cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classic shunting operations as part of two-stage repair for tetralogy of Fallot.

Abstract One hundred forty-nine consecutive patients with tetralogy of Fallot, with or without pulmonary atresia, underwent Blalock-Taussig or Waterston operation for initial palliation. Of these patients, 45 were less than 6 months old, and 63 were less than 1 year old. The type of shunt, and the presence or absence of pulmonary atresia did not have a significant effect ( p > 0.2) on hospital mortality. Parametric analysis showed a significant effect of age ( p = 0.03), the risk of hospital death being 6% at 1 month of age, 4% at 3 months, 3% at 6 months, and 2.5% at 12 months. No late deaths occurred before the age of 3 years. Six patients (4.2% of the hospital survivors) required another operation before they were 3 years old. Severe arm ischemia occurred after a Blalock-Taussig shunt in 1 infant with Down's syndrome.
Vitamin A status, hospitalizations, and other outcomes in young children with sickle cell disease.

Abstract Objective To determine the relation of serum vitamin A status to growth, nutritional and hematologic status, and to the number of hospitalizations in children with sickle cell disease-SS (homozygous for the S allele, SCD-SS). Study design Children (2-9.9 years of age) with SCD-SS were assessed for serum retinol, hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocyte count, height, weight, body mass index, and recalled dietary intake. Vitamin A status was defined on the basis of serum retinol concentration as suboptimal ( Results Mean serum retinol was 26.7 ± 6.8 μg/dL in 66 subjects (39 girls) and was suboptimal in 66% of children. Compared with those with normal status, children with suboptimal vitamin A had significantly lower body mass index z score (−0.7 ± 1.0 vs −0.1 ± 0.6) and hemoglobin (7.9 ± 1.1 vs 8.5 ± 1.1), and hematocrit (23.3 ± 3.0 vs 25.1 ± 3.8) and significantly more hospitalizations (2.8 ± 2.0 vs 0.7 ± 0.8). After adjusting for age and sex, suboptimal vitamin A status was associated with a 10-fold increased risk for hospitalization (OR, 10.5; 95% CI, 2.3, 48.6) and with increased pain (OR,5.3; 95% CI, 1.3, 21.6) and fever episodes (OR, 6.4; 95% CI, 1.7, 24.9) requiring hospitalization. Conclusions Suboptimal vitamin A status was prevalent in US children with SCD-SS and was associated with increased hospitalizations and poor growth and hematologic status.
Evaluation of dynamic crack instability criteria

Previously proposed dynamic crack instability criteria are reviewed. The conditions of crack length, pulse amplitude, and pulse duration predicted by each criterion for crack instability under stress wave loads are presented and compared. To discriminate among these criteria, a data base was generated by performing plate impact experiments on epoxy specimens embedded with thin circular disks that acted as internal penny-shaped cracks. The observed instability behavior of these cracks under 2-µs stress pulses of various amplitudes was best described by a criterion that requires the dynamic stress intensity to exceed the dynamic fracture toughness for a certain minimum time.
NASA budget increases for 1994

The fiscal year 1994 budget request for NASA is $15.3 billion, an increase of $934.6 million, or 6.5%, above the 1993 appropriation of $14.3 billion. Within this first budget request developed under NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, the emphasis has changed and some details remain unresolved. At the agency's budget briefing, Goldin echoed Clinton's mantra for change and increased investment in new technologies. Saying that NASA was “too much into human space flight,” Goldin has proposed increased funding for technology development at the expense of the space station. He has also made reductions in some existing programs and increased funding for others.
Electrical characteristics f K+ and Cl− fet microelectrodes

Abstract A Cl − micro ion-selective field effect transistor (MISFET) is described. The device was prepared with Corning liquid ion exchanger. Electrical response time and transfer function measurements are presented for K + and Cl − MISFETs. These measurements reveal the dominant components of the passive electrical equivalent circuit of the devices investigated.
Sodium oxalate corrects calcium interference in lowry protein assay

Abstract We have previously noted that high levels (10 m M ) of calcium interfere with protein determination in the Lowry assay. While there are numerous reports in the literature of substances interfering with the Lowry assay, none of these interfering substances are as ubiquitous as calcium. We hypothesizied that physiologic levels of calcium may interfere with the protein determination as measured by the Lowry assay. To test this hypothesis, bovine serum albumin standards from 12.5 to 1600 μg/ml were tested in the Lowry assay in the presence of calcium chloride concentrations from 0 to 5 m M . In low protein concentrations (12.5–50 μg/ml) 1 to 2 m M calcium induced errors of up to 384%. In samples containing 100 to 400 μg/ml protein, 1 to 2 m M calcium induced errors of up to 40%. The addition of sodium oxalate to calcium-spiked protein samples significantly reduced the errors in protein determination at all calcium concentrations tested. This effect also is seen throughout the range of protein concentrations tested (50–1600 μg/ml). In most cases sodium oxalate pretreatment of samples used in the Lowry assay reduces errors by 70–95%. Physiologic levels of calcium induce significant errors in the estimation of protein concentration using the Lowry method. Routine pretreatment of Lowry samples with sodium oxalate will provide a more accurate estimation of the protein concentration in biological systems.
The Palpa's proof is in the predicting

