cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exact radiation of a dipole in the presence of a circular aperture in a ground plane backed by a spheroidal cavity and covered with an isorefractive diaphragm

[1] An oblate semispheroidal cavity with metallic walls flush-mounted under a metallic ground plane is coupled to the half-space above the ground plane through an aperture that corresponds to the interfocal disk of the oblate spheroidal system. A diaphragm is located across the aperture. The diaphragm material, the material filling the cavity, and the half-space are isorefractive to each other. A new exact solution is obtained for the radiation of an electric or a magnetic dipole located on the symmetry axis of the structure and axially oriented. The exact solution is expressed in terms of series containing oblate spheroidal functions. These series are evaluated to provide a benchmark solution for a primary source located either inside the cavity below the diaphragm or outside the cavity in the unbounded medium.
Closed-loop control of switching transition of SiC MOSFETs

This paper presents a novel closed-loop active-gatecontrol (AGC) circuit for high-voltage SiC MOSFETs, used in the high-voltage, high-frequency and high-power-density applications. The proposed controller independently adjusts the switching di/dt and dv/dt by closed-loop control of the gate current and enables one to reach optimal performance in terms of loss, device stress, and EMI. The di/dt is adjusted to control the overvoltage stress and peak reverse recovery current while the dv/dt is adjusted to control the common mode (CM) noise and switching loss. The dv/dt is the primary source of the common mode noise in power electronics converters. Dynamic control of switching dv/dt has been somewhat overlooked in the state-of-the art works based on Si based power semiconductor devices (PSDs), and maximum achievable dv/dt is used to decrease the switching loss. However, the magnitude of generated dv/dt in the high-voltage SiC-based applications is appreciable because of the exceptionally higher switching speed of the SiC MOSFETs as compared to Si IGBTs. In contrast to other works, the proposed controller dynamically and independently controls the turn-off di/dt and dv/dt of a SiC MOSFET using closed-loop control of the gate current. Independent control of turn-off di/dt and dv/dt is achieved using a delay compensation circuit. This circuit compensates the total delay in the feedback loop and predicts the onset of transition between dv/dt and di/dt control regions. The proposed control circuit operation and advantages are presented and verified by experimental results.
Multimeric structure of the tumor necrosis factor receptor of HeLa cells.

Abstract The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor of HeLa cells was solubilized in Triton X-100 and characterized by gel filtration, affinity labeling, and ligand blotting studies. Receptors solubilized with Triton X-100 eluted in gel filtration as a major peak of Mr = 330,000 and retained high affinity binding (KD = 0.25 nM). Affinity labeling of soluble receptor/125I-TNF complexes using the reversible, bifunctional bis[2-(succinimidooxycarbonyl-oxy)ethyl] sulfone resulted in the formation of cross-linked species of Mr = 310,000, 150,000-175,000, 95,000, and 75,000. The formation of these complexes was competitively inhibited by unlabeled TNF. Partial reversal of cross-linking in these complexes and their analysis by two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) resolved 125I-TNF dimers cleaved from the 95,000 band and 125I-TNF monomer cleaved from the 75,000 band, providing evidence for a Mr approximately 60,000 subunit. In addition, the 95,000 and 75,000 bands were resolved as components of larger complexes (Mr = 150,000-175,000), which presumably contain two receptor subunits. The Mr 95,000 and 75,000 bands were also released from the Mr 310,000 complex by reduction with dithiothreitol, suggesting a role for disulfide bond stabilization. To investigate the association of the putative receptor subunits, Triton X-100 extracts from HeLa membranes were fractionated by SDS-PAGE without reduction and transferred electrophoretically to nylon membranes for TNF binding assays. Only two bands of Mr = 60,000 and 70,000 specifically bound TNF, and higher Mr binding activity was not observed. These results indicate that TNF receptors in HeLa cells are high molecular weight complexes containing Mr = 60,000 and 70,000 subunits each capable of binding TNF and that the complexes are primarily stabilized by non-covalent, hydrophobic interactions.
Robust monitoring of hypovolemia in intensive care patients using photoplethysmogram signals

The paper presents a fingertip photoplethysmography based technique to assess patient fluid status that is robust to waveform artifacts and health variability in the underlying patient population. The technique is intended for use in intensive care units, where patients are at risk for hypovolemia, and signal artifacts and inter-patient variations in health are common. Input signals are preprocessed to remove artifact, then a parameter-invariant statistic is calculated to remove effects of patient-specific physiology. Patient data from the Physionet MIMICII database was used to evaluate the performance of this technique. The proposed method was able to detect hypovolemia within 24 hours of onset in all hypovolemic patients tested, while producing minimal false alarms over non-hypovolemic patients.
Symposium on the History of Anthropology

