cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast eye diagram analysis for high-speed CMOS circuits

We present an efficient technique for analyzing eye diagrams of high speed CMOS circuits in the presence of non-idealities like noise and jitter. Our method involves geometric manipulations of the eye diagram topology to find area within the eye contours. We introduce random tree based simulations as an approach to computing the desired area. We typically show 20× speedup in generating the eye diagram as compared to the state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulation based eye diagram analysis. For the same number of samples, Monte Carlo produces an eye diagram that is 8.51% smaller than the ideal eye diagram. We generate an eye diagram that is 53.52% smaller than the ideal eye, showing a 47% improvement in quality.
Plantar forces in flexor hallucis longus versus flexor digitorum longus transfer in adult acquired flatfoot deformity.

Background:Flexor hallucis longus (FHL) and flexor digitorum longus (FDL) tendon transfers are frequently used to restore the function of a deficient tibialis posterior tendon in stage II adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD). Either transfer causes some loss in toe flexion force, although the decision to tenodese the cut tendon to restore associated function remains controversial. This study quantified changes in plantar force before and after tendon transfer and with or without distal tenodesis in a cadaveric model.Methods:The plantar force distribution of 10 matched pairs of statically loaded cadaveric lower extremities was investigated. Each foot was tested when it was intact, after FDL/FHL tendon transfer, and after tendon transfer + tenodesis.Results:Transfer of either FHL or FDL showed a statistically significant decrease in flexion force of the great toe (P < .01) and lesser toes (P < .001), respectively. Subsequent tenodesis in either tendon demonstrated an ability to restore flexion force in ...
Clinical massively parallel next-generation sequencing analysis of 409 cancer-related genes for mutations and copy number variations in solid tumours.

Clinical massively parallel next-generation sequencing analysis of 409 cancer-related genes for mutations and copy number variations in solid tumours
A single temperature amplification technique applied to the detection of citrus tristeza viral RNA in plant nucleic acid extracts.

Abstract A procedure for the successful detection of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) RNA in total crude nucleic acid extracts of infected citrus whole leaves and bark is described. The method requires the isolation and precipitation of total nucleic acids from either infected whole leaf or bark tissue. The CTV viral RNA is then specifically amplified using a single temperature RNA Self-Sustained Sequence Replication technique (3SRTM) performed at 42°C for 60 minutes. The amplified negative-sense viral RNA product can subsequently be detected by fixing a portion of the reaction mixture onto a nylon membrane and hybridizing with positive sense tristeza specific DNA oligonucleotide probes. Central California isolates of CTV were readily detected by this method. Denatured viral specific dsRNA was also a suitable template for the specific detection of CTV.
Functional properties of wheat-bean composite flours.

Functional properties of wheat flour and its blends with six bean flours at three levels of replacement (10, 20, and 30%) were investigated. Water and oil absorption, foaming capacity and stability, and emulsifying activity and stability increased with increasing levels of bean flours in the blends. Composite flours had higher pasting properties compared to those of wheat flour as measured in the Brabender Viscoamylograph. As the level of bean flour in the composite was increased, farinograph absorption and mixing tolerance index increased, whereas mixing time and dough stability decreased.
Analysis of Listeria monocytogenes by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and application of the method to epidemiologic investigations.

Abstract We examined 310 strains of Listeria monocytogenes by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Fifty-six electrophoretic types (ETs) of the organism were defined: 10 for serovar 4b strains, 11 for serovar 1/2b strains, and 30 for serovar 1/2a strains. Strains of serovars 1/2c, 3a, and 3b, and a non-typable strain were distributed among the remaining five ETs. The mean genetic diversity of the species was 0.41. Principal coordinate analysis revealed a sharp division among ETs which divided the species into two major clusters. ETs containing serovar 1/2a strains were in one cluster while all ETs containing serovar 4b, 1/2b, and 3b strains were in the second cluster. Except for two ETs that contained strains from both serovar 1/2b and serovar 3b, no ET contained strains from more than one serovar. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis facilatated the analysis of epidemiologic data. In three separate epidemiologic investigations electrophoretic typing confirmed a common source as a cause of an outbreak; in a fourth investigation a single common source as a cause of an outbreak was effectively ruled out. Electrophoretic typing was also useful in documenting potential links between Listeria contaminated foods and persons with listeriosis who consumed those foods.
Conducive integral domains

This article introduces the concept of a conducive domain, that is, an integral domain each of whose overrings, apart from the quotient field, has nonzero conductor. The principal examples of conducive domains are all D + M constructions and all (pseudo-) valuation domains. Several characterizations are obtained, notably that a domain R is conducive if and only if R has a valuation overring with nonzero conductor. It is proved that if R is a conducive domain but not a field, then Spec(R) is pinched at a prime P such that the set of primes within P is linearly ordered. The converse is shown for R a Prufer domain, in which case P = PRp. Consequences include pullback characterizations of the seminormal (resp., Prufer) conducive domains. Special attention is paid to the class of conducive G-domains, with attendant interplay between “conducive” and the property of having a maximum overring.
Effects of a calcium and vitamin D supplement on alveolar ridge resorption in immediate denture patients

