cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Islamism, Nationalism, and Western Modernity: The Case of Iran and Palestine

The rise of Islamic politics in the Middle East, particularly since the Iranian revolution, is the most cited example that supposedly testifies to the “clean” separation between “Islam” and the “West.” In this essay, I argue that it is not Islamic movements and ideology that confirm this separation. Rather, it is their incorporation into the scheme of Western modernity, with its binary distinctions and evolutionary reading of history, which constructs this separation. Using examples from Iran and Palestine, I show how Islamic ideology indeed defies the basic premises of Western discourse on modernity, expose its limitations, and question the constitution of Islam and the West as allegedly distinct, even opposing, categories.
Computing steady-state mean time to failure for non-coherent repairable systems

Mean time to failure (MTTF) is an important reliability measure. Previous research is mainly concerned with the MTTF computation of coherent systems. In this paper, we derive equations to calculate the steady-state MTTF for noncoherent systems. Based on the equations, we extend the BDD by adding an intersection edge in each BDD node to efficiently store additional information for MTTF computation of noncoherent systems. A recursive algorithm is developed for MTTF computation using the extended BDD. To accelerate building the extended BDD, a method is proposed to avoid calculating the intersection edge for some nodes by keeping node monotonicity during the BDD construction. We show the efficiency of our algorithm by applying it to some example fault trees, real-life applications, and large fault tree benchmarks.
Chronopharmacology of strychnine and allylglycine in the mouse.

SUMMARY 1. The response of individually caged mice to the lethal actions of allylglycine and strychnine was evaluated in animals previously conditioned on an LD 12:12 (12 h light-12 h darkness) schedule in a controlled environment. 2. These convulsant agents were most toxic at 18.00 hours (during the light phase), and least toxic in the dark phase of the programmed lighting schedule. The relationship is considered of the circadian fluctuations in levels of inhibitory transmitter substances to the time-linked action of convulsant agents.
An analysis of teachers' verbal communication within the college classroom: Use of humor, self‐disclosure, and narratives

The purpose of these investigations was to provide normative data regarding the use of certain verbal behaviors manifested by college teachers. Results of Study One indicated that usage of humor, self‐disclosure, and narratives by fifty‐seven college teachers was frequently relevant to course content and utilized to clarify course material. Results of Study Two suggested that award winning teachers utilized these same verbal behaviors also in relation to course content and clarification of course material. Post‐hoc comparative analyses of the results for Study One and Study Two indicated that significant differences in the average use of humor, self‐disclosure, and narratives existed between the two groups. However, results of Aspin‐Welch t‐tests also indicated no significant differences between the two groups of teachers in relation to the purpose in the use of these verbal behaviors (e. g. relevant to course content; clarification of course material). Implications are also discussed.
Late Quaternary alluvial history of the middle Owl Creek drainage basin in central Texas: A record of geomorphic response to environmental change

Episodes of fluvial deposition and incision preserved in Quaternary sediments are valuable archives, but have been understudied in low order streams in central Texas, USA. An exposure along Owl Creek a tributary of the Brazos River was examined using geological approaches and pedological, including stratigraphy and soil description and characterization. Eight stratigraphic units were identified, described, and constrained in time based on relative stratigraphy and optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) ranging in age from ∼120 ka to <8 ka. Despite the dynamic nature of fluvial systems, the Owl Creek record has uniquely preserved sediment spanning the late Quaternary with major erosional events that may reflect the advance and retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet and the southward displacement of the jet stream and ensuing wetter conditions. Regional proxies become more abundant into the Holocene with Owl Creek and other local stream preserving sediment of different ages and are likely responding to intrinsic variables.
Is there a third-world policy process?

The introduction to this special issue asks what is distinctive about public policy making in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In field after field, some political scientists have argued for distinguishing Western polities from developing polities, whereas other have argued for inclusive treatment. The essay assesses these divergent perspectives as they relate to public policy making. On the one hand, it is clear that the systemic frameworks of policy - the institutions, participants, resources, the weight of the state relative to the society, and the capacity of the state to work its will - all vary as between developing and Western countries. The same is true for the scope of policy activity, the configuration of issues, and the actual content of policy. On the other hand, the policy process - the constraints, the ripe moments that produce innovation, the tendency for policy to have unanticipated consequences, and so on - appears to display regularities that transcend the categories of Western or Third World state. The essay goes on to explain the divergences of policy in terms of disparate access to resources, levels of economic development, and social patterns. The convergence of process is explained in terms of the deeper exigencies of human problem solving in highly structured contexts.
Moving Target Identification (MTI) Algorithm For Passive Sensors

A critical problem in target detection is to develop algorithms for autonomous target acquisition at long ranges. When the angular extent of a target is so small that identification is impossible, then detection of object motion can be an important method for acquiring and tracking military targets. Moving target identification (MTI) may be difficult however for down-looking airborne sensors where the apparent motion of back-ground clutter can mask the movement of any objects in the scene. To get around this problem, an algorithm has been developed which compares successive frames from a passive imaging sensor and estimates the apparent background motion. The velocity model is applied to an earlier image to predict the appearance of the most recent image. The predicted and measured images are compared and the portions of the background which did not move in the expected manner are identified as moving objects. Several sequences of FLIR images are included where the algorithm has successfully extracted targets from cluttered moving backgrounds.
Femtosecond electronic heat-transport dynamics in thin gold films.

