cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interface effects in plasmon-enhanced second-harmonic generation from self-assembled multilayer films

We have compared the plasmonic enhancement of second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties in two types of ionic self-assembled multilayer (ISAM) films combined with Ag nanoparticles fabricated using nanosphere lithography (NSL). The light-concentrating properties of the Ag particles lead to a marked increase in the NLO efficiencies of thin ISAM films. The induced enhancement is found to be much larger in conventional ISAM films than in films made with the hybrid covalent ISAM technique (HCISAM), even though the latter have a significantly larger intrinsic bulk second-order nonlinear susceptibility (χ(2)). The plasmonic enhancement of NLO effects is shown to be primarily an interface effect due to the short decay length of the plasmon modes. The importance of interface effects in the films has been investigated by surrounding thin ISAM and HCISAM films with NLO-inactive buffer layers, which confirmed the important role played by the interfaces, particularly for the HCISAM films.
Psychophysical estimates of opponent-process response functions

A technique is described that uses scaling judgments of the hue, saturation, and brightness of chromatic stimuli to estimate the response vs luminance functions of the three paired neural systems postulated by the opponent-colors theory. Derived response functions based on the experimental data for one O are presented to illustrate the technique.
Tubulointerstitial disease is a common finding in biopsy specimens of end-stage heart failure patients awaiting heart transplantation

Tubulointerstitial disease is a common finding in biopsy specimens of end-stage heart failure patients awaiting heart transplantation Ladan Golestaneh, MD, MS, Priya P. Deshpande, MD, Coral Parikh, MD, Sandipani Sandilya, MD, and James M. Pullman, MD, PhD From the Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; the Division of Nephrology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York; and the Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
Stress transfer through fully bonded interface of layered materials

Abstract Plane strain elastic theory of stress transfer in multi-layered materials is formulated and is used to investigate the stress distribution of a coating system under a tensile load. When the substrate layer is subjected to a uniaxial load, the load is transferred to the coating through interfacial shearing stress. With the aid of a plane assumption, decoupled governing equations are obtained, and the general solution of the displacement field can be derived for both the coating and the substrate layers. Using the boundary conditions and the interfacial continuities, we obtain a closed-form solution for the elastic fields in both the overlay and the substrate layers, which takes the first-term of a series-form solution. Although the singularity effect of stress at the ends of the interface and loading points cannot be exactly illustrated due to the simplification and assumptions, the proposed formulation provides excellent agreement with the finite element results of the transferred stress in the thickness direction of the coating system. Comparisons with the existing models demonstrate the capability and limitation of the proposed formulation. This theory can serve as a baseline for future fracture analysis, inelastic analysis, and thermomechanical analysis of multi-layered materials.
Update on the bifurcated EXCLUDER endoprosthesis: phase I results

Many devices are being investigated for treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. This report describes the particular characteristics of a next generation modular endograft and the Phase I results in 29 patients. Larger comparative studies are in progress to assess the safety and efficacy of this new design.
Benchmark Torsional Potentials of Building Blocks for Conjugated Materials: Bifuran, Bithiophene, and Biselenophene.

The utility of π-conjugated oligomers and polymers continues to grow, and oligofurans, oligothiophenes, and oligoselenophenes have shown great promise in the context of organic electronic materials. Vital to the performance of these materials is the maintenance of planarity along the conjugated backbone. Consequently, there has been a great deal of work modeling the torsional behavior of these prototypical components of conjugated organic materials both in the gas and condensed phases. Such simulations generally rely on classical molecular mechanics force fields or density functional theory (DFT) potentials. Unfortunately, there is a lack of benchmark quality, converged ab initio torsional potentials for bifuran, bithiophene, and biselenophene against which these lower level theoretical methods can be calibrated. To remedy this absence, we present highly accurate torsional potentials for these three molecules based on focal point analyses. These potentials will enable the benchmarking and parametrization ...
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Abstract Mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome are chronic cutaneous malignancies produced by helper T cells. Sezary syndrome is the leukemic phase of mycosis fungoides, and both variants are currently grouped under the term, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Both disorders have characteristic cutaneous findings and histopathology, but diagnosis can be very difficult in the early phases of the disease. Mycosis fungoides passes through four characteristic stages in its natural history. A simple staging procedure has been devised for these entities based on the extent and type of skin lesions, degree of nodal involvement, and the absence or presence of visceral involvement. The most effective therapies for the mycosis fungoides variant are those directed against the skin itself: total body electron beam radiation; PUVA; and topical nitrogen mustard. Patients in late stage disease usually do not respond well with sustained remissions to these modalities. Those in early stage disease, before the development of tumors, erythroderma and nodal involvement are very responsive to treatment and are potentially curable. Sezary syndrome does not respond well to these therapies. An innovative procedure, extracorporeal photophoresis, holds promise of being an effective therapy for the Sezary syndrome. CTCL has increased 3.2-fold in the past decade. Three hypotheses can be constructed about pathogenesis. The first states that CTCL is a malignancy of helper T cells from the beginning. The second proposes that the disorder begins as a chronic inflammatory process that becomes malignant after chronic stimulation by as-yet-undetermined factors. The third postulate is a hybrid between the first two and explains pathogenesis in terms of an epidermal thymic microenvironment. The goal of this review is to integrate the history, clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and the laboratory studies of the major entities grouped under cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Response to Van Rijn et al.

