cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peripheral tolerance in transgenic mice expressing class I MHC Ld only on cardiac cells

Background: The fate of autoreactive T cells exposed to extrathymic self-antigen is examined in a double transgenic (DTG) mouse [(Ld+ cardiac×2C)F1], where cardiac myocytes alone express Ld and T cells express an antigen receptor (2C TCR) against Ld. Methods: Naive cardiac Ld+ single transgenic (STG) mice (before breeding with 2C) and DTG mice were examined for evidence of autoimmunity. The Ld+ STG hearts were then transplanted to syngeneic Ld− wild type C57BL/6 to evaluate the heart's immunogenicity. Ld+ skin grafts were transplanted to non-transgenic B6, transgenic 2C, STG, and DTG mice. Phenotype analysis of peripheral 1B2+(identifies 2C T cells), CD4+, and CD8+ T cells was performed by FACS. In vitro MLC and CTL, with and without the addition of IL-2 and suppressor cell assays, were evaluated. Results: Neither STG nor DTG hearts developed any evidence of autoimmunity by histology. In contrast, B6 mice rejected the Ld+ STG heart in 17±9.7 days (P<0.01), while a syngeneic B6 heart transplant was accepted indefinitely. Survival of Ld+ skin grafts was prolonged in both STG and DTG mice. FACS quantitation revealed that while there was no deletion of peripheral 2C cells in the DTG, these 2C T cells did have a significantly reduced proliferative and cytotoxic response to H-2Ld. Restoration of the proliferative and cytotoxic response of the DTG cells by the addition of IL-2 was consistent with a state of anergy. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the expression of extrathymic class I MHC expression alone did not trigger autoimmune reactions but that the T cells can be rendered anergic to the specific ‘self’ antigen.
Studies of Spray Breakup and Mixture Stratification in a Gasoline Direct Injection Engine Using KIVA-3V

The Low Pressure spray Breakup (LPB) model of Papageorgakis and Assanis has been implemented in the multi-dimensional code KIVA-3V as an alternative to the standard Taylor Analogy Breakup (TAB) model. Comparison of spray predictions with measurements shows that the LPB model, in conjunction with the standard k-e turbulence model, has the potential for simulating the evolution of hollow cone sprays with acceptable fidelity, both front qualitative and quantitative standpoints. After validating the LPB model, illustrative studies of mixture stratification are conducted for a Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) combustion chamber resembling the Mitsubishi design. The effects of reverse tumble strength and injection timing on mixture quality in the vicinity of the spark plug are explored. Overall, the study demonstrates how the KIVA-3V code with the LPB model can contribute to the optimization and control of mixing in DIG engines.
Visualizing the Impacts of Deforestation

(1992). Visualizing the Impacts of Deforestation. Science Activities: Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 25-30.
Community Respiration Rates in Lake Superior

Phytoplankton photosynthesis and community respiration are two key components of the carbon cycle that determine the magnitude of net ecosystem production and the balance between oxygen production and oxygen consumption in lakes. As part of the Keweenaw Interdisciplinary Transport Experiment in Superior (KITES) project, rates of community respiration were measured in 1998 and 1999 in nearand offshore waters along the Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. Because of the difficulties in measuring low rates of respiration, three methods were employed: bottle incubations, measurements of changes in hypolimnetic oxygen inventories, and rates of CO2 evolution from the lake surface. All three techniques yielded similar rates of CO2 production. Rates of community respiration (bottle incubations) ranged from 2 to 166 μg C/L/d; rates of hypolimnetic oxygen consumption ranged from 3 to 12 μg C/L/d; and rates of CO2 evasion from the lake (positive flux is out of lake) ranged from < 0 to 270 mg C/m2/d corresponding to volumetric rates of < 0 to 11 μg C/L/d. Little change in respiration rate with water depth was noted, but respiration rates near-shore were significantly higher than rates in offshore waters. Higher rates of respiration were measured in the El Nino year of 1998 as compared to 1999, but higher temperatures are not thought to be the direct cause. Rates of respiration were higher than simultaneously measured rates of photosynthesis, and there was a net evolution of CO2 from the lake; the lake appears to be net heterotrophic.
On computing the long-time solution of the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations

The long-time behavior of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on a 2-torus is computed using several discretizations in space and in time. We compare several nonlinear Galerkin methods (NGMs) with the standard Galerkin method (SGM) in both their ability to capture the dynamic and geometric behavior of a turbulent flow accurately, and the computational efficiency with which they are solved using variable time-step integration schemes. To measure the convergence of the chaotic attractor we employ Poincare section plots as well as density functions of instantaneous Lyapunov exponents. As expected, for the smooth (single mode) force used, the NGMs fare no better than the SGM in reproducing the correct behavior. As the number of modes for each method is increased, however, a distinct advantage in computational cost emerges for the NGMs. This trend suggests that the correct solution may be computed at considerable savings for a nonsmooth force, at higher Reynolds numbers.
Cognitive Therapy and Relaxation Training in Muscle Contraction Headache: Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness

