cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Essential Primer for Understanding the Role of Topical Hemostats, Surgical Sealants, and Adhesives for Maintaining Hemostasis

A wide variety of topical hemostats are approved as adjunctive therapies in the maintenance of hemostasis during surgical procedures in which conventional methods are insufficient or not practical. A multidisciplinary approach to the selection and application of these agents requires input from all members of the surgical team including surgeons, perioperative nurses, blood bank specialists, and pharmacists. However, pharmacist knowledge regarding topical hemostats may be limited based on lack of formal education within college of pharmacy curricula as well as their use being predominantly in the operating room setting. Furthermore, some of these agents might be procured through central supply rather than the hospital pharmacy. Topical hemostats include agents that act as a mechanical barrier to bleeding and provide a physical matrix for clotting, biologically active agents that catalyze coagulation, combination therapies, and synthetic sealants and adhesives. Although many of the topical hemostats were approved for use before the requirement for clinical trials, this review provides an overview of the available clinical evidence regarding the appropriate uses and safety considerations associated with these agents. Proper use of these agents is vital to achieving the best clinical outcomes. Specifically, knowledge of the contraindications and potential adverse events associated with topical hemostats can help prevent unwanted outcomes. Therefore, an understanding of the benefits and potential risks associated with these agents will allow hospital pharmacists to assist in the development and implementation of institutional policies regarding the safe and effective use of hemostatic agents commonly used in the surgical suite.
The Zen of Soft Power

I had graded book reviews of Joseph Nye’s book, Soft Power , all day long and was anxious to get home; however, torrential rains in southern California had blocked many of the roads to and from the university to my house. Nevertheless, I started home at the end of the day. I only got as far as a shopping mall; a landslide blocked the road, and the estimate is that it would take several hours to clear it up. I looked around the mall for a place to while away some time. The only placehat I saw was a dingy bar appropriately named “The Doom Room.” With no otherchoices, I walked in the dimly lit establishment. Once my eyes had adjusted to thedark, I noticed that the roads were apparently closed to motorcycles as well as carsbecause a number of bikers wearing leather jackets identifying them as the “MalibuMarauders” had also sought refuge in this unlikely sanctuary. Thinking of the reviews of Nye’s book that I had been reading, I was excited aboutthe possibility of trying out some of the ideas in the book …
A Little Friendly Competition [From the Editor's Desk]

Reading Madhu Gupta's “Educator's Corner” column in this issue reminded me how much fun graduate school was. It was a time devoted to “me,” where my job each day was to improve my knowledge and skills. Yes, the idea of graduate school ultimately was to become a more productive member of society, which those of us who go through the advanced degree process hopefully evolve into. But those few short years provided a fantastic opportunity to be self-absorbed. Problems worked in class, the subject of Madhu's column, always seemed to open a new door, both in terms of the material but, more importantly, in terms of new approaches to problem solving. As students, we are given the chance to try new approaches and try completely new things.
Plant response and energy savings for bench-top-heated greenhouses

Abstract Growth and development of tomato and chrysanthemum were studied using two hot water, convection-type heating systems, one a bench-top system and the other a perimeter heating system. Fresh and dry weight, plant height and development for chrysanthemum and tomato crops were similar in both the bench-top and perimeter-heated greenhouses even though soil temperatures were 3–5°C higher with the bench-top system. Although canopy temperatures were maintained at approximately equivalent levels in both greenhouses, the bench-top-heated greenhouses used 50% less energy. Wall temperatures in the bench-top-heated greenhouse were 5–7°C less than in the perimeter-heated greenhouse.
The relationship of factorially validated measures of anger-proneness and irrational beliefs

Cognitive-behavioral formulations have proposed that anger disorders are mediated by irrational beliefs. The modification of irrational beliefs has been followed by reduction in anger-proneness. Determination of a causal relationship, however, requires at least a correlation between irrational beliefs and proneness to anger arousal. Subjects completed a validated measure of self-reported anger-proneness and of irrational beliefs. Multiple regression analyses showed significant positive relationships between all dimensions of anger proneness and several irrational beliefs. Implications for the cognitive-behavior modification of anger are discussed.
Performance Investigation of YSZ-SDC Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

This work presents the performance of YSZ-SDC multilayered anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (AS-SOFC). The anode-supported SOFC showed an extraordinary fuel cell performance of ∼1.57 W/cm2 by wet spraying a SDC layer onto YSZ layer. It was found that the fuel cell performance varied with the sintering temperature of fuel cell. At the high sintering temperatures, the reactions between YSZ and SDC have a significant effect on the fuel cell performance.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Context of multiubiquitin chain attachment influences the rate of Sic1 degradation.

