothesis that efficient promoter activation by ICP4 requires motifs at both the N and C termini. The data suggest that the C terminus of ICP4 functions not as an independent transactivation domain but as an enhancer of the ICP4 N-terminal transactivation domain. The data provide further support for the hypothesis that some ICP4 motifs required for promoter activation are not required for promoter repression and suggest that ICP4 utilizes different cellular factors for activation or repression of viral promoters.
Hepatic Salvage with Renosplenic Arterial Bypass: A Case Report

Extraanatomic vascular bypasses are useful in treating renal and visceral occlusive disease. The splenic artery can be a good conduit in such cases and splenorenal bypass is a well-appreciated technique for treating renovascular obstructions. If there is severe ostial celiac stenosis or occlusion, then this particular anastomosis (splenic to renal) actually revascularizes the foregut via retrograde flow in the splenic artery. Although this method of celiac axis reperfusion has not been previously described, it was successfully employed recently in a situation where severe hepatic ischemia persisted following superior mesenteric artery embolectomy. The reasons for residual ischemia following visceral embolectomy are discussed as well as the alternative methods for extraanatomic intraabdominal vascular reconstruction
Optimizing Multi-core MPI Collectives with SMARTMAP

We recently enhanced a lightweight compute node operating system with a simple page table mapping strategy that allows parallel application processes within a node to share effectively a single address space. This strategy allows for each process to maintain a normal, private address space, but also allows for processes to behave like threads that can freely read and write the memory of all processes on a node. In this paper, we demonstrate the benefits of this approach for improving the performance of MPI collective operations. In particular, we describe a new multi-threaded MPI reduce algorithm that outperforms existing approaches by as much as a factor of seven on a quad-core processor.
Adult participation sports as cultural capital: a test of Bourdieu's theory of the field of sports.

This study extends recent tests of Bourdieu’s theory of sports as cultural capital using data from the 1998 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) on adult Americans’ frequency and intensity of participation in 15 sports. Most of the previous tests of Bourdieu’s theory have been limited to general measures of sport participation, and have provided general support for the thesis that sports operate as cultural capital. The NHIS data allow inferences about the principles of distinction dividing social classes in the field of participatory sports. More extensive tests of the ‘prole’ and ‘omnivore’ theses are also presented. The analysis shows that many sports are highly class exclusive and that the principles of exclusion fit closely with Bourdieu’s theory of the relational structure of the field of adult participation sports. The dominant classes use strenuous aerobic sports, moderate levels of weight-training, and competitive sports that restrict direct physical domination and/or are aerobically strenu...
Transitional reactor dynamics affecting optimization of a heat-driven metal hydride refrigerator

This paper summarizes our research on modeling of metal hydride systems, examines the fundamental limitations imposed by geometrical and thermodynamic considerations, and presents a theoretical model for a complete system throughout an entire cycle. Apart from the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium no major simplifying assumptions are made and the non-ideal behavior of the hydrides is included. The nature of the heat and mass transfer processes as two coupled reactors are optimized is elucidated. The consequences for future metal hydride heat pump design are investigated.
How Do We Get Along? Linked Fate, Political Allies, and Issue Coalitions

How cohesive are the nation’s female and male minority elected officials in their group identities, political networks, and public policy outlooks? This paper empirically evaluates the coalition-building potentials of these elected officials in their sense of minority group linked fate, sources of policy support, and policy stands on key issues of pressing importance to women and minorities: immigrant rights, contested new rights, welfare and work, minority rights, among others. We assess the statistical significance of the intersecting identities of race and gender in their ability to structure the elected officials’ potentials to form political coalitions based on common identity, political allies, and issue concerns. We explore possible confounding factors in this process such as experiences of socialization, social networks, perceived structural barriers, and personal political orientations and other resources.
The Ex-Mental Patient and Rehospitalization: Some Research Findings

The return of ex-mental patients to the hospital is examined in terms of personal behavior and interpersonal events. Some correlates of rehospitalization, including aberrant behavior, work status, and family setting, are discussed. It is suggested that family rejection of ex-patients involves considerations of social adjustment, apart from issues of psychological health or illness.
A Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Vibratory Dynamics of High-Precision Optical Positioning Systems

