cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AN ACCELERATED TECHNIQUE FOR IRRADIATION OF MALIGNANT CANINE NASAL AND PARANASAL SINUS TUMORS

Tumor and normal tissue response was assessed in 21 dogs with malignant nasal tumors given 42 Gy cobalt radiation in 9 or 10 fractions over 11 to 13 days. Local tumor/clinical relapse recurred in 68% of dogs, with a median relapse free interval (RFI) of 270 days. Median survival was 428 days. One year survival for all dogs was 60%. RFI and survival times are better than, or similar to, previous reports of dogs treated with radiotherapy only. Acute radiation effects were severe in one dog. Late effects were severe in six of 15 dogs (40%) with durable tumor control. Late effects included bilateral blindness (3), osteoradionecrosis (3), and seizures (1). These six dogs had a median survival of 705 days. Loss of vision occurred in at least one eye in nine dogs (47%). Tumor staging based on CT findings was predictive for survival duration. Tumor histology was not predictive of outcome. Labrador Retrievers were significantly over-represented. Despite comparable or improved tumor control and survival times provided by this accelerated protocol, relative to other radiotherapy reports, local failure remains the major cause of death, and late radiation effects can be severe in dogs with durable tumor control.
Bacterial shape: growing off this mortal coil

Members of the actin-like MreB family of proteins localize as a helical filament in bacteria and are important for determining cylindrical cell shape. Recent results show that new cell wall biosynthesis occurs along a helical track dependent on one of these actin homologs, providing new insights into bacterial cell growth, division and shape.
Muscle microvascular oxygenation in chronic heart failure: role of nitric oxide availability

AIM To test the hypothesis that diminished vascular nitric oxide availability might explain the inability of individuals with chronic heart failure (CHF) to maintain the microvascular PO(2)'s (PO(2mv) proportional, variant O(2) delivery-to-uptake ratio) seen in healthy animals. METHODS We superfused sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 300 microm), Krebs-Henseleit (control, CON) and L-nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 1.5 mM) onto the spinotrapezius muscle and measured PO(2mv) by phosphorescence quenching in female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 26) at rest and during twitch contractions (1 Hz). Seven rats served as controls (Sham) while CHF was induced by myocardial infarction. CHF rats were grouped as moderate (MOD; n = 15) and severe CHF (SEV; n = 4) according to morphological data and baseline PO(2mv). RESULTS In contrast to Sham and MOD, L-NAME did not affect the PO(2mv) response (dynamics and steady-state) of SEV when compared with CON. SNP restored the PO(2mv) profile of SEV to that seen in Sham animals during CON. Specifically, the effect of L-NAME expressed as Delta(L-NAME - CON) were: Baseline PO(2mv) [in mmHg, DeltaSham = -7.0 +/- 1.6 (P < 0.05); DeltaSEV =-1.2 +/- 2.1], end-contractions PO(2mv) [in mmHg, DeltaSham = -5.0 +/- 1.0 (P < 0.05); DeltaSEV = -2.5 +/- 0.5] and time constant of PO(2mv) decrease [in s, DeltaSham = -6.5 +/- 3.0 (P < 0.05); DeltaSEV = -3.2 +/- 1.8]. CONCLUSION These data provide the first direct evidence that the pathological profiles of PO(2mv) associated with severe CHF can be explained, in part, by a diminished vascular NO availability.
Effects of neuropeptide Y, NPY analog (norleucine4-NPY), galanin and neuropeptide K on LH release in ovariectomized (ovx) and ovx estrogen, progesterone-treated rats

We studied the effects on plasma LH levels of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY), NPY analog (NPY-A), galanin (GAL) and neuropeptide K (NPK) in ovariectomized (ovx) and in ovx rats pretreated with estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P). Plasma LH levels were estimated in blood drawn from an intrajugular cannula before (0 min) and at 10, 20, 30 and 60 min after the ICV injection of either saline (3 microliter) or one of the neuropeptides in saline. The three classes of peptides elicited different LH responses in the two experimental paradigms. NPY and NPY-A (0.5 or 2 micrograms) decreased LH release in ovx rats and stimulated LH release in EBP ovx rats. However, GAL (0.5, 2 or 10 micrograms) failed to suppress LH release in ovx rats, but it readily increased plasma LH levels in a dose-related fashion in EBP ovx rats. In contrast, NPK readily decreased LH release in ovx rats in a time-related fashion for up to 60 min, but was mildly effective in EBP ovx rats as only a high dose of 10 micrograms produced a small significant increase. Collectively, our results show that (1) NPY can differentially effect LH release in ovx and EBP ovx rats but this property is not equally shared by the neuropeptides that have a similar anatomical disposition in the hypothalamus and (2) the excitatory effects of GAL are demonstrable in the steroid-primed rats and the inhibitory effects of NPK are apparent in the steroid-unprimed ovx rats. Since NPK induced a long-lasting marked suppression with little evidence of LH excitation at low doses, we speculate that either NPK alone or in conjunction with other peptides may mediate the suppression of LH release induced by gonadal steroids.
Continuum contribution to the helium atom's green function

