cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term effects of regeneration and prevention of regeneration on nucleolar morphology after facial nerve injury during development.

Abstract The effect of regeneration and prevention of regeneration on nucleolar morphology was examined in developing hamster facial neurons. Specifically, the presence or absence of an intranucleolar body (INB), a large, Feulgen-negative accumulation of ribonucleoprotein, was characterized after either nerve crush, which allows functional return, or after ligature-axotomy, which does not allow functional reconnection. Surgery was carried out at selected, critical ages in the maturation of the reaction to injury of facial neurons at 15, 20, and 25 days postnatal age. After crush injury at any of the selected postnatal ages, nucleolar morphology returned to normal by postoperative day 50. When functional reconnection was not permitted, a differential recovery was seen which depended on the age at the time of injury. After ligature-axotomy at 15 days postnatal age, formation of INBs to normal adult values did not occur by postoperative day 200. After ligature-axotomy at 20 and 25 days postnatal age, adult INB percentages were attained by postoperative day 100. It appears that age and degree of nucleolar maturity at the time of operation correlate with the morphologic recovery of the nucleolus to its mature configuration when functional regeneration is not permitted. These differences in recovery from injury in developing neurons have several possible metabolic bases.
Dynamic decoupling and control of a direct-drive manipulator

Direct-drive manipulators are highly sensitive to the linear and nonlinear inertial interactive forces when the actuators are mounted between adjacent links. This paper presents effective design methods for articulated direct-drive arms. A new approach is developed for arm linkage design. The goal is to simplify the controller design by reducing the effects of complicated manipulator dynamics and to improve the control performance. A method for designing an arm linkage with small inertial load changes and small interactive forces is developed by analyzing the kinematic structure, actuator locations and the mass properties. This design methodology achieves a decoupled and invariant manipulator inertia tensor in joint space. As a result, each actuator experiences completely decoupled dynamics as well as a constant load which is independent of the arm configuration. This dynamic behavior is particularly desirable for manipulators performing high-speed high-accuracy trajectory control tasks. These design guidelines are applied in the development of the articulated 3 d.o.f M.I.T direct-drive arm. The manipulator, with a decoupled and nearly invariant arm inertia tensor, shows a substantial improvement in control performance.
Thoughts Engendered by Bretscher's Two‐Step, Two‐Signal Model for a Peripheral Self–Non‐Self Discrimination and the Origin of Primer Effector T Helpers

There are three questions under re-examination here that have been inspired by Bretscher's ‘Two-step, Two-signal’ model. First, what is the nature of the steps required in order for antigen-responsive cells to become effectors? Second, how does the immune system get started? Third and the most troublesome, what is the mechanism that relates the delivery of the two signals? To answer the first question, Bretscher proposes a pathway that I will place in another context by comparing it with what had been envisaged under the Associative Recognition of Antigen (ARA) model. The second question, how does the immune system gets started, is crucial to our understanding of the self–non-self discrimination. This problem boils down to, what is the origin of the first effector T helper (eTh) cells required to activate all antigen-responsive cells including the T helpers themselves (the primer problem)? To deal with this question, I proposed an antigen-independent pathway to primer eTh. Bretscher presents us with an antigen-dependent pathway to primer eTh. As competing models are precious in clarifying thinking and in guiding experimentation, I felt it important to reanalyse the two models and look for ways to decide between them. The third question deals with the requirement for and the mechanism of associative (linked) recognition of antigen (ARA). The concept of ARA is so compelling at both the experimental and theoretical levels that to save it, a new perspective will be introduced.
Miniature biochip system for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 based on antibody-immobilized capillary reactors and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Abstract In this work, we report Escherichia coli O157:H7 detection using antibody-immobilized capillary reactors, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and a biochip system. ELISA selective immunological method to detect pathogenic bacteria. ELISA is also directly adaptable to a miniature biochip system that utilizes conventional sample platforms such as polymer membranes and glass. The antibody-immobilized capillary reactor is a very attractive sample platform for ELISA because of its low cost, compactness, reuse, and ease of regeneration. Moreover, an array of capillary reactors can provide high-throughput ELISA. In this report, we describe the use of an array of antibody-immobilized capillary reactors for multiplex detection of E. coli O157:H7 in our miniature biochip system. Side-entry laser beam irradiation to an array of capillary reactors contributes significantly to miniaturized optical configuration for this biochip system. The detection limits of E. coli O157:H7 using the ELISA and Cy5 label-based immunoassays were determined to be 3 and 230 cells, respectively. This system shows capability to simultaneously monitor multifunctional immunoassay and high sensitive detection of E. coli O157:H7.
Three-Dimensional Self-Assembly of Rodcoil Copolymer Nanostructures

