cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Afferent projections of the trigeminal nerve in the goldfish, Carassius auratus.

The horseradish peroxidase (HRP) histochemical technique was used to examine the peripheral distribution and afferent projections of the trigeminal nerve in the goldfish, Carassius auratus. Sensory fibers of the trigeminal nerve distribute over the head via four branches. The ophthalmic branch distributes fibers to the region above the eye and naris. The maxillary and mandibular branches innervate the regions of the upper and lower lip, respectively. A fourth branch of the trigeminal nerve was demonstrated to be present in the hyomandibular trunk. Upon entering the medulla the trigeminal afferent fibers divide into a rostro- medially directed bundle and a caudally directed bundle. The rostromedially directed bundle terminates in the sensory trigeminal nucleus (STN) located within the rostral medulla. The majority of fibers turn caudally, forming the descending trigeminal tract. Fibers of the descending trigeminal tract termi- nate within three medullary nuclei: the nucleus of the descending trigeminal tract (NDTV), the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Spv), and the medial funicular nucleus (MFn). All projections, except for those to the MFn, are ipsilateral. Contralateral projections were observed at the level of the MFn following the labeling of the ophthalmic and maxillomandibular branches. All branches of the trigeminal nerve project to all four of the trigeminal medullary nuclei. Projections to the STN and MFn were found to be topographically organized such that the afferents of the ophthalmic branch project onto the ventral portion of these nuclei, while the afferents of the maxillo- and hyomandibular branches project to the dorsal portion of these nuclei. Cells of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus were retrogradely labeled following HRP application to the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve. In addition to demonstrating the ascending mesencephalic trigeminal root fibers, HRP application to the above-mentioned branches also revealed descending mesencephalic trigeminal fibers. The de- scending mesencephalic trigeminal fibers course caudally medial to the bran- chiomeric motor column and terminate in the ventromedial portion of the MFn.
Gap junctional structure in intact and cut sheep cardiac Purkinje fibers: A freeze-fracture study of Ca2+-induced resealing

Sheep cardiac Purkinje fibers were cut in solutions of high (1.8 × 10 −3 M ) or low ( −7 M ) ionized Ca 2+ concentrations ([Ca 2+ ]), and gap junctional replicas (obtained from within 50 μ m of the cut) were prepared after glutaraldehyde fixation or quick-freezing. Within 2+ ] solution, gap junctions showed three changes not found in junctions cut in identical solutions containing glutaraldehyde: (1) dispersal of P-face particles and E-face pits, (2) rightward shift of distribution of P-face particle diameters to a new unimodal distribution with a significantly larger mean, and (3) leftward shift of distribution of P-face particle center-to-center spacings. These three changes were not reversed by subsequent exposure to low [Ca 2+ ]-EGTA solution. After cutting in low [Ca 2+ ] solutions, distributions of P-face particle diameters and center-to-center distances were both progressively shifted leftward toward significantly lower mean values.
Localization of winding shorts using fuzzified neural networks

Shorted turns in field winding of large turbogenerators are difficult to detect and localize. We propose a technique whereby shorts are detected and localized using an artificial neural network with a fuzzified output. The method is based on injecting two simultaneous and identical waveform signals at both ends of the field winding. Selected features of the received signals are used to train the neural network. Once trained, the neural network can detect and localize short turns in the field winding. The proposed method is verified by a field test on 60 MVA turbogenerator. The results show that the proposed method is quite accurate and efficient. >
Management of recurrent coarctation of the aorta: a new experimental technique.

Abstract A new technique is described for the management of recurrent coarctation of the aorta. It involves enlarging the narrowed segment by an onlay patch sutured to the adventitia and outer media of the aortic wall. The procedure was used in 6 mongrel dogs with preexisting surgically created coarctation. Aortic cross-clamping time ranged between 7.5 and 11 minutes (mean, 8.8 ± 1.3 minutes). There were no operative deaths or complications. Gross and microscopic examination of the aorta 6 to 12 months (mean, 9 ± 2.2 months) postoperatively revealed a 290 to 380% (mean, 350 ± 30%) increase in the diameter of the repaired area and no evidence of thrombosis or pseu-doaneurysm formation. The need for minimal dissection and the brief period of aortic cross-clamping make this approach an attractive alternative in the surgical treatment of patients with difficult cases of recoarctation.
Microscopic spatial correlations induced by external noise in a reaction-diffusion system

Abstract The reversible single species reaction scheme X ↔ 2X has long served as an example of a system with nonlinear macroscopic dynamics. In recent years a microscopic version of this interacting particle system, namely the diffusion-controlled limit, has been solved exactly in one spatial dimension. The effects of internal fluctuations, correlations arising in nonequilibrium situations, and external noise can all be studied in this model diffusion-reaction system without approximation. Here we review some recent results, focusing on an exact treatment of the effect of spatially homogeneous temporal fluctuations in the growth rate of the process (the rate for the X → 2X process). We find that the nonequilibrium steady state possesses new microscopic length scales resulting from the nonequilibrium constraints, demonstrating that spatially homogeneous external noise can introduce spatial correlations.
Discovery and Characterization of Waitea circinata var. circinata Affecting Annual Bluegrass from the Western United States