I was delighted to get such prompt interest in the case report of an infant with an abnormal in utero expansive intracranial process who was diagnosed at 3 months of age with a chronic subdural hematoma (SDH)/effusions.1 As single case reports are meant to provoke thought in a relevant community and bring to light new potentials for differential diagnosis and stimulate a re-examination of long held presumptions and beliefs, I am pleased that this case offering found at least one target audience.
The web of work for technical and managerial employees

Abstract This study examines aspects of the job and off-job lives of technical and managerial employees. A framework for studying parallel dimensions in these two life spheres is developed. Variables include alienation—powerlessness and meaninglessness—and activities—variety, control, social interaction, and purpose. Findings show strong interaction between alienation from work and that experienced from life off the job. Limited relationships between activity dimensions were found. Overall, results suggest that employees' feelings of alienation carry over strongly between the two life spheres but that only limited carry-over occurs between job activities and those away from work. Findings give no support to the compensatory view of relationships between employees' job and off-job lives.
Beneficial cross-protection of allergen-specific immunotherapy on airway eosinophilia using unrelated or a partial repertoire of allergen(s) implicated in experimental feline asthma.

Abstract The study hypothesis was that in experimentally asthmatic cats rush immunotherapy (RIT) using allergens not completely matched with sensitizing allergen(s) would at least partially attenuate the asthmatic phenotype and modulate the aberrant immune response. In phase I, cats sensitized to Bermuda grass allergen (BGA), house dust mite allergen (HDMA) or placebo received BGA RIT. In phase II, cats dually sensitized to BGA and HDMA received RIT using BGA, HDMA or placebo. Efficacy of RIT was assessed using percentage bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) eosinophils. Additionally, a variety of immunologic assays were performed. Eosinophilic airway inflammation significantly decreased over time in asthmatic cats given RIT using sensitizing allergen or unrelated allergen (P
Study of Blade Sweep Effects of Compressor

The three dimensional blading had been used for years in the process of turbomachine designs. In need of turbine blade designs in an efficient manner, the current advancement of CFD technologies allows effective 3D predictions of a complex 3D flow field in turbine blade passages, which can improve the turbine blade performances. Since numerous advantages of 3-D CFD usage had been reported in the open literature, many industries already started to use 3D blading in their turbomachines. In addition, a blade lean and a sweep for the blade design had been also implemented to increase the blade row efficiency. Experimental studies have shown some advantages of these lean and sweep features. Most of the experimental results combine many other features together. However, it is difficult to determine what the effects of different features should be. In this study, detailed numerical analyses were developed and these were used to present the results to gain better understanding of different feature of 3D blading for turbine designers and engineers. Throughout this paper performance impacts on different 3D features are presented and the superiority of the present approach is discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
The Last Spanish Expulsion in Europe: Milan 1565–1597

In 1597 King Philip II of Spain expelled the Jews from Milan at the end of a thirty-year power struggle between secular and religious Italian authorities and Spanish imperial powers. These conflicts reveal that the expulsion followed less from Philip II's personal feelings about the Jews than from his approach to governing and the necessity to preserve and increase his power in Italy. They also expose the fluctuating boundaries of imperial powers in distant territories resistant to accepting them, highlighting both the extent and the limits of Spanish rule in Italy. Examined in detail and in its larger historical context, the case of Milan elucidates the mechanisms of an expulsion, foregrounding the intricate political, financial, and religious issues that led up to the last Spanish expulsion in Europe.
When scientists are adversaries, do participants lose?

In considering questions of the confidentiality of data, courts have focused their inquiry on the interests of litigants and the public, but they have neglected the fundamental privacy interests of participants. Because participants divulge their most private thoughts and experiences in research, involuntary breaches of their confidentiality should be barred. Congress has recongnized this principle in the provision of certificates of confidentiality for mental health research, but ambiguity in the relevant section of the Public Health Service Act renders such protection less strict than Congress intended. Protection of confidentiality should extend beyond litigation to secondary data analysis, when there is a significant risk that participants' identity will be divulged.
The relationship between circadian and hemicircadian components of human endogenous temperature rhythms.