Abstract Another test for aphasia? Why? We have so many. One reason for another test is that it does what existing tests do not do. Another reason is, of course, what it does do is important to do. The PALPA (Kay et al. 1992) may meet both criteria. The following is an impression, filtered through language barriers, bias, and experience, of whether the PALPA meets the criteria. Specifically, I ask what the PALPA appears to be, what it does not appear to be, and whether what it does justifies adding it to an aphasiologist's armamentarium. However, we might begin with what we expect an aphasia test to accomplish.
Phase change material with graphite foam for applications in high-temperature latent heat storage systems of concentrated solar power plants

Abstract A high-temperature latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system was analyzed for applications to concentrated solar power (CSP) plants (utilizing steam at ∼610 °C) for large-scale electricity generation. Magnesium chloride was selected as the phase change material (PCM) for the latent heat storage because of its high melting point (714 °C). Because the thermal conductivities of most salt materials are very low, usually less than 1 W/m K, graphite foam was applied as an additive to considerably enhance the overall thermal conductivity of the resulting graphite foam–PCM combination in the LHTES system. The heat transfer performance and the exergy efficiency in the graphite foam–MgCl 2 LHTES system were considered for the design and optimization of the storage system. Three-dimensional (3-D) heat transfer simulations were conducted for the storage system using commercial software COMSOL. Three groups of analyses were performed for an LHTES system: using PCM alone without graphite foam, using average material properties for graphite foam–PCM combination, and using anisotropic thermal conductivity and temperature-dependent material properties for graphite foam–PCM. Results presented show that the graphite foam can help to significantly improve the heat transfer performance as well as the exergy efficiency in the LHTES system. They also show the effects of the anisotropic thermal conductivity and indicate capital cost savings for a CSP electric power plant by reducing the number of heat transfer fluid (HTF) pipes in the LHTES tank by a factor of eight.
Textured microstructures in barium hexaferrite by magnetic field assisted gelcasting and templated grain growth

The objective of this paper is to describe a method of producing textured barium hexaferrite by magnetic field assisted gelcasting while avoiding the limited solids loading caused by stacking of barium hexaferrite plates. We illustrate here a method of gelcasting a matrix of non-magnetic iron (III) oxide and barium carbonate in the presence of barium ferrite seeds for templated grain growth. At high temperatures, the iron oxide and barium carbonate react to form a fine-grained barium ferrite matrix surrounding the previously aligned barium ferrite seeds.
Residential electricity consumption in Seattle

Abstract Recent empirical research for different regions of the United States indicates that residential electricity may be an “inferior” good whose consumption is negatively correlated with income. That is a provocative result that runs counter to what many earlier econometric studies indicate. Given that, it makes sense to examine how electricity consumption behaves in different regional service areas. Even if residential electricity is an inferior good whose usage declines as income rises, there is no guarantee that this will be the case across all service areas. This study examines residential electricity consumption for Seattle, Washington, the largest metropolitan economy in the northwestern region of the United States. Results from a dynamic error correction modeling approach indicate that residential electricity consumption reacts in statistically significant manners to changes in real price, real income, and cold weather. In the short-run, residential electricity is a normal good in this metropolitan economy. In the long-run, residential electricity appears to be an inferior good in Seattle. All else equal, whenever real per capita income growth exceeds 1.2%, per capita residential electricity usage declines in Seattle.
An algebraic description of stereochemical correspondence.

Abstract It is shown that a stereochemical correspondence between two molecular systems can be represented by a commuting diagram of the point groups and permutation groups involved. The effect of the diagrammatic condition on the mappings of the cosets, double cosets, subgroup lattice, and double coset algebra determined for the two molecular systems by point group to permutation group homomorphisms is detailed. Chemical similarities implied by a stereochemical correspondence are indicated, and six examples are provided and discussed.
Why is the “KGB Bar” possible? Binary morality and its consequences

This article asks why a popular bar named after a criminal Soviet secret police organization has not provoked the outrage of the developed world's intellectual and artistic elites, who would surely condemn an SS Bar. It attributes this moral blindness to the Holocaust's centrality in Israeli, German, and American national discourse and the resultant binary morality that ascribes collective innocence to all Jews at all times and in all places and collective guilt to all Germans – and potentially to all non-Jews – at all times and in all places. The moral logic of the Holocaust thus transforms Jews into victims and non-Jews into victimizers; the moral logic and reality of the Gulag transform everybody into both victim and victimizer. The binary morality of the Holocaust insists that all human beings be heroes; the fuzzy morality of the Gulag recognizes that all humans are just humans constantly confronted by moral ambiguity. But because the Gulag's moral ambiguity concerns non-Jews and Jews, the Gulag under...
Systematic study of sulfur isotopic composition in iron meteorites and the occurrence of excess 33S and 36S

