cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contextual saliency with an application to visual tracking

Matching local salient points is limited in some computer vision problems, since local features vary dramatically under large view changes. In a selective attention tracking paradigm, this paper proposes a new definition on salient points which includes context information around the given point. The proposed contextual salient points are extracted based on the geometry structure of the manifold embedded in the image feature space. Extensive experiments show that such contextual saliency leads to superior performances in many challenging target tracking tasks.
Knowledge of Aging and Life Satisfaction among Older Adults

Four hundred young-, middle-, and old-old adults responded to a battery of quizzes dealing with life satisfaction and objective aging knowledge in the physical, psychological, and social domains. Analyses incorporated domains of aging knowledge, life satisfaction, age, gender, and demographic variables. Both means difference and regression analyses were computed. Significant age group, gender, and life satisfaction differences were found for the three aging knowledge domains. For successive age groups, knowledge of aging decreased, with females knowing less than males. The greater knowledge of aging, the higher the life satisfaction. The demographic variables education, financial status, health, living arrangement, and volunteerism were significant covariates for knowledge of aging. Results from this study indicate that knowledge of aging in specific domains varies among older adult age groups and is associated with life satisfaction.
A patient death attributable to implant-related primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the breast

Summary: Implant-related primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of the breast is a rare clinical entity. With increasing attention being paid to this disease, most cases reported to date in the literature have demonstrated indolent clinical courses responsive to explantation, capsulectomy, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. The authors describe a case of bilateral implant-related primary ALCL of the breast that proved refractory to both standard and aggressive interventions, ultimately resulting in patient death secondary to disease progression. The authors situate this case in the context of the current state of knowledge regarding implant-related primary ALCL of the breast and suggest that this entity is generally, but not universally, indolent in nature. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, V.
Magnetic Properties of Yttrium-Gadolinium-Iron-Aluminum-Indium Garnets

The saturation inductions of polycrystalline garnet materials with the general composition Y3–x GdxFe5–y–z AlyInZO12 were determined. The compositions investigated included yttrium substitutions of 0 to 50%, aluminum substitutions of 0 to 10%, and indium substitutions of 0 to 10%. Temperature dependences of the saturation inductions are reported with special emphasis on materials having small temperature coefficients in the 20° to 100°C region.
DISPERSAL ECOLOGY OF CAREX PEDUNCULATA (CYPERACEAE), A NEW NORTH AMERICAN MYRMECOCHORE

Carex pedunculata is the first North American species of the Cyperaceae that is identified as a myrmecochore. Many morphological and phenological features of this species and its breeding system are interpreted as adaptive for seed dispersal by ants. In laboratory tests, workers of the ant species Aphaenogaster rudis carry the diaspores to the nest, eat the elaiosomes, carry larvae to the elaiosomes to feed, and deposit diaspores whose elaiosomes have been eaten with other nest debris. The achenes then germinate. Achenes will also germinate without any handling by ants. Workers will also transport diaspores with uneaten elaiosomes when the nest is disturbed. Greenhouse tests show that seedling growth is greatly inhibited if a diaspore remains near the parent plant and cohort seedlings. Field studies of natural populations identify rotting logs (the location of ant nests) as forest floor microsites for colonization of C. pedunculata and other myrmecochores. Ant nesting behavior may pattern much of the herb stratum. This species is self-compatible, and single seeds may start successful new populations. Three processes contribute to population growth: vegetative growth, germination of untransported diaspores, and germination of ant-transported diaspores. THE GENUS CAREX has had a remarkable evolutionary radiation, with hundreds of species recognized in America (Mackenzie, 1935; Hermann, 1974) and Eurasia (Kuikenthal, 1909). Despite this, little is known about the distribution or ecology of most species, perhaps because the superficial vegetative similarities of these sedges make identification difficult. As part of a study of the comparative popula
Any Port in the Storm: The Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Two Fishing Communities in Louisiana

This article is based on research conducted in two fishing communities in Louisiana that were heavily impacted in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina: Grand Isle and the Empire-Venice area. The authors conducted research in June and August 2006 to better understand the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on these communities. Previous research had been conducted in these communities by the same researchers in 2004. The baseline data obtained in 2004 proved invaluable for understanding the nature of the fishing industry in these communities before Hurricane Katrina struck. The 2006 research focused on changes in the fishing industries, the individuals, and the communities following the hurricane. It also examined the challenges for recovery and implications for fishing management in these communities. The two coastal communities in this study are heavily involved in the commercial shrimp fishery that before the storm had been overcapitalized for years. The eye of the storm passed over Empire-Venice and, as a result, this area received more damage than Grand Isle. In both areas, homes were destroyed, boats were sunk, and lives were changed forever. A year later, both areas are still struggling to recover from the hurricane. This article focuses on the methods the authors used for research in these communities after the storm: semistructured ethnographic interviews, photography, and mapping. It also reports on some of the findings. The authors conducted interviews with fishermen, people who work in fishing related businesses, and other community members who could provide them with information regarding the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on these communities and the state of the fisheries.
Dispersion points and continuous functions

Abstract The aim of this paper is to answer the following question raised by J. Cobb and W. Voxman in 1980: If X is a connected space with a dispersion point p, and if ƒ: X→X is a nonconstant continuous function, then is ƒ(p)=p? The answer to this question is negative, and we give a counterexample along with three theorems on a space with a dispersion point.
Micro fractionation and determination of urinary glycosaminoglycans.

