cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Achebe, Conrad, and the Postcolonial Strain

In his article "Achebe, Conrad, and the Postcolonial Strain" Eric Sipyinyu Njeng presents an analysis of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart in a context of postcolonial thought and argues that while Achebe's text is often placed against Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness as a counter discourse thus interrogating Conrad's portraiture of Africans as savages -Achebe's text in fact represents anti-Africanism and subservience to Occidental values. Examining Achebe's authorial intention in Things Fall Apart, especially as epitomised in the character of Okwokwo, the protagonist, Njeng argues that Achebe corroborates Conrad's portrait of the African. In writing Things Fall Apart, Achebe falls under the "postcolonial writer's strain" resisting and at the same time seduced by Occidental ideology. In his novel, Achebe tries to veil his desire for the Occident by presenting Okwonkwo initially as a prominent character only to fulfil this desire in the course of the narrative by decentring the protagonist. Achebe's characterisation is centrifugal, that is, he constructs the events of the story to unfold such that Okwonkwo is systematically removed from the centre. This decentring of the protagonist diminishes him as well as the African values he is supposed to represent. This centrifugal aesthetics of constructing events resulting in the protagonist removed from the centre, satisfied Achebe's intention of supplanting African values with Western values. Removing the protagonist from the centre of events creates space for the antagonist to take root, supplanting African religion and culture with Western ideology and hegemony. Njeng postulates that Things Fall Apart appeals to Occidental audiences because Achebe concedes them the place they have always thrived for and thus the novel continues to reverberate in Western discourse. Eric Sipyinyu Njeng, "Achebe, Conrad, and the Postcolonial Strain" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 10.1 (2008):
Impact of obesity on quality of life and depression in patients with heart failure.

Background: The effect of obesity on health related quality of life (HRQOL) and depression in a number of disease states is well documented, but its impact in heart failure (HF) patients remains speculative. We therefore examined the relationship between obesity, HRQOL, and depression in 358 patients with HF. Methods and results: Comparative analyses were conducted to determine if body mass index (BMI) was associated with HRQOL and depression in three groups of patients with HF—normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, n=100), overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2, n=141), and obese (BMI ≤ kg/m2, n=117). Obese patients were younger than normal and overweight participants; all other demographic and clinical characteristics were similar. HRQOL and depression scores were significantly higher (worse) for obese patients. Body mass index was significantly correlated with all 3 scales of HRQOL (overall, r2=.160; physical, r2=.162; and mental, r2=.217) as well as with depression (r2=.166). Conclusion: Obese patients with HF are more likely to have poorer HRQOL, physical health, emotional well-being and depressive symptoms. Poorer HRQOL is predictive of worse outcomes in patients with HF; however, given the apparent obesity paradox in HF, further investigation of the impact of obesity in HF is urgently required.
The slope of the psychometric function at different wavelengths

Many current models of visual detection predict that the slope of psychometric functions for detection will be independent of the spectral power distribution of the test light once the spatial and temporal characteristics of the light are fixed. This article examines reports that the slope of the psychometric function depends on the wavelength of a spectrally-narrowband test light of fixed size and duration. Three sources of difficulty that any experimental measurement of slope must encounter are addressed: (1) the different spatial distributions of the photoreceptor classes across the retina; (2) possible variations in threshold over the course of the experiment; and (3) the large variability of estimates of slope and the need for a method of assessing this variability. Measurements of slope with 2 and 4 deg test flashes against a bright 510 nm field show no significant trend with the wavelength of the test. A novel statistical test bounds the magnitude of possible variations in slope across the visible spectrum.
Response to the letter “Right ventricular dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension” by Ze-Zhou Song

Abstract We appreciate the interest shown by Dr. Song regarding our recent paper demonstrating the utility of tissue strain imaging to identify right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Dr. Song raises several questions that deserve comment. Both RV strain and systolic eccentricity index have been shown to correlate with RV function in patients with PH. We believe that both methods are complimentary to each other in their assessment of RV dysfunction. RV diastolic function was not measured in our study and therefore we cannot comment on its correlation with hemodynamic variables. Future research is warranted to ascertain the role of RV diastolic dysfunction in the progression of RV failure in patients with PH.
Radioactive colloidal gold in the treatment of endometrial cancer: Mayo clinic experience, 1952–1976

A review of 1670 patients with endometrial cancer who were treated between 1952 and 1976 revealed that 15 patients had received radioactive colloidal gold as an adjunct to surgery. Most of the patients had follow-up more than ten years, and all had microscopic tumor contamination of the peritoneal cavity. Of the 15 patients, 13 had biopsy of peritoneal metastases and underwent resection of gross metastatic lesions that were more than 2 mm in diameter. The other two patients had direct extension of the tumor through the uterus into the peritoneal cavity without visible metastasis. The radiogold was inserted from 4-37 days after the initial surgical procedure. The dosage ranged from 100-140 mCi. At follow-up, from 11 years seven months to 24 years two months after treatment, seven patients were alive without evidence of disease. Three died of intercurrent disease, 16 years, and 14 years, and 14 years two months after treatment. Five patients died of cancer, two with local recurrence and three with distant metastases to lung or bone (or both).
Spinning of a Noll simple fluid

