cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Achieving energy efficiency through runtime partial reconfiguration on reconfigurable systems

One major advantage of reconfigurable computing systems is their ability to reconfigure hardware at runtime. In this paper, we study the feasibility of achieving energy efficiency in reconfigurable computing systems (e.g., FPGAs) through runtime partial reconfiguration (PR) techniques. In the ideal scenario, we use a hardware accelerator to accelerate certain parts of the program execution; when the accelerator is not active, we use partial reconfiguration to unload it to reduce power consumption. Since the reconfiguration process may introduce a high energy overhead, it is unclear whether this approach is efficient. To approach this problem, we first analytically identify the conditions under which partial reconfiguration can reduce energy consumption. Our results indicate that the key to reduce partial reconfiguration energy overhead is to minimize the time overhead of the reconfiguration process. Based on this analysis, we design and implement a fast reconfiguration engine that achieves close-to-ideal throughput on Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGAs. Our fast reconfiguration engine utilizes a master-slave DMA pair to stream data between the SRAM and the Internal Configuration Access Port (ICAP). We experimentally verify our proposed solutions and compare our design to existing energy reduction techniques, such as clock gating. The results of our study show that by using partial reconfiguration to eliminate the power consumption of the accelerator when it is inactive, we can accelerate program execution and at the same time reduce the overall energy consumption by half.
Effect of fire on FRP reinforced concrete members

Fire resistance of concrete members reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars is an extremely crucial area that needs to be investigated prior to implementing FRP composite materials in buildings and other fire vulnerable structures. This work examines analytically the performance of FRP reinforced concrete beams subjected to high temperatures. Methods for estimating the residual flexural and shear strengths of FRP reinforced concrete beams exposed to fire for a certain duration of time were developed. The proposed methods are based on the assessment of the reduction in the initial strengths of concrete and FRP reinforcement resulting from the high temperatures developed inside the beam. A parametric study was carried out to study the effect of concrete cover, fire exposure time on the FRP temperatures and shear and flexural capacities of reinforced beams. It was found that the FRP temperatures decrease with increasing the concrete cover, and FRP reinforced concrete beams exhibited significant degradation in shear and flexural strengths. Finally, this study recommends a minimum concrete cover for fire resistance of 64 mm (2.5 in.) for FRP reinforced concrete.
Modification of anti-inflammatory drug effectiveness by ambient lipid peroxides

When the steady-state concentrations of peroxide in prostaglandin H synthase assay systems was lowered by added glutathione peroxidase, several agents (meclofenamic acid, mefenamic acid, acetamidophenol and phenylbutazone) became more potent inhibitors of the prostaglandin-forming cyclooxygenase reaction. Paradoxically, these agents stimulated oxygen incorporation in the absence of added peroxidase. On the other hand, dithiothreitol, ibuprofen, flurbiprofen and indomethacin all inhibited the reaction in a dose-dependent manner, and their inhibitory potencies were unaffected by the action of glutathione peroxidase. Aspirin, dl-gamma-tocopherol and salicylic acid were not inhibitory (without preincubation) under the assay conditions employed in this study. The findings demonstrate that the potencies of some anti-inflammatory agents may be diminished by high local peroxide concentrations.
Notes from recent meetings: a review of the SIGPLAN/SIGMICRO interface meeting

Abstracts from the meeting are presented herein. Full proceedings will be available from ACM Headquarters in early 1974.
Effect of collisional damping and reactions in a dynamic reaction cell on the precision of isotope ratio measurements

Collisional damping of ion density fluctuations of an ion beam extracted from an ICP in a linear rf quadrupole cell [dynamic reaction cell (DRC)] is studied. Target gas pressure, parameter q, entrance and exit lens potentials and DRC rod offset were optimized to broaden the 107Ag+ ion packets of 0.2 ms duration to 2–4 ms (FWHM). It is shown that operating the DRC under such optimized conditions reduces the RSD of isotope ratio measurements obtained with a downstream quadrupole mass analyzer to the theoretical limit defined by the counting statistics error. For Ag and Pb samples at 40 ng ml−1, measured with the cell pressurized by Ne, isotope ratio RSDs of 0.02–0.03% at a counting statistics error of 0.01–0.02% are shown. All 4 isotopes of Pb were measured in the same acquisition. For NIST 982 Isotope Standard at a concentration of 10 ng ml-1, 204Pb/206Pb, 207Pb/206Pb and 208Pb/206Pb isotope ratios were determined with an external precision (n = 7) of 0.056–0.117%, 0.022–0.034% and 0.014–0.028% RSD, and with an average inaccuracy of 340 ppm, 781 ppm and 180 ppm, respectively. NIST 981 at 10 ng ml−1 was used as an external standard. Reactive elimination of isobaric interferences in the DRC is shown to allow precise isotope ratio measurement of normally interfered isotopes of Fe by a quadrupole ICP-MS. ArN+ and ArO+ interferences on Fe+ were removed by ion–molecule reactions with NH3. Collisional damping of the ion beam fluctuations was sustained and internal precision is shown to be limited only by counting statistics. For Fe at 50 ng ml−1, the average internal precision for 19 samples (9 replicates per sample) of 54Fe/56Fe and 57Fe/56Fe ratios was 0.068% and 0.1% RSD, with a corresponding average counting statistics error of 0.053% and 0.082% and external precision of 0.055% and 0.056% RSD, respectively.
On the Power of Symmetric LP and SDP Relaxations

