cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A two-year experience with excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia.

Purpose: This report summarizes the authors' 2-year experience with excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) on 160 eyes of 128 patients. Methods: All eyes were treated with an excimer laser: fluence, 160 mJ/cm 2 ; frequency, 5 Hz; ablation zone diameter, 5.0 to 5.5 mm; and depth per pulse, 0.21 to 0.27 μm. A suction fixation ring was used in all eyes either with nitrogen flow (79 eyes) or without nitrogen flow (81 eyes) across the cornea. Follow-up ranged from 1 month (152 eyes) to 24 months (12 eyes). Results: At 3 months, 82% (139) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 83% were corrected to within ±1 diopter (D) of intended correction and 30% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 6 months, 88% (124) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 84% were corrected to within ±1 D of intended correction and 15% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 12 months, 91% (71) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 84% were corrected to within ±1 D of intended correction and 17% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. At 24 months, 100% (12) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 91.6% were within ±1 D of intended correction and 0% lost one line of best-corrected visual acuity. Conclusions: In eyes with a follow-up of 6 to 24 months, 77% to 100% achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better and 84% to 92% were corrected to within ±1 D of the intended correction. The authors conclude that excimer laser PRK appears to be a safe procedure capable of correcting the eyes of patients with low to moderate myopia with approximately the same degree of accuracy as radial keratotomy.
Impact of tool wear on joint strength in friction stir spot welding of DP 980 steel

Friction stir spot welding has been shown to be a viable method of joining ultra high strength steel, both in terms of joint strength and process cycle time. However, the cost of tooling must be reasonable in order for this method to be adopted as an industrial process. Recently a new tool alloy has been developed, using a blend of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) and tungsten rhenium (W–Re) in order to improve the toughness of the tool. Wear testing results are presented for two of these alloys: one with a composition of 60% PCBN and 40% W–Re, and one with 70% PCBN and 30% W–Re. The sheet material used for all wear testing was 1·4 mm DP 980. Lap shear testing was used to show the relationship between tool wear and joint strength. The Q70 tool provided the best combination of wear resistance and joint strength.
A filter-and-refine approach to mine spatiotemporal co-occurrences

Spatiotemporal co-occurrence patterns (STCOPs) represent the subsets of event types that occur together in both space and time. However, the discovery of STCOPs in data sets with extended spatial representations that evolve over time is computationally expensive because of the necessity to calculate interest measures to assess the co-occurrence strength, and the number of candidates for STCOPs growing exponentially with the number of spatiotemporal event types. In this paper, we introduce a novel and effective filter-and-refine algorithm to efficiently find prevalent STCOPs in massive spatiotemporal data repositories with polygon shapes that move and evolve over time. We provide theoretical analysis of our approach, and follow this investigation with a practical evaluation of our algorithm effectiveness on three real-life data sets and one artificial data set.
Building a Course on Psychology of Women: Method and Resources

Requests for a course on psychology of women are often more complex than initially assumed. Sometimes support groups, women's centers, or legal action may be more appropriate. Courses may vary in goals, format, and position within the curriculum. Resources and references which maximize flexibility, help faculty keep current about publications, and draw from other disciplines as well as psychology are useful. Examples of current publications and general reference sources are presented. Information regarding nonprint materials and publications from alternative sources is included.
Discursive Essentializing in a Woman-Owned Business: Gendered Stereotypes and Strategic Subordination

The purpose of this project is to illustrate how the cultural practice of discursive essentializing in a woman-owned and operated business accomplished simultaneous agendas of power and resistance. Utilizing Foucault’s (1980) conceptualization of power and resistance and Fuss’s (1989) and Spivak’s (1988) views of essentializing as a political move, the author illustrates how the performance of gendered stereotypes, rather than having expected negative consequences, allowed organizational members to suppress conflict and to reproduce the owners’ concept of the ideal workplace for women. The women’s essentializing discourse created a community of support, flexibility, and loyalty while simultaneously suppressing dissent and strategically subordinating the employees’ interests to the owners to achieve larger goals for themselves in the long term.
Weak B Antigen in a Family

A family is described in which six members were of a weak subgroup of B. Presence of the subgroup in each individual was first indicated by lack of anti-B in that person's serum. Additional tests showed that the B subgroup red blood cells would adsorb anti-B and yield that antibody on elution, and that the saliva of two B subgroup persons tested contained B and H substances. The blood of one of the family members with the weak B antigen was inadvertently transfused to a group O recipient but caused no ill effects.
Constructing Hegemony The Evolution of the Pensamento Nacional das Bases Empresariais

Fernando Henrique Cardoso long ago argued that the business class in an underdeveloped country was limited in its power by its dependence on the state’s participation in the economy and on foreign ...
Labor-Market Imperfections and the Agglomeration of Firms: Evidence from the Emergent Period of the US Semiconductor Industry:

