cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of steady ductile crack growth on cleavage fracture from three-dimensional, small-scale yielding simulations

Abstract Highly refined simulations of steady, ductile crack growth in a three-dimensional small-scale yielding (SSY) framework provide detailed crack-front fields for computation of Weibull stress values in plane-sided and side-grooved configurations. The scalar Weibull stress values define a probabilistic measure for cleavage fracture with strong sensitivity to the volume of highly-stressed material – ductile crack extension subjects increasingly larger volumes of material to high stresses. The model treats all crack growth as steady-state with total Weibull stress values approximated by the value at the onset of tearing and increases caused by each increment of crack advance. The computations indicate that (1) Weibull stress values increase rapidly with steady ductile tearing, (2) side grooves slightly lower the rate of increase of Weibull stress values with crack advance – higher stresses at the root of the side-groove cannot compensate for the decreased thickness (volume loss) on the crack plane, and (3) plane-strain models remain realistic only at small load levels. Comparisons with prior analytical and experimental work indicate the model captures the increasing probability of cleavage fracture with continued crack advance. Within the restrictions of SSY, the model has particular application, for example, to low-upper shelf steels embrittled in nuclear reactor pressure vessels – materials with low-to-moderate initiation toughness, and lower resistance to ductile tearing.
Inexact computing for ultra low-power nanometer digital circuit design

We elaborated a new ultra low-power nanometer circuit design methodology by introducing statistical fluctuations in advanced technology nodes as noise sources causing computational errors. The modeling is performed on sub-50 nm technology node to create a statistical performance metric. The relationship between the probability of error and the circuit noise for a variety of different configurations and of circuit topologies is explored. Input-coupled noise has the dominant effect in terms of error and is analyzed through AC and high-frequency properties of the inverter transfer characteristics. Gate-level implementation of the probabilistic CMOS logic is validated with circuit simulations using a commercial 45-nm SOI CMOS process technology. Using a 32-bit adder where voltages can be scaled from MSB to LSB as an example, simulation results show the power of the technique. A calculation error of 10−6, a number quite appropriate for many computational tasks, occurs with a total power reduction of more than 40 %.
Structural Analysis of the Human BIN1 Gene EVIDENCE FOR TISSUE-SPECIFIC TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION AND ALTERNATE RNA SPLICING

BIN1 is a putative tumor suppressor that was identified through its interaction with the MYC oncoprotein. To begin to identify elements of BIN1 whose alteration may contribute to malignancy, we cloned and characterized the human BIN1 gene and promoter. Nineteen exons were identified in a region of >54 kilobases, six of which were alternately spliced in a cell type-specific manner. One alternately spliced exon encodes part of the MYC-binding domain, suggesting that splicing controls the MYC-binding capacity of BIN1 polypeptides. Four other alternately spliced exons encode amphiphysin-related sequences that were included in brain-specific BIN1 species, also termed amphiphysin isoforms or amphiphysin II. The 5'-flanking region of BIN1 is GC-rich and lacks a TATA box but directs transcriptional initiation from a single site. A approximately 0. 9-kilobase fragment from this region was sufficient for basal transcription and transactivation by MyoD, which may account for the high levels of BIN1 observed in skeletal muscle. This study lays the foundation for genetic and epigenetic investigations into the role of BIN1 in normal and neoplastic cell regulation.
Media rhetoric as social drama: The Winter Olympics of 1984

The unprecedented importance of commercial media in both the broadcasting and the sponsorship of the Olympic games has had critical implications for their significance as global events. This appraisal of the 1984 Winter Olympics at Sarajevo argues that it was the plurality of tensions among the commodified market economy and more traditional heroic norms of excellence that engendered “social dramas” in the presentation of Olympic games. In this case study, the concept of spectacle is approached through Victor Turner's narrative phases of social drama in order to appreciate the moments of rhetorical urgency and reflective possibility within the games.
Detecting DIF across the different language groups in a speaking test

The investigation of differential item functioning (DIF) is crucial in language proficiency tests in which test-takers with diverse backgrounds are involved, because DIF items pose a considerable t...
Open lobectomy for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Because the tumor is contained within a foci of lung parenchyma, the foundation of treatment of stage I non–small cell lung cancer is complete resection of the neoplasm and achieving microscopically negative margins. The choice of operation is crucial. Because of its more favorable local recurrence and 5-year survival rates, lobectomy with mediastinal lymphadenectomy is the gold standard for treating patients with clinical stage I non–small cell lung cancer who have sufficient cardiopulmonary reserve, including older patients.
Conformational analysis of poly(MDI-butandiol) hard segment in polyurethane elastomers