The effect of a calcium and vitamin D dietary supplement on postextraction alveolar bone resorption is reported. Mean alveolar bone loss for patients receiving the supplement was 36% less than that for patients receiving a placebo medication in a 1-year double-blind study of 46 immediate denture patients. Relationships between alveolar bone resorption, osteoporosis, and adequacy of dietary calcium-phosphorus ratios were discussed, and clinical implications of recent research findings were presented.
U.S. Department of Energy sponsored in-depth safety assessments of VVER and RBMK reactors.

Throughout the 1990s the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy has worked to build capability in countries of the former Soviet Union to assess the safety of their VVER and RBMK reactors. Through this Plant Safety Evaluation Program, deterministic and probabilistic analyses have been used to provide a documented plant risk profile to support safe plant operation and to set priorities for safety upgrades. Work has been sponsored at fourteen nuclear power plant sites in eight countries. The Plant Safety Evaluation Program has resulted in immediate and long-term safety benefits for the Soviet-designed nuclear plants.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Barriers to the implementation of competency-based education and assessment: a survey of otolaryngology program directors.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To identify the barriers faced by otolaryngology program directors as they implement competency-based education and assessment and to identify preferred approaches to meet these challenges as suggested by program directors. Study Design: A national survey of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery program directors. Methods: We developed a 20-item questionnaire that was distributed to 102 otolaryngology program directors through SurveyMonkey. Nonrespondents were reminded by follow-up email and phone calls. Results were analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis. Results: A total of 88 (86%) program directors responded to the survey. There was a marked discrepancy between the income received and time spent performing the duties of the program director. Program director workload was recognized as the most important barrier to the implementation of competency-based education. Creating a practical clearinghouse of existing and emerging assessment tools was given the highest rating among the approaches to meet the challenges faced by program directors. Conclusions: Program directors in otolaryngology do not have sufficient financial support, protected time, and personnel to fulfill their administrative and educational responsibilities. They should be provided with additional institutional assistance to help them achieve the goals of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education outcome project.
Transport of surface-active organic materials from seawater to the air-water interface by an ascending current field

Surface slicks at sea are characterized by the occurence of capillary-wave damping materials at the air-water interface. Physical mechanisms causing such slicks are believed to include internal waves, Langmuir circulations, and other phenomena involving vertical or horizontal transport and compression of surfactants We report the rates of transport and deposition of four naturally occurring surface-active organic materials to the seawater-air interface by an ascending current field. Our results indicate that the susceptibility of these materials to transport by current follows the same relative order as their susceptibility by bubbles (although the latter rate is dramatically greater). The current transport results obtained can be explained by standard surface adsorption kinetics. Our data also indicate that subtle variations in the chemical structure and polarity of different materials may be major determining factors influencing their transport to the sea surface by currents.
Locations of zeros of predictor Polynomials

This work shows that the zeros of the predictor polynomial determined by a finite-data least-squares linear prediction problem lie inside an irregular polygon contained in the unit circle of the complex plane. The polygon is independent of the data, only depending on the length of the data and the order of the predictor. The results are an analytic statement of the resolution limitations of spectral estimates based on finite-data least-squares linear predictors.
The response of real estate investment trust returns to macroeconomic shocks

Abstract To date, there has been considerable concern with evaluating the performance of real estate returns or determining the significance of fundamental state variables. This paper differs from the existing literature by identifying the response of real estate investment trust (REIT) returns to unexpected changes in the real output growth, the inflation, the default risk premium, and the stance of monetary policy utilizing the newly developed technique of generalized impulse response analysis. The generalized impulse response method does not impose a priori restrictions as to the relative importance each of these variables may play in the transmission process. The results show the extent and the magnitude of the relationship between the REIT market and macroeconomic factors. In particular, we find that shocks to monetary policy, economic growth, and inflation all lead to lower than expected returns, while a shock to the default risk premium is associated with higher future returns.
Plasma prostaglandin levels in radiation-induced enteritis

Increased prostaglandin synthesis has been implicated as a causative factor in the production of radiation induced enteritis. Seventeen patients selected to begin pelvic irradiation for treatment of gynecological cancer had plasma Prostaglandin E, Prostaglandin F, and 13, 14 dihydro 15 keto PGF2 alpha metabolite determined by radioimmunoassay, prior to initiation of radiotherapy, at weekly intervals during treatment and at six weeks following completion of radiotherapy. A total of 362 prostaglandin determinations were performed. Thirteen patients (76%) developed significant diarrhea consisting of three or more watery bowel movements per day. Nine patients (53%) had intermittent colicky pain and six patients (35%) had nausea and vomiting during treatment. Statistical evaluation revealed no significant elevation of plasma prostaglandins during radiotherapy.
Three dimensional time reversal optical tomography