SYNOPSIS The purpose of this study was first, to examine the efficacy of adding a cognitive therapy component to traditional relaxation training; and second, to examine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of administering these treatments in a largely self-ad-ministered format for headache patients. Twenty-five muscle contraction headache sufferers were assigned to one of three treatment conditions, which provided either relaxation training alone or relaxation training in combination with cognitive therapy. Procedures were delivered utilizing either a therapist-ad-ministered office-based format, or a largely self-administered format designed to provide significantly less therapist contact than the office-based procedure. At one-month post-treatment, patients in all 3 conditions exhibited significant decreases in headache activity, with no significant differences between the groups, although then appeared to be a slight advantage for the cognitive groups and for groups with increased therapist contact. Patients in all 3 groups evidenced significantly greater use of relaxation and cognitive strategies at post-treatment, with the combined treatment groups showing slightly greater use of the latter. Additionally, all 3 groups decreased their use of traditional medical strategies. There were no significant differences in cost-effectiveness among the 3 groups. However, overall this study suggests that largely self-administered treatments can result in significant improvements in headache, while substantially reducing the total amount of therapist contact.
Comparison of Pond Production of Phase-III Sunshine Bass Fed 32-, 36-, and 40%-Crude-Protein Diets with Fixed Energy: Protein Ratios

Abstract We stocked phase-III sunshine bass (white bass Morone chrysops ♀ × striped bass M. saxatilis ♂) at a rate of 6,188 fingerlings/ha into twelve 0.04-ha earthen ponds supplied with continuous aeration. Three dietary treatments were randomly assigned to quadruplicate ponds. Sunshine bass were fed to apparent satiation once daily after average initial weight (mean ± SE = 214 ± 5 g) and total length (245 ± 1.6 mm) were determined. Diets were formulated to conserve the estimated digestible energy : crude protein (CP) ratio (9.3 kcal/g protein) and represented the following CP and energy values fed to fish: 32% CP (3,000 kcal/kg), 36% CP (3,360 kcal/kg), and 40% CP (3,760 kcal/kg). Harvest data suggest that nutrient density is a variable that can be manipulated to optimize production and reduce production costs. Production rates (mean ± SE) were 2,851 ± 600 kg/ha for the 32%-CP diet, 2,895 ± 341 kg/ha for the 36%-CP diet, and 2,953 ± 142 kg/ha for the 40%-CP diet; production rates were not significantly ...
Rare Cell Capture in Microfluidic Devices

This article reviews existing methods for the isolation, fractionation, or capture of rare cells in microfluidic devices. Rare cell capture devices face the challenge of maintaining the efficiency standard of traditional bulk separation methods such as flow cytometers and immunomagnetic separators while requiring very high purity of the target cell population, which is typically already at very low starting concentrations. Two major classifications of rare cell capture approaches are covered: (1) non-electrokinetic methods (e.g., immobilization via antibody or aptamer chemistry, size-based sorting, and sheath flow and streamline sorting) are discussed for applications using blood cells, cancer cells, and other mammalian cells, and (2) electrokinetic (primarily dielectrophoretic) methods using both electrode-based and insulative geometries are presented with a view towards pathogen detection, blood fractionation, and cancer cell isolation. The included methods were evaluated based on performance criteria including cell type modeled and used, number of steps/stages, cell viability, and enrichment, efficiency, and/or purity. Major areas for improvement are increasing viability and capture efficiency/purity of directly processed biological samples, as a majority of current studies only process spiked cell lines or pre-diluted/lysed samples. Despite these current challenges, multiple advances have been made in the development of devices for rare cell capture and the subsequent elucidation of new biological phenomena; this article serves to highlight this progress as well as the electrokinetic and non-electrokinetic methods that can potentially be combined to improve performance in future studies.
Reinforcement of duration of talking in triad groups.

The purpose was to investigate the conditions in which the verbal interactions in a triad of Ss could be manipulated so as to increase the duration of talking by one member of the triad. Ss were placed in individual isolation booths and requested to discuss psychiatric case histories. Five different reinforcement programs were studied. Although all programs were effective with some triads, the program which involved a combination of reinforcement and punishment contingencies produced the most consistent effects.
The Debate over Health Care Rationing: Déjà Vu All over Again?:

Health care rationing has been a source of contentious debate in the United States for nearly 30 years. Because rationing is bewildering to many Americans, persistent myths about "death panels" and critical health care decisions to be made by faceless bureaucrats abound, instilling fear about health care reform and cost containment measures aimed at slowing spending growth. This paper retrospectively reviews the policy literature on health care rationing over the past quarter century, examines alternative definitions and classification schemes, traces the evolution of the debate, and explores ways in which rationing may be made more rational, transparent, and equitable in the future allocation of scarce health care resources.
Implementation of multivariate clustering methods for characterizing discontinuities data from scanlines and oriented boreholes

