cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
White spotting in the California vole.

Previously unreported white spotting was found in two subspecies of the California vole, Microtus californicus. The pattern of spots on the ventral coat of the animals differs between the subspecies, and there is variation in the expressivity of the white spots. Expression of white spotting is greatly reduced by the epistatic action of another coat colour gene, the recessive buffy (bf). The incidence of white spotting, its variation in expression, and its inheritance were investigated in this study. The reproductive performance of white spotted voles was also analysed, and effects on fertility and litter size were found associated with the trait.
The effects of hyperlipemia and obesity on tissue tocopherol levels in the rat

Abstract Zucker obese rats which exhibit both hyperlipemia and obesity and normal litter mates injected with Triton WR-1339 to induce hyperlipemia alone were used as models. Plasma total lipid (TL) and plasma tocopherol (αT) values increased significantly in both models. Neither model exhibited an increase in tissue αT levels known to accompany the increase in plasma αT levels in normal-lipemic animals. Previous literature had suggested that adiposity was the primary cause of the failure of tissues to accumulate αT. The hyperlipemic model demonstrated that the tissue αT levels were not elevated even in the absence of excess adiposity. Thus hyperlipemia alone produced the observed effects on tissue αT level. No relationship of tissue αT to degree of hyperlipemia or to levels of plasma αT was observed. Instead it was found that the parameter that defines the relationship of plasma levels of αT and TL to tissue levels of αT was the αT to TL ratio in plasma. Over a ratio range of 0.77 to 9.07 (normal, obese, and hyperlipemia animals) the tissue levels of αT of both testes and lungs gave a correlation coefficient of 0.84.
Membrane trafficking, organelle transport, and the cytoskeleton

Cytoskeleton-associated motor proteins typically drive organelle movements in eukaryotic cells in a manner that is tightly regulated, both spatially and temporally. In the past year, a novel organelle transport mechanism utilizing actin polymerization was described. Important advances were also made in the assignment of functions to several new motors and in our understanding of how motor proteins are regulated during organelle transport. In addition, insights were gained into how and why organelles are transported cooperatively along the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons, and into the importance of motor-mediated transport in the organization of the cytoskeleton itself.
Weathering Change: Gays and Lesbians, Christian Conservatives, and Everyday Hostilities

Acknowledgments 1 Experiencing Political Climates 2 Watching the Media 3 Reading the Public Mind4 Engaging the Government 5 Being in the Communities 6 Re?ecting on the Other7 Changing the Climates 8 Concluding Thoughts Appendix: Methods Notes Bibliography Index About the Author
Toward a Cultural Competence Measure for Social Work with Specific Populations

Abstract The notion that cultural competence is crucial to sound social work practice is widely accepted in the profession. However, there exists a gap between the achievement of the goal of developing culturally competent practitioners through social work education and the ability to measure such competence. A second gap exists between education and the providing of culturally appropriate services in everyday practice. These gaps are likely due to (1) the broad terms used to define cultural competence, (2) the slow evolution of instrumentation to measure cultural competence, and (3) the lack of culture-specific training and measurement techniques. This paper assesses the need for further refinement of the concept and suggests a new approach for the development of instruments to measure it. The authors provide an overview of the construct of cultural competence, analyze the conceptual and empirical foundations of four well-known measures, and provide a rationale forthe development of culture-Specific inst...
Propellant Losses Because of Particulate Emission in a Pulsed Plasma Thruster

Abstract : Propellant inefficiency material in particulate form is characterized in a laboratory pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) operating at 1 Hz with a 204 discharge energy (20 W). Exhaust deposits are collected and analyzed using a combination of a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive x-ray analysis and microscopic imaging. Teflon(trademark) particulates are observed with characteristic dianietens ranging from over 100 micrometers down to less than 1 micrometer.
A Revision of CIECAM97s for Practical Applications

The CIE 1997 Interim Color Appearance Model (Simple Version), abbreviated CIECAM97s, was proposed by CIE TC1-34 in 1997 in response to the needs of the imaging industry for a single, practically applicable, color appearance model for device-independent color imaging applications. CIECAM97s has been successful in focusing a large number of researchers on a single direction to implement, evaluate, and suggest improvements for a single CIE model. However, CIECAM97s has been less successful in achieving the goal of being practically applicable. CIECAM97s remains a complex color appearance model, and this complexity seems to be somewhat of a barrier for its widespread adoption and use. CIE TC8-01 is currently working toward recommendations for practical application of CIECAM97s. Part of TC8-01's work is the consideration and evaluation of potential revisions and simplifications of CIECAM97s. This article incorporates several previously proposed enhancements of CIECAM97s and a few new suggestions into a revised model for the consideration of TC8-01. It is hoped that this revision will aid in focusing ongoing model tests and perhaps be the starting point for a new CIE recommendation, once sufficient testing and perhaps further refinements are completed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 26, 418–427, 2001
Developing competitive strategies in retailing