SCIENCE, like organic life, has ramified by expanding into unoccupied areas and then adapting itself to the special requirements encountered there. And just as the diversified forms of animals, plants, and insects make evident by their morphology and their function the characteristics of ecological niches whose very existence might otherwise escape notice, so the diversity of techniques and concepts of scientific specialties by their very formulation reveal aspects of nature we would not have suspected. Anthropology, like other branches of science, has also embodied in its structure whole new worlds rich in insights into the development and nature of man. If we can claim for anthropology the discovery of culture through its exploration and adaptation to the world of extra-European man opened up by the age of discovery, we can say for physical anthropology that it has revealed that man is an integral part of the animal kingdom and that, in his organic aspects, he is subject to the same laws and mechanisms that control other forms of organic life. Because it is now taken for granted that this is so, it is difficult to realize how revolutionary this concept of the nature of man appeared to earlier ages. Up until the 18th century, and in many circles much later, man was still held to be sui generis and apart from all other living things. Nor was this characteristic of the Judaeo-Christian view alone. Although in Classical, particularly Greek, literature there is some evidence that man's relationship to nature was beginning to be understood, the prevailing view was much the same. As in many other civilizations, and indeed among many native people, the world of man was linked to the gods who were both extensions of man and his creators. Indeed, the attributes of man had placed him at such a distance from all other living creatures that their combination had conferred on him an almost unique position in his own mind. To have bridged the gap between man and all other animals that had been created by evolution and to have finally recognized the unity of man with organic life are, in retrospect, a towering achievement. Physical anthropology did not, like some sciences, develop from the ap-
Planning diagnostic imaging work-up strategies using case-based reasoning.

Abstract ISIS is a developmental decision support system that helps physicians select diagnostic imaging procedures. It uses case-based reasoning, an artificial-intelligence approach that emphasizes reasoning and planning from prior experience. The development, training, and evaluation of a prototype system were used to guide the development of ISIS. To realize a clinically useful system, particular emphasis has been placed on increasing the depth and breadth of case-based knowledge, enhancing the explanatory capabilities of the system, and refining the human-computer interfaces to include a critiquing approach.
A Practical, Globally Optimal Algorithm for Geometric Matching under Uncertainty

Abstract Geometric matching under uncertainty is a long-standing problem in computer vision. This paper presents a simple and efficient branch-and-bound algorithm for finding globally optimal solutions to geometric matching problems under a wide variety of allowable transformations (translations, isometries, equiform transformations, others) and a wide variety of allowable feature types (point features, oriented point features, line features, line segment features, etc.). The algorithm only requires an implementation of the forward transformation (model-to-image) and an error model to be supplied. Benchmarks and comparisons of the algorithm in comparison with alignment and Hough transform methods are presented.
A survey of agency models of organizations

Abstract In recent years Neoclassical economists have begun to turn their attention to issues of firm organization, stimulated in large part by methodological advances in the economics of incentives and incomplete information. The paradigm on which much of this work is based views an organization as an agency relationship. Agency models incorporate two basic features of organizations: incomplete information and goal conflict among members of the organization. This essay characterizes and critiques the existing research on agency models of organizations in order to broaden the set of consumers of such models and to stimulate the production of new research.
Fire-relevant literature and its availability

Abstract The primary goal of the National Fire Data Center which was authorized by the U.S. Congress on 29 October 1974 is “the selection, analysis, publication and dissemination of information related to the prevention, occurrence, control, and results of fires of all types” (Section 9a, Public Law 93–498). In pursuing this goal it was clearly necessary to determine the relevance and usefulness to fire researchers of the many computerized bibliographic data bases which already exist in support of science and technology, and to assess the extent to which existing computerized bibliographic data bases can provide information relevant to fire research. We describe here the results of a study which was directed at this particular problem.
Reducing the legal consequences of a felony conviction: A national survey of state statutes ten years later

This study surveys all state and federal statutes in an effort to determine the current legal procedures available for restoring a convicted felon's civil rights, and then compares the findings with those of Burton et al. (1988). The findings report virtually no changes in legal codes over the past ten years by states to increase pardons, expungement, or automatic restoration of rights opportunities for former offenders. Southern states continue to be most restrictive of civil and legal rights, given the few existing legal mechanisms to remove the effects of a felony conviction. Explanations for this apparent legislative inactivity of legal remedies are discussed.
Relationships among dietary lipids, tissue lipids, and growth in juvenile lobsters.

The inclusion of oils (6% dry weight) in a purified diet fed to juvenile lobsters for 60 days caused a significant increase in growth. When four purified diets containing tuna, corn, or cod liver oils in various combinations were fed to juvenile lobsters for 120 days, no significant differences in growth were observed. Growth data do suggest that the inclusion of oils rich in ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could significantly increase growth rates. Juvenile lobsters fed purified diets stored large amounts of lipid in the hepatopancreas, 21.5 to 25.6% of the hepatopancreatic wet weight. Only 1.01 to 3.23% of the remaining body weight was lipid. The inclusion of marine fish oils in the purified diets affected lipid deposition and metabolism. The lipid extracted from the hepatopancreas had neutral/polar ratios averaging 3.4; lipids extracted from the remaining parts had ratios averaging 0.6. In general the fatty acid composition of the neutral and polar lipids of the hepatopancreas and remaining bodies reflected that of the purified diets. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly 20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3 derived from the oil ingredients, were accumulated and preferentially incorporated into the polar lipid of the remaining body. Data suggest the presence of a biosynthetic pathway whereby neutral lipids are formed from polar lipids as well as the lobster's poor ability to produce polyunsaturated fatty acids via elongation and desaturation reactions of pre-existing compounds.
The Revised Mosher Sex-Guilt Scale: Its Psychometric Properties and a Proposed Ten-Item Version

