cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of a cartilage‐like engineered biomass using a self‐aggregating suspension culture model: Molecular composition using FT‐IRIS

Maintenance of chondrocyte phenotype and robust expression and organization of macromolecular components with suitable cartilaginous properties is an ultimate goal in cartilage tissue engineering. We used a self-aggregating suspension culture (SASC) method to produce an engineered cartilage, "cartilage tissue analog" (CTA). With an objective of understanding the stability of phenotype of the CTA over long periods, we cultured chondrocytes up to 4 years and analyzed the matrix. Both early (eCTAs) (6 months) and aged (aCTAs) (4 years) showed type II collagen throughout with higher concentrations near the edge. Using Fourier transform-infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS), proteoglycan/collagen ratio of eCTA was 2.8 times greater than native cartilage at 1 week, but the ratio was balanced to native level (p = 0.017) by 36 weeks. Surprisingly, aCTAs maintained the hyaline characteristics, but there was evidence of calcification within the tissue with a distinct range of intensities. Mineral/matrix ratio of those aCTA with "intensive" calcification was significantly higher (p = 0.017) than the "partial," but when compared to native bone the ratio of "intensive" aCTAs was 2.4 times lower. In this study we utilized the imaging approach of FT-IRIS and have shown that a biomaterial formed is compositionally closely related to natural cartilage for long periods in culture. We show that this culture platform can maintain a CTA for extended periods of time (4 years) and under those conditions signs of mineralization can be found. This method of cartilage tissue engineering is a promising method to generate cartilaginous biomaterial and may have potential to be utilized in both cartilage and boney repairs.
Pairwise versus presence–absence approaches for analysing biodiversity patterns

It has been proposed that the study of co-occurrence of species, which is traditionally performed using full presence–absence matrices of sets of many species, could benefit from simply testing for random co-occurrence between pairs of species, and that use of a full presence–absence matrix is tantamount to regarding it as having some real ecological identity. Here I argue that although there are valid questions that can be answered using a pairwise approach, there are many others that naturally require the analysis of entire sets of species in a joint way, as provided for through the use of full presence–absence matrices. Moreover, there are theoretical and mathematical advantages to the use of presence–absence matrices, a few of which are briefly discussed in this short note.
Effects of basic pH on amino acid racemization and leaching in freshwater mollusk shell

Abstract Quantifying the variables that affect the rate of racemization is imperative for improving the reliability of amino acid geochronology. In this paper the influence of basic pH on amino acid racemization and leaching of aspartic acid (Asp), glutamic acid (Glu), serine (Ser), and alanine (Ala) in freshwater mollusk shell is addressed. Shell fragments of modern Margaritifera falcata were immersed in buffered solutions of pH 7, 8, 9, and 10, and heated at 110 °C for eight time intervals ranging from 1 to 160 d. In addition, a suite of samples was subjected to extensive bleaching to isolate the intra-crystalline fraction of amino acids following heating in the buffer solutions. A total of 376 shell samples and 132 buffer solutions were analyzed for Asp, Glu, Ser, and Ala D/L values and concentrations, for both the total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA) and the free amino acid (FAA) populations. The results show that D/L values increase with increasing pH. Shells heated in pH 7 solution yielded the lowest D/L values, followed by pH 8 and 9 with overlapping, intermediate D/L values, and shells heated in pH 10 solution showed the highest D/L values. The effect of pH differed for each amino acid. For example, for Asp, D/L values were 29% higher in shells heated in pH 10 solution compared with pH 7, and for Glu, D/L values were 134% higher. The production of FAA increased with pH, following the same pattern as the D/L values. The intra-crystalline fraction showed similar results to the unbleached samples, suggesting that the effect of solution pH permeated the carbonate crystals. Trends in the percentage of leached FAA and THAA amino acids proved useful in tracking which amino acids were leached fastest (FAA Ser) and the most abundantly (FAA Ser and FAA Ala). Because the pH of pore fluids within shell CaCO3 naturally stabilizes at pH 8, and because our data show little difference in the rate of racemization between pH 8 and 9, we suggest that pH has a significant influence on racemization in shells only where the pH of the pore fluid is >9.
Semi-Infinite Solid Model for Prediction of Temperature in Deep Reservoirs and Lakes

: A lake or reservoir, heated mainly through the air-water interface, is visualized as a solid which is bounded by the interface plane (x = 0) and extends to infinity in the positive x-direction. Analytical expressions give the surface temperature, the temperature profile (with depth) and the position of the thermocline as a function of time (Julian Day). Preliminary model results indicate that the general shape of the temperature profile and the position of the thermocline are influenced primarily by the air-water heat exchange and the time lapse since an isothermal condition existed in the water body.
Simple methods for simulating sociomatrices with given marginal totals