Abstract This article shows how the strategic groups concept can provide structure for the analysis of strategies in competitive environments. Using the supermarket retailing industry as an example, the existence of clearly defined group strategies is confirmed and those strategies are then interpreted for firm-level strategists interested in determining distinctive strategies for achieving long-run sustainable competitive advantages for individual firms. It is argued that the characteristics and dynamics of industries, strategic groups and firms must be analysed in an integrated manner in order to develop effective competitive strategies.
A locational analysis of convenience food stores in metropolitan Denver

The study examines the spatial arrangement of convenience food stores in the Denver metropolitan area. It deviates from the traditional approach in that not only the overall locational pattern of the stores was examined, but it also identified stores of different chains, and hypotheses were formulated to investigate various locational strategies as manifested in the spatial pattern the stores assumed. Site economics, a location factor rarely treated empirically, was also closely studied. Among the findings worthy of note are first, income and household density provide unexpectedly low statistical explanation of the spatial pattern of the stores; and second, stores of a given chain tend to locate closer to each other than to stores of a competing chain.
SU-E-T-206: Improving Radiotherapy Toxicity Based On Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Purpose/Objective(s): The aim of this study is to build the estimator of toxicity using artificial neural network (ANN) for head and neck cancer patients Materials/Methods: An ANN can combine variables into a predictive model during training and considered all possible correlations of variables. We constructed an ANN based on the data from 73 patients with advanced H and N cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy at our institution. For the toxicity estimator we defined input data including age, sex, site, stage, pathology, status of chemo, technique of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), length of treatment, dose of EBRT, status of post operation, length of follow-up, the status of local recurrences and distant metastasis. These data were digitized based on the significance and fed to the ANN as input nodes. We used 20 hidden nodes (for the 13 input nodes) to take care of the correlations of input nodes. For training ANN, we divided data into three subsets such as training set, validation set and test set. Finally, we built the estimator for the toxicity from ANN output. Results: We used 13 input variables including the status of local recurrences and distant metastasis and 20 hidden nodes for correlations.more » 59 patients for training set, 7 patients for validation set and 7 patients for test set and fed the inputs to Matlab neural network fitting tool. We trained the data within 15% of errors of outcome. In the end we have the toxicity estimation with 74% of accuracy. Conclusion: We proved in principle that ANN can be a very useful tool for predicting the RT outcomes for high risk H and N patients. Currently we are improving the results using cross validation.« less
The role of thrombin in preterm parturition

Abstract Objective: Previous reports from our laboratory have shown that thrombin is a potent uterotonic agonist; those studies have suggested a role for thrombin during parturition, especially with regard to intrauterine bleeding. Thrombin activation can be quantified in peripheral blood by measurement of thrombin–antithrombin III (TAT) complex levels. This study sought to determine whether thrombin activation, as measured by thrombin–antithrombin III levels, is associated with premature labor. Study Design: Thrombin–antithrombin III levels were measured in patients and control subjects with preterm labor. Quantitative TAT levels were determined by use of an enzyme-linked immunoassay with a working range from 0 to 60 ng/mL. All patients were monitored for pregnancy outcome. Receiver operating curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal TAT cutoff values. Further statistical analyses with one-way ANOVA, the χ 2 test, or the Fisher exact test were performed to determine statistical significance ( P Results: Patients admitted with preterm labor who were subsequently delivered within 3 weeks had significantly higher mean TAT levels (7.80 ± 2.86 ng/mL; P P Conclusions: This study showed that TAT levels are elevated in patients with preterm labor who are destined to deliver before term. These results suggest that preterm labor resulting in premature delivery is associated with the activation of thrombin. Future studies will further elucidate the role of thrombin in preterm parturition and confirm whether tests for thrombin activation can accurately identify those patients destined for preterm delivery. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:1059-63.)
Estimation of contact resistance and its effect on electrical conductivity of CNT/PEEK composites

Abstract The contact resistance between carbon nanotube (CNT)-carbon nanotube (CNT) in polymers reinforced with CNTs is known to consist of the resistance due to direct contact between the CNTs and a tunneling resistance across a thin polymeric layer. By fitting experimental data on electrical conductivity of Poly Ether Ether Ketone (PEEK) reinforced with CNTs with Holm–Kirschstein equation, Simmons’ equation and Kovacs’ equation, both the contact resistance and the thickness of the tunneling layer were determined. The tunneling distance corresponding to the percolation threshold for this composite system was found to be about 1.7 nm. This is in agreement with the distance obtained by simulation in a previous research.
Accelerated fuel depreciation as an economic incentive for low-leakage fuel management