Time reversal optical tomography (TROT) approach is used to detect and locate absorptive targets embedded in a highly scattering turbid medium to assess its potential in breast cancer detection. TROT experimental arrangement uses multi-source probing and multi-detector signal acquisition and Multiple-Signal-Classification (MUSIC) algorithm for target location retrieval. Light transport from multiple sources through the intervening medium with embedded targets to the detectors is represented by a response matrix constructed using experimental data. A TR matrix is formed by multiplying the response matrix by its transpose. The eigenvectors with leading non-zero eigenvalues of the TR matrix correspond to embedded objects. The approach was used to: (a) obtain the location and spatial resolution of an absorptive target as a function of its axial position between the source and detector planes; and (b) study variation in spatial resolution of two targets at the same axial position but different lateral positions. The target(s) were glass sphere(s) of diameter ~9 mm filled with ink (absorber) embedded in a 60 mm-thick slab of Intralipid-20% suspension in water with an absorption coefficient μa ~ 0.003 mm-1 and a transport mean free path lt ~ 1 mm at 790 nm, which emulate the average values of those parameters for human breast tissue. The spatial resolution and accuracy of target location depended on axial position, and target contrast relative to the background. Both the targets could be resolved and located even when they were only 4-mm apart. The TROT approach is fast, accurate, and has the potential to be useful in breast cancer detection and localization.
Intake of meat, meat mutagens, and iron and the risk of breast cancer in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

Intake of meat, meat mutagens, and iron and the risk of breast cancer in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
A variable-loop Sagnac interferometer for distributed impact sensing

A variable-loop fiber optic Sagnac interferometer is designed to locate a time-varying disturbance. Phase perturbation on a Sagnac loop produces a nonreciprocal phase signal which contains information of the perturbation location. Both location and amplitude of the perturbation can be determined by combining two phase signals from the variable-loop Sagnac interferometer. Spatial resolution better than 1 m has been demonstrated in a 180 m prototype system.
Direct Observation of Friction at the Atomic Scale

An atomic force microscope has been used to measure the frictional force on a tungsten tip sliding across the basal plane of graphite at low loads < 10-4 N. The frictional force displays the 2.5 A periodicity of the graphite surface.
What Do Audiologists Need to Know to Prepare for the Future of the Economics of Health Care

This invited article reviews issues relevant and important to the practicing audiologist. Current and future payment models are discussed along with emerges measures of quality in healthcare provision.
Production of soluble and active microbial transglutaminase in Escherichia coli for site‐specific antibody drug conjugation

Applications of microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) produced from Streptomyces mobarensis (S. mobarensis) were recently extended from food to pharmaceutical industry. To use mTGase for clinical applications, like generation of site specific antibody drug conjugates, it would be beneficial to manufacture mTGase in Escherichia coli (E. coli). To date, attempts to express recombinant soluble and active S. mobarensis mTGase have been largely unsuccessful. mTGase from S. mobarensis is naturally expressed as proenzyme and stepwise proteolytically processed into its active mature form outside of the bacterial cell. The pro-domain is essential for correct folding of mTGase as well as for inhibiting activity of mTGase inside the cell. Here, we report a genetically modified mTGase that has full activity and can be expressed at high yields in the cytoplasm of E. coli. To achieve this we performed an alanine-scan of the mTGase pro-domain and identified mutants that maintain its chaperone function but destabilize the cleaved pro-domain/mTGase interaction in a temperature dependent fashion. This allows proper folding of mTGase and keeps the enzyme inactive during expression at 20°C, but results in full activity when shifted to 37°C due to loosen domain interactions. The insertion of the 3C protease cleavage site together with pro-domain alanine mutants Tyr14, Ile24, or Asn25 facilitate high yields (30-75 mg/L), and produced an enzyme with activity identical to wild type mTGase from S. mobarensis. Site-specific antibody drug conjugates made with the E .coli produced mTGase demonstrated identical potency in an in vitro cell assay to those made with mTGase from S. mobarensis.
Critical Drug Interactions With Agents Used for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Mycobacterium avium Complex Infections

