cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Boundary Value Problems (BVP) for RE and SES

We study the solutions of boundary value problems (BVP) for Markov and semi-Markov random evolutions (RE) Applications of these results are considered for traffic, storage and diffusion processes in random media [130, 132].
MODELING OF THE EVOLUTION OF CORROSION PITTING WITH THE USE OF CELLULAR AUTOMATA

To model the evolution of pits and pitlike defects, it is proposed to use cellular automata. The dynamics of fracture of the investigated areas is discussed. We perform the comparative analysis of the rates of pitting corrosion running under the actual conditions and simulated. It is shown that the procedure z of simulation with the use of cellular automata makes it possible to accurately reproduce the physics of corrosion in D16T alloy.
How a Seemingly Minimal Physical Exam Finding Unveiled a More Serious Condition: A Case Report

Cerebral contusion following a concussion is a severely debilitating and possibly life-threatening condition that is not readily uncovered in American football players. We describe the case of a 16-year-old high school male who presented to a university-based concussion clinic 5 days post helmet-to-helmet collision with symptoms of nighttime headaches, dizziness, and difficulties with concentration and word finding. Neurocognitive evaluation demonstrated decreased visual and verbal memory, along with a very high concussion symptom score on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT ® ). Physical examination findings revealed lower extremity hyperreflexia with pathologic spread to bilateral knees and Achilles tendons. These focal neurologic signs prompted obtention of brain and cervical spine imaging, which demonstrated a right temporal lobe contusion and multiple cervical disc herniations. This case emphasizes the importance of a thorough neurologic examination. Failure to recognize these critical signs could have resulted in premature or unsafe return to play, ultimately exposing the athlete to the risk of additional trauma. Concussion is primarily diagnosed clinically and therefore imaging is not routinely obtained. Thus, fastidious upper motor neuron testing should be a fundamental component of the standard neurologic examination when evaluating players suspected of having a concussion. J Med Cases. 2015;6(6):240-242 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2047w
Social Service Needs of Hispanic Immigrants

Abstract Large numbers of poor Hispanic immigrants have come to the U.S. in recent years with many social service needs. This qualitative, pilot study of Hispanic immigrants in the Washington Heights community in New York City identifies their perceived needs and barriers for accessing services. Seven face-to-face interviews with community-based professionals and four focus group interviews with thirty Hispanic immigrants provide the data. Both groups of informants report many unmet service needs, especially in the areas of health care and housing. Data support the view that Hispanic immigrants often require micro-and macro-level advocacy that can best be performed by Spanish speaking social workers.
Standing and Future Generations: Does Massachusetts v. EPA Open Standing for Generations to Come?

Many issues, especially potential environmental catastrophes caused by climate change, affect not just the living, but also future generations. The bias in our political system against addressing the interests of future generations poses serious obstacles in solving long-term environmental problems such as global warming. Because future generations cannot vote, unelected federal judges are more suited to protect their interests than the political branches. An important question is whether anyone has standing to sue on behalf of future generations in the federal courts. The Supreme Court's Article III standing test requires plaintiffs to demonstrate that they have personally suffered an injury that is actual and imminent, and not merely conjectural or hypothetical. For non-governmental plaintiffs, there is arguably conflicting law regarding whether and when probabilistic risks justify standing, especially where a plaintiff seek a substantive remedy. For uncertain risks that have a probability of less than fifty percent of occurring during the plaintiff's lifetime, a court might deny standing because the risks are too uncertain. In Massachusetts v. EPA, 127 S. Ct. 1438 (2007), the Supreme Court held that Massachusetts had standing to challenge the EPA's refusal to regulate carbon dioxide because states are entitled to more lenient standing criteria than ordinary citizens. The Court considered evidence from computer models that climate change through the year 2100 would result in ever rising sea levels and damage to Massachusetts coastline. It is unclear whether an ordinary citizen could raise a claim involving global warming because the harm is generalized and probabilistic. Despite the actual and imminent requirement limitation of suits on behalf of future generations, Massachusetts supports the protection of future generations in some circumstances. Under the parens patriae doctrine, states have a quasi-sovereign interest in protecting the health and safety interests of their citizens. There is a good argument that states have a quasi-sovereign interest in not just their current citizens but also their future citizens. Furthermore, the modern public trust doctrine and several state laws recognize that states have a duty to protect natural resources for future generations. Because both federal and state law recognizes the important role of states in protecting natural resources for future generations, federal courts should apply a liberal approach to standing issues when states bring parens patriae or public trust suits to protect those resources for the state's future citizens. This is the first article to consider whether Massachusetts supports standing rights for future generations. It builds upon and goes beyond my forthcoming article in the WILLIAM & MARY LAW REVIEW examining the impacts of Massachusetts on standing doctrine. Bradford C. Mank, Should States Have Greater Standing Rights Than Ordinary Citizens?: Massachusetts v. EPA's New Standing Test for States, WILLIAM & MARY L. REV. (Forthcoming 2008).
Application of singular value decomposition to adaptive beamforming