We study the computational power of general symmetric relaxations for combinatorial optimization problems, both in the linear programming (LP) and semidefinite programming (SDP) case. We show new connections to explicit LP and SDP relaxations, like those obtained from standard hierarchies. Concretely, for k
Elderly Adults' Perception of Their Own Cognitive Development during the Adult Years:

Individuals between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-five were asked a number of questions regarding which of their cognitive abilities they think have changed with age and, further, what factors they think are responsible for such age changes. Questions were asked in two areas of cognitive functioning--memory and problem solving. With respect to memory, the reports of the elderly adults corresponded well with the results of memory research, which indicates that most memory abilities tend to decrease with increasing age. The elderly adults suggested that activity level, amount of contact with the information to be remembered, practice remembering, the perceived importance of the information to be remembered, and expectations regarding changes in memory are all factors that may contribute to age changes in memory. With respect to problem solving, on the other hand, the reports of the elderly did not correspond with the research. Research indicates that such abilities probably decline with increasing age while the elderly reported that they think that their problem-solving abilities have actually increased with age. Factors that were mentioned as possible causes of the reported increases in problem-solving ability were experience, good health, and taking more time to solve a problem.
The atmospheric heat source over the Bolivian plateau for a mean January

The atmospheric heat sources of large plateaus strongly influence the general circulation particularly in the summer season. The Bolivian plateau and the adjacent areas affect the upper tropospheric flow in a typical summer month by developing an anticyclone and deflecting the prevailing westerlies. The plateau initially warms the atmosphere through sensible heating and then through latent heating as thunderstorms develop.
A preliminary study of functional magnetic resonance imaging response during verbal encoding among adolescent binge drinkers

Abstract Binge alcohol use is common among teenagers with 28% of 12th graders reporting getting drunk in the past month. Chronic heavy drinking has been associated with verbal learning and memory deficits in adolescents and adults, yet verbal encoding in less frequently drinking teens has not yet been studied. Here, we examined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response during verbal encoding among adolescent binge drinkers. Participants recruited from local high schools were of ages 16–18 and consisted of 12 binge drinkers and 12 demographically similar nondrinkers. Participants were all nonsmokers, and drinkers were abstinent from alcohol for an average of 33 days at the time of scanning. Participants performed a verbal paired associates learning task during fMRI acquisition. Drinkers recalled marginally fewer words than nondrinkers ( P =.07). Compared with nondrinkers, bingers showed more response in right superior frontal and bilateral posterior parietal cortices but less response in occipital cortex during novel encoding ( P s 1,512μL). In addition, controls showed significant activation in the left hippocampus during novel encoding, whereas binge drinkers did not. Adolescent binge drinkers demonstrated (1) more response than nondrinkers in frontal and parietal regions, which could suggest greater engagement of working memory systems during encoding; (2) no hippocampal activation to novel word pairs; and (3) slightly poorer word pair recall, which could indicate disadvantaged processing of novel verbal information and a slower learning slope. Longitudinal studies will be needed to ascertain the degree to which emergence of binge drinking is linked temporally to these brain response patterns.
The uses of solar energy

Abstract The ability of the planet Earth to sustain its ever-increasing population is discussed in terms of both food and energy. The pressure of rapidly increasing population puts demands upon the world's fuel reserves which are so tremendous that we must look for other sources of energy. The author reviews various ways by which solar energy has been used in the past. Methods of heating and cooling dwellings are discussed, and it is pointed out that one-third of our annual energy consumption is used for these purposes. It is in this field that solar energy is likely to make its most important contribution in the near future. Means of producing power by steam and other engines are described, and the need for “good old Yankee ingenuity” is stressed. Pumping water for irrigation and distillation of sea water are other fields in which solar energy has long been used and where new “break-throughs” are needed. Photoelectricity and photosynthesis also hold much promise. The development of methods by which fuels for automobiles can be produced from water, air, and sunlight is a field in which research would be most profitable. Much research is needed to bring these developments to the point of feasibility, but the rewards will be rich, and the solar energy is there for the taking.
Effect of Halide-Modified Model Carbon Supports on Catalyst Stability