Abstract A micro method is reported for the determination of the composition of urinary glycosaminoglycan. Two-hundred milliliters of normal urine or 15 ml of mucopolysaccharidosis urine is sufficient for this determination. Urinary glycosaminoglycan were precipitated with cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, digested with pronase and trypsin, and reprecipitated with cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide. The resulting GAG were fractionated on 0.4 × 3-cm Dowex 1-X2 Cl − columns. Column eluates were assayed for uronic acid (carbazole and orcinol tests), N -sulfated hexosamine, and galactose. Data were calculated to obtain the compositions. The method is simple, reproducible with good recovery, and may be used for the study of tissue glycosaminoglycan composition with minor modifications.
Diffraction calculation of occultation light curves in the presence of an isothermal atmosphere.

From diffraction theory, light curves are calculated for stellar occultations by a planetary body with an isothermal atmosphere. The character of the resulting curves is determined by the scale height H, the Fresnel zone size l, the surface atmospheric refractivity, and the planetary radius. An exact general solution and two approximations are presented which are valid when H is much greater than l. The importance is assessed of accounting for diffraction effects of the limb when deducing atmospheric parameters from occultation light curves
Intestinal cytosol binders of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3☆

The binding of 25-hydroxy-(26,27-/sup 3/H)vitamin D/sub 3/ and 1,25-dihydroxy-(26,27-/sup 3/H)vitamin D/sub 3/ to the cytosol of intestinal mucosa of chicks and rats has been studied by sucrose gradient analysis. The cytosol from chick mucosa showed variable binding of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/sub 3/ to a 3.0S macromolecule which has high affinity and low capacity for this metabolite. However, when the mucosa was washed extensively before homogenization, a 3.7S macromolecule was consistently observed which showed considerable specificity and affinity for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/sub 3/. Although 3.7S binders for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/sub 3/ could also be located in other organs, competition experiments with excess nonradioactive 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/sub 3/ suggested that they were not identical to the 3.7S macromolecule from intestinal mucosal cytosol. As the 3.7S macromolecule was allowed to stand at 4/sup 0/C with bound 1,25-dihydroxy-(/sup 3/H)vitamin D/sub 3/, the 1,25-dihydroxy-(/sup 3/H)vitamin D/sub 3/ became increasingly resistant to displacement by nonradioactive 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/sub 3/. The 1,25-dihydroxy-(/sup 3/H)vitamin D/sub 3/ remained unchanged and easily extractable with lipid solvents through this change, making unlikely the establishment of a covalent bond. Unlike the chick, mucosa from rats yielded cytosol in which no specific binding of 1,25-dihydroxy-(/sup 3/H)vitamin D/sub 3/ was detected. Instead, a 5-6S macromolecule which binds both 1,25-dihydroxyvitaminmore » D/sub 3/ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D/sub 3/ was found. This protein which was also found in chick mucosa shows preferential binding for 25-hydroxyvitamin D/sub 3/. It could be removed by washing the mucosa with buffer prior to homogenization which suggests that it may not be a cytosolic protein. Although the 3.7S protein from chick mucosa has properties consistent with its possible role as a receptor, the 5-6S macromolecule does not appear to have ''receptor''-like properties.« less
Low-Power Diagnostic Test Sets for Transition Faults Based on Functional Broadside Tests

Functional broadside tests address overtesting due to high-power dissipation by creating functional operation conditions during the clock cycles where delay faults are detected. Guided by their switching activity, it is possible to generate a low-power test set whose switching activity does not exceed the switching activity possible during functional operation. This brief applies the same approach to the generation of a low-power diagnostic test set. Excessively high switching activity can cause unexpected fault effects to appear, which will reduce the accuracy of fault diagnosis. This is avoided with a low-power diagnostic test set. Functional broadside tests are also used for avoiding diagnostic tests with unnecessarily low switching activity. The procedure described in this brief is the first to generate low-power diagnostic tests under functional constraints on switching activity as given by functional broadside tests.
Recent developments and applications for the University of Texas Thermal Neutron Imaging Facility

The Thermal Neutron Imaging Facility (UT-TNIF) at the University of Texas at Austin is being modified to begin work with the non-destructive evaluation of carbon fiber composite materials intended for use in space. The use of high-resolution borated micro channel plate (MCP) detectors has been investigated. MCNP calculations to redesign the external radiation shielding to allow UT-TNIF operation at higher reactor powers and to minimize internal neutron scattering have been performed.
Unnecessary antimicrobial use in patients with current or recent Clostridium difficile infection.