Mosher introduced his Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory some 40 years ago and, over the following decades, his subscale measuring sex guilt has been the most widely used measure of this construct. Mosher revised his instrument in 1998, but he did not provide data regarding the reliability of the scale, its construct validity, or its overlap with the original scale. In this study, a sample of 272 undergraduate college students (95 men and 177 women) were administered both the original Mosher Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory and the Revised Mosher Sex-Guilt Scale, a Non-Acceptance of Sexuality Scale, and several items regarding their sexual experiences. Results of this study provide support for the psychometric soundness of the 50-item Revised Mosher Sex-Guilt Scale. Results also revealed that the 50-item scale had a high degree of overlap with the original forced-choice version, and that it had statistically significant correlations in the predicted directions with the sexual experiences items. This study also proposes a brief 10-item version of Mosher's 50-item scale, which has similar psychometric characteristics and could serve as an efficient substitute for the longer scale.
Investigation of a submillimeter cantilever beam of variable cross section by computational and hologram interferometry methods

Vibration characteristics of a submillimeter cantilever beam of variable cross section are investigated using computational and hologram interferometry methods. The computational method is based on the finite element approach. The hologram interferometry methods are based on the time-average and stroboscopic heterodyne hologram interferometry approaches. Mode shapes and resonance frequencies of the beam are determined as a function of its length. Comparison between the finite element results and the holographic results shows good correlation.
Synthesis and water vapor separation properties of pure silica and aluminosilicate MCM-48 membranes

Abstract This work reports on the hydrothermal synthesis and gas–vapor separation properties of ordered mesoporous MCM-48 and Al-MCM-48 membranes. Gas permeation data for these membranes is characterized by the Knudsen type permeation mechanism, with a helium permeance of 7 × 10−8 mol/m2 Pa s and 3 × 10−8 mol/m2 Pa s, respectively, confirming the mesoporous nature of the membranes synthesized. Separation of a water vapor/oxygen mixture for these membranes was studied to explore potential use of these membranes in air dehumidification and air conditioning applications. These membranes offer high water vapor/oxygen selectivity as a result of capillary condensation of water vapor in the pores of the membranes. In the case of MCM-48, an oxygen permeance of 5 × 10−9 mol/m2 Pa s is obtained, with a water permeance of around 1 × 10−7 mol/m2 Pa s. The water vapor/oxygen separation factors as high as 17 are achieved. Al-MCM-48 membranes are seen to provide much higher separation factors reaching as high as 142, with water vapor permeance of 6 × 10−8 mol/m2 Pa s.
Identification and discrimination of handshape in American Sign Language.

Lane, Boyes-Braem, and Bellugi (1976) suggested that American Sign Language (ASL) was perceived according to distinctive features, as is the case with speech. They advanced a binary model of distinctive features for one component of ASL signs, handshape. To test the validity of this model, three native users of ASL and three English speakers who knew no ASL participated in two experiments. In the first, subjects identified ASL handshapes obscured by visual noise, and confusion frequencies yielded similarity scores for all possible pairs of handshapes. Pairs that shared more features according to the model produced higher similarity scores for both groups of subjects. In the second experiment, subjects discriminated a subset of all possible handshape pairs in a speeded “same-different” task; discrimination accuracy and reaction times yielded a d’ and a ds value, respectively, for each pair. Pairs that shared more features according to a slightly revised version of the model produced lower discrimination indices for both groups. While the binary model was supported, a model in which handshape features varied continuously in two dimensions was more consistent with all sets of data. Both models describe hearing and deaf performance equally well, suggesting that linguistic experience does little to alter perception of the visual features germane to handshape identification and discrimination.
GENETIC DIFFERENCE IN HLA-DR PHENOTYPES BETWEEN CHILDREN WITH COELIAC DISEASE AND 'TRANSIENT' COELIAC DISEASE