Abstract The ubiquitin-dependent targeting of proteins to the proteasome is an essential mechanism for regulating eukaryotic protein stability. Here we define the minimal signal for the degradation of the S phase CDK inhibitor Sic1. Of 20 lysines scattered throughout Sic1, 6 N-terminal lysines serve as major ubiquitination sites. Sic1 lacking these lysines (K0N) is stable in vivo, but readdition of any one restores turnover. Nevertheless, ubiquitin chains attached at different N-terminal lysines specify degradation in vitro at markedly different rates. Moreover, although K0N can be ubiquitinated by SCF Cdc4 /Cdc34 in vitro in the absence (but not in the presence) of S-CDK, it is degraded slowly. Our results reveal that a single multiubiquitin chain can sustain a physiological turnover rate, but that chain position plays an unexpectedly significant role in the rate of proteasomal proteolysis.
Progress in Understanding Earth's Radiation Belts, Radiation Belts Saint Petersburg; Saint Petersburg, Russia, 4–6 August 2008

Fifty years after their discovery, Earth's radiation belts are an enduring major challenge, owing to the complex, interdependent phenomena controlling these particles, and motivated by the enormous role of space technology in our society. The recent Radiation Belts Saint Petersburg (RBSPb) workshop explored how to meet this challenge. Considerable discussion focused on learning more from observations, especially by revisiting existing spacecraft data sets with new analysis techniques or updated paradigms. New techniques were reported, such as extraction of energetic electron data from signal contamination in proton detectors and conversion of auroral proton images into global wave proxies. New insight concerning global aspects of the system (e.g., plasmaspheric wave-particle interactions) enables less ambiguous interpretation of local measurements.
The school-to-prison pipeline: structuring legal reform

Kim, Catherine Y., Daniel J. Losen, and Damon T. Hewitt. 2010. New York: New York University Press. ISBN: 978-0814748435. pp. v, 229 Increasingly, and especially through the mid to late 1990s, both...
Antihistamines and the common cold. A review and critique of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if antihistamines provided clinically significant relief from the symptoms of the common cold.
A statistical method for the estimation of binding parameters in a complex system.

A statistical method is described that is suitable to obtain numerical values for binding parameters from the experimental data of ligand-macromolecule binding studies. The parameters sought are the association constants and number of binding sites. As the independent variable, we chose total ligand concentration because it is the most error-free variable. The fraction bound is chosen for the dependent variable, because this results in an even distribution of the experimentally obtained points about the fitted curve. A method is outlined to calculate to any degree of precision an estimate of the fraction bound from given values of the parameters. A least-squares method is used to obtain the best-fitting estimates of the parameters. The distribution properties of the estimated parameters are presented as 95% confidence limits on the fitted curve.
Hemodynamic effects of BTS 49465, a new long-acting systemic vasodilator drug, in patients with severe congestive heart failure

The hemodynamic effects of BTS 49465, a new oral, direct-acting systemic vasodilator drug, were investigated in 10 patients with severe chronic congestive heart failure. One to 2 hours after the administration of 1.5 mg/kg orally, BTS 49465 produced significant increases in cardiac index, stroke volume index, and stroke work index (26%, 27%, and 23%, respectively, p less than 0.01 to 0.001) and marked decreases in left ventricular filling pressure (-12.6 mm Hg, 44%), mean pulmonary artery pressure (-13.2 mm Hg, 31%), and mean right atrial pressure (-7.7 mm Hg, 63%), all p less than 0.001, without significant changes in heart rate. These hemodynamic responses were accompanied by notable declines in systemic vascular resistance (-28%, p less than 0.001) and pulmonary arteriolar resistance (-24%, p less than 0.05). These effects persisted throughout the 24-hour period of observation. The decline in left ventricular filling pressure in our patients ranged in magnitude from 8 to 21 mm Hg, and varied linearly and directly with pretreatment values for left ventricular filling pressure (r = 0.69). The decrease in systemic vascular resistance ranged in magnitude from 3% to 40% and varied linearly and directly with pretreatment values for systemic vascular resistance (r = 0.85). These data indicate that BTS 49465, a new oral, direct-acting vasodilator agent, exerts balanced cardiocirculatory effects in patients with severe chronic heart failure, which may be sustained with once-daily oral administration.
Calorimetry in CDF Run 2

The integrated calorimetry environment of CDF Run 2 comprises the Run 1 sampling scintillator calorimeters, electromagnetic preshower and shower maximum detectors, new scintillating-fiber endplug detectors, radioactive source calibration systems, dedicated trigger paths, and new custom front-end electronics. Together they form a general-purpose calorimetry system which was successfully commissioned in 2000/2001. The initial performance is described here, along with a glimpse of first CDF Run 2 data.
A controlled study of the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in randomly selected patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective. To investigate the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in randomly selected patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. Randomly selected, ambulatory patients with SLE (n = 49) or with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n = 40) completed neuropsychological tests. These included Associate Learning, Switching Attention, Continuous Performance, Associate Recall, Hand–Eye Coordination, Pattern Comparison, Pattern Memory, the Stroop Color and Word Test, and the Symptoms Checklist–90R. Results were evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis. Results. SLE patients had poorer performance than RA patients on the test of attention (P = 0.002) and tests of visuospatial ability (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04), independent of age, education, or steroid use. The conservative level of statistical significance, adjusting for multiple comparisons, was 0.005. SLE patients reported more symptoms of cognitive difficulty. Conclusion. Cognitive dysfunction is common in ambulatory SLE patients as measured by standardized tests and is a cause of distress and impaired functioning. Self-reported cognitive difficulty appears to correlate with objective performance.
Thapsigargin-induced Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum and asolectin vesicles.

