cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immune response to phosphorylcholine—V: Dissociation of idiotypic complexes by complement

Abstract It was recently shown that complement can dissociate BSA-anti-BSA immune complexes (Miller, 1977). In the present study we have formed specific complexes of idiotype and anti-idiotype. The idiotype used was the phosphorylchotine-binding Balb/c myeloma protein, HOPC-8, and the anti-idiotype was raised against purified HOPC-8 protein in A/J mice. Idiotypic complexes were prepared in either of 2 ways: (1) HOPC-8 protein was immobilized in test tubes and allowed to bind purified radiolabeled anti-idiotype. (2) Anti-idiotype was immobilized in test tubes and allowed to bind purified labeled HOPC-8 protein. Then both types of immobilized idiotypic complex were incubated with fresh or heat-inactivated rabbit serum at 37°C. The dissociation of either labeled idiotype or anti-idiotype was measured as a function of time. Active complement increased the rate und extent of dissociation of the idiotypic complex regardless of whether the idiotype or the anti-idiotype was immobilized.
Systems Electronic Information

The Internet is a loosely organized and as yet unregulated network of computers. It stretches across the entire world, knowing no political or geographic boundaries. The physical connections are usually high speed, dedicated telephone lines. They may be old-fashioned copper wires, modern fiber optics, microwave or even satellite lines. There is much redundancy in the connections and the routing of information occurs almostrandomly. A computer in Minneapolis may connect to one in California by way of Denver one day and Washington, D. C. the next. No one person or even organization knows exactly how the Internet works. Local system administrators know how their own part of the network operates and what other remote systems they are connected to.
Novel “omics” approach for study of low-abundance, low-molecular-weight components of a complex biological tissue: regional differences between chorionic and basal plates of the human placenta

Tissue proteomics has relied heavily on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, for protein separation and quantification, then single protein isolation, trypsin digestion, and mass spectrometric protein identification. Such methods are predominantly used for study of high-abundance, full-length proteins. Tissue peptidomics has recently been developed but is still used to study the most highly abundant species, often resulting in observation and identification of dozens of peptides only. Tissue lipidomics is likewise new, and reported studies are limited. We have developed an “omics” approach that enables over 7,000 low-molecular-weight, low-abundance species to be surveyed and have applied this to human placental tissue. Because the placenta is believed to be involved in complications of pregnancy, its proteomic evaluation is of substantial interest. In previous research on the placental proteome, abundant, high-molecular-weight proteins have been studied. Application of large-scale, global proteomics or peptidomics to the placenta have been limited, and would be challenging owing to the anatomic complexity and broad concentration range of proteins in this tissue. In our approach, involving protein depletion, capillary liquid chromatography, and tandem mass spectrometry, we attempted to identify molecular differences between two regions of the same placenta with only slightly different cellular composition. Our analysis revealed 16 species with statistically significant differences between the two regions. Tandem mass spectrometry enabled successful sequencing, or otherwise enabled chemical characterization, of twelve of these. The successful discovery and identification of regional differences between the expression of low-abundance, low-molecular weight biomolecules reveals the potential of our approach.
Differences in opiate-induced synaptic excitability of hippocampal slices prepared from tolerant and nontolerant rats

Abstract Neural activity was assessed in hippocampal slices prepared from control rats and rats made tolerant to large daily doses of morphine. Slices from tolerant animals were incubated in medium containing nearly the same concentration of morphine (5 μ m ) determined to exist in the hippocampus in vivo . Population spike input-output (I-O) curves recorded from the CA1 cell layer in slices from nontolerant control animals exposed to this same concentration of morphine were markedly increased after 1-h incubation. In contrast, slices from tolerant animals tested at the same exposure time in 5 μ m morphine medium were significantly less excitable than control slices, and showed population spike I-O curves which were increased only slightly relative to I-O curves of control slices in normal medium. Nine of 16 slices from tolerant animals incubated in 5 μ m morphine showed a significant reduction in synaptic excitability after application of the opiate antagonist naltrexone via pressure pipet to the slice surface. A decrease in synaptic excitability was not observed in slices from untreated animals exposed to naltrexone. The results suggest that differences in synaptic efficacy exist between slices from nondrug-treated animals exposed initially to opiates in vitro and slices from tolerant animals exposed to the same opiate-containing medium.
Trends and outcomes of endovascular therapy in the management of civilian vascular injuries

