cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detrimental Effect of Corn of Coarse Particle Size in Rations for Chicks

Abstract IN A recent field trial it was observed that starting chicks fed a balanced, experimental, corn-soybean mash preferred to consume the corn particles when the corn was coarsely ground. Trials were then conducted in our laboratory to find out if chicks did have a preference for corn when it was made available to them in several ways. Recommendations for particle size in poultry rations generally suggest that coarsely ground ingredients are to be preferred in a ration rather than finely ground ingredients. However, there have been some conflicting statements in this regard but very few data have been presented (see review by Ewing, 1947). A report by Roberts and Carrick (1938) showed no difference in weight gains with chicks at 10 or 12 weeks of age with a ration containing 41 percent medium (one-eighth inch screen) or fine (one-sixteenth inch screen) cracked corn. However, coarse cracked corn using a one-fourth . . .
Overview of Cerro Prieto studies

Abstract The studies performed on the Cerro Prieto geothermal field, Mexico, since the late 1950s are summarized. Emphasis is given to those activities leading to the identification of the sources of heat and mass, the fluid flow paths, and the phenomena occurring in the field in its natural state and under exploitation.
Physical dynamics of quasi-particles in nonlinear wave equations

By treating the centers of solitons as point particles and studying their discrete dynamics, we demonstrate a new approach to the quantization of the soliton solutions of the sine-Gordon equation, one of the first model nonlinear field equations. In particular, we show that a linear superposition of the non-interacting shapes of two solitons offers a qualitative (and to a good approximation quantitative) description of the true two-soliton solution, provided that the trajectories of the centers of the superimposed solitons are considered unknown. Via variational calculus, we establish that the dynamics of the quasi-particles obey a pseudo-Newtonian law, which includes cross-mass terms. The successful identification of the governing equations of the (discrete) quasi-particles from the (continuous) field equation shows that the proposed approach provides a basis for the passage from the continuous to a discrete description of the field.
The incidence and mortality of intraventricular conduction defects in acute myocardial infarction

Abstract The incidence of intraventricular conduction defects during sinus mechanism was 24 percent in 212 consecutive cases of acute myocardial infarction observed in a coronary care unit. Patients with intraventricular conduction defects had a higher mean age than that for the entire series (P
Analysis of the availability of computer systems using computer-aided algebra

Analytical results, related to the availability of a computer system constructed of unreliable processors, are presented in this paper. These results are obtained by using various computer-aided algebraic manipulation techniques. A major purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the difficulties of obtaining analytical solutions to Markov processes can be considerably reduced by the application of symbol manipulation programs. Since many physical systems can be modeled by Markov and semi-Markov processes, the potential range of application of these techniques is much wider than the problem of availability analyzed here.
Structured data in web search

For the first time since the emergence of the Web, structured data is playing a key role in search engines and is therefore being collected via a concerted effort. Much of this data is being extracted from the Web, which contains vast quantities of structured data on a variety of domains, such as hobbies, products and reference data. Moreover, the Web provides a platform that encourages publishing more data sets from governments and other public organizations. The Web also supports new data management opportunities, such as effective crisis response, data journalism and crowd-sourcing data sets. I will describe some of the efforts we are conducting at Google to collect structured data, filter the high-quality content, and serve it to our users. These efforts include providing Google Fusion Tables, a service for easily ingesting, visualizing and integrating data, mining the Web for high-quality HTML tables, and contributing these data assets to Google's other services.
A cell surface antigen expressed by astrocytes and their precursors.

Increasing evidence suggests that astrocytes of the mammalian CNS are a heterogeneous population of cells that express a number of common characteristics. In most cases, astrocytes or their precursors contain a class of intermediate filaments, composed in large part of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). While the expression of GFAP immunoreactivity is a specific characteristic of astrocytes in the vertebrate CNS, not all astrocytes contain detectable levels of glial filaments, particularly during early development. We have isolated a monoclonal antibody termed 7B11 which binds to the surface of astrocytes and glial precursors, but not to other major types of neural cells. The 7B11 antigen is expressed by astrocytes in the adult CNS in vivo and in cultures of developing CNS tissue, but not on cells of the peripheral nervous system. During early development, 7B11 immunoreactivity appears prior to the expression of GFAP and is retained as punctate staining on the surface of most classes of astrocytes. During CNS maturation, however, 7B11 immunoreactivity is lost from the surface of Bergmann glia in the cerebellum, suggesting that differentiative events lead to functionally and anti-genically distinct classes of CNS glial cells. In the adult spinal cord, biochemical analysis suggests that the epitope recognized by 7B11 is associated with a group of polypeptides of apparent molecular weights 200-160, 140, and 92 kD. The cellular distribution of 7B11 expression suggests that astrocytes and their precursors share a distinct cell surface antigenic property and that the expression of 7B11 immunoreactivity may be a useful operational marker for astrocytes in the absence of detectable GFAP expression. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
SCHIFFER ON VAGUENESS

