cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Removal of chest tubes in children without water seal after elective thoracic procedures: a randomized prospective study.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Chest tubes are often placed in children after elective thoracic surgical procedures. Depending on surgeon preference, tubes can be pulled directly from suction or after a trial of water seal. Removal of the tube without water seal potentially allows earlier removal, decreased postoperative pain, and earlier discharge from the hospital. No randomized, prospective study has been performed to compare the two methods to determine whether omission of the water seal period is safe after elective thoracic surgery in children. STUDY DESIGN: This is a single-blinded, randomized study conducted between June 1998 and June 2000. Children undergoing elective, noncardiac, nonesophageal thoracic operations were placed into water seal or a nonwater seal groups. Groups were compared for development of pneumothorax or pleural effusion after chest tube removal. RESULTS: Fifty-two children participated in the study, with 28 in group I (suction) and 24 in group II (water seal). Operations included both pulmonary and nonpulmonary thoracic operations performed both thoracoscopically and open. No child developed a major pleural effusion after chest tube removal. Three children (11%) in group I and eight (33%) in group II developed pneumothorax. No child required reinsertion of the chest tube and all were successfully treated with observation and oxygen. There was no marked difference between the groups regarding development of pneumothorax, but the power of the study is low. CONCLUSIONS: A water seal trial is not necessary for safe removal of chest tubes in children undergoing elective surgery. Chest tubes can be removed safely and earlier when pulled directly from suction for both pulmonary and nonpulmonary thoracic pediatric procedures.
The treatment of acute rheumatic fever.

A controlled study of therapy on 131 patients with first attacks of acute rheumatic fever of 18 days or less duration was conducted. All patients were given a basic regimen of bed rest and initial penicillin therapy followed by sulfadiazine prophylaxis. The effect of the basic regimen was compared with hydrocortisone, salicylates, and a combination of these two agents. Both aspirin and hydrocortisone favorably affected certain acute manifestations; the effect of the latter was more striking. Treatment with hydrocortisone appeared to result in a decrease in apical systolic murmurs at the end of 1 year, as compared with treatment with aspirin or no specific anti-rheumatic therapy. No advantage of combined therapy was found. It is recommended that acute rheumatic fever with carditis be treated with hormones; but in the absence of carditis, salicylates should be employed.
Value-Profile Guided Stride Prefetching for Irregular Code

Memory operations in irregular code are difficult to prefetch, as the future address of a memory location is hard to anticipate by a compiler. However, recent studies as well as our experience indicate that many irregular programs contain loads with near-constant strides. This paper presents a novel compiler technique to profile and prefetch for those loads. The profile captures not only the dominant stride values for each profiled load, but also the differences between the successive strides of the load. The profile information helps the compiler to classify load instructions into strongly or weakly strided and single-strided or phased multi-strided. The prefetching decisions guided by the load classifications are highly selective and beneficial. We obtain significant performance improvement for the CPU2000 integer programs running on Itanium� machines. For example, we achieve a 1.55x speedup for "181.mcf", 1.15x for "254.gap", 1.08x for "197.parser" and smaller gains in other benchmarks. We also show that the performance gain is stable across profile data sets and that the profiling overhead is low. These benefits make the new technique suitable for a production compiler.
Men of steel: Voluntary accounting information disclosure in the first third of the twentieth century at U.S. Steel Corporation

Abstract Before the emergence of accounting regulation and broadly-based equity ownership in the US, corporations had a relatively free hand over financial information disclosure. Why information was disseminated was therefore a purer window into corporate strategy. This paper considers the case of U.S. Steel Corporation, a dominant industrial company for the good part of the 20th century in the world's largest economy. Two explanations, stewardship and legitimacy theory are offered as rationales for the company's relatively high level of voluntary disclosure. The results suggest that the stewardship model is the one most likely to explain the variation in the historical pattern of disclosure.
Analysis of a New Thermodynamic Cycle for Combined Power and Cooling Using Low and Mid Temperature Solar Collectors

A combined thermal power and cooling cycle is proposed which combines the Rankine and absorption refrigeration cycles. It can provide power output as well as refrigeration with power generation as a primary goal. Ammonia-water mixture is used as a working fluid. The boiling temperature of the ammonia-water mixture increases as the boiling process proceeds until all liquid is vaporized, so that a better thermal match is obtained in the boiler. The proposed cycle takes advantage of the low boiling temperature of ammonia vapor so that it can be expanded to a low temperature while it is still in a vapor state or a high quality two phase state. This cycle is ideally suited for solar thermal power using low cost concentrating collectors, with the potential to reduce the capital cost of a solar thermal power plant. The cycle can also be used as a bottoming cycle for any thermal power plant. This paper presents a parametric analysis of the proposed cycle.
Thriving of Malnourished Breastfed Infants after Additional Formula Milk Feeding

Introduction: Breastfeeding is the ideal mode of nutrition for healthy infants, especially during the first months of life. Inadequate breastfeeding may result in critical infant failure to thrive. In such infants it is often necessary to implement nutritional intervention. We studied the efficiency of addition of formula milk to exclusively breastfed infants with failure to thrive, with formula offered after each breastfeeding. We aimed at catch up infant growth and preservation of breastfeeding as much as possible.
Biomass energy from wood chips: Diesel fuel dependence?