As part of our study of the structure of the hard segments of polyurethane elastomers, we have used conformational analysis to predict the conformation of the polyurethane chain formed from diphenylmethane 4,4′-diisocyanate (MDI), with butandiol as the chain extender. X-ray diffraction indicates the chain conformation is highly extended in the solid state, with a monomer repeat of 18.95 A. The chain conformation can be predicted from the interaction between the large contiguous groups. Semiempirical and CNDO/2 molecular orbital calculations have been used to investigate the phenyl-phenyl, phenyl-urethane, and urethane-butandiol interactions. Minimum energy for the diphenyl-methane section occurs for a CCH2C bridge angle of θ = 110°. However, the more likely conformation in the polymer is probably that at the subsidiary minimum at θ = 118°, in which the phenyl rings are mutually perpendicular, which is comparable to the conformation seen for model compounds. For the phenyl-urethane interactions the energy minimum is at ч = ±90°, with the combination (ч1, ч2) = (−90°, +90°) leading to the necessary extended conformation. Calculations for the butandiol segment favour an all-trans conformation which is coplanar with the urethane groups. The predicted conformation of the polymer chain has a fibre repeat which matches the observed value, and this cannot be attained if the butandiol unit contains any gauche bonds. Model compounds show large variations for the phenyl-urethane conformation from the predicted minimum at ч = ±90°, indicating the importance of intermolecular stacking forces in determining the polymer conformation. However, provided the adjacent butandiol and urethane groups are coplanar, the fibre repeat is relatively insensitive to variations of ч.
The effects of different types of goal pursuit on experience and performance during a stressful social task

Researchers have recently suggested that anxiety research may benefit from the examination of motivational factors, such as the difference between approach and avoidance goals. This suggestion is consistent with the literature on self-regulation, which indicates that affect serves as feedback for goal pursuit, with anxiety primarily providing feedback regarding avoidance. However, no data are available on participant goals for a task that generates social anxiety. Data from 120 speech anxious participants who engaged in a public speaking task were used to test the following hypotheses: (1) avoidance goals would be more specific than approach goals; (2) goals regarding social anxiety would have a negative impact on public speaking experience and performance; and (3) participants would tend to organize approach and avoidance goals not as separate goals, but as opposite poles of the same overarching goal. Hypotheses (1) and (3) were fully supported and hypothesis (2) was partially supported. The results highlight the possibility that approach goals may be particularly important to anxiety reduction.
Magnetic study of magnetite in the Tagish Lake meteorite

The saturation magnetization, saturation remanent magnetization, the coercive, and remanent coercive force were determined at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures for three pieces of the Tagish Lake meteorite. The results are compared to similar data for four other chondrites (Allende, Murray, Orgueil, and Murchison). The data suggests that the Tagish Lake meteorite is magnetically homogeneous, and is not as magnetically hard as the comparison chondrites. The magnetization measurements indicate that it contains about 10-11% multi-domain magnetite. Magnetic susceptibility measurements on all the samples from 77 K to room temperature showed a Verwey transition for all the samples which contain a significant amount of multi-domain magnetite. The coercive force data further indicate that the magnetite in Tagish Lake is multi-domain and that the grain size is small and approximately 4-9 μm.
An Optimal Global Nearest Neighbor Metric

A quadratic metric dAO (X, Y) =[(X - Y)T AO(X - Y)]? is proposed which minimizes the mean-squared error between the nearest neighbor asymptotic risk and the finite sample risk. Under linearity assumptions, a heuristic argument is given which indicates that this metric produces lower mean-squared error than the Euclidean metric. A nonparametric estimate of Ao is developed. If samples appear to come from a Gaussian mixture, an alternative, parametrically directed distance measure is suggested for nearness decisions within a limited region of space. Examples of some two-class Gaussian mixture distributions are included.
Communication Technologies and Architectures for Space Network and Interplanetary Internet

Future space exploration demands a Space Network that will be able to connect spacecrafts with one another and in turn with Earth's terrestrial Internet and hence efficiently transfer data back and forth. Currently there are hundreds of active space programs around the world that communicate in outer space. However, the concept of an Interplanetary Internet (IPN) is only in its incubation stage. Considerable amount of common standards and research is required before widespread deployment occurs to make IPN feasible. This paper presents a concise picture of the current space networking technologies and architectures. It discusses the Interplanetary Internet and Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) concepts along with the various space networks that are currently deployed. The paper also identifies the significant areas of space network design and operation that still require extensive research and development.
Low Energy Supersymmetry with Baryon and Lepton Number Gauged

We investigate the spontaneous breaking of the Baryon (B) and Lepton (L) number at the TeV scale in supersymmetric models. A simple extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model where B and L are spontaneously broken local gauge symmetries is proposed. The B and L symmetry breaking scales are defined by the supersymmetry breaking scale. By gauging B and L, we understand the absence of the baryon and lepton number violating interactions of dimension four and five in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. Furthermore, we show that even though these symmetries are spontaneously broken there are no dangerous operators mediating proton decay. We discuss the main properties of the spectrum, the possible baryon number violating decays and the implications for the dark matter candidates. In this model, one can have lepton number violating signals from the decays of the right-handed neutrinos and baryon number violating signals from the decays of squarks and gauginos without conflict with the bounds coming from proton decay, n-n oscillations and dinucleon decays.
Working qualities of glass-ionomer cements

