cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular evolutionary analysis of the widespread piggyBac transposon family and related "domesticated" sequences

piggyBac is a short inverted-repeat-type DNA transposable element originally isolated from the genome of the moth Trichoplusia ni. It is currently the gene vector of choice for the transformation of various insect species. A few sequences with similarity to piggyBac have previously been identified from organisms such as humans ( Looper), the pufferfish Takifugu rubripes (Pigibaku), Xenopus (Tx), Daphnia (Pokey), and the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis. We have now identified 50 piggyBac-like sequences from publicly available genome sequences and expressed sequence tags (ESTs). This survey allows the first comparative examination of the distinctive piggyBac transposase, suggesting that it might contain a highly divergent DDD domain, comparable to the widespread DDE domain found in many DNA transposases and retroviral integrases which consists of two absolutely conserved aspartic acids separated by about 70 amino acids with a highly conserved glutamic acid about 35 amino acids further away. Many piggyBac-like sequences were found in the genomes of a phylogenetically diverse range of organisms including fungi, plants, insects, crustaceans, urochordates, amphibians, fishes and mammals. Also, several instances of "domestication" of the piggyBac transposase sequence by the host genome for cellular functions were identified. Novel members of the piggyBac family may be useful in genetic engineering of many organisms.
Implications for gravitational lensing and the dark matter content in clusters of galaxies from spatially resolved x-ray spectra

A simple method for deriving well-behaved temperature solutions to the equation of hydrostatic equilibrium for intracluster media with X-ray imaging observations is presented and applied to a series of generalized models as well as to observations of the Perseus cluster and Abell 2256. In these applications the allowed range in the ratio of nonbaryons to baryons as a function of radius is derived, taking into account the uncertainties and crude spatial resolution of the X-ray spectra and considering a range of physically reasonable mass models with various scale heights. Particular attention is paid to the central regions of the cluster, and it is found that the dark matter can be sufficiently concentrated to be consistent with the high central mass surface densities for moderate-redshift clusters from their gravitational lensing properties.
Evidence toward an expanded model of organizational identification

Recent research on organizational identification has called for the consideration of an expanded model of identification, which would include a more thorough treatment of the ways an individual could derive his or her identity from the organization. This paper begins to answer that call by testing operationalizations of the four dimensions of the expanded model: identification, disidentification, ambivalent identification, and neutral identification. Survey results from 330 employed adults support the discriminability of the four dimensions. This exploratory study also begins to establish the criterion-related validity of the model by examining organizational, job-related, and individual difference variables associated with the four dimensions of the model, and suggests implications for the expanded model's strong potential for applications in organizational identification research. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two-Part Tariff and Aftermarket Duopoly: An Illustration.

The authors shed light on the original equipment manufacturer's strategic behavior in the duopoly aftermarket. The original equipment manufacturer, firm 1, captures via its foremarket price some fraction of the aftermarket consumer surplus, where that surplus is generated by consumption of its own and its competitor's aftermarket products. The other firm, firm 2, only operates in the aftermarket and does not capture any of the aftermarket consumer surplus. Assuming a Cournot or Stackelberg duopoly aftermarket with firm 1 as the quantity leader, we find the conditions under which firm 1's aftermarket price is above or below its marginal cost; the conditions under which firm 1's profit falls or increases when firm 2 adds value to its aftermarket product or lowers its marginal cost; and the conditions under which firm 1 is less profitable or more profitable in sharing the aftermarket than it would be alone.
THE GALACTOSIDE-SPECIFIC LECTIN FROM MISTLETOE AS BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE MODIFIER

Experience with herbal extracts can guide the isolation of substances that effectively amend aspects of the host's defence system against tumor growth and spread. This capacity appears to be conferred to mistletoe (Viscum album) extract by a rather small dose range of the galactoside-specific lectin (VAA). It is a biochemically characterized dimer, consisting of a toxic subunit that acts as a RNA N-glycosidase (depurination of A-4324 in 28S rRNA) and a carbohydrate-binding B-chain. The binding of this subunit to galactose-exposing glycoligands on mononuclear cells elicits cytokine secretion in vitro and antitumoral/antimetastatic capacity in vivo in lymphosarcoma/sarcoma model systems. Increases in NK cell number, the activity of peritoneal macrophages and NK cells as well as the response of splenic T cells to mitogens are detectable. Immunophenotyping of blood samples from lectin-treated patients reveals increases in the number of helper/inducer T cells, NK cells and CD25-positive cells. Since the response to the treatment is assumed to be dependent on the presence of lectin-specific ligands on inflammatory host cells, histopathological monitoring of tumor specimens with labelled lectin is conceivable to be one factor of relevance to predict a response to the treatment in animal models or within clinical trials.
The Influence of Maternal-Fetal Attachment and Health Practices on Neonatal Outcomes in Low-Income, Urban Women

Maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) has been associated with health practices during pregnancy, but less is known about this relationship in low-income women, and no identified studies have examined this relationship to neonatal outcomes. This longitudinal descriptive study was conducted to examine the relationships among MFA, health practices during pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes in a sample of low-income, predominantly African-American women and their neonates. MFA was associated with health practices during pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes. Health practices during pregnancy mediated the relationships of MFA and adverse neonatal outcomes. The results support the importance of examining MFA in our efforts to better understand the etiology of health disparities in neonatal outcomes.
A Pirect Energy Recovery System Using Periodic Focusing without Grids

Results from a computational study of the efficiency of a direct energy recovery system are presented. This system is similar to R. F. Post's original (gridless) periodic-focus system. However, the computer code used here allows more flexibility than that used by Post. His code requires analytic expressions for the potentials; this code requires only the values of potential on the boundaries. Consequently, the code can be applied to systems where analytic expressions have not been written for the potential. The incident beam used in this study had an average thickness of 0.42 m (as might be expected in an ideal reactor situation) and a maximum divergence angle of ±3.3°. Each of the systems tested, when operating at optimum efficiency, recovered 80% of the energy, as compared to 91% for Post's gridded periodic system.
Journal based current awareness services for systems librarianship

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the effective ways to utilize current awareness services (CAS) for library and information science (LIS) professionals. It seeks to identify core journals for systems librarianship based on Bradford analysis.Design/methodology/approach – The study explored the methods for CAS based on literature review, followed by Bradford analysis of systems librarianship literature, which was conducted by the quantitative analysis approach.Findings – A core journal list for systems librarianship was built based on Bradford analysis. Three effective ways to utilize CAS by table of contents (TOCs) alerts were identified.Originality/value – To keep up to date with the latest literature in the field of interest, LIS professionals should take advantage of CAS. The study found three effective ways to utilize CAS by TOCs alerts and identified core journals for systems librarianship. The research can help LIS professionals efficiently navigate the information tsunami to obtain the reliable ...
Rhodium–phosphine complex catalysts tethered on silica-supported heterogeneous metal catalysts: arene hydrogenation under atmospheric pressure

Abstract The rhodium–phosphine complex, RhCl(CO)[Ph2P(CH2)3Si(OC2H5)3]2 (Rh–P), was tethered to silica-supported metal heterogeneous catalysts, Pd–SiO2, Ni–SiO2 and Au–SiO2, to give the tethered complex catalysts Rh–P/Pd–SiO2, Rh–P/Ni–SiO2 and Rh–P/Au–SiO2. An IR (DRIFTS) study shows that the structure of the tethered rhodium–phosphine complex (Rh–P) in all of these combination catalysts is the same as that of the free Rh–P complex. These heterogenized complex catalysts consisting of a tethered complex on a supported metal (TCSM) were used to catalyze the hydrogenation of arenes under the mild conditions of 40°C and 1 atm of H2. The most active TCSM catalyst Rh–P/Pd–SiO2 is not only much more active than the homogeneous Rh–P complex and Pd–SiO2 but also much more active than the rhodium–phosphine complex tethered on just SiO2 (Rh–P/SiO2). The Rh–P/Pd–SiO2 catalyst gives a maximum turnover frequency (TOF, mol H2/mol Rh min) of 2.9 and a turnover (TO, mol H2/mol Rh) of 1940 during a 23 h period in the hydrogenation of toluene. When the tethered rhodium–phosphine complex catalyst stands in air for 2 months or longer, the phosphine ligand is oxidized to the phosphine oxide. This air-aged Rh–P/Pd–SiO2 is much more active than the fresh catalyst for the hydrogenation of toluene, but the air-aged Rh–P/SiO2 becomes inactive for this reaction. These two air-aged catalysts were characterized by solid state 31 P NMR and DRIFTS using CO as a probe.
Do the number and volume of surgical lung biopsies influence the diagnostic yield in interstitial lung disease? A propensity score analysis.

Abstract Introduction Our objective was to evaluate whether the number and volume of surgical lung biopsies (SLBs) influence the diagnosis of diffuse interstitial lung disease (ILD). Methods Retrospective study of SLB for suspected ILD in patients from the Mayo Clinic from January 2002 to January 2010. Data were collected in the institution and analyzed. Results 311 patients were studied. Mean number of biopsies was 2.05 (SD 0.6); 1 biopsy in 50 (16%), 2 in 198 (63.7%), 3 in 59 (19%) and 4 in 4 (1.3%). Histopathologic diagnosis was: definitive (specific): 232 (74.6%), descriptive (non-specific): 76 (24.4%), no diagnosis: 3 (1%). After excluding patients without diagnosis (n=3), there were 50 patients with only 1 biopsy, 196 with 2 and 62 with 3 or 4; the definitive diagnostic yield was similar in all 3 groups (37/50; 74%, 150/196; 77%, and 45/62; 73%) (Chi-square, P value .8). The propensity score analysis between patients with 1 SLB and patients with more than 1 SLB also showed no difference in diagnostic yield. Regarding the volume of biopsies, mean total volume was 34.4 cm3 (SD 46): 41.2 cm3 (3 cases) in patients with no diagnosis; 33.6 cm3 (232 cases, SD 47) in patients with specific diagnosis; and 36.6 cm3 (76 cases, SD 44) in patients with descriptive diagnosis. Biopsy volume had no influence on histopathology yield (ANOVA, P value .8). Conclusions The number and volume of the biopsy specimens in SLB did not seem to influence diagnosis. Based on our results, we believe a single sample from a representative area may be sufficient for diagnosis. Randomized prospective trials should be performed to optimize SLB for ILD.
Studies on thermal stability, mechanical and electrical properties of nano crystalline Cu99.5Zr0.5 alloy