(See the commentary by Pollack et al, on pages 117–118.)Objective. To determine the fraction of unnecessary antimicrobial use among patients with current and/or recent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).Design. Retrospective review from January 2004 through December 2006.Setting. Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MVAMC).Participants. Patients with new-onset CDI diagnosed at the MVAMC without another CDI diagnosis in the prior 30 days.Methods. Pharmacy and medical records were reviewed to identify incident CDI cases, non-CDI antimicrobial use during and up to 30 days after completion of CDI treatment, and patient characteristics. Two infectious disease physicians independently assessed non-CDI antimicrobial use, which was classified as unnecessary if not fully indicated. Factors associated with only unnecessary use were identified through univariable and multivariable analysis.Results. Of 246 patients with new-onset CDI, 141 (57%) received non-CDI antimicrobials during and/or after their CDI ...
Benign liver tumors.

Benign liver tumors include a wide range of lesions extending from the common innocuous small capillary hemangioma and simple cyst to the rare and occasionally dangerous liver cell adenoma. The discovery and diagnosis of these lesions has been aided by ultrasonography, computerized tomography, and angiography, and by the use of the biologic markers such as alpha-fetoprotein and CEA. Laparotomy will usually be required for diagnosis and differentiation from carcinoma. Resection will be required for neoplastic cysts, symptomatic large cavernous hemangiomas, and for some of the rarer tumors of children. The benign solid tumors of young adults, usually female, are not yet completely characterized, but considerable strides have recently been taken in understanding both the etiology and the proper management of these rare lesions.
The scattering of hydrogen, deuterium, and the rare gases from silver (111) single crystals

Abstract The scattering of hydrogen, deuterium, and the rare gases from the (111) face of silver has been studied at ultrahigh vacuum. The surfaces were prepared by argon ion bombardment and high temperature annealing. Incident angles between 20° and 65° and surface temperatures between room temperature and 573°K have been investigated. The scattering data exhibit quasi-elastic scattering (He, H 2 , D 2 ), inelastic scattering (Ne, Ar, Kr), and trapping dominated scattering (Xe). Identification of these scattering regimes correlates with D/kT g and is consistent with similar data from Pt(111) and W(110). The separate effects of microscopic surface roughness and thermal roughening have been identified and thermal attenuation in the elastic regime correlated with dynamical interactions rather than thermal roughening. Trapping and rotational coupling are discussed. Comparison of the data with scattering from epitaxial (111) silver indicates that the epitaxial surfaces are significantly more disordered than the single crystal surfaces.
Active Fixation Atrial Leads: Randomized Comparison of Two Lead Designs

Active fixation leads have reduced the incidence of lead dislodgement in patients with permanent pacemakers. However, theoretic concern that the tissue trauma associated with a myocardial screw-helix may increase the chronic pacing threshold of active compared to passive fixation leads has remained. Whether active fixation leads with a stimulating electrode that is independent of the fixation mechanism are associated with a lower chronic pacing threshold than leads utilizing a screw-helix for both fixation and stimulation is unknown. The present prospective, randomized study compared the acute and chronic atrial pacing and sensing characteristics of two unipolar active fixation leads, one utilizing a screw-helix for both fixation and electrical stimulation, the other with an active porous tip electrode and an electrically inactive helix. Patients were randomized to receive either a Medtronic 6957J lead with an electrically active myocardial screw-helix or a Cordis 329-101P lead with an inactive helix and a porous tip electrode. The baseline characteristics of the groups were comparable. At implantation, the 329-101P lead had a lower mean voltage threshold than the 6957J lead (0.61 +/- 0.16 V vs 1.05 +/- 0.34 V, P = 0.0004). There were no significant differences in atrial electrogram amplitude, slew rate, or lead impedance between the groups. At 6 weeks follow-up, there were no differences in the mean threshold voltage (1.85 +/- 0.36 vs 1.93 +/- 0.69 V), impedance (528 +/- 81 vs 530 +/- 118 ohms), or atrial electrogram amplitude (2.63 +/- 0.50 vs 2.42 +/- 0.95 mV) between the two leads. At long-term follow-up (mean 16.2 +/- 2.8 months, range 13.1-20.0 months) there were no significant differences in voltage threshold (1.65 +/- 0.61 vs 1.97 +/- 0.64 V), impedance (565.5 +/- 81.6 vs 617.7 +/- 146.7 ohms), or atrial electrogram amplitude (2.79 +/- 0.75 vs 3.10 +/- 1.53 mV). Thus, these results suggest that active fixation leads in the atrium with an electrode that is independent of the fixation mechanism do not provide chronic stimulation thresholds or electrogram amplitudes that are superior to those obtained with leads utilizing a myocardial screw-helix as both the active electrode and the fixation device.
Evidence for the prolate deformation of 27Mg