In many signal processing applications one must invert an estimated correlation matrix which can be ill-conditioned. Ill-conditioning arises in adaptive beamforming when the number of sensors in an array is greater than the number of point sources. Ill-conditioning amplifies estimation, arithmetic, and other system errors. It is well known in the numerical analysis literature, that singular value decomposition is the only reliable method for detection and correction of ill-conditioning. This paper shows how ill-conditioning arises in adaptive beam processing, derives optimum array weights in terms of generalized matrix inverse, and applies an eigenvalue preprocessor to correct the ill-conditioning. The eigenvalue preprocessor can be considered to be a beamformer that reduces the dimensionality of the array processing problem to the dimensions required to effectively process independent point sources.
The Quality of Life of Mentally Retarded People in Residential Care

characteristics of the individual, such as age, intelligence quotient (IQ), or length of institutionalization,1 Less emphasis has been placed on examin ing the quality of life within residen tial facilities or the quality of interac tion among residents and members of the surrounding community. In a ten-year follow-up study, social workers were asked to rate the pres ent adjustment of retarded people who had remained in the community and of those who had subsequently been reinstitutionalized.2 For both
Energy homeostasis genes and survival after breast cancer diagnosis: the Breast Cancer Health Disparities Study

The leptin-signaling pathway and other genes involved in energy homeostasis (EH) have been examined in relation to breast cancer risk as well as to obesity. We test the hypothesis that genetic variation in EH genes influences survival after diagnosis with breast cancer and that body mass index (BMI) will modify that risk. We evaluated associations between 10 EH genes and survival among 1,186 non-Hispanic white and 1,155 Hispanic/Native American women diagnosed with breast cancer. Percent Native American (NA) ancestry was determined from 104 ancestry-informative markers. Adaptive rank truncation product (ARTP) was used to determine gene and pathway significance. The overall EH pathway was marginally significant for all-cause mortality among women with low NA ancestry (P ARTP = 0.057). Within the pathway, ghrelin (GHRL) and leptin receptor (LEPR) were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (P ARTP = 0.035 and 0.007, respectively). The EH pathway was significantly associated with breast cancer-specific mortality among women with low NA ancestry (P ARTP = 0.038). Three genes cholecystokinin (CCK), GHRL, and LEPR were significantly associated with breast cancer-specific mortality among women with low NA ancestry (P ARTP = 0.046, 0.015, and 0.046, respectively), while neuropeptide Y (NPY) was significantly associated with breast cancer-specific mortality among women with higher NA ancestry (P ARTP = 0.038). BMI did not modify these associations. Our data support our hypothesis that certain EH genes influence survival after diagnosis with breast cancer; associations appear to be most important among women with low NA ancestry.
Organizational Justice and Managerial Trust as Predictors of Antisocial Employee Responses

This study examined the relationships between employee perceptions of organizational justice and trust and employee antisocial organizational behavior and communication. Participants from organizations representing two geographic regions were surveyed regarding their most recent performance appraisal. Results indicated that perceptions of justice and trust negatively predicted indirect interpersonal aggression, hostility, obstructionism, and deception. When justice and trust were entered simultaneously into the regression model, perceptions of trust predicted hostility, while perceptions of distributive justice predicted deception. Post hoc analyses demonstrated that justice and trust interacted to predict antisocial responses, and trust mediated the relationships between justice and antisocial responses.
Non-linear properties of metallic cellular materials with a negative Poisson's ratio

Negative Poisson's ratio copper foam was prepared and characterized experimentally. The transformation into re-entrant foam was accomplished by applying sequential permanent compressions above the yield point to achieve a triaxial compression. The Poisson's ratio of the re-entrant foam depended on strain and attained a relative minimum at strains near zero. Poisson's ratio as small as -0.8 was achieved. The strain dependence of properties occurred over a narrower range of strain than in the polymer foams studied earlier. Annealing of the foam resulted in a slightly greater magnitude of negative Poisson's ratio and greater toughness at the expense of a decrease in the Young's modulus.
Expression of activin A in inflammatory arthropathies.