SUMMARY A review of constant routine data from normative and phase-shifted subjects shows that the hemicircadian and circadian components of fitted temperature data are only weakly linked. In these data sets, on average, hemicircadian amplitude is one-third of the circadian amplitude and the hemicircadian minimum occurs 1.7 h earlier than the circadian minimum. However, their variations about these means are largely independent. In addition the hemicircadian component was much less affected by bright light stimuli which strongly reduced the circadian component. The circadian and hemicircadian processes represented in these temperature data correspond to those reported in studies of human sleep/wake propensity.
Rapid liquid–liquid extraction of cocaine from urine for gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric analysis

A novel, simple and economic liquid-liquid extraction method for isolating cocaine from urine was developed utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for analysis and quantification. The use of a single nonpolar organic solvent allowed only nonpolar analytes to be extracted from the biological fluid, and consequently, no derivatization step was necessary before GC-MS analysis. Large numbers of specimens (>60) can be extracted in approximately 3 h with this procedure. The method is highly precise (C.V. 98%), sensitive (limit of detection of 5 ng/ml) and has a mean recovery of 48.8%.
New paper-based photonic azo polymers for recording and retrieval

Photofabrication of surface relief gratings on various polymer films containing azobenzene groups was demonstrated. Large surface modulation (greater than 6000 angstrom) and high diffraction efficiency (greater than 40%) could be obtained under optimal recording conditions. Formation of the surface gratings was observed in both organic and water-soluble azo polymers. We demonstrated the formation of various multiple gratings in a two dimensional format on the same spot by simply controlling the writing wavelength and the writing angle. The resulting surface pattern was a simple superposition of all the interference recording beams regardless of the sequence of the recording. Large surface grating could be created in the polymer film coated on various paper based flexible substrates.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Characterizing the Effects of Air Injection on Compressor Performance for Use in Active Control of Rotating Stall

Previous work has developed an air injection controller for rotating stall based on the idea of a shifting compressor characteristic and the Moore-Greitzer three state compressor model. In order to demonstrate this form of control experimentally, a series of open loop tests were performed to measure the performance characteristics of a low speed axial flow compression system when air is injected upstream of the rotor face. The position of the air injection port relative to the hub and the rotor face and the angle relative to the mean axial flow were varied. The tests show that the injection of air has drastic effects on the stalling mass flow rate and on the size of the hysteresis loop associated with rotating stall. The stalling mass flow rate was decreased by 10% and the hysteresis loop was completely eliminated under some conditions. The results of the open loop parametric study were then used to implement a closed loop control strategy based on a shifting characteristic.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
An Analysis of Students' Photos of the Novelty Space on a Field Trip

This article explores the concept of “novelty space” proposed by Orion and Hofstein (1994) and analyzes U.S. undergraduate students' photographs taken during a 9-week educational field trip. The original novelty space was composed of geographic, psychological, and cognitive domains. This study proposes to incorporate social novelty space as part of the field trip. The self-administered photo spreadsheets, interviews, and survey were completed by student participants. The findings suggest that photographs serve as a behavioral proxy for geographic and cognitive domains but were less evident for psychological and social novelty spaces.
Preparation of a homogeneously dispersed BaTiO3/polymer nanocomposite thin film

Chemical−solution approaches to BaTiO3/polymer composite thin films are susceptible to segregation due to immiscibility between the polymer and the BaTiO3 precursor. Uniform dispersions of BaTiO3 in a polymer matrix were processed by binding a BaTiO3 precursor (titanium diisopropoxide bis(ethylacetoacetate)) to a block copolymer (poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)) before reaction. After spin casting, the films were treated in aqueous solutions of Ba(OH)2 at 80 °C resulting in a BaTiO3/polymer nanocomposite thin film with a uniform dispersion of BaTiO3 particles.
Circadian variation of serum testosterone in the adult male rat with a late morning acrophase.

Serum testosterone concentrations were measured in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. A significant circadian testosterone rhythm (p<0.01) was found with peak values at 10.00 and 13.00 h.
Developmental program of mouse Vα14i NKT cells

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a distinct lymphocyte lineage that regulates immune responses. During their development in the thymus, immature uncommitted double-positive CD4+CD8+ thymocytes that rearrange the semi-invariant T-cell receptor found on mature NKT cells are positively selected by the non-classical MHC class I molecule CD1d, which is expressed at the surface of cortical thymocytes. At this stage, the positively selected cells branch off from the conventional T-cell developmental program and start to acquire activated and/or memory markers and several 'bona fide' NK cell attributes. Recent work has started to reveal the specific developmental requirements for this divergent pathway of differentiation. These include several signal transduction molecules, transcription factors and cytokines, including T-bet, members of the NF-kappaB family, Fyn and IL-15.
Standard Setting as a Participatory Process: Implications for Validation of Standards-Based Accountability Programs.