Abstract The continuum contribution to the helium atom's Green function has been found. The similarity in form of this contribution to that of the discrete part is suggested as the reason for large continuum contributions in perturbation theory.
Cell proliferation inhibition and alterations in retinol esterification induced by phytanic acid and docosahexaenoic acid

We investigated the effects of two natural dietary retinoid X receptor (RXR) ligands, phytanic acid (PA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on proliferation and on the metabolism of retinol (vitamin A) in both cultured normal human prostate epithelial cells (PrECs) and PC-3 prostate carcinoma cells. PA and DHA inhibited the proliferation of the parental PC-3 cells and PC-3 cells engineered to overexpress human lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) in both the absence and presence of retinol. A synthetic RXR-specific ligand also inhibited PC-3 cell proliferation, whereas all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) did not. PA and DHA treatment increased the levels of retinyl esters (REs) in both PrECs and PC-3 cells and generated novel REs that eluted on reverse-phase HPLC at 54.0 and 50.5 min, respectively. Mass spectrometric analyses demonstrated that these novel REs were retinyl phytanate (54.0 min) and retinyl docosahexaenoate (50.5 min). Neither PA nor DHA increased LRAT mRNA levels in these cells. In addition, we demonstrate that retinyl phytanate was generated by LRAT in the presence of PA and retinol; however, retinyl docosahexaenoate was produced by another enzyme in the presence of DHA and retinol.
The outcome of pulmonary resection for invasive fungal infection complicating haematological malignancy

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to clarify clinical outcomes of pulmonary resection of invasive fungal infection (IFI) complicating haematological malignancy. METHODS: Between 1985 and 2010, 28 patients underwent 31 pulmonary procedures for IFI complicating haematological malignancy. Retrospective chart review was performed. Seventeen patients underwent therapeutic resection and 11 patients underwent diagnostic biopsy. Survival and progression of fungal infection were analysed with the Kaplan–Meier method and prognostic factors were analysed with the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 9.5 months (range 0–139 months). The rate of operative complications is significantly higher in the therapeutic resection group (P= 0.036) in multivariate analysis. Median survival was 12 and 5 months in the diagnostic and therapeutic group, respectively. In the diagnostic group, 10 patients (91%) survived surgery and were cured of fungal infection; the management was changed based on biopsy in 3 patients (27.3%), and preoperative anaemia (P= 0.044) adversely affected survival in multivariate analysis. In the therapeutic group, anaemia (P= 0.018) and perioperative transfusion (P= 0.038) adversely affected survival following therapeutic resection in univariate analysis. The rate of fungal progression in the therapeutic group was 29.4%. In multivariate analysis, only presence of bilateral lesions (P= 0.0005) was a significant factor of fungal progression after therapeutic resection. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic biopsy contributes to good diagnostic yield with long-term cure from fungal infection. The long-term outcome (overall survival) of diagnostic and therapeutic patients relied on the severity of anaemia, which appears related to underlying haematological diseases. Presence of bilateral lesions was a significant factor of fungal progression after therapeutic resection.
Patterns of time use of people age 55 to 64 years old: Some cross-national comparisons

This paper examines the patterns of time use of adults age 55 to 64 years old in six countries: Austria, Canada, Finland, Italy, Sweden, and the United States. It examines the discontinuity in daily activities by employment status and gender.The paper uses nationally representative samples from time use surveys carried out in each country. We compute aggregate patterns of time use by employment status and gender for seven categories of activities: personal activities, paid work, unpaid work, housework, social leisure, active leisure, and passive leisure. We also compute dissimilarity indices to measure the degree of discontinuity in patterns of time use by employment status and gender.We find that the pattern of time use of non-employed adults resemble that of full-time employed people on their non-workdays. We also find evidence that the transition out of the labor force is associated with a convergence in pattern of time use of men and women in the USA, Canada, and Finland, but not in other countries.There appears to be continuities in the way people use their time as they grow older and retire from the labor force. We however raise the possibility that these results may hold only for the `young-old'. Decreasing health and physical endurance at older ages may introduce significant discontinuities in patterns of time at a later stage of the life-cycle. Our future work will examine the impact of health and daily limitation on patterns of time use at older ages.
Federal and State Mandating A First Look at the Mandate Terrain

It is not always realized that local governments are as regulated by state and federal directives as businesses and other private institutions. While government oversight of businesses is encompassed by the notion of regulation, the regulation of localities is subsumed under the heading of "the mandate issue. " Local governments are at the end of a funnel of requirements imposed by both their respective states and the federal government, and this article explores the definitional and descriptive spadework that must be done before more serious work can proceed in the study of mandates. The first inventory of federal mandates is provided, along with inventories of a sample of five states. The inventories are based on a typology developed for the study of mandates. The findings provide an empirical setting for the increased concern over the number of mandates and the trend for greater federal involvement in directing the affairs of local governments.
27 Structural analyses by NMR reveal insights into the enzymatic mechanism of tRNA t6A modification biosynthesis

