cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polymer Matrix Composite Lines and Ducts

Since composite laminates are beginning to be identified for use in reusable launch vehicle propulsion systems, a task was undertaken to assess the feasibility of making cryogenic feedlines with integral flanges from polymer matrix composite materials. An additional level of complexity was added by having the feedlines be elbow shaped. Four materials, each with a unique manufacturing method, were chosen for this program. Feedlines were to be made by hand layup (HLU) with standard autoclave cure, HLU with electron beam cure, solvent-assisted resin transfer molding (SARTM), and thermoplastic tape laying (TTL). A test matrix of fill and drain cycles with both liquid nitrogen and liquid helium, along with a heat up to 250 F, was planned for each of the feedlines. A pressurization to failure was performed on any feedlines that passed the cryogenic cycling testing. A damage tolerance subtask was also undertaken in this study. The effects of foreign object impact to the materials used was assessed by cross-sectional examination and by permeability after impact testing. At the end of the program, the manufacture of the electron beam-cured feedlines never came to fruition. All of the TTL feedlines leaked heavily before any cryogenic testing, all of the SARTM feedlines leaked heavily after one cryogenic cycle. Thus, only the HLU with autoclave cure feedlines underwent the complete test matrix. They passed the cyclic testing and were pressurized to failure.
Up from the Ashes: The TippingPoint Technology Case

In the legend of the Phoenix bird, the bird dies on a fiery pyre, but arises from the ashes. This is a case that parallels that legend. It’s a case showing a technology company that almost died, but came back stronger. As NetPliance, it developed and marketed a “thin client,” bare-bones Internet Appliance in the Business to Consumer B2C area. As the reorganized TippingPoint Technologies, it has become a leader in the intrusion prevention system area, using hardware and networking technologies in the Business to Business environment. Instead of just detecting viruses, spam, spyware and other negative attacks that have already passed through the firewall, their product detects and proactively stops the intrusion as they enter the network.
Pharmakologische Grundlagen der Therapie mit Glukokortikoiden

Kortisol wird in der Nebennierenrinde in einem zirkadianen Rhythmus gebildet, wobei maximale Plasmaspiegel (150–200 μg/1) in den fruhen Morgenstunden vorliegen. Im Lauf des Tages resultiert ein allmahlicher Abfall der Plasmakonzentration, wobei Tiefstwerte zwischen 24.00 und Open image in new window Abb. 1.1 Zirkadianer Rhytmus der endogenen Kortisolsekretion. (Mod. nach Loew 1990) 2.00 Uhr erreicht werden (Abb. 1.1.). Biosynthese und Ausschuttung von Kortisol unterliegen einem Regelkreis, wobei eine Abnahme der Serumkonzentration an freiem Kortisol zu einer Aktivierung des hypothalamisch-hypophysaren Systems fuhrt. Im Hypothalamus werden CRH («corticotropin releasing hormone») und Vasopressin (ADH) freige-setzt, wodurch die ACTH-Ausschuttung im Hypophysenvorderlappen (VL) aktiviert wird. ACTH aktiviert seinerseits die Nebennierenrinde zur Produktion und Freisetzung von Kortisol. Korpereigene ebenso wie exogen zugefuhrte Kortikoide supprimieren das gesamte System. Dabei ist die hemmende Wirkung von exogen zugefuhrten Kortikoiden am geringsten zur Zeit der hochsten physiologischen Kortisolausschuttung, so das Kortikoidapplikationen nach Moglichkeit zwischen 6.00 und 8.00 morgens vorgenommen werden sollten (Loew 1990; Kaiser u. Kley 1992).
Expressions of Drunkenness (Four Hundred Rabbits), by Anne Fox and Mike MacAvoy (Eds.)

Expressions of Drunkenness (Four Hundred Rabbits), prepared by the International Center for Alcohol Policies and DrinkWise Australia, problematizes the term drunkenness, examining the conceptualiza...
Receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone in prolactin producing rat pituitary cells in culture.

Abstract A hypothalamic tripeptide, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), causes an increase in the rate of synthesis of prolactin by GH3 cells, a clonal strain of rat pituitary cells grown in culture. This cell system has been used to study the initial interaction between TRH and prolactin-producing cells. Tritiated TRH binds to a limited number of sites on GH3 cells, but TRH does not bind to control cell strains which do not respond biologically to the neurohormone. Half-maximum binding of TRH to GH3 cells occurs at a TRH concentration of 11 nm, while a half-maximum biological response to TRH, an increase in prolactin production, is obtained at a concentration of 2 nm. A maximum of 1.1 pmoles of TRH is bound per mg of GH3 cell protein, equivalent to 130,000 TRH receptors per cell. Initially the binding of TRH to GH3 cells is reversible, but it becomes irreversible over the ensuing 24-hour period. Binding of TRH to receptors has been studied in GH3 cell homogenates using a filter assay technique. At 0°, the dissociation constant of the TRH-GH3 receptor complex is 25 nm, and there is 0.75 pmole of TRH receptors per mg of GH3 cell protein. The halftime for the dissociation of the TRH-GH3 receptor complex is 2 to 3 hours. The binding of TRH to the GH3 receptor has a pH optimum of 7.5, does not require the presence of divalent cations, and is inhibited by high concentrations of calcium ion. We conclude that the action of TRH on GH3 cells involves an initial binding of the tripeptide to specific receptors.
A simple program whose proof isn't

