cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kurepa's Hypothesis and a problem of Ulam on families of measures

We prove that if Kurepa's Hypothesis holds, then on a set of cardinality ℵ1, there does not exist a family of ℵ1 non-trivial measures such that each subset is measurable with respect to at least one of them. We also strengthen a theorem ofErdos andAlaoglu on the non-existence of enumerable families of measures.
A 43-Year-Old Postpartum Woman With a Rare Antibody

History of Present Illness The patient was admitted to the labor and delivery service at 39 4/7 weeks gestational age for induction of an intrauterine pregnancy. She followed a normal labor curve and delivered a live viable male infant with Apgar scores of 9 and 9. Her postpartum course was uncomplicated. On postpartum day 2, her vital signs were stable, her lungs were clear, breasts were non-tender, her legs showed no cyanosis or edema, and the fundus was normal. She was afebrile, ambulating, had good urine output, and her pain was well controlled.
Infection levels and extent of colonization by Cylindrocladium crotalariae of roots of cylindrocladium black rot-susceptible and -resistant peanut cultivars in naturally infested soil

(1988). Infection levels and extent of colonization by Cylindrocladium crotalariae of roots of cylindrocladium black rot-susceptible and -resistant peanut cultivars in naturally infested soil. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 11-14.
Loading of the contralateral foot in peripheral vascular insufficiency below-knee amputees

Seven ambulatory peripheral vascular insufficiency below-the-knee amputees underwent gait analysis to determine the local pressures on seven prominent plantar regions in their remaining limb. Patients occupied significantly less stance phase time on their remaining limbs. Peak, mean, and total pressures measured at each of the seven prominent areas was decreased as compared with laboratory age and sex matched controls. The results of this study suggest that the risk of contralateral limb amputation surgery is related to systemic peripheral vascular insufficiency or local factors, and not increased loading of the remaining contralateral "limb-at-risk."
Wastewater standards and extraction chemistry in validation of microwave-assisted EPA method 3015A

The difficulties associated with the control and transfer of environmental leach methods are discussed. Optimized EPA Method 3015A, a microwave-assisted leach of wastewater and drinking water matrices and aqueous extracts, is evaluated. The option to add HCl in addition to HNO3 provides better complexation and recovery of certain metals that are regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) than the original HNO3-only Method 3015. Also discussed is the preparation and appropriate use of “simulated” wastewater standards. Standard reference materials for a wastewater matrix are unavailable, and this novel approach provides NIST-traceability of results for the first time on this matrix type. Leach concentrations from these “simulated” standards were determined using both the 5 mL HNO3 and the 4 mL HNO3 and 1 mL HCl leach options of new Method 3015A. Validation of the new mixed-acid option of Method 3015A has been provided by evaluating its performance on the 23 elements for which original Me...
Treatment of nevi aranei with the pulsed tunable dye laser at 585 nm

One hundred children aged < or = 12 years with spider nevi of the face have been treated with the SPTL-1 laser. The laser emits pulsed light at a wavelength of 585 nm, with a pulse duration of 450 microseconds. The series included 37 boys and 63 girls. Patients whose spider nevi were previously treated with other methods were excluded. In 97 cases the lesions were completely removed, but 29% of them required more than one treatment session. Six months later, two patients had mild recurrence of the nevi, which required further treatment. No signs of scarring or of textural or permanent pigmentary changes have been noted.
Recombination of Nonchromosomal Mutations: A Three-Point Cross in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi

The heterothallic, unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi possesses both chromosomal and nonchromosomal systems of inheritance. Mutations belonging to the latter system are capable of recombination. The experiments reported show that double and triple recombinants can be obtained from crosses employing three phenotypically distinct mutations and that certain pairs of mutants recombine more freely than others.
The niobium(V) gluconato complex species in solution

Abstract Freshly precipitated hydrous niobium pentoxide will dissolve in one molar (M) potassium gluconate solution adjusted to a pH of II with KOH. Potentiometric measurements, derived from the titration of a solution (μ = 0.1, temperature = 25 °C) containing the complex and excess potassium gluconate with nitric acid, gave data that have been interpreted to indicate the existence of a complex, [Nb(OH)n(GH4)](4 − n), between pH 3–7 and which ionizes to give the species, [Nb(OH)n(GH3)](3 − n), between pH of 7–9. A treatment of the data that is approximate gave a value of 600 for the stoichiometric formation constant and an acid ionization constant of 1.5 × 10−8.
A hybrid block-matching approach to motion estimation with adaptive search area