Previous results for a class of flows dynamically possible in a Noll simple fluid are the starting point for a description of melt spinning or dry spinning in the limit of a rapidly extruded, small diameter polymer thread. Simultaneous energy and mass transfer, important in the real process, are not taken into account; also neglected are inertial effects, body forces, and surface tension.
Bone Loss of Edentulous Alveolar Ridges

RRR is probably multifactorial process subject to a wide number of covariables. In any given patient, these convariables will be in a unique combination which will determine the rate of RRR for that patient at that time. If the variable change in any given patient, the rate of RRR may change. The dentist who wishes to help his edentulous patient should seek to be sensitive to all these variables, and to understand and treat that unique combination of factors which exists in that patient.
Changing role of even-skipped during the evolution of insect pattern formation

THE development of Drosophila is typical of the so-called long germband mode of insect development, in which the pattern of segments is established by the end of the blastoderm stage1,2. Short germband insects, such as the grasshopper Schistocerca americana, by contrast, generate all or most of their metameric pattern after the blastoderm stage by the sequential addition of segments during caudal elongation3. This difference is discernible at the molecular level in the pattern of initiation of the segment polarity gene engrailed4, and the homeotic gene abdominal-A (ref. 5). For example, in both types of insects, engrailed is expressed by the highly conserved germband stage4,6 in a pattern of regularly spaced stripes, one stripe per segment7–9. In Drosophila, the complete pattern is visible by the end of the blastoderm stage, although engrailed appears initially in alternate segments in a pair-rule pattern9–10 that reflects its known control by pair-rule genes such as even-skipped11*15. In contrast, in the grasshopper, the engrailed stripes appear one at a time after the blastoderm stage as the embryo elongates4. To address the molecular basis for this difference, we have cloned the grasshopper homologue of the Drosophila pair-rule gene even-skipped and show that it does not serve a pair-rule function in early development, although it does have a similar function in both insects during neurogenesis later in development.
Using the Monte Carlo – Library Least-Squares (MCLLS) approach for the in vivo XRF measurement of lead in bone

Abstract The Monte Carlo – Library Least-Squares (MCLLS) method has been developed by the Center for Engineering Applications of Radioisotopes for various XRF applications of multi-elemental composition analysis and implemented with the CEARXRF code. In the present work, it is successfully applied to the in vivo XRF measurement of lead in bone and benchmarked by the measurement of a plaster of Paris phantom of known lead concentration. It is implicitly assumed that if the approach works for this sample that closely approximates the real problem of interest, it will also work for the real in vivo case when the proper description of the real case is used. Traditional techniques for XRF analysis are reviewed briefly and the full advantages of the MCLLS method are discussed. Simulation results are presented that are in good agreement with experimental results. The applicability of the MCLLS method to the lead in bone measurement is supported by the good fitting results obtained with simulated Monte Carlo elemental library spectra and close agreement between simulated and experimental spectra from a calcium-rich matrix-based calibration standard in a test geometrical configuration.
Perspectives on the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Catalyzing Access of Children to Care and Treatment

The successes of the United States and other developed countries in the prevention and treatment of pediatric HIV/AIDS have not been replicated in the developing world, where children continue to become infected with HIV and die from HIV/AIDS at astounding rates. Children are underrepresented among recipients of antiretroviral therapy in almost every setting worldwide where treatment programs have been established. The barriers to scaling up HIV/AIDS care and treatment globally are substantial. Nevertheless, nearly a decade after the introduction of pediatric highly active antiretroviral therapy in the United States, the opportunity finally exists to provide treatment to huge numbers of HIV-infected children in the developing world, changing forever the way that pediatric HIV/AIDS is perceived and managed. We propose the creation of a Clinical Centers of Excellence Network and Pediatric AIDS Corps of US pediatric health professionals, increased support for pediatric research relevant to resource-poor settings, commitment of the US government and others to proportionate funding for pediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment, expanded availability of pediatric antiretroviral drug formulations, and a renewed commitment to collaborative partnerships as practical steps that can be taken to dramatically expand access of HIV-infected children and families in the developing world to health-restoring, life-prolonging care and treatment.
New metal layers for integrated circuit manufacture : experimental and modeling studies