Abstract Cryogenic high energy ball milling was used to synthesize nanocrystalline Cu and Cu 99.5 Zr 0.5 alloys by mechanical alloying and consolidation by hot pressing at 550 °C temperature. The grain size stability of nanocrystalline Cu is improved by the Zr addition. Microstructural characterization using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy provided evidence for the formation of a Cu–Zr alloy solid solution with nanocrystalline size after hot pressing. The alloy exhibited a higher hardness (3.31 GPa), and shear strength (550 MPa) than nano-crystalline pure Cu however, the electrical resistivity is increased in the alloy.
DETERMINATION OF RED BLOOD CELL SHAPE RECOVERY TIME CONSTANT IN A COUETTE SYSTEM BY THE ANALYSIS OF LIGHT REFLECTANCE AND EKTACYTOMETRY

Abstract Red blood cell (RBC) shape change under shear is generally reversible, with the time course of shape recovery a function of the elastic and viscous properties of the RBC membrane. RBC shape recovery can be investigated, using several different techniques, to provide information about the membrane material properties that are not directly accessible by frequently used methods to assess RBC deformability ( e.g. , micropore filtration). In the present study, RBC shape recovery was studied in a Couette system after abrupt cessation of shear, either by analyzing the time course of laser light reflection or by serial measurements of elongation indexes from laser diffraction patterns. The time course of shape recovery monitored with both techniques can be described with an exponential equation. Calculated time constants for normal human RBC were 119 ± 17 msec and 97 ± 15 msec as measured by light reflection and ektacytometry, respectively. Treatment of RBC with glutaraldehyde resulted in dose-dependent decreases in the shape recovery time constant. Heat treatment (48 ° C, 20 min), which is known to increase mainly the shear elastic modulus of the membrane, decreased the time constant by 65%. In contrast, wheat germ agglutinin treatment increased the shape recovery time constant by 22%, presumably by increasing membrane surface viscosity. Our results indicate that the shape recovery time constant of RBC can be measured easily and accurately by computerized light reflection analysis.
Effect of Chronic Corn Consumption on Serotonin Content of Rat Brain

SEROTONIN, a putative neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, is synthesized in the brain by the 5-hydroxylation and decarboxylation of the essential amino-acid L-tryptophan1,2. The control of serotonin biosynthesis seems to involve a different mechanism from that responsible for catecholamine biosynthesis3,4 in its dependence on the availability of the amino-acid precursor5,6. Thus, small doses of tryptophan that do not increase brain or plasma tryptophan concentrations beyond their normal daily ranges cause significant increases in the serotonin concentration of rat brain7. Conversely, the chronic ingestion of diets lacking in tryptophan (with casein hydrolysates or amino-acid mixtures substituted for natural proteins) depresses brain serotonin levels8–10. The dependence of serotonin biosynthesis on tryptophan availability probably arises from the unusually high substrate K M that characterizes tryptophan hydroxylase1. It seems likely that this enzyme normally functions in an unsaturated state; hence physiological increases in intraneuronal tryptophan could drive the hydroxylation of the amino-acid and, ultimately, its conversion to serotonin.
An improved injector bunching geometry for ATLAS

The bunching system of the ATLAS positive ion injector (PII) has been improved by relocating the harmonic buncher to a point significantly closer to the second stage sine-wave buncher and the injector LINAC. The longitudinal optics design has also been modified and now employs a virtual waist from the harmonic buncher feeding the second stage sine-wave buncher. This geometry improves the handling of space charge for high-current beams, significantly increases the capture fraction into the primary rf bucket and reduces the capture fraction of the unwanted parasitic rf bucket. Total capture and transport through the PII has been demonstrated as high as 80% of the injected dc beam while the population of the parasitic, unwanted rf bucket is typically less than 3% of the total transported beam. To remove this small residual parasitic component a new traveling-wave transmission-line chopper has been developed reducing both transverse and longitudinal emittance growth from the chopping process. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract W-31-109-ENG-38.
International trade law: Publications and activities of selected IGOS and NGOS

Abstract There has recently been an increase of interest in the legal basis of international trade. The worldwide recession has brought into the headlines accusations of treaty and contract violations among nations and enterprises engaged in transnational business. Thus, the role of such institutions as GATT, the OECD, and the European Community in regulating international trade has become a matter of substantial concern. This article will describe the activities and selected law and law-related publications of these institutions, as well as those of other international, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have an impact on international trade law. Selected commercially published reference and bibliographic works covering these institutions also will be mentioned.
Friction factors for smooth pipe flow

Friction factor data from two recent pipe flow experiments are combined to provide a comprehensive picture of the friction factor variation for Reynolds numbers from 10 to 36,000,000.
Renal angioplasty using a TEGwire angioplasty balloon: technical note.