Abstract The findings that bone marrow fibroblastoid stromal cells are important for activin A production prompted our investigation of activin A expression in fibroblast-like synoviocytes in joint capsule in this and previous studies. In the proliferative reactive synovial membrane obtained from rheumatoid arthritis patients, activin A is detected prominently in the fibroblastoid synovial cells, as well as in the smooth muscle and the endothelial layer of the arteries in these vascularized proliferative tissues. The concentration of activin A in the rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid was 33.6±5.0 ng/ml, much higher than the activin A content of osteoarthritis fluid (10.0±1.1 ng/ml). Furthermore, our previous studies also showed that inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-8, and IL-10 markedly enhance the expression of activin A mRNA in synoviocytes. These findings are consistent with our studies in regard to the regulatory control of activin A production in bone marrow stroma and monocytes. In addition, the relationship of activin A to IL-6-induced biological activities in various cell types was also investigated. Although activin A has not been directly associated with inflammatory processes, future studies are needed to investigate its production in response to the accumulated levels of inflammatory cytokines in the synovium of the patients, as well as the quantitative differences in activin A concentrations in many patients with other inflammatory diseases.
Length-dependent transport in molecular junctions based on SAMs of alkanethiols and alkanedithiols: effect of metal work function and applied bias on tunneling efficiency and contact resistance.

Nanoscopic tunnel junctions were formed by contacting Au-, Pt-, or Ag-coated atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiol or alkanedithiol molecules on polycrystalline Au, Pt, or Ag substrates. Current−voltage traces exhibited sigmoidal behavior and an exponential attenuation with molecular length, characteristic of nonresonant tunneling. The length-dependent decay parameter, β, was found to be approximately 1.1 per carbon atom (C-1) or 0.88 A-1 and was independent of applied bias (over a voltage range of ±1.5 V) and electrode work function. In contrast, the contact resistance, R0, extrapolated from resistance versus molecular length plots showed a notable decrease with both applied bias and increasing electrode work function. The doubly bound alkanedithiol junctions were observed to have a contact resistance approximately 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower than the singly bound alkanethiol junctions. However, both alkanethiol and dithiol junctions exhibited the same...
To What Extent Were Amazon Women Facts, Real or Imagined, of Native Americans?

This article examines the role of amazon women during the first centuries of European exploration in lowland South America by analyzing the accounts produced by conquistadors, missionaries, and explorers from the sixteenth to early nineteenth centuries. The accounts are analyzed in the light of more recent ethnographical, archaeological, and ethnohistorical studies that reveal in these sources evidence supporting the existence of a native discourse on amazon-like women. It is suggested that Amerindians and Europeans entered into a "dialogue" through a discourse on amazon women. From the Amerindian point of view, this discourse involved ideas about the regeneration of society achieved through exchange, a model of creation that became especially relevant when confronting the European invasion. By relating the accounts to this wider context, the analysis provides a more thorough understanding of the situation of contact and the accounts themselves.
Microvascular complications associated with injection of cosmetic facelift dermal fillers

Minimally-invasive cosmetic surgeries such as injection of subdermal fillers have become very popular in the past decade. Although rare, some complications may follow injections such as tissue necrosis and even blindness. There exist two hypothesis regarding source of these complications both of which include microvasculature. The first hypothesis is that fillers in between the tissue structures and compress microvasculature that causes blockage of tissue neutrition and oxygen exchange in the tissue. In another theory, it is hypothesized that fillers move inside major arteries and block the arteries/veins. In this paper, we study these hypotheses using optical coherence tomography and optical microangiography technologies with different hyaluronic-acid fillers in a mouse ear model. Based on our observations, the fillers eventually block arteries/veins if injected directly into them that eventually causes tissue necrosis.
Multi-modality Imaging of the Aortic Valve in the Era of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: a Guide for Patient Selection, Valve Selection, and Valve Delivery

Aortic stenosis is a common condition traditionally treated surgically. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an exciting and new method allowing treatment of high risk and inoperable patients. Multimodality imaging is extremely important in the preprocedural evaluation, the performance of the procedure, and the post-procedural assessment and includes transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, conventional angiography, multi-detector computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance. This paper will review the role of various imaging modalities during the phases of the TAVR procedure with an emphasis on the advantages and limitations of each approach.
Crime Trend and Socio‐economic Interactions: A County‐level Analysis

This article contributes to the identification and interpretation of socio‐economic and demographic correlates of crime in Alabama using county‐level data. The results of the estimated regression model are generally consistent with previous studies in suggesting that several socio‐economic and demographic variables, such as education and unemployment, influence crime trend. Conversely, the results also confirm previous conclusions that law enforcement, as measured by county‐level police expenditures, has no effect on crime rates.
Physical mapping of the human connexin 40 (GJA5), flavin-containing monooxygenase 5, and natriuretic peptide receptor a genes on 1q21.