: I go through, and criticize, Stephen Schiffer's account of vagueness and the sorites paradox. I discuss his notion of a happy-face solution to a paradox, his appeal to vagueness-related partial belief, his claim that indeterminacy is a psychological notion, and his view that the sorites premise and the inference rule of modus ponens are indeterminate.
A hemocytic disorder of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana☆

Abstract A hemocytic disorder of low incidence has been observed in the American cockroach and is characterized by a massive accumulation of cells in the thoracic hemocoel. Some cells surrounding necrotic areas are definitely hemocytes; dimensions of hemocytes not engaged in encapsulation vary greatly, and it is probable that other cells involved are also hemocytes. The condition was not trausmissible by transplant, possibly as a result of encapsulation by hemocytes of the recipients.
Nonlinear Optoelectronic Effects In Ultrafast Photoconductive Switches

Ultrafast photoconductive switches have been used to generate electrical waveforms and to sample both electrical and optical waveforms. Widespread use of these switches is anticipated in conjunction with optical interconnects. We present results of an investigation into the electrical bias dependence and optical intensity dependence of the responsivity of photoconductive switches. The switches were fabricated using standard 50 0 microstrip transmission line technology on silicon-on-sapphire wafers. Ultrafast photoconductive response was produced by ion-implanting the silicon to reduce the carrier lifetime. We find that the performance of the switches is critically dependent upon wafer fabrication and ion-implantation conditions. While all of the switches tested possessed picosecond-scale response, the linearity of response with electrical bias and optical intensity was dependent on the order of the metalization and ion-implantation processing steps. In contrast to reports in the literature, fabrication processes which were expected to yield switches with ohmic contacts instead yielded switches with nonlinear response. We discuss the contributions of nonlinear absorption, carrier transport, charge screening and the build-up of space charge as well as other geometrical effects.
Opportunities to explore plant membrane organization with super-resolution microscopy.

Electron microscopy and light microscopy both have been essential tools for investigating molecular distribution and cell structure. While electron microscopy is capable of much higher resolution compared to light microscopy, it is prone to artifacts introduced by sample preparation and it produces
Everyday forms of peasant resistance

(1986). Everyday forms of peasant resistance. The Journal of Peasant Studies: Vol. 13, Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance in South‐East Asia, pp. 5-35.
Online, health-related discussion groups: what we should know and do.

In this issue, Culver and colleagues analyze messages on an Internet-based electronic bulletin board.1 They conclude that the medical information on this bulletin board may be inaccurate, inappropriate, and based on limited evidence. Their results raise issues about the impact of such information on internists and patients. What are we to make of these results? First, we must appreciate that the Internet is affecting information exchange more profoundly and rapidly than perhaps any other innovation in history. It provides patients, physicians, and others with unprecedented opportunities to learn, inform, and communicate with one another. One study found that more than 37% of America’s “wired” households regularly seek online medical information. (J. Schwartz, Washington Post, April 22, 1997, Health Suppl.). The U.S. government’s Internet site for helping consumers find high-quality health information was visited 4.8 million times in its first 30 days of operation, according to its press release (http://www.healthfinder.gov; see the “about” link). The Internet is becoming an important new source of health information.
Seasonal distribution of bacteria in salt marsh sediments in North Carolina

The number and size of bacteria at four depths (0-1, 5-6, 10-11, and 20-21 cm) in a North Carolina salt marsh were minotored by direct counts for 13 months. The number of bacteria reached a maximum of about 1•4 × 1010 cells cm-3 at the sediment surface in October, corresponding to the period of Spartina alterniflora die-back. Cell numbers were lowest and most consistent throughout the year at the 20 cm depth of sediment. Cell volumes averaged 0•2 µm3 at the marsh surface and decreased with depth. Mean standing crop of bacteria to a depth of 20 cm of sediment was about 14 g bacterial carbon m-2. In surface sediments bacteria contribute up to 15% and algae up to 10% of total living microbial biomass as estimated by adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Bacteria were the major biomass component at sediment depths of 5, 10 and 20 cm. At all depths the microbial community contributes < 4% total organic carbon and < 8 % of total nitrogen.
Buffering Effects of a Family-Based Intervention for African American Emerging Adults

This study focused on the buffering effects of Adults in the Making (AIM), a family-centered preventive intervention, on the link between life stress and increases in risk behaviors among 347 rural, southern African Americans as they left high school. Of the families, 174 were assigned to the prevention condition and 173 to a control condition. Emerging adults reported risk behaviors at pretest, posttest (7 months after pretest), and long-term follow-up (10 months after posttest). A significant Life stress × Prevention condition interaction emerged: Increases in risk behaviors were significantly greater among emerging adults in the control condition who experienced high stress levels than among those in the prevention condition who experienced equally high stress levels.
Abstract 818: Modulation of gene expression and cell cycle signaling pathways in Iressa-treated urinary bladder cancer in rats

