cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macular Changes After Retinal Detachment Surgery

We studied 175 eyes of 175 patients who had successful repair of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Patients were randomly assigned to be treated with cryotherapy and episcleral sponges or with diathermy, scleral dissection, and encircling silicone bands. Fundus photography and fluorescein angiography were performed six weeks after successful reattachment surgery. Macular complications were discovered in 48 (27%) of the 175 eyes. The most frequent changes were cystoid macular edema in 28 (16%) and preretinal macular membrane in 13 eyes (8%). No significant differences in the incidence of cystoid macular edema were observed between diathermy and cryotherapy. Macular detachment, increased duration of macular detachment, cryotherapy, and pseudophakia were identified as risk factors for certain macular complications.
Use of molecular markers for early warning detection of harmful algal blooms

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a biological hazard for, and can also result from, aquaculture. To minimise economic and environmental impacts, an early warning detection system is needed. In this paper, two most commonly used molecular techniques are introduced with applications and examples involving work on the putatively toxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida. Unlike previous reviews giving comprehensive accounts of the detection of HABs, this paper focuses on the technical aspects of the methods in an attempt to provide information potentially helpful for those who have little or no prior experience in molecular techniques but wish to apply these techniques to species of their interest.
Muscle forces during running predicted by gradient-based and random search static optimisation algorithms

Muscle forces during locomotion are often predicted using static optimisation and SQP. SQP has been criticised for over-estimating force magnitudes and under-estimating co-contraction. These problems may be related to SQP's difficulty in locating the global minimum to complex optimisation problems. Algorithms designed to locate the global minimum may be useful in addressing these problems. Muscle forces for 18 flexors and extensors of the lower extremity were predicted for 10 subjects during the stance phase of running. Static optimisation using SQP and two random search (RS) algorithms (a genetic algorithm and simulated annealing) estimated muscle forces by minimising the sum of cubed muscle stresses. The RS algorithms predicted smaller peak forces (42% smaller on average) and smaller muscle impulses (46% smaller on average) than SQP, and located solutions with smaller cost function scores. Results suggest that RS may be a more effective tool than SQP for minimising the sum of cubed muscle stresses in st...
Potentiated gene regulation by methylphenidate plus fluoxetine treatment: Long-term gene blunting (Zif268, Homer1a) and behavioral correlates

Use of psychostimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) in medical treatments and as cognitive enhancers in the healthy is increasing. Methylphenidate produces some addiction-related gene regulation in animal models. Recent findings show that combining selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants such as fluoxetine with methylphenidate potentiates methylphenidate-induced gene regulation. We investigated the endurance of such abnormal gene regulation by assessing an established marker for altered gene regulation after drug treatments - blunting (repression) of immediate-early gene (IEG) inducibility - 14 days after repeated methylphenidate+fluoxetine treatment in adolescent rats. Thus, we measured the effects of a 6-day repeated treatment with methylphenidate (5 mg/kg), fluoxetine (5 mg/kg) or their combination on the inducibility (by cocaine) of neuroplasticity-related IEGs (Zif268, Homer1a) in the striatum, by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Repeated methylphenidate treatment alone produced modest gene blunting, while fluoxetine alone had no effect. In contrast, fluoxetine given in conjunction with methylphenidate produced pronounced potentiation of methylphenidate-induced blunting for both genes. This potentiation was seen in many functional domains of the striatum, but was most robust in the lateral, sensorimotor striatum. These enduring molecular changes were associated with potentiated induction of behavioral stereotypies in an open-field test. For illicit psychostimulants, blunting of gene expression is considered part of the molecular basis of addiction. Our results thus suggest that SSRIs such as fluoxetine may increase the addiction liability of methylphenidate. Key words: cognitive enhancer, dopamine, serotonin, gene expression, psychostimulant, SSRI antidepressant, striatum.
Duration of Convective Events Related to Visible Cloud, Convergence, Radar and Rain Gage Parameters in South Florida

Abstract The time interval between initiation of surface convergence and the subsequent response of visible cloud growth to this convergence was examined for nine cases of convection that occurred over the FACE 1973 and 1975 mesonetworks in south Florida. Clouds ranged in size from small echoes with a few towers to merged lines or large clusters of towers, but they met a series of observational criteria that specified them as belonging to a similar set of clouds, and were not representative of the entire range of clouds in the area. Visible clouds first formed 10 to 55 min after the associated surface convergence began, and grew rapidly upward 20 to 100 min after convergence started. This highly variable response could be understood better by taking into account the duration of the cloud, which is defined as the time from first surface convergence to complete dissipation. The same nine cases were examined as were chosen initially for the visible cloud study. When duration was considered, first visible clo...
TNF-α mediated modulation of T cell development and exacerbation of in vitro T1DM in fetal thymus organ culture