The human connexin 40 gene (Cx40; HGMW-approved symbol GJA5), a gap junction protein, was mapped previously to 1pter–q12 by analysis of somatic cell hybrids. In the development of a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contig at 1q21, a YAC end clone contained the entire 5′-untranslated region and 42 bases of coding region of the Cx40 gene. Using a sequence-tagged site (STS) developed from this sequence as well as amplimers for the natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR1) and flavin-containing monooxygenase 5 (FMO5) genes, the order NPR1–FMO5–Cx40 was established, with Cx40 being the most telomeric. Single-color FISH using PAC clones containing the Cx40 and NPR1 STSs localized these genes to 1q21.1.
Compression Strength and Porosity of Single-Antibiotic Cement Vacuum-Mixed With Vancomycin

We evaluated the ultimate compression strength (UCS), porosity, and fracture surface roughness of 2 commercially available single-antibiotic bone cements vacuum-mixed with additional amounts of vancomycin (2, 4, 6, and 8 g). At least 8 g could be added to Palacos R + 0.5 g gentamicin (UCS = 75.04 ± 6.64 MPa) and no more than 6 g to Simplex P + 1 g tobramycin (UCS = 78.93 ± 4.98 MPa) to maintain a UCS above the International Organization for Standardization minimum standard (70 MPa). Increasing vancomycin concentration correlated with a decrease in porosity but showed a trend towards greater fracture surface roughness.
Pattern separation is not affected by granule cell threshold independent of its effect on sparseness

Mounting evidence indicates that the dentate gyrus functions as the computational locus of pattern separation [1-5], a phenomenon thought to be crucial for associative memory functions in area CA3 [6-11]. Pattern separation enables the decorrelation of highly overlapped input patterns arising from the perforant path via the formation of sparse, uncorrelated outputs [4,5]. Several anatomical and physiological properties of the dentate have been proposed to mediate pattern separation, including input expansion [11]. A series of simple models consisting perforant path (PP) inputs and granule cells (GCs) were employed to investigate whether granule cell threshold contributes to pattern separation independent of its effect on the sparseness of GC activity. Input connections were binary and chosen independently for each possible PP-GC pairing. Simulations included eight input patterns, each consisting of seven active PP elements, where input patterns 1 and 2 are highly overlapped and patterns 1 and 8 have no overlap. The percent overlap was defined as the ratio of co-active elements across pattern pairs relative to the total number of active elements in each pattern. Pattern separation was defined as a reduction in percent overlap for the output relative to the input. In accord with previously published models using k-winner take all dynamics [1], our results reveal that increasing GC threshold increased pattern separaration, but increasing the size of the granule cell population did not. However, if an increase in GC threshold was accompanied by an increase in connection probability in such a way to maintain the probability of GC activation, the percent overlap in the GC output remained unchanged. Therefore, changing a fixed granule cell threshold does not affect pattern separation independent of its effect on the sparseness of GC activity. The effective threshold of granule cells may be regulated by a number of mechanisms, including synaptic scaling and metaplasticity. We are currently investigating how such changes, which introduce dependencies between connection strength and patterned activity, might contribute to pattern separation across a series of afferent inputs.
A framework for evaluating the effectiveness of real-time object-oriented models

Abstract The design of a real-time system needs to incorporate methods specifically developed to represent the temporal properties of the system under consideration. Real-time systems contain time and event driven actions. Structured design methods provided a reasonable set of abstractions for design of time and event driven factors in real-time designs. As program complexity, size, and time to market pressure grows, the real-time community migrated towards object-oriented technology. Evidence suggests that object-oriented technology in non-real-time systems is most effective in abstraction, modeling, implementation, and reuse of software systems. Many design models and methods exist for object-oriented real-time designs. However, the selection process of a model for a particular application remains a tedious task. This paper introduces an analysis framework that can be applied to a design model to evaluate its effectiveness according to desired performance specifications. To illustrate our approach, we present a case study using the popular automotive cruise control example on two real-time object-oriented models.
An experimental investigation of a two-layer inviscid shock cap due to blunt-body nose injection

Blunt-body solutions for suspersonic flow usually concern closed body surfaces. This paper reports on an experimental investigation of a two-layer shock cap and indicates the existence of a predictable contact surface separating the layers. The inner layer was generated by injecting air through a contoured axisymmetric channel on a blunt body so as to simulate a hemispherical contact surface in a Mach number 4.8 flow.Results show the existence of the contact surface and the influence of a range of mass-injection rates upon the displacement of the bow shock and contact surface from the body.
Redescription of Trithyreus grassii (Arachnida: Schizomida: Schizomidae)

Abstract Trithyreus grassii (Thorell) from Burma is redescribed from the single known specimen, the holotype female. The spermathecae are illustrated for the first time. The genus Trithyreus Kraepelin is rediagnosed and is considered a distinct and separate member of the subfamily Schizominae. The spermathecae of the African Megaschizomus mossambicus (Lawrence) are illustrated for the first time and are compared to those of T. grassii.
Direct coronary stenting without balloon or device pretreatment: acute success and long-term results.

