cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production, decay, and polarization of excited heavy hadrons

We discuss the production via fragmentation of excited heavy mesons and baryons, and their subsequent decay. In particular, we consider the question of whether a net polarization of the initial heavy quark may be detected, either in a polarization of the final ground state or in anisotropies in the decay products of the excited hadron. The result hinges in part on a nonperturbative parameter which measures the net transverse alignment of the light degrees of freedom in the fragmentation process. We use existing data on charmed mesons to extract this quantity for certain excited mesons. Using this result we estimate the polarization retention of charm and bottom baryons.
Dimension-6 gluon operators as probes of new physics

We study dimension-6 gluonic operators, which would be the low-energy manifestations of either a gluon form factor or a new colored particle. Finding evidence of these operators in gluon—gluon scattering will be difficult. However, it will be possible to set a bound on the combined mass and color-charge of a new heavy colored particle by studying quark—quark scattering.
Evaluating program effectiveness: A case study of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act in California

Abstract Evaluations of the effectiveness of government programs may serve both to improve program implementation and to convey to policymakers information on the effectiveness of these programs. However, the evidence generated from programs and their providers—perhaps especially when these programs are decentralized and implemented and run locally—may fall far short of standards for convincing evidence, raising questions about the decisionmaking of local providers based on this evidence, and the quality of the evidence provided to policymakers. This paper presents a case study of this question in the context of the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act in California, which was implemented by decentralized Local Partnerships (LPs) throughout the state. Extensive interviews with representatives of LPs in California and a detailed review of local evaluations are used to study how school-to-work providers gauge the success of their programs and to assess evaluations of these programs carried out or commissioned by these LPs. The findings raise serious doubts about the adequacy of evaluation efforts by local program providers, and the case study provides little or no convincing evidence of the effectiveness of these programs.
A constitutive model for muscle properties in a soft-bodied arthropod

In this paper, we examine the mechanical properties of muscles in a soft-bodied arthropod under both passive and stimulated conditions. In particular, we examine the ventral interior lateral muscle of the tobacco hornworm caterpillar, Manduca sexta, and show that its response is qualitatively similar to the behaviour of particle-reinforced rubber. Both materials are capable of large nonlinear elastic deformations, show a hysteretic behaviour and display stress softening during the first few cycles of repeated loading. The Manduca muscle can therefore be considered as different elastic materials during loading and unloading and is best described using the theory of pseudo-elasticity. We summarize the basic equations for transversely isotropic pseudo-elastic materials, first for general deformations and then for the appropriate uniaxial specialization. The constitutive relation proposed is in good agreement with the experimental data for both the passive and the stimulated conditions.
F.I.S.H.: Factors, interactions, and support for humans

Computers make people feel dumb. With the progress in both software engineering and artificial intelligence, people expect that computers should be easy to use. Further, with modern advertising, many people think that computers are easy to use, until they try to use them and fail miserably. Since they know computers are easy to use, are friendly, and the wave of the future, they feel dumb, old-fashioned, and that they are slow learners.
Effective wave velocity and attenuation in a material with distributed penny-shaped cracks

Abstract Wave propagation in a material containing distributed penny-shaped cracks was investigated. An improved approach was developed for calculating the phase velocity and the attenuation of ultrasonic waves. In this approach, the effects of neighboring cracks on a reference crack are approximated by the effects of triads of double forces of strengths proportional to the crack opening volumes, and located at the geometrical centers of the cracks. The averaged crack opening displacements and crack opening volumes of the reference crack are split into two terms. The first term corresponds to the quantities induced by the interaction of the single reference crack with an incident wave, while the second term represents the interaction between this reference crack and neighboring cracks. The averaged crack opening displacements are used in calculating the forward scattering amplitude, from which the phase velocity and the coefficient of attenuation are subsequently computed. The present analysis was limited to parallel cracks and to low frequencies, but the principle can be used for more general cases. Since crack interactions have been taken into account, the analysis provides a better approximation than the standard approach proposed by Foldy (1945, Phys. Rev. 67 , 107–119), especially for intermediate and large crack densities.
Activation volume for inelastic deformation in polycrystalline Ag thin films

The low temperature (T<100°C) inelasticity of polycrystalline Ag thin films on oxidized Si substrates has been studied, and the results are expected to be representative of other metallic thin films (e.g. Cu and Au) on rigid substrates. Values of the activation volume for inelastic deformations have been obtained by measuring the rates of stress relaxation during isothermal annealing of films. In situ Transmission Electron Microscopy was used to study the characteristics of dislocation motion in films deposited on micromachined Si membranes. The values of the activation volume and the presence of jerky glide indicate thermally activated motion of dislocations through forest-dislocation obstacles. The mean distance between obstacles along the length of moving dislocations was found to be significantly smaller than the thickness of the film and the grain size, which explains why current models for dislocation-glide-mediated plasticity underestimate the strength of thin films.
Antibody against nuclear thyroid hormone receptors.