ABSTRACT Waitea circinata var. circinata was identified as the causal agent of a new disease of annual bluegrass (Poa annua) in the United States. This pathogen is also known to cause brown ring patch on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) in Japan, but it had not been reported on any turf species outside of Japan. Symptoms on annual bluegrass caused by this fungus included regular to irregular yellow rings several centimeters to 1 m in diameter, typically at maximum daytime temperatures of 15 to 35°C. A total of 26 isolates were collected from diseased annual bluegrass. Twenty-two of these isolates were multinucleate, grew optimally at 25 to 30°C, and in culture formed irregular sclerotia approximately 2 to 5 mm in size that were white to orange and remained orange or turned brown to dark brown over a 28-day period. The remaining four isolates were characterized as being W. circinata var. zeae (Rhizoctonia zeae), which is a known pathogen of annual bluegrass in the United States. Sequence analysis ...
Thermoregulatory physiologic responses in the human body exposed to microwave radiation

By introduction of an additional compartment in the hypothalamic region Stolwijk's thermoregulatory model has been modified to consider partial heating due to hot spots induced by microwaves. It was found that because of thermoregulatory action, the temperature of the hypothalamus will not increase drastically until the rate of energy deposition exceeds the threshold level of about 50 mW/g. The primary controlling mechanisms are blood flow and sweating. For an energy deposition rate of 10 mW/g in the hypothalamus the increase in blood flow in the skin is negligible and the temperature rise of the hypothalamus as compared with blood temperature is about 0.5/sup 0/C. It was found that exposure of the head to electromagnetic radiation, in general, causes a decrease in temperature of the trunk and skin. The results show that while the deposition of energy in the hypothalamus at the rate of 10 mW/g produced significant conductive and convective effects, the same total energy uniformly distributed over the cranial cavity produces less significant effects.
A framework for low-communication 1-D FFT

In high-performance computing on distributed-memory systems, communication often represents a significant part of the overall execution time. The relative cost of communication will certainly continue to rise as compute-density growth follows the current technology and industry trends. Design of lower-communication alternatives to fundamental computational algorithms has become an important field of research. For distributed 1-D FFT, communication cost has hitherto remained high as all industry-standard implementations perform three all-to-all internode data exchanges (also called global transposes). These communication steps indeed dominate execution time. In this paper, we present a mathematical framework from which many single-all-to-all and easy-to-implement 1-D FFT algorithms can be derived. For large-scale problems, our implementation can be twice as fast as leading FFT libraries on state-of-the-art computer clusters. Moreover, our framework allows tradeoff between accuracy and performance, further boosting performance if reduced accuracy is acceptable.
Liturgical chant bibliography

The critical study of medieval chant, which began in the mid-nineteenth century, is one of the oldest of the disciplines that coalesced into modern musicology. It is also one of the most international, for liturgical chant traditions represent the earliest preserved musical heritage of a great many different countries that are heirs to the medieval Latin and Byzantine worlds and their satellite cultures, ranging from Finland to Ethiopia, from Iceland all the way to southern India. In more recent times the knowledge of these traditions, particularly Gregorian and Byzantine chant, has spread to every continent as Western religious, musical, and educational traditions have been introduced throughout the world. Chant studies, therefore, are being pursued all over the globe, by hundreds of scholars writing in dozens of languages and utilizing countless different approaches – scholars who also desire the benefits of being in better contact with each other. It is to help keep track of these many independent scholarly efforts that the Liturgical Chant Bibliography is being published here, as the successor to the Liturgical Chant Newsletter. Future instalments will appear each year in the second issue of Plainsong & Medieval Music. All chant publications likely to be of interest to scholars are eligible for inclusion, provided (1) they have actually been published and (2) I have been able to see a copy, or have at least received complete bibliographical information (including author, title, publisher, date, page numbers).
RO-PRO desalination: An integrated low-energy approach to seawater desalination

Abstract Although reverse osmosis (RO) is currently the most energy efficient desalination technology, it still requires a great deal of energy to create the high pressures necessary to desalinate seawater. An opposite process of RO, called pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), utilizes the salinity gradient between a relatively fresh impaired water source and seawater to produce pressure and hence, energy. In this paper, PRO is evaluated in conjunction with RO, in a system called RO-PRO desalination, to reduce the energy requirement of seawater RO desalination. RO-PRO specific energy consumption was modeled using RO conditions at the thermodynamic restriction and a newly developed module-based PRO model. Using a well-characterized cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane, the minimum net specific energy consumption of the system was found to be approximately 40% lower than state-of-the-art seawater RO. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the effects of membrane characteristics on the specific energy production of the PRO process in the RO-PRO system. The sensitivity analysis showed that the minimum specific energy consumption using virtual membranes is approximately 1.0 kW h per m3 of RO permeate at 50% RO recovery and that a maximum power density of approximately 10 W/m2 could be achieved.
Effect of age on the attachment rate of the parasitic stages of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus) (Acarina: Ixodidae), in the laboratory.