Modification of physiochemical and structural properties of carbon-based materials through targeted functionalization is a useful way to improve the properties and performance of such catalyst materials. This work explores the incorporation of dopants, including nitrogen, iodine, and fluorine, into the carbon structure of highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and its potential benefits on the stability of PtRu catalyst nanoparticles. Evaluation of the changes in the catalyst nanoparticle coverage and size as a function of implantation parameters reveals that carbon supports functionalized with a combination of nitrogen and fluorine provide the most beneficial interactions, resulting in suppressed particle coarsening and dissolution. Benefits of a carefully tuned support system modified with fluorine and nitrogen surpass those obtained with nitrogen (no fluorine) modification. Ion implantation of iodine into HOPG results in a consistent amount of structural damage to the carbon matrix, regardless of dose. For this modification, improvements in stability are similar to nitrogen modification; however, the benefit is only observed at higher dose conditions. This indicates that a mechanism different than the one associated with nitrogen may be responsible for the improved durability.
A Device for Continuous Monitoring of True Central Fixation Based on Foveal Birefringence

A device for continuous monitoring of central fixation utilizes birefringence, the property of the Henle fibers surrounding the human fovea, to change the polarization state of light. A circular scan of retinal birefringence, where the scanning circle encompasses the fovea, allows identification of true central fixation—an assessment much needed in various applications in ophthalmology, psychology, and psychiatry. The device allows continuous monitoring for central fixation over an extended period of time in the presence of fixation targets and distracting stimuli, which may be helpful in detecting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and other disorders characterized by changes in the subject’s ability to maintain fixation. A proof-of-concept has been obtained in a small study of ADHD patients and normal control subjects.
Assessment of delta opioid antinociception and receptor mRNA levels in mouse after chronic naltrexone treatment

Abstract The antinociceptive potency of the delta opioid receptor (DOR) agonist [D-Ala2]Deltorphin II and the levels of DOR mRNA were measured in mice chronically treated with naltrexone. ED50 determinations for [D-Ala2]Deltorphin II, using the tail-flick test with mice that had been treated with naltrexone for 7 days followed by a 24 h naltrexone free period (study day 8), revealed a 7.7-fold increase in antinociceptive potency, indicating functional supersensitivity. Utilization of a micro-dissection technique followed by quantitative solution hybridization measurements of RNA extracts from mouse CNS revealed levels of DOR mRNA ranging from 2.8 pg/μg RNA in the caudate-putamen to 0.3 pg/μg RNA in cerebellum. However, despite the functional increase in DOR sensitivity, the DOR mRNA levels in selected brain areas and spinal cord of naltrexone-treated and control mice did not differ. Assessment of DOR mRNA levels in whole brain and selected CNS regions after shorter treatment intervals (1, 6 and 12 h and 2 and 7 days) in naltrexone-treated and control mice revealed a similar pattern of results. Northern blot analysis of mouse whole brain RNA extracts after 7 days of naltrexone treatment did not show any alteration in the size of the DOR transcript. These data demonstrate that DOR mRNA levels are not altered during and after chronic naltrexone treatment and therefore are not associated with opioid-induced DOR up-regulation or DOR functional supersensitivity.
Supervision and evaluation: The Wyoming perspective

The intent of this study was to assess the perceptions and actions of Wyoming principals concerning their role in supervising and evaluating teachers. A survey was sent to all 286 principals in the state of Wyoming, of which, 143 returned surveys, a response rate of 50%. Findings suggested that principals utilized supervisory behaviors more often than evaluative behaviors. Elementary principals perceived their evaluative practices as significantly more prevalent than secondary principals. Furthermore, principals indicated that their greatest frustrations in supervising teachers were time, the evaluation instrument, and teachers’ unwillingness to change. Additionally, findings suggested that Wyoming principals utilized classroom walkthroughs because they provided a snapshot of teaching and provided a medium for providing feedback. In regards to developmental supervision, principals indicated that novice teachers received much more supervision than veteran teachers. However, their reported use of differentiated supervision only applied to teacher autonomy concerning professional development goals. Principals reported that teachers had little input concerning the methods by which they were supervised. Finally, a majority of the Wyoming principals felt that improvement plans were effective at changing mediocre teaching behaviors, but 40% were speculative that such plans truly remediated poor teachers.
Computer-Aided Digital System Design and Analysis Using a Register Transfer Language

This paper presents the results of an attempt to automate part of a formalized method of system design. Basic to this method are two languages, Boolean algebra and a register transfer language. From a Boolean algebra description a digital system can be constructed while the second language can be used in a step by step description of the execution of each instruction. To illustrate, a register transfer language is used to give a description of an adder considered as part of a digital system. This description is then translated into a set of Boolean equations. Next, the automation of this translation by using a syntax-directed compiler is explained. The compiler requires a syntactic description of register transfers. This description is given using a meta-language called Backus normal form. A Backus normal form description of Boolean equations that is used for translating Boolean equations into register transfers is also given; this translation process is called analysis. The feasibility of computer-aided design and analysis is thereby demonstrated. The computer-aided design method described in this paper, besides eliminating drudgery and error, would permit several system designs to be attempted and evaluated; a permanent record of the chosen system would also be available for future modifications, maintenance, and simulation. The analysis programs could be used to check the effect on the system of any changes made in the Boolean equations (or equivalently the logical diagrams) and the effect of any unused operation codes.
ALLERGY FOR THE LARYNGOLOGIST