Abstract Drug interactions occur through drug-induced hepatic enzyme induction or inhibition, or alterations in drug absorption or renal elimination. Three gene families of the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system, CYP1, CYP2, and CYP3, and five cytochrome P-450 isozymes, CYP 1A2, 2C9, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4, are involved with the most frequently recognized drug interactions for agents used in the treatment of HIV disease and its complications. Major interactions occur when clarithromycin and/or rifabutin, used for prophylaxis or treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), are administered together or with the azoles, the antiretroviral protease inhibitors, or the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Clarithromycin is an inhibitor of the activity of CYP 3A4. Rifabutin is a moderately potent inducer of the activity of CYP 3A4. Although still under investigation, azithromycin does not appear to affect the CYP 3A system. Ritonavir is both an inhibitor and an inducer of the activity of CYP 3A4, depending on the metabolic pathway utilized by specific drugs. Indinavir appears to be a reversible and less potent inhibitor of CYP 3A4 than ritonavir. Nevirapine is an inducer of CYP 3A4. The metabolism of other drugs that utilize this isozyme metabolic pathway in particular may be adversely affected when given concomitantly with any of these drugs. It is important for clinicians to be aware of such drug interactions in order to avoid adverse outcomes when prescribing prophylaxis or treatment for disseminated MAC.
The Role of Prejudice and the Need for Closure in Religious Fundamentalism

Religious fundamentalism has been consistently linked to prejudice toward a variety of outgroups. This article proposes that this is partially the case because fundamentalist ideology provides a sense of consistency and closure. Outgroups that challenge the epistemic certainty that fundamentalism provides are rejected in an effort to protect this certainty. Results from two studies, including one using a nationally representative sample, found that the need for closure was related to fundamentalism and partially mediated the relationship between fundamentalism and the derogation of lesbians and gays (Study 1) and value violators in general (Study 2). Furthermore, in Study 2, it was found that only some aspects of the need for closure explain the fundamentalism—prejudice relationship. Results are discussed in relation to past need for closure and ideology research as well as what this means for the study of fundamentalism.
Density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes correlates with disease recurrence and survival in patients with large non-small-cell lung cancer tumors.

Background The density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in lung cancer is variable and may have an impact on disease course. We reviewed the histology of lobectomy specimens from patients with pathologic stage IA-IB non-small-cell lung cancer to determine the impact of TILs on recurrence and survival. Materials and methods Two hundred nineteen lobectomies performed between 2002 and 2005 for stage IA-IB non-small-cell lung cancer were reviewed. Patients were stratified according to tumor size. Infiltrating patterns were graded as follows: group 1 (none to mild infiltrate) or group 2 (moderate to severe infiltrate). Recurrence rates and disease-free survival were compared between groups in each tumor size cohort. Results A higher density of TILs was associated with lower disease recurrence (60%, group 1 versus 21%, group 2, P = 0.02) and improved 5-y disease-free survival (35.9%, group 1 versus 75.6%, group 2, P = 0.04) in patients with tumors 5cm or greater in diameter. There were no correlations in patients with smaller tumors. Conclusions A higher degree of TILs within large node-negative non-small-cell lung cancer correlates with decreased risk of disease recurrence and improved disease-free survival. This subset of patients with tumor infiltration needs to be examined more closely with regards to outcomes of adjuvant chemotherapy.
Front dynamics and fingering of a driven contact line

Using photographic imaging and dye tracking experiments, we scrutinize the dynamics of a contact line when a finite volume of partially wetting fluid is driven by gravity to spread over a slightly inclined dry plane. Unlike spreading mechanisms driven by molecular forces, gravity-driven spreading over a dry plane is shown to possess a characteristic interfacial ‘nose’ that overhangs the contact line when the film thickness is in excess of the capillary length. A unique recirculating vortex exists within the nose front which spreads at speeds corresponding to capillary numbers in excess of 10−2. Our experiments show that fingering from a gravity-driven straight front occurs when the above nose configuration cannot be sustained across the entire front as the film thins and the apparent contact angle θ reaches π/2. The fingers retain the nose configuration while the remaining segments of the front evolve into a wedge configuration and stop abruptly due to their large resistance to fluid flow. This fingering mechanism is insensitive to fluid wettability, noise or surface heterogeneity. Via matched asymptotics, we obtain accurate estimates of fingering position and speed at θ=π/2 that are in good agreement with measured values. This new mechanism is distinct from other instability and sensitivity fingering mechanisms and can be in play whenever θ of the straight front approaches π/2 from above as the film thins.
A MATLAB-based Tool for Accurate Detection of Perfect Overlapping and Nested Inverted Repeats in DNA Sequences

Summary: Palindromic sequences, or inverted repeats (IRs), in DNA sequences involve important biological processes such as DNA–protein binding, DNA replication and DNA transposition. Development of bioinformatics tools that are capable of accurately detecting perfect IRs can enable genome-wide studies of IR patterns in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Different from conventional string-comparison approaches, we propose a novel algorithm that uses a cumulative score system based on a prime number representation of nucleotide bases. We then implemented this algorithm as a MATLAB-based program for perfect IR detection. In comparison with other existing tools, our program demonstrates a high accuracy in detecting nested and overlapping IRs. Availability and implementation: The source code is freely available on (http://bioinfolab.miamioh.edu/bioinfolab/palindrome.php)
The artist and the pedagogy of hope

