cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory of phenomenological models and measurements of the fluctuating output of CW magnetrons

A macroscopic theory yielding the significant parameters which describe the coherent and incoherent output of a CW magnetron(e.g., modulation and "pushing" factors, bandwidths, carrier and noise levels, modulation indices, etc.) is outlined. Also described is the theory on which measurement of these descriptive parameters depends, as it is closely related to the interpretation of the data from which the defining parameters of the phenomenological model are obtained. It is shown that the most satisfactory general model of CW operation is that of a carrier or primary oscillation simultaneously amplitude-and angle-modulated by a band of shot or "primary" noise and accompanied by a background noise essentially incoherent with the modulated carrier. The chief effect is produced by the mechanism of angle-modulation, which even for relatively noisy tubes occurs with a very low modulation index; the amplitude-modulation, while normally weak, can not be neglected and must be included in the analysis. A technique of direct measurement, employing a wave-guide filter and crystal detector for input waves of the above type, is briefly described, and it is shown how the descriptive parameters of the magnetron model may be observed experimentally. Particular attention is paid to the approximations and assumptions involved, and the theory is illustrated with a number of representative data from a standard magnetron; applications of this general approach to other microwave sources are briefly considered.
Exact computation of group delay and its sensitivities using adjoint-network concept

The exact calculation of the group delay and its derivatives is described for active or passive lumped and/or distributed networks. Two simple examples are included to illustrate the application of the method.
High-field, variable-temperature mössbauer effect measurement on oxyhemeproteins

Abstract We measured Mossbauer spectra of human oxyhemoglobin, its isolated beta chains, and of oxymyoglobin from horse and sperm whale in field of 4 or 6 T between 4.2 and 200 K in order to characterize the electronic state of the oxyheme complex. Diamagnetic sodium nitroprusside measured under the same conditions served as a control. The spectra of all compounds are reproduced adequately by a model that assumes a diamagnetic iron and treats the quadrupole splitting, the asymmetry parameter and the Mossbauer linewidth as adjustable parameters. The results provide no indication in the oxyhemeproteins of the excited triplet state that was postulated by Cerdonio and co-workers (Cerdonio, M., Congiu-Castellano, A., Mogno, F., Pispisa, B., Romani, G.L. and Vitale, S. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 398–400) on the basis of susceptibility measurements on oxyhemoglobin.
Synthesis of Gamma-globulin in the New-born Rabbit

EVIDENCE to be presented here indicates that the normal new-born rabbit is capable of synthesizing γ-globulin. The fact that synthesis of γ-globulin is possible by the time of birth was first suggested by Deichmiller and Dixon1. These workers demonstrated incorporation of sulphur-35 amino-acids into γ-globulins of 2-day-old animals at about l/36th the rate of adult rabbits when calculated per unit body-weight. Isolation of the γ-globulins was accomplished by starch-block electrophoresis. However, during this period of life, the rates of incorporation of amino-acids into β- and α-globulins were found to approximate those of adult animals. Thus, it seemed possible that slight contamination by the other plasma components of high specific activity could have accounted for these results. Therefore, the problem has been re-examined in our laboratory.
The South Italian Family Revisited

Piecing together evidence from the historian, the archivist, the political scientist, and the ethnographer, Dr. Moss, in the C.S.A.S. Distinguished Lecture, describes the changing southern Italian family. In this brief essay he describes the traditional family as one adapted to a medieval feudal society that must now face the task of adjusting to an urban and industrialized society. The question of the survival of the unit is left unaswered but the reader is left with a real understanding of the dynamics of family life in South Italy; both yesterday and today.
Chemical-Genetic Screen Identifies Riluzole as an Enhancer of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Melanoma

To identify new protein and pharmacological regulators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, we used a cell-based reporter assay to screen a collection of 1857 human-experienced compounds for their ability to enhance activation of the β-catenin reporter by a low concentration of WNT3A. This identified 44 unique compounds, including the FDA-approved drug riluzole, which is presently in clinical trials for treating melanoma. We found that treating melanoma cells with riluzole in vitro enhances the ability of WNT3A to regulate gene expression, to promote pigmentation, and to decrease cell proliferation. Furthermore riluzole, like WNT3A, decreases metastases in a mouse melanoma model. Interestingly, siRNAs targeting the metabotropic glutamate receptor, GRM1, a reported indirect target of riluzole, enhance β-catenin signaling. The unexpected regulation of β-catenin signaling by both riluzole and GRM1 has implications for the future uses of this drug.
A Drosophila Model for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Reveals Motor Neuron Damage by Human SOD1

