cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing bound dark energy with cosmological parameter and fundamental constant evolution

A new bound dark energy, BDE, cosmology has been proposed where the dark energy is the binding energy between light meson fields that condense a few tens of years after the big bang. It is reported that the correct dark energy density emerges using particle physics without fine tuning. This alone makes the BDE cosmology worthy of further investigation. This work looks at the late time BDE predictions of the evolution of cosmological parameters and the values of fundamental constants to determine whether the cosmology's predictions are consistent with observation. The work considers the time period between a scale factor of 0.1 and 1.0. A model BDE cosmology is considered with current day values of the cosmological parameters well within the observational limits. The calculations use three different values of the current day dark energy equation of state close to minus one. All three cases produce evolutions of the cosmological parameters and fundamental constants consistent with the observational constraints. Analytic relations between the BDE and cosmological parameters are developed to insure a consistent set of parameters.
What Matters to Kansas: Small Business and the Defeat of the Kansas Tax Experiment:

Why would businesses advocate for a tax increase? They may take such a position, this article argues, when tax cuts threaten their long-term economic interests. In 2012, Kansas eliminated taxes on ...
Effects of zwitterionic molecules on ionic association in ethylene oxide-based electrolytes

Abstract This work investigates the effect of zwitterionic molecules on ionic association in ethylene oxide (EO)-based electrolytes using molecular dynamics simulations. Zwitterionic molecules can associate with cations and anions because they possess both positively and negatively charged groups. This unique feature can be leveraged to develop electrolytes with high ionic conductivity if we understand how zwitterionic molecules influence ionic associations. We investigate the ionic associations in the electrolytes composed of oligo(ethylene oxide) (EO) (EOx, x = 2, 3, 4, and 5), LiTFSI and zwitterionic molecules containing cationic imidazole group and anionic sulfonate group using molecular dynamics simulations. The analyzed properties include the radial distribution functions between Li+, [TFSI]-, EOx and zwitterionic molecules, the structures and dynamics of Li+-[TFSI]-, Li+- EOx and Li+-zwitterion associations, and the diffusion coefficients of Li+, [TFSI]-, EOx and zwitterionic molecules. The simulation results show two distinct effects of zwitterionic molecules on ionic associations in the electrolytes. First, they could release Li+ from the trapping effect of EOx chains and accelerate Li+ transport. Second, they can associate with Li+ themselves and slow down the Li+ transport. The competition between these two effects relates to the length of the EOx chains. Our simulations suggest that zwitterionic molecules could help manipulate the ionic conductivity of polyethylene oxide electrolytes.
Acquisition of Sign Languages.

Natural sign languages of deaf communities are acquired on the same time scale as that of spoken languages if children have access to fluent signers providing input from birth. Infants are sensitiv...
The cultures of ancient Xinjiang, Western China: crossroads of the silk roads: edited by Alison Betts, Marika Vicziany, Peter Weiming Jia and Angelo Andrea Di Castro, Oxford, Archaeopress, 2019, 218 pp., £38.00 (paperback), ISBN 9781789694062

This is a major achievement in Xinjiang archeology. The editors and authors are to be warmly congratulated for making available to researchers worldwide a rich assemblage of raw data that has been ...
Veteran Health Care and Special Considerations

Military veterans are individuals who served in the United States Armed Forces. As of 2018, there were over 20 million veterans in the United States. Not all veterans obtain health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Only those who received either a general or honorable discharge may qualify for health care benefits. Issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and chronic pain impact the longevity, the overall health, and the quality of life of all veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs adopted Whole Health as a vet-centric approach that empowers veterans, incorporates the meaning of what constitutes health and well-being according to veterans, and how health care is delivered to veterans. This chapter explores the Whole Health philosophy and what resources are available affirming the relationships between veterans, their communities, their providers, and how these relationships impact the health of veterans, thus empowering veterans to develop a self-care strategy to promote health and strengthen their innate healing ability. By incorporating these Whole Health concepts, nurses everywhere can enhance the care delivered to all our veterans.
Evidence on the Decision Usefulness of Fair Values in Business Combinations

In 2001, SFAS 141 (ASC 805) required that identifiable assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination be initially recorded at fair value rather than pre-acquisition book value. The FASB argued that fair value measurement would provide more decision-useful information about future cash flows following business combinations. However, opponents argued that fair values are often difficult to estimate and may be too noisy to be useful. In this study, we examine whether fair value measurement for identifiable assets and liabilities provides incremental decision-useful information about post-acquisition cash flows and offer two main findings. First, we find that fair values have incremental predictive ability for post-deal cash flows (beyond pooled book values), but only in limited circumstances: (i) horizontal (i.e., same-industry) deals, (ii) deals that do not involve R&D-intensive targets, and (iii) deals in which managers have less incentive to over-allocate purchase price to goodwill. This suggests that fair value measurement in business combinations only enhances decision usefulness in transactions when fair values are more reliably estimable and/or less subject to manager incentives. Second, we find that analysts update their cash flow forecasts to reflect the information provided by fair value disclosures, but only in transactions where we find that fair values are decision useful. Overall, our results suggest that there are limits in the extent to which fair value measurement for acquired identifiable assets and liabilities provides decision-useful information about future cash flows, and that capital market participants appear to recognize those limits as reflected in their decision making.
Off Course: Critiquing the Debate About the Corporate Tax Cut