G lass-ionomer cements, relatively new and promising materials, are presently advocated for clinical use as Class III and V restorative materials, fissure sealants, and cementing agents for castings.‘-7 The setting mechanism of the glass ionomers has been characterized by Crisp et al.*-lo The physical properties and resistance to solubility appear advantageous and this cement forms adhesive bonds to enamel, dentin, and treated platinum and gold.” I2 Additionally, fluoride leaches from the set cement to provide protection against caries, and animal studies have established pulpal compatibility.13-‘5 While all of these factors are extremely encouraging, the cementing effectiveness is not yet understood nor has it been properly documented. Recently, Chembond (L. D. Caulk Co., Milford, Del.), a material closely akin to the restorative material Aspa (Amalgamated Dental Co., London, England) but with reduced powder particle size, was offered for evaluation as an agent for cementing dental castings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate glass-ionomer cement as a potential luting agent, especially from a working-quality and effectiveness standpoint.
Delayed iontophoretic ejection of substance P from glass micropipettes: correlation with time-course of neuronal excitation in vivo.

The microiontophoretic release of substance P (SP) and its carboxy-terminal octapeptide (SP8) was studied in vitro. At pH 5, SP and SP8 were released by a positive current. The rate of release was very low initially, increased with time, and then became constant. The duration of the initial period of low release was a function of the negative (retaining) current applied between release periods, and was unusually long even when relatively small retaining currents were used. In the presence of 17 mM sodium, the transport numbers of SP and SP8 were 0.016 and 0.0012, respectively. Addition of NaCl to the pipette produced a dramatic decrease in the transport number of SP (0.0008 in the presence of 170 mM NaCl). Substance P and SP8 were also applied in vivo in the vicinity of the noradrenaline-containing neurons of the rat locus coeruleus, using conventional five-barrel glass microelectrodes. Prior application of a 10nA retaining current for only 2 min delayed the response to iontophoresis of substance P by 30–40 sec. But when a very small retaining current (0.4 nA) was used between ejections, a very rapid excitatory response (within 5 sec) could be observed with as little as 5–15 nA of positive current. Following the delivery of SP or SP8 under such optimal conditions, recovery of neuronal firing rate was also rapid (10–30 sec). The low transport numbers and the long delay in the release of SP and of SP8 can be related to the physical and chemical characteristics of the molecules and the techniques of application. The low concentrations of these peptides present in the pipettes and their low diffusion constants are the main reasons for the differences of their iontophoretic behaviors from those of smaller neuroactive compounds.
Original Articles: Prostate Cancer: Pathological Features of Hereditary Prostate Cancer

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to characterize the pathological features of hereditary prostate cancer, a recently recognized variant of prostate cancer with an autosomal dominant inheritance of a rare highly penetrant gene associated with early onset of disease. We compared the histology at radical prostatectomy of clinical stage T2 prostate cancer, including its relationship to prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, in men with a family history of prostate cancer to those without a family history of prostate cancer. Three cohorts (hereditary, familial and sporadic) were identified based on pedigree analysis. A hereditary subgroup (28 patients) met 1 of the following 3 criteria: 1) cluster of greater than 3 affected relatives within the nuclear family, 2) occurrence of prostate cancer in each of 3 generations in either the proband paternal or maternal lineage, or 3) a cluster of 2 relatives affected at an early age of less than 55 years. This subgroup was compared to an age-matched subgroup with family ...
Vacuum-assisted wound closure of deep infections after instrumented spinal fusion in six children with neuromuscular scoliosis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The rate of infection after spinal fusion in neuromuscular scoliosis is reported to range from 4% to 20%. Infection persists in about 50% after traditional treatment including debridement and closure. Instrumentation removal is necessary in up to 28%. PURPOSE: To analyze the outcome of vacuum-assisted wound closure (VAC) in combination with antibiotics for the treatment of deep wound infection after instrumented spinal fusion in pediatric neuromuscular scoliosis. STUDY DESIGN: Six prospective consecutive neuromuscular patients with scoliosis. PATIENT SAMPLE: Between 2001 and 2005, six consecutive pediatric patients (average age, 12.6 years) with neuromuscular scoliosis with a postoperative deep wound infection after instrumented spinal fusion were included in the study. OUTCOME MEASURES: Measurement of the duration of wound closure and infection parameters during treatment. METHODS: The patients were treated with a VAC system in combination with antibiotics. RESULTS: Wound closure averaged 3 months. Infection parameters were normalized within 6 weeks. Removal of the instrumentation was not necessary in any patient, and there were no signs of infection at follow-up ranging from 9 to 42 months. CONCLUSION: The VAC system, in combination with antibiotic therapy, seems to be a useful method for treatment of deep wound infections after spinal fusion in pediatric neuromuscular scoliosis. It may prevent removal of the instrumentation and multiple surgery for irrigation and closure of the wound.
The social epidemiology of smoking behavior 1953 and 1970: The Midtown Manhattan study

