cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies of electronic structure recovery and nitrogen local structure upon thermal reduction of graphene oxide in an ammonia environment

Annealing graphene oxide under an ammonia environment provides a facile approach to defunctionalise this material while simultaneously enabling nitrogen incorporation en route to the preparation of chemically derived graphene. Here, we use X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) in conjunction with near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy to probe both the global recovery of electronic structure in this material as well as to monitor evolution of the local structure of incorporated nitrogen atoms when graphene oxide is reduced under an ammonia gas environment at ambient and low pressures in the temperature range between 250 and 1000 °C. The local structure and extent of recovery of the π-conjugated framework is correlated to electrical conductivity measurements. Angle-resolved C K-edge NEXAFS spectra along with O K-edge NEXAFS and C 1s high-resolution XPS spectra suggest that hydroxyl and epoxide functional groups on the basal plane of graphene oxide are eliminated upon annealing to a temperature of 250 °C, bringing about substantial restoration of the π-conjugated framework of graphene. Furthermore, an increase in the in-plane orientation of constituent graphene oxide flakes is observed up to a temperature of 750 °C for annealing under both sets of conditions and is manifested as a greater spread in the intensity of the C K-edge π* resonance as a function of angle of incidence of the X-ray beam. Angle-resolved N K-edge NEXAFS spectra and high-resolution N 1s XPS spectra supplement the global view of recovery of π-conjugation with a local perspective of the chemical bonding environments of incorporated nitrogen atoms. Three distinct modes of nitrogen incorporation are evidenced: amine or nitrile like (N1), pyridinic (N2), and substitutional/graphitic (N3). The data suggest that nitrogen is initially incorporated as nitrile like functionalities at lower temperatures with these moieties protruding above and below the graphene basal plane; however, the nitrile and amine groups are subsequently transformed at higher temperatures through the elimination of oxygenated functional groups and reconstitution of the sp2-hybridized network to in-plane pyridinic and graphitic moieties. The latter two configurations are seen to substantially enhance the conductivity of reduced graphene oxide.
Minimum values over the efficient set in multiple objective decision making

Abstract In multiple objective decision making (MODM), it is often helpful to provide the decision maker (DM) with bounds on the values of each of the objectives. Ideal solutions are relatively easy to calculate and provide upper bounds on the value of each objective over the set of efficient solutions. Ideal solutions also provide lower bounds on the value of each objective over the ideal set. However, the lower bounds over the set of efficient solutions can be strictly less than the ideal lower bounds, but are, in general, more difficult to determine. Thus MODM procedures which utilize the ideal lower bound may overlook elements of the set of efficient solutions. This study explores the differences between the subset of the set of efficient solutions to a MODM problem bounded by its ideal solutions and the complete efficient set.
Characterization and regional distribution of calcitonin binding sites in the rat brain.

Abstract Binding sites for calcitonin (CT), as assayed by the displacable binding of [125-I] iodo salmon CT ([125-I]sCT), were found on a membrane fraction prepared from rat brain. The half times of association varied between 23 and 7 min as a function of the temperatures used in the incubation medium, ranging from 6° to 37°C. Salmon CT in amounts as low as 10 −10 M inhibited the binding of [125-I]sCT to the membranes, whereas the virtually biologically inactive free acid of human CT and human CT sulfone did not affect the binding. The specific binding of [125-I]sCT to the membranes was directed to structural and/or conformational features in the COOH-terminal half of salmon CT. 133 to 8,900 times higher amounts of porcine CT and human CT and analogues thereof were required to achieve an inhibition of binding equal to that produced by salmon CT. Sixty-seven percent of specific binding of labeled hormone was not dissociable, even after 6 h of incubation with an excess of unlabeled hormone. [125-I]sCT extracted from the membranes was not degraded, as judged by gel permeation chromatography, and retained binding activity. Specific binding was highest in the hypothalamus, followed by the brainstem. It was intermediate in the midbrain-thalamus and the striatum, lower in the cortex and negligible in the hippocampus, and cerebellum and the spinal cord.
Physiological changes in the postnuclear cap region of mammalian spermatozoa: A necessary preliminary to the membrane fusion between sperm and egg cells

Hamster eggs, freed from cumulus cells and zona pellucida, were inseminated with capacitated and uncapacitated spermatozoa. The capacitated spermatozoa quickly fused and became incorporated with the eggs, while the uncapacitated spermatozoa were never fused with the eggs. Since the postnuclear cap region of the spermatozoon is the place where membrane fusion between sperm and egg cells is initiated, the occurrence of physiological changes in that region of the spermatozoon at the time of sperm capacitation is suggested.
AF64A depletes hippocampal high-affinity choline uptake but does not alter the density of α-bungarotoxin binding sites or modify the effect of exogenous choline