Most renewable energy sources depend to some extent on use of other, non-renewable sources. In this study we explore use of diesel fuel in producing and transporting woody biomass in the state of New Hampshire, USA. We use two methods to estimate the diesel fuel used in woody biomass production: 1) a calculation based on case studies of diesel consumption in different parts of the wood chip supply chain, and 2) to support extrapolating those results to a regional system, an econometric study of the variation of wood-chip prices with respect to diesel fuel prices. The econometric study relies on an assumption of fixed demand, then assesses variables impacting supply, with a focus on how the price of diesel fuel affects price of biomass supplied. The two methods yield similar results. The econometric study, representing overall regional practices, suggests that a $1.00 per liter increase in diesel fuel price is associated with a $5.59 per Mg increase in the price of wood chips. On an energy basis, the diesel fuel used directly in wood chip production and transportation appears to account for less than 2% of the potential energy in the wood chips. Thus, the dependence of woody biomass energy production on diesel fuel does not appear to be extreme.
Dolltalk: a computational toy to enhance children's creativity

This paper presents a novel approach and interface for encouraging children to tell and act out original stories. Dolltalk is a toy that simulates speech recognition by capturing the gestures and speech of a child. The toy then plays back a child's pretend-play speech in altered voices representing the characters of the child's story. Dolltalk's tangible interface and ability to retell a child's story may enhance a child's creativity in narrative elaboration.
Both Atomoxetine and Stimulants Improve Quality of Life in an ADHD Population Treated in a Community Clinic

Objective To evaluate change in quality of life in a community clinic ADHD population treated with atomoxetine or stimulants. No direct comparisons between atomoxetine and stimulants to improve quality of life in ADHD are available. Methods A prospective, nonrandomized comparison between ADHD patients treated with atomoxetine or stimulants in one clinic. Structured diagnostic assessment tools and a specific quality of life measure were used. Results 84 patients (atomoxetine n = 39/stimulants n = 45), between the ages of 5 and 18, were treated for approximately 8 months. At end point, there were no significant differences in improvements of quality of life between the two groups. Age, participation in psychotherapy, and parental disability were not correlated with quality of life changes. Patients with lower baseline scores improved most. Conclusions Both atomoxetine and stimulants led to a modest increase in quality of life in this community clinic ADHD population.
Piloting a Social Networks Strategy to Increase HIV Testing and Counseling Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Greater Accra and Ashanti Region, Ghana

The 2011 Ghana Men’s Study identified a high prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Accra/Tema (34.4 %) and in Kumasi (13.6 %), whereas the HIV rate among MSM referred through peer educators (PEs) to HIV testing and counseling (HTC) services in these two sites was substantially lower (8.4 %). These findings raised questions about possible limitations of the peer-education strategy to reach high-risk MSM. Therefore, a pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using a social network strategy (SNS) to identify and refer MSM to HTC services. Within 3 months, 166 MSM were reached and referred to HTC services: 62.7 % reported no recent exposure to PEs; 61.5 % were unaware of their recent HIV serostatus; and 32.9 % were newly diagnosed HIV positive. This pilot study suggests that an SNS could be an important strategy to reach MSM and to increase the uptake of HTC.
Practical considerations in two-dimensional shape optimization of elastic continuum

This paper presents some of the practical issues that are encountered when designing and implementing a two-dimensional shape optimization computer program. The topics discussed will be focused on reducing the number of stiffness inversions (decompositions), treating geometrical dependencies between decision variables, processing mathematical relations (needed for geometrical constraints or dependencies), the frequency of evaluating gradients, and the steps that are involved in typical shape optimization process.
NMDA-induced seizure intensity is enhanced in COX-2 deficient mice.