An efficient block-matching (BM) method is proposed in this paper, which is a hybrid of full search (FS) and fast search block-matching algorithms (BMAs). The block-matching process is carried out in two stages. In the first stage, initial block-matching is applied to a few selected blocks in the frame using FS. To reduce computation, the search window size is adaptively adjusted based on the magnitude of the components of the motion vectors (MVs) in the previous frame. In the second stage, a pre-selected fast search algorithm is applied to the remaining blocks and the spatial correlation between the macro-blocks (MBs) is utilized to improve the searching performance. The proposed algorithm aims for fully exploiting the benefit of the optimal block-matching results generated by FS, and at the same time, remaining a low computation by adopting fast search algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method by improving the performance of the fast BMAs in terms of peak-signal-to noise-ratio (PSNR). Another benefit of the described approach is its independence of the fast algorithms, implying that most of the fast BMAs can be combined into the proposed framework for performance improvement.
Exocytosis in vitro: Ultrastructure of the isolated sea urchin egg cortex as seen in platinum replicas

Sea urchin egg cortices, isolated on polylysine-coated cover glasses by the method of V. D. Vacquier (1975, Dev. Biol. 43, 62–74), have been fixed with 2% glutaraldehyde, critical point-dried, and rotary shadowed with platinum—carbon. The replicas produced show that the isolated cortex consists of a plasma membrane having a regular array of microvillar evaginations each containing a filamentous core. Attached to the plasma membrane is a densely packed layer of cortical granules; each granule is linked to the plasma membrane and to four to six adjacent granules by fine, 6-nm-diameter filaments. Between the plasma membrane and cortical granule layer runs a tubular endoplasmic reticulum consisting of bulb-like varicosities joined in chains that are arranged in a network of polygons. Interspersed among the cortical granules are occasional spherical organelles which correspond in size to osmiophilic granules seen in the intact egg cortex. Addition of 1000 μM or 50 μM Ca2+ to the cortex initiates fusion of individual granules with the plasma membrane, as well as extensive fusion between granules, producing extended, branched exocytic pockets. Frequently, fusion patterns are observed that suggest a propagation of granule fusion outward from one or more foci within a single cortex.
Geochronologic evidence for a possible MIS-11 emergent barrier/beach-ridge in southeastern Georgia, USA

Abstract Predominantly clastic, off-lapping, transgressive, near-shore marine sediment packages that are morphologically expressed as subparallel NE-trending barriers, beach ridges, and associated back-barrier areas, characterize the near-surface stratigraphic section between the Savannah and the Ogeechee Rivers in Effingham County, southeastern Georgia. Each barrier/back-barrier (shoreline) complex is lower than and cut into a higher/older complex. Each barrier or shoreline complex overlies Miocene strata. No direct age data are available for these deposits. Previous researchers have disagreed on their age and provenance. Using luminescence and meteoric beryllium-10 ( 10 Be) inventory analyses, we estimated a minimum age for the largest, westernmost, morphologically identifiable, and topographically-highest, barrier/beach-ridge (the Wicomico shoreline barrier) and constrained the age of a suite of younger barrier/beach-ridges that lie adjacent and seaward of the Wicomico shoreline barrier. At the study site, the near-shore marine/estuarine deposits underlying the Wicomico shoreline barrier are overlain by eolian sand and an intervening zone-of-mixing. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) data indicate ages of ≤43 ka for the eolian sand and 116 ka for the zone-of-mixing. Meteoric 10 Be and pedostratigraphic data indicate minimum residence times of 33.4 ka for the eolian sand, 80.6 ka for the zone-of-mixing, and 247 ka for the paleosol. The combined OSL and 10 Be age data indicate that, at this locality, the barrier/beach ridge has a minimum age of about 360 ka. This age for the Wicomico shoreline-barrier deposit is the first for any Pleistocene near-shore marine/estuarine deposit in southeast Georgia that is conclusively older than 80 ka. The 360-ka minimum age is in agreement with other geochronologic data for near-coastline deposits in Georgia and South Carolina. The geomorphic position of this barrier/beach-ridge is similar to deposits in South Carolina considered to be ∼450 ka to >1 Ma. The age and geomorphic data for Georgia and South Carolina possibly suggest the presence of MIS-11 (∼420−360 ka) shoreline deposits between 15 m and 28 m above present sea level in the Southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain.
American Society for Radiation Oncology's Performance Assessment for the Advancement of Radiation Oncology Treatment: A practical approach for informing practice improvement.