A new low-profile .035 inch TEGwire angioplasty balloon was used to dilate a stenosis due to fibromuscular dysplasia in a caudally oriented renal artery via the transfemoral approach.
Non‐LIFO Execution of Cognitive Procedures

Many current theories of human problem solving and skill acquisition assume that people work only on the unsatisfied goal that was created most recently. That is, the architecture obeys a last-in-first-out (LIFO) constraint on the selection of goals. This restriction seems necessary for the proper functioning of automatic learning mechanisms, such as production compilation and chunking. It is argued that this restriction is violated by some subjects on some tasks. In particular, 8 subjects (from a sample of 26) execute subtraction procedures in a way that violates the LIFO constraint. Although there is a great deal of between- and within-subject strategy variation in the 8 subjects' behavior, it can be simply explained by hypothesizing that (1) the goal selection is not necessarily LIFO, (2) goal selection knowledge is represented by explicit preferences, and (3) the 8 subjects have just a few preferences that are overgeneralized, overspecialized, or missing. The rest of their preferences are correct. On the other hand, LIFO-based models seem unable to explain the strategy variations in any simple way. Thus, it seems that part of the flexibility in human problem solving comes from having a choice of which goal to work on next. Fortunately, it is simple to ammend automatic learning mechanisms so that they will function correctly in a non-LIFO architecture.
Chloride localization in the leaf ofTamarix

The distribution of chloride in the leaf and salt gland ofTamarix aphylla (L.) Karst was investigated electron microscopically using the silver precipitation technique for chloride. Identification of the electron dense deposits as AgCl was done by electron diffraction. Significant increases of AgCl deposition occurred in the leaf apoplast, the plasmodesmata of the transfusion zone, and the sub-cuticular spaces of the salt glands of salt-treated, secreting material as compared to distilled-water-treated, non-secreting material. These results suggest that the apoplast serves as a shunt from the xylem to the salt gland under conditions of high salinity. The accumulation of chloride in the sub-cuticular space of the glands indicates that this region is a collecting chamber for salts and this is discussed in relation to secretion.
The contributions of mass spectrometry to understanding of immune recognition by T lymphocytes

Over the last 15 years, the ability of mass spectrometry to analyze complex peptide mixtures and identify individual species has provided unprecedented insights into the repertoire of peptide antigens displayed by MHC molecules and recognized by T lymphocytes. These include: understanding the peptide binding specificity of MHC molecules; understanding of roles of different intracellular components of the antigen processing pathways in determining the peptide display; and identification of a large number of individual peptide antigens associated with infectious diseases, cancer, and transplant rejection that have provided the basis for new immunologically based therapies. This review will summarize the impact that the application of mass spectrometry has had on these advances, with particular attention to the contributions of Professor Donald Hunt and members of his laboratory, and point out the opportunities for future work.
A sharp upper bound on the approximation order of smooth bivariate PP functions

It is shown that the approximation order from bivariate piecewise polynomials of degree ≤k in Cρ is no better than k when k < 3ρ + 2 (even if only the three-direction mesh is considered). This complements the earlier result that the approximation order is full, i.e., equals k + 1, for any triangulation as soon as k ≥ 3ρ + 2.
Modeling DSC Melting Curves of Isotactic Polypropylene – Source of Information on Isospecificity of Active Centers

Abstract: A method is developed for modeling DSC melting curves of isotactic polypropylene produced with single-center and multi-center Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The modeling demonstrates that the use of a simple statistical model of an imperfectly isotactic polymer and the introduction of several assumptions about the crystallization pattern of isotactic blocks in propylene polymers are sufficient for the representation of most characteristic features of their DSC melting curves. This type of modeling can be a source of information on the distribution of active centers with respect to isospecificity. Several examples demonstrate the utility of this modeling approach.
Empirical Relationships Between Beauty and Justice: Testing Scarry and Elaborating Danto

Elaine Scarry (1999) proposes a correspondence between engagement with beauty and a sense of justice.Parallel to Scarry, Arthur Danto (2003) posits that 20th century artists avoided producing beautiful worksbecause of an offended sense of justice. In Study 1, the relationship between justice reasoning (DIT2;Rest et al., 1999a) and engagement with beauty (Diessner et al., 2008) is examined; there is a significantraw correlation ( r .23; p .05; N 132), which reduced to a nonsignificant r .01 when Opennessto Experience was partialed out. Study 2 examines the relationship between fairness as a characterstrength (cf. Peterson & Seligman, 2004) and engagement with beauty, finding a raw r .35, p .001(N 113). After partialing out Openness to Experience the r is .25, significant at p .009. Althoughthere is no significant association between justice reasoning and engagement with beauty, whenjustice/fairness is viewed as a character strength, Scarrys hypothesis is empirically validated. Thus,justice-minded artists need not avoid beauty, as beautiful art may increase viewers sensitivity to justice.Keywords: beauty, justice, DIT, character strengths, trait fairness
Two-neutron emission from electromagnetic dissociation of 59Co and 197Au targets by relativistic heavy ions.