Abstract This paper presents further findings in depth from the original Midtown Manhattan Study, and a preliminary delineation of smoking changes between 1953 and 1970 in a subsample of Midtown respondents, together with an assessment of the data.
Measurement of changes in cerebral blood volume in spontaneously hypertensive rats following L-arginine infusion using dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI

To understand whether the NO-dependent vasodilator L-arginine was effective upon a chronically hypertensive cerebral capillary endothelium, dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI was used to measure the relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) changes in nonischemic spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). rCBV was measured in 11 rats at 4.7 T using fast gradient echo imaging with intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA. Images were acquired before, immediately after, and up to 90 min after the infusion of 300 mg/kg L-arginine (n = 7) or of an equivalent volume of saline (n = 4). L-arginine increased rCBV in cortex beginning 10 min after infusion and reached significance after 30 min (P < 0.01), reached a peak of 1.24 +/- 0.06 (mean +/- SEM) times pre-injection level after 50 min, and was sustained throughout the 90 min observation period. In contrast, the rCBV in the deeper gray matter (striatum) showed no statistically significant change over the 90 min observation period. While this is consistent with previous studies showing that L-arginine infusion can directly modulate vascular tone and cerebral hemodynamics, it demonstrates that the effect is present only in cortex, and that it can occur also in the setting of a disturbed capillary endothelium.
Territory Contested Through Property in a Midwestern Post-Agricultural Community1

Post-agricultural rural communities are emerging in the Midwest as a consequence of regional economic restructuring. Such communities are dominated by residents without economic or social links to those who operate surrounding farms. An ethnographic study of an Illinois hamlet provides a case study for probing the assertion that property issues, more than occupation or family background, shape social relations in post-agricultural communities. Described is a variant of a post-agricultural community termed downscale due to an inmigration of working-poor families attracted by deteriorated, surplus housing. Examined are why and how a village of 200 became a highly contested territory where the struggle between newcomers and the old guard about differing notions of respectability became symbolized by conflict over the appearance and use of private and public property.
Zoospore Morphology of the California Strain of Plasmopara viticola

ZOOSPORES were obtained from the sporangia of the California strain1,2of Plasmopara viticola (B. and C.) Berl. and De T. growing in Vitis californica Benth. and V. girdiana Munson leaves. Germination occurred in distilled water at 10°–16° C. Active suspensions of zoospores were fixed by exposure for 30 sec. to the vapour of a 2 per cent osmic acid solution. Fixation darkened the flagella and permitted them to be measured easily under the light microscope. For electron microscopy the zoospore suspension was fixed, as above, on a ‘Parlodion’ film covering a 200-mesh electron microscope screen and allowed to dry.
Spin relaxation caused by thermal excitations of high-frequency modes of cantilever vibrations

We consider the process of spin relaxation in the oscillating cantilever-driven adiabatic reversals technique in magnetic-resonance force microscopy. We simulated the spin relaxation caused by thermal excitations of the high-frequency cantilever modes in the region of the Rabi frequency of the spin subsystem. The minimum relaxation time obtained in our simulations is greater than but of the same order of magnitude as one measured in recent experiments. We demonstrated that using a cantilever with nonuniform cross-sectional area may significantly increase spin-relaxation time.
OPTIMAL DESIGN OF A CHEMICAL REACTOR WITH FAST AND SLOW REACTIONS

Abstract Singular perturbation methods, developed originally by Levin and Levinson (1954) and Vasil'eva (1963), can be viewed as an alternative technique for decomposition of large-scale systems with widely-varying time constants. An example is a chemical reactor in which a multiplicity of fast and slow chemical reactions simultaneously occur. A lower-order model frequently adopted to simplify the calculations, may not be completely adequate, and a singular perturbation attack offers an efficient correction procedure. It is found that the optimal design is quite sensitive to small changes in some of the feed components, but not to others.
THE BEHAVIOR OF A COMPLEX FUNCTION AT INFINITY.