We have used electron tomography to characterize the self-assembly of nanostructures formed by rodcoil copolymers. The rodcoil copolymers used contained a perfectly monodisperse rod segment prepared by stepwise synthesis. The chemical compound rod segment is, in turn, covalently linked at one terminus to an end-functionalized polyisoprene segment prepared by living polymerization. We found that rodcoil molecules with rod volume fraction equal to 0.36 self-assemble into long strips with a nanoscale cross section. At lower rod volume fractions, the rodcoil molecules self-assemble into supramolecular aggregates with nanoscale x,y,z dimensions. Interestingly, the nanostructures organize into discrete layers of uniform thickness, containing in some cases a hexagonal 2D superlattice of rodcoil aggregates. Furthermore, nanostructures were found to self-assemble in all cases with three-dimensional order across the layers. The unique three-dimensional order observed in multilayers of the nanostructures must origin...
Sex Differences in Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in women, and women have a higher cardiovascular mortality and morbidity associated with the treatment of cardiovascular disease compared to men. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an important therapy for women with coronary artery disease particularly in acute coronary syndromes; however, only 33% of all PCIs are performed in women. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the evidence for PCI in women and demonstrate the unique aspects of therapy in regard to sex.
Holmium: YAG laser lithotripsy for gallstones. A preliminary report.

Background Most retained gallstones can be extracted at the time of operative exploration or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Infrequently, impaction or associated anatomic abnormalities may prevent their clearance. We assessed the efficacy of the holmium: YAG laser in managing retained biliary calculi that had proven refractory to the usual methods of extraction.
Uniformitarian Hypothesis to Explain Permian-Triassic Life Extinctions: ABSTRACT

A uniformitarian hypothesis is possible to explain the great Permian-Triassic life extinction event. Unlike the recent "catastrophic" explanations for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic extinctions, this hypothesis does not depend upon extraterrestrial intervention. The dominant worldwide event at the close of the Paleozoic was the formation of Pangea. The Mesozoic witnessed the sundering of this supercontinent and the formation of the modern continental masses and oceans. The areas covered by the waters of the Paleozoic oceans surrounding Pangea either were incorporated onto the fringing continents or were subducted. New oceans, which became the present oceans, were forming in the Mesozoic in the areas where the combined continental masses were splitting apart. If these 2 events were in part simultaneous and yet physically separated in such a way that the waters in the newly forming oceans did not connect with the water in the closing oceans, almost complete extinction of all earlier marine life forms would result. Radioactive dating of the present ocean floor indicates that the Paleozoic floor was eliminated, and new ocean floor began to form in the Mesozoic. Chemical dating of present ocean water indicates that its time of origin is approximately the same as that of the present ocean floor. End_of_Article - Last_Page 243------------
Adolescent Sexual Activity: Do Family Discussions, School Performance, Sports and Extracurricular Activities Distinguish Between Sexually Active and Abstinent Teens?

Background: Adolescent sexual activity is a significant health and social concern. This study was designed to evaluate factors impacting the decision of young women to become sexually active or remain abstinent. Females aged 12e21 years (mean 16.6 years) and their parents/guardians were asked to participate in a survey to address these concerns. Methods: An IRB approved confidential survey was offered to young women attending an out-patient clinic to determine if any factors in the home, academic or e15 Oral Abstracts
Geometry and state of stress of the Nazca plate beneath Bolivia and its implication for the evolution of the Bolivian orocline

A series of deep earthquakes beneath Bolivia in 1994 provides valuable constraints on the geometry and state of stress of the subducting Nazca plate. These earthquakes occurred northeast of the Bolivian orocline, which is bracketed between two regions of a “flattened” Wadati-Benioff zone. Furthermore, these events occurred in an area that experienced no seismicity in at least the past 30 years. North and south of this zone, the deep seismicity is abundant and indicates down-dip compression. Collectively, the seismicity defines the geometry of the deep Nazca slab, which is continuous and bent about a sharp arc. This bending is a function of the dynamic evolution of the South America–Nazca plate system. Since the Tertiary, South America has incurred a maximum shortening along the Bolivian orocline. North and south of the orocline, the South American crust has shortened less; the differential shortening occurs in conjunction with the flattened and bent Wadati-Benioff zone. The upper Nazca slab has undergone a tremendous amount of horizontal deformation that is controlled by the convergence direction relative to the trend of the trench. In response, the lower slab has been slowly bent about an axis parallel to the dip orientation of the deep Nazca plate.
Adequacy of maxillary dental arch width in patients with palatally displaced canines.