The paper concentrates on isotopic measurements of sulfur in different sulfur-carrier phases: troilite inclusions, Fe-Ni alloy, and schreibersite (possibly including daubreelite). Variations in S-34 isotope ratio are observed in some troilite inclusions, and no evidence of nucleosynthetic sulfur isotopic anomalies are found in the troilite inclusions. Excesses of S-33 and S-36 are observed in both FeNi alloy and schreibersite of Grant, Santa Clara, Tlacotepec, and Gibeon, with schreibersite possessing the greater magnitude of presumably spallogenic S-33 and S-36. It is concluded that the magnitude of the observed fractionation is consistent with troilite dissociation and/or vaporization following a collisional impact.
Physically Crosslinked Nanocomposites from Silicate‐Crosslinked PEO: Mechanical Properties and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The mechanical and biological properties of silicate-crosslinked PEO nanocomposites are studied. A strong correlation is observed between silicate concentration and mechanical properties. In vitro cell culture studies reveal that an increase in silicate concentration enhances the attachment and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells significantly. An upregulation in the expression of osteocalcin on nanocomposites compared to the tissue culture polystyrene control is observed. Together, these results suggest that silicate-based nanocomposites are bioactive and have the potential to be used in a range of biotechnological and biomedical applications such as injectable matrices, biomedical coatings, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine.
Splitting a Bose-Einstein condensate in two translating traps

Motivated by an earlier proposal of splitting a one-dimensional atomic wave packet using two translating traps [Zhang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 070403 (2006)], we report results of simulating the splitting dynamics for a three-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate at zero temperature. Different from the single-atom case where the population in one of the traps shows full oscillations as a function of the translating velocity, we find that such oscillations are damped as the translating velocity decreases. As the interaction increases, we see a stronger damping effect. The damping mechanism is attributed to the formation of solitons which decay to vortex rings and cause complicated flow patterns to damp the population oscillations. Our conclusions are supported by results for $N=5400$ and $N=54\text{ }000$ $^{87}\text{R}\text{b}$ atoms. In the adiabatically translating regime, the condensate can only be split 50:50. Therefore, a controlled splitting of the condensate in two symmetric traps can only be realized for a small number of atoms and away from the adiabatic regime.
Affective gesturing with music mood recognition

The recognition of emotions and the generation of appropriate responses is a key component for facilitating more natural human-robot interaction. Music, often called the “language of emotions,” is a particularly useful medium for investigating questions involving the expression of emotion. Likewise, movements and gestures, such as dance, can also communicate specific emotions to human observers. We apply an efficient, causal technique for estimating the emotions (mood) from music audio to enable a humanoid to perform gestures reflecting the musical mood. We implement this system using Hubo, an adult-sized humanoid that has been used in several applications of musical robotics. Our preliminary experiments indicate that the system is able to produce dance-like gestures that are judged by human observers to match the perceived emotion of the music.
Psychopathy and comorbidity in a young offender sample: taking a closer look at psychopathy's potential importance over disruptive behavior disorders.

The authors examined the construct of psychopathy as applied to 130 adolescent offenders using 3 psychopathy measures and a broad range of DSM-IV Axis I diagnoses and psychosocial problems. Measures used in the study included the following: (a) Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV; A. E. Forth, D. S. Kosson, & R. D. Hare, 2003), (b) Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; P. J. Frick & R. D. Hare, 2002), (c) a modified version of the Self-Report Psychopathy-II scale (SRP-II; R. D. Hare, 1991b), and (d) the Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (APS; W. M. Reynolds, 1998). Results from this study offer incremental support for the construct validity of psychopathy in youth. Psychopathy evidenced better convergent and discriminant validity results than did the disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) such as oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). Despite this finding, psychopathy scales nonetheless correlated with other forms of psychopathology at a higher rate than was expected, suggesting that comorbidity is high even when psychopathy is used as a classification scheme. Also, hierarchical multiple regression was used to determine whether psychopathy offered an improvement in the prediction of previous violent and nonviolent offenses. The results for the current study were mixed, with only the PCL-YV significantly predicting previous violent and nonviolent offenses beyond the DBDs. The findings indicate that psychopathy may offer incremental improvement over DBDs with regard to level of comorbidity and perhaps even prediction. However, simply extending the adult construct of psychopathy to youth without considering the array of psychopathology that may accompany adolescent psychopathy could be misleading.
Endocrine disrupting contaminants--beyond the dogma.