Abstract For many purposes it is useful to simulate sociomatrices from the distribution in which all sociomatrices with the given marginal totals are equally likely. Procedures for this exist in the literature, including an approach based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques. This paper discusses this approach (with a small modification of existing methods), and shows how to apply it to distributions in which all sociomatrices with other given totals (as well as the row and column totals) are equally likely. The methods are applied to some examples, and substantive interpretations of results are discussed.
Capillary electrophoresis chiral separations of basic compounds using cationic cyclodextrin

Chiral separations of basic enantiomers were carried out by using a cationic cyclodextrin (CD), quaternary ammonium beta-cyclodextrin (QA-beta-CD), under counter-electroosmotic flow (counter-EOF) conditions. The special characteristics of using a cationic CD to separate cationic enantiomers is that the EOF can be reversed and the analyte-CD complexation is reduced. This is especially useful for chiral separation of cationic compounds, which strongly bind with neutral and anionic CDs (such as tricyclic amine compounds). The reduction in the binding constants between the CD and the cationic enantiomers makes it easier to control the optimum CD concentration. The application of the cationic CD also eliminated the peak tailing problem caused by electrodispersion. The effect of pH and the concentration of QA-betaCD on chiral separation has been studied. At pH 3.02, no separation for any of the enantiomeric amines was observed. At pH 8.20, chiral separation of some tricyclic compounds was achieved at very high resolution due to the counter-EOF setup. At pH 11.6, most enantiomers were neutral and chiral separation of some bicyclic compounds can be obtained.
Shallow water surface gravity wave imaging, spectra and their use in shallow water dredging operations

Imaging of shallow waters using high resolution video imagery is described. Common to mono, stereo and trinocular imaging approaches from ground and airborne platforms is the need to validate the surface water wave field measurements, particularly the amplitude and specular reflectance of water surface small gravity waves. A technique for calibration and validation of water surface gravity wave field energy spectra is described. Results demonstrate the value of video imagery where water level staff gauges with approximately with 0.5 cm wave height accuracy are easily sensed using high definition videography. Essentially, a staff gauge placed in shallow water constructed from PVC materials with custom colored line coding are imaged at 30 H or high frame rates, followed by frame by frame analyses in order to detect the water level measured at 0.5 cm height intervals. The image based time series allow the development of shallow water gravity wave energy spectra using standard FFT analysis procedures. Spectral models based upon peak frequency, for example, are then used in a two dimensional water surface wave simulation model that generates radiative transfer based hyperspectral images of the water surface wave field. The simulated and observed water surface wave patch fields are compared by extracting vertical or horizontal transects within observed and simulated imagery. The approach allows one to developed spectral energy model probability distributions at low cost. The novel noncontact video sensing and image analysis methodology used to calibrate and validate shallow water gravity wave models yield a means for ultimately calculating bottom boundary velocities under measured or simulated wave fields. These boundary layer velocities can cause migration and horizontal particle fluxes (g cm -2 s -1 ), resuspension, settling, and increased turbidity during dredging operations, but not necessarily due to waterway dredging operations and activities.
A novel system for the incorporation of amino acids by extracts of E. coli B.

The incorporation of leucine into an acid insoluble product has been observed in an in vitro system obtained from E. coli. This system contains a particulate fraction, a soluble fraction and RNA. Only certain amino acids are fixed by this system, which is not inhibited by chloramphenicol or lecithinase A. Optimal incorporation requires ATP, Mg++, inorganic phosphate, and a sulfhydryl containing compound, and shows characteristics previously undescribed for the incorporation of amino acids.
On sampling bones for microcracks

This paper addresses the problem of designing experiments to measure microcrack density in cortical bone. Microcracks are relatively scarce in bone cross-sections, and their size requires microscope settings having small fields of view. Thus, substantial time is required to count cracks in each cross-section. Consequently, most studies evaluate a relatively small cross-sectional area from each specimen, the chance of finding a crack in any given field is small, and there is a significant chance of not finding even one crack in the specimens representing a particular subject. Therefore, a statistical model for microcrack counting was created to develop guidelines for sampling bones for microcracks. Three questions were addressed. 1) What are the relationships of sample size to variability in microcrack density results and the probability of crackless specimens? 2) How can sample size be chosen a priori so as to reduce the probability of crackless specimens and the associated variability in the data to an acceptable level? 3) What are the confidence intervals for the mean density of microcracks measured using microscopic counting? Using a Poisson model for the distribution of microcracks within microscope fields the total area (mm(2)) that should be examined for each specimen is given by A(s)=-ln(F)/Cr.Dn, where Cr.Dn is the expected microcrack density for an individual sample and F is the desired probability (expressed as a fraction) that the individual sample will contain no microcracks. This equation is validated against 8 results from three different experiments.
Couple dynamics of change-resistant smoking: toward a family consultation model.