Abstract This study investigates maxillary dental arch width in subjects with palatally displaced canines. Pretreatment dental casts of orthodontic patients with one or both maxillary canines palatally displaced (n = 31; male, 10; female, 21) were collected. This sample was matched according to sex and age with pretreatment dental casts from unaffected orthodontic patients. Arch widths were recorded between the maxillary first premolars and between the maxillary first molars. Interpremolar arch width and intermolar arch width comparisons between the sample with palatally displaced canines and the reference sample showed no statistically significant differences in their means, thus indicating that there was no statistically significant difference in the anterior and posterior arch width between the affected subjects and the control subjects. Thus, affected patients exhibit adequacy of maxillary dental arch width. This evidence refutes earlier conclusions that deficiency in maxillary transverse arch width is an associated contributing factor in the genesis of the anomaly of palatally displaced canines. Clinically, adequacy of dental arch width helps explain the “nonextraction” diagnostic appearance of most of these patients when they present for treatment. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2000;118:220-3)
Spreading of slip from a region of low friction

Recent models of earthquake faults involve heterogeneous slip regions along the faults. Some of this work suggests the following problem: two solids of different material properties are pressed together and sheared. Then, slip propagates asymmetrically from a region of low friction.
The development of an acth-induced renal glomerular lesion in Mus musculus. An ultrastructural study.

Male house mice (Mus musculus) were injected with 4 international units of ACTH daily for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks and with four units daily for four weeks followed by 8 units for 8 days. Light microscopy of kidneys showed a glomerular lesion characterised by the expansion of the mesangium, deposition of PAS positive material in the glomerular mesangium and extra-glomerular mesangium hypertrophy of juxtaglomerular cells and a successive increase in oil red-O staining material in the glomerulus. Electron microscopy revealed the progressive accumulation in the mesangial matrix of three morphologically distinct forms of deposits: amorphous, globular and particulate. The accumulation of amorphous deposit apparently is partially responsible for me increased PAS positive staining of the mesangium. Globular (and possibly particulate) deposit probably corresponds to the oil red-O positive material. The evidence suggests that the deposits are extraglomerular in origin, but their chemical nature is unknown.
Alcohol Types and Sociodemographic Characteristics as Risk Factors for Barrett's Esophagus

Background & Aims Little is known about the effects of alcohol use and sociodemographics on the risk of Barrett's esophagus, a precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma. We evaluated the association between alcohol use, alcohol type, sociodemographic profiles, other lifestyle factors, and the risk of Barrett's esophagus. Methods With the use of a case-control study within the Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership, patients with a new diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus (n = 320) diagnosed between 2002 and 2005 were matched to persons with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD; n=316) and to population controls (n = 317). We collected information using validated questionnaires during direct in-person interviews. Analyses used multivariate unconditional logistic regression. Results Total alcohol use was not significantly associated with the risk of Barrett's esophagus, although stratification by beverage type showed an inverse association for wine drinkers compared with nondrinkers (≥7 drinks of wine per week vs none: odds ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.20–0.99; multivariate analysis). Among population controls, those who preferred wine were more likely to have college degrees and regularly take vitamin supplements than those who preferred beer or liquor, although adjustment for these factors or GERD symptoms did not eliminate the inverse association between wine consumption and Barrett's esophagus. Education status was significantly inversely associated with the risk of Barrett's esophagus. Conclusions There are associations between alcohol types, socioeconomic status, and the risk of Barrett's esophagus. Although choice of alcoholic beverages was associated with several factors, multiple adjustments (including for GERD) did not eliminate the association between alcohol and Barrett's esophagus. Further research to evaluate the associations among socioeconomic status, GERD, and Barrett's esophagus is warranted.
Impairment of hepatic drug metabolism by carbon tetrachloride inhalation.

Abstract Continuous inhalation of low concentrations of carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) prolonged hexobarbital-induced hypnosis in adult rats. Supernatant fractions (9000 g ) prepared from the livers of CCl 4 exposed rats metabolized hexobarbital at a slower rate than those from untreated rats. Liver weight was increased after CCl 4 inhalation.
T-COMPLEX-ASSOCIATED EMBRYONIC SURFACE ANTIGEN HOMOLOGOUS TO MLAMP-1. I. BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES

Previously we described an embryonic cell surface glycoprotein, ESGp, associated with the t-embryonic lethal alleles of the mouse t complex. This antigen is expressed on the cell surface of both early mouse embryos and embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell lines. The antigen is localized to areas of cell-cell contact in EC lines and redistributes to the outer edges of the blastomeres during compaction, thereby indicating a potential role in embryonic cell-cell interaction. We now report that this t-complex-associated ESGp is homologous to the mouse lysosomal-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1). Limited protein sequence analyses of the amino terminal and an internal peptide indicate considerable homology with the LAMP-1 protein. Biochemical parameters such as protein core size, sulfation and phosphorylation status, and resistance to proteolysis also demonstrate homology. While we detect only a single message with a mouse LAMP-1 cDNA probe via Northern blotting, Southern analyses indicate the existence of at least two homologous LAMP-1 genes. Additionally, we present evidence suggesting that ESGp/LAMP-1 serves as a substrate which may be differentially glycosylated by the activities of the gene products of the different t-lethal alleles.
The effect of a circumferential stiffener on the stress in a pressurized cylindrical shell with a longitudinal crack.