We have observed ultrafast heat transport in thin gold films under femtosecond laser irradiation. Time-of-flight (from-pump back-probe) measurements indicate that the heat transit time scales linearly with the sample thickness, and that heat transport is very rapid, occurring at a velocity close to the Fermi velocity of electrons in Au.
Properties of Some Starch Blends

ABSTRACT Normal corn, high-amylose corn, waxy corn (waxy maize), wheat, rice, potato, cassava (tapioca), and a modified waxy corn starch were blended in various combinations and ratios. Pasting behavior, paste and thermal properties, and retrogradation tendency were determined. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) traces of the mixtures did not resemble those of either of the two components, nor did any DSC trace have two peaks suggestive of a mixture of two distinct starches. Amylograph data suggested that some mixtures behaved like a chemically modified starch. Observations from light microscopy suggested that intermolecular, molecular-supermolecular, and intersupermolecular interactions may be responsible for this behavior.
A Linked Series of Laboratory Exercises in Molecular Biology Utilizing Bioinformatics and GFP.

Molecular biologists commonly use bioinformatics to map and analyze DNA and protein sequences and to align different DNA and protein sequences for comparison. Additionally, biologists can create and view 3D models of protein structures to further understand intramolecular interactions. The primary goal of this 10-week laboratory was to introduce the importance of bioinformatics in molecular biology. Students employed multiprimer, site-directed mutagenesis to create variant colors from a plasmid expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). Isolated mutant plasmid from Escherichia coli showing changes in fluorescence were sequenced. Students used sequence alignment tools, protein translator tools, protein modeling, and visualization to analyze the potential effect of their mutations within the protein structure. This laboratory linked molecular techniques and bioinformatics to promote and expand the understanding of experimental results in an upper-level undergraduate laboratory course.
DNA repair and aging in basal cell carcinoma: A molecular epidemiology study

This molecular epidemiology study examines the DNA-repair capacities (DRCs) of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) skin cancer patients (88) and their controls (135) by using a plasmid/host-cell reactivation assay. In this assay UV-damaged expression vector plasmid is transfected into peripheral blood T lymphocytes from the subjects. The host-cellular repair enzymes repair the photochemical damage in the plasmid, and 40 hr later the plasmid-encoded reporter chloramphenicol acetyltransferase is measured. An age-related decline in this DRC, amounting to approximately 0.61% per yr occurred in the controls from 20 to 60 yr of age. Reduced DRC was a particularly important risk factor for young individuals with BCC and for those individuals with a family history of skin cancer. Young individuals with BCC repaired DNA damage poorly when compared with controls. As the BCC patients aged, however, differences between cases and controls gradually disappeared. The normal decline in DNA repair with increased age may account for the increased risk of skin cancer that begins in middle age, suggesting that the occurrence of skin cancer in the young may represent precocious aging. Patients with reduced DRCs and overexposure to sunlight had an estimated risk of BCC > 5-fold greater than the control group. Such a risk was even greater (10-fold) in female subjects.
Intracranial Microenvironment Reveals Independent Opposing Functions of Host αVβ3 Expression on Glioma Growth and Angiogenesis

αVβ3 integrins are overexpressed in the host-derived vasculature of glioblastoma multiform (GBM) and are believed to contribute to angiogenesis and tumor growth. To directly address the role of host αVβ3 expression in GBM growth and behavior, we intracranially implanted integrin β3-expressing GBM cells into β3 wild type (WT) or β3 knock out (KO) mice and monitored angiogenesis and growth. GBM in β3 WT animals had a vessel density greater than that in β3 KO animals, consistent with a pro-angiogenic, pro-tumorigenic view of host integrin function. GBM in β3 WT animals, however, were no larger than those in β3 KO animals, because GBM in β3WT animals were infiltrated with a higher number of tumor necrosis factor α-secreting, apoptosis-inducing macrophages than the tumors in the corresponding β3 KO animals. The tumor-suppressive effects of host β3 expression could be reversed by macrophage depletion or by transplantation of bone marrow from β3 KO animals into β3 WT animals, both of which significantly increased tumor growth independently of tumor vessel density. Taken together, these results show that host αVβ3 integrin expression has opposing actions in the intracranial setting, enhancing tumor vascularization and growth while independently enhancing macrophage-mediated tumor elimination. Appropriate management of these functions could lead to enhanced efficacy of anti-integrin based therapies for glioma.
Branching fractions and transition probabilities for transitions from 2p 4 3p, 2p 4 3d, and 2p 4 4s levels of Ne ii

Branching fractions for electric dipole transitions from 2p4 3p,2p4 3d, and 2p4 4s upper levels in singly ionized neon atoms excited in a high-current hollow-cathode lamp were measured. Transition probabilities for many weak intercombination lines were determined for the first time to the authors’ knowledge. The measurements were carried out with two different techniques to minimize the effect of systematic errors, first in an experiment with a 2-m grating monochromator and then with a Fourier transform spectrometer. The uncertainty of the branching fraction data is 4%(1σ) for lines corresponding to LS-allowed transitions and 30%(1σ) for weak intercombination lines. For 14 upper levels complete sets of transitions could be measured that enabled us to determine absolute transition probabilities when lifetime data for the upper levels were available.
Variation in carbon isotope composition among years in the riparian tree Populus fremontii.

