cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Limb Lengthening Using an Autodistractor and Force Measurement

The procedure of limb lengthening is a common method for correcting limb length inequality. The lengthening procedure, however, can result in serious complications such as premature consolidation of bone and soft-tissue contractures. To avoid adverse effects, it is important to determine the safe limits of the lengthening procedure in terms of forces applied, rate of distraction, overall length added and effects of the procedure on associated tissue. In this study, we investigate the relationship between distraction speed and callus formation in the fracture gap and how this affects the distraction resisting force (DRF) and muscle adaptation. A new distraction system was designed to continuously measure the DRF during tibial lengthening using a unilateral fixator. Measurements were made in 2 sheep for 51 days and 38 days respectively. The first sheep acquired 5cm (25% of its original length) of new bone with various rates of distraction. The second sheep acquired 3.8cm (15% of its original length) of new bone with 1mm/day fixed rate of distraction. During the lengthening procedure, the DRF steadily increased as the callus was being formed in the distraction gap. In sheep1 the lengthening rate was increased from 1mm/day to 1.25mm/day at the lengthening day 36 to manage what was interpreted to be signs of early premature consolidation. The DRF decreased to 310N from 400N at the lengthening day 43. Radiographs taken at day 43 showed separation in the callus. During the 1.25mm/day lengthening the sheep lost ankle joint movement completely. The major muscles, long digital extensor (LDE), cranial tibial (CT), gastrocnemius and deep digital flexor (DDF) were collected from the operated and non-operated hind limbs. The result showed that LDE and CT were damaged while gastrocnemius and DDF were intact. In sheep2, the distraction rate was maintained at 1mm/day and it showed a similar increase of DRF up to 550N at the end of distraction (lengthening day 38). There was no visible joint restriction observed. None of the four muscles collected showed signs of the profound tissue damage noted in sheep1. Comparison of the DRF profile with radiological interpretation confirmed that the degree of callus formation was appropriate at DRF of 300 ∼ 500N. Additionally the ability of the muscle to adapt to the given length could be affected by the time when the rate was changed. Additional studies are underway to determine the optimal regimen including appropriate rates and forces.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Localization of Epstein-Barr viral genomes in angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions

Epstein-Barr virus has been demonstrated in angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions. However, these studies, which have used the polymerase chain reaction technique or Southern blot analysis, have not revealed the identity of the cell population harboring the virus. To address this issue, we analyz
The effects of melatonin on isolation distress in chickens

Melatonin (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) reduced isolation-induced distress vocalizations (DVs) in young domestic chickens in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was unaffected by the administration of d-amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) suggesting that melatonin's effects were not merely due to fatigue. The melatonin reduction in DVs was not naloxone reversible, indicating an action independent of the endogenous opioid system. However, chronic pretreatment with naltrexone facilitated the melatonin effect, suggesting a complex relationship between melatonin and the endogenous opioids in regulating distress vocalizations. Chickens exhibited a marked reduction in DVs when isolation chambers were darkened, suggesting endogenous, as well as exogenous, melatonin mediation of isolation distress; however; pinealectomy only partially reversed the darkness effect. Pinealectomized animals, like control animals, exhibited a reduction in DVs following melatonin treatment; however, the melatonin effect was shorter lasting. The implications that these results may have for socialization and emotional distress are discussed.
Behavioral response to buspirone in cocaine and phencyclidine withdrawal.

The effects of buspirone in treating cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP) withdrawal were studied. Withdrawal symptoms of these two street-drugs are thought to be due to norepinephrine, dopamine and possibly serotonin depletion. Buspirone acts by enhancing dopaminergic and noradrenergic firing as well by suppressing serotonergic activity. Thirty-two cocaine abusers and 24 PCP abusers were withdrawn over a 30-day period. Half of each group received buspirone 10 mg t.i.d. and the other half 10 mg placebo t.i.d. In the cocaine group, buspirone was significantly more effective from the fifth day onward. In the PCP group, significant improvement was seen on the thirtieth day. Delayed effectiveness in PCP is thought due to its actions at other neurotransmitter sites.
Modularity-Based Image Segmentation

To address the problem of segmenting an image into sizeable homogeneous regions, this paper proposes an efficient agglomerative algorithm on the basis of modularity optimization. Given an oversegmented image that consists of many small regions, our algorithm automatically merges those neighboring regions that produce the largest increase in modularity index. When the modularity of the segmented image is maximized, the algorithm stops merging and produces the final segmented image. To preserve the repetitive patterns in a homogeneous region, we propose a feature on the basis of the histogram of states of image gradients and use it together with the color feature to characterize the similarity of two regions. By constructing the similarity matrix in an adaptive manner, the oversegmentation problem can be effectively avoided. Our algorithm is tested on the publicly available Berkeley Segmentation Data Set as well as the semantic segmentation data set and compared with other popular algorithms. Experimental results have demonstrated that our algorithm produces sizable segmentation, preserves repetitive patterns with appealing time complexity, and achieves object-level segmentation to some extent.
Mortality from myocardial infarction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: minding and mending the ‘Gap’