Abstract TNF-α is a pleiotropic cytokine that is constitutively expressed in the thymus. This cytokine has opposing effects on type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) as non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice administered TNF-α early in life experience an acceleration in disease onset while TNF-α administered to adult NOD mice are rescued from disease entirely. Using fetal thymus organ culture (FTOC) as a model of T cell development and an associated in vitro T1DM model, we set out to reconcile the role of TNF-α in thymic development with its role in the pathogenesis of T1DM. Our data indicate that NOD derived FTOC produce a smaller percentage of double negative (CD4−/CD8−) thymocytes expressing TNF receptors compared to non-diabetic C57BL/6 (B6) derived FTOC. NOD FTOC produce more TNF-α than B6 FTOC during days 6–9 of culture, a time when negative selection of T cells is known to occur. Neutralization of this endogenous TNF-α production in NOD derived FTOC with soluble TNF receptor (sTNF R1) rescued insulin production in our in vitro T1DM model. Flow cytometric analysis of NOD FTOC treated with recombinant TNF-α (rTNF-α) or sTNF R1 demonstrated that the relative levels of TNF-α in the culture during the selection window (days 6–9) influence the ratio of immature vs. mature T cells that emerge from FTOC.
Factors influencing the determination of DNA with indole

Abstract By optimizing the conditions of DNA hydrolysis with different concentrations of reactants, the sensitivity and range of the reaction between DNA and indole have been significantly increased. The influence of the chloroform extraction on the specificity of the method has been defined and the probable chromogen has been identified as 2-deoxyribose 5-monophosphate.
Coupled multigroup cross sections for hydrogen interactions in plasmas

Abstract Using analytical fits to the experimental cross sections for H 3 H 2 , and H 2 + interactions in plasmas, developed by Gryzinski, Riviere, Jones, and Freeman, we obtain coupled multigroup cross sections and rate coefficients for hydrogen transport applications. Multigroup cross sections and rate coefficients, for specified energy group boundaries, plasma particle and temperature profiles, and cylindrical plasma confinement radius, are generated against a spatially dependent, local Maxwellian scattering background. Cross sections are formatted for direct use in production multigroup S n , Monte Carlo, or specific transport applications. Ten coupled hydrogen reactions are included and resulting cross sections for ionization, scattering, and production can be coupled or decoupled. Reactions treated include H, H 2 ionization by electrons and protons, H, H 2 charge exchange, and H 2 , H 2 + dissociative mechanisms. We detail the formalism used to compute effective cross sections and rates and give practicle results for two fusion reactors.
The molecular weight and thermolability of Ilyanassa ribosomal RNA.

Abstract Ilyanassa 26-S ribosomal RNA was labile to heat, urea and Mg 2+ deprivation. When heated, four fragments of distinct size resulted, including two 18-S pieces and one to two 7-S pieces per 26-S molecule. Boiling the RNA caused no further breakdown. The molecular weights of Ilyanassa ribosomal RNA's are 1.37 · 10 6 ±0.004 · 10 6 and 0.71 · 10 6 ±0.002 · 10 6 when measured by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The sensitivity of the 26-S RNA may arise from endogenous nuclease activity released during extraction of the RNA. Alternatively, the mechanism for processing the ribosomal precursor molecule may cause lesions in the ribosomal RNA's. The number of these hydrogen bonded fragments might be related to the evolution of ribosomal RNA.
The G7, International Terrorism and Domestic Politics: Modeling Policy Cohesion in Response to Systemic Disturbance

This work probes the variability in G7 cohesion in response to relatively new disturbances in the international system. Using a domestic politics model, we argue that G7 cohesion weakens in the face of international terrorism in the context of variable domestic consequences to common foreign policy responses to this systemic disturbance. We compare the predictions from our model with predictions stemming from neorealist and liberal/institutionalist explanations. We find that, consistent with the domestic politics explanation, G7 foreign policy cohesion declines as internal terrorism increases.
The Effect of Harmonics on the Operating Points of Electromechanical Relays

This paper is concerned with the effect of harmonics on the operating points of three types of relays. These are standard electromechanical relays of the instantaneous overcurrent, instantaneous voltage and time overcurrent types.
Optical trapping: Riding along an Airy beam

The ability of Airy light beams to transport microparticles along curved, self-healed paths may lead to useful applications in biology and colloidal science.
Expression of pp60c-src in adult and developing rat central nervous system

Abstract Brains of adult and fetal (E13–E19) rats were assayed by region for the presence of the proto-oncogene product pp60c-src. pp60c-src was abundant in the adult brain with the highest levels found in the cerebral hemispheres and localized to the cortical cellular layers. In the embryonic nervous system the levels of pp60c-src activity were much higher throughout the brain than those observed in the adult. The expression of pp60c-src was developmentally regulated, but demonstrated a regionally distinct pattern of expression. In the cortex src activity steadily rose during gestation, while in the basal forebrain and midbrain maximal activity was observed at E17 which then declined to adult levels. The data demonstrate that pp60c-src is differentially expressed in regions of the brain, both during development and in the adult.
Urban parks: green spaces or green walls?