Post-transcriptional modification is an inherent feature of RNA maturation and is particularly abundant in transfer RNA (tRNA) where over 90 distinct modifications are found across all phylogenetic groups. Of these, the universally conserved N6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) modification 3′-adjacent to the anticodon is essential in translational fidelity for several tRNA species by ensuring accurate codon recognition. Recent studies of the t6A biosynthesis pathway in bacteria have identified four proteins that are necessary and sufficient for in vitro formation: YrdC, YgJD, YjeE and YeaZ. As this enzyme complex is comprised of essential proteins, two of which are unique to bacteria, YeaZ and YjeE, it is a potential target for anti-microbial development. Thus, a detailed understanding of the interactions within this pathway holds significant value but has yet to be accomplished; therefore, further structural characterisation and biochemical analyses are necessary. Of particular interest is YrdC, a univer...
Ethylene modification of an auxin pulse in cotton stem sections.

The effect of ethylene on the basipetal movement of indole-3-acetic acid-1-(14)C through cotton stem sections (Gossypium hirsutum, L. var. Stoneville 213) was studied apart from processes involved in the uptake and exit of auxin by the section. Stem sections 60 mm in length were pretreated with ethylene or placed in room air (control) and pulse labeled for 20 min with IAA-1-(14)C. In both the ethylene treated and control sections, the IAA-1-(14)C taken up moved basipetally as a peak of radioactivity. Generally, the applied pulse moved down the stem sections at an average velocity of approximately 5.8 mm per hr. In some experiments, however, ethylene slightly reduced the velocity of auxin transport. Although the peak of radioactivity became broader and more dispersed during its migration through the section, it was still distinguishable after 7 hr of transport.As the ethylene pretreatment periods were increased from 1.5 to 3.0 hr there was a progressively greater loss of activity from the pulse of applied IAA-1-(14)C during its basipetal movement. On the average, 4% more activity was lost from the applied pulse at 1.5 hr, 15% more at 2.0 hr and 26% more at 3.0 hr when compared to control stem sections.The data establish that ethylene inhibits auxin transport in vivo, and it is proposed that the effect is due possibly to increased rates of auxin immobilization.
Low-frequency electrostatic waves in dusty plasmas

Abstract A dispersion relation for low-frequency electrostatic waves in a magnetized, homogeneous dusty plasma is derived. The only possible modes are EIC and ion-acoustic modes. The connection to previous results on wave modes in plasmas containing negative ions or in plasmas with two positive ion species is discussed.
The role of photonics in future data centers

The most prolific information appliance today is a mobile device, typically a phone or a tablet. The near ubiquity of the internet makes it very easy to access vast amounts of information from these mobile devices. The storage and processing capability to support this infrastructure is increasingly in the datacenter and both the number of these warehouse scale computational (WSC) facilities and their size is increasing. Compound annual growth rates (CAGR) of both storage requirements and internet traffic is approximately 50%. Even more alarming is that in 2011, 2% of the total energy used in the United States was consumed by this information technology. Power and the attendant cooling requirements fundamentally affect both the cost of our IT infrastructure as well as what can be competitively designed. As VLSI technology scales, the power and speed of the transistors scale nicely but wires scale less favorably and the gap grows with every new process step. The telecom industry has long recognized the benefits of optical as opposed to electrical communication over long distances. However the definition of "long" changes with the signalling rate. Electrical signalling at high speeds consumes too much power, has significant signal integrity problems which limit bandwidth and at the WSC scale these issues border on catastrophic for future datacenters. Recent advances in silicon nanophotonics may well provide a solution to this problem. This talk will provide a brief introduction to silicon nanophotonic devices and then delve into how this technology can be used in the construction of more energy efficient datacenters of the future and discuss where this technology will be most useful and quantify the benefits for intra-datacenter networks.
The electronic structure of hematite {001} surfaces; applications to the interpretation of STM images and heterogeneous surface reactions

Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) spectra of hematite (a-Fe203) surfaces were calculated using ab-initio methods, not only to interpret experimentally collected STM data, but also to gain insight into atomic level changes in electronic structure that are associated with heterogeneous surface reactions. The electronic structure and wave functions inside the studied crystal were obtained as a periodic solution of the SchrOdinger equation by using the program Crystal92. STM images and STS spectra were calculated by applying a technique similar to the Tersoff and Hamann (1985) method. Experimental STM images of the upper valence band of hematite (001) surfaces, cleaved in air, show a periodic array of bright spots that differs slightly from the 0-0 separation in the bulk. However, our calculations show that these spots are located at the Fe positions of the surface Fe atoms and above the Fe atoms between the first and second hexagonally close-packed ° layers. The calculated STS spectra for tip positions above the three nonequivalent Fe positions show significant differences, in particular because the contribution of ° 2p-like and Fe 3d-like states changes with the distance between the tip and the respective Fe atom underneath. Hematite crystals that were used to obtain STM images experimentally in previous studies were cleaved in air, and the presence of adsorbed H20 and O2 was considered in this study. Calculations that optimize the surface atomic arrangement with respect to total energy of the slab indicate that Hp and O2 adsorbed to the surface have binding energies too low to withstand the dragging force and the electric potential applied during the scanning process. In addition, only calculations of STM images of fresh hematite surfaces exactly mimic the periodicity of high electronic density spots, as observed in experiments. STS spectra calculated for equivalent Fe positions on terraces and near steps show the increased electron density of the top of the valence band for step sites, which is experimentally observed as higher intensities of bright spots at steps. These calculations show that the local electronic structure of surfaces can be very different from bulk electronic properties and that conclusions drawn from cluster calculations representing the bulk can be misleading. In addition, this theoretical approach helps to explain the increased reactivity at specific sites on hematite, such as steps and kinks, in terms of the electronic surface structure of this mineral.
Robust connectivity of networked vehicles

We present a simple geometric analysis of wireless connectivity in vehicle networks. We introduce a localized notion of connectedness, and construct a function that measures the robustness of this local connectedness to variations in position. Under a mild feasibility hypothesis, this function provides a sufficient condition for global connectedness of the network. Further, it is distributed, in the sense that both the function and its gradients can be calculated using only neighbor-to-neighbor communications. It can thus form the basis for distributed motion-control algorithms which respect connectivity constraints. We conclude with two simple examples of target applications.
Structural Determinants Allowing Transferase Activity in SENSITIVE TO FREEZING 2, Classified as a Family I Glycosyl Hydrolase

SENSITIVE TO FREEZING 2 (SFR2) is classified as a family I glycosyl hydrolase but has recently been shown to have galactosyltransferase activity in Arabidopsis thaliana. Natural occurrences of apparent glycosyl hydrolases acting as transferases are interesting from a biocatalysis standpoint, and knowledge about the interconversion can assist in engineering SFR2 in crop plants to resist freezing. To understand how SFR2 evolved into a transferase, the relationship between its structure and function are investigated by activity assay, molecular modeling, and site-directed mutagenesis. SFR2 has no detectable hydrolase activity, although its catalytic site is highly conserved with that of family 1 glycosyl hydrolases. Three regions disparate from glycosyl hydrolases are identified as required for transferase activity as follows: a loop insertion, the C-terminal peptide, and a hydrophobic patch adjacent to the catalytic site. Rationales for the effects of these regions on the SFR2 mechanism are discussed.
Imaging surface conditions of ferromagnetic steel using Barkhausen technique

When ferromagnetic materials are magnetized, the resulting hysteresis curve consists of discontinuous changes in magnetization. This Barkhausen effect is produced by discontinuous domain mechanisms such as the domain wall breaking away from pinning sites due to the application of a magnetic field. For this reason, the Barkhausen effect is very useful for analyzing the microstructure of a material, since inhomogeneities in the microstructure act as pinning sites which restrict domain wall motion. It can be shown that Barkhausen data, in the form of an rms Barkhausen signal amplitude, can be used to image flaws on the surface of ferromagnetic steels. The material surface conditions, such as stress, cracking, oxidation, plastic deformation and pitting produce signal changes which ran be visualized through a computer generated image of the related Barkhausen parameters. >
A neoplastic connective tissue mast cell capable of continuous growth in tissue culture.

A neoplastic connective tissue mast cell from a dog mast cell sarcoma has been grown in tissue culture for 50 passages over a period of 2 years. The cells were grown as monolayer cultures in glass bottles, using Eagle9s basal medium fortified with calf serum. The cultures were contaminated with an Alkaligenes sp . for 10 months but finally were sterilized bacteriologically by treatment with specific antiserum combined with antibiotics. The cells grow in a fibroblastic pattern, and contain mitochondria, mast cell granules, and lipid granules or droplets. The mast cell granules stain basophilic with Giemsa9s stain and metachromatically with azure A or toluidine blue. They also stain with Sudan black B and with periodic acid-Schiff stain. The interphase nuclei are vesicular, contain from 1 to 20 nucleoli, and frequently show bizarre outlines. Multinucleate cells are often seen, as are mitotic figures. Extracellular fibrous material occurs in all cultures and apparently originates from the cell surface. This material does not have the structure of connective tissue fibers and has not been identified. The cells develop an increased number of metachromatic granules when grown in medium containing heparin and an increased number of sudanophilic granules when grown in medium containing stearic acid. Only small amounts of histamine were present in the tumor from which this cell line was derived and in the cells grown in tissue culture.
On YORP-induced spin deformations of asteroids