Mounting evidence indicates that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Data from several large trials such as the Lung Health Study, Towards a Revolution in COPD Health, Understanding Potential Long-term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium, European Respiratory Society Study on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Inhaled Steroids in Obstructive Lung Disease (ISOLDE) have shown that fatal CV events contribute to a major portion (between 22% and 39%) of the deaths in this population.1 Patients with COPD have greater mortality, rehospitalisation rates and poorer health status after a myocardial infarction (MI). Recent insights into the mechanisms that underlie this excess risk support a strong biological basis for heightened susceptibility to CV events, with mechanisms such as oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, increased inflammation and thrombotic predisposition being common themes.2 While a biological basis for inherent susceptibility of patients with COPD for CV events is indeed highly likely, inequities in their medical care resulting in substantial ‘gaps’ in treatment have also been suggested to contribute to the disproportionate mortality.3 ,4 While the reasons are likely multifactorial, at least one plausible explanation relates to differences in symptom presentations of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in COPD, where patients may present with dyspnoea, rather than chest pain, obfuscating the diagnosis of MI and in turn delaying institution of appropriate management (eg, reperfusion therapies).3 In their Heart paper, Rothnie et al provide fascinating insights into the associations between COPD and excess mortality following a first MI using data from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP), a national register for all MI and ACS admissions in the UK.5 MINAP records information on patient comorbidity, care processes and management …
Diltiazem vs. Metoprolol in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter with Rapid Ventricular Rate in the Emergency Department.

Abstract Background Diltiazem (calcium channel blocker) and metoprolol (beta-blocker) are both commonly used to treat atrial fibrillation/flutter (AFF) in the emergency department (ED). However, there is considerable regional variability in emergency physician practice patterns and debate among physicians as to which agent is more effective. To date, only one small prospective, randomized trial has compared the effectiveness of diltiazem and metoprolol for rate control of AFF in the ED and concluded no difference in effectiveness between the two agents. Objective Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of diltiazem with metoprolol for rate control of AFF in the ED. Methods A convenience sample of adult patients presenting with rapid atrial fibrillation or flutter was randomly assigned to receive either diltiazem or metoprolol. The study team monitored each subject's systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rates for 30 min. Results In the first 5 min, 50.0% of the diltiazem group and 10.7% of the metoprolol group reached the target heart rate (HR) of p p Conclusions Diltiazem was more effective in achieving rate control in ED patients with AFF and did so with no increased incidence of adverse effects.
Green Tea Polyphenols Precondition against Cell Death Induced by Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation via Stimulation of Laminin Receptor, Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species, and Activation of Protein Kinase Cϵ

As the development of synthetic drugs for the prevention of stroke has proven challenging, utilization of natural products capable of preconditioning neuronal cells against ischemia-induced cell death would be a highly useful complementary approach. In this study using an oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) model in PC12 cells, we show that 2-day pretreatment with green tea polyphenols (GTPP) and their active ingredient, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), protects cells from subsequent OGD/R-induced cell death. A synergistic interaction was observed between GTPP constituents, with unfractionated GTPP more potently preconditioning cells than EGCG. GTPP-induced preconditioning required the 67-kDa laminin receptor (67LR), to which EGCG binds with high affinity. 67LR also mediated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via activation of NADPH oxidase. An exogenous ROS-generating system bypassed 67LR to induce preconditioning, suggesting that sublethal levels of ROS are indeed an important mediator in GTPP-induced preconditioning. This role for ROS was further supported by the fact that antioxidants blocked GTPP-induced preconditioning. Additionally, ROS induced an activation and translocation of protein kinase C (PKC), particularly PKCϵ from the cytosol to the membrane/mitochondria, which was also blocked by antioxidants. The crucial role of PKC in GTPP-induced preconditioning was supported by use of its specific inhibitors. Preconditioning was increased by conditional overexpression of PKCϵ and decreased by its knock-out with siRNA. Collectively, these results suggest that GTPP stimulates 67LR and thereby induces NADPH oxidase-dependent generation of ROS, which in turn induces activation of PKC, particularly prosurvival isoenzyme PKCϵ, resulting in preconditioning against cell death induced by OGD/R.
5-thio-d-glucoyranose 1-phosphate and 6-phosphate

Abstract 5-Thio- d -glucopyranosyl phosphate was prepared by reaction of the acetylated glycopyranosyl bromide with silver diphenyl phosphate followed by hydrogenolysis of the phenyl groups and deacetylation. 5-Thio- d -glucopyranose 6-phosphate was prepared from methyl 5-thio-2,3,4,6-tetra- O -(trimethylsilyl)-α- d -glucopyranoside by preferential removal of the trimethylsilyl group at O-6 by methanolysis, phosphorylation with diphenyl phosphorochloridate, and removal of the trimethylsilyl and phenyl groups. Both phosphates were obtained crystalline as their dicyclohexyl-ammonium salts.
Hyperthermia-induced embryonic aneuploidy in mice