Traditionally, the behavior at ∞ of a complex function f is defined as the behavior at 0 of the function obtained by substituting the —1st power into f. This definition adequately describes the class of values f(z) for large z. For instance, the range near ∞of the identity function j (whose value for any z is j(z)=z) coincides with the range near 0 of the function j-1. But that definition does not in any way describe the structural behavior of f near ∞, reflected in properties of the class of pairs (z, f (z)) for large z. In fact, the association of the value f(z) with z may, by the substitution of j-1, completely change its character. For instance, the derivative of j near ∞ is the constant function 1, whereas that j-1 of near 0 goes even faster to ∞ than does j-1
An Articulating Antibiotic Spacer Controls Infection and Improves Pain and Function in a Degenerative Septic Hip

Background Treating septic arthritis of the hip with coexisting advanced degenerative disease is challenging. The use of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) has led to postoperative infection rates as high as 22%. Insertion of antibiotic spacers with subsequent reimplantation of a THA controls infection and improves pain and function in patients with periprosthetic infections.
Antioxidant Improves Smooth Muscle Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase Function and Lowers Tyrosine Nitration in Hypercholesterolemia and Improves Nitric Oxide--Induced Relaxation

Antioxidants improve endothelial function in hypercholesterolemia (HC); however, whether this includes improvement of the vascular smooth muscle response to NO is unknown. NO relaxes arteries, in part, by stimulating Ca(2+) uptake via sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) in aortic smooth muscle, and HC impairs SERCA function and the response to NO. HC induces oxidative stress, which could impair SERCA function. To study the effect of antioxidants, which are known to improve endothelium-dependent relaxation in HC, smooth muscle SERCA activity and NO-induced relaxation were studied in rabbits fed normal chow or a 0.5% cholesterol diet for 13 weeks. The antioxidant t-butylhydroxytoluene (BHT, 1%) was mixed with the HC diet in the last 3 weeks. HC impaired acetylcholine- and NO-induced relaxation, and these were restored by BHT. After inhibiting SERCA with thapsigargin, no difference existed in NO-induced relaxation among the three groups. Reduced aortic SERCA activity in HC was restored by BHT without changing SERCA protein expression. 3-Nitrotyrosine was notably increased in the media of the HC aorta, where it colocalized with SERCA. Tyrosine-nitrated SERCA protein was immunoprecipitated in the aortas of HC rabbits, where it was decreased by BHT, and it was also detected in the aortas of atherosclerotic humans. Thus, the antioxidant reverses impaired smooth muscle SERCA function in HC, and this is correlated with the improved relaxation to NO. These beneficial effects may depend on reducing the direct effects on SERCA of reactive oxygen species that are augmented in HC.
Evaluation of Simultaneous Transmission of Chikungunya Virus and Dengue Virus Type 2 in Infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae).

The simultaneous transmission of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and dengue viruses (DENV) has been a major public health concern because of their sympatric distribution and shared mosquito vectors. Groups of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) were orally infected with 1.5 × 105 PFU/ml of CHIKV and 3.2 × 106 FFU/ml of DENV-2 simultaneously or separately in inverse orders and evaluated for dissemination and transmission by qRT-PCR. Simultaneous dissemination of both viruses was detected for all groups in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus while cotransmission of CHIKV and DENV-2 only occurred at low rates after sequential but not simultaneous infection.
On methods to match a test pattern generator to a circuit-under-test

Autonomous circuits such as linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) and cellular automats are used as low-cost test pattern generators for circuits testable by pseudo-random patterns. We demonstrate that different LFSRs of the same degree, started from different initial states, may yield significantly different fault coverages and test lengths when used as test pattern generators for a given circuit, especially when the circuit has faults which are hard to detect by a practical number of pseudo-random patterns. Methods to tailor an LFSR to a circuit-under-test are proposed, that attempt to select the most effective LFSR and initial state for the circuit. The first method is based on a learning process that can be applied directly to certain types of circuits. The learning process is also used to establish a collection of (primitive and nonprimitive) LFSRs and initial states, effective for arbitrary circuits. This collection can then be used as a starting point for a genetic optimization procedure aimed at improving the selected LFSR and initial state. The use of an LFSR that can apply complemented as well as uncomplemented test patterns is shown to significantly improve the fault coverage, at the cost of a small area overhead. Experimental results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approaches to stuck-at faults and to transition faults.
Improved critical structure sparing with biologically based IMRT optimization

The impact of using biological models in treatment planning on plan quality is studied by comparing IMRT plans generated using selected commercially available treatment planning systems (TPSs) employing biological models/quantities in IMRT optimization (bIMRT) and the conventional physically (dose-volume) based optimization (pIMRT). A total of 25 IMRT plans, generated for five cases of different anatomic sites (brain, head and neck, lung, pancreas, and prostate) using five TPSs, two bIMRT (CMS Monaco and Phillips Pinnacle3 P3IMRT) and three pIMRT (CMS Xio, Phillips Pinnacle3, and Tomotherapy) systems, were compared. Dose-volume histograms, maximum, minimum, and mean doses, target heterogeneity and conformity indices, equivalent uniform dose (EUD), and an overall plan-ranking index (fEUD) were used in the comparison. It is clear from the comparison that the use of biological models in treatment planning optimization can generate IMRT plans with significantly improved normal tissue sparing with similar or slightly increased dose heterogeneity in the target, as compared to the conventional dose-volume based optimization for the same beam arrangement. For example, the bIMRT plans lead to smaller EUDs in 32 out of 37 normal structures in all five cases combined, as compared to the pIMRT plans. Caution should be exercised in choosing appropriate models and/or model parameters and in evaluating the plan obtained when using the biologically based treatment planning system.
Automated differential leukocyte count in horses, cattle, and cats using the Technicon H-1E hematology system.