Pharmacological inhibition or genetic deletion of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, but not COX-1, has been shown to increase susceptibility to kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxicity. However, it is unclear if susceptibility to excitotoxins that act through other neurotransmitter receptors is altered by COX-2 inhibition. To further understand the involvement of COX-2 in regulating susceptibility to excitotoxicity, we investigated the effect of COX-2 deletion on excitotoxicity induced by peripheral injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA, a specific agonist of the NMDA receptors) or lindane (a GABAA receptor antagonist). COX-2−/− mice injected intraperitoneally with NMDA (50-100 mg/kg) exhibited significantly increased median seizure intensity when compared to COX-2+/+ mice. Further, COX-2−/− mice exposed to NMDA showed neuronal damage, detected by Fluoro Jade B (FJB) staining, in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. There was no FJB staining nor any significant difference in median or maximal seizure intensity in COX-2+/+ and COX-2−/− mice exposed to lindane. LC-MS/MS analysis of brain prostaglandin profile in COX-2−/− mice demonstrated a significant increase in PGF2α, TXB2, PGE2 and PGD2 expression 1 hour after administration of an excitotoxic dose of KA, but not of NMDA. Our findings demonstrate that COX-2 regulates susceptibility to KA and NMDA excitotoxicity, which directly activate glutamatergic neurotransmission, but not to lindane, which indirectly alters glutamatergic neurotransmission. Furthermore, increased levels of prostaglandins after seizures are associated with consistent manifestation of neuronal damage.
Properties of Some Simple Glass/Ceramic Systems

The density, transformation-range behavior, and electrical conductivity of three glass-crystal systems of increasing complexity were measured. The systems studied included glass/alumina composites, spherulitic lithium disilicate crystallized from glass of the same composition, and a commercial glass-ceramic in which the crystallization of lithium metasilicate resulted in changes in the composition of the residual glass.
Transactional Memory Coherence and Consistency

In this paper, we propos a new shared memory model: Transactionalmemory Coherence and Consistency (TCC).TCC providesa model in which atomic transactions are always the basicunit of parallel work, communication, memory coherence, andmemory reference consistency.TCC greatly simplifies parallelsoftware by eliminating the need for synchronization using conventionallocks and semaphores, along with their complexities.TCC hardware must combine all writes from each transaction regionin a program into a single packet and broadcast this packetto the permanent shared memory state atomically as a large block.This simplifies the coherence hardware because it reduces theneed for small, low-latency messages and completely eliminatesthe need for conventional snoopy cache coherence protocols, asmultiple speculatively written versions of a cache line may safelycoexist within the system.Meanwhile, automatic, hardware-controlledrollback of speculative transactions resolves any correctnessviolations that may occur when several processors attemptto read and write the same data simultaneously.The cost of thissimplified scheme is higher interprocessor bandwidth.To explore the costs and benefits of TCC, we study the characterisitcsof an optimal transaction-based memory system, and examinehow different design parameters could affect the performanceof real systems.Across a spectrum of applications, the TCC modelitself did not limit available parallelism.Most applications areeasily divided into transactions requiring only small write buffers,on the order of 4-8 KB.The broadcast requirements of TCCare high, but are well within the capabilities of CMPs and small-scaleSMPs with high-speed interconnects.
Influence of radiant energy source on bitumen oxidation

By use of the steady change in infra-red absorption of the carbonyl functional groups of bitumen with increase of radiant energy flux, the oxidation rates of four air-blown bitumens of coating grade have been obtained for the three sources of radiation, carbon arc, xenon arc, and sunlight. Differences in the pattern of oxidation for the much used carbon arc compared with both xenon-arc and solar irradiation were found, whereas the last two sources induced nearly identical behaviour in the bitumens. Continuous measurement of the intensity of the solar radiation by pyroheliometry has indicated that the oxidation rates are directly proportional to intensity, sensitive to very low intensities and independent of diurnal changes. Potassium ferrioxalate dosimetry has shown that the intensity of the xenon-arc irradiation as used in a weatherometer simulated that of summer sunshine extremely well, whereas the carbon-arc irradiation, as used in the ASTM method of evaluation of weatherometer durability of bitumens, had a fivefold greater intensity. This increased intensity changed the pattern of rate of bitumen oxidation rather than simply accelerating the steady-state oxidation rates.
Prognostic factors in patients with bladder carcinoma treated with definitive irradiation

An analysis was performed of 116 patients with bladder carcinoma who completed definitive radiotherapy at a single institution. Patients were analyzed for survival and local control. The overall 5-year survival rate was 34%. A multivariate analysis of survival showed disease stage, hemoglobin level, histologic grade, and total dose to be significant factors in outcome. The local control rates for Stage A, B, C, and D patients were 26%, 36%, 18%, and 0%, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed disease stage and pretreatment hemoglobin level to be significant predictors of local control. In patients unsuitable for surgery or current combined technique protocols, high-dose irradiation may offer some patients survival and local control. Furthermore, prognostic factors in this study may aid in the stratification necessary for current protocol designs.
The Adequacy of Inhalation of Aerosol from Canister Nebulizers