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease that leads to loss of motor function and early death. About 5% of cases are inherited, with the majority of identified linkages in the gene encoding copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Strong evidence indicates that the SOD1 mutations confer dominant toxicity on the protein. To provide new insight into mechanisms of ALS, we have generated and characterized a model for familial ALS in Drosophila with transgenic expression of human SOD1. Expression of wild type or disease-linked (A4V, G85R) mutants of human SOD1 selectively in motor neurons induced progressive climbing deficits. These effects were accompanied by defective neural circuit electrophysiology, focal accumulation of human SOD1 protein in motor neurons, and a stress response in surrounding glia. However, toxicity was not associated with oligomerization of SOD1 and did not lead to neuronal loss. These studies uncover cell-autonomous injury by SOD1 to motor neurons in vivo, as well as non-autonomous effects on glia, and provide the foundation for new insight into injury and protection of motor neurons in ALS.
InGaAs/GaAsP/AlGaAs, deep-well, quantum-cascade light-emitting structures grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract InGaAs/GaAsP/AlGaAs strain-compensated, deep-well quantum-cascade (QC) structures have been grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The structures were evaluated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and fabricated into narrow-ridge QC light emitters for electroluminescence characterization. The HRXRD patterns and cross-sectional TEM images show that well-controlled InGaAs/GaAsP/AlGaAs QC structures can be achieved via MOCVD growth. To characterize highly strained InGaAs quantum wells (QWs) two approaches were taken: (1) In 0.3 Ga 0.7 As/Al 0.8 Ga 0.2 As resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) were fabricated, which demonstrated high peak-to-valley ratios (∼3) at room temperature (RT) and (2) In 0.3 Ga 0.7 As/Al 0.7 Ga 0.3 As QW infrared (IR) absorption samples were designed and grown, which, demonstrated narrow (24 meV full-width at half-maximum—(FWHM)) absorption spectra at RT. By lowering the growth temperature to 580 °C, high-quality X-ray spectra and RTD action were obtained from the In 0.4 Ga 0.6 As/Al 0.8 Ga 0.2 As structures proposed to be used for QC -laser emission in the 4–5 μm range. Narrow-ridge QC structures demonstrated narrow-linewidth electroluminescence spectra indicative of optical gain at 6.7 μm.
The Late Effects of Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) on Thyroid Function

Thyroid function studies were followed prospectively in 25 patients, all long-term (>1 year) survivors of BMT. There were 13 males and 12 females, ages 0.9-22.5 years (mean 11.7). 21 of 25 patients received 750 R either total body (10) or total lymphoid (11) irradiation as a single dose plus cyclophosphamide as prep for BMT. 10/21 irradiated patients had received additional chemotherapy prior to BMT. 4 patients received only chemotherapy and no irradiation as prep for BMT. Thyroid function was normal pre-BMT in 11/11. Duration of follow-up ranged from 0.75-4.5 years (mean 2.0 years). 8 of 21 (38%) irradiated patients developed biochemical evidence of thyroid failure, 6-20 (mean 13.2) mos after BMT; 7 had elevated TSH (>6μU/ml) with normal T4 index (5-10.5) and 1 had elevated TSH (30μU/ml) combined with a low T4 index (3.8). Among the 7 patients with only an elevated TSH, 4 have had subsequent TSH values in the normal range during an 8-33 mos period, whereas 3 have had persistently elevated values. Thyroid function abnormalities did not correlate with age when irradiated, type of radiation or previous chemotherapy. Thyroid studies have remained normal in the 4 patients treated with chemotherapy alone. These results indicate the need for careful monitoring of thyroid function after single dose radiation for BMT. Since some abnormalities appear to be transient, replacement, replacement therapy may not be indicated in these individuals.
When Are Commercial Loans Secured

We analyze the factors that influence the decision to secure a commercial loan. We find evidence that variables reflecting adverse selection, moral hazard, and the prospects for default all affect the likelihood a loan will be collateralized. We find no evidence in favor of the predictions of certain theoretical models that high-quality firms signal by providing collateral. Our results also show that lenders with less risk protection in the form of equity capital are more likely to require collateral, but that banks themselves are less likely to secure loans than nonbanks. Certain loan characteristics also influence the collateralization decision.
Phenotypic gender in sex changing dwarf ginseng, Panax trifolium (Araliaceae).

Dwarf ginseng (Panax trifolium L., Araliaceae) is a diphasic ("sex changing") species in which one phase has staminate flowers and the other has hermaphroditic flowers. In order to determine the relative allocations of the hermaphroditic gender phase to male and female functions,variation in population gender phase ratios, pollen production and viability, and ovule and seed production were documented. Gender phase ratios are highly male-biased. Dwarf ginseng is self-compatible, and both gender phases have viable pollen capable of effecting fertilization. Males produce more flowers and more viable pollen per anther than hermaphrodites. The phenotypic gender of hermaphrodites is extremely female-biased; it is likely that hermaphrodites function essentially as females. Sexual selection may have a role in the evolution and maintenance of differences between the gender phases in allocation to male function.
Aspects of reproduction, early life history, and biology of macrourid fishes off Oregon, U.S.A.