The public debate about the corporate tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has ignored the relevant incentive effects, amid misguided discussions of the one-time employee bonuses and the lack of corporate altruism. The debate should be refocused on the real advantages and disadvantages of the corporate tax cut, particularly the improved investment incentives, the worsening of the long-term fiscal imbalance, and a likely increase in inequality.
Natural Selection as Agent of Evolutionary Change: A View from Paleoanthropology

Following the triumph of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis in the 1940s and 1950s, natural selection became viewed by most anglophone evolutionary biologists as the primary or even the only instrument of evolutionary change. Under the “hardened” version of the Synthesis as it was absorbed into paleoanthropology after 1950, generation-by-generation change under selection’s guiding hand became not only a necessary but a sufficient vehicle for explaining the unilinear pattern of human evolution that was perceived under the allied notion that the human “niche” was too broad to admit the existence of more than one hominid species at any one point in time. Subsequent additions to the hominid fossil record, as well as a better understanding of evolutionary process itself, have in contrast revealed a pattern of hominid diversity over time much better explained by sorting propelled by drift and external environmental change than by species-intrinsic natural selection as classically envisaged. Indeed, selection—a mathematical certainty in any population in which more individuals are born than reproduced—very plausibly acted among extinct hominids much more as a crucial homeostatic mechanism (“stabilizing selection”), than as an agent of change.
Glenoid and acetabular reaming force varies in simulation between fellowship trained surgeons

Abstract Background The acquisition of surgical skills required to correctly perform orthopedic procedures varies among different institutions due to the diversity of training curriculums. With its technologic advances, surgical simulation can provide trainees with an accurate, safe, and standardized mean to practice procedures throughout their time in residency. The force utilized by a surgeon while reaming relies on prior experience and muscle memory developed throughout their career. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the average force applied during reaming of an acetabulum vs. a glenoid by fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons in order to provide trainees a standard to use during simulation and in practice and to provide an understanding of the force differentials. Methods A reaming simulator was created by installing a force transducer onto a reamer which allowed the testing of fellowship trained hip and shoulder orthopedic surgeons from the surrounding communities. Each surgeon was given 6 trials to determine the mean clinical force and their max effort force. Demographic information was surveyed for each participating surgeon to determine their level of experience and personal characteristics. Statistical analysis was performed using a Welch t test for scale variables and a Levene's F test to compare variances between groups via SPSS Statistics 24 software. Results A 61% greater mean clinical force was applied while simulating reaming of the acetabulum (90.12 N ± 30.12) than of the glenoid (55.91 N ± 25.65), t (184) = 8.0, P Conclusion The mean clinical force utilized to ream an acetabulum is greater than that of a glenoid by nearly twofold. Application of this knowledge can be translated into surgical simulation training for residents to help them develop the proper muscle memory for reaming in the 2 different clinical scenarios throughout residency. Reamers with an incorporated force transducer could provide surgeons, in real time, feedback on the force they apply to bone. With the advances in simulations, these tools can be optimized to give trainees tactile feedback when learning crucial steps of surgery. Level of evidence Clinical Science Study; Biomechanics
Ether Lipid Biosynthesis Promotes Lifespan Extension and Enables Diverse Prolongevity Paradigms

Abstract Biguanides, including the world’s most commonly prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, metformin, not only lower blood sugar, but also promote longevity in preclinical models. Epidemiologic studies in humans parallel these findings, indicating favorable effects of metformin on longevity and on reducing the incidence and morbidity associated with aging-related diseases, such as cancer. In spite of these promising observations, the full spectrum of the molecular effectors responsible for these health benefits remains elusive. Through unbiased genetic screening in C. elegans, we uncovered a novel role for genes necessary for ether lipid biosynthesis in the favorable effects of biguanides. We demonstrate that biguanides govern lifespan extension via a complex effect on the ether lipid landscape requires enzymes responsible for both ether lipid biogenesis and polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis. Remarkably, loss of the ether lipid biosynthetic machinery also mitigates lifespan extension attributable to dietary restriction, target of rapamycin (TOR) inhibition, and mitochondrial electron transport chain inhibition. Furthermore, overexpression of a single, key ether lipid biosynthetic enzyme, fard-1/FAR1, is sufficient to promote lifespan extension. These findings illuminate the ether lipid biosynthetic machinery as a novel therapeutic target to promote healthy aging. Significance Statement Metformin is the most widely used drug to treat patients with type 2 diabetes and extends lifespan in multiple species, yet the molecular targets responsible for these prolongevity benefits remain incompletely understood. To this end, we demonstrate that a subset of lipids, known as ether lipids, are necessary for biguanides’ anti-aging effects and various other paradigms of lifespan extension. Strikingly, modulation of the machinery responsible for ether lipid biosynthesis is sufficient to stimulate lifespan extension, illuminating the possibility of using these lipids as therapeutic targets to promote healthy aging.
Monoclonal Antibodies to Murine Tumors as Probes for Genetic Analysis of Individually Specific Tumor Antigens