Aims: The reason why some of the patients with initially diagnosed coeliac disease (CD) according to the first 3 criteria of ESPGAN do not react with mucosal damage after gluten challenge remains unclear. We investigated whether genetic variances on their HLA-DR phenotypes could account for the different course of the disease. Methods: 61 children with CD were typed for their HLA-DR phenotypes according to standard techniques. 45 of the CD patients were true coeliacs according to the 4 criteria of ESPGAN. In contract 16 showed no mucosal relapse after prospective gluten ghallenge. 76 normal subjects from the area served as controls. Statistical analysis with two tailed p-value was calculated using Fisher's chi-square test after Yates correction. Results: Conclusion: HLA-DR phenotypes in hildren with ‘true’ CD show significantly higher proportions of DR 5/DR 7 or DR3/DR 7 than those with ‘transient’ CD. We speculate that mucosal reactions to gluten by later challenges might depend upon the HLA-DR phenotype of the host. Thus HLA-typing might even be of predictive value in CD.
Thermoelectric properties of AgGaTe 2 and related chalcopyrite structure materials

We present an analysis of the potential thermoelectric performance of $p$-type AgGaTe${}_{2}$, which has already shown a $ZT$ of 0.8 with partial optimization, and observe that the same band-structure features, such as a mixture of light and heavy bands and isotropic transport, that lead to this good performance are present in certain other ternary chalcopyrite structure semiconductors. We find that optimal performance of AgGaTe${}_{2}$ will be found for hole concentrations between 4 $\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{19}$ and 2 $\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{20}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ at 900 K, and 2 $\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{19}$ and 10${}^{20}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ at 700 K, and that certain other chalcopyrite semiconductors might show good thermoelectric performance at similar doping ranges and temperatures if not for higher lattice thermal conductivity.
Evidence for a direct action of monamines on the chick central nervous system.

Pharmakologische Untersuchungen im Hinblick auf eine eventuelle Wechselwirkung von psychotropen Pharmaka und biogenen Aminen ergaben: (1) offenbares Eindringen von 5-HT, DA und NE in das Zentralnervensystem junger Huhner. (2) Schlafcharakteristisches Verhalten von EEG und Verhaltensweise nach Verabreichung von 5-HT und NE. (3) Auftreten der «arousal»-Charakteristika mit anfanglicher Akinese im EEG und Verhalten nach Dopamin- oder Dopazufuhr.
IgD on cell membranes of human lymphoid cell lines with multiple immunoglobulin classes.

IMMUNOGLOBULIN D (IgD) is present in minute amounts in the serum and the biological role of this immunoglobulin class is unknown1. The finding that a high proportion of lymphocytes bear IgD on their surface membrane2 has triggered renewed interest in this molecule.
Therapeutic strategies for bone metastases and their clinical sequelae in prostate cancer.

Skeletal metastases threaten quality of life, functionality, and longevity in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Therapeutic strategies for bone metastases in prostate cancer can palliate pain, delay/prevent skeletal complications, and prolong survival. Pharmacologic agents representing several drug classes have demonstrated the ability to achieve these treatment goals in men with mCRPC. Skeletal-related events such as fracture and the need for radiation can be delayed using drugs that target the osteoclast/osteoblast pathway. Cancer-related bone pain can be palliated using beta-emitting bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals such as samarium-153 EDTMP and strontium-89. Also, prospective randomized studies have demonstrated that cytotoxic chemotherapy can palliate bone pain. For the first time, bone-directed therapy has been shown to prolong survival using the novel alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical radium-223. Given these multifold clinical benefits, treatments targeting bone metabolism, tumor-bone stromal interactions, and bone metastases themselves are now central elements of routine clinical care. Decisions about which agents, alone or in combination, will best serve the patient’s and clinician’s clinical goals is contingent on the treatment history to date, present disease manifestations, and symptomatology. Clinical trials exploring novel agents such as those targeting c-Met and Src are under way, using endpoints that directly address how patients feel, function, and survive.
Catastrophic optical bulk damage (COBD) — A new degradation mode in high power InGaAs-AlGaAs strained QW lasers

We investigated degradation mechanisms responsible for catastrophic optical bulk damage (COBD) in high-power multi-mode InGaAs-AlGaAs strained quantum well (QW) lasers with windowed n-contacts using TR-EL, DLTS, EBIC, and TR-PL techniques.
DNA-strand breaks associated with halogenated pyrimidine incorporation

Abstract The alkaline elution of bromodeoxyuridine-containing (BrdUrd) DNA and chlorodeoxyuridine-containing (CldUrd) DNA was studied in two CHO lines, the parental AA8 and a mutant line, EM9, which has a defect in repairing strand breaks and a 12-fold elevated baseline frequency of SCE. BrdUrd-DNA was found to have alkali-labile sites as well as direct breaks, neither of which were increased significantly by prior treatment of AA8 cells with an inhibitor (benzamide) or poly(adenosine diphosphoribose) polymerase. CldUrd-DNA, which gives higher frequencies of SCEs than BrdUrd-DNA, had more strand breaks than BrdUrd-DNA in AA8 cells after treatment with benzamide, while without benzamide there was no difference. The accumulation of breaks in CldUrd-DNA by benzamide was shown to occur rapidly, to reach a maximum by 90 min, and to be readilyt reversible after benzamide removal. Under all conditions, EM9 cells had more strand breaks than AA8. These observed differences in strand breaks were not due to differenced in incorporation efficiencies. For the different halogenated pyrimidines and cell types, there was a good correlation between the number of strand breaks and reduction of plating efficiencies.
Patients with vascular disease