Abstract Egg sizes, fecundities, times of spawning, early benthic life, size frequency, and distribution by sex and size are described for some of the four most common macrourid species off Oregon: Coryphaenoides acrolepis, C. armatus, C. filifer and C. leptolepis . Sizes of eggs at comparable developmental stages from different species were quite different. Average fecundities ranged about 26,000 to 2,500,000 eggs. C. acrolepis and C. filifer may spawn semi-annually. Juveniles of the three sympatric species, C. armatus, C. filifer , and C. leptolepis , become benthic in habit at different sizes. Different mouth size of each species may minimize competition for food. Size frequency distributions were either unimodal ( C. filifer, C. armatus ) or bimodal ( C. acrolepis, C. leptolepis ). However, small C. filifer were rarely collected suggesting that they remain pelagic longer than the young of other species. C. armatus and C. leptolepis were ‘bigger-deeper’, but the trend was not evident in the other two species. Sex ratios also differed: male C. armatus and C. leptolepis were less abundant than females, although their proportion increased with distance offshore. Numbers of males and females were about equal in C. acrolepis and C. filifer . Little evidence for the existence of sexual segregation was found. The liver apparently serves as a buoyancy mechanism in large C. armatus .
Finding the depth of magnetic brain stimulation: a re-evaluation

Abstract The depth of threshold magnetic nerve stimulation can be estimated by using thresholds from two different-sized stimulus coils and plotting their induced electric field vs. depth profiles. Stimulation is presumed to take place where the two field profiles are equal. If the two coils have unequal inductances, however, there is a relative shift in threshold between coils that alters the intersection point and the apparent stimulus depth. This systematic error arises from two sources: (1) there is a difference in the fraction of stimulator energy reaching each coil, and (2) pulse durations are different, causing threshold shifts governed by the nerve strength-duration curve. Both sources of error are additive. If the larger coil has the lesser inductance, stimulus depth is underestimated; if it has the greater inductance, it is overestimated. This can lead to large disparities in the measured depth, depending on the sets of coils used. In this paper, we show how to correct for errors introduced by unequal inductance and how this resolves discrepancies in depth measurement. Our own depth measurements in the motor area for threshold finger movements, and recalculated depths from Epstein et al., indicate that stimulation is slightly deeper (18–21 mm, average 19 + mm) than previously thought. This suggests that threshold magnetic stimulation in the motor area may arise from large, tangentially oriented fibers in the superficial white matter, or in the gray matter at the upper sulcus or lip of the gyrus.
Bubble formation at a submerged orifice in reduced gravity

The dynamic regime of gas injection through a circular plate orifice into an ideally wetting liquid is considered, when successively detached bubbles may be regarded as separate identities. In normal gravity and at relatively low gas flow rates, a growing bubble is modeled as a spherical segment touching the orifice perimeter during the whole time of its evolution. If the flow rate exceeds a certain threshold value, another stage of the detachment process takes place in which an almost spherical gas envelope is connected with the orifice by a nearly cylindrical stem that lengthens as the bubble rises above the plate. The bubble shape resembles then that of a mushroom and the upper envelope continues to grow until the gas supply through the stem is completely cut off. Such a stage is always present under conditions of sufficiently low gravity, irrespective of the flow rate. Two major reasons make for bubble detachment: the buoyancy force and the force due to the momentum inflow into the bubble with the injected gas. The former force dominates the process at normal gravity whereas the second one plays a key role under negligible gravity conditions. It is precisely this fundamental factor that conditions the drastic influence on bubble growth and detachment that changes in gravity are able to cause. The frequency of bubble formation is proportional to and the volume of detached bubbles is independent of the gas flow rate in sufficiently low gravity, while at normal and moderately reduced gravity conditions the first variable slightly decreases and the second one almost linearly increases as the flow rate grows. Effects of other parameters, such as the orifice radius, gas and liquid densities, and surface tension are discussed.
Gaia: enabling active spaces

Ubiquitous computing promotes physical spaces with hundreds of specialized embedded devices that increase our productivity, alleviate some specific everyday tasks and provide new ways of interacting with the computational environment. Because the computational environment is spread across the physical space, personal computers lose the focus of attention. Therefore, the users' view of the computational environment is finally extended beyond the physical limits of the computer. Physical spaces become computer systems, or in other terms, Active Spaces. However, these Active Spaces require novel system software capable of seamlessly coordinating their hidden complexity. Our goal is to extend the model provided by current computer systems to allow interaction with physical spaces and their contained entities (physical and virtual) by means of a single abstraction called Active Space.
The Meaning of Punishment: Inmates' Orientation to the Prison Experience