The differential leukocyte counts performed by an automated hematology analyzer, the Technicon H-1E Hematology System, and traditional microscopic method (M-Diff) from blood samples of 129 horses, 40 cattle, and 140 cats were compared. The comparison was repeated after selected subsets of data were created by deleting samples with certain patterns suggesting error with the automated differential cell count (A-Diff). The two methods had good comparison of results for neutrophils and lymphocytes in all three species. Results for equine monocytes correlated moderately well between the two methods and the correlation improved in the selected data set. Monocyte results did not compare well for the bovine and feline samples. The A-Diff for feline eosinophils was inaccurate. The A-Diff may be accurate for bovine and equine eosinophils but too few examples of eosinophilia were present in the sample set to prove this. Basophils were too rarely seen in cattle and horses to validate A-Diff accuracy, but basophilia identified by the M-Diff in a cat was not identified by the A-Diff.
Latino Bilingual Teachers: Negotiating the Figured World of Masculinity.

This article focuses on a group of male teachers from Proyecto Bilingue, a professional development master’s degree program for bilingual teachers. The study is guided by one broad research question: How do Latino male bilingual teachers negotiate their identities in a gendered profession? Specifically the study addresses: What spaces for authoring gender identities do Latino male teachers provide in elementary schools? Social practice theory of self and identity was used to identify two themes. The first theme highlights the hegemonic masculinities that men were asked to adopt in elementary schools. The second theme illustrates how Latino teachers presented their students with a space to question rigid gendered positions and imagine more flexible boundaries for gender expression via children’s literature.
Effects of cyclophosphamide on pulmonary function in patients with scleroderma and interstitial lung disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational prospective cohort studies

The purpose of the present study was to systematically review the effect of cyclophosphamide treatment on pulmonary function in patients with systemic sclerosis and interstitial lung disease. The primary outcomes were the mean change in forced vital capacity and in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide after 12 months of therapy in patients treated with cyclophosphamide. Three randomized clinical trials and six prospective observational studies were included for analysis. In the pooled analysis, the forced vital capacity and the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide predicted values after 12 months of therapy were essentially unchanged, with mean changes of 2.83% (95% confidence interval = 0.35 to 5.31) and 4.56% (95% confidence interval = -0.21 to 9.33), respectively. Cyclophosphamide treatment in patients with systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease does not result in clinically significant improvement of pulmonary function.
Pick a Number … Any Number?

A recent classroom revelation caused us to reconsider the adequacy of the instructions offered in our textbooks for one of our most elementary quantitative methods. Specifically, we found that many students were mystified concerning how to pick an initial objective function value when plotting an isoprofit line in order to graphically solve a linear programming problem. We observed that this seemingly insignificant issue was causing a surprising amount of wasted time, confusion, and even anxiety. Our experience indicated that students do not necessarily possess any consistent intuition for choosing an appropriate initial value. We confirmed this perception through informal experimentation. We reviewed several textbooks and found that most simply do not bother to address this issue. Therefore, we devised a simple, comprehensible method which we have taught our students to resolve or avoid this problem. Although we quickly found the method to be helpful for many students, we conducted an experiment to formally measure its effect.
Analysis of Stars Common to the IRAS and HIPPARCOS Surveys

For about 11,000 stars observed in the Hipparcos Survey and detected by IRAS, we calculate bolometric luminosities by integrating their spectral energy distributions from the B band to far-IR wavelengths. We present an analysis of the dependence of dust emission on spectral type and of the correlations between luminosity and dust emission for about 1000 sources with the best data (parallax error less than 30%; luminosity error D50% or better). This subsample includes stars of all spectral types and is dominated by K and M giants. We use the IRAS [25][[12] color to select stars with emission from circumstellar dust and show that they are found throughout the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, including on the main sequence. Clear evidence is found that M giants with dust emission have luminosities about 3 times larger (D3000 than their counterparts without dust and that mass loss L _ ) on the asymptotic giant branch for both M and C stars requires a minimum luminosity of order 2000 Above this threshold the mass-loss rate seems to be independent of, or only weakly dependent on, L _ . luminosity. We also show that the mass-loss rate for these stars is larger than the core-mass growth rate, indicating that their evolution is dominated by mass loss.
A model of motor learning in closed-loop brain-machine interfaces: Predicting neural tuning changes

This paper presents a model of the learning process occurring during operation of a closed-loop brain-machine interface (BMI). The learning model updates neuron firing properties based on a feedback-error learning scheme, featuring feedforward and feedback controllers. Our goal is to replicate in simulation experimental results showing functional reorganization of neuronal ensembles during BMI experiments. We show that the proposed model can simulate motor learning, and that the predicted changes in neuronal tuning are consistent with experimental observations. We believe that being able to simulate motor learning in a BMI context will allow designing decoders that would facilitate the learning process in real world experiments.
Richard Hooker and the European ius commune