Abstract Purpose Performance Assessment for the Advancement of Radiation Oncology Treatment (PAAROT) is a practice quality improvement program. This study seeks to determine baseline performance rates and practice variation from PAAROT data. Methods and Materials The cohort includes all physicians from academic, hospital, and free-standing settings who completed at least 10 consecutive self-audited medical records in the PAAROT program (version 2.5) from 2010 to 2011 (n = 519 medical records). Mean performance rates were analyzed at the physician and medical record levels and, where appropriate, were stratified by the physician's practice setting. Results Forty-nine physicians were included in the study; 22 (45%), 17 (35%), and 10 (20%) physicians practiced in a hospital, academic, or a free-standing setting, respectively. The measures with a high adoption rate (more than 80%) include the following: documentation of history and physical; review of physics and dosimetry plan by radiation oncologist; patient informed risks of therapy; evaluation of acute symptoms during therapy; pathology in consultation note; communication of treatment summary within 30 days of treatment completion; documentation of intent of treatment, use of clinical guidelines or published data; and documentation of American Joint Committee on Cancer staging. Lower rates of adoption were noted (mean, 65%; range, 0-100%) when these measures were converted to a composite measure. Low adherence was noted for screening of a pain using a standard scale (mean, 58%; range, 0-100%). Physicians from an academic setting scored higher on the composite measure (40%) compared with those from a hospital setting (36%) and from a free-standing setting (24%); (P Conclusions This first assessment of PAAROT (version 2.5) data provides an initial snapshot on the use of quality indicators and practice patterns for radiation oncology. Self-reported practice data and the use of quality indicators will become important for the purpose of continuous, prospective evidence-based learning on an individual basis. Despite the small sample size, the data from this study will help address potential improvement opportunities for the next iteration of the PAAROT program.
Mortality of tephritids attracted to guava foliage treated with either malathion or naled plus protein-hydrolysate bait.

When either technical malathion or naled plus undiluted protein hydrolysate (PIB-7) was applied to guava foliage to control the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel ; the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann); and the melon fly, D. Cucurbitae Coquillett, naled caused more immediate mortality, but malathion had greater residual effectiveness. Also, the effectiveness of malathion was directly proportional to the ratio of the concentration of toxicant to PIB-7 (1:4>1:16>1:64>1:256>1:1230>1:2460) when the amount of formulation applied was the same. About the same results were obtained when native and laboratory-reared (sterile) flies had free access to the exposed baits as when known numbers of laboratory-reared flies were confined in cages over the baits.
The oxygen deficit and debt for normal and non-athletic men.

Abstract We have (1) demonstrated that the O2 deficit (VO2 Df) and O2 debt (VO2Dt) can both be described as linear relations to the intensity of steady state exercise; (2) demonstrated that the O2 debt varies widely with seemingly small analytical error; and (3) there is considerable confusion in the literature as to the value to be expected for the VO2 Dt or VO2Df. We found that neither the O2 debt nor the O2 deficit is related to age or body surface area, except as these measurements are reflected in the VO2 exercise. We have compared the oxygen debt and the oxygen deficit for a given stint of work and have demonstrated that above about one L/m of vO2 there is an increasingly greater O2 debt-deficit difference which could be accounted for in large measure to analytical error as well as errors of the basic assumptions and definitions of the VO2 Df and the VO2Dt. Finally, we have compared our results with published results, and find only one grouping of the data. We did find several reports whose results agreed with ours; several did not. The latter did not form a second grouping of data but varied widely.
Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) modifies excitability of spinal cord dorsal horn cells

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) has been identified recently in fibers and cell bodies in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, but its function in the dorsal horn is not known. The present study investigated the effects of TRH applied by iontophoresis on the excitability of dorsal horn cells that were responsive to mechanical stimulation of the ipsilateral hindlimb. TRH facilitated glutamate-induced firing of these cells without directly driving the cells in the absence of glutamate. These results suggest that TRH may modulate transmission of somatosensory information in the spinal cord.
Influence of the Leader on the Activity Level of Therapy Groups

(1968). Influence of the Leader on the Activity Level of Therapy Groups. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 39-51.
PLASMA PROSTAGLANDIN E LEVELS IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

We have previously reported (Ped. Res. 9:379, 1975) that neonatal plasma prostaglandin E (PGE) levels are significantly-lower than those of adults. We have since extended our observations through childhood, and by radioimmunoassay, have obtained the following results (mean ± SE). PGE levels in cord blood were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in adults. By 48-72 hours of age the plasma concentrations had fallen significantly (p < 0.001), suggesting that the neonatal lung is capable of PG inactivation. The PG concentrations increased with age, but continued to be significantly lower (p<0. 05) than those of adults. The reasons for these low levels are uncertain. But, the absence of the renomedullary body during the neonatal period, and the small size of the pre-pubertal reproductive tract, suggest that it is probably secondary to decreased production.
Application of Cathodic Arc Deposited Amorphous Hard Carbon Films to the Head/Disk Tribology

Amorphous hard carbon films deposited by filtered cathodic arc deposition exhibit very high hardness and elastic modulus, high mass density, low coefficient of friction, and the films are very smooth. All these properties are beneficial to applications of these films for the head/disk interface tribology. The properties of cathodic arc deposited amorphous carbon films are summarized, and they are compared to sputter deposited, hydrogenated (CH{sub x}), and nitrogenated (CN{sub x}) carbon films which are the present choice for hard disk and slider coatings. New developments in cathodic arc coaters are discussed which are of interest to the disk drive industry. Experiments on the nanotribology, mass density and hardness, corrosion behavior, and tribochemical behavior of cathodic arc films are reported. A number of applications of cathodic arc deposited films to hard disk and slider coatings are described. It is shown that their tribological performance is considerably better compared to CH{sub x} and CN{sub x} films.
Inhibition of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors in rat anterior pituitary monolayer cell cultures by danazol☆