In standards-based accountability programs, test scores are interpreted with reference to cut scores that establish categories like “proficient” or “below basic.” The meaning of these cut scores is set forth in their associated “performance standards.” Validity arguments for such interpretations require both a criterion-referenced score scale and a legitimate exercise of authority by those who set the standards. Stakeholder participation in a rational and coherent deliberative process is necessary to assure that these conditions are satisfied. This article sets forth a framework for the required validity argument and suggests possible ways to enable such participation. A new standard-setting method, the “briefing book” method, is suggested for possible study.
Principles of high-resolution radar based on nonsinusoidal waves. I. Signal representation and pulse compression

Carrier-free coded waveforms that promise good clutter rejection and high-resolution capabilities for radar are represented as a sequence of positive and negative Gaussian pulses. On the basis of this signal representation, the matched-filter (or correlated receiver) response to carrier-free coded waveforms is analyzed and plotted for certain Barker and complementary codes, complementary-code pairs being the optimum codes for clutter rejection. The systematic design of a carrier-free, pulse-compression radar system is described. A correlator receiver that is specifically designed for the selective reception of complementary-code pairs is presented. Computer simulation results for the correlator receiver are also presented. >
Carrier-current relaying and communication on the TVA system

Carrier pilot relaying and carrier-telephone communication have been installed to meet the difficult requirements of relaying and intrasystem communication on the extensive Tennessee Valley Authority system. Eight power-line carrier-telephone channels which can be interconnected at many points and carrier pilot relaying on 20 high-voltage transmission lines help to expedite the multipurpose operating procedures of the TVA. This article gives reasons for the selection of carrier relaying and communication and presents an analysis of their application, of the difficulties encountered, and of their over-all performance under service conditions.
The association of hydrocephalus with intramedullary spinal cord tumors: a series of 25 patients

171 patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors were operated on, of which 25 patients (15%), mostly children, developed symptomatic hydrocephalus. Twenty patients (12%) had malignant tumors, with 13 of the 20 cases (63%) complicated by increased intracranial pressure and ventriculomegaly. Of the remaining 151 patients with benign tumors (89%), only 12 (8%) developed symptomatic hydrocephalus. In an effort to understand the relationship between hydrocephalus and intramedullary spinal cord tumor, the authors analyze the level and histology of the neoplasm, as well as its association with spinal cysts. A review of the neurosurgical literature reveals that 34 similar cases of hydrocephalus associated with intramedullary spinal cord tumors have been reported to date. The authors note that the presence of hydrocephalus in patients with malignant intramedullary astrocytomas is associated with a shorter rate of survival than in those patients with high-grade lesions but without hydrocephalus, apparently due to rapid tumor progression. The ventriculomegaly seen with benign spinal cord gliomas has no statistically significant effect upon long-term prognosis.
Goal Variability and Perceived Resolvability in Serial Argumentation

A fundamental premise of much interpersonal communication scholarship is that communicators’ goals may change during the course of interaction. Yet, the implications of these changes remain underexplored. This study examines the associations between goal variability and perceived resolvability of serial arguments. Seventy-five heterosexual romantic couples discussed a current serial argument and reported their interaction goals at 1-minute intervals, using a video-recall method. Within-interaction variability in self-focused and relational goals had positive curvilinear (i.e., U-shaped) associations with at least one partner’s perceptions of perceived resolvability in each model tested. This study demonstrates the potential for goal variability to shape global interaction outcomes in the context of relational conflict.
Superior repositioning of the maxilla during growth

Sixteen individuals between the ages of 10 and 16 years who underwent superior surgical repositioning of the maxilla to correct vertical maxillary excess and were followed up for at least one year after surgery were evaluated. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 78 months with a mean of 36.7 months. The effects of subsequent growth on the esthetic, occlusal, and skeletal results achieved immediately following surgery were evaluated through analysis of profile esthetics, dental occlusion, and skeletal changes which occurred from the immediate postoperative period to longest follow-up examination.
Mechanisms to control rereplication and implications for cancer

Recent advances in the replication field have highlighted how the replication initiator proteins are negatively regulated by inhibitor proteins and ubiquitin-mediated degradation in mammalian cells to prevent rereplication. When these regulatory pathways go awry, uncontrolled rereplication ensues and a G2/M checkpoint is evoked to prevent cellular death. Many components of the checkpoints activated by rereplicaton are important for cancer prevention by facilitating DNA damage repair processes. The pathways that prevent rereplication themselves have also recently been implicated in preventing tumorigenesis. Studies from patient tumors, genetically altered mice, and mammalian cell culture suggest that deregulation of replication licensing proteins results in an increase in aneuploidy, chromosomal fusions, and DNA breaks. These studies provide a framework to address how regulators of replication function to maintain genomic stability.
Characterization of side populations in HNSCC: highly invasive, chemoresistant and abnormal Wnt signaling.