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL The EGFR inhibitor Iressa has demonstrated strong preventive efficacy in the N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine (OH-BBN) model of bladder cancer in the rat. To explore its antitumor mechanism, we implemented a systems biology approach to characterize gene expression and signaling pathways in rat urinary bladder cancers treated with Iressa. Eleven bladder tumors from control rats, seven tumors from rats treated with Iressa and seven normal bladder epithelia were profiled using Affymetrix Rat Exon 1.0 ST Arrays. We identified 713 down-regulated and 641 up-regulated genes in comparing bladder tumors vs. normal bladder epithelia. In addition, 178 genes were down-regulated and 96 genes were up-regulated when comparing control tumors vs. Iressa-treated tumors. Two coexpression modules that were significantly correlated with tumor status and treatment status were identified (r = 0.70, P = 2.80 × 10−15 (bladder tumor vs. normal bladder epithelium) and r = 0.63, P = 2.00 × 10−42 (Iressa-treated tumor vs. control tumor), respectively). Both tumor module and treatment module were enriched for genes involved in cell cycle processes. Twenty-four and twenty-one highly connected hub genes likely to be key drivers in cell cycle were identified in the tumor module and treatment module, respectively. Analysis of microRNA genes on the array chips demonstrated that tumor module and treatment module were significantly associated with expression levels of let-7c (r = 0.54, P = 3.70 × 10−8 and r = 0.73, P = 1.50 × 10−65 respectively). These results suggest that let-7c down-regulation and its regulated cell cycle pathway may play an integral role in governing bladder tumor suppression or collaborative oncogenesis and that Iressa exhibits its preventive efficacy on bladder tumorigenesis by up-regulating let-7 and inhibiting the cell cycle. The identified hub genes may also serve as pharmacodynamic or efficacy biomarkers in clinical trials of chemoprevention in human bladder cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 818. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-818
Michael Heidelberger (1888–1991): Transition from life to legend

When your father dies there is the feeling that nothing stands between you and eternity. Immunologists are experiencing such a sense of loss in this hour. Like a good parent, Michael Heidelberger nurtured immunochemistry from infancy through adolescence to adulthood. He trained a spate of highly gifted investigators including Elvin Kabat, Manfred Mayer and a host of others who have passed on his knowledge and expertise from generation to generation. But our sense of loss is tempered by the knowledge not only of what he did but what he was, master investigator and mensch. Michael's passing represents the end of the beginning for immunology. For he is the last of the founders, following Jules Bordet's death in 1961, who witnessed a century of spectacular advances in immunologic research. Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper that we pause to pay tribute to this gentle giant of science. With the publication of his final investigative work in the 1990s, Michael will have contributed novel and innovative original scientific research articles to the literature in every decade of the 20th century! This final triumph of his magnificent career is unmatched in the
Moderate strength lightweight concrete from organic aquagel mixtures

Abstract The present study describes a new approach for making lightweight concrete that uses aquagels in the concrete formulation. Aquagels are semi-rigid gels that contain mostly water and a small amount of solids that act as the gelling agent. Aquagels were made using wheat starch, algin, agar and high amylose corn starch (HACS). Concrete samples were made using each of the four aquagels and perlite. The plastic, cured and oven-dried densities of concrete samples decreased with increasing concentrations of aquagel or perlite. Thermal conductivity (k) was strongly correlated with density. The k values decreased more than three times the rate of the decline in density. Oven-dried density of the samples ranged from approximately 0.91 g/cm3 for samples containing the highest concentration of aquagel to 1.95 g/cm3 for control samples. The compressive strength of the samples decreased from 55 MPa for the control to approximately 10 MPa for samples containing the highest concentration of aquagel. Samples made from wheat starch and algin aquagels had a lower compressive strength than the other samples even at concentrations as low as 0.19 parts aquagel to one part cement. The density of wheat starch aquagel-based concrete remained uniform and unaffected by hydrostatic pressures created at depths of up to 3 m. Of the aquagel materials tested, wheat starch is the lowest in cost and the most widely available.
RF frequency down-conversion with quadratic electro-optic effect

The frequency down-converter is an essential element of a photonic radar frontend. In this paper we describe a new photonic frequency down-conversion approach employing a quadratic optical phase modulator. When paired with an OPLL linear phase demodulator, this approach can potentially achieve a large dynamic range and a low conversion loss. A preliminary experiment has been performed to verify frequency down-conversion with an InP MQW optical phase modulator. It has been found that the unwanted 4th order electro-optic effect that exists in phase modulator results in spurious distortion for the down-converted RF signal. The techniques for mitigation are discussed.
Modeling postfire response and recovery using the Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS).