Abstract An analysis is presented which evaluates the tax depreciation advantage which results from the increased rate of fuel depletion achieved in the current low-leakage fuel-management LWR core reload designs. An analytical fuel-cycle cost model is used to examine the important cost parameters which are then validated using the fuel-cycle cost code cincas and data from the Maine Yankee PWR. Results show that low-leakage fuel management, through the tax depreciation advantage from accelerated fuel depletion, provides an improvement of several percent in fuel-cycle costs compared to traditional out-in fuel management and a constant fuel depletion rate.
Energetic Salts of 3-Nitro-1,2,4-triazole-5-one, 5-Nitroaminotetrazole, and Other Nitro-Substituted Azoles†

Energetic salts comprised of substituted 1,2,4-triazolium and tetrazolium cations and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazolate-5-one (NTO), 5-nitroimino-tetrazolate, 3-nitro-5-trifluoromethyl-1,2,4-triazolate, 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate, 4,5-dinitro-imidazolate, 3,5-dinitro-pyrazolate, and 5-nitro-tetrazolate anions were synthesized and characterized. The structures of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazolium 3-nitro-5-trifluoromethyl-1,2,4-triazolate (6), and 1-propyl-1,2,4-triazolium 5-nitroimino-tetrazolate (20) were confirmed by X-ray analysis. Standard enthalpies of formation were calculated using the computationally feasible DFT(B3LYP) and MP2 methods in conjunction with an empirical approach based on densities of salts. Cheetah 4.0 was used to calculate detonation properties. Salts 2, 14, 20, and 21 fall into the ionic liquid class (mp < 100 °C).
Control of a heat-integrated co-ionic-conducting solid oxide fuel cell system

A control study of a heat-integrated solid oxide fuel cell system with a BaCe1-xSmxO3-α. type electrolyte is presented. This type of electrolytes exhibit both proton and oxygen-anion conductivity, and the fuel cell has multiple steady states in some operating regions. A multi-loop control system consisting of four proportional-integral (PI) controllers with two coordination rules is used to adjust four manipulated inputs to control the cell solid temperature and outlet voltage. For the temperature control two secondary PI controllers that adjust the duties of an air and a fuel inlet temperature conditioner are used. The set-points of the secondary PI controllers are set by a primary PI controller. Simulation results show that the control system can operate the cell at all steady states, whether stable or unstable. They also indicate that the control system is capable of tracking step changes in the set-points and rejecting piece-wise constant external load disturbances.
Tripartate poly(ethylene glycol) prodrugs of the open lactone form of camptothecin

Two PEG prodrugs utilizing conjugation of PEG through the C-21 acid functionality as well as the C-17 OH group of CPT hydroxy-amide open forms were synthesized and characterized. Both of these open lactone tripartate prodrugs were shown to be water soluble and highly effective in MX-1 mouse xenograph studies. Indirect evidence implies that the initial ester or carbonate bond breaking is esterase mediated in the first step of the cascade of CPT release.
Hydrogenation of two-electron mixed-valence iridium alkyl complexes.

Two-electron mixed-valence complexes of the general formula (tfepma)3Ir20,IIRBr [tfepma = bis(bis(trifluoroethoxy)phosphino)methylamine, MeN[P(OCH2CF3)2]2, and R = CH3 (2), CH2C(CH3)3 (3)] have been synthesized and structurally characterized and their reactivity with H2 investigated. Hydrogenation of 2 and 3 proceeds in a cascade reaction to produce alkane upon initial H2 addition, followed by the formation of the Ir2I,III binuclear trihydride−bromide complex (tfepma)3Ir2I,IIIH3Br (4) upon the incorporation of a second molecule of H2. Hydrogenation of two-electron mixed-valence di-iridium alkyl complexes is examined with nonlocal density-functional calculations. H2 attacks the IrII metal center prior to alkyl protonation to produce an η2−H2 complex. Transition states link all intermediates to a complex that has the same regiochemistry as the crystallographically determined final product. Calculated atomic charges suggest that the second H2 molecule is homolytically cleaved within the di-iridium coordinati...
Effects of TGF-β1 and hydrostatic pressure on meniscus cell-seeded scaffolds

The combinatorial effects of TGF-β1 and hydrostatic pressure (HP) were investigated on meniscus cell-seeded PLLA constructs using a two-phase sequential study. The objective was to identify potentially synergistic effects of these stimuli toward enhancing the biomechanical and compositional characteristics of the engineered constructs. In Phase I, the effects of TGF-β1 were examined on the ability of meniscus cells to produce ECM. In Phase II, meniscus cell-seeded PLLA constructs were cultured for 4 wks with a combination of TGF-β1 and HP (10 MPa, 0 Hz or 10 MPa, 0.1 Hz). TGF-β1 was found to increase collagen and GAG deposition in the scaffolds 15-fold and 8-fold, respectively, in Phase I. In Phase II, the combination of TGF-β1 and 10 MPa, 0 Hz HP resulted in 4-fold higher collagen deposition (additive increase), 3-fold higher GAG deposition and enhanced compressive properties (additive and synergistic increases), when compared to the unpressurized no growth factor culture control. Though significant correlations were observed between the compressive properties (moduli and viscosity), and the GAG and collagen content of the constructs, the correlations were stronger with collagen. This study provides robust evidence that growth factors and HP can be used successfully in combination to enhance the functional properties of in vitro engineered knee meniscus constructs.
Pregnancy Enhances the Angiotensin (Ang)-(1–7) Vasodilator Response in Mesenteric Arteries and Increases the Renal Concentration and Urinary Excretion of Ang-(1–7)