Abstract Thapsigargin, an inhibitor of several isoforms of the Ca 2+ -ATPase protein, has been used in many cell preparations to induce an increase in cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration purportedly by inhibition of the catalytic cycle. We report in this paper, that thapsigargin induces rapid Ca 2+ release from sarcopiasmic reticulum vesicles at concentrations higher than those required to inhibit ATPase activity. Thapsigargin also induces a similar concentration-dependent release in Ca 2+ -loaded asolectin liposomes devoid of any protein. These data suggest that Ca 2+ release induced by micromolar concentrations of thapsigargin is due to an ionophoric effect on the lipid membrane.
Accelerated CO electrooxidation through a formate pathway in intermediate-temperature alkaline media

Abstract To explore strategies for addressing the process of CO poisoning on Pt-based catalysts, CO electrooxidation on Pt-based electrodes in alkaline media has been studied by cyclic voltammetry in the intermediate temperature range of 80 to 130 °C. In this temperature range, CO spontaneously reacts with bulk hydroxide anion to generate soluble formate, which electrooxidation is apparently more facile than the CO electrooxidation. A pathway involving the formate intermediate therefore results in accelerated CO electrooxidation. The corresponding voltammetric behaviors are characteristic of: (i) low onset potentials falling within the hydrogen zone, (ii) maximized oxidation currents in the double-layer zone and (iii) the oxidation inhibition in the oxide zone. These observations are quite different from the literature results for the CO electrooxidation in low temperature alkaline media. This fact provides fundamentals for the development of novel fuel cell and hydrogen purification technologies since CO can be oxidized at very low potentials in the intermediate temperature alkaline media.
E.S.R. and Spin-trapping Studies of Dihydropyrimidines. γ-Radiolysis in the Polycrystalline State and U.V. Photolysis in Aqueous Solution

Summaryγ-Radiolysis in the polycrystalline state and U.V. photolysis in aqueous solution at 220nm of several dihydropyrimidines and their derivatives have been investigated by spin-trapping and electron spin resonance. 2-Methyl-2-nitrosopropane was used as the spin-trap. The spin-adducts of the 6-yl radicals obtained fall into two categories. Those from dihydro-1-methyluracil, dihydro-6-methyluracil, dihydro-1-ethyluracil and dihydro-1-methylcytosine exhibit a β-nitrogen hyperfine coupling constant (aβN) equal to or less than 2·0 G while the ones from dihydro-orotic acid, dihydrouracil and dihydrothymine showed much larger aβN values (greater than 3·3 G).Dihydrouridine gives radicals characteristic of both the dihydropyrimidine ring and the sugar moiety. The same radicals were obtained by γ-radiolysis or U.V. photolysis. For all the 6-yl radicals obtained by U.V. photolysis, a direct photoexcitation mechanism is proposed.
408. Putative role of allopregnanolone in psychiatric disorders

each MRSI voxel was also analyzed for amounts of gray matter, white matter, hyperintense white matter, and CSF using in-house software (SICORE) in order to obtain tissue volume corrected NAA concentration estimates. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that compared to the control group, the patients with bipolar I disorder demonstrated: 1) decreased DLPFC NAA bilaterally (p 5 0.0004), 2) decreased prefrontal white matter NAA bilaterally (p 5 0.0014), 3) increased thalamic NAA bilaterally (p 5 0.01), and 4) no significant group or lateralized differences in voxel tissue composition for any of the regions studied. Thus, the NAA alterations in the bipolar group were not due to any differences in voxel tissue heterogeneity between groups. The DLFPC reduction in NAA suggests neuronal loss/dysfunction whereas the observed prefrontal white matter NAA reduction is evidence for compromised axonal integrity that may result in functional disconnection of prefrontal-thalamic pathways. Increased thalamic NAA may represent neuronal hypertrophy, neuronal hyperplasia, or abnormal synaptic/dendritic pruning. The results definitely suggest that neuronal/axonal integrity of DLFPC-thalamic pathways is abnormal in bipolar I disorder.
The role of factor conditions in high-technology exports: An empirical examination