Abstract The alteration of the spin states of small Solar-System bodies by the YORP thermal effect has recently become a plausible and, for some, the favorite candidate for the formation of binary asteroids. The idea is that if an asteroid is slowly spun up to a state where some strength measure is exceeded; it can no longer remain rigid and adjusts to a new configuration. Such a process might involve global fission, global shape changes without fission, or gradual surface mass loss with subsequent mass re-accumulations forming a secondary body. Here I analyze the changes in the shape, spin, and state during slowly increasing angular momentum of rubble-pile, self-gravitating, homogeneous ellipsoidal bodies undergoing homogeneous motions. I use, as appropriate for rubble-pile asteroids, the strength models of granular materials with zero tensile strength (cohesionless but arbitrary dilatancy); those are characterized by the “angle of friction” material constant. There are distinct limit spins depending on that angle of friction and the shape, which were previously presented [Holsapple, K.A., 2001. Icarus 154, 432–448; Holsapple, K.A., 2004. Icarus 172, 272–303]. Here the deformations and state changes when the angular momentum is slowly increased from that of a limit spin state are determined, to study the YORP processes. When a body is at its limit spin and the angular momentum increases further, the body deforms in a unique way along definite paths in the ellipsoidal shape space: it evolves as an elongating shape with an increasing rotational inertia, which in most cases produces a decreasing spin. I give exact analytical solutions for those shape and spin histories, as well as the histories of the mass density, angular momentum and energy. Comparison to other approaches is made.
Characteristics of firms that issue convertible debt versus convertible preferred stock

Abstract This study examines the characteristics of firms that issue convertible debt versus firms that issue convertible preferred stock. The findings are consistent with the agency, information asymmetry, optimal capital structure, financial distress, and tax benefits hypotheses. The findings also indicate that these two types of convertible securities are used to raise external capital by distinctively different groups of firms. First, convertible preferred stock issuing firms have larger nondebt tax shields and higher levels of financial, operating, and bankruptcy risks than convertible debt issuing firms. Second, firms that issue convertible debt have greater free cash flow (financial slack) and growth potential than firms that issue convertible preferred stock.
Planned and Unplanned Childbearing among Unmarried Women.

This paper uses data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth to examine social, demographic, and economic correlates of planned and unplanned childbearing among unmarried women. I look at who has births outside of marriage, who plans births outside of marriage, and how childbearing patterns vary for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. I find that low education increases the likelihood of planned and unplanned childbearing outside of marriage for all race and ethnic groups. The same holds for cohabitation, although effects on planned births are notably stronger for Hispanics than others. Finally, spending time in a single-parent family as a child increases planned and unplanned childbearing among White women, with modest or no effects among Blacks or Hispanics. Results suggest ways in which the meaning of childbearing depends on the context in which it occurs.
Effects of Contact Charging on Spray Impingement Heat Transfer Performance and Spray Behavior

The effects of contact charging on the heat transfer performance of a full-cone spray of the dielectric coolant, HFE-7000, has been studied using a Thick Film Resistor (TFR) heater with an active surface area of 1.46 cm 2 at a nozzle-to-heater spacing of 13 mm. Tests have been conducted at coolant flow rates between 1.3 and 6.8 GPH (1.4 x 10 –6 to 7.1 x 10 –6 m 3 /s), for heater power ranging from 0 to 60 Watts, yielding heat fluxes between 0 and 400 kW/m 2 . Voltage levels applied to the brass spray nozzle to charge the spray range from 0 to 30 kV, using both negative and positive polarity. A dramatic change in the visual spray flow pattern is observed as the charging voltage exceeds approximately 15 kV in magnitude. Above this voltage, the spray changes from droplets and collections of clearly observable discrete sheets to what appears to primarily be a finer mist of smaller droplets between the spray nozzle and the heater surface. This is due to exceeding the Rayleigh limit for the maximum charge on the liquid droplets, resulting in electrostatic atomization to a smaller average droplet size. However, no significant change in the measured heat transfer performance is seen between the no voltage and the high voltage cases up to a maximum charging voltage of 30 kV.
Interpreting kappa in observational research : Baserate matters

Abstract Kappa (Cohen, 1960) is a popular agreement statistic used to estimate the accuracy of observers. The response of kappa to differing baserates was examined and methods for estimating the accuracy of observers presented. Results suggest that setting a single value of kappa as “minimally acceptable” (i.e., a criterion value) is not useful in ensuring adequate accuracy of observers. Instead, researchers should use the best estimate of the true baserate of the target behavior and the obtained kappa to estimate the accuracy of observers. Investigators can then compare the estimated accuracy of observers to a preselected criterion level. Guidelines are given for selecting a criterion accuracy level.
Complementary Intersection Method (CIM) for system reliability analysis