Abstract To study possible cellular antigonadotropic effects of danazol, monolayer cultures of anterior pituitary cells from immature female rats were treated with danazol. Measurements of luteinizing hormone release in response to 10 −8 mol/L gonadotropin-releasing hormone challenge and iodine 125-labeled gonadotropin-releasing hormone binding activity were done after exposure to increasing concentrations of danazol and for increasing lengths of time. It was found that luteinizing hormone secreted by pituitary cells in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone was inhibited after danazol treatment in a dose- and time-dependent manner when compared to controls. Also, a 45% decrease in gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor binding capacity was observed in pituitary cells cultured in the presence of increasing concentrations of danazol in the range of 10 −8 to 10 −4 mol/L when compared to controls. Furthermore, exposure to danazol for 25 to 96 hours caused a marked decrease in gonadotropin-releasing hormone binding activity (p
TH-SAMS-AUD-01: Brachytherapy: General Clinical Applications

Brachytherapy has had a long history and formed the original intensity‐modulated, three‐dimensionally conformal radiotherapy. This presentation discusses some of the clinical applications of brachytherapy with an emphasis on the physical aspects of treatments. The presentation will focus particular attention on treatments with rapidly evolving procedures, particularly brachytherapy applications in breast, prostate, uterine cervix and liver. The discussion will consider how the physical nature of brachytherapy enhances and limits the treatments. Educational Objectives: 1. Consider the physical aspects of brachytherapy. 2. Understand the physical limitations in clinical applications of brachytherapy. 3. Know some of the emerging developments in the physical aspects of clinical applications in brachytherapy.
A Lung Oedema Factor from Mouldy Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas)

WE have already described the toxic properties of sweet potato tubers infected with common moulds1,2. The toxic properties are not directly attributable to the fungi because poisons were not found when the organisms were grown in autoclaved sweet potato slurry. The experimental infection of viable sweet potato slices or of the intact tubers nevertheless resulted in the production of many furanoterpenoid compounds, some of which are markedly toxic for laboratory and commercial animals.
Chemical tests in the diagnosis of plant virus diseases

Viruses occupy a unique position in the biological spectrum, for they are biological entities only when combined with a susceptible host. Purified virus preparations are claimed by the chemist. All plant viruses that have so far been purified have been found to be nucleoproteins, and are indistinguishable in gross chemical characteristics from naturally occurring plant nucleoproteins. From the chemical viewpoint, therefore, viruses are just one of a group of nucleoproteins which are found in all living organisms. However, virus particles are replicated only in susceptible hosts; therefore, from the biological viewpoint, viruses are obligate pathogens with one dimension less than 200 mt ( 11). Viruses are recognized because they produce reproducible syndromes in susceptible hosts, and it is the host-virus interaction that is recognized. Some plants are symptomless carriers of certain viruses, which fact
Successful Liver, Kidney, and Pancreas Transplantation From a Donor With Cerebral Emboli From a Left Atrial Myxoma

Although transmission and engraftment of donor-derived malignancies is rare in recipients of solid organ transplants, it is associated with unfavorable allograft and patient survival. Therefore, a recent history of malignancy is considered a contraindication to organ donation. Although atrial myxomas are benign cardiac tumors of stromal origin, they can lead to systemic embolization with ectopic myxoma formation. We report successful liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantation into 3 recipients from a donor with cerebral emboli from a left atrial myxoma. Eighteen months after transplantation, all 3 patients enjoy good allograft function and are free of donor-derived atrial myxoma. Although the duration of follow-up in this report is limited, we suggest that the presence of atrial myxoma should not be viewed as an absolute contraindication to organ recovery, particularly in view of the shortage of organ donors and the attendant morbidity and mortality for patients on waiting lists.
Spitz's reply to Ramey's response to Spitz's first reply to Ramey's first response to Spitz's critique of the Abecedarian Project

Abstract Responses are given to Ramey's 10 “substantive amplifications.” The ability test difference between the intervention and control groups at 12 years of age is approximately the same as the difference had been at 6 months of age. This finding remains unexplained. Some of the data are still not forthcoming. I remain unconvinced that the Abecedarian Project provides evidence that quality educational day-care services can prevent mild mental retardation in children who are said to be at risk because they come from economically and socially impoverished homes.
Excess digestive capacity in predators reflects a life of feast and famine.