Descriptions of endocrine disruption have largely been associated with wildlife and driven by observations documenting estrogenic, androgenic, antiandrogenic, and antithyroid actions. These actions, in response to exposure to ecologically relevant concentrations of various environmental contaminants, have now been established in numerous vertebrate species. However, many potential mechanisms and endocrine actions have not been studied. For example, the DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] metabolite, p,p′-DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene] is known to disrupt prostaglandin synthesis in the uterus of birds, providing part of the explanation for DDT-induced egg shell thinning. Few studies have examined prostaglandin synthesis as a target for endocrine disruption, yet these hormones are active in reproduction, immune responses, and cardiovascular physiology. Future studies must broaden the basic science approach to endocrine disruption, thereby expanding the mechanisms and endocrine end points examined. This goal should be accomplished even if the primary influence and funding continue to emphasize a narrower approach based on regulatory needs. Without this broader approach, research into endocrine disruption will become dominated by a narrow dogma, focusing on a few end points and mechanisms.
Effect of raloxifene, 17β-estradiol, and progesterone on mRNA for vascular endothelial growth factor isoforms 121 and 165 and thrombospondin-1 in Ishikawa cells

Abstract Objective To compare the mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) 121 and 165 isoforms and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) after raloxifene, 17β-E 2 , and P administration in cultured Ishikawa cells. Design Prospective basic research study. Setting Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia. Patient(s) None. Intervention(s) Ishikawa cells were cultured in vitro. Raloxifene, 17β-E 2 , and P at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 μM were added to confluent cells. Main outcome measure(s) The VEGF 121 and 165 isoforms and TSP-1 mRNA expression from treated Ishikawa cells were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) Result(s) 17β-Estradiol increased both VEGF 121 and 165 mRNA compared to control. Raloxifene did not increase either VEGF 121 or 165 mRNA above control values. Progesterone at all concentrations did not increase VEGF 121 isoform mRNA, whereas VEGF 165 isoform was minimally increased by P at the lowest concentration. Progesterone and raloxifene increased TSP-1 mRNA expression. 17β-Estradiol did not stimulate TSP-1 mRNA expression at any concentration. Conclusion(s) Raloxifene did not stimulate VEGF 121 and 165, whereas it increased TSP-1 mRNA synthesis in Ishikawa cells. Our hypothesis is that raloxifene's lack of endometrial stimulation may be partly mediated by an antiangiogenic effect.
Purification and Characterization of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) Obtained from the Gas-Phase Decomposition of CO (HiPco Process)

A purification method is given for extracting the Fe metal catalyst and non-SWNT carbon from nanotubes produced by the HiPco process.1,2 A multistage purification method has been investigated. Sample purity is documented by ESEM, TEM, TGA, Raman and UV-vis−near-IR spectroscopy. Metal catalyzed oxidation at low temperature has been shown to selectively remove non-SWNT carbon and permit extraction of iron with concentrated HCl. Prolonged catalyzed oxidation has been found to preferentially remove smaller diameter tubes. The onset of oxidation of purified smaller diameter HiPco SWNTs is also found to be approximately 100 °C lower than for purified larger diameter tubes produced in the laser-oven process.
Semiautomatic off-resonance correction in spiral imaging.

Spiral scanning is a promising MRI method, but one limitation is that off-resonance effects can cause image blurring. Most current off-resonance correction methods for spiral imaging require an accurate field map, which is difficult to obtain in many applications. Automatic methods can perform off-resonance correction without acquiring a field map. However, these methods are computationally inefficient and relatively prone to estimation error. This study describes a new semiautomatic off-resonance correction method that combines an automatic method with a low resolution field map acquisition for off-resonance correction in spiral scanning. Experiments demonstrate that this method is more robust than conventional automatic off-resonance correction and can provide more accurate off-resonance correction than conventional field map based methods. The proposed method is also computationally efficient and has been implemented for online reconstruction. Magn Reson Med 59:1212–1219, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cutting plane and Frege proofs

Abstract The cutting plane refutation system CP for propositional logic is an extension of resolution and is based on showing the non-existence of solutions for families of integer linear inequalities. We define the system CP + , a modification of the cutting plane system, and show that CP + can polynomially simulate Frege systems F. ln [8], it is shown that F polynomially simulates CP + , so both systems are polynomially equivalent. To establish this result, propositional formulas are represented in a natural manner, and an effective version of cut elimination is proved for the system CP + . Additionally, an alternative proof is given which directly translates F proofs into CP + . Thus, within a polynomial factor, one can simulate classical propositional logic proofs using the cut rule by refutation-style proofs involving linear inequalities with the ceiling operation, Since there are polynomial size cutting plane CP proofs for many elementary combinatorial principles (pigeonhole principle, k -equipartition principle), we propose propositional Versions of the Paris-Harrington theorem, Kanamori-McAloon theorem, and variants as possible candidates for combinatorial tautologies which may require exponential size cutting plane and Frege proofs.
Extensive validation of a thermodynamically consistent, nonlinear viscoelastic model for glassy polymers