The regional literature suggests that local labor markets offer significant operating advantages to firms in knowledge-intensive industries and thus influence the development of contemporary industrial location patterns. Utilizing two data sets containing information on the employment changes of US semiconductor engineers during the critical formative period (1950–75), the author tests the pooling and anchoring hypotheses of urban economic theory while extending the theory to incorporate the effects of labor and firm specialization. Findings include: (1) moderate evidence of locality-centered labor pooling in this occupation during this early time period; (2) no evidence of anchoring by nonmarket actors, such as universities and government laboratories or by early labor markets; and (3) evidence that agglomerations of firms develop as a result of imperfect skill-opportunity matches. The results discount frequently offered explanations for the emergence of industrial agglomerations and suggest that agglome...
Random packings of spheres and fluidity limits of monodisperse and bidisperse suspensions.

The transition from a fluid to solid state is investigated by studying the viscosity of concentrated noncolloidal monodisperse and bidisperse suspensions of hard spheres. The notion of a range of fluidity limits, analogous to glass transition densities, is introduced. Lower bounds to this range are determined and compared with dry random close packings of the spheres. The ratio of the random-close-packing fraction to the lower bound fluidity limit of the bidisperse suspensions is found to be the same as for monodisperse spheres, a constant of 1.19, suggesting a random structure at this limit.
Influence of Earth's Gravitation on the Requirements of the Vertical Trajectory Rocket with Special Reference to Escape

The problem of reaching extreme altitudes is basically one of overcoming the earth's gravitation. Therefore, when the earth's gravitation is analyzed with respect to its influence on a rocketpropelled vehicle in a vertical trajectory, a theoretical analysis of the problem of reaching extreme altitudes is readily obtained. Since such an analysis is not new, the first portion of the paper is a review of the fundamental dynamic considerations of the problem. The review includes showing how the effect of earth's gravity on the requirement of the long-range rockets can be evaluated by the concept of a gravitational velocity, or a minimum velocity that must be attained by the rocket to achieve its objective. An ideal rocket for minimum expenditure of energy would leave the earth with a speed equal to the gravitational velocity and coast to its objective. The paper considers the principal differences between the ideal and actual long-range rockets, inasmuch as it accounts for the additional energy required of the actual rocket due to the time for acceleration of such a rocket to a gravitational velocity of escape. It also accounts for the variation of earth's gravitational attraction upon the rocket overpowered as well as coasting flight. As a result of these considerations a table of correction factors is given which can be used with the ideal rocket equations to give approximate actual rocket results.
Vanishing of the ferroelectricity in displacive and hydrogen-bond ferroelectrics at high pressure

Abstract The vanishing of the ferroelectricity at 0°K and high pressure has been investigated in displacive (K1-χNaχTaO3 and SbSI) and hydrogen-bonded (KDP-type) ferroelectrics. The manner in which T c → 0°K is markedly different in the two classes emphasizing the basic differences in the mechanisms for their transitions. Comparisons between the results on deuterated and non-deuterated KDP-type crystals reveal differences pertaining to the importance of tunneling.
The intensity of triboluminescence

The first values of the absolute triboluminescence intensity, in units of photons/mol, are reported for molecular crystals and salts. The values range from 5 × 1016 photons/mol for cholesteryl salicylate to 6.2 × 1010 photons/mol for magnesium sulfate. The mechanical yield of triboluminescence is defined and the lower limit is determined.
The relationship of serum-eosinophil cationic protein and eosinophil count to disease activity in children with bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND The serum-eosinophil cationic protein level (S-ECP) has been promoted as a biomarker of asthma that reflects the degree of bronchial eosinophilic inflammation. PATIENTS AND METHODS To investigate whether S-ECP is indeed a clinically useful objective parameter, especially in mild or moderate chronic childhood asthma, we studied 100 outpatient children with chronic asthma symptoms (63 boys and 37 girls, aged three to 15 years, median of age eight) and 25 controls (12 boys and 13 girls aged three to 15 years, median of age eight). Symptom scores, lung function parameters and atopy were compared with S-ECP determined by commercially available tests and eosinophils measured by an autoanalyser. RESULTS Asthma symptom scores in the patient group ranged between one and 13 (median of 8), S-ECP between 2.1 and 75.6 microg/l (median of 13.3 microg/ l), and eosinophils between 30/microl and 2002/microl (median of 314). Symptom scores and S-ECP were correlated significantly (P < 0.001) as were symptom scores and eosinophils (P = 0.001). S-ECPs were significantly higher in children with chronic asthma symptoms compared with non-asthmatic, non-atopic children (P = 0.005 for non-atopic chronic asthmatics and P < 0.001 for atopic asthmatics); similar results were found comparing eosinophils in these groups. There was no difference in S-ECP between atopic and non-atopic asthmatic children, but the 25 polysensitised asthmatic children especially with sensitisations to mite, pollen and pet allergens were found to have significantly higher S-ECP compared to 15 monosensitised children (P = 0.002). Similar results were found when correlating eosinophil numbers with atopy. Polysensitised (mite, pollen, pet) asthmatics had significantly higher eosinophil counts compared with monosensitised (pollen) asthmatics (P = 0.01); there was, however, a better discrimination between atopic and non-atopic asthmatics (P = 0.001). Non-asthmatic, non-atopic controls had significantly lower eosinophil counts compared with asthmatics (P < 0.001 for both non-atopic and atopic asthmatics). No correlation between S-ECP or eosinophils and any of the lung function parameters measured (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, MEF50, airway resistance and ITGV) was found. SUMMARY Our data thus indicate that 1) S-ECP is higher than normal in children with asthma symptoms and correlates with asthma symptom score. 2) S-ECP is better correlated to symptom score than to lung function parameters especially in children with mild and moderate asthma symptoms. 3) Raised S-ECP appears to reflect the extent of allergen sensitivity and may also reflect current allergen exposure. 4) Similar correlations were seen when measuring eosinophil number by an autoanalyser instead of S-ECP. CONCLUSIONS Although S-ECP and eosinophils are not diagnostic of asthma they are useful inflammation markers especially in the context of clinical studies. However, both methods are not yet suitable for use in daily practice because they require extensive procedures and special equipment.
Exact anhydride epoxy percentages for electron microscopy embedding (Epon)