In geological engineering, discontinuities are typically analyzed by grouping (clustering) them into subsets based on similar orientations, and then characterizing each set in terms of position, spacing, persistence, roughness and other parameters. Multivariate analysis can be used to incorporate some of these other parameters directly into the cluster analysis. The implementation of four methods of cluster analysis that consider orientation, spacing and roughness are described here: nearest neighbor, k-means, fuzzy c-means, and vector quantization. The net result is a better grouping of discontinuities, so that members of a subset might be more uniform in terms of mechanical or hydrological properties. This paper presents the implementation of this analysis in a Windows® based program CYL that also serves as a graphical visualization tool.
Rapid evolution of host specificity in a parasitic nematode

In eastern North America, the nematodeHowardula aoronymphium parasitizes four species of mushroom-breedingDrosophila:D. falleni andD. recens of the quinaria species group, andD. putrida andD. testacea of the testacea group. One strain ofH. aoronymphium, designated Mendon-87, was initially capable of infecting all four of these host species. After less than 3 years in laboratory culture usingD. falleni as the sole host, this strain had completely lost the ability to infectD. putrida. Two other nematode strains parasitizedD. falleni andD. putrida at equal rates. These results demonstrate the existence of genetic variation for host specificity within this nematode species. More importantly, they show that host specificity can evolve rapidly when only one host is available for parasitization. Ecological conditions are such that natural populations ofH. aoronymphium may comprise numerous host races, lineages incapable of parasitizing the full range of host species. However, I argue that such host races are probably ephemeral and thus unlikely to persist long enough to undergo speciation.
A structural model for gas—solid reactions with a moving boundary—IV. Langmuir—Hinshelwood kinetics

Abstract The Langmuir—Hinshelwood type of kinetic expression has been incorporated into the “general structural model” for the reaction of a porous solid with a gas. Thus the system occupies the domain between the asymptotes corresponding to first-order and zeroth-order kinetics. The effect of the form of the rate expression is found to be the largest in the intermediate regime where both chemical reaction and diffusion play important roles in determining the overall rate. A “gas—solid reaction modulus” generalized for the Langmuir—Hinshelwood type of rate expression was developed to define the regimes of the different controlling mechanisms.
Idiopathic condylar resorption: current clinical perspectives.

c f a t b l t n the condition of unknown origin known as idioathic condylar resorption (ICR), the condyles of the andible partially resorb, causing a loss of condylar eight and alteration of the maxillofacial morphology nd occlusion. Progressive condylar resorption PCR) is a more general term describing conditions esulting in loss of condylar height, including those of nown etiology (eg, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, luus erythematosis, trauma, steroid use). In general, ICR has the following features:
Cultivating sustainability through undergraduate research and writing

The Stanford Undergraduate Sustainability Scholars (SUSS) fosters engagement with sustainability by supporting undergraduates in creative and persuasive communication targeting an audience of their peers. Our broadest goal is to incubate new ways of talking about and representing sustainability, such that individuals and institutions are motivated to act and cooperate. We do this by working in two areas: 1) in our inaugural year we sponsored two sustainability scholars who carried out ambitious research projects exploring some intersection of the Stanford campus and sustainability 2) we run a blog, SUSSing Sustainability @ Stanford that is an expansive forum for undergraduate writing, art, and projects pertaining to sustainability. This essay details the evolution of the SUSS program and describes a model for supporting undergraduates to reflect on, synthesize and communicate about sustainability-related issues. SUSS is sponsored by an undergraduate writing program; this is critical because many challenges of sustainability will be solved not only through science and policy, but also through writing, communication, and rhetoric. SUSS helps students develop rhetorical and communicative skills to become ambassadors and coalition builders for sustainability, on campus and beyond.
Compositional Studies of Lanthanum‐Modified Morphotropic Phase Boundary Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3—PbTiO3 Ceramics

Investigations have been performed on the La-modified (1-x)Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -(x)PbTiO 3 crystalline solution for compositions close to the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). Studies were performed on specimens with La contents between 0 and 10 at.% for x=0.35 which were fabricated by keeping the average Mg/Nb/Ti ratio in the bulk ceramic unchanged. In this series of samples, La 3+ was compensated for by introducing B-site vacancies. Quantitative analysis by EDS revealed a change in the B-site cation concentrations with La substitution. It was observed that the Nb concentration decreases and the Ti concentration increases with increasing La content, indicating that local charge compensation in the perovskite phase is taking place by an adjustment in B-site cation concentrations. Phase analysis demonstrated the presence of a second phase for La contents above 2 at.%. Scanning electron microscopy then revealed the presence of a secondary pyrochlore phase with an octahedral-like morphology. The composition of the pyrochlore phase was found to be rich in Nb and poor in Ti. The effects of changes in composition on dielectric properties, polarization, and electrically induced strain were then investigated.
Measuring earth orientation with the Global Positioning System