Stress level reduction in pressurized circular cylinder with circumferential ring stiffener and longitudinal crack, using shallow shell equations
Nested Quantum Dyck Paths and ∇(sλ)

We conjecture a combinatorial formula for the monomial expansion of the image of any Schur function under the Bergeron-Garsia nabla operator. The formula involves nested labelled Dyck paths weighted by area and a suitable “diagonal inversion” statistic. Our model includes as special cases many previous conjectures connecting the nabla operator to quantum lattice paths. The combinatorics of the inverse Kostka matrix leads to an elementary proof of our proposed formula when q = 1. We also outline a possible approach for proving all the extant nabla conjectures that reduces everything to the construction of sign-reversing involutions on explicit collections of signed, weighted objects.
The shrink fit of a flexible sleeve on a shaft

Abstract In this paper numerical methods are used to find the distributions of contact stresses and displacements induced by shrinking a flexible sleeve onto a flexible solid shaft. The classical theory of thin shells is used to calculate the displacements of the sleeve, and elasticity theory is used to calculate those for the shaft. Distributions of the contact stresses and displacements are worked out for various sleeve length/sleeve thickness and sleeve length/shaft radius parameters. These are compared with the results obtained from elementary strength of materials calculations.
The Queer Apologetic: Explaining the Use of Bisexuality as a Transitional Identity

This study takes a constructivist grounded theory approach to exploring the trajectory of coming out for 30 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals. Despite being attracted only to members of the same sex, 10 of the 30 participants in this study came out initially as bisexual. This interaction, referred to herein as the queer apologetic, is a form of identity compromise whereby individuals disclose a bisexual identity that they believe satisfies (1) their personal attractions for only members of the same sex and (2) society's expectation that they be attracted to members of the other sex.
Selective bed-load transport in Las Vegas Wash, a gravel-bed stream

Summary Bed-load measurements collected at the Las Vegas Wash, a gravel-bed stream near Las Vegas, Nevada, were used to study selective transport of sand and gravel in uni-modal or weakly bi-modal river sediment. Measurements showed that size selectivity in a sediment mixture decreases as shear stress increases. Transport of variously sized sediment particles approaches equal mobility as the transported bed load is composed approximately of the same size particles as surface-bed material. Consequently, a hiding function was derived to account for the increase or reduction in reference shear stress for an individual size class in a sediment mixture as compared with that in an uniformly sized sediment. An empirical equation for determining fractional bed-load transport rate was then formulated by correlating the dimensionless, fractional bed-load transport rate with the dimensionless bed-shear stress. This equation indicated that the hiding function depends not only on the size of individual size class but also on the flow depth used to quantify the magnitude of shear stress. The present study contributes to the body of knowledge used in predicting selective transport of sediment mixtures in gravel-bed streams.
Nighttime Turbulent Events in a Steep Valley: A Nested Large-Eddy Simulation Study

This numerical study investigates the nighttime flow dynamics in Owens Valley, California. Nested highresolution large-eddy simulation (LES) is used to resolve stable boundary layer flows within the valley. On 17 April during the 2006 Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment, the valley atmosphere experiences weak synoptic forcings and is largely dominated by buoyancy-driven downslope and down-valley flows. Tower instruments on the valley floor record a continuous decrease in temperature after sunset, except for a brief warming episode. This transient warming event is modeled with good magnitude and temporal precision with LES. Analysis of the LES flow field confirms the event to be the result of a slope to valley flow transition, as previously suggested by researchers based on field observations. On the same night, a northerly cold airflow from the Great Basin is channeled through a pass on the eastern valley sidewall. The current plunges into the stable valley atmosphere, overshooting the altitude of its neutral buoyancy, and generating a large-scale oscillatory motion. The resulting cross-valley flow creates strong vertical shear with the down-valley flow in the lower layers of the atmosphere. A portion of the cross-valley flow is captured by a scanning lidar. The nested LES is in good agreement with the lidar-recorded radial velocity. Furthermore, the LES is able to resolve Kelvin‐Helmholtz waves, and ejection and sweep events at the two-layer interface, which lead to topdown vertical mixing.
Computer Literacy Needs in a Traditional Library Literacy Program: Results of a Needs Analysis

This study reports the results of a needs analysis of literacy programs for a library system serving three rural and suburban counties. It examines the computing skills and needs of literacy tutors as well as native-speaking and English language learner (ELL) literacy tutees enrolled in the programs. Paper surveys were mailed to tutors, who were asked to complete a survey themselves and assist their tutees to complete one. Results of this study offer insights into the incorporation of digital literacy into traditional adult literacy programs focusing on the needs, wants, and support systems of user groups.
Purification and Characterization of Snf1 Kinase Complexes Containing a Defined β Subunit Composition