The vasoactive effect of angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) in mesenteric resistance arteries together with its plasma and kidney concentration and urinary excretion was assessed in pregnant and virgin rats. Mesenteric arteries (230-290 microm) were mounted in a pressurized myograph system and Ang-(1-7) concentration-dependent response curves (10(-10)-10(-5) M) were determined in arteries preconstricted with endothelin-1 (10(-7) M). The Ang-(1-7) response was investigated in vessels with and without pretreatment with the Ang-(1-7) antagonist [D-[Ala(7)]-Ang-(1-7)] (10(-7) M). Ang-(1-7) caused a significantly enhanced, concentration-dependent dilation of mesenteric vessels (EC(50) = 2.7 nM) from pregnant compared with virgin female rats. D-[Ala(7)]-Ang-(1-7) eliminated the vasodilator effect of Ang-(1-7). There was no significant change in plasma concentration of Ang-(1-7) in pregnant animals. On the other hand, 24 h urinary excretion and kidney concentration of Ang-(1-7) were significantly higher in pregnant animals. The increased mesenteric dilation to Ang-(1-7) with enhanced kidney concentration and 24 h urinary excretion rate of Ang-(1-7) suggests an important role for this peptide in cardiovascular regulation during pregnancy.
Cerebral angioplasty practice at major medical centers in the United States.

Concern has been expressed recently regarding the proliferation of angioplasty and/or stenting of cerebral vessels. However, little is known about the volume of angioplasties being performed or the number of experienced interventionalists. A questionnaire was mailed to directors of accredited radiology residency programs in the United States, to define the level of expertise available at teaching hospitals in terms of angioplasty and/or stenting. Of 200 programs surveyed, 111 responded (56 %). Of 111 program directors 47 (42 %) indicated that cerebral angioplasty was being performed at their center. The greatest experience is currently for angioplasty of post-subarachnoid hemorrhage vasospasm (mean 16 procedures performed) and the least experience for dilation of basilar artery atherosclerosis (mean five procedures performed). The reported stroke and/or death rate in centers performing angioplasty of the extracranial carotid system is 1.5 %. Comparisons with other medical specialties (e. g., cardiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons) are necessary to determine the full scope of extracranial neurovascular procedures being performed and the corresponding complication rates.
Psychological Distress and Alcohol Use in Hispanic Adolescents.

Psychological distress has been increasingly implicated as an important risk factor that predisposes adolescents toward alcohol and drug use, particularly for Hispanics and other ethnic minority groups. The scant research on the relation between psychosocial stress and alcohol use has found higher levels of alcohol and drug use among Hispanic adolescents who report higher levels of psychological and emotional distress. In this study, Hispanic adolescents (N=171, with a median age of 14, completed a paper- and-pencil questionnaire, which was designed to assess levels of psychosocial stress, anxiety, and depression. Self-reported patterns of alcohol use were also assessed. In general, males reported higher levels of alcohol use and more friends who drink, compared to females. The study also found generational differences in drinking patterns. A strong association between psychosocial stress, depression, and alcohol use also was found, suggesting that Hispanic adolescents are using alcohol as a way of coping with conflicts in adapting to the norms and expectations of the dominant group and other difficult events and conditions that produce psychological distress.
What Cannot Be Told: Gender and the Limits of Storytelling in Andre Dubus's “Graduation”

Abstract [N]arratives repeatedly speak of the problem of what there is to know and to tell, of the problematic boundaries of telling and listening, and of the process of transmission. (Brooks 221) As Peter Brooks observes, narratives speak of problems of knowing, telling, listening, and transmitting. While engaged in such speaking, narratives themselves are subject to the discourse of specific cultures and contexts that give them birth. That is, “what there is to know and tell” may vary markedly by culture, period, race, class, gender, and sexuality; similarly, those variables may affect processes of discriminating between telling and listening and processes of transmitting stories. In the first part of this essay, I chart ways in which Andre Dubus's short story “Graduation” articulates problems of telling—and, even more fundamentally, of being-experienced by a young woman, Bobbie Huxford, in white, middle-class America of the 1950s. Dubus's story opens with a statement of Bobbie's desire to narrate, a de...
Fluid Encasement and Flow Within Sub-Structured Blast Panels