A globally distributed network of high-precision receivers which obtain data from the full Global Positioning System (GPS) configuration of 18 or more satellites may soon become an efficient and economical method for the rapid determination of short-term variations in earth orientation. A covariance analysis has been performed to evaluate the errors associated with GPS monitoring of earth orientation. Earth orientation parameters were modeled either as constants over observing windows of various lengths, or as stochastic process-noise variables. The sensitivity of earth orientation estimates to systematic errors in selected model parameters was also examined. GPS measurements appear to be highly competitive with those from other techniques, and have the potential to generate nearly continuous centimeter-level earth orientation information to aid both spacecraft navigation and the study of high-frequency earth orientation-related processes.
Anisotropic Inverse Mechanics Identifies Regional Changes in Mechanical Anisotropy During Remodelling of Fibroblast-Populated Collagen Cruciforms

Most elastographic methods applied to soft tissues assume either isotropy or homogeneity in the sample. While this assumption is valid in specific cases, general methods that can identify regional changes in mechanical anisotropy have many advantages. Chiefly, such methods could quantify regional anisotropic material behavior on intact tissue samples especially when the tissue is heterogeneous and too small for standard tests. In this study we use an inverse mechanics method which handles both anisotropy and heterogeneity to track changes in mechanical anisotropy associated with remodeling in cell-compacted collagen tissue equivalents (TE), which are then compared with measurements from polarimetry to estimate the method’s accuracy.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Particle dynamics in a gas-particle flow over normal and inclined plates

Abstract The discrete-vortex simulation is applied to study the gas-particle flows over normal and inclined plates. This study places emphasis on the phenomena of particle impingement on a normal- or inclined-plate surface. It relates the aerodynamic effects of particle motion to the erosion process and also deals with the particle dynamics in the wake region. A line source of particles placed in the upstream of the plate and a point source of particles located at the center of the downstream side of the plate are used in the study. The range of particle size in terms of the Stokes number is from 0.5 to 100. The results of the current vortex simulations are compared with previously published results obtained through potential-flow theory. For particles released from the upstream of the plate, the current approach predicts results that agree closely with those by potential-flow theory except that, instead of symmetrical particle trajectories, a slight asymmetry with respect to the center of plate in particle trajectories was predicted by the current discrete-vortex approach. This is presumably due to the alternating vortex shedding in the wake, which can not be predicted by the potential-flow theory. In the surface erosion study, the current analysis predicts close agreements with the experimental results. For those particles escaping impact with the plate, their dispersion by the wake flow is rather limited. For particles injected into the wake from the center of the downstream side of the plate, little mixing is predicted in the close vicinity of the plate because of the initial inertia of the particles. Relatively far from the plate, the extent of particle mixing and dispersion in the wake is inversely proportional to both the Stokes number and the particle initial velocities. The effects of the Stokes number and the particle initial velocity on the particle mixing and dispersion seem to be superimposable.
On the Design and Evaluation of Data Bases

Within the past few years data base management systems have received an increasingly large share of the computing world's efforts. They are attractive, despite their high processing cost, because they relieve the programmer of the need to program gram frequently used operations such as access methods for complicated data structures and variable- length fields, records, and files. As data base management systems become more flexible they also allow unanticipated queries to be answered with relative ease.
Sustainability and Policy: Limits to Economics

1. Introduction 2. The world economy: north and south 3. Sustainability 4. history and perspective 5. Thinking about futures 6. Economics 7. Resource and environmental economics 8. Some new economics 9. National Policy 10. The international dimension 11. Postscript.
Heme pocket disorder in myoglobin: reversal by acid-induced soft refolding.

The protein folding process of heme proteins entails generation of not only a correct global polypeptide structure, but also a correct, functionally competent heme environment. We employed a variety of spectroscopic approaches to probe the structure and dynamics of the heme pocket of a recombinant sperm whale myoglobin. The conformational characteristics were examined by circular dichroism, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and optical absorption spectroscopy in the temperature range 300−20 K. Each of these spectroscopic probes detected modifications confined exclusively to the heme pocket of the expressed myoglobin relative to the native protein. The functional properties were examined by measuring the kinetics of CO binding after flash-photolysis. The kinetics of the expressed myoglobin were more heterogeneous than those of the native protein. Mild acid exposure of the ferric derivative of the recombinant protein resulted in a protein with “nativelike” spectroscopic properties ...
Personality Traits and Psychiatric Rehospitalization: A Two-Year Follow-up

This study followed 188 people with psychiatric impairments for 2 years after their discharge from a public psychiatric facility to assess the impact of personality traits on rehospitalization. A Cox regression analysis revealed a significant relation between the pattern of personality traits and psychiatric rehospitalization. The significant relation was retained after age, sex, race, education. Axis I diagnosis, subscale scorns on the Brief Symptom Inventory, Methods of Coping Scale, Level of Expressed Emotion Scale, and scores on the alcohol and drag dependence scales of the MCMI-II were included in a stepwise inclusion analysis. The implications of these results for the assessment and treatment of people with psychiatric impairments are discussed.
Effects of acute alcohol intoxication on automated processing: evidence from the double-step paradigm.