Copper migration continues to be an important consideration in new and emerging interconnect technologies. As line dimensions shrink and new low k materials are introduced into the integrated circuit (IC) structure, the danger of electrical failure due to copper migration increases. The search for better barriers and new copper alloys that resist migration is being sought. Important considerations for copper migration are the adhesion characteristics, which add to the electrical failure phenomenon and also help determine the survivability of the metallic layers in the IC build up process. To understand the survivability issues, we have employed a combination of experimental and modeling studies to determine how the combination of metallic layers may interact. Both the experimental tests and the modeling have been found to be consistent and simple molecular models can be used to predict gross failure trends. These studies have directed us toward newer barrier and copper alloys layers that should be useful in the next generation.
Magnetic resonance imaging of primary intracranial tumors: A review

The experience in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of primary intracranial neoplasia at University of California, San Francisco is reviewed. Seventy patients have been evaluated by MR and computerized tomography (CT). MR scans were performed using a multi-slice spin echo technique with a long pulse repetition time (TR = 2000 msec), and long echo sampling delay (TE = 56 msec). This method was most sensitive in differentiating normal gray and white matter and in detecting both cerebral edema and abnormal tissue with prolonged T2 characteristics. More sensitive to slight alterations in normal tissue, MR may detect a focal lesion in cases in which CT shows only mass effect. Moreover, MR may demonstrate more thoroughly the extent of tumor infiltration and broaden the characterization of abnormal tissue. Posterior fossa and brainstem anatomy are invariably better depicted by MR. The major limitations of MR include its inability to detect foci of tumor calcification, demonstrate the severity of bone destruction, or reliably distinguish tumor nidus from surrounding edema.
Decreased tyrosine/tryptophan ratio in a 6.6S cryoglobulin, as determined by a spectrophotometric technique

Abstract The tyrosine/tryptophan ratio in a human IgG and in a 6.6S cryoglobulin has been determined by the spectrophotometric technique of Bencze and Schmid. This ratio is significantly lower in the cryoglobulin, and may explain some of the abnormal solubility characteristics.
Method for nonlocal optical model calculations.

A fast method is presented for nonlocal optical model calculations, utilizing the Lanczos method for solving an integral equation derived from the Schr\"odinger equation. The method is tested against ``exact'' solutions for a few examples, demonstrating its usefulness. It is further pointed out that the method is well adapted for solving large dimension coupled-channels equations very efficiently.
Effect of elbow position on canine flexor digitorum profundus tendon tension.

Abstract Tendon injury in the finger remains a clinical challenge to hand surgeons. A canine model is commonly used to study biological effects of tendon injuries and their treatment. There is an important anatomical difference between human and canine anatomy that may be overlooked, however, namely that most of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscle in dogs takes its origin from the medial epicondyle of the humerus, whereas in humans this muscle arises purely from the forearm. Therefore, elbow position can affect the tension of this muscle in dogs, while having no effect in humans. The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of elbow position on tendon tension in the canine digit in vitro. Elbow position had a significant effect on tendon tension. Digit motion with the elbow fully flexed resulted in significantly higher tendon tension compared to digit motion with the elbow flexed 90° or fully extended, regardless of digit or wrist position ( p p p We conclude that, in the canine model, elbow position is an important parameter that affects the passive tension applied to the flexor digitorum profundus, and, by implication, to any repair of that tendon. Dog flexor tendon rehabilitation protocols should therefore specify elbow position, in addition to wrist and digit position.
Adenylate cyclase and cell cyclic AMP of rat cortical thick ascending limb of Henle

Adenylate cyclase and cell cyclic AMP of rat cortical thick ascending; limb of Henle. Effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin (CT). vasopressin (VP), and glucagon (GL) on adenylate cyclase activity and cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels in isolated cortical thick ascending limbs of Henle's loop (CTAL) of the rat kidney were examined. PTH, CT, and VP each stimulated adenylate cyclase of this nephron segment in a dose-dependent manner. Stimulation of the enzyme activity was greatest with a maximal dose of PTH and least with VP. With maxima] doses, the effects of PTH and CT were not additive; whether or not the effects of maximal doses of VP and PTH or CT were additive was not clear. All three hormones increase cAMP in intact CTAL in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal doses of PTH, CT, VP, and GL resulted in comparable rises in cell cAMP, and there was no additive effect. These data suggest that PTH and CT may stimulate the same adenylate cyclase moieties, whereas VP may stimulate distinct enzyme moieties, and that these three peptide hormones as well as GL definitely act on the same cell group in rat CTAL. Thus, it is possible that these hormones may induce qualitatively similar effects on CTAL functions if such effects are mediated by cAMP. Adenylate cyclase et AMP cyclique cellulaire de la branche ascendante large de l'anse de Henle chez le rat. Les effets de l'hormone parathyroidienne (PTH), de la calcitonine (CT), de la vasopressine (VP) et du glucagon (GL) sur l'activite adenylate cyclase et la concentration de cAMP dans des anses ascendantes larges corticales de Henle (CTAL) du rein de rat ont ete etudies. La PTH, la CT, et la VP stimulent individuellement l'adenylate cyclase de ce segment d'une facon dependante de la dose. La stimulation maximale de l'activite enzymatique est la plus grande avec la PTH et moindre avec VP. A concentrations maximales, les effets de la PTH et de la CT ne sont pas additifs; il n'est pas clairement etabli que les effets de concentrations maximales de VP et de PTH ou de VP et de CT sont ou non additifs. Les trois hormones augmentent cAMP dans le CTAL intact d'une facon dependante de la concentration. Des concentrations maximales de PTH, de CT, de VP, et de GL determinent des augmentations de concentration comparable de cAMP cellulaire et il n'y a pas d'additivite. Ces resultats suggerent que la PTH et la CT pourraient moduler les memes fractions d'adenylate cyclase alors que la VP stimulerait une fraction distincte, et que ces trois hormones peptidiques de meme que GL agissent sur le meme type cellulaire du CTAL du rat. Ainsi il est possible que ces hormones puissent induire des effets qualitativement similaires sur les fonctions du CTAL si ces effets ont le cAMP pour mediateur.
On the problem of k-coverage in 3d wireless sensor networks: A Reuleaux tetrahedron-based approach