Objective The rapid evolution of endovascular surgery has greatly expanded management options for a wide variety of vascular diseases. Endovascular therapy provides a less invasive alternative to open surgery for critically ill patients who have sustained arterial injuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate recent trends in the management of arterial injuries in the United States with specific reference to the use of endovascular strategies and to examine the outcomes of endovascular vs open therapy for the treatment of civilian arterial traumatic injuries. Methods A 9-year analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank was performed to identify all patients who sustained arterial injuries. Demographics, clinical data, interventions, and outcomes were extracted. Propensity scores were used to match endovascular patients to those undergoing open operation. Patient outcomes were compared according to treatment approach. Results A total of 23,105 patients were available for analysis. Overall, there was a significant increase in the use of endovascular procedures during 9 years (from 0.3% in 2002 to 9.0% in 2010; P P P P P P P P P = .025). Conclusions The use of endovascular therapy in the United States has increased dramatically during the last decade, in particular among severely injured blunt trauma patients. Endovascular therapy was associated with improved in-hospital mortality and lower rates of sepsis.
A Comparison of Inpatient and Outpatient Medicare Allowable Charges for Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal and Center Hemodialysis Patients: A Single-Center Study

Medicare allowable charges were compared between 21 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and 25 center hemodialysis (CHD) patients for the 12-month period from Sept 1982 through Aug 1983 to determine if savings from CAPD therapy were offset by higher hospitalization charges. All adult patients on a single therapy for the 12-month period who were not dialyzed or hospitalized at other institutions were included. The CAPD and CHD patient groups did not differ significantly by age, sex, or incidence of systemic disease. However, the CHD group had significantly more black patients. The primary renal disease, the incidence of diabetes mellitus, and other systemic diseases did not differ between the groups. The number of hospital admissions was similar between the two groups. However, the CHD patients tended to have a higher number of hospital days than the CAPD group (17.5 v 12.4). Although the total hospital charges tended to be higher for CHD ($16,145) than CAPD patients ($9,872), this difference was not significant. Outpatient dialysis charges were significantly less expensive for CAPD ($16,470) than CHD ($28,233). Emergency department charges were also significantly less for the CAPD group. Charges for patients with and without systemic disease were analyzed separately. In both subgroups, all charges were less for CAPD therapy; however, this difference was significant only for outpatient dialysis charges. Total charges for the 12-month period were significantly less for the CAPD group ($26,453) than for CHD ($45,586). This demonstrates that hospitalization charges did not offset the savings of home dialysis in these patients.
Stochastic model predictive control method for microgrid management

This paper presents a stochastic model predictive control method for managing a microgrid. In order to reliably provide the required power for costumers, the proposed method enables the microgrid to use the renewable energy sources as much as possible while keeping the storage device to its maximum state of charge and minimizing the power generated by the micro gas turbine. The performance and effectiveness of the proposed method will be finally illustrated by simulating a microgrid model consisting of three nodes including a renewable generation source and a battery, customers, and a micro gas turbine.
PHONONS FROM NEUTRON POWDER DIFFRACTION

The spherically averaged structure function S([vert bar][bold q][vert bar]) obtained from pulsed neutron powder diffraction contains both elastic and inelastic scattering via an integral over energy. The Fourier transformation of S([vert bar][bold q][vert bar]) to real space, as is done in the pair density function (PDF) analysis, regularizes the data, i.e., it accentuates the diffuse scattering. We present a technique which enables the extraction of off-center ([vert bar][bold q][vert bar][ne]0) phonon information from powder diffraction experiments by comparing the experimental PDF with theoretical calculations based on standard interatomic potentials and the crystal symmetry. This procedure [dynamics from powder diffraction] has been [ital successfully] implemented as demonstrated here for two systems, a simple metal fcc Ni and an ionic crystal CaF[sub 2]. Although computationally intensive, this data analysis allows for a phonon based modeling of the PDF, and additionally provides off-center phonon information from neutron powder diffraction. [copyright] [ital 1999] [ital The American Physical Society]
Current Trends and Future Directions in MEMS

Demands for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) (also known as microsystems technology, or MST) are continuously growing and it is predicted that they will continue to grow for, at least, a few more decades. For example, MEMS based products produced in 2005 had a value of $8 billion, 40% of which was in sensors. The balance was for products that included micromachined features, such as ink jet print heads, catheters, and RF IC chips with embedded inductors. Growth projections follow a rapidly increasing curve, with the value of products rising to $40 billion in 2015 and $200 billion in 2025! Growth to date has come from a combination of technology displacement, as exemplified by automotive pressure sensors and airbag accelerometers, new products, such as miniaturized guidance systems, and MEMS RF devices. Much of the growth in MEMS business is expected to come from products that are in early stages of development or yet to be invented. Some of these products include disposable chips for performing assays on blood and tissue samples, which are now performed in hospital laboratories, integrated optical switching and processing chips, as well as various RF communication and remote sensing products. In particular, MEMS are found uniquely suitable for detection, analysis, and mitigation of damage as well as for new, very capable, devices that are being developed and will become available in the future. This paper addresses development of representative MEMS of contemporary interest and illustrates their use in applications relating to daily life as well as to some of the most challenging tasks in today’s experimental mechanics.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND THE CULTURAL COMPETENCE DILEMMA IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