Abstract Fostering competitiveness in high-technology industries is important to national economies because high-technology industries are associated with high value-added production and high compensation levels. The results of high-technology activity diffuse to other economic sectors, leading to increased productivity and business expansion. The objective of this study is to examine the role of factor conditions (human resources and technology) in export performance in high-technology industries. So far, no empirical research has been done on the relationship between the state of factor conditions in a nation and high-technology export (HTX). The study also examines the relative importance of other variables such as inward investment, domestic rivalry (DR), home demand, and exchange rate (ER) in determining export performance in high technology. The findings are supportive of the fact that (a) the level of factor conditions in a nation is a strong predictor of export performance in high technology and (b) other variables such as inward investment, domestic rivalry (DR), and home demand also influence high-technology export (HTX). A proper understanding of this relationship will help managers and public officials to devise appropriate policies for encouraging the growth and expansion of high-technology export (HTX).
Primary versus delayed wound closure in complicated appendicitis: an international systematic review and meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to determine, by means of a systematic review, whether the method of wound closure in complicated appendicitis affects the incidence of wound infection. A comprehensive literature search of multiple databases including MEDLINE (1980–2003), was performed, using the Cochrane search strategy, for articles on wound closure and complicated appendicitis. Clinical trials examining the method of wound closure were selected for systematic review and all quasi-randomized and randomized trials underwent meta-analysis. Failure to close the wound as planned in delayed closure (DC) was considered indicative of a wound infection. Purulent drainage requiring wound opening indicated an infection in the wounds closed primarily. Six randomized trials were considered adequate for meta-analysis. None independently showed a statistically significant difference in the risk of developing a wound infection with primary closure (PC). When pooled data were subjected to meta-analysis, PC achieved a statistically significant reduction in the relative risk of treatment failure and did not lead to an increase in wound infections. Primary closure does not increase the risk of developing a wound infection after operation for perforated appendicitis. Given the lack of benefit of DC, and the less traumatic, less painful, and less costly nature of PC; primary closure is a safe and practical treatment option.
The geologic history of sea water—an attempt to solve the problem

Abstract Thermodynamics and kinetics are both important in the operation of the ocean-atmosphere system. The carbonate chemistry of the oceans can be treated in terms of perturbations of a well-defined equilibrium state. The equilibrium state for silicates in sea water is less well defined, and thermodynamic arguments are much less persuasive. Kinetics are of overwhelming importance in determining—among other parameters—the nitrate concentration of sea water and the pressure of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere. It is likely that a similar mix of attainment and non-attainment of equilibrium prevailed during the entire history of the oceans, and that the sedimentary record must be interpreted accordingly. Marine evaporites are among the most helpful sediments in reconstructing the geologic history of sea water. The relative abundance of minerals in marine evaporites is a complex function of the history of the enclosing basins, but their sequence, and the absence of many minerals typical of non-marine evaporites set rather interesting limits on possible excursions of the composition of sea water since late Precambrian time. It is likely that the concentration of the major constituents of sea water has rarely, if ever, been more than twice or less than half their present concentration during the past 700 million years. The similarity of the mineralogy of sedimentary rocks during the past 3500 million years suggests that the chemistry of sea water has been highly conservative. However, the extensive bedded cherts of the Precambrian, and the frequently associated banded iron formations do indicate a real evolution of the ocean-atmosphere system. They are explained most readily in terms of a higher silica content in Precambrian sea water and a lower oxygen pressure in the atmosphere. Fossil fuel burning will probably introduce some ten times the present content of CO2 into the atmosphere during the next two centuries. The effects of the additional CO2 on climate and on the shallow marine biota are presently very difficult to predict. Other man-made chemicals are produced in much smaller quantities than CO2. However a number of these are so toxic, that their integrated effects are potentially much more damaging than those of fossil fuel burning.
Improving the effectiveness of spectra-based fault localization using specifications

Fault localization i.e., locating faulty lines of code, is a key step in removing bugs and often requires substantial manual effort. Recent years have seen many automated localization techniques, specifically using the program&#x2019;s passing and failing test runs, i.e., test spectra. However, the effectiveness of these approaches is sensitive to factors such as the type and number of faults, and the quality of the test-suite. This paper presents a novel technique that applies spectra-based localization in synergy with specification-based analysis to more accurately locate faults. Our insight is that unsatisfiability analysis of violated specifications, enabled by SAT technology, could be used to (1) compute unsatisfiable cores that contain likely faulty statements and (2) generate tests that help spectra-based localization. Our technique is iterative and driven by a feedback loop that enables more precise fault localization. SAT-TAR is a framework that embodies our technique for Java programs, including those with multiple faults. An experimental evaluation using a suite of widely-studied data structure programs, including the ANTLR and JTopas parser applications, shows that our technique localizes faults more accurately than state-of-the-art approaches.
Acute effects of testosterone infusion and naloxone on luteinizing hormone secretion in normal men.