The quality of monitoring accomplished by wireless sensor networks (WSNs) mainly depends on the service of coverage provided by the deployed sensors. In particular, redundant coverage is essential to several applications, where an event is simultaneously detected by multiple sensors. While several protocols have been proposed for two-dimensional (2D) space, little work has been focused on three-dimensional (3D) space although it is more accurate for the design of sensing applications. In this paper, we consider the problem of k-coverage in 3D WSNs, where each point is covered by at least k sensors. Specifically, we propose to use Helly's Theorem and the Reuleaux tetrahedron model for characterizing k-coverage of a 3D deployment field. This leads to develop a placement strategy of sensors to fully k-cover a 3D field. Then, we design an energy-efficient sensor selection protocol for 3D k-covered WSNs to extend the network lifetime. We corroborate our analysis with various simulation results.
Vygotsky and Consciousness as Con-scientia, as Witnessable Knowing Along with Others

All our higher mental functions are mediated processes, says Vygotsky, and signs are the basic means used to master and direct them. But how can this be if our words and other signs work only in a purely representational, ‘picturing’ fashion? For they still need interpreting as to their meaning. The ‘inner observation’ problem remains unsolved. Our significant expressions must also work on us in another way: by the living expressions of others producing spontaneous bodily reactions from us. The approach taken, then, in this article is that consciousness is a socially responsive elaboration of our animal sensitivities to, and awareness of, events occurring in our relations to the others and othernesses in our surroundings. Thus, far from it being a special, private, inner theater or workshop of the mind, its emergence depends completely on the intertwining or intermingling of our ‘inner lives’ with the ‘inner’ lives of those around us. In this view, our consciousness then becomes no more strange to us than...
Polymer photovoltaic cells : enhanced efficiencies via a network of internal donor-acceptor heterojunctions

The carrier collection efficiency (ηc) and energy conversion efficiency (ηe) of polymer photovoltaic cells were improved by blending of the semiconducting polymer with C60 or its functionalized derivatives. Composite films of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and fullerenes exhibit ηc of about 29 percent of electrons per photon and ηe of about 2.9 percent, efficiencies that are better by more than two orders of magnitude than those that have been achieved with devices made with pure MEH-PPV. The efficient charge separation results from photoinduced electron transfer from the MEH-PPV (as donor) to C60 (as acceptor); the high collection efficiency results from a bicontinuous network of internal donor-acceptor heterojunctions.
Polynomial psychometric functions in audition

Abstract Forced-choice psychometric functions are analyzed for the case of auditory energy detection in which a noise-filled interval is compared with a sine wave in noise. The psychometric functions are shown to have polynomial form. Probability of a correct choice is determined by the ratio of signal energy to noise power per unit bandwidth. The degree of the polynomial is fixed by the degrees of freedom of the noise. Special cases are computed and illustrated.
NEAR-FIELD IMAGING BY NEGATIVE PERMITTIVITY MEDIA

The imaging of the near field by a slab of negative permit- tivity medium is discussed. The performance of this flat lens is limited by the working wavenumber k0 and the slab thickness d. For k0d 0.937, the resolution of the flat lens can be smaller than the wavelength and de- pends logarithmically on 1/k0d. The electric field is finite everywhere, but will diverge algebraically as one reduces k0d 3 0. © 2003 Wiley Periodi- cals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 282-286, 2003; Published on- line in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ mop.11191
Vesicant Agents and Antivesicant Medical Countermeasures: Clinical Toxicology and Psychological Implications

The ability of vesicant agents to produce debilitating cutaneous blisters, respiratory problems, acute visual impairment, or all of these, is well recognized. Their psychological impact on members ...
Tarzan the German-Eater