Reflexive and voluntary levels of processing have been studied extensively with respect to possible impairments due to alcohol intoxication. This study examined alcohol effects at the 'automated' level of processing essential to many complex visual processing tasks (e.g., reading, visual search) that involve ongoing modifications or reprogramming of well-practiced routines. Data from 30 participants (16 male) were collected in two counterbalanced sessions (alcohol vs. no-alcohol control; mean breath alcohol concentration = 68 mg/dL vs. 0 mg/dL). Eye movements were recorded during a double-step task where 75% of trials involved two target stimuli in rapid succession (inter-stimulus interval [ISI]=40, 70, or 100 ms) so that they could elicit two distinct saccades or eye movements (double steps). On 25% of trials a single target appeared. Results indicated that saccade latencies were longer under alcohol. In addition, the proportion of single-step responses and the mean saccade amplitude (length) of primary saccades decreased significantly with increasing ISI. The key novel finding, however, was that the reprogramming time needed to cancel the first saccade and adjust saccade amplitude was extended significantly by alcohol. The additional time made available by prolonged latencies due to alcohol was not utilized by the saccade programming system to decrease the number of two-step responses. These results represent the first demonstration of specific alcohol-induced programming deficits at the automated level of oculomotor processing. Language: en
Beyond Univocal Baklava: Deconstructing Food-as-Ethnicity and the Ideology of Homeland in Diana Abu Jaber’s The Language of Baklava

In this article I examine and analyze the complex configuration of diasporic/homeland relations as represented in Arab American author Diana Abu Jaber’s most recent “cookbook-memoir” The Language of Baklava. Abu Jaber’s work resists prevalent conventions of most nostalgic/ ethnic cookbook memoirs, by both diasporic authors from the Arab world who have taken up residence in the U.S., and by some Arab American authors as well. The Language of Baklava neither portrays a simplistic or reductive binary between homeland and hostland, constructing the “old country” as a locus of unambiguous authenticity and familiarity, nor the hostland as a watered-down, assimilated, or inauthentic version of “the real thing” back home, with nostalgia and alienation as the prevalent respective tropes. Instead, Abu Jaber’s work presents a far more complex and ambivalent configuration of both the hyphenated existence of Arab Americans in the contemporary U.S., and of “back home” and, very central to her work, a nuanced portrayal of interactions between the two spheres and their inhabitants as complex and inter-penetrating. 1
Geochemistry of some Canadian anorthosites

Abstract Analyses for major elements and nine trace elements are given for seventy anorthositic rocks collected from the Morin pluton near Montreal, eight other bodies of anorthosite in Quebec and one in New York. The relationships of major and minor elements in anorthosites are discussed. The following average amounts of some trace elements in anorthositic rocks have been computed (in ppm): Ba Sr Mn Co Ni Cr V Cu Zn 25 anorthosites 160 750 130 3 3 10 17 4 20 33 gabbroic anorthosites 185 647 465 13 12 66 46 7 41 An average composition of the Morin pluton has been computed from analyses of various parts of the pluton. The study of trace elements indicates that the diversity of rock types in the western part of the Morin pluton (the “Mauve facies”) is due to magmatic differentiation proceeding towards enrichment in iron. The eastern part of the pluton (the “Chertsey facies”) differs chemically from the Mauve type; it is believed to represent a separate intrusion, possibly modified chemically by an intense dynamic stress. Several smaller bodies of anorthositic rocks to the south of the Morin area are chemically similar to the geographically closest parts of the Morin pluton, indicating that a buried part of the pluton extends to the south for at least 20 miles. One of the small bodies of anorthosite was found by deep drilling under 3100 feet of Paleozoic sediments.
The effect of curing additive on the mechanical properties of phthalonitrile-carbon fiber composites

Unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced phthalonitrile composite panels were fabricated by prepreg consolidation with bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]sulfone (p-BAPS) as the phthalonitrile curing additive. Rheometric measurements and elevated-temperature, short beam shear tests were used to evaluate the cure of the composite as a function of the cure and postcure conditions. These techniques revealed that a fully cured phthalonitrile composite was obtained when the composite was heated at 375°C for 8 hours. Room-temperature mechanical properties of the cured composite were then evaluated using short beam shear, tension, and flexural tests. The results are compared with those obtained by curing the phthalonitrile with 1,3-bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzene (m-APB). The data indicate that substitution of p-BAPS for m-APB has little effect on the mechanical properties of the cured composite. Elevated-temperature, short beam shear studies up to 371°C show that the cured phthalonitrile composite retains approximately 70% of its room-temperature apparent interlaminar shear strength. The composite also retains 70% of its room-temperature storage modulus up to 450°C. Polym. Compos. 25:554–561, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act: What the Average Radiologist and Manager Need to Know