Various age groups of the 3 parasitic stages of the lone star tick, AMBLYOMMA AMERICANUM (L.), were placed in feeding chambers on guinea pigs and their respective attachment rates determined. With larvae, 2–31% attached at 1–3 days posteclosion, and at 4–7 days posteclosion, 68–74% attached. With nymphs, only 20% and 55% attached at 1 and 2 days, respectively, after molting, but 68–88% attached from 3 to 7 days after molting. With adults, there was little difference in attachment rate between the sexes. Attachment rate increased from 1 to 3% at 1 day after molting to >70% at 8–9 days after molting.
VIIRS polarization sensitivity testing and analysis

A requirement for the Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is that its polarization sensitivity be 3% or less for all VISNIR bands (412-865 nm). A test using a rotating polarizer sheet was performed on the sensor to validate this requirement, and though the test results show that the requirement is met, they also show a large variation in this polarization sensitivity (as much as 2%) across the field of view (FOV) in track. Though this result is unexpected, it may be the result of natural variations in the diattenuation and retardance of the VIIRS optics as a function of field angle. To test this theory, a raytracing model of the system was constructed using measured ellipsometric data from the VIIRS optics, and the polarization sensitivity of the model was computed. Using the nominal ellipsometric data, good correlation between the predicted and measured polarization sensitivity was not achieved. However, by applying small variations to the ellipsometric data as a function of position on the optics, it was possible to achieve good correlation. This paper gives the details of the sensor polarization sensitivity measurements, ellipsometric measurements, and raytracing analysis.
Selection of the best in 2×2 factorial designs

Selection of the cell in a 2×2 -factorial design with the greatest mean is considered. A general class of ranking and selection procedures (RSP) is constructed to include methods based on the largest marginal cell means (SP1) or on the largest cell mean (SP3). Using the preference zone approach the minimum probability of a correct solution is found, In this paper a RSP which maximizes the minimum probability of a correct solution over the preference zone is found. In this way selection of the cell with the greatest observed mean is proven to be admissible.
Coping strategies of older women with hip fractures: resources and outcomes.

This study examined the strategies used by 101 older women, aged 65 to 94, to cope with their hip fractures. During an interview, the women described their health, income, ability to perform tasks of daily living, cognitive functioning, locus of control, levels of depression, informal network, and use of coping strategies. Results indicate that the women used a variety of different coping strategies, with "seeking social support" being the most frequent. A strong belief in external control was the only resource predictive of the coping strategies employed. The use of several emotional-focused strategies was associated with poorer functional recovery. Language: en
Bilateral Concordance of the Fundus Hyperautofluorescent Ring in Typical Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients

AbstractBackground: It has long been assumed that in retinitis pigmentosa, disease presentation and progression are symmetrical. This study investigated whether hyperautofluorescent ring size, one known marker of disease progression, is symmetrical in typical RP patients.Materials and Methods: A total of 88 patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa were enrolled in the study. Each presented with a hyperautofluorescent ring when imaged at baseline with fundus autofluorescence (AF). Vertical and horizontal diameters were analyzed according to mode of inheritance and age group. Seven of 88 patients had data missing in one eye and were excluded from further analysis.Results: There was no significant relationship between hyperautofluorescent ring diameter and inheritance mode. There was a tendency toward smaller ring size with age and 3.7% of subjects displayed marked asymmetry in ring size between right and left eyes, although their electroretinogram results did not differ. Overall, when patients were consid...
Photoreceptor Signaling: Supporting Vision across a Wide Range of Light Intensities

For decades, photoreceptors have been an outstanding model system for elucidating basic principles in sensory transduction and biochemistry and for understanding many facets of neuronal cell biology. In recent years, new knowledge of the kinetics of signaling and the large-scale movements of proteins underlying signaling has led to a deeper appreciation of the photoreceptor's unique challenge in mediating the first steps in vision over a wide range of light intensities.
Retailer-Supplier Matching: An Application of the Deferred Acceptance Algorithm

In this paper, we apply matching theory to supply chain coordination. We present mathematical optimisation models similar to the newsvendor problem to provide appropriate conditions for retailer-supplier matching. In particular, our matching algorithm, compared to the general matching theory, has uniquely been affected by contract sizes and ordering sequences. We also study that our matching application guarantees stable and optimal outcomes. Numerical examples with various parameter settings are provided to test the feasibility of the matching algorithms. We find that we can avoid the worst matching case when we use the proposed matching algorithms.
Sustained release properties of crosslinked and substituted starches

