cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Near-surface thermal/chemical boundary layer convection at infinite Prandtl number: two-dimensional numerical experiments

Chemical differentiation and convective removal of internal heat make the Earth's lithosphere a thermal and a chemical boundary layer. Thin layers of chemically light material form near the Earth's surface and become embedded within the cold thermal boundary layer associated with interior heat removal. The likelihood of near-surface thermal and chemical boundary layer interactions influencing the Earth's thermotectonic evolution prompts the models presented herein. A simplified system, consisting of a chemically light layer within the upper thermal boundary layer of a denser thermally convecting layer, is explored through a suite of numerical experiments to see how its dynamic behaviour differs from similar, well-studied, thermal boundary layer systems. A major cause of differences between the two systems resides in the ability of the deformable near-surface chemical layer to alter the effective upper thermal boundary condition imposed on the convectively unstable layer below. In thermal equilibrium, regions of chemical boundary layer accumulation locally enforce an effectively near-constant heat-flux condition on the thermally convecting layer due to the finite thermal conductivity of chemical boundary layer material. For cases in which chemical accumulations translate laterally above the unstable layer, the thermal coupling condition between chemical boundary layer material and the unstable layer below is one of non-equilibrium type, i.e. the thermal condition at the top of the convectively unstable layer is time-, as well as space-, variable. A second major cause of differences is that, for the thermal/chemical system, chemically induced rheologic variations can offset, or compete with, those due to temperature. More specifically, the presence of chemically weak material can lubricate convective downwellings allowing for enhanced overturn of an, on average, strong upper thermal boundary layer. Both of these factors have low-order effects on internal flow structure and heat loss and lead to dynamic behaviour in which chemical boundary layer deformation is not only driven by flow in the thermally convecting interior layer but also feeds back and alters this flow. Some implications of this, in regard to elucidating how near-surface chemical boundary layer deformation, e.g. continental tectonics, might interact with, and influence, mantle convection, are discussed.
Skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration of malignant hyperthermia-susceptible patients. Ca2+-induced uncoupling and free fatty acids.

1. 1. Skeletal muscle mitochondria of malignant hyperthermia (MH)-susceptible patients showed normal oxidative phosphorylation but were more easily uncoupled than normal by exogenous Ca2+. 2. 2. Fatty acids, in stimulating the mitochondrial ATPase activity, are responsible for the enhanced State 3. 4 respiration in MH-susceptible patients. 4. 3. These results imply that skeletal muscle mitochondria and free fatty acids are associated with the development of MH syndrome.
Optical observations of the development of secondary instabilities on the eastern wall of an equatorial plasma bubble

[1] Optical evidence is presented for the growth of a local secondary plasma instability on the eastern wall of an equatorial plasma bubble observed from the Haleakala Volcano, Hawaii (geographic: 20.71 N, 203.83 E; geomagnetic: 21.31 N, 271.45 E). Typically, only the western wall of depletions at tropical latitudes are susceptible to secondary structuring. This event occurs during a minor geomagnetic storm when the plasma bubble is observed to be drifting to the west, rather than with the typical eastward drift velocity. The data are interpreted in terms of the generalized E × B instability with an anomalous wind directed westward and toward the equator. This wind drives the eastern wall of the depletion region unstable. The anomalous wind is associated with an equatorward propagating neutral wind surge caused by an ongoing geomagnetic storm. The observations of the growth of these instabilities in the local tropical ionosphere are in stark contrast to the typical development of secondary instabilities on equatorial plasma bubbles, which grow near the equatorial plane on the western wall of the primary depletion and map along the magnetic field lines to off-equatorial latitudes.
Activation of human complement by totally human monoclonal antibodies

Abstract A uniquely developed series of totally § human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were examined for their complement fixing properties in comparison to human myeloma preparations and to commercially available human polyclonal immunoglobulins. C3b and C4b deposition was measured using a kinetic ELISA technique. When the IgG myeloma proteins were tested for classical pathway activation, our findings were similar to those previously described, where IgG1 and IgG3 were more potent activators of the classical pathway than IgG2 and IgG4. However, those same studies determined that IgG2 was the best activator of the alternative pathway followed by IgG1 and IgG3 while IgG4 does not activate complement via either pathway. In our studies of alternative pathway activation, the IgG2 myeloma exhibited strong activation of the alternative pathway, but, at levels lower than the other three IgG subtypes. Using this test system, we examined the complement activating potential of four totally human mAbs that were constructed from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of a colon carcinoma patient in long term remission. We found that our uniquely constructed totally human IgG2 mAbs (A3, E1, F6 and F8) were able to activate complement by both the classical and alternative pathways to varying degrees. In addition, we found that the complement activating ability of the human mAbs was greater than that of the human IgG2 myeloma immunoglobulins or normal human IgG2 preparations. This study represents the first report of complement activation by totally human mAbs and confirms more recent findings which indicate that levels of complement activation by human IgG immunoglobulins cannot be predicted based solely on their subclass identity.
Extracting user profiles from large scale data