Abstract 26 Mg(d,pγ) 27 Mg angular correlation measurements yield spin assignments of J = 3+ 2 , 5+ 2 , (5 2) , 3- 2 and (3 2) for the excited states of 27 Mg at 0.984, 1.69, 1.94, 3.56 and 3.76–3.78 MeV, respectively. Data analysis, using the extreme single-particle collective model, suggests that 27 Mg is a prolate spheroid with a nuclear deformation of η ≈ 2.
THE AGE-HARDENING CHARACTERISTICS OF NIOBIUM-BASE ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS.

Abstract The age-hardening characteristics of niobium-base, zirconium alloys were-investigated over the composition range 10–21 wt.% zirconium. Alloys were solution treated in the single-phase, niobium-solid-solution region, quenched, then aged in the niobium-solid-solution plus α-zirconium region at the isothermal temperature levels of 450°, 500°, 550°, and 6oo°C. Aging times varied from 1 to 5000 h. Hardness, resistivity, and tensile data provided the means of evaluating the structural effects. Optical metallography, electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to study the various stages of precipitation. In general, all of the alloys exhibited a very sluggish increase in hardness. The increase appeared earlier, and was more pronounced, with increasing aging temperature. The optimum hardness appeared beyond 10 h in all cases. The 17, 18, and 21 wt.% zirconium alloys aged at 550°C had the largest hardness increases. The overall hardening is attributed to solid solution hardening, dispersion hardening due to ZrO 2 and aging due to the precipitation of α-zirconium.
Kinematic Structural and Functional Analysis of Wobble-Plate Engines

This paper concerns the development of a procedure for systematic searching for mechanisms, classifying them, and screening for the optimum mechanism structure for wobble-plate engines. It includes two parts. The first part is on kinematic structural analysis, including the development of a procedure for the structure classification of 150 mechanisms obtained as a result of an exhaustive search from the prior arts, as disclosed in nearly 1000 patents between 1874 and 1982, and other publications. The second part is on functional analysis, which screens for an optimum design based on a set of judgment criteria. Such optimization criteria are developed in this paper and applied to a group of representative mechanisms derived from the structure analysis. Recommendations such as design guidelines are presented. The general nature of the approach—following the method of separation of kinematic structure and function [1] and combining mathematical approach and design heuristics—is demonstrated here in the case of wobble-plate engine mechanisms and is believed to be useful in type synthesis and design of mechanisms of realistic complexity.
Voluntary Standards for Peace Education.

Peace education is comprehensive. It encompasses instruction by all members of a school. These standards, which were recommended by researchers and practitioners from many areas of the world, prescribe comprehensive and simultaneous instruction with informal as well as formal curriculum. Although the voluntary standards are a response to neoliberal policies in the field of education, they were born of enduring concepts along with research on educational practice and peace development. As the international community and its various schools grapple with several types of violence, comprehensive peace education provides student preparation for responsible stewardship through an enacted vision of a better world. Included in this article are recommendations for providing such transformative education. The standards that embody those recommendations have been aids to instructors who implement peace education.
Heavy-atom-induced phosphorescence of aromatics and olefins included within zeolites

Photophysical properties of naphthalene and other aromatic guest molecules included in X-type faujasite zeolites (M + X, M=Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Tl) have been investigated. As expected foran external heavy atom perturbed excited state, both singlet and triplet excited state lifetimes and emission efficiencies depend upon the identity and accessibility of the cation present within the zeolite supercage
A conformal solution theory for the energy landscape and glass transition of mixtures

Abstract We apply conformal solution theory and extend to mixtures a recently derived equation of state for glass-forming liquids. The equation of state is based on the statistical properties of the multidimensional potential energy surface as a function of a macroscopic system’s degrees of freedom (energy landscape), and allows the calculation of an ideal glass transition locus, along which the configurational entropy vanishes. The landscape mixing approach yields an expression for the composition dependence of the mixture’s glass transition. A non-monotonic composition dependence is predicted by the theory for the glass transition of a binary Lennard–Jones mixture. The composition dependence of species diffusivities obtained by molecular dynamics simulation of this mixture is consistent with the theoretical prediction.
Dephosphorylation of sodium caseinate, enzymatically hydrolyzed casein and casein phosphopeptides by intestinal alkaline phosphatase: implications for iron availability