Rat liver nuclear thyroid hormone receptor was purified to 700–1600 pmol T 3 binding capacity/mg protein by sequentially using hydroxylapatite column, ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex G-150 gel filtration, DNA-cellulose column, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column, and heparin-Sepharose column. Serum from a mouse immunized using this purified receptor preparation caused a shift of [125I]T 3 -receptor peak on glycerol density gradient sedimentation from 3.4 S to approximately 7 S. [ 125 I]T 3 -receptor complex was immunoprecipitated using this serum and goat anti-mouse IgG. The serum showed reduced ability to immunoprecipitate the globular T 3 binding fragment with Stokes radius of 22 A produced by trypsin digestion, a receptor fragment which has core histone and hormone binding but not DNA binding activity. These data indicate the production of anti-nuclear thyroid hormone receptor antibody which mainly recognized epitopes unrelated to hormone and core histone binding domain.
Thermal stability of in situ filled siloxane elastomers

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomers that had been filled with in situ precipitated silica were studied by thermogravimetric analysis, under nitrogen and in air. Both types of measurements indicated that the filler raises the temperature of thermooxidative degradation of the polymer, possibly by inactivating the terminal OH groups on the chains. Commercial fume silica was found to cause more severe degradation problems than did the in situ precipitated silica. In all cases, the degradation was more pronounced in air than in the inert atmosphere provided by nitrogen. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Losses of infrared biconcave metallic whispering-gallery waveguides

Abstract The losses for TE and TM waves in infrared biconcave metallic waveguides are calculated. The guiding region is approximated first as a portion of a sphere, and then of an oblate spheroid; Maxwell's equations are then set up in corresponding coordinate systems. They are solved to find the leading-order term of all 6 field components. These are used to express the boundary conditions at the finite-conductivity wall, and to calculate the fields propagating into the metal. From these, the propagation losses in the guide are calculated. It is found in particular that the TE losses depend only weakly on the curling curvature. Thus it should be possible to make MIR waveguides exhibiting losses of a few percent per turn, for most anticipated shape choices.
Association Between Neurologic Improvement With Decline in Blood Pressure and Recanalization in Stroke

Importance Patients with stroke often have a decline in blood pressure after thrombolysis. Neurologic improvement could result from recanalization or better collateral flow despite persistent occlusion. We hypothesized that neurologic improvement with concurrent decline in blood pressure may be a clinical sign of recanalization after intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Observations Patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator at Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, from 1999 to 2009 were included in the study if they had pretreatment and 24-hour magnetic resonance angiographic scans, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at those times, and proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion demonstrated prior to treatment. The recanalization status on 24-hour magnetic resonance angiography was classified as none, partial, or complete. Seventeen patients met study criteria. On 24-hour magnetic resonance angiography, 3 patients had no recanalization, 8 had partial recanalization, and 6 had complete recanalization. At 24 hours after thrombolysis, neurologic improvement with concurrent decline in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg or greater was seen in 4 patients with partial recanalization, 4 patients with complete recanalization, and none of the patients with no recanalization. Conclusions and Relevance Neurologic improvement with concurrent decline in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg or greater after intravenous tissue plasminogen activator may be a clinical sign of recanalization. This observation needs confirmation in a larger cohort.
Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Resectable Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of therapy for early-stage disease and offers the best chance for cure. Local and distant failure rates, however, remain unacceptably high with surgery alone. Radiation and systemic chemotherapy have been used to reduce recurrences in early-stage disease. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant strategies both offer sound theoretical benefit, but evidence supporting this has been lacking. The publication of a meta-analysis in 1995 triggered a reevaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy. Four randomized trials reported in the last 2 years support the use of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. This article reviews the history of clinical trials evaluating neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy in non–small-cell lung cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy improves 5-year survival rates by approximately 5%–15% compared with surgery alone. Surgical resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard of care treatment for patients with completely resected stage I, II, and IIIA non–small-cell lung cancer.
Long-Term Mortality Risk in Individuals With Atrial or Ventricular Premature Complexes (Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey)