High amylose corn, waxy corn, and potato starches were crosslinked (XL) to an optimal degree and then substituted with carboxymethyl (CM) and aminoethyl (AE) groups, and their drug release properties, swelling power, and potential interactions with drugs were investigated. Propranolol hydrochloride, sodium diclofenac and acetaminophen were used as model drugs. High amylose starch required a higher XL degree to achieve good sustained release properties, whereas waxy corn required the least XL. Drug release was more governed by the matrix characteristics than by drug properties, and XL-CM high amylose corn starch displayed a nearly constant drug release for all three drugs tested. Swelling power correlated well with sustained release properties with the better matrices swelling to greater extents. There was a potential interaction between XL-AE-starches and diclofenac as indicated by differential scanning calorimetry. Starches from different sources require different types and degrees of modifications to achieve satisfactory sustained release. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Precoated femoral component in primary hybrid total hip arthroplasty: Results at a mean 10-year follow-up☆☆☆

This is a mid-term report at 10 years' mean follow-up of a study of a precoated femoral component used in primary hybrid total hip arthroplasty (THA). Of an original cohort of 98 hips undergoing THA performed by one surgeon, 75 hips in 65 patients (mean age, 67 years) were prospectively followed up for 7 to 12 years (mean, 10 years). All hips had the same porous coated acetabular component and a precoated femoral component (with an oval cross-section) implanted using Simplex bone cement (Howmedica, Rutherford, NJ). There was no femoral component loosening or revision. Two acetabular components in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and protrusio acetabulae had radiographic loosening; however, only 1 was symptomatic and was revised. Acetabular osteolysis was seen in 4 hips (5.3%), and minor femoral osteolysis was seen in 3 hips (4%). Used in this manner in this patient population, precoating is not detrimental to successful fixation at 10 years' mean follow-up of primary hybrid THA.
Financial well-being among the aged: A further elaboration

This study represents a further elaboration of the relative deprivation model proposed and tested by Liang and Fairchild (1979). A central assumption underlying this inquiry is that the link between economic status and perceived financial adequacy is mediated by subjective interpretations of the situation such as relative deprivation (Stouffer et al., 1948) and distributive justice (Homans, 1961). In addition, the effects of ascribed status variables such as age, sex, race, and religion on the social comparison process are assessed. Data for this investigation came from a survey of 252 older people in the Detroit area. Findings indicate that financial satisfaction is directly influenced by relative deprivation and distributive justice, while it is only indirectly affected by social status, labor force participation, and income. Race and age are the two ascribed statuses which have a significant impact on social comparison and perceived income adequacy. Implications of these results in terms of theory building and the design of income maintenance policies are also suggested.
Excess post‐exercise oxygen consumption in untrained men following exercise of equal energy expenditure: comparisons of upper and lower body exercise

AIM This study assessed excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) following continuous 200- kcal bouts of upper body exercise (UBE) and lower body exercise (LBE). METHODS Ten untrained men (age: 25.7 +/- 5.83 years; arm VO(2peak): 2.2 +/- 0.25 l/min; 21.5 +/- 4.35 ml/kg/min; leg VO(2peak): 3.1 +/- 0.38 l/min; 30.7 +/- 7.79 ml/kg/min) exercised at 60% mode-specific VO(2) peak using either an arm crank or a leg cycle protocol (counterbalanced order with 48 h between). Baseline VO(2) was monitored for 30 min. EPOC was measured until baseline was re-established. RESULTS EPOC magnitude and duration were significantly greater (p < 0.05) following LBE (2.93 +/- 1.4 l/min; 16.5 +/- 7.4 min) compared with UBE (1.89 +/- 0.7 l/min; 11.5 +/- 6.1 min). CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that leg exercise elicited a greater EPOC magnitude and duration compared with arm exercise of the same relative intensity and energy expenditure.
Magnetic actuation of hinged microstructures

We have investigated magnetic actuation of hinged, surface micromachined structures. Electroplated magnetic material (Permalloy) is integrated with two types of hinged microstructures and the magnetic actuation process has been experimentally characterized. Under a given external magnetic field, the angular displacement of a hinged structure is determined by the volume of the magnetic material or by the stiffness of an auxiliary flexural loading spring. We have demonstrated parallel actuation of large arrays of hinged microstructures under a global (wafer scale) external magnetic field. The design rules for achieving a prescribed asynchronous actuation sequence among a group of microstructures have been determined to enable efficient parallel assembly of three-dimensional (3-D) microstructures.
On optimization of e-textile systems using redundancy and energy-aware routing

Recent advances in the electronic device manufacturing technology have opened many research opportunities in pervasive computing. Among the emerging design platforms, "electronic textiles" (or e-textiles) make possible a wide variety of novel applications, ranging from consumer electronics to aerospace devices. Due to the harsh environment of e-textile components and battery size limitations, low-power and redundancy techniques are critical for obtaining successful e-textile applications. In this paper, we consider a platform which consists of dedicated components for e-textiles, including computational modules, dedicated transmission lines, and thin-film batteries on fiber substrates. As a theoretical contribution, we address the issue of the energy-aware routing for e-textile platforms and propose an efficient algorithm to solve it. Furthermore, we derive an analytical upper bound for determining the maximum number of achievable jobs over all possible e-textile routing frameworks. From a practical standpoint, for the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher, the routing technique we propose achieves close to or more than 75 percent of this theoretical upper bound. Moreover, compared to the non-energy-aware counterpart, the new routing technique increases the number of encryption jobs by one order of magnitude
Improving user performance on Boolean queries