Allergic disease can affect any portion of the respiratory tract including the larynx, trachea, and the bronchial tree, along with the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, and pharynx. The following review will discuss the impact of allergic mechanisms in disorders within the scope of laryngology.
Finding fit: The nature of a successful faculty employment search in criminal justice

Abstract While the process of finding employment in academia has always been a daunting task for the job candidate, in recent years, in the criminal justice discipline, the process of finding an acceptable candidate to fill a university vacancy has become an equally formidable problem for the employer. This research addresses this reality from the perspectives of both potential employers and employees. Job candidates applying for a university position in 2005, and universities soliciting for hires in criminal justice during the same time frame were surveyed in relation to a variety of issues surrounding their respective search procedures. The primary goal of the research was to determine what factors were associated with perceptions of a successful job search. Suggestions about “successful” searching are offered.
Implications of women's work for child nutritional status in sub-Saharan Africa: A case study of Nigeria

The study examines the relationships between women's work and child nutritional status (stunting and wasting) of 5331 Nigerian children aged 0-59 months, using data from the 1990 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. In defining women's work, the study considers whether women earned cash from their work and carried their children to work in order to assess the importance of childcare and income, which are the principal pathways through which women's work affects child nutritional status. The study also examines infants and children differently in order to assess the influence of child's age on nutritional status. The results reveal that wasting among infants increased when mothers did not take them to work. Furthermore, mothers' work reduced stunting in their children, but the expected positive effect of earning cash from work on childhood nutrition was less visible from the results. Other results from the study revealed that during infancy, having recent episodes of diarrhea or shorter breast-feeding duration increased wasting. Additionally, wasting was lower during infancy for children in households with pit toilets and children with Christian mothers. For infants, immunization reduced stunting, but longer duration of breast-feeding, being a higher parity child, being in households with pit toilets increased stunting. During childhood, higher birth weight, immunization, and having a Christian mother reduced stunting and wasting. Children in wealthy households are less likely to be stunted, while mother's education and being a higher parity child increased stunting. Also during childhood, having a Christian mother reduced wasting while recent episodes of fever increased wasting.
Future of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and Soft Tissue Healing: The Important Role of Engineering

The practice of orthopaedic sports medicine, specifically the management of ligament and tendon injuries, will experience dramatic changes in the near future. Rapid technological advancements, especially in imaging, will greatly increase the speed and accuracy of diagnosing musculoskeletal injuries. On the contrary, effective treatment strategies will lag behind. This widening gap will offer huge opportunities for clinicians, basic scientists, and bioengineers to collaborate and work jointly on in depth basic science and bioengineering research. Together with appropriately designed clinical outcome studies, scientifically based treatment strategies can be designed in order to reduce the gap and to improve patient outcome. In this review, we will focus on the subject of orthopaedic biomechanics and its importance in the treatment of ligament and tendon injuries. We will detail the history of fundamental work done to characterize their biomechanical properties and highlight some recent advances using functional tissue engineering strategies, including the use of bioscaffolds, to improve the healing of medial collateral ligament, patellar tendon, and anterior cruciate ligament. To conclude, we will turn toward the future and highlight a few exciting areas of research as well as emphasize collaborative strategies to solve complex biological and biomechanical problems in ligaments and tendons.
The relationship between PTSD symptoms and attention problems in children exposed to the Bosnian war.

The authors examined the mediating role of posttraumatic stress symptoms in the relationship between traumatic event exposure and attention problems in a sample of 791 Sarajevan children exposed to...
Reconstitution of the iterative type II polyketide synthase for tetracenomycin F2 biosynthesis.

The tetracenomycin polyketide synthase (TCM PKS), a type II complex, produces TCM F2, a precursor of TCM C in Streptomyces glaucescens, and consists of at least the TcmK, -L, -M, and -N proteins. The TcmK/TcmL ketosynthase subunits were purified from overexpression of their genes in Streptomyces lividans. TcmK (calculated molecular mass 45 kd) and TcmL (calculated molecular mass 42 kd) function as a heterodimeric αβ complex based on observing that only the purified complex complemented TCM PKS activity in protein extracts made from strains bearing tcmK or tcmL deletion mutants to make TCM F2 in vitro, and that the molecular mass of the purified complex was 90 kd as estimated by gel filtration chromatography. The TCM PKS activity was reconstituted with purified protein components, indicating that the minimal set of proteins required to make TCM F2 included the ketosynthase complex (TcmKL), an acyl carrier protein (TcmM), a malonyl CoA:ACP acyltransferase (MAT), and a cyclase (TcmN). The MAT was required to...
Foiled Aspirations: The Influence of Unauthorized Status on the Educational Expectations of Latino Immigrant Youth