In this work we present the details of a large scale user profiling framework that we developed here in IBM on top of Apache Hadoop. We address the problem of extracting and maintaining a very large number of user profiles from large scale data. We first describe an efficient user profiling framework with high user profiling quality guarantees. We then describe a scalable implementation of the proposed framework in Apache Hadoop and discuss its challenges.
Predicted molecular structure of novel C48B12

Abstract We report results of full geometry optimization and harmonic vibrational frequencies of the minimum energy structure of C 48 B 12 , and two low-lying isomers at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory. The minimum energy structure of C 48 B 12 proved to be the same as we have found in the case of C 48 N 12 [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124 (2002) 13990]. The two low-lying structures with D 3d and S 6 symmetry proved to be 15 and 26 kcal/mol energetically less stable, respectively. Mulliken charge analysis showed that the minimum energy structure of C 48 B 12 could serve as an electron acceptor, in contrast to the donor character of C 48 N 12 .
Assessment of near-infrared path length in fibrous phantom and muscle tissue.

The first derivative of the pseudo-absorption spectrum of a water-loaded cotton wool (water–CW) phantom, which mimics muscle tissues, was used to determine the light path length in the near-infrared (NIR) region. The light path length increased as the density of the turbid medium decreased. It is independent of both water content in the range of 75–85% (by weight) and the diffuse reflecting reference used to determine the pseudo-absorbance. The path length determination procedure was verified by measurements of diffuse reflectance in chicken breast tissue for which the path length of 1.8 mm (differential path length factor, DPF = 2.1) was found to be similar to the path length of NIR light of 1.5–2.2 mm (DPF = 1.8–2.6) in a water–CW phantom of density similar to chicken breast. We conclude that the NIR light path length can serve as a characteristic of muscle tissue density.
Outcome of Patients With Low Ejection Fraction Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Renal Function and Mortality After 3.8 Years

Background— There are few data regarding medium-term outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, particularly in the modern era, and even less assessing preoperative factors that might identify patients at highest risk. Methods and Results— Three hundred seventy-nine consecutive patients with LV ejection fraction ≤35%, who underwent isolated first CABG between 1995 and 1999 were studied. Potential preoperative and perioperative predictors of outcome were recorded and patients followed-up for a median of 3.8 years. The primary study end-point was all-cause mortality. The 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year survival rates were 94.5%, 88%, and 81%, respectively. The independent predictors of mortality were preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (hazard ratio [HR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 0.99 per mL/min/1.73m 2 ; P P =0.005). Conclusions— Patients with significant LV systolic dysfunction undergoing isolated CABG using contemporary techniques have a good medium-term survival. Renal dysfunction is the strongest independent predictor of mortality.
Effects of pulsed magnetic field on thrust bearing washer hardness

Magnetic treatment has been shown to be capable of altering mechanical properties of materials. Since the behavior of tribological systems depends on the mechanical characteristics of the interacting bodies, applying a magnetic field to an operating tribological system is a potential means for controlling system behavior. As a measure of the effects of applied magnetic fields on tribological processes the micro-hardness of ferromagnetic steel thrust bearing washers was measured for washers before and after being run under no-field and applied magnetic field conditions. Analyses of the data showed statistically significant effects. For the specific test conditions used, micro-hardness increased by approximately 5% for bearings run under no-field conditions. For bearings run under pulsed magnetic fields washer hardness decreased by approximately 9%.
Localization of nerve growth factor receptor mRNA in contused rat spinal cord by in situ hybridization

Northern blot analysis using a probe for the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) revealed that a mild contusive injury induces the expression of NGFR mRNA in rat spinal cord with a maximal expression at 7 days post-injury. We have now localized this induction using in situ hybridization and found the highest concentration of NGFR mRNA at the lesion epicenter. The location and pattern of autoradiographic grains were compared with that of various cell types at the injury site as determined by immunocytochemical studies. The results suggest that cells associated with blood vessels at the epicenter are induced to express NGFR mRNA at 7 days post-injury.
The reduction of platelet thrombi on damaged vessel wall by a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor in rabbits.