Abstract Chromosomal aneuploidy, as an effect of elevated ambient temperature during early gestation, was studied in 650 eight-day embryos from 60 females of two different mouse stocks. Exposure of treatment females to 34 C and 50% relative humidity during days 5 and 6 of gestation caused an increase in embryo chromosomal hyperploidy. No embryo sex interaction with the percent hyperploidy was found.
Dural herniations, encephaloceles: An index of neglected chronic otitis media and further complications

A retrospective review of 110 consecutive cases of chronic otitis media surgery was carried out in a large metropolitan public teaching hospital in the United States that serves the inner-city population. The purpose was to identify dural herniations and encephaloceles (DHE) as well as complications associated with these entities. Twenty-nine such patients (26.4%) were identified, 7 of which (6.4%) were encephaloceles. In patients with DHE, cholesteatoma was found in 83%, a labyrinthine fistula in 48%, preoperative facial paralysis in 14% (4 patients), facial nerve involvement by cholesteatoma in 24%, and suppurative intracranial complications in 21%. DHEs were repaired through the mastoid, via a mini-craniotomy or a formal middle cranial fossa approach. The incidence of DHEs in this patient population is very high, which reflects neglected chronic ear disease. The associated complications require extensive surgery for eradication, and the potential for morbidity and mortality is significant. (Am J Otolaryngol 2002;23:203-208. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.)
Researcher, Teacher, Education Researcher: The Evolution of a University Geoscience Instructor.

This case study describes a professor's evolution from geoscience researcher to effective teacher to education researcher. The article details his initial beliefs about teaching, looks at the factors that prompted him to seek a different teaching approach, and enumerates the supports and challenges that he had on his journey. Factors essential to this evolution are early career success in discipline research, an institutional climate to reward teaching, mentoring support by colleagues, access to professional development opportunities, and involvement in action research activities. The case study is linked to education literature about teaching and education research and makes recommendations based on the findings of the study.
Consequences of toroidal effects in lower hybrid heating of tokamaks

The lower hybrid slow wave tends to follow magnetic field lines. Therefore, a generalization of Snell's Law modifies the wavelength along the magnetic field as the wave moves inward from an exciter through regions of varying magnetic field strength. Predicting the consequences requires a numerical treatment, which has been developed in recent years by several authors. This paper searches for some general statements on the problem by analysing many particular cases, without allowing for scattering, multiple traverses of the plasma radius and non-linear effects. We find that the range of parameters suitable for ion heating varies from that predicted by simple estimates and is dependent on launch position; and that electron heating including current drive is best pursued with unidirectional launching from a coupler at the top (or bottom) of the torus if the wave frequency is close to the linear mode conversion condition.
The impact of altered precipitation on spatial stratification and activity-densities of springtails (Collembola) and spiders (Araneae)

1. A field experiment was conducted to determine how short-term changes in moisture can alter activity-densities of spiders and springtails. 2. In a Kentucky forest 10 unfenced 4-m2 plots were divided into two rainfall treatments. A clear roof over five plots excluded rainfall to simulate severe drought conditions (drought treatment). Water was sprayed on the five uncovered plots at a rate equal to two times the long-term mean in order to establish the high-rainfall treatment. Activity-densities of Collembola and spiders were measured using pitfall traps designed to sample the top, middle, and bottom layers of leaf litter. The experiment ran from 20 July to 23 September 2001. 3. Overall (i.e. litter layers pooled) activity-density (mean number trapped each sampling date) of Collembola was approximately equal to 60% lower in drought plots than in plots receiving increased precipitation. Surprisingly, overall spider activity-density was approximately equal to 1.6 times greater in the drought plots. 4. Differences in rainfall affected the spatial stratification of Collembola and spiders in strikingly different ways. Activity-densities of neither group differed between drought and high-rainfall treatments in the bottom litter layer. Collembola activity-density was three times greater in the top and middle litter layers in high-rainfall plots than in drought plots. In contrast, spider activity-density did not differ between treatments in the top layer, but activity-density was decreased by 50% in the middle layer of high-rainfall plots compared with drought plots. 5. Three Collembola families (Sminthuridae, Tomoceridae, and Entomobryidae) accounted for most of the Collembola pattern. The spider response was due to altered activity-density of one family of wandering spider, the Gnaphosidae.
Distributed parameter systems approach to feature extraction and motion estimation in image sequences

Abstract An integrated or ‘weak’ solution approach to a distributed parameter system model for dynamic image sequences forms the basis for a feature extraction and motion estimation algorithm. Motion parameters may be estimated using either least-squares techniques or, in the case of multiple targets, clustering procedures. Experimental results are shown.
Development and utilization of a mathematical model of a turning operation