Premature ectopic beats are frequently detected on routine 12-lead screening electrocardiograms (ECGs). However, their prognostic importance in subjects without known cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not well established. We evaluated prognostic value of atrial premature complexes (APCs) and ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) detected by a single 12-lead electrocardiography. A prospective cohort of 7,504 participants selected from nationally representative community-dwelling subjects living in the United States, enrolled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III from 1988 to 1994 with follow-up through December 2006 without known CVD. The main outcomes were all-cause mortality, CVD-related mortality, and ischemic heart disease (IHD)–related mortality. Of 7,504 participants (mean age 60 ± 14 years, 47% women, 49% whites), 89 (1.2%) had APCs and 110 (1.5%) had VPCs on 12-lead ECGs. During a follow-up of up to 18 years, 2,386 deaths occurred, of which 963 were due to CVD and 511 were due to IHD. In a multivariate analysis adjusted for demographics, clinical variables, and electrocardiographic measures, APCs were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08 to 1.80), CVD death (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.44), and IHD death (HR 2.40, 95% CI 1.59 to 3.47). For VPCs, however, there were no significant associations with all-cause mortality (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.36), CVD death (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.43), and IHD death (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.52). In conclusion, APCs, but not VPCs, on routine screening ECGs are predictive of adverse events in community-dwelling subjects without known CVD.
Leaky gut in alcoholic cirrhosis: a possible mechanism for alcohol-induced liver damage

Abstract Objective: Only 30% of alcoholics develop cirrhosis, suggesting that the development of alcohol-induced liver injury requires one or more additional factors. Animal studies have shown that gut-derived endotoxin is one such factor. Because increased intestinal permeability has been shown to cause endotoxemia, we hypothesized that increased gastrointestinal permeability contributes to the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. This study aimed to measure gastroduodenal and intestinal permeability in alcoholics with and without chronic liver disease and in nonalcoholic subjects with chronic liver disease. Methods: Gastroduodenal permeability was assessed by measurement of urinary excretion of sucrose after oral administration. Intestinal permeability was assessed by measurement of urinary lactulose and mannitol after oral administration of these sugars. Results: Alcoholics with no liver disease showed a small but significant increase in sucrose excretion. Alcoholics with chronic liver disease demonstrated a marked and highly significant increase in urinary sucrose excretion relative to the controls, to the alcoholics with no liver disease, and to the nonalcoholics with liver disease. Alcoholics with chronic liver disease demonstrated a marked and highly significant increase in both lactulose absorption and in the urinary lactulose/mannitol ratio (alcoholics 0.703 vs controls 0.019, p = 0.01). In contrast, alcoholics with no liver disease and nonalcoholics with liver disease showed normal lactulose absorption and normal lactulose/mannitol ratio. Conclusion: Because only the alcoholics with chronic liver disease had increased intestinal permeability, we conclude that a “leaky” gut may be a necessary cofactor for the development of chronic liver injury in heavy drinkers.
Sensitivity of brome mosaic virus RNA1 replication to mutations in the 3′ tRNA-like structure implies a requirement for sustained synthesis of replicase protein 1a

The replication competence of a series of brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNA1 variants with defined mutations in the 3' tRNA-like structure, previously characterized in vitro to be defective in minus-strand synthesis and several tRNA-associated functions, was analyzed in barley protoplasts. Inocula containing wild type RNAs2 and 3 and RNA1 bearing either Deltaknob or 5'Psk mutation failed to replicate. Two additional RNA1 variants, each bearing either M4 or 5'AGA mutation, resulted in detectable accumulation of progeny but are inhibitory to overall viral replication when supplied in high concentrations. Another aminoacylation-defective mutation Delta5' supported viral replication but did not interfere with viral replication even at higher concentrations. Coinoculation of replication-incompetent variants of RNAl with wt RNAs2 and 3 to Chenopodium hybridum plants resulted in the delayed development of local necrotic lesions characteristic of a wt infection. Sequence analysis of progeny RNA recovered from these lesions indicated that, in each case, a functional 3' noncoding sequence was restored due to homologous recombination with a corresponding sequence from wt RNA3. Taken together the results suggest that, unlike protein 2a which is required in catalytic amounts, the intrinsic involvement of protein 1a at various stages of virus infection cycle demands its sustained synthesis.
Drug Use Among the Elderly: A Review

(1977). Drug Use Among the Elderly: A Review. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 25-37.
Patterns and Correlates of Binge Drinking Trajectories from Early Adolescence to Young Adulthood

Latent growth mixture modeling was used to identify developmental trajectories (described in terms of demographics, exposure and resistance to a pro-drug environment, and deviant behavior) of binge drinking among 5,694 individuals who completed 6 surveys from ages 13 to 23 years: nonbingers (32%); moderate stables (37%), who had consistently low levels of bingeing; steady increasers (16%), who increased from the lowest to highest level of bingeing; adolescent bingers (9%), whose early rise in bingeing was followed by a decrease to a moderate level; and early highs (6%), who decreased from the highest level of bingeing to a moderate level. Results show considerable diversity in binge drinking patterns and the correlates of bingeing across trajectory classes.
Persistent infection of a lymphoma cell line by herpes simplex virus.