Latino immigrant adolescents have the highest high school dropout rates of any race-ethnic or nativity group in the United States. One potential reason for high dropout rates among Latino immigrant youth is that many are unauthorized entrants. These unauthorized Latino immigrant youth have few opportunities to attend college, and, as they become aware of barriers to their educational progress and employment, they may lower their educational expectations. Using data from the Latino adolescent migration, health, and adaptation project (N = 275), we examine the association of unauthorized entry into the U.S. with the educational expectations of Latino immigrant youth. We find that adolescents entering the U.S. without authorization have lower educational expectations than those who enter with authorization. These differences in their expectations persist after controlling for differences in their pre-migration, migration, and post-migration experiences. Policies and programs that reduce barriers to higher education and labor market opportunities can potentially help to foster higher educational expectations among unauthorized immigrant youth and may promote their high school completion.
Resolving genomic disorder-associated breakpoints within segmental DNA duplications using massively parallel sequencing.

An approach to localizing breakpoints with sequence-level precision employing massively parallel sequencing performed on libraries generated from haplotype-resolved chromosomes, genomic DNA, or molecular inversion probe–captured informative regions harboring paralog-distinguishing variants.
Prediction and Validation of Load-Dependent Behavior of the Tibiofemoral and Patellofemoral Joints During Movement.

The study objective was to construct and validate a subject-specific knee model that can simulate full six degree of freedom tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joint behavior in the context of full body movement. Segmented MR images were used to reconstruct the geometry of 14 ligament bundles and articular cartilage surfaces. The knee was incorporated into a lower extremity musculoskeletal model, which was then used to simulate laxity tests, passive knee flexion, active knee flexion, and human walking. Simulated passive and active knee kinematics were shown to be consistent with subject-specific measures obtained via dynamic MRI. Anterior tibial translation and internal tibial rotation exhibited the greatest variability when uncertainties in ligament properties were considered. When used to simulate walking, the model predicted knee kinematic patterns that differed substantially from passive joint behavior. Predictions of mean knee cartilage contact pressures during normal gait reached 6.2 and 2.8 MPa on the medial tibial plateau and patellar facets, respectively. Thus, the dynamic modeling framework can be used to simulate the interaction of soft tissue loads and cartilage contact during locomotion activities, and therefore provides a basis to simulate the effects of soft tissue injury and surgical treatment on functional knee mechanics.
First-principles calculations and thermodynamic modeling of the Sn-Sr and Mg-Sn-Sr systems

Abstract Thermodynamic modeling of the Sn−Sr binary system and the Mg−Sn−Sr ternary system is carried out by means of the CALPHAD approach in combination with available experimental data in the literature and first-principles calculations in the present work. The finite temperature thermodynamic properties of the compounds in the Sn−Sr system and the MgSnSr ternary compound are predicted using the quasi-harmonic phonon calculations and the Debye model with inputs from first-principles calculations. The associate solution model is used to describe the short-range ordering behavior in the liquid phase. Combined with the previously modeled Mg−Sn and Mg−Sr binary systems in the literature, the thermodynamic modeling of the Mg−Sn−Sr system is performed.
Effect of temperature upon heart preservation for transplantation.

Abstract In this work we studied the effect of three different temperatures (7 °, 15 °, and 30 °C) on heart preservation. The best temperature for 24 hr pulsatile perfusion of canine hearts was 7 °C. Hearts perfused at this temperature showed no evidence of abnormal preservation changes nor of histological damage immediately upon transplantation. If the temperature was increased to 15 ° or 30 °C, moderate to severe preservation and histological damage were observed, and only three out of 10 dogs survived upon heart implantation.
Dipicrylamine transport across an ultrathin phosphatidylethanolamine membrane

Abstract Admittance measurements at zero applied direct voltage are reported for solutions containing 10−4 to 10−7 M dipicrylamine, in contact with a black phosphatidylethanolamine membrane. The experimental data can be interpreted quantitatively in terms of a model involving slow phase transfer and fast desorption—adsorption kinetics. The adsorption of dipicrylamine makes it possible to distinguish experimentally between ion transport across the membrane itself and that across the water/membrane interfaces.
The Ginkgo, the Most Ancient Living Tree. The Resistance of Ginkgo Biloba L. To Pests Accounts in Part for the Longevity of This Species

Fossil records clearly demonstrate that the group of trees known as Ginkgoales, of which today Ginkgo biloba is the sole living member, date back over 200 million years. Ginkgo bilboa itself is one of the oldest of living plants (4). It appears that the longevity of this tree and its long reproductive period are at least partially responsible for the persistence of the species. The resistance of these trees to pests such as insects, bacteria, viruses, and fungi has been studied. It is believed that their unusual resistance to pests accounts in part for the longevity of the trees and also, in turn, for the longevity of the species.
Hyperactivity caused by a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor is countered by ultra-wideband pulses.