A now method of producing thin-walled seamless metal belts is discussed. The method incorporates the principles of float-rolling (CBS rolling), whereby metal strip is pinched between a small diameter floating roll and two large diameter back-up rolls which rotate with different peripheral speeds. Whereas in conventional rolling reduction may be controlled by regulating the roll gap opening, in float-rolling reduction is insensitive to changes in roll gap opening and is controlled instead by varying the speed differential between the two back-up rolls. In this report, the relationships between reduction and roll speeds, roll gap opening, and strip tension are described, and some observations of rolling loads and torques are reported. Several problems associated with the production of belts by the float-rolling method are also discussed.
Estimation of the Incidence of Lyme Disease

The incidence of Lyme disease in most endemic areas is unknown but will be an important factor in determining the cost-effectiveness of Lyme disease vaccines in those areas. The authors developed a deterministic model with nine components to estimate the frequency of Ixodes scapularis tick bites and the resulting incidence of Lyme disease in residents of endemic areas. For each component, best point estimates and plausible ranges of values were based on the published literature, unpublished data, expert opinion, or a combination of the above. By using the mean, crude, annual total of 3,827 Lyme disease cases reported from the endemic county of Westchester, New York, in 1991-1994, a mean of 178,889 scapularis bites (20.4 per 100 person-years) and a mean of 10,632 incident Lyme disease cases (1.2 per 100 person-years) were estimated to have occurred per year. Results of a sensitivity analysis that used two different methods suggested that this deterministic model is reasonably robust. In conclusion, according to this model, the incidence of Lyme disease in Westchester County is several-fold higher than suggested by the current passive reporting system. Am J Epidemiol 1998;148:1018-26.
Antihypertensive efficacy of angiotensin receptor blockers in combination with hydrochlorothiazide: a review of the factorial-design studies.

Most hypertensive patients require more than one drug for adequate blood pressure (BP) control. The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends starting treatment with a thiazide diuretic or, when BP is >20/10 mm Hg above goal or in patients with diabetes, using two different antihypertensive agents. Searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and BIOSIS databases identified four similarly designed, randomized, factorial studies comparing various doses of angiotensin II receptor blockers with hydrochlorothiazide as monotherapy and in combination. The methodology and results of these studies were compared. The primary efficacy end point in these studies was a decrease from baseline in mean diastolic BP after 8 weeks of therapy. All currently available angiotensin I receptor blocker/hydrochlorothiazide combinations evaluated (irbesartan, olmesartan medoxomil, telmisartan, and valsartan plus hydrochlorothiazide) produced significant systolic BP and diastolic BP reductions. Olmesartan medoxomil/hydrochlorothiazide 40 mg/25 mg provided the largest mean reduction in absolute and placebo-corrected systolic BP/diastolic BP. For all angiotensin II receptor blocker/hydrochlorothiazide combinations evaluated, ≥63% of patients achieved a diastolic BP response (diastolic BP <90 mm Hg or ≥10-mm Hg reduction). In conclusion, the combination of an angiotensin II receptor blocker and hydrochlorothiazide produces more substantial BP responses than monotherapy with either component.
Nucleation Processes for Dewetting Initiation of Thin Polymer Films

We study four processes responsible for the dewetting onset of thin (thickness < 100 nm) polystyrene (PS) films spin cast on nonwettable silicon (Si) surfaces. (i) Spontaneous dewetting is initiated by indentlike disturbances formed at the free PS surface, upon heating above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PS. Indents become steeper as they grow toward the Si substrate, resulting in an increase of the Laplace pressure which opposes dewetting. (ii) Nanoindentation-induced surface defects either grow toward the substrate, similar to the spontaneously formed indents, or heal, resulting in a flat film surface, depending on their curvatures. Artificial indents with curvatures comparable to the ones measured for the spontaneous indents grow. Healing indents correspond to higher curvatures. (iii) Particles initiate dewetting as they sink inside the film and toward the substrate. Performing our experiments in a controlled clean room environment, we found that ∼23% of the developed dry patches were formed...
Base stacking: pH-mediated on-column sample concentration for capillary DNA sequencing.

An on-column sample concentration method for capillary-based DNA sequencing was studied. This base-stacking method allows direct injection of unpurified products of dye-primer sequencing reactions onto capillaries without any pretreatment. On-column concentration of DNA fragments is achieved simply by electrokinetic injection of hydroxide ions. A neutralization reaction between these OH- ions and the cationic buffer component Tris+ results in a zone of lower conductivity, within which field focusing occurs. DNA fragments are concentrated at the front of this low-conductivity zone. With sample injection times as long as 360 s at 50 V/cm, resolution could still be restored by the stacking process. Using a 36/47-cm-long uncoated capillary, with poly(dimethylacrylamide) as the separation matrix, and an electric field of 160 V/cm, a resolution of at least 0.5 could be generated for fragments up to 650 nucleotides long. Both resolution and signal strength are excellent relative to conventional injection of high...
Immobilization of Aspergillus oryzae β-galactosidase on tosylated cotton cloth