Abstract The nonlinear thermoviscoelastic formalism presented in the preceding paper is validated with four amorphous polymer systems. Validation is performed over a broad range of relaxation phenomena in the glass transition region, including the temperature and rate-dependence of the stress–strain behavior through yield, volume and enthalpy relaxation, and stress relaxation during multi-step loading histories. The objective is to obtain quantitative agreement between the constitutive theory and all experimental results using one set of model parameters for each material system. The nonlinear viscoelastic formalism is shown to predict the wide range of behavior observed experimentally, indicating that the formalism does capture the essential physics of glassy polymers. Moreover, the material parameters required in the constitutive formalism can be readily obtained from independent experiments and are relatively insensitive to how these parameters are determined experimentally from the various characterization techniques.
The construction of individual leaflets for aortic valve replacement

Recognized imperfections in the currently available prostheses for aortic valve replacement lend support to research efforts along several avenues. Reconstruction by the use of individual leaflets has much to recommend it. Our efforts in the past have met with sufficient failures that leaflet replacement is not our current method of choice, but we have had some gratifying clinical success with good valve function and minimal regurgitation by a method previously described [l]. This success supports our belief that a properly constructed and shaped valve of the appropriate material will work satisfactorily. A major difficulty lies in the proper shaping of the three dimensional leaflet from a sheet of inelastic material. In using the leaflet holder of method described (Fig. 1) we attempted to produce a belly in the leaflet by simple pressure and invagination. The following represents a more rational approach to the problem. HYPOTHESIS It was hypothesized that the aortic leaflets in their closed position were similar to surfaces of spheres (Figs. 2 and 3) with each sphere having a radius equal to the radius of the aorta (R) and a center located on the aortic wall equidistant from each other and from the commissures, a concept we learned later that was suggested by Retzius in 1843 [2]. The free edges of the leaflets are defined by a cross section of these surfaces with a plane perpendicular to the aorta and including the three commissures. These are the arcs AOC, BOC, and AOB in Fig. 3a.
On Being a White Person of Color: Using Autoethnography to Understand Puerto Ricans' Racialization

This article uses autoethnography to make larger conceptual/theoretical points about racial/ethnic identity categories for Puerto Ricans in the United States. I utilize Puerto Rican-ness to illustrate the limitations of U.S. “race” and ethnic constructs by furthering racialization analyses with seemingly contradictory categories such as “white” and “people of color.” I contrast personal experiences to those of racial/ethnic classificatory systems, the American imagery of Puerto Ricans, and simplistic, political identifications. Travel, colonial relations, intra-ethnic coalitional possibilities, and second-class citizenship are all aspects that expand on the notion of racialization as classically utilized in sociology and the social sciences. Although this is not a comparative study, I present differences between racial formation systems in Puerto Rico and the U.S. in order to make these points.
Protocol Design and Optimization

Using decision support algorithms, referring physicians will usually choose theappropriate examinationtypes,and many will be aware of the need for appropriate imaging protocols (eg, contrast-enhanced imaging in malignant disease), but they cannot be expected to know the gamut of complex protocols available to radiologists. Ultimately, it is up to radiologists to dictate which protocol is most suitable for a particular patient in a particular situation. But therein lies a problem. Contemporary equipment and the number of available parameters for protocoldesignhavebecome sodiverse and complicated that even many subspecialty radiologists are not always aware of the ideal protocol for ag iven patient with a given disease at a particular time. Furthermore, with the advent and increasing deployment of precision medicine, whereby patient care is rapidly becoming driven and delivered according to unique biomarkerdataandpatientpreferences, it is now too overwhelming for most radiologists to optimally and uniquely tailoreachexamination.Consequently, many departments are unable to uniformly design and deliver optimal protocols for every circumstance. For example,morethan50%ofabdominal CT protocols do not currently adhere to the ACR Appropriateness Criteria � concerning anatomic coverage [1]. Further exacerbating the issue, suffi
Metabolic syndrome, non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis C virus: impact on disease progression and treatment response

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a spectrum of liver disease ranging from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, is increasingly recognized as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and is an important cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. It is among the most common forms of liver disease. NAFLD reflects abnormal partitioning of fat, such that fat deposition is increased in the liver, and provides a link between NAFLD and the metabolic syndrome, a constellation of metabolic disorders that can also be associated with visceral fat or central adiposity. Together, the features of the metabolic syndrome presage overt diabetes and increase cardiovascular risk. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) appears to exacerbate the metabolic syndrome by eliciting increased insulin resistance (IR) and promoting truncal obesity. Moreover, the concomitant presence of HCV and NAFLD is associated with an increased likelihood of diabetes, hypertension and/or hypertriglyceridaemia. Metabolic abnormalities have been shown to influence response to treatment such that the presence of IR or obesity reduces the likelihood of a sustained virological response (SVR); conversely, SVR has been demonstrated to ameliorate IR and improve beta-cell function. Clinically, these data suggest that attention must be paid not only to optimizing antiviral response but also to screening for and treatment of the various components of the metabolic syndrome.
Psychosocial correlates of physician-patient communication at time of informed consent for bone marrow transplantation.