The accurate formulation of boolean expressions is a notorious problem in programming languages as well as database and web query tools. Users have demonstrated great difficulty with the common textual method for specifying these queries, which uses the boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT, partly because these words are used inconsistently in natural languages. This paper proposes a tabular boolean query language that avoids the need to use named operators, provides a concrete distinction between conjunction and disjunction, and makes grouping more explicit. A study comparing this tabular language with textual boolean expressions found that untrained users perform better when they express their queries in the tabular language, and about equally well when interpreting queries written in either language. We conclude that systems can benefit by adopting a tabular notation for query formulation.
Up-converted 1/f PM and AM noise in linear HBT amplifiers

In this paper we describe a technique to predict the 1/f phase modulation (PM) and 1/f amplitude modulation (AM) noise due to up-conversion of 1/f baseband current noise in microwave heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) amplifiers. We obtain an accurate model for the amplifier and find the expression for voltage gain in terms of DC bias, transistor parameters, and circuit components. Theoretical 1/f PM and AM noise sensitivities to 1/f baseband current noise are then found by applying the definitions of PM and AM noise to the gain expression of the amplifier. Measurements of PM and AM sensitivities at 500 MHz and 1 GHz were in good agreement with the values predicted by theory, verifying the validity of this technique. This method can be used to optimize amplifier design for low PM and AM noise. We show that the amplifier PM noise can be reduced by 9 dB by adjusting the value of the input coupling capacitor.
A Conserved Interaction between Moe1 and Mal3 Is Important for Proper Spindle Formation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Moe1 is a conserved fission yeast protein that negatively affects microtubule stability/assembly. We conducted a two-hybrid screen to search for Moe1-binding proteins and isolated Mal3, a homologue of human EB1. We show that Moe1 and Mal3 expressed in bacteria form a complex and that Moe1 and Mal3 expressed in fission yeast cosediment with microtubules. Deletion of either moe1 or mal3 does not result in lethality; however, deletion of both moe1 and mal3 leads to cell death in the cold. The resulting cells appear to die of chromosome missegregation, which correlates with the presence of abnormal spindles. We investigated the cause for the formation of monopolar spindles and found that only one of the two spindle pole bodies (SPBs) contains gamma-tubulin, although both SPBs appear to be equal in size and properly inserted in the nuclear membrane. Moreover, the moe1 mal3 double null mutant in the cold contains abnormally short and abundant interphase microtubule bundles. These data suggest that Moe1 and Mal3 play a role in maintaining proper microtubule dynamics/integrity and distribution of gamma-tubulin to the SPBs during mitosis. Finally, we show that human Moe1 and EB1 can each rescue the phenotype of the moe1 mal3 double null mutant and form a complex, suggesting that these proteins are part of a well-conserved mechanism for regulating spindle functioning.
Elevated C-reactive protein levels are associated with postoperative events in patients undergoing lower extremity vein bypass surgery.

Objectives Inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and with the severity of peripheral arterial disease. The effects of inflammation on the development of vein graft disease remain speculative. We hypothesized that high levels of inflammatory markers would identify patients at increased risk for adverse events (graft failure, major cardiovascular events) after lower extremity bypass surgery. Methods Patients (n = 91) scheduled to undergo lower extremity bypass using autogenous vein were enrolled into a prospective study at two institutions. Exclusion criteria included the presence of major infection. A baseline plasma sample was obtained on the morning of lower extremity bypass. Biomarkers for inflammation included hsCRP, fibrinogen, and serum amyloid A (SAA). Values between patients with and without critical limb ischemia were compared. Proportions of events among dichotomized populations (upper limit of normal of each laboratory assay) were compared by log-rank test. Results Of the patients undergoing lower extremity bypass, 69% were men, 53% were diabetic, 81% were smokers, and their mean ankle-brachial index was 0.51 ± 0.19. The indication for lower extremity bypass was critical limb ischemia in 55%. There were no perioperative deaths and two early graft occlusions. During a mean follow-up of 342 days (range, 36-694 days) there were four deaths, 27 graft-related events, and 10 other cardiovascular events. No relationships were found between events and demographics, comorbidities, baseline ankle-brachial index, or statin use. High-sensitivity CRP ( P = .005), fibrinogen ( P P = .0001) levels were associated with critical limb ischemia at presentation. Among patients with an elevated hsCRP (>5 mg/L) immediately before surgery, major postoperative vascular events occurred in 60% (21/35), compared with a 32% (18/56) rate in those with a baseline CRP P = .004, log-rank test). On multivariable analysis, only elevated hsCRP correlated with adverse graft-related or cardiovascular events ( P = .018). Conclusions The inflammatory biomarkers of hsCRP, fibrinogen, and SAA correlate with peripheral arterial disease severity at presentation in patients undergoing lower extremity bypass. Patients with elevated hsCRP are at increased risk for postoperative vascular events, most of which are related to the vein graft. These findings suggest a potential relationship between inflammation and outcomes after lower extremity vein bypass surgery.
Global Circuit Model with Clouds