This paper investigates application of the Army Corps of Engineers' Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) to a burned watershed in San Bernardino County, California. We evaluate the HEC-HMS' ability to simulate discharge in prefire and postfire conditions in a semi arid watershed and the necessary parameterizations for modeling hydrologic response during the immediate, and subsequent recovery, period after a wildfire. The model is applied to City Creek watershed, which was 90% burned during the Old Fire of October 2003. An optimal spatial resolution for the HEC-HMS model was chosen based on an initial sensitivity analysis of subbasin configurations and related model performance. Five prefire storms were calibrated for the selected model resolution, defining a set of parameters that reasonably simulate prefire conditions. Six postfire storms, two from each of the following rainy (winter) seasons were then selected to simulate postfire response and evaluate relative changes in parameter values and model behavior. There were clear trends in the postfire parameters [initial abstractions (I a ), curve number (CN), and lag time] that reveal significant (and expected) changes in watershed behavior. CN returns to prefire (baseline) values by the end of Year 2, while I a approaches baseline by the end of the third rainy season. However, lag time remains significantly lower than prefire values throughout the three-year study period. Our results indicate that recovery of soil conditions and related runoff response is not entirely evidenced by the end of the study period (three rainy seasons postfire). Understanding the evolution of the land surface and related hydrologic properties during the highly dynamic postfire period, and accounting for these changes in model parameterizations, will allow for more accurate and reliable discharge simulations in both the immediate, and subsequent, rainy seasons following fire.
Microwave-Induced Heating of HMX for Decomposition Kinetic Analysis

We use microwave (MW) absorption to induce rapid, uniform heating of the secondary high explosive octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) for decomposition analysis in a fast kinetic regime (10−2 s). Because HMX alone is MW inactive, composites comprised of an HMX-polymeric binder system doped with a small mass fraction (<1 wt%) multiwalled carbon nanotubes or graphite, were fabricated. The dielectric properties were measured (real and imaginary permittivity between 1–18 GHz), which is necessary for describing the expected MW-materials interaction and predicted heating response. The real component of the relative dielectric permittivity ranged from 3–4 while the imaginary component was 0.01–0.07, depending on the amount of carbon dopant added. Dynamic temperature measurements of a similar explosive composite under MW exposure were accomplished using fiber-optic temperature measurement techniques, and can be reproducibly correlated to the amount of MW energy absorbed in the sample.
Lyme Disease as an Underlying Cause of Supraspinatus Tendinopathy in an Overhead Athlete

Background and Purpose Supraspinatus tendinopathy is a common cause of shoulder pain seen in overhead athletes, but to our knowledge no published cases present Lyme disease as the underlying cause of tendinopathy. Lyme disease is diagnosed primarily by clinical signs and symptoms and then supported by laboratory tests including western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). This case demonstrates the importance of a physical therapist's input and clinical role in reaching the correct diagnosis in an athlete with Lyme disease, who presented with a diagnosis of rotator cuff impingement and tendinitis. Case Description A 34-year-old male tennis player presented to physical therapy with right shoulder impingement and tendinitis diagnosed by an orthopedic surgeon. He was unable to participate in sporting activities due to impairments in strength and pain. Initial examination revealed distal supraspinatus impingement and tendinopathy. Outcomes The patient was not progressing with commonly accepted interventions and began to have “arthritis-like” shoulder pain in the uninvolved left shoulder. Suspicious of an underlying condition, the physical therapist informed the physician of the patient's updated status and referred to the physician to discuss the current symptoms in therapy. After testing, the patient was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease and underwent antibiotic therapy. Discussion Many active patients spend time in the outdoors increasing their risk of exposure to a vector for Borrelia burgdorferi . Physical therapists spend a larger portion of time with patients than other health care professionals, and due to this extended contact and musculoskeletal knowledge are able to recognize atypical musculoskeletal disorders or musculoskeletal manifestations of unusual pathologies including Lyme disease.
Characterization of Strain-Tolerant Ceramic/SAM Bilayer Coatings

Ceramic coatings can provide an ideal protection for MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) structures while imposing a great challenge in processing a prime, reliant coating due to their inherent brittleness and defects formed during processing. In an attempt to compensate for the weakness of the ceramic coating, we have developed a low-temperature solution precursor process to create strain-tolerant, protective bilayer coating consisting of an integrated ceramic-organic hybrid material. The top ceramic coating offers an inert, protective layer whereas the underlying nanometer scale self-assembled organic coating provides compliance for the overlying hard coating. Together, these bilayers minimize mechanical and thermal stresses. In addition, organic self-assembled monolayers(SAM) act as a ‘template’ by forming a proper surface functionality for the subsequent growth of hard ceramic coatings. Molecular level understanding of the microstructure and micromechanics involved in the synthesis and processing of the coating is systematically studied by a variety of characterization techniques such as XRD, AFM, SEM/EDS and nanoindentation. This work is also complemented by numerical simulation to provide a clearer understanding of the stress development in the ceramic coating and its interfacial properties.
Role of the Carboxyterminal Residue in Peptide Binding to Protein Farnesyltransferase and Protein Geranylgeranyltransferase