The peripheral blood cells from a patient with a B-cell lymphoma were established in long-term tissue culture. Two years after establishment of the cells in culture they were infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 and the productivity and duration of viral persistence investigated. One week after infection the lymphoblastoid cells were productively infected and have remained so for a period of over 3 years. Expression of a viral glycoprotein antigen was evaluated by using a fluorescein-labeled monoclonal anti-herpes simplex virus type 2 antibody and revealed a spectrum of staining reactions grading from a lightly stippled to very intense pattern. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the infected cells revealed the presence of the herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA polymerase gene in the infected cells that was absent from the uninfected lymphoblastoid cells. These results taken together with the long-term growth characteristics of both the infected and uninfected lymphoblastoid cells suggest that this cell line may be a good model system for studying viral infection, viral replication, viral latency, and clinical application for the isolation of human herpes virus.
Modelling infiltration: a measurable parameter approach.

Abstract Development of a 2-stage, measured parameter, infiltration model is reviewed. The model has been verified against finite difference solutions of the unsaturated flow equation, by laboratory tests and has been evaluated under field conditions. Progress of recent research utilizing this model is discussed. Results of recent research indicate that the effects of air entrapment on hydraulic conductivity must be taken into account. A reasonable approach to this problem is to evaluate relative conductivity as a function of relative moisture content and use this relationship to evaluate hydraulic conductivity at field saturation. Additional factors which have been investigated include air viscous effects and the effects of tillage and surface sealing. While significant progress has been made toward including these effects in the model, additional research is required. An attractive attribute of the model is that all parameters utilized in the model are measurable and thus no parameter fitting is required. The paper discusses how parameters may be evaluated and how the model operates, and presents some examples of model predictions under different conditions of soil composition and rainfall pattern.
Active-site modification of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by pyridoxal-5'-phosphate.

Abstract Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.8) from rabbit skeletal muscle is inhibited by pyridoxal-5′-phosphate. The inhibition observed in steady-state kinetic studies is competitive with respect to dihydroxyacetone phosphate and uncompetitive with respect to NADH. Similar inhibition was found for a series of related compounds which in order of increasing effectiveness of inhibition were: 4-deoxypyridoxine
Peak exposures to nitrogen dioxide and study design to detect their acute health effects

Findings on continuous exposure to nitrogen dioxide by persons cooking a meal on a gas stove are presented. In addition, peak levels of NO/sub 2/ at different heights above the floor and at various distances from the stove while the range and oven are in operation are reported for 24 homes. A study design to detect the health effects of short-term exposures to high levels of nitrogen dioxide ranging from 0.20 ppm to over 1.5 ppm on pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects is described. The continuous exposure to nitrogen dioxide of the study subjects before, during and after cooking a dinner on a gas stove is determined using a continuous nitrogen dioxide monitoring instrument. Lung-function tests are performed and symptom questionnaires are administered throughout the study period to assess both health effects and changes in pulmonary function associated with the above exposures.
Combined Effect of Glycosaminoglycan and Mechanical Stimulation on the In Vitro Biomechanics of Tissue Engineered Tendon Constructs

Tissue engineering offers an attractive alternative to direct repair or reconstruction of injuries to tendons, ligaments and capsular structures that represent almost 45% of the 32 million musculoskeletal injuries that occur each year in the United States [1]. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-seeded collagen constructs are currently being used by our group to repair tendon injuries in the rabbit model [2, 3]. Although these cell-assisted repairs exhibit 50% greater maximum force and stiffness at 12 weeks compared to values for natural repair, tissues often lack the maximum force sufficient to resist the peak in vivo forces acting on the repair site [3]. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that in vitro construct stiffness and repair stiffness at 12 weeks post surgery are positively correlated [4]. Therefore, in an effort to further improve the repair outcome using tissue engineering, we continue our investigation of scaffold materials to create stiffer MSC-collagen constructs. Our group has recently evaluated two scaffold materials, type I collagen sponges fabricated within the Engineered Skin Lab (ESL, Shriners Hospitals for Children) by a freezing and lyophilization process with and without glycosaminoglycan (chondroitin-6-sulfate; GAG) [5] and found the ESL sponges to significantly improve biomechanical properties of the constructs compared to sponges we currently use in the lab (P1076, Kensey Nash Corporation, Exton, PA). This study also demonstrated that GAG significantly upregulates collagen type I, decorin, and fibronectin gene expression (unpublished results).Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Security primitives and protocols for ultra low power sensor systems

Security requirements in sensor systems include resiliency against physical and side-channel attacks, low energy for communication, storage, and computation, and the ability to realize a variety of public-key protocols. Furthermore, primitives and protocols that enable trusted remote operation in terms of data, time, and location are essential to guarantee secure sensing. By integrating physically unclonable functions (PUFs) directly into sensor hardware and using device aging to securely match groups of sensors, we enable a variety of ultra low power security protocols for trusted remote sensing, including authentication and public key communication.
New types of metacaspases in phytoplankton reveal diverse origins of cell death proteases.