This article raises questions about methodology in the study of transnational popular writing by examining the international popularity of Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of the Tarzan novels. Critical anti-imperialist analyses have found in Burroughs's fiction a dangerous metaphorics supporting imperialistic US foreign policies. In Weimar Germany, resistance to the Tarzan novels emerged that all but eliminated the market for these otherwise internationally popular fictions. Yet the German reaction shows how the idea of 'empire', embodied in tropes of race and gender, could continue to function in debates about international popular literature. At the same time, Burroughs was forced to adapt to international markets by tempering his imperialistic fictions. Burroughs's work after the controversy shows a shift in the depiction of national 'others', yet it had little radical potential because Burroughs had turned his imperial gaze inward, towards the internally colonized: Native Americans.
PRATM - Derived PRASAN Error Concealment Model for Efficient Transmission of MPEG Video Streams Over ATM Networks

Efficient recovery of video sequences from compressed video, transmitted over data networks is one of the biggest challenges to researchers in the field. This paper addresses this problem in context of asynchronous transfer mode networks (ATM) and proposes a model for error free recovery of damaged/lost data. In ATM networks channel errors or congestion cause data to be dropped, which results in the loss of entire macro blocks of MPEG video being transmitted. The proposed model PRATM employs the bit mapping procedure defined in PRASAN error concealment model and applies the mapping algorithm to the intra frames of GOPs for providing enhanced compression by generating correlation polynomials. The major contribution of this paper is the inclusion of additional header block, containing the correlation information derived from the principle of bit level mapping for the payload data of high priority ATM packets carrying the video information. The high priority data, taken two (termed inverse pair) at a time are subjected to bit level mapping and the obtained correlation polynomial information is provided as the header in both the considered data. This is a measure taken to cope with extreme congestion condition when even a high priority packet could be lost in the channel
The Effect of Multilayer Patterns on Temperature Uniformity during Rapid Thermal Processing

This work aims to systematically gain an understanding of the effects of multilayer patterns on wafer temperature uniformity during rapid thermal processing (RTP) and to explore possible solutions to the problem. The radiative properties of patterned wafers are predicted using electromagnetic multilayer theory, including a model for the temperature-dependent optical constants of silicon for wavelengths greater than 0.4 μm. The model for predicting radiative properties is coupled to a finite element-based reactor transport model to predict steady-state and transient wafer temperature distributions. A generic two-dimensional axisymmetric single-side illumination RTP system is used as a test bed to explore pattern effects. Realistic examples of shallow junction annealing and titanium silicidation are simulated. Results show that pattern effects are an important consideration for rapid thermal processes and that wafer processing, front and back side illumination, and reactor design all have significant effects on pattern-induced temperature nonuniformity.
Sizing strategies in heart and lung transplantation: you cannot manage what you do not measure.

When my 7-year-old daughter asked me to explain to her what it was that I was working on, I tried to explain to her how better regression models allow better estimation of heart size, and that a too-small heart doesn’t do as well. I did not think she would understand. “Like the Grinch?” she asked, clearly thinking of the Dr Seuss character whose heart was “two sizes too small” [2]. She understood perfectly. The significance of recipient to donor organ size matching in heart transplantation has long been under-appreciated, likely reflecting failure to measure (and thus appreciate) true differences in size. Current practice utilizes recipient and donor weights as the principal surrogate of organ size in the matching process. Recipients are most often listed for acceptable donor weight ranges between 30% higher or lower than the recipient’s weight [3]. Unfortunately, body weight is an imperfect predictor of cardiac size and this weight-based approach is of questionable value. A series of investigations have shown that donor to recipient weight discrepancies are not associated with differential survival after cardiac transplantation [3–5]. So, we may ask – in the presence of good data showing no effect – why do we continue the practice? Is it simply because there has been no better alternative proposed? Another curiosity of cardiac transplantation that has been poorly explained, again due to failure to adequately estimate size differences, is the observation that a donor to recipient sex mismatch correlates with worse survival [4]. Particularly notable is the excess risk associated with a female donor heart transplanted into a male recipient.
Human Factors Analysis Classification System Relating to Human Error Awareness Taxonomy in Construction Safety

In several studies it is widely accepted that human error is the main reason for up to 80% of all incidents and accidents in complex high-risk systems that exist in the aviation, petrochemical, healthcare, construction, mining, and nuclear power industries. The construction industry, greatly impacted by accidents, is accountable for more than 1,000 fatalities in each of the past 14 years. The human factors analysis classification system (HFACS) is a general human error framework originally developed and tested as a tool for investigating and analyzing the human causes of accidents with applications to rail, air, and offshore environments. This paper introduces the concept of HFACS along with the framework of human error awareness training (HEAT) and their potential contribution to the construction industry. Based on the HEAT approach, this paper proposes a new error analysis educational and classification tool for safety within the construction industry. The primary difference between HFACS and HEAT is found in the structure, content, and presentation of the information allowing for higher effectiveness in incident investigation and safety education and training in construction.
Cannon Coating Erosion Model With Updated M829E3 Example