Electromagnetic dissociation of /sup 59/Co and /sup 197/Au target nuclei and their subsequent deexcitation by two-neutron emission was observed. Beams of relativistic /sup 12/C, /sup 20/Ne, /sup 40/Ar, /sup 56/Fe, and /sup 139/La ions were used. The measured electromagnetic dissociation cross sections become large for high-Z targets and projectiles, reaching 335 mb for the /sup 197/Au(/sup 139/La,X)/sup 195/Au reaction with 1.26 GeV/nucleon /sup 139/La projectiles. The experimental cross sections in excess of the estimated nuclear contributions are in reasonable agreement with a calculation of the electromagnetic dissociation contribution using the Weizsaecker-Williams method for estimating the virtual photon spectrum.
Synthesis and structure of fluorinated dialacycles

Abstract Addition of THF to a solution of dimeric 1,2-bis(chloromethylalumino) tetrafluorobenzene (1) induces a ring contraction process that results in the formation of a mixture of three dialacycles as shown by 1H- and 19F-NMR. The three diaalacycles have been identified as 9-methyl-10-chloro-9,10-dihydro-9,10-diala-octafluoroanthracene bis(THF) adduct (2a), 9,10-dichloro-9,10-dihydro-9,10-diala-octafluoroanthracene bis(THF) adduct (2b) and 9,10-dimethyl-9,10-dihydro-9,10-diala-octafluoroanthracene bis(THF) adduct (2c). A co-crystal of these three compounds was examined by X-ray crystallography, confirming the structure of the dialacycle and revealing that the central six-membered ring is in a chair conformation. In 2, each aluminum center is four-coordinate with a slightly distorted tetrahedral geometry. The coordination sites of the aluminum are occupied by the ipso-carbon atoms of the tetrafluorophenylene units, the oxygen atom of a coordinated THF molecule, and either a methyl group (50%) or a chloride ion (50%).
Explicit time-reversible orbit integration in Particle In Cell codes with static homogeneous magnetic field

A new explicit time-reversible orbit integrator for the equations of motion in a static homogeneous magnetic field - called Cyclotronic integrator - is presented. Like Spreiter and Walter's Taylor expansion algorithm, for sufficiently weak electric field gradients this second order method does not require a fine resolution of the Larmor motion; it has however the essential advantage of being symplectic, hence time-reversible. The Cyclotronic integrator is only subject to a linear stability constraint (@[email protected]<@p, @W being the Larmor angular frequency), and is therefore particularly suitable to electrostatic Particle In Cell codes with uniform magnetic field where @W is larger than any other characteristic frequency, yet a resolution of the particles' gyromotion is required. Application examples and a detailed comparison with the well-known (time-reversible) Boris algorithm are presented; it is in particular shown that implementation of the Cyclotronic integrator in the kinetic codes SCEPTIC and Democritus can reduce the cost of orbit integration by up to a factor of ten.
A remark on the domain of an unbounded derivation of a C∗-algebra

It is shown that if A is an hermitian element of a C∗-algebra and A is in the domain of a closed unbounded derivation δ of the C∗-algebra and if ƒ is a continuously differentiable complex valued function defined on a closed interval containing the spectrum of A then ƒ(A) is in the domain of δ and the norm of δ(ƒ(A)) is bounded by the norm of δ(A) times the least upper bound of the absolute value of the derivative of ƒ. This result is generalized to the case of continuously differentiable functions of several variables.
Magnitude and object-specific hazards of aspiration and ingestion injuries among children in Greece

Summary Objective To assess the public health impact of injuries due to foreign body aspirations and ingestions among children in terms of overall magnitude and estimation of object-specific incidence. Methodology Two thousand two hundred and seven injuries due to aspiration and ingestion of foreign bodies were identified among 110 066 records of children (less than 15 years old) collected by the Hellenic Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS) during the 5-year study period 1996–2000. Countrywide estimates of overall and object-specific injury incidence rates were computed using appropriate age and place of residence-sampling ratios. Simple cross-tabulations were performed along with a free text description analysis of injury events, whereas a composite score using (1) frequency of injury occurrence, (2) hospitalisation rate and (3) average length of hospitalisation was developed to measure the overall object-specific burden of injuries. Results Aspirations and ingestions of foreign bodies accounted for 2% of the total burden of accident and emergency department visits, corresponding to an annual incidence of approximately 2.3 accidents per 1000 children. Fish bones and nuts prevailed among the high (44%) proportion of aspirations and ingestions due to edible foreign bodies, while the main inedibles involved were small objects. Toddlers, boys and migrant children were over-represented among children sustaining injuries due to inedibles. As expected, the vast majority of food-related injuries occurred in the kitchen, in most instances under parental supervision. Injuries due to edibles were of minor severity and treatment was provided in the emergency departments, while those due to inedibles were responsible for injuries resulting in higher hospitalisation rates, albeit of relatively short duration. The composite impact score was highest for nuts and other food, nails, pins and sharp instruments. X-rays were performed in nearly all cases; upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was required in about 1 out of 10 instances and laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy in 1 out of 20, whereas the object was spontaneously removed in less than 3% of the cases. Conclusions Depending on whether caused by edible or inedible objects, injuries due to foreign body aspirations and ingestions showed distinct epidemiological patterns. Composite scores taking into account measures of injury frequency and severity, seemed to reflect a country-specific spectrum of this type of injuries and provided useful information for the design of targeted public health oriented interventions.
γδ T Cells Are Reduced and Rendered Unresponsive by Hyperglycemia and Chronic TNFα in Mouse Models of Obesity and Metabolic Disease