At the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation facility at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), high-precision optical positioning systems are needed to conduct a wide range of experiments using the high-brilliance X-ray beam. Precision may be compromised by low-level, low- frequency vibrations from flow-structure interactions in the cooling systems and from facility-based distur- bances propagating through the floor. To predict the vibratory response of the positioning systems, a linearized multibody formulation has been developed. It has been applied to specific example cases—an optical table and a mirror support system—used at the experimental stations of the APS. Comparisons of resonant fre- quency and mode shape predictions based on the theoretical formulation with experimental measurements il- lustrate the crucial importance of properly modeling the kinematic joints and components that comprise these multibody structures. Improved experimental and theoretical methods have been introduced to estimate their dynamic properties. The results obtained by theory compare well with experimental findings. The proposed methodology is precise and generic in predicting the coupled multidimensional, multi-degree-of-freedom vi- bratory motion of the positioning systems for the given positioning configurations. It is easily adaptable to numerous systems at the APS and similar facilities.
Finite-element analysis of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

In this paper, we present the results of finite-element analysis performed to investigate capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). Both three-dimensional (3-D) and 2-D models were developed using a commercially available finite-element modeling (FEM) software. Depending on the dimensionality of the model, the membranes were constructed using plane or shell elements. The electrostatic gap was modeled using many parallel plate transducers. An axisymmetric model for a single membrane was built; the electrical input impedance of the device then was calculated in vacuum to investigate series and parallel resonant frequencies, where the input impedance has a minimum and a maximum, respectively. A method for decomposing the membrane capacitance into parasitic and active parts was demonstrated, and it was shown that the parallel resonant frequency shifted down with increased biased voltage. Calculations then were performed for immersion transducers. Acoustic wave propagation was simulated in the immersion medium, using appropriate elements in a 3-D model. Absorbing boundaries were implemented to avoid the reflections at the end of the medium mesh. One row of an array element, modeled with appropriate boundary conditions, was used to calculate the output pressure. The results were compared with a simpler model: a single membrane in immersion, with symmetry boundary conditions on the sidewalls that cause the calculations to reflect the properties of an infinitely large array. A 2-D model then was developed to demonstrate the effect of membrane dimensions on the output pressure and bandwidth. Our calculations revealed that the small signal transmit pressure was inversely proportional to the square root of gap height. We also compared FEM results with analytical and experimental results.
Amplification of Tau Fibrils from Minute Quantities of Seeds

The propagation of Tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is thought to proceed through templated conversion of Tau protein into fibrils and cell-to-cell transfer of elongation-competent seeds. To investigate the efficiency of Tau conversion, we adapted the protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay used for the conversion of prions. Utilizing heparin as a cofactor and employing repetitive cycles of shearing and growth, synthetic Tau fibrils and Tau fibrils in AD brain extract are progressively amplified. Concurrently, self-nucleation is suppressed. The results highlight breakage-induced replication of Tau fibrils as a potential facilitator of disease spread.
Reduced complexity closest point decoding algorithms for random lattices

Abstract-Closest point algorithms find wide applications in decoding block transmissions encountered with single- or multiuser communication links relying on a single or multiple antennas. Capitalizing on the random channel and noise models typically encountered in wireless communications, the sphere decoding algorithm (SDA) and related complexity-reducing techniques are approached in this paper from a probabilistic perspective. With both theoretical analysis and simulations, combining SDA with detection ordering is justified. A novel probabilistic search algorithm examining potential candidates in a descending probability order is derived and analyzed. Based on probabilistic search and an error-performance-oriented fast stopping criterion, a computationally efficient layered search is developed. Having comparable decoding complexity to the nulling-canceling (NQ algorithm with detection ordering, simulations confirm that the novel layered search achieves considerable error-performance enhancement.
Effects of Structural and Spatiotemporal Factors on Fish Use of Artificial Habitat in a Texas Reservoir

AbstractWe evaluated fish use of artificial habitat in relation to structure size and shape and the spatiotemporal factors of season, diel period, and reservoir region in Striker Reservoir, Texas. Recycled Christmas trees were used to construct three sizes of cluster- and linear-shaped structures; fish at each were sampled seasonally during the day and night with electrofishing. Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus comprised 57% of the fish collected; other centrarchids comprised an additional 33%. Overall fish assemblages at the habitat structures were not related to the factors we examined. However, species-specific analyses indicated that the percentage of structures occupied, catch per unit effort (CPUE), and mean size of Largemouth Bass and Bluegills were influenced by the factors we examined. Largemouth Bass exhibited a greater percent occupancy of the largest structures and a higher CPUE in small structures; the mean size (TL) of Largemouth Bass was lower in cluste...
Rural Development, Privatization and Public Choice: Substance Depends upon Process