In an ideal world, food supplies would be regular and frequent, so organisms could invest in just the right amount of capacity for digestion (which comes at a cost). But faced with unpredictable supplies, organisms must invest in spare digestive capacity, so that when food is available they can process it. Jonathan Armstrong and Daniel Schindler have modelled the dynamics of food supply and investment in digestion, and collected data on the actual digestive capacities of 38 fish species. They find that fish maintain up to three times more digestive capacity than they need. The excess suggests that predator–prey encounters are much patchier than is generally assumed. A central challenge for predators is achieving positive energy balance when prey are spatially and temporally heterogeneous. Ecological heterogeneity produces evolutionary trade-offs in the physiological design of predators; this is because the ability to capitalize on pulses of food abundance requires high capacity for food-processing, yet maintaining such capacity imposes energetic costs that are taxing during periods of food scarcity1,2. Recent advances in physiology show that when variation in foraging opportunities is predictable, animals may adjust energetic trade-offs by rapidly modulating their digestive system to track variation in foraging opportunities1. However, it is increasingly recognized that foraging opportunities for animals are unpredictable3, which should favour animals that maintain a capacity for food-processing that exceeds average levels of consumption (loads)2,4. Despite this basic principle of quantitative evolutionary design, estimates of digestive load:capacity ratios in wild animals are virtually non-existent1. Here we provide an extensive assessment of load:capacity ratios for the digestive systems of predators in the wild, compiling 639 estimates across 38 species of fish. We found that piscine predators typically maintain the physiological capacity to feed at daily rates 2–3 times higher than what they experience on average. A numerical simulation of the trade-off between food-processing capacity and metabolic cost suggests that the observed level of physiological opportunism is profitable only if predator–prey encounters, and thus predator energy budgets, are far more variable in nature than currently assumed.
Induction of chemokine and cytokine genes in astrocytes following infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus is mediated by the Toll-like receptor 3.

Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) infection in the central nervous system (CNS) induces a demyelinating disease similar to human multiple sclerosis. TMEV infection results in activation of various chemokine and cytokine genes that are important in the initiation of an inflammatory response. We have previously shown that the production of these chemokines and cytokines in astrocytes is induced via the NF-jB pathway following TMEV and Coxsackie virus infection. In this study, we investigated whether the NF-jB-dependent inflammatory responses after TMEV infection is triggered through TLR3 and/or TLR7. The activation of NF-jB or IRF/ISRE, as well as the production of both MCP-1/CCL2 and IL-8/CXCL8, was observed in only TLR3-transfected HEK 293 cells, but not in TLR7-tranfected cells. The potential involvement of TLR3 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and primary astrocytes was further investigated following transfection with wildtype or dominant negative form of TLRs and MyD88, as well as astrocytes from TLR3- and MyD88-deficient mice. Similarly, the activation of transcription factors and chemokine genes is induced in these mouse cells through primarily TLR3 signaling pathway, but not TLR7 or other MyD88-mediated pathways following TMEV infection. However, the TLR3-mediated cellular activation does not appear to affect the level of viral replication in astrocytes. These results strongly suggest that TLR3-signaling by TMEV alone is sufficient to induce the initial inflammatory cytokine responses that could be very important for the outcome of virus-induced encephalitis and/or demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. V C 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Does it Take a Village to Make a Marriage? Exploring the Relationship between Community and Marital Satisfaction

This paper explores the relationship between community and marital satisfaction using evidence from Utah. To do so, we analyze the effects of three sets of independent variables on marital satisfaction: demographic variables (number of children, education, household income, age, and religious affiliation), neighborhood quality (neighborhood assessment and perceptions of informal helping at the neighborhood level), and community integration (use of community services, volunteer work, and length of community residence). Seemingly Unrelated Regression analyses of survey data from northern Utah demonstrate that religious affiliation (negative association) and perceptions of informal helping at the neighborhood level (positive association) are significantly associated with women's marital satisfaction. For men, neighborhood assessment and perceptions of informal helping at the neighborhood level are positively and significantly associated with marital satisfaction.
Photonics: One-way road for light.

The transmission of information from one place to another by light waves sent through waveguides is hampered by light attenuation and scattering loss. Magnetic photonic crystals could provide a solution to such problems.
Bow Echo Mesovortices. Part I: Processes That Influence Their Damaging Potential

Abstract This two-part study examines the damaging potential and genesis of low-level, meso-γ-scale mesovortices formed within bow echoes. This was accomplished by analyzing quasi-idealized simulations of the 10 June 2003 Saint Louis bow echo event observed during the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment (BAMEX). This bow echo produced both damaging and nondamaging mesovortices. A series of sensitivity simulations were performed to assess the impact of low- and midlevel shear, cold-pool strength, and Coriolis forcing on mesovortex strength. By analyzing the amount of circulation, maximum vertical vorticity, and number of mesovortices produced at the lowest grid level, it was observed that more numerous and stronger mesovortices were formed when the low-level environmental shear nearly balanced the horizontal shear produced by the cold pool. As the magnitude of deeper layer shear increased, the number and strength of mesovortices increased. Larger Coriolis forcing and stronger cold pools als...
The use of effluent fees to regulate public sector sources of pollution An application of the niskanen model