Abstract The Snf1 kinase complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains one of three possible β subunits encoded by either SIP1, SIP2, or GAL83. Snf1 kinase complexes were purified from cells expressing only one of the three β subunits using a tandem affinity purification tag on the C terminus of the Snf1 protein. The purified kinase complexes were enzymatically active as judged by their ability to phosphorylate a recombinant protein containing the Snf1-responsive domain of the Mig1 protein. The Snf1 kinase complexes containing Gal83 or Sip2 as the β subunit showed comparable and high levels of activity, whereas the Sip1-containing enzyme was significantly less active. Examination of the protein composition of the purified Snf1 enzyme complexes indicated that the Sip1 protein was present in substoichiometric levels. Increased gene dosage of SIP1 rescued the ethanol growth defect observed in cells expressing Sip1 as their only β subunit and increased the in vitro activity of Snf1 kinase purified from these cells. Our studies indicate that the reduced activity of Snf1-Snf4-Sip1 kinase is due to low level of Sip1 accumulation rather than a limited ability of the Sip1 form of the enzyme to direct phosphorylation of specific substrates.
Finite-Temperature Phase Transitions in SU(3) Lattice Gauge Theory with Dynamical, Light Fermions

SU(3) lattice gauge theory with four light quark species is studied at finite temperature by microcanonical computer simulation techniques. An abrupt transition is found separating the hadronic-matter and the quark-gluon-plasma phases. Measurements of the critical temperature, latent heat, $〈\stackrel{-}{\ensuremath{\psi}}\ensuremath{\psi}〉$, Wilson line, and Wilson-line correlation function are presented and are compared to earlier calculations which ignored fermion vacuum polarization.
Applied Anthropology at Memphis State University

The Lower Mississippi Delta region surrounds Memphis, Tennessee, in a two-hundred-mile radius. The character of this region has exerted a powerful influence on the applied anthropology program at Memphis State University. Pervasive poverty, income disparities, labor conflict, industrial restructuring, and the growth of community-based groups in the Delta region have created a framework for the successful development of the program.
An Investigation of Vetrbal Spatial Functioning in Chronic Alcoholics

The mild generalized brain dysfunction hypothesis of alcoholic impairment predicts that, as a group, alcoholics will be impaired on both right- and left-hemisphere spatial functioning tests. A verb...
Intermittent dynamics of turbulence hibernation in Newtonian and viscoelastic minimal channel flows

Maximum drag reduction (MDR), the asymptotic upper limit of reduction in turbulent friction drag by polymer additives, is the most important unsolved problem in viscoelastic turbulence. Recent studies of turbulence in minimal flow units have identified time intervals showing key features of MDR. These intervals, denoted ‘hibernating turbulence’ are found in both Newtonian and viscoelastic flows. The present study provides a comprehensive examination of this turbulence hibernation phenomenon in the minimal channel geometry, and discusses its impact on the turbulent dynamics and drag reduction. Similarities between hibernating turbulence and MDR are established in terms of both flow statistics (an intermittency factor, mean and fluctuating components of velocity) and flow structure (weak vortices and nearly streamwise-invariant kinematics). Hibernation occurs more frequently at high levels of viscoelasticity, leading to flows that increasingly resemble MDR. Viscoelasticity facilitates the occurrence of hibernation by suppressing the conventional ‘active’ turbulence, but has little influence on hibernation itself. At low Weissenberg number , the average duration of active turbulence intervals is constant, but above a critical value of , the duration decreases dramatically, and accordingly, the fraction of time spent in hibernation increases. This observation can be explained with a simple mathematical model that posits that the lifetime of an active turbulence interval is the time that it takes for the turbulence to stretch polymer molecules to a certain threshold value; once the molecules exceed this threshold, they exert a large enough stress on the flow to suppress the active turbulence. This model predicts an explicit form for the duration as a function of and the simulation results match this prediction very closely. The critical point where hibernation frequency becomes substantially increased coincides with the point where qualitative changes are observed in overall flow statistics – the transition between ‘low-drag-reduction’ and ‘high-drag-reduction’ regimes. Probability density functions of important variables reveal a much higher level of intermittency in the turbulent dynamics after this transition. It is further confirmed that hibernating turbulence is a Newtonian structure during which polymer extension is small. Based on these results, a framework is proposed that explains key transitions in viscoelastic turbulence, especially the convergence toward MDR.
A Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Approach for the Analysis of Granular Damping