Researchers desire to evaluate system reliability uniquely and efficiently. Despite years of research, little progress has been made on system reliability analysis. Up to now, bound methods for system reliability prediction have been dominant. For system reliability bounds, the probabilities of the second or higher-order joint safety (or failure) events are assumed to be known exactly although there is no numerical method to evaluate them effectively. Two primary challenges in system reliability analysis are how to evaluate the probabilities of the secondor higher-order joint safety events and how to uniquely obtain the system reliability so that the system reliability can be used for Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO). This paper proposes the Complementary Interaction Method (CIM) to define system reliability in terms of the probabilities of the component events, Ei = {X |Gi ≤ 0}, and the complementary interaction events, Eij = {X |Gi⋅Gj ≤ 0}. For large-scale systems, the probabilities of the component and complementary interaction events can be conveniently written in the CI-matrix. In this paper, three different reliability methods will be used to construct the CI-matrix numerically: First-Order Reliability Method (FORM), SecondOrder Reliability Method (SORM), and the Eigenvector Dimension Reduction (EDR) method. Two examples will be employed to demonstrate that the CIM with the EDR method outperforms other methods for system reliability analysis in terms of efficiency and accuracy.
Monitoring the Stability of Satellite Altimeters with Tide Gauges

Abstract A method is described for using tide gauge sea levels to monitor time-dependent drift in satellite altimetric measurements of sea surface height. The method depends on a careful assessment of the quality of the tide gauge measurements available for this application and also takes into account the degree of independence between the altimeter minus tide gauge differences in order to construct an optimal drift estimate and an accurate error estimate for it. The method is applied to the TOPEX altimeter measurements, and a recently discovered algorithm error, which resulted in a slow drift in the TOPEX sea surface heights, is exploited to evaluate the success of the tide gauge drift estimation. It is important to note that the tide gauge analysis was done without any prior knowledge of this error. The result is that the tide gauge analysis reproduces the drift due to the algorithm error to within 6 mm rms, which is comparable to the 5–6-mm internal estimate of the uncertainty of the drift analysis. Th...
The Hawaiian Usage Exception to the Common Law: An Inoculation Against the Effects of Western Influence

The Hawaiian Usage Exception to the Common Law - an Inoculation Against the Effects of Western Influence.
A simplified method of walking track analysis to assess short-term locomotor recovery after acute spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a simplified method of walking track analysis to assess treatment outcome in canine spinal cord injury. Measurements of stride length (SL) and base of support (BS) were made using a 'finger painting' technique for footprint analysis in all limbs of 20 normal dogs and 27 dogs with 28 episodes of acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by spontaneous intervertebral disc extrusion. Measurements were determined at three separate time points in normal dogs and on days 3, 10 and 30 following decompressive surgery in dogs with SCI. Values for SL, BS and coefficient of variance (COV) for each parameter were compared between groups at each time point. Mean SL was significantly shorter in all four limbs of SCI-affected dogs at days 3, 10, and 30 compared to normal dogs. SL gradually increased toward normal in the 30 days following surgery. As measured by this technique, the COV-SL was significantly higher in SCI-affected dogs than normal dogs in both thoracic limbs (TL) and pelvic limbs (PL) only at day 3 after surgery. BS-TL was significantly wider in SCI-affected dogs at days 3, 10 and 30 following surgery compared to normal dogs. These findings support the use of footprint parameters to compare locomotor differences between normal and SCI-affected dogs, and to assess recovery from SCI. Additionally, our results underscore important changes in TL locomotion in thoracolumbar SCI-affected dogs.
Continuous T-wave alternans monitoring and prediction of ventricular arrhythmias during coronary reperfusion therapy.

The article by Takasugi et al ., published online in the Journal on 12 February 2011, pertains to the innovative implementation of monitoring of T-wave alternans (TWA), starting in the emergency room and continuing during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 19 patients with an acute coronary syndrome, and the administration of intracoronary vasodilator in one patient with coronary spasm, for the prediction of the …
Relationship between the mycoplasma pneumonia infections and children with bronchial asthma

Objective To explore the relationship between the mycoplasma pneumonia infections and children with bronchial asthma and treatment.Methods Of the 135 cases were in the acute episode,85 cases with infections,48 cases with non-infections.Serum MP-IgM level was assayed with ELISA method.The effect of the macrolides was observed.Results Positive MP-IgM in the cases with infections was found in 16 cases (18.8%),of which 1 cases (2.0%) was seen in non-infection.the numbers of infection was obviously higher than non-infection (P0.001).After being treated with the macrolides,the children of MP-IgM(+) obviously remit.Conclusions Children with MP infection have close relationship with the bronchial asthma.Treating with the macrolides has the exact effect.
Curative Effect of Low Melocular Heparin on Hypercoagulability of Kawasaki Disease