Abstract The economics literature on environmental policy makes a compelling case for the use of effluent fees to control polluting activities. This analysis, however, proceeds from the assumption of profit maximizing behavior by polluters. Since (non-profit-maximizing) public agencies are a major source of environmental damage, this paper investigates the likely response of bureaucrats to effluent fees in terms of some extended versions of the Niskanen model of bureaucratic behavior. We find that, at least for a range of plausible cases, such fees can induce significant reduction in polluting activities. The results are sufficiently encouraging to make the extension of fees to public agencies worthy of serious consideration.
Multidimensional epistasis and the disadvantage of sex

Sex is thought to facilitate accumulation of initially rare beneficial mutations by allowing simultaneous allele replacements at many loci. However, this advantage of sex depends on a restrictive assumption that the fitness of a genotype is determined by fitness potential, a single intermediate variable to which all loci contribute additively, so that new alleles can accumulate in any order. Individual-based simulations of sexual and asexual populations reveal that under generic selection, sex often retards adaptive evolution. When new alleles are beneficial only if they accumulate in a prescribed order, a sexual population may evolve two or more times slower than an asexual population because only asexual reproduction allows some overlap of successive allele replacements. Many other fitness surfaces lead to an even greater disadvantage of sex. Thus, either sex exists in spite of its impact on the rate of adaptive allele replacements, or natural fitness surfaces have rather specific properties, at least at the scale of intrapopulation genetic variability.
Short range order in a binary solid solution: A comparison of the warren, Bhatia-Thornton and atom-charge formalisms

Abstract The theories employed to describe short range order and the size effect in amorphous and polycrystalline binary solid solutions are compared and it is shown that, while the Bhatia-Thornton and atom-charge approaches are equivalent, the Warren formalism leads to a different subdivision of the scattered diffuse intensity.
Production of replicable persistent changes in zygote chromosomes of Rana pipiens by injected proteins from adult liver nuclei

Abstract An investigation was carried out to test the hypothesis that cellular differentiation is based upon the acquisition of specific macromolecules by the chromosomes. Very small amounts of various protein fractions from adult Rana pipiens liver cells were injected into zygotes of the same species. The albumin fraction, and to a lesser extent the histones, when injected cause a highly reproducible cessation of cell division and arrested development in the late blastula stage. Nuclei from arrested blastulae were serially transplanted for seven generations without showing any recovery. It is concluded that the effect is primarily on the chromosomes and is replicated during cell division. Cytological examination of blastulae obtained from such nuclear transplantations shows the presence of normal and abnormal chromosome complements in the same individual. This indicates that at the time of transplantation the nuclei were normal, and that the abnormalities occurred later as a consequence of the arrest. The original chromosomal changes induced by the injected macromolecules must therefore be below the level of microscopic detection.
Unusual Electrocardiographic Changes in Spontaneous Pneumothorax

A young woman with spontaneous left pneumothorax had a phasic voltage alternation of her electrocardiogram that resolved with expansion of the lung. Likely explanations for this phenomenon are a respiratory dependent change in cardiac anatomy and a change in the volume conductor with respiration.
Black Holes, Lasers and Data Analysis: Contributions to Gravitational Wave Searches with the ExcessPower Pipeline

Gravitational waves (GWs) are tiny perturbations to the spacetime structure of the universe that propagate freely as wavelike solutions to the Einstein equations. The direct detection of GWs is currently a major goal in experimental physics, and a number of large scale efforts to detect them are currently underway.
Thermoregulatory responses to temperature manipulation of the spinal cord in the marmot

Abstract Yellow-bellied marmots (M. flaviventris) acclimated to Ta = 20 °C were implanted with U-shaped polyethylene thermodes in the peridural space of the spinal cord. Decreasing the temperature of the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar areas of the cord increased heart rate, electromyographic activity, and oxygen consumption in the animals. These responses differed qualitatively from those elicited by heating the same cord areas, indicating specificity of the response to the temperature change. Increases in heat production were proportional to the amount of cooling of the cord. The thoracic area was found to be more thermosensitive than the lumbar area. No behavioral or physical thermoregulation was apparent when the spinal cord temperature was changed in these animals. In addition to the conclusion that regulation of spinal cord temperature may be important in the euthermic marmot, it was postulated that the temperature receptors located in the thoracic cord of the marmot may be important in maintaining shivering thermogenesis during arousal from hibernation.
Model-based software synthesis

The knowledge-representation and compilation techniques used in a model-based, automatic software synthesis environment are discussed. The environment was used to build Caddmus, a system with more than 250 cooperating processes. The real-time execution environment automatically generates a macro-dataflow computation from declarative models. Central to the approach is the Multigraph Architecture, which provides the framework for model-based synthesis in real-time, parallel-computing environments. Application of Caddmus to analysis of all data related to testing new and redesigned turbine engines is described. >
Nationwide Emergency Department Imaging Practices for Pediatric Urolithiasis: Room for Improvement