As I was writing the TEX program, I needed to construct subroutines for many small tasks. The solution to one of those problems turned out to be especially interesting —to me at least— because it was a very short and simple piece of code, yet I could see no easy way to demonstrate its correctness by conventional methods.
Glow discharge initiation with electron gun assist

Helium glow discharge conditioning is used before every discharge in the DIII-D tokamak to desorb hydrogen and low Z impurities from the graphite and Inconel plasma facing surfaces. However, high gas pressure is required to initiate each glow discharge session and this requires frequent cycling of valves to protect pressure sensitive devices. To alleviate this mechanical fatigue an electron gun assisted glow system is being installed on the DIII-D vessel to lower the initiation pressure. Through the injection of electrons the initiation pressure of the helium glow discharge has been lowered by a factor of 70, bringing the initiation pressure within a factor of 2 of the minimum sustaining pressure of the glow discharge. This might also make possible pulsed glow conditioning, which would allow a lower average pressure during glow conditioning, reducing the heat load on proposed cryogenic pumping panels. Experimental results of the electron assist on He glow initiation and a scaling model for the electron gun assisted glow are presented. >
Protein Turnover and 4'-Phosphopantetheine Exchange in Rat Liver Fatty Acid Synthetase

Abstract The rate of turnover of rat liver fatty acid synthetase has been measured in animals tested under steady state conditions. The value obtained for the half-life varied from 71 to 108 hours. The exchange rate of the covalently bound prosthetic group, 4'-phosphopantotheine, with unbound pantothenate compounds was found to be more than an order of magnitude greater than the half-life of the enzyme complex. A model is proposed in which the prosthetic group, or some small portion of the enzyme complex containing the prosthetic group, is periodically removed from and replaced on the larger fatty acid synthetase moiety, such action taking place many times before an individual complex is catabolized. Moreover, this exchange is not part of the catalytic function of an enzyme complex, but may be a means of control of over all fatty acid synthetase activity.
Context Dependence of Meiotic Recombination Hotspots in Yeast: The Relationship Between Recombination Activity of a Reporter Construct and Base Composition

Borde and colleagues reported that a reporter plasmid inserted at different genomic locations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae had different levels of meiotic recombination activity. We show that the level of recombination activity is very significantly correlated with the GC content of DNA sequences flanking the insertion.
The SoundBite hearing system: Patient-assessed safety and benefit study

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine the safety and efficacy of the SoundBite for patients over a 6 month period of use. Study Design Prospective, multisite, nonrandomized patient enrollment with outcomes based on audiometric profile and self-reported assessment. Methods Patients with single-sided deafness were eligible for the study. Patients were fit with the standard SoundBite sound transducer and were asked to wear the device regularly for 6 months. At the end of the trial period, patients completed both a self-assessment and the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) questionnaires. Results Thirty-four subjects completed the study. Mean APHAB scores improved significantly for ease of communication (P < 0.001), background noise (P < 0.001), reverberation (P < 0.001), and global benefit (P < 0.001). Patients reported high rates of auditory benefit in a variety of listening situations and high rates of overall satisfaction with the device. One adverse event with a superficial mouth sore was reported and resolved after appropriate dental care. Twelve patients (35%) reported acoustic feedback. In six of these patients, the feedback resolved after device adjustment. Conclusion The SoundBite is a new hearing prosthesis that delivers bone conduction energy. It offers advantages over traditional osseointegrated devices that require surgical placement. Patient satisfaction with the device after 6 months of regular use is high. The SoundBite provided improvement in ease of communication, hearing in background noise, sound reverberation, and an overall global hearing benefit. Acoustic feedback is the most commonly reported problem with the SoundBite, and this is minimized with proper fitting. Level of Evidence 2c. Laryngoscope, 123:2807–2812, 2013
Diagnostic yield of brain biopsy in neurodegenerative disorders

Objective The diagnostic yield and therapeutic implications of brain biopsy were determined in a series of 50 consecutive brain biopsies that were performed in 48 patients between 1990 and 1995 at The Johns Hopkins Hospital to assess progressive neurodegenerative disorders of unclear origin. Methods Severely immunocompromised patients and patients undergoing biopsies for suspected neoplastic lesions were excluded from this analysis. Before surgery, the patients had undergone extensive laboratory and radiographic tests, including lumbar puncture (all 48 patients), electroencephalography (26 of 48 patients), magnetic resonance imaging (all 48 patients), and angiography (17 of 48 patients). Despite the results of these studies, diagnoses could not be established, and thus, brain biopsies were undertaken. Results Only 10 of the 50 biopsies (44 open procedures and 6 stereotactic procedures) led to diagnoses, resulting in a diagnostic yield of 20%. An additional three biopsies (6%) were only suggestive of diagnoses. The results of 33 biopsies (66%) were abnormal but nonspecific, and the results of 4 (8%) were normal. Minor complications associated with biopsy occurred in five cases (10%), and there were no deaths. Of the 10 patients whose biopsies were diagnostic, only 4 underwent meaningful therapeutic intervention as a result of the procedure, resulting in an overall therapeutic benefit in only 8% of all the cases. An analysis of patient subgroups to elucidate a correlation with diagnostic biopsy revealed that patients with focal magnetic resonance imaging findings had the highest likelihood of a diagnostic biopsy (odds ratio, 4.00). Electroencephalography and laboratory abnormalities were not predictive of a diagnostic biopsy. Conclusion We conclude that the current diagnostic yield (20%) of brain biopsy for progressive neurodegenerative disorders is lower than that of earlier reports and that the therapeutic benefits of the procedure are limited.
Some thoughts on security after ten years of qmail 1.0