Objective To observe the curative effect of low melocular weight heparin(LMWH) on the hypercoagulability in acute Kawasaki disease(KD).Methods Forty-six patients were diagnosed KD.Twenty-two cases out of all KD patients whose serum concentration of whether platelet(PLT) or fibrinogen(FIB) was significantly increased or who were found thrombus in their coronary artery by ultrasonic Doppler were treated with LMWH by subcutaneous injection once every day for 7-10 days.All the patients were divided into 2 groups accor-ding to whether using LMWH or not:H group(using LMWH) and NH group(no using LMWH).It were detected before and after treatment that included thrombin time(TT),activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),international normalized ratio(INR),FIB,plasma mucosity,erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),hematocrit(HCT) and situation of haemorrhage.Results 1.Before treatment,PLT and FIB of patients in H group were significantly higher than those in NH group(Pa0.05).2.After treatment,ESR,plasma mucosity and FIB of patients in H group remarkably reduced than those of patients in NH group(Pa0.05).3.In H group,PLT,ESR,plasma mucosity and FIB of patients after treatment significantly decreased than those before treatment(Pa0.05).In NH group,ESR of patients after general treatment remarkably decreased than that before treatment(Pa0.05),but PLT,plasma mucosity and FIB of patients had not statistic difference between before and after general treatment.4.PT,APTT and INR in both of two groups had not statistic difference before and after treatment.5.One case of H group were found subcutaneous haemorrhage in the part of hypodermic injection which was absorbed after 4 d by fomenting.Others were not found side effects such as heavy haemorrhage and hypersusceptibility.Conclusion LMWH has many characteristics such as high bioavailability,well compliance,and few side effect,could ameliorate the hypercoagulability and play an important role in preventing from forming thrombus in subacute stage of KD,30 it is secure,effective and convenient drug.
On the Essential Integration of Nursing and Informatics

This paper asserts that nursing knowledge is fundamentally inseparable from the strategies and structures that represent it. Nursing informatics comprises a new disciplinary focus that results from a blend of nursing and informatics. The technologies of informatics, communications, computer science, decision science, human information processing, and knowledge engineering, provide critical care nurses with the support necessary for contemporary nursing practice. Informatics technologies enable nurses to communicate, process knowledge in new and more efficient ways, and better understand the nature of nursing thinking.
Evaluation and Management of Optic Pathway Gliomas

Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) are low-grade neoplasms that may be associated with profound vision loss, endocrinologic deficits, and neurologic dysfunction. OPGs occur sporadically or in association with the neurocutaneous disorder neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). There is ample debate regarding the most effective way for ophthalmologists to screen patients with NF1 for the presence of these tumors. Furthermore, the decision to treat and the criteria that serve as a basis for this treatment remain topics of significant discussion amongst the multidisciplinary team managing these patients including pediatric ophthalmologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, and geneticists. Prospective natural history data are needed to develop consensus recommendations for a screening protocol for OPGs, the criteria for treatment of OPGs, and risk factors for poor visual outcomes.
Study Security Technology of Complex Network Based on Trust Data Aggregation

With the rising number of wireless sensor networks arranged in harsh environments, the sensor nodes are likely to be captured by the enemy, so that the data gathered under great security threat. Therefore, to deal with the attacks in the captured data aggregation node process, to ensure reliable data aggregation has become an important part of wireless sensor network security research.
Connecting the Libraries and Athletics through Instruction and Outreach

This column describes the approaches taken by librarians and staff at James Madison University (JMU) Libraries & Educational Technologies (LET) to extend library support to university athletics. The model resembles that used for outreach to academic programs and was first adapted to the semi-clinical, nonacademic Strength & Conditioning Department, then to JMU Athletics as a whole. Librarians offered targeted instructional sessions, orientations, and asynchronous learning modules embedded in the learning management system. This new relationship has provided an opportunity for broader collaboration, increasing LET's presence across campus.
Measurements of mammalian cellular DNA and its localization in chromosomes.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes two independent methods that permit investigation of the DNA content of mammalian cells. High-speed microfluorometric measurements allow collection of larger numbers of individual cellular DNA content measurements. The technique permits rapid, convenient cell-cycle analysis, quantitative estimates of the DNA content of euploid and aneuploid cells, and has already demonstrated homogeneity of DNA content inconsistent with the observed variability of chromosome number in heteroploid lines. C-banding and G-banding techniques have been described which demonstrate extensive preservation of chromosomal segments in aneuploid chromosomes. Extended cell survival appears to be the result of strong selective pressures for genome preservation, and approximately haploid sets of normal chromosomes may be a minimum requirement for survival.
Roach Biobots: Toward Reliability and Optimization of Control