Taking Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of hope as a point of departure, I explore points of intersection between Freire's educational perspectives and my own regarding aspects of the artist's role in society and education in the arts. I suggest that education ought to seek to realize such ideals as freedom, justice, equality of opportunity, and civility, and a more just, humane society. I agree with Freire that hope provides the impetus in the struggle to improve the situation. The artist is an educator who imaginatively envisions how things are, how they might be, and presents lived reality for our intellectual contemplation, emotional grasp, and corporeal response. The arts provide means whereby hope can be instilled and a more humane society foreshadowed. If education is to grapple with the central issues of life, it ought to be vitally concerned not only with deconstructing and struggling against present realities but envisioning and celebrating alternative and prospective realities. The arts are uniquely sui...
A geometric optimization approach to tracking maneuvering targets using a heterogeneous mobile sensor network

A methodology is developed to deploy a mobile sensor network for the purpose of detecting and capturing mobile targets in the plane. The mobile sensor network consists of a set of heterogeneous robotic sensors modeled as hybrid systems with individual processing capabilities. The targets are modeled by a Markov motion process that is commonly used in target tracking applications. Since the sensors are installed on mobile robots and have limited range, the geometry of their platforms and fields-of-view play a critical role in motion planning and obstacle avoidance. The methodology presented in this paper uses line transversals and cell decomposition in order to compute sensing and pursuit strategies that maximize the probability of detection, while minimizing energy consumption. The approach is demonstrated through progressive simulation scenarios involving multiple sensors installed on UGVs and UAVs, that are characterized by different sensing and motion capabilities, but are deployed to cooperatively detect, track, and pursue the same set of maneuvering targets.
Pulsed undulator to test polarized positron production at SLAC

We represent technical details and results of testing pulsed undulator with /spl sim/2 mm period, K/spl sim/0.1, manufactured by Cornell LEPP for test of polarized positron production at SLAC.
Constructing the Politics of Landscape Change

In order to understand the political forces shaping landscape change, three constructs – or lenses – are used here to articulate key political trends and conditions. The first construct is Harold Lasswell’s garrison state notion. Lasswell coined this phrase in 1937, 12 years before Orwell’s chilling account of 1984, to warn that extensive security concerns and the constant threat of war could lead to the creation of a garrison state where “specialists on violence” and their civilian allies become the most powerful group in society. Lasswell predicted a “crisis in democracy,” with suppression of civil liberties in the name of national security. Now, in a post-9–11 era, these narratives are resurgent, accompanied by powerful forces to control access to public space and “design out terrorism.” The construct of splintering urbanism links spatial and political trends. Graham and Marvin (2001) characterize the “unbundling” of urban infrastructures such as transportation and communications into public and private segments as “splintering urbanism.” This lens moves us beyond a focus on how privatization measures affect landscape changes. Rather, it directs attention to the ways in which contemporary processes unbundling local public authority also selectively reconnect some people and some places to political power in advantageous ways. The third construct – democratic ecologies – is more speculative and incomplete. It pushes the familiar notion of just ecologies to encompass democratic practice as well. The familiar contrast of socially just and ecologically efficient resource patterns still tends to focus on different distributional patterns rather than the processes by which such choices are made. A perspective on democratic ecologies, however, would view environmental inequities and ecological dilemmas as matters of citizenship rather than distributional politics.
Empirical modeling of remotely sensed data at regional to continental scales

A continental scale dataset was assembled to examine the drivers of greenness indices. Easily parallelized algorithms for ordinary least squares linear regression and a binary regression tree were implemented and used for the analysis. The most important drivers were found to be long and shortwave radiation, precipitation, elevation, and soil pH. This analysis shows that it is possible to perform empirical modeling with large datasets and thus the archives of remotely sensed data can and should be analyzed to shed light on models of large scale natural processes.
FATHI YAKAN THE PIONEER OF ISLAMIC ACTIVISM IN LEBANON

This article explores the ideology of Fathi Yakan, the pioneer of Sunni Islamism in Lebanon and a principal founder of the Islamist party al-­‐Jama'a al-­‐Islamiya. It also traces the establishment of al_Jama'a as the first organized Islamist party in Lebanon. As Secretary General of al-­‐Jama'a, Fathi Yakan blazed the ideological trail for Islamism's participation in Lebanon's political realm. Significantly, Yakan's political activism, in much the same vein as that of Druze "Socialist" Kamal Jumblat, was also more about removing Maronite hegemony over the state.
Vortex Attenuation Obtained in the Langley Vortex Research Facility

It has been shown by a new static airflow visualization method that a drogue device properly positioned downstream of the wing tip causes vortex breakdown. This same result has been obtained by mounting a jet engine simulator at the wing tip and directing the high-energy jet blast downstream into the vortex. These configurations, among others, are now under intensive investigation in the new Langley Vortex Research Facility. In this facility, a balance mounted vortex generating model is propelled along the 1800-ft track while a second model trailed at 160 ft (scale distance of 1 mile) measures the far-field rolling moment induced by the vortex of the generating model.
NOTES ON CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF GLASS

The old tedious method of dehydration of silica is replaced by a new, short method. The dehydrating agent used is HClO4 in place of HCl. The evaporation is performed in a period of 1 to 2 hours by employing a specially designed platinum radiator. The complete chemical analysis of glass is made in a very short time. All ingredients of the glass are determined, one after another, by employing the same sample of the material. The alkali contents are determined by using a separate sample. Many samples of different glasses have been analyzed with satisfactory results, which are tabulated.
Phenytoin induced gingival overgrowth in institutionalized epileptics.