We address the design and analysis of blast resistant panels consisting of layered substructures with fluid filled chambers. The panels are designed to absorb energy from an air blast by progressive elastic-plastic, through-thickness collapse of the panel substructure. This mechanism of energy absorption is enhanced further by the presence of fluid within alternating chambers of the panel substructure. The fluid primarily contributes to blast effects mitigation by providing increased initial mass to the resisting system, by direct dissipation of energy through viscosity, and by redirecting momentum imparted to the system. Analyses are presented first of the structural system design without fluid. Plastic collapse mechanisms are addressed for optimum design for quasi-static loading. Analytical, numerical and experimental results are discussed. Selected panel geometry is then used to analyze the system with fluid encasement. Simulations of fluid-structure interaction during panel collapse due to adjacent air blasts are presented. The key aspects of optimal design for blast effects mitigation are discussed. The importance of maximizing fluid momentum transfer and redirection, the encasement details including structural passages for prescribed fluid flow, and the system viscosity resulting from fluid-structure dynamics are examined.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Biomechanics of crutch locomotion

Abstract A thorough literature survey of the origin and use of the crutch has been conducted with a view towards discovering where design improvements might be worthwhile. An experimental photographic technique has been developed to gather three-dimensional data of swing-through crutch gait. The experimental data gathered is compared with existing data on normal walking. Based on the experimental comparisons, design improvement criteria are formulated for the development of new crutch configurations.
Effects of l-dopa on prolactin secretion in humans

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a study analyzing effects of L-DOPA on prolactin secretion in humans. In the study, subjects were healthy normal volunteers aged 21–27, studied in the morning after an overnight fast. Blood samples were collected through an antecubital vein at the start of the experiment. L-dopa and MK-486 were administered orally. Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), either 100 μg or 500 μg, was given intravenously over 30 s. Prolactin was measured by homologous human radioimmunoassay. Growth hormone was also measured by radioimmunoassay. It was observed that TRH given alone to seven normal women and seven normal men caused the expected acute rises in plasma prolactin. Women as a group were more responsive than men to TRH; a greater responsiveness in women has also been noted to other kinds of prolactin releasing. Several days after the studies with TRH alone, the same subjects were given the same dose of TRH but were pretreated with 500 mg of L-dopa an hour beforehand; 11 of the 14 subjects received an additional 250 mg of L-dopa 30 min before the TRH. Except for one woman whose TRH response was unchanged by L-dopa; a clear suppressive effect was evident in all subjects.
An everywhere convergent series representation of the distribution of Hotelling's generalized T 0 2

A new series representation of the exact distribution of Hotelling's generalized T02 statistic is obtained. Unlike earlier work, the series representation given here is everywhere convergent. Explicit formulae are given for both the null and the non-central distributions. Earlier results by A. G. Constantine (Ann. Math. Statist. 37 (1966), 215–225), which are convergent on the interval [0, 1), are also derived quite simply from our formulae. The paper therefore provides a solution to the long standing problem of the exact distribution of the T02 statistic in the general case.
Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on heme-heme interaction in aggregate heme and multi-heme systems☆

Abstract EPR studies at low temperature on the ferriheme undecapeptide of cytochrome c at alkaline pH in the aggregate state reveal a quite broadened low-spin heme absorption. Successive cycles of reduction and reoxidation cause a slight change in the aggregate. The g-values of this aggregate are at 3.03, 2.16 and 1.46. Addition of excess imidazole results in the appearance of different broadened low-spin absorption in the aggregate state. A comparison of the EPR spectra of the ferriheme undecapeptide and other multi-heme proteins of similar properties indicates that close proximity of hemes results in rather broadened low-spin heme absorption.
BronzeGate: real-time transactional data obfuscation for GoldenGate

Data privacy laws have appeared recently, such as the HIPAA laws for protecting medical records, and the PCI guidelines for protecting Credit Card information. Data privacy can be defined as maintaining the privacy of Personal Identifiable Information (PII) from unauthorized accessing. PII includes any piece of data that can be used alone, or in conjunction with additional information, to uniquely identify an individual. Examples of such information include national identification numbers, credit card numbers, as well as financial and medical records. Access control methods and data encryption provide a level of data protection from unauthorized access, however, it is not enough; it does not prohibit identity thefts. It was reported that 70% of the data privacy breaches are internal breaches that involve an employee from the enterprise who has access to some training or testing database replica, which contains all the PII. In addition to access control, we need techniques to obfuscate (i.e., mask or dim) the datasets used for training, testing and analysis purposes. A good data obfuscation technique would, among other features, preserve the data usability while protecting its privacy. This challenge is further complicated when real time requirements are added. In this paper we present BronzeGate: Obfuscated GoldenGate, the GoldenGate's real-time solution for transactional data privacy while maintaining data usability. BronzeGate utilizes different obfuscation functions for different data types to securely obfuscate the data, on real-time, while maintaining its statistical characteristics.
Pancreatic panniculitis in a pancreas-kidney transplant patient resolved after immunosuppression increase: Case report and review of literature.