Abstract The role of thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2 ) in platelet-vessel wall interaction was investigated using 1-benzylimidazole (1-BI), a selective thromboxane synthetase inhibitor. 1-BI (0.9 mM) will reduce the aggregatory response of rabbit platelets to 0.2 mM arachidonate by 50% and their production of TXA 2 by 84%. The effect of 1-BI on platelet thrombus formation was evaluated in vivo on New Zealand white male rabbits using the autologous indium-111 labeled platelet technique. After injection of autologous 111 In-platelets, 10 cm of the abdominal aorta was de-endothelialized with a balloon catheter. Three hours later the animals were sacrificed and injured and uninjured segments of the aorta removed. The radioactivity and dry weight of the tissue were determined. The radioactivity/gm of tissue was greater for the injured tissue than for the uninjured tissue. 1-BI at 10 mg/kg reduced the specific platelet accumulation at the injured site (n=5; 4.8 ± 0.3 × 10 5 cpm/gm) compared to the controls (n=10; 11.7 ± 2.1 × 10 5 cpm/gm). Platelet accumulation on the injured tissue was further reduced by increasing the dosage to 30 mg/kg. Thirty minutes after 1-BI administration (30 mg/kg), platelets were less sensitive to arachidonate-induced aggregation (a 67% decrease) and TXA 2 production was decreased 82%. Alterations in platelet sensitivity persisted for up to 3 hours. These findings indicate that TXA 2 plays an important role in platelet-vessel wall interaction.
Using an online microfiche catalog for technical service and retrieval of bibliographic data

Abstract A prototype system is created that integrates a microfiche catalog into an online computer system for bibliographic control. Costs and operational data are collected and analyzed. The system permits the more economical microfiche storage of catalog records than would be feasible for comparable online magnetic disk storage. Experimental tests demonstrate the feasibility of the online microfiche catalog system for use in library technical services and retrieval of bibliographic data. The primary result of the project is the creation of a completely operational facility, including all equipment, software, procedures, and data bases necessary to demonstrate the system. A second set of results is derived from the experimental use of the system and the evaluation of costs and times for various operations. The cost effectiveness of the online microfiche catalog is demonstrated.
Mental health policy and the psychiatric inpatient care of children

Abstract Recent changes in psychiatric inpatient treatment of children and youth are placed in the more general context of, first, the inpatient treatment of adults and, second, multiple public policies affecting children. For adults, the experimental evidence shows that the majority of psychiatric inpatients could be treated in programs outside the hospital more effectively and less expensively. For children, no such data base exists. Contrary to policy intent, between 1980 and 1985 inpatient care of children and youth increased substantially in residential treatment centers, private psychiatric hospitals, and scatter hospitals (general hospitals without any formal specialized units). Thus, psychiatric inpatient care of children and youth is increasing, dramatically so at largely uninvestigated and more expensive sites. The failure of children's mental health policy is placed in the context of the multiple policy failures for children regarding health, welfare, education, and housing. Recent positive efforts by federal agencies are described, but the need is great for data on efficacy and cost-effectiveness of inpatient treatment of children.
Home range, habitat use, and movement patterns of non-native Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

Studies on the spatial ecology of invasive species provide critical information for conservation managers such as habitat preferences and identification of native species at risk of predation. To understand the spatial ecology of non-native Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus), now well-established in Everglades National Park and much of South Florida USA, we radio-tracked 19 wild-caught adult pythons, 16 with VHF tags during 2006 through 2009 and 3 by GPS tags between 2010 and 2011. Our goal was to identify individual core-use areas and quantify home ranges, as well as to explore correlations of python movements with environmental parameters such as the presence of surface water. Radio-tracking periods ranged from 87 to 697 days for snakes with VHF tags, with a total of 5,119 tracking days (mean ± 1 SD = 319.9 ± 184.3 days); GPS tracking periods ranged from 12 to 93 days, with a total of 146 tracking days (mean ± 1 SD = 48.7 ± 40.7 days). We observed mean individual radio-tracked python home ranges of 22.5 km2 (2250 ha) with overall low site fidelity; all home ranges were within the park boundary. Python core-use areas included slough and coastal habitat types, and we delineated 18 common-use areas (that is, areas where individual core-use areas spatially overlapped). Tree islands were a principal feature of common-use areas, even if they were not the predominant habitat type. Multiple common-use areas were in proximity to roads. The longest movements of individual pythons correlated well with presence of surface water, and occurred during both wet and dry seasons. High-use areas determined from python habitat-use and movement data may be optimal locations for targeted control efforts and further studies on impacts to native fauna.
Studies on the nucleoproteins and nucleic acids from pneumococcus type VI.

Abstract The desoxyribonucleic acid and the ribonucleic acid have been prepared from pneumococcus type VI organism by a new method which has excluded deproteinization and treatment with enzymes. The yields are not high. It would seem that the nucleic acids exist as the free acids in the cells rather than as the nucleoproteins. If the nucleoproteins exist, the protein-nucleic acid combination is extremely weak. Sedimentation constants have been determined for the desoxyribonucleic acid and the ribonucleic acid at ten and seven different concentrations, respectively. The value of S20 at zero concentration was found to be 17.10 for desoxyribonucleic acid and 3.01 for ribonucleic acid. The average partial specific volume determined at two concentrations for desoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acids were 0.568 and 0.522, respectively, at 20 °C. While extensive assay work was done to test the transforming potency of the desoxyribonucleic acid, no success was had in arriving at good quantitative results.
Interaction of atomic wave packets with four-wave mixing: detection of rubidium and potassium wave packets by coherent ultraviolet emission.