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA) was enacted in 2010 and requires applicable manufacturers of medical devices, drugs, biological material, or medical supplies to report payments or transfers of value that are provided to physicians or teaching hospitals. PPSA has value in creating greater transparency in the financial relationships between industry, physicians, and teaching hospitals, and in potentially reducing problematic conflicts of interest. PPSA requires that this data be published, in searchable form, on a public website. CMS has delayed the reporting under PPSA until after January 1, 2013, and has yet to issue its final rules for PPSA; however, Physician Payments data already exist in a publically searchable database. It is important to realize that names of individuals may appear in the PPSA public database, even if those individuals did not actually receive a transfer of value. As with all broad-stroke legislation, consequences not anticipated or not considered sufficiently important for our government leaders may well present a problem for individuals. It behooves all physicians and healthcare managers to carefully follow the CMS PPSA regulations. In advance of meeting or interacting with any PPSA-applicable manufacturer, obtain a clear and mutual understanding regarding what reportable value, if any, will be prepared for and provided by the applicable manufacturer. In this, as in all situations in which government regulations are at play, "knowledge is strength."
Ten-Month Laryngeal Allograft Survival with Use of Pulsed Everolimus and Anti—αβ T-Cell Receptor Antibody Immunosuppression

OBJECTIVES The risks of daily immunosuppression limit the use of laryngeal transplantation as a reconstructive option. Pulsed immunosuppressive dosing can lessen these risks. The study objective was to develop a long-term pulsing regimen that minimizes exposure to immunosuppressive agents. METHODS Rat laryngeal transplantation was performed. Everolimus (1 mg/kg per day) and anti-c41 T-cell receptor (TCR) antibodies (250 microg) were given for 7 days beginning 1 day before transplantation and for 5 days beginning on day 90 after transplantation. On day 180, group 1 (n = 5) received the initial regimen for 3 days, and group 2 (n = 5) received everolimus (1 mg/kg per day) until euthanization, which occurred when parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels dropped to less than 11 pg/mL or at 300 days. RESULTS Four of the 5 rats in group 1 had normal PTH levels at 300 days. The PTH level for 1 rat was less than 11 pg/ mL at 270 days. In group 2, none of the 5 rats had normal PTH levels at 300 days. Two had PTH levels below 11 pg/mL at 270 days, and 3 had PTH levels below 11 pg/mL at 300 days. The allografts that survived beyond 300 days had an essentially normal histologic appearance. CONCLUSIONS Pulsed immunosuppression prevented allograft rejection for 10 months and was more effective than daily everolimus. Short-term perioperative therapy followed by pulsed, tapered dosing is a viable alternative to traditional regimens and may decrease associated risks.
The "caudate-spindle". I. Electrophysiological properties.

Abstract The electrophysiological properties of the “caudate-spindles” are described. The term “caudate-spindle” is used to indicate cortical and/or subcortical rhythmic activity initiated by single shock stimulation of the head of the caudate nucleus. Experiments in cats are described which show how the effects of caudate stimulation can be counteracted by physiological (catnip) or artificial (high frequency stimulation of the reticular formation) “arousing” stimuli. Under these conditions, the “caudate-spindles” show diminished amplitude and duration or are completely suppressed. Intactness of the n. ventralis anterior of the thalamus is essential for the production of “caudate-spindles”. Ether anesthesia blocks “caudate-spindles” generally. Procaine blocks them locally. The occurrence of “caudate-spindles” is facilitated by a condition of sleepiness as well as by the systemic administration of pentobarbital. The different methods described in this paper are introduced as experimental tools with which to shift the balance between inhibition and facilitation in the CNS. They and others are used in the evolution of a concept of mechanisms involved in this balance. This is discussed more fully in the following papers.
Long-term lorcainide therapy in patients with ventricular tachycardia.

Abstract One hundred patients inducible at electrophysiologic studies underwent serial drug testing with procainamide, lidocaine, and lorcainide to determine comparative efficacy. Acute intravenous administration was followed by repeat programmed electrical stimulation (PES) studies on separate days for each antiarrhythmic drug. Lorcainide prevented ventricular tachycardia (VT) induction in 69% of the 100 patients studied, procainamide was effective in 50% of the 75 patients studied, and lidocaine prevented VT induction in 30% of 53 patients. Following PES and serial drug testing, 46 patients were started on lorcainide, nine patients on procainamide, and 45 patients were started on other antiarrhythmic drug regimens. Seventy percent of the patients have remained on lorcainide therapy, while 47% have continued on other drug therapies started over a 20.5 ± 3.2-month mean follow-up period. Despite sleep-wake disturbances and a need for sedation at night, lorcainide therapy was tolerated well in this population and remained an effective antiarrhythmic with prolonged administration.
Economic relationships and market trends of the rare earths