Cultural competence is a fundamental tenet of social work education. Although cultural competence with diverse populations historically referred to individuals and groups from non-White racial origins, the term has evolved to encompass differences pertaining to sexuality, religion, ability, and others. Critics charge that the cultural competence model is largely ineffective and that its tendency to equalize oppressions under a "multicultural umbrella" unintentionally promotes a color-blind mentality that eclipses the significance of institutionalized racism. In this article we argue that critical race theory (CRT) can be used to address some of these noted problems with the cultural competence model. We define the major tenets of CRT and analyze its benefits and limitations for social work pedagogy around race, racism, and other oppressions.
Case report and literature review of a dissecting thoracic aneurysm in a 16-year-old boy presenting to the emergency department.

Abstract Background Aortic dissection is a rare occurrence in the pediatric and adolescent population. It has numerous etiologies, including congenital cardiac abnormalities. Aortic dissection has a high mortality rate; therefore, it is essential for the physician to at least consider this diagnosis in the setting this patient presented within their differential of atypical chest pain in the pediatric and adolescent population. Study Objectives The purpose of this case is to consider an aortic dissection as part of the differential in a pediatric or adolescent patient presenting with atypical chest pain and abnormal vital signs. Second, this case demonstrates the diagnostic value of the D-dimer assay as a potential screening tool of aortic dissection. Case Report A 16-year-old boy with a benign past medical history presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with sudden onset of chest pain. His diagnostic workup led to a diagnosis of aortic dissection. It is noted that his D-dimer was significantly elevated. Conclusion It is important to consider aortic dissection as a possibility when assessing the sick adolescent patient. The D-dimer is quite useful as a rapid and inexpensive test in the evaluation and stratification of adolescent chest pain patients in the ED.
Ignition delay-time behind reflected shock waves of small hydrocarbons–nitrous oxide(–oxygen) mixtures

Although nitrous oxide has been identified as an important intermediate during the combustion of many solid propellants, there is a limited amount of data concerning the high-temperature oxidation of hydrocarbons by nitrous oxide. In the present study, ignition delay-times of small hydrocarbon–N_2O mixtures with and without O_2 were investigated through shock-tube experiments and chemical kinetic simulations. Experimentally, it is shown that the addition of oxygen induces a significant reduction of the activation energy of the ignition process. Simulations demonstrate that delay-times are usually satisfactorilly predicted but that the detailed reaction models used do not capture all the features of the OH* emission profiles.
Partial Oxidation of n-Tetradecane over 1 wt % Pt/γ-Al2O3 and Co0.4Mo0.6Cx Carbide Catalysts: A Comparative Study

Catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) of liquid fuels is being widely studied as an option for producing a hydrogen-rich gas stream for fuel cells. However, deactivation of catalysts by carbon deposit...
A comparison between the discontinuous galerkin method and the high resolution wave propagation method for the full two-fluid plasma system

Summary form only given. The Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin method and the high resolution wave propagation method are compared for applications of the full two-fluid plasma model. The two-fluid plasma equations have hyperbolic parts, therefore both the algorithms are applicable to solve the equation set. For the discontinuous Galerkin algorithm, the conserved variable is defined as a linear combination of a set of basis functions and the selection of these basis functions sets the spatial order of the solution. A Runge-Kutta time integration scheme is used with this method. The high resolution wave propagation algorithm is a finite volume method that uses cell averages to define the conserved variable and it is essentially similar to a low order discontinuous Galerkin method. Both methods compute the numerical flux at the cell edges with an approximate Riemann solver. The two algorithms are compared for stability, accuracy, convergence and computational expense when applied to the hyperbolic set of two-fluid equations. An electron acoustic square pulse is simulated and the results obtained from the two algorithms are compared to the analytical solution. The comparison between the algorithms is verified with the ion soliton propagation and the electron Weibel instability simulations
Complication Rates Between Local and Referral Patients Undergoing Vaginal Hysterectomy at an Academic Medical Center

OBJECTIVE To explore the influence of referral bias on complication rates after vaginal hysterectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Community-based (local) and referral patients had benign indications and underwent vaginal hysterectomy from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2005. We retrospectively evaluated patient characteristics, surgical procedures, and complications that occurred within 9 weeks after the index surgery. Complications were defined as admission to the intensive care unit, reoperation, hospital readmission, or medical intervention. RESULTS Of 736 patients, 361 (49.0%) were referred from outside the immediate 7-county area. Compared with local patients, referral patients were older (mean age, 54.5 vs 49.3 years; P 2 ; P =.02). More referral patients had cardiovascular disease (4.2% vs 0.5%; P =.001) and prior myocardial infarctions (1.9% vs 0%; P =.007). Referral patients also had higher American Society of Anesthesiologists scores (score of 3 or 4, 12.6% vs 7.0%; P =.01) and longer length of hospitalization (mean, 2.6 vs 2.2 days; P P =.004). Fewer referral patients had private insurance (74.5% vs 89.6%; P P =.28). CONCLUSION Although referral patients had more comorbid conditions than local patients, the groups had similar complication rates after vaginal hysterectomy.
Social science and policy: lessons of post-socialist reform