Granular damping, which possesses promising features for vibration suppression in harsh environments such as in turbo-machinery and spacecraft, has been studied using empirical analysis and more recently using the discrete element method (DEM). The mechanism of granular damping is nonlinear and, when numerical analyses are employed, usually a relatively long simulation time of structural vibration is needed to reflect the damping behavior. The present research explores the granular damping analysis by means of the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approach. Unlike the DEM that tracks the motion of granules based upon the direct numerical integration of Newton 's equations, the DSMC is a statistical method derived from the Boltzmann equation to describe the velocity evolution of the granular system. Since the exact time and locations of contacts among granules are not calculated in the DSMC, a significant reduction in computational time/cost can be achieved. While the DSMC has been exercised in a variety of gas/granular systems, its implementation to granular damping analysis poses unique challenges. In this research, we develop a new method that enables the coupled analysis of the stochastic granular motion and the structural vibration. The complicated energy transfer and dissipation due to the collisions between the granules and the host structure and among the granules is directly analyzed, which is essential to damping evaluation. Also, the effects of granular packing ratio and the excluded volume of granules, which may not be considered in the conventional DSMC approach, are explicitly incorporated in the analysis. A series of numerical studies are performed to highlight the accuracy and efficiency of the new approach.
Computerized detection of pulmonary nodules using cellular neural networks in CT images

The purpose of this study is to develop a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to detect small-sized (from 2mm to 10mm) non-pleural pulmonary nodules in high resolution helical CT scans. A new 3D automated scheme using cellular neural networks is presented. Different from most previous methods, this scheme employed the local shape property to perform voxel classification. The shape index feature successfully captured the local shape difference between nodules and non-nodules, especially vessels. A 3D discrete-time cellular neural network (DTCNN) was constructed to give a reliable voxel classification by collecting information in a neighborhood. To tailor it for lung nodule detection, this DTCNN was trained using genetic algorithms (GAs) to derive the shape index variation pattern of nodules. 19 clinical thoracic CT cases involving a total of 4838 sectional images were used in this work, with 2 scans forming the training set, and the remaining 17 cases being the testing set. The evaluation was composed of two stages. During the first stage, a pulmonologist and our CAD system independently detected nodules in the testing set. Then, the suspected nodule areas located by the computer were reviewed by the pulmonologist to confirm nodules missed by the human in the first review. There were 32 true nodules detected by the computer but missed by the pulmonologist in the first review, in which 30 non-juxtapleural nodules were found. Considering the nodules detected by the pulmonologist during the first and second reviews as the truth, 52 of 62 non-pleural nodules were detected by the CAD system (sensitivity being 83.9%), with the number of false positives being 3.47 per case.
ABA triblock copolymer containing two crystallizable components

A triblock copolymer of the ABA type in which both components were crystallizable was synthesized. The A block was poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, and the B block, poly(dimethyl siloxane), PDMS. Upon cooling from the melt to liquid nitrogen temperature, the PEO block crystallized at around 40°C. When the copolymer was heated from −170°C after quenching, glass transition, crystallization and melting of the PDMS middle block were identified in the thermogram at −117°C, −74°C and −42°C, respectively. The degree of crystallinity of the PDMS block was estimated from the heat of fusion to be about 27%. The growth rates of the PEO spherulites were reduced by the presence of the middle block.
CRP1, a LIM Domain Protein Implicated in Muscle Differentiation, Interacts with α-Actinin

Members of the cysteine-rich protein (CRP) family are LIM domain proteins that have been implicated in muscle differentiation. One strategy for defining the mechanism by which CRPs potentiate myogenesis is to characterize the repertoire of CRP binding partners. In order to identify proteins that interact with CRP1, a prominent protein in fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, we subjected an avian smooth muscle extract to affinity chromatography on a CRP1 column. A 100-kD protein bound to the CRP1 column and could be eluted with a high salt buffer; Western immunoblot analysis confirmed that the 100-kD protein is α-actinin. We have shown that the CRP1–α-actinin interaction is direct, specific, and saturable in both solution and solid-phase binding assays. The K d for the CRP1–α-actinin interaction is 1.8 ± 0.3 μM. The results of the in vitro protein binding studies are supported by double-label indirect immunofluorescence experiments that demonstrate a colocalization of CRP1 and α-actinin along the actin stress fibers of CEF and smooth muscle cells. Moreover, we have shown that α-actinin coimmunoprecipitates with CRP1 from a detergent extract of smooth muscle cells. By in vitro domain mapping studies, we have determined that CRP1 associates with the 27-kD actin–binding domain of α-actinin. In reciprocal mapping studies, we showed that α-actinin interacts with CRP1-LIM1, a deletion fragment that contains the NH2-terminal 107 amino acids (aa) of CRP1. To determine whether the α-actinin binding domain of CRP1 would localize to the actin cytoskeleton in living cells, expression constructs encoding epitope-tagged full-length CRP1, CRP1-LIM1(aa 1-107), or CRP1-LIM2 (aa 108-192) were microinjected into cells. By indirect immunofluorescence, we have determined that full-length CRP1 and CRP1-LIM1 localize along the actin stress fibers whereas CRP1-LIM2 fails to associate with the cytoskeleton. Collectively these data demonstrate that the NH2-terminal part of CRP1 that contains the α-actinin–binding site is sufficient to localize CRP1 to the actin cytoskeleton. The association of CRP1 with α-actinin may be critical for its role in muscle differentiation.
Religious orientation and meaning in life