Abstract Sodium-dependent, high-affinity choline uptake (HACU) and the density of α-bungarotoxin (BuTX) receptor-binding sites were measured in the hippocampus following the intraventricular infusion of ethylcholine aziridinium ion (AF64A), a neurotoxin that competes with choline at high-affinity choline transport sites and may result in the degeneration of cholinergic axons. Eight days after the infusion of AF64A into the lateral ventricles (2.5 nmol/side), HACU was depleted by 60% in the hippocampus of experimental animals in comparison with controls, but the density of BuTX-binding sites was not altered. The administration of 15 mg/ml of choline chloride in the drinking water increased the density of BuTX-binding sites, as previously reported by this laboratory23,28. The administration of AF64A did not prevent the effect of exogenous choline on the density of binding sites, nor did choline treatment alter the effect of AF64A on HACU. These data indicate that the density of BuTX-binding sites in the hippocampus is not altered following a substantial decrease in HACU and presumed degeneration of cholinergic axons. Since the effect of exogenous choline was not prevented by AF64A treatment, the data are interpreted to support the hypothesis that the increase in the density of BuTX-binding sites following dietary choline supplementation is attributable to a direct effect of choline on receptor sites.
Trademark parody and the mass media: Going beyond survey evidence in the determination of “a likelihood of confusion”

This article examines trademark parody in statutory and mass media case law by, in part, analyzing several key cases which illustrate the use of quantitative social science research in the determination of trademark parody infringement. Although the definition and nature of trademark parody has not been settled definitively, courts’ attitudes toward survey evidence, particularly its probative value and materiality in the determination of copyright and trademark infringement litigation, have evolved over time. Courts now admit survey evidence if it meets certain methodological conditions. In trademark parody litigation, survey evidence pointing to a “likelihood of confusion” has evolved as the standard test of trademark infringement. However, there are questions whether vague, subjective concepts like “a likelihood of confusion” and “perception of substantial similarity” between trademarks can be adequately measured by consumer surveys. It is argued that multi‐method research which has both quantitative an...
The chemiluminescent reaction between H3B-N(CH3)3 and O(3P) atoms; relative rates

Abstract At ambient temperatures, oxygen atoms attack borane-trimethylamine initially at the H 3 B moiety to displace the amine. The subsequent attack on BH 2 and BH generates highly excited BO (A 2 Π, v ⩽11) which is the source of chemiluminescence. The rates of destruction of H 3 BNMe 3 and H 3 BNEt 3 are approximately two orders of magnitude faster than the comparable rate for H 3 BCO.
Left ventricular response to graded isometric exercise in patients with coronary heart disease.

The effects of graded isometric exercise on left ventricular performance were characterized in 11 male patients (53 +/- 2 years) with coronary artery disease (CAD) and in 12 normal subjects (11 male and one female 35 +/- 5 years). The echocardiographic indices of left ventricular function at rest were similar in both groups. Heart rate and blood pressure increased significantly in both groups in response to 40 and 60% of handgrip maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension increased significantly (from 50 +/- 1 to 56 +/- 1 mm; P less than 0.01) with 60% of MVC in CAD group but not in the healthy subjects. The patients with CAD also exhibited significant (P less than 0.01) increases in end-systolic dimension (from 34 +/- 1 to 40 +/- 2 with 40% and to 44 +/- 1 mm with 60% MVC). End-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions did not change during isometric exercise in the healthy subjects. In the CAD group mVCF decreased significantly (from 1.08 +/- 0.06 to 0.86 +/- 0.06 with 40% and to 0.74 +/- 0.04 d . s-1 with 60% MVC; P less than 0.01). At comparable mean blood pressures, mVCF was significantly lower in the CAD group than in normal subjects. These results demonstrate that progressive deterioration of left ventricular function during increasing levels of isometric exercise in patients with CAD can be detected with echocardiography.
Maerten van Heemskerck's Collection Imagery in the Netherlandish Pictorial Memory

In several of the 100‐plus drawings that Haarlem artist Maerten van Heemskerck made while he was in Rome in the 1530s, he depicts the sculpture collections he visited in the Vatican, on the Capitoline and in the cortili and gardens of numerous Roman palaces. This is some of the earliest Northern ‘collection imagery’, and the collection environment commands as much of his pictorial attention as the sculptures themselves. The central argument of the essay is that van Heemskerck’s novel images related to period conceptions of the uses and functions of memory, and suggests that his drawings had an important afterlife in the Flemish pictures of collections genre of the early seventeenth century.
Fidelity and adherence at the transition point: Theoretically driven experiments

Experiments test ‘new’ ideas about interventions that might produce better outcomes. Re-entry requires that the intervention should be offered at the transition point (from prison to community) and in the community. In general, the experiment requires the researchers to differentiate the ‘new’ approach from usual practice. The answer lies in the design and measures of the experiment. It is important to make sure that the intervention will be designed and implemented in such a manner that makes it operationally different from traditional services. Each experiment must include measures to determine the content and dosage of the new intervention as well as the traditional practice. This special edition is devoted to examining how these issues are handled in four different experiments, as well as comments from members of a Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) on the efforts to monitor studies. Together, the articles point to the need to measure the fidelity and adherence of new innovations.
California Psychological Inventory Profiles of Peer-Nominated Assertives, Unassertives, and Aggressives.