The existence of tumor-specific antigens was first demonstrated in chemically induced tumors in mice (Gross 1943; Foley 1953). These tumors displayed an enormous antigenic diversity as immunization with tumor tissue but not normal donor tissue led to strong resistance to a challenge from the same tumor but not to reproducible resistance against any other independently induced tumor (Prehn and Main 1957).
Metagenomics as a Tool To Study Biodiversity

Most of the viral sequences that were identified from the rumen metagenome study were novel, with cyanophages and a newly discovered clade of single-stranded DNA phages dominating the samples that were obtained from the Sargasso Sea sample. The authors presented data that showed variation in viral assemblages based of different geographic locations and indicated regional diversity of phages can be almost as high as global diversity, possibly as a result of viral migration. Metagenomics is being used to describe the transcriptome of various environmental samples. In the study, the authors clearly demonstrated that suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) can allow a clear discerning and identification of DNA fragments that are unique to one complex community relative to another. In the case of eukaryotic organisms that contain introns, the transcriptome is usually accessed by reverse transcription. In many cases the genome of a single species cannot give insight into the extent of diversity within a species. The results from the study showed that for the three animals included in this study that were on identical diets, the community structures were markedly different with respect to nutrient utilization. Metagenomics presents the greatest opportunity to revolutionize understanding of the microbial world, and a detailed analysis of carefully chosen microbial communities worldwide is required.
Plate-Dilution Frequency Technique for Assay of Microbial Ecology

The plate-dilution frequency technique described facilitates simultaneous enumeration of a wide range of physiologically different microorganisms in complex systems with a precision comparable to dilution tube (most probable number) methods. Replicate microsamples are inoculated from each member of a dilution series onto areas delineated on plates of prepoured solid media; the plates are incubated, and the occurrence of growth or specific biochemical transformation is recorded for each inoculated area. Microbial enumeration is accomplished by reference to appropriate tables. Details of the experimental procedures are described, and tables are presented from which microbial numbers with 95% confidence limits can be obtained and compared for significant difference directly for 10-fold and 4-fold dilution series. Results of experiments in which microbial populations were estimated simultaneously by the plate-dilution frequency and conventional plate count methods are compared. The potential of the technique for broad-spectrum microbial assay is also discussed.
Patterns of inheritance of mating signals in interspecific hybrids between sailfin and shortfin mollies (Poeciliidae: Poecilia: Mollienesia)

Differences in male morphology and mating behaviors are thought to confer species sexual isolation between sailfin and shortfin species of mollies. This study used interspecific crosses between the sailfin molly, P. latipinna, and the shortfin molly, P. mexicana, to investigate patterns of inheritance of morphological traits and behavioral rates of three mating behaviors in F1 hybrid males. The two parental species showed clear species differences with respect to the length of the dorsal fin and dorsal fin ray number. First generation hybrid males were intermediate between the two parental species for dorsal fin length and fin ray number, suggesting autosomal control of this trait with little effect of dominance by genes from either parental species. Parental species showed clear species differences in their rates of courtship displays. Unlike the pattern for dorsal fin morphology, F1 hybrid males showed a clear distinction in display rates with respect to the direction of the interspecific cross. Male hybrids whose sires were P. latipinna had courtship display rates that were up to three times higher than the rates of displays performed by hybrid males whose fathers were P. mexicana. The distribution of phenotypes between the parental species and that of hybrid males sired by that parental species was nearly identical. Such a pattern suggests the influence of Y-linked genes on the inheritance of courtship display rates in mollies.
Effects of Long-term Tillage and Crop Rotation on Soil Carbon and Soil Productivity

Tillage system and crop rotation significantly affect long-term soil productivity and soil quality components such as soil carbon and other soil physical and chemical properties. In addition, both tillage and crop rotation affect weed and soil disease control. There is a definite need for well-defined, long-term tillage and crop rotation studies across the different soil and climatic conditions in the state. The objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term wide range of effects of different tillage systems and crop rotations on soil productivity.
Oxygen diffusion in nanocrystalline CeO/sub 2/