The observation of an atomic wave packet by use of a coherent, nonlinear-optical process is reported. Wave packets formed in K or Rb vapor by two-photon excitation of ns and n-2d states (n=8 for K; n=11, 12 for Rb) with red ?620-nm, 80–100-fs pulses were detected by four-wave mixing in pump-probe experiments. The temporal behavior of the wave packet is observed by monitoring the coherent UV radiation generated near the alkali mp2P ? 2S1/2 (7?m?12 for Rb; 5?m?7 for K) resonance transitions when a probe pulse is scattered by the wave packet established by the earlier (identical) pump pulse. The spatial and spectral characteristics of the UV emission are well described by axially phase-matched four-wave mixing, and all the prominent frequency components of the wave packets are associated with energy differences between pairs of excited states for which ?l=0 or ?l=2. These results demonstrate that the wave packet modulates ?3 of the medium, thus rendering the wave packet detectable.
Melting of ice-aluminum balls system

Abstract Melting of ice-porous media (aluminum balls) system contained in a rectangular test cell has been studied both experimentally and numerically. When the superheat across the liquid region was small, the flow in the porous media was weak and the interface was almost planar. For larger superheats, natural convection flow, the interface velocity, and shape were found to depend on the imposed temperature and the permeability of the porous medium. The measured temperature distributions were compared with the predictions of a numerical model that considered both conduction in the solid and natural convection in the liquid region. The model is based on volumetric averaging of the macroscopic transport equations, with phase change assumed to occur vvolumetrically over a small temperature range. Both Brinkman and Forchheimer extensions were added to the Darcy equations. The effect of density inversion of water on the fluid flow and heat transfer has been modeled. Reasonably good agreement has been found between the experimental data and numerical predictions. Heat conduction in the high thermal conductivity porous matrix was found to influence considerably the melting front shape and motion.
Ultra-violet Absorption Spectrum of Thymine in Ice

WANG1–3 has found that the production of photodimers is much greater when frozen aqueous solutions of thymine are irradiated with ultra-violet light than when liquid solutions of thymine are similarly irradiated. Adding alcohol to the solution before freezing or using thymidine, thymidylic acid, or uracil compounds instead of thymine all markedly reduce the formation of photodimer. He believes that the dimer formation in ice is facilitated by aggregation of the molecules. We have measured the absorption spectrum of various frozen solutions and have thus been able to obtain direct evidence of aggregation.
Purification of rat prolactin and growth hormone using preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Abstract 1. 1.|Prolactin and growth hormone were purified from rat anterior pituitaries. A single ammonium sulfate extraction of twenty pituitaries, followed by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gave prolactin and growth hormone of high potency. The yield obtained from 14.2 mg of extract protein was 0.85 mg prolactin and 1.36 mg growth hormone. The purified rat growth hormone was more active than standard National Institutes of Health bovine growth hormone at dose levels from 4 to 50 μg. In the prolactin fraction, growth hormone contamination was low and thyroid-stimulating hormone contamination less than 7·10 −6 unit/mg. The growth hormone fraction contained 0.17 unit/mg of prolactin and 6·10 −5 unit/mg of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 9.5 revealed one protein band for prolactin and one for growth hormone; at pH 4.5 a major and one or two minor bands were observed in each hormone preparation. Electrohoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels gave a molecular weight of 24 500 ± 500 for prolactin and 20 500 ± 500 for growth hormone.
The incorporation of choline analogues into the phomolipids of phormia regina

Abstract 1. 1.The metabolism of dimethylcholine and dimethylisopropylcholine, two compounds which permit growth and development of Phormia regina to the adult stage when fed in lieu of choline, has been integrated as well as the metabolism of dimethyl-n-propylcholine and dimethyt-n-butyrobetaine two compounds which permitonly larval growth under the same conditions. 2. 2. All four compounds evaporated into phospholipids, analogous to phosphatidyl choline, without further movement. 3. 3. The predominant water metabolite, in each case, is the phosphate monoester. Although CDPcholine can be injected when. choline is fed, the CDP derivatives of the above choline analogues. 4. 4. The effectiveness of choline analogues as choline substitutes has been compared by measuring their ability to come with choline as a precursor of phospholipids. Those analogues which permit superb growth and development when fed in lieu of choline are the most effective competitive phospholipid synthesis.
Fibroblast Growth Factor Enriches the Embryonic Liver Cultures for Hepatic Progenitors