Smoking is North America's leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. Although effective cessation treatments exist, their overall effect is modest, and they rarely reach the high-risk, health-compromised smokers who need them most. Surprisingly, despite evidence that marital relationship variables predict the success of cessation efforts, family systems ideas have had little impact on current intervention research. We review and critique the cessation literature from a systemic viewpoint, illustrate two couple-interaction patterns relevant to the maintenance of high-risk smoking, and outline a family-consultation (FAMCON) intervention for couples in which at least one partner continues to smoke despite having heart or lung disease. Taking into account ironic processes and symptom-system fit, FAMCON focuses on the immediate social context of smoking, aiming to interrupt well-intentioned “solutions” that ironically feed back to keep smoking going, and to help clients realign important relationships in ways not organized around tobacco usage. Currently in its pilot-testing phase, FAMCON is an adjunctive, complementary approach designed to include collaboration with primary-care physicians and to make smokers more amenable to other, evidence-based cessation strategies.
Open Pinned-Phase CCD Technology

A novel CCD technology, open pinned-phase (OPP) technology, is presented. Particular attention is given to the design and process features of an OPP-CCD that unite multi- and virtual-phase technologies. It is found that the OPP/CCD will produce a modest short-wavelength QE and excellent charge collection efficiency characteristics which are similar to those of the virtual-phase CCD. However, expensive processes related to thinning, backside accumulation, and packaging are not required in the present case.
The effect of general dietary deficiencies on the response of the prostate of the albino rat to testosterone propionate.

THIS study of prostatic growth in the albino rat subjected to various types of general dietary deficiencies was undertaken to attempt to demonstrate the effect or lack of effect of ingested food on the response of the prostate of castrate rats to subcutaneous testosterone propionate. Moore and Samuels (1931) pointed out that the atrophy of seminal vesicles and prostate which resulted from inanition was not due to a failure to respond to androgen but to a failure of androgen production. This has been confirmed by many workers. It has been shown that the injection of chorionic gonadotropin into intact starving rats results in the growth of the male accessories presumably through stimulating male hormone production (Mulinos and Pomerantz, 1941). Pazos and Huggins (1945) demonstrated the ability of completely starved dogs to secrete prostatic fluid under combined testosterone and pilocarpine stimulation and to undergo prostatic growth through testosterone administration under these conditions.
Mean free paths of very-low-energy electrons: The effects of exchange and correlation

The mean free paths of low-energy electrons in a free-electron-like material are calculated using a screened electron-electron interaction which is antisymmetrized for the case of parallel-spin electrons. Calculations are carried out for several different approximations of the screening function: Fermi-Thomas, Lindhard, Singwi, and Kukkonen-Overhauser. The first three yield mean free paths that agree to within 10%, while the Kukkonen-Overhauser screening yields mean free paths that are roughly half those given by the other approximations. The effect of the Pauli principal in all cases is that the scattering between antiparallel-spin electrons is roughly three to ten times stronger than between parallel-spin electrons.
Low-Speed Maneuvering Hydrodynamics of Fish and Small Underwater Vehicles

The low-speed maneuvering by fish and small underwater vehicles is considered. The focus is on fluid engineering rather than on biology. An attempt is made to learn from aquatic animals and apply the distilled knowledge to build maneuvering devices. The work is described in three parts. In the first, the morphology of twenty eight species of fish is considered. They are classified into three categories: low speed highly maneuverable, high speed poorly maneuverable, and an overlapping category, viz., high speed highly maneuverable. The qualitative relationship between the length scales of their fins and maneuvering ability is examined. Next, an obstacle-filled aquarium is built and the maneuvering trajectories of two species of fish that are fast yet maneuverable, are video-taped and digitized. Their performance are compared with those of small underwater vehicles. In this manner, the maneuvering “gap” between nature and engineering which appears to be large, is quantified. Finally, based on their length scales in species offish that are deft in maneuvering, a dorsal-fin based maneuvering device is built and its behavior is studied.
EQUIVALENCES BETWEEN PROBABILISTIC AND DETERMINISTIC SEQUENTIAL MACHINES

Abstract : The concept of probabilistic sequential machines (PSM), a generalization of Rabin's concept of probabilistic automata, is defined. Such diverse devices as unreliable digital computers, slot machines, and chemical cells are presented as examples of PSM. Using the examples as motivation, various kinds of equivalences between machines are discussed. The fundamental question of when a PSM is equivalent in some sense to a deterministic machine, perhaps with random devices attached to output states, is considered. Finally, various tests involving finitely many random variables are devised for each of the kinds of equivalences between PSM and for reduction, if possible, to deterministic machines. One of the tests is a further generalization of the Moore bound for deterministic machines than has previously appeared in the literature.
Modeling the dynamic interactions of agents in the provision of network infrastructure