Thirty patients hospitalized with asthma who had been taking aerosol bronchodilators from canister nebulizers were evaluated for their aerosol inhalation technique. Fourteen patients (47 percent) used an incorrect technique. The most frequent mistake was to inhale first, then to actuate the canister and breathhold. These patients were taught the correct technique. Some learned it easily but others had difficulty. With a teaching aid, incorporating a horn which is actuated by inspiration, all 14 patients learned to inhale the aerosol correctly. When retested five of the 10 patients had reverted to the old incorrect technique and required another lesson. Physicians who prescribe aerosol medication from a canister nebulizer should evaluate each patient for the aerosol inhalation technique. Those who inhale incorrectly should be taught repeatedly until they learn the correct technique and retain it. The teaching aid, utilizing an audio signal, is helpful in this training.
A fluorescent sensor for aluminum(III), magnesium(II), zinc(II) and cadmium(II) based on electrostatically immobilized quinolin-8-ol sulfonate

Abstract An optical sensor responding to Al(III), Mg(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) is prepared by immobilizing quinolin-8-ol-5-sulfonate (QS) on an ion-exchange resin and attaching the resin to the end of a trifurcated fiber-optic bundle. Immobilization leads to weak fluorescence from QS and causes shifts in the fluorescence spectra of the QS/metal complexes. Detection limits for the metal ions studied are all below 1 × 10−6 M. Response to metal ion concentration is nonlinear. The shape of the response fits a model that assumes a 1:1 metal/QS chelate is formed. Forrnation constants for immobilized QS complexes calculated from the model are similar to those observed for dissolved QS. Immobilized and dissolved QS behave similarly with respect to pH and interferences.
Spectral complex conductivity inversion of airborne electromagnetic data

The induced polarization (IP) phenomenon has been observed in numerous geologic structures, typically mineralized ore bodies. In polarizable structures a relationship exists between applied frequency and observed conductivity. In particular, conductivity can be observed to increase as applied frequency increases. This relationship is readily identifiable in IP data; however, the relationship may be present in any frequency domain measurement. Additionally the relationship may be unique for different mineralized geologic structures and may provide information to identify the type of structure being surveyed. The spectral IP method is a powerful tool for mineral exploration. Using the spectral IP method, variations in frequency-dependent complex conductivity, which correspond with different mineral targets, have been observed. Until recently, this method was applied as a ground based geophysical survey method only. However, frequency-domain airborne electromagnetic (FDAEM) measurements may contain information similar to that found in a ground-based IP survey, namely variations in complex conductivity, i.e., conductivity with both real and imaginary value. In this thesis, we examine the possibility of inverting for spectral resistivity in helicopter electromagnetic data. Our study is based both on forward modeling and inversion of synthetic FDAEM data for models with both complex frequency-dependent conductivity and models without. Comparison of electromagnetic synthetic data suggests a difference exists between synthetic modeled data with frequency-dependent conductivity and synthetic data with frequency-independent conductivity. Inversion of the synthetic data suggests recovery of the frequency-dependent variations complex conductivity parameters in the synthetic models is possible. The differences in conductivity are sensitive not only to the range of FDAEM measurements, but also to synthetic ground-based measurements. A numerical modeling study demonstrates the possibility of developing an airborne version of the spectral IP method. The results of the synthetic model study suggest the technique of solving for complex conductivity within the inversion domain may be applied to field data. In this thesis, we apply complex conductivity inversion to two different field collected frequency domain helicopter electromagnetic (FDHEM) data sets. The data are collected over a kimberlite pipe and over an orogenic gold target. Both are conductive targets and therefore make excellent targets for conductivity inversion. Variations in frequency-dependent complex conductivity behavior in both inversion targets are observed. The inversion results for both targets suggest recovery of frequency-dependent complex conductivity is possible in real, as opposed to synthetic, data. v
District Magnitudes and the Election of Women to the Irish Dáil

Abstract Previous research has suggested that electoral opportunities for women within proportional representation election systems may be directly related to district magnitudes. The fewer the seats apportioned to constituencies, it is argued, the less opportunities women will have to be nominated and elected. This article assesses whether the election of women to the Irish Dail varies across that country's three, four, and five-seat constituencies. Data for three elections held in 1981 and 1982 reveal that the underrepresentation of women has been much greater in the three-seat constituencies while differences between the four and five-seaters have been only minimal. The severity of underrepresentation in the three-seat districts can be attributed to both nomination practices and voter reactions. Women were nominated by the major parties to contest three-seat constituencies much less often than the other constituencies, and when nominated, the voters' reactions to women candidates were more adverse in the three than in the four and five-seat contexts.
Characteristics of boron fibers and boron- fiber-reinforced plastic composites.