Abstract Parks as an urban landscape feature serve many functions as providers of passive and active recreation, environmental benefits, and wildlife habitat. The research presented herein explores the concept that urban parks may also function as a boundary landscape separating neighborhoods of distinct socioeconomic characteristics. When an urban park functions as a boundary, it impoverishes neighborhoods because it often leads to less use of the open space resource, which then can become a derelict landscape. Therefore, park condition, in the paper, was used as an indication that a park is functioning as a boundary park. Four parks in Boston's neighborhoods of Roxbury and North Dorchester served as study sites to evaluate the hypothesis that parks located between socioeconomically distinct neighborhoods function as boundary landscapes. Analysis of spatial patterns surrounding the parks of race by census block area, and income by census block group in 1980 and 1990, provide the basis for evaluating socioeconomic characteristics that are related to boundary parks. Park tree characteristics provided for comparison of park condition between the general population of park trees in the study area with the four study-site parks. The characteristics examined include species diversity, size class diversity, and percent in good condition. The results show that while white and non-white populations were distinct, the spatial clustering of the populations were random. All four of the study-site parks manifest some characteristics of boundary parks, but two parks were below average for all three measures of urban forest structure condition.
An integrative -omics approach to identify functional sub-networks in human colorectal cancer.

Emerging evidence indicates that gene products implicated in human cancers often cluster together in “hot spots” in protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Additionally, small sub-networks within PPI networks that demonstrate synergistic differential expression with respect to tumorigenic phenotypes were recently shown to be more accurate classifiers of disease progression when compared to single targets identified by traditional approaches. However, many of these studies rely exclusively on mRNA expression data, a useful but limited measure of cellular activity. Proteomic profiling experiments provide information at the post-translational level, yet they generally screen only a limited fraction of the proteome. Here, we demonstrate that integration of these complementary data sources with a “proteomics-first” approach can enhance the discovery of candidate sub-networks in cancer that are well-suited for mechanistic validation in disease. We propose that small changes in the mRNA expression of multiple genes in the neighborhood of a protein-hub can be synergistically associated with significant changes in the activity of that protein and its network neighbors. Further, we hypothesize that proteomic targets with significant fold change between phenotype and control may be used to “seed” a search for small PPI sub-networks that are functionally associated with these targets. To test this hypothesis, we select proteomic targets having significant expression changes in human colorectal cancer (CRC) from two independent 2-D gel-based screens. Then, we use random walk based models of network crosstalk and develop novel reference models to identify sub-networks that are statistically significant in terms of their functional association with these proteomic targets. Subsequently, using an information-theoretic measure, we evaluate synergistic changes in the activity of identified sub-networks based on genome-wide screens of mRNA expression in CRC. Cross-classification experiments to predict disease class show excellent performance using only a few sub-networks, underwriting the strength of the proposed approach in discovering relevant and reproducible sub-networks.
Low-Frequency Gain Compensation in Directional Hearing Aids

Hearing aids currently available on the market with both omnidirectional and directional microphone modes often have reduced amplification in the low frequencies when in directional microphone mode...
Hyperfine Structure and Nuclear Moments of Thulium-166

The hyperfine structure of 7.7-h ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{166}$ has been studied using the atomic-beam magnetic resonance technique. The results are $|A|=19\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6$ Mc/sec, $|B|=7700\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}300$ Mc/sec, and $\frac{B}{A}l0$. Values of the nuclear moments are calculated from the hyperfine interaction constants $A$ and $B$ for ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{166}$ using known values for $A$, $B$, ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{I}$, $Q$ for ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{170}$. Results for ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{166}$ are $|{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{I}|=0.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ nm and $|Q|=4.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7$ b with $\frac{Q}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{I}}g0$. These results are discussed from the standpoint of the deformed-nucleus model of Mottelson and Nilsson.
Whole cow's milk, iron deficiency anemia, and hypoproteinemia: an old problem revisited.

Improvements in infant nutrition in the United States over the past 30 years have resulted in a marked decline in the incidence of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The promotion of breast-feeding, the general availability of heat-processed, iron-fortified formulas through the Women, Infants, and Children program, the introduction of solid foods (some fortified with iron) during the second 6 months of life, and efforts to eliminate bottle-feeding by age 1 year are largely responsible for this progress. Even mild cases of nutritionally based IDA are infrequent today, and when seen they typically occur in children between 9 and 30 months of age who are consuming large amounts of whole cow's milk (WCM) per day by infant bottle. Because of the overall decline in the incidence of IDA, the unusual association of hypoproteinemia may not be appreciated as a related event. Patient Report. A 19-month-old mixed-race female (Caucasian/Asian) was admitted with pallor
Characterization of mouse inhibin α gene and its promoter