When conducting a preoperative evaluation of a patient with vascular disease, it is crucial to compile a detailed history and perform a thorough physical examination. One must assess for other comorbidities as well as the extent of the disease, as patients with vascular disease often have coexisting ischemic heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, or chronic renal insufficiency. The goal of the preoperative evaluation is to identify modifiable risk factors, coordinate a treatment plan with other members of the perioperative care team, and optimize the patient's medical condition to shift the balance of risk/benefit ratio before proceeding with nonemergent surgery.
Rapid letter naming performance to assist in identifying learning disabilities, autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Diagnosing a disability can be difficult and this is especially true of hidden, developmental disabilities, such as learning disabilities (LD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. The purpose of the present study was to examine how rapid letter naming (RLN) scores may distinguish between children with LD, ADHD and autism, thus serving early identification and intervention. The results indicate that four distinct and significantly different profiles for RLN may be discerned and that class membership discerned as a result of RLN performance may be associated with certain disabilities. The implications for practitioners include the use of RLN as a screening tool to increase the likelihood of discerning among certain disabilities.
CHARACTERIZATION OF PRODUCTS FROM WET FRACTIONATION OF WHEAT BRAN

A study was conducted to determine the composition of a high protein flour (HPF) and a protein concentrate (WPC) obtained from the alkaline extraction of wheat bran. Baking characteristics of these fractions were determined using standardized techniques. Both HPF and WPC contain significant quantities of protein rich in lysine, and either can be used to fortify white bread with significant increases in protein and lysine contents. HPF can be added to a bread formulation in the largest amounts with least detrimental effect on bread qualities (loaf volume, crumb texture and color, crust appearance, aroma and flavor). WPC enhances protein content but rapidly lowers bread qualities; it can be added up to the 13% level and still yield an acceptable end product.
Quantifying Dynamics of the Ascending Thoracic Aorta in Patients With and Without Aneurysms Using 4D-CT

Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta is becoming the preferred treatment for aneurysms due to lower mortality rates and shorter recovery time in the ICU [1]. The success of endovascular treatment greatly depends on the anatomy and dynamic characteristics of the aneurismal region, with the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) presenting a less challenging environment than the ascending thoracic aorta (ATA). As such, devices and methods for endovascular treatment of the ATA remain to be developed. In fact, there is currently no FDA-approved implantable device to treat aneurysms in the ATA.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Non-cooperative bargaining dynamics in trading networks

We outline a recently developed method for analyzing non-cooperative bargaining games in networks, and discuss some applications.
Trimethyl-p-benzoquinone Provides Excellent Structural, Spectroscopic, and Thermochemical Models for Plastoquinone-1 and Its Radical Anion

Trimethyl-p-benzoquinone (TMQ) has been proposed to furnish an accurate thermochemical model for plastoquinones, key electron acceptors in oxygenic photosynthetic electron transfer. Free energy perturbation/molecular dynamics simulations combined with hybrid Hartree−Fock/density functional (HF/DF) calculations confirm that TMQ and plastoquinone-1 have approximately equal aqueous one-electron reduction potentials, within the accuracy of the calculations. HF/DF calculations using the B3LYP/6-31G(d) method also show that TMQ and its radical anion have (1) structures almost identical to those of PQa model for plastoquinone-1 without the isoprenoid chain's methyl groupsand its radical anion, respectively, have (2) spin densities for TMQ•- and PQ•- which differ by 0.01 electrons at most, and have (3) key CO and CC stretching frequencies for the TMQ/PQ and TMQ•-/PQ•- pairs differing by only 1−8 cm-1. Thus, TMQ and TMQ•- are excellent models for the structures, spin densities, and vibrational frequencies of plast...
Polyspermic mouse eggs can dispose of supernumerary sperm.

Abstract Zona-free mouse eggs inseminated with capacitated epididymal sperm in a modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium exhibited unusual kinetics of sperm incorporation. At a sperm concentration of 105 cells/ml or higher, the mean number of sperm per egg reached a maximum and then decreased with time. This decrease was correlated with the abstriction of sperm in cytoplasmic blebs which formed during or slightly after second polar body abstriction, 1.5–2.5 hr postinsemination. A correlation was apparent between the degree of polyspermy and the total number of sperm lost by this mechanism. Of 82 dispermic eggs studied, 36 underwent sperm loss by blebbing, a process that restored the monospermic condition. The sequential steps in the abstriction process are depicted in micrographs of whole mounts of fixed eggs. A sperm head or male pronucleus could be seen in isolated blebs. The prevention of bleb formation by exposure of penetrated eggs to cytochalasin B largely eliminated any difference in sperm number when the mean number of sperm per egg was compared at 2, 4, and 6 hr postinsemination. Sperm abstriction may be a novel sperm exclusion mechanism employed by mammalian eggs. Evidence is also presented that an unknown mechanism of sperm exclusion is operative in mouse eggs, since sperm loss by abstriction did not account for all sperm loss.
THE MASS CULTURE OF THE ROTIFER, Brachionus plicatilis, FOR USE AS FOODSTUFF IN AQUACULTURE1