Epithelial cells provide an initial line of defense against damage and pathogens in barrier tissues such as the skin; however this balance is disrupted in obesity and metabolic disease. Skin γδ T cells recognize epithelial damage, and release cytokines and growth factors that facilitate wound repair. We report here that hyperglycemia results in impaired skin γδ T cell proliferation due to altered STAT5 signaling, ultimately resulting in half the number of γδ T cells populating the epidermis. Skin γδ T cells that overcome this hyperglycemic state are unresponsive to epithelial cell damage due to chronic inflammatory mediators, including TNFα. Cytokine and growth factor production at the site of tissue damage was partially restored by administering neutralizing TNFα antibodies in vivo. Thus, metabolic disease negatively impacts homeostasis and functionality of skin γδ T cells, rendering host defense mechanisms vulnerable to injury and infection.
Negotiating Gender and Authority in Northern Syria

Insights from Pruitt's dual-concern model are applied to explore the negotiation of authority across cultures through gender-specific behavior within the intercultural setting of an American archaeological excavation in northern Syria. The annually recurring temporary communities created by archaeological excavations in the Middle East offer an intriguing site for the analysis of the negotiation of social authority in the workplace. American volunteers, both male and female, participate in archaeological excavations as the immediate supervisors of the local Syrian work crew. These archaeological ``tourists'' generally lack any familiarity with the local language and culture and must rely on their own strategies for managing relations with the Arab work crews. This article examines the daily interactions between the volunteers and workers, focusing specifically on the role of gender in these interactions. Pruitt's model helps to explain why women are generally more successful than men as social actors within this worksite. The rigorous use of the word ``negotiate'' helps in understanding these social interactions more clearly.
Encephalitozoon cuniculi: Quantitation of Parasites and Evaluation of Viability1

Two methods (manual and automated) for quantitation of viable versus dead Encephalitozoon cuniculi are reported. The manual method uses ethidium bromide and acridine orange to stain dead and viable organisms, respectively. The stained organisms are visually differentiated with the aid of a fluorescence microscope. The automated method uses propidium iodide to stain dead parasites, which are differentiated from viable unstained parasites with the aid of a flow cytometer. An automated cell counter (Coulter Counter) was used to count rapidly large numbers of samples and to improve the sensitivity of counting low concentrations of parasites. These methods will enhance investigators' abilities to conduct quantitative experiments on host defense mechanisms against E. cuniculi.
Formation of ion channels by colicin B in planar lipid bilayers.

The gene for the antibacterial peptide colicin B was cloned and transformed into a host background where it was constitutively overexpressed. The purified gene product was biologically active and formed voltage-dependent, ion-conducting channels in planar phospholipid bilayers composed of asolectin. Colicin B channels exhibited two distinct unitary conductance levels, and a slight preference for Na+ over Cl−. Kinetic analysis of the voltage-driven opening and closing of colicin channels revealed the existence of at least two conducting states and two nonconducting states of the protein. Both the ion selectivity and the kinetics of colicin B channels were highly dependent on pH. Excess colicin protein was readily removed from the system by perfusing the bilayer, but open channels could be washed out only after they were allowed to close. A monospecific polyclonal antiserum generated against electrophoretically purified colicin B eliminated both the biological and in vitro activity of the protein. Membrane-associated channels, whether open or closed, remained functionally unaffected by the presence of the antiserum. Taken together, our results suggest that the voltage-independent binding of colicin B to the membrane is the rate-limiting step for the formation of ion channels, and that this process is accompanied by a major conformational rearrangement of the protein.
Mousterian Technology as Adaptive Response: A Case Study

Research on Mousterian assemblages from west-central Italy reveals one way that variation in patterns of stone tool manufacture and use may reflect changes in hominid foraging behavior, land use, and mobility. In these cases, frequent movement and wide-ranging foraging, associated with evidence for scavenging of large game, appears to be linked to the production and extensive resharpening of relatively large tool blanks and possibly to greater evidence for artifact transport. More intensive and prolonged occupations, marked by the introduction of entire carcasses of hunted animals into cave sites, are associated with less intensive reduction of tools and greater reliance on immediately available raw materials.
Effect of including historical height and radius BMD measurement on sarco-osteoporosis prevalence