The versatility and flexibility of epoxy resins as embedding materials in electron microscopy are dependent upon handling and appropriate combinations of anhydrides and resin. These determine the hardness or cutting quality of the blocks. A common “optimum” is either 0.65 or 0.70. Calculations of exact percentages of anhydrides and resin by weight can be made, manually or more easily by computer calculation. The most common values have been provided as tables.
Geographical diversity of genomic lineages in Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn sensu lato

Abstract Prior genetic studies of wild isolates of Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn from a single site in Arizona, USA, revealed four deeply separated lineages within this bacterial species traditionally defined through its physiological traits. The present study examines isolates from eight sites at varying degrees of geographical separation to assess the global genomic variation of B. subtilis . Sites are located in Arizona, California, and Utah in the USA, and in Mexico, Chile, Chad, Tunisia, and China. Using a random 10-bp PCR primer, RAPD DNA fingerprints were obtained for 106 isolates. From these data a UPGMA dendrogram was constructed. Six major genomic lineages separating at 9–18% similarity were found. Tree topology was virtually identical with an independently derived phylogeny using distinctly different data. Three lineages were the same as previously observed in Arizona, two were new, and one involved association of a small cluster of Tunisian isolates with the single member of a distinctive fourth lineage from Arizona, though this association was ambiguous. Four of the lineages were found on three or four continents; the others were found only on one or two continents depending on the interpretation of the ambiguous association. Within each major lineage there were cascades of sublineages. Some sublineages exhibited geographically local genomic differentiation; others mingled similar genomes from geographically distant locations. The major lineages separated at levels of genomic similarity only slightly different from those observed with random permutations of the data.
A Different Mechanism for the Reductive Dechlorination of Chlorinated Ethenes: Kinetic and Spectroscopic Evidence

Reductive dechlorination is the most common reaction in the remediation of groundwater and soils contaminated with chlorinated compounds. The reaction that occurs in anaerobic bacteria can also be catalyzed by vitamin B12 and titanium citrate. Reductive dechlorination without the release of chlorinated ethene intermediates from the chloroalkylcobalamin complexes is proposed as an alternate reaction pathway for the reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes. The revised scheme is supported by (a) the identification of several chloroalkylcobalamin intermediates by direct liquid injection of the reaction mixtures into an electrospray mass spectrometer, (b) the simultaneous presence of all the dechlorination intermediates in the mixtures, and (c) gas chromatographic data showing rapid formation of ethene and acetylene in the presence of a large excess of the primary substrates. Homolytic cleavage and titanium-catalyzed elimination are presented as competing mechanisms for the formation of the products fr...
Type-based hot swapping of running modules (extended abstract)

While dynamic linking has become an integral part of the run-time execution of modem programming languages, there is increasing recognition of the need for support for hot swapping of running modules, particularly in long-lived server applications. The interesting challenge for such a facility is to allow the new module to change the types exported by the original module, while preserving type safety. This paper describes a type-based approach to hot swapping running modules. The approach is based on a reflective mechanism for dynamically adding type sharing constraints to the type system, realized by programmer-defined version adapters in the run-time.
Esterification of arylhydroxylamines: Evidence for a specific gene product in mutagenesis