Boron fibers, having about six times the modulus of elasticity of glass fibers and about the same strength and density as glass fibers, have been developed for use as reinforcements in structural plastics for aerospace vehicles and other high-performance applications. The physical and mechanical properties of currently available boron fibers made by the chemical vapor deposition process are presented. Also, mechanical property data on laboratory fabricated boron-fiber-reinforced plastic composites in ring and flat panel form are given for several representative fiber orientation layups. Moduli of elasticity of the composites generally reflected full conversion of the modulus of elasticity of the boron fibers. Strengths of the composites were generally good, although some low values occurred in tension and interlaminar shear.
Parallel stochastic dynamic programming: finite element methods

Abstract A finite element method for stochastic dynamic programming is developed. The computational method is valid for a general class of optimal control problems that are nonlinear and perturbed by general Markov noise in continuous time, including jump Poisson noise. Stability and convergence of the method are verified, and its advantage in storage utilization efficiency over the traditional finite difference method is demonstrated. This advanced numerical technique, together with parallel computation, helps to alleviate Bellman's curse of dimensionality by permitting the solution of larger problems.
Cross-cultural variations in predictors of life satisfaction: An historical view of differences among West European countries

Using survey data collected in 1976 from respondents in ten West European countries, we compared four sets of predictors of life satisfaction: job satisfaction, nonwork satisfaction, working conditions and living conditions. Results indicated that, although levels of satisfaction varied somewhat by country, significant predictors of life satisfaction were quite similar among the countries. These results present a picture of relationships among these variables in an historical context.
Antimicrobial activity of human beta-defensins and induction by Francisella

The ability of human beta-defensins hBD-1, hBD-2, and hBD-3 to exert direct in vitro antimicrobial effects was evaluated using Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain (LVS) and Francisella novicida. While hBD-2 showed some antimicrobial activity in these assays, only hBD-3 demonstrated significant potency against Francisella. Francisella tularensis LVS infection induced elevated levels of hBD-2 mRNA in human airway epithelial (A549) cells, while having no significant impact on the levels of hBD-3 and only a moderate effect on the level of hBD-1 mRNA. Francisella infection avoided stimulating the production of the most potent anti-Francisella host peptide, hBD-3, in A549 cells, although hBD-3 is stimulated by other treatments. The differential induction of beta-defensins in Francisella infected lung epithelial cells suggests a complex dynamic in the expression of antimicrobial peptides and the innate immune response.
A Surgical Approach to Treating Emphysema: Lung Volume Reduction Surgery

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in Americans. In addition, COPD significantly affects the quality of life of afflicted patients. Historically, the treatment for emphysema has been primarily medical and includes medications, smoking cessation, and pulmonary rehabilitation. Recently a surgical procedure, lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has been reintroduced as a treatment for end-stage lung disease, primarily emphysema. In LVRS, wedge resections are performed to reduce the size of the lungs and improve alveolar functioning. This article describes the evaluation of patients who undergo LVRS and the associated pathophysiology in addition to the surgical procedure, inclusion and exclusion criteria, pre- and postoperative care, potential complications, and preliminary data associated with the procedure at one facility. Although LVRS is not a procedure for all patients with emphysema, it may significantly improve the quality of life of selected patients.
Add Shamans and Stir? A Critical Review of the Shamanism Model of Forager Rock Art Production

Abstract The “shamanism” or “neurpsychological” model proposed by Lewis-Williams and colleagues has had a powerful impact on rock art research, and has significantly added to our knowledge of past foragers lifeways in southern Africa and elsewhere in the world. However, this model is primarily based on the view of shamanism as a universal and unvarying characteristic of foragers over space and time. This paper raises both theoretical and empirical problems with this view. The paper examines the relationship between the specific social roles and practices of shamanism and the overarching cosmological structures on which they are based in both southern Africa and Northern Eurasia. In both cases, the paper argues that many cosmological beliefs are highly persistent and durable, extending into prehistory, while the specific practices and roles of shamans are variable, changing to meet the immediate and local needs of their communities. This suggests that rock art is easier to relate to the overarching cosmological dispositions of the people that produced it and the paper closes by suggesting some theoretical and methodological alternatives recognizing this fact.
The physicochemical surface characteristics of Lactobacillus casei

The surface and interfacial properties of five strains of Lactobacillus casei, commonly found in cheese, were investigated in an attempt to identify surface properties that might be exploited to effect adsorption of the cells onto milk fat globules. All measures of surface hydrophobicity revealed these strains to be moderately hydrophobic compared to a reference strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis which was very hydrophobic. In chromatography experiments, L. casei had no affinity for either hydrophobic (octyl-sepharose) or control (sepharose) columns in conditions of physiological pH and low ionic strength, despite a favorable free energy of interfacial interaction (ΔGIFIW2) as derived from contact angle measurements. Adhesion of L. casei strains to these materials was effected by manipulation of eluent pH and ionic strength. In contrast, adhesion of L. casei strains to n-hexadecane concurred with ΔGIFIW2. Surfaces of L. casei strains subjected to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy exhibited similar amounts of carbon and oxygen but displayed considerable diversity in surface nitrogen and phosphorous contents. Carbon existed predominantly as C-(O, N) and oxygen as -OH on L. casei surfaces but carbon on M. smegmatis surfaces was present predominantly as C-(C,H).
The foundations of Kaplan's direct reference theory for demonstratives