In this study, /sup 18/O diffusion and related transport on 1-2 /spl mu/m thick nanocrystalline ceria films prepared by sol-gel process with an average grain-size in the range of 3-38 nm are studied. Initial /sup 18/O diffusion results indicate increased diffusion in 6 nm average grain-size nano-ceria films compared to /spl sim/38 nm average grain-size poly-ceria films. Conductivity values in the case of /spl sim/3 nm average grain size CeO/sub 2/ films grown at 573 K observed to be marginally increased compared to /spl sim/6 nm average grain size ceria films grown at 723 K. A detailed nano-grain analysis by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was carried out to understand the effect of nanocrystallinity on the blocking phenomena.
Democracy, war effort, and the systemic democratic peace

This article uses an agent-based model and Selectorate Theory to explore the micro-foundations of the systemic democratic peace. Leaders engage in an international bargaining game that can escalate...
Evaluating the role of anxiety sensitivity in barriers to cessation and reasons for quitting among smokers with asthma

The aim of the present study was to examine the unique predictive ability of anxiety sensitivity (AS) in terms of perceived barriers to cessation and smoking cessation motives among daily smokers with asthma (n = 125, 54% male, Mage = 37.7 years, SD = 12.1). As hypothesized, after controlling for the effects of race, asthma control, negative affect, and smoking rate, AS significantly predicted greater barriers to cessation, and reasons for quitting related to health concerns and self-control. Contrary to hypotheses, AS did not significantly predict external reasons for quitting. These findings suggest that smokers with asthma who are fearful of physiological arousal may be a particularly 'at-risk' population for smoking cessation difficulties due, in part, to greater perceived barriers to cessation. Interventions focused on enhancing intrinsic motivation for quitting and reducing AS may be most effective for this population.
The effect of proximal artery flow on the hemodynamics at the distal anastomosis of a vascular bypass graft: computational study.

The formation of distal anastomotic intimal hyperplasia (IH), one common mode of bypass graft failure, has been shown to occur in the areas of disturbed flow particular to this site. The nature of theflow in the segment of artery proximal to the distal anastomosis varies from case to case depending on the clinical situation presented. A partial stenosis of a bypassed arterial segment may allow residual prograde flow through the proximal artery entering the distal anastomosis of the graft. A complete stenosis may allow for zero flow in the proximal artery segment or retrograde flow due to the presence of small collateral vessels upstream. Although a number of investigations on the hemodynamics at the distal anastomosis of an end-to-side bypass graft have been conducted, there has not been a uniform treatment of the proximal artery flow condition. As a result, direct comparison of results from study to study may not be appropriate. The purpose of this work was to perform a three-dimensional computational investigation to study the effect of the proximal artery flow condition (i.e., prograde, zero, and retrograde flow) on the hemodynamics at the distal end-to-side anastomosis. We used the finite volume method to solve the full Navier-Stokes equations for steady flow through an idealized geometry of the distal anastomosis. We calculated the flow field and local wall shear stress (WSS) and WSS gradient (WSSG) everywhere in the domain. We also calculated the severity parameter (SP), a quantification of hemodynamic variation, at the anastomosis. Our model showed a marked difference in both the magnitude and spatial distribution of WSS and WSSG. For example, the maximum WSS magnitude on the floor of the artery proximal to the anastomosis for the prograde and zero flow cases is 1.8 and 3.9 dynes/cm2, respectively, while it is increased to 10.3 dynes/cm2 in the retrograde flow case. Similarly, the maximum value of WSSG magnitude on thefloor of the artery proximal to the anastomosis for the prograde flow case is 4.9 dynes/cm3, while it is increased to 13.6 and 24.2 dynes/cm3, respectively, in the zero and retrograde flow cases. The value of SP is highest for the retrograde flow case (13.7 dynes/cm3) and 8.1 and 12.1 percent lower than this for the prograde (12.6 dynes/cm3) and zero (12.0 dynes/cm3) flow cases, respectively. Our model results suggest that the flow condition in the proximal artery is an important determinant of the hemodynamics at the distal anastomosis of end-to-side vascular bypass grafts. Because hemodynamic forces affect the response of vascular endothelial cells, the flow situation in the proximal artery may affect IH formation and, therefore, long-term graft patency. Since surgeons have some control over the flow condition in the proximal artery, results from this study could help determine which flow condition is clinically optimal.
The safety of trivalent influenza vaccine among healthy children 6 to 24 months of age.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the safety of routine trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) administration among healthy children 6 through 23 months of age, after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendation. Methods The study was a retrospective case-control study of children receiving TIV in the first 2 seasons after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendation. We assessed outcomes in the 42 days after vaccination in a population of 13,383 children. Each case subject was matched, according to age and gender, with 3 control subjects. Hazard ratios were calculated with conditional logistic regression analysis. Results We found no statistically significantly elevated hazard ratios for the first TIV dose. An elevated risk of pharyngitis was found for children receiving a second TIV dose. No elevated risk of seizure was found. Conclusion These results, for a population of healthy children, showed no medically significant adverse events related to TIV among children 6 to 23 months of age.
“People as Technology” Conceptual Model: Toward a New Value Creation Paradigm for Strategic Human Resource Development