Discussed is the mass culture of rotifers at the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Center, Galveston Laboratory, Galveston, Texas, in the Galveston penaeid shrimp hatchery system and for use in marine fish larval culture. Techniques are described for: 1) harvesting rotifer tanks by “skimming” the surface of the water; 2) concentrating the harvested rotifers by shocking with deionized water; and 3) storing large quantities of rotifers to be used as foodstuff by conventional freezing methods. Also discussed is a technique being developed whereby the rotifer is used as a carrier medium for various nutrients.
The Infected Hip: Avoidance and Treatment

Periprosthetic joint infection is one of the most common causes of failure after total hip arthroplasty. After strict sterile technique, the use of appropriate perioperative antibiotics administered before the skin incision is the most effective method to prevent infection. We have also found that a 3-minute dilute (0.35%) betadine lavage before closure has been helpful in decreasing the risk of periprosthetic joint infection. When treating the chronically infected total hip arthroplasty, debridement should be avoided, and a 2-stage exchange protocol remains the gold standard in North America.
Comparison of semiclassical treatments for evaluating Franck–Condon transition amplitudes for molecular dissociation

The full Franck–Condon amplitude for molecular dissociation processes can be written as a sum of products of half collision amplitudes, for vibrational–rotational transitions between single channel states of the repulsive electronic surface, and Franck–Condon (e.g., vertical) amplitudes, for transitions from the bound electronic state to the single channel states of the repulsive surface. The single channel Franck–Condon amplitudes, involving bound‐continuum overlap integrals, are evaluated using various semiclassical approximations. A comparison is made between the semiclassical and exact quantum evaluations of the Franck–Condon single channel amplitudes by performing calculations for the photodissociation of HCN, ICN, and CO2, thereby testing the range of validity of the semiclassical methods. Also, the wavelength dependence of the isotope effect for HCN dissociation is described.
VLDL Hydrolysis by Hepatic Lipase Regulates PPARδ Transcriptional Responses

Background: PPARs (a,c,d) are a family of ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate energy balance, including lipid metabolism. Despite these critical functions, the integration between specific pathways of lipid metabolism and distinct PPAR responses remains obscure. Previous work has revealed that lipolytic pathways can activate PPARs. Whether hepatic lipase (HL), an enzyme that regulates VLDL and HDL catabolism, participates in PPAR responses is unknown. Methods/Principal Findings: Using PPAR ligand binding domain transactivation assays, we found that HL interacted with triglyceride-rich VLDL (.HDL&LDL, IDL) to activate PPARd preferentially over PPARa or PPARc, an effect dependent on HL catalytic activity. In cell free ligand displacement assays, VLDL hydrolysis by HL activated PPARd in a VLDL-concentration dependent manner. Extended further, VLDL stimulation of HL-expressing HUVECs and FAO hepatoma cells increased mRNA expression of canonical PPARd target genes, including adipocyte differentiation related protein (ADRP), angiopoietin like protein 4 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4. HL/VLDL regulated ADRP through a PPRE in the promoter region of this gene. In vivo, adenoviral-mediated hepatic HL expression in C57BL/6 mice increased hepatic ADRP mRNA levels by 30%. In ob/ob mice, a model with higher triglycerides than C57BL/6 mice, HL overexpression increased ADRP expression by 70%, demonstrating the importance of triglyceride substrate for HL-mediated PPARd activation. Global metabolite profiling identified HL/VLDL released fatty acids including oleic acid and palmitoleic acid that were capable of recapitulating PPARd activation and ADRP gene regulation in vitro. Conclusions: These data define a novel pathway involving HL hydrolysis of VLDL that activates PPARd through generation of specific monounsaturated fatty acids. These data also demonstrate how integrating cell biology with metabolomic approaches provides insight into specific lipid mediators and pathways of lipid metabolism that regulate transcription.
Repeated methamphetamine administration differentially alters fos expression in caudate-putamen patch and matrix compartments and nucleus accumbens