Abstract Immobilization of Aspergillus oryzae β-galactosidase on cotton cloth activated with p -toluenesulfonyl chloride (tosyl chloride) was studied. Enzyme immobilization on the tosylated cotton followed a nucleophilic substitution mechanism as evidenced by UV spectra. NaOH mercerization before tosylation and adding pyridine at a tosyl (g)/pyridine (ml) ratio of 0.2–0.4 increased the final activity of the immobilized enzyme by six-fold. The optimal pH for enzyme immobilization was found to be 4.5. Among different fibrous matrices tested, the knitted cotton cloth showed the highest immobilized enzyme activity. About 50 mg enzyme was immobilized onto each gram of cotton cloth with a protein coupling efficiency of ∼85% and enzyme activity yield of ∼55%. The immobilized enzyme had half-life of ∼50 days at 50 °C, and more than 1 year at 40 °C, an improvement of 25–28-fold as compared to free enzyme. The enzyme immobilized on cotton cloth can be used in a plug-flow reactor for continuous production of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) from lactose. The reactor performance was stable, and there was no loss in enzyme activity at 40 °C for the 15-day period studied. The immobilized enzyme also showed same pattern and level of GOS formation from lactose as those from free enzyme reaction, indicating that the reaction kinetics was not affected by immobilization and there was no significant diffusion limitation in the immobilized enzyme reactor. The method to prepare tosylated cotton cloth for enzyme immobilization is simple, inexpensive, and scaleable for industrial applications. Thus, tosylated cotton cloth can be used as a low cost support for highly active and stable biocatalyst.
Influenza and bacterial pneumonia - constant companions

Sequential or concomitant influenza and bacterial pneumonia are two common syndromes seen in community-acquired pneumonia. Inadequacies of diagnostic testing make separating simple pneumonia with either bacteria or influenza from concomitant or sequential influenza with both microorganisms difficult, although the novel 2009 H1N1 epidemic may improve the availability of molecular testing for viruses. Given the frequency of viral pneumonia and diagnostic limitations, empirical antivirals may be underutilized in community-acquired pneumonia. Thankfully, increasingly effective vaccines appear to disrupt this synergistic relationship.
Understanding the Role of Immigrant Families' Cultural and Structural Mechanisms in Immigrant Children's Experiences beyond High School: Lessons for Social Work Practitioners

The destinies of the contemporary immigrant generation are challenged by the profound reshaping of the U.S. economy and the increasing diversity of new immigrant communities from the Latin American and Asian regions. Family represents a key link between immigrant children's social adjustment beyond high school and relationships with mainstream society. Placing an emphasis on culture and social structure, this article reviews contemporary literature and provides a framework for knowledge that helps social work practitioners and policy planners explore the distinguishing features of immigrant families that confer an advantage within their children's post-secondary education or labor market participation. Also considered is how culture and social structure overlap and interact to exert a significant influence on the future economic prospects of immigrant children.
A subjective study of dental diagnostic utility comparing xeroradiography and film radiography

This study determined the perceived strengths and weaknesses of xeroradiography, D-speed film, and E-speed film for intraoral radiography. Results indicated that xeroradiography was preferred for the imaging of structures useful in periodontics and endodontics whereas film demonstrated a low level of image artifacts and was judged to be better for the imaging requirements of routine restorative dentistry. D-speed film was rated higher than E-speed film. These subjective assessments are similar to previously reported pilot studies but differ from previously published objective studies, which showed no significant difference between the three imaging techniques. Although there are substantial subjective differences between xeroradiography, D-speed film radiography, and E-speed film radiography, all the techniques provide more than the threshold level of necessary diagnostic information and all techniques portray adequate information for evaluation of common abnormalities encountered in the oral cavity.
A new enzymatic method for the determination of inorganic phosphate and its application to the nucleoside diphosphatase assay.

Abstract A new enzymatic method has been developed for the determination of inorganic phosphate, in which purine nucleoside phosphorylase and xanthine oxidase are used as indicator enzymes. This method has been applied to the assay of nucleoside diphosphatase. Incidental to this work, the apparent Michaelis constant of phosphate for calf spleen purine nucleoside phosphorylase was determined to be 0.25 m m , and the extinction coefficient of uric acid at 293 nm and pH 7.4 was found to be 13.0 × 103 m −1 cm−1.
Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-based phylogenetic analysis of Musa

Random genomic probes were used to detect RFLPs in 19 Musa species and subspecies. A total of 89 phylogenetically informative alleles were scored and analyzed cladistically and phenetically. Results were in general agreement with morphology-based phylogenetic analyses, with the following exceptions: our data unambiguously places M. boman in section Australimusa, and indicates M. beccarii is very closely related to M. acuminata. Additionally, no support was found for the separation of section Rhodochlamys from section Musa. A comparison of morphology-based and RFLP-based phylogenetic analyses is presented.
Seismic design by plastic method