Metacaspases are evolutionarily distant homologs of caspases that are found outside the metazoan and are known to have key roles in programmed cell death (PCD). Two types of metacaspases (types I and II) have been defined in plants based on their domain structures; these have similarities to metazoan 'initiator' and 'executioner' caspases. However, we know little about metacaspases in unicellular organisms and even less about their roles in cell death. We identified a novel group of metacaspases in sequenced phytoplanktonic protists that show domain architectures distinct from either type I or II enzymes; we designate them as type III. Type III metacaspases exhibit a rearrangement of domain structures between N- and C-terminus. In addition, we found a group of metacaspase-like proteases in phytoplankton that show sequence homology with other metacaspases, but defy classification in conventional schemes. These metacaspase-like proteases exist in bacteria alongside a variant of type I metacaspases and we propose these bacterial metacaspases are the origins of eukaryotic metacaspases. Type II and III metacaspases were not detected in bacteria and they might be variants of bacterial type I metacaspases that evolved in plants and phytoplanktonic protists, respectively, during the establishment of plastids through the primary and secondary endosymbiotic events. A complete absence of metacaspases in protists that lost plastids, such as oomycetes and ciliates indicates the gene loss during the plastid-to-nucleus gene transfer. Taken together, our findings suggest endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT) is a key mechanism resulting in the evolutionary diversity of cell death proteases.
Congenital mitral stenosis and systemic right ventricle with associated pulmonary vascular changes frustrating surgical repair of patent ductus arteriosus and coarctation of the aorta.

Abstract The clinical and pathologic findings in a girl 18 years of age suffering from multiple congenital cardiovascular defects are presented. A previously undescribed form of mitral stenosis was associated with coarctation of the aorta and a patent ductus arteriosus. The necessity for establishing the preoperative diagnosis of intracardiac lesions when they are combined with lesions of the great vessels which are potentially amenable to surgical correction is discussed. Of especial importance were the advanced changes in the pulmonary arterial system associated with the systemic right ventricle. Operative restoration of normal hemodynamics may not be possible in the presence of systemic right ventricle if advanced pulmonary vascular changes are present.
Emerging Therapies for the Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetic macular edema (DME) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the leading causes of vision loss in the industrialized world. The mainstay of treatment for both conditions has been thermal laser photocoagulation, while there have been recent advances in the treatment of CNV using photodynamic therapy with verteporfin. While both of these treatments have prevented further vision loss in a subset of patients, vision improvement is rare. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A therapy has revolutionized the treatment of both conditions. Pegaptanib, an anti-VEGF aptamer, prevents vision loss in CNV, although the performance is similar to that of photodynamic therapy. Ranibizumab, an antibody fragment, and bevacizumab, a full-length humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF, have both shown promising results, with improvements in visual acuity in the treatment of both diseases. VEGF trap, a modified soluble VEGF receptor analog, binds VEGF more tightly than all other anti-VEGF therapies, and has also shown promising results in early trials. Other treatment strategies to decrease the effect of VEGF have used small interfering RNA to inhibit VEGF production and VEGF receptor production. Corticosteroids have shown efficacy in controlled trials, including anacortave acetate in the treatment and prevention of CNV, and intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide and the fluocinolone acetonide implant in the treatment of DME. Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as vatalanib, inhibit downstream effects of VEGF, and have been effective in the treatment of CNV in early studies. Squalamine lactate inhibits plasma membrane ion channels with downstream effects on VEGF, and has shown promising results with systemic administration. Initial results are also encouraging for other growth factors, including pigment epithelium-derived factor administered via an adenoviral vector. Ruboxistaurin, which decreases protein kinase C activity, has shown positive results in the prevention of diabetic retinopathy progression, and the resolution of DME. Combination therapy has been investigated, and may prove to be quite effective in the management of both DME and AMD-associated CNV, although ongoing and future studies will be crucial to treatment optimization for each condition.
The use of polyacrylamide gels that can be dissassembled and reassembled to permit a wide variety of electrophoretic procedures with a common polymerization history

A demountable polyacrylamide gel system is described that uses commercial components and can be adapted to any slab system. The use of GeldBond PAG film produces polyacrylamide gels that can be easily handled and allows separation of the conditions needed for polymerization from those for electrophoresis. Polymerization is performed with one common protocol, and the gel is disassembled. Gels can then be soaked or stored in any desired solutions, followed by reassembly of the equilibrated gel and electrophoresis. This procedure allows for a wide range of electrophoretic conditions starting with a single type of polymerized gel as well as permitting use of systems that have technical difficulties under normal cirumstances such as horizontal gels or those containing the cationic detergent, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide.
A low Reynolds number entry flow theory and its application to the motion of the plasma in bolus flow