Although next-generation information network infrastructure is prerequisite for continued economic growth, the United States is losing ground in important areas relative to peer countries. Businesses and regulators have grown concerned that the U.S. lacks the correct regulatory and business incentives to upgrade the existing network. Due to the complex and dynamic nature of the interdependencies in the ICT value network, traditional methods of public policy and management analysis have proven inadequate to fully understand the issues and possible solutions. This paper discusses a novel Genetic Programming (GP) approach to the problem. Although only a first step towards addressing the problem, the GP discovered several interesting results stemming from the complex interactions. For example, telecommunications companies would actually be hurt by the option to charge discriminatory prices but application providers would benefit.
Electronic discussion group moderators' experiences with flame messages and implications for the design of a multi-modal adaptive content-sensitive filtering tool

Flame messages pose a persistent and growing problem for discussion groups who rely on the Internet for their primary means of communication. Online communities maintaining public bulletin boards are especially susceptible to undesirable posts which can have a considerable effect on the membership and continuing discussion. Most such groups rely on a moderator or host to take appropriate action when flame messages appear. Filters applied to email headers have been partially successful identifying unwanted messages in electronic mailing lists. While message content provides a consistent determiner of what a message is about, not being able to predict the content of unwanted messages makes filtering on content difficult. The current study interviews list moderators to gain an understanding of current practices with respect to handling flame messages and their effect on continuing discussion. A filtering tool is proposed using a multi-modal filter technique and a prototype tested in the field. A panel of experts is used to evaluate the tool's interface.
Effect of Ischemia and Reoxygenation on Glycolytic Reactions and Adenosinetriphosphate in Heart Muscle

During a 15-minute period of myocardial ischemia, glycogen concentration fell. This decrease was roughly accounted for by increases in hexosemonophosphate and lactic acid. Fructose 1,6-diphosphate, dihydroxyace-tone-phosphate and pyruvate did not accumulate. The myocardial concentration of adenosinetriphosphate declined. Reperfusion of the ischemie heart with oxygenated blood was accompanied by inconstant changes in myocardial glycogen and by rapid lowering of hexosemonophosphate. The hexosemonophosphate decrease occurred even when the ischemie myocardium was perfused with a deoxygenated buffered salt solution and is attributed in part at least to lactic acid washout. Adeno-sinetriphosphate rose steadily when the heart was perfused with oxygenated blood containing 15 mmoles KCl to prevent cardiac activity. When KCl was not added, fibrillation and irregular contractions occurred within 1 to 2 minutes. In these instances, the rise in adenosinetriphosphate was irregular and inconstant.
Reaction of benzo[b]quinuclidine with electrophilic reagents

Bromination of benzo[b]quinuclidine yields its perbromide and a molecular complex with bromine, while nitration and chlorosulfonation form 7-nitro- and 7-chlorosulfobenzo[b]-quinuclidines. The results of electrophilic substitution attest to the absence in benzo[b]-quinuclidine of a mesomeric interaction between the free electron pair of nitrogen and the π electrons of the benzene ring.
Optical properties of aerosols—comparison of measurements with model calculations

Abstract Light scattering and absorption by a model aerosol is compared with measurements. The aerosol model is consistent with size distribution measurements by chemical species and with meteorological variables. External and internal mixtures of homogeneous, spherical particles at thermodynamic equilibrium are considered. Calculations with this physical model are contrasted with those of statistical models.
Cretaceous mammals of southern Utah. II. Marsupials and marsupial-like mammals from the Wahweap Formation (early Campanian)

The Wahweap Formation of southern Utah is probably early Campanian in age. Its mammalian fauna is generally similar to that of the Aquilan upper Milk River Formation, Alberta, but differs substanti...
Electron microscopic studies of the dentate gyrus of the rat. I. Normal structure with special reference to synaptic organization.

The fine structure of the dentate gyrus of the rat has been studied in glutaraldehyde perfused material. With the exception of the short axon association cells, the major components of each of the three layers of the gyrus have been identified, and a detailed account is given of the synaptic organization of the dentate granule cells. The granule cells have most of the features typical of small neurons and although they contain no large aggregates of granular endoplasmic reticular they exhibit a variety of cisternal specializations. In the granule cell layer numerous axo-somatic and axo-dendritic synapses have been observed, and on occasion a single presynaptic fiber has been seen to contact the soma of one cell and a proximal dendrite of another. In the inner part of the molecular layer the majority of synapses are upon the main dendritic shafts of the granule cells but many also contact short dendritic spines. In the outer two-thirds of this layer most presynaptic fibers end upon long dendritic spines some of which are characterized by a prominent projection from the subsynaptic surface into the presynaptic process. The unmyelinated axons of the granule cells establish many en passant contacts with dendrites and spines of CA4 pyramids before ending in large presynaptic bags which may contain a number of large agranular vesicles (up to 2,000 A in diameter) and vesicles with dense cores.
Primary care utilization and mental health diagnoses among adult patients requiring interpreters: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Patients requiring interpreters may utilize the health care system differently or more frequently than patients not requiring interpreters; those with mental health issues may be particularly difficult to diagnose.
Correlation of Relaxivity with Coordination Number in Six-, Seven-, and Eight-Coordinate Mn(II) Complexes of Pendant-Arm Cyclen Derivatives