Improvements in coronary stents have made planned direct coronary stenting technically feasible, though safety, acute success, cost-effectiveness, and long-term results remain to be determined. Sequential patients eligible for direct stenting were prospectively characterized and treated with either direct or secondary stenting. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) such as cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel ischemia, or revascularization (TVR) were followed for 6 months post-PCI. Enrollment included 128 direct (1.38 lesions/patient) and 69 secondary (1.39 lesions/patient) stented patients. Direct stenting was successful in 99% (with 5% crossover to secondary stenting) without major procedural complications and with a similar rate of vessel wall dissection or no-reflow phenomenon (2.3% vs. 2.1%; P > 0.05) as the secondary stenting group. There was a trend toward less postprocedural CPK-MB elevation in the nonacute MI patients with direct vs. secondary stenting (3% vs. 11%, respectively). At 6 months, there were no statistically significant differences in overall MACE. Direct stenting has a high success rate, low complication rate, and durable long-term results. Procedural cost and time savings, less contrast use and radiation exposure make direct stenting attractive in properly selected patients. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;54:158–163. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Genetic mapping: Chromosomes 2–5

Genetic maps of chromosomes 2 and 4 constructed from pair-wise lod score data from family studies and regional assignments for markers are presented. Two loci are mapped on chromosome 2 and multiple crossing-over is suggested as an explanation for the poor fit to the data in females. The best map of chromosome 4 gives the genetic locations of five markers with the Stoltzfus (SF) blood group distal to MNS on the long arm and GC close to the centromere on the short arm. This position for GC is outside its provisional regional assignment and possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. The GM-PI linkage group has a score of less than-1.0 with chromosome 4 suggesting that it may be excluded from that chromosome.The regional assignment for markers on chromosome 2–5 are also shown.
Flow Cytometry: Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Monitoring of Leukemia

Immunophenotyping of leukemias by flow cytometry is the result of two significant basic science innovations of the previous two decades: monoclonal antibodies and advances in laser and computer technology leading to the availability of high-quality flow cytometers.
Physics of Pumping Methanol/Water Solutions for Fuel Cell Applications

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are environmentally friendly energy conversion devices. A special class of PEMFCs, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), oxidize liquid methanol solutions at the cell anode as opposed to hydrogen gas. The use of methanol as fuel makes DMFCs highly attractive for portable applications due to the high volumetric energy density of liquid methanol. Previous work has shown that electroosmotic (EO) pumps can be used to pump pure methanol to obtain relatively high flow rates per power in applications with minimal pressure loads. This study explores the unique aspects of pumping methanol/water solutions for fuel cell applications with non negligible pressure loads. We explore EO pump figures of merit pertinent to portable fuel cell applications including flow rate per power and the ratio of EO pump power to fuel cell power. Experimental studies reveal EO pump power to DMFC power ratios of 5% or less for borosilicate glass substrates. Further, we will discuss unique aspects of pumping low ion density methanol/water solutions that affect EO pump performance including solution conductivity and transient pH gradients. Ultimately this work provides a theoretical and experimental basis for a miniature DMFC system using an EO pump for fuel delivery.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Nitrogen-14 chemical shifts in cobalt(III) complexes

Abstract The 14N chemical shifts of several cobalt(III) complexes have been measured and found to be upfield from those of the free ligand when the ligand is ammonia, ethylenediamine, an amino acid, or dipyridyl. This result is attributed to the change in energy of the σp orbital on the nitrogen, so that the average excitation energy in the complex is larger than for the free ligand. For the cyanide ion, not bound by lone pair electrons, there is little shift difference between free ligand and complex.
A method for the synthesis of ribonucleoside and deoxyribonucleoside-5'-triphosphates.

Abstract A method is described which permits the synthesis of ribonucleoside-, and deoxyribonucleoside-triphosphates in good yields and in amounts commensurate with their use in tracer experiments.
Superconducting transition in polysulfur nitride as a function of crystal quality

Abstract The superconducting transition temperature in polysulfur nitride crystals of various quality appears invariant between 0.26 and 0.28°K, but the completeness of the transition varies from sample to sample. A residual resistance remains in bulk samples which reflects the density of fiber segment junctions.
Extreme sediment pulses generated by bend cutoffs along a large meandering river

Riverbed cutoffs affect the river-channel geometry and flood-plain morphology. Field studies following two cutoff events in the Wabash River, USA, show that these events also trigger the release of large volumes of sediment, much of which is deposited immediately downstream.
Polychlorinated biphenyls affect the activities of gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzymes in rat liver: is there an interference with regulatory hormone actions?