Background A clinical need exists to improve identification of those who will sustain fragility fractures. Individuals with both osteoporosis (OP) and sarcopenia (SP), so-called “sarco-osteoporosis” (SOP), might be at higher fracture risk than those with OP or SP alone. Approaches to facilitate SOP identification, e.g., use of tallest historical rather than current height and inclusion of radius bone mineral density (BMD) measurement, may be of benefit. This study examined the effect of advancing age on SOP prevalence with and without use of historical tallest height and radius BMD measurement.
A higher dimensional formulation for robust and interactive distance queries

We present an efficient and robust algorithm for computing the minimum distance between a point and freeform curve or surface by lifting the problem into a higher dimension. This higher dimensional formulation solves for all query points in the domain simultaneously, therefore providing opportunities to speed computation by applying coherency techniques. In this framework, minimum distance between a point and planar curve is solved using a single polynomial equation in three variables (two variables for a position of the point and one for the curve). This formulation yields two-manifold surfaces as a zero-set in a 3D parameter space. Given a particular query point, the solution space's remaining degrees-of-freedom are fixed and we can numerically compute the minimum distance in a very efficient way. We further recast the problem of analyzing the topological structure of the solution space to that of solving two polynomial equations in three variables. This topological information provides an elegant way to efficiently find a global minimum distance solution for spatially coherent queries. Additionally, we extend this approach to a 3D case. We formulate the problem for the surface case using two polynomial equations in five variables. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated with several experimental results.
Does amelogenin nanosphere assembly proceed through intermediary-sized structures?

Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of supra-molecular assemblages of amelogenin protein (“Nanospheres”) to be present in both in vivo and in vitro situations. We have proposed that these nanosphere structures are functionally involved in the organization and control of initial enamel biomineralization at the ultrastructural level. Based on the observed nanosphere hydrodynamic radii (18–20nm diameter) computation suggests these structures to be compounded of some 100 amelogenin monomers, raising the question as to the possible molecular mechanism for the assembly of such structures? Based on recent dynamic light scattering experiments using the recombinant murine amelogenin M179, and employing a newer size distribution algorithm we now report that the size distribution data for M179 are better described by a bimodal distribution model, than the monomodal distribution as previously described. We suggest that amelogenin nanosphere assembly proceeds through intermediate structures (perhaps repres...
Radiofrequency energy ablation in a child with an implanted vagus nerve stimulator

An 8-year-old girl with supraventricular tachycardia and an implanted vagus nerve stimulator underwent radiofrequency ablation of her supraventricular tachycardia substrate. No known literature exists addressing the potential interaction of these two technologies, although there are reported cases of interaction between radiofrequency and other implanted stimulating devices such as pacemakers. The procedure was performed successfully without observed interaction, and the patient's family reported no significant change in frequency of seizure control.
The Interrelationship of Reproductive State and Seasonal Acclimatization on the Hen’s Resistance to Lethal High Temperature

Abstract NON-LAYING hens should withstand heat stress better than layers on the theoretical grounds that their metabolism and heat production are lower (Hutchinson, 1954). Robinson and Lee (1947) showed that decreased feed intake, such as might be expected in non-layers, reduces some of the undesirable effects of hot environments on hens. The lower body temperature and respiration rate found by Hillerman and Wilson (1955) in non-layers compared to layers at high air temperatures implies further that the non-layer is more capable of acclimatization. On the other hand, Hutt (1939) was unable to find any relationship between production and susceptibility to high temperature in a flock exposed to a naturally occurring heat wave intense enough to cause mortality from heat prostration. Presented here are laboratory data relative to the influence of reproductive state on the hen's resistance to lethal high temperature. Layers and non-layers were compared in both summer and winter in …
Online motion planning using critical point graphs in two-dimensional configuration space

An online motion planning algorithm in 2D configuration space is presented for right-handed manipulators. Critical points on the boundaries of obstacles in configuration space are identified. A graph is constructed using simple wall-following to determine connections between the critical points. Motion between connected critical points may be executed through the definition of potential functions and critical point subgoals without encountering local minima. The planning problem was solved by modifying line-of-sight and wall-following algorithms to resort to the critical point graph in finding exit points to goal locations. The results was extremely fast plan generation, which has been crucial in achieving online 3D planning. >
Automated conceptual design of mechanisms

Traditionally, the conceptual design of mechanisms was an art, based primarily on the experience of the designer. Today, despite the great advances in the science of machine systems, mechanism design is still a mixture of art and science. The basic premise behind this research was that experienced designers create complex mechanisms, in part, by concocting abstract representations of simpler building blocks. We made attempts to identify a finite set of design building blocks and to represent them in a manner that enables a rational, and therefore a computable, scheme for creation of mechanisms. Based on a systematic investigation of hundreds of existing mechanisms and machines, we first identified a finite set of kinematic building blocks. We then devised a matrix representation scheme that not only captures the essential nature of the building blocks, but also enables automatic decomposition of a given task into simpler sub-tasks. The matrix representation scheme served as a formal means to: (a) represent and reason with the building blocks at different levels of abstraction, (b) generate alternate conceptual designs, and (c) facilitate rapid simulation of design concepts by readily connecting a series of building blocks. The synthesis methodology based on the matrix representation was successfully implemented in a computer program for design of function generating mechanisms. The program takes as input the user supplied specification of input/output motion requirements and constraints, and automatically generates alternate conceptual designs. The matrix representation method and the automated design procedure are described in this paper, along with a design example.
A SPOT PRICING FRAMEWORK FOR PRICING INTRA-DOMAIN ASSURED BANDWIDTH SERVICES