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) play an important role in hepatic induction during development. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of exogenous FGFs on ex vivo liver development. We begin our analysis by examining FGF signaling during early mouse liver development. Phospho-FGF receptor (Tyr653/654) was detected in embryonic day 10 (E10) to E12 livers only. Next, E10 livers were cultured in the presence of FGF1, FGF4, or FGF8 for 72 hours and examined for histology, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. FGFs especially FGF8 promoted sheet-like architecture, cell proliferation, and survival as compared to the control. All FGFs induced a striking increase in the number of c-kit and α-fetoprotein-positive progenitors, without altering albumin staining. However these progenitors were CK-19-positive (biliary and bipotential progenitor marker) only in the presence of FGF1 or FGF4 and not FGF8. FGFs also induced β-catenin, a stem cell renewal factor in these cultures. In conclusion, the presence of activated FGFR indicates a physiological role of FGF during early liver development. FGF1 and FGF4 enrich the embryonic liver cultures for bipotential hepatic progenitors. FGF8 promotes such enrichment and induces a one-step differentiation toward a unipotential hepatocyte progenitor. Thus, FGFs might be useful for enrichment and propagation of developmental hepatic progenitors.
Sorption of Aromatic Organic Pollutants to Grasses from Water

The influence of plant lipids on the equilibrium sorption of three aromatic solutes from water was studied. The plant-water sorption isotherms of benzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and phenanthrene were measured over a large range of solute concentrations using sealed vessels containing water, dried plant material, and solute. The plant materials studied include the shoots of annual rye, tall fescue, red fescue, and spinach as well as the roots of annual rye. Seven out of eight sorption isotherms were linear with no evidence of competitive effects between the solutes. For a given plant type, the sorption coefficient increased with decreasing solute water solubility. For a given solute, sorption increased with increasing plant lipid content. The estimated lipid-water partition coefficients of individual solutes were found to be significantly greater than the corresponding octanol-water partition coefficients. This indicates that plant lipids are a more effective partition solvent than octanol for the studied aromatic compounds. As expected, the solute lipid-water partition coefficients were log-linearly related to the respective water solubilities. For the compounds studied, partitioning into the lipids is believed to be the primary sorption mechanism.
Genetic Determinants for Body Iron Store and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in US Men and Women

Background: High body iron store has been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D); it remains unknown whether the genetic variants related to body iron status affect T2D risk. We aimed at comprehensively investigating the associations between the genetic variants related to body iron status and the T2D risk. Methodology/Principal Findings Six common SNPs related to body iron status from recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies were determined in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; 1,467 diabetic cases and 1,754 controls) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; 1,124, diabetic cases and 1,298 controls). Plasma levels of ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and transferrin were measured in NHS. Significant associations were observed for loci in TPMRSS6 with sTfR (P = 3.47×10−6), TF with transferrin (P = 0.0002 to 1.72×10−10); and HFE with ferritin (P = 0.017 to 1.6×10−8), sTfR (P = 0.007 to 7.9×10−6), and transferrin (P = 0.006 to 0.0007). The six SNPs together explained 5.7%, 2.7%, and 13.3% of the variation in plasma levels of ferritin, sTfR, and transferrin. After adjustment for the conventional risk factors, the T allele of SNP rs855791 in the TPMRSS6 gene was significantly associated with a 19% decreased risk of T2D (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.66–0.98; P = 0.03) in men. Multiple tests attenuated this significant association to null. No associations were observed in women. SNPs at HFE and TF were not associated with diabetes risk in either sex. Dietary iron intake did not modify the associations of the newly identified loci with diabetes risk. Conclusions/Significance: The newly identified iron-related SNP rs855791 in TPMRSS6 was nominally associated with a decreased risk of T2D in men but not in women. The apparent differences by gender warrant further study.
Uniaxial Extensional Flow Behavior of a Glass Fiber-Filled Engineering Plastic

The extensional flow behavior of a Nylon 6 based engineering plastic filled with short glass fibers was characterized using a Meissner-type uniaxial extensional rheometer. The fiber orientation distributions of the resin samples at various Hencky strains were also determined by X-ray microradiography and image analysis techniques. The uniaxial extensional stress growth function was found to be intimately related to the orientation distribution function of the fibers.
A sensory evoked potential comparison of persons 'at risk' for Huntington's disease and hospitalized neurotic patients.

Abstract Scalp-recorded sensory evoked potentials (EPs) elicited by left and right median nerve stimulation (LSEP and RSEP), checkerboard pattern flash (VEP) and acoustic click (AEP) were obtained in 22 individuals ‘at risk’ (AR) for Huntington's disease and 22 hospitalized neurotic patients matched for age, gender and intelligence. EPs of AR subjects were generally similar to those of the neurotic comparison group, in terms of overall configuration; however, mean amplitudes were significantly lower for ARs. While the general amplitude reduction for ARs was seen in all three modalities, the somatosensory modality yielded the most abnormal findings.
Enumerations of Π10 Classes: Acceptability and Decidable Classes