The purpose of this paper is to briefly illustrate the role of plastic analysis in seismic design of structures. An example is included in which the behavior of an existing steel moment frame designed by conventional elastic method is modified by introducing an opening in the beam webs with added web members in order to achieve a desired yield mechanism. The static and dynamic response results of the modified frame are compared with those of the original frame.
Depletion of 13C in seawater ΣC02 on modern carbonate platforms: Significance for the carbon isotopic record of carbonates

Seawater ΣCO2 from modern carbonate platforms (Bahama Banks and Florida) is depleted in 13C by as much as 4‰ relative to open-ocean water. Depletion in 13C is caused by isotopically light CO2 input from respiration of marine and terrestrial organic matter during water-mass residence on the bank. As such, depletion in 13C is related to changes in water chemistry driven by evaporation, freshwater discharge, and CaCO3 withdrawal. Deviation of modern platform seawater δ13C values away from those of surface seawater suggests that δ13C values of ancient cratonic carbonate must be cautiously interpreted. Initial depositional environment, as well as alteration during diagenesis, must be considered in extracting valid secular trends for oceanic δ13C variation.
Implementing parallel conjugate gradient on the EARTH multithreaded architecture

Conjugate gradient (CG) is one of the most popular iterative approaches to solving large sparse linear systems of equations. This work reports a parallel implementation of CG on clusters with EARTH multithreaded runtime support. Interphase and intraphase communication costs are balanced using a two-dimensional blocking method, minimizing overall communication costs. EARTH'S adaptive, event-driven multithreaded execution model gives additional opportunities to overlap communication and computation to achieve even better scalability. Experiments on a large Beowulf cluster with gigabit Ethernet show notable improvements over other parallel CG implementations. For example, with the NAS CG benchmark problem size Class C, our implementation achieved a speedup of 41 on a 64-node cluster, compared to 13 for the MPl-based NAS version. The results demonstrate that the combination of the two-dimensional blocking method and the EARTH architectural runtime support helps to compensate for the low communications bandwidth common to most clusters.
A Basis for the Selection of a Response Surface Design

Abstract The general problem is considered of choosing a design such that (a) the polynomial f(ξ) = f(ξ1, ξ2, · · ·, ξ k ) in the k continuous variables ξ' = (ξ1, ξ2, · · ·, ξ k ) fitted by the method of least squares most closely represents the true function g(ξ1, ξ2, · · ·, ξ k ) over some “region of interest” R in the ξ space, no restrictions being introduced that the experimental points should necessarily lie inside R; and (b) subject to satisfaction of (a), there is a high chance that inadequacy of f(ξ) to represent g(ξ) will be detected. When the observations are subject to error, discrepancies between the fitted polynomial and the true function occur: i. due to sampling error (called here “variance error”), and ii. due to the inadequacy of the polynomial f(ξ) exactly to represent g(ξ) (called here “bias error”). To meet requirement (a) the design is selected so as to minimize J, the expected mean square error averaged over the region R. J contains two components, one associated entirely with varian...
Theoretical Study of Hydroxyisoprene Alkoxy Radicals and Their Decomposition Pathways

We report theoretical studies of the alkoxy radicals arising from the OH-initiated reactions of isoprene and their decomposition pathways. Density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular orbital calculations have been employed to determine the structures and energies of the alkoxy radicals as well as the transition states and products of their decomposition reactions. Geometry optimizations of the various species were performed with density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level, and the single-point energies were computed using various methods, including second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and the coupled-cluster theory with single and double excitations including perturbative corrections for the triple excitations (CCSD(T)). The ab initio energetics of the alkoxy radicals along with their transition states and products of decomposition were used to determine the reaction and activation enthalpies of the C-C bond fission of the alkoxy radicals. The results indicate that the calculated energies are very sensitive to the electron correlation effect. For example, at the CCSD(T)/6-311G(d,p) level of theory, decomposition of the ‚-hydroxyalkoxy radical with OH and O ¥ located at C1 and C2 (respectively) is found to be slightly endothermic (by 2.1 kcal mol -1 ), with an activation barrier of 8.5 kcal mol -1 . Those values are noticeably different from the results obtained using the MP2 and B3LYP methods. Using the obtained activation barriers and the transition state structures, we have calculated the high-pressure limit decomposition rates of the various isomers of the alkoxy radicals. The C-C bond fission is expected to occur readily for the four ‚-hydroxyalkoxy radicals with the calculated rate constants in the range of 4 10 7 to 6 10 8 s -1 , but the rates are much lower for the two ‰-hydroxyalkoxy radicals (<3 10 -2 s -1 ).
Nucleosides with self-complementary hydrogen-bonding motifs: Synthesis and base-pairing studies of two nucleosides containing the imidazo[4,5-d]pyridazine ring system