Received February 26, 1998, and in revised form May 18, 1998 Protein farnesyltransferase and protein geranylgeranyltransferase-I catalyze the prenylation of a cysteinyl group located four residues upstream of the carboxyl terminus. The identity of the carboxyterminal residue plays a signiAEcant role in determining the ability of compounds to bind to each enzyme and to serve as substrate. We compared the binding and substrate speciAEcities of peptides with carboxyterminal substitutions to determine which residues promote selectivity and which residues promote recognition by both enzymes. Using tetrapeptide inhibitors with the general structure L-penicillamine±valine±isoleucine±X and substrates with the structure Lys±Lys±Ser±Ser± Cys±Val±Ile±X, we measured their respective K i ,K m , and k cat values for both recombinant rat protein farnesyltransferase and recombinant rat protein geranylgeranyltransferase-I. We studied the roles of carboxyterminal branched residues (leucine, isoleucine, valine, and penicillamine) and linear residues (methionine, cysteine, homocysteine, alanine, aminobutyrate, and aminohexanoate) in promoting interaction with the enzymes. For protein geranylgeranyltransferase-I, peptide substrates with carboxyterminal branched or linear residues had K m values that were 5to 15-fold greater than the K i values of the corresponding peptide inhibitors. For protein farnesyltransferase, peptide substrates with carboxyterminal branched residues, proline, or homoserine had K m values that were 7- to 200-fold greater than the K i values of the corresponding peptide inhibitors. For protein farnesyltransferase the K m and Ki values for peptides ending with linear residues were in general agreement. Our studies indicate that the substrate and inhibitor binding speciAEcities of protein geranylgera
Teaching the photoelectric effect inductively

Research has shown that students have difficulty understanding the underlying process of the photoelectric effect. Thus, this study sought to utilize an inductively situated lesson for teaching the photoelectric effect, hypothesizing that this type of enquiry would help learners delve deeper into the principles of the phenomenon and provide a better background for its quantification. The lesson was conducted with a group of fifteen high-school physics students and a computerized simulated experiment was utilized as the medium for instruction. Students' responses to a qualitative question about the role of a battery in the photoelectric circuit supported the hypothesis that the lesson was a valuable learning experience. This paper presents an outline for the inductively reasoned learning process.
Relationship Between Volume-to-Capacity Ratios and Accident Rates

The general relationships between hourly accident rates and hourly traffic volume/capacity (vie) ratios were examined. A 26 km (16 mi) segment of Interstate I-94 in the Detroit area was selected as the study segment. The v/c ratios were calculated from average hourly traffic volume counts collected in 1993 and 1994 from three permanent count stations. Accident rates were derived from hourly distributed number of accidents in the same 2 years. The correlation between v/c values and accident rates follows a general U-shaped pattern. The study of all observed accidents combined indicates that accident rates are highest in the very low hourly v/c range, decrease rapidly with increasing v/c ratio, and then gradually increase as the v/c ratio continues to increase. U-shaped models also explain the relationship between v/c and accident rates for weekdays and weekend days, multivehicle, rear-end, and property-damage-only accidents. On the other hand, single-vehicle, fixed-object, and turnover accidents, and accid...
Clinical and demographic factors associated with urinary tract infection in young febrile infants

Objective. Previous research has identi- fied clinical predictors for urinary tract infection (UTI) to guide urine screening in febrile children 38°C) infants who were 50 000 cfu/mL or (2) >10 000 cfu/mL in association with a positive dipstick test or urinalysis. We used bivariate tests and multiple logistic regression to identify demographic and clinical factors that were asso- ciated with the likelihood of UTI. Results. A total of 1025 (67%) of 1513 eligible patients were enrolled; 9.0% of enrolled infants received a diag- nosis of UTI. Uncircumcised male infants had a higher rate of UTI (21.3%) compared with female (5.0%) and circumcised male (2.3%) infants. Infants with maximum recorded temperature of >39°C had a higher rate of UTI (16.3%) than other infants (7.2%). After multivariable adjustment, UTI was associated with being uncircum- cised (odds ratio: 10.4; bias-corrected 95% confidence in- terval: 4.7-31.4) and maximum temperature (odds ratio: 2.4 per °C; 95% confidence interval: 1.5-3.6). Factors that were reported previously to be associated with risk for UTI in infants and toddlers, such as white race and ill appearance, were not significantly associated with risk for UTI in this cohort of young infants. Conclusions. Being uncircumcised and height of fe- ver were associated with UTI in febrile infants who were <60 days of age. Uncircumcised male infants were at particularly high risk and may warrant a different ap- proach to screening and management. Pediatrics 2005; 116:644-648; fever, infant, urinary tract infection.
Photochemical induced effects in material ejection in laser ablation