Abstract Clusters of phosphoserine residues in casein bind iron with high affinity. Casein inhibits iron absorption in humans but partial hydrolysis of casein prior to ingestion diminishes this inhibition. The objective of this study was to test two hypotheses: 1. Partial hydrolysis of the peptide bonds in casein exposes phosphoserine residues to attack by intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP). 2. Hydrolysis of the phospho-ester linkage in phosphoserine residues in casein by IAP releases bound iron or inhibits iron chelation, thereby allowing its absorption. Test of hypothesis 1: Suspensions of sodium caseinate (SC), enzymatically hydrolyzed casein (EHC), and casein phosphopeptides (CPP) were subjected to an in vitro pepsin/pancreatin digestion and subsequently incubated in the presence of calf IAP. The rate of release of inorganic phosphate was measured with the following results (expressed as μmol phosphate released/unit of IAP/min): 0.081, 0.104, 0.139 for SC, EHC, and CPP, respectively. These results are consistent with hypothesis 1. Test of hypothesis 2: 59 Fe-citrate or 59 Fe-citrate + CPP in minimum essential media were spiked with a Na 2 WO 4 solution or water (Na 2 WO 4 is a known inhibitor of IAP) and placed on Caco-2 cell monolayers. Uptake of 59 Fe by the cells was used as an index of iron bioavailability. Na 2 WO 4 did not affect 59 Fe uptake from samples containing only iron but did slightly inhibit (by 10%) uptake from samples containing iron + CPP. These results are consistent with hypothesis 2 and provide a possible explanation for the observation that partial hydrolysis of casein improves iron bioavailability.
Cation−π Interactions and the Gas-Phase Thermochemistry of the Na+/Phenylalanine Complex

The complex of Na+ with phenylalanine (Phe) is a prototype for the participation of cation−π interactions in metal-ion binding to biological molecules. A recent comparison of this complex with the Na+/alanine (Na+/Ala) counterpart suggested only a small contribution of the phenyl ring interaction to binding, casting doubt on the extent of the cation−π effect. The present work reexamines this thermochemistry using ligand-exchange equilibrium measurements in the Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) ion trapping mass spectrometer. An increment of 7 ± 2 kcal mol-1 was found in the Ala/Phe comparison of binding enthalpies, confirming the importance of cation−π binding enhancement in the Phe case. Absolute Na+ binding enthalpies of 38 ± 2 and 45 ± 2 kcal mol-1 were assigned for Ala and Phe, respectively, using pyridine as the thermochemical reference ligand. All of these results were supported by quantum calculations using both density functional and Hartree−Fock/MP2 methods, improved in several r...
Use of Multispectral Ikonos Imagery for Discriminating between Conventional and Conservation Agricultural Tillage Practices

There is a global concern about the increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. One method being discussed to encourage greenhouse gas mitigation efforts is based on a trading system whereby carbon emitters can buy effective mitigation efforts from farmers implementing conservation tillage practices. These practices sequester carbon from the atmosphere, and such a trading system would require a low-cost and accurate method of verification. Remote sensing technology can offer such a verification technique. This paper is focused on the use of standard image processing procedures applied to a multispectral Ikonos image, to determine whether it is possible to validate that farmers have complied with agreements to implement conservation tillage practices. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed in order to isolate image variance in cropped fields. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) statistical procedures were used to evaluate the capability of each Ikonos band and each principal component to discriminate between conventional and conservation tillage practices. A logistic regression model was implemented on the principal component most effective in discriminating between conventional and conservation tillage, in order to produce a map of the probability of conventional tillage. The Ikonos imagery, in combination with ground-reference information, proved to be a useful tool for verification of conservation tillage practices.
Nonsurgical Endodontic Treatment of Dens Invaginatus with Large Periradicular Lesion: A Case Report

The endodontic treatment of teeth with severe Type 3 dens invaginatus, characterized by an infolding of enamel and dentin, extending deep into the pulp cavity near the root apex, may be complicated and challenging. Because of the bizarre root canal anatomy and widely open apex, a combination of nonsurgical and surgical endodontic treatment or extraction is the most common choice of therapy. This article describes a nonsurgical endodontic treatment of a tooth with severe Type 3 dens invaginatus and an associated large periradicular lesion. After complete removal of the invaginated central mass of hard tissue and long-term calcium hydroxide treatment, nonsurgical endodontic treatment was performed. Complete healing of the periradicular lesion was observed at 25-month and 74-month follow-up examinations.
Broken supersymmetry and the divergence of the perturbation series in QED