Placing Richard Hooker (d 1600) within the history of European thought has never been easy. The work of this Elizabethan defender of the English Church seems to defy exact categorisation. Publication in the Folger Library Edition of Hooker's complete works has, however, made knowledge about him easier to acquire than it once was, and in particular it makes possible a more accurate assessment of a question of interest to readers of this Journal. How much did he know about the ius commune, the amalgam of Roman and canon laws that governed practice in the tribunals of the Church? More than that, because the Folger Edition includes all Hooker's surviving writing—even his sermons and autograph notes—it is possible to discover more about the ways in which Hooker made use of the legal sources at his disposal, including those from the Roman and canon laws.
Marital satisfaction and spousal cost-infliction

This research tested the hypothesis that marital satisfaction is a psychological state regulated by evolved mechanisms that monitor spousal cost-infliction and benefits. Three separate data sources were used to study a sample of married couples. First, 214 participants provided information on their personality and marital satisfaction. Second, participants provided information on their spouse's personality, mate guarding and susceptibility to infidelity. Third, couples were interviewed by two interviewers, who subsequently provided independent ratings of each participant's personality. Results indicate that costs associated with spouse's personality, mate guarding and susceptibility to infidelity negatively correlate with participants' marital satisfaction. Discussion evaluates the utility of an evolutionary perspective on marital satisfaction and spousal cost-infliction.
A new assessment of the abundance of serpentinite in the oceanic crust

The ‘gabbro' model of the composition of the oceanic crust has prevailed for more than two decades, but serpentinites are common along much of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and elsewhere, leading to renewed debate over the abundance of serpentinites in crust created at slow-spreading ridges. Based on data from both oceanic and ophiolite samples, it has also been suggested that serpentinites are not distinguishable from meta-gabbros and diabases by their seismic properties. We have made new statistical analyses of the relationship between Vs and Vp in oceanic gabbro and diabase samples and serpentinized peridotites, and compared them to in situ s-wave and p-wave velocities derived from Expanding Spread Profiles (ESPs) acquired in the Atlantic. Our findings demonstrate: (1) that there is some overlap of the properties of gabbroic samples taken from ophiolites with the properties of serpentinites, but (2) over the range of typical-layer 3 seismic velocities, the seismic properties of oceanic gabbros and diabases are distinctly different from the properties of serpentinites, and (3) that in situ seismic velocities are in excellent agreement with the properties of the gabbros, while the shear velocities in serpentinites are significantly lower. Partially-serpentinized peridotite is certainly present, but not abundant in ‘normal' oceanic crust.
A model study of propagation of early afterdepolarizations

Early afterdepolarizations (EAD's) are irregularities of the cardiac action potential that interrupt or retard repolarization. EAD's have been linked to the development of specific types of cardiac arrhythmias, however, the mechanism underlying the development of these arrhythmias remains unclear. The authors implemented a two-element kinetic model of the ventricular action potential to investigate a potentially arrhythmogenic form of triggered activity. By approximating EAD's by a sinusoidal driving force, the authors were able to study the effects of interelement coupling resistivity and sinusoidal frequency and amplitude on the triggering of action potentials. They demonstrated EAD's in a ventricular action potential model by altering the potassium and calcium channels to simulate experimental conditions under which EAD's occur. They also found that triggered activity depends critically on the frequency and amplitude of the driving force and also on the degree of cellular uncoupling between the elements. The authors' results suggest that triggered activity (due to EAD's) may be suppressed by drugs that improve coupling in unhealthy tissue, or ones that prevent EAD formation by inhibiting calcium channels. >
Contribution of the Na+‐K+ pump to membrane potential in familial periodic paralysis

The possibility has been raised that in familial periodic paralysis, the relatively large depolarization of the muscle fiber membrane seen during periods of paralysis might be attributable to a reduction in activity of the electrogenic Na(+)-K+ pump. The theoretical analysis presented here shows that although such hypotheses are qualitatively correct, the quantitative contribution of the electrogenic pump is too small to account entirely for the changes in membrane potential observed between the paralytic and interictal states.
Peptidoglycan synthesis machinery in Agrobacterium tumefaciens during unipolar growth and cell division.