The syntheses and characterization of several complexes of Mn(II) with cyclen derivatives having variable numbers of pendant N-acetic acid or N-acetamide arms are reported. X-ray crystallographic results are presented for Mn(DOTAM)Cl2·2H2O (monoclinic C2/c, a = 18.5798(15), b = 13.6006(11), c = 10.5800(8) A, β = 110.490(1)°, Z = 4), [Mn(DO3AM)][MnCl4]·EtOH (monoclinic P21/n, a = 8.366(8), b = 19.483(2), c = 16.3627(16) A, β = 99.254(2)°, Z = 4), and Mn(H2DOTA) (monoclinic C2/c, a = 16.374(3), b = 6.6559(13), c = 16.750(3) A, β = 98.381(3)°, Z = 4), which exhibit 8-, 7-, and 6-coordinate Mn(II), respectively. 1H relaxivity data in water at 20 MHz and 37 °C is presented and interpreted in terms of a mechanism involving transient binding of water in an associative intermediate. Relaxivity studies in mixed water/methanol solvents are consistent with this interpretation.
Biofeedback treatment of narcotic addiction: a double-blind study.

This is a report on the double-blind study on EMG biofeedback for 37 narcotic addicts in an outpatient methadone clinic. Patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (N = 24) receiving a contingent EMG biofeedback or a control group (N = 13) receiving non-contingent preaped “pseudo-biofeedback”. All patients were stabilized on a study dose of methadone and the mean daily amount did not differ between groups. All were experiencing a significant degree of anxiety at the time of evaluation. The evaluation consisted of the patient's self-report, which comprised the Beck Depression Inventory, anxiety checklist, withdrawal sickness rating, drug references, and the psychiatrist's rating of depression, namely the Hamilton Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and BPRS. In addition, an evaluation of progress was obtained from the patient and his counselor which included the current job or school status and brief ratings of drug use, psychiatric symptoms, social adjustment, and illegal activity. All patients had at least one urine sample analyzed weekly for illicit drug use. Evaluation was done at the beginning, and at the end of the treatment and at a follow-up one month later. Termination status was assessed only for subjects who completed the course of 15 biofeedback sessions (N = 19). Patients attended five sessions per week for thirty minutes just prior to receiving the methadone. Fifteen sessions were scheduled over a three-week period. The results indicated that the two study groups did not differ and there was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) on several variables for the total patient sample. All the psychiatric ratings of anxiety, depression, psychopathology were significantly reduced. In addition, self-rated craving for narcotics and self-rated anxiety were lower and there were fewer drug avoidance responses on the sentence completion test. But there were no meaningful differences in the two groups in improvement as reflected in the psychometric instruments.
The singular pencil of a linear dynamical system

Abstract Kronecker's theory of singular pencils ia applied to multivariable systems in state-space form. The minimal indices and divisors that characterize the theory are related to the system transfer-function matrix through a new canonical form. A new minimal realization procedure based on the infinite divisors of the pencil is given. The concept- of strictly equivalent pencils is used to provide an alternative solution to a model matching problem.
Reductive immobilization of uranium(VI) by amorphous iron sulfide.

Batch experiments were used to evaluate the reductive immobilization of hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) by synthesized, amorphous iron sulfide (FeS) in the anoxic environment. The tests were initiated by spiking 168.0 μM U(VI) to 0.18 g/L FeS suspensions under a CO2-free condition with pH varied from 5.99 to 10.17. The immobilization rate of U(VI) was determined by monitoring the changes of aqueous U(VI) concentration, and the reduction rate of U(VI) associated with FeS was determined by the difference between the total spiked U(VI) and the extractable amount of U(VI) by 25 mM NaHCO3 solution. The results showed that a rapid removal of U(VI) from the aqueous phase occurred within 1 h under all pH conditions accompanied by a simultaneous release of Fe(II), whereas the reduction of U(VI) associated with FeS took hours to over a week for completion. The reduction rate was greatly increased with decreasing pH within the examined pH range. Product analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the formation of...
Theory for the XPS of Actinides

Two aspects of the electronic structure of actinide oxides that significantly affect the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra are described; these aspects are also important for the materials properties of the oxides. The two aspects considered are: (1) The spin–orbit coupling of the open 5f shell electrons in actinide cations and how this coupling affects the electronic structure. And, (2) the covalent character of the metal oxygen interaction in actinide compounds. Because of this covalent character, there are strong departures from the nominal oxidation states that are significantly larger in core–hole states than in the ground state. The consequences of this covalent character for the XPS are examined. A proper understanding of the way in which they influence the XPS makes it possible to use the XPS to correctly characterize the electronic structure of the oxides.
Effects of brain piqure on the first and second ovipositions of the hen's 2-egg sequence.