Side Population (SP) cells, a subset of Hoechst-low cells, are enriched with stem cells. Originally, SP cells were isolated from bone marrow but recently have been found in various solid tumors and cancer cell lines that are clonogenic in vitro and tumorigenic in vivo. In this study, SP cells from lymph node metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines were examined using flow cytometry and Hoechst 3342 efflux assay. We found that highly metastatic HNSCC cell lines M3a2 and M4e contained more SP cells compared to the low metastatic parental HNSCC cell line 686LN. SP cells in HNSCC were highly invasive in vitro and tumorigenic in vivo compared to non-SP cells. Furthermore, SP cells highly expressed ABCG2 and were chemoresistant to Bortezomib and etoposide. Importantly, we found that SP cells in HNSCC had abnormal activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling as compared to non-SP cells. Together, these findings indicate that SP cells might be a major driving force of head and neck tumor formation and metastasis. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may be an important target for eliminating cancer stem cells in HNSCC.
Chemical oxidation of sulfide to elemental sulfur: its possible role in marsh energy flow

Abstract Elemental sulfur was identified as the predominant material in the surface film or layer commonly observed on water surfaces in Louisiana Gulf coast brackish and salt marshes. Sulfide, which diffuses from a reducing soil environment to oxygen-enriched surface waters and sediment, was shown to be rapidly chemically oxidized to elemental sulfur. This process is hypothesized as a possible pathway for energy flow in coastal marshes.
Intraindividual neuropsychological test variability in healthy individuals with high average intelligence and educational attainment

Knowledge of patterns of neuropsychological performance among normal, healthy individuals is integral to the practice of clinical neuropsychology, because clinicians may not always account for intraindividual variability (IIV) before coming to diagnostic conclusions. The IIV was assessed among a sample of 46 healthy individuals with high average intelligence and educational attainment, utilizing a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) and Wechsler Memory Scale, Fourth Edition (WMS-IV). The data indicated substantial variability in neurocognitive abilities. All participants were found to demonstrate scores considered impaired by at least 2 standard deviations (SDs). Despite adjusting for outliers, no participant produced a “normal” testing profile with an intraindividual maximum discrepancy (MD) of less than 1 SD in either direction. When WAIS-IV Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) was considered, participants generally demonstrated cognitive test s...
Replacement of benzene as a solvent for aflatoxin standards

Cyclohexane, heptane and toluene were evaluated for possible replacement of benzene in the preparation of aflatoxin standard solutions. The results of a 6-month study showed that these solvents can be substituted for benzene, provided they are not unduly exposed to light. The superiority of benzene as a solvent for aflatoxin standards was clearly demonstrated in a test in which these solvent systems containing 5μg B1 /mL, were exposed to daily lighting in the laboratory for 3 months. Complete photodegradation of aflatoxin B1 occurred in the cyclohexane, heptane and toluene systems whereas only a 15% B1 decrease occurred in the benzene system.
Diazepam and human memory: influence on acquisition, retrieval, and state-dependent learning.

Abstract 1. 1. Diazepam's capacity to influence learning and memory processes in man was evaluated using five tasks involving free and cued recall and mental imagery. 2. 2. State-dependent learning was assessed by manipulating the drug condition (diazepam or placebo) during the learning and recall sessions. 3. 3. Results indicated that 0.3 mg/kg diazepam administered orally significantly impaired subjects' ability to learn new material using a variety of procedures. 4. 4. Retrieval of material once learned was not severely impaired by the drug. 5. 5. Some evidence for state dependency was found, but additional studies are required.
Guiding laser-cooled atoms in hollow-core fibers

Laser-cooled atoms from a low-velocity atomic source are guided in a hollow-core optical fiber using the evanescent-wave dipole force from blue-detuned laser light launched into the glass region of the fiber. The transverse velocity of the guided atoms corresponds to a temperature of $50 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}.$ We achieve a maximum flux through a 23.5-cm-long fiber of 590 000 atoms/second with a laser power of 55 mWatts at a detuning of 6 GHz. With larger detunings of 40 GHz, spontaneous emission from the atoms inside the fiber can be suppressed and the atom's internal-state population is preserved. We identify two major loss mechanisms for the guiding process and discuss possible solutions.
Chlorhexidine Gluconate Cleansing Has No Effect on the Structural Properties of Human Patellar Tendon Allografts

Purpose If an anterior cruciate ligament graft somehow becomes contaminated intraoperatively, soaking it in 4% chlorhexidine gluconate has been shown to be the most popular and efficacious method for sterilization before implantation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a chlorhexidine soak on the structural properties of human patellar tendon allografts. Methods Sixteen human patellar tendon allografts were randomly split into 2 groups of 8. Grafts in 1 group were soaked in 4% chlorhexidine gluconate for 30 minutes, and the other grafts were kept moist in normal saline–soaked gauze. Data on preload width, preload thickness, elongation, ultimate tensile load, and stiffness were obtained through measurement and mechanical testing of the grafts. Results Graft donor ages ranged from 29 to 43 years. There was no difference in the mean values of graft dimensions of the chlorhexidine-exposed group versus the normal saline–exposed group before mechanical testing (width of 9.48 mm v 9.56 mm, P = .89; thickness of 4.01 mm v 4.57 mm, P = .34). Graft elongation was not statistically different between the groups (2.52 mm v 1.43 mm, P = .27). No statistically significant difference was noted between the ultimate tensile load (2,219 N v 1,878 N, P = .36) or stiffness (274.3 N/mm v 297.0 N/mm, P = .63) of the grafts in both groups. Conclusions Structural properties of human patellar tendon allografts are not significantly affected by soaking in 4% chlorhexidine gluconate for 30 minutes. Clinical Relevance Surgeons wishing to treat an inadvertently contaminated graft intraoperatively with 4% chlorhexidine may do so without concern that such treatment will impact graft strength.
A Multi-Kilowatt Immersion-Cooled Standard Electronic Clamshell Module for Future Aircraft Avionics