To evaluate the role of endogenous opioid pathways in the acute suppression of LH secretion by testosterone (T) infusion in men, we studied eight normal healthy volunteers who received a saline infusion, followed 1 week later by a T infusion (960 nmol/h) starting at 1000 h and lasting for 33 h. After 2 h of infusion (both saline and T), four iv boluses of saline were given hourly, and after 26 h of infusion, four hourly iv boluses of naloxone were given. Blood was obtained every 15 min for LH and every 30 min for T. T infusion increased the mean plasma T concentration 2.1-fold (18.7 +/- 2.1 to 39.5 +/- 3.5 nmol/L, saline vs. T infusion, P < 0.01). The mean plasma LH concentration was 7.9 +/- 0.5 IU/L during the saline control study and was decreased to 6.9 +/- 0.6 IU/L by the infusion of T (P < 0.05). LH pulse frequency was similar during both saline and T infusions (0.48 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.43 +/- 0.04 pulses/man.h, saline vs. T infusion). The mean LH pulse amplitude decreased from 4.3 +/- 0.4 IU/L during saline infusion to 3.3 +/- 0.2 IU/L during T infusion (P < 0.05). The administration of naloxone increased the mean plasma LH concentration significantly during saline infusion (7.6 +/- 0.4 to 10.0 +/- 0.9 IU/L, saline vs. naloxone boluses, P < 0.01), but not during T infusion (6.9 +/- 0.6 vs. 7.3 +/- 0.6 IU/L). LH pulse frequency increased significantly after the administration of naloxone during both saline and T infusions (0.54 +/- 0.04 to 0.71 +/- 0.08 pulses/man.h, saline vs. naloxone boluses during saline infusion, and 0.46 +/- 0.08 to 0.60 +/- 0.07 pulses/man.h during T infusion; P < 0.05). LH pulse amplitude was suppressed by T infusion, but administration of naloxone did not reverse this suppression. The mean amplitude of the LH response to exogenous GnRH (250 ng/kg) was decreased by T infusion from 48 +/- 13.5 to 31.2 +/- 8.5 IU/L (P < 0.01). Therefore, in men, the administration of naloxone increases LH pulse frequency during both saline and T infusions, but the acute suppression of LH pulse amplitude seen with T infusion was not reversed by naloxone. This pattern contrasts sharply with the effects of T infusion in pubertal boys, as elucidated by our earlier studies. The negative feedback effects of T on LH secretion are primarily hypothalamic in early pubertal boys and change to pituitary suppression in men.
Prosthetic joint infections. A role for prophylaxis.

Infection remains the most serious and the most dreaded complication with a prosthetic joint; infection is responsible for a significant proportion of the cases of prosthetic loosening and failure (2-8). Improvements in surgical techniques and prosthetic design, the perioperative use of antibiotics, and the recognition of the high-risk patient (2-12) have contributed significantly to the reduction in the occurrence of early prosthetic joint infections
Estimate of the Reorganization Energy for Charge Transfer in DNA

The solvent reorganization energy λs can have a significant effect on the activation energy for charge transfer in DNA and its dependence on donor (D)−acceptor (A) distance RDA. To estimate λs and the resulting effective contribution βs to the falloff parameter β for the overall transfer rate constant, the Poisson equation was solved numerically for several systems representing DNA duplexes, 5‘-GGGTnGGG-3‘, in a realistically structured heterogeneous dielectric, as determined by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The charge transfer was modeled primarily for holes localized on single guanine bases. Effects of thermal fluctuations on λs were taken into account via structures for a given duplex sampled from MD trajectories. Calculated values of λs were found to be rather insensitive to thermal fluctuations of the DNA fragments but depended in crucial fashion on details of the dielectric model (shape and dielectric constants of various zones) that was used to describe the polarization response of the DNA a...
Serum binding of calcium and the red cell membrane in cystic fibrosis.

THERE is evidence for a factor in the serum of cystic fibrosis patients which may play a role in the pathological manifestation of the genetic syndrome: serum of patients with cystic fibrosis alters the cilia movement of rabbit trachea in vitro1 and of oyster cilia2. This activity is apparently associated with the immunoglobulin fraction3,4. Balfe et al.5 reported a modification of sodium flux in red cells obtained from patients with cystic fibrosis. In the course of searching for evidence of interaction of serum with red cells in cystic fibrosis, we found that there is a substantial increase in serum calcium binding in patients with cystic fibrosis. This seems to be associated with a modified membrane protein electrophoretic pattern of cystic fibrosis red cells in specified experimental conditions.
Countryside Recreational Access in the United States: A Statistical Comparison of Rural Districts