Panniculitides are a group of conditions characterized by inflammation of subcutaneous fat.1 Pancreatic panniculitis is a rare lobular panniculitis that appears in roughly 2% to 3% of patients with pancreatic diseases, such as pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma. Less commonly, pancreatic panniculitis has been reported in transplant patients in association with acute kidney or pancreas allograft rejection.2, 3, 4, 5 Patients often present with tender erythematous nodules, which may drain an oily substance, on the distal lower extremities. Associated symptoms may include acute arthritis, necrosis of abdominal or bone marrow fat, pleural effusions, mesenteric thrombosis, leukemoid reaction, and eosinophilia. The pathogenesis is hypothesized to involve release of pancreatic enzymes, such as lipase, from the inflamed pancreas into the portal and lymphatic circulation and subsequently deposited in distant sites where they hydrolyze subcutaneous fat.
Thermodynamics of adsorbed protein films.

Previous investigation implicated surface charge and surface energy as factors which affect blood clotting. The present paper attempts to explore the theoretical basis for these affects. Expressions are also derived relating change and interfacial tension to the binding constants of the protein. Finally, the possibility of phase transition of the adsorbed protein is discussed and techniques for detecting such changes from adsorption measurements are presented.
Comparison of colostrum feeding by nipple bottle versus oroesophageal tubing in Holstein dairy bull calves

Objective—To compare the apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG and failure of passive transfer of immunity rates between calves fed colostrum by nipple bottle (NB) and oroesophageal tubing (OET). Design—Randomized controlled study. Animals—26 Holstein bull calves (age, 4 to 8 hours). Procedures—Calves were randomly assigned to receive colostrum by either NB or OET. Pooled colostrum was used for feeding each group of calves. Calves received either a maximum of 4 L of colostrum fed through an NB over a period of 20 minutes or an equivalent volume of colostrum fed by OET. Subsequently, a pair of similarly aged calves received similar volumes of colostrum with similar immunoglobulin concentrations. Colostrum was fed only once. Thereafter, calves were fed 2 L of milk replacer every 12 hours. All calves survived to at least 48 hours of age. Serum samples were collected prior to feeding colostrum and at 48 hours of age for determination of serum immunoglobulin concentrations. Results—There were no differences in failure of passive transfer of immunity rates and apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG between calves fed by NB or OET. Volume of colostrum fed was the only significant variable in determining failure of passive transfer of immunity in calves at 48 hours. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Reported advantages and disadvantages of either feeding method are likely to be of minimal practical relevance in achieving adequate passive transfer of immunity in calves when calves are fed a similar volume of colostrum with comparable immunoglobulin concentrations. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2012;241:104–109)
Development and Demonstration of Multidimensional IRT‐Based Internal Measures of Differential Functioning of ltems and Tests

This article defines and demonstrates a framework for studying differential item functioning (DIF) and differential test functioning (DTF) for tests that are intended to be multidimensional The procedure introduced here is an extension of unidimensional differential functioning of items and tests (DFIT) recently developed by Raju, van der Linden, & Fleer (1995). To demonstrate the usefulness of these new indexes in a multidimensional IRT setting, two-dimensional data were simulated with known item parameters and known DIF and DTE The DIF and DTF indexes were recovered reasonably well under various distributional differences of Os after multidimensional linking was applied to put the two sets of item parameters on a common scale. Further studies are suggested in the area of DIF/DTF for intentionally multidimensional tests.
Cellular and genetic aspects of antigenic variation in trypanosomes.

Article de synthese sur differents aspects de la variation antigenique chez les trypanosomes d'Afrique: structure moleculaire, organisation moleculaire et expression des glycoproteines variantes de la surface et de leurs genes
An algorithm for accurate data dependence test

To test if there is a dependence between different iterations in a loop can be converted to checking if there exist integral points in a polyhedron described by a set of linear equations and inequalities. In this paper, a method for accurate data dependence test is proposed. In this method, first, data dependence test problems with any number of linear equations are transformed equivalently to test problems with only one linear equation and constant inequality bounds. Then, a sequence of efficient test methods applicable to test problems with one equation are used in order of their time complexities. If one of those methods succeeds, then stop, if not, a more expensive method is tried. If all those methods do not work, then the tent function method is applied which always gives accurate results. In the proposed tent function method, which is also applicable to any test problems, a nonnegative and piecewise linear function called tent function, is defined on the polyhedron whose minimum value is zero if the polyhedron contains integers. Thus, an integer checking problem is converted to an optimization problem. A piecewise linear program is used to find the minimum value of this tent function. >
Toward a Progression Theory of the Old High German Consonant Shift