Abstract This paper considers the market trends of the rare earths and how they are strongly influenced by the by-product/co-product nature of their mining and processing. The two main economic minerals for the rare earths are bastnasite and monazite. Monazite is primarily a by-product of mining ilmenite and rutile and is affected by changes in these markets as well as the presence of thorium. Bastnasite is a byproduct of mining iron ore in China and a stand-alone product in the USA. The paper will use conceptional relationships and empirical data to delineate the various by-products/co-products relationships and how they determine observed market behavior.
Experience in the treatment of HIV-associated lipodystrophy

Summary Aim To evaluate the outcome of patients with HIV-associated lipodystrophy treated within the Edinburgh unit to date. Methods Information was collected from the medical case notes on the clinical features, method of treatment, postoperative complications, and length of follow up for each patient. A questionnaire was devised to assess patient satisfaction and facial volume was evaluated using three-dimensional imaging. Results Forty-six patients with HIV-associated lipodystrophy were treated over a 3-year period. Twenty-six patients received Coleman fat injections, 10 patients were treated with Newfill ® , eight patients were treated with Bio-alcamid ® , 21 patients received liposuction, and three patients had a minimal access cranial suspension facelift. Follow up ranged from 1 to 14 months. Patient and surgeon satisfaction was high with autologous fat injections although fat resorption occurred in nine patients. Aesthetic improvement with Newfill ® was moderate and required up to seven treatment sessions. The results of treatment with Bio-alcamid ® were good immediately postoperatively, although two patients required further corrective procedures. Two patients who had liposuction to the dorso-cervical fat pad reported recurrence at 5 and 9 months, respectively. Conclusions Based on our experience, a treatment algorithm has been devised to aid management decisions. We favour the use of autologous fat injections for facial lipoatrophy but have found fillers to be useful in patients with inadequate fat reserves.
Spatially Resolved Pressure-Gradient Measurement By NMR

A new technique for generating spatially resolved pressure-gradient images of flow fields is introduced.
A brief history of RNAi: the silence of the genes

The use of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to eliminate gene products has greatly facilitated the understanding of gene function. Behind this remarkable pathway is an intricate network of proteins that ensures the degradation of the target mRNA. In this review, we explore the history of RNAi as well as highlighting recent discoveries.
Current Considerations Regarding Food Addiction

"Food addiction" is an emerging area, and behavioral and biological overlaps have been observed between eating and addictive disorders. Potential misconceptions about applying an addiction framework to problematic eating behavior may inhibit scientific progress. Critiques of "food addiction" that focus on descriptive differences between overeating and illicit drugs are similar to early criticisms of the addictiveness of tobacco. Although food is necessary for survival, the highly processed foods associated with addictive-like eating may provide little health benefit. Individual differences are important in determining who develops an addiction. If certain foods are addictive, the identification of possible risk factors for "food addiction" is an important next step. Not all treatments for addiction require abstinence. Addiction interventions that focus on moderation or controlled use may lead to novel approaches to treating eating-related problems. Finally, addiction-related policies that focus on environmental (instead of educational) targets may have a larger public health impact in reducing overeating.
X-ray structures of Myc-Max and Mad-Max recognizing DNA: Molecular bases of regulation by proto-oncogenic transcription factors

X-ray structures of the basic/helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper (bHLHZ) domains of Myc-Max and Mad-Max heterodimers bound to their common DNA target (Enhancer or E box hexanucleotide, 5'-CACGTG-3') have been determined at 1.9 A and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. E box recognition by these two structurally similar transcription factor pairs determines whether a cell will divide and proliferate (Myc-Max) or differentiate and become quiescent (Mad-Max). Deregulation of Myc has been implicated in the development of many human cancers, including Burkitt's lymphoma, neuroblastomas, and small cell lung cancers. Both quasisymmetric heterodimers resemble the symmetric Max homodimer, albeit with marked structural differences in the coiled-coil leucine zipper regions that explain preferential homo- and heteromeric dimerization of these three evolutionarily related DNA-binding proteins. The Myc-Max heterodimer, but not its Mad-Max counterpart, dimerizes to form a bivalent heterotetramer, which explains how Myc can upregulate expression of genes with promoters bearing widely separated E boxes.
Value of Life, Economics of

For practical purposes placing an economic value on life is straightforward. People make tradeoffs between small changes in their probability of survival and finite amounts of valuable time and money. Estimates of these values of changes in mortality risks, or values of statistical lives, come from analysis of jobs, consumption, and direct questioning. Evidence indicates typical values for adults are from $2 million to $12 million (2011 US dollors). Heterogeneity is expected rather than a single, universal value. Evidence that values are lower for seniors is mixed, but for young children values are 1.5–2.0 times higher. Altruism can be relevant and is greatest for children in the household. These theoretically preferred values have mostly displaced cost-of-illness. Gradual displacement of quality-adjusted life years for valuing changes in length of life has facilitated moving beyond cost effectiveness analysis. Deontological and estimation issues aside, economic values of life based on tradeoffs are likely to continue to be useful in policy decisions.
A Library for Asynchronous Concurrent Service Orchestration