Abstract A method of obtaining the so called ‘hybrid solution of entry flow’ was developed by Lew in his study entitled ‘An entry flow theory’. In this study, such a method is used to derive a solution for the low Reynolds number entry flow subjecting two inlet conditions. The hybrid solution representing the low Reynolds number entry flow is obtained by combining a solution of the Stokes equation with a solution of an approximate version of the Stokes equation. This hybrid solution contains two sets of arbitrary constants which can be determined from two inlet conditions. The same approach is also used in obtaining a solution representing the plasma motion in bolus flow taking place in the blood flow through small capillary blood vessels. The advantage of the hybrid solution is the algebraic cleaness and simplicity ensured by the single infinite orthogonal series involved in the solution. The direct solution of the Stokes equation involves a double infinite nonorthogonal series, whose coefficients cannot be determined analytically.
Micromethod for the determination of free and total prolactin receptors: measurement of receptor levels in normal and malignant mammary and prostate tissues

A sensitive micromethod for the determination of free and total prolactin receptors in normal or malignant tissues has been developed. Positive and negative quality controls are incorporated in the procedure. Either whole tissue or the pellet fraction remaining from tissue that had undergone processing for estrogen receptors can be used. Crude microsomal and plasma membrane fractions obtained by homogenization and differential centrifugation are incubated with labeled prolactin in the presence or absence of increasing amounts of unlabeled hormone. The labeled ligand is prepared by a stoichiometric iodination procedure in which one atom of iodine-125 is incorporated into one molecule of the hormone, resulting in an intact labeled prolactin with a high specific activity of 170-186 muCi/micrograms (1 Ci = 37 GBq). Human prolactin labeled by this procedure has much greater specific binding capacity to various rat tissues than does iodinated rat prolactin. This technique permits an accurate measurement of prolactin receptors in as little as 50 micrograms of membrane protein. Highest levels of free and total prolactin receptors were found in the liver of 60-day-old female rats that served as a positive control. Liver of immature 21-day-old male rats, devoid of prolactin receptors, was used as a negative control. The amount of detectable free receptors was dependent on the level of circulating plasma prolactin. In 3-day postpartum lactating rats with high prolactin levels in plasma, all prolactin receptors in the mammary glands were found to be occupied, and no free receptors could be detected. When these receptors were desaturated from the endogenous prolactin by exposure to 3 M MgCl2, one class of receptors in a high quantity (1.75 nmol/mg of protein) and with a moderate affinity (Kd = 6.41 X 10(-9) M) was detected. A similar type of receptor was found in the mammary glands of rats at midpregnancy and of cycling adult female rats. In malignant rat mammary tissue, however, fewer receptors (27 pmol/mg of protein) but with a very high affinity (Kd = 6.8 X 10(-14) M) were detected. Normal ventral and dorsolateral rat prostate contained two classes of prolactin receptors (Kd = 3.46 X 10(-10) M and 1.93 X 10(-8) M). In the cancerous rat prostate, however, only one of these two classes of receptors was detected, and the number was smaller.
An improved lower bound for the bin packing problem

Abstract This paper unifies and generalizes the existing lower bounds for the one-dimensional bin packing problem. The generalization is motivated by and based on the work of Martello and Toth (this journal, 1990). The worst-case performance of the unified lower bound is analyzed and two new lower bounds are proposed and compared with existing lower bounds through numerical experiments.
Multiscale simulation of nanostructures based on spatial secant model: a discrete hyperelastic approach

The main objective of this paper is to present a coarse-grained material model for the simulation of three-dimensional nanostructures. The developed model is motivated by the recent progress in establishing continuum models for nanomaterials and nanostructures. As there are conceptual differences between the continuum field defined in the classical sense and the nanomaterials consisting of discrete, space-filling atoms, existing continuum measures cannot be directly applied for mapping the nanostructures due to the discreteness at small length scale. In view of the fundamental difficulties associated with the direct application of the continuum approach, we introduce a unique discrete deformation measure called spatial secant and have developed a new hyperelastic model based on this measure. We show that the spatial secant-based model is consistently linked to the underlying atomistic model and provides a geometric exact mapping in the discrete sense. In addition, we outline the corresponding computational framework using the finite element and/or meshfree method. The implementation is within the context of finite deformation. Finally we illustrate the application of the model in studying the mechanics of low-dimensional carbon nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes (CNT). By comparing with full-scale molecular mechanics simulations, we show that the proposed coarse-grained model is robust in that it accurately captures the non-linear mechanical responses of the CNT structures.
Robin Williams, Race, and American Sociology