The preference for bimoraic stressed syllables in pre-Old High German necessitated the phonological restructuring of syllables with stressed, short vowels either by early implementation of open syllable lengthening (non-shifting dialects north of the Benrath line) or by triggering an autochthonous phonological shift of +t, +p, +k after short vowels (shifting dialects). From there, the OHG dialects “progressed” though the rest of the shift in a largely parallel fashion. Asymmetry of the shift of +-p and +-k and geminate +-pp and +-kk was caused by place bias, however, especially in the Rhenish dialects where tone accents could sometimes delay or block the shift of these segments. The greater susceptibility of the more marked labial and velar affricates (-pf- and −kx-) to weakening limited their later occurrence to dialects outside the Rhineland. The reanalysis of aspirated +t- [th], +p- [ph], +k- [kh] as affricates in initial position was possible only when the corresponding geminate had already shifted, exemplifying both the effects of place bias as well as a kind of phonological reanalysis Blevins (2004) calls “choice.”
Information Security of IPsec-based Mobile VPN: Authentication and Encryption Algorithms Performance

Virtual Private Network (VPN) became one of the most reliable technologies to provide data security - protection, confidentiality, integrity, data origin authentication, replay protection and access control. Effectiveness of mobile VPN (MVPN) depends on multiple factors, including MVPN's selected architectural model, scheme model, topology model, levels of OSI model structure, authentication algorithms, encryption algorithms (ciphers), cipher operation modes, key management protocols, multiple parameters of security protocols, modes of operation and connection modes. This paper presents the outcomes of research project aimed at performance benchmarking of authentication and encryption algorithms for IPsec-based MVPNs.
The Optimal Organization of Serial Memory Transfers

This paper is concerned with the optimal compilation of programs whose function is to transfer words of information from one location in a serial memory to another. The most important optimization tool is the ``timing schedule,'' which facilitates the analysis of various transfer schemes and the determination of the fastest one. The procedure described for optimizing serial transfers is readily programmable for computer execution, and is directly applicable to a general class of transportation problems.
Effect of the Medical Device Legislation on Automation in Medicine

The Medical Device Amendments, passed by Congress in May 1976, provided the Food and Drug Administration with substantial new authority to regulate new and existing medical devices. The term “medical device” is defined as “an instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, contrivance, implant, in vitro reagent, or other similar or related article, including any component, part, or accessory, which is — (1) recognized in the official National Formulary or USP, (2) intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, in man or other animals, or (3) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals, and which does not achieve any of its principal intended purposes through chemical action within or on the body of man or other animals and which is not dependent upon being metabolised for the achievement of any of its principal intended purposes.” All medical devices are classified into one of three regulatory categories. The classification category is designed to enable FDA to exert the amount of regulatory control appropriate to the degree of potential risk associated with the device. Class I devices are subject only to the general controls applicable to all devices. The general control provisions include good manufacturing practices. Class II devices are those for which performance standards will be established. Class III devices are those which must undergo scientific evaluation known as premarket approval. Class II and III devices are also subject to the general controls provisions. All preenactment devices, that is, all devices in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976, the enactment date of the Amendments, have been recommended for classification into one of these three categories. The device Amendments require FDA to establish advisory committees of experts to assist both in the classification of devices and in the review of Premarket Approval Applications. These advisory panels classified over 1,730 generic types of medical devices including automated and computer based equipment. The majority of computer based or computer assisted equipment has been recommended for classification in Class II (Performance Standards). In the pulmonary area, for example, the Anesthesiology Device Classification Panel recommended that pulmonary function test equipment be classified in category II (Performance Standards). Many of the pulmonary function analyzers are computer assisted and regulated as Class II medical devices. It is important to know that a new innovative device for testing parameters of lung functions, such as the lung water computer, may be declared non equivalent to a preenactment device and be required to undergo premarket approval.
Region-Based Stereo Panorama Disparity Adjusting

We describe panoramic stereo immersive image capture and display systems, and techniques for adjusting the perceived stereo effect of 2D regions in the images. We briefly review the image capture model, describe the geometrical parameters and the relevance of horizontal disparity, and describe the stereo panorama synthesis process. The 2D regions are selected by a mean-shift feature space segmentation algorithm and/or user interaction. Finally, we describe a region-based horizontal disparity adjustment method that enhances or reduces the stereo visual effect for selected segmented regions.
Expression of interleukin (IL)-18 and functional IL-18 receptor on human vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and macrophages: implications for atherogenesis.