Purpose: Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of medical radiation, and children with urolithiasis comprise a group that may undergo repeated radiation intensive imaging tests. We sought to characterize imaging practices for children presenting to the emergency department with suspected urolithiasis and to determine factors associated with the choice of imaging study.Materials and Methods: Using the 2006 to 2010 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients younger than 18 years presenting with suspected urolithiasis. We determined imaging practices for visits to emergency departments where billing codes for computerized tomography and ultrasound were reliably reported. Logistic regression was used to delineate patient and hospital level factors associated with the use of computerized tomography vs ultrasound.Results: We identified 18,096 pediatric visits for suspected urolithiasis in the 1,191 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample em...
Thermal conductivity mapping of the Ni–Al system and the beta-NiAl phase in the Ni–Al–Cr system

We use two examples to highlight the power of micron-scale-resolution thermal conductivity mapping on graded compositions created in a diffusion-multiple sample in rapid establishment of composition–phase–property relationships. The Ni–NiAl diffusion couple example clearly shows the effects of solid solutioning, order–disorder transition, and compositional point defects on thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity mapping of the beta-NiAl phase region of an Ni–Cr–NiAl diffusion triple clearly shows that Cr substitutes for both Ni and Al sites in beta-NiAl without a strong preference, which is also found not to be strongly composition dependent.
Animal Bites and Stings with Anaphylactic Potential

Anaphylaxis to animal bites and stings poses a significant medical risk of vascular or respiratory reactions that vary according to the patient's response and nature of the insult. Emergency Physicians frequently see patients who complain of an allergic reaction to an animal bite or sting. Although Hymenoptera stings, specifically those of wasps, bees, and hornets, account for the majority of these cases, other invertebrates and vertebrates are capable of causing allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Many of the causative animals are quite unusual, and their bites and stings are not commonly appreciated as potential causes of anaphylaxis. We conducted a literature review to identify documented reports of anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions to animal bites and stings. This summary is meant to heighten awareness of the diversity of animals that may cause anaphylaxis, hopefully leading to more rapid diagnosis and treatment of this dangerous condition. A diverse group of animals was found whose bites and stings cause anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions. Some case summaries are presented. A potentially life-saving plan is to direct patients to proper follow-up care to prevent a future life-threatening reaction, including: prescribing epinephrine and antihistamines with proper instructions for their use; referral to an allergist to determine if skin testing, radioallergosorbent test, and immunotherapy are indicated; and reporting the case to state or local Poison Control Centers. In some cases it may be helpful to consult an entomologist or a pest control service for help in identification and elimination of certain offenders.
Effects of a worksite physical activity intervention for hospital nurses who are working mothers

Hospital nurses who are working mothers are challenged to maintain their personal health and model healthy behaviors for their children. This study aimed to develop and test an innovative 10-week worksite physical activity intervention integrated into the work flow of hospital-based nurses who were mothers. Three volunteer adult medical-surgical nursing units participated as intervention units. Fifty-eight nurses (30 intervention and 28 control) provided baseline and post-intervention repeated measurements of physical activity (steps) and body composition. Intervention participants provided post-intervention focus group feedback. For both groups, daily steps averaged more than 12,400 at baseline and post-intervention. No significant effects were found for physical activity; significant effects were found for fat mass, fat index, and percent fat (p < .03). Focus group findings supported the intervention and other data collected. The worksite holds promise for targeting the health of working mothers. Future research is warranted with a larger sample, longer intervention, and additional measures.
Perioperative Issues: Myocardial Ischemia and Protection — Beta-Blockade

Approximately one third of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery have coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular complications are an important cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality. Several algorithms are available to assess the risk for peri-operative cardiac events. Although preoperative risk assessment is useful in identifying patients at greatest risk for cardiac complications, recent investigations have provided additional guidance in choosing interventions to improve perioperative outcomes. These investigations show that perioperative beta-blockers significantly reduce morbidity and mortality in noncardiac surgery and appear to offer the greatest benefit to high-risk patients. Because of the lower complication rate in intermediate- and low-risk patients and the absence of large randomized controlled trials, the role of beta-blockers in this population is less well-defined.
Performance of the wedge-and-strip microchannel plate detectors and electronics for the Global Ultraviolet Imager