The qmail software package is a widely used Internet-mail transfer agent that has been covered by a security guarantee since 1997. In this paper, the qmail author reviews the history and security-relevant architecture of qmail; articulates partitioning standards that qmail fails to meet; analyzes the engineering that has allowed qmail to survive this failure; and draws various conclusions regarding the future of secure programming.
The Face of Discrimination: How Race and Gender Impact Work and Home Lives

Chapter 1 Race Discrimination in Employment Chapter 2 Race Attitudes and the Alternative Realities of Workers and Bosses Chapter 3 Sex Discrimination in Employment Chapter 4 How Sexual Harassment Happens Chapter 5 Discrimination in Public and Private Economic Sectors Chapter 6 Competitive Threat and Isolation at Work Chapter 7 The Experiences of Black and White, and Low and High Status Women Chapter 8 Discrimination and African American Men: A Precarious Historical Legacy Chapter 9 Race and the Process of Housing Discriminatio Chapter 10 The Contexts of Housing Discrimination Chapter 11 Housing and Sex Discrimination Chapter 12 Conclusion
Housework, market work, and “doing gender” when marital satisfaction declines

Abstract When faced with a decline in marital satisfaction, are wives constrained from increasing their labor market work time in part because they “do gender?” One of the predictions of the human capital accumulation hypothesis, which assumes no constraints, is that housewives with little work experience will respond to a decline in marital satisfaction by increasing labor market work time (only). In contrast, the gender display hypothesis predicts that, in settings where the evaluations of marriage and wives’ work performance are closely intertwined, a decline in marital satisfaction among this group of housewives will increase both labor market work and housework—and the increase in housework serves as a constraint on the increase in labor market work. To evaluate these contrasting hypotheses, we analyze a panel survey of women in contemporary Japan. Results from multinomial logit regression models are more consistent with the gender display hypothesis than the human capital accumulation hypothesis. Housewives with relatively little work experience are 11 times more likely to increase the time spent on both labor market work and housework when the satisfaction of their marriage declines than when it does not. No evidence is found that, when marital satisfaction declines, these housewives are statistically significantly more likely to increase labor market work only.
Influence of vocalic context on perception of the [s]‐[∫] distinction

When synthetic fricative noises from a [∫]-[s] continuum are followed by [a] or [u] (with appropriate formant transitions), listeners perceive more instances of [s] in the context of [u] than in the context of [a]. Presumably, this reflects a perceptual adjustment for the coarticulatory effect of rounded vowels on preceding fricatives. In Experiment 1, we found that varying the duration of the fricative noise leaves the perceptual context effect unchanged, whereas insertion of a silent interval following the noise reduces the effect substantially. Experiment 2 suggested that it is temporal separation rather than the perception of an intervening stop consonant that is responsible for this reduction, in agreement with recent, analogous observations on anticipatory coarticulation. In Experiment 3, we showed that the vowel context effect disappears when the periodic stimulus portion is synthesized so as to contain no formant transitions. To dissociate the contribution of formant transitions from contextual effects due to vowel quality per se, Experiment 4 employed synthetic fricative noises followed by periodic portions excerpted from naturally produced [∫a], [sa], [∫u], and [su]. The results showed strong and largely independent effects of formant transitions and vowel quality on fricative perception. In addition, we found a strong speaker (male vs. female) normalization effect. All three influences on fricative perception were reduced by temporal separation of noise and periodic stimulus portions. Although no single hypothesis can explain all of our results, they are generally supportive of the view that some knowledge of the dynamics of speech production has a role in speech perception.
A nonpharmacologic sleep protocol for hospitalized older patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of and adherence to a nonpharmacologic sleep protocol targeted to nurses for acutely ill older patients and to test the effectiveness of the protocol on enhancing sleep and reducing sedative-hypnotic drug (SHD) use. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: A 34-bed general medical unit in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 175 consecutive admissions aged 70 years or older. INTERVENTION: A nonpharmacologic sleep protocol consisting of a back rub, warm drink, and relaxation tapes was administered by nursing personnel to patients who complained of difficulty initiating sleep or who requested a SHD. After 1 hour, if the patient still requested it, the nurse administered the SHD. MEASUREMENTS: The main outcomes of sleep quality and SHD use were measured by patient interview and chart abstraction. Feasibility and adherence to the protocol were tracked daily by patient and nurse interviews and chart abstraction. RESULTS: A cohort of 111 patients, mean age 79.3 (± 6.4), 68% women, received the sleep protocol. Patients required the protocol for a mean of 4.9 days per patient, totalling 539 patients-days. The overall adherence rate was 400/539 (74%) patient-days. The rate of complete nonadherence was 139/539 (26%), with reasons for nonadherence including nurse nonadherence in 30 (6%), patient refusal in 104 (19%), and medical contraindications in five (1%). The quality of sleep correlated strongly with the number of parts of the protocol received, suggesting a dose-response relationship, with the highest correlation for receiving two to three parts (ρ = .64, P < 0.001). The sleep protocol was successful in reducing SHD use from the baseline preintervention rate of 51/94 (54%) to 34/111 (31%) (P < .002). The sleep protocol had a stronger association with quality of sleep (ρ = .75, P = .001) than did SHDs (ρ = .07, P = .45). However, chronic SHD users were more likely to refuse the protocol than nonusers (64% vs 41%, P < .03) and received SHDs 4.5 times more often than nonusers (67% vs 15%, P = .001). CONCLUSION: The nonpharmacologic sleep protocol provides a feasible, effective, and nontoxic alternative to SHDs to promote sleep in older hospitalized patients. Use of the protocol can substantially decrease use of SHDs.
The role of vibrational entropy in surface diffusion: adatoms and vacancies on Ag(100), Cu(100), and Ni(100)