This article examines inmates' perceptions of sentencing intents (e.g., deterrence, rehabilitation, incapacitation, and retribution). Two prison populations are sampled: 114 minimum security and 111 maximum security federal prisoners. Four months following admission, subjects were surveyed about their perceptions of their prison experience. The authors examine (a) inmates' identification with sentencing intents; (b) the interrelationships among these orientations; and (c) factors associated with the orientations. Results find inmates in both samples either adhered to several orientations, accepting notions of rehabilitation while also finding prison to be a deterrent, deserved, and a reparation, or they saw no purpose to the prison sanction. Multivariate analyses, for penitentiary inmates, found that inmates most likely to focus on rehabilitation were non-White, young, unemployed at the time of their arrest, and not entrenched in crime as a lifestyle. Older, White, inmates, and those employed at arrest, w...
Separation and determination of α-amino acids by boroxazolidone formation

Reaction of an alpha-amino acid (alpha-AA) with 1,1-diphenylborinic acid (DPBA) leads to the formation of a kinetically stable adduct at pH 2-5 in which both the alpha-amino and the alpha-carboxyl groups are bound to boron forming a cyclic mixed anhydride termed a boroxazolidone. In this adduct, the greater than N:B bond is coordinate, involving the free electron pair of nitrogen, thereby satisfying the octet rule for the second electron shell of boron (Group IIIA). Consequently, the alpha-amino function of the boroxazolidone can be primary, secondary, or tertiary, as demonstrated by boroxazolidone formation with glycine, N-methylglycine, and N,N-dimethylglycine. On reaction with DPBA, the alpha-AA moiety of N-terminal gamma-glutamyl peptides is also derivatized as demonstrated by the formation of a glutathione boroxazolidone. The 1,1-diphenylboroxazolidone adducts of alpha-AA may be separated by reversed-phase (RP)-HPLC (AA-DPBA/RP-HPLC) enabling the derivatization procedure to be used as a precolumn reaction for alpha-AA analysis. Under the conditions we describe here, DPBA is not stably reactive with the epsilon-amino group of lysine. Furthermore, it does not complex with amide bonds of the peptide backbone or to any side chains of the common amino acids. Reaction of an alpha-AA mixture with DPBA, followed by RP-HPLC (AA-DPBA/RP-HPLC) is then a simple method by which to analyze alpha-AA in a mixture with peptides and amines. Precolumn reaction with DPBA may be used to separate peptides from alpha-AA and from those peptides which contain an alpha-AA moiety. Unreacted peptides are bound only weakly to the HPLC column and thus are separated from reacted alpha-amino acids which are retained as 1,1-diphenylboroxazolidones until their selective elution. This method is particularly suited for the analysis of alpha-amino acids that are derived from post-translational modification of protein side chains.
Transverse strengths and failure mechanisms in Ti3Al matrix composites

Abstract Transverse mechanical properties have been measured, and damage mechanisms identified, in three Ti3Al matrix composites with different interface compositions and residual stress states. Two of the composites contained SiC fibers with weak interfaces. Large improvements in transverse strength and rupture strain were found in one of these composites, in which brittle reaction products in the matrix around the fibers had been avoided by coating the fibers with Ag and Ta before consolidation. The third composite contained sapphire fibers that were strongly bonded to the matrix. Different damage mechanisms were observed in the strongly and weakly bonded composites. Insight into the damage mechanisms and their dependence on residual stress fields and interface properties is gained from comparison of the observations with analytical solutions of elastic stresses. The conditions for optimum transverse properties are discussed; the results indicate that strong interfacial bonding does not necessarily lead to optimum transverse strength of the composite.
High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of ondansetron enantiomers in human serum using a reversed-phase cellulose-based chiral stationary phase and solid-phase extraction

A stereospecific HPLC method was developed for the assay of R-(−)- and S-(+)-ondansetron enantiomers in human serum. The method involves the use of solid-phase extraction for sample clean-up and is also free of interference from 6-hydroxyondansetron, 7-hydroxyondansetron and 8-hydroxyondansetron, the three major metabolites of ondansetron. Chromatographic resolution of the enantiomers was performed on a reversed-phase cellulose-based chiral column (Chiralcel OD-R) under isocratic conditions using a mobile phase consisting of 0.7 M sodium perchlorate–acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) at a flow-rate of 0.5 ml/min. Recoveries at 200 ng/ml levels were more than 90% for both ondansetron enantiomers. Intra-day and inter-day precisions calculated as R.S.D.s were in the 0.3–5% and 2–8% ranges for both enantiomers, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies calculated as percent error were in the 0.3–11.5% and 0–3% ranges for both enantiomers, respectively. Linear calibration curves were obtained for each enantiomer in serum in the concentration range 15–750 ng/ml. The limit of quantitation of each enantiomer was 15 ng/ml. The detection limit for each enantiomer in serum using UV detection at 210 nm was 7 ng/ml (S/N=2).
Guided navigation of virtual environments

This paper presents a new methodology for navigating virtual environments called “The River Analogy.” This analogy provides a new way of thinking about the user's relationship to the virtual environment; guiding the user's continuous and direct input within both space and time allowing a more narrative presentation. The paper then presents the details of how this analogy was applied to a VR experience that is now part of the permanent collection at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
Genetic medicine: the balance between science and morality.