SummaryPiqure of the hen's brain evoked premature lay of the C1 and Ct eggs of a 2-egg sequence during restricted periods which stood in the same relationship to each other as the periods of normal lay for the respective eggs. Ct lay was advanced by piqure of any of several brain sites, but C1 lay was advanced only by piqure of the pre-optic brain. The frequency of premature lay in relation to time of preoptic piqure differed markedly for the two eggs.
Parametrically excited non-linear multidegree-of-freedom systems with repeated natural frequencies

Abstract A method for analyzing multidegree-of-freedom systems having a repeated natural frequency subjected to a parametric excitation is presented. Attention is given to the ordering of the various terms (linear and non-linear) in the governing equations. The analysis is based on the method of multiple scales. As a numerical example involving a parametric resonance, panel flutter is discussed in detail in order to illustrate the type of results one can expect to obtain with this analysis. Some of the analytical results are verified by a numerical integration of the governing equations.
In situ replacement of vascular prostheses infected by bacterial biofilms.

Abstract Late prosthetic graft infections are commonly the result of coagulase-negative staphylococci that survive within a biofilm on prosthetic surfaces and provoke perigraft inflammation. The indolent nature and microbiologic characteristics of bacterial biofilm infections coupled with the morbidity of graft excision and extraanatomic bypass grafting prompted us to use in situ graft replacement in 15 patients admitted to the hospital with 17 infected graft segments at a mean (±SEM) time interval of 70 ± 16 months after graft implantation ( n = 6) or revision ( n = 9). Since 1986, 17 grafts (14 aortofemoral, 2 axillofemoral, and 1 femoropopliteal) infected by bacterial biofilms have been treated. Signs on admission included femoral pseudoaneurysm ( n = 7), perigraft abscess ( n = 6), or graft-cutaneous sinus tract ( n = 4). No patient exhibited septicemia. At operation graft incorporation was absent and Gram's stain of perigraft exudate showed polymorphonu-clear leukocytes but no bacteria. Culture of explanted graft material isolated coagulase-negative staphylococci ( n = 12), Staphylococcus aureus ( n = 1), and no growth ( n = 2). All patients were successfully treated by a regimen that included parenteral antibiotics, removal of involved graft material, excision of inflamed perigraft tissue, and in situ replacement with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene prosthesis. No deaths, graft thromboses, or deep wound infections occurred after operation. Recurrent graft infection did not develop during a follow-up interval that ranged from 5 to 50 months (mean, 21 months). Diagnosis of vascular prosthesis infection caused by bacterial biofilms can be based on signs at admission and operative findings. Complications of this perigraft infection can be eradicated by antibiotic administration, local debridement, and in situ graft replacement. (J VASC SURG 1991;13:575-83.)
Clonidine Utilization Trends for Medicaid Children

Objective. To characterize clonidine utilization trends among children. Design/Methods. Serial cross-sectional analysis of Michigan Medicaid claims data for children aged 6 to 18 years. The authors identified children with ≥1 clonidine prescription; the authors examined their ICD-9 diagnoses categorized as simple and complex attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), non-ADHD mental health disorder, hypertension, or others. Also identified were child demographics and prescribing physician specialty. Results. From 2003 to 2008, the proportion of children receiving clonidine prescription nearly doubled in all demographics. Across years, the majority of clonidine prescription was for simple and complex ADHD and other mental health disorders. Leading prescribers were psychiatrists followed by general pediatricians and adult primary care physicians. Conclusions. Clonidine was used extensively to treat simple and complex ADHD in children although FDA approval for this indication did not occur until 2010. ...
Maintenance of Very Long Telomeres by Recombination in the Kluyveromyces lactis stn1-M1 Mutant Involves Extreme Telomeric Turnover, Telomeric Circles, and Concerted Telomeric Amplification

Some cancers utilize the recombination-dependent process of alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) to maintain long heterogeneous telomeres. Here, we studied the recombinational telomere elongation (RTE) of the Kluyveromyces lactis stn1-M1 mutant. We found that the total amount of the abundant telomeric DNA in stn1-M1 cells is subject to rapid variation and that it is likely to be primarily extrachromosomal. Rad50 and Rad51, known to be required for different RTE pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were not essential for the production of either long telomeres or telomeric circles in stn1-M1 cells. Circles of DNA containing telomeric repeats (t-circles) either present at the point of establishment of long telomeres or introduced later into stn1-M1 cells each led to the formation of long tandem arrays of the t-circle's sequence, which were incorporated at multiple telomeres. These tandem arrays were extraordinarily unstable and showed evidence of repeated rounds of concerted amplification. Our results suggest that the maintenance of telomeres in the stn1-M1 mutant involves extreme turnover of telomeric sequences from processes including both large deletions and the copying of t-circles.
Corruption in the Context of Moral Trade-offs