Abstract The n-bubble diagram contributions to the electron anomalous magnetic moment are studied. In supersymmetric QED, the photon- and photino-exchange contributions exactly cancel. When supersymmetry is broken, n! growth is restored and Borel summability is apparently lost. The potential first renormalon singularity is absent but the second is present in both the non-supersymmetric and broken supersymmetry cases. Other possibilities for Borel summability are discussed.
Contact zone permeability at intrusion boundaries: new results from hydraulic testing and geophysical logging in the Newark Rift Basin, New York, USA

Hydraulic tests and geophysical logging performed in the Palisades sill and the underlying sedimentary rocks in the NE part of the Newark Rift Basin, New York, USA, confirm that the particular transmissive zones are localized within the dolerite-sedimentary rock contact zone and within a narrow interval below this contact zone that is characterized by the occurrence of small layers of chilled dolerite. Transmissivity values determined from fluid injection, aquifer testing, and flowmeter measurements generally fall in the range of 8.1E-08 to 9.95E-06 m2/s and correspond to various scales of investigation. The analysis of acoustic and optical BHTV images reveals two primary fracture sets within the dolerite and the sedimentary rocks—subhorizontal fractures, intersected by subvertical ones. Despite being highly fractured either with subhorizontal, subvertical or both fracture populations, the dolerite above and the sedimentary rocks below the contact zone and the zone with the layers of chilled dolerite are significantly less conductive. The distribution of the particular conductive intervals is not a function of the two dominant fracture populations or their density but rather of the intrusion path of the sill. The intrusion caused thermal fracturing and cracking of both formations, resulting in higher permeability along the contact zone.
Determining Mechanism of Phosphorylation of Smooth Muscle Myosin by Calmodulin-Myosin Light Chain Kinase Using an in vitro Model System

We have shown that MLCK and calmodulin (CaM) co-purify with unphosphorylated SMM (up-SMM) from chicken gizzard, suggesting that they are tightly bound. Although the MLCK:SMM molar ratio in SMM preparations was well below stoichiometric (1:73 ± 9), the ratio was ∼ 23-37% of that in gizzard tissue. Fifteen to 30% of MLCK was associated with CaM at ∼1 nM free [Ca2+]. There were two MLCK pools that bound up-SMM with Kd ∼10 μM and 0.2 μM and phosphorylated SMM with a Kd ∼ 20 μM and 0.2 μM. Using motility assays, co-sedimentation assays, and on-coverslip ELISA assays, we provide strong evidence that most of the MLCK is bound directly to SMM through the telokin domain. The bound MLCK can phosphorylate SMM in a Ca2+-dependent manner with a pCa50 ∼ 6 as measured by in vitro motility, similar to in vivo results. After activation of SMM-bound MLCK/CaM with Ca2+ and ATP, both motility (0.5 μm/sec) and phosphorylation (>15%) of SMM reach a maximum after ∼15-30 min, inconsistent with a free diffusion mechanism. Actin movement over the SMM is not required for this phosphorylation process. Experiments are underway to test the idea that SMM heads proximal to the MLCK-SMM become phosphorylated by a tethered diffusion mechanism.
Management of fibromyalgia syndrome: review of evidence.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a common chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder of unknown etiology and characterized by generalized body pain, hyperalgesia, and other functional and emotional comorbidities. Despite extensive research, no treatment modality is effective for all FMS patients. In this paper, we briefly review the history of FMS and diagnostic criteria, and potential pathophysiological mechanisms including central pain modulation, neurotransmitters, sympatho-adrenal and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal systems and peripheral muscle issues. The primary focus of the paper is to review treatment options for managing fibromyalgia symptoms. We will discuss FDA-approved medications and other pharmacologic agents, and non-pharmacologic treatments that have shown promising effects.
The importance of diagnostic accuracy in colonic inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) may both affect the colon. However, in approximately 10–20% of these cases, it is impossible to distinguish between these two entities either clinically or histologically, and a diagnosis of indeterminate colitis (IC) is made. Correct diagnosis is important because surgical treatment and long-term prognosis differ for UC and CD. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of interobserver agreement among board-certified pathologists and a specialist gastrointestinal (GI) pathologist regarding the histological diagnosis of colonic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: A total of 24 university medical center pathologists from eight institutions evaluated 84 colectomy specimens and 35 sets of biopsy specimens from 119 consecutive patients with colonic IBD. A specialist GI pathologist subsequently reviewed all cases without knowledge of clinical data and prior diagnosis. RESULTS: The GI pathologist’s diagnoses differed from the initial diagnoses in 45% of surgical specimens and 54% of biopsy specimens. Of 70 cases initially diagnosed as UC, 30 (43%) were changed to CD or IC, whereas 4 of 23 cases (17%) initially diagnosed as CD were changed to UC or IC. The κ coefficient for the overall agreement of initial diagnoses with the specialist GI pathologist’s diagnoses was −0.01 (p = 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: There is significant interobserver variation in the histological diagnosis of colonic IBD. This may have a profound effect on clinical patient care and, especially, on the choice of operation. More accurate diagnostic criteria are needed to facilitate patient care and to optimize treatment outcome.
Dynamic load balancing in computational mechanics