Abstract This article explores the relationship between science and morality with respect to the major changes that genetic knowledge has induced in medicine, as well as in many other spheres of our lives. The following themes are treated: (i) the influence of genetic knowledge on the concepts of normalcy and diversity with respect to health; (ii) the influence of genetic knowledge on the concept of responsibility; (iii) the reciprocal influence of pre-existing biases and genetic knowledge; (iv) the influence of genetic knowledge on the concept of community; and (v) the influence of genetic knowledge on autonomy and trust in the patient–doctor relationship. The article does not wish to be prescriptive, but rather to raise open questions. The key philosophical question is to what extent human beings benefit from predictions about the future. The role attributed to genetics is largely overestimated. Genetic knowledge can be perceived as enhancing the control that individuals have on their lives, or as paralyzing the decision process of an individual who may feel predestined to a serious disease. In the case of breast and ovarian cancer, the probabilistic nature of genetics is especially relevant, given the relatively low penetrance of BRCA mutations. “Future things: not our domain. But in this today which unravels in front of us, what shall we do?” (Sophocles, Antigones).
Discovering Race in a “Post-Racial” World Teaching Race through Primetime Television

Teaching students about race remains a challenging task for instructors, made even more difficult in the context of a growing "post-racial" discourse. Given this challenge, it is important for instructors to find engaging ways to help students understand the continuing significance of race and racial/ethnic inequality. In this article, we detail an exercise that asks students to analyze representations of race/ethnicity on network television for one week as a way of illustrating white dominance, white privilege, and racial inequality. As evidence of the exercise’s effectiveness, we include student reports that demonstrate how students discover the persistence of these issues by conducting their own analysis of primetime television
Some controls on flow and salinity in Bering Strait

[1] During 1993–1994, steric forcing of flow through Bering Strait represented a northward sea level drop of ∼0.7 m from the Bering Sea Basin to the adjacent deep Arctic Ocean, of which ∼2/3 was due to the salinity difference between the basins. Seasonal variability of steric forcing appears small (<0.05 m), in contrast to large seasonal wind effects. Interannual changes in steric forcing may exceed 20%, however, and warm inflow from the North Atlantic, accumulation of freshwater in the southwest Canada Basin, and temperature and salinity changes in the upper Bering Sea have all contributed to recent changes. The mean salinity balance in Bering Strait is primarily maintained by large runoff to the Bering shelf, dilute coastal inflow from the Gulf of Alaska, and on-shelf movement of saline and nutrient-rich oceanic waters from the Bering Sea Basin. In Bering Strait, therefore, both the throughflow and its salinity are affected by remote events.
Mother-blaming in the shadow of incest:commentary on "motherhood in the shadow of incest" by Rachel Lev-Wiesel.

(2). I thought that theories thatblame mothers for their children’s incest had lost currency and cre-dence. It is not accidental that the author has to reach far back into thehistory of clinical sexual abuse literature to find an article to support atheory of the instrumental role of mothers in the sexual abuse of their
Neonatal screening for PKU and other metabolic disorders

Classical phenylketonuria (PKU) is one of the most common inherited metabolic disorders in Western populations. Without treatment it leads to permanent and severe mental handicap. Restriction of dietary phenylalanine (phe), combined with amino acid, vitamin and mineral supplements, is highly successful in preventing neurological disease, provided that treatment is started within the first weeks of life. Since there are no clinical diagnostic features in early infancy this can only be achieved by newborn screening. Population screening for PKU is cost effective and methods based on the detection of a raised blood phe are highly sensitive and specific. Other metabolic disorders may also be suitable for newborn screening, but the effectiveness of screening is usually less apparent. However, the development of a new methodology that enables a number of disorders to be diagnosed from a single specimen is likely to result in an expansion in screening programmes.
A framework for simulating human cognitive behavior and movement when predicting impacts of catastrophic events

Our nation has seen an increased need to train its civil authorities and emergency personnel under life-threatening scenarios where human life and critical infrastructure are assumed to be at risk. This training is typically obtained or re-enforced via (human) performance-based tests. At issue is the ability to accurately simulate the scenarios without exposing personnel or human test subjects to injury. In addition, these performance-based tests carry a large monetary cost, and certain scenarios are so complicated, catastrophic or rare that any performance-based test is unrealistic. Our paper outlines the research that must be conducted to develop a framework for modeling and analyzing risk-assessment and decision making when evacuating large populations. The research is aimed at extending an existing construct for simulating passenger and crew behavior during aircraft evacuations, to larger populations, and relies upon rare-event simulation methods, parallel-and-distributed simulation and agent-based simulation.
Fundamental quantum 1/f noise in semiconductor devices

The quantum 1/f noise theory has been developed in the last two decades and has been applied to 1/f noise suppression in various electronic devices. This theory derives fundamental quantum fluctuations present in the elementary processes of physics at the level of the quantum mechanical cross sections and process rates. This paper demonstrates the basic simplicity of the theory with an elementary physical derivation followed by a short derivation of the conventional quantum 1/f effect in second quantization, for an arbitrary number of particles N defining the scattered current in the final state. A new derivation of the coherent quantum 1/f effect is also included. No adjustable parameters are present in the quantum 1/f theory. Practical applications to semiconductor materials, p-n junctions, SQUID's and quartz resonators are presented. Optimal design principles based on the quantum 1/f theory are described and explained. >
Laparoscopic versus open-component separation: a comparative analysis in a porcine model.