Many scholars aspire to weigh in on issues of public policy and assume the position of a public intellectual who straddles the line between academic research and public discourse. Moreover, there is also an expectation, frequently expressed at scholarly presentations and in the discussion of candidates for academic jobs, that research should have clear policy implications. Given these desiderata, some scholars have identified the increasing specialization and division of the social sciences into disciplines and sub-disciplines as one reason for their failure to resonate beyond narrow circles. Hence, they have called for a radical restructuring of the social sciences and a breaking down of these disciplines, which they see as divided by boundaries that are more the product of historical decisions than functional demarcations. The purpose of this paper is to argue that the expectation of policy-relevance and engagement across the research–policy divide under the currently dominant economistic paradigm has p...
Assessing the impact of spectral and polarimetric data fusion via simulation to support multimodal sensor system design requirements

A series of trade studies was carried out using the Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) model to assess how varying the spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), spectral ground sample distance (GSD), or target spectrum affected the impact of spectral and polarimetric data fusion via the spectral polarimetric integration (SPI) algorithm for a notional multimodal sensor. When varying the SNR, the impact depended on the constraints placed on the sensor's tasking. When spectral GSD was varied, the benefit of incorporating polarimetric information increased as the GSD increased. However, a threshold GSD was identified beyond which no benefit was observed. Reducing the target/background spectral contrast by changing the target spectrum from a red vehicle to a green vehicle produced variations in the impact due to fusion, although the SPI algorithm produced a general increase in performance in both cases. The trade studies demonstrated that incorporating additional polarimetric information may enable suitable performance with a less capable multispectral sensor. Finally, the SPI decision fusion algorithm was shown to be robust across a range of scenarios possibly encountered in the multimodal sensor design process.
Binge drinking in college-aged women: framing a gender-specific prevention strategy.

Purpose: To provide an overview of binge drinking in college-aged women and to suggest strategies for nurse practitioners (NPs) to assist women in preventing the negative consequences associated with this behavior. Data sources: Original research articles and comprehensive review articles identified through Medline, CINAHL, and OVID databases. Conclusions: Researchers have shown that the rates of binge drinking in college-aged women are increasing, which places these women at increased risk for the long-term complications associated with alcohol use. Implications for practice: NPs must be aware of this phenomenon and carefully screen women for high-risk alcohol use. Prevention strategies are reviewed and include the use of brief motivational interviews delivered during individual client encounters as well as through Web-based programs.
Superior Parietal Cortex Activation During Spatial Attention Shifts and Visual Feature Conjunction

Positron emission tomography was used to measure changes in the regional cerebral blood flow of normal people while they searched visual displays for targets defined by color, by motion, or by a conjunction of color and motion. A region in the superior parietal cortex was activated only during the conjunction task, at a location that had previously been shown to be engaged by successive shifts of spatial attention. Correspondingly, the time needed to detect a conjunction target increased with the number of items in the display, which is consistent with the use of a mechanism that successively analyzes each item in the visual field.
Wall interference evaluation from pressure measurements on control surfaces

Conventional methods for the calculation of wall interference corrections are based on boundary conditions which require a knowledge of ventilated wall porosity parameters, and which are unsuitable for deformed walls. The method described uses a simple exponential decay of pressure distribution beyond the most upstream and downstream limits in order to evaluate Mach number and incidence corrections given by the method proposed by Papelier et al. (1978). It is found that, while the upstream contribution to incidence correction is significant, the upstream and downstream contributions to Mach number correction are negligible.
The synthesis and evaluation of benzannelated-azatoxins: The benzazatoxins

Abstract The synthesis and evaluation of azatoxin congeners possessing annealed aromatic frameworks are described. The compounds were evaluated for their abilities to affect topoisomerase II inhibition through the stabilization of “cleavable complex” and for the inhibition of tubulin polymerization using purified bovine brain tubulin.
Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in healthy subjects.