In many important computational mechanics applications, the computation adapts dynamically during the simulation. Examples include adaptive mesh refinement, particle simulations and transient dynamics calculations. When running these kinds of simulations on a parallel computer, the work must be assigned to processors in a dynamic fashion to keep the computational load balanced. A number of approaches have been proposed for this dynamic load balancing problem. This paper reviews the major classes of algorithms and discusses their relative merits on problems from computational mechanics. Shortcomings in the state-of-the-art are identified and suggestions are made for future research directions.
Botanicals and Herbs: A Traditional Approach to Treating Epilepsy

Botanicals and herbs have a centuries-old tradition of use by persons with epilepsy, in many cultures around the world. At present, herbal therapies are tried by patients in developing as well as developed countries for control of seizures or adverse effects from antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), or for general health maintenance, usually without the knowledge of physicians who prescribe their AEDs. Well-designed clinical trials of herbal therapies in patients with epilepsy are scarce, and methodological issues prevent any conclusions of their efficacy or safety in this population. Furthermore, some botanicals and herbs may be proconvulsant or may alter AED metabolism. In spite of these limitations, further preclinical evaluation of botanicals and herbs and their constituent compounds using validated scientific methods is warranted based on numerous anecdotal observations of clinical benefit in patients with epilepsy and published reports showing mechanisms of action relevant to epilepsy or anticonvulsant effects in animal models of epilepsy. This review highlights the use of herbal therapies for epilepsy, outlines the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in regulating herbal products, and presents the author’s approach to the scientific assessment of herbal therapies as potential therapies for patients with epilepsy.
Protein packing interactions and polymorphy of chorismate lyase from E. Coli

The enzyme chorismate lyase from E. coli crystallizes into three well characterized polymorphs in identical conditions. The Wild-type enzyme tends to aggregate, even in the presence of a reducing agent, and yields monoclinic crystals that grow in intricate clusters. Protein aggregation was largely eliminated by mutating the protein's two cysteines to serines. The double mutant retains full enzymatic activity and grows singly in two new forms: triclinic and orthorhombic. The triclinic crystals diffract to 0.9 A resolution. A single-cysteine mutant that crystallizes in the orthorhombic form was used to determine the structure, enabling examination of the packing interactions at 2.0 A resolution or better in all three forms. A novel system for labeling contacts is proposed, and relations between packing patterns and crystal properties are discussed. Diffraction resolution is found to correlate with coordination number and with the root-mean-square deviation from mean extent of the contacts. Implications for contact energies are considered.
Positive by-products of the struggle with chemical dependency.

Focus groups were conducted to identify ways persons in recovery from chemical dependence think they have benefited from their struggles with addiction. Categories of positive by-products were identified independently by two sets of readers. Several of the positive by-products discussed by the focus group participants are commonly reported from other kinds of challenging life experiences. These include increases in self-efficacy, family closeness, closeness with others, compassion and spirituality, and changes in life priorities. Additional positive by-products were discussed by the focus group participants that may be more unique to substance abuse and other similar stressors, including increased self-knowledge, enhanced ability to help offspring with substance abuse-related issues, and decreased naivete. Ways to incorporate knowledge about these positive by-products into substance abuse treatment programs are introduced.
The transition from research to operations in Earth observation: the case of NASA and NOAA in the US

Abstract That basic scientific research often leads to new insights, concepts, and inventions that can have important practical applications and benefits is an established element of the rationale for federal government investment in research and technology. The way in which scientific studies of the Earth from space make their way into practical approaches to environmental measurements and management presents an enlightening case study of the research-to-applications transfer process. This article discusses how fundamental concepts of technology transfer and diffusion are illustrated in the process of transitioning Earth science research into operations at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), particularly as it is presented in the National Research Council study, Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations . The authors assert that successful and efficient transitions of this type require not only a detailed understanding of the technologies involved but an appropriately developed social structure to better facilitate those transitions.
Action du groupe des tresses sur une categorie

We describe how to define by generators and relations an action of the braid group on a category. More generally, how to define a functor from a generalized positive braids monoid, corresponding to a finite Coxeter group, to a monoidal category. Applications to constructions of Bondal (exceptional systems) and of Broue–Michel (correspondences on flag manifolds) are given.
Dexamethasone Alters the Hepatic Inflammatory Cellular Profile Without Changes in Matrix Degradation During Liver Repair Following Biliary Decompression