The synthesis of peptidoglycan (PG) in bacteria is a crucial process controlling cell shape and vitality. In contrast to bacteria such as Escherichia coli that grow by dispersed lateral insertion of PG, little is known of the processes that direct polar PG synthesis in other bacteria such as the Rhizobiales. To better understand polar growth in the Rhizobiales Agrobacterium tu- mefaciens, wefirst surveyed its genome to identify homologs of (~70) well-known PG synthesis components. Since most of the canonical cell elongation components are absent from A. tumefaciens, we made fluorescent protein fusions to other putative PG synthesis components to assay their subcellular localization patterns. The cell division scaffolds FtsZ and FtsA, PBP1a, and a Rhizobiales- andRhodobacterales-specific L,D-transpeptidase (LDT) all associate with the elongating cell pole. All four proteins also localize to the septum during cell division. Examination of the dimensions of growing cells revealed that new cell compart- ments gradually increase in width as they grow in length. This increase in cell width is coincident with an expanded region of LDT-mediated PG synthesis activity, as measured directly through incorporation of exogenous D-amino acids. Thus, unipolar growth in theRhizobiales is surprisingly dynamic and represents a significant departure from the canonical growth mechanism of E. coli and other well-studied bacilli. IMPORTANCE Many rod-shaped bacteria, including pathogens such as BrucellaandMycobacterium, grow by adding new material to their cell poles, and yet the proteins and mechanisms contributing to this process are not yet well defined. The polarly growing plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used as a model bacterium to explore these polar growth mechanisms. The re- sults obtained indicate that polar growth in this organism is facilitated by repurposed cell division components and an otherwise obscure class of alternative peptidoglycan transpeptidases (L,D-transpeptidases). This growth results in dynamically changing cell widths as the poles expand to maturity and contrasts with the tightly regulated cell widths characteristic of canonical rod- shaped growth. Furthermore, the abundance and/or activity of L,D-transpeptidases appears to associate with polar growth strate- gies, suggesting that these enzymes may serve as attractive targets for specifically inhibiting growth of Rhizobiales,Actinomyce- tales, and other polarly growing bacterial pathogens.
Improved wireless performance from mode scattering in ventilation ducts

Ventilation ducts are a convenient infrastructure for distributing wireless signals indoors. Conventional and historical use of single conductor metal waveguides for transmission of communications signals has focused on careful excitation and control of mode content in the waveguide - something that is possibly infeasible or financially undesirable in a ventilation duct setting. With this in mind, we investigate the mode scattering effects present in a ventilation duct T-junction and note with some surprise that improvement in the performance of an IEEE 802.11g communication can result from this scattering.
Adolescent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB): prospective results in 137 patients followed for 3 years

Abstract Background Evidence supports weight loss surgery as an effective long-term weight reduction therapy in adults. Methods Few adolescent obesity surgery series report outcomes for laparoscopic gastric banding (LAGB). We studied a population of morbidly obese teenagers who underwent LAGB to evaluate its safety and effectiveness in this age group. Three hundred and six morbidly obese adolescent candidates for LAGB were screened. Enrollees were evaluated monthly by the nutritionist and the surgical team to monitor compliance with recommended changes in diet and exercise. Patients also underwent psychiatric and endocrine evaluations. Those who made good changes in eating and exercise habits over a 6-month period were offered LAGB. The setting was a university hospital in the United States. Results One hundred thirty-seven adolescent patients underwent LAGB. The mean weight gain between enrollment and LAGB was 4.7 kg. Mean preoperative weight, body mass index (BMI), and excess BMI were 136.1 kg, 48.3 kg/m 2 , and 23.6 kg/m 2 , respectively. Mean BMI at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months was 43.8, 41.6, 41.5, 40.5, and 39.3. Excess BMI loss was 28.4%, 35.9%, and 41.1% at 1, 2, and 3 years postop. Co-morbid conditions improved or resolved with weight loss after LAGB. Thirty patients (22%) underwent one or more additional operations for complications. Twenty-seven patients (20%) converted to other weight loss procedures or had their bands removed. Conclusion LAGB is a safe weight loss operation in adolescents. Morbidly obese adolescents can lose weight successfully and experience health improvement following LAGB, but the role of LAGB in the younger population requires long-term evaluation.
Course and correlates of postpartum depression during the transition to parenthood

The transition to parenthood marks a major milestone in family development that is especially difficult for roughly 10% of postpartum women who develop clinical depressions serious enough to interfere with daily functioning. Relatively little is known about the course of postpartum depression, the factors associated with its onset or severity, or its impact on the quality of mother-infant interaction. We studied 70 depressed women and 59 demographically matched nondepressed women delivering their first child and then followed them longitudinally through 24 months. Although the majority of depressions had remitted by 6 months postpartum, some women were depressed throughout the follow-up period, and others continued to evidence subclinical symptoms, indicating that depression in postpartum women can be relatively chronic. Depressed women differed from comparison women on measures of personal and family history, their adaptation to pregnancy, and minor pregnancy and delivery complications. They also perceived their infants as more difficult to care for and their husbands as less supportive. A combination of these variables accounted for 49% of the variance in depression severity scores at 2 months. Depressed women also showed less positive engagement and more negative affect when observed with their infants at 2 months. Spouse support and maternal positive engagement with the baby at 2 months differentiated between those with more chronic versus short-lived depressions. The implications of these findings for the woman's and her infant's development are discussed.