Abstract Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit cyclo-oxygenase activity and thereby reduce prostaglandin synthesis. Studies in humans have used these cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors to examine the role of prostaglandins in controlling renal function. Although short-term studies have demonstrated reductions in effective renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate, urinary sodium excretion, and plasma renin activity, long-term administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs does not result in significant or clinically important changes in renal function in normal human subjects. If healthy volunteers are placed on low-sodium diets or treated with diuretics, both renal hemodynamics and salt and water excretion can become prostaglandin-dependent. Studies in normal subjects suggest that sulindac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that undergoes biotransformation in the kidney, does not inhibit renal prostaglandin synthesis or urinary sodium excretion under basal conditions but may impair furosemide-stimulated prostaglandin synthesis and changes in renal function. Doses of sulindac that spare basal renal cyclo-oxygenase do inhibit extrarenal cyclooxygenase. The mechanism responsible for this biochemical selectivity of sulindac is not related to a differential sensitivity of the renal cyclo-oxygenase to the active metabolite of sulindac, sulindac sulfide. Sulindac sulfide, in concentrations as low as 1 nM, was equipotent to indomethacin as an inhibitor of prostaglandin E 2 synthesis in primary cultures of three renal cell lines. Appropriate clinical use of all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including sulindac, requires careful consideration of risk factors that predispose to nephrotoxicity and careful monitoring when administered to patients at risk.
Determining the gas-phase properties and reactivities of multiply charged ions.

Approaches for analyzing kinetic and thermochemical data from the reactions of multiply charged ions are presented. A method for estimating the electrostatic repulsion in a multiply charged ion is described followed by examples of the potential energy surfaces for two representative reactions of multiply charged ions, proton transfer and nucleophilic substitution (S N 2). The effect of electrostatic repulsion on reaction barriers is discussed and approaches for extracting thermochemical data from kinetic results are described. For reactions with small intrinsic barriers (i.e. proton transfer), considerable internal electrostatic repulsion is released at the transition state and multiply charged ions exhibit much greater reactivity than singly charged analogs. In contrast, relatively little electrostatic repulsion is released at the transition states of reactions with large intrinsic barriers (i.e. S N 2) and multiply charged ions with moderate charge separations (>10 A) can exhibit reactivity that is very similar to that of singly charged analogs.
AXISYMMETRIC RESPONSE OF A FLUID-FILLED SPHERICAL SHELL IN FREE VIBRATIONS*?

This paper is concerned with a theoretical model of the head. Neuroanatomical and analytical considerations lead to a fluid-filled spherical shell as a first-generation model. The shell is considered thin, elastic, homogeneous, and isotropic. The shell equations includeboth membrane and bending effects in axisymmetric torsionless motion. The motion of the fluid is governed by the wave equation. A free vibration analysis of the fluid-shell system is obtained in the form of a frequency equation. Compared with a fluid-filled rigid shell and an elastic shell in uacuo, the frequency spectrum of the fluid-shell system is almost a 'superposition' of the spectra of the two special cases. The exceptions appear as slight distortions in the neighborhood of the 'curve' intersections. 1. Ih'TRODUCTION IT IS a well-established fact that approximately three-quarters of the fatalities resulting from all accidents involve injury to the head, em- phasizing the disproportionate vulnerability of this part of the human body. The mounting awareness of the gravity of the problem cul- minated in a Head Injury Conference in Chicago, 1965. Its Proceedings, edited by Caveness and Walker (1966), consist of 576 pages of contributions from practically every conceivable point of view concerning the problem of craniocerebral trauma. The investigation presented here is part of a systematic study of the various mechanical properties of the head as revealed by its response to pressure waves. It is an attempt to theoretically model what is considered a very complicated situation with the hope of deducing from the analysis the most prominent features of cranioceiebral trauma. Section 2 delineates the various considera- tions leading to the choice of the analytical
Proposed pathogenesis of idiopathic loin pain-hematuria syndrome

Background: To study loin pain–hematuria syndrome (LPHS) pathogenesis, we evaluated 43 consecutive patients for whom urological evaluation failed to disclose the cause of their recurrent flank pain and hematuria. Each underwent percutaneous kidney biopsy. In 9 patients, the biopsy specimen showed immunoglobulin A nephritis, an established cause of LPHS. We suggest these cases be designated secondary LPHS. They are not included in this analysis. The remaining patients (N = 34) are designated idiopathic (primary) LPHS. They are the basis of this report. Methods: Demographics of patients with primary LPHS are mean age of 30.8 ± 10.3 years; 74% women; 94% white; and history of kidney stones, 47%, although none was obstructing. Results: Primary LPHS kidney biopsy specimens showed red blood cells (RBCs) in multiple tubules, consistent with glomerular hematuria. Glomeruli were normal by means of light and immunofluorescent microscopy; however, more than 50% of biopsy specimens showed unusually thin or thick glomerular basement membranes. To assess whether the biopsy itself caused RBCs in tubules, we compared RBCs in renal tubular cross-sections from primary LPHS biopsies with those of normal kidneys (donors, n=10). The mean percentage of tubular cross-sections containing RBCs was greater in primary LPHS than normal specimens (7.2% ± 6.5% versus 1.6% ± 1.0% [SD]; P Conclusion: Primary LPHS pathogenesis includes glomerular hematuria, apparently from structurally abnormal glomerular basement membrane. Primary LPHS pain may be initiated by obstructing RBC casts and perhaps microcrystals in those with a history of urolithiasis. Nevertheless, other factors are needed to explain the severe pain in patients with primary LPHS.
The complexity of computations by networks

We survey the current state of knowledge concerning the computation of Boolean functions by networks, with particular emphasis on the addition and multiplication of binary numbers.
Carbon dioxide laser treatment of pitted acne scarring.