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effect of photochemical processes on molecular ejection mechanisms in laser ablation of organic solids. The presence of photochemical decomposition processes and subsequent chemical reactions changes the temporal and spatial energy deposition profile from pure photothermal ablation. A strong and broad acoustic wave propagation results and this pressure wave in conjunction with the temperature increase in the absorbing region causes the ejection of hot massive molecular clusters. These massive clusters later disintegrate in the plume into the smaller clusters and monomers due to ongoing chemical reactions.
A Mitochondrial Division Apparatus Takes Shape

Mitochondria are dynamic structures that divide and fuse continually throughout the life of a cell. Mitochondrial division is needed to maintain a full complement of mitochondria when cells divide, but also when they differentiate, increase in size or respond to changes in their environment. Despite
Base-Drag-Reduction Experiments on the X-33 Linear Aerospike SR-71 Flight Program

Drag-reduction tests were conducted on the Linear Aerospike SR-71 experiment. The Linear Aerospike SR-71 experiment e ight tested a 20% scale model of an X-33 forebody with a linear-aerospike engine mounted at the rear of the body. The entire apparatus was mounted on top of an SR-71 aircraft. This paper suggests a method for reducing base drag by adding surface roughness along the forebody. Calculations show a potential for basedrag reductions of 8 ‐14%. Flight results corroborate the base drag reduction, with actual reductions of 15% in the high-subsonic e ight regime. An unexpected result is that drag benee ts persist well into the supersonic e ight regime. Flight results show no overall net drag reduction. The applied roughness caused forebody pressures to rise and offset base-drag reductions. Apparently, the grit displaced streamlines outward, causing forebody e ow compression.Clearlythedrag optimizationmustbemodie edto includenotonly thebasepressuredragandviscous forebody drag coefe cients but must also include the forebody pressure distribution. Because of the mixed experimental results— there was no overall net drag reduction, the existence of an optimal forebody surface roughness must still be proven. Clearly, however, the forebody grit method has been proven as a viable drag-reduction tool.
Pathogenesis of caudal dysgenesis/sirenomelia induced by ochratoxin A in chick embryos

Caudal dysgenesis/sirenomelia is a malformation complex for which the pathogenesis is controversial. This report describes the particular vulnerability of specific caudal structures to Ochratoxin A (OA), a fungal toxin, as the basis for caudal dysgenesis in an avian model. The experimental procedure involved injection of 1 microgram of OA into the air sac of eggs that had been incubated for 48 hours prior to treatment (i.e., embryos that had reached Hamburger and Hamilton stage 9-10 (6-10 somite pairs) [Hamburger and Hamilton (1951) Dev. Dyn. 195:231-272] by the time of treatment). Six to twelve hours following OA injection, excessive cell death, as shown by vital staining and routine histology, was evident in selected cell populations, including cells of the caudal-most mesoderm (the mesoderm that apparently forms the external genitalia and median infraumbilical region), the tail bud, and the neural tube caudal to the wing buds (corresponding to the level of the presomitic mesoderm). The notochord was not severely affected, although there were degenerative changes in the presomitic mesoderm. Except for positional abnormalities, development of the lateral plate mesoderm from which the leg buds are derived appeared relatively normal in most of the treated embryos. Six days post-treatment, varying degrees of caudal dysgenesis, presenting in severely affected specimens as sirenomelia, were observed in approximately 30% of the surviving treated embryos. The potential basis for the differential vulnerability of the affected cell populations and, therefore, the cellular basis for the genesis of caudal dysgenesis/sirenomelia in this model are discussed.
Sparking a Lifelong Interest in Engineering Through a Summer Academy in Robotics

We have developed an intensive, three-week summer robotics program for high school students. The program requires special teaching methods since it is offered to rising 10th through 12th grade students with diverse backgrounds, and a low student/teacher ratio to ensure all students grasp the material. We use a project-based learning approach, assigning the students a series of specially tailored labs and projects designed to engage and challenge while preparing them for the main element of the program, the design of a semi-autonomous robotic vehicle whose mission emulates that of NASA’s Martian rovers. The project culminates with testing of their vehicles on an obstacle course. A series of targeted design reviews are held as the project unfolds to keep all designs on schedule. We leverage the spirit of competition to heighten the enthusiasm of the students and sustain their interest through the long-hours required to design and build a successful robot. The students get hands-on experience with mechanism design, electronics, computer-aided-design and manufacturing, and microprocessor programming, and are engaged in discussions on applications of robotics in both academia and industry to provide a “grounding” of the material.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Motivations and challenges for high energy petawatt lasers at the National Ignition Facility

Potential applications of future multi-kilojoule short pulse laser systems and enabling research and development efforts for such lasers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will be reviewed.
Determinants Of Computer Anxiety In Business Students

An empirical study was performed to identify significant determinants of computer anxiety among business students. The results indicate that there are significant differences in computer anxiety levels among students with different academic majors, among students that have taken a different number of computer courses, and among students that have learned a different number of software applications or programming languages. The study found no significant difference in computer anxiety between male and female students, contrary to earlier studies. In fact, female students had an overall lower level of computer anxiety than did their male counterparts.
Cognitive effects of donepezil therapy in patients with brain tumors: a pilot study