This article proposes a “people as technology” (PT) conceptual model that introduces five key values providing connections of human resource development and technology development: location, use, m...
Rotor systems research aircraft airplane configuration flight-test results

The rotor systems research aircraft (RSRA) has undergone ground and flight tests, primarily as a compound aircraft. The purpose was to train pilots and to check out and develop the design flight envelope. The preparation and flight test of the RSRA in the airplane, or fixed-wind, configuration are reviewed and the test results are discussed.
Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis and intramural intestinal gas.

Abstract Gas in the bowel wall is an unusual but important finding on an abdominal radiograph. The so-called “benign form,” pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis, may be asymptomatic or may cause a variety of symptoms and can result in a bowel obstruction or a sterile pneumoperitoneum. On the other hand, intramural intestinal gas may represent severe underlying disease such as necrotizing enterocolitis or mesenteric vascular occlusion. This finding should be sought when examining abdominal radiographs. A thorough appreciation of the clinical significance of this unusual entity is necessary to make timely therapeutic decisions.
A mathematical model relating the power law to the exponential law in biological turnover studies

Abstract Suppose that a research worker performs an experiment involving one dependent variable and one independent variable, say time. He may then plot his data on cartesian coordinate paper as part of a search for a simple relationship, hopefully linear. If the relationship is not sensibly linear in cartesian coordinates, he may decide to replot on semilog paper or even log-log paper. If the semilog plot is satisfactory he may then stop and argue for an “exponential law” relating his two variables. However, another researcher in similar circumstances may decide that his data do not “linearize” until the log-log plot, in which case he may argue for a “power law” relationship between the same two variables. The present paper derives a mathematical model of radioisotope retention, considered as a Markov process, to suggest that these two research workers may merely be looking at two different aspects of the same underlying phenomenon. Some remarks are made on the notion of the “biological half time”.
Construction of continuous cocycles for the bicrossed product of locally compact groups

For locally compact groups K, M, and N such that M and N are subgroups of K, K = M ∙ N and M∩N = {e}, where e is the identity of the group K, we give a complete description and propose a method for the construction of pairs of continuous cocycles used in the structure of bicrossed product with cocycles in terms of continuous 2-cocycles on the groups M, N, and K and 3-cocycles on the group K.
Steady flow in rapidly rotating variable-area rectangular ducts

Steady liquid flow in a variable-area rectangular duct rotating rapidly about an axis perpendicular to its centre-line is treated. This problem is significant because the idea of driving a liquid through a rotating system has been largely overlooked by rotating-fluid dynamicists and because it closely resembles the flow inside the impellers of centrifugal pumps and hydraulic turbines. For a prototype formed by joining a semi-infinite constant-area duct and a semi-infinite duct with straight diverging walls, the flow in the diverging duct is carried entirely by large, O ( E 1/3 ) velocities in a boundary layer of thickness O ( E 1/3 ) adjacent to one of the (side) walls parallel to the axis of rotation, where E is the (small) Ekman number. With a vertical axis of rotation this high-velocity boundary layer is adjacent to the side wall on the right when facing in the flow direction. For a diverging or converging duct placed between two semi-infinite constant-area ducts, large, O ( E 1/3 ) velocities occur in side-wall boundary layers on both sides of the variable-area duct and on the left and right sides of the upstream and downstream constant-area ducts respectively. The existence of high-velocity side layers in rapidly rotating rectangular ducts should be relatively easy to prove experimentally and actual measurements of their velocity profiles would provide a good test of the present theory.
Utility of immature granulocyte percentage in pediatric appendicitis.