A @P"1^0 class is an effectively closed set of reals. One way to view it is as the set of infinite paths through a computable tree. We consider the notion of acceptably equivalent numberings of @P"1^0 classes. We show that a permutation exists between any two acceptably equivalent numberings that preserves the computable content. Furthermore the most commonly used numberings of the @P"1^0 classes are acceptably equivalent. We also consider decidable @P"1^0 classes in enumerations. A decidable @P"1^0 class may be represented by a unique computable tree without dead ends, but we show that this tree may not show up in an enumeration of uniformly computable trees which gives rise to all @P"1^0 classes. In fact this is guaranteed to occur for some decidable @P"1^0 class. These results are motivated by structural questions concerning the upper semilattice of enumerations of @P"1^0 classes where notions such as acceptable equivalence arise.
Model-based segmentation for multidimensional biomedical image analysis

One of the initial steps in the analysis of 3-D/4-D images is Segmentation, which entails partitioning the images into relevant subsets such as object and background. In this paper, we present a multidimensional segmentation algorithm to extract object surfaces from Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. The algorithm is formulated in the framework of blackboard model and uses Mathematical Morphology. We propose the Generalized Morphological operators( which are used as Knowledge Sources) for segmentation in multidimensions. Apriori knowledge of the approximate location of the object surface is communicated to the algorithm via the definition of the Search Space. The algorithm uses this definition of the Search Space to obtain the Surface Candidate elements. The search space specification reduces the computational cost and increases the reliability of the detected features.
Thermal decomposition products of polyisobutylene

Polyisobutylene was decomposed at 325, 345, and 365°C under vacuum, and the volatile products were trapped by using liquid nitrogen. The products, C1–C24 hydrocarbons, were analyzed by gas chromatography. The formation of the main products is discussed on the basis of a free-radical mechanism. Intramolecular radical transfer can account for the production of most fragments including dimers, trimers, tetramers, and so on, of isobutylene.
The correlation of yield and specific gravity in the USDA potato breeding program

Every year potato (Solarium tuberosum L.) clones which remain in the USDA potato breeding program after six or more years of selection are entered into yield trials in Maine. Specific gravity and yield data were analyzed for six years (1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, and 1987) to determine the relationship between specific gravity and yield for populations of white and russet potatoes. In these trials, marketable yields of white-skinned potatoes were significantly greater than those of russet potatoes. Average specific gravity was significantly greater in the white than in the russet potatoes in three of the six years. A slight, but usually not significant, negative correlation of marketable yield with specific gravity was found for russet potatoes. A significant negative correlation of marketable yield with specific gravity was found in three of the six years for white potatoes. Regression analyses of marketable yield on specific gravity showed a great dispersion of values. Since only one or two advanced lines are potential variety releases, the present breeding approach is sufficient to continue to release potato varieties of acceptable yield and specific gravity.
A Comparison of the Effects of Logo and a CAI Learning Environment on Skills Acquisition

The present study investigated the impact of computer-based environments in enhancing a particular set of cognitive outcomes. Of specific focus was a comparison between a Logo and a more traditional CAI context in promoting one's ability to follow directions and construct directions in the process of solving problems. Forty-four fourth-grade students were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups. Subjects engaged in group discussions and hands-on computer activities over a five-week period. In the Logo group subjects essentially tested programming techniques in constructing a variety of structures. The CAI group worked with similar stimuli, but in a “program-directed” format. Results demonstrated higher posttest achievement in the Logo group's ability to formulate directions in different instances. However, the following direction performances were essentially the same for both groups. The study raises important theoretical issues regarding the role of specific types of features of computer-ba...
Acceptance of the roebling medal for 2009 of the mineralogical society of America

Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues and Friends: It is an honor, both humbling and delighting, to receive the Roebling Medal, and indeed to have it bestowed by Nancy Ross in her multiple roles as citationist, MSA President, my Ph.D. student at ASU, colleague, and friend. It is equally wonderful to be surrounded by colleagues and friends of many generations. I thank you all for your support, stimulation, and companionship. Rather than dwell on highlights of my career, I wish to consider our field, mineralogy, the study of inorganic natural products and their synthetic analogues. Guided by chemistry and physics and empowered by modern technology, mineralogy has evolved from descriptive to the edge of predictive. I entered the field just as plate tectonics, amidst much resistance, did, and I started my faculty career as man set foot on the Moon. I saw the ability to access conditions of the deep interior of planets grow from a dream to reality. Electron microprobes, …
Antiarrhythmic effect of lorcainide in patients taking digoxin.

To assess the antiarrhythmic effect of lorcainide and determine whether there is a pharmacokinetic interaction between lorcainide and digoxin, 12 patients with frequent premature ventricular depolarizations (PVDs) who were taking digoxin were treated with lorcainide. During a placebo period, serum digoxin concentration was measured for three days; plasma lorcainide concentration, a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), and a 24-hour continuous ECG were measured on the day before the patients began lorcainide and repeated on days 3, 7, and 14 of treatment. Lorcainide was given 100 mg bid or 100 mg tid. Lorcainide did not suppress group mean PVDs per hour, pairs, or ventricular tachycardia. Only four patients (33%) responded with greater than or equal to 80% suppression of PVDs. Mean ejection fraction for responders was 46 +/- 6%, and for nonresponders it was 28 +/- 9% (P less than .01). There was no significant pharmacokinetic interaction between lorcainide and digoxin. Mean digoxin concentration did not change after lorcainide administration; two patients had greater than or equal to 50% increase in serum digoxin concentration. Patients with heart failure or reduced ejection fraction define a subset who have unpredictable effects from lorcainide, including a reduced antiarrhythmic effect.
Effect of Supplementary Antioxidant Vitamin Intake on Carotid Arterial Wall Intima-Media Thickness in a Controlled Clinical Trial of Cholesterol Lowering