. Laserabrasion has been shown to have limited application in the treatment of acne scarring. Focal laser-abrasion used to treat individual pitted acne scars may have broader clinical application. We present 8 patients with pitted acne scars who were treated with either conventional continuous wave carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, or with the superpulsed CO2 laser, or both. Cosmetically acceptable results were attained, particularly in the patients treated with the superpulsed laser.
Spanwise pressure distribution on delta wing with leading-edge vortex flap

The aerodynamic characteristics of a highly swept planar delta wing employing conical leading edge flaps are numerically investigated, using a free vortex sheet method that is based on an advanced, three-dimensional inviscid flow panel method employing quadratic doublet distributions to represent the wing surface and the rolled-up vortex sheet and wake. Upward flap deflection shifts the negative pressure peak inboard of the basic wing and develops a significant suction pressure on the flap that then produces thrust component in the direction of flight; overall drag is thereby reduced.
Estimation of wirelength reduction for λ-geometry vs. manhattan placement and routing

λ-geometry routing has recently received much attention due to the potential for reduced interconnect length in comparison to today's prevalent Manhattan routing. An accurate cost-benefit analysis of λ-geometry routing is impossible without good estimation of the wirelength reduction expected when switching from Manhattan to λ-geometry routing. However, in the literature, estimates of wirelength improvements achieved by λ-geometry routing are usually for randomly generated nets, and the effect of λ-geometry-driven placement on the overall wirelength improvement is not properly considered. In this paper, we improve existing estimates for the wirelength reduction of various λ-geometry interconnect architectures. First, we give more accurate estimations of the expected wirelength reduction given by λ-geometry routing on Manhattan placements. We take into account the effect of wirelength-driven Manhattan placement on pin locations for nets with k=2, 3 and 4 pins, and observe smaller expected reductions compared to previous estimates based on nets randomly located in the plane. Second, we estimate the wirelength improvement achieved by λ-geometry placement and routing versus Manhattan placement and routing. Our estimate is based on a simulated annealing placer, driven by λ-geometry metrics. Finally, we discuss and analyze the "virtuous cycle" effect: reduction of overall wirelength results in decreased routing area, which in turn leads to further wirelength reduction.
Role of PTHrP in Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) signaling has been shown to affect the development of many tissues including bone, cartilage, and mammary gland. In this review, we focus on the role of PTHrP in the normal mammary gland and its contributions to breast pathogenesis. During embryonic mammary development, PTHrP drives mammary mesenchyme specification, which is responsible for maintaining mammary cell fate, promoting the outgrowth of ducts, and directing the formation of the nipple. During lactation, PTHrP mobilizes maternal calcium to ensure a supply of calcium into milk and may play a role in regulating neonatal bone and mineral metabolism. PTHrP is expressed in primary breast cancer and breast cancer metastases, and contributes to the formation of osteolytic bone lesions as well as the growth and progression of primary tumors.
Global Self-Worth, Specific Self-Perceptions of Competence, and Depression in Adolescents

Abstract Objective The purpose of this research was (I) to study adolescent depression severity in relation to global self-worth and specific self-perceptions of competence, and (2) to determine whether improvement in depression during hospitalization is accompanied by improvement in global self-worth and specific self-perceptions. Method A within-subject longitudinal design with cross-sectional control subjects was used. Thirty depressed adolescent inpatients participated in assessments of depression severity (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) and self-perceptions of global self-worth and domain-specific competencies (Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents) at hospital admission and discharge (mean hospitalization: 59 days). A demographically similar group of 30 normal comparison subjects participated in the baseline assessment. Results Global self-worth was negatively associated with inpatients' depression severity and differentiated inpatients from normal comparison subjects. Self-perceptions of specific competencies were differentially related to depression severity, with perceived social acceptance being most clearly related to depression severity. Among the subgroup of inpatients showing clear and significant improvement in depression across hospitalization, increases in global self-worth and perceived social acceptance were also evident. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of considering global self-worth and selfperceptions of specific competencies in developmentally significant areas when assessing and treating adolescents.
Living with Star Trek: American Culture and the Star Trek Universe by Lincoln Geraghty