Potential action of ultra-wideband (UWB) electromagnetic field pulses on effects of NG-nitro- L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), on nociception and locomotor activity was investigated in CF-1 mice. Animals were injected IP with saline or 50 mg/kg L-NAME and exposed for 30 min to no pulses (sham exposure) or UWB pulses with electric field parameters of 102±1 kV/m peak amplitude, 0.90±0.05 ns duration, and 160±5 ps rise time (mean±S.D.) at 600/s. Animals were tested for thermal nociceptive responses on a 50°C surface and for spontaneous locomotor activity for 5 min. L-NAME by itself increased mean first-response (paw lift, shake, or lick; jump) and back-paw-lick response latencies and mean locomotor activity. Exposure to UWB pulses reduced the L-NAME–induced increase in back-paw-lick latency by 22%, but this change was not statistically significant. The L-NAME–induced hyperactivity was not present after UWB exposure. Reduction and cancellation of effects of L-NAME suggest activation of opposing mechanism(s) by the UWB pulses, possibly including increase of nitric oxide production by NOS. The action, or actions, of UWB pulses appears to be more effective on locomotor activity than on thermal nociception in CF-1 mice. Bioelectromagnetics 20:431–439, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Scanning force microscope observations of particle detachment from substrates: The role of water vapor in tribological debonding

The tip of a scanning force microscope was used to detach nanometer-scale, single crystal NaCl particles from a glass substrate under controlled atmospheres of known humidity. After characterizing a particle at low contact force, a single line scan at high contact force was used to apply stresses to the attached particle. The lateral force during the line scan showed a sharp discontinuity associated with detachment of the particle from the substrate. The peak lateral force during this procedure is a strong function of particle contact area and humidity. As the relative humidity is raised from low values, the strength of the particle-substrate bond decreases dramatically. We interpret these results in terms of detachment by chemically assisted crack growth along the NaCl-glass interface.
Ex-vivo mitral valve repair prior to orthotopic cardiac transplantation

Mitral valve annuloplasty was performed prior to orthotopic cardiac transplantation in two donor hearts which were diagnosed with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation. The technical aspects are reviewed of ex-vivo mitral valve repair with concomitant heart transplantation. The recipients were classified as United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) I and both patients have had an excellent postoperative recovery. Over 2-year follow-up demonstrates normal mitral valve function without regurgitation.
Expression of GST-fused kinase domain of human Csk homologous kinase from Pichia pastoris facilitates easy purification.

Human Csk Homologous Kinase (CHK), a protein of 527 amino acid residues, is involved in suppression of breast tumors. The kinase domain of CHK (amino acid residues 228 to 485) expressed with C-terminal 6HIS fusion in Pichia pastoris is heavily glycosylated. Expression of the C-terminal 6HIS fused kinase domain of CHK, with an N-terminal glutathione S-transferase fusion, in Pichia pastoris alleviated the hyperglycosylation. The expressed protein was purified by affinity chromatography to 1 mg l−1 culture and remained active. A simple plate assay to identify colonies of P. pastoris expressing the recombinant protein is also presented.
Prevention of Childhood Injuries: Evaluation of the Statewide Childhood Injury Prevention Program (SCIPP).

We evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based injury prevention program designed to reduce the incidence of burns, falls in the home, motor vehicle occupant injuries, and poisonings and suffocations among children ages 0-5 years. Between September 1980 and June 1982, we implemented five injury prevention projects concurrently in nine Massachusetts cities and town; five sites, matched on selected demographic characteristics, were control communities. An estimated 42 percent of households with children ages 0-5 years were exposed to one or more of the interventions over the two-year period in the nine communities. Participation in safety programs increased three-fold in the intervention communities and two-fold in the control communities. Safety knowledge and practices increased in both intervention and control communities. Households that reported participatory exposure to the interventions had higher safety knowledge and behavior scores than those that received other community exposure or no exposure to intervention activities. We found a distinct reduction in motor vehicle occupant injuries among children ages 0-5 years in the intervention compared with control communities, associated with participatory exposure of about 55 percent of households with children ages 0-5 years. We have no evidence that the coordinated intervention programs reduced the other target injuries--although exposure to prevention messages was associated with safety behaviors for burns and poisonings.
Effects of HIV-1-induced CD1c and CD1d modulation and endogenous lipid presentation on CD1c-restricted T-cell activation