Water availability is an important factor limiting the productivity of desert plants but little is known about the impact of water-limiting conditions on the physiology of plants in mesic environments. Riparian ecosystems of the western US receive significantly more water than the surrounding desert environments but experience dramatic interannual fluctuations in water availability because both stream flow and precipitation are highly variable over time. This variability results in different growing conditions each year which may influence the physiology of riparian species such as Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), the dominant, native canopy tree species in lowland southwestern US river systems. We wished to determine if the physiology of this species varies among years, what climatic parameters are related to any observed physiological variation and if individuals within a P. fremontii population differ in their physiological response to variation through time. We collected tree ring cores from a central New Mexico cottonwood population and analyzed carbon isotope composition (δ13C) in each year from 1981 to 1995. We used δ13C analysis in this study because it allowed us to obtain multi-year estimates of physiological activity. During these years, mean stream flow at our study site ranged over two orders of magnitude from 0.82 to 80.94 m3 s-1, precipitation ranged fourfold from 49 to 215 ccmm and mean temperature ranged from 20.5 to 22.6°C during the growing season. δ13C varied from a low of -26.7‰ in 1984 to a high of -24.7‰ in 1981. Low δ13C values were associated with years in which stream flow and/or precipitation were high and temperature was low. The opposite was true of years with high δ13C values. We observed a strong linear relationship between δ13C and stream flow during years when stream flow was 25 m3 s-1. Additionally, there was a linear relationship between δ13C and precipitation during years when stream flow was 25 m3 s-1. These data suggest that above a threshold of total stream flow, increased flow does not influence physiology. Below this threshold, precipitation can be an important water source. The ten individuals within our study population varied significantly in mean δ13C values but responded to interannual variation in a similar manner (i.e., all individuals had low δ13C values when water was abundant). These results suggest that precipitation as well as stream flow are important factors influencing the physiology of this riparian tree.
Regulation of human coagulation factor X gene expression by GATA-4 and the Sp family of transcription factors.

Serine protease factor Xa plays a critical role in the coagulation cascade. Zymogen factor X is synthesized and modified in the liver. To understand the mechanisms governing the liver-specific expression of factor X, the proximal promoter of human factor X was previously characterized. Two crucial cis elements at −73 and −128 and their cognate binding proteins, HNF-4 and NF-Y, respectively, were identified. In this report, studies are extended to 3 additional cis elements within the factor X promoter. Using gel mobility shift assays, the liver-enriched protein GATA-4 was identified as the protein binding to the GATA element at −96. GATA-4 transactivates the factor X promoter 28-fold in transient transfection experiments. It was also determined that the Sp family of transcription factors binds 2 DNase I–footprinted sites at −165 and −195. Disruption of Sp protein binding at either site reduces the promoter activity by half. Simultaneous disruption of both sites reduces the promoter activity 8-fold. This is the first report indicating the involvement of GATA-4 in the regulation of clotting factor expression. These observations provide novel insight into mechanisms by which the vitamin K–dependent coagulation factors are regulated.
Markers in the 5′-Region of GABRG1 Associate to Alcohol Dependence and are in Linkage Disequilibrium with Markers in the Adjacent GABRA2 Gene

Following an initial report, there have been multiple replications of an association of alcohol dependence (AD) to markers within a haplotype block that includes the 3′-half of the gene encoding the GABAA α-2 subunit (GABRA2), on chromosome 4p. We examined the intergenic extent of this haplotype block and the association to AD of markers in the adjacent 5′ haplotype block in GABRG1, which encodes the GABAA receptor γ-1 subunit. We genotyped 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the GABRG1-GABRA2 interval as well as at 34 ancestry informative markers in three samples: 435 AD and 635 screened control subjects from Connecticut and 812 participants from a multicenter AD treatment trial. We observed two large haplotype blocks in the GABRG1-GABRA2 intergenic interval with a region of increased recombination midway between the two genes. Markers in the two haplotype blocks were in moderate linkage disequilibrium. Compared with markers in the GABRA2 haplotype block, markers in the 5′ GABRG1 haplotype showed greater allelic, genotypic and haplotypic association with AD in European Americans from both AD samples. Logistic regression analysis indicated that genetic elements in the GABRG1 haplotype block likely contribute to AD risk in an additive manner, whereas those in the GABRA2 haplotype block may act in a dominant manner in relation to risk of AD.
The Grüneisen Parameter in Fluids