Abstract We present results for the temperature variation of diffusion coefficients for adatoms and vacancies on Ag(100), Cu(100), and Ni(100), using transition state theory and many-body interaction potentials from the embedded atom method. The contribution of lattice vibrations is found to be essential for the evaluation of the diffusion pre-exponential factors and is incorporated through the thermodynamic functions calculated in the harmonic/quasi-harmonic approximation. Our results show that mass transport on these surfaces can proceed via both vacancy and adatom migration, with a slight preference for the former in certain cases.
Recent drilling results document pulsation tectonics as the control of breakup and paleoceanography between Africa and North America

Abstract New data from the recent IPOD drilling of DSDP Site 534 in the Blake-Bahama Basin give a definitive age for the spreading-center shift involved in the breakup of the North American Atlantic margin. A basal Callovian age is determined for the Blake Spur magnetic anomaly marking this spreading-center shift that signals the birth of the modern North Atlantic Ocean. This is some 20 Ma younger than previously thought. One implication of this result is that this spreading-center shift starting North Atlantic breakup is now of an age which could be assigned to the spreading-center shift needed to end the spreading in the Gulf of Mexico. It is suggested that this might be one and the same event. Another implication of this younger age for the Blake Spur event is that very high spreading rates are now required for the Jurassic outer magnetic quiet zone along the North American margin. This association of a relatively high spreading rate with a magnetic quiet zone is similar to that for the Middle Cretaceous and implies a link between the processes controlling plate spreading, which are in the upper mantle, and the processes controlling the magnetic field, which are in the outer core. The cylces of fast and slow spreading and quiet and reversing magnetic field have a period of 60–100 Ma. A theory of pulsation tectonics involving the cyclic eruption of plumes of hot mantle material from the lowermost mantle could explain the correlation. Plumes carry heat away from the core/mantle boundary and later reach the asthenosphere and lithosphere to induce faster spreading. The pulse of fast spreading in the Jurassic apparently caused the breakup of the North Atlantic. Other pulses of fast spreading appear to correlate with major ocean openings on various parts of the globe, implying that this might be a prevalent process. Rifting of passive margins may be controlled by the more fundamental global processes described by the theory of pulsation tectonics. These changes in spreading rate on a global scale are recognized as a major cause of eustatic sea-level changes of large scale (100–300 m). Major global sea-level highstands in Mid- to Late Jurassic and in Mid Cretaceous are correlated with such global fast plate spreading. Consequential changes in albedo, global temperature, humidity, forestation, atmospheric and oceanic CO 2 , oceanic acidity and oxygenation lead to variations in the preservation of black shales in the oceans and in the level of the calcite compensation depth (CCD). In the North Atlantic, the climatologic factors forced by rising sea-level tend to have caused increased black shale preservation and a shallowing of the CCD. During lowering sea-levels, less black shale is preserved and the CCD is deeper.
The effect of estrogen priming of hypogonadal women on the release of gonadotropins and prolactin in response to 2-hydroxyestradiol

We have previously shown that the administration of a 2-hydroxyestradiol (20H-E2) infusion (250 microgram/h x 4 h) to hypogonadal women resulted in a selective increase in the levels of circulating prolactin (PRL) without changes in LH or FSH. The present study concerns the effect of estrogen priming of hypogonadal women on the release of gonadotropins and PRL in response to an identical 20H-E2 infusion. Estrogen priming consisted of a 5 day course of orally administered ethinyl estradiol at a daily dose of 300 micrograms. Significant (P less than 0.05) inhibition of LH release was observed within 1 h of the onset of the 20H-E2 infusion reaching a nadir (-25 +/- 2%) by 3.75 h. The circulating levels of FSH remained unaltered for the duration of the 8 h study. In contrast, significant (P less than 0.05) increments in the release of PRL could clearly be detected after a lag period of 1.5 h reaching a peak (+91 +/- 11%) by 4 h. These and previous findings demonstrate that the inhibitory influence of 20H-E2 on gonadotropin secretion is conditional upon prior estrogen priming while the ability of 20H-E2 to stimulate the release of PRL is not.
Modulary effects of temperature on antibody response and specific resistance to challenge of channel catfish,Ictalurus punctatus, immunized againstEdwardsiella ictaluri