Examined the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) profiles of peer-nominated assertives , unassertives , and aggressives . Eighty males from two social fraternities peer-nominated assertives , unassertives and aggressives . The nomination procedure yielded 12 nominees per group. A profile analysis of the CPI indicated that assertives and aggressives were significantly more similar than were assertives and unassertives , and unassertives and aggressives . Results of a subscale analysis indicated that assertives and aggressives were significantly higher on Dominance, Capacity for Status, Sociability, and Social Presence than Unassertives , but were not significantly different from each other on these subscales. Also, assertives were significantly higher on Socialization, Self-Control, and Achievement via Conformance than were aggressives . Finally, assertives were significantly higher on Achievement via Conformance than were unassertives and aggressives . Implications are discussed.
The study of metabolic compartmentalization.

Abstract The concept of metabolic compartmentalization is defined, and a number of possible experimental approaches for the study of this phenomenon are considered. Most of these are rejected as currently presenting insuperable technical difficulties. However, a behavioristic approach, which is capable of providing information on the nature and degree of compartmentalization but not on the intracellular localization of particular compartments, appears promising. The method is essentially to investigate the metabolic behavior of a compound as a function of the way in which it came to exist within the cell. Thus, a particular compound might be produced from one of a number of chemical sources and in this way may conceivably be located in one of a number of different coexisting compartments. Alternatively, the compound may be taken preformed into the cell from the environment and this may facilitate its entry into yet another compartment. A varying pattern of metabolism, correlated with the mode of formation or entry of the substance, is then taken as an indication of compartmental separation. The method assumes that the routes of metabolism (i.e. the sequences of metabolic intermediates) are understood, so that compartmental data may be interpreted on the basis of known pathways. Important technical problems relating to a study of this sort are of two main types: (a) the constancy of metabolic activity of the system must be adequately controlled, and (b) the large experimental scale on which it is desirable to operate, resulting also in very many analytical manipulations, requires the development of mechanical aids to experimentation. The first class of difficulties are discussed here; the details of the mechanical devices have been considered elsewhere. A preliminary experiment on these lines has been performed with mouse ascites tumor cells, dealing with the area of carbohydrate metabolism in glycolysis. Some of these results are reported as being indicative of the type of data which may be obtained, and a provisional interpretation of the data has been made.
Release of 5-hydroxytryptamine from serotonergic nerve endings by α-methyl-meta-tyramine

Abstract Preparations of synaptosomes (P2) from the telencephalon of the pigeon and rat were used to study the effects of α-methyl-m-tyramine (α-MMTA) and metaraminol on the efflux of radioactive serotonin (5-HT). The preparations were first incubated in the presence of 2.5 × 10−8 M [3H]-5-HT to selectively label serotonergic nerve endings. Both α-MMTA and metaraminol in combination at a concentration of 0.15, 0.030 and 0.006 mM each significantly increased the efflux of [3H]-5-HT over control values in preparations from both the pigeon and rat. These two compounds together at the two concentrations also appeared to decrease the efflux of [3H]-5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. At a concentration of 0.012 mM, α-MMTA significantly increased the efflux of [3H]-5-HT whereas metaraminol when tested alone at this concentration did not appear to have an effect on the release of [3H]-5-HT. The results are discussed in terms of the behavioral effects produced by α-methyl-meta-tyrosine in pigeons working on a multiple FR 50 FI 10 schedule of reinforcement.
Real-Time Feedback-Controlled Robotic Fish for Behavioral Experiments With Fish Schools

Integrating robotic agents into animal groups creates significant opportunities for advancing experimental investigations of collective animal behavior. In the case of fish schooling, new insights into processes such as collective decision making and leadership have been made in recent experiments in which live fish were interacting with robotic fish driven along preplanned paths. We introduce a new cyber-physical implementation that enables robotic fish to use real-time feedback to control their motion in response to live fish and other environmental features. Each robotic fish is magnetically connected to, and thus moved by, a wheeled robot underneath the tank. Real-time image processing of a video stream from an overhead camera provides measurements of both the robotic fish and the live fish moving together in the tank. Feedback responses computed from these measurements are communicated to the robotic fish using Bluetooth. We show results of demonstrations and discuss possibilities that our implementation affords for new kinds of behavioral experiments with fish schools.
“Coalition of the Bribed and Bullied?” U.S. Economic Linkage and the Iraq War Coalition