Synthesis and base-pairing studies of two 2'-deoxyribonucleosides, containing a common heterocyclic base, 7(4)-amino-5(6)H-imidazo[4,5-d]pyridazin-4(7)one (1 and 2), have been reported. The synthesis was accomplished by base-promoted deoxyribosylation of ethyl 5(4)-cyanoimidazole-4(5)-carboxylate (6), followed by ring-closure with hydrazine hydrate. The 1H NMR-based base-pair studies were conducted using DMF-d7 as a solvent by measuring changes in chemical shifts of the amino, hydrazide, imidazole H-2, and the sugar H-1' protons of the nucleosides with variations in concentrations and temperatures. Large downfield chemical shifts were observed for the NH, NH2, and to a lesser extent for the H-1' protons when the temperature was lowered from 25 to 0 degrees C, and then further down to -50 degrees C in 10 degree intervals. The observed experimental data are consistent with the results of molecular modeling studies. Nucleoside 2 exhibited low level antiviral activity against HIV-1 in CEM-SS cells with an IC50 of 89.2 microM. No cellular toxicity was observed at the highest concentration of the compound tested.
Design and economic trade‐offs of extractive crystallization processes

A systematic procedure is formulated for the separation of a binary mixture by means of extractive crystallization. It shows that two flowsheet structures can handle systems with a wide variety of solid-liquid phase behaviors, including components with simple and multiple eutectics, and compound formation. Design equations are presented for both flowsheet structures. In addition, design variables and constraints are identified. The economic trade-offs in extractive crystallization processes are examined through the analysis of an example: the complete separation of p-xylene from m-xylene using n-pentane as the extractive solvent
America's First Consumer Financial Watchdog Is on a Leash: Can the CFPB Use Its Authority to Declare Payday-Loan Practices Unfair, Abusive, and Deceptive?

To stop payday lenders from skirting state laws, this Article asserts that the CFPB should exercise its rulemaking authority to declare many payday loan practices as unfair, deceptive, abusive, and, consequently, unlawful.The CFPB's imposition of restrictions on payday loans will not end short-term, small-dollar loans in America, but will cause an increased prevalence of responsible lending practices. The results of a recent pilot program implemented by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) demonstrate that lenders can issue small-dollar loans subject to the types of restrictions proposed above and still achieve long-term profitability. Therefore, the CFPB's regulatory intervention will correct the continuing market failure by promoting profitable, yet fair loans by responsible lenders.
Heat/mass transport in a drop translating in time-periodic electric fields

Abstract Enhancement of heat or mass transport in a spherical drop of a dielectric fluid translating in another dielectric fluid in the presence of uniform and non-uniform time periodic electric fields is investigated. The internal problem or the limit of the majority of the transport resistance being in the dispersed phase is considered. The transient energy conservation equation is solved using a fully implicit finite volume method. Lagrangian tracking of fluid particles is carried out to understand the extent of fluid mixing and heat/mass transport inside the drop. The effect of electric field is expressed in terms of L, the ratio of the maximum electric-field-induced surface velocity to translation-induced surface velocity. For a fixed value of L, compared to a steady uniform field, unsteady electric fields are more effective in enhancing heat transfer due to fluid mixing resulting from changing flow patterns. The enhancement in time periodic fields shows a non-monotonic dependence on electric field frequency. For low frequency, the time scale of electric field-induced mixing is large and hence transport enhancement is low. For very high frequency, the field changes before fluid particles have moved any significant distance which limits fluid mixing and the heat transport behavior remains essentially that of a purely translating drop. Therefore the optimum frequency that corresponds to the maximum transport enhancement lies between these two limits. Furthermore, with periodic fields for a fixed L, increase in Peclet number always increases the maximum heat transfer enhancement. However, for a fixed Peclet number, an increase in the electric field strength does not necessarily lead to an increase in heat transfer enhancement. Higher electric field strength leads to higher flow velocity (which facilitates heat transfer) but provides shorter time scale over which fluid mixing takes place (which is detrimental to heat transfer). These competing effects give rise to non-monotonic enhancement behavior with L. For unsteady non-uniform electric field, heat/mass transport is not enhanced when L
Hyperdynamic circulation of arteriovenous fistula preconditions the heart and limits infarct size.

Abstract Background . Chronic arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) create sustained hyperdynamic circulation. It is not known whether hyperdynamic circulation alters myocardial sensitivity to ischemia and reperfusion injury. We tested the hypothesis that AVF activate molecular responses that increase tolerance to infarction in dogs. Methods . Twelve dogs were divided into two groups: 1) AVF group, where an AVF in the femoral region was done; and 2) sham-operated group (each n=6). After 8 weeks, left ventricular performance was determined from stroke work/end-diastolic length relationship. Myocardial biopsy was obtained to determine heat-shock protein 70 and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) pool. Left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 90 minutes at 37°C, followed by 4 hours of reperfusion. Coronary blood flow was determined using different colored microspheres. Results . The fistula group showed improvement of left ventricular performance ( p = 0.03). The infarct size was significantly lower in the fistula group; it was 9.2 ± 2.0% in the fistula group versus 28.4 ± 5.2% in the sham group ( p p = 0.02). Regional myocardial blood flow was significantly higher in the fistula group ( p = 0.03). Conclusions . Peripheral AVF improve the left ventricular performance, and decrease infarct size and ATP depletion. This protective effect is caused by the development of collaterals in the coronary circulation without expression of heat-shock protein 70.
Effect of armodafinil on cognition in patients with HIV/AIDS and fatigue