Abstract. In a cross-sectional, epidemiological study of phenytoin induced gingival overgrowth in 77 institutionalized persons with epilepsy, the severity of the gum lesions was quantified by means of a precise new technique. Lesion severity was then compared statistically to other clinical and laboratory parameters. Positive correlations were detected between overgrowth severity and gingival inflammation, probing depths, calculus accumulation, plaque score and the measurement gingival margin to mucogingival junction (GM-MGJ). No correlation was observed between lesion severity and patient age, daily drug dosage, plasma or saliva phenytoin level, or salivary concentration of the major phenytoin metabolite.
Differences in growth rate and environment between Tertiary and Quaternary Crassostrea oysters

Abstract Many Tertiary species of Crassostrea appear to have inhabited shallow-marine environments where they produced extremely large and thick shells. In contrast, living Crassostrea species are restricted primarily by marine predation to brackish, hypersaline, and intertidal environments where they produce comparatively smaller and thinner shells. If Crassostrea populations have used estuarine environments as a refuge from predation since the Cretaceous, then their presence in fully marine environments after the Cretaceous is puzzling. In order to interpret differences in environment and shell size, I examined the paleoecology and sclerochronology of two marine and two estuarine populations. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that thicker shells in Tertiary Crassostrea titan deterred increased exposure to fully marine predation. Life spans and growth rates estimated from annually formed growth increments show that C. titan grew significantly faster in shell thickness, as well as lived two to th...
Hormonal Control of Sequential Gene Expression in Insect Epidermis

The insect epidermis makes the overlying cuticle or exoskeleton which must change in structure to accommodate changing life styles as the insect grows, then undergoes metamorphosis. These cells also make various pigments or cuticular pigment precursors which again can differ according to the stage examined. Radically different proteins are often required and, thus, dramatic changes in gene expression must occur within the already differentiated epidermal cell.
Local Drug Infiltration Analgesia During Knee Surgery to Reduce Postoperative Pain in Rats.

Background and Objectives There is increasing interest in local infiltration analgesia (LIA) to reduce postoperative pain with knee surgery. Despite widespread use of LIA, wide variations in drug combinations, infiltration techniques, and the concomitant use of systemic analgesics have made it difficult to determine the optimal drug combination for LIA. Using a previously validated animal knee surgery model, we aimed to determine the optimal combination of medications to reduce postoperative pain, and the best anatomical location and timing for local drug injection during surgery. Methods Knee surgery was performed in an adult rat model under isoflurane anesthesia. During surgery, combinations of bupivacaine, ketorolac, dexamethasone, and morphine were injected around the knee and compared to saline placebo. Similar medications were injected systemically as a comparator group. Postoperative pain was assessed by measuring spontaneous rearing activity. Injections were given after bone drilling and/or just before wound closure. Results The 3-drug LIA combination of bupivacaine, ketorolac, and dexamethasone increased rearing (decreased pain) at 2 hours (P = 0.0198) and 24 hours (P = 0.0384) postsurgery compared to saline. The same drugs injected systemically had no effect. The ketorolac/dexamethasone combination for LIA was also effective at 2 hours (P = 0.0006) and 24 hours (P = 0.0279), and ketorolac alone reduced pain at 2 hours (P = 0.0045). Bupivacaine alone was less effective, and the addition of morphine had no effect. The 3-drug combination infiltrated just after creating holes in bone was more effective than when given into the wound just before wound closure. Conclusions Our animal study suggests that clinical trials with LIA combinations of local anesthetic, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and corticosteroid might be useful for reducing postoperative pain after knee surgery, with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug having the greatest effect. Perioperative physicians should consider delivering LIA earlier during the procedure as opposed to solely at the time of wound closure.
Biaxial testing of [O2/±45] s graphite/epoxy plates with holes

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the behavior under biaxial-tensile loading of [O2/±45] s graphite/epoxy plates with circular holes and to determine the influence of hole diameter on failure. The specimens were 40-cm×40-cm (16-in.×16-in.) graphite/epoxy plates of [O2/±45] s layup. Four hole diameters, 2.54 cm (1.00 in.), 1.91 cm (0.75 in.), 1.27 cm (0.50 in.) and 0.64 cm (0.25 in.), were investigated. Deformations and strains were measured using strain gages and birefringent coatings.
Residues Controlling Facial Selectivity in an Alkene Reductase and Semirational Alterations to Create Stereocomplementary Variants