Moral psychology has begun to characterize the circumstances that lead people to commit moral violations. However, the decision to engage in corrupt behaviour may not always reflect a choice betwee...
Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Microvalve Based on Magnetic Nanoheaters for Microfluidics

A novel magneto-active gel based nanomaterial system is presented as an externally tunable flow controller inside a microfluidic channel using the thermoresponsive property of the structure. Integration of ferromagnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) in the temperature sensitive polymer-poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) provides the swelling and de-swelling behavior of magnetic stimuli controlled micro-component by generating the heat due to the hysteresis loss of Fe3o4 under exposure in an alternating magnetic field. The shrinkage rates of the nanomaterial system at the bulk and micro scale are investigated. Size dependent shrinkage rate and actuation efficiency are ideal for various applications like magnetic micro/nano pump, magnetic field controlled drug delivery devices and magnetic switch applications.
Graceful insertion and removal approaches for FDDI-II

A mechanism is required which prevents the initiation of the claim process and maintains a constant ring latency during the insertion and removal of stations into the ring. Such a mechanism, graceful insertion and removal, is described. The mechanism is designed to support the graceful insertion and removal of stations into the M-ports of concentrators and requires no hardware modification of the endstations. >
Peripheral CD4+ Lymphocytes Derived from Fetal versus Adult Thymic Precursors Differ Phenotypically and Functionally

There is growing evidence that the differentiation processes in the fetal and adult thymus are not identical. However, there is little information on whether these developmental differences influence the properties of mature cells that exit the thymus and seed peripheral lymphoid organs. We have addressed this issue by comparing the development of Ag-specific Th1/Th2 function by fetal vs adult thymic derived CD4 + cells in the same adoptive adult hosts. Host mice were irradiated and transplanted with 14- to 15-day fetal thymic lobes from Thy-1 congenic mice. Ag (keyhole limpet hemocyanin)-specific Th1/Th2 responses of fetal-derived (donor) or adult-derived (host) CD4 + cells were analyzed by ELISA following primary or secondary immunization. Fetal-derived cells produced up to 10-fold more of both Th1 (IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4) cytokines than did adult-derived cells. Comparisons of the IL-4:IFN-γ ratios showed that the responses of fetal-derived cells were Th2-skewed in an Ag dose-dependent manner. At low doses of Ag, the fetal-derived ratio was ∼5 times higher than the adult-derived ratio. As the Ag dose was increased, the differences between the ratios of the fetal- and adult-derived responses were minimized. These relative responses were established initially during the primary effector phase but were maintained for weeks, into the memory phase of the immune response. Importantly, fetal-derived CD4 + cells showed these properties whether the fetal thymic precursors matured within the fetal or adult thymic microenvironment. These results demonstrate that cells arising from fetal thymic precursors are functionally different both qualitatively and quantitatively from adult-derived cells.
Kinematic Wave Model of Urban Pavement Rainfall-Runoff Subject to Traffic Loadings

Rainfall-runoff quantity and quality relationships are impacted by both the built environment in particular “impervious” paved surfaces and anthropogenic activities such as traffic. Through the capture, analysis, and modeling of eleven discrete rainfall-runoff events, the impacts of the paved urban surface and traffic were examined with respect to the temporal delivery of storm water runoff quantity. A kinematic wave model accurately captured the significant aspects of typical urban runoff events such as time to peak, total volume of flow and peak discharge from a 300-m² paved surface subject to traffic. Abstractions associated with traffic, represented as the volume-based runoff coefficient, were estimated based on the relationship between runoff and vehicular traffic. It was found that for high intensity storms, with less than 10 vehicles/L of runoff volume (VRV), the runoff coefficient asymptotically approached a maximum value between 0.6 and 0.9. For low intensity storms, with more than 10 vehicles/L (as VRV), the runoff coefficient asymptotically approached a lower maximum value between 0.2 and 0.4. The kinematic wave theory also gave predictions of the time of concentration that were more accurate than other, more common methods currently in use including those by the FAA and the Soil Conservation Service. Prediction of the rainfall-runoff process impacted by the built environment and traffic permits determination of urban pavement hydrographs to determine the unsteady loadings of in situ treatment strategies under a variety of storm conditions. Such unsteady loadings are necessary inputs for selection, design and analyses of in situ storm water unit operations and processes that are developing for the control of both urban runoff quantity and quality.
Magnetic fusion interest in negative ions

The magnetic fusion program plan is reviewed. The participation of negative ion community in the magnetic fusion energy research is explored. (AIP)
Parathyroid lipoadenomas: a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism.