L'A. s'appuie sur sa propre theorie de la reference indexicale afin de developper les theses logiques, semantiques et metaphysiques qui sous-tendent la theorie de la reference directe de D. Kaplan, et de les affranchir des theses centrales qui affirment: 1) que les indexicaux contribuent aux propositions demonstratives par le seul referent, et 2) qu'il n'existe pas de complexe intermediaire
Managing God’s estate: current environmental policies and the Biblical tradition

Examines the Biblical positions concerning humankind’s relationship to nature. The Biblical ecological system is a hierarchical system with human beings at the pinnical of nature and the animal and vegetative worlds below to serve humans. The same hierarchical structure prevails in human relations. Reviews the all‐embracing principal “Do not wantonly destroy”, which encompasses both humans and animals. Provides a Biblical perspective on environmental regulations Suggests that environmental agencies should focus less on rules and much more on prudential judgement. Regulatory activities should then require a balancing of benefits and costs.
Global data collection and the surveillance of active volcanoes

Abstract Data relay systems on existing earth-orbiting satellites provide an inexpensive way to collect environmental data from numerous remote sites around the world. This technology could be used effectively for fundamental monitoring of most of the world's active volcanoes. Such global monitoring would focus attention on the most dangerous volcanoes that are likely to significantly impact the geosphere and the biosphere.
Dryline Bulge Evolution in a Two-Dimensional Mixed-Layer Model.

Abstract This study examines the diurnal response of a mixed-layer model of the dryline system to localized anomalies of surface heat flux, topography, mixed-layer depth, and inversion strength. The two-dimensional, mixed-layer model is used to simulate the dynamics of a cool, moist layer east of the dryline capped by an inversion under synoptically quiescent conditions. The modeled domain simulates the sloping topography of the U.S. Great Plains. The importance of this study can be related to dryline bulges that are areas with enhanced convergence that may trigger convection in suitable environmental conditions. All anomalies are represented by a Gaussian function in the horizontal whose amplitude, size, and orientation can be altered. A positive, surface-heat-flux anomaly produces increased mixing that creates a bulge toward the east, while a negative anomaly produces a westward bulge. Anomalies in topography show a similar trend in bulge direction with a peak giving an eastward bulge, and a valley givi...
Regolith grain sizes of Saturn’s rings inferred from Cassini–CIRS far-infrared spectra

Abstract We analyze far-infrared (10–650 cm −1 ) emissivity spectra of Saturn’s main rings obtained by the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS). In modeling of the spectra, the single scattering albedos of regolith grains are calculated using the Mie theory, diffraction is removed with the delta-Eddington approximation, and the hemispherical emissivities of macroscopic free-floating ring particles are calculated using the Hapke’s isotropic scattering model. Only pure crystalline water ice is considered and the size distribution of regolith grains is estimated. We find that good fits are obtained if the size distribution is broad ranging from 1 μm to 1–10 cm with a power law index of ∼3. This means that the largest regolith grains are comparable to the smallest free-floating particles in size and that the power law indices for both free-floating particles and regolith grains are similar to each other. The apparent relative abundance of small grains increases with decreasing solar phase angle (or increasing mean temperature). This trend is particularly strong for the C ring and is probably caused by eclipse cooling in Saturn’s shadow, which relatively suppresses warming up of grains larger than the thermal skin depth (∼1 mm) under subsequent solar illumination.
The effects of cyclic nucleotides on the proliferation of cultured human T-lymphocytes.

Abstract The effects of cyclic nucleotides on the proliferation of cultured T-lymphocytes (CTC) stimulated by either phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or lactin-free interleukin-2 (IL-2) were studied. The addition of either N 6 , O 2 -dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DB-cAMP), aminophylline or isoproterenol to CTC cultures significantly suppressed the proliferation of CTC stimulated by either PHA or IL-2. This inhibitory effect was maximal when added at initiation of the assay; however, significant depression was still observed when added 24 h later. When DB-cAMP and aminophylline were added together, the inhibitory effects were additive. When DB-cGMP was added to the CTC cultures, inhibition of both PHA- and IL-2-stimulated cultures was also found, but the degree of activity was considerably less than for DB-cAMP or aminophylline. In contrast, when carbachol was added, no inhibition or modulation in proliferation was seen. Lastly, DB-cGMP was not found to antagonize the inhibitory effect of DB-cAMP, but instead to further increase the level of inhibition. In summary, these studies illustrate that cyclic nucleotides modulate the proliferation of IL-2-stimulated CTC as well as PHA-treated cells. This model system should provide an approach to study, in more depth, the mechanism by which cyclic nucleotides or their inducers can modulate the latter stages of the lymphocyte proliferative response, which is mediated by the lymphokine, IL-2.
Reliability of Geo-replicated Cloud Storage Systems