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of abdominal surgery in children. Adjuncts are used to help clinicians predict acute or perforated appendicitis, which may affect treatment decisions. Automated hematologic analyzers can perform more accurate automated differentials including immature granulocyte percentages (IG%). Elevated IG% has demonstrated improved accuracy for predicting sepsis in the neonatal population than traditional immature-to-total neutrophil count ratios. We intended to assess the additional discriminatory ability of IG% to traditionally assessed parameters in the differentiation between acute and perforated appendicitis. Materials and methods: We identified all patients with appendicitis from July 2012eJune 2013 by International Classification of Diseases-9 code. Charts were reviewed for relevant demographic, clinical, and outcome data, which were compared between acute and perforated appendicitis groups using Fisher exact and t-tests for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. We used an adjusted logistic regression model using clinical laboratory values to predict the odds of perforated appendicitis. Results: A total of 251 patients were included in the analysis. Those with perforated appendicitis had a higher white blood cell count (P ¼ 0.0063), C-reactive protein (CRP) (P < 0.0001), andIG%(P ¼0.0299).Intheadjustedmodel,onlyelevatedCRP(oddsratio3.46,95%confidence interval 1.40e8.54) and presence of left shift (odds ratio 2.66, 95% confidence interval 1.09 e6.46)weresignificantpredictorsofperforatedappendicitis.Thec-statisticofthefinalmodel was 0.70, suggesting fair discriminatory ability in predicting perforated appendicitis. Conclusions: IG% did not provide any additional benefit to elevated CRP and presence of left shift in the differentiation between acute and perforated appendicitis.
Elastic-plastic analysis of a dynamically loaded circumferentially notched round bar

Abstract Dynamic elastic-plastic finite-element analyses of a circumferentially notched round bar subject to loading by a tensile stress pulse are presented. The finite-element study is motivated by the dynamic fracture initiation experiment introduced by Costin, Duffy and Freund and therefore provides a critique of this experiment. Static elastic-plastic analyses are carried out for externally notched round bars of various relative crack depths. The J integral is calculated at each load increment using an invariant finite-domain integral representation for the energy release rate. These values of J , obtained by integrating the computed field quantities over arbitrary contours and areas enclosed by the contours, are taken as the reference values. Through comparison with these results, we evaluate the accuracy of a deep crack formula based on the load-displacement behavior. Similar formulas are frequently employed for fracture toughness measurements using standardized test configurations. In the dynamic elastic-plastic analysis, the circumferentially notched round bar subject to a tensile pulse is examined. A uniform rate of loading is applied at one end of the bar to simulate the long pulse loading in the experiment. An invariant finite-domain integral expression, which is particularly suited for finite-element analyses, is employed to calculate the dynamic energy release rate. Our analyses provide some insight concerning the accuracy of these invariant domain integral expressions and their usefulness in computational studies. We also calculate the value of the J integral from the load-displacement behavior, using a formula proposed by Costin, Duffy and Freund. The present study clarifies the applicability of such a formula for the determination of the dynamic fracture toughness and provides information concerning the effect of relative crack depth and the extent of plasticity on its accuracy.
Case report: Laparoscopic excision of urachal cyst in a child

SummaryA urachal cyst in a 13-year-old boy presented with symptoms of abdominal pain and microscopic haematuria was removed laparoscopically. The case is presented and the procedure is discussed.
Complete Pulmonary Venous Occlusion After Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Pulmonary vein stenosis is a known, yet under-recognized complication of radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. We present the case of a patient developing complete left-sided pulmonary venous occlusion following radiofrequency ablation. Recommendations are made to allow earlier diagnosis of this complication.
High-resolution electron capture gas-liquid chromatography

Abstract A new method is described for preparation of stable glass capillary columns. The technique utilizes the initial incorporation of unsilanized fumed silicon dioxide on the inner capillary wall (Cab-O-Caps). Silanization with dimethyldichlorosilane, a cross-linking reagent, produces a hydrophobic surface and also inter-bonds the silica particles, forming a thin crust on the capillary surface. Glass capillaries prepared in this manner and coated with OV-17 stationary phase are thermally stable with a life expectancy of several months at temperatures up to 250°. The Cab-O-Caps can be re-used after their efficiency has deteriorated by simply washing with solvents and recoating. A miniature high-temperature electron capture detector containing a scandium tritide ionization source has been constructed for use with Cab-O-Caps. Their combined performance demonstrates high resolution and sensitivity capabilities with potential also for quantitation of compounds of biological importance.
An algorithm for dynamic subset and intersection testing

Abstract Consider a sequence of m operations, where each operation either creates a set, inserts (deletes) an element into (from) a set, queries whether a particular element is in a set, queries whether or not one set is a subset of another, or queries whether or not the intersection of two sets is empty. We show that for any integer k , one can implement subset and intersection testing in time O( m ( k -1)/ k log m ) and all of the other operations in time O( m 1/ k log m ). Our algorithm requires O( m ( k +1)/ k ) space. With k =2, this yields a worst-case time complexity of O(ζ m log m ) per operation, and uses O( m 3 2 ) space. We also give an alternative implementation so that an operation at time t can be implemented in amortized time O(ζ n t log n t ), where n t is the size of the system of sets at time t .
Methylation analysis of the carbohydrate portion of fibronectin isolated from human plasma