Abstract Cloud data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) database have been introduced into the global circuit model developed by Tinsley and Zhou. Using the cloud-top pressure data and cloud type information, the authors have estimated the cloud thickness for each type of cloud. A treatment of the ion pair concentration in the cloud layer that depends on the radii and concentration of the cloud droplets is used to evaluate the reduction of conductivity in the cloud layer. The conductivities within typical clouds are found to be in the range of 2%–5% of that of cloud-free air at the same altitude, for the range of altitudes for typical low clouds to typical high clouds. The global circuit model was used to determine the increase in columnar resistance of each grid element location for various months in years of high and low volcanic and solar activity, taking into account the observed fractional cloud cover for different cloud types and thickness in each location. For a singl...
Comparing botulinum toxin A with casting for treatment of dynamic equinus in children with cerebral palsy

The purpose of this study was to compare the cumulative efficacy (three treatment sessions) of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) alone, casting alone, and the combination of BTX-A and casting in the management of dynamic equinus in ambulatory children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Thirty-nine children with spastic CP (mean age 5y 10mo, range 3 to 9y) were enrolled in the study. A multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled prospective study was used. Children were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: BTX-A only (B), placebo injection plus casting (C), or BTX-A plus casting (B+C). The dosage for the BTX-A injections was 4U/kg per extremity. Assessments were performed at baseline, 3, 6, 7.5, and 12 months with a total of three treatments administered after the evaluations at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Primary outcome measures were ankle kinematics, velocity, and stride length. Secondary outcome measures were ankle spasticity, strength, range of motion, and ankle kinetics. Group B made no significant change in any variable at any time. Groups C and B+C demonstrated significant improvements in ankle kinematics, spasticity, passive range of motion, and dorsiflexor strength. Results of this 1-year study indicate that BTX-A alone provided no improvement in the parameters measured in this study, while casting and BTX-A/casting were effective in the short- and long-term management of dynamic equinus in children with spastic CP.
Incorporating Back Telemetry in a Full-Wave CMOS Rectifier for RFID and Biomedical Applications

We have incorporated back telemetry mechanism within the circuitry of an integrated full-wave CMOS rectifier for RFID and implantable biomedical applications. The new rectifier saves silicon area by eliminating the need for additional large switches and provides more flexibility in choosing the most appropriate load shift keying mechanism by having the capability of both shorting and opening the transponder coil. This would result in a more robust back telemetry link with improved reading range and higher data rate. A prototype version of the rectifier was implemented in AMI 0.5-mum standard CMOS process, occupying -0.25 mm2. The back telemetry rectifier was powered through an inductive link and proved to be fully functional in its three modes of operation: rectification, open coil (OC), and short coil (SC).
Micromolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide induce oxidative DNA lesions more efficiently than millimolar concentrations in mammalian cells.

Reactive oxygen species produce oxidized bases, deoxyribose lesions and DNA strand breaks in mammalian cells. Previously, we demonstrated that aldehydic DNA lesions (ADLs) were induced in mammalian cells by 10 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Interestingly, a bimodal H2O2 dose‐response relationship in cell toxicity has been reported for Escherichia coli deficient in DNA repair as well as Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that H2O2 causes singlestrand breaks in purified DNA in the presence of iron and induces mitochondrial DNA damage in CHO cells with a biphasic dose‐response curve. Here we show that H2O2 produces ADLs at concentrations as low as 0.06 mM in HeLa cells and that lower concentrations of H2O2 were much more efficient at inducing ADLs than higher concentrations. This dose‐response curve is strikingly similar to that for cell killing effects in E.coli deficient in DNA repair exposed to H2O2. Interestingly, serial treatment of submillimolar levels of H2O2 induced a massive accumulation of ADLs. The toxicity arising from H2O2 determined by intracellular NAD(P)H in cells correlated well with the formation of ADLs. The addition of dipyridyl, an iron (II)-specific chelator, significantly protected against DNA damage and cell toxicity from submillimolar, but not millimolar, amounts of H2O2. These results suggest that ADLs induced by submillimolar levels of H2O2 may be due to a Fenton-type reaction between H2O2 and intracellular iron ions in mammalian cells.
In-plane effective thermal conductivity of plain-weave screen laminates