In this essay, I discuss Robin M. Williams Jr.’s unique sociological approach to the study of race and the ways his background and the historical moment in which he wrote contributed to his sociological vision.
Demonstration of flat-top focusing under radial polarization illumination

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of a flat-top intensity distribution using a radially polarized vector beam. Our approach uses higher numerical aperture focusing than what has been previously reported for a single, fixed, vector beam. In addition, the flat-top focus generated in our scheme exhibits a polarization gradient along the radial coordinate in the focal volume, with an on-axis longitudinal field component that persists over 2λ, which is a stark difference from conventional flat-top fields, which exhibit intensity profiles that are uniformly polarized. Our experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.
A new auroral feature: The nightside gap

Using images from the Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) aboard the Polar spacecraft, we identify an unusual morphological feature of the auroral oval marked by roughly a factor of four decrease in auroral luminosity near local midnight during some substorms. This feature has not been previously described in detail. The nightside gap appears in roughly 7% of the substorms observed by UVI during our study period from December, 1996 to February, 1997. Two nightside gap events from this period are characterized in detail as case studies of this phenomenon. We suggest that the nightside gap may be due to a significant reduction in field-aligned currents along with an insufficient ionospheric potential to accelerate precipitating electrons within the gap region, perhaps associated with the Harang discontinuity.
Improving Transaction-Time DBMS Performance and Functionality

Immortal DB is a transaction time database system that is built into a commercial database system rather than being layered on top. This enables it to have performance that is very close to the performance of an unversioned current time database system. Achieving such competitive performance is essential for wide acceptance of this temporal functionality. In this paper we describe further performance improvements in two critical dimensions. First Immortal DB range search performance is improved for current time data via improved current version storage utilization, making this performance essentially the same as unversioned performance. Second, Immortal DB update performance is increased by further reducing the cost for the timestamping of versions. Finally, we show how a simple modification, integrated into the timestamping mechanism, can provide a foundation for auditing database activity. Our algorithms have been incorporated into a commercial database engine and experiments using this database engine demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
β-Blockers Are Associated With Reduced Risk of Myocardial Infarction After Cocaine Use

Study objective β-Blocker use is associated with coronary artery spasm after cocaine administration but also decreases mortality in patients with myocardial infarction or systolic dysfunction. We conduct a retrospective cohort study to analyze the safety of β-blockers in patients with positive urine toxicology results for cocaine. Methods The cohort consisted of 363 consecutive telemetry and ICU patients who were admitted to a municipal hospital and had positive urine toxicology results for cocaine during a 5-year period (307 patients). Fifteen patients with uncertain history of β-blocker use before admission were excluded. The primary outcome measure was myocardial infarction; secondary outcome measure was inhospital mortality. Logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equations models and propensity scores compared outcomes. Results β-Blockers were given in 60 of 348 admissions. The incidence of myocardial infarction after administration of β-blocker was significantly lower than without treatment (6.1% versus 26.0%; difference in proportion 19.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.3% to 30.0%). One of 14 deaths occurred in patients who received β-blockade (incidence 1.7% versus 4.5% without β-blockade; difference in proportion 2.8%; 95% CI –1.2% to 6.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that use of β-blockers significantly reduced the risk of myocardial infarction (odds ratio 0.06; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.61). Conclusion In our cohort, administration of β-blockers was associated with reduction in incidence of myocardial infarction after cocaine use. The benefit of β-blockers on myocardial function may offset the risk of coronary artery spasm.
Does the Theory of Planned Behavior Identify Diabetes-Related Cognitions for Intention to Be Physically Active and Eat a Healthy Diet?

Diabetes, a major public health problem, can be prevented or delayed with physical activity and diet modifications, but this requires changing behavior. Understanding the beliefs of persons at risk for diabetes may result in more effective and efficient behavior change interventions. Objective: To explore the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and perceived diabetes risk for identifying modifiable diabetes-related beliefs for behavior change. Design: Descriptive survey based on the TPB and perceived risk. Sample: Convenience sample included 106 adults at risk for diabetes. Measurements: Mailed questionnaire with scales to measure TPB variables. Results: Subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were related to intention to be physically active, and attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were related to intention to eat a healthy diet. Perceived diabetes risk was not related to intention to be physically active or eat a healthy diet. Conclusions: The TPB is a useful theory in explaining physical activity and healthy eating intentions in persons at risk for diabetes. The relationship of perceived diabetes risk and intentions to be physically active and eat a healthy diet needs further investigation.
Reversible variable length codes (RVLC) for robust coding of 3D topological mesh data