Abstract Background The ideal surgical treatment for complicated ventral hernias remains elusive. Traditional component separation provides local advancement of native tissue for tension-free closure without prosthetic materials. This technique requires an extensive subcutaneous dissection with division of perforating vessels predisposing to skin-flap necrosis and complicated wound infections. A minimally invasive component separation may decrease wound complication rates; however, the adequacy of the myofascial advancement has not been studied. Methods Five 25-kg pigs underwent bilateral laparoscopic component separation. A 10-mm incision was made lateral to the rectus abdominus muscle. The external oblique fascia was incised, and a dissecting balloon was inflated between the internal and external oblique muscles. Two additional ports were placed in the intermuscular space. The external oblique was incised from the costal margin to the inguinal ligament. The maximal abdominal wall advancement was recorded. A formal open-component separation was performed and maximal advancement 5 cm superior and 5 cm inferior to the umbilicus was recorded for comparison. Groups were compared using standard statistical analysis. Results The laparoscopic component separation was completed successfully in all animals, with a mean of 22 min/side. Laparoscopic component separation yielded 3.9 cm (SD 1.1) of fascial advancement above the umbilicus, whereas 4.4 cm (1.2) was obtained after open release (P = .24). Below the umbilicus, laparoscopic release achieved 5.0 cm (1.0) of advancement, whereas 5.8 cm (1.2) was gained after open release (P = .13). Comments The minimally invasive component separation achieved an average of 86% of the myofascial advancement compared with a formal open release. The laparoscopic approach does not require extensive subcutaneous dissection and might theoretically result in a decreased incidence or decreased complexity of postoperative wound infections or skin-flap necrosis. Based on our preliminary data in this porcine model, further comparative studies of laparoscopic versus open component separation in complex ventral hernia repair is warranted to evaluate postoperative morbidity and long-term hernia recurrence rates.
“Other's People's Money” Revisited: Collective Embezzlement in the Savings and Loan and Insurance Industries

This paper compares what is called here “collective embezzlement” in the savings and loan and insurance industries, tracing this embezzlement by top management in these two industries to structures of opportunity and risk that are specific to their location in finance capitalism. Using data from government reports, congressional hearings, and media accounts of particular cases, we argue that the deregulation of the 1980s combined with protective insurance and guaranty funds set the stage for this white-collar crime, but that its prevalence is more fundamentally related to a number of other structural factors. Specifically, the primary function of these industries as trustees of other people's money, within the context of a “casino” economy where profits are made from speculative investment, not production, simultaneously expands the opportunities for embezzlement and other abuses of trust and sets in place structural contradictions that stymy policymakers and regulators and limit the risks of detection and prosecution. Future research should build on the rich literature on white-collar crime, which has traditionally focused on the production processes and market structures of industrial capitalism, to examine the implications of the shift in the late 20th century to an economy increasingly centered on the management and manipulation of money itself.
Development of an automation process for ADSL interoperability and reliability tests

There are issues of interoperability with digital subscriber line (DSL) modems and digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM). We performed interoperability and reliability tests for asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) system. We followed DSL forum defined standard TR-048 for ADSL interoperability tests [DSL Forum Technical Report, 2002]. This is an intensive and laborious test process. We developed an automation process using TCL script. We also used Perl scripting for formatting data. We used Lucent's DSLAM, Spirent Communication's Line simulators and Traffic generators. For testing we used several vendor's ADSL modems. Our automation process saved time and thus testing cost. The automation process can be modified as needed and thus differs from the existing commercial test suite. Commercial test suite is hardware specific automation but we can modify our scripts any time depending on the hardware. Thus this automation can be used as a general platform and can be modified as needed.
Precise Tensile Properties of Ceramic Bodies

Factors in obtaining and interpreting tensile data on ceramic bodies are discussed, with particular attention given to the use of bending. A bend test can be used conveniently to obtain precise tensile data as long as stress is directly proportional to strain in both tension and compression. The moduli of elasticity in tension and in compression need not be equal. To account for any such inequality, strain in both bottom and top longitudinal fibers should be considered in computing the tensile stress. Extraneous stresses in bending can be essentially eliminated through proper specimen design and manner of loading. Details for the consideration of extraneous stresses in practice are presented, along with an equation for computing tensile stress precisely from bend-test data. Limited experimental work on oxide-base and silicate-base bodies supported the theoretical analysis of bending and indicated the suitability of a refined bend test for precise ceramic work.
Comparison of Precision Mass Measurements of Light Isotopes