Characterization of a Salmonellatyphmurium mutant strain (TA98/1,8-DNP6) resistant to the mutagenicity of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitroarenes) revealed that it was also non-responsive to the mutagenic action of nitroso- and N-hydroxylaminoarenes. The mutant strain was fully sensitive to the mutagenic action of the corresponding hydroxamic acid ester. These results suggest that TA98/1,8-DNP6 is deficient in a specific esterifying enzyme and that esterification of the penultimate mutagenic metabolites of nitro- and aminoarenes (e.g., arylhydroxylamines) to form potent electrophiles is controlled by a specific gene.
Prostaglandin-induced mating call phonotaxis in female American toad: facilitation by progesterone and arginine vasotocin

1. Female American toads,Bufo americanus, were tested for mating call phonotaxis (MCP) toward conspecific, electronically-generated, mating ‘calls’ after administration of 1 of 4 drug regimens. 2. Minimum phonotaxis was displayed in the group receiving only prostaglandin F2α (PG). The addition of either progesterone the day before, or of arginine vasotocin immediately before the PG injection, or of both, produced a statistically significant increase in intensity of MCP (Fig. 1). This supports the hypothesis that PG-activation of the MCP circuits is facilitated by both progesterone and arginine vasotocin. 3. It is tentatively postulated that progesterone may lower the threshold of activation of the MCP circuits by PG, and that the arginine vasotocin may facilitate the penetration of the PG through the blood brain barrier (Fig. 3). 4. A more detailed description of the less intense levels of MCP is given (Fig. 2). 5. Further improvement in a drug regimen for the routine induction of intense MCP in non-gravid females is described (Fig. 2E).
Analysis and optimization of a partial buffer sharing scheme for ATM switch overload control

Cell loss probability is a critical performance criterion that will be encountered in satisfying the needs of ATM services. To enforce dynamic control on the finite buffer in an ATM switch, it is desirable that multiple loss priority classes can be supported to accommodate diverse connection-levels as well as cell-level loss requirements of users. However, very little work has appeared in literature in the study of controlling cell loss probabilities with multiple priority classes. In this paper we conduct a thorough analysis of a generalized space priority control scheme, the Partial Buffer Sharing scheme, to manage optimally the finite shared buffer system. We develop an analytical queuing model to characterize accurately the system, and present efficient optimization procedures that are capable of finding the optimal loss thresholds to maximize the system admissible load. We verify the optimization procedures, demonstrate the resource efficiency improvement and evaluate the impact of given traffic conditions and cell loss criteria by numerous numerical examples. The study produces a feasible and attractive means to support different grades of loss probabilities with a minimum hardware cost and also to provide a better control on the delay introduced during cell buffering.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
User-level grid monitoring with Inca 2

The primary goal in the creation of Grids is to provide unified and coherent access to distributed computing, data storage and analysis, instruments, and other resources to advance scientific exploration. Grids combine multiple complex and interdependent systems that span several administrative domains. This complexity poses challenges for both the administrators who build and maintain the Grid resources and the scientists who use them. While other Gridmonitoring tools provide system-level information on the utilization of Grid resources, the Inca system provides user-level Grid monitoring with periodic, automated user-level testing of the software and services required to support Grid operation. Inca can be used by Grid operators, system administrators,and application users to identify, analyze, and troubleshoot user-level Grid failures, thereby improving Grid stability. In this paper, we describe the new features of our current Inca release, Inca 2. We then describe the architecture of the Inca 2 system, in addition to use cases that describe two Inca 2 deployments in production environments.
Buyer Beware? Presidential Success through Supreme Court Appointments

One manner in which Presidents attempt to have an enduring policy influence is through the appointment of like-minded justices to the Supreme Court. This article empirically examines Dahl's (1957) hypothesis that justices actually support the policy preferences of the Presidents who appoint them. We study concordance with new data for measuring presidential preferences in the domains of social and economic policy and by incorporating the notion of judicial change over time. We measure presidential preferences for the modern Presidents, Franklin Roosevelt through Bill Clinton, with a survey taken from a random sample of political science scholars who study the Presidency We measure the voting behavior of the President's Supreme Court appointees through their votes in civil liberties and economics cases from 1937 to 1994. Presidents appear to be reasonably successful in their appointments in the short run, but justices on average appear to deviate over time away from the Presidents who appointed them.
High Resolution Imaging of Living Cells with Microsecond Force Spectroscopy