Summary form only given. In order to limit error propagation, we divide the topological data of the entire mesh into several segments. Each segment is identified by its synchronization word and header. Due to the use of the arithmetic coder, data of a whole segment would often become useless in the presence of even a single bit error. Furthermore, several adjacent segments may be corrupted simultaneously at high bit error rates (BER). As a result, a lot of data would be required to be retransmitted in the presence of errors. Retransmitted data may also in turn get corrupted in high BER conditions. This would result in a considerable loss of coding efficiency and increased delay. We propose the use of reversible variable length codes (RVLC) to solve this problem. RVLC not only prevents error propagation in one segment but also efficiently detects the distorted portion of the bitstream due to their capability of two-way decoding. This would allow the recovery of a large portion of data from a corrupted segment. The amount of retransmitted data can thus be drastically reduced. RVLC can be matched to various sources with different probability distributions by adjusting their suffix length, and have been found suitable for image and video coding. However, the application of RVLC to robust 3D mesh coding has not yet been studied. Our study of the suitability of RVLC for the topological data is presented in this research. Experiments have been carried to prove the efficiency of the proposed robust 3D graphic coding algorithm. To design an efficient pre-defined code table, a large set of 300 MPEG-4 selected 3D models have been used in our experiments. The use of predefined code tables would result in a significantly reduced computational complexity.
Retinal Toxicity of Therapeutic Agents

A review of retinal toxicity associated with therapeutic agents, based on the literature and case reports from the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects is presented. The clinical signs of retinal damage and related electrophysiological abnormalities are discussed. Management of patients, at risk for retinal damage from these drugs, is reviewed.
Effects of Heavy-Atom Salts on the Luminescence Properties of Tetrol I-1 on α-Cyclodextrin/Salt Matrices

Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] is one of the most widely studied polyaromatic hydrocarbons. In the human body and in lower animals, B(a)P can become chemically bonded to DNA. Tetrols are the products obtained from the hydrolysis of B(a)P-DNA adducts. It has been proposed that the amount of tetrols detected in human body fluids can be used as a measure of the amount of B(a)P-DNA adducts present in the body. The effects of several heavy-atom salts on the solid-matrix fluorescence and phosphorescence properties of the tetrols were investigated. TINO3 and TIF were very useful in enhancing the room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of the tetrols. For tetrol I-1 on 1:1:8 α-cyclodextrin:TINO3: NaNO3, the limit of detection was 0.38 femtomole/mg. The RTP approach with the 1:8:α-cyclodextrin:TINO3:NaNO3 matrix would be useful for detecting subfemtomole quantities of the tetrols of B(a)PDNA adducts from biological samples.
One year older, but not necessarily wiser: an evaluation of homepage accessibility problems over time

A large number of users with disabilities use assistive technology devices to browse the web. However, the use of assistive technologies can only be successful when the web sites are developed in such a way that they are compatible with such devices. Guidelines exist for creating accessible web sites. However, they are seldom followed, and current levels of web accessibility are low. Therefore, the question arises as to which is the major cause of inaccessibility, and how accessibility features of web sites evolve over time. A set of 50 web sites has been studied over time to determine if accessibility improves or declines. This research-in-progress paper presents a comparison of the results obtained in 2002 and 2003. Such a comparison leads to the conclusion that, in the time period of 1 year, the 50 web sites have actually become more inaccessible. Implications for developers, webmasters, and educators are also discussed in the paper.
Sonographic evaluation of experimental hydrocephalus in kittens.

Real-time computed sonography was used to monitor ven­ tricular size in kittens with experimentally induced hydroceph­ alus. Hydrocephalus was induced by cisternal kaolin injection in newborn kittens in order to study the effects of both hydrocephalus and subsequent ventriculoperitoneal shunting on the morphology of brain tissue. When severe hydroceph­ alus was achieved, marked physical and neurologic abnor­ malities were identified by the investigators. However, when milder degrees of hydrocephalus were achieved, no neuro­ logic abnormalities could be detected and only subtle physical signs such as palpable sutures were seen. In order to know when to shunt the kittens (or when to sacrifice kittens in the nonshunted control group), we needed to quantitate milder degrees of hydrocephalus in vivo. Sonography is the tech­ nique of choice in evaluating human infants and children with hydrocephalus and open fontanelles [1 , 2]. We found sonog­ raphy to be an acceptable technique in imaging the kittens with hydrocephalus. Although the fontanelle closes early and remains closed, sonography of the brain is possible in hydro­ cephalic kittens because of the development of soft spots in the coronal sutures. However, in kittens who have been successfully shunted, the soft spots close quickly and the brain is no longer accessible to sonographic evaluation. The purpose of this paper is to present our technique and findings regarding the capability of sonography as a research tool in the evaluation of the brain of normal kittens, as well as in kittens who have had hydrocephalus experimentally in­ duced and treated by ventriculoperitoneal shunts.