This study tested the general hypothesis that a mature religious commitment should aid youth in their search for meaning in life. The investigators administered a questionnaire to 427 college freshman and sophomores between the ages of 18 and 20 in six midwestern colleges. The results indicated that intrinsically motivated Ss, committed Ss, and true believers had significantly higher Purpose in Life mean test scores than did extrinsically motivated Ss, uncommitted Ss, and unbelievers. The results also indicated that religious integration (moral commitment paired with spiritual commitment) is indicative of meaning in life. The study concluded that a mature religious commitment should aid youth in their search for meaning in life.
Relating the size of a connected graph to its total and restricted domination numbers

Abstract A dominating set for a graph G =( V , E ) is a subset of vertices D ⊆ V such that for all v ∈ V − D there exists some u ∈ D adjacent to v . The domination number of G is the size of its smallest dominating set. A dominating set D is a total dominating set if every vertex in D has a neighbor in D . We give a tight upper bound on the number of edges that a connected graph with a given total domination number can have, and characterize the extremal graphs attaining the bound. We do the same for the k -restricted domination number, which is the smallest number d , such that for any subset U ⊆ V where | U |= k there exists a dominating set for G of size at most d , and containing all vertices in U .
The Impact of Variable Market Price on Optimal Control of Wind-Hydro Storage System in Kenya

The Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP) in Northern Kenya is currently under development, scheduled to bring 300MW of wind generation online by the end of 2016. The economic issues raised by the structure of the Kenyan electricity market include a fixed feed-in tariff for the wind generators on the system, and a strict Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This agreement appears to significantly constrain the ability of the Kenya Power Company to operate the power system in a reliable and efficient manner. This paper analyzes the impact of different price policies on the operation of the LTWP coupled with pumped hydro storage. In particular the modeling results compare the system behavior when operating under the fixed price regime versus dynamic pricing defined by use of locational marginal prices. In addition, benefits from allowing the Kenya Power Company to spill wind as needed, rather than a strict requirement to take all wind power generated are investigated. The results demonstrate that the inclusion of system-driven prices produce a significantly different operational strategy than the fixed price model. Results also show that the exclusion of dispatch flexibility in the form of wind curtailment results in increased price volatility, particularly during periods of high winds.
Profiling high-school students with facebook: how online privacy laws can actually increase minors' risk

Lawmakers, children's advocacy groups and modern society at large recognize the importance of protecting the Internet privacy of minors (under 18 years of age). Online Social Networks, in particular, take precautions to prevent third parties from using their services to discover and profile minors. These precautions include displaying only minimal information in registered minors' public profiles, not listing minors when searching for users by high school or city, and banning young children from joining altogether. In this paper we show how an attacker can circumvent these precautions. We develop efficient crawling and data mining methodologies to discover and profile most of the high school students in a targeted high school. In particular, using Facebook and for a given target high school, the methodology finds most of the students in the school, and for each discovered student infers a profile that includes significantly more information than is available in a registered minor's public profile. Such profiles can be used for many nefarious purposes, including selling the profiles to data brokers, large-scale automated spear-phishing attacks on minors, as well as physical safety attacks such as stalking, kidnapping and arranging meetings for sexual abuse. Ironically, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a law designed to protect the privacy of children, indirectly facilitates the approach. In order to bypass restrictions put in place due to the COPPA law, some children lie about their ages when registering, which not only increases the exposure for themselves but also for their non-lying friends. Our analysis strongly suggests there would be significantly less privacy leakage if Facebook did not have age restrictions.
Atrioventricular dissociation resulting from combined thoracic epidural and general anesthesia

In a patient being operated under combined thoracic epidural and general anesthesia, atrial bradycardia resulting in isorhythmic dissociation is reported. The ECG findings are presented and the causes of the dysrhythmia are discussed. The importance of differential diagnosis and treatment in atrioventricular dissociation is emphasized.
The Methiini of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with notes on the circum-Caribbean species

The Methiini of the West Indies are revised. Cyanomethia pseudothonalmus, new genus, new species and Methia jamaicensis new species are described. Methia pusilla, M. constricticollis, M. impressicollis, M. insularum, M. pallida, M. pulchra, M. punctata, and M. rhizophorae are new synonyms of M. necydalea. Keys to genera of Methiini and species of Methia in the West Indies are given and the biology and morphological variation of the genus Methia discussed. A phylogenetic analysis of the Methiini is conducted to determine relationships among the genera, and the zoogeographic patterns of species found in the West Indies is included.
On the practical merits of rank constrained ML estimator of structured covariance matrices