Mapping cell mechanical properties down to molecular level can both refine our knowledge about cellular structures and reveal information about biological functions like cell adhesion, proliferation and survival. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful method to probe materials at the nanoscale. Although AFM has been used to image live cells and probe their mechanical properties1, its resolution on cells is much lower than on stiffer materials. To address this, we adapted Microsecond Force Spectroscopy2 to rapidly image mechanical properties of live and cross-linked fibroblasts, neurons and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells in culture media or buffer.Mechanical properties images showed cellular features as small as 50nm, representing an unprecedented resolution over a wide variation of cell types. The enhanced resolution and speed of our method allowed the identification of dynamic changes in elastic modulus of fine cellular structures, which did not appear to be reflected in optical images of fluorescently-labeled actin, acquired from the same cells. These changes might reflect a loss of tension in the actin network underneath the cell membrane. Preliminary data further suggest that our platform might allow the label-free recognition of stress fibers, retraction fibers, Weibel-Palade bodies and microvilli solely based on nanomechanical contrast. These developments extend the cell imaging capabilities of AFM and highlight the value of mechanics in the delineation of cellular physiological states. The compatibility of our method with human cells suggests that it can be further developed as a diagnostic tool for the detection of disease-specific cellular mechanical responses.1-Casuso et al. J.Mol.Recogn. 2011; 24:406-413.2-Dong et al. Nature Nanotechnology 2009; 4:514-517.
Collateral learning and mathematical education of teachers

This article explores the notion of collateral learning in the context of classic ideas about the summation of powers of the first ncounting numbers. Proceeding from the well-known legend about young Gauss, this article demonstrates the value of reflection under the guidance of �the more knowledgeable other� as a pedagogical method of making one's mathematics learning experience educative. This includes learning about the efficacy of generalizing by induction and the perils of overgeneralization. Recourse to geometry and computing as support system in understanding concepts of algebra is emphasized towards the end of promoting an experiential approach to mathematics. This article stems from the author's work with prospective teachers of secondary mathematics in a capstone course. Their reflections on the course are shared and analysed.
On the construction of symmetric difference operators for square and cubic lattices

Eine Methode zur Herleitung von Differenzenausdrucken fur lineare Differentialoperatoren wird dargestellt. Der Fall von zwei und drei Veranderlichen wird betrachtet. Die Methode liefert sowohl die gewohnlichen Differenzenverfahren als auch sogenannte Mehrstellenverfahren von verschiedenem Genauigkeitsgrad und ihre ersten Fehlerglieder.
Climate Control Load Reduction Strategies for Electric Drive Vehicles in Cold Weather

When operated, the climate control system is the largest auxiliary load on a vehicle. This load has significant impact on fuel economy for conventional and hybrid vehicles, and it drastically reduces the driving range of all electric vehicles (EVs). Heating is even more detrimental to EV range than cooling because no engine waste heat is available. Reducing the thermal loads on the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system will extend driving range and increase the market penetration of EVs. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have evaluated strategies for vehicle climate control load reduction with special attention toward grid connected electric vehicles. Outdoor vehicle thermal testing and computational modeling were used to assess potential strategies for improved thermal management and to evaluate the effectiveness of thermal load reduction technologies. A human physiology model was also used to evaluate the impact on occupant thermal comfort. Experimental evaluations of zonal heating strategies demonstrated a 5.5% to 28.5% reduction in cabin heating energy over a 20-minute warm-up. Vehicle simulations over various drive cycles show a 6.9% to 18.7% improvement in EV range over baseline heating using the most promising zonal heating strategy investigated. A national-level analysis was conducted to determine the overallmore » national impact. If all vehicles used the best zonal strategy, the range would be improved by 7.1% over the baseline heating range. This is a 33% reduction in the range penalty for heating.« less
Boltzmann active walkers and rough surfaces

Abstract An active walker model (AWM) was recently proposed by Freimuth and Lam for the generation of various filamentary patterns. In an AWM, the walker changes the landscape as it walks, and its steps are in turn influenced by the changing landscape. The landscape so obtained is a rough surface. In this paper, the properties of such a rough surface (with average height conserved) generated by a Boltzmann active walker in 1 + 1 dimensions is investigated in detail. The scaling properties of the surface thickness σ T is found to belong to a new class quite different from other types of fractal surfaces. For example, σ T is independent of the system size L , but is a function of the “temperature” T . Soliton propagation is found when T = 0.
Helping programmers understand computer programs: the use of metacognition

A large portion of computer programmers' efforts to maintain, test, and debug computer programs is spent understanding, or comprehending, the existing program. Current theories of program comprehension have not considered the circumstances that cause programmers to use different approaches to understanding programs. Metacognition may provide some insight into the comprehension process. Metacognition is a psychological terms that refers to "one's knowledge concerning one's own cognitive processes" (Flavell, 1976) and influences the execution of cognitive tasks. Through metacognition, a person confronting a cognitive task can select a strategy, and then monitor and regulate their progress on a task.This study investigates the use of metacognition by programmers to purposefully (deliberately) choose a comprehension strategy. The results of this study support the view that programmers use metacognition when studying computer programs. Specifically, two-thirds of the programmers indicated that, in general, they purposefully choose a comprehension strategy. When studying a computer program from an unfamiliar application domain, however, programmers who generally use metacognition had lower levels of comprehension than when working in a familiar domain or when compared to those programmers who do not use metacognition.These results suggest that programmers use metacognition during computer program comprehension and that the use of metacognition influences how well they understand a program. That metacognition reduces comprehension, but only in certain circumstances, leads to the speculation that programmers' metacognitive heuristics may be too general and that programmers need to develop more specific metacognitive heuristics to aid comprehension in a wider range of circumstances.
Bruck syndrome (osteogenesis imperfecta with congenital joint contractures): Review and report on the first North American case