A simple-to-fabricate woven mesh, consisting of bonded laminates of two-dimensional plain-weave conductive screens is described. Geometric equations show that these porous matrices can be fabricated to have a wide range of porosity and specific surface area, /spl beta/. A heat transfer model is developed. It shows that the laminates can have a highly anisotropic thermal conductivity vector, with in-plane effective thermal conductivities ranging up to 78.5% of base material values. A technique to measure the laminate in-plane effective thermal diffusivity is described. Measurements of the in-plane effective thermal diffusivity of copper plain-weave laminates are used to benchmark the model.
O-acetylation and de-O-acetylation of sialic acids. Sialic acid esterases of diverse evolutionary origins have serine active sites and essential arginine residues

We and others have recently described 9-O-acetyl-sialic acid esterase (9-O-Ac-SA esterase) activities that appear to be specific for removal of O-acetyl esters from the 9-position of naturally occurring sialic acids. We have now examined a variety of species for such enzymes and found them in vertebrates and higher invertebrates, but not in plants or in lower invertebrates. This evolutionary distribution correlates well with that of the sialic acids themselves. All of the 9-O-Ac-SA esterase activities tested were inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) in a dose-dependent fashion. This indicates that each of these enzymes has a serine active site similar to the well known serine esterases and serine proteases. Methyl esterification of the carboxyl group of 9-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid significantly reduced the activity of all of the 9-O-Ac-SA esterases against the O-acetyl group. This indicates that each of these enzymes may recognize the negatively charged carboxyl group of the sialic acid. Enzymes that recognize anionic substrates frequently have an essential arginine residue (Riordan, J. F., McElvany, K. D., and Borders, C. L., Jr. (1977) Science 195, 884–886). We therefore studied the effects of the arginine-specific modifying reagents 2,3-butanedione and phenylglyoxal on 9-O-Ac-SA esterase activities from influenza C virus, human erythrocytes, rat liver, starfish gonads, and sea bass brain. All of these enzymes were inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by both reagents, under conditions previously known to avoid nonspecific modification. In contrast, the typical serine proteases trypsin and kallikrein and the serine esterase acetylcholinesterase were not significantly affected, even by the highest concentrations of these reagents used. These data indicate that five 9-O-Ac-SA esterase activities from evolutionarily distinct origins all have serine active sites and essential arginine residues. We postulate that the arginine residue is involved in substrate recognition via the negatively charged carboxyl group of the sialic acids. Thus, these 9-O-Ac-SA esterase activities may be members of a previously undescribed class of serine esterase.
Probing the Interiors of Very Hot Jupiters Using Transit Light Curves

Accurately understanding the interior structure of extra-solar planets is critical for inferring their formation and evolution and resolving the origin of anomalous planetary radii. The internal density distribution of the planet has a direct effect on the star-planet orbit through the gravitational quadrupole of rotational and tidal bulges, measured by the planetary Love number ( k 2 p , twice the apsidal motion constant). We find that the quadrupole of the planetary tidal bulges dominates the rate of apsidal precession of single very hot Jupiters by more than an order of magnitude over general relativity and the stellar quadrupole. For the shortest-period planets, the planetary interior induces precession of a few degrees per year. By investigating the full photometric signal of apsidal precession, we find that transit timing induces a relatively small signal compared to the changes in transit shapes. With its long baseline of ultra-precise photometry, the future space-based Kepler mission should be able to realistically detect the presence or absence of a core in very hot Jupiters with orbital eccentricities as low as e ~ 0.001. We show that the signal due to k 2 p is not degenerate with other parameters and has a unique signature on the transit light curve. This technique, outlined in more detail in Ragozzine & Wolf 2008 provides the first readily employed method for directly probing the interiors of extra-solar planets.
Thermal Injury and Recovery of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis in Ground Chicken with Temperature, pH, and Sodium Chloride as Controlling Factors

Cells of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis were grown at 25 and 35 degrees C, heat injured (55, 60, and 62.5 degrees C), and recovered in tryptic soy broth (TSB) at various NaCl concentrations (2.0 and 3.5%) and pH levels (5.5 and 6.5). To assess the interactions of growth temperature, heating temperature, NaCl concentration and pH on the thermal injury and recovery of Salmonella Enteritidis in ground chicken, a randomized design with each experimental combination was used. When a logistic equation for nonlinear survival curves was used, D-values of cells of Salmonella Enteritidis grown at 25 degrees C were 7.60, 5.73, and 4.81 min at 55, 60, and 62.5 degrees C, respectively. For cells grown at 35 degrees C, the D-values were 12.38, 7.45, and 5.70 min at 55, 60, and 62.5 degrees C. The influence of tryptic soy agar and double modified lysine agar (DMLIA) on the recovery of heat-injured cells was determined. Recovery was significantly reduced on DMLIA at increased pH levels and NaCl concentrations. Higher numbers of cells were recovered in TSB with 2.0% NaCl than in TSB with 3.5% NaCl. It was observed that the rate of recovery of heat-injured cells was similar at each pH. Therefore, a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 does not have a major inhibitory effect on the recovery of Salmonella Enteritidis.
San Fernando rupture mechanism and the Pacoima strong-motion record