This talk is a survey of the present status of precision mass measurements of isotopes below 19F. The need for new precise mass measurements of certain stable as well as unstable light isotopes is presented. Three different techniques for precise mass measurements of unstable isotopes are briefly described and compared. These techniques are the ion source calibration technique currently being developed in Auckland, the rf time-of-flight technique used in Munich, and the kinematic calibration technique developed at Michigan State University. Four selected examples of recent measurements done here at MSU are discussed and compared with the results of other methods.
Somatic gene therapy for hypertension

Gene therapy for hypertension is needed for the next generation of antihypertensive drugs. Current drugs, although effective, have poor compliance, are expensive and short-lasting (hours or one day). Gene therapy offers a way to produce long-lasting antihypertensive effects (weeks, months or years). We are currently using two strategies: a) antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODN) and b) antisense DNA delivered in viral vectors to inhibit genes associated with vasoconstrictive properties. It is not necessary to know all the genes involved in hypertension, since many years of experience with drugs show which genes need to be controlled. AS-ODN are short, single-stranded DNA that can be injected in naked form or in liposomes. AS-ODN, targeted to angiotensin type 1 receptors (AT1-R), angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin converting enzyme, and ss1-adrenergic receptors effectively reduce hypertension in rat models (SHR, 2K-1C) and cold-induced hypertension. A single dose is effective up to one month when delivered with liposomes. No side effects or toxic effects have been detected, and repeated injections can be given. For the vector, adeno-associated virus (AAV) is used with a construct to include a CMV promoter, antisense DNA to AGT or AT1-R and a reporter gene. Results in SHR demonstrate reduction and slowing of development of hypertension, with a single dose administration. Left ventricular hypertrophy is also reduced by AAV-AGT-AS treatment. Double transgenic mice (human renin plus human AGT) with high angiotensin II causing high blood pressure, treated with AAV-AT1-R-AS, show a normalization of blood pressure for over six months with a single injection of vector. We conclude that ODNs will probably be developed first because they can be treated like drugs for the treatment of hypertension with long-term effects. Viral vector delivery needs more engineering to be certain of its safety, but one day may be used for a very prolonged control of blood pressure.
Narratives and Interaction: A Constitutive Theory of Interaction and the Case of the All-India Muslim League

States and national movements discuss and conceive their interactions with others as narratives, which are stories with heroes, villains and a plot. The building blocks of these narratives are the categories of agent, character and acts, which are defined by constitutive rules. By maintaining narratives, actors are able to construct situations, make judgements about the intentions of other actors, and decide upon a course of action, all in a parsimonious way. Actors must assimilate concrete actions into their narratives by construing them as acts, which are components of the narratives. I provide an account of constitutive rules and social cognitive processes of inference by which actions are construed as acts. I show that in late colonial India the Muslim League constructed a narrative of betrayal by the Congress and was guided by it to call in 1940 for the creation of separate Muslim homelands.
Sulfate secretion and chloride absorption are mediated by the anion exchanger DRA (Slc26a3) in the mouse cecum.

Inorganic sulfate (SO42−) is essential for a multitude of physiological processes. The specific molecular pathway has been identified for uptake from the small intestine but is virtually unknown fo...
9 Capillary isoelectric focusing

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the capillary isoelectric focusing. The practice of isoelectric focusing in the capillary format provides the high resolving power of conventional gel isoelectric focusing (IEF) and the automation capabilities of instrumental techniques such as capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The principle of capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) is similar to that of gel IEF: proteins migrate within a stable pH gradient formed by carrier ampholytes under the influence of an electric field. A major limitation of performing IEF in capillaries is the use of fixed-point optical detectors on most commercial CE systems. In this approach, a short section of the capillary serves as the “flow cell” for ontube detection. Sample preparation for cIEF includes adjustment of sample ionic strength and protein concentration. The quality of the cIEF separation will depend upon the range and complexity of the carrier ampholyte mixture. The final step in cIEF is mobilization of focused zones through the detection point. Two-step cIEF has been performed using electrophoretic and hydraulic mobilization. Hydraulic mobilization can be accomplished by applying pressure to the head space above the capillary inlet, by applying vacuum to the capillary outlet, or by elevating the inlet of the capillary relative to the outlet of the capillary. Monoclonal antibodies, which are widely used as diagnostic and therapeutic tools, often exhibit microheterogeneity.
Economic Reform, the Floating Population, and Crime: The Transformation of Social Control in China