Abstract The effects of various temperature treatments on the level of the humoral antibody response in channel catfish immunized with formalin killed Edwardsiella ictaluri was determined in laboratory controlled experiments. Immunized fish that were held at 25°C for 30 days and 12°C for an additional 30 days had higher antibody titers, and were more protected upon challenge, than immunized fish held at 25°C for 60 days. Also immunized catfish held at 25°C for 5 or 10 days followed by 12°C water had higher antibody titers than immunized fish held at 12°C or 25°C for 60 days. In a field experiment carried out during winter and spring (February–May) fingerling channel catfish were vaccinated with E. ictaluri using intraperitoneal injection or immersion with either sonicated or whole cell preparations. Following challenge, the fish vaccinated by immersion in the sonicated preparation had 11.8% mortality whereas the groups immersed in whole cell bacterin, injected with the whole cell bacterin in adjuvant, or injected with sonicate showed 24.6, 57.9 and 41.7% mortality, respectively. Although the fish vaccinated by immersion with the sonicated bacteria had lower antibody titers than those vaccinated by the other methods the immersion vaccinates were more protected against challenge with the pathogen.
Erratum to: Upregulation of arginase-II contributes to decreased age-related myocardial contractile reserve

The online version of the original article can be found underdoi:10.1007/s00421-011-2257-9.M.Khan J.Steppan S.Ryoo L.Santhanam T.Berkowitz D. Nyhan D. E. Berkowitz (&)Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine,Johns Hopkins University Medicine, Tower 711, 600 N Wolfe St.,Baltimore, MD 21287, USAe-mail: dberkowi@bme.jhu.eduK. H. SchuleriDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University Medicine,600 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USAE. Tuday L. Bugaj A. A. Shoukas D. E. BerkowitzDepartment of Biomedical Engineering,Johns Hopkins University Medicine, 600 N Wolfe St.,Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
Influence of critical illness on axonal loss in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

In this study we sought to determine whether axonal damage in severe Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) was secondary to critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) in the intensive care unit (ICU) by reviewing comorbidities in patients who had initial and follow-up electromyographic (EMG) studies. Patients were classified as demyelinating (EMG-D) or axonal (EMG-A) according to findings on the second EMG. A critical illness (CI) score, derived from components of the APACHE II score, assessed the severity of critical illness in the ICU. Forty-one patients were admitted to the ICU and had a follow-up EMG. Of these, 28 (68%) developed an EMG-A pattern. There was no difference in the timing of the second EMG (mean, 23 days) between the two groups. The mean CI score (10.7 for EMG-A vs. 9.2 for EMG-D, P = 0.47) and frequency of sepsis (89% vs. 77%, P = 0.36) were similar between the groups. Mean strength (0-100, Medical Research Council scale) and Hughes disability scores for the EMG-A group were significantly worse at admission, nadir, and discharge. EMG-A patients had significantly more days on the ventilator (25 vs. 11), in the ICU (26 vs. 15), and in the hospital (29 vs. 18). Sixty-eight percent of patients with GBS in the ICU developed axon loss, but this was not related to the usual precipitants of CIP.
Shock waves in molecular solids: Ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy of the first nanosecond

A novel technique which uses a microfabricated shock target array assembly is described, where the passage of a shock front through a thin (0.5μm) polycrystalline layer and the subsequent unloading process is monitored in real time with ultrafast coherent Raman spectroscopy. Using a high repetition rate laser shock generation technique, high resolution, coherent Raman spectra are obtained in shocked anthracene and in a high explosive material, NTO, with time resolution of ∼ 50 ps. Spectroscopic measurements are presented which yield the shock pressure (up to 5 GPa), the shock velocity (∼ 4 km/s), the shock front risetime (t r < 25 ps), and the temperature (∼ 400°C). A brief discussion is presented, how this new technique can be used to determine the Hugoniot, the equation of state, the entropy increase across the shock front, and monitor shock induced chemical reactions in real time.
Comments on kets not strongly symmetry adapted

Various instances in which weakly or nonsymmetry-adapted kets may arise in the description of electronic systems are discussed. These cases include some types of selfconsistent field kets, exchange perturbation kets, and multistate kets.
Effect of Combinations of Temperature and Light on Skeletal Development and the Growth Rate of Incisors in Rats

The relative importance of light and temperature as factors in growth has not previously been clearly delineated. Using experimental environments combining light and darkness with heat and cold, light was found to exert stronger influence than temperature on skeletal development and incisor growth in young rats.
Role of tubular obstruction in acute renal failure due to gentamicin