Abstract This comparative study employs the concept of physical rigor to map and measure recreational routes and zones available to the public. The comparison is made for 20 representative countryside districts in five regional settings (Northeast, Midwest, South, Great Plains, and California). Five of the districts are national parks, while the rest are 40 × 25 km settled areas chosen to typify landscapes of their region. Statistical measures of access availability are derived from 1:24,000 topographic maps for five levels of access rigor. Access was determined for small quadrats (500 m square) on a presence/absence basis, beginning with the easiest access mode (passive) and then testing for increasingly rigorous modes (casual, vigorous, rugged, arduous, and closed). Polynomial regressions show strong relationships between levels of access and the independent variables of topography, land cover, road density (a surrogate for land-use intensity), and natural vegetation. In highly utilized areas of low rel...
The use of general anesthesia for the tension‐free vaginal tape procedure and concomitant surgery

Background. To study the efficacy of performing the TVT procedure and concomitant surgery under general anesthesia in the management of urinary stress incontinent patients. Methods. Eighty-six women with genuine stress incontinence without pelvic relaxation syndrome were surgically managed. TVT procedures were performed using vigorous manual pressure against the abdominal wall to position and adjust the vaginal tape and ensuring no lifting of the urethra by intraoperative introital ultrasonography. Concurrent gynecologic procedures were performed, if indicated. The urodynamic studies, 1-h pad-tests and introital ultrasonography were performed preoperative and 1 year after surgery. Result. Six women were excluded for various reasons. Among 80 patients, 74 (92.5%) were cured, five improved and one failed. No major intra-or postoperative complications occurred. After surgery, urine leakage observed on the pad-tests was significantly reduced from a mean of 24 to 1.3 g. The operating time for the TVT procedure...
Processing Characteristics of Layered Silicate Nanocomposites With Application to Blown Film

The aim of this study is to investigate the film blowing processing of various polyamide 6-based layered silicate nanocomposites (LSN’s) and to correlate their processing behaviors to the underlying rheology and structure. In-situ polymerized nanocomposites were found to possess a wider processing window compared to the base PA6. Shear and dynamic rheological measurements were employed to correlate the rheological behavior of the nanocomposites to the bubble formation and stability in the film blowing process. The in-situ plymerized LSN melts having higher elastic modulus (G′) were found to perform better in the film blowing process. DSC measurements indicated that nanoclays induce the γ type of crystallinity, which may also play a role in film blowing behavior.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
High-sensitivity, fiber-optic, flexural disk hydrophone with reduced acceleration response

Abstract A hydrophone consisting of a hollow cylinder whose flexible, circular end plates are bonded to pairs of pat, spiral wound coils of optical fiber is described. When the end plate/disk is deformed due to a pressure difference, the outer and inner fiber coils experience opposite strains resulting in a “push—pull” optical path length difference which is detected in an all-fiber Michelson interferometer. The close proximity of the interferometric fiber coils, separated by the thin thermally conducting end plate, rejects thermal gradient-induced signals. The addition of a second identical end plate and fiber coil pair at the opposite end of the cylinder will double the acoustic sensitivity while canceling acceleration induced signals. The calculated and measured optical strain of a single simply supported plate, single-coil sensor (8.0 cm diameter, 3.0 mm thickness) using static pressure, acoustic pressure, and acceleration are in good agreement and yield a sensitivity of 0.21 rad/Pa (ΔΦ/ΦΔP = -301 dB ...
Challenges in determining perchlorate in biological tissues and fluids: Implications for characterizing perchlorate exposure☆

The ability to measure environmental contaminants in biological tissues and fluids is important in the characterization of exposure. However, the analysis of certain contaminants in these matrices presents significant challenges. Perchlorate (ClO4-) has emerged as a potential contaminant of concern primarily in drinking water and also in contaminated food. Significant advances have been made in the analysis of perchlorate in environmental matrices (water, soil) by ion chromatography (IC). In contrast, the analysis of perchlorate in extracts of biological tissues and fluids (vegetation, organs, milk, blood, urine, etc.) presents several challenges including small sample sizes, extracts with high matrix conductivity, and co-elution of other ions during IC analysis. To be able to detect low concentrations of perchlorate in biological samples, interferences must be removed or minimized, such as through the use of preparative chromatography cleanup techniques and/or alternative analytical methods less susceptible to common interferences (preconcentration or mass spectrometric detection). We present discussion and examples of the challenges encountered in the analysis of tissue extracts and fluids for perchlorate by IC and how some of those analytical challenges have been overcome.
Polymeric Aqueous Biphasic Systems for Non-Contact Cell Printing on Cells: Engineering Heterocellular Embryonic Stem Cell Niches