Abstract The extent of fault rupture in the main San Fernando earthquake of February 9, 1971 is well determined. This paper explains the time history of the unique Pacoima accelerogram in terms of the rupture mechanism and elastic wave theory. The Pacoima strong-motion record was obtained on the crystalline rocks of the San Gabriel Range which were thrust southward. The three recorded components are resolved along the strike, dip and normal to the fault plane. Filtered accelerograms are given for 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2, 4, and 10 Hz. These time histories are very different. The first half of the records (with the longer spectral components) show clearly P and S onsets from the focus, and the fault dislocation passing with average rupture velocity 3.0 km/sec under Pacoima. The latter part of the record consists predominantly of 1.5 to 10 Hz waves which cease 9 to 10 sec after P . These waves are the superposition of high-frequency waves (mainly S ) which propagated with little attenuation through the crystalline crustal rocks. As the rupture progressed, waves were produced in a random manner as bursts of high-frequency energy near the rupture front.
The Liturgical Argument in Apollinarius: Help and Hindrance on the Way to Orthodoxy

In the essay “Creed or Chaos?” written in the midst of the turmoil of World War II, British mystery novelist Dorothy L. Sayers defended the relevance of the creeds produced during the doctrinal debates of the fourth and fifth centuries to the lives of modern Christians. The theological dogmas contained in such documents as the Nicene Creed (325) or the Chalcedonian Definition (451) are not, she notes wittily, “a set of arbitrary regulations invented a priori by a committee of theologians enjoying a bout of all-in dialectical wrestling,” but were “hammered out under pressure of urgent practical necessity” to resolve theological controversies that had real impact on the discipleship of ordinary Christians. To put matters at their simplest, the trinitarian controversies revolved around the question of whether Christ was divine, and so capable of saving humankind from sin and death. The christological controversies, at least in their earliest stage, debated whether Christ was really human, truly the God-made-man capable of healing wounded humanity and providing aviable role model for Christians to follow in the living of a redeemed life. At stake in both controversies was a convincing explanation of the central Christian tenet that “Jesus saves” for those who profess to be his followers.
A meta analysis: the effectiveness of the use of mobile computers on the attitude and academic outcomes of k--12 students

Statistical meta analyses performed for this study included 32 primary studies conducted between 1993-2005. Two independent meta analyses were conducted regarding student attitudes and academic outcomes. The overall meta analysis mean by author was .23, indicating that student use of mobile computers had a small and positive effect on student attitudes and academic outcomes. The consistent pattern of positive effect size results indicated that student use of mobile computers was effective in improving student attitudes and academic outcomes. The small number of samples in the independent meta analyses suggests a need for further research regarding mobile computers. The overall meta analysis had three purposes. The first purpose was to assess the effectiveness of student use of mobile computers on attitude and academic outcomes. The second purpose was to explore the effect of specific demographic and methodological characteristics on the measures of effect size. The third purpose was to suggest new directions for research and practice in conducting and evaluating statistical meta-analyses This dissertation was written as an alternative dissertation. Chapters one, two, three, and five follow a traditional format. Chapter four is comprised of three different but related potential journal articles addressing student use of mobile computers. Each potential journal article was written with advisement of a different committee member. The first is an independent statistical meta analyses of student attitudes. The second is an independent meta analysis of academic outcomes related to student use of mobile computers. The third article is a practitioner article. Submission of the articles for publication was required. Publication was not.
Essential role of a fast persistent inward current in action potential initiation and control of rhythmic firing.

In spinal motoneurons in an in vivo preparation, we investigated the relationship between a fast persistent inward current located in or near the soma and the capacity of these cells to fire rhythm...
“We Are All Carrying Someone Else's Child!”: Relatedness and Relationships in Third-Party Reproduction

In this article, I explore surrogates’ rich, diverse, and collective negotiations of relatedness and relationships on the largest U.S. surrogacy support website. Surrogates reconfigure existing kinship understandings and maintain that intent and love are firmer bases of parenthood than biogenetic connection. Increasing use of donor gametes contributes to the emphasis on desire to be parents. In gestational surrogacy, genetic relatedness between the child and the intended parents strengthens claim to parenthood but lack thereof does not call parenthood into question. Traditional surrogates’ biogenetic connection to the child they carry is never considered to be grounds for claims to motherhood. Surrogates and intended parents “do kinship” and consider the actions of kinship more consequential that its biological facts. In their accounts, desire for children is “natural” and the choice to raise them is understood as morally positive. Genetic facts, however, are understood as morally neutral. Surrogates and intended parents contend that surrogate babies belong to the parents who want them. Surrogates’ emphasis on chosen solidarity works to diminish the importance of genetic relatedness and helps them uphold the traditional boundaries of their own nuclear family and that of the intended parents. [kinship, assisted reproduction, U.S. surrogacy, family]