Role of tubular obstruction in acute renal failure due to gentamicin. Gentamicin sulfate was administered by intraperitoneal injection to male Sprague-Dawley rats in a dose of 100 to 120 mg/kg/day for 4 to 5 days to induce severe nephrotoxicity. In comparison to controls, inulin clearance was markedly decreased (2.87 ± 0.31 vs. 8.65 ± 0.31 ml/min/ kg, P Role de l'obstruction tubulaire dans l'insuffisance renale aigue due a la gentamicine. Du sulfate de gentamicine a ete administre en injection intraperitoneale a des rats mâles Sprague-Dawley a la dose de 100 a 120 mg/kg/jour pendant 4 a 5 jours afin d'induire une nephrotoxicite severe. Par rapport aux controles, la clearance de l'inuline etait diminuee de facon marquee (2.87 ± 0.31 contre 8.65 ± 0.31 ml/min/kg P
Small group human activity recognition

Small group people activity recognition has attracted much attention in computer vision community in recent years, since it has great potential in public security applications. Comparing to single human activity recognition, group human activity recognition has much more challenges, such as mutual occlusions between different people, the varying group size, and the interaction within or between groups. In this paper, we propose a novel structural feature set to represent group behavior as well as a probabilistic framework for group activity learning and recognition. We first apply a robust multiple targets tracking algorithm to track each individual in the entire image region. Small groups are then clustered based on the output positions of the tracker. After that, we introduce a set of social network analysis based structural features to describe the dynamic behavior of small group people in each frame. A Gaussian Process Dynamical Model(GPDM) is then employed to learn the temporal activity of small group people overtime. After training, the new group activity will be identified by computing the conditional probability with each learned GPDM. Our experimental results indicate that our proposed features and behavior model can successfully capture both the spatial and temporal dynamics of group people behavior, and correctly identify different group activities.
Kidney tubular epithelium is restored without replacement with bone marrow-derived cells during repair after ischemic injury.

Kidney tubular epithelium is restored without replacement with bone marrow-derived cells during repair after ischemic injury. The kidney has the ability to restore the structural and functional integrity of the proximal tubule, which undergoes extensive epithelial cell death after prolonged exposure to ischemia. In order to study the role that adult bone marrow-derived stem cells might play in kidney remodeling after injury, we employed a murine model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in which the degree of injury, dysfunction, repair, tubular cell proliferation and functional recovery have been characterized [Park KM, et al, J Biol Chem 276:11870-11876, 2001]. We generated chimeric mice using marrow from mice expressing the bacterial LacZ gene, or the enhanced green fluorescence protein ( eGFP ) gene, or from male mice transplanted into female mice. The establishment of chimerism was confirmed at 6 weeks following transplantation in each case. I/R injury was induced in chimeric mice by occluding the renal arteries and veins with microaneurysm clamps for 30 minutes. After functional recovery in the eGFP chimeras, although there were many interstitial cells, no tubular cells were derived from bone marrow cells. In the bacterial β-galactosidase (β-gal) chimeric mice we found evidence of mammalian (endogenous) β-gal by 5-bomo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (X-gal) staining, but not bacterial β-gal in tubule cells. Detection of the Y chromosome by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in the postischemic kidneys of gender-mismatched chimeras revealed Y chromosome positivity only in the nuclei of interstitial cells, when scrutinized by deconvolution microscopy. In our model of I/R injury there was a large amount of proliferation of surviving, injured tubular cells indicating that the injured tubule is repopulated by daughter cells of surviving tubular cells. Analysis of the phenotype of interstitial and vascular cells following I/R injury revealed small numbers of peritubular endothelial cells to be derived from bone marrow cells that may serve in the repair process.
Oxide engineering of ZnO thin-film transistors for flexible electronics

Abstract— In this paper, we show that ZnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) are potentially a higher performance alternative to organic and amorphous-Si TFTs for macroelectronics on plastic substrates. Specifically, we fabricated nanocrystalline ZnO thin-film transistors using low-temperature processing, compatible with flexible electronics on plastic substrates. The ZnO semiconductor was rf magnetron sputtered, and the Al2O3 gate dielectric was deposited either by electron-beam evaporation or atomic layer deposition. By controlling the partial pressure of oxygen pO2) during ZnO sputtering, we could engineer the field-effect mobility of ZnO transistors to be between 2 and 42 cm2/V-sec, attractive for high-performance electronic applications. We contend that pO2 controls the oxygen-vacancy content or stoichiometry of ZnO, and that allows control of transistor field-effect mobility. Although most of the devices described here were fabricated on Si substrates, devices we made on a thin (50 μm thick) polyimide substrate had about equivalent performance, affirming the compatibility of our processes with plastic substrates. Finally, we show that properties of our nanocrystalline ZnO transistors can be explained by transport models that account for grain-boundary trapping of mobile carriers.
Interdiffusional degradation of oxidation-resistant aluminide coatings on Fe-base alloys

One of the potential degradation modes of oxidation-resistant iron aluminide coatings is the loss of Al from the coatings into Fe-base substrate alloys that typically contain no Al. To address this issue, interdiffusion between aluminide coatings and steel substrates was studied for times up to 10,000 h in the temperature range of 500-800 °C. Coatings were synthesized in a laboratory chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor on representative commercial ferritic alloy Fe-9Cr-lMo and type 304L austenitic stainless steel. The microstructural and compositional changes after diffusion anneals were examined in detail. An initial attempt to model the interdiffusion behavior was carried out by applying an existing software program COSIM (coating oxidation and substrate interdiffusion model). Complementary work was conducted using a simple mathematic model developed by Heckel et al. Reasonable agreement was observed between the simulated and experimental composition profiles for the aluminide coatings on ferritic alloys. Model results were then applied to predict coating lifetime.
Terminal care of the very old. Changes in the way we die.