Fatigue and cognitive impairment are common in HIV+ adults and may occur independently or be causally linked. This study examined whether alleviation of fatigue with armodafinil in a placebo-controlled double-blind 4-week trial had an effect on cognitive function among those with and without mild neuropsychological impairment at baseline. Sixty-one patients completed a standard battery of neuropsychological tests at study entry and Week 4: A total of 33 were randomized to armodafinil and 28 to placebo. While there was a significant effect of active medication on fatigue, cognitive performance measured by a global change score did not differ between treatment groups, or in those on active treatment with or without mild neuropsychological impairment.
A spontaneous sarcoma dependent on host tumor‐specific immune lymphocytes

The immune surveillance theory postulates that spontaneous tumors are normally rejected by the immune system and appear only when they override host-immune recognition and rejection mechanisms. The present mini-review describes a spontaneous tumor system, the reticulum cell sarcomas (RCS) in SJL/J mice, that is dependent on host tumor-specific immune lymphocytes for growth. This continuous tumor-specific response results in tumor progression and death of the host. This tumor system contradicts the basic concept of immune surveillance. We propose as an explanation that some highly antigenic tumors, like the RCS, may have evolved in a non-autonomous fashion but, nevertheless, have lost regulatory controls of cell proliferation. In the RCS system, the tumor expresses Class II MHC I-E like specificities that are not expressed on the host cells and which selectively stimulate a subpopulation of I-E specific T cells, the V beta 17 a+ clonotype, leading to their expansion and continuous nurturing of the tumor via secreted lymphokines. This neoantigenic stimulation bypasses the tumor regulatory response that might have resulted if the tumor had not expressed neoantigens. Furthermore, passive administration of anti-clonotypic antibody to tumor-bearing mice results in tumor regression and long-term survival through removal of the tumor reactive T cells. Thus, in this tumor system, immunosuppressive treatments are the prescription for tumor rejection.
Sniffer Channel Selection for Monitoring Wireless LANs

Wireless sniffers are often used to monitor APs in wireless LANs (WLANs) for network management, fault detection, traffic characterization, and optimizing deployment. It is cost effective to deploy single-radio sniffers that can monitor multiple nearby APs. However, since nearby APs often operate on orthogonal channels, a sniffer needs to switch among multiple channels to monitor its nearby APs. In this paper, we formulate and solve two optimization problems on sniffer channel selection. Both problems require that each AP be monitored by at least one sniffer. In addition, one optimization problem requires minimizing the maximum number of channels that a sniffer listens to, and the other requires minimizing the total number of channels that the sniffers listen to. We propose a novel LP-relaxation based algorithm, and two simple greedy heuristics for the above two optimization problems. Through simulation, we demonstrate that all the algorithms are effective in achieving their optimization goals, and the LP-based algorithm outperforms the greedy heuristics.
Quality of life in patients with various Barrett's esophagus associated health states.

Background: The management of Barrett's esophagus (BE), particularly high grade dysplasia (HGD), is an area of much debate and controversy. Surgical esophagectomy, intensive endoscopic surveillance and mucosal ablative techniques, especially photodynamic therapy (PDT), have been proposed as possible management strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine the health related quality of life associated with Barrett's esophagus and many of the pivotal health states associated with Barrett's HGD management. Methods: 20 patients with Barrett's esophagus were enrolled in a pilot survey study at a large urban hospital. The utility of Barrett's esophagus without dysplasia (current health state) as well as various health states associated with HGD management (hypothetical states as the subject did not have HGD) were measured using a validated health utility instrument (Paper Standard Gamble). These specific health states were chosen for the study because they are considered pivotal in Barrett's HGD decision making. Information regarding Barrett's HGD was presented to the subject in a standardized format that was designed to be easily comprehendible. Results: The average utility scores (0–1 with 0 = death and 1 = perfect health) for the various Barrett's esophagus associated states were: BE without dysplasia-0.95; Post-esophagectomy for HGD with dysphagia-0.92; Post-PDT for HGD with recurrence uncertainty-0.93; Post-PDT for HGD with recurrence uncertainty and dysphagia-0.91; Intensive endoscopic surveillance for HGD0.90. Conclusion: We present the scores for utilities associated with Barrett's esophagus as well as various states associated with the management of HGD. The results of our study may be useful in advising patients and providers regarding expected outcomes of the various HGD management strategies as well as providing utility scores for future cost-effectiveness analyses.