Summary Inhibin suppresses the pituitary secretion of FSH but not LH. The two forms of inhibin are composed of a common a subunit linked to either a βA or a βB subunit. The mouse inhibin a gene was isolated and shown to have two exons spanning a 1.7 Kb intron. The proximal 5′ flanking region has neither TATA and CAAT boxes nor GC-rich area. Using the 5′ flanking region of mouse inhibin a gene linked to luciferase gene, transfection of rat granulosa cells indicated that the first 165 bp of the promoter region is required for basal expression. The mouse inhibin a genomic clone should be useful for analysis of hormonal control of inhibin a transcription and the generation of mice with targeted deletion of this gene.
Assessment of numerical techniques for unsteady flow calculations

The characteristics of unsteady flow motions have long been a serious concern in the study of various fluid dynamic and combustion problems. With the advancement of computer resources, numerical approaches to these problems appear to be feasible. The objective of this paper is to assess the accuracy of several numerical schemes for unsteady flow calculations. In the present study, Fourier error analysis is performed for various numerical schemes based on a two-dimensional wave equation. Four methods sieved from the error analysis are then adopted for further assessment. Model problems include unsteady quasi-one-dimensional inviscid flows, two-dimensional wave propagations, and unsteady two-dimensional inviscid flows. According to the comparison between numerical and exact solutions, although second-order upwind scheme captures the unsteady flow and wave motions quite well, it is relatively more dissipative than sixth-order central difference scheme. Among various numerical approaches tested in this paper, the best performed one is Runge-Kutta method for time integration and six-order central difference for spatial discretization.
Comparison of two different methods for inoculating VX2 tumors in rabbit livers and hind limbs.

Purpose To compare two methods to ( a ) propagate VX2 cell strain in rabbit hind limbs and ( b ) inoculate liver parenchymal tumors in rabbits. Materials and Methods One hundred forty-two New Zealand white rabbits were used for this study (60 with hind limb tumor [donors] and 82 with liver tumors [recipients]). In the donor group, nine rabbits received frozen VX2 cell suspension and 51 were injected with freshly prepared VX2 cell suspension. In the recipient group, 32 rabbits were injected with VX2 tumor cells and 50 were implanted with a small tumor fragment in the liver parenchyma. Success rates in terms of tumor growth were compared by using χ 2 or Fisher exact tests, with alpha=.05. Results Hind limb and liver tumors were successfully grown in 48 of the 60 rabbits in the donor group (80%) and 57 of the 82 rabbits in the recipient group (70%). The success rate of growing hind limb tumors increased from 33% (three of nine rabbits) to 88% (45 of 51 rabbits) when fresh VX2 cells instead of frozen were injected percutaneously ( P P P Conclusions The authors recommend ( a ) the use of fresh VX2 cell suspension for percutaneous injection in the hind limbs of rabbits to maintain the VX2 cell strain and ( b ) the surgical implantation of freshly harvested VX2 tumor fragment into the liver parenchyma to establish liver tumors.
Nosology of idiopathic transverse myelitis syndromes

Several terms are now commonly used to describe various presentations of idiopathic myelitis, including acute transverse myelitis, acute partial transverse myelitis, and secondary myelitis. Ideally, a classification system would be able to encompass various presentations in a manner that not only assists in prognosis, but also in treatment decisions. Unfortunately, we are limited in our ability to accurately identify those patients who will progress to develop multiple sclerosis, Devic's syndrome, relapsing myelitis, or will remain monophasic. However, general principles are emerging that assist in prognosis based on the particular presenting features of any patient. We review the most recent criteria proposed for various forms of transverse myelitis and highlight the limitations of these classification schemes.
Pre-precipitation rate in Al-10% Zn alloy neutron irradiated at 78°K

Abstract An examination of the analysis by Schule concerning the enhanced Guinier–Preston formation, observed by Ceresara et al. (C-F-P), in Al–4·4 a/o Zn after neutron irradiation at 78°K has been made. Schule concluded that the vacancy concentration after irradiation was insufficient to account for the enhanced zone formation and that interstitials were responsible for the enhancement. The result of the present examination, which utilizes the actual numerical values of the C-F-P experiment, reveals that the vacancy concentration after the irradiation was more than adequate to account for the observed G.P. zone formation. In addition the enhanced zone formation after the irradiation at 78°K by C-F-P and after fast neutron irradiation of Al–Zn alloys at 4·5°K by the author are in complete agreement with the enhanced zoned formation observed in quenching experiments. Therefore, it is proposed that the motion of vacancies is responsible for the enhanced G.P. zone formation after irradiation as well as after...
Frequency Dependence of Dynamic Curvature Effects on Flow Through Coronary Arteries