Estimation of the disturbance or interference covariance matrix plays a central role on radar target detection in the presence of clutter, noise and jammer. The disturbance covariance matrix should be inferred from training sample observations in practice. Traditional maximum likelihood (ML) estimators lead degraded false alarm and detection performance in the realistic regime of limited training. For this reason, informed estimators have been actively researched. Recently, a new estimator [1] that explicitly incorporates rank information of the clutter subspace was proposed. This paper reports significant new analytical and experimental investigations on the rank-constrained maximum likelihood (RCML) estimator. First, we show that the RCML estimation problem formulated in [1] has a closed form. Next, we perform new and rigorous experimental evaluation in the form of reporting: 1.) probability of detection versus signal to noise ratio (SNR), and 2.) SINR performance under heterogeneous (target corrupted) training data. In each case, we compare against widely used existing estimators and show that exploiting the rank information has significant practical merits in robust estimation.
Monocyte Activation in HIV/HCV Coinfection Correlates with Cognitive Impairment

Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) challenges the immune system with two viruses that elicit distinct immune responses. Chronic immune activation is a hallmark of HIV infection and an accurate indicator of disease progression. Suppressing HIV viremia by antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectively prolongs life and significantly improves immune function. HIV/HCV coinfected individuals have peripheral immune activation despite effective ART control of HIV viral load. Here we examined freshly isolated CD14 monocytes for gene expression using high-density cDNA microarrays and analyzed T cell subsets, CD4 and CD8, by flow cytometry to characterize immune activation in monoinfected HCV and HIV, and HIV-suppressed coinfected subjects. To determine the impact of coinfection on cognition, subjects were evaluated in 7 domains for neuropsychological performance, which were summarized as a global deficit score (GDS). Monocyte gene expression analysis in HIV-suppressed coinfected subjects identified 43 genes that were elevated greater than 2.5 fold. Correlative analysis of subjects' GDS and gene expression found eight genes with significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Correlative expression of six genes was confirmed by qPCR, five of which were categorized as type 1 IFN response genes. Global deficit scores were not related to plasma lipopolysaccharide levels. In the T cell compartment, coinfection significantly increased expression of activation markers CD38 and HLADR on both CD4 and CD8 T cells but did not correlate with GDS. These findings indicate that coinfection is associated with a type 1 IFN monocyte activation profile which was further found to correlate with cognitive impairment, even in subjects with controlled HIV infection. HIV-suppressed coinfected subjects with controlled HIV viral load experiencing immune activation could benefit significantly from successful anti-HCV therapy and may be considered as preferential candidates.
Performance evaluation of data communication systems

This paper is a tutorial and a survey of analytical methods in the evaluation of data communication networks. The major mathematical methods are Markov chains applied to discrete time systems and queueing theory. Emphasis is placed on the applications of the mathematical tools. The discussion follows the framework of the layered architecture. In the section on data link control, rigorous as well as "engineering" approaches are highlighted. In this area, models of great accuracy have been developed. In the path-control or routing layer, the major model is provided by Kleinrock's delay analysis of packet networks. Finite buffer pools still pose many problems. The method of the homogeneous network is introduced, a method which reduces complexity originating from the network topology in favor of more realistic protocol features. This thought is expanded into the layer of end-to-end protocols where the tandem-queue model is introduced and its application to the flow-control problem discussed.
Prediction of enantioselectivity in rhodium catalyzed hydrogenations.

Using the Q2MM method, new molecular mechanics parameters were developed to perform initial screening of a chiral library to focus the experimental screening for the rhodium catalyzed hydrogenation...
Nanotechnology applications to HIV vaccines and microbicides

Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) remains one of the most serious threats to global health. Today there are no HIV vaccines which can prevent HIV infection. All of the candidates being studied are in the experimental stage. Preventive vaccine candidates are being tested in HIV-negative people to see if they can prevent infection. With of the development of a safe and effective vaccine still likely to be years away, topical microbicide formulations that are applied vaginally and rectally are receiving greater interest as an effective alternative to slow down the global spread of HIV. Current microbicide trials that aim to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV are using gels, creams, rings, films and there is also work underway to explore other types of 'delivery' systems. There have been numerous reports on safety and lack of toxicity of the application of nanotechnology for targeted delivery and slow, sustained release of drugs, proteins, peptides or nucleic acids by any route to maximize effectiveness and minimize adverse effects. The application of nanotechnology for targeting drugs and macromolecules to specific tissues or cells is one of the most important areas in nanomedicine research. Thus far nanoparticles provide a strong platform to combine protein and DNA based vaccines/microbicides and will facilitate the production, preclinical evaluation and clinical testing in the future.