The ability to generate heterocellular niches through direct spatial patterning of one type of cells onto a living layer of another cell type would benefit a wide range of cell biological studies including stem cell research. Most cell patterning approaches, however, rely on patterned material adhesiveness to indirectly guide cell patterning,[1–5] and cannot position cells on an already existing cell monolayer. Cells can be embedded directly into soft supported membranes and gels using solid pins,[6, 7] but the physical contact involved may damage delicate substrates such as living cells. Individual cells or cell sheets have been gently placed onto a cell monolayer, but with limitations in control of positioning and resolution.[8–10] Thermal or piezoelectric inkjet printers utilize thermal energy or applied electric voltage to eject the cell suspension from a nozzle and direct it toward the substrate.[11–13] Although this approach is non-contact and can potentially accommodate several cell types, concentrated buffer solutions[11] and special additives[14] are required and still often induce chemical, mechanical, or thermal stresses during cell suspension preparation and printing stages. Furthermore, dedicated cartridges are needed for each cell type, and pattern fidelity is an issue because cells have to be printed on a gel immersed in aqueous media.[14] Pressure-mediated extrusion of cell-seeded hydrogels through needles also creates continuous pattern of cells,[15] though with impaired direct cell-cell contact due to gel encapsulation. Therefore, existing approaches face limitations in terms of contact-free printing with and onto live cells for engineering heterocellular stem cell niches.
Torque-related lamellar carbide growth associated with annealing twins in 304 stainless steel

Abstract A configurational, equilibrium theory for relative interfacial torques has been invoked to qualitatively explain growth-specific lamellar precipitation of M23C6 carbides in 304 stainless steel where the lamellar growth is always in the 〈112〉 directions coincident with traces of 111 planes at 90° to (110) grain surface orientations. For (112) grain surface orientations, M23C6 lamellar growth is always in the[11¯0] direction which is also coincident with traces of (111¯) planes at 90° to the grain surface plane. These 111 trace directions for lamellar growth are denoted T90 directions and are shown to coincide with high, relative interfacial torques (or torque configurations) resolved in coherent 111 annealing twin boundaries. For grain surface orientations containing annealing twins or twin/grain boundary geometries whose coherent 111boundaries are not coincident with T90 directions, such as (100), there are no high-torque configurations and no significant lamellar M23C6 growth coincident with 111 trace directions.
CL1-GFP: an androgen independent metastatic tumor model for prostate cancer.

Purpose: The mechanisms responsible for tumor progression to androgen independence in prostate cancer (CaP) remain unknown. To characterize these changes and provide a basis for rational therapeutic strategies for advanced CaP, an in vivo model from a highly aggressive androgen independent CaP cell line with distinct cellular and molecular properties was developed.Materials and Methods: An aggressive androgen-independent cell line designated CL1 was derived from a slow-growing, and androgen-dependent, parental LNCaP cell line through in-vitro androgen-deprivation and selection. CL1 was stably transfected with a green fluorescence protein gene (CL1-GFP) and orthotopically injected into SCID mice. The pathologic behavior, histology, and molecular determinants of CL1 tumor and metastases were determined and characterized by standard light and fluorescent microscopy, and quantitative RT-PCR analysis.Results: CL1 is an anaplastic prostate cancer cell line which demonstrates extensive local invasion and metasta...
Studies on scaling of membranes in desalination by direct contact membrane distillation: CaCO3 and mixed CaCO3/CaSO4 systems

Scaling of membranes by CaCO3 and CaSO4–CaCO3 is of considerable concern in membrane desalination processes. It is particularly relevant for porous crossflow hollow fiber-based membrane distillation (MD) processes which can achieve high water recovery and can encounter heavy precipitation of scaling salts. Therefore an analysis of the scaling potential for CaCO3 and mixed CaSO4–CaCO3 systems is presented first in terms of the saturation index profiles throughout the crossflow hollow fiber membrane module as a function of the location in the module for feed solutions resulting from high water recovery. Scaling experiments during DCMD with tap water, CaCO3 and mixed CaSO4/CaCO3 were conducted over a wide range of values of saturation index (SI) (10<SIcalcite<6410<SIcalcite<64, 1.1<SIGypsum<1.51.1<SIGypsum<1.5) using porous fluorosilicone coated crossflow hollow fiber membrane desalination modules. The effects of flow rates, flow patterns (cross vs. parallel flow) and the nature of the membrane surface on possible scaling scenarios were further investigated for the scaling salt CaSO4. Experimental results at high saturation indices show that even when the precipitation rate was fast in the CaCO3 system at elevated temperatures or high concentrations, no significant loss in water vapor permeation was observed suggesting no effect of scaling on membrane flux. However, for a few of the mixed CaSO4–CaCO3 systems, the water vapor flux dropped somewhat. Possible explanations have been provided and a method to solve this problem has been illustrated. Fast feed flow rate resulted in a shortened induction period. Crossflow flow pattern and the nature of the hydrophobic porous coating on the membrane surface were proven to be helpful in developing the resistance to scaling. Results of modeling show that concentration polarization effects are far more important than temperature polarization effects.
Numerical modeling of buoyant ethanol-air wick diffusion flames