Abstract : The cannon coating erosion model is necessary since most current/future cannons will require a refractory metal bore coating. Coated cannon bore erosion does not simply proceed in a outward to inward ablative fashion due to coating spalling. Typical firing induced cannon erosion sequentially includes heat check cracking of the refractory metal coating, coating shrinkage leading to progressive widening of these cracks, combustion gas induced interface degradation of the exposed substrate metal, interfacial spalling of refractory metal coating platelets due to linked interfacial degradation which forms pits, and subsequent substrate metal gas wash to erosion condemnation. The purpose of this paper is to review typical cannon erosion mechanisms, highlight the resultant cannon coating erosion model, show how this very critical coatings model incorporates into our overall cannon erosion code (CEC), and provide an example. This example is an updated erosion prediction for the experimental non-ablative M829E3 kinetic energy tank round which puts the program just shy of its 180 round target. In addition, this example is for both HEAT type rounds which alter the M829E3 erosion pattern and the absence of these HEAT type rounds. This cannon coating erosion model correlates very well with laboratory/firing data and has been used for three years on a number of important Army and Navy gun systems.
Statin and aspirin therapy are associated with decreased rates of choroidal neovascularization among patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the relationship between statin and aspirin use and the risk of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Retrospective consecutive case series. Methods All patients 60 years and older with AMD who were seen between January 1, 1990, and March 1, 2003, at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Hospital Eye Clinic with fundus photographs were included. Patients with other diagnoses predisposing to CNV or incomplete medical records were excluded. The main outcome measure was angiographically evident CNV. Diagnosis was based on review of fundus photographs and fluorescein angiograms in masked fashion; medical records were reviewed for variables possibly predisposing to CNV or statin use. For patients with CNV, age of onset was recorded; those without CNV were treated as censored. Age-related macular degeneration disease status and time of onset of CNV was compared between patients treated or not treated with statins for at least 6 months. Results Of 326 patients with AMD, 104 had CNV, 204 had dry AMD, and 18 had geographic atrophy (GA). Of CNV subjects, 21 (20%) used statins, compared with 77 (38%) of dry AMD subjects without GA and 6 (33%) of controls with GA (hazard ratio=0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.31–0.86, P = .01). Aspirin use was also significantly associated with decreased rates of CNV; 62 CNV subjects (60%) used aspirin, compared with 154 (75%) dry AMD subjects without GA or 12 (67%) with GA (hazard ratio=0.63, 95% CI=0.40–0.98, P = .04). Conclusions Therapy with statins or aspirin is associated with decreased rates of CNV among AMD patients. Additional study with a prospective and/or randomized trial of statin and aspirin use in AMD patients is warranted.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia in severe traumatic brain injury: the clinical significance of admission chest computed tomography findings

Abstract Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) is a significant morbidity. Bilateral dependent consolidation (BDC) can be seen on admission chest computed tomography (CCT) in STBI. We hypothesize that this finding may be associated with VAP. Materials and methods We retrospectively studied patients who sustained STBI after blunt injury and survived >48 h, who were admitted over a 40-mo period. We defined STBI as an admission Glasgow Coma Scale Score ≤8. We identified VAP by an elevated white blood cell count, a new infiltrate on chest x-ray, and a positive respiratory culture in a ventilated patient. Variables included demographics, injury, admission CCT, and culture data. We compared BDC-positive and BDC-negative patients. Results There were 33 cases of VAP in 94 study patients (35.1%), in whom the incidence of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring (66.7% versus 39.3%; P = 0.011) was significantly increased. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was significantly increased in the 28 patients (29.8%) in the BDC-positive group (16 [57.1%] versus 17 (25.6%); P = 0.004). Bilateral dependent consolidation independently predicted VAP. In the 33 VAP cases, gram-negative organisms were present in 27 patients (81.8%), with a predominance of Enterobacteriaceae (16 patients [48.5%]). Culture results did not significantly differ between the early ( Conclusions Ventilator-associated pneumonia is common after STBI, and BDC is independently associated; however, there is no predilection for specific organisms. Admission CCT findings may prove useful in identifying a group of STBI patients at higher risk for VAP.
Propylene glycol: the safe diluent that continues to cause harm

Propylene glycol (PG) is present in many pharmaceutical products, lotions, ointments, and cosmetics. Although considered to be a relatively safe substance, overdoses have been associated with serious adverse effects. Propylene glycol intoxication occurred in a child and caused central nervous system depression and a severe metabolic acidosis. Initial assessment revealed an elevated serum anion gap, a slight increase in measured serum osmolality, and a normal osmolal gap. The child's acidosis was due to increased concentrations of lactate and pyruvate. The possibility of serious PG intoxication should be considered in any patient with an unexplained serious metabolic acidosis.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Signaling in Plant Immunity—At the Crossroad of Life and Death