The flow through a curved tube model of a coronary artery was investigated computationally to determine the importance of time-varying curvature on flow patterns that have been associated with the development of atherosclerosis. The entry to the tube was fixed while the radius of curvature varied sinusoidally in time at a frequency of 1 or 5 Hz. Angiographic data from other studies suggest that the radius of curvature waveform contains significant spectral content up to 6 Hz. The overall flow patterns were similar to those observed in stationary curved tubes; velocity profile skewed toward the outer wall, secondary flow patterns, etc. The effects of time-varying curvature on the changes in wall shear rate were expressed by normalizing the wall shear rate amplitude with the shear rate calculated at the static mean radius of curvature. It was found that the wall shear rate varied as much as 94 percent of the mean wall shear rate at the mid wall of curvature for a mean curvature ratio of 0.08 and a 50 percent change in radius of curvature. The effects of 5 Hz deformation were not well predicted by a quasi-static approach. The maximum values of the normalized inner wall shear rate amplitude were found to scale well with a dimensionless parameter equivalent to the product of the mean curvature ratio (delta), normalized change in radius of curvature (epsilon), and a Womersley parameter (alpha). This parameter was less successful at predicting the amplitudes elsewhere in the tube, thus additional studies are necessary. The mean wall shear rate was well predicted with a static geometry. These results indicate that dynamic curvature plays an important role in determining the inner wall shear rates in coronary arteries that are subjected to deformation levels of epsilon delta alpha > 0.05. The effects were not always predictable with a quasi-static approach. These results provide guidelines for constructing more realistic models of coronary artery flow for atherogenesis research.
Urban Transportation Planning Influences and Legacies: Kurt Leibbrand, Germany's Acclaimed Postwar Traffic Planner

This article explores several dimensions of the work and career of Kurt Leibbrand, often considered the most influential German urban transportation planner after 1945. It examines some key ideas prevalent in his publications, such as his advocacy of the priority of transportation planning, hostility to citizen participation in planning, and rejection of pedestrian zones. In assessing his status, the paper discusses his contributions to traffic plans for the cities of Basel, Mainz and Selb. The paper also examines some shifts in his career, including his move to the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in 1950 and his resignation there after his arrest for having ordered the murder of Italian volunteers in his army unit during the war. Leibbrand was convicted of manslaughter but not punished because the statute of limitations had expired. He continued to work as a consultant but did not again hold an academic position in the German-speaking world.
Health insurance and health policy, American and Japanese style: lessons of comparative experience

Abstract This paper considers how American and Japanese policymakers might learn from their mutual experience with health insurance and health policy. Each country views itself as a health care leader in their respective areas of strength. Each country is characterized by distinctive patterns of health care organization and financing. Yet, policy analysts on both sides are intrigued and often envious of the other's success. Americans can learn from the central regulation of Japanese national health insurance and from Japan's stellar health status and its recent political commitment to long-term care. The Japanese can learn from the active role of payers and other organizations in the United States in controlling volume, assuring quality of care, and designing alternative health care delivery systems.
Higgs Sector Corrections to the ρ-PARAMETER in the Tree Breaking Supergravity Models

One-loop corrections to the ρ-parameter in supergravity models with large Yukawa coupling (i.e. in the limit of large Higgs mass) is calculated. It is found that the contributions from the Higgs sector cancel, hence no new constraints are obtained on the Higgs masses.
Effect of Diets Formulated with Native Peruvian Plants on Growth and Feeding Efficiency of Red Pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) Juveniles

We evaluated the effects of casein-based semipurified diets, alone or supplemented with native Peruvian plants, on growth, feed efficiency, and histology of the digestive tract of red pacu, Piaractus brachypomus, juveniles over an 8-wk feeding trial. Three tanks were randomly assigned to one of four casein–gelatin (40:8) diets containing a supplement of 15% wheat meal (control) or an identical level of substitution of three South American native plant as follows: camu-camu fruit (Myrciaria dubia), aguaje fruit (Mauritia flexuosa), or maca tuber meal (Lepidium meyenii). The fish (initial weight, 2.04 ± 0.06 g) were fed experimental diets at decreasing feeding rates from 4 to 2.6% of body weight. After 8 weeks of feeding, fish fed a diet supplemented with maca meal showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio (PER), apparent net protein utilization (NPU), and instantaneous feed intake than fish fed other diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR), PER, and NPU in fish fed the casein–gelatin diet supplemented with maca meal were among the best ever reported in the scientific literature, 0.64 ± 0.03, 3.13 ± 0.15 and 23.8 ± 2.0, respectively. The camu-camu meal had a negative impact on diet palatability and utilization, which resulted in slower growth. The stomach, intestine, pancreas, and pyloric caeca at the start and end of the experiment showed normal differentiation and appearance of cells and tissues. The liver parenchyma showed lipid infiltration and pigment accumulation in all samples at the initiation of the experiment and may be attributed to the period of decreased feed intake prior to the study. At the end of the study, similar histopathologies were recorded in all samples from the control and camu-camu groups. Normal liver histology (polyhedral hepatocytes with centrally located nuclei) was observed in two of three samples from the maca group and all the samples from the group that was fed the aguaje-supplemented diet.
Effect of recombinant activated protein C and low-dose heparin on neutrophil-endothelial cell interactions in septic shock.