AbstractIn obtaining informed consent for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) oncologist-investigators may feel that they engender emotional distress in patients due to the disclosure of potentially lethal complications associated with BMT. However, little is known regarding the psychological profile of BMT patients at the time of informed consent or what impact the consent process has upon the physician-patient relationship. The purpose of this study was to assess (1) the psychological symptom profile of patients consenting to BMT and (2) the relationship of behavioral and psychological factors to patients' perceptions of the quality of communication between physician and patient. The results indicated that adult BMT patients experienced significant psychological distress at the time at which they provided written consent for BMT. Two factors were positively related to perceived quality of communication between physician and patient: problem-focused coping style and perceived autonomy in decision making. T...
Numerical investigation of the sealing capacity of centrifugal instabilities in shaft seals

Abstract The study of a thin, incompressible Newtonian fluid layer trapped between two almost parallel, sliding surfaces has been actively pursued in the last four decades. This subject includes lubrication applications such as slider bearings or the sealing of nonpressurized fluids with shaft seals. In the present work, the flow of lubricant fluid through a microgap formed beween a synthetic seal and a rotary shaft is first analyzed using scaling arguments and then numerically. The study is initially carried out assuming that a “small-gap” parameter δ attains an extreme value in the Navier-Stokes equations. The precise meaning of small gap is achieved by the particular limit δ = 0, which, within the bounds of the hypotheses, predicts transport of lubricant through the sealed area by centrifugal instabilities. The incidence of temperature variations attributable to viscous dissipation of mechanical energy in the fluid properties is also investigated. Numerical results obtained with the finite element method are presented. In particular, the influence of inflow and outflow boundary conditions and their impact in the simulated flow are discussed.
Hydatid disease of kidney

A case of hydatid infestation of the kidney is presented. The natural history of the disease, the diagnostic workup including computerized tomography, and treatment are reviewed.
OFDM Modulation Classification and Parameters Extraction

A novel comprehensive classification system is proposed for recognizing the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal and extracting its parameters. An empirical distribution function -based Gaussianity test technique is first applied to distinguish OFDM from single carrier modulations. Cyclostationarity and correlation tests are then applied to estimate OFDM symbol duration and cyclic prefix duration. A bank of fast Fourier transform (FFT) bank filter is devised to detect the number of subearriers. Numerical results are presented to verify the efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Thermal Conduction Switch for Thermal Management of Chip Scale Atomic Clocks (IMECE2006-14540)

We report the first use of a bimetallic buckling disk as a thermal conduction switch. The disk is used to passively alter the thermal resistance of the package of a chip scale atomic clock. A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser and a cesium vapor cell, contained in the clock, must be maintained at 70 ±0.1° C even under an ambient temperature variation of - 40°C to 50°C. A thermal test vehicle has been developed to characterize a sample package with a thermal conduction switch. Three cases are presented for the temperature control of the test vehicle under different load placements and environmental conditions: (I) a heating load with a good conduction path to the switch in a vacuum package: (2) the same loading as in Case 1, but packaged in air; and (3) a heating load insulated from the switch, in a vacuum package. At 38°C, the switch snaps upward to reduce the package's thermal resistance. As a result, the heating power needed to maintain a constant temperature, 63.9±0.1°C, is increased from 118 to 200 mW for Case 1. Such a significant change of the thermal resistance demonstrates the effectiveness of the thermal switch. However, the switch becomes less effective with air filling the gap, as in Case 2, and the switch is not effective at all if the heating load does not have a good conduction path to the switch as in Case 3. The steady state response of this novel thermal conduction switch has been well characterized through experimentation and finite element analysis.
Performance, standby power, and manufacturability trade-off in transistor design consideration for 0.25-μm technology

In this paper, we compare four different approaches for transistor design for the 0.25 micrometer technology from the point of view of performance, stand-by power and ease of manufacturing. For the high performance logic applications such as high end microprocessors, 0.18 micrometer transistor (L gate equals 0.18 plus or minus 0.02 micrometer) with super steep retrograde wells and halo implants but without extension implants can achieve maximum frequency of operation (F max ) exceeding 380 Mhz for the 0.25 micrometer technology. On the other hand, for low power applications such as mobile communication equipments, a different 0.22 micrometer (L gate equals 0.22 plus or minus 0.02 micrometer) transistor design which simplifies manufacturing process by eliminating two photolithography steps becomes more attractive. The four transistor designs are compared using CV/I metric and manufacturability trade-offs are discussed.
Overrepresentation of African American Students in Exclusionary Discipline The Role of School Policy