The Gruneisen parameter has long been used in equations of state for solids to relate thermodynamic properties to lattice vibrational spectra [1]. A few papers have extended the concept to studies of liquid structure. Knopoff and Shapiro [2] have evaluated a Gruneisen parameter for water and for mercury, attempting to relate its temperature dependence in a limited range to atomic clustering within the liquid. Sharma [3], in a series of papers, has evaluated a pseudo-Gruneisen parameter in mercury and liquefied gases and related it to internal pressures, a solubility parameter, and clustering phenomena. In this paper we evaluate the Gruneisen parameter for a variety of fluids, and show how it occurs in many problems in compressible fluid hydrodynamics, without reference to concepts of liquid structure. The work extends that reported in an earlier paper for the special case of steady state, single phase flow [4].
SOME REMARKS ON THE EARLY HISTORY OF HIGH ENERGY ELECTRON–ELECTRON SCATTERING

The history of electron-electron interaction using colliding beams commenced in 1956 when the late G.K. O'Neill of Princeton University became interested in highenergy collisions among a variety of particles and introduced the general notion of a complex of an accelerator or accelerators injecting into a storage ring or storage rings. Prior to O'Neill's initiatives the use of particle beam-beam collisions had been suggested for some time, and it is impossible to trace the history of these ideas. The earliest publication with which I am familiar came from a Russian source in the mid-1920's. The great accelerator pioneer, Rolf Wideroe, obtained a German patent in 1953 on specific construction ideas for colliding beam machines. Not much came of any of this until O'Neill decided that the most promising injector into colliding beam machines would be the MARK III electron linear accelerator at Stanford, then operating at 700 MeV. He talked to me about sponsoring such a development at the High Energy Physics Laboratory at Stanford in 1957, and I agreed to do so. To make such a collaboration between Princeton and Stanford into a practical enterprise, I felt some local talent should be involved, and a certain young post-doc by the name of Burton Richter was easily persuaded to join, as was W. G. Barber, who had demonstrated his practical abilities in machine construction in connection with the smaller MARK II accelerator at Stanford. In turn, O'Neill was joined by Bernie Gittleman, then at Princeton, who carried the heavy burden in designing the complex vacuum system of the collider. The collaboration produced a proposal in May 1958, which was submitted to the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and I was able to obtain financial support for what was at that time the most expensive single experiment ONR had ever supported. Both theoretical design and orbitry proceeded, and construction advanced rapidly. The first beam was stored on March 28, 1962, and the first physics results were presented in 1963. This machine generated results in particle physics but perhaps even more important, it was a major advance in the storage ring arts. I personally participated only in the design of the magnet and its rather complex magnetic circuitry, and also did a wrong calculation on beam-beam multiple scattering. Others studied the beam-beam interaction, again generally incorrectly, but leading to the important concept of a tune-shift limit which could not be exceeded. Moreover, injection,
Site response of the Ganges basin inferred from re-evaluated macroseismic observations from the 1897 Shillong, 1905 Kangra, and 1934 Nepal earthquakes

We analyze previously published geodetic data and intensity values for the Ms = 8.1 Shillong (1897), Ms = 7.8 Kangra (1905), and Ms = 8.2 Nepal/Bihar (1934) earthquakes to investigate the rupture zones of these earthquakes as well as the amplification of ground motions throughout the Punjab, Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys. For each earthquake we subtract the observed MSK intensities from a synthetic intensity derived from an inferred planar rupture model of the earthquake, combined with an attenuation function derived from instrumentally recorded earthquakes. The resulting residuals are contoured to identify regions of anomalous intensity caused primarily by local site effects. Observations indicative of liquefaction are treated separately from other indications of shaking severity lest they inflate inferred residual shaking estimates. Despite this precaution we find that intensites are 1–3 units higher near the major rivers, as well as at the edges of the Ganges basin. We find evidence for a post-critical Moho reflection from the 1897 and 1905 earthquakes that raises intensities 1–2 units at distances of the order of 150 km from the rupture zone, and we find that the 1905 earthquake triggered a substantial subsequent earthquake at Dehra Dun, at a distance of approximately 150 km. Four or more M = 8 earthquakes are apparently overdue in the region based on seismic moment summation in the past 500 years. Results from the current study permit anticipated intensities in these future earthquakes to be refined to incorporate site effects derived from dense macroseismic data.
Induction of multiple ovulations during the ovulatory season in mares

The efficacy of an equine pituitary extract for induction of multiple ovulations during the ovulatory season was studied in 112 horse mares in four experiments. Combined for all experiments, 70% of the mares (78/112) had multiple ovulations for an average of 3.0 ovulations per mare. The interval between first and last ovulation was decreased (P<0.01) when human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was included in the treatment regimen (0.0+/-0.0 versus 1.6+/-0.4 days). Ovulation rate was lower (P<0.01) when extract treatment was initiated at day 19 (1.3+/-0.2) than when initiated at day 15 post-ovulation (2.9+/-0.5). Initiation of extract treatment at day 11 was as effective as initiation at day 15, with or without an injection of prostaglandin F(2alpha) on the first day of extract treatment. Increasing the dose of extract from 750 to 1500 or 2250 units per day did not significantly increase the ovulatory response.
Effect of a serotonin antagonist on delay in grip muscle relaxation for persons with chronic hemiparetic stroke.