With the emergence of service oriented architecture, service orchestration has been an important paradigm of building large-scale distribute systems. The performance of orchestrating services is critical to the entire system. Meanwhile,with the growing complexity the programmability of writing service orchestration program has became a pressing concern. In this paper, we presents a service orchestration library which provides C# function API for orchestration constructs derived from the web-service workflow language WS-BPEL. The library implements those constructs by mapping WS-BPEL concurrent semantic into asynchronous events and join-patterns provided in Microsoft CCR; meanwhile the library provides the abstraction to ease the service orchestration programming. We will demonstrate how to use this library together with Microsoft DSS, a lightweight service runtime, to program service workflows which can efficiently scale to platforms from single multicore CPU, to clusters of distributed computers.
A critique of symbolic ethnicity: The ideology of choice?

This article undertakes a critical analysis of symbolic ethnicity, an influential sociological paradigm of white ethnicity in the US. It highlights a fundamental contradiction that is present in th...
Soil moisture estimates from TRMM Microwave Imager observations over the Southern United States

Abstract The lack of continuous soil moisture fields at large spatial scales, based on observations, has hampered hydrologists from understanding its role in weather and climate. The most readily available observations from which a surface wetness state could be derived is the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) observations at 10.65 GHz. This paper describes the first attempt to map daily soil moisture from space over an extended period of time. Methods to adjust for diurnal changes associated with this temporal variability and how to mosaic these orbits are presented. The algorithm for deriving soil moisture and temperature from TMI observations is based on a physical model of microwave emission from a layered soil–vegetation–atmosphere medium. An iterative, least-squares minimization method, which uses dual polarization observations at 10.65 GHz, is employed in the retrieval algorithm. Soil moisture estimates were compared with ground measurements over the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP) in Oklahoma and the Little River Watershed, Georgia. The soil moisture experiment in Oklahoma was conducted in July 1999 and Little River in June 2000. During both the experiments, the region was dry at the onset of the experiment, and experienced moderate rainfall during the course of the experiment. The regions experienced a quick dry-down before the end of the experiment. The estimated soil moisture compared well with the ground observations for these experiments (standard error of 2.5%). The TMI-estimated soil moisture during 6–22 July over Southern U.S. was analyzed and found to be consistent with the observed meteorological conditions.
Winter Flounder Movements in the Inner New York Bight

Abstract Winter flounder Pleuronectes americanus collected in the inner New York Bight were tagged and released to determine generalized movement patterns. Between July 1986 and August 1989, there were 7,346 winter flounder (≥18 cm) tagged at 14 inshore stations in Sandy Hook, Raritan, and Lower bays and the Shrewsbury River and at 22 offshore stations associated with a sewage sludge dumpsite 22 km off the New Jersey coast. Results from 206 tag returns indicated that the Navesink–Shrewsbury river system, part of the Sandy Hook–Raritan estuary, supports a population of winter flounder that returns yearly during the spawning season. Winter flounder exhibited limited seasonal migration and intermixed with other winter flounder from the inner New York Bight, indicating the existence of a dynamic assemblage.
OpenMPC: Extended OpenMP Programming and Tuning for GPUs

General-Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPUs) are promising parallel platforms for high performance computing. The CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) programming model provides improved programmability for general computing on GPGPUs. However, its unique execution model and memory model still pose significant challenges for developers of efficient GPGPU code. This paper proposes a new programming interface, called OpenMPC, which builds on OpenMP to provide an abstraction of the complex CUDA programming model and offers high-level controls of the involved parameters and optimizations. We have developed a fully automatic compilation and user-assisted tuning system supporting OpenMPC. In addition to a range of compiler transformations and optimizations, the system includes tuning capabilities for generating, pruning, and navigating the search space of compilation variants. Our results demonstrate that OpenMPC offers both programmability and tunability. Our system achieves 88% of the performance of the hand-coded CUDA programs.
Thinking Outside the Heart Use of Engineered Cardiac Tissue for the Treatment of Chronic Deep Venous Insufficiency

This article considers the use of autologous stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes as a novel means to aid venous return. The approach consists of creating external cuffs of engineered heart tissue around vein segments with incompetent or poorly competent valves. The engineered heart tissue cuff prevents distention of the impaired vein segments and aids unidirectional flow by its rhythmic contractions. There appear to be no fundamental limitations to this approach as feasibility of all of the individual components has already been shown. Here, we underline the clinical need for novel ways to treat chronic deep venous insufficiency, review previous research that enabled this approach, consider potential designs of engineered heart tissue cuffs, and outline its advantages and future challenges.
Passive sonar applications: target tracking and navigation of an autonomous robot

This paper demonstrates the use of small area acoustic array technology as passive sonar for an autonomous mobile robot sound localization and direction control. Real-time target tracking is based solely on received audio signals.