Rapid and complex immune responses are induced in plants upon pathogen recognition. One form of plant defense response is a programmed burst in transcription and translation of pathogenesis-related proteins, of which many rely on ER processing. Interestingly, several ER stress marker genes are up-regulated during early stages of immune responses, suggesting that enhanced ER capacity is needed for immunity. Eukaryotic cells respond to ER stress through conserved signaling networks initiated by specific ER stress sensors tethered to the ER membrane. Depending on the nature of ER stress the cell prioritizes either survival or initiates programmed cell death (PCD). At present two plant ER stress sensors, bZIP28 and IRE1, have been described. Both sensor proteins are involved in ER stress-induced signaling, but only IRE1 has been additionally linked to immunity. A second branch of immune responses relies on PCD. In mammals, ER stress sensors are involved in activation of PCD, but it is unclear if plant ER stress sensors play a role in PCD. Nevertheless, some ER resident proteins have been linked to pathogen-induced cell death in plants. In this review, we will discuss the current understanding of plant ER stress signaling and its cross-talk with immune signaling.
Mechanisms of injury in the central nervous system.

Neurotoxicants with similar structural features or common mechanisms of chemical action frequently produce widely divergent neuropathologic outcomes. Methylmercury (MeHg) produces marked cerebellar dysmorphogenesis during critical periods of development. The pathologic picture is characterized by complete architectural disruption of neuronal elements within the cerebellum. MeHg binds strongly to protein and soluble sulphydryl groups. Binding to microtubular -SH groups results in catastrophic depolymerization of immature tyrosinated microtubules. However, more mature acetylated microtubules are resistant to MeHg-induced depolymerization. In contrast to MeHg, the structurally similar organotin trimethyltin (TMT) elicits specific apoptotic destruction of pyramidal neurons in the CA3 region of the hippocampus and in other limbic structures. Expression of the phylogenetically conserved protein stannin is required for development of TMT-induced lesions. Inhibition of expression using antisense oligonucleotides ...
A two-dimensional relativistic (Gamma = 3.25) jet simulation

A numerical simulation of a fully relativistic jet in slab geometry is presented. The simulation uses a covariant divergence formulation of the equations of hydrodynamics. A Mach disk familiar from nonrelativistic simulations is observed. We also find relativistically narrow streaks in the pressure distribution near the aperture.
Cellular Defenses against Superoxide and Hydrogen Peroxide

Life evolved in an anaerobic world; therefore, fundamental enzymatic mechanisms and biochemical pathways were refined and integrated into metabolism in the absence of any selective pressure to avoid reactivity with oxygen. After photosystem II appeared, environmental oxygen levels rose very slowly. During this time, microorganisms acquired oxygen tolerance by jettisoning enzymes that use glycyl radicals and exposed low-potential iron-sulfur clusters, which can be directly poisoned by oxygen. They also developed mechanisms to defend themselves against superoxide (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide, partially reduced oxygen species that are generated as inadvertent by-products of aerobic metabolism. Contemporary organisms have inherited both the vulnerabilities and the defenses of these ancestral microbes. Current research seeks to identify these, and bacteria comprise an exceptionally accessible experimental system that has provided many of the answers. This manuscript reviews recent developments and identifies re...
Sex and electroencephalographic synchronization after photic stimulation predict signal changes in the visual cortex on functional MR images

PURPOSE We evaluated factors that influence MR signal changes during photic stimulation of the visual cortex. We also tested the hypothesis that functional MR imaging response corresponds to electroencephalographic (EEG) synchronization after photic stimulation. METHODS Thirty-eight healthy subjects, 20 men and 18 women, underwent photic stimulation of the visual cortex. They were studied with a 1.5-T MR unit, and photic stimulation was induced via 8-Hz LED goggles. Seven subjects with and seven without detectable functional MR imaging response to photic stimulation underwent further studies with 16-channel EEG after 2- to 30-Hz stroboscopic stimulation. RESULTS Thirteen men and 18 women had a significant increase in MR signal in the visual cortex; seven men showed no visual cortex activation during more than two repeated studies. Six of seven volunteers with increased functional MR imaging signal after photic stimulation also showed signs of EEG synchronization when an 8-Hz stroboscopic flash was used; six of seven subjects with no functional MR imaging lacked EEG synchronization at 8-Hz stimulation. CONCLUSIONS Men were more likely than women to have undetectable MR signal changes after photic stimulation. This finding should be considered when interpreting results of functional MR imaging studies. EEG with stroboscopic examination is a good predictor of functional MR imaging sensitivity to changes in regional cerebral blood flow induced by sensory stimulation.
Home grocery delivery improves the household food environments of behavioral weight loss participants: Results of an 8-week pilot study