A systematic saturation mutagenesis campaign was carried out on an alkene reductase from Pichia stipitis (OYE 2.6) to develop variants with reversed stereoselectivities. Wild-type OYE 2.6 reduces three representative Baylis–Hillman adducts to the corresponding S products with almost complete stereoselectivities and good catalytic efficiencies. We created and screened 13 first-generation, site-saturation mutagenesis libraries, targeting residues found near the bound substrate. One variant (Tyr78Trp) showed high R selectivity toward one of the three substrates, but no change (cyclohexenone derivative) and no catalytic activity (acrylate derivative) for the other two. Subsequent rounds of mutagenesis retained the Tyr78Trp mutation and explored other residues that impacted stereoselectivity when altered in a wild-type background. These efforts yielded double and triple mutants that possessed inverted stereoselectivities for two of the three substrates (conversions >99% and at least 91% ee (R)). To understand ...
Platform and algorithm effects on computational fluid dynamics applications in life sciences

Abstract High Performance Computing (HPC) is a mainstream mode of exploration and analysis in different fields, not only technical but also social and life sciences. A well-established HPC domain is medicine, and cardiovascular sciences in particular. The adoption of CFD as a tool for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning in the clinical routine is however still an open challenge. This computational tool, required by Computer Aided Clinical Trials and Surgical Planning, calls for significant computational resources to face both large volume of patients and diverse timelines ranging from election to emergency scenarios. Traditional local clusters may be not adequate to deliver the computational needs. Alternative solutions like grids and on-demand cloud resources need to be seriously considered. This paper proposes methodologies and protocols to identify the optimal choice of computing platforms for hemodynamics computations that will be increasingly needed in the future and the optimal scheduling of the tasks across the selected resources. We focus on hemodynamics in patient-specific settings and present extensive results on different platforms. We propose a way to measure and estimate performance and running time under realistic scenarios tailored to the utility function of the simulation. We discuss in detail the optimal (parallel) partitioning of the domain of a problem of interest with different mathematical approaches. We show that an overlapping splitting is generally advantageous and the detection of optimal overlapping has the potential to significantly reduce computational costs of the entire solution process and the communication volume across the platforms.
Effectiveness of the Student Success Course on Persistence, Retention, Academic Achievement, and Student Engagement.

ABSTRACTDespite a great increase in the numbers of students enrolling in higher education, specifically at community colleges, the successful completion rates for these students has remained static since the 1970s. When reviewing strategies to increase student retention and successful completion, the Student Success Course (SSC) has emerged as a promising and prominent strategy for community colleges. Given that, the purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to determine if participation in a SSC influences persistence, retention, academic achievement, and student engagement on a community college campus. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 197 SSC participants at a middle sized community college in southeast Texas and compared to a matched sample of 235 non-SSC participants. Twelve former SSC participants were also interviewed in an attempt to build a more empirical understanding of the impact of the SSC on student engagement and, thus, the students’ decisions to remain in college. R...
Phorbol ester selectively stimulates the phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine in multidrug-resistant MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells

The phospholipase D (PLD)-mediated synthesis of phosphatidylethanol (PtdEtOH) and the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) and phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) were examined in drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant lines of MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells. In drug-sensitive (MCF-7/WT) cells, the protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) failed to enhance either the synthesis of PtdEtOH or the hydrolysis of either phospholipid. In the drug-resistant (MCF-7/MDR) cells, 100 nM PMA greatly enhanced both the synthesis of PtdEtOH (approximately 21-fold) and the hydrolysis of PtdEtn (approximately 29-fold), but had no effect on the hydrolysis of PtdCho. The PLD activators sphingosine and H2O2 were found to elicit only a slight (1.28-1.4-fold) stimulatory effect on PtdCho hydrolysis in both the MCF-7/WT and MCF-7/MDR cell types, and had only a small effect on PtdEtn hydrolysis in the MCF-7/WT cells as well. However, these agents significantly (approximately 2.6-3.5-fold) stimulated PtdEtn hydrolysis in the MCF-7/MDR cells. These data indicate that MCF-7/MDR cells contain a PtdEtn-specific PLD activity which can be selectively stimulated by PMA, sphingosine and H2O2.
Adaptation of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised for use in Ethiopia: Expanding cross-cultural investigation of temperament development