Living with Star Trek: American Culture and the Star Trek Universe Lincoln Geraghty. London: I. B. Tauris, 2007. From 1966 to 1969, seventy-nine hour-long television episodes introduced Earthlings to the crew of the 23rd-century starship USS Enterprise, a naval vessel dispatched by the United Federation of Planets on a "five-year mission" to explore "new worlds." The show died before the five years were up but lingered in the hearts and minds of its enthusiasts, who catapulted Star Trek to cult status and supported a generation's worth of collectibles, novels, motion pictures, and spin-off shows, most notably the highly-watchable Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994). The latest volume on Star Trek's cultural potency comes at an unfortunate but not unusual time for the franchise: well-regarded but moribund, with no new media products to sustain it. Then again, as the thoughtful Lincoln Geraghty notes in Living with Star Trek, the franchise has always grown best on the enthusiasm of fans mesmerized by reruns and after-images. Star Trek has attracted some noteworthy commentators over the years who have found much in the franchise to talk about, from geopolitics to homosexuality. Geraghty is deeply indebted to these scholars but seeks to ride his own transporter beam, mostly by examining Star Trek's legions of "passive" fans-those who might never step foot in a convention hall but have proven prodigious letter writers. Before dealing with these sedate "Trekkers," though, Geraghty, in the first of the book's three parts, locates Star Trek's mythology in the pompous moralizing of Puritan utopianism. The original series pitted Enterprise (led by the intrepid Captain James T. Kirk) against a slew of morally bankrupt alien worlds vaguely reminiscent of Earth's own history. Encountering these civilizations, the mostly human crew confronted its metaphorical past, settling scores with sermons and phaser blasts. Indeed, while technology runs amok in Star Trek, a smug Yankee humanity emerges as the franchise's real hero. Science fiction fans, Henry Jenkins has noted, are known for their reinterpretation of the objects of their enthusiasm; neglected by most commentators, Geraghty asserts, are aficionados whose affection for Star Trek never rises to that level. Rather, he finds in Star Trek fandom a loose community of well-wishers sharing the characteristics of both a civic association and a support group, making it unique in modern American society. Examining fan correspondence, Geraghty takes a closer look at the more recent additions to the Star Trek canon, the final series, Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005) and the satirical 1999 film Galaxy Quest. With Enterprise, Star Trek's British fans struggled with an America-focused prequel increasingly alienated from the original's internationalism. …
Detection and Analysis of Methyltins in Extracts from Mouse Tissues Following Injection of Trimethyltin

Abstract An internal standard method is described for the extraction and quantification of methyltins from mouse tissues with picogram sensitivity. Mice of four different inbred strains received single I.P. injections of trimethyltin (2.3 mg/kg in physiological saline). Four days after injection, tissues were taken for extraction and quantification of methyltins. Tissues were extracted with 0.2% tropolone in hexane and HCl, dried over sodium sulfate, adsorbed through florisil and sodium sulfate, derivatized with pentylmagnesium bromide and analyzed on a gas chromatograph with flame photometric detection. Trimethyltin was the only form of tin found in most of the tissue samples analyzed. Approximately one fifth of the tissue samples contained small amounts (up to 6.4% of total tin present) of dimethyltin. None of the tissue samples contained monomethyltin. There were no strain differences in the amounts of trimethyltin or dimethyltin found in the tissues. We conclude that trimethyltin is not metabolized to...
Limplock: understanding the impact of limpware on scale-out cloud systems

We highlight one often-overlooked cause of performance failure: limpware -- "limping" hardware whose performance degrades significantly compared to its specification. We report anecdotes of degraded disks and network components seen in large-scale production. To measure the system-level impact of limpware, we assembled limpbench, a set of benchmarks that combine data-intensive load and limpware injections. We benchmark five cloud systems (Hadoop, HDFS, ZooKeeper, Cassandra, and HBase) and find that limpware can severely impact distributed operations, nodes, and an entire cluster. From this, we introduce the concept of limplock, a situation where a system progresses slowly due to the presence of limpware and is not capable of failing over to healthy components. We show how each cloud system that we analyze can exhibit operation, node, and cluster limplock. We conclude that many cloud systems are not limpware tolerant.
FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH THROUGH ARALL‐4 AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE

Fatigue cracks were grown in the 5 layer aluminum alloy-Aramid fiber laminate composite ARALL-4 over the range of cyclic stress intensity factors (ΔK) from 3.5 to 91 MPa✓m. Near the threshold, crack growth rate was about the same as for unreinforced aluminum alloys, but at high ΔK, crack growth rates were significantly lower. Crack closure was measured over this range of growth rates and found to be different than for unreinforced aluminum alloys. The magnitude of closure was also dependent on crack length. Cracks opened progressively towards the tip with increasing load in much the same way as for unreinforced aluminum alloys. Removal of the aluminum outer layer and some of the epoxy revealed that fibers were intact close to the crack tip, but heavily damaged further away. By adjusting the fatigue crack growth curve of an unreinforced aluminum alloy for the closure exhibited by the composite, it was possible to approximate the crack growth rate for the composite over the lower to mid range of ΔK, but at higher values of ΔK, this model seriously overestimated measured crack growth rates. Therefore, fiber bridging affects both closure and maximum stress intensity factor at the crack tip. Standard fracture mechanics cannot be applied to describe these effects.
How Substance Abuse Recovery Skills, Readiness to Change and Symptom Reduction Impact Change Processes in Wilderness Therapy Participants