Abstract Objective To investigate if, following stroke, sustained involuntary activity after voluntary contraction (e.g., grip) of the long finger flexor muscles of the paretic hand is attributable to augmented serotonin release from brainstem pathways, affecting excitability of spastic motoneurons. Methods This single-dose placebo-controlled study examined whether a serotonin receptor (5-HT2) antagonist, cyproheptadine hydrochloride, could reduce delay in muscle relaxation of a key paretic long finger flexor muscle immediately after grip for persons with stroke. Time to initiate the long finger flexor muscle contraction, grip and pinch strengths, and clinical hand function scores (the Action Research Arm Test and the Box and Block Test) were also assessed. Results Cyproheptadine hydrochloride reduced mean delays in finger relaxation ( n =13; from 7.2 to 4.1s; SEM=1.2s; p =.026) in comparison to placebo, while leaving grip and pinch strengths and time to initiate the muscle contraction largely unaffected. Reduction in the relaxation time alone did not lead to increased clinical hand function scores. Conclusions The findings support the supposition that monoaminergic brainstem pathways may be disinhibited following stroke, thereby resulting in increased delays in muscle relaxation. Significance Treatments to reduce delay in muscle relaxation may facilitate hand rehabilitation in persons with stroke.
Analysis of the Seismic Response of Rigidly Interconnected Geophones Attached to Steel Media of Various Shapes

Previous experiments have shown that seismic information can be recorded using rigidly interconnected geophones affixed to channel iron. The purpose of the experiment discussed here was to compare seismic data acquired using manually planted geophones to data gathered from geophones attached to steel media of various shapes and then planted hydraulically. The shape of the steel media to which the geophones were attached influenced the quality of the recorded seismic data. Of the five shapes tested, square tubing was found to be best for recording seismic information, as determined by the amplitude coherency of the target reflections, airwave damping, and noise content. Furthermore, the airwave observed on the test-line records for geophones affixed to the variously shaped steel media was less coherent than was the airwave on the control-line records for the manually planted geophones.
Megaaorta and aortoiliac obstruction: Alternate method of cannulation

The case of a 69-year-old man with aneurysms of the ascending aorta, transverse aortic arch, and thoracoabdominal aorta combined with coronary artery disease, aortic insufficiency, and severe aortoiliac occlusive disease is presented. Femoral arterial cannulation was contraindicated owing to the aortoiliac disease. Successful surgical treatment is described using an alternate method of cannulation and perfusion.
Candidate Sequence Variants and Fetal Hemoglobin in Children with Sickle Cell Disease Treated with Hydroxyurea

Background Fetal hemoglobin level is a heritable complex trait that strongly correlates swith the clinical severity of sickle cell disease. Only few genetic loci have been identified as robustly associated with fetal hemoglobin in patients with sickle cell disease, primarily adults. The sole approved pharmacologic therapy for this disease is hydroxyurea, with effects largely attributable to induction of fetal hemoglobin.
Effect of REM Sleep Deprivation on Sleep Apneas in Rats

We studied the effects of 48 h of REM sleep deprivation on spontaneous and post-sigh central apneas in Sprague-Dawley rates by simultaneously monitoring sleep by the EEG and respiration for 6 h. During the recovery sleep following REM deprivation a decrease in post-sigh apneas occurred in total sleep. There was no change in spontaneous apneas. The results suggest the existence of partially distinct mechanisms for the two types of apneas.
The adsorption of oxygen on Ag(110): a new view of structure and bonding

Abstract We have used ESDIAD (electron stimulated desorption ion angular distributions) to characterize the structure and bonding of O 2 on Ag(110). The data indicate that both atomic oxygen ( T ads > 300 K) and molecular oxygen ( T ads ⋍ 80 K) are bonded in configurations which cause ion desorption in directions along [001] azimuths. Possible structures are discussed which are at variance with existing models of the oxygen-Ag(110) system.
Thermodynamics of the cobalt-hydrogen system