Background: This study examines the use of advance directives, limitations of treatment, and medical interventions during the terminal hospitalization of the old-old. Study periods before and after the implementation of the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 were chosen to determine if there has been a change in terminal care. Methods: Chart review was performed for all patients 85 years and older who died in the hospital during 1988 and 1993. Patient characteristics, presence of advance directives, do-not-resuscitate orders, and other treatment limitations were noted as were interventions listed in the Medical Directive. Results: Less than 12% of the 167 study patients had an advance directive. Length of stay for these terminal admissions decreased from 18.5 to 9.6 days. Ninety-five percent of the patients were "do not resuscitate" by time of death, but orders were written sooner in 1993-75% within 24 hours of admission. Patients with early do-not-resuscitate orders had fewer high-intensity interventions. More patients had "comfort measures only" during the study period. An overall decrease in high-intensity interventions and a specific decrease in the use of transfusions, invasive tests, minor surgery, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was seen. Conclusion: Patients 85 years and older are receiving fewer high-intensity interventions during their terminal hospitalizations. More attention is being paid to comfort and few are receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. There is little reference to formal advance directives in decision making for these patients. (Arch Intern Med. 1995;155:1513-1518)
Recognizing stress and avoiding burnout

Abstract Clinician educators are uniquely positioned to enjoy the benefits of a career in patient care and teaching. They are also at risk of increasing levels of stress and potential burnout. Factors contributing to burnout in clinician educators include the work environment, the type of work the individual is performing (patient care, teaching, etc.), personality characteristics being female, insufficient social support, and mismanaged responsibilities. Individuals experiencing increasing stress and burnout may present with physical, emotional, and mental warning signs. Clinician educators, their supervisors, and their mentors must work together to prevent burnout. Strategies to prevent burnout include reducing stress, keeping personal health strong, building a strong social network, obtaining clear expectations in all facets of one's professional life, improving time management, participating in a mentoring program, and self-reflecting on personality characteristics that may be contributing to stress and burnout.
Risk-Assessment Implications of Mechanistic Model's Prediction of Low-Dose Nonlinearity of Liver Tumor Risk for Mice FED Fumonisin B1

A two-stage, clonal-expansion model of liver tumor risk in mice was developed by Kodell et al. (Food Addit Contam 18:237–253, 2001) based on the hypothesis that fumonisin B1, a naturally occurring mycotoxin in corn, is not genotoxic, but rather causes cancer through the disruption of sphingolipid metabolism. This disruption is assumed to cause an increase in apoptosis, in response to which cells proliferate to compensate for reduced tissue mass. The resulting differential increase in the number of pre-neoplastic cells at risk of mutation during cell division is assumed to lead to an increase in the incidence of tumors. Two-year liver tumor incidences predicted by the model using data on organ weight, cell proliferation, and sphingolipid metabolism provided a reasonable match to the actual 2-year observed incidences in a study conducted at the National Center for Toxicological Research. The predictions indicated no risk at low doses (even a possible hormetic effect) and high risk at high doses in females, ...
Reflections on Homelessness, Mental Illness, and Crime

Homelessness is a significant social problem. Yet, homelessness among individuals with serious mental illness, and particularly among those with complicating forensic issues, is even more problematic. This clinical reflection discusses available data regarding mentally ill individuals who are homeless and have had involvement with the criminal justice system. In addition, case studies are presented to illustrate the complex issues and nuances faced when interfacing with this underserved group. The historical context of this dilemma, characteristics of forensic mentally ill populations that are homeless, social/institutional responses (or lack thereof) to the problem, and recommendations for viewing the problem differently to maximize potential solutions are presented and discussed.
PUMPKIN: (another) microprogramming language

This paper provides a source level description of a compiled microprogramming language for the Microprogrammed Control Unit (MCU) of the Signal Processing Element (AN/UYK-17), currently under development at the Naval Research Laboratory. Its present form is strictly that of a "paper" language; current research at Brown is directed toward the problems encountered in optimizing microcode for this (horizontal) machine. The structure and syntax of PUMPKIN is closely related to that of LSD - a Language for Systems Development which has been implemented at Brown [BE71, BE72, MA74]. The level (power, expressibility, distance from hardware capabilities) of PUMPKIN provides some hope that we may be able to generate usable code for the MCU - no machine independence goals exist for PUMPKIN. Some aspects of the design philosophy behind the language are contained in the paper "Design Considerations for Microprogramming Languages" [LL74], to be published in the 1974 NCC Proceedings.
Effect of diabetes mellitus on responses of the rat basilar artery to activation of beta-adrenergic receptors