Background Biliary atresia is characterized by extrahepatic bile duct obliteration along with persistent intrahepatic portal inflammation. Steroids are standard in the treatment of cholangitis following the Kasai portoenterostomy, and were advocated for continued suppression of the ongoing immunologic attack against intrahepatic ducts. Recent reports, however, have failed to demonstrate an improved patient outcome or difference in the need for liver transplant in postoperative patients treated with a variety of steroid regimes compared with historic controls. In the wake of progressive liver disease despite biliary decompression, steroids are hypothesized to suppress inflammation and promote bile flow without any supporting data regarding their effect on the emerging cellular and molecular mechanisms of liver repair. We have previously shown in a reversible model of cholestatic injury that repair is mediated by macrophages, neutrophils, and specific matrix metalloproteinase activity (MMP8); we questioned whether steroids would alter these intrinsic mechanisms. Methods Rats underwent biliary ductal suspension for 7 d, followed by decompression. Rats were treated with IV dexamethasone or saline at the time of decompression. Liver tissue obtained at the time of decompression or after 2 d of repair was processed for morphometric analysis, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative RT-PCR. Results There was a dramatic effect of dexamethasone on the inflammatory component with the initiation of repair. Immunohistochemistry revealed a reduction of both ED1+ hepatic macrophages and ED2 + Kupffer cells in repair compared with saline controls. Dexamethasone treatment also reduced infiltrating neutrophils by day 2. TNF-α expression, increased during injury in both saline and dexamethasone groups, was markedly reduced by dexamethasone during repair (day 2) whereas IL-6, IL-10, and CINC-1 remained unchanged compared with saline controls. Dexamethasone reduced both MMP8 and TIMP1 expression by day 2, whereas MMP9, 13, and 14 were unchanged compared with sham controls. Despite substantial cellular and molecular changes during repair, collagen resorption was the same in both groups Conclusion Dexamethasone has clear effects on both the hepatic macrophage populations and infiltrating neutrophils following biliary decompression. Altered MMP and TIMP gene expression might suggest that steroids have the potential to modify matrix metabolism during repair. Nevertheless, successful resorption of collagen fibrosis proceeded presumably through other MMP activating mechanisms. We conclude that steroids do not impede the rapid intrinsic repair mechanisms of matrix degradation required for successful repair.
Infant development in two prosimian species: greater galago and slow loris.

Infant development in 2 prosimian species--greater galago and slow loris--was studied in 2 ways. First, the initial appearance and/or the eventual disappearance of various simple motor behaviors in infants was recorded. Second, the time spent by mothers and infants in contact, near, and away from each other was measured during the first 10 weeks of life. The aim was to see how the 2 sets of measures relate to each other and also to compare the 2 prosimian species with each other and with other primates. The results showed that: (1) contrary to the views advanced by some authors, the speed with which simple motor behaviors attain the adult form is not related in any consistent way to phyletic status, age at which sexual maturity is reached, or the mother's ability to provide manual support for her infant; (2) the pattern of mother-infant interaction is more variable in prosimian than in anthropoid primates; and (3) the disappearance of involuntary foot-grasping coincides with the initiatior of infant independence from the mother.
Geometry calculations for angular distribution measurements of recoil products of high-energy nuclear reactions

Abstract The effects of finite target and catcher size on angular distribution data recoil catchers are calculated. The effect of the dropoff in beam intensity between the leading edge and the back end of the target is included. Results for the average recoil angle and total solid angle of each catcher strip and for the angular overlap between adjacent strips are presented for two typical target-catcher configurations. Improvements in resolution obtainable by cutting the catcher foils along constant recoil angle lines instead of vertically are described.
Evidence based therapeutic apheresis in autoimmune and other hemolytic anemias.

Purpose of review This article reviews recent publications that bear on the evidential basis for therapeutic apheresis in diseases in which hemolytic anemia is a prominent feature. Recent findings Therapeutic plasma exchange continues to be reported sporadically in severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia, with inconsistent results. Autoimmune deficiency of ADAMTS13 has provided a compelling rationale for therapeutic plasma exchange in some patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; conversely such deficiency is consistently absent in certain clinically similar syndromes for which therapeutic plasma exchange is not or may not be beneficial. Refinements in assays for ADAMTS13 should further clarify its role in idiopathic thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Oral iron chelators have shown promise in recent trials in chronically transfused patients with sickle cell disease and may provide an alternative to red cell exchange to prevent iron overload. Summary The proper role of therapeutic plasma exchange in the treatment of autoimmune hemolytic anemia remains uncertain. Therapeutic plasma exchange continues to be indicated for idiopathic thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura regardless of ADAMTS13 levels, but more accessible and physiological ADAMTS13 assays may raise questions about the rationale for and value of plasma exchange in ADAMTS13 nondeficient patients. Oral iron chelation may obviate the need for red cell exchange as a means to prevent iron overload in chronically transfused patients with sickle cell disease.