Background The repeated administration of psychostimulant drugs produces a persistent and long-lasting increase (“sensitization”) in their psychomotor effects, which is thought to be due to changes in the neural circuitry that mediate these behaviors. One index of neuronal activation used to identify brain regions altered by repeated exposure to drugs involves their ability to induce immediate early genes, such as c-fos. Numerous reports have demonstrated that past drug experience alters the ability of drugs to induce c-fos in the striatum, but very few have examined Fos protein expression in the two major compartments in the striatum—the so-called patch/striosome and matrix. Methodology/Principal Findings In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry to investigate the effects of pretreatment with methamphetamine on the ability of a subsequent methamphetamine challenge to induce Fos protein expression in the patch and matrix compartments of the dorsolateral and dorsomedial caudate-putamen and in the ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens). Animals pretreated with methamphetamine developed robust psychomotor sensitization. A methamphetamine challenge increased the number of Fos-positive cells in all areas of the dorsal and ventral striatum. However, methamphetamine challenge induced Fos expression in more cells in the patch than in the matrix compartment in the dorsolateral and dorsomedial caudate-putamen. Furthermore, past experience with methamphetamine increased the number of methamphetamine-induced Fos positive cells in the patch compartment of the dorsal caudate putamen, but not in the matrix or in the core or shell of the nucleus accumbens. Conclusions/Significance These data suggest that drug-induced alterations in the patch compartment of the dorsal caudate-putamen may preferentially contribute to some of the enduring changes in brain activity and behavior produced by repeated treatment with methamphetamine.
Public Policy, Overhead Democracy and the Professional State Revisited

This article chronicles and critiques three primary perspectives reflected in the normative, empirical, and formal theoretical literature on overhead democracy and the professional state. After dem...
Three-dimensional contact analysis of layered elastic/plastic solids with rough surfaces

A three-dimensional numerical model is presented to investigate the contact behavior of layered elastic/plastic solids with rough surfaces. The surface deformation and pressure distributions are obtained based on a variational principle with a fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based scheme. The surface and subsurface stresses in the layer and the substrate are determined and a von Mises yield criterion is used to determine onset of yield. The model is applicable for both single-asperity contact and multiple-asperity contact. Three-dimensional layered elastic/plastic solids with rough surfaces are generated on the computer with specified standard deviation of surface heights, correlation length, layer thickness, stiffness and hardness ratio of the layer to the substrate. The contact statistics of layered solids under a designated normal load are predicted, namely, the fractional contact area, contact pressures, surface and subsurface stress, and relative meniscus force. These contact statistics are used to investigate friction, stiction, and wear problems such as debris generation, brittle failure, and delamination. The results yield insight into the effects of the layer, surface roughness, and normal load on the tribological performance of layered elastic/plastic solids. It allows the specification of layer properties to realize elastic contact and to reduce wear of materials. Optimum layer parameters are identified to provide low friction, stiction and wear.
Artificial intelligence knowledge acquisition techniques for instructional development

Knowledge engineering techniques for developing expert systems may also be useful for instructional development. A review of knowledge engineering focusing on knowledge representation and knowledge acquisition suggests ways in which these methods could be adapted to developing instructional systems. As further work is done on intelligent computer-assisted instructional systems and other complex instructional development projects, knowledge engineering skills may become more important for the instructional developer.
A High-temperature, High-efficiency Solar Thermoelectric Generator Prototype☆

Abstract Solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) have the potential to convert solar energy at greater than 15% efficiency. This project investigates the system design, the necessary thermoelectric and optical technologies, and the economic feasibility of the STEG approach. A STEG is a solid-state heat engine that converts sunlight directly into DC electricity through the thermoelectric effect. STEGs consist of three subsystems: the solar absorber, the thermoelectric generator (TEG), and the heat management system (insulation, heat exchanger, vacuum enclosure, etc.). This project will integrate several state-of-the-art technologies to achieve high efficiency, including next- generation materials for TEGs, high-temperature solar-selective absorbers, and thermal cavities. We will test STEGs at NREL's high flux solar furnace (HFSF) and perform analysis of parasitic losses and lifetime analysis to optimize prototype operation. Equally important for this technology is the development of a cost model to determine the economic competitiveness and possible application niches for STEG technologies. We report on first-order economic analysis to identify the most promising pathways for advancing the technology.
Effect of knee joint laxity on long-loop postural reflexes: evidence for a human capsular-hamstring reflex.

The onset latency and discharge amplitude of preprogrammed postural responses were evaluated in order to determine if the structure of synergistic activation could be altered by ligamentous laxity at the knee joint. Twelve subjects with unilateral and one subject with bilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency were tested while standing on a moveable platform. External balance perturbations (6 cm anterior or posterior horizontal displacements of the platform) were presented at velocities ranging from 15 to 35 cm/s. Perturbations were presented under the following experimental conditions: unilateral and bilateral stance, knees fully straight or flexed, and with ankle motion restricted or free. These stance, knee position, and ankle motion conditions were introduced to alter the stress transmitted to the knee joint during movement of the support surface. The automatic postural response was recorded from the tibialis anterior (T), quadriceps (Q), and medial hamstrings muscles (H) bilaterally. The normal response to an externally induced backward sway involved the automatic activation of T and Q at latencies of 80 ms and 90 ms respectively. Activation of the hamstrings in the non-injured extremity was not coupled with the postural response. Hamstrings are not typically involved in the correction posterior sway because H activation would tend to pull the center of mass further backwards. However, when the response in the ACL-deficient extremity was compared to the non-injured limb: (1) the automatic postural response in the ACL-deficient extremity was restructured to include hamstrings activation (100 ms latency), (2) H activation time was faster and less variable in the ACL-deficient limb, and (3) the ratio of H/Q discharge amplitude integrated over 100 ms and 200 ms from the onset of EMG activation showed a dominance of hamstring activity during unilateral stance on the lax limb. In addition, H/Q ratios integrated over 200 ms showed dominant hamstring activity in the ACL-deficient limb during bilateral stance. (4) Crosslimb comparisons showed greater normalized IEMG amplitudes for T, H, and Q during unilateral stance on the lax limb. These results suggest that a capsular-hamstring reflex is integrated into the existing structure of a preprogrammed postural synergy in order to compensate for ligamentous laxity. Furthermore, the generalized increase of response gain observed during perturbations of unilateral stance on the lax limb indicates that joint afference can modulate central programming to control localized joint hypermobility. A concept of postural control is discussed with respect to the capsular reflex, joint loading and displacement of the center of gravity.
Risk factors for positive depression screens in hospitalized cardiac patients