We describe a patient who was born with flexion contractures and pterygia at the elbows, clubfeet, torticollis, and several rib fractures. During infancy and childhood, multiple fractures of the lower limbs occurred with minimal trauma and led to disabling deformities. When evaluated at age 19 years, he was normally intelligent, but extremely short, with severe kyphoscoliosis compromising his pulmonary function. Pterygia limited elbow extension to 90 degrees, and severe lower limb deformities prevented ambulation. He did not have blue sclerae, dentinogenesis imperfecta, or hearing loss. X-ray studies showed demineralized bones, severe deformity and cystic change at old fracture sites, and vertebral wedging. Collagen studies on skin fibroblasts were normal.
Differential Thermosensor Control of Thermoregulatory Grooming, Locomotion, and Relaxed Postural Extension

The rat displays three behaviors when surface and/or deep body temperatures rise above their normal levels: grooming, which spreads saliva over the fur to cool by evaporation; locomotion, which results in escape to a cooler environment; and relaxed postural extension, which reduces heat production by muscle activity and increases heat dissipation by increasing body surface area. Each of these behaviors can be elicited in pure or nearly pure form by localized warming of thermosensors in different brain areas. In addition, localized warming of superficial and deep peripheral thermosensors elicits grooming and locomotion, but little or no postural extension. Because of the marked differences in the behaviors induced by localized warming of different sets of thermosensors, it is concluded that sensors are linked to the effector mechanisms for these behaviors by relatively separate and independent pathways rather than a master controller through which sensory signals are integrated to produce a unitary error signal that drives all responses. When more generalized hyperthermia in natural heat stress situations affects mainly superficial thermosensors, as during the initial phase of exposure to ambient heat, grooming and locomotion are predominant and extension is absent or weak. When deep hyperthermia is predominant and superficial hyperthermia is relatively weak, as occurs after escape from ambient heat to thermoneutrality or during and following exercise in a thermally neutral environment, the resulting predominant activation of deep sensors elicits marked postural extension, but little or no grooming or locomotion. When both superficial and deep sensors are hyperthermic, as in the later stages of exposure to ambient heat, all three behaviors are present, although locomotion is somewhat greater and grooming is somewhat less than during predominantly superficial hyperthermia, and extension is somewhat less than during predominantly deep hyperthermia. As a consequence, grooming is maximal during predominantly superficial hyperthermia, locomotion during mixed deep and superficial hyperthermia, and extension during predominantly deep hyperthermia. It is concluded that the relatively fractionated control of the rat's thermoregulatory behaviors by different groups of central and peripheral thermosensors makes possible a differentiation of responses to different distributions of hyperthermia between superficial and deep sensors that optimizes cost-benefit trade-offs in different kinds of heat stress.
Stateful distributed interposition

Interposition-based system enhancements for multitiered servers are difficult to build because important system context is typically lost at application and machine boundaries. For example, resource quotas and user identities do not propagate easily between cooperating services that execute on different hosts or that communicate with each other via intermediary services. Application-transparent system enhancement is difficult to achieve when such context information is obscured by complex service interaction patterns. We propose a basic mechanism for sharing contextual information across the tiers of multitier computations to support system enhancement for multitier servers and applications.This article introduces generic, cluster-wide context as a new, configurable abstraction for the OS. System administrator- or application-specified context tracking rules determine how context is associated with system processes, sockets, messages, how it is relayed along the interapplication communication channels, and how it is to be interpreted by system interpositions, thus realizing Stateful Distributed Interposition.
Laparoscopic renal cryoablation: impact on renal function and blood pressure

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the renal function and blood pressure outcomes after laparoscopic renal cryotherapy. Laparoscopic renal cryoablation is a developmental minimally invasive modality for the treatment of renal neoplasms. After cryotherapy, a segment of renal parenchyma is rendered ischemic/necrotic and left in situ. It is currently unknown whether this may trigger renin overproduction and thus renin-mediated hypertension. Methods. Data are presented for 22 of 56 treated patients, each of whom completed a minimum follow-up of 6 months. The data were obtained from patient charts, phone interviews, and/or questionnaires. These results were statistically compared over time by paired t tests. Results. The mean follow-up was 20.6 months. No significant differences were found between the preoperative and most recent postoperative serum creatinine (sCr) levels (1.13 and 0.91 mg/dL, respectively), systolic and diastolic blood pressure values (135.6 versus 131.2 mm Hg and 78 versus 72.7 mm Hg, respectively), or in the estimated creatinine clearance ( P Conclusions. Laparoscopic renal cryoablation did not have a deleterious impact on renal function or blood pressure during a mean follow-up of 20.6 months.
Modeling of Transport Phenomena in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Arc