Network bandwidth between sites is typically more scarce than bandwidth within a site in geo-replicated cloud storage systems, and can potentially be a bottleneck for recovery operations. We study the reliability of geo-replicated cloud storage systems taking into account different bandwidths within a site and between sites. We consider a new recovery scheme called staged rebuild and compare it with both a direct scheme and a scheme known as intelligent rebuild. To assess the reliability gains achieved by these schemes, we develop an analytical model that incorporates various relevant aspects of storage systems, such as bandwidths, latent sector errors, and failure distributions. The model applies in the context of Open Stack Swift, a widely deployed cloud storage system. Under certain practical system configurations, we establish that order of magnitude improvements in mean time to data loss (MTTDL) can be achieved using these schemes.
The differential effect of thyrotropin on the electrical responses of thyroid cells in monolayer cultures of varying duration.

Abstract The acute effects of thyrotropin on the membrane potential of thyroid cells maintained in the presence or absence of thyrotropin (0.2 U/ml) in the culture medium was determined. Monolayer cultures were prepared from porcine thyroid glands and cultured for 4–17 days after which the culture medium was exchanged for a buffered salt solution for intracellular measurements of the membrane potential. Cells were serially impaled with a microelectrode, first in the absence and then in the presence of 10 mU/ml thyrotropin. Cells cultured for 4–9 days depolarized from −29.6 ± 1.7 (mean ± S.E.) to −19.3 ± 1.3 mV within 10 min after acute addition of 10 mU/ml thyrotropin. From 11 to 17 days of culture, basal membrane potentials were lower and, in most instances, cell hyperpolarization occurred within 30 min in response to thyrotropin. There was no difference in electrical response of cells maintained in culture with or without thyrotropin. However, cells cultured with thyrotropin formed follicle-like structures in contrast to the monolayer formation of cells cultured without thyrotropin. The changes in the basal and stimulated electrical responses occur within a time frame similar to that reported for changes in the biosynthetic capacity of thyroid cells in culture. The data further emphasize the possible regulatory role of the cell membrane in stimulus-secretion coupling in the thyroid.
Neutron Activation Analysis of Halogens in Drugs

A rapid, efficient, and highly specific method is presented for the determination of total chlorine, bromine, or iodine in various drugs. The halogen content is determined by nondestructive neutron activation and may be used for the presumptive assay of halogen‐containing drugs in various dosage forms. The relative freedom from laboratory contamination, the independence from matrix effect, and the rapidity and specificity of analysis make this technique well suited for the determination of major elements in such complex substances as drugs. The method involves subjecting samples to thermal neutron bombardment and correlating the measured activity from the induced radionuclides of samples with that of standards. The radionuclides of interest in this study are 38Cl, 80Br, 82Br, and 128I, which are produced by a neutron reaction (n, γ) in a nuclear research reactor.
Distinctive termini characterize two families of human endogenous retroviral sequences

Human DNA contains many copies of endogenous retroviral sequences. Characterization of molecular clones of these structures reveals the existence of two related families. One family consists of full-length (8.8 kilobases) proviral structures, with typical long terminal repeates (LTR's). The other family consists of structures, which contain only 4.1 kilobases of gag-pol sequences, bounded by a tandem array of imperfect repeats 72 to 76 base pairs in length. Typical LTR sequences that exist as solitary elements in the genome were cloned and characterized.
The crystalline qualities of silicon layers formed by solid phase epitaxial growth

Abstract The quality of epitaxial Si layers grown by solid phase reactions was studied by MeV 4He backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The grown layers are essentially epitaxial with the underlying Si crystals. Defects in the grown layers are mainly twins, i.e. primary twins in the layers grown during the initial stage of growth and additional secondary twins in the layers grown during the later stages. The amount of Pd trapped in the grown layers is strongly temperature dependent, with an activation energy of 1.8 eV. However, the size of the Pd inclusions is temperature insensitive.
Biodegradation of environmental pollutants by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium: Involvement of the lignin degrading system

The white-rot fungus Phanrochaete chrysosporium has the ability to degrade a wide variety of structurally diverse organic compounds, including a number of environmentally persistent organopollutants. The unique biodegradative abilities of this fungus appears to be dependent upon its lignin-degrading system. The non-specific and partially extracellular nature of this system suggests that it may be useful as a supplementary means to treat organochemical wastes.
Low‐energy‐electron—diatomic molecule scattering