The overrepresentation of ethnic minority students, particularly African American males, in the exclusionary discipline consequences of suspension and expulsion has been consistently documented dur...
Residues Tyr253 and Glu255 in Strand 3 of β-Sheet C of Antithrombin Are Key Determinants of an Exosite Made Accessible by Heparin Activation to Promote Rapid Inhibition of Factors Xa and IXa

Abstract We previously showed that conformational activation of the anticoagulant serpin, antithrombin, by heparin generates new exosites in strand 3 of β-sheet C, which promote the reaction of the inhibitor with the target proteases, factor Xa and factor IXa. To determine which residues comprise the exosites, we mutated strand 3C residues that are conserved in all vertebrate antithrombins. Combined mutations of the three conserved surface-accessible residues, Tyr253,Glu255, and Lys257, or of just Tyr253 and Glu255, but not any of these residues alone, was sufficient to reproduce the exosite defects of a strand 3C antithrombin-α1-proteinase inhibitor chimera in reactions of the heparin-activated variants with both factor Xa and factor IXa. Importantly, the exosite-defective antithrombins bound heparin with nearly wild-type affinities, and the heparin-activated mutants showed near normal reactivities with thrombin, a protease that does not utilize the exosite. Mutation of the conserved but partially buried strand 3C residue, Gln254, the reactive loop P6′ residue, Arg399, which interacts with Glu255, or a residue proposed to constitute the exosite from modeling studies, Glu237, all produced minimal effects on antithrombin reactivity with thrombin, factor Xa, and factor IXa in the absence or presence of heparin. Together, these results indicate that Tyr253 and Glu255 are key exosite determinants responsible for promoting the reactions of conformationally activated antithrombin with both factor Xa and factor IXa.
Characterization of the siroheme active site in spinach nitrite reductase by resonance Raman spectroscopy.

Abstract The resonance Raman spectra of various species of spinach nitrite reductase (ferredoxin: nitrite oxidoreductase, EC 1.7.7.1) have been obtained with Soret excitation. These spectra allow for the analysis of the vibrational properties of the unique siroheme chromophore at the enzyme's active site. The wholesale reordering of siroheme vibrational properties relative to those of protoporphyrins can be rationalized as resulting from a combination of symmetry lowering and bond order reductions within the siroheme macrocycle.
Electrical characteristics of organic ferroelectric FET integrated with Si using P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer films for nonvolatile memory devices

The feasibility of nonvolatile memory (NvRAM) structure with nondestructive readout (NDRO) capability based on Si-MOSFET integrated with a ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene copolymer (P(VDF-TrFE)) as a gate along with SiO 2 buffer has been demonstrated. Measurement of channel current IDS shows no saturation due to uniform ferroelectric field across gate channel. Modulation of channel conductance is attributed to sensitively switchable polarization field. Remarkable switching drain current ratio of ≫ 105 times with ON/OFF operations were obtained. Memory window is obtained to show the polarization field regulating threshold voltages of the integrated organic polymer FET.
Smart Browser: a framework for bringing intelligence into the browser

Smart Browser is a framework that supports the easy integration of customized background services within a Web browser. The framework utilizes a set of extendable XML message schemas to communicate between the browser and the background services. Based on this framework, a set of background services are integrated into Firefox browser. These services can bring the intelligence of crowd and machine, which are usually logic complicated, data intensive and computing complex, to each end user by utilizing light weighted and daily used browser. It's obvious that applications built on this framework can improve users' experiences when surfing the Web.
Improved low-CPA vitrification of mouse oocytes using quartz microcapillary ☆

Cryopreservation by low-cryoprotectant (CPA) vitrification has the potential to combine all the advantages of the conventional high-CPA vitrification and slow-freezing approaches while avoiding their drawbacks. However, current low-CPA vitrification protocol for cryopreservation of oocytes requires a lengthy and multi-step procedure for unloading CPAs. In this study, we report a much-simplified procedure of using quartz microcapillary (QMC) for low-CPA vitrification of mouse oocytes with only one step for unloading CPAs. The immediate viability of oocytes after the improved low-CPA vitrification was determined to be more than 90%. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in terms of embryonic development from the two-cell to blastocyst stages between the fresh and vitrified oocytes after in vitro fertilization (IVF). This improved low-CPA vitrification technology has the potential for efficient cryopreservation of oocytes to preserve the fertility of mammals including humans for assisted reproductive medicine, maintenance of animal resource and endangered species, and livestock management.
Use of preparative CsCl gradients to estimate DNA buoyant densities: Potential errors due to fractionation artifacts