1. The effects of dietary polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (30-2000 ppm) on activities of gluconeogenic (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-PEPCK, and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase-FdPase) and lipogenic enzymes (fatty acid synthase-FAS, ATP citrate lyaseACL, malic enzyme-ME, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase-G6PDH, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase-PGDH) were studied in livers of the female Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rat. 2. PCB amounts accumulating in the liver reflected the extent of dietary exposure. The Wistarstrainwas more sensitiveto PCBs than theSprague-Dawleystrain.Of the Clophentype PCBs those containing 60 and 64% chlorine displayed the most pronounced effects. 3. Activities of gluconeogenic enzymes (PEPCK and FdPase) were dose-dependently decreased by PCBs, PEPCK being considerably more sensitive. This decrease was also found under conditions where the activity of PEPCK was induced (administration of adrenalin, glucagon or cAMP, feeding high protein diets, starvation). 4. Activities of lipogenic...
A new ceramic triode for VHF applications

For some time, the need has been apparent for a high-performance receiving tube to operate in the very-high-frequency (vhf) region up to 450 mc (megacycles per second) and to bridge the gap between available receiving tubes and high-performance transmitting tubes. This tube should be capable of operating as an oscillator, amplifier, or frequency multiplier. Desirable features of such a tube are that it have a low input power requirement, withstand high ambient temperatures, and be as small as possible. A reliable method of connecting the tube electrodes to lumped constant circuit components with minimum capacitance, should be provided.
A Genetic Push to Understand Motion Detection

Two articles in this issue of Neuron (Eichner et al. and Clark et al.) attack the problem of explaining how neuronal hardware in Drosophila implements the Reichardt motion detector, one of the most famous computational models in neuroscience, which has proven intractable up to now.
1H nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of Portland cement: molecular diffusion of water studied by spin relaxation and relaxation time-weighted imaging

Water molecular dynamics in a hardened Portland cement were characterized by proton Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at 400 MHz. Three different types of water molecule (physically bound, chemically bound and porous trapped) were observed. When the hardened cement sample was heated at 105 °C, the physically bound water diffused out of the sample as a function of the heating time while the chemically bound water remained in a stable form. A trace amount of the porously trapped water was also detected to remain in the cavities of the hardened cement even after heating for up to 20 h at this temperature. The loss of the physically bound water proved to be a diffusion-controlled process as evidenced from the NMR data and from a gravimetric technique. A Pake doublet was observed in the NMR spectra. This is a result of the oscillation of the water molecules with hindered molecular motions due to their entrapment in the cement pores. Soaking the dried samples in water resulted in the diffusion of water back into the hardened cement as physically bound water. Nuclear spin–spin relaxation time, T2-weighted imaging showed that the distribution of the physically bound water inside the cylindrical sample formed a doughnut shape after overnight soaking. The residual air in the cement pores may have slowed down the diffusion rate of the water molecules back into the dried cement. © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers
Physical Disability and Interpersonal Perception

This study investigated whether individuals with severe physical handicaps see themselves and ochers differently than do individuals who are physically normal. The present study compared self and interpersonal perceptions of orthopedically disabled and non-disabled subjects (5s) as well as long-term and short-term disabled persons. Subjects.-30 orthopedically disabled, and a like number of non-disabled college students were matched for age and grade-point average. The disabled Ss, mostly individuals who had suffered from poliomyelitis, ranged in age from 18 to 36 yr., and had been disabled from 3 to 26 yr. (mean of 10.10) at the time of testing. Tests.-Each S described himself, his ideal self, and the most and the least preferred co-worker he had ever had. These descriptions were made on a 24-item, 6-point scale which contained bipolar items such as "friendlyunfriendly," "cooperative-uncooperative." Two scores were obtained. The first was a self-satisfaction score based on the discrepancy between self- and ideal-self descriptions. This score has been ~~sed as a measure of personal adjustment (2, 3). It indicates how satisfied S is with himself, i.e., how similar he is to how he would ideally like to be. The second score, based on descriptions of most and least preferred co-workers, is called Assumed Similarity between Opposites (ASo) and has been extensively used in studies of group effectiveness. On the basis of previous work (I), it is interpreted as an index of perceived psychological distance. Results.-Disabled and conuol Ss differed neither in self-satisfaction nor in ASo scores. However, Ss who had been disabled for relatively shorcer time tended to be less self-satisfied (Rho = .40, p > .05). Length of disability was also correlated wich Assumed Similarity between Opposites (Rho = .65, P > .Ol). Discussion.-The findings of this study indicate that disabled individuals, as a group, do not differ from non-disabled persons in their perceptions of themselves and their perceptions of most and least preferred co-workers. However, the more recently disabled individuals appear to be less well satisfied with themselves than are persons who have been disabled for longer periods of time, i.e., the latter appear to be becter adjusted to their disability. Similarly, we find that persons wich long-standing disability have higher ASo scores than do those with disabiliry of more recent origin. In line with previous work, Yhis study was supported in pan by U. S. Public Health Service Grant M-1774. We are indebted to Dr. E. B. Hutchins who collecred some of the data for this investigation.
Surface modification of polymeric biomaterials by albumin grafting using γ‐irradiation