Background There is accumulating experimental, epidemiological, and clinical evidence of an association between antioxidant vitamin intake and reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Using data from the Cholesterol Lowering Atherosclerosis Study (CLAS), we explored the association of self-selected supplementary antioxidant vitamin intake on the rate of progression of early preintrusive atherosclerosis. Methods and Results CLAS was an arterial imaging trial in which nonsmoking 40- to 59-year-old men with previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery were randomized to colestipol/niacin plus diet or placebo plus diet. The rate of progression of early preintrusive atherosclerosis was determined in 146 subjects using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound quantification of the distal common carotid artery far wall intima-media thickness (IMT). From the nutritional supplement database, 22 subjects had an on-trial average supplementary vitamin E intake of ≥100 IU per day (high users) and 29 subjects had an average o...
An electronic-textile wearable communication board for individuals with autism engaged in horse therapy

Horse therapy is becoming an increasingly popular physical therapy activity for individuals with social, communication, or cognitive impairments as a means to help enhance social and interpersonal skills [1]. However, horse therapy and other very physically engaging therapies pose a challenge for those who rely on a communication board to communicate as the highly unstable nature of such activities impedes device operation. In such an instance, users are typically forced to abandon their communication board [2], rendering them unable to convey vital pieces of information throughout the duration of the physical therapy activity. This poster presents the Electronic-Textile (E-Textile) Wearable Communication Board - a device that was developed specifically to fill this void and support the communication needs of individuals with autism during horse therapy.
Analysis of intracellular distribution and binding of benzo[a]pyrene in human diploid fibroblasts☆

Abstract Previous work with low passage synchronized human foreskin fibroblast cell populations has indicated that benzo[a]pyrene (BP) can induce a carcinogenic event [3]. BP additionally has shown to damage DNA in logarithmically growing low passage cultures [9]. High passage cells, on the other hand, seem to be refractory to transformation by BP, even though this agent can induce DNA damage, similar to that seen in low passage cells. When low passage cells were treated with BP, the initial binding of the hydrocarbon was primarily to a cytoplasmic protein complex of molecular weight 12,500, while in high passage cells, a major portion of BP was bound to a protein complex of molecular weight 200,000. High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiles of ethyl acetate extractable fractions from the BP-cytoplasmic protein complexes of low and high passage cells demonstrated that the majority of the BP remained unmetabolized. When nuclei were isolated from low and high passage cells prior to the HPLC analysis, the major component (90%) was again unmetabolized BP. The results suggest selective attachment of BP to different cytoplasmic protein complexes of logarithmically growing human diploid fibroblast cells dependent on the passage level of the cells.
Pharmacoeconomic impact of non-compliance with statins.

There are numerous studies examining the pharmacoeconomic impact of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) therapy on healthcare costs and outcomes. A recently published review demonstrated that the cost-benefit of these agents depends primarily on the risk of developing a coronary event. That is, as the risk of a coronary event increases, the cost-effectiveness ratio decreases. The typical cost per life-year saved (LYS) ranged from $US1800 to $US40 000 in patients with pre-existing coronary artery disease (CAD) and from $US15 000 to >$US1 million per LYS in patients without pre-existing CAD.
Immunocytochemical localization of glutaminase-like and aspartate aminotransferase-like immunoreactivities in the rat and guinea pig hippocampus

Abstract There is considerable evidence that pathways of the hippocampus use an excitatory amino acids as transmitter. We have attempted to immunocytochemically identify excitatory amino acid neurons in the hippocampus of the rat and guinea pig using antiserum to glutaminase and antiserum to aspartate aminotransferase, which have been proposed as markers for aspartergic/glutamergic neurons. Glutaminase-like immunoreactivity was seen in granule cells in the dentate gyrus and fibers and puncta associated with the mossy fiber pathway in the hilus and stratum lucidum of the hippocampus. At the ultrastructural level, glutaminase-like immunoreactivity was observed in mossy fiber terminals in the stratum lucidum. Glutaminase-like immunoreactivity was also seen in pyramidal cells in regio inferior and regio superior and in cells in layer two of the entorhinal cortex. Schaffer collateral terminals, commissural fiber terminals and perforant pathway terminals were not seen at the light microscopic level. Glutaminase-like immunoreactivity is thus found in the cell bodies of proposed excitatory amino acid neurons of hippocampal pathways, but does not appear to label all terminals. Aspartate aminotransferase-like immunoreactivity was not seen in any cells, fibers or terminals in the rat or guinea pig hippocampus.
The Malagasy subject/topic as an a'-element