Abstract The equilibrium banding behavior of high molecular weight DNA has been examined after centrifugation in CsCl gradients on angle rotors in the Spinco preparative ultracentrifuge. DNAs of base composition ranging from 30% GC to 71% GC, from a variety of species, band in close agreement to a calculated curve relating density and radial distance in angle preparative gradients, but only if the DNA is sheared prior to centrifugation. Unsheared DNA, after bottom tube puneture and drop collection by conventional methods, displays a characteristic unsymmetrical profile and the fraction with the largest concentration of DNA appears in a much lower fraction number than expected. This artifact leads to misealculation of buoyant densities from preparative gradients and interferes with fractionation of DNA, as for instance in separating satellite bands. Collection of the gradient from the top reverses the direction of the profile asymmetry and shearing eliminates it entirely.
Mobile Resources for the Public Health Workforce

Health science librarians, whether in academic or medical libraries, are increasingly becoming aware of mobile applications (apps) that offer the medical practitioner point-of-care access to current medical information. One can find hundreds of free apps or apps for purchase in the subjects of nursing, pharmacy, and medicine, as well as general consumer health and wellness apps for the iOS (Apple Mobile Device Operating System) and Android platforms. Yet, apps that provide information for public health practice have been to slow to come. This column will explore the barriers to public health information access for the public health workforce, the need for public health apps, and current initiatives for open government data and web app development.
Semi-Analytic Solution to Forward Scattering From a Long Conductive Strip

A semi-analytic model is developed that accurately describes the scattered electromagnetic field (including both reflection and diffraction) from a long conductive strip, which is on the order of a wavelength wide. When the dimension of this conductor is on the order of a wavelength, the gross approximations used for ray-tracing models cannot be used, because the scattering object does not satisfy the assumption that it is electrically large, resulting in a vanishing wavelength. Unlike ray-tracing techniques, this model completely describes the field diffracted around and behind the conductive obstruction, creating the null that is commonly called the “shadow” from an illuminated object. The only assumption made is that the strip is relatively long, compared to its width and to the wavelength. When simulations from this analytic model are compared to simulations from an established numerical model, it is found that this analytic model provides accuracy comparable to numeric methods, without the extensive computational intensity involved in numerical solutions. Furthermore, simulated field patterns from this analytic diffraction model are compared to 2-D measured patterns, resulting in close agreement.
Methodology and the Use of Dual and Complex-Task Paradigms in Human Factors Research

Two problem situations are discussed with respect to the multiple task literature, one stemming from statistical artifacts derived by inappropriate data-analytic procedures and the other caused by a failure to utilize specific models which map theory into data-level descriptions. These issues are discussed as they apply to individual differences research and to investigations of cognitive processes, resources, and systems in multiple task performance. Examples and illustrations of these issues are provided.
Torsional Instability of Cantilevered Bars Subjected to Nonconservative Loading

Torsional instability of cantilevered bars, describing effects of distributed nonconservative compressive load at free end
Effect of MAC type and speed on neighbor discovery in wireless train networks

In this paper, a wireless neighbor discovery (ND) process in a linear topology of a high-speed train backbone network is studied. A key step that enables communication in such a network is that of topology discovery (TD), whereby nodes learn in a distributed fashion the physical topology of the backbone network. ND, where each individual node discovers their right and left one-hop neighbors is the first and key step in TD. While the current standard for train inauguration assumes wired links between adjacent backbone nodes, this paper investigates the more challenging scenario in which the nodes communicate in wireless-fashion based on IEEE 802.11 or slotted-ALOHA. A network simulation using NS-2 software is developed for the 802.11-based (and slotted-ALOHA based) wireless ND. The network simulation is applied to analyze performance metrics, such as ND time and ND success rate as a function of various parameters.
Influence of Rock Mechanical Properties on the Formation of Rock Fragments During Cutting Operation

Mechanical rock cutting is a process encountered in different engineering applications including rock excavation, mining and deep oil well drilling. Rock mechanical properties vary with depth in the subsurface and also at different geographical locations due to different environmental conditions. Understanding of fragmentation mechanisms in specific rock materials allows the determination of optimum cutting parameters that improve cutting efficiency and increase tool life during cutting operations. In the present investigation, numerical models that accurately predict the rock fragmentation and stress profiles in the rock slab during cutting were developed using the explicit finite-element method (FEM). In the numerical models, a damage material model was utilized to capture the rock fragmentation process and a rigid steel cutter (at different rake angles) was displaced at different velocities against a stationary rock slab. Rock slabs with significantly different mechanical properties were incorporated with a constant friction factor and a cutting depth of 1 mm. The variation of cutting forces and stresses, and fragmentation of the rock slab were analyzed. The simulation results indicated that the explicit FEM is a powerful tool for simulating rock cutting as the formation of fragments were distinctly observed at different cutting conditions. The rock mechanical properties and tool rake angle were found to have the most significant effect on the rock fragmentation during cutting operations. The cutting forces were also influenced by mechanical properties of the rock and tool rake angle.Copyright © 2011 by ASME