Objective:To examine the effects of recombinant activated protein C (rhAPC) and low-dose heparin on neutrophil-platelet-endothelial cell interactions in septic shock.Design:Controlled experiments using phase contrast microscopy to study neutrophil, platelet, and endothelial cell interactions in flow
Dustminer: troubleshooting interactive complexity bugs in sensor networks

This paper presents a tool for uncovering bugs due to interactive complexity in networked sensing applications. Such bugs are not localized to one component that is faulty, but rather result from complex and unexpected interactions between multiple often individually non-faulty components. Moreover, the manifestations of these bugs are often not repeatable, making them particularly hard to find, as the particular sequence of events that invokes the bug may not be easy to reconstruct. Because of the distributed nature of failure scenarios, our tool looks for sequences of events that may be responsible for faulty behavior, as opposed to localized bugs such as a bad pointer in a module. An extensible framework is developed where a front-end collects runtime data logs of the system being debugged and an offline back-end uses frequent discriminative pattern mining to uncover likely causes of failure. We provide a case study of debugging a recent multichannel MAC protocol that was found to exhibit corner cases of poor performance (worse than single channel MAC). The tool helped uncover event sequences that lead to a highly degraded mode of operation. Fixing the problem significantly improved the performance of the protocol.We also provide a detailed analysis of tool overhead in terms of memory requirements and impact on the running application.
Exergoeconomic evaluation and optimization of energy systems — application to the CGAM problem

Abstract A simple cogeneration system consisting of a regenerative gasturbine system and a heat-recovery steam generator serves as an example to illustrate the application of exergoeconomic methods for evaluating and optimizing complex energy systems. We discuss various exergycosting approaches, the exergoeconomic variables, and the procedures used in evaluating and optimizing energy systems.
International Joint Venture Configurations in Big Emerging Markets

Empirical studies of the shareholder valuation impact of firms’ international joint venture (IJV) participation have usually emphasized firm‐specific factors, but rarely extended their analysis to location‐specific factors. This is a crucial omission because the two sets of factors are interconnected vis‐a‐vis their influence on firms’ performance. Yet, previous work has neither identified how the two sets of factors complement each other nor investigated the effect of these complementarities on the shareholder value of firms who enter into IJVs. This study attempts to fill these gaps. It develops a typology of IJVs and then performs cluster analysis on a sample of 241 equity IJVs. Results indicate eight clusters in the data, including three clusters with positive shareholder value. In deriving support for its six hypotheses, the study highlights both value‐creating and value‐neutral configurations of firm‐ and location‐specific variables.
Tool Path Planning for Avoiding Exit Burrs

Abstract Milling exit burrs usually form along the edges of a workpiece when the tool leaves the part while removing stock material. One of the most efficient methods for minimizing exit burrs is to prevent the tool from exiting the workpiece during material removal. This paper describes a systematic framework to generate tool paths that always enter a part, which is not a thin structure, in a planar milling operation. Three distinct tool exit conditions are analyzed for polygonal parts. A test criterion is then proposed to examine the occurrence of tool exits. For each condition, a tool path planning scheme is developed to avoid tool exits. These schemes are proved to be effective using the test criterion. This work is integrated into a networked manufacturing environment as a burr agent. Test parts are cut to demonstrate that this framework enhances edge quality by minimizing tool exits.
Testing the feasibility of an interactive learning styles measure for U.S. Latino adults with type 2 diabetes and low literacy

This study designed and piloted an interactive measure to assess learning preferences of Latinos in the United States with diabetes and limited literacy. The measure utilized interactive learning activities to represent four learning styles: visual (seeing), kinesthetic (doing), affective (feeling/sensing), and cognitive (thinking), targeting four diabetes self-management behaviors: choosing healthy foods; understanding portion sizes; distinguishing foods to eat often/sometimes/rarely; and limiting fat. Quantitative data were collected using the Spanish Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA). Individual, structured cognitive interview questions asked participants to identify learning activities that most reflected their own experience with diabetes. Participant observations provided additional qualitative data. Ten Spanish-speaking adults with type 2 diabetes and limited literacy participated in two randomly selected target behaviors and identified easiest and most difficult to unde...
Antibody responses to HIV-1 antigens are higher in HIV-1(+) intravenous drug users than in HIV-1(+) homosexuals.