Cognitive dysfunction is prevalent among brain tumor patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy. However, there are no approved pharmacological interventions for cognitive dysfunction in cancer patients. The goal of this pilot study was to examine the efficacy of donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used to treat Alzheimer's disease, in improving cognitive functions in brain tumor patients previously treated with RT + chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone. Fifteen patients with a brain tumor received a single daily dose of donepezil for 24 weeks (5 mg for 4 weeks, then 10 mg for 20 weeks). Patients completed cognitive evaluations prior to initiating therapy (baseline), and about 12 weeks (mid-study) and 24 weeks (end-of-study) subsequent to initiation of donepezil therapy. The results of linear mixed models analysis, controlling for each patient's baseline cognitive test score, showed a significant post-baseline improvement in attention (WAIS-III digit span forward; p = 0.037), graphomotor speed (WAIS-III digit symbol; p = 0.035) and visual memory (BVMT-R-delay; p = 0.025). There was also an improvement in self-reported quality of life (FACT-Br, social well-being subscale; p = 0.01). The findings of this pilot study suggest that treatment with donepezil may improve some aspects of cognitive functions and quality of life in brain tumor patients. Similar findings were reported in two prior trials of donepezil in brain tumor survivors.
From Whence they Came: the Paleontology of Southern Plains Bison

Long renowned for their clues to the presence and predatory abilities of North America's earliest humans, Southern Plains sites with bison remains have provided vertebrate paleontologists with food for thought for nearly a century. Bison skulls from Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas figured prominently in early taxonomic schemes, ideas on bison evolution, and the chronology of geological deposits before radiocarbon dating. Now, in addition to innumerable finds of isolated cranial parts, bison remains are reported for over 30 nonarchaeological sites from southwestern Kansas to southern Texas. A radiocarbon-dated chronology is slowly developing for these paleontological finds, and, on this basis, bison remains appear to be non existent in deposits older than 50,000 years BP. Moreover, most localities older than 20,000 years BP yield more remains ofherbivores other than bison. Although several competing models of North American bison evolution are currently in vogue, Southern Plains finds demonstrate that serious problems hinder full acceptance of any model. These problems include small sample sizes, poor understanding of age and sex differences within nominal species, inadequate dating of most faunal localities, and (most of all) identification errors resulting from misinterpretation of nomenclature. As a result, many identifications of bison species published in the last 20 years are suspect.
Medea in 'Metamorphoses' 7: Magic, moreness and the maius opus

It is now widely recognised that Medea's last words in her elegiac letter to Jason, Heroides 12, combine the terrible foreshadowing of infanticide with a telling metapoetic signature:quo feret ira, sequar! facti fortasse pigebit;et piget infido consuluisse uiro.uiderit ista deus, qui nunc mea pectora uersat!nescioquid certe mens mea maius agit.(Ov. Her. 12.209-12)Where my anger leads, I'll follow. Perhaps I'll regret my deed—as I regret the attention I paid to my faithless husband.Be that the concern of the god who now goads my breast!Certainly, something greater is stirring in my mind!Ovid positions Heroides 12 as ‘a “prequel” to his own Medea-tragedy’, that maius opus which notionally provides Medea with an appropriate generic setting in which to exact her revenge; elegy is too light a medium to bear the weight of so tragic a denouement. Heroides 12 thus concludes by adapting itself to the contours of the larger Ovidian career—a career in which he was to revisit the Medea-theme for the third time in Metamorphoses 7. There, her life-story is selectively told from the beginning of the Argonautic voyage and Medea's first infatuation with Jason to her magical intervention in his gaining of the golden fleece (1-158); from her rejuvenation of Jason's father, Aeson, to the dastardly way in which she induces the daughters of Pelias, Aeson's half-brother, to murder their father (159-349); and from the briefly told murder of her children at Corinth to her marriage to Aegeus and the attempted murder of Theseus, his son, at Athens (394-423). At this point Medea takes flight once more (424; cf. 350-93, in the wake of Pelias' murder) and disappears from the Metamorphoses for good—or, we might imagine, for yet more evil to be worked.
Effect of cortisone on plasma globulins in the dog; studies by paper electrophoresis.