A new type of immersion cooled module, the BTPFL-C2, was developed for thermal management of future high flux avionics while conforming to the geometrical constraints of existing military modules and avionic enclosures. The BTPFL-C2 houses two circuit boards separated by a flow distribution plate and employs two sleeveless quick connection coolant couplers. The flow distribution plate supplies the coolant inside the module into parallel narrow channels formed between the distribution plate and the surfaces of the chips. Theoretical predictions of the thermal performance of the BTPFL-C2 were substantiated by experimental data using a test module populated with ten chips. Increasing the coolant subcooling at the module inlet was found to decrease pressure drop across the module, decrease the coolant flow rate requirements, and extend the upper cooling limit of the BTPFL-C2. These results reveal the BTPFL-C2 is capable of dissipating an order of magnitude more heat than today’s most advanced avionic module. At an inlet subcooling of 40.3°C, the BTPFL-C2 could dissipate over 3000 W using only about 0.051 kg/s (0.50 gpm) of Fluorinert FC-72 and a pressure drop of only 2.8 kPa (0.41 psi).
Second harmonic generation from tetragonal centrosymmetric crystals

We present a phenomenological theory of second harmonic generation (SHG) from tetragonal centrosymmetric crystals. It includes the lowest order bulk response, which is of electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole symmetry, and the lowest order surface response, which is of electric dipole symmetry. Based on the symmetry properties of the nonlinear response tensor, complete expressions are obtained for the SHG expected in reflection from a crystal with a (001) surface orientation. We suggest experimental configurations that can be used to extract particular tensor elements. We find that dichroism is present in SHG from tetragonal centrosymmetric crystals, although the crystal is not chiral.
First Report of Cephaleuros virescens in Arkansas and Its Occurrence on Cultivated Blackberry in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Blackberry (Rubus sp.) cane samples (cultivar Navaho) showing disease symptoms were collected from a commercial grower in Texarkana, AR, and sent for diagnosis to the plant disease clinic in Lonoke in June, 1997. Cane symptoms consisted of stem cracking, tissue discoloration beneath the bark, and the presence of an orange, velvetlike growth that was identified as sporangiophores and sporangia of the parasitic green alga Cephaleuros virescens Kunze. Zoospores were released when sporangia were placed in water drops. The alga was isolated from infected canes on potato dextrose agar, but pathogenicity tests were not attempted because pathogenicity has never been demonstrated successfully, nor have zoospores been produced in culture. C. virescens also was found infecting cultivated blackberry at the Louisiana Calhoun Research Station, where it occurred more commonly on thornless than on thorned type cultivars. This parasitic alga occurs commonly along the U.S. Gulf Coast and has been recorded on 287 plant spec...
Is Pneumocystis a Plant

Abstract Pneumocystis, an AIDS-associated opportunistic pathogen of the lung has some unusual features. This article focuses on work done by my group to understand the organism's distinct sterols. Although Pneumocystis is closely related to fungi, it lacks the major fungal sterol, ergosterol. Several Δ7 24-alkysterols synthesized by P. carinii are the same as those reported in some basidiomycete rust fungi. The 24-alkylsterols are synthesized by the action of S-adenosyl-l-methionine:C-24 sterol methyl transferase (SAM:SMT). Fungal SAM:SMT enzymes normally transfer only one methyl group to the C-24 position of the sterol side chain and the cells accumulate C28 24-alkylsterols. In contrast, the P. carinii SAM:SMT and those of some plants catalyze one or two methyl transfer reactions producing both C28 and C29 24-alkylsterols. However, unlike most fungi, plants, and the kinetoplastid flagellates Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi, P. carinii does not appear to form double bonds at C-5 of the sterol nucleus and...
Partial denaturation of thymine- and 5-bromouracil-containing λ DNA in alkali

An electron microscopic examination of λ DNA, partially denatured at high pH, shows that the sections which denature first are at the same positions as those previously observed for λ DNA partially denatured by heat. A similar study of BU†-labeled λ DNA shows the A·BU-rich regions to be situated at similar positions along the molecule to the A·T-rich regions in normal λ DNA, but it also shows that the A·BU-rich regions melt out at a lower pH. Details of a modification to the protein film technique are given in the Materials and Methods section.
Performance of multiuser detection for optical CDMA .II. Asymptotic analysis