ABSTRACT Objective To review one institution’s experience with parathyroid lipoadenomas and to report the associated clinical characteristics. Methods We present a case series of parathyroid lipoadenomas. A parathyroid lipoadenoma was defined as a single adenoma with more than 50% fat on histologic examination in conjunction with primary hyperparathyroidism and resolution of hypercalcemia postoperatively. Patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria were identified from the surgical pathology files of the Mayo Clinic. Results Five cases of parathyroid lipoadenomas, including 1 oxyphil lipoadenoma, were identified during the period from 1971 to 2001. The clinical picture of the study subjects resembled that of a typical patient with primary hyperparathyroidism. Parathyroid lipoadenomas were identified in 3 women (60%) and 2 men (40%), and only 1 patient presented with possible hypercalcemia-related symptoms of nephrolithiasis and hip fracture, leading to diagnosis. The mean serum calcium concentration was 11.1 mg/dL. Preoperatively, all study subjects had elevation of serum parathyroid hormone levels. Two of 3 patients (67%) had the tumor identified preoperatively by neck ultrasonography. Conclusion A parathyroid lipoadenoma is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. The clinical features of this pathologic entity are similar to those of the more common pathologic variants of parathyroid disease associated with primary hyperparathyroidism. (Endocr Pract. 2006;12:131-136)
Optimality Of Phase-Only Filters

We introduce the notion of the Optimal Phase-Only Filters (OPOF) which yield higher Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNR) compared to the conventional phase-only filters. We illustrate this improvement in SNR resulting from the use of OPOF's with the help of simulation results.
Sugar Transport and Metal Binding in Yeast.

The uptake of sugars by yeast can be separated into two classes. The first involves the uptake of sorbose or galactose by starved cells, and the uptake of glucose by iodoacetate-poisoned cells. These uptakes do not involve any changes in Ni++- or Co++-binding by the cell surface, are not inhibited by Ni++, are inhibited by UO2++ in relatively high concentrations, are characterized by high Michaelis constants and low maximal rates and by a final equilibrium distribution of the sugars. The second involves the uptake of glucose in unpoisoned cells and galactose in induced cells. These uptakes are characterized by a reduction of Ni++- and Co++-binding, by a partial inhibition by Ni++, by an inhibition with UO2++ in relatively low concentrations, and by a low Km and a high Vm. In the case of galactose in induced cells, previous studies demonstrate that the sugar is accumulated against a concentration gradient. It is suggested that the first class of uptakes involves a "facilitated diffusion" via a relatively non-specific carrier system, but the second represents an "uphill" transport involving the highly specific carriers, and phosphoryl groups (cation-binding sites) of the outer surface of the cell membrane.
Acute Kidney Injury Episodes and Chronic Kidney Disease Risk in Diabetes Mellitus

Summary Background and objectives Prior studies have examined long-term outcomes of a single acute kidney injury (AKI) event in hospitalized patients. We examined the effects of AKI episodes during multiple hospitalizations on the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a cohort with diabetes mellitus (DM). Design, setting, participants, & measurements A total of 4082 diabetics were followed from January 1999 until December 2008. The primary outcome was reaching stage 4 CKD (GFR of 0.3 mg/dl or a 1.5-fold increase in creatinine relative to admission. Cox survival models examined the effect of first AKI episode and up to three episodes as time-dependent covariates, on the risk of stage 4 CKD. Covariates included demographic variables, baseline creatinine, and diagnoses of comorbidities including proteinuria. Results Of the 3679 patients who met eligibility criteria (mean age = 61.7 years [SD, 11.2]; mean baseline creatinine = 1.10 mg/dl [SD, 0.3]), 1822 required at least one hospitalization during the time under observation (mean = 61.2 months [SD, 25]). Five hundred thirty of 1822 patients experienced one AKI episode; 157 of 530 experienced ≥2 AKI episodes. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, any AKI versus no AKI was a risk factor for stage 4 CKD (hazard ratio [HR], 3.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.76, 4.61); each AKI episode doubled that risk (HR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.78, 2.30). Conclusions AKI episodes are associated with a cumulative risk for developing advanced CKD in diabetes mellitus, independent of other major risk factors of progression.
In Vivo Resistance of a Laboratory-Selected Aspergillus fumigatus Isolate to Amphotericin B

The fungal burdens (number of CFU per pair of lungs) in mice infected with Aspergillus fumigatus AB16.4 (for which the amphotericin B [AMB] MIC was elevated) and W73355 (drug-susceptible parent) were reduced by 21 and 81%, respectively, after 5 days of AMB treatment (2 mg/kg/day), indicating that AB16.4 also shows reduced susceptibility to AMB in a murine pulmonary aspergillosis model.