SummaryCortisone administration to dogs is followed by a selective rise in plasma alpha-2 globulin and fall in beta globulin which is independent of any associated lipid changes; this shift in globulin distribution has not been observed in humans or rabbits receiving cortisone.
Tricalsium Phosphate Coating on Zirconia by Using Calcium Metaphosphate and Tetracalcium Phosphate

β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) coating on yttria partially stabilized zirconia plate was studied. Firstly, calcium metaphosphate (CaP2O6) layer was coated on yttria partially stabilized zirconia as an interlayer by heating at 1000°C for 40min. Then, a mixed slurry of calcium metaphosphate and tetracalcium phosphate (Ca4(PO4)2O) was brought into reaction on the zirconia plate by heating at 1200°C for 40min. The coated layer was found to be β-tricalcium phosphate with thickness of about 100μm.
Ballots and Blackmail: Coercive Diplomacy and the Democratic Peace

Does the restraint that prevents pairs of democracies from fighting large-scale wars also prevent them from coercing one another? While scholars have long drawn a bright line between using force and threatening it, the literature on democratic-peace theory overwhelmingly emphasizes the former. Using a dataset uniquely suited for the study of militarized compellent threats, we find that pairs of democracies are significantly less likely to engage in coercive diplomacy than are other types of regimes. We employ a variety of estimators to ensure the robustness of our results; the finding holds in all cases. We also elaborate on several alternative logics that might account for the hypotheses. This allows us to adjudicate between a variety of mechanisms. Our findings reveal that democratic-peace theory has broader applicability than even proponents give it credit for: not only are democracies less likely to fight wars with one another, but they also prove less likely to threaten each other with force.
Urinary tract infections in women: causes, classification, and differential diagnosis.

The following scenario summarizes the current theories about the role of host factors in the pathogenesis of acute urinary tract infection in young women. The usual route of infection is by ascent of fecal organisms which colonize the vaginal epithelium. E. coli colonization appears to be more common in women with recurrent infections than in women who rarely or never experience infection
Multi-Tissue Decomposition of Diffusion MRI Signals via $\ell _{0}$ Sparse-Group Estimation

Sparse estimation techniques are widely utilized in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (DMRI). In this paper, we present an algorithm for solving the $\ell _{0}$ sparse-group estimation problem and apply it to the tissue signal separation problem in DMRI. Our algorithm solves the $\ell _{0}$ problem directly, unlike existing approaches that often seek to solve its relaxed approximations. We include the mathematical proofs showing that the algorithm will converge to a solution satisfying the first-order optimality condition within a finite number of iterations. We apply this algorithm to DMRI data to tease apart signal contributions from white matter, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid with the aim of improving the estimation of the fiber orientation distribution function (FODF). Unlike spherical deconvolution approaches that assume an invariant fiber response function (RF), our approach utilizes an RF group to span the signal subspace of each tissue type, allowing greater flexibility in accounting for possible variations of the RF throughout space and within each voxel. Our $\ell _{0}$ algorithm allows for the natural groupings of the RFs to be considered during signal decomposition. Experimental results confirm that our method yields estimates of FODFs and volume fractions of tissue compartments with improved robustness and accuracy. Our $\ell _{0}$ algorithm is general and can be applied to sparse estimation problems beyond the scope of this paper.
The User Experience of Disney Infinity

This study investigated what factors come into play when looking at the user experience involved with the commercial video game Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition), and sought to determine if the unique combination between sandbox and smart toy based gameplay present in gameplay offers an additional level of immersion. This study analyzed the effect of Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition) on immersion utilizing a Game Immersion Questionnaire modified to analyze play preference as well as video game experience. The study methodology analyzed 48 users while playing in “Toy Box” mode both with and without the associated smart toys, or Disney characters. Results show that while there was no significant difference in immersion for either group, nor were there any significant correlations between variables, there was a preference for playing the game with the associated smart toys in both groups. Recommendations were made for continued research building on modifications to this study as well as future research exploring the potential for smart toys in other areas.
Eosinophilic Angiocentric Fibrosis: Report of a Case and Lack of Association With IgG4

Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis (EAF) is a rare tumefactive disease of uncertain etiology. Although benign, these lesions frequently persist after surgical resection. EAF often mimics malignancy because it causes a mass that produces compression …
Sudden Vision Loss and Mortality: The Jackson Heart Study.

ABSTRACTPurpose: It is unknown whether sudden vision loss (SVL) is an independent marker for future cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in African Americans. We examined the hazard of future stroke or myocardial infarction (MI) and mortality associated with self-reported SVL lasting 24 hours or longer in a cohort of African Americans enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS).Methods: The study sample comprised 4670 African Americans aged 20–95 years enrolled in the JHS without previous coronary heart disease or stroke at baseline. All participants who responded to the question “Have you ever had any sudden loss of vision or blurring, lasting 24 hours or longer?” on the baseline stroke questionnaire were included in the study. Ten years of follow-up data was used. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to examine the association between SVL (n = 142) and risk of future stroke/MI and mortality.Results: In age- and sex-adjusted Cox models, SVL was significantly associated with higher hazards of future st...
Practical Considerations in Pediatric Surgery

The care of pediatric patients requires special considerations that are often not addressed in the literature. Relatively straightforward tasks such as clinical evaluation, antibiotic use, splinting, wound closure, and care of simple burns become complicated in the pediatric population for several reasons. The authors seek to demystify some of these topics using the senior author's years of clinical experience treating pediatric patients by giving practical advice and general considerations when treating children.