Abstract Fibronectin was isolated from pooled human plasma by affinity chromatography on Sepharose-coupled gelatin and subjected to methylation analysis. The results indicate that the carbohydrate chains in fibronectin are very similar to those found in other serum glycoproteins, i.e. a common inner core structure consisting of two N-acetylglucosamine and three mannose residues attached to the polypeptide backbone via a N-acetylglucosamine-asparagine linkage. To this inner core are attached two side chains made up of N-acetylglucosamine, galactose and terminated by sialic acid.
Hexokinase III from Rana catesbeiana

Abstract 1. 1. Hexokinase III was partially purified from the liver of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, using DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. 2. 2. It was inhibited by glucose concentrations above 5 × 10 −5 M (pH 5.9), 10−4M (pH 6.7) or 10−3 M (pH 7.5). 3. 3. There was virtually no inhibition by excess glucose at pH 8.7. 4. 4. The maximum velocity of the reaction increased with increasing pH. 5. 5. Galactose could not be utilized as a substrate. 6. 6. Classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics were obtained with respect to ATP, with no evidence of allostery. 7. 7. The apparent Michaelis constant for ATP was 0.23 ± 0.013 mM in the presence of 0.2 mM glucose at pH 7.5.
Redox-mediated gene therapies for environmental injury: approaches and concepts

ABSTRACTCellular redox state has been increasingly recognized as a critical component of stress-induced cellular responses and disease. Inherent in these responses are reactive oxygen species (ROS), which inflict direct cellular damage in addition to acting as intracellular second messengers modulating signal transduction pathways. These intracellular highways of communication are critical in determining cell fates and whole-organ responses following environmental injury. Although gene therapy for inherited and acquired disorders has exploded in the last decade, the application of gene therapeutic approaches for transient pathologic conditions resulting from environmental stress is just beginning to be recognized. This review will summarize the theoretical and practical applications of gene therapy for the treatment of environmental injury by modulating redox-activated cellular responses. Several approaches can be utilized to achieve this goal. These include the application of gene targeting to modulate t...
A note on the single-machine scheduling problem with minimum weighted completion time and maximum allowable tardiness

This paper analyzes the Smith-heuristic for the single-machine scheduling problem where the objective is to minimize the total weighted completion time subject to the constraint that the tradiness for any job does not exceed a prespecified maximum allowable tardiness. We identify several cases of this problem for which the Smith-heuristic is guaranteed to lead to optimal solutions. We also provide a worst-case analysis of the Smith-heuristic; the analysis shows that the fractional increase in the objective function value for the Smith-heuristic from the optimal solution is unbounded in the worst case.
Correlates of resistin in children with chronic kidney disease: the chronic kidney disease in children cohort.

Objective To test the hypothesis that resistin is associated with insulin resistance and inflammation in pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Study design This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 319 children in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children cohort, a large cohort of children with stage II-IV CKD. Univariate and multivariate regression modeling was used to evaluate the association of serum resistin level with glomerular filtration rate (GFR), demographic data, and cardiovascular risk factors, including inflammatory cytokines, insulin resistance, and serum lipids. Results In univariate analyses, serum resistin level was negatively correlated with GFR ( P P P P P P P P P = .01), and pubertal status (β = 0.18; P Conclusion These results indicate that serum resistin level increases with GFR decline and is involved in the inflammatory milieu present in CKD.
Differences in hippocampal mitotic activity within the dorsal and ventral hippocampus following flurothyl seizures in mice

To date, there is little information regarding the regional division (dorsal and ventral) of hippocampal mitotic activity at either baseline or following seizures. To determine the regional distribution of hippocampal mitotic activity, animals were given seizures followed by injections of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (label for mitotic cells). Our results indicate that the baseline and seizure-induced levels of mitotic activity (neurogenesis) are greater in the dorsal hippocampus as compared to the ventral hippocampus. Moreover, seizures were able to significantly increase mitotic activity in both dorsal and ventral hippocampus with a greater proportional increase from baseline in the ventral hippocampus as compared to the dorsal hippocampus. These results suggest that the amount of mitotic activity differs between the dorsal and ventral hippocampus and suggests that seizure activity is capable of differentially driving mitotic activity in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus.
Combined topological defects in spin density waves and the NBN generation

Abstract The rich order parameter of Spin Density Waves allows for an unusual object of a complex topological nature: “Chimeras” composed by a half — integer dislocation combined with a semi — vortex of the staggered magnetization. They become energetically favorable due to enhanced Coulomb interactions. Their generation changes the NBN frequency.
Placental transfer of the soy isoflavone genistein following dietary and gavage administration to Sprague Dawley rats