Since the 1950s, China has structured social relationships by limiting the population's mobility and separating the urban and rural populations. In the 1980s and 1990s, changes in China's economic strategy and its system of household registration contributed to the growth of a large transient “floating” population. This article argues that rising crime is linked to the floating population and that the traditional system of social control cannot resolve this problem. Although legislative measures have been enacted to address the resultant problems, the basic contradiction remains: The plan that has improved the nation's economy has also created the floating population that threatens progress. Highly publicized campaigns and the extensive use of administrative detention and capital punishment call attention to the government's efforts to curtail crime and, thus, legitimate the state, but they do not resolve the basic contradiction that China's new economy cannot provide employment for the people.
Indy after dark Music and theater in the Circle City

This article describes Indianapolis music and theater venues and events occurring during the 2013 ACRL Conference.
Reading, Writing, Hatching

A is for Austerlitz. We need to start at the beginning. A is for Austerlitz and so many other names besides:02 for Agata Austerlizova his mother, and for Tereza03 Ambrosova, the archivist who brings him back to her, almost. A is for the family name of Maximilian Aychenwald, his father. We need to start at the beginning of an alphabet in which it is established that B follows A, as assuredly as beta its alpha, and as certainly as Buchenwald follows Aychenwald.04 We need to take as our point of departure those signs on which we depend to read, an alphabet that phonetically encodes and recapitulates the spoken word and promises other far-reaching powers of ordering as well. We need to relearn our A, B, C’s, to return to childhood, to bring it back from the shadows, to relive even the earliest moments in which speaking began, or at least to the time of an originary mother tongue, however squirrely that grasp of language might be. Isn’t this the point of W.G. Sebald’s book, as some of his readers insist: an account of “recovered memory” that retells the life story of Jacques Austerlitz?05
Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of epilepsy in Asia : Toward a Uniform Study Protocol

Summary: Purpose: Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of epilepsy (KAPE) among the public play a major role in determining the extent to which people with epilepsy can be integrated into their society. KAPE Surveys in Asia: Surveys conducted among Chinese in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong demonstrated similarities as well as differences in certain aspects of KAPE. These suggest that KAPE might not be uniform among other racial groups in the same or different regions of Asia. For KAPE to have usefulness to a country or community, it has to be location specific. Toward a Uniform Study Protocol: There are several advantages of using a uniform study protocol. Collection of KAPE data could be faster for any country or community that chooses to use any existing study protocol. Intraregional, interregional, intercontinental, interethnic, intercommunity, and longitudinal comparison within any subgroup could be carried out. Sharing of common information would enhance the regional effort in improving the quality of life of people affected by epilepsy. However, survey methods need not be uniform. Regional adaptation and flexibility of a unified protocol should be encouraged. After the study, concerted local and regional efforts in epilepsy education must be carried out systematically for the general public as well as for strategic groups. Conclusions: Determination of the KAPE in different parts of Asia would help to define the magnitude of and be the first step toward alleviating social discrimination against people with epilepsy in Asia.
Identification of two phosphoproteins affected by serotonin in Aplysia sensory neurons

Abstract Protein phosphorylation appears to play important roles in the mechanisms responsible for presynaptic facilitation in Aplysia. To screen for phosphoproteins that may be involved in facilitation, we previously examined protein phosphorylation in pleural sensory neurons as a function of different durations (2 min, 25 min and 1.5 h) of serotonin treatments. Different durations of serotonin had unique effects on the phosphorylation of different sets of proteins. To determine the functions of these phosphoproteins, we have begun to obtain their amino acid sequences using protein microsequencing techniques. We report here partial sequencing of 2 such proteins. One protein (S6), whose phosphorylation was affected by 2 min treatments with serotonin, appeared to be an intermediate filament protein. Another protein (L55), whose phosphorylation was affected by 1.5-h treatments with serotonin, appeared to be a calmodulin-like Ca2+-binding protein. Although the exact cellular functions for S6 and L55 are not known, obtaining partial sequences of these proteins sets the stage for future studies that will examine their regulation and their specific roles in facilitation.
Feed preferences of ponies.

Summary Preference trials were conducted with mature ponies. In Trial 1, oats were compared with oats plus sucrose. Four of six pony geldings selected oats plus sucrose, but one pony demonstrated a dislike for sucrose and one selected from the bucket on the right side regardless of content. Oats, maize, barley, rye and wheat were compared in Trial 2 using six mature pony mares. Oats were the preferred grain, with maize and barley ranking second and third respectively. Wheat and rye were the least preferred. Even though the ponies demonstrated preference, the total intake at a given meal was not greatly depressed when only the less palatable grains were fed. In Trial 3, pony mares selected a diet containing 20 per cent dried distillers' grain and 80 per cent of a basal mixed diet of maize, oats, wheat bran, soybean meal, limestone and molasses over 100 per cent basal mixed diet, but selected the basal diet over diets containing 20 per cent blood meal, beet pulp or meat and bone meal and 80 per cent basal diet. They did not differentiate against diets containing 20 per cent alfalfa meal or 10 or 5 per cent meat and bone meal when the diets were compared to the basal mixed diet.