The Internet today offers primarily a best-effort service. Research and technology development efforts are currently underway to allow the provisioning of better than best-effort quality of service assurances. In this article, we develop a spot pricing framework for expected bandwidth guaranteed Internet service contracts on a single domain. A nonlinear pricing model that maximizes the total surplus with cost constraints forms the basis for the framework. The spot price process is obtained for different demand profiles of the customer-base and demand arrival characteristics. Simulation modeling and analysis is employed to implement the pricing framework and analyze the price process under different market conditions and changes due to network failures. The framework when implemented at access or exchange points of different service provider domains will provide assured bandwidth for inter-domain traffic.
Binary codes derived from the Hoffman-Singleton and Higman-Sims graphs

Some binary linear codes of length 50 and 100 are constructed using the adjacency matrices of the Hoffman-Singleton graph and the Higman-Sims graph, Some of the codes are optimal or nearly optimal for the given length and dimension. The dual codes admit majority logic decoding.
Supraspinatus tears after total shoulder arthroplasty: A review of diagnosis and treatment

Abstract Most studies and reviews on the treatment of rotator cuff abnormality as it relates to total shoulder arthroplasty have focused on subscapularis tendon tears before or after total shoulder arthroplasty. There is an increasing appreciation that rotator cuff dysfunction after total shoulder arthroplasty is more common than once believed and that the abnormality often involves the supraspinatus tendon. This review focuses specifically on the impact of tears of the supraspinatus tendon on preoperative planning for total shoulder arthroplasty and also on the evaluation and treatment of supraspinatus tears after total shoulder arthroplasty.
Ranking Comments on the Social Web

We study how an online community perceives the relative quality of its own user-contributed content, which has important implications for the successful self-regulation and growth of the Social Web in the presence of increasing spam and a flood of Social Web metadata. We propose and evaluate a machine learning-based approach for ranking comments on the Social Web based on the community's expressed preferences, which can be used to promote high-quality comments and filter out low-quality comments. We study several factors impacting community preference, including the contributor's reputation and community activity level, as well as the complexity and richness of the comment. Through experiments, we find that the proposed approach results in significant improvement in ranking quality versus alternative approaches.
Microtribological studies of Al2O3, Al2O3TiC, polycrystalline and single-crystal MnZn ferrite, and SiC head slider materials

Abstract Surface topography, friction, scratching, wear and nanoindentation behavior of head slider materials were studied using atomic force/ friction force microscopy (AFM/FFM). Materials studied include polycrystalline Al 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 TiC (70-30 wt.%), polycrystalline MnZn ferrite, single-crystal MnZn ferrite and polycrystalline SiC. Al 2 O 3 is not used for construction of head slider but it was studied for comparisons with Al 2 O 3 TiC. SiC is a candidate slider material. The Al 2 O 3 TiC specimen exhibits the highest coefficient of microscale friction followed by polycrystalline MnZn ferrite, Al 2 O 3 , single-crystal Mn ferrite, Al 2 O 3 , single-crystal MnZn ferrite and SiC. Two phase Al 2 O 3 TiC exhibited higher microscale friction than a single phase Al 2 O 3 and polycrystalline MnZn ferrite exhibits microscale friction than a single-crystal MnZn ferrite. The local variation in friction force for Al 2 O 3 , polycrystalline and single-crystal MnZn ferrite was found to correspond to the lcoal surface slope (first derivative of the surface roughness profile). For Al 2 O 3 TiC and SiC specimen, the local variation in friction force at the scratches corresponds to the local surface slope. However, local variation over entire region corresponds to the different phases present on the specimen surface. Thus friction force imaging can be used for structural mapping of the surfaces. Directionality effects in the friction were studied on a microscale for the Al 2 O 3 specimen. Macroscale friction values for all samples are higher than microscale friction values as there is less ploughing contribution in microscale friction measurements. Microscratching/wear studies indicate that scratch and wear resistance of SiC and Al 2 O 3 are higher than that of the other specimens. However, Al 2 O 3 specimen shows the presence of porous holes on the surface that affect the wear performance. Al 2 O 3 specimen exhibits superior microscratch and microwear resistance than Al 2 O 3 TiC. Wear evolution for single and two phase materials was studied in detail. Nonoindentation hardness values found to be generally higher than that of microhardness data. Based on these measurements, coefficient of friction, microscratch and microwear resistance of singe phase materials are superior to that of two phase materials.