Summary Background Depression is common in patients with cardiac illness and is independently associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. There are screening guidelines for depression in cardiac patients, but the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of screening all cardiac patients is controversial. This process may be improved if a subset of cardiac patients at high risk for depression could be identified using information readily available to clinicians and screened. Objective To identify risk factors for a positive depression screen at the time of admission in hospitalized cardiac patients. Methods A total of 561 consecutively screened cardiac inpatients underwent the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). A prospective chart review was performed to assess potential risk factors for depression that would be readily available to front-line clinicians. Rates of risk factors were compared between patients with positive and negative PHQ-2 depression screens, and multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess whether specific risk factors were independently associated with positive screens. Results Of the 561 patients screened, 13.5% (n = 76) had a positive depression screen (PHQ-2 ≥ 2). In the univariate analyses, several variables were associated with a positive depression screen. On multivariate analysis, an elevated white blood cell (WBC) count (>10 × 109 cells per liter) and prescription of an antidepressant on admission were independently associated with a positive depression screen, while current smoking showed a trend toward significance. Conclusion Information on these three identified risk factors (WBC count, antidepressant use, and smoking) is readily available to clinicians, and patients with these diagnoses may represent a cohort who would benefit from targeted depression screening in certain settings.
Tc-99m HMPAO brain survival study reveals flow to the cerebrum but none to the cerebellum.

One of the advantages of the Tc-99 m HMPAO brain survival study is that it visualizes flow to the cerebellum. Several cases have documented flow to the cerebellum but none to the cerebrum. This appears to be the first case of flow to the cerebrum but none to the cerebellum. The patient was admitted in hypertensive crisis (376/250). CT revealed a bleed into the cerebellum. A Tc-99 m HMPAO brain survival scan obtained the same day revealed no flow to the cerebellum but flow to the cerebrum. A repeat Tc-99 m HMPAO brain survival scan obtained the next day revealed no flow to either the cerebrum or the cerebellum
Haplotype association analyses in resources of mixed structure using Monte Carlo testing

Background Genomewide association studies have resulted in a great many genomic regions that are likely to harbor disease genes. Thorough interrogation of these specific regions is the logical next step, including regional haplotype studies to identify risk haplotypes upon which the underlying critical variants lie. Pedigrees ascertained for disease can be powerful for genetic analysis due to the cases being enriched for genetic disease. Here we present a Monte Carlo based method to perform haplotype association analysis. Our method, hapMC, allows for the analysis of full-length and sub-haplotypes, including imputation of missing data, in resources of nuclear families, general pedigrees, case-control data or mixtures thereof. Both traditional association statistics and transmission/disequilibrium statistics can be performed. The method includes a phasing algorithm that can be used in large pedigrees and optional use of pseudocontrols.
On Failing to be Cartesian: Reconsidering the ‘Impurity’ of Descartes’s Meditation

Abstract This paper begins from the observation that in the Meditations, Descartes never achieves the ‘pure’, thoroughly decontextualized kind of thinking he famously promoted. Some commentators have used this observation to promote pure inquiry more diligently and to criticize Descartes for failing to achieve it. Other commentators have simply called for greater historical fairness and urged that we renew our efforts to understand how Descartes’s inquiry actually does operate. This paper, although sympathetic with this second group of commentators, argues that in revisiting the tensions between what Descartes actually accomplished and what he said he was trying to accomplish, we should see a contemporary lesson, not just better historical understanding. It is argued that in spite of the strong presence in his writings of the imagery of the ‘Cartesian’ ideal of a perfectly presuppositionless philosophical standpoint, not only does Descartes himself never become a Cartesian, but his own practice provides p...
Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid

Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid are distinct autoimmune blistering diseases that are characterised by the presence of autoantibodies directed against specific adhesion molecules of the skin and mucous membranes. The comparison and contrast of molecular mechanism of blister formation of these two diseases provide a rational diagnostic and therapeutic approach to affected patients.