Recent work has shown that the partial thermodynamic functions of hydrogen in dilute Ni-H binary solid solutions exhibit a strong dependence upon temperature. This effect manifests itself in a large degree of non-linearity in plots of ln(theta /SUB j/ T /SUP 7/4/ ) vs 1/T, where theta /SUB i/ is the atom fraction of H-dissolved at temperature T in equilibrium with H/sub 2/ gas at a fixed pressure. This behavior is not due to H-H interactions, nor to the interactions between H-atoms and lattice imperfections, but rather to the thermal excitation of the quantum energy levels of the dissolved H-atoms. Thus it should be a general phenomenon. It is clearly observed in the Ni-H system because the high diffusivity of H in solid Ni has enabled accurate solubility measurements to be made which span large ranges of reciprocal temperature ((5-35) x 10/sup -4/ K/sup -1/). If the above statements are indeed correct, then plots of ln(theta /SUB j/ T /SUP 7/4/ ) vs 1/T should also exhibit curvature provided that the theta /SUB j/ -data span sufficiently large temperature ranges. This situation exists in the case of Co-H solid solutions and the currently available data indicate, with some reservations, thatmore » curvature is present. The high temperature data of Schenck and Lange are shown by the line calculated from their representative equation. The other two sets of data are due to Sieverts and Hagen and Stafford and McLellan.« less
A comparison of soft-tissue anchors in tendo achilles reattachment.

This prospective study evaluated four soft-tissue fixation modalities, used in seven different combinations, to reattach the tendo Achilles in 34 cadaveric specimens. Ultimate loads, elastic moduli, and modes of failure were evaluated by loading the specimen in a cantilevered fashion on an Instron. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to compare the failure load data for statistical significance. Although the use of two Mitek SuperAnchors showed better load resistance than one anchor (p
Computational and stochastic methods for interacting groups in the AIDS epidemic

This paper explores methods of formulating and solving equations for related deterministic and stochastic models of interacting groups in the AIDS epidemic. Computational as well as analytic methods are used in a variety of models which exhibit stationary behaviour in the limit. The advantages and drawbacks of applying computational methods to deterministic and Markovian models of interacting groups having no analytical solutions are discussed.
Unexplained hemolytic anemia with multiorgan failure.

A 51-year-old white male with history of osteoarthritis, hypertension, and insomnia presented to the hospital with a 1-month history of fatigue, as well as a 1-week history of back pain, nausea, and dark urine. The patient worked as a construction contractor and lived with his wife. His family history was limited to his mother having diabetes. He was taking scheduled hydrochlorothiazide and celecoxib and taking zolpidem as needed. In addition, he was also taking a wide variety of nonprescribed nutritional supplements. At presentation, the patient had a decreased hemoglobin concentration of 3.5 g/dL [reference interval (RI),4 13.5–17.5 g/dL, with a baseline hemoglobin value of 12 g/dL obtained 6 months previously], a reticulocyte count of 1.2% (RI, 0.7%–3.2%), a total bilirubin value of 17.6 mg/dL (RI, 0.2–1.2 mg/dL), a direct bilirubin value of 4.6 mg/dL (RI, 0–0.5 mg/dL), a lactate dehydrogenase activity of 693 U/L (RI, 0–248 U/L), and a positive result in a direct antiglobulin test for IgG. His haptoglobin concentration was <30 mg/dL (RI, 48–224 mg/dL). A peripheral blood smear from the patient had 1 or 2 schistocytes and 1 or 2 spherocytes per high-power field, a typical platelet morphology, and hyperlobated neutrophils. He was transferred to an intensive care unit 2 days after presentation. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and methylprednisone was initiated for immune hemolytic anemia. A bone marrow biopsy showed erythroid hyperplasia. His values for red blood cell folate, serum vitamin B12, C3, C4, rheumatoid factor, and red blood cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity were within their respective RIs, and the results of serum tests for antinuclear antibodies, cold agglutinin, and Mycoplasma antibodies were negative. He sequentially received rituximab, cyclophosphamide, and then plasmapheresis, in addition to methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin to treat his ongoing anemia. The patient was given transfusions of packed red blood cells …
Dissipation in the flow of /sup 4/He films over a coarse alumina substrate

We report in depth measurements of the dissipation-induced chemical-potential gradient for a flowing /sup 4/He film. Both temperature and film-thickness gradients as a result of dissipation were recorded with the use of third-sound time-of-flight techniques. This allowed us to account for changes in the flow velocity as a result of the film thinning and record the total change in the chemical potential across the dissipation region. In addition we used a relatively coarse substrate surface to search for vortex-pinning effects. Our results are consistent with flow-induced vortex depairing as the cause of dissipation, as seen by others.
Optimal design of dynamically constrained structures

Abstract A modified iterated simulated annealing (MISA) method is proposed for optimal design of structural systems with dynamic constraints. The MISA method uses a random sequence of designs to find the optimal design. In performing the optimization, the MISA method employs two new features: the first is automatic reduction of the search region; and the second is sensitivity analysis of the design variables. The MISA method deviates from traditional annealing algorithms because of these two features and is considered to be a new method. A two-story frame structure with dynamic constraints was used in evaluating the performance of the MISA method. Classical optimal design methods were used to solve the same problem and the results were compared to MISA. The comparisons show that MISA is able to provide the global minimum even when infeasible initial designs are attempted. By contrast, some classical optimization methods either fail to converge or converge to local minima.
Performance Implications of Holding Multiple Mutual Funds with the Same Investment Objective