Whether or not privatization facilitates rural development depends upon what rural development means. In practice, rural development often is the result of a struggle between rent defenders and rent seekers. A positivist concept of rural development is proposed, and the institutions of public choice are examined to determine how they might influence privatization decisions. The conclusion is that whether or not privatization improves efficiency of adjustment in rural economies depends upon the specifics of political deals required to achieve a particular act of privatization.
Innate STAT1-Dependent Genomic Response of Neurons to the Antiviral Cytokine Alpha Interferon

Alpha/beta interferons (IFNs-alpha/beta) are cytokines that play an essential role in the host defense against viral infection. Our previous studies have shown that the key IFN signaling molecule STAT1 is highly elevated and activated in central nervous system neurons during viral infection and in transgenic mice with astrocyte production of IFN-alpha (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]-IFN-alpha), suggesting that neurons are a very responsive target cell population for IFNs. To elucidate the genomic response of neurons to IFN-alpha, we undertook studies both in vitro and in vivo. Gene chip analysis was applied to RNA from IFN-alpha-treated or untreated primary cortical neuronal cultures derived from embryonic day 15 fetal wild-type or STAT1 knockout (KO) mice. The expression of 51 known and 5 unknown genes was increased significantly by more than twofold after exposure of wild-type but not STAT1 KO neurons to IFN-alpha. Some more highly expressed genes included IFN-induced 15-kDa protein, ubiquitin-specific protease 18, glucocorticoid attenuated response genes, IFN-induced GTPases, and the chemokine CXCL10. For several of these genes, the gene chip findings were confirmed by RNase protection assays. In addition, examination of the expression of some of these selected genes revealed that they were increased in neurons in the brain of either GFAP-IFN-alpha mice or mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. In conclusion, our study revealed a robust STAT1-dependent genomic response of neurons to IFN-alpha, highlighting an innate potential of these cells to defend against viral infection in the brain.
Subwavelength focusing with a corrugated metallic plate

In this paper, we presented a device that can focus electromagnetic field with subwavelength resolution. The device consists of a single slit in a corrugated metallic plate. The input face of the plate features a periodic corrugation which enhances transmission through the slit, while the output face of the plate features a non-periodic corrugation which forms the subwavelength focus. Simulation and free-space measurements are reported at 10 GHz, confirming the corrugated plate's ability to form a subwavelength focus. In the experiments, the input face of the plate was illuminated with a Gaussian beam, and a subwavelength focus was formed at a distance λ/15 from the output face of the plate.
A library compatible driver output model for on-chip RLC transmission lines

This paper presents a new library-compatible approach to gate-level timing characterization in the presence of resistive/inductive/capacitive (RLC) interconnect loads. We show that for a gate driving an RLC interconnect, the driver-output waveform exhibits inflection points and, hence, the traditional approach of approximating driver output with a saturated ramp is highly inaccurate. We describe a two-ramp model based on transmission-line theory that accurately predicts both the 50% delay and waveform shape (slew rate) at the driver output when inductive effects are significant. The approach does not rely on piecewise linear Thevenin voltage sources and is compatible with existing library characterization methods. Results are compared with SPICE and demonstrate typical errors under 10% for both delay and slew rate. We also propose a new criterion for evaluating the importance of on-chip inductance by comparing rise time at the driver output with the time of flight.
High-performing visible-blind photodetectors based on SnO2/CuO nanoheterojunctions

We report on the significant performance enhancement of SnO2 thin film ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) through incorporation of CuO/SnO2 p-n nanoscale heterojunctions. The nanoheterojunctions are self-assembled by sputtering Cu clusters that oxidize in ambient to form CuO. We attribute the performance improvements to enhanced UV absorption, demonstrated both experimentally and using optical simulations, and electron transfer facilitated by the nanoheterojunctions. The peak responsivity of the PDs at a bias of 0.2 V improved from 1.9 A/W in a SnO2-only device to 10.3 A/W after CuO deposition. The wavelength-dependent photocurrent-to-dark current ratio was estimated to be ∼592 for the CuO/SnO2 PD at 290 nm. The morphology, distribution of nanoparticles, and optical properties of the CuO/SnO2 heterostructured thin films are also investigated.