For pt.I see ibid., vol.43. no.11, p.2803-2811 (1995). This paper presents characterizations of optimum multiuser detection in intensity-modulation direct-detection CDMA channels based on asymptotic analysis of simple bounds on optimum performance. Technical difficulties in applying large deviation techniques to the evaluation of asymptotic multiuser efficiencies are rigorously addressed. These same difficulties also lead to the derivation of conditions under which the linear multiuser detection achieves known-interference (hence, optimum) performance. Asymptotic analysis of the conventional correlation receiver, including derivation of the optimal decision threshold for on-off signaling formats, is also presented.
Age-dependent modulation of synaptic plasticity and insulin mimetic effect of lipoic acid on a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that entails impairments of memory, thinking and behavior and culminates into brain atrophy. Impaired glucose uptake (accumulating into energy deficits) and synaptic plasticity have been shown to be affected in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This study examines the ability of lipoic acid to increase brain glucose uptake and lead to improvements in synaptic plasticity on a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (3xTg-AD) that shows progression of pathology as a function of age; two age groups: 6 months (young) and 12 months (old) were used in this study. 3xTg-AD mice fed 0.23% w/v lipoic acid in drinking water for 4 weeks showed an insulin mimetic effect that consisted of increased brain glucose uptake, activation of the insulin receptor substrate and of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Lipoic acid supplementation led to important changes in synaptic function as shown by increased input/output (I/O) and long term potentiation (LTP) (measured by electrophysiology). Lipoic acid was more effective in stimulating an insulin-like effect and reversing the impaired synaptic plasticity in the old mice, wherein the impairment of insulin signaling and synaptic plasticity was more pronounced than those in young mice.
Measuring sexual aggression perpetration in college men: a comparison of two measures

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to provide a comparison of rates of self-reported sexual aggression perpetration obtained using two different measures - a version of the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES; Abbey et al, 2007; Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987) and the Sexual Strategies Scale (SSS, Strang, et al, 2013; Struckman-Johnson, Struckman-Johnson, & Anderson, 2003). We also examined the psychometric structure of each measure using Rasch model item analysis (Rasch, 1966). METHOD: Two equivalent cohorts of entering freshman males (N = 994 and N = 1043) from a large northeastern university completed online measures at the end of their first semester. RESULTS: Identical proportions of men reported using intoxication strategies (3%) and physical force (1%) during the past semester on both measures. However, more men reported verbal strategies on the SSS (7.8%) compared with the SES (3.7%), even when restricting to equivalent items. Rasch analysis suggested that the SSS conformed better to a unidimensional continuum of perpetration severity than the SES; however, Rasch analysis did not provide definitive support for either a tactic - based (SSS) nor a tactic plus outcome- based (SES) hierarchy. CONCLUSIONS: Both measures functioned adequately. However, the SSS may be preferred for its better Rasch properties, better assessment of the less severe tactics, and simpler wording. Language: en
Slanket: Responding to Snuggie's Market Entry (TN)

How does a pioneer in a new product category deal with the runaway success of a follower? Can search engine marketing and social media help? In 2008 Slanket CEO Gary Clegg found that his product, a blanket with sleeves, had been eclipsed by The Snuggie, another sleeved blanket. Snuggie made a brazen entry into the market with a $10 million spend on television infomercials. The Snuggie quickly became a pop culture phenomenon, talked about on popular television programs such as Oprah and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and paid mock tribute to on web sites such as YouTube, where hundreds of video parodies could be found. Clegg had been counting on building his Slanket brand. Will the coming of Snuggie mean the end of Slanket?
Education and Smoking: Confounding or Effect Modification by Phenotypic Personality Traits?

Little is known about whether educational gradients in smoking patterns can be explained by financial measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and/or personality traits. To assess whether the relationship of education to (1) never smoking and (2) having quit smoking would be confounded by financial measures of SES or by personality; whether lower Neuroticism and higher Conscientiousness would be associated with having abstained from or quit smoking; and whether education effects were modified by personality. Using data from the Midlife Development in the US National Survey, 2,429 individuals were classified as current (n = 695), former (n = 999), or never (n = 735) smokers. Multinomial logistic regressions examined study questions. Greater education was strongly associated with both never and former smoking, with no confounding by financial status and personality. Never smoking was associated with lower Openness and higher Conscientiousness, while have quit was associated with higher Neuroticism. Education interacted additively with Conscientiousness to increase and with Openness to decrease the probability of never smoking. Education and personality should be considered unconfounded smoking risks in epidemiologic and clinical studies. Educational associations with smoking may vary by personality dispositions, and prevention and intervention programs should consider both sets of factors.
Quantitative Analysis of the Loss of Distinction Between Gray and White Matter in Comatose Patients After Cardiac Arrest