In this study we investigate the potential benefits of holding multiple mutual funds with the same fund objective. Given that a typical investor9s asset allocation may involve multiple asset classes, we report results for an array of mutual fund types including aggressive growth, international equity, high quality bond, balanced, and tax-free money market funds. We measure the impact of holding multiple funds with the same investment objective on the standard deviation, mean shortfall, and semivariance of terminal wealth. Our results, which are reported for 5-year, 7-year, and 10-year holding periods, indicate that, with the exception of money market funds, it takes 5 to 6 mutual funds to reduce the variability of terminal wealth significantly regardless of fund objective. The finding for aggressive growth mutual funds is robust to controls for style differences. In other words, it still takes 5 to 6 mutual funds to diversify manager risk when we classify aggressive growth funds into small, large, value, and growth style groups. We find that the standard deviation of terminal wealth and the shortfall risk of holding a tax-free money market fund are very small in relation to the expected terminal wealth level. Thus, diversification is not a particularly relevant concern for this asset class. We also investigate how the performance of a portfolio of multiple funds in a given asset class compares with that of the benchmark portfolio for the asset class. We show that during our sample period of 1993-2002 on average aggressive growth and high quality bond funds underperform their benchmark market indices, and that holding multiple mutual funds with the same objective does not mitigate this underperformance problem. An important contribution of our study is its use of a sample that is free of survivorship bias.
Anion selectivity studies on liquid membrane electrodes

Abstract Selectivity coefficients of liquid-membrane electrodes for common inorganic anions were measured in electrodes containing tris(l,10-phenanthroline)iron(II), tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)iron(II) or tetraheptylammonium ion in nitrobenzene, and tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)iron(II) ion in nitrobenzene, chloroform or n-amyl alcohol as the liquid membrane. With the exception of the amyl alcohol electrode, selectivity coefficients were relatively independent of membrane composition and followed a common sequence of decreasing selectivity: PF6−> ClO4−>SCN−~I−~BF4−>NO3−>Br−>Cl−. This sequence parallels the order of increasing anion hydration energy, suggesting that aqueous phase solvation energies play a predominant role in determining electrode selectivity for these ions. Time-dependent behavior of liquid-membrane electrodes on transfer between solutions containing different ions also is described. Instantaneous e.m.f. readings were used to determine selectivity coefficients.
Lead Selenide Nanowires Prepared by Lithographically Patterned Nanowire Electrodeposition

We describe the electrochemical deposition of lead selenide (PbSe) nanowire arrays by the lithographically patterned nanowire electrodeposition (LPNE) method. The nanowires were electrodeposited using a constant potential method from an aqueous solution containing Pb2+ and HSeO3− at room temperature onto an electrode that had been photopatterned in unfiltered laboratory air. The resulting polycrystalline nanowires were stoichometric, face-centered cubic PbSe and had a rectangular cross section with lengths > 1 mm, widths between 80 and 600 nm, and heights between 40 and 80 nm. The synthesized nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrical resistivity of the nanowires is comparable to that of other PbSe nanowires.
Direct interaction between BRCA1 and the estrogen receptor regulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transcription and secretion in breast cancer cells.

Mutational inactivation of BRCA1 confers increased risk for breast cancer. However, the underlying basis for the breast tissue-restricted, tumor-suppressive properties of BRCA1 remains poorly defined. Here, we show that BRCA1 and the estrogen receptor α (ER-α) modulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene transcription and secretion in breast cancer cells. ER-α interacted in vitro and in vivo with BRCA1, and this interaction was mediated by the AF-2 domain of ER-α and two domains of BRCA1, the amino-acid residues 1–306 and 428–683. Endogenous interaction of ER-α with BRCA1 was observed in normal MCF-10A breast epithelial cells and in breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and T47D), and this interaction was significantly reduced in the presence of estrogen. Furthermore, ER-α induced activation of VEGF gene transcription, using human VEGF promoter-luciferase reporter constructs. The AF-2 domain of ER-α was also shown to induce VEGF gene transcription activation similar to that obtained with the full-length ER-α. However, in the presence of BRCA1, VEGF gene transcription activation and VEGF protein secretion were significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. The BRCA1 domain of 1–683 amino acid residues was required for this inhibition of VEGF gene transcription activation. Three mutated forms of BRCA1 (A1708E, M1775R and Y1853X), that have been identified in familial breast cancers, failed to associate with ER-α and to suppress VEGF promoter activity and VEGF protein secretion. Overexpression of wild-type BRCA1 in HCC-1937 breast cancer cells that lack endogenous functional BRCA1 significantly reduced VEGF secretion in these cells. These results demonstrate a novel pathogenic mechanism whereby mutations in BRCA1, via their interaction with ER-α, could promote tumorigenesis through the hormonal regulation of mammary epithelial cell proliferation and impaired VEGF function, which may lead to cancer growth and angiogenesis.
Lebed's Resonance and Magnetotransport in Field Induced Spin Density Wave