It has been shown that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection induces the production of endogenous lipids required for effective viral production, and the cluster of differentiation (CD)1 molecule CD1d is downregulated by HIV-1 infection. However, the role of endogenous lipid presentation and the implications of CD1 downregulation by HIV-1 infection have not yet been characterized. In this study, we observed downregulation of both CD1c and CD1d expression through a Vpu-dependent and Nef-independent mechanism, and the concomitant HIV-1-induced production of host cholesterol decreased the extent of CD1c and CD1d modulation. While the modest downregulation of CD1c by HIV-1 infection decreased the ability of CD1c-restricted T cells to respond and secrete interferon-γ, the cholesterol upregulation in the same cells by HIV-1 infection appears to limit the downregulation of CD1c. The two conflicting HIV-1-mediated changes in CD1c expression appear to minimize the modulation of CD1c expression, thus leading the host to maintain a CD1c-restricted T-cell response against HIV-1.
SU-D-144-01: Implementation of a Clinical Treatment Planning System for Use with a Small Animal Irradiation System

Purpose: Current commercially available small animal irradiators provide limited software tools for treatment planning. We report on the implementation of an in‐house treatment planning system, Metropolis, for micro‐irradiator and compare its capabilities with those of the vendor‐supplied system, TPS(XRAD). Methods: The 225 kV beam of the micro‐irradiator was commissioned using both ion chamber and radiographic film (EBT3). Dose calculation in Metropolis was verified by comparing with measured dose in phantom. Starting from a 3D CT image of a tumor‐bearing mouse, the same treatment plans were designed in the two systems. In TPS(XRAD), a treatment point was selected on a CT slice, two orthogonal beams were defined based on tumor size on the CT slice, and isocenter depth was computed from a body contour determined by image thresholding. In Metropolis, structures (outer, tumor, and lung) were contoured on CT images, beams were defined based on tumor volume coverage on beams‐eye‐view (BEV), 3D dose calculation was performed, and plan was evaluated based on dose distribution and dose‐volume histogram (DVH). Results: Measured dose in phantom agreed with Metropolis calculation within 3% for all collimators. The beam‐on‐times calculated by the two systems agreed within 1% at isocenter. Whereas TPS(XRAD) provides only beam‐on‐time for each beam, Metropolis capabilities include various image segmentation tools, multimodality image registration, verification of target coverage and normal tissue sparing using BEV, 3D isodose distribution overlaid on CT images, and DVH. DVH inspection of the two‐beam treatment plan reveals a tumor dose variation (D95 : 388 and D05 : 401 cGy) and dose to lung (Dmean: 84 cGy) for a prescribed isocenter dose of 400 cGy. Conclusion: By implementing a clinical TPS for a small animal irradiator system, both efficient planning and precise plan evaluation become possible, allowing the full potential of advanced micro‐irradiator radiation treatment planning to be conducted for pre‐clinical experimentation.
Rhetoric and reality in critical educational studies in the United States

The shame of the nation: the restoration of apartheid schooling in America Jonathan Kozol, 2005 New York, Crown Radical possibilities: public policy, urban education, and a new social movement Jean...
Government aid to Britain's export drive

Examines Britain's export intelligence, starting with Board of Trade's evaluation of the world market for a new product. Questions the Board of Trade's split in responsibility between its home duties and those of the diplomatic service aboard and the effect this has on interpretation of results. Suggests that a single authority to promote exports is essential, as too a proper career structure to promote efficient advisory services.
Rheology of water-in-water suspensions formed with lightly sulfonated ionomers

The formation and rheological properties of water-in-water suspensions formed by mixing a dilute nonaqueous solution containing a lightly sulfonated ionomer with an aqueous solution are described. The spheres formed via this process are composed of a very thin (approximately 2000 A), ionically crosslinked gel membrane which separates the continuous aqueous phase from the encapsulated aqueous phase. The membrane itself is composed of the lightly sulfonated ionomer (i. e., sulfonated polystyrene) swollen with the nonaqueous solvent. Interestingly, surface tension measurements indicate that the sulfonated ionomer in this nonaqueous solvent has no significant interfacial activity. Viscometric measurements confirm that aqueous solvents containing these spheres have considerably enhanced viscosity even in the presence of high concentrations of a salt or acid. Thixotropic behavior is observed at low shear rates, whereas Newtonian behavior is observed at higher rates of shear (> 40 sec−1). Cessation of stress reverts the viscosity to its initial value. Dilution studies show that the streamlines in the flowing exterior aqueous phase cause circulation of the aqueous fluid within the sphere. These results point to the fluid-like characteristics of the gel membrane, since transmission of the stress across the membrane is not dramatically inhibited. Comparison of the low shear rate data with the Mooney equation support these conclusion.
Electrocardiographic electrode misplacement, misconnection, and artifact.