Previous research has demonstrated that wilderness therapy is effective, yet very few studies have attempted to discern quantitative factors responsible for change that occur during wilderness therapy. This study aimed to tease apart specific factors that impact client progress and outcome. A sample of 189 adolescent clients in a wilderness therapy program completed the Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self-Report, the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA), and the Adolescent Relapse Coping Questionnaire (ARCQ) at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up intervals. Analysis of the complete data sets of 41 adolescents indicated that client Y-OQ scores improved significantly at post and follow-up assessments. URICA scores were not significantly related to such changes, while the ARCQ subscale of abstinence-focused coping strategies accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in Y-OQ change. These results indicate that clients in wilderness therapy do not necessarily need to want to change in order to do so. Furthermore, helping adolescents in wilderness therapy settings gain abstinence-focused coping strategies may be the most effective tool to improve treatment outcomes.
The physical basis for empirical rules used to determine equivalent fields for phantom scatter

Simple empirical rules are widely employed to determine the size of the square radiation field which is equivalent to either a rectangular field or a circular field with respect to phantom scatter. For a rectangular field, the area divided by the perimeter of the rectangle is equated to the area divided by the perimeter of the equivalent square. For circular fields, the area of the circle is sometimes equated to the area of the equivalent square. These empirical rules are very simple and remarkably accurate. They have been in daily use for 30 years, yet there is little discussion in the literature of their fundamental physical basis. An equation is derived for the equivalence of rectangular fields which has the form of the area over perimeter result multiplied by a "correction" factor. This equation is based on fundamental physical principles and it agrees better, within its domain of applicability, with published data than the area over perimeter rule. It is also shown that what appear to be different arbitrary rules for circles and rectangles both emerge from the same underlying physical analysis.
Point-of-care ultrasound use over six-month training period in Rwandan district hospitals

Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an effective diagnostic technology in resource-limited settings. There is increasing interest in introducing ultrasound training in such environments, but few reports describing long-term follow-up and impact of a POCUS program in a resource-limited setting. We introduced a POCUS program in Rwanda, and sought to determine the number and type of ultrasounds performed, the impact of a remote quality assurance (QA) program, and the effect of POCUS on patient management. Methods Seventeen Rwandan physicians underwent a ten-day training course in POCUS in Kigali, Rwanda. Post-course, participants tracked the ultrasounds they performed using a cloud-based storage system, recorded clinical impressions, and received periodic QA with on-site proctoring over a six-month follow-up. Remote QA to evaluate image quality was performed by five emergency ultrasound fellowship-trained clinicians. Images were graded on a scale of 0–4. (0=no meaningful image, 2=adequate, 4=outstanding). Trainees also documented how POCUS changed clinical management. Results Over six months, 1158 ultrasounds were performed and logged by fifteen participants at eleven regional hospitals. 590 (50.9%) had matched images and interpretations available for review. Abdominal ultrasound was the most frequently performed application (19.7%), followed by liver (14.6%), obstetrics (14.5%), renal (12.4%), and spleen (11%). Across all applications, the mean score was 2.5 (SD±0.11, 95% confidence interval, 2.39–2.54). Ultrasound resulted in a management change in 84% of cases. Major changes in management related to medication choice (42.4%), admission (30%), transfer to a higher level of care (28.1%), and performance of procedures (23.3%). Conclusions During this six-month training program in Rwanda, participants used POCUS for a range of applications. The remote QA process captured 51% of ultrasounds performed. Of scans with QA, the average score was adequate to good. POCUS routinely changed clinical management. This study demonstrates the impact of POCUS in a resource-limited setting.
A Railgun Test Bench and Standardized Methodology for Muzzle Voltage Noise Analysis

This paper presents the design, development, and initial testing results of a small-bore railgun and test bench for the study of muzzle voltage traces. An analysis of the noise observed on voltage traces taken from the muzzle during motional and locked-armature operations is presented and discussed. The average velocities for a 3.38-g projectile were 50 m/s over a series of 21 tests. The railgun is powered by a sequentially fired pulse-forming network consisting of six electrolytic capacitor banks. Typical current and voltage characteristics are approximately 20-kA peak current at 275 V for a 6-ms pulse train length. Noise root-mean-square voltage and noise margins are extracted from the muzzle voltage waveforms and discussed. This investigation also develops a quantitative method to analyze muzzle voltage noise, which can be applied to any electromagnetic launcher. The technique reveals a new and interesting result that shows noise levels were greatest during early pulses of the firing sequence and generally decreased with subsequent pulses. This demonstrates that the technique has the potential to provide insight into the nature of the armature-rail sliding contact.