Cross-cultural differences in temperament were evaluated for Ethiopian (N=109) and U.S. (N=109) samples of infants. We anticipated that the Sidama version of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R; Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003) developed for use in Ethiopia would demonstrate satisfactory psychometric properties, and hypothesized significant cross-cultural differences in levels of fine-grained temperament characteristics. Interactions between culture, infant age, and sex were also considered. Internal consistency was satisfactory for 13 of the 14 IBQ-R scales (with a somewhat low estimate observed for Duration of Orienting), and an examination of the structure indicated patterns similar to those observed in the US, and elsewhere. Differences between Ethiopia and the US were noted for Activity Level, Distress to Limitations, Fear, Smiling/Laughter, Falling Reactivity, Cuddliness/Affiliation, Sadness, Approach, and Vocal Reactivity. Parents of infants in the US reported higher levels of attributes associated with Surgency/Positive Affectivity (Activity, Smiling/Laughter, Approach Vocal Reactivity), whereas Ethiopian infants' scores were higher for Distress to Limitations and Fear, linked with the over-arching temperament factor of Negative Emotionality; however, US infants received higher ratings on Sadness, also associated with this factor. Higher Falling Reactivity, a regulation-related attribute, was reported for Ethiopian infants, with US babies receiving higher Cuddliness/Affiliation scores. Significant culture*age interactions were observed for Activity and Fear, along with a significant culture*age*sex interaction for Distress to Limitations.
Alternatives for Conventional Alkane Solvents

The studies described in this paper show that hydrocarbon oligomers are alternatives for low molecular weight alkane solvents. These oligomeric solvents are nontoxic, nonvolatile, and recyclable alternatives to heptane in thermomorphic solvent mixtures that use a polar solvent such as methanol, aqueous ethanol, or DMF or in biphasic mixtures that use acetonitrile. Regardless of which polar solvent is used, hydrocarbon oligomers like poly(α-olefin)s (PAOs) exhibit very low leaching into the polar phase. UV–visible spectroscopy studies show that these solvents have the solubility properties of heptane. For example, PAOs dissolve heptane soluble dyes and quantitatively separate them from polar phases in thermomorphic solvent mixtures. PAOs either as pure solvents or as additives in heptane act as antileaching agents, decreasing the already low leaching of such dyes into a polar phase in heptane/polar solvent mixtures. These oligomeric hydrocarbon solvents were also compared to heptane in studies of azo dye i...
Carbon Sources in Riverine Food Webs: New Evidence from Amino Acid Isotope Techniques

A nearly 40-year debate on the origins of carbon supporting animal production in lotic systems has spawned numerous conceptual theories emphasizing the importance of autochthonous carbon, terrestrial carbon, or both (depending on river stage height). Testing theories has been hampered by lack of adequate analytical methods to distinguish in consumer tissue between ultimate autochthonous and allochthonous carbon. Investigators initially relied on assimilation efficiencies of gut contents and later on bulk tissue stable isotope analysis or fatty acid methods. The newest technique in amino acid, compound specific, stable isotope analysis (AA-CSIA), however, enables investigators to link consumers to food sources by tracing essential amino acids from producers to consumers. We used AA-CSIA to evaluate nutrient sources for 5 invertivorous and 6 piscivorous species in 2 hydrogeomorphically contrasting large rivers: the anastomosing Upper Mississippi River (UMR) and the mostly constricted lower Ohio River (LOR). Museum specimens we analyzed isotopically had been collected by other investigators over many decades (UMR: 1900–1969; LOR: 1931–1970). Our results demonstrate that on average algae contributed 58.5% (LOR) to 75.6% (UMR) of fish diets. The next highest estimated contributions of food sources were from C3 terrestrial plants (21.1 and 11.5% for the LOR and UMR, respectively). Moreover, results from 11 individually examined species consistently demonstrated the importance of algae for most fish species in these trophic guilds. Differences among rivers in relative food source availability resulting from contrasting hydrogeomorphic complexity may account for relative proportions of amino acids derived from algae.
Modulation Techniques for Enhanced Reduction in Common-Mode Voltage and Output Voltage Distortion in Indirect Matrix Converters

This paper targets the reduction of common-mode voltage in an indirect matrix converter (IMC) through an intelligent space-vector-based modulation technique. This mode of control results in lower d V /d t at the motor terminals, thereby, reducing voltage stress to windings; and reduced output voltage distortion resulting in lower machine losses. The conventional indirect space vector pulse-width modulation method of controlling matrix converters involves independent control of either the rectifying stage or the inverting stage of the converter. However, in this paper, by suitable selection of space vectors, the rectifying stage of the matrix converter generates different levels of virtual dc-link voltage. Therefore, the responsibility of formulating output voltages with a particular magnitude and frequency, which can be translated to different machine speeds, has been transferred solely to the rectifying stage of the IMC. Estimation of the degree of distortion in the three-phase output voltage is another facet discussed in this paper, which aids the sizing and designing of output passive filters. The analysis of output voltage distortion and the proposed modulation strategies have been substantiated by simulations in MATLAB/Simulink and experimentally verified on a scaled down laboratory prototype.