Quasi-one-dimensional conductors like Bechgaard salts exhibit intriguing magnetotransport when a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the most conducting direction. When the tilt angle θ of the magnetic field from the least conducting direction takes particular values, the magnetoresistance reveals resonance like dips. Here we explore the related phenomenon in field induced spin density wave (FISDW) in terms of the θ dependence of the quasi-particle energy gap. The present theory describes the dips in the B dependent magnetoresistance observed in FISDW of (TMTSF) 2 PF 6 under pressure and predicts related resonance structures in the depinning electric field in the nonohmic conductivity as well in the torque and other thermodynamical properties
Evaluation of the Tiredness Management Guide: a pilot study

The Tiredness Management Guide (TMG), developed by N. W. Troy and P. Dialgas-Pelish (1995), consists of 59 interventions that may be helpful in decreasing maternal fatigue in the postpartum period. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate which interventions mothers perceived as most helpful and thus reduce the length of the TMG and update its relevance. A convenience sample of 30 Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) participants between the ages of 18 and 35 years completed a demographic tool and the TMG. The 25 most helpful interventions can be placed into the following broad categories: rest and relaxation, time management, rearranging usual activities, relief/prevention of hemorrhoids/constipation, signs of infection, and emotional support.
Identification of dorsal root ganglion neurons that innervate the common bile duct of rats

Pain originating in the bile duct is common and many patients who have suffered from it report that it is one of the most intense forms of pain that they have experienced. Many uncertainties remain about the mechanisms underlying pain originating in the bile duct. For example, the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons that give rise to the sensory innervation of the common bile duct (CBD) have not been identified and examined in any species. The goal of the present study was to determine the number, distribution, and size of DRG neurons that innervate the CBD in rats. Injections of WGA-HRP or CTB-HRP were restricted to the lumen of the bile duct. Injections of WGA-HRP labeled a mean number of about 500 DRG neurons bilaterally throughout all thoracic and upper lumbar levels. Injections of CTB-HRP labeled smaller numbers of DRG neurons. Application of colchicine onto the surface of the CBD reduced the number of cells labeled following injections of WGA-HRP into the lumen of the CBD by roughly 86%, suggesting that tracer had not spread in large amounts out of the CBD and labeled afferent fibers in other tissues. Approximately 85% of the neurons labeled with WGA-HRP had cell bodies that were classified as small; the remainder were medium in size. Injections of CTB-HRP labeled cell bodies of varying sizes, including a few large diameter cell bodies. These results indicate that a large number of primarily small DRG cells, located bilaterally at many segmental levels, provide a rich innervation of the common bile duct.
Effective Cancer Therapy Through Immunomodulation

MAbs directed toward tumor cells, tumor neovasculature, and host negative immunoregulatory elements (checkpoints) have emerged as useful immunotherapeutic agents against cancer. However, effective active modulation of the immune response with anticancer vaccines will require identifying appropriate tumor-rejection antigens; optimizing the interactions of peptides, antigen-presenting cells, and T cells; and blockading negative immunological checkpoints that impede an effective immune response. Checkpoints being targeted include CTLA-4 and PD1 that are negative signaling receptors expressed on activated T cells, CD4+CD25+ Foxp3-expressing Tregs (suppressor T cells), IL-2-mediated activation-induced cell death (AICD), and the cytokine TGFbeta.
Law and the Image of a Nation: Religious Conflict and Religious Freedom in a Brazilian Criminal Case

This article examines a criminal trial in Brazil that touched on the imagined role of religion in public life. The case involved a Protestant minister accused of religious discrimination and of vilipending an image of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil. The prosecution argued and the court concurred that the minister's iconoclastic verbal and physical gestures endangered the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. Yet the defense claimed that his actions, stemming from his religious convictions, expressed this same principle of freedom. Different visions of religious free-dom are at stake in the case as well as how such freedom relates to the rights and private lives of citizens. Placed in the history of church-state relations in Brazil, the case raises the problem of interpreting concepts of religious pluralism, religious freedom, and freedom of expression in Brazilian law.
Virtual exertions: evoking the sense of exerting forces in virtual reality using gestures and muscle activity.

Objective:This study was a proof of concept for virtual exertions, a novel method that involves the use of body tracking and electromyography for grasping and moving projections of objects in virtu...
Discovering lactic acid bacteria by genomics

This review summarizes a collection of lactic acid bacteria that are now undergoing genomic sequencing and analysis. Summaries are presented on twenty different species, with each overview discussing the organisms fundamental and practical significance, environmental habitat, and its role in fermentation, bioprocessing, or probiotics. For those projects where genome sequence data were available by March 2002, summaries include a listing of key statistics and interesting genomic features. These efforts will revolutionize our molecular view of Gram-positive bacteria, as up to 15 genomes from the low GC content lactic acid bacteria are expected to be available in the public domain by the end of 2003. Our collective view of the lactic acid bacteria will be fundamentally changed as we rediscover the relationships and capabilities of these organisms through genomics.