Genistein, the principal soy isoflavone, has estrogenic activity and is widely consumed by humans for putative beneficial health effects. The goal of the present study was to measure placental transfer of genistein in rats as a possible route of developmental exposure. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered genistein orally, either by diet or by gavage. Concentrations of genistein aglycone and conjugates were measured in maternal and offspring serum and brain using HPLC with isotope dilution electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Although fetal or neonatal serum concentrations of total genistein were approximately 20-fold lower than maternal serum concentrations, the biologically active genistein aglycone concentration was only 5-fold lower. Fetal brain contained predominately genistein aglycone at levels similar to those in the maternal brain. These studies show that genistein aglycone crosses the rat placenta and can reach fetal brain from maternal serum genistein levels that are relevant to those observed in humans.
Spontaneous regression of a cystic cavum septum pellucidum

A persistent cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is present in ∼0.73% of adults, although its incidence ranges from 0.14 to 18.9% depending on the detection method. Cystic CSP is even rarer. A cyst causing mass within the CSP can obstruct the intraventricular foramen, leading to blockage of CSF flow and possible hydrocephalus, often justifying surgical intervention. We describe spontaneous decompression of a cystic CSP in a 36-year-old man. Initial MRI showed a cystic CSP with lateral bowing of the septal walls to 1.9 cm. Follow-up MRI 15 months later demonstrated no lateral bowing, and the septal wall width was 1.0 cm. This spontaneous decompression was not explained by the one previously described case report of cystic CSP regression.
Unusual combined immunodeficiency syndrome exhibiting kappa IgD paraproteinemia, residual gut immunity and graft versus host reaction after plasma infusion

Summary A 12-year-old suffering from a lymphopenic severe CID with an unusual protracted clinical course is presented. His gut-associated lympho-epithelial system was apparently normal, in contrast to the IgA deficiency in other external fluids. In addition, an elevated kappa-IgD was detected in his serum. Fresh plasma infusions from unrelated donors induced an accidental engraftment with a moderate non-fatal GvHR.
How can constitutions be designed so that politicians who seek to serve “public interest” can survive and prosper?

Distributional politics in modern democracy involves the exploitation of minorities by majorities, and as persons rotate membership, all parties in the “game” lose. This result emerges only becausedifferences in treatment are permissible. If the principle ofgenerality (analogous to that present in an idealized version of the rule of law) could, somehow, be introduced into politics, mutual exploitation could be avoided. The analysis offers support for such policies as (1) flat-rate taxes, (2) equal per head transfers or demogrants and (3) uniform regulation of all industries.
Nutritional availability of cobaltic oxide, Co2O3.

SINCE Marston's pioneer work1, numerous investigators have established that cobalt is an essential element in the nutrition of ruminants. Sheep and cows reared on diets low in cobalt (less than 0.1 mgm./100 lb. of body weight/day) lose their appetites, fail to gain weight, become anaemic, and finally become emaciated. The cobalt usually is added to the diet as cobalt chloride, cobalt sulphate, or cobalt carbonate, in a mineral feed or in a salt block.
Corrosion Behavior of Mild Carbon Steel in Ethanolic Solutions

Electrochemical evaluation of ASTM A36 steel was performed in ethanolic solutions containing small concentrations of water ranging from 0 to 10 vol.%. Electrochemical techniques such as open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization were utilized to analyze corrosion parameters. A fixed concentration of chloride, as per the ASTM specification for fuel grade ethanol, was added to increase the conductivity of the solutions. The effects of water and oxygen on the corrosion behavior of steel in these solutions have been discussed. Pitting corrosion of the steel specimens in these solutions was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pitting analysis. This investigation was performed to establish a baseline for the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of steel in ethanolic solutions.
Editorial preface to the fourth issue of 2011.

We are more than Pleased to Present You With the fourth issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research . This issue covers 1 review article ,6 original research articles and Clinical case report-based studies. The review article discusses the the distinctive pattern of abdominal obesity with an increased cardio vascular disease risk in South Asians read more.
Oviposition behaviour of the cricket Teleogryllus commodus: Observation of external and internal events

Abstract The sequential steps of oviposition behaviour in Teleogryllus commodus are: searching, positioning, penetration of ovipositor, short lift of ovipositor, rest phase, egg deposition and withdrawal of ovipositor. Each of these steps can be considered as programmed behaviour units. A transparent window cut into the 7th abdominal sternum allowed us to observe the internal events during oviposition. The egg-laying process in such operated females was filmed and analyzed. At the end of the penetration phase, an egg proceeded from the ovary to the genital chamber, in synchrony with the retraction of the genital chamber, the subgenital plate and the ovipositor. Thus, the short lift of the ovipositor indicates the presence of the egg in the genital chamber. In rarely observed cases where virgin females laid eggs, oviposition proceeded as in mated females, except that in virgins the phase of rest following the egg progression was greatly prolonged. Most likely, fertilization occurs during the rest phase. Sensory feedback responsible for releasing the consecutive steps is discussed.