When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, critics referred to its allies not as the “Coalition of the Willing,” but as the “Coalition of the Bribed, Bullied, and Blind.” How accurate is this view? This paper will examine the role of American economic linkage as a policy tool in shaping the coalition. As we shall see, sometimes positive economic instruments were used, ranging from foreign and military aid to access to U.S. markets. For other countries negative linkage was used, that is, the threat of economic sanctions. In the end, such tactics were often effective. This helps demonstrate the relevance of economic linkage in forming alliances.
Translational medicine: Longer life for artificial joints

Drug candidates that are related to a common metabolite called adenosine inhibit inflammation and reduce bone destruction in artificial joints. The finding suggests a potential approach to increasing the durability of prosthetic implants.
Glucose and Glutamine Gavage Increase Portal Vein Nitric Oxide Metabolite Levels via Adenosine A2b Activation

Introduction. Postprandial intestinal hyperemia is a complex vascular response during nutrient absorption. Many mediators have been studied including enteric reflexes, GI hormones, and absorption-stimulated metabolic mediators such as pH and adenosine. We have shown that nitric oxide (NO) mediates premucosal arteriolar dilation during glucose absorption and that glucose-induced portal vein NO metabolite production requires adenosine A2b receptor activation. We hypothesize that Na + -linked absorption of L-glutamine or L-glycine might also stimulate NO release in the enteroportal circulation via adenosine A2b receptors. Methods. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (190-220 g) were anesthetized with urethane/α-chloralose and cannulated for hemodynamic monitoring and blood sampling. A right paramedian abdominal incision was made for access to both the stomach (gavage) and the portal vein (blood sampling). Animals received intragastric nutrient gavage (saline, D-glucose, L-glutamine, racemic glycine, or oleic acid) with and without adenosine A2b receptor blockade. NO metabolites (NO x ) were measured by a fluorescent modified-Greiss assay at baseline and 30 min after nutrient gavage. Results. Glucose and glutamine gavage increased portal NO levels compared to baseline, while glycine and oleic acid gavage did not. Adenosine A2b antagonism returned NO levels to baseline in both glucose and glutamine gavage animals, but did not alter portal NO x levels in glycine- or oleic acid-treated animals. Conclusions. These data suggest that nutrient-induced adenosine is involved in a signaling process from the intestinal epithelium to nitric oxide-producing cells elsewhere in the vasculature. Adenosine A2b receptors are required for NO production during Na + -linked glucose or glutamine absorption.
Odors of Sanctity: Distinctions of the Holy in Early Christianity and Islam

Medieval scholars and cultural historians have recently turned their attention to the question of ‘smells’ and what olfactory sensations reveal about society in general and perceptions of holiness in particular. In this paper, I examine how early Christians and Muslims linked notions of the ‘sweet smell of sanctity’ with ideas of the body and sexuality. I demonstrate that early Christians associated the body’s sweet smells with salvation and spiritual transformation usually linked with asceticism. Early Muslims associated the body’s odors of sanctity with purity.
Religion, body satisfaction and dieting

Western societal pressures of thinness have assigned worth to the ideal body, contributing to body dissatisfaction and increased dieting. A social factor that may serve as an alternative avenue of worth than the body is religion. Survey data from a community sample (n=546) was collected to examine religion's relationships with body satisfaction and dieting. Religion was significantly related to greater body satisfaction and less dieting, and specifically negative aspects of religion were related to lower body satisfaction and greater dieting. Those utilizing more negative religious coping had lower body satisfaction (women: r=-0.47; men: r=-0.58). Self-esteem was a mediator in these relationships. In women, those reporting higher negative congregational social support were more likely to diet than those reporting lower levels (CI: 2.0; 1.2, 3.5). Overall, religion was related to body satisfaction and dieting, with specifically negative aspects of religion having more consistent and stronger relationships than other components of religion.
Unsupervised modeling and recognition of object categories with combination of visual contents and geometric similarity links

This paper proposes a probabilistic approach for unsupervised modeling and recognition of object categories which combines two types of complementary visual evidence, visual contents and inter-connected links between the images. By doing so, our approach not only increases modeling and recognition performance but also provides possible solutions to several problems including modeling of geometric information, computational complexity, and the inherent ambiguity of visual words. Our approach can be incorporated in any generative models, but here we consider two popular models, pLSA and LDA. Experimental results show that the topic models updated by adding link analysis terms significantly improve the standard pLSA and LDA models. Furthermore, we presented competitive performances on unsupervised modeling, ranking of training images, classification of unseen images, and localization tasks with MSRC and PASCAL2005 datasets.
Hot spots created at skin-air interfaces during ultrasound hyperthermia