Abstract Immune responses to HIV-1 infection of 42 HIV-1-positive asymptomatic intravenous drug users (IVDUs) were compared with those of 135 HIV-1-infected asymptomatic homosexual men in the present study. Twenty-five HIV-1(–) individuals served as normal controls. The comparison included antibody responses to five computer-predicted epitopes of HIV-1 p17, and viral proteins gp120 and p24 as well as p17. Major immunophenotypes were also investigated. Results showed that antibody responses to the five epitopes were significantly higher in the IVDUs. A larger proportion of the IVDUs, with respect to that of homosexuals, showed positive antibody responses to p24 and p17, respectively. However, the antibody response to gp120 was similar between the two cohorts. Immunophenotyping showed that HIV-1(+) homosexuals had higher profiles in most of the major subsets than did the IVDUs, especially in the total count of lymphocytes, absolute numbers of CD3+ cells and CD8+ cells. It appeared that the HIV-1(+) IVDU cohort had higher antibody responses to most of the viral antigens, but had lower levels of lymphocyte subsets in comparison with HIV(+) homosexuals.
α‐AMYLASE SYNTHESIS BY MUTANT OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS IMMOBILIZED ONTO CHANNEL ALUMINA BEADS

A W20mutant strain derived from Bacillus subtilis H1using UV radiation and exposure to a mutagenic agent was used for α-amylase synthesis. Both cultures were characterized for growth and continuous α-amylase syntheses, and the isolated enzymes had the same molecular mass of ∼55 kDa. W20cells, harvested from specific growth phase, were immobilized within alumina beads and placed in a bioreactor column; specific feedstock (FS) was used for α-amylase syntheses and was affected by its composition, and its flow rate as well as temperature. Maximal α-amylase productivity (427-µM reducing sugar[s]/mL effluent/h) was achieved using stationary-phase cells and FS containing 3% starch kept at 45C and 100-mL/h flow rate. When FS, with 2% starch, was fed to the column at the same temperature but at a higher flow rate, productivities were reduced to 326 µM. α-amylase synthesis by W20cells was affected by growth phase of cells used, column temperature and FS flow rate. Some immobilized cells were washed out from the column because of shear forces on bead surfaces by FS flow rate and by temperature. Scanning electron micrographs revealed large numbers of cells attached to external and internal bead channels. This article is a novel approach for α-amylase synthesis and can be used for its industrial production.
Biological mediators of effect of diet and stress reduction on prostate cancer.

Background. A 6-month pilot intervention trial was conducted to determine whether adoption of a plant-based diet, reinforced by stress reduction, could reduce the rate of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increase, a marker of disease progression, in asymptomatic, hormonally untreated patients experiencing consistently increasing PSA levels after surgery or radiation. Methods. A pre–post design was used to examine (1) the effect of intervention on potential mediators of disease progression, including body composition and weightrelated biomarkers (sex steroid hormones and cytokines), and (2) whether changes in these variables were associated with change in rate of PSA increase. The baseline rate of PSA increase (from the time of posttreatment recurrence to the start of intervention) was ascertained from medical records. Body composition and biomarkers were assessed at baseline (prior to intervention), during the intervention (3 months), and at the end of the intervention (6 months). Changes in body composition and biomarkers were determined and compared with rates of PSA increase over the corresponding time intervals. Results. There was a significant reduction in waistto-hip ratio (P = .03) and increase in circulating sex hormone binding globulin (P = .04). The rate of PSA increase decreased from the preintervention period (PSA slope = 0.059) to the period from 0 to 3 months (PSA slope = 0.002, P < .01) and increased slightly, although not significantly, from 0 to 3 months to the period from 3 to 6 months (0.029, P = .43). Conclusions. Adoption of a plant-based diet and stress reduction may reduce central adiposity and improve the hormonal milieu in patients with recurrent PC. Changes in the rate of increase in PSA were in the same direction as changes in waist-to-hip ratio and opposite those of sex hormone binding globulin, raising the possibility that the effect of the intervention may have been mediated, in part, by these variables.
Parameter discretization in two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform for fast fringe pattern analysis

The two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform (2D-CWT) technique provides robust processing for digital fringe pattern analysis. To cope with the problem of long computation time, a concept called the cover map is introduced to speed up the 2D-CWT analysis. The cover map is constructed by discretizing the continuous dilation and rotation parameters. The discretized parameters help substantially reduce the processing time without affecting the analysis accuracy. The theories are presented and the validity and effectiveness of the proposed concept are demonstrated by computer simulation and real experiment.
Tumor necrosis factor-α and the early vein graft

Background Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) has been implicated in the blood vessel wall response to hemodynamic forces. We hypothesized that TNF-α activity drives neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) during vein graft arterialization and that anti-TNF-α therapy would inhibit NIH. Methods Rabbits underwent bilateral vein grafting using jugular vein. All distal branches except the occipital artery were unilaterally ligated to create distinct flow environments between the bilateral grafts. Vein grafts were harvested sequentially up to 28 days for TNF-α messenger RNA (mRNA) quantitation. In separate experiments, animals received short-term or long-term dosing with pegylated soluble TNF-α type I receptor (PEG sTNF-RI) or vehicle. After 14 to 28 days, grafts were analyzed for morphometry, proliferation, apoptosis, and PEG sTNF-RI distribution. Results Quantitative mRNA assay (TaqMan) revealed shear-dependent ( P P P P = .03). PEG sTNF-RI was found in high concentrations in the serum and localized to NIH. The high-flow and low-flow vein grafts from treated animals demonstrated similar volumes of NIH compared with controls. PEG-sTNF-RI had only modest impact on vascular wall cell turnover, as reflected by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated deoxy uridine triphosphate nick-end labeling ( P = .064) and anti-Ki-67 ( P = .12) assays. Conclusions Placement of a vein into the arterial circulation acutely upregulates TNF-α; this expression level correlates with the degree of subsequent NIH. Pharmacologic interruption of this signaling pathway has no significant impact on NIH or wall cellular proliferation/apoptosis, suggesting that early vein graft adaptations can proceed via TNF-α–independent mechanisms.
Economic impact on the riverine-estuarine environment of the USSR: the Black Sea Basin