As in other Philippine-type languages, clauses in Malagasy contain a structurally and referentially prominent DP constituent, the trigger, whose grammatical function is indicated by voice morphology on the verb. The trigger shares functional properties with both subjects and topics in other languages. In the Principles and Parameters literature, most researchers identify the trigger as a structural subject, located in the position where nominative case is checked. In this paper, I present evidence that the trigger occupies an A′-position comparable to that of topics in verb-second languages such as Icelandic. I also consider some of the consequences of this analysis– I suggest that voice morphology in Malagasy, rather than marking relation-changing operations like passive, (indirectly) encodes the abstract case features of the A′-chain linked to the trigger, making it akin to wh-agreement in Chamorro. In addition, I argue for a non-traditional treatment of the well-known A′-extraction restrictions in Malagasy, usually captured by means of a language-specific constraint prohibiting extraction of non-subjects. Treating the trigger as a topic rather than a subject, I propose that wh-movement competes with topicalization for the same A′-position (as in verb-second languages), rendering the two operations mutually exclusive within a clause.
Vitamin C Retention of Potato Fries Blanched in Water

Vitamin C retention was determined microfluorometrically for French fries heated in water. Vitamin C retention for 1.3 cm (½ in.) water blanched French fries ranged from 83.2–54.1%. The French fry blanch times were 5, 10 and 15 min at 66°C, 77°C and 88°C. The apparent Ea was 4.0 Kcal/mole.
An episode of preterm labor is a risk factor for the birth of a small-for-gestational-age neonate

Objective Patients with an episode of preterm labor that subsides in response to tocolysis and who, subsequently, deliver at term are considered to have false preterm labor. However, the episode of "preterm labor" may represent the uterine response (ie, uterine contractions) to an insult not severe enough to trigger preterm parturition, but which may put the fetus at risk for additional pregnancy complications, including growth restriction. The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates among patients with an episode of increased uterine contractility who delivered at term and those who delivered preterm. Study Design This retrospective cohort study included 849 patients. Inclusion criteria were (1) regular uterine contractions that required hospitalization, (2) intact membranes, and (3) gestational age between 20 and 36 weeks. SGA was defined as a birth weight of U test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. A probability value of Results The prevalence of SGA neonates in the study population was 16.1% (124/772). Patients who delivered at term had a significantly higher frequency of SGA neonates than those who delivered preterm (21.5% [64/298] vs 12.7% [60/474]; P = .001); the results of placental pathologic evidence were available in 63.7% (492/772) of the patients. Patients who delivered at term had a higher frequency of fetal or maternal vascular lesions without histologic evidence of inflammation than those who delivered preterm (29.1 % [43/148] vs 18.9% [65/344]; P = .01). Term delivery after an episode of regular preterm uterine contractions was associated with an odds ratio of 2.22 (95% CI, 1.28-3.85) to deliver an SGA neonate after the statistics were controlled for confounding variables. A subanalysis limited to patients who received tocolysis showed similar results. Conclusion Patients with an episode of increased uterine contractility that subsided and who deliver at term are at risk for delivering an SGA neonate, which suggests that an episode of false preterm labor is not a benign condition. We propose that insults to the fetoplacental unit may be resolved by either irreversible preterm parturition or restriction of fetal growth.
National and regional analysis of exceptions to the pediatric end‐stage liver disease scoring system (2003–2004)

Since February 2002, the Pediatric End Stage Liver Disease (PELD) scoring system has been utilized as a means of prioritizing children for liver transplantation. The United Network for Organ Sharing database was queried to assess utilization of PELD in 2003 and 2004; 682 liver transplants were performed in pediatric recipients where the PELD score was potentially the primary determinant of liver allocation. In the majority of circumstances (53%) the actual calculated PELD score was not utilized to determine liver allocation. An exception to the PELD score was utilized in 24% of cases. An additional 29% of the children were listed as urgent (status 1) without having acute liver failure. There was considerable regional variability in the inability to utilize actual PELD scores for liver allocation to children. PELD utilization was higher in regions of the country where pediatric donor organs were more available, presumably because children have some priority for organs from pediatric donors. There were 87 deaths in children awaiting liver transplantation. The mean PELD score in children without acute liver failure or metabolic liver disease (n = 33) near the time of death was 24.2, which has a purported 3-month risk of mortality of less than 10%. In our opinion the assigned 3-month risk of mortality associated with PELD scores is understated. Three-month mortality risk is used to inter-convert the adult and pediatric scoring systems. Therefore exceptions to the scoring system are required when children compete with adults for donor organs. In conclusion, urgent reassessment of the PELD scoring system is needed to avoid morbidity and mortality in children. Liver Transpl 12:40–45, 2006. © 2005 AASLD.