It is well known that ultrasound beams will be completely reflected at a soft-tissue-gas interface. The reflected beam is contributing to the power absorption at the tissue interface and may cause a hot spot which could prevent therapeutic temperatures at the treatment volume. In this study the temperature elevation caused by a reflected ultrasound beam at the skin surface has been investigated in dogs' thighs in vivo. The magnitude of the hot spot was quantified and the effect of entrance angle was also investigated. In addition, the possibility of eliminating the hot spot by coupling the beam out of the tissue was studied. The results showed that the temperature elevation can be up to four times larger at the skin-air surface than in resting muscle under similar exposure. The geometry of the reflecting surface had a significant effect on the temperature distribution. When the sound was coupled out of the tissue the magnitude of the temperature elevation at the skin reduced to less than half (depending on the geometry) but was still larger than temperatures measured in muscle. These results suggest the need for computerized treatment planning for scanned focused ultrasound treatments.
Neurologic status, cough, secretions and extubation outcomes

Objective To determine the degree to which neurologic function, cough peak flows and quantity of endotracheal secretions affected the extubation outcomes of patients who had passed a trial of spontaneous breathing (SBT).
Postbuckling behavior of symmetrically laminated thin shallow circular arches

Abstract The large deflection behavior of a symmetrically laminated thin shallow circular arch subjected to a central concentrated load is studied using the Rayleigh–Ritz finite element method. The shape functions used in the finite element method maintain C1-continuity of the radial displacement (deflection) and C0-continuity of the tangential displacement, respectively. The nonlinear algebraic equations of equilibrium are solved to a high degree of accuracy using Taylor’s expansion technique in conjunction with the Newton–Raphson method. Nonlinear stability analysis provides accurate solutions for the symmetric and antisymmetric buckling of both pin-ended and fixed shallow arches. The stability of the symmetric deformation path is investigated for both pinned and fixed arches, and a detailed analysis is carried out at the point of bifurcation onto an asymmetric deformation path for a pinned symmetrically laminated shallow arch. The slope of this post-buckled path is also computed, and is shown to be accurate for deformations well beyond the point of bifurcation.
New results concerning Gaussian beam wave propagation

Recent studies of beam wave propagation have led to a new and useful method of analysis for describing the diffractive geometry of a Gaussian beam and to a number of new results involving optical turbulence effects. This paper is primarily a review of these studies.
Older Adults’ Receipt of Financial Help: Does Personality Matter?

This study examined the role of personality traits in the receipt of financial help at older ages using the 2006 and 2008 waves of Health and Retirement Study data. An investigation of (1) how the five domains of personality traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) are associated with the receipt of financial help among older adults and (2) the relationship between personality traits and the source of financial help received was examined. Three sets of probit analyses were conducted. The results indicated that personality can predict financial help and the source of financial help. Specifically, older adults who exhibited relatively higher levels of neuroticism and agreeableness were more likely to receive financial help, whereas those who exhibited relatively higher levels of conscientiousness were less likely to receive financial help regardless of the source. Furthermore, older adults who had relatively higher levels of neuroticism were more likely to help themselves with individual sources such as credit cards whereas agreeable older adults were more likely to receive financial help from family members. These findings have implications for financial counseling, planning and education professionals, public assistance program directors, and policy makers. Understanding the effect of personality on financial decision-making can help with financial planning throughout life and inform outreach efforts for those in need of financial help.
Separating similar effects of conjunction and intonation in the resolution of lexical ambiguity

. Recent work has shown that prosodic information has a number of important effects on human sentence processing, including effects on the semantic integration of clauses (Schafer 1997). In an effort to learn more about the nature of these prosodic effects, we ran an experiment that manipulated not only prosody, but also the type of initial subordinating conjunction, which we predicted might have a similar effect on processing. Our results confirmed previous work on the effects of conjunction type (Townsend & Bever 1978; Townsend 1983), and they replicated the basic pattern of the prosodic effect from Schafer (1997). However, a more in-depth analysis suggests (i) that prosody and conjunction type are playing different, interacting roles in this ‘‘makes sense’’ decision task, and (ii) that the prosodic effect may be more directly dependent on the gradient phonetic feature of phrase-final lengthening, rather than on an abstract phonological prosodic category.
Alignment of isovalent impurity levels : Oxygen impurity in II-VI semiconductors