Soviet environmental policy of reservoir storage for hydroenergy production had a disastrous effect on the ecology of the major drainage systems and estuaries in European Russia and the Ukraine. Water quality and fish productivity in the rivers and estuaries sharply worsened. Since the early 1960's severe water deficits, increased pollution levels, and intrusions of saltwaters into the zones of freshwater and brackish water habitats caused resource-use conflicts between the major water users, which further contributed to the depletion of freshwater sources and the rapid deterioration of estuarine regions. As a remedial measure, Soviet environmental planners considered a complete restructuring of the country's drainage system by the diversion of the N-flowing rivers to the S slope of the country, transfer of the Danube water to the N slope of the Black Sea, and blocking the straits connecting the Azov Sea, the Dnepr estuaries with the Black Sea.
CNL Disease Resistance Genes in Soybean and Their Evolutionary Divergence

Disease resistance genes (R-genes) encode proteins involved in detecting pathogen attack and activating downstream defense molecules. Recent availability of soybean genome sequences makes it possible to examine the diversity of gene families including disease-resistant genes. The objectives of this study were to identify coiled-coil NBS-LRR ( = CNL) R-genes in soybean, infer their evolutionary relationships, and assess structural as well as functional divergence of the R-genes. Profile hidden Markov models were used for sequence identification and model-based maximum likelihood was used for phylogenetic analysis, and variation in chromosomal positioning, gene clustering, and functional divergence were assessed. We identified 188 soybean CNL genes nested into four clades consistent to their orthologs in Arabidopsis. Gene clustering analysis revealed the presence of 41 gene clusters located on 13 different chromosomes. Analyses of the Ks-values and chromosomal positioning suggest duplication events occurring at varying timescales, and an extrapericentromeric positioning may have facilitated their rapid evolution. Each of the four CNL clades exhibited distinct patterns of gene expression. Phylogenetic analysis further supported the extrapericentromeric positioning effect on the divergence and retention of the CNL genes. The results are important for understanding the diversity and divergence of CNL genes in soybean, which would have implication in soybean crop improvement in future.
The earliest known member of the rorqual—gray whale clade (Mammalia, Cetacea)

ABSTRACT Eobalaenoptera harrisoni, gen. et sp. nov., is described from a partial skeleton collected from the middle Miocene Calvert Formation of Virginia. Characteristics of this taxon, particularly of the petrosal, indicate that the new whale is a member of the clade that includes the Balaenopteridae (rorquals) and Eschrichtidae (gray whales) to the exclusion of “cetotheres” and the Balaenidae (right whales). Some of the probable synapomorphies of this clade include an elongate pars cochlearis, a tubular internal auditory meatus, the greater petrosal nerve foramen on the tympanic side of the petrosal, the stylomastoid fossa extending onto the posterior process of the petrosal, no medial groove on the pars cochlearis, four digits on each forelimb, depressed supraorbital processes, and ascending processes of maxillae extending onto the vertex. The approximate 14-million-year age of the specimen makes it the oldest known member of the clade by some 3 to 5 million years, and extends the fossil record of this...
Complexity in the vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF)-receptors signaling

The adult vasculature results from a network of vessels that is originally derived in the embryo by vasculogenesis, a process whereby vessels are formed de novo from endothelial cell (EC) precursors, known as angioblasts. During vasculogenesis, angioblasts proliferate and come together to form an initial network of vessels, also known as the primary capillary plexus. Sprouting and branching of new vessels from the preexisting vessels in the process of angiogenesis remodel the capillary plexus. Normal angiogenesis, a well-balanced process, is important in the embryo to promote primary vascular tree as well as an adequate vasculature from developing organs. On the other hand, pathological angiogenesis which frequently occurs in tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic retinopathy and other circumstances can induce their own blood supply from the preexisting vasculature in a route that is close to normal angiogenesis. Vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF) is perhaps the most important of pro-angiogenic cytokine because of its ability to regulate most of the steps in the angiogenic cascade. The main goal of this review article is to discuss the complex nature of the mode of action of VPF/VEGF on vascular endothelium. To this end, we conclude that more research needs to be done for completely understanding the VPF/VEGF biology with relation to angiogenesis.