Abstract A numerical model based on a conserved-scalar approach is presented for buoyant ethanol-air wick diffusion flames at atmospheric and subatmospheric conditions. The model incorporates an equation that describes the interface condition of wick combustion. The prediction yields similarity solutions for flat-plate ethanol-air wick diffusion flames, but not for cylindrical wick diffusion flames. The flat-plate solution yields a mass burning rate per unit surface area following the x −1 4 dependence of the classical similarity solution, where x is the streamwise distance. A pressure dependence of P0.644 is predicted for the flat-plate overall mass burning rate, in agreement with the P 2 3 dependence reported in the literature. The cylindrical wicks have a mass burning rate per unit surface area that deviates from the x −1 4 dependence. The predicted mass burning rate, however, does not substantially deviate from the flat-plate solution for cylinders with a moderate aspect ratio (of the order one). The deviation in mass burning rate is most pronounced when needle-like cylinders are considered. The variable-property effects are also examined. The results show that the Chapman gas and constant-Prandtl-number assumptions are not adequate for wick diffusion flames, even at the subatmospheric-pressure condition studied.
Oral epithelial stem cells in tissue maintenance and disease: the first steps in a long journey

The identification and characterization of stem cells is a major focus of developmental biology and regenerative medicine. The advent of genetic inducible fate mapping techniques has made it possible to precisely label specific cell populations and to follow their progeny over time. When combined with advanced mathematical and statistical methods, stem cell division dynamics can be studied in new and exciting ways. Despite advances in a number of tissues, relatively little attention has been paid to stem cells in the oral epithelium. This review will focus on current knowledge about adult oral epithelial stem cells, paradigms in other epithelial stem cell systems that could facilitate new discoveries in this area and the potential roles of epithelial stem cells in oral disease.
Differences in the morphogenetic properties of mouse and chick embryonic liver cells.

Aggregates containing trypsin-disaggregated mouse and chick embryonic liver cells were prepared, and in confirmation of Moscona's reports, no substantial sorting out was seen. While this behavior could mean that the morphogenetic properties of these cells are the same, alternative explanations have not been ruled out. Thus, additional comparisons of these cells were needed to decide whether these properties are the same, and two such tests were performed. It is known that when two pieces of chick embryonic liver are fused together, neither piece envelops the other. If mouse and chick embryonic liver cells had identical properties, no envelopment would be expected in mouse-chick liver fusions. Such fusions were prepared, and contrary to this expectation, chick liver enveloped mouse liver almost invariably. It is known that chick embryonic liver cells sort out from chick embryonic heart ventricle cells in mixed aggregates. If mouse liver cells had properties identical to those of chick liver cells, it would be expected that they too would sort out from chick ventricle cells. Mouse liver-chick ventricle cell aggregates were prepared, and contrary to this expectation, no substantial sorting out was found. These two tests demonstrate that the morphogenetic properties of mouse and chick embryonic liver cells are not the same. Clearly, a new explanation must be found for their lack of sorting out, and several possible explanations are discussed.
Performance measurements for multithreaded programs

Multithreaded programming is an effective way to exploit concurrency, but it is difficult to debug and tune a highly threaded program. This paper describes a performance tool called Tmon for monitoring, analyzing and tuning the performance of multithreaded programs. The performance tool has two novel features: it uses "thread waiting time" as a measure and constructs thread waiting graphs to show thread dependencies and thus performance bottlenecks, and it identifies "semi-busy-waiting" points where CPU cycles are wasted in condition checking and context switching. We have implemented the Tmon tool and, as a case study, we have used it to measure and tune a heavily threaded file system. We used four workloads to tune different aspects of the file system. We were able to improve the file system bandwidth and throughput significantly. In one case, we were able to improve the bandwidth by two orders of magnitude.
Biologically inspired redistribution of a swarm of robots among multiple sites

We present a biologically inspired approach to the dynamic assignment and reassignment of a homogeneous swarm of robots to multiple locations, which is relevant to applications like search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and task allocation. Our work is inspired by experimental studies of ant house hunting and empirical models that predict the behavior of the colony that is faced with a choice between multiple candidate nests. We design quorum based stochastic control policies that enable the team of agents to distribute themselves among multiple candidate sites in a specified ratio, and compare our results to the linear stochastic policies described in (Halasz et al., in Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS’07), pp. 2320–2325, 2007). We show how our quorum model consistently performs better than the linear models while minimizing computational requirements and now it can be implemented without the use of inter-agent wireless communication.
Samuel P. Huntington: An Appreciation

To survey the life and work of Samuel P. Huntington, the new President of the American Political Science Association, is a challenging task. First, even more than most other leaders of our profession, Huntington has made fundamental contributions to many different fields of the discipline. From his first publications to some of his most recent, he has been a major contributor to the study of American politics. His single most influential work (Political Order in Changing Societies) and much of his teaching is in comparative politics. In the field of international relations, he has contributed important studies of military policy, international security, and transnational organizations. Virtually all his works evince close familiarity with political philosophy, and indeed his major published work within that field is arguably the key to the corpus of his writings.