Polymeric biomaterial surfaces were modified by albumin grafting to improve their blood compatibility. Albumin molecules were functionalized by introducing double bonds using glycidyl acrylate. The functionalized albumin was covalently attached to various biomaterial surfaces such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, and poly(vinyl chloride) by γ-irradiation. Surface-induced platelet adhesion and thrombus formation on the albumin-grafted surfaces was examined using computer-enhanced video microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The amount of the grafted albumin was dependent on the γ-irradiation dose and the concentration of albumin used for adsorption. The grafted albumin molecules remained on the surface even after exposure to blood for prolonged time periods. This approach was used to graft albumin to polymeric materials of an oxygenator. The albumin grafting resulted in a substantial improvement in blood compatibility as compared to control oxygenators. The covalent grafting of functionalized albumin by γ-irradiation obviates the need for premodification of chemically inert polymer surfaces. It is useful for albumin grafting to various biomaterial surfaces. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sustainable development in the rural US Midwest: the m-commerce solution. The wireless critical infrastructure

Economic and social sustainability represent a major problem in the rural Midwest US. In recent decades local economies lost numerous jobs and many businesses. The quality of life has eroded. The paper analyses the sustainability of the rural economy and identifies a strategy for reversing the downward economic and social spiral. The strategy, suggested by the analysis of responses to a survey administrated to over 900 businesses in rural Midwest, is to make a wireless infrastructure the key element of any plan for future development. Government involvement is essential for the success of this new strategy.
Evidence-Based Guidance for Culturally Sensitive Assessment and Interventions for Perinatal Depression in Black American Women: A Synthesis of Published Research, 2008-2011

Purpose: This article provides a review of published evidence-based guidance about culturally sensitive assessment and treatment intervention strategies addressing perinatal depression in black Ame...
Patterning: Cells nourished by nanodrops.

Delivering biomolecules to living cells in a spatially defined way in vitro could help us to understand more in vivo processes. Using an aqueous two-phase system enables the formation of patterns at the nanolitre scale that can serve as a confined reagent-delivery system for mammalian cells.
A New Performance Measurement System for Maternal and Child Health in the United States

Objective The Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant is the linchpin for US MCH services. The first national performance measures (NPMs) for MCH were instituted in 1997. Changing trends in MCH risk factors, outcomes, health services, data sources, and advances in scientific knowledge, in conjunction with budgetary constraints led the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to design a new performance measurement system. Methods A workgroup was formed to develop a new system. The following guiding principles were used: (1) Afford States more flexibility and reduce the overall reporting burden; (2) Improve accountability to better document Title V’s impact; (3) Develop NPMs that encompass measures in: maternal and women’s health, perinatal health, child health, children with special health care needs, adolescent health, and cross-cutting areas. Results A three-tiered performance measurement system was proposed with national outcome measures (NOMs), NPMs and evidence-based/informed strategy measures (ESMs). NOMs are the ultimate goals that MCHB and States are attempting to achieve. NPMs are measures, generally associated with processes or programs, shown to affect NOMs. ESMs are evidence-based or informed measures that each State Title V program develops to affect the NPMs. There are 15 NPMs from which States select eight, with at least one from each population area. MCHB will provide the data for the NOMs and NPMs, when possible. Conclusions The new performance measurement system increases the flexibility and reduces the reporting burden for States by allowing them to choose 8 NPMs to target, and increases accountability by having States develop actionable ESMs. Significance The new national performance measure framework for maternal and child health will allow States more flexibility to address their areas of greatest need, reduce their data reporting burden by having the Maternal and Child Health Bureau provide data for the National Outcome and Performance Measures, yet afford States the opportunity to develop measurable strategies to address their selected performance measures.
Matrix-enhanced cluster-SIMS

Abstract We have used 23 keV C60+ projectiles in the event-by-event bombardment and detection mode to investigate the emission of the gramicidin S [M − H]− ion embedded in a matrix of sinapic acid. We have observed an increase in the gramicidin S [M − H]− ion of approximately eight times by controlling the ratio of gramicidin S to sinapic acid. The maximum of the gramicidin S [M − H]− yield occurs at a matrix/analyte ratio of 10:1. This ratio is different from those typically used in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization.
Small scale yielding near a crack in plane strain - A finite element analysis

Elastic-plastic finite element analysis of near crack tip stress and strain field structure
SDF-1alpha/CXCL12 enhances retroviral-mediated gene transfer into immature subsets of human and murine hematopoietic progenitor cells.