The isovalent oxygen impurity levels in the II-VI semiconductors ZnSe:O, ZnTe:O, and CdTe:O are studied using a method based on first-principles total energy and large scale charge patching band structure calculations. We find that, unlike the general expectation that these levels line up in an absolute energy scale, the positions of the isovalent ${a}_{1}(\mathrm{O})$ level depend sensitively on the local environment around the impurity, thus, the ${a}_{1}(\mathrm{O})$ levels align approximately only in the common-cation systems, whereas in the common-anion systems, the levels do not align. These general chemical trends also apply to other isovalent impurity systems.
Revisiting the Fundamentals in the Design and Control of Nanoparticulate Colloids in the Frame of Soft Chemistry

This review presents thoughts on some of the fundamental features of conceptual models applied in the design of fine particles in the frames of colloid and soft chemistry. A special emphasis is placed on the limitations of these models, an acknowledgment of which is vital in improving their intricacy and effectiveness in predicting the outcomes of the corresponding experimental settings. Thermodynamics of self-assembly phenomena illustrated on the examples of protein assembly and micellization is analyzed in relation to the previously elaborated thesis that each self-assembly in reality presents a co-assembly, since it implies a mutual reorganization of the assembling system and its immediate environment. Parameters used in the design of fine particles by precipitation are discussed while referring to solubility product, various measures of supersaturation levels, induction time, nucleation and crystal growth rates, interfacial energies, and the Ostwald-Lussac law of phases. Again, the main drawbacks and inadequacies of using the aforementioned parameters in tailoring the materials properties in a soft and colloidal chemical setting were particularly emphasized. The basic and practical limitations of zeta-potential analyses, routinely used to stabilize colloidal dispersions and initiate specific interactions between soft chemical entities, were also outlined. The final section of the paper reiterates the unavoidable presence of practical qualitative models in the design and control of nanoparticulate colloids, which is supported by the overwhelming complexity of quantitative relationships that govern the processes of their formation and assembly.
Thrombosis in Suspected Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia Occurs More Often with High Antibody Levels

Abstract Objective The study objective was to determine whether higher antiplatelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin antibody levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay are associated with more frequent thrombotic events in patients with clinically suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is an immune-mediated adverse drug reaction. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detects anti-PF4/heparin antibodies to support a suspected clinical diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. The utility of quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results is uncertain. Methods Our single-centered study evaluated quantitative anti-PF4/heparin antibody levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in consecutive hospitalized patients with a clinical suspicion of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and positive anti-PF4/heparin antibody levels between July 2003 and December 2006. Results Overall, anti-PF4/heparin antibody values were available for 318 patients with clinically suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. The median level was 0.85 optical density units (range 0.31-4.0). The overall rate of arterial or venous thrombosis was 23.3%. A 1-unit increase in anti-PF4/heparin antibody level was associated with an approximate doubling in the odds of thrombosis by 30 days (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.6; P =.0001). The proportion of patients with pulmonary embolism increased with higher anti-PF4/heparin antibody levels. Conclusion Higher levels of anti-PF4/heparin antibody are associated with increased thrombosis risk among patients with clinically suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and might have clinical utility for prediction of true heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and the development of thrombosis.
EMBRYONIC VIABILITY AS INFLUENCED BY EXCESS MOLYBDENUM IN CHICKEN BREEDER DIETS.

SummaryEmbryonic molybdenum toxio ity may be studied through use of the breeder hen. The feeding of 500 ppm of molybdenum to hens for longer than 2 weeks results in eggs having a concentration of between 16-20 ppm of molybdenum. This dietary level does not limit egg production too severely (ca. 20% reduction) but does result in the death of all embryos during the incubation period. Analysis of the tissues from the molybdenum fed hens showed that the ovary and the uterus had the highest concentrations of molybdenum (150 and 148 ppm, respectively) .
Capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of glycosaminoglycans and glycosaminoglycan-derived oligosaccharides.

Glycosaminoglycans are a family of polydisperse, highly sulfated complex mixtures of linear polysaccharides that are involved in many life processes. Defining the structure of glycosaminoglycans is an important factor in elucidating their structure-activity relationship. Capillary electrophoresis has emerged as a highly promising technique consuming an extremely small amount of sample and capable of rapid, high-resolution separation, characterization and quantitation of analytes. Numerous capillary electrophoresis methods for analysis of intact glycosaminoglycans and glycosaminoglycan-derived oligosaccharides have been developed. These methods allow for both qualitative and quantitative analysis with a high level of sensitivity. This review is concerned with separation methods of capillary electrophoresis, detection methods and applications to several aspects of research into glycosaminoglycans and glycosaminoglycan-derived oligosaccharides. The importance of capillary electrophoresis in biological and pharmaceutical samples in glycobiology and carbohydrate biochemistry and its possible applications in disease diagnosis and monitoring chemical synthesis are described.
The effects of isometric and isotonic training on hamstring stiffness and anterior cruciate ligament loading mechanisms