Abstract Background Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are performed by humans, and thus are subject to human error. An underappreciated source of electrocardiographic abnormality is electrode misconnection, both limb and precordial, and improper placement, which is principally an issue with the precordial electrodes due to anatomic variation. Patterns of abnormality exist; recognition allows the emergency physician to avoid mistaking the resulting electrocardiographic findings for true pathology. Objectives The purpose of this clinical review is to describe the patterns of electrocardiographic electrode reversal, misplacement, and artifact and thus make them recognizable to the Emergency Physician. Discussion Common limb electrode reversals feature distinctive patterns manifesting as unexpected morphologic and frontal plane axis changes in the QRS complexes in the limb and augmented leads. Precordial electrode misplacement (improper positioning of the electrodes on the chest) is common and may mimic a pseudoinfarction pattern, or ST-segment/T-wave changes, which must be recognized as the result of the misplacement rather than true cardiac ischemia. Precordial electrode reversal should be suspected when the normal R/S wave amplitude transition is violated. Electrocardiographic artifact must be distinguished from dysrhythmia to avoid a potentially hazardous progression to unnecessary diagnostics and therapeutics. Conclusions The hallmarks of electrode misconnection, misplacement, and electrocardiographic artifact can be easily mastered by the Emergency Physician; recognition of these findings can positively impact patient care by avoiding unnecessary intervention secondary to misattribution of findings on the 12-lead ECG to cardiac pathology.
Critical Behavior in the Pancreatic Islet Depends on the Balance Between Cellular Excitability and Electrical Coupling

The pancreatic islets of Langerhans controls glucose homeostasis through the regulated secretion of insulin. Gap junction channels coordinate membrane depolarization between β-cells in the islet, which coordinates oscillatory [Ca2+] at elevated glucose and suppresses spontaneous [Ca2+] elevations under basal glucose. β-cells are heterogeneous in their glucose-stimulated [Ca2+] and the balance between cellular excitability and coupling in determining the whole-islet response is not well understood. Here we quantify how the electrical response is shaped by the distribution of cellular excitability across the islet and the strength of coupling between cells. We utilize mice that express mutations to the KATP channel that decrease excitability in a population of β-cells, which can be controlled through variable doses of tamoxifen induction of CreER-recombinase, and quantified by GFP coexpression. To compare this defined heterogeneity in cellular excitability with endogenous heterogeneity, we also apply variable concentrations of the KATP-activator diazoxide to uniformly shift cellular excitability. In each case we compare experimental results with predictions from a multicellular coupled oscillator model and a percolating network model of the islet. Upon increased KATP mutant-channel expression there is a sharp transition at ∼15% expression between near-normal [Ca2+] and near-complete suppression of [Ca2+]. Thus ∼15% of inexcitable cells can control islet electrical activity. This similarly impacts insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis, such that mice transition from euglycemia to diabetes. Similar results are obtained upon diaxoizde treatment indicating this is a general behavior and not specifically dependent on mosaic mutant KATP expression. These results could be described by both mathematical models revealing the fundamental importance of heterogeneity and coupling to islet physiology and glucose homeostasis. This will be important for understanding islet dysfunction caused by mutations that affect the electrical response in diabetes.
A search technique for γ-ray bands using segmented FFT analysis

Abstract A band-locator technique employing Fourier spectrum analysis has been developed for γ-ray spectra. This is a purely mathematical routine based on frequency-space descriptions of rotational bands. The objective is to distinguish a unique spectral pattern in the presence of a multitude of other frequencies. Conversion of the band into frequency space provides a pattern, segments of which can act as a template to be extracted from the frequency spectrum of the original data set. Summing the segments reconstructs the band. When confronted with the potential presence of a completely unknown γ-ray band within a data set, these segmented band frequencies provide useful information in locating the band. Computer experiments were designed to test the feasibility of locating superdeformed bands within γ-ray spectra. Search results are presented for rigid-rotor bands and published superdeformed bands.
Cryptococcosis and Cushing's syndrome.

Excerpt Although cryptococcosis complicating steroid therapy is well described, cryptococcosis has not, to our knowledge, been reported in the English language literature since 1950 in the presence...
413 SUFENTANIL: PHARMACOKINETIC AND HEMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF A NEW NAECOTIC

Sufentanil (SUF) is a potent narcotic recently approved for use in adult cardiac anesthesia. Its hemodynamic and pharmaco-kinetic properties are untested in newborns. We measured plasma SUF concentrations by radioimmunoassay in 7 healthy newborn piglets given 15 μg/kg SUF by IV bolus. Its effects on the determinants of cardiac output were invasively measured in 6 piglets. Plasma SUF conc. fit a 3-compartment model; T½(α)=2.0 min and T½(β)=39.7 min. Cardiac effects were compared with baseline: The α and β-phase half-lives of SUF and fentanyl (another potent narcotic) are similar in the piglet. Unlike fentanyl, SUF does not affect MAP or HR. CI is depressed less by SUF, perhaps because it increases contractility. Both drugs increase afterload. SUF does not affect preload significantly. Because SUF has a positive inotropic effect with minimal adverse hemodynamic effects on newborn piglets, it merits a clinical trial in newborn cardiac anesthesia.