Genetic modification of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells has the potential to treat diseases affecting blood cells. Oncoretroviral vectors have been used for gene therapy; however, clinical success has been limited in part by low gene transfer efficiencies. We found that the presence of stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1α)/CXCL12 during retroviral transduction significantly enhanced, in a dose-dependent fashion, gene transfer into immature subsets of high proliferative human and murine hematopoietic progenitor cells. Murine mononuclear bone marrow cells and purified c-Kit+Lin− bone marrow cells were prestimulated and transduced with the bicistronic retroviral vector MIEG3 on Retronectin-coated surfaces in the presence and absence of SDF-1. SDF-1 enhanced gene transduction of murine bone marrow and c-Kit+Lin− cells by 35 and 29%, respectively. Moreover, SDF-1 enhanced transduction of progenitors in these populations by 121 and 107%, respectively. SDF-1 also enhanced transduction of human immature subsets of high proliferative progenitors present in either nonadherent mononuclear or CD34+ umbilical cord blood cells. Transduction of hematopoietic progenitors was further increased by preloading Retronectin-coated plates with retrovirus using low-speed centrifugation followed by increasing cell–virus interactions through brief centrifugation during the transduction procedure. These results may be of clinical relevance.
Acoustic characteristics of the clothes used for a wearable recording device

There has been increasing attention in the literature to wearable acoustic recording devices, particularly to examine naturalistic speech in disordered and child populations. Recordings are typically analyzed using automatic procedures that critically depend on the reliability of the collected signal. This work describes the acoustic amplitude response characteristics and the possibility of acoustic transmission loss using several shirts designed for wearable recorders. No difference was observed between the response characteristics of different shirt types or between shirts and the bare-microphone condition. Results are relevant for research, clinical, educational, and home applications in both practical and theoretical terms.
Synthesis and Evaluation of the Antiproliferative Effects of 1-O-Hexadecyl-2-O- methyl-3-O-(2‘-acetamido-2‘-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-sn-glycerol and 1-O-Hexadecyl-2-O-methyl-3-O-(2‘-amino-2‘-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-sn-glycerol on Epithelial Cancer Cell Growth

Two ether glucosyl diglyceride analogs were synthesized, and their antiproliferative activity against four epithelial cancer cell lines was evaluated. 1-O-Hexadecyl-2-O-methyl-3-O-(2‘-acetamido-2‘-...
Calculations of the Effect of Orbit-Lattice Interaction on the Static Susceptibility and g Factor of Rare Earth Compounds

Corrections for the effect of orbit-lattice interactions on the static susceptibility of ytterbium gallium garnet and on the g-factor shift for Tm/sup 2+/ and Ho/sup 2+/ in CaF/sub 2/ at low temperatures were evaluated. Convergence of the perturbation development is quite good because of the absence of odd-order perturbations in the phonon amplitudes. The correction to the magnetic moment of the ground state is caused entirely by the admixture of excited states through the simultaneous action of both the ZeeNoneman term and the orbit-lattice interaction. At low temperatures this correction arises primarily from the effect of zeropoint lattice vibrations and is independent of temperature. (C.E.S.)
Fish oil supplementation in the treatment of cachexia in pancreatic cancer patients

Patients with pancreatic cancer often experience a loss of weight and appetite, known as the anorexia-cachexia syndrome, which is associated with decreased quality of life and reduced survival. Research into the biological mechanisms of cachexia has demonstrated that an array of inflammatory mediators and tumor-derived factors cause appetite suppression, skeletal muscle proteolysis, and lipolysis, producing an overall hypercatabolic state that contributes to loss of fat and lean body mass. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been shown to modulate levels of proinflammatory cytokines, hepatic acute phase proteins, eicosanoids, and tumor-derived factors in animal models of cancer and may reverse some aspects of the process of cachexia. Results of clinical trials of n-3 PUFAs in the form of fish oils have been mixed, but should encourage further investigation into dietary fish oil supplementation, including the most effective route of administration and the proper dosage to promote optimal weight maintenance and to limit side effects. Concerns about standardization and quality control should also be considered. With the current available evidence, a recommendation for the use of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in pancreatic cancer cachexia is premature.
Molecular evolution of aerobic energy metabolism in primates.

As part of our goal to reconstruct human evolution at the DNA level, we have been examining changes in the biochemical machinery for aerobic energy metabolism. We find that protein subunits of two of the electron transfer complexes, complex III and complex IV, and cytochrome c, the protein carrier that connects them, have all undergone a period of rapid protein evolution in the anthropoid lineage that ultimately led to humans. Indeed, subunit IV of cytochrome c oxidase (COX; complex IV) provides one of the best examples of positively selected changes of any protein studied. The rate of subunit IV evolution accelerated in our catarrhine ancestors in the period between 40 to 18 million years ago and then decelerated in the descendant hominid lineages, a pattern of rate changes indicative of positive selection of adaptive changes followed by purifying selection acting against further changes. Besides clear evidence that adaptive evolution occurred for cytochrome c and subunits of complexes III (e.g., cytochrome c(1)) and IV (e.g., COX2 and COX4), modest rate accelerations in the lineage that led to humans are seen for other subunits of both complexes. In addition the contractile muscle-specific isoform of COX subunit VIII became a pseudogene in an anthropoid ancestor of humans but appears to be a functional gene in the nonanthropoid primates. These changes in the aerobic energy complexes coincide with the expansion of the energy-dependent neocortex during the emergence of the higher primates. Discovering the biochemical adaptations suggested by molecular evolutionary analysis will be an exciting challenge.