Imagine a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, causing residential buildings to collapse and trapping the people inside underneath the rubble. Over the following days, first responders spend a significant amount of time locating survivors. Despite having the assistance of life-detection tools and techniques, these first responders are still hampered by certain limitations in searching for survivors and pinpointing their exact location deep within the rubble. Current methods involving dogs and relatively large robots and machinery can assist only with surface-level surveying of the disaster area and removal of rubble. In contrast, a swarm of centimeter-scale robots could be employed for under-rubble mapping and surveying in these scenarios. In fact, progress has been made in developing centimeter-scale robotics that could assist first responders in the future. However, these prototypes still require improvements in the efficiency of the mechanical parts and control systems deployed in real-life scenarios.
Transnational Multicultural Feminism And The Politics Of Location: Queering Diaspora In Nisha Ganatra's Chutney Popcorn, Deepa Mehta's Fire, And Shani Mootoo's Cereus Blooms At Night

(2005). Transnational Multicultural Feminism And The Politics Of Location: Queering Diaspora In Nisha Ganatra's Chutney Popcorn, Deepa Mehta's Fire, And Shani Mootoo's Cereus Blooms At Night. South Asian Review: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 148-161.
Assessment Competence through In Situ Practice for Preservice Educators

Effective assessment is the cornerstone of the teaching and learning process and a benchmark of teaching competency. P–12 assessment in physical activity can be complex and dynamic, often requiring...
Nonviral or Drug-Induced Etiologies of Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare but highly fatal condition. The most common causes include drug-induced and viral hepatitis, but other less common etiologies, especially autoimmune hepatitis, Budd-Chiari syndrome, and Wilson disease, need to be considered. Because diagnosis is frequently tied to potential for reversibility of ALF and prognosis, early identification in a timely manner is crucial. Other causes of ALF are more easily recognizable based on specific circumstances, such as ALF in pregnancy or ischemic hepatitis. Ultimately, maintaining a wide differential diagnosis in patients with ALF is essential to identifying the proper treatment and prognosis.
The Pivotal Role of Electricity in the Deep Decarbonization of Energy Systems: Cost-Effective Options for Portugal

This chapter explores the impacts on energy systems of deep decarbonization in Portugal up to 2050. The technological bottom-up model TIMES_PT is used to generate three families of scenarios; a reference case, three deep decarbonization scenarios and three electrification scenarios. Results show that the electrification of the final energy consumption of the Portuguese economy contributes significantly towards decarbonization, but that this is not a linear relationship. Electrification is not always the synonym of renewable power, although it is cost-effective to deploy renewable power plants up to the maximum endogenous potentials of onshore wind and hydro. Electrification is achieved by significant deployment of renewable electricity generation, mainly solar photovoltaic and offshore wind, as well as concentrated solar power (to a lesser extent). The end use technologies that contribute the most to the electrification of the Portuguese economy are electric vehicles, heat pumps (both in residential and commercial buildings) and dryers and kilns in some industrial sectors. Investment costs will be the cost component with the highest growth in share of total costs over the modelled period, from around 36% of total costs in 2015 up to almost 60% in 2050 for the most stringent greenhouse gas mitigation scenario, while fuel costs substantially decline. The current energy and climate national policies do not consider any of these specific low carbon energy technologies, nor the major investments that will be required. Such aspects need to be specifically addressed in the Portugal Carbon Neutrality Roadmap studies that have recently started.
Effect of Pentachlorophenol on the ATPases in Rat Tissues

The effect of pentachlorophenol (PCP) on the ATPase system in the rat hepatic, brain and kidney fractions was investigated using in vitro techniques. PCP showed a biphasic effect on oligomycin-sensitive (mitochondrial) Mg++ ATPase activities in liver and kidney tissues: at low concentrations (10−5 M) it produced stimulatory effect; at higher concentrations (10−4 M) inhibition was observed. However, in brain, only stimulation was observed at all the concentrations used. The oligomycin-insensitive Mg++ ATPase activity in liver was not altered by the addition of PCP but the brain and kidney enzyme activities were significantly inhibited. Na+, K+-ATPase in brain and kidney showed a contrasting response to PCP. A biphasic effect was seen with brain enzyme, whereas the kidney ATPase was significantly inhibited in a dose dependent manner. In addition, the In-dependent p-nitrophenyl phosphatase (K+-PNPPase) activity in rat brain microsomes was inhibited by PCP. It appears from the results that PCP may be acting as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation at low concentrations and inhibiting the same at high concentrations. The results also indicate that the Na+, K+-ATPase (cation transporting enzyme) may be a locus of action of PCP.
Circuit and Packet Networks

Earlier parts of this book have discussed the detailed design of digital communication links, and associated synchronization techniques that are necessary to give access to a multiplicity of users. We now attempt to place this material in perspective by describing how entire communication networks can be built on on this foundation. We have two purposes in mind: to give the reader an overview, and to relate network design to the topics that have been covered in this book. For lack of space, this material is primarily descriptive in nature, and the reader is referred to other books on network design for a more comprehensive treatment.
Researching the bridge called our backs: the invisibility of ‘us’ in qualitative communities

The article and the following discussion were prompted after the authors’ participation in a recent qualitative research conference. In the article, a Black woman and Latina scholar share their exp...