Abstract The goal of this study was to determine whether diabetes mellitus alters reactivity of the basilar artery in vivo to activation of beta-adrenergic receptors. We measured diameter of the basilar artery in non-diabetic and diabetic (streptozotocin 50–60 mg/kg i.p.) rats during superfusion with isoproterenol and norepinephrine, which dilate cerebral blood vessels via activation of beta-adrenergic receptors. Dilatation of the basilar artery in response to isoproterenol and norepinephrine was significantly less in diabetic compared to non-diabetic rats. To determine whether dmpaired dilatation of the basilar artery in diabetic rats in response to isoproterenol and norepinephrine was related to an alteration in catalytic activity of adenylate cyclase, we examined dilatation of the basilar artery in response to forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase. In contrast to that observed for isoproterenol and norepinephrine, forskolin produced similar dilatation of the basilar artery in non-diabetic and diabetic rats. Thus, the findings of the present study suggest that diabetes mellitus impairs dialtation of the basilar artery in vivo in response to activation of beta-adrenergic receptors. In addittion, impairment of beta-adrenergic mediated dilatation of the basilar artery during diabetes mellitus does not appear to be related to an alteration in catalytic activity of adenylate cyclase.
Studies on the flight mechanism of insects. II. The innervation and electrical activity of the fibrillar muscles of the bumble bee, Bombus.

Abstract The innervation of the fibrillar flight muscles of the bumble bee, Bombus , is shown to be arranged so that four nerve branches may be separately stimulated, each branch apparently containing only one type of axon. The A1 branch supplies all muscle fibres of both the longitudinal and dorsoventral muscles as the primary innervation. Large fast action potentials result from stimulation of this branch in all fibres. Secondary innervation is limited to the anterior fibres of the dorsoventral muscle. Thirty per cent of the fibres show a relatively large potential with obvious junctional and spike components when the B1 branch is stimulated. Ten per cent of the fibres respond with a small junctional potential to the stimulation of the A2 branch, while only a few per cent respond to stimulation of C2. These last muscle fibres, difficult to find, give a spike characterized by a rapid decay often followed by a small hyperpolarizing potential which may be due to an inhibitory axon in the C2 branch. The mechanical response to the primary innervation is a small contraction summating with multiple stimulation. The secondary innervation probably alters the action of the dorsoventral muscles on the articulation of the wings. Fibrillar muscles appear to play a more complex role in the regulation of the flight mechanism than has been previously considered.
La lógica del espacio. Un mapa operativo del sistema verbal en español

Es un hecho ampliamente aceptado y asumido que el significado de los tiempos verbales es temporal y su funcion orientar en el tiempo, y sobre este valor temporal se fundamenta el tratamiento didactico del sistema verbal tanto en el aula como en los materiales de ensenanza. Sin embargo, el numero y variedad de usos no temporales es tan frecuente, significativo y notorio, que el mapa global de instruccion que acaba recibiendo el estudiante contiene muchas mas excepciones inexplicadas que manifestaciones legitimas de la regla, promoviendo un aprendizaje caotico y memoristico del uso de los verbos en lugar de uno basado en la logica de las decisiones gramaticales. El objetivo de este trabajo es operativizar el proceso de instruccion y aprendizaje del sistema verbal del espanol como sistema, haciendo derivables por logica cognitiva todos y cada uno de los usos verbales observables. Para ello discutiremos una nueva valoracion operativa del verbo en terminos de espacio (no de tiempo) y propondremos un mapa del s...
Valence, coordination number, and PAV cells in metallic rare earth compounds

Polyhedral atomic volumes, Voronoi volumes, generalized coordination numbers, and Pauling's metallic valences are given for 24 intermetallic rare earth compounds. The results clearly indicate that as much as 33 % rare earth isovalent volume contraction can occur upon compound formation while the atomic volumes of aluminum and the transition elements are nearly constant.
Nifedipine for the relief of renal colic: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Pain from ureteral stones is believed to be due to spasm and hyperperistalsis of the involved ureter. Nifedipine has been shown to decrease human ureteral spasm in vitro . Conflicting results have been reported concerning the clinical efficacy of nifedipine in relieving acute renal colic. This prospective, double-blind, crossover clinical trial evaluated the acute pain relief obtained in 30 patients who had ureteral stones. All patients had ureteral stones documented either by plain abdominal radiograph (six), intravenous pyelogram (16), or passage of the stone(s) in the urine (eight). Each patient served as his own control. The mean pain relief scores for placebo versus 10 to 20 mg oral nifedipine were 0.7 ± 1.8 and 1.2 ± 2.5, respectively, as measured on a visual analogue scale ( P = .404). Seven patients received clinically significant relief associated with nifedipine, and three patients received relief from placebo ( P = .300). Twenty patients (66%) did not experience clinically significant relief from either treatment. We conclude that nifedipine does not differ significantly from placebo in providing relief from acute renal colic.
The effects of temperature, river flow, and tidal cycles on the onset of glass eel and elver migration into fresh water in the American eel

Anguilla rostrata elvers were collected in the Annaquatucket R., Rhode Island, and their otoliths extracted. Daily increments beyond the check mark formed upon entry into fresh water were counted and the date of freshwater entry was estimated. The effects of river temperature, difference between seawater and freshwater temperature, river flow and tidal stage on the number of elvers arriving on each date were estimated for six collection dates. At the earliest collection date (23 March), increasing river temperatures and reduced flow increased elver migration. At later dates (16 May-12 June), tidal stage was the most important factor in determining the magnitude of elver migration.