This paper developed a mathematical model to simulate the transport phenomena in the arc plasma of a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. The arc model simulated the electromagnetic field in three regions – cathode, arc plasma, and anode; and heat transfer and fluid flow in the arc region. The temperature, velocity, pressure, current density and electromagnetic fields are explored in the arc plasma region to study the arc plasma characteristics. The distributions of heat flux, current density, arc pressure and plasma shear stress at the anode surface are obtained as boundary conditions for weld pool models. The predicted results are compared with published results. The developed arc model will be coupled with a weld pool model to study the interaction between arc plasma and weld pool. NOMECLATURE A magnetic potential vector B self-induced magnetic field Cp specific heat eq p C equivalent specific heat
Valuing uncertainty part I: the impact of uncertainty in GHG accounting

Background: It has become increasingly evident in the literature that a correlation needs to be made between uncertainty in GHG emissions estimates and the value of emissions. That is, emissions with larger uncertainty are less desirable than those with smaller uncertainty. In fact, concrete advances in trade and reduction agreements depend on finding a set of methodologies for dealing with uncertainty that is acceptable to all parties. Results: Here, we assume that a cost, or value, can be assigned to changes in GHG emissions. As this cost can be assigned to emissions (or sequestrations), then so must a cost be assigned to the associated uncertainty. Standard methods from the actuarial sciences provide an approach to this valuation and we apply these same ideas to dealing to GHG accounting. Conclusion: This framework will allow us to address issues related to agreement structures and motivations for reducing uncertainty, and will enable objective comparisons between options.
Regulation of androgen receptor mRNA expression in hamster facial motoneurons: differential effects of non-aromatizable and aromatizable androgens

We have previously shown inherent sex differences in the levels of androgen receptor mRNA (AR mRNA) in hamster facial motor neurons (FMN). FMN of intact females contained approximately 50% less AR mRNA than their male counterparts. Gonadectomy in males down-regulated AR mRNA levels in FMN by approximately 50%, whereas no effects of gonadectomy were observed in females. Sex differences in the regulation of AR mRNA levels by exogenous testosterone propionate (TP) were also observed. In those studies, AR mRNA levels were up-regulated after 1 day of treatment with exogenous TP in FMN of gonadectomized (GDX) males and after 7 days in FMN of intact females, with no effects in GDX females. Since TP is aromatizable to estrogen, and given recent findings of transient expression of estrogen receptors (ER) in rodent FMN, the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a non-aromatizable form of the steroid, on AR mRNA expression in hamster FMN were examined in the present study. If testosterone (TES) were the active hormone regulating AR mRNA levels in FMN, DHT treatment should render a similar regulatory pattern as TP, but if metabolism of TES to estradiol plays a role in AR mRNA regulation, effects of the two treatments should differ. In situ hybridization and computerized image analysis were used to quantify the regulation of AR mRNA by DHT in individual FMN of hamsters of both sexes. Exogenous DHT was administered to intact and gonadectomized (GDX) male and female hamsters by implantation of one 10-mm Silastic capsule for 1, 2 or 7 days. AR mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated in intact females at all time points of DHT exposure, with no effects in GDX groups. These results differ from previous work using TP, in which a modest up-regulation in AR mRNA levels was observed in FMN of intact females only after 7 days. As with TP, DHT exposure gradually down-regulated AR mRNA levels in FMN of intact males. Thus, DHT only regulated AR mRNA levels in intact animals, with endogenous sources of estrogen available, but not in GDX animals, with endogenous estrogens reduced by gonadectomy. Taken together, these results substantiate our previous findings of sex differences in AR mRNA levels/regulation and suggest a synergism between estrogen and androgen in the regulation of AR mRNA levels in peripheral motor neurons.
Beyond the silicon transistor: personal observations

Will progress in the miniaturization of silicon transistors soon come to an end? Silicon pessimists and the proponents of revolutionary new devices and circuit architectures have been consistently wrong for decades. The author explores past, present, and possible futures of this elusive aspect of computing technology. Possible successors may be carbon nanotube transistors, DNA computing or quantum computing. The silicon transistor will certainly allow further rapid improvements in price and performance for at least another decade, but it might yet be succeeded by some molecular-scale device that exhibits amplification and is therefore essentially a drop-in in terms of circuits and system architectures.
RecA protein filaments disassemble in the 5' to 3' direction on single-stranded DNA.