Background and Purpose—Anecdotal reports suggest that a loss of distinction between gray (GM) and white matter (WM) as adjudged by CT scan predicts poor outcome in comatose patients after cardiac arrest. To address this, we quantitatively assessed GM and WM intensities at various brain levels in comatose patients after cardiac arrest. Methods—Patients for whom consultation was requested within 24 hours of a cardiac arrest were identified with the use of a computerized database that tracks neurological consultations at our institution. Twenty-five comatose patients were identified for whom complete medical records and CT scans were available for review. Twenty-five consecutive patients for whom a CT scan was interpreted as normal served as controls. Hounsfield units (HUs) were measured in small defined areas obtained from axial images at the levels of the basal ganglia, centrum semiovale, and high convexity area. Results—At each level tested, lower GM intensity and higher WM intensity were noted in comatos...
Behavior of a parasitic supergain two-element array in a dielectric 1

Electrically small driven and parasitic supergain two-element arrays have previously been presented [1]-[7], including the effects of achieving higher gain in parasitic arrays by varying the element spacing and frequency [1]-[3]. It has also been shown that shifting the parasitic array's frequency, for a given element spacing, can create a current phase difference closer to that which produces the maximum supergain with the fully-driven supergain array at the same element spacing [2]. This technique thereby increases the parasitic array's supergain, provided that the elements themselves have a sufficiently low Q to accommodate the frequency shift. It has also been shown, both computationally and experimentally, that immersion of electrically small antennas in dielectrics decreases their resonant frequency, making them “electrically smaller” [8,9].
A Two and Six-Hour Pregnancy Test1

AFTER their meritorious work on the detection of gonad-stimulating substances in the urine of pregnant women, Aschheim and Zondek proposed the first accurate test for pregnancy. The test is based upon the fact that, following the injection of urinary gonadotropins (which increase sharply 2 to 3 weeks after conception) into immature female mice, hemorrhagic follicles or “blutpunkten” occur in the ovaries. The A-Z test was soon modified by Friedman so that the isolated female rabbit was used for the test animal (2). The accuracy of the A-Z test or the Friedman modification is beyond doubt the highest of the many pregnancy diagnostic tests. Other pregnancy tests or modifications of the A-Z test have been offered simply because of the relative inconvenience of the original procedure and the Friedman modification. Although the Friedman test is the most widely accepted and used and is more applicable than the immature mouse test, nevertheless, it has some undesirable features, namely, the expense involved and d...
All Optical Interface for Parallel, Remote, and Spatiotemporal Control of Neuronal Activity

A key technical barrier to furthering our understanding of complex neural networks has been the lack of tools for the simultaneous spatiotemporal control and detection of activity in a large number of neurons. Here, we report an all-optical system for achieving this kind of parallel and selective control and detection. We do this by delivering spatiotemporally complex optical stimuli through a digital micromirror spatiotemporal light modulator to cells expressing the light-activated ionotropic glutamate receptor (LiGluR), which have been labeled with a calcium dye to provide a fluorescent report of activity. Reliable and accurate spatiotemporal stimulation was obtained on HEK293 cells and cultured rat hippocampal neurons. This technique should be adaptable to in vivo applications and could serve as an optical interface for communicating with complex neural circuits.
ESTIMATING SURFACE NORMALS IN NOISY POINT CLOUD DATA

In this paper we describe and analyze a method based on local least square fitting for estimating the normals at all sample points of a point cloud data (PCD) set, in the presence of noise. We study the effects of neighborhood size, curvature, sampling density, and noise on the normal estimation when the PCD is sampled from a smooth curve in ℝ2 or a smooth surface in ℝ3, and noise is added. The analysis allows us to find the optimal neighborhood size using other local information from the PCD. Experimental results are also provided.
Criticality-based analysis and design of unstructured peer-to-peer networks as "Complex systems"

Due to enormous complexity of the unstructured peer-to-peer networks as large-scale, self-configure, and dynamic systems, the models used to characterize these systems are either inaccurate, because of oversimplification, or analytically inapplicable, due to their high complexity. By recognizing unstructured peer-to-peer networks as "complex systems ", we employ statistical models used before to characterize complex systems for formal analysis and efficient design of peer-to-peer networks. We provide two examples of application of this modeling approach that demonstrate its power. For instance, using this approach we have been able to formalize the main problem with normal flooding search, propose a remedial approach with our probabilistic flooding technique, and find the optimal operating point for probabilistic flooding rigorously, such that it improves scalability of the normal flooding by 99%.
Host factors that control long terminal repeat retrotransposons in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: implications for regulation of mammalian retroviruses.

Retroviruses comprise a distinct group of enveloped RNA viruses that replicate by reverse transcribing their RNA genomes to form a DNA copy within a viral core particle. The DNA copy, or cDNA, is then integrated into the host genome. The integrated proviral DNA is transcribed by RNA polymerase II (