Household food availability is consistently linked to dietary intake; yet behavioral weight control treatment includes only minimal instruction on how to change the home environment to support dietary goals. This pilot study examined whether it is feasible to change the household food environments of behavioral weight loss participants through the use of a commercially available grocery home delivery service. Overweight participants (N = 28; BMI = 31.7 ± 3.6 kg/m2; 89.3% women, 47.9 ± 9.5 years) were randomly assigned to 8-weeks of standard behavioral weight loss (SBT) or to SBT plus home food delivery (SBT+Home). SBT+Home participants were instructed to do their household grocery shopping via an online service affiliated with a regional supermarket chain and were reimbursed for delivery charges. Compared to SBT, SBT+Home produced significantly greater reductions in the total number of foods in the home (p = .01) and number of foods that were high in fat (p = .002). While the groups did not differ in 8-week weight losses, within SBT+Home there was a trend for the number of home deliveries to be associated with weight loss (p = .08). Participants reported that the home delivery service was easy to use and that it helped decrease impulse purchases and lead to healthier choices; however, few planned to continue using the service after the study. Encouraging weight loss participants to use a commercially available online grocery ordering and home delivery service reduces the overall number of food items in the home and decreases access to high-fat food choices. More research is needed to determine whether this is a viable strategy to strengthen stimulus control and improve weight loss outcomes.
A novel family of P-loop NTPases with an unusual phyletic distribution and transmembrane segments inserted within the NTPase domain

Background Recent sequence-structure studies on P-loop-fold NTPases have substantially advanced the existing understanding of their evolution and functional diversity. These studies provide a framework for characterization of novel lineages within this fold and prediction of their functional properties.
Macromineral physiology and application to the feeding of the dairy cow for prevention of milk fever and other periparturient mineral disorders

The periparturient cow undergoes a transition from non-lactating to lactating at calving. The animal is tremendously challenged to maintain calcium homeostasis. Those that fail can develop milk fever, a clinical disorder that is life threatening to the cow and predisposes the cow to a variety of other disorders. Less dramatic sub-clinical hypocalcemia can also reduce productivity of cattle by reducing feed intake in early lactation. The cause and prevention of milk fever will be discussed, focusing on the role of diet cation–anion difference and use of low calcium diets. The periparturient period also typically causes minor perturbations in blood potassium and phosphorus concentrations. Occasionally these disturbances are severe enough to be the cause of recumbency and the “downer cow” syndrome. Pathogenesis of these syndromes will be discussed. Low blood magnesium concentrations are observed when animals are fed inadequate amounts of magnesium or some factor is present in the diet, which prevents adequate absorption of magnesium. Severe hypomagnesemia can cause tetany and the downer cow syndrome, but more commonly moderate hypomagnesemia impairs the ability of the cow to maintain calcium homeostasis and hypocalcemia occurs secondary to the hypomagnesemia.
Intravenous Contrast Material Exposure Is Not an Independent Risk Factor for Dialysis or Mortality

Our findings suggest that intravenous contrast material administration is not associated with an excess risk of acute kidney injury, dialysis, or death, even among patients with compromised renal function or comorbidities reported to predispose them to nephrotoxicity.
Rabbits Produce Sle-Like Anti-RNA Polymerase I and Anti-DNA Autoantibodies in Responses to Immunization with Either Human or Murine SLE Anti-Dna Antibodies

Anti-DNA and anti-DNA polymerase I (RPI) autoantibody responses are symptoms of systemic lupus ery-thematosus (SLE). To investigate the relationship between these antibodies (Ab), rabbits were immunized with one of the following preparations: human SLE anti-DNA Ab; human SLE anti-DNA IgG; normal human anti-DNA Ab; human Grave's disease anti-DNA Ab; murine SLE anti-DNA Ab or anti-DNA IgG Fab; various normal human, murine, or rabbit IgG preparations; or complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), alone. All of the animals immunized with anti-DNA Ab (n=14) generated Ab reactive in radioimmunoassay with: ssDNA, dsDNA, RPI, the soluble fraction of rabbit liver crude nuclear extract, and the immunogen. Induced rabbit anti-DNA Ab in turn induced these responses in a different rabbit: a rabbit immunized with rabbit anti-DNA IgG Ab which had been previously induced by immunization with human anti-DNA Ab, produced Ab reactive with ssDNA, dsDNA, RPI, and the soluble fraction of rabbit liver nuclear extract. Although an indivi...
Effect of Certain Drugs in Perfused Human Placenta XII: Autacoid Antagonism by Phenothiazines

Abstract The effects of chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, and trifluoperazine on the pressor actions of serotonin, angiotensin, and bradykinin in the perfused vessels of full‐term human placentas were investigated. A significant inhibition of the effect of serotonin was observed with trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine but not with prochlorperazine. This inhibition is attributed to the ability of phenothiazines to cause adrenergic blockade. Because both bradykinin and angiotensin could not be consistently antagonized, it is concluded that they must act primarily via musculotropic mechanisms and only secondarily by stimulation of adrenergic receptors.