Abstract RecA protein forms filaments on both single- and double-stranded DNA. Several studies confirm that filament extension occurs in the 5′ to 3′ direction on single-stranded DNA. These filaments also disassemble in an end-dependent fashion, and several indirect observations suggest that the disassembly occurs on the end opposite to that at which assembly occurs. By labeling the 5′ end of single-stranded DNA with a segment of duplex DNA, we demonstrate unambiguously that RecA filaments disassemble uniquely in the 5′ to 3′ direction.
On the absorption of alendronate in rats

Alendronate is an antiosteolytic agent under investigation for the treatment of a number of bone disorders. Since the compound is a zwitterion with five pKa values and is completely ionized in the intestine at the physiological pH, absorption is poor; less than 1% of an oral dose is available systemically in rats. In the present studies, absorption was found to be predominantly in the upper part of the small intestine. Administration of buffered solutions of alendronate (pH 2-11) did not improve absorption. Whereas food markedly impaired the absorption of alendronate, EDTA enhanced absorption in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of rats with ulcerogenic agents, mepirizole, acetylsalicylic acid, or indomethacin, resulted in a 3-7-fold increase in the oral absorption of alendronate. The absorption of phenol red, added as an indicator of intestinal tissue damage, was also increased in rats with experimental peptic ulcers. The enhanced absorption of alendronate observed in rats with experimental peptic ulcers was attributed to the alteration of the integrity of the intestinal membrane.
Renal function in migrating adult coho salmon

Abstract 1. 1. Renal function of adult coho salmon, captured in salt water during their spawning migration, was measured both in salt water and fresh water. 2. 2. Urine flow exhibited a tenfold increase from a mean of 0·406 ml/(kg × hr) in salt water to a mean of 4·65 ml/(kg × hr) in fresh water. 3. 3. Glomerular filtration rate increased from a mean of 1·48 ml/(kg × hr) in salt water to a mean of 9·06 ml/(kg × hr) in fresh water. 4. 4. PAH (p-aminohippuric acid) clearance was measured at blood PAH concentration from 0·154 to 14·4 mg/100 ml and was found not to be a good measure of renal plasma flow. 5. 5. Renal plasma flow estimated from the magnesium clearance of a salt water adapted fish was found to be 79·6 ml/(kg × hr). 6. 6. Excretion rates of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride were measured. The rate of excretion of magnesium changes from a mean of 72·4 μ-equiv/(kg × hr) in salt water to a mean of 14·1 μ-equiv/(kg × hr) in fresh water. 7. 7. Water, sodium, potassium and chloride are reabsorbed from the glomerular filtrate. However, calcium and magnesium are secreted into the glomerular filtrate in fishes both in salt water and fresh water. 8. 8. It is concluded that in salt water, the salmon kidney functions to conserve water while excreting magnesium and in fresh water, functions to excrete water while conserving salts.
Small satellite launch capability of the Boeing Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)

ABSTRACT We present a design for taking advantage ofthe Boeing Inertial Upper Stage (JUS) to provide a means oflaunching smallsatellites as passengers on an Titan IV- ITJS launch ofa 1775 kg. communications satellite. An overview of a design to usethe extra propulsive capability ofthe IUS to place small satellites into orbit is discussed. It is our proposal to have smallsatellites travel with the IUS into geostationary orbit and then release the satellites after the main satellite has beenreleased. Alternatively, several small satellite buses could be stacked together on a dedicated mission to launch a series ofsmall or microsatellites into any desired orbit including interplanetary missions. This design project was part of ajointspace engineering class offered by Boeing , University of Central Florida and Florida Institute of Technology.Keywords: small satellites, launch vehicles, satellite constellations, satellite buses 1. INFRODIJCTION The Boeing IUS is a two-stage solid propellant upper stage vehicle employed by the Titan IV and Space Shuttle to boostpayloads from low earth orbit (LEO) to geostationary earth orbit (GEO) or interplanetary missions. The vehicle has on-board three-axis stabilization with inertial guidance. The first stage ofthe IUS is used to send spacecraft from LEO to aGEO transfer orbit. The second stage then burns at GEO orbital altitude to circularize the orbit.The payload capability ofthe lOS from LEO to GEO is 2275kgand quite often the full capability is not takenadvantage ofby launchingjust the main payload. Boeing requested that we look at a design for a bus to carry smallsatellites as passengers on missions with available payload mass.Pending approval ofthe main satellite customer, small satellites could also be ejected any place along the ITJS flightpath prior to main satellite deployment. Aside from being carried with a main payload, it is possible to stack the smallsatellite buses together and launch many small satellites on a dedicated mission.
Storm-Time Penetration Electric Fields and Their Effects

The ‘convection’ electric field, set up in the magnetosphere by the interaction of the solar wind plasma flowing around the Earth's magnetic field, projects along magnetic field lines to low altitudes where it drives the high-latitude ionospheric convection. During active times, ionospheric electric fields are thought to originate from two sources: a disturbed wind dynamo and electric fields that penetrate from high latitudes. In the latter, when the magnetospheric convection is enhanced following a southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the initial high-latitude electric field will penetrate to the equatorial latitudes.