Greater hamstring musculotendinous stiffness is associated with lesser ACL loading mechanisms. Stiffness is enhanced via training, but previous investigations evaluated tendon rather than musculotendinous stiffness, and none involved the hamstrings. We evaluated the effects of isometric and isotonic training on hamstring stiffness and ACL loading mechanisms. Thirty-six healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to isometric, isotonic, and control groups. Isometric and isotonic groups completed 6 weeks of training designed to enhance hamstring stiffness. Stiffness, anterior tibial translation, and landing biomechanics were measured prior to and following the interventions. Hamstring stiffness increased significantly with isometric training (15.7%; p = 0.006), but not in the isotonic (13.5%; p = 0.089) or control (0.4%; p = 0.942) groups. ACL loading mechanisms changed in manners consistent with lesser loading, but these changes were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that isometric training may be an important addition to ACL injury prevention programs. The lack of significant changes in ACL loading mechanisms and effects of isotonic training were likely due to the small sample sizes per group and limited intervention duration. Future research using larger sample sizes and longer interventions is necessary to determine the effects of enhancing hamstring stiffness on ACL loading and injury risk.
Efficient vertex detection algorithms using the Hough transform

A recurring problem in computer image processing is the detection of curves and straight lines in a digital image. The Hough transform technique has been widely used in the field of machine vision for detecting straight lines and curves in an image. Typically, the parameters of the normal form of a straight line (p, θ) are used for detecting straight lines in the image plane. In order to detect a straight line, the Hough transform method requires an extensive search on thep, θ-space by varying the values of θ from 0 to π.
Global warming potential of pavements

Pavements comprise an essential and vast infrastructure system supporting our transportation network, yet their impact on the environment is largely unquantified. Previous life-cycle assessments have only included a limited number of the applicable life-cycle components in their analysis. This research expands the current view to include eight different components: materials extraction and production, transportation, onsite equipment, traffic delay, carbonation, lighting, albedo, and rolling resistance. Using global warming potential as the environmental indicator, ranges of potential impact for each component are calculated and compared based on the information uncovered in the existing research. The relative impacts between components are found to be orders of magnitude different in some cases. Context-related factors, such as traffic level and location, are also important elements affecting the impacts of a given component. A strategic method for lowering the global warming potential of a pavement is developed based on the concept that environmental performance is improved most effectively by focusing on components with high impact potentials. This system takes advantage of the fact that small changes in high-impact components will have more effect than large changes in low-impact components.
Use of Imaging Techniques to Guide Catheter Ablation Procedures

Paralleling the growth in ablation of complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, advanced imaging technologies are becoming more commonplace in the care of the electrophysiology patients. Although intracardiac ultrasound remains the most commonly used imaging technique, advances in real-time MRI may change this in the future. We discuss the current use of intracardiac ultrasound, CT, including rotational angiography, MRI, with an emphasis on delayed-enhancement MRI, and positron emission tomography—CT in advanced ablation procedures. Image integration is emphasized and new technologies such as direct endoscopic visualization are discussed.
Effects of methylation on expression of TMS1/ASC in human breast cancer cells

Gene silencing associated with aberrant methylation of promoter region CpG islands is one mechanism in which tumor suppressor genes are inactivated in human cancers. Recently, we identified a novel gene, Target of Methylation-associated Silencing-1 (TMS1) (also called ASC), which is aberrantly methylated and silenced in human breast cancers. To further investigate the mechanism of TMS1 silencing, we defined the transcription initiation site and detailed the DNA methylation pattern of the TMS1 CpG island in normal breast epithelial cells, breast cancer cell lines, and primary tumors. We find that in normal cells, the TMS1 CpG island lies within a 1.2 kb unmethylated domain, the 5' boundary of which is in close proximity to the transcription initiation site. In breast cancer cell lines, this boundary appeared to be unstable in that methylation tended to accumulate in the 5' end of the CpG island relative to normal epithelial cells. In contrast, the 3' methylation boundary remained intact. Gene silencing was not correlated with the methylation of specific CpG sites nor the inability to transactivate the TMS1 promoter, but was correlated with the percentage of alleles in the population exhibiting dense methylation across the entire CpG island. Using 5-aza-deoxycytidine to reactivate TMS1 in methylated and silent cell lines, and a cassette methylation strategy to determine the impact of methylation on different parts of the promoter, we find that demethylation of a small region immediately surrounding the transcription start site is critical to TMS1 expression. Our data support the idea that gene silencing and dense methylation are tightly coupled events that affect individual chromosomal copies of TMS1 in an all-or-none manner. The transition to this stably repressed state may be facilitated by spreading of methylation into the proximal promoter and direct effects of methylation on TMS1 transcription.
Expansion of cytotoxic CD3+ CD56+ cells from peripheral blood progenitor cells of patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation

Abstract Immunotherapy may potentially improve the outcome of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Poor effector cell proliferation and marginal antitumor activity limit attempts to use immunotherapy. We have characterized the ex vivo expansion, up to 1000-fold, of CD3+ CD56+ lymphocytes from the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of healthy donors. Expanded cells termed cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells induce non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted lysis of tumor cells and demonstrate cytolytic activity superior to lymphokine-activated killer cells without the requirement of interleukin (IL)-2 treatment in vivo. To determine whether cytolytic cells could be expanded from patient material, we evaluated samples of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) from 25 patients undergoing autologous HCT. The PBPCs were expanded by priming with interferon-gamma followed by anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and IL-2 the next day. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis was performed on days 0, 15, 21, and 28 of cell culture. The median T-cell content rose from 15.3% (range, 1.1% to 89.7%) on day 0 to 97.2% (range, 83.6% to 99.5%) by day 15. By day 21, T cells expanded 21.8-fold (range, 1.7- to 420.0-fold) and CD3+ CD56+ cells expanded 44.8-fold (range, 5.1- to 747.0-fold). CIK cells were used as effector cells against B-cell lymphoma targets (OCI-Ly8) with a median of 24% (range, 3% to 67%) and 42% (range, 6% to 96%) specific lysis of target cells on days 21 and 28, respectively. CIK cells derived from PBL of 2 additional patients with acute myelogenous leukemia demonstrated 39% and 78% specific lysis of OCI-Ly8 and 26% and 58% specific lysis of autologous leukemic blasts at an effector:target ratio of 40:1. CIK cells may be expanded from granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized PBPCs of patients undergoing autologous HCT. CIK cells may provide a potent tool for use in posttransplantation adoptive immunotherapy. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2001;7(4):216-22.
Continuous retrieval of multimedia data using parallelism

Most implementations of workstation-based multimedia information systems cannot support a continuous display of high resolution audio and video data and suffer from frequent disruptions and delays termed hiccups. This is due to the low I/O bandwidth of the current disk technology, the high bandwidth requirement of multimedia objects, and the large size of these objects, which requires them to be almost always disk resident. A parallel multimedia information system and the key technical ideas that enable it to support a real-time display of multimedia objects are described. In this system, a multimedia object across several disk drives is declustered, enabling the system to utilize the aggregate bandwidth of multiple disks to retrieve an object in real-time. Then, the workload of an application is distributed evenly across the disk drives to maximize the processing capability of the system. To support simultaneous display of several multimedia objects for different users, two alternative approaches are described. The first approach multitasks a disk drive among several requests while the second replicates the data and dedicates resources to each individual request. The trade-offs associated with each approach are investigated using a simulation model. >
Concealed umbilical stoma: description of a modified technique

AbstractPurpose: We describe a technique for creating a concealed umbilical stoma.Materials and Methods: The base of the umbilicus is used as a superiorly based skin flap that is incorporated into the spatulated stoma. Six patients have undergone diversion using this technique. The stoma was constructed from appendix in 4 cases, stomach in 1 and tapered ileum in 1.Results: All patients achieved an easily catheterizable hidden umbilical stoma, are dry on clean intermittent catheterization and have had no stomatitis or peristomal hernia.Conclusions: This technique for creating a concealed umbilical stoma preserves the native appearance of the umbilicus and combines a superior cosmetic result with an easily catheterizable stoma.
Quality of depression treatment in Black Americans with major depression and comorbid medical illness.

Abstract Objective The objective was to evaluate how comorbid type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and hypertension (HT) influence depression treatment and to assess whether these effects operate differently in a nationally representative community-based sample of Black Americans. Methods Data came from the National Survey of American Life ( N =3673), and analysis is limited to respondents who met lifetime criteria for major depression (MD) ( N =402). Depression care was defined according to American Psychiatric Association (APA) guidelines and included psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy and satisfaction with services. Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of T2DM and HT on quality of depression care. Results Only 19.2% of Black Americans with MD alone, 7.8% with comorbid T2DM and 22.3% with comorbid HT reported APA-guideline-concordant psychotherapy or antidepressant treatment. Compared to respondents with MD alone, respondents with MD+T2DM/HT were no more or less likely to receive depression care. Respondents with MD+HT+T2DM were more likely to report any guideline-concordant care (odds ratio=3.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–10.31). Conclusions Although individuals with MD and comorbid T2DM+HT were more likely to receive depression care, guideline-concordant depression care is low among Black Americans, including those with comorbid medical conditions.