This paper describes the design and performance of the detectors and electronics developed for the Global UV Imager (GUVI) aboard the NASA TIMED spacecraft, to be launched in May 2000. GUVI employs two alternate design detectors that are compact sealed units with MgF windows, CsI photocathodes, and wedge-and-strip anodes. The focal plane is 15.6 mm X 16.5 mm with images quantized to 176 spectral by 14 spatial pixels, although access to image data over the entire 25-mm dia active area is provided. Moderate detector resolution is achieved at a relatively low gain. Science emphasis is on high throughput, good image stability, and high radiometric accuracy. Significant detector aging is anticipated over an extended mission with sustained high counting rates. Custom hybrid front-end electronics were developed to enable direct coupling to the wedge-and-strip anodes. This eliminates inter-electrode potentials and the associated image distortion and shift with counting rate. A parallel fast channel provides pulse pile-up rejection. XY position, binning, and compression algorithms are performed in software by a fast, radiation- hardened RISC processor. A full-custom ASIC counts input and output rates for each detector.
Nitrogen-doped In2O3 thin film electrodes for photocatalytic water splitting

New visible-light photocatalysts were prepared by doping In2O3 with nitrogen from ethylenediamine (NH2(CH2)2NH2) or ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) as the nitrogen source. Nitrogen-doped In2O3 powder prepared from NH2(CH2)2NH2 shows a rhombic structure and a substitutional N-doping, while the powder prepared from NH4Cl shows a cubic structure and NHx in interstitial sites. N-doping extended the light absorption of In2O3 to the visible region (λ < ∼650 nm), narrowing the band gap from 3.5 eV to approximately 2.0 eV. The photocurrent densities of N-doped In2O3 electrodes are at least double those of undoped In2O3 and approximately 50 times better than N-doped TiO2 electrodes in the visible region, although optimization will be needed to deliver high photocurrents. This present work shows that In2O3 can be suitably doped to produce a promising photocatalyst with improved photoelectrochemical properties for solar hydrogen conversion applications.
Evolution of the Dinosauriform Respiratory Apparatus: New Evidence from the Postcranial Axial Skeleton

Examination of the thoracic rib and vertebral anatomy of extant archosaurs indicates a relationship between the postcranial axial skeleton and pulmonary anatomy. Lung ventilation in extant crocodilians is primarily achieved with a hepatic piston pump and costal rotation. The tubercula and capitula of the ribs lie on the horizontal plane, forming a smooth thoracic “ceiling” facilitating movement of the viscera. Although the parietal pleura is anchored to the dorsal thoracic wall, the dorsal visceral pleura exhibits a greater freedom of movement. The air sac system and lungs of birds are associated with bicapitate ribs with a ventrally positioned capitular articulation, generating a rigid and furrowed rib cage that minimizes dorsoventral changes in volume in the dorsal thorax. The thin walled bronchi are kept from collapsing by fusion of the lung to the thorax on all sides. Data from this study suggest a progression from a dorsally rigid, heterogeneously partitioned, multichambered lung in basal dinosauriform archosaurs towards the small entirely rigid avian-style lung that was likely present in saurischian dinosaurs, consistent with a constant volume cavum pulmonale, thin walled parabronchi, and distinct air sacs. There is no vertebral evidence for a crocodilian hepatic piston pump in any of the taxa reviewed. The evidence for both a rigid lung and unidirectional airflow in dinosauriformes raises the possibility that these animals had a highly efficient lung relative to other Mesozoic vertebrates, which may have contributed to their successful radiation during this time period. Anat Rec, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Photino-photino-photon production in e+e− annihilation

Abstract The cross section for production of single photons in the process e + e − → γ γ γ is calculated including selectron propagator and photino mass effects and is found to be significantly smaller than the local limit for selectron masses ⪅ 35 GeV/ c 2 . Numerical results for the cross section are obtained as a function of selectron masses for photino masses m γ ⪅ 10 GeV /c 2 and electron beam energies E = 14.5, 25, and 35 GeV appropriate to PEP, PETRA, and TRISTAN, respectively.
Feedback directed optimization of TCMalloc

TCMalloc [9] is an open-source memory allocator. Its use of thread-local caches of free objects enables most allocations/deallocations to be satisfied from thread-local heaps not requiring locks, making it a highly scalable memory allocator for multi-threaded applications. TCMalloc code contains several parameters that control the thread-local caches. The values of these parameters have been carefully chosen to provide good performance for the common case. However, as we will show, the optimal values of these parameters depend upon application-specific memory allocation behavior, so there is no one configuration that attains the optimal performance in all applications.In light of this, this paper presents a feedback-directed optimization of TCMalloc. The proposed optimization method targets the batch sizes, which determine the aggressiveness and timing of thread cache management mechanisms that move free objects between central and thread-local caches. It aims to tailor the batch sizes to application behavior, in order to make prefetching from the central cache aggressive enough to reduce unnecessary synchronization, without causing other performance problems due to excessive garbage collection of free objects in the thread caches. To this end, the optimization method observes a target application during a profile run and uses an iterative algorithm to compute batch sizes. Empirical results show that the proposed optimization results in up to 10% performance improvement over the default configuration on Google internal benchmark applications.