Recent developments in traditional close-coupling methods as applied to electron-molecule scattering are described. The choice of coordinate frame of expansion, single-center versus two-center representation, and inclusion of exchange and polarization effects are discussed.
Preventing Depression Among Young Adolescents: Preliminary Process Results of a Psycho‐Educational Intervention Program

The authors present a psycho-educational group intervention designed to help youth manage the transition to and through adolescence. The program attempts to help adolescents learn skills that will decrease their susceptibility to depression during adolescence. Some preliminary results are also reported regarding the implementation of this program in three schools. The process variables of interest include the number of sessions attended, group cohesion, the degree to which the program was implemented as intended, and leader-rated impressions of session effectiveness. The article concludes with the potential uses of process results for informing the design, implementation, and revision of psycho-educational programs.
Impact-Compacted Noncement and Vibratory-Placed Noncement/Partial-Cement Concretes Containing Fluidized Bed and Pulverized Coal Combustion Residues

The two-part research study presented herein evaluates fresh and hardened properties of vibratory-placed noncement/partial-cement concretes, as well as impact-compacted noncement concretes, containing various dosages of pulverized coal combustion fly ash and fluidized bed combustion spent bed. The results of Part I of this study on vibratory-placed noncement/partial-cement concretes revealed lower early strengths than those of reference concrete, whereas their late strengths (90 and 180 days) were similar to or higher than those of reference concrete. The selected noncement/partial-cement concretes produced higher expansion and lower drying shrinkage than those of the reference concrete. Abrasion resistance of noncement and partial-cement mixtures under dry conditions were better than that of the reference concrete, whereas opposite results were obtained under wet conditions. Laboratory results of Part II on impact-compacted noncement concretes revealed higher compressive strength and resistance to internal sulfate attack with increasing coarse aggregate content. The strength, stiffness, and resistance to abrasion and freezing/thawing of impact-compacted concretes improved with decreases in fluidized bed combustion (FBC) spent bed to pulverized coal combustion (PCC) fly ash ratios, whereas opposite results were obtained for sulfate-induced expansions.
Molecular genetic heterogeneity of phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) deficiency.

Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK ; EC 2.7.2.3) is a glycolytic enzyme encoded by a single gene on the X chromosome and ubiquitously expressed. Hereditary PGK deficiency can cause hemolytic anemia, central nervous system dysfunction, and/or myopathy characterized by exercise intolerance, cramps, and myoglobinuria. So far, 20 PGK variants with reduced PGK activity have been identified, 8 of them in patients with myopathy. Six missense mutations and one splice-junction mutation have been identified in 7 patients, 2 of whom had myopathy. However, the biochemical and molecular bases for clinical heterogeneity in PGK deficiency remain unknown. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Regulation of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse androgen receptor gene by cAMP and androgen.

Both androgens and cAMP-mediated hormones are known to regulate expression of the androgen receptor (AR) gene. In order to determine whether these effects occur at the transcriptional level, transfection studies were conducted with a 1.5-kilobase fragment of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse AR gene coupled to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. We demonstrated that the cAMP pathway regulates expression of the mouse AR (mAR) 5'-CAT construct in mouse pituitary (alpha T3-1), rat pituitary (GC), and quail fibroblast (QT6) cell lines. Deletional analysis indicated that several areas of this clone, including a region containing a putative cAMP response element (CRE), are involved in mediating cAMP regulation of the AR gene. Oligonucleotides containing a putative CRE, linked to the thymidine kinase promoter of pBLCAT2, conferred increased forskolin induction of CAT activity. Furthermore, overexpression of a CRE binding protein up-regulated expression of the mAR 5'-CAT constructs. Bandshi...
Right Ventricular Anomalous Muscle Bundle Clinical and Laboratory Presentation and Natural History

Eighteen patients with right ventricular anomalous muscle bundles associated with ventricular septal defect and one patient with isolated anomalous muscle bundle were studied. The clinical differentiation of these patients from those with isolated ventricular septal defects or tetralogy of Fallot was difficult. Eleven patients were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis; eight had various degrees of dyspnea on exertion, with three of these having cyanosis. A physiologically split second sound with a pulmonic component of normal intensity and a diffuse thrill and holosystolic murmur maximal at the lower left sternal border suggest the diagnosis. Chest X-rays and electrocardiograms usually show evidence of right ventricular hypertrophy, but may suggest left ventricular hypertrophy in the presence of a large left-to-right shunt. However, the diagnosis is best made by cardiac catheterization with measurement of a pressure gradient in the body of the right ventricle and by selective angiography with the demonstration of a wedge-shaped filling defect in the right ventricle. Progressive obstruction by the muscle bundle occurred in four of seven patients who had repeated catheterization associated with the development of electrocardiographic changes of right ventricular hypertrophy. To date, 11 patients have had surgery; one died before surgery; and surgery is being planned for the remaining patients.