Although considerable evidence implicates the cytokine interferon (IFN)-γ in atherogenesis, the proximal inducers and the range of sources of its expression remain unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that interleukin (IL)-18 regulates IFN-γ expression during atherogenesis. Indeed, human atheroma in situ expressed IL-18 and elevated levels of its receptor subunits, IL-18Rα/β, compared with nondiseased arterial tissue. IL-18 occurred predominantly as the mature, 18-kD form and colocalized with mononuclear phagocytes (MO), while endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and MO all expressed IL-18Rα/β. Correspondingly in vitro, only MO expressed IL-18, while all three cell types displayed the IL-18Rα/β complex constitutively, exhibiting enhanced expression upon stimulation with LPS, IL-1β, or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. IL-18 signaling evoked effectors involved in atherogenesis, e.g., cytokines (IL-6), chemokines (IL-8), intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAM)-1, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1/-9/-13), demonstrating functionality of the receptor on ECs, SMCs, and MO. Finally, IL-18, particularly in combination with IL-12, induced the expression of IFN-γ in cultured MO and, surprisingly, in SMCs (but not in ECs). The expression of functional IL-18 and IL-18 receptor on human atheroma-associated ECs, SMCs, and MO, and its unexpected ability to induce IFN-γ expression in SMCs, suggests a novel paracrine proinflammatory pathway operating during atherogenesis.
Integration of Propulsion-Airframe-Aeroacoustic Technologies and Design Concepts for a Quiet Blended-Wing-Body Transport

This paper summarizes the results of studies undertaken to investigate revolutionary propulsion-airframe configurations that have the potential to achieve significant noise reductions over present-day commercial transport aircraft. Using a 300 passenger Blended-Wing-Body (BWB) as a baseline, several alternative low-noise propulsion-airframe-aeroacoustic (PAA) technologies and design concepts were investigated both for their potential to reduce the overall BWB noise levels, and for their impact on the weight, performance, and cost of the vehicle. Two evaluation frameworks were implemented for the assessments. The first was a Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) process that used a Pugh Evaluation Matrix coupled with the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). This process provided a qualitative evaluation of the PAA technologies and design concepts and ranked them based on how well they satisfied chosen design requirements. From the results of the evaluation, it was observed that almost all of the PAA concepts gave the BWB a noise benefit, but degraded its performance. The second evaluation framework involved both deterministic and probabilistic systems analyses that were performed on a down-selected number of BWB propulsion configurations incorporating the PAA technologies and design concepts. These configurations included embedded engines with Boundary Layer Ingesting Inlets, Distributed Exhaust Nozzles installed on podded engines, a High Aspect Ratio Rectangular Nozzle, Distributed Propulsion, and a fixed and retractable aft airframe extension. The systems analyses focused on the BWB performance impacts of each concept using the mission range as a measure of merit. Noise effects were also investigated when enough information was available for a tractable analysis. Some tentative conclusions were drawn from the results. One was that the Boundary Layer Ingesting Inlets provided improvements to the BWB's mission range, by increasing the propulsive efficiency at cruise, and therefore offered a means to offset performance penalties imposed by some of the advanced PAA configurations. It was also found that the podded Distributed Exhaust Nozzle configuration imposed high penalties on the mission range and the need for substantial synergistic performance enhancements from an advanced integration scheme was identified. The High Aspect Ratio Nozzle showed inconclusive noise results and posed significant integration difficulties. Distributed Propulsion, in general, imposed performance penalties but may offer some promise for noise reduction from jet-to-jet shielding effects. Finally, a retractable aft airframe extension provided excellent noise reduction for a modest decrease in range.
Intracellular role of adenylyl cyclase in regulation of lateral pseudopod formation during Dictyostelium chemotaxis.

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) functions as the extracellular chemoattractant in the aggregation phase of Dictyostelium development. There is some question, however, concerning what role, if any, it plays intracellularly in motility and chemotaxis. To test for such a role, the behavior of null mutants of acaA, the adenylyl cyclase gene that encodes the enzyme responsible for cAMP synthesis during aggregation, was analyzed in buffer and in response to experimentally generated spatial and temporal gradients of extracellular cAMP. acaA− cells were defective in suppressing lateral pseudopods in response to a spatial gradient of cAMP and to an increasing temporal gradient of cAMP. acaA− cells were incapable of chemotaxis in natural waves of cAMP generated by majority control cells in mixed cultures. These results indicate that intracellular cAMP and, hence, adenylyl cyclase play an intracellular role in the chemotactic response. The behavioral defects of acaA− cells were surprisingly similar to those of cells of null mutants of regA, which encodes the intracellular phosphodiesterase that hydrolyzes cAMP and, hence, functions opposite adenylyl cyclase A (ACA). This result is consistent with the hypothesis that ACA and RegA are components of a receptor-regulated intracellular circuit that controls protein kinase A activity. In this model, the suppression of lateral pseudopods in the front of a natural wave depends on a complete circuit. Hence, deletion of any component